Last year, Google launched its first smartphone: Pixel. Right out the gate, the camera on the Pixel stood up to those on other leading smartphones, including the iPhone 7. Fast-forward one year and the arms race continues. Apple just launched the iPhone 8 with a camera that is a noticeable improvement over the 7, and Google now has the , which is also significantly better than its predecessor. We鈥檝e been playing with the Pixel 2 over the past week. Here are our first impressions.听

Better Overall Photo Quality

If you鈥檝e been following cell-phone camera development, you鈥檒l know that improvements are made through software and hardware updates. On the hardware side, the Pixel 2 ($650) and Pixel 2 XL ($850) get a faster aperture (a new f/1.8 versus the old f/2.0) on their single 28-millimeter lens. This means that the 12.2-megapixel camera drinks in more light and allows for sharper daytime photos and better low-light captures. Even more important, the wide-angle lens also gets optical image stabilization, which helps reduce shake and blurring when the light is听low. Finally, the sensor on the 2 and 2 XL is actually slightly smaller than the original Pixel, but has a different pixel configuration that makes focusing faster and allows for a bokeh, or low depth of field effect, which we鈥檒l get to later.

On the software side, the big update is a new HDR, or high dynamic range. With HDR, your camera typically takes three photos鈥攐ne that exposes for the highlights, another that exposes for听shadows, and one with an exposure between the two鈥攁nd then combines those photos to give you a shot with a lot of dynamic range. On the Pixel 2, the camera takes up to ten听photos, many of which are underexposed so that you can nail the highlights. The shadows in this composite photo听come out听dark, but there鈥檚 still enough data in the group of photos to pull out details and make them look normal.听

In the past, photos shot on a phone camera would fall apart if you tried to edit them after the fact鈥攖here just wasn鈥檛 enough data for tweaking. With the new HDR, however, we went in and tried to brighten the shadows on a couple shots听and were impressed with how much detail we could pull out before the image started to look processed.

The question, of course, is whether the images on the Pixel stack up to the iPhone. Overall听they鈥檙e very similar. In daylight, both the Pixel 2 and the iPhone 8 shoot color-accurate, detail-rich photos that look great on Instagram or blown up on a screen. Both phones are getting better in low-light situations, thanks to features like image optical stabilization and HDR. (Though they still can鈥檛 stack up to DSLRs or mirrorless cameras in terms of quality鈥攑rofessional cameras have bigger sensors that gather more light and data.) But there are some important differences between the iPhone 8 and the Pixel 2.

One Lens Versus Two Lenses听

The biggest difference between the Pixel 2听and the iPhone 8, which is the easy comparison, is that lack of a second 56-millimeter zoom lens that comes on the iPhone 8 Plus. We talked to Isaac Reynolds, the product manager on Pixel, and asked why Google decided to stick with just one lens. He said it was all about tradeoffs. Without a second lens, the Pixel 2s (both the regular and the larger XL) are听about 30 percent lighter than their iPhone counterparts, which you notice almost immediately. The Pixels鈥櫶�28-millimeter lenses also stabilized, unlike the 28-millimeter听on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. (Only the 56-millimeter zoom听on the iPhone 8 Plus is stabilized.) Finally, with only one lens, there鈥檚 less hardware to scratch or break.

Those are the upsides. There are a few downsides, though. First, you can only zoom in digitally on the Pixel, versus optically on the iPhone. The lack of an optical zoom is a true downside, because optical zooming doesn鈥檛 affect the picture quality, whereas digital zooming does. (A听digital zoom is essentially just a crop). Google used software to try and compensate鈥攁nd it听does听a good job鈥攂ut it鈥檚 still not the same.听

Google also had to come up with a way to create the bokeh effect鈥攖hat shallow depth of field look where your subject is in focus but the background is blurred鈥攚ith just one lens. (Apple uses both lenses to create the bokeh effect.) We were impressed with how Google managed to pull this off with just software. The portraits we shot usually looked great, with sharp subjects and blurred out backgrounds. But we also found that the portraits were not as consistent as what we鈥檝e gotten with听the iPhone 8 Plus. For example, sometimes parts of the subject were accidentally blurred; this didn鈥檛 ruin the shot, but it was easily noticeable. Also, a wide-angle 28-millimeter lens isn鈥檛 ideal for portraits. Wide-angles tend to warp your subject if you shoot closeups, so you have to be careful and hold the phone at least a couple feet back. Apple鈥檚 56-millimeter lens, on the other hand, is ideal and cuts down on that warping.听

The Pixel 2 does not come with anything like Portrait Lighting鈥攖he Apple software that lets you adjust the lighting situation on your portraits鈥攂ut it does allow you to get a bokeh effect from the selfie camera,听something Apple will eventually offer on the iPhone X.

The Power of Google In Your Camera

Since Google makes the Pixel, the company听wanted to harness its听enormous search history and merge it with the camera. The result is a feature called Lens, which for the moment听is still in beta. To use Lens, you snap a photo, then press a small button in the menu that tells the phone to do an image search online. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn鈥檛. But when Google thinks it鈥檚 found a match, it pulls up relevant data to help augment your photo.听

For example, we shot this mural in Kingston, New York, and Google was able to determine听that it was painted as part of the O Positive Music and Arts Festival. We also shot hot air balloons at the annual International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though it was able to recognize the objects, it couldn鈥檛 guess that we were at the Fiesta. As Lens get better, we should be able to walk through the world pointing our phones at whatever and getting relevant data sent back about everything from the name of a mountain, to the difficulty of a climbing route, to the make of a particular bike.

Buttery-Smooth Stabilized Video

Unlike the iPhone 8, the Pixel 2 cannot shoot 4K at 60 frames per second, nor can it shoot slow-motion 1080p at 240 frames per second. But it does provide really good video stabilization, which some might consider to be more important. Reynolds told us that the footage is ultrasmooth thanks to the optical image stabilization in the lens matched with additional digital stabilization. That鈥檚 not sexy on paper, but a lot of phone footage is unusable because of shakiness, and the Pixel 2 goes a long way toward fixing that.

A Phone that Stands Up to the Elements

The Pixel 2 now comes with weatherproofing and dust protection, so you can dunk your Pixel in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes鈥攚hich is a handy feature for those who like to play outside.听

A Free, Quick Backup for All Your Photos

Like the original Pixel, the 2 will upload all your full-resolution photos and video to Google Photo, for free, meaning you have a perfect backup.听

A Battery that Charges in Minutes

Like the original Pixel, the Pixel 2 also听charges to 75 percent in 15 minutes, which is particularly handy when you鈥檙e on the road.听

Bottom Line

So should you buy a Pixel 2? If you want to be able to zoom optically, if you shoot a ton of shallow depth of field portraits, and if you care about things like Portrait Lighting, we鈥檇 say go with the iPhone 8 Plus. But if you want a lighter, slightly less expensive phone that鈥檚 easier to travel with, has an easier-to-charge battery, and shoots high-quality photos and damn nice portraits, the Pixel 2 is a better choice. You鈥檒l have to remember that neither of these phones can replace a professional camera, but both are great to have in your pocket.

The post Google Keeps Pumping Out Great Smartphone Cameras appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Wrist computers finally show their style.听

Apple Watch Series 2 ($599)

Gear of the Year

The earned our Gear of the Year nod for doing one thing insanely well: worming its way into every corner of our lives. It patches through texts and calls directly to our wrists. It tracks daily motion and automatically prompts us to keep active throughout the day. No wearable has simpler navigation, and it integrates that famous ease of use into each of its fitness functions as well. Want to go for a run? Just say 鈥淗ey, Siri, let鈥檚 run,鈥� and once you鈥檙e on the trail you get verbal pace, distance, and elapsed-time updates. When you鈥檙e finished, the watch will keep track of your daily, weekly, and monthly mileage goals. Like its predecessor, the Series 2 is more welcoming than other watches when it comes to third-party fitness apps like Strava and MapMyRun. And those revamped good looks are indicative of a larger trend in wearables: shedding all that teched-out styling for something you鈥檙e not embarrassed to wear on a date. After all, nobody wants to broadcast 鈥淟ook at me鈥擨 run!鈥� even if that鈥檚 exactly what you鈥檇 rather be doing, every chance you get.

Garmin Fenix 5S ($599)

Best For: Superb on-wrist heart-rate monitoring.

The Test: The svelte yet. It delivers up to nine days of battery life (or 14 hours of continuous GPS tracking), and its fitness diagnostics are superb. After a run, we synced our workout to the Garmin Connect app and manipulated overlay charts that showed, for instance, average steps per minute against pace to see if our form fell apart as we increased speed. There are also interval modes and custom alerts for pace and distance. On-wrist heart-rate capture was among the best in our test, matching the Suunto Spartan Sport. The only bummer: Garmin doesn鈥檛 allow onboard music storage.

The Verdict: A long-lifed wearable with fitness chops.

Samsung Gear S3听Frontier ($350)

Best For: Samsung devotees.

The Test: Too many timepieces that combine altimeter, barometer, and compass (ABC) functions feel like they鈥檙e stuck in 1999. , on the other hand, is wholly 2017, with analog ABC sensors that work together with Wi-Fi and a built-in SIM card to triangulate your precise location. Thanks to that SIM, the watch also lets you send an SOS beacon to friends and family. Three days of battery life make it a great weekend-escape watch, too. Did we mention it may have the most versatile pay-from-your-wrist system on earth? So you can leave not only your phone at home but also your wallet. The interface鈥攁 slick rotating bezel鈥攊s clever and easy to use. We especially love that Samsung鈥檚 proprietary S Health app automatically logs various workout activities. Plus, you can run other fitness apps, including Under Armour Record and MapMyRun.

The Verdict: ABC watches, welcome to the 21st century.

LG Watch Sport ($349)

Best For: Dialed user-friendliness.

The Test: Android wearables came out of the gate a bit clunky鈥攑hysically big, with illogical, cumbersome interfaces. However, the new is one of the first timepieces to get Android Wear 2.0, streamlining things considerably. The watch has its own SIM, so you can listen to Spotify and make calls sans phone. Like the Samsung, navigation is smooth: rotate the watch crown to scroll through menus rather than tapping and swiping the screen, which can be a real problem with sweaty fingers in the middle of a jog. Android lets you download fitness apps (Runtastic, Strava, Seven, and more) directly to the watch. All told, though, we wish it had a slightly slimmer design.

The Verdict: The best Android Wear watch on the market.听

New Balance RunIQ听($299)

Best For: Fleet-of-foot听Android fans.

The Test: Strava fanatics,听this is your watch. Sure, it听runs Android Wear 2.0, but Strava comes preloaded and fully integrated; simply tap the upper-right button to fire it up. Plus, Strava boasts a few features just for the RunIQ that you won鈥檛 see on other Android or iOS watches, like footfall 颅cadence, accurate speed metrics, and easy-to-use lap mode. 鈥檚 five-hour battery life (with GPS running) doesn鈥檛 even match the half-as-costly Polar, but it鈥檚 fully waterproof down to 50 meters鈥攇ood news for tri颅athletes. And New Balance鈥攚ith R&D by Intel鈥攊ncludes highly accurate heart-rate monitoring that held up impressively well during high-intensity intervals. Also, this puppy stores up to 50 hours听of music.

The Verdict: A dedicated running watch with stealth wearable capability.

Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR ($499)

Best For: Going hard.

The Test: The name may be a mouthful, but 鈥�12 hours of battery in GPS mode, water-resistant to 100 meters, and 80 different preloaded sport modes, including trail running, open-颅water swimming, and adventure racing. It has an easy-to-read touchscreen, but the physical buttons on the side were clutch when our hands got sweaty. On-wrist heart-rate accuracy was matched only by the Garmin, and GPS was top-notch. Workouts get logged in Suunto鈥檚 MovesCount app and desktop program, and you can use the latter to download nearby routes and preplanned training calendars.

The Verdict: A multisport workhorse.

Polar M200听($150)

Best For: Giving you gobs and gobs of data.

The Test: is 颅light颅weight and comfortable, and despite its price, it tracks a ridiculous number of sports, including badminton, disc golf, and literally a hundred more. Using it couldn鈥檛 be easier, with just two buttons and an intuitive operating system. Like most wearables, the M200 has GPS and accurate on-wrist heart rate, and your workout data syncs to your phone via the Polar Flow app. The M200 also works with Android鈥檚 Google Fit and can populate Apple鈥檚 Health Kit. However,听its six hours of GPS battery life left us hanging on all-day epics.

The Verdict: Looking to track your handball stats? There鈥檚听a watch for that.听

The post The Best Fitness Watches of 2017 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Sketchy Forest Roads

Jaguar F-Pace

The Test: After throttling across frozen lakes in Scan颅dinavia and over 11,000-foot passes in the Colorado Rockies, our opinion of the 340-颅horsepower V-6 F-Pace boiled down to this: it鈥檚 a riot. The 18-inch wheels rolled over uneven terrain with verve. Our con颅fidence was further boosted by an on-demand all-wheel-drive system that sends power to the rear by default, engaging AWD only when needed. Interior space is enough for two mountain bikes with the seats folded down. All that, and this cat can still ferry four adults.

What鈥檚 Missing: Despite the F-Pace鈥檚 ample thrust, it鈥檚 a heavy, thirsty beast.

The Verdict: If you鈥檙e a skier, biker, or dog lover looking for a rig with sex appeal, this is your new ride. $41,985; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Porsche Cayenne

The Test: is that it鈥檚 the most capable SUV that 颅almost none of its owners take beyond the pavement. Back in 2003, when it debuted in North America, we drove one through nearly hood-deep standing water, what felt like bottomless mudholes, and even up steep, root-strewn rocky slopes. The Cayenne only got better in 2011, when Porsche added center differential locks, which make all the wheels turn at once鈥攗seful for getting unstuck. Although the Cayenne defaults to rear-wheel drive on tarmac, it can send nearly all its power to either axle depending on which tire has the most grip. Switching to off-road mode lifts the chassis to 10.7 inches, besting the ground clearance of some otherwise hardier pickup trucks. What truly continues to distinguish a Cayenne from, say, a Jeep Grand Cher颅okee is that it handles like a sports sedan during regular driving, with some of the best braking of any car on the road and corner颅ing grip even at super颅car speeds.

What鈥檚 Missing: Not much. But this summer, Porsche will retool the Cayenne, which could cost the SUV some of its notorious capability.

The Verdict: A tank that handles like a sports car. $60,650; 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

The Test: This 鈥攖hrive in the rough. As we learned over 120 miles of tooling around town, the truck鈥檚 ride is unapologetically stiff, and the 3.5-liter V-6, while plenty powerful, is geared for dirty duty rather than interstate cruising. But once we ventured into the rough, the Tacoma鈥檚 burly Fox shocks, wide stance, and 9.4-inch ground clearance gave us every excuse to 颅explore. For 颅novices, the Pro model鈥檚 six-颅speed 颅automatic transmission affords superpowers in the form of its . Basically cruise control for off-roading, Crawl Control propels the truck up and over the gnarliest terrain, automatically modulating braking and power between all four wheels. The driver only has to steer.

What鈥檚 Missing: The Tacoma can take you almost anywhere, but good luck seeing the vistas out of the squat windshield.

The Verdict: An unabashed, user-颅friendly 4×4 hero. $43,700; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

The Test: With the Trailhawk, from its traditional center of burly SUV-cum-颅comfort stud and invests heavily in the rough-and-tumble game. Its signature feature is Jeep鈥檚 , which jacks up the ground clearance from 8.2 to 10.8 inches with the push of a button. Rumbling on 20 miles of washboard Forest Service roads along Colorado鈥檚 Front Range, it turned an otherwise teeth-颅chattering 40 minutes of miserable driving into something tolerable. In addition to four-wheel drive and its terrain-select system, the Trailhawk comes with an armored underside, as well as red hooks up front for pulling lesser vehicles out of a jam. Jeep also includes massive Goodyear All-Terrain 国产吃瓜黑料 tires, and they conquer almost everything. Even with plenty of trail moxie, the interior is plush鈥攁lmost too nice for the dusty, muddy, sloppy conditions the Trailhawk is made for.

What鈥檚 Missing: A bare-bones version with all the confidence, fewer tech flourishes, and none of the luxury.

The Verdict: That same sweet Grand Cherokee ride but with hardcore cred. $44,090; 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Honda Ridgeline

The Test: It may look and act like a truck, but at its heart, the . On a 920-mile road trip between Colorado and New Mexico, the 3.5-liter V6 engine in the AWD version clocked a respectable 24.5 miles per gallon even while hauling a family of four, plus all their gear and a cooler, which stowed neatly in the truck鈥檚 clever locking waterproof trunk located under the bed behind the rear axle.

Getting into the trunk was made easier by the Ridgeline鈥檚 rear gate, which can swing either open or down, like a traditional pickup truck, making a bigger platform for hauling boats or bikes.

The fun continues with six speakers in the lighted truck bed, which can double as a sleeping platform with the rear gate down. Honda even sells a tent that fits inside the bed. As a ski truck, it鈥檚 a dream machine: plenty of room in the bed for boards and sticks or for ferrying backcountry bros back up to the top of the pass, while still being a cushy interstate cruiser for everyday needs.

What鈥檚 Missing: While Honda doesn鈥檛 claim that the Ridgeline is an off-roading champ, and its AWD system will get it through more muck and mud than you鈥檇 think, we鈥檇 have liked a little more giddyup.

The Verdict: Call it the anti-truck for those who want utility without a harsh ride and dismal fuel economy. $32,175 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Smooth City Pavement

Cadillac XT5 AWD Luxury

The Test: Whether meandering through San Francisco鈥檚 tight, traffic-clogged streets or coasting along open stretches of Highway 1 south to Santa Cruz, is, in a word, easy. Easy to maneuver, easy to spend all day in, easy to get in and out of, and easy to throw stuff into and retrieve. It鈥檚 like the Goldilocks of midsize crossovers. While that doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean exciting, it鈥檚 a key selling point for a premium rig. On a cross-continent blitz, the XT5 would be a welcome cruise liner compared with the stiffer, more aggressive ride of the Jaguar F-Pace. Cadillac also gave rear 颅passengers 39.5 inches of leg颅room and seats that recline for snoozing. The 310-horsepower V-6 with all-wheel drive spends most of its time judiciously powering the front axle, shutting off half its cylinders when turning all four wheels is fuel-sucking overkill.

What鈥檚 Missing: The eight-speed automatic transmission helps with fuel economy but can make passing 颅maneuvers frustrating since it can take a while to find the optimal gear.

The Verdict: The luxury crossover for those who want a happy medium between a Euro sports car and an American truck. $48,790 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/ 26 mpg highway.

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BMW 330e

The Test: The 330e is the latest step toward to power the bulk of its cars electrically by 2026. While it鈥檚 not a full-on EV, the 330e can range 14 miles in pure electric mode. Unlike past BMW hybrids, it鈥檒l truly hustle (up to 75 miles per hour) without burning a drop of gas. Then there鈥檚 Auto eDrive, where the transmission passes seam颅lessly between electric and gas, staying in EV mode if you鈥檙e light on the throttle. The surprising part is that the 330e has better acceleration than the gas-only 3 Series, because it combines propulsion from a 180-颅horsepower, two-liter, four-颅cylinder 颅engine and an 87-horsepower electric motor. Handling is ultra-crisp and tactile, inspiring confidence no matter how hard you push. And yep, BMW kept trunk-to-cockpit fold-down rear seats from pre颅vious versions, so there鈥檚 room aboard for everything from backpacks to bikes.

What鈥檚 Missing: Greater range in electric-only mode.

The Verdict: A (nearly) no-颅sacrifices sports sedan that happens to be a hybrid. $44,695; 72 MPGe, 30 mpg 颅combined.

Nissan Pathfinder

The Test: It may look like the same old Pathfinder, but a peek under the hood proves otherwise. to pump out 284 horsepower and tow up to 6,000 pounds (e.g., a 27-foot Airstream). The suspension is better, too鈥攕tiffer and more capable. On a hilly drive near Big Sur, California, the smooth continuously variable transmission (CVT) was well mated to the engine, with little of the whining drone found in other CVT setups. While it鈥檚 primarily built for the asphalt, the Pathfinder has adventure chops. We locked the transmission into four-wheel drive to power up a sandy lane in the mountains, and descent control stopped us from sliding on the way down. Nissan鈥檚 provides a 360-degree image of the terrain, so we could skirt around boulders and $100,000 Benzes in the Trader Joe鈥檚 parking lot. Think of the Pathfinder as a bigger Subaru Outback with a more refined on-road ride and twice as much towing capacity.

What鈥檚 Missing: While three rows of seats make the Pathfinder seem capacious, there鈥檚 not enough headroom in back for an adult to sit up straight.

The Verdict: A suburban cruiser with an active-lifestyle soul hidden under sheet metal and leather. $32,920 (with 4WD); 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

Toyota Prius Prime

The Test: An edgy hybrid? With this , yes. Just stare at the Tron-esque rear lights and aggressive front end. A sports car it isn鈥檛, but the Prime is a spry daily driver that lives up to the Prius enviro heritage. Toyota tweaked the handling, affording more predictable cornering, and the Prime can run entirely without gasoline for 25 miles (farther than the average office commute). Even if you floor it, the car stays in EV mode until its cells are depleted and can cruise up to 640 miles when using both the gas engine and electric motor. Getting to a distant trailhead and back is no sweat.

What鈥檚 Missing: The rear hatch gives the impression of storage space, but only that.

The Verdict: The archetypal hybrid bares its teeth. $27,965; 133 MPGe, 55 mpg city/53 mpg highway.

Volvo V90 Cross Country

The Test: Driving near dusk on ice-coated roads near Are, Sweden, we couldn鈥檛 help but marvel at the amenities on offer. Sure, it was bitterly cold outside, but inside, ten-way-adjustable leather heated seats and a heated steering wheel kept everything as cozy as a Swedish sauna. Every piece of glass in the car is laminated, cutting ambient noise to a murmur, even though we were driving on studded tires that would ordinarily create an unholy din.

Volvo gifted the V90 with AWD and more than eight inches of ground clearance鈥攂esting the off-road chops of many tall-riding SUVs in this realm. And yet it handles like its S90 sedan cousin, with the poise of a fast performance car, not a bloated box. Plus, this is Volvo, meaning de facto safety, from active-cornering head- and fog lamps (which make it easier to see around sharp bends) to crash protection that overrides the steering and braking to yank the V90 CC back onto the road in case the driver doesn鈥檛 realize the car has drifted onto the shoulder.

What鈥檚 Missing: The great ground clearance doesn鈥檛 include armored undercarriage protection.

The Verdict: A ridiculously gorgeous alternative to the default luxury SUV. $55,300; estimated 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Winding Mountain Passes

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

The Test: As soon as we hit snaking blacktop in the shadow of Washington鈥檚 Olympic Mountains, it was clear that . It鈥檚 lighter, it steers more sharply, and it feels sportier than any SUV-like creature in its class. A 1.8-liter engine paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission keeps torque right in the sweet spot when climbing steep grades in sport mode. The Alltrack has 4WD as well and comes standard with an off-road setting that allows more wheel churn before the traction control kicks in鈥攁 huge help if you鈥檙e trying to power out of mud or snow. Shift back to D on the interstate, and the Alltrack defaults to luxe-sedan quiet, with superb sound deadening. The seats are plenty supportive for long hauls, and stock amenities include fog lamps and smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

What鈥檚 Missing: The maximum 66.5 cubic feet of stowage doesn鈥檛 quite match a Honda CR-V.

The Verdict: A European SUV 颅alter颅native without the sticker shock. $27,770; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Coupe

The Test: It鈥檚 better to think of as a taller, roomier sedan than as an SUV. With 6.3 inches of ground clearance, the GLC300 Coupe rides a few inches higher than a normal about-town car, but that鈥檚 not quite enough lift for barreling over rutted forest two-track. Still, it鈥檚 plenty capable of shuttling you and your crew to where pavement ends and trail begins. Its max 56.5 cubic feet of storage bests the 颅Volvo V60, its nine-speed transmission is smooth, and its center of gravity is low, so you never get that high-riding car sickness on mountain hairpins. Plus, the two-颅liter turbo颅charged four-cylinder engine delivers a gutsy 273 pound-feet of torque. Inside, every surface, from vent knobs to window levers, feels tailor-made.

What鈥檚 Missing: The price of fashion is function, and the GLC300 Coupe鈥檚 sexy roofline chops six cubic feet from the standard GLC鈥檚 total cargo capacity.

The Verdict: A sedan-crossover mashup that鈥檚 fun and fairly pragmatic. $45,950; 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country

The Test: Credit the Swedish carmaker for knowing how to handle winter. This V60 has heated every颅thing: seats, windshield-washer nozzles, and side mirrors. Plus, there鈥檚 a transparent electrical defroster embedded in the windshield. Skiers will dig the second-row pass-through, which is wide enough for powder sticks. While the (44 cubic feet with the rear seats folded), this wagon is superior to any 颅sedan when it comes to hauling gear, and with standard AWD and ground clearance at an impressive 7.9 inches, you鈥檙e getting reasonable wherewithal that actually bests some crossovers. Handling is nimble, if not quite as firm as the Volks颅wagen Alltrack, but the Volvo is quick, with 240 horsepower on tap from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

What鈥檚 Missing: The rear seats aren鈥檛 roomy enough for anyone bigger than a teenager.

The Verdict: The ideal chariot to chase first tracks. $42,695; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Subaru Impreza

The Test: Once we hit 100 mph on an empty stretch of mountain highway close to the Mexican border in Southern California, we were . Subaru made the hatchback roughly 1.5 inches longer and wider, not to mention stiffer. The decidedly higher fuel economy belies its sports-car handling. Credit the brand-new chassis, sport-tuned steering, all-wheel drive, and more than half an inch less ground clearance, which affords it glue-like grip on the road. Beyond the frame, the 颅Impreza impresses with a spacious inter颅ior. Subaru also dropped the roofline for improved aerodynamics and easier roof-rack access.

What鈥檚 Missing: Guts. The Impreza鈥檚 152-horsepower engine and CVT transmission are geared for fuel economy, not oomph.

The Verdict: The value-pick AWD star just became a joy to drive as well. $19,215; 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Kia Sportage SX Turbo AWD

The Test: With each mile we ascended up the snow-packed road to St. Mary鈥檚 Glacier, outside Denver at 10,400-feet of elevation, . Ten miles later, at the trail, with four inches of snow covering the iced-over tarmac, we locked the center differential to turn the spritely 240-horsepower, two-liter turbo crossover into a full-time 4WD tank. Foot-high snowdrifts were no match.

Inside, we were coddled with a heated steering wheel, heated seats, tunes via Android Auto, and enough leg- and headroom for four six foot adults to sit comfortably. Behind all that was a cargo area big enough for backcountry snowshoes and winter gear for four. On our 120-mile winter mountain adventure, our fuel economy far exceeded the EPA鈥檚 numbers鈥攚e notched 26.8 miles per gallon on highways and slow mountain roads. Overall, it was hard to find anything the angular Sportage SX didn鈥檛 have in terms of features and options.

What鈥檚 Missing: A bare-bones version of the turbo AWD vehicle for a lot less money. And true snow tires for icy roads; AWD and traction control don鈥檛 do anything to help this Kia鈥檚 stock rubber stop on ice.

The Verdict: The top-shelf, feature- and option-packed SX Turbo version looks and drives all city, but will handle more country than you鈥檇 expect. $34,895; 20 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL 4

The Test: Charging around muddy two-tracks in England in in the brand鈥檚 history, it occurred to us that the brand has addressed some of the size complaints while staying true to what makes the car, well, mini. It sits higher than any other hatchback on the market, with 6.5 inches of ground clearance, offers more cargo space than almost any other hatchback, and is finally the first Mini that鈥檚 genuinely comfortable for full six-footers in the second row. And as the name implies, the ALL 4 edition has AWD. Would we take one rock-crawling? Nope. But for snow-caked or gravel-strewn fire roads, it鈥檚 perfect, and even though it matches or bests many compact SUVs for roominess, precise steering and quick acceleration from a 189-horsepower inline, turbocharged four-cylinder engine make it far more of a joy to dart through traffic.

What鈥檚 Missing: More off-road prowess, since the Mini lacks features like hill-descent control or an off-road transmission mode you can find in rivals like the VW Alltrack.

The Verdict: The biggest, most pragmatic Mini for adventure. $31,950; estimated 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway.

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You might already be familiar with the emergency beacon ICEdot. It鈥檚 a sensor that attaches to your helmet and can sense when you crash, thanks to a built-in accelerometer. Once it records the crash, the device then triggers a countdown on a smartphone app. If you don鈥檛 stop the countdown (say, because you鈥檙e unconscious), it prompts your phone to send a text with your GPS coordinates to your emergency contact.

ICEdot had one major flaw: it didn鈥檛 work out of cell range. A new device called solves that problem. Like ICEdot, PhiPAL uses an accelerometer and a countdown, but if you鈥檙e out of cell range, it can hook onto a satellite signal, ensuring that your emergency contact receives your location.

The base version of the product connects only to a cell tower, just like ICEdot, and will cost $150 when it hits retail. The Pro version, on the other hand, talks to a satellite and will cost $300. It will also require a $120 annual subscription for the satellite connection. That鈥檚 a high price tag but still cheaper than the $150 subscription cost of . And unlike PhiPAL, the Spot requires that you鈥檙e physically able to use its emergency button to send for help.

The technology is sound but has its own challenges. The device is not only expensive but also large and ungainly. ICEdot is roughly the diameter of a quarter and fits on the back of your helmet. PhiPAL is the size of a Clif Bar and goes on top of your lid. Manufacturers have already warned that helmet-mounted cameras can stop their helmets from effectively protecting you in a crash, and the same might be true for PhiPAL.

Bottom line: Automatic distress beacons are a potentially life-saving idea. But, to me, this one only warrants the high price tag and unwieldy design if the user plans to spend lots of time skiing, biking, or climbing alone in the backcountry.

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Chevy debuted its new on Tuesday night at the L.A. Auto Show. The truck, available April 2017, is clearly designed to dethrone the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro as America鈥檚 mid-size, off-road vehicle of choice.

The specs include: a track (the width from the left听tire to the right tire) that鈥檚 a full inch bigger than the Tacoma's for better stability; an inch higher ground clearance than the Tacoma (10.4 inches compared to the TRD Pro鈥檚 9.4 inches); and a 2.8-liter diesel with 369 pound-feet of torque that's perfect for slow crawls up difficult terrain. Chevy even redesigned the bumpers to improve the truck's approach and departure angles to make clearing off-road obstacles easier.听The ZR2 will also be the only midsize truck you can buy new from the dealer with front and rear locking differentials, plus听a locking transfer case, all of which are intended听to make the four-wheel drive more robust.听

听

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When we think of top-shelf smartphone cameras, we think of offerings from听Apple and Samsung. Now it鈥檚 time to add Google to that list. With its new ,听the听tech giant has produced a portable,听powerful adventure cam. We've been testing the XL version for the past few days: here are our first impressions.听

Camera Design

Both Pixels come with a 28-millimeter听f2.0 lens that鈥檚 fast and sharp. That's not quite听as fast as the iPhone 7鈥檚 28-millimeter听f1.8 lens, but it still produced crisp photos in variable lighting. Amateur photographers will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two.听The color was a little too vibrant at times鈥攑artly because the camera defaults to HDR,听where听it combines听three different exposures听into one鈥攂ut the photos (both in HDR and in regular mode) still took very little toning.听

The 12.3-megapixel sensor isn鈥檛 huge, but each pixel is larger than what you normally get on a cell-phone chip and they gathered a decent amount of highlight and shadow detail that we then pulled out in post-processing. We could darken blown-out clouds, for example, and overall it felt very similar to what's in the iPhone 7.听To be clear, the sensor is nowhere near as powerful as what you鈥檇听find in a new DSLR听like the Canon 5D Mark IV听or a mirrorless camera like the Sony A7R II. But you鈥檒l be plenty happy with the shots if they鈥檙e going to live on the web听or if you want to make small听prints, such as an 8-by-10.听

Software Design

As with听the iPhone 7, the Pixel lets you control exposure by swiping up or down on the screen. Unlike the iPhone, you also have the option to听manually set听white听balance. In听auto, the white balance is usually spot on, but it鈥檚 nice to have manual control for when you鈥檙e trying to nail the color under indoor lights.听

Press down on听the shutter, on the screen, and the Pixel will take a burst of photos, like an iPhone. What's new here听is that the Pixel can turn听that听burst of photos into a sharable GIF.听The Pixel can also听blur out the background, creating a shallow depth of field鈥攚hich is particularly useful for portraits.

Video

There鈥檚 nothing particularly impressive about the video capabilities, but the phone hits all the most important benchmarks. You can shoot stabilized 4K at 30 frames per second听or 1080 at up to a slow-mo 120 frames per second. You can also shoot super slow-mo 240 frames per second听at 720p.

Sharing and Storage

The phones aren鈥檛 as big as what you can get from Apple鈥攖hey come in 32- or 128-gigabyte versions鈥攂ut that鈥檚 intentional. Since Google makes the phone, it gives users unlimited cloud storage for all your full-resolution photos and videos on Google Photo. This means听your photos are always backed up on the cloud and easy to share.

Downsides

Neither Pixel phone gets a second, longer lens like the iPhone 7 Plus. That means zooming in is pretty much out of the question, as听digital zoom is terrible: it just crops in and ruins the resolution.

The build quality is excellent鈥攊t seems ready to put up with plenty of abuse鈥攂ut the Pixels aren't听waterproof like the iPhone 7s.

As mentioned before, the camera wants you to shoot in HDR, where the camera reads the scene and brackets three shots into a single image in order to capture shadow and highlights. We鈥檙e fans of HDR in some very specific situations, and Google does a good job听blending the photos, but the process often makes the photos look听overly toned, and we didn鈥檛 like having to manually switch back to the regular shooting mode.

Finally, Android doesn鈥檛 have quite as many photo apps as Apple鈥檚 iOS. We鈥檒l see if the Pixel spurs more development.

The Verdict

Android users will听be very happy with this camera. It stacks up well against the other top competitors, plus it comes with some听important features unique to Google. As a bonus,听the phone听works with the Google Project Fi service, which uses a WiFi network whenever possible to make calls鈥攁nd piggybacks听on听various cell providers听the rest of the time. It's听great听for international travel.听It costs $20 a month for unlimited talk and听text, and $10 per gigabyte听as a flat fee, anywhere in the world. That鈥檚 about ten times cheaper than what you鈥檇 pay if you stayed on your regular provider and opted for the international package.

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We鈥檝e written a lot about the rise of mirrorless cameras. The 国产吃瓜黑料 staff uses them frequently because they鈥檙e small and powerful鈥攂ut that doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檝e given up on DSLRs. Case in point: the . The company鈥檚 new flagship shooter is built like a tank, fires like a machine gun, has whip-fast听autofocus, and goes up to a mind-blowing ISO 3.3 million. I鈥檝e spent the past couple months testing one and think it鈥檚 just about the best camera for people who like to shoot action sports and find themselves in low-light situations.

Autofocus

The D5, with its 153-point image detection system, makes tracking your subject easier than ever. Put another way, the system helps the camera stay locked on a subject as it moves across the frame. I shot cyclocross riders training and was amazed at how easy it was to track them as they wove in and out of obstacles. The camera also balances light and shadow with 180,000-pixel, three-dimensional metering. That means if your subject is moving from light into shadow, even at high speed, the camera can adjust and nail the exposure. Once you鈥檙e locked on, the D5 fires up to 12 frames per second鈥攑lenty fast for capturing a skier hucking a cliff or cyclists flying by鈥攁nd doesn鈥檛 fill the buffer听until you鈥檝e shot 200 images.

Design

Yes, the D5 is a large camera. It weighs a hefty 3.1 pounds, versus the smaller D500, which comes in at just over 1.6 pounds. That鈥檚 a lot of weight to haul around for one body, but in return you get great hand feel and balance. What does that mean? Because it鈥檚 so large, the camera features a giant pistol grip for both horizontal and vertical shooting, making it easy and intuitive to hold. The vertical pistol grip features another shutter button and adjustment dial for easier shooting, and both grips help balance big telephoto lenses that want to pull the camera out of your hands. Like the D500, the D5 is weather-sealed, so you can shoot in the snow or a rainstorm, and its magnesium alloy case will put up with a decade of regular abuse and even the occasional fall.

ISO

The D5 made headlines because it goes up to an ISO of 102,400 and is expandable up to ISO 3.3 million. Three million is a big number, but in tests it鈥檚 been proven that you never really want to go that high because the images get so grainy. The camera does, however, excel in low-light situations鈥攏oticeably better than the D500. This is one of its most important selling points.

The Downsides

The most immediate downside is that the D5 costs $6,500鈥�more than three times the D500. The D5 is faster鈥�12 frames per second versus 10鈥攁nd the giant 36-by-24-millimeter FX-format sensor in the D5 is better in low light. But for most amateur photographers, those differences are pretty subtle. The D500 gets the same 153-point image detection system as the D5, as well as the 180,000 pixel, three-dimensional metering system.

Do more frames per second and better low-light capabilities make up for a $4,500 difference in cost? Only you know听if those things really matter to you.

The Verdict

If you shoot skiing and mountain biking or other high-velocity sports for a living, then you want this camera. It has the power and features to nail the action, it works especially well with telephoto lenses, and you鈥檒l notice a difference over a slower camera like the D500. Plus, you get a camera that does really, really well in low light.

But if you鈥檙e just shooting action occasionally and casually and want a camera for portraits that鈥檚 lighter and less expensive, I鈥檇 point you to something like the D500 instead.

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Engineers futz with things for a 颅reason: that鈥檚 how breakthroughs happen. And as these 29 products demonstrate, there鈥檚 never been a better time to mess around.

Protection

Durable gear for a rough and tumble world

1. Packable Climbing Cradle. Built with hardy but featherweight Spectra fabric, the weighs just 5.3 ounces and takes up a fistful of cargo space in your pack. Leg-loop buckles let you slip it on without removing crampons or skis. $80

2. Ultralight Avy Insurance. Airbags are buoyant in an avalanche, but the extra pack weight can be a bummer on the way up. 3.0 is svelte (just under six pounds), and shoulder-strap integration provides better protection when the snow slides. $730

3. Collapsing Bike Lid. Don鈥檛 worry, it holds its shape when it鈥檚 in use. From high-end cycling gearmaker Brooks England, the has an accordion folding mechanism for easy storage. The look recalls the classic leather 鈥渉airnets鈥� of seventies racing, but it meets crash-test standards. $170 and up

4. Tear-Proof Cycling Kit. Road rash is the bane of bike racing, which is why the fabric used in the shoulders of can stand up to a belt sander. (Seriously, Google it.) The secret? ITD ProTec, a material produced in part颅nership with the textile whizzes at Schoeller that adds carbon-fiber yarn to the polyester knit. $125

5. Backcountry Armor. Fresh from Voormi is the Inversion jacket, with ultra-thick wool in the shoulders, arms, and hood that鈥檚 as bulletproof as ballistic nylon yet more breathable and stretchy. A tightly 颅woven wool-nylon mesh shrugs off rain, courtesy of a durable water-repellent treatment. $500

6. The Burliest Pants. We challenge you to wear a hole in these dungarees by urban-bike-wear company Chrome 颅Industries. For the U.S.-made jeans, the brand worked with Cone Mills to create raw denim with 8 percent Dyneema fiber, used in some climbing ropes. $150

Movement

Travel fast and free, from city to mountain

1. Float Like A Butterfly, Carve Like a Knife: Moment鈥檚 are the first with wavy triple camber鈥攕mall curves placed fore and aft of the bindings, plus a rockered tip and tail. The result: all-mountain sticks that float in powder and hold an edge on crust. $750

2. Rejoice, Ski Mountaineers: The lateral stiffness that makes for a good downhill boot is terrible for scaling steeps in crampons. bridges that gap. The two-piece upper cuff bends 23 degrees side颅ways for sure footing on rock and ice, then locks in place to rip big-mountain lines. $1,000

3. Iced Tee: Polartec鈥檚 four-season Delta fabric has a honeycomb structure that increases yarn surface area to move more heat and moisture. Cycling-apparel brand Kitsbow incorporates Delta side panels into its for the ultimate warm-weather, casual-but-techy top. $69

4: A Jazzed-Up City Cruiser: Electric bikes have come a long way, but many are still clunky beasts championed mainly by early adopters. 颅Faraday鈥檚 Dutch-style bucks that trend, pairing a 250-watt front-hub motor and integrated front and rear lights with eye-catching touches like bamboo fenders and leather grips. $3,500

5. Rock Wear With Flair: So Ill capitalizes on climbers鈥� footwear obsession with its. They blend technical features鈥攍ike super-sticky Dark Matter rubber, developed for Navy SEAL boots鈥攚ith throwback Velcro straps. $129

Connectivity

Next-level gadgets for tracking, logging, and playing

1.听One Punchy Music听Box:听Libratone鈥檚 wireless speaker pumps out crisp sound, not the muddy thumps and crackly highs of most Blue颅tooth boxes. Credit the听fat sub颅woofer and dual tweeters. You can link as many as six of them via Lib颅ratone鈥檚 free app (Android and iOS). $249

2.听All-in-One Fitness Pal:听Garmin鈥檚 has customizable faces and tracks your heart rate. It also maps your ride, run, or swim even when you leave your phone at home. But what we really dig is not having to constantly charge it鈥斅璪attery life can reach 11 days. $450

3: A听Smartwatch听With Panache:听Why does cost five times as much as other听smartwatches? Swiss engineering and a mineral-glass screen with 鈥渄epth鈥� (the digital hands cast faux shadows). You still get push notifications, but the look is more elegant timepiece than dork device. $1,500

4:听Go-Anywhere Sky Cam:听At 1.2 pounds, the drone is less than half the heft of any other 颅serious quad on the market, yet it shoots both 4K and syrupy-slow 120-frames-per-second 1080p video. In a crash the body pops free, dissipating听force. $1,295

5: Off-the-Grid Communicator:听A handful of new backcountry devices let you send texts and location info without cell service. But goes further, giving adventurers the ability to make calls to other Beartooth users as much as five miles away. $149 for two

6:听Wearable Stride Coach:听 clips to your shorts, which is a better spot than your wrist for monitoring cadence, braking force, and 颅pelvic rotation. And you get immediate voice feedback via the Lumo app (Android and iOS), as well as simple suggestions for improving form. $80

Warmth

Smart tools to conquer the elements

1. Fog-free Fun:听 are moisture creep鈥檚 worst nightmare. The key is in the heat-颅conducting film layered between two pieces of polycarbonate, like a battery-powered version of your car鈥檚 defroster. Press the large button on the side and Active mode ensures an unobstructed view for six hours. $250

2. Snow Dogs:听Redesigned with oversight from 眉ber-alpinist Conrad Anker, are knitted from merino and nylon Indestructawool fabric, which the company says makes them 33 percent more durable than its earlier PhD series. A low-volume instep guarantees proper boot fit. $35

3. Rain or Shine:听At the heart of听Arc鈥檛eryx鈥檚 category-defying is W. L. Gore鈥檚 new Thermium, a breathable membrane designed to keep insulation dry, thus maintaining warmth. Arc鈥檛eryx pairs Thermium with 850-fill down for a 23-ounce parka that鈥檚 ideal for any lung-busting winter activity. $949

4. Hot Hands:听Outdoor Research debuted its AltiHeat line in 2014, but the company doubled up on the warmth with this year鈥檚 . Literally. These are twice as efficient as the old Lucents. Wires in the hands and fingers conduct heat from two lithium-ion batteries per glove, which OR stashed in the cuffs to keep the Capstones from听being听uncomfortably听bulky. $500

5. Fire It Up, Then听Pack听It Away:听Primus鈥檚 new seven-pound is a legit camp cooker in a messenger bag with Scandinavian style. The oak cutting-board lid doubles as a serving tray. When you鈥檙e ready to cook the frame 颅unfolds, with a base that鈥檚 sturdy enough to support heavy pots and dual burners nested low enough to shield their 10,000-BTU flames from the wind. $140

6. Performance Apr猫s:听Once only the stuff of hard-charging apparel, the North Face鈥檚 颅Thermoball insulation is 颅making its way into classier garments. excels as light protection for post-ski beers, especially when style points count: the fold-down collar and chambray trim lend an air of cool. $149

Vision

Bright ideas with an eye toward style and safety

1. Versatile听Camp Light:听BioLite boosts听its rep with the 500-lumen , which does double duty as a power hub that can juice a phone up to four times. The most ingenious feature: when it鈥檚 dark, the lantern switches on as you approach with your phone鈥斅璸erfect for those 2 A.M. nature calls. $100

2. Shades fit for 007:听Dashing enough for Daniel Craig in Spectre, Vuarnet鈥檚 Glacier Glasses feature glass lenses that block UV and infrared radiation. Vuarnet dials in the shading to block snow and ice glare at the bottom and sun at the top, leaving the center nearly clear for unimpeded vision on sketchy terrain. $540

Buy Now

3. A听Bombproof Like-Generating Machine:听The action cam doesn鈥檛 need a case to with颅stand the rigors of the wilderness. It performs to a depth of 100 feet and at temperatures as low as 14 degrees. A built-in thermometer and pressure sensor tell you when you鈥檙e getting close to its limits. $350

4.听Shoe Shine:听Visibility is critical when running at night, but who wants to dress up like a neon clown? A great workaround is , which attaches to the heel of your shoe and flashes twin LED beacons up to 2,000 feet. It鈥檚 featherweight, two button cells last 70 hours, and a clamp ensures it stays put. $20

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Last week, Apple , 18 months after its predecessor went on sale. It got a few big upgrades鈥攊t鈥檚 waterproof and has built-in GPS鈥攑lus a whole host of other improvements, including a faster operating system. The sum of all those changes: a more sophisticated, though not revolutionary, fitness tracker.

Of course, the Series 2, like the new base Series 1 (an upgraded version of the original Watch,听without GPS), is more than a fitness tracker. We won't get into those productivity and communication听features听here, and听if you're looking for more details, .听But the Watch's听identity has clearly coalesced around exercise. That鈥檚 a conscious choice on Apple鈥檚 part: the brand鈥檚 spokespeople claim that its core buyers are increasingly prioritizing activity and the tools that measure it. These upgrades let Apple jockey more competitively for market share with Fitbit and Garmin, both of which offer wearables with GPS and at least some waterproofing.

I鈥檝e spent the past four days testing the Watch 2, packing in as many workouts as I鈥檝e had stamina for, including a few trail runs, hikes, a cross-training cardio-mobility-strength session, and two-hour sea kayak. What follows are my first impressions of the device. In short, the Series 2 has proven itself as an impressive daily fitness tracker for those who want a bit more power鈥攁nd style鈥攖han a Fitbit but don鈥檛 need the deep-dive data granularity of a Garmin or Suunto.

Here鈥檚 the blow-by-blow of what worked, how it worked, and whether it belongs in your daily fitness routine.

Apple Watch 101

If you鈥檝e never used the Apple Watch, here鈥檚 a basic primer to understand the analysis that follows. If you鈥檙e already an Apple Watch veteran, skip ahead to the goods below.

The听Series 1 and Series 2 Watches听work as extensions of the iPhone, just as the original did. You can鈥檛 use one if you don鈥檛 have an iPhone. They allow听message forwarding and let you answer calls from your wrist. You can also reply to texts by scrolling through a menu of a few canned words (鈥淥K,鈥� 鈥淕ood鈥�), send an emoji, or write a note via a new Scribble function that lets you spell out words on the screen. (It works pretty well.) My favorite feature听is still voice control, which lets you send recorded voice messages that the recipient can play back on her phone.听You can also access your calendar and email,听and set reminders directly though the device via the voice control.听听

For fitness, Apple built a basic but mercifully easy-to-use native app, called Workout, to track gym workouts, runs, bike rides, and more. It tracks all that activity with a built-in gyroscopic, accelerometer, and LED heart rate monitor. These sensors remain the same in the Watch Series 2. The Watch collates and presents听workout data, plus your standing and all-day movement stats,听in its accompanying app, Activity.听

To calibrate speed, Series 1 relies on your iPhone鈥檚 GPS. Series 2, on the other hand, uses its built-in听GPS. (More on that听functionality in a bit.) I should note that all Apple Watches can also learn your stride length so you don鈥檛 need a phone to get a close estimation of distance. This is nice because even a GPS watch won鈥檛 know how far you鈥檝e gone if you鈥檙e, say, running on a treadmill. I鈥檝e found this feature to be quite accurate: the first Watch I tested,听in 2015,听on a three-mile track run,听was off by only 20 feet.

The Hardware: Series 1 vs. Series 2

First, a note about old Watches: Apple is stopping production of the original, but if you have one, it will run the new watchOS3听(more below). Series 1 is basically the same device, just with a faster processor. It doesn鈥檛 have GPS or waterproofing.

A word about that dual-core processor: both Series 1 and 2 get them, although the Series 2 processor is slightly different so it can work with GPS. Apple claims both watches will run apps up to 50 percent faster than the original, and the seems spot on from my testing. Series 2 also gets a far brighter screen (twice the brightness of the Series 1), which proved more legible in bright sunlight on the trail and especially while paddling.

Series 1 and 2 will come in 38- and 42-millimeter sizes, just like the original. The Series 2 is just a hair taller听and heavier听than the Series 1, at 11.4 millimeters thick and 28.2 grams in the 38mm version. That's compared to 10.5 millimeters thick and 25 grams for the Series 1. The听42mm听Series 2 is听11.4 millimeters听thick and weighs 34.2 grams, while that size in the听Series 1听measures听10.5 millimeters tall and weighs听30 grams.听Inside, they both have a three-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, and听heart-rate monitor.听

Series 1 is made only from aluminum, although you can get it in various colors.听It starts at $269 for the 38mm (almost $100 less than what the original debuted at) and $299 for the 42mm. Series 2 starts at $369 and goes up to $1,299. The more expensive versions have a ceramic case that Apple says is four times harder than stainless steel.

Athletes might appreciate the $369 Apple Watch Nike+, which also听goes on sale in October. It鈥檚 a Series 2 model made from aluminum, with a special Nike Sport band (plastic, with perforations) and exclusive Nike watch face. This integrates the Nike Run+ app directly into the Watch operating system, with special run prompts to keep you on target with training goals and .

There was some talk that the new Watch would have a round face, but Apple officials say the square is more efficient when it comes to displaying data. Going round would require a bigger display, thus a bigger watch and more weight on your wrist.听

GPS

Okay, so let鈥檚 dive into the GPS. The Series 2 pings nearby cell towers via WiFi, thus narrowing in on your location. It鈥檚 also constantly caching GPS and GLONASS satellite data.听The key point here is that Apple has made a few tweaks to this system to allow for nearly instant location accuracy. It鈥檚 fast, something Apple credits to its expertise learned from selling more than a billion iPhones. I didn鈥檛 see any problems with tracking accuracy when compared to the Garmin, and it loads with astonishing quickness. Even when my trail run took me through fairly dense forest, I didn鈥檛 find any gaps in the recorded Watch track.

Workout maps are the last really cool benefit of the GPS. Once you pair your Watch with the phone鈥檚 Activity app, you鈥檒l get a summary of your workout, including a map showing how fast you were going and where. Third-party apps will be able to use the new GPS capability to enhance their own apps, so we should see a lot more similar features soon.听

Waterproofing

Like the new iPhone 7 and 7+, the Series 2 is听waterproof. Unlike the phones, the Watch is rated down to 50 meters.听

You do have to remember to lock the display before submerging the device. This is easy: start the Workout app, and, no matter which exercise you鈥檙e in, there鈥檚 an option to lock the screen. Tap the lock button on the screen and head out. When you鈥檙e done with the workout, turn the digital crown; the Watch emits a series of beeps and automatically exhales water that may have trickled into the speaker.

Battery Life

Apple says the GPS won鈥檛 affect Series 2 battery life. Both series can allegedly last 18 hours on one charge. In my testing, the Series 2 battery seemed to last about as long听as the one in the original Watch: it drains more quickly in workout mode and still needs to be charged nightly if you work out at all during the day.

That鈥檚 a major weakness for athletes: unless you pair it with a heart rate chest strap to save energy, the Watch won鈥檛 last longer than a five-hour workout. Other competitors do better in this space. Take the $250 Garmin Vivoactive HR, which does all-day on-wrist heart rate tracking, has a claimed battery life of 13 hours in continuous GPS mode and a whopping eight days without GPS.

Working Out: The Test

WatchOS3 is the latest version of the Watch鈥檚 proprietary operating system. Whether you have an original Watch or plan to get a Series 1 or 2, the new operating system has some sleek upgrades that apply to all versions.

While testing the Watch, I wore a Viiiiva heart rate strap paired to a . Heart rate chest straps tend to be more accurate than wrist-based monitors, and I wanted a benchmark to measure the Watch鈥檚 accuracy. I also wore a Fitbit Charge 2 for direct comparison.

During my strength sessions, I added intervals of jumping rope between walking lunges, pushups, pullups, body rows, and band stretches. This makes accurate tracking harder for watches like the Apple and Fitbit because your arms are swinging and messing with the LED and infrared heart rate monitor. But the resulting averages were pretty close to that of the Garmin, which recorded my average heart rate at 108 beats per minute, versus 104 on the Watch and 106 on the Fitbit.

Native Apps

In the past, the Watch ran third-party apps like Runkeeper or Strava in conjunction with the phone it was paired to. It worked a bit like a TV remote, with the Watch simply controlling the phone鈥檚 apps, which loaded on the face. This limited functionality and required you to work out with a phone, and the apps were often painfully slow to load.

Apple fixed this with a new section called the Dock, which is accessed by a quick tap of the side button on the Watch. Load up to ten native apps in the Dock at a time from the Activity app, then organize and launch them through the Dock menu. All the other apps you download, in addition to the 10 in the Dock,听live on your phone听and can be launched remotely from the Watch鈥攋ust not as quickly as the ones in the Dock, which听are stored in the Watch.听

The best part about the apps in the Dock is they load instantly, and, of course, you don鈥檛 need your phone to use them. Plus, if you鈥檝e set them to share fitness data to Apple, they鈥檒l count toward your daily fitness goals in Activity.听

These apps are still stripped down to fit on a tiny screen, but they work quite well. I loaded Wahoo鈥檚 RunFit app and used the 7 Minute workout function. If your phone鈥檚 around, this will trigger voice prompts through a quick fitness session (jumping jacks, pushups, wall sits). Even without the phone, it launched in one second, and then showed me the countdown clock between sets, the 30-second clock during each set, and prompts for each exercise. Simple, easy, and no need to have my phone nearby.

Shortcuts

You can add some of these apps as “complications鈥� (timepiece-speak for watch-face windows and dials and Apple's term for single-tap shortcuts)听to the Watch face. Say you want Under Armour Record to be part of your daily routine. It can live in the Dock and launch directly from your Watch鈥檚 display.

Faces

WatchOS3 debuts with better fitness faces. For instance, Activity Analog (above) shows Apple鈥檚 three motivational rings (Move, Stand, and Exercise) within a more conventional watch face, then lets you customize what you see in the corners of the screen as further shortcuts.

Below the rings, you get a shortcut button directly into Apple鈥檚 Workout app. Tap it for a menu of your most-frequent workout types (Outdoor Run, Outdoor Ride). A quick tap on any of these begins the countdown to start your exercise.

Workout

The Watch鈥檚 fitness app, called Workout, gets a few upgrades. For one thing, it launches instantly (see above). It also packs more data onto the main screen: for runs, you see distance, pace, active calories burned, heart rate, and elapsed time at once, compared to just one of those metrics at a time.听For rides, you see elapsed time, speed, heart rate, distance, and average speed. You can make any of those metrics pop by customizing its color.

Apple鈥檚 Workout still doesn鈥檛 give you a nice, clean X,Y graph of your heartbeat the way Garmin does with its Connect App. (Neither does听Fitbit, for that matter.) Apple says you can do this in Apple Health, but the interface is clunky. If you want to drill deeper into the data, you鈥檙e still better served with a Garmin or听Suunto听or by running a third-party app on your Watch.

I used both the Garmin and the Watch during a hike and found that my recorded heart rate was about the same for both. But when I went for a trail run, the Series 2 showed some bizarre spikes during the first mile versus the Garmin. The takeaway here: if you鈥檙e determined to get super-accurate heart rate monitoring during high-intensity workouts, you鈥檒l likely still want a Bluetooth or ANT+ chest strap paired with the Watch.

Run听

So how did it work during specific workouts?听It's a big upgrade to be able to see all the听aforementioned metrics (distance, pace, active calories burned, heart rate, and elapsed time)听without having to swipe between screens.

But the key improvement was the ability to run third-party apps directly from the Watch鈥攚hich, as a reminder, you can now do with the original Watch, if you upgrade the software. You don't need GPS to take advantage of this benefit.听For one treadmill interval,听I used Under Armour's听Record app,听and could get data like听average heart rate, peak heart rate, intensity,听and what UA likes to call 鈥渨illpower.鈥� That鈥檚 just one of many sophisticated apps now available on the Watch.听

Hike

I had one major complaint while hiking:听although the Series 2 has听GPS,听you cannot access the route from your wrist. I had to听end a workout,听then look at听the map on my phone. During my hike,听I selected听the native Workout's听Outdoor Walk category, which听only displays听calories, heart rate,听and distance. After the workout, you get a cool map that shows you where you moved quickly or slowly (this is the same for Outdoor Run), but you don't get topography.听

Apple says it relies听on third-party apps for that kind of info, and hopefully some companies start to bring听surface maps and navigation directly to your wrist soon.听

Gym

For my functional strength training听I used Apple鈥檚 Workout app. On my wrist,听I could see time, active calories,听total calories, and听heart rate. A double tap of the screen captures an interval, letting me use the app like a stopwatch. Still, there's less visible information than听some people might want, and again, this is where third-party apps might provide听better data鈥攕ay,听taking advantage of the听countdown clock and听haptic and sound functions听to signal the next interval and display听what to do in that workout.

Some of that already exists in current fitness apps. What changes with watchOS3 is the ability for app makers to tap into more data, like your heart rate听and GPS. UA Record, for instance, might use the GPS data to determine the intensity of a trail run where听otherwise it would have relied on heart rate alone.听

Stop, Start, and Lap

WatchOS3 adds another key fitness function: automatic pausing. This works only in walk or run modes, not cycling, because it relies on the accelerometer to know when you鈥檝e stopped. (Apple isn鈥檛 using the GPS because the company wants this function to work inside, too.)

There鈥檚 also a built-in lap timer: just double-tap the face of the Watch to trigger it. When you鈥檙e done, those splits are broken out separately in the workout summary, showing time, distance, and pace.

More Exercise Categories

Apple added a lot of subcategories to the Workout app. If you do a nonstandard workout, you can choose 鈥淥ther鈥� when you start exercising. When you finish, choose from a long list, including horseback riding, Nordic skiing, and, of course, curling. Apple explained that the key here is both about creating unique algorithms to measure your caloric burn while, say, dancing or doing yoga, as well as听about enabling you to sort all your workouts,听according to type,听in one place in the Activity app.听

Swimmers will appreciate one upgrade: Apple added stroke recognition, and, if you set pool length before a workout, the Series 2 will be able to accurately measure laps and distance.

SOS

WatchOS3 adds another smart feature, called SOS, for outdoor athletes. As you probably guessed, it鈥檚 an emergency communication tool. Say you take a spill on your mountain bike in the Alps. You have no clue what the 911 equivalent number is. With the new Watch, you can press and hold the side button (it's not easy to initiate听accidently), and it will automatically call emergency services in the area and send your location to first responders and emergency contacts on your phone. It does this through your phone and relies on cell service to work.听

Breathe

This standalone app听reminds you to take a break however often you want (the default is five hours) to focus on breathing for one minute. Apple worked with experts at Harvard and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital to build the new feature. The Breathe app auto-launches and then guides you, with听haptic prompts, to breath at certain intervals. At the end, you get an average heart rate score for the session. You can also adjust the breaths-per-minute guidance.

I decreased the inhale-exhale frequency, which was easy to do. I can see myself using this on a daily basis to relax.听

Sharing and Messages

As I wrote above, we aren鈥檛 going to dive into the Watch鈥檚 communications tools. But there is one important fitness update: wearers can now share workouts with friends, manually or though the contacts list, where you鈥檒l see who has an Apple Watch and ask them to share or receive data. That allows for automatic sharing, where you鈥檒l receive notifications on the Watch of your friends鈥� progress. You can also reply with notes, emojis, or manually write on the Watch screen.

What鈥檚 with the Hearable?

Apple wouldn鈥檛 divulge any information when I asked them if its new wireless AirPod earbuds, which go on sale for $159 in October, could be used as an extension of the Watch鈥攍ike a personal coach in your ear. The earbuds have built-in sensors, including accelerometers and optical sensors, and I wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if they rolled out a pair with heart rate sensing, too. Apple officials didn鈥檛 seem surprised by my question, and my guess is AirPods are going to add to Apple鈥檚 suite of fitness-sensing tech down the road.

One thing we do know is that once you pair AirPods to the new 7 or 7 Plus, they also instantly pair to your Watch, allowing you to go for a run using just the Watch as your music source. I was given a preproduction to test, and the fit is excellent, not jarring free even while rope jumping or trail running. The sound is excellent, and they paired the moment they were in my ears, whether the music source was the Series 2 or the iPhone, and stopped playback the instant I removed the right earbud, just as Apple announced they would. AirPods inductively charge in their own case (about the size of a standard dental floss box), which also has its own battery and can recharge the AirPods with up to 24 hours of listening life.

We鈥檒l have a more definitive take on the AirPods soon.

The Verdict

Apple has added solid GPS and waterproofing as well as native apps to an already versatile, easy-to-use, good-looking fitness device.

Should you upgrade to a Series 2 if you already have the original? That depends on whether waterproofing and GPS matter in your day-to-day fitness life.听Considering that the original Watch was already water resistant and will benefit from the watchOS3 upgrade, we don't consider it a must upgrade for most users, swimmers excluded.听If you don鈥檛 own an activity tracker or smart watch, the new model is a compelling reason to enter the market. It鈥檚 one of the best听watches听for听people who want all-day tracking in an attractive package that is easy to use for much more than fitness.听

If you want hardcore fitness metrics, the new Apple Watch may deliver that via third-party apps, potentially to rival or best the closed ecosystems of rivals such as Polar and Garmin. But it still doesn鈥檛 have the battery life of those competitors. You鈥檒l probably still use something specialized, like that Garmin unit on your bike, for core workouts. And unless Apple makes battery life a priority, you won鈥檛 rely on it for navigation over a three-day weekend adventure in the wilderness.

But for daily fitness that mixes gym, trail, and, yes, work and home life, the Series 2 and even the new Series 1 are more than adequate fitness tools for most of us.

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