Sprint and the Sprint Foundation partners with the 1Million Project to give free mobile devices and free high-speed wireless internet to one million low income high school students in the United States.
“Education is the foundation for our society to prosper, and the internet is an incredibly powerful tool for learning. But it’s a huge problem in America that we have 5 million households with children that lack internet connections. Those kids have a huge disadvantage and we are failing them. All of us at Sprint are committed to changing this by providing 1 million students in need with free devices and free wireless connections.”
-Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO
As technology pervades our lives, as well as our education system, with gadgets and tools to make our lives easier, low-income students sometimes get left behind. Not every parent can afford to give their sixth grader an iPad if their teacher demands it.
According to Pew Research Center, 5 million families in the United States that have school-aged children don’t have internet access at home. Many schools also use a form of online grading, and require parents to log in to access their child’s progress.
This is where Sprint comes in. The carrier will work with non-profits like EveryoneOn and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. These organizations will provide free mobile devices and Sprint service for up to four years in high school. Each student get have either a free smartphone, tablet, laptop or hotspot with 3GB of free LTE data per month.
Sprint will start a pilot program in January 2017 to test the program in 7-10 markets. Once the program is tested and refined, it will roll out in time for the 2017/2018 school year.
For fans of the Note lineup, the last few weeks have been pretty awful. We started off with reports of 30 or so phones’ batteries exploding which prompted a total recall and replace by the South Korean giant. Some carriers offered full refunds for the device while others stuck to the replacement program, but everyone recognized the problem.
Most, if not all, of us, thought the problems were over with the new Samsung Galaxy Note7s. These phones, with a special green battery indicator and black square on the box, were supposedly safe to use. Samsung told us that it identified the issues and moved to a new battery supplier. But, as we’ve found out over the past week, the fix didn’t take and more phones have blown up. At the time of writing, I’ve seen seven separate reports of phones having issues. These incidents are all under investigation and yet to be verified, but the issue is serious enough for all four major carriers in the United States to stop selling the Note7 and for Samsung to put a halt on production.
So, where does that leave current owners and those looking at the Note lineup for their next device? Well, if you already have a Note7 you are under no obligation (yet) to return it. It might be in your best interest to do so, but that’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself. For those of you who wanted a Note7, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. We’ve put together five options that might not be exactly what the Note7 is but should serve as excellent substitutions.
LG V20
The LG V20 is the successor to the V10, one of the best phones of 2015. LG’s late year flagship is designed all around multimedia- both the consumption and creation. The V20 has a large 5.7″ 2560x1440p display that will be excellent for watching YouTube and Netflix videos as well as a quad DAC (digital to analog converter) for the best possible audio quality.
LG returns another dual-camera setup to the rear of the V20. This has become all the rage this year and the V20 will use those cameras along with a “steady as you go” system to smooth out video recording. The V20 also has more control in recording audio than we’ve ever seen in a phone before. The Pro Video mode will allow you to adjust exactly how much audio from each of the right and left channels you capture. The control goes beyond just audio. You can also adjust the white balance, auto-focus, and other important factors in the Pro Video mode.
You’ll be able to fit your entire group of friends into any shot since the V20 has front-facing and rear-facing wide-angle lenses. If you’re more interested in a true-to-life picture, you can flip back over to the regular lens and capture pictures with the 16MP camera.
And, if that’s not enough for you, the V20 will also be the first device to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat. While the Nexus devices have received their over-the-air update, the V20 will beat Google’s own Pixel and Pixel XL to the market with the newest version of Android. We hope that this shows a strong commitment from LG on fast software updates and innovative software features.
The OnePlus 3 may be the headliner of the midrange priced phones with flagship specs. With 6GB of RAM (2 more than the Note7) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (the same as the Note7), the OnePlus 3 can go toe to toe in processing power.
While the OnePlus 3 doesn’t use the same build materials, it does use an excellent combination of a glass front and aluminum sides and back. The phone feels a lot like something from the HTC flagship lineup of the last few years- and that’s a good thing.
If you care about software more than hardware, you may enjoy the OnePlus 3 even more than the Note7. Samsung is notorious for packing its devices full of features (and bloatware), but OnePlus has taken the opposite strategy. The OnePlus 3 runs a custom version of Android called Oxygen OS. It’s visually almost identical to Stock Android while featuring smart tweaks to make the phone more powerful. You have the ability to use hardware or software buttons since the phone has both and can program what happens on long or double presses of the home, back, and multitasking buttons.
A large development community has popped up around the OnePlus 3 due to the relative ease in unlocking and rooting the device. If you’re not satisfied with the stock software, you can easily install Cyanogenmod or another ROM at your leisure.
While the OnePlus 3 may not have as many standout features as the Note7, it does beat it on value. You can buy two OnePlus 3’s for the price of one Note7 if you wanted to.
Samsung’s early year flagship phones are still an excellent choice if you’re picking up a phone today. In fact, the Galaxy S7 Edge is almost identical to the Note7 and even has a bigger battery and is slightly easier to handle due to a smaller display.
The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge match the display quality, water resistance, expandable storage, and quick charging abilities of the Note7. Unfortunately, the S7 and S7 Edge still use micro USB cables to charge instead of USB type-C due to the desire for the phones to be compatible with the Gear VR.
Want a compelling reason to pick either of these phones over their big brother? Price. The S7 comes in at $200 lower and the S7 Edge is $100 cheaper. You could save that money and go grab yourself a nice microSD card to expand your storage. The phones are so good that the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards just named the Galaxy S7 Edge the phone of the year.
If you’re interested in a Note, why not get a Note? Up until 2 months ago, the Galaxy Note 5 was the best option on the market for Note loyalists, and while it may not have some of the features that the Note7 does, it is still an excellent phone capable of serving as your daily driver.
What you won’t get is expandable storage and water resistance. While that’s a bummer, those aren’t deal-breakers to most people. You will still get a Quad-HD resolution display, the S-Pen stylus, a big battery and a ton of software features. The latest version of Android and TouchWiz should be coming to the Note 5 soon so the phone should only get better.
The Note 5 has a Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 3000mAh battery and one of the best cameras on the market. The phone is still very comparable to those being sold this year as flagships with much higher price tags. If you don’t mind picking up a gently used device, head over to Swappa.com and find a Note 5 that fits you.
No-one may benefit as much as Google from the Note7 crash-and-burn. Google recently scrapped its normal Nexus devices and instead turned to a new type of phone, the Pixel. The Pixel lineup has existed within Google for a while now and represented devices that Google fully controls both the hardware and software on. If you’re looking for a recently released flagship device, the Pixel and Pixel XL are probably the last true flagship devices that will be released until early 2017 when we expect to see new devices from Samsung, LG and HTC.
The Pixel XL is the larger of the two devices, coming in with a 5.5″ QHD display. It packs in 32GB of non-expandable storage, 4GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, and a camera that Google claims is the best on the market today. In terms of display, processing power and camera, you’re not going to find a closer comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Note7 out there.
Normally this is where I’d make the case that you’re leaving some software features for the relatively spartan Stock Android experience from Google, but this year is different. Google has put an emphasis on software features in the Pixel with built-in Google Assistant support. Google will also be offering Pixel and Pixel XL owners unlimited, full-resolution uploads for video and pictures taken with the devices so while the device storage isn’t expandable, some of the load will be taken off by using the cloud.
Nothing is going to exactly replace the Samsung Galaxy Note7, but if you consider what your mobile must-haves are, there is definitely a phone on the market that will suit your needs. Do any of these tick enough boxes for you? Let us know down in the comments what you’re considering now that the Note7 is no longer an option.
Your phone’s keyboard, one of the most used pieces of software on your device, and the one you have thought the least about. Like many, I use my phone for my job, to communicate with friends and family, to plan social events, and to keep my schedule for both my work and social life in order. To do all of these things, I use my keyboard, yet I never thought about how the default keyboard could be improved.
As I began to use my phone more in my professional life, I began to notice a few areas the Google Keyboard was letting me down. A lot of my job requires researching variances and resolving system issues. To conduct much of this research, I walk around a building, pulling model numbers off of products and inserting them into my company’s website, which I pull up on my phone. To correctly input a model number, I often switch back and forth between the number pad and keyboard 5+ times, which is horribly time-consuming and tedious. The Chrooma Keyboard drastically changed this. Chrooma adds a lot of functionality, flexibility, and customization to the keyboard, an often overlooked but important part of your device.
Installing Chrooma Keyboard
Chrooma has made the installation process as pain and hassle free as possible. Once you have downloaded the app from the Google Play Store, open the app to begin the setup process. The app then walks you through the setup process step by step. First, you will select the keyboard you want to use as your default (Psst…its the Chrooma Keyboard), next, you will select your language, followed by enabling permissions, signing into Google, and finally, you will update Chroma’s text prediction with your previous SMS messages. That’s all there is to it!
Chrooma Keyboard’s set up process
My Experience
While there are two versions of the app, the free version and a “Pro” version, the functionality that the Chrooma keyboard provides in both is a breath of fresh air. The paid version of the app allows the user access to a couple more customizations and features but is by no means a necessity to have a good experience. The additions in both versions are all targeted at making your time with the keyboard more efficient and enjoyable. It starts with the little things like “Dynamic Preview” which gives you a better look at what you are typing while using swipe.
Chrooma Keyboard’s dynamic preview
In addition to dynamic preview changing the way you see what you are typing, Chrooma can predict what you type and then correct small mistakes you make. The auto correction is able to learn, and after spending two weeks with Chrooma’s auto correction, it has gotten even better at correcting my typing. In the few instances where the auto correct did not catch on to a word I want it to remember, I was able to add the word to the keyboard’s dictionary manually.
While the auto correct and Dynamic Preview are nice, the “Action Row” is one of the most useful features found on the Chrooma Keyboard. The Action Row is an additional row added to your keyboard that you can customize to your liking. Unlike the rest of the keyboard, this row is not static. The Action Row can slide back and forth between different custom rows you have set up allowing you to add even more functionality to your keyboard. The Action Row has had the largest impact on my daily use, especially at work since it has eliminated my need to constantly change back and forth between the number pad and my keyboard.
Chrooma Keyboard Action Row
While some will be sold on the functionality alone, the developers who made Chrooma know people want customization. The customization starts with the action row but goes well beyond that. You can adjust the size and alignment of the keys, allowing for better one handed typing. You can also change the theme to a color adaptive theme that will change color every time you send a message or an AMOLED theme that should save you battery since many of the pixels covered by the keyboard will be off. Maybe the pure black of AMOLED keyboard is not your thing, well pick the color you want, apply a gradient and font, and you have another custom keyboard built for you. By tweaking the functionality and the look of your keyboard, you can make the Chrooma Keyboard what you want and what you need it to be.
Conclusion
The Chrooma keyboard is a great addition that anyone can use. After the first week of using the keyboard, I decided to invest in the app because of how much of an impact it had in my everyday life. For $2.49, you can unlock all the little of nuances of the app that add the little extra touch of customization and functionality, but again I reiterate, it is not necessary to have a good experience.
I started this review hesitant about trying a new keyboard, but I can honestly say I would recommend this app to everyone. The Chrooma Keyboard took the standard keyboard that many people use daily without much consideration and made it highly functional and reliable. I personally have experienced how this keyboard can be customized to do a job, and now, I use it daily at work. The Chrooma keyboard is definitely worth your time and effort to download.
The unprecedented just happened. A report coming from Bloomberg today announced that Samsung has officially pulled the plug off its controversial Galaxy Note 7 phablet.
The measure is a drastic one, but given the current situation, we don’t see how the Galaxy Note7 could ever bounce back. Samsung has taken a major hit in credibility and this desperate attempt at damage control proves in what precarious situation the phone maker finds itself in.
It’s a fiasco that will probably go down in history and won’t be easily forgotten. This news arrives shortly after Samsung released a statement where it explicitly asked users to “power down and stop using” the original Galaxy Note 7 or the replacement Galaxy Note 7 and “take advantage of the remedies available”. The Korean tech giant also requested that global partners stop sales of the phablets in question.
The Galaxy Note7 was supposed to be Samsung’s almighty weapon in battling Apple’s new iPhone host during the upcoming holiday season. Now all the effort that went into building this premium handset is going down the drain.
Considered one of the world’s top smartphone makers, Samsung has had a rough couple of months. Shortly after the Galaxy Note7 made its way onto the market, reports started flooding in that the phone’s battery was prone to overheating and catching fire.
Samsung quickly issued a global recall and offered replacement Galaxy Note7 phones, but the crisis was far from being over and forgotten.
In the last few weeks, we have been bombarded by news of smoking, exploding replacement Galaxy Note7 units. One phone almost blew up in the pocket of a passenger traveling onboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Louisville, KY. Another started smoking in the hand of a thirteen-year-old teenager, who luckily managed to drop it to the ground quickly enough.
In the wake of all unfortunate these events, Samsung found itself under immense pressure. Earlier this week it said it was working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the problem, but now it seems the Korean giant has decided a more drastic approach is called for.
The effects of the Galaxy Note7 fiasco are already visible, as Samsung shares fell 8% Tuesday thus shaving off approximately $17 billion market value.
While this news might come as a blow to Samsung enthusiasts and supporters, it seems inadmissible that a company of Samsung’s caliber and notoriety was careless enough to put a product so potentially dangerous as the Galaxy Note7, on the market. Are the days of good old fashion, strict quality control over and done? We certainly hope not.
EDIT: Samsung has issued an official statment for CNBC:
“For the benefit of consumers’ safety, we have stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 and have consequently decided to stop production.”
Oculus, the Facebook-owned virtual reality company has pushed an update that disables the Gear VR app on the Galaxy Note 7. The update was first spotted by Reddit user Bahaman 23 and later received confirmation from a number of users.
The move makes sense given the fiery issues the Galaxy Note 7 has been confronted with in the past two months. Samsung partnered up with Oculus on the Gear VR and an updated version of the headset was released with the Galaxy Note 7.
Last month, Oculus was advising users not to use the Note 7 with the Gear VR until they received their replacement. However, now we know these new phones are riddled with the same issues, as reports of replacement phones catching on fire continue to roll in.
So Oculus is taking the next logical step by disabling the Gear VR app altogether, thus making sure users don’t hurt themselves. The virtual reality headset puts the phablet in an extremely dangerous position – in close to the user’s eyes, so Oculus is doing all in its power to avoid any unwanted accidents. Currently, the app is no longer loading, showing this message instead: “until further notice, Note 7 devices will not be compatible with Gear VR.”
Samsung itself also issued a statement urging users to power down their original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 and to take advantage of the remedies available, including requesting a refund on their purchase. The Korean tech giant has also asked all global partners to stop sales of the device until further notice.
Samsung explains it is working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the problem and hopefully solve it. No word on how long the examination is going to take, but we’re guessing this time around Samsung is hoping to get rid of the problem once and for all.
The Galaxy Note 7 is not the only device the update Gear VR works with. Even if the flaming phablet is out of the picture, for now, users can still pair the headset with other Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge and Note 5.
Charging your smartphone is a daily/nightly activity for almost all of you. While plugging in your device is not such a big deal and is a habit you’re used to, there are many Android devices that can charge wirelessly.
Phones such as the Nexus 6, Moto Z, Galaxy S6, S6+, Note 5, S7 and S7 edge are all examples of devices that can charge wirelessly with many others that aren’t listed. Some of the more recent Galaxy devices can even charge faster (1.4x) than over wireless since they are now compatible with QC 2.0 chargers.
If you have a phone that is compatible with wireless charging, and you haven’t grabbed a wireless charging pad, you’re doing it all wrong. Luckily in this review, I’ve got one that is compatible with all Qi enabled devices and looks pretty good at the same time, the aLLreLi Fast wireless charger.
Design and Usage
The Fast wireless charger from AllreLi is a looker. Its got a circular design, with a small disk surrounded by clear plastic that gives it a unique look over typical chargers. Inside of the disk are LED lights that illuminate as soon as you place a compatible device on it.
It first turns green followed by white when it starts charging your device. After a few seconds it turns off the light so it doesn’t disturb you if you keep it on your nightstand and prefer a dark room at night.
Wireless charging is one of the cooler features available on many Androids. It’s so much easier to use this method of charging over manual methods and is particularly nice when using your phone before bed. Typically with your room lights off, and tired eyes, it’s nice to be able to simply lean over and place your phone on the charging pad instead of looking for the little charging cable to plug in.
Having the LED lights illuminate to let you know the phone is charging is rather nice too. I’ve been using my aLLreLi charger with my Samsung Galaxy Note 7 over the past couple of weeks and love that it chargers it at faster speeds.
There’s a soft rubber ring in the center which offers extra grip so your devices don’t slide off. It’s a little detail that makes a big difference in preventing your phone from sliding off.
aLLreLi suggests removing your case before connecting it to the charger, as some cases slow down charging. However I never experienced any issues with leaving my case on, and still picked up the fast wireless charing speed.
Summary
Priced at just $18.99 at Amazon, the aLLreLi Qi Fast wireless charger offers incredible value when compared to OEM competitors like those from Samsung. With a clear design, it offers something that isn’t boring like other chargers. All around this is a great charger that looks good too. If you’re not charging wirelessly, you’re missing out.
One of the great features of having an Android device is the ability to install applications without using the official app marketplace. The Google Play store has thousands upon thousands of applications available to download at any time, however, there may be an occasion or two where an app is no longer available for a variety of reasons. This is where installing an application from the web (or what is often referred to as “sideloading”) can come in handy.
Getting your device ready
Before you can install an application downloaded from the web onto an Android device, there are a few things you need to set up to be ready. I will include screenshots from my Sony smartphone with Android version 5.1 and the basic directions on how to properly set up your device and install a downloaded application. Please note that your device and current OS version may differ slightly from these examples.
In order to be able to sideload an application onto your Android phone or tablet, you must first go into your settings and enable applications to be installed from unknown sources. On my Sony smartphone I have to select ‘Settings’ then ‘Security’ and then scroll down to select the ‘Unknown sources’ slider to enable the setting. On some other devices and OS versions, the option may be elsewhere so be sure to look around within your settings if you don’t see it at first glance.
Security settings within android to allow installation from unknown sources
Finding and setting up an application
Now that your device is set to properly receive an application from a different source, you need to download the application from the web. There are two different ways you can do this. If you have a desktop or laptop computer you can use a standard browser to download the ‘Android application package’ or APK file. The other option is to download the APK file through a web browser on the Android device you are using. Each one will return the same results, but getting there will vary just a little.
Pokemon GO download site for sideloading an APK
If you download the APK from the web onto a computer, take note of where the file is saved, then connect your phone through a USB cable to transfer the file. Once the file is transferred to your device you can use a file manager program on the device to find and select the APK for installation.
Here’s a list of previous and current versions of Pokemon GO APKs
If you download the file directly from your device’s web browser you should see a notification in the menu bar that will allow you to select for installation. This route is generally much easier, however, take caution with either route as files downloaded over the internet are much more susceptible to viruses than a program that is installed directly from the Google Play store.
Downloading a file from the web can harm your device. Use cautionIf you forget to change your security settings, you’ll receive this message
After the file is loaded and installed, the application should work just as any program would if it was installed from the Google Play store. To enhance security after installation it would be beneficial to return to your settings and turn off the ability to install from unknown sources. This isn’t necessary at this point, especially if you are comfortable using Android, but does add security by eliminating the possibility of an accidental installation over the web.
The install screen is exactly the same as if you installed from the Google Play storeIt’s working!!!It’s finished and your app has loaded successfully–now turn on that GPS!
There are only a handful of situations where you may want to sideload an application. With the higher risks associated with sideloading it is rarely the recommended way to install an application, but will work when required. On occasion, you may find that your device is not fully supported to download an application or that Google has removed an app from the app store. Having the ability to download an APK from the web whether it’s directly through your device or through another computer–can be extremely handy and a great alternative to the official store.
LeEco isn’t a brand a lot of people are familiar with in the US, but overseas in China, the company has built quite a name for itself. Starting out as LeTv and providing a video-streaming service akin to Netflix, LeEco now offers e-commerce, cloud, smartphone, TV set-top boxes and smart TVs among many other products and services.
The Chinese conglomerate made the transition from LeEco to LeTv just recently, as part of its strategy to highlight its increased focus towards entering different markets. To that end, LeEco has scheduled a debut event on the US market for October 19 during which new products are expected to be released.
And what do you know? As it often happens in the tech world, the company has accidentally leaked the said new products by inadvertently listing them on their online store before the official launch. The links have been rapidly removed, but luckily Android Police snapped a few screenshots before that happened.
The products in questions are two budget-friendly smartphones, the Le Max 2 and Le S3 and two four Android TVs. Here’s what to expect:
Le Max2 – 5.7-inch Quad HD display (2048 × 1536 pixel resolution), Snapdragon 820 chipset, 21MP main camera, fingerprint scanner, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, $289 (after being discounted $60 UP2U from $349 through December 2016). Available in Grey or Golden, with 4GB/32GB or 6GB/128GB (international version) onboard.
Le S3 – 5.5-inch Full HD display (1920 by 1080 pixel resolution), Snapdragon 652 chipset, 16MP main camera, fingerprint scanner, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, $169 (after being discounted $60 UP2U savings from $299).
It’s interesting to note that by applying a $60 discount to a $299 phone translates to having to pay $239, not $169 but who knows what UP2U savings actually stands for. We’re probably going to find on during the LeEco official event.
Before we move on to the TVs, we’ll remind you that the LeEco has purchased TV maker Vizio back in July for the hefty sum of $2 billion. Even so, the Chinese technology maker appears to be prepping the release of some LeEco-branded television sets.
LeEco Super4 X43 Pro IV – 4K resolution, Android TV, $14.99 LeEco Super4 X55 TV – 4K resolution, Android TV, $799 LeEco Super X65 TV – 4K resolution, Android TV, $14.99 LeEco uMax85 TV – 4K resolution, Android TV, $799
As you have probably noticed some of the prices on these TVs are outrageously small, so it’s safe to assume they are most likely just temporary placeholders. The real price-tags will most likely be unveiled during the official event.
The leaked pictures also reveal these smart TVs are going to come bundled with a host of proprietary LeEvo apps like “LIVE app”, “Le” app, Levidi, LeZone, MyLeEco or Clearly LeEco.
It’s pretty obvious from today’s leak that LeEvo is trying to score big with these products and we have to say that at least one of the smartphones sounds quite promising, especially considering the relatively low price-tag.
For mobile phone users in India, it’s more important than ever to find clever ways to save money on recharges. In the past, many phone users in India went to brick-and-mortar stores to recharge their mobile and DTH bills, but in recent years, more and more consumers are opting to use online stores instead for recharges. This gives them more opportunities to save money and conveniently compare their options. It’s also less time-consuming in most instances to do a mobile recharge online, as opposed to visiting an actual offline location to do it.
Consider the following facts and tips if you want to move to an online recharge option.
The Benefits
It’s important for consumers to understand the benefits of doing an online phone recharge transaction. The first is one that was touched on above briefly, and that’s the time savings and convenience that comes with being able to do this online as opposed to visiting a recharge store. Also, because of the increased level of competition in the online recharge marketplace, consumers are finding they have not only more choice but also the opportunity to find really great deals.
Know the Plan You Need
Before you start shopping around for mobile recharge options or the best deals, be clear on what you need from a recharge plan so you’re not paying for extras you won’t use. You can visit any number of websites that will provide very detailed information about recharge packages and plans, including features such as full talk time, 4G data plans, and roaming plans. Try to choose accordingly, so you’re not overpaying.
Shopping For Deals
There are many opportunities for Indian consumers to find excellent deals on recharges. For example, they might search Freecharge coupons, which offer customers access to top mobile operators and network service providers in addition to free giveaways, rebates and cashback options every time they’re using the service. This is a great option for consumers because they’re not only able to find the best possible deal on the mobile service itself, but the rebates and cashback rewards can quickly add up.
The only thing to note when shopping these sites is that you should make sure you’re going with a reputable name in the industry that employees stringent security measures and is well-established. Along with using coupon sites to take advantage of these deals, it can also be worth it to consumers to sign up for email updates from coupon sites, so they’ll receive the first access to new deals and opportunities.
Do Your Own Research
As a final note to conclude this list of tips for people searching for the best online mobile recharge opportunities, don’t only rely on what retailers say about prepaid plans and mobile recharge plans. It’s also a good idea to look beyond the operator’s website and do your own research using third-party and independent websites so you can get a feel for what other customers think about these providers and plans.
2016 is the year of the midrange phone. This year we’ve seen amazing offerings in the $400 range that push the limits of what we can expect from midrangers. It’s left a lot of us here at AndroidGuys wondering if it’s worth buying a flagship anymore. The OnePlus 3, ZTE Axon 7, Lenovo Moto Z Play, Alcatel Idol 4s, and Huawei Honor 8 represent the best of the best in terms of quality, but who takes the cake? We’ve spent a few weeks with the Honor 8 and it makes a pretty compelling case.
If I were to tell you that you could get almost the exact same build quality of the Samsung Galaxy S7 while paying about half as much, would that interest you? Would you ask yourself how that was even possible? Well, I was certainly left wondering how Huawei pulled it off after I removed the Honor 8 from its packaging for the first time. I used the phone for about three weeks and was still constantly amazed at how well Huawei sandwiched glass and metal together to make this phone. It’s simply brilliant.
The front of our blue review unit is simple, just the display, small bezels, a standard speaker earpiece/camera and proximity sensor up top with an Honor branding on the bottom. If the Samsung logo on the S7 and Note 7 bother you, the Honor branding might too, but I thought it looked nice without being too eye-catching or distracting.
The back of the phone is equally understated with just a fingerprint sensor, dual-camera setup, flash and honor branding at the bottom. You can see Samsung and Apple’s influence in the design for the Honor 8. It’s simple and doesn’t try to impress with a modular design, large front-facing speakers, or tactile buttons. Huawei kept it simple and let the materials impress those who are lucky enough to see it in person. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the most visually stunning phone I’ve ever seen in person, but the Honor 8 is right behind it.
With the premium build materials do come compromises, namely, fragility and slickness. The phone will absolutely slide off anything with an incline and any kind of fall onto bumpy surfaces will blemish the devices. At the end of a long drive, I sat the Honor 8 on the top of my car along with my keys and a few other things. I thought it was on a flat enough surface, but I was wrong and it slid onto our blacktop parking spot. Luckily the display was spared, but the corners took the brunt of the blow. No more nice beautiful phone, but it could have been worse. If you’re worried about dropping your phone, get a nice case or choose a different phone because it’s easy to scuff this one up.
Display
The display on the Honor 8 is a 5.2″ 1080p LCD display. Hardly the highest resolution display on the planet, but ask yourself if you truly need a 2560 x 1440p display at 5.2″. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a 5.1″ QHD display and it truly is a thing to behold, but it’s more due to the AMOLED technology, deep blacks, and wonderful peak brightness rather than the pixel density. Huawei made the right call with “only” a 1080p display on the Honor 8.
The colors are vibrant and the blacks look great. Peak brightness won’t approach those in the upper echelon of devices- that’s one of the tradeoff’s you’ll make in this $400 device, but it does do well enough on cloudy days. Sunny days are another story. You’ll be covering the phone with your hand or running under cover to get a good grasp of what’s on your display.
Auto brightness is better on the Honor 8 than most phones, but it does keep the display a bit dark. I kept my display at roughly 50% for the duration of the review period and was very happy. However, reading in bed was a bit of a pain. The display floor is pretty high and made for some squinting and eye strain in bed. If you like to read in bed you’ll probably need to download a third-party application from the app store to artificially lower the brightness.
Viewing angles are wonderful. If you often share your display with another while watching YouTube or Netflix on the couch at home or the train, you’ll be pleased with the Honor 8. I noticed no color shifting or distortion when viewed at even the most extreme angles.
Software
Software is the biggest area of difference between the Honor 8 and any other widely available Android device in the US market. The Honor 8 runs a heavily customized skin known as EMUI- or Emotion UI. These heavy skins are usually confined to the eastern markets of South Korea, Japan, China and others while we generally get lighter skins here in the States. EMUI takes a lot of what is great about Android and builds on it, but still has some head scratching decisions.
The biggest issue for me is the lack of app drawer. It’s 2016 and some companies, namely LG, have experimented with ditching the app drawer, but EMUI takes that step. I have used my fair share of iPhones and I love them for what they are, but part of the reason I use Android is for software functions like the app drawer. I don’t want three home screens full of folders that I have to search through for an app. Luckily you can swipe down on an empty space of the launcher to pull down a search bar that you can open apps from, much like on the iPhone.
Icons everywhere!
One of the smart improvements that the Honor 8 has is in the notification tray. A swipe down reveals all of your alerts, neatly tucked organized by what time they came in. It reminds me a lot of the timeline layout that Pebble uses in its smartwatches. A swipe to the right opens up your quick toggles. Unfortunately, you can’t customize what quick toggles you have or in which order they show up, but there are some smart toggles like Screenshot and WiFi hotspot toggles.
The app suite included with the Honor isn’t by any means bloated, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some bloatware here. You do get Huawei’s messaging app, gallery, theme store, music player, video player, calendar, clock, file browser, phone manager and email client. You’ll also see two folders named Tools and Top apps. The Tools folder has some of the usual suspects like a calculator, notepad, sound recorder and flashlight. Nothing too revolutionary. Top apps are all of the added bloatware like Facebook, Twitter, and Shazam. Luckily, these are uninstallable. I’ve said this before but if including these apps are what help companies keep the cost of phones down, I’m fine with it (as long as they are uninstallable).
During the review period, I did receive the September security update, so Huawei is doing a good job of staying on top of those. I would like to see when the Honor 8 receives Nougat, though, and what it looks like when it finally hits the phone. When a phone is heavily skinned like the Honor 8, updates tend to take a while because there are a lot of features to incorporate into a new operating system. That’s a lot of testing to make sure nothing is broken once those features are incorporated. If you care about the latest software updates you probably already own a Nexus device. If you care about cool features and aesthetics, the Honor 8 might scratch that itch.
Performance
The Honor 8 is powered by Huawei’s in-house Kirin 950 chip and represents the first phone in the US powered by it. The Kirin 950 is an octa-core chip with four 2.3GHz cores and four 1.8GHz cores. In real world usage, the chip feels comparable to the Snapdragon 820. Obviously, there are a lot of factors that go into how a phone feels but I’m basing my opinion on usage of the Samsung Galaxy S7, OnePlus3, LG G5, Motorola Z Force Droid, and Samsung Galaxy Note7 (which thankfully didn’t explode).
While I did experience minor hiccups, they were just that- minor and infrequent. Daily tasks like browsing Reddit, scrolling through my agenda in the calendar, checking social media apps, taking pictures, and watching videos on YouTube were frustration free. After turning the phone on, it did need time to “wind up”. I’ve seen this issue in Samsung phones as well where they’re difficult to use in the first couple of minutes after a reboot as processes get started. The Honor 8 wasn’t nearly as bad as some Samsung phones that I used, but the issue did exist.
Battery life was a big standout with the Honor 8. The smallish 5.2″ 1080p display combined with a power-efficient processor meant I was able to get through the day, even on heavy usage days, with battery left over. The only day I was reaching for a charger to top off was the first day I received the Honor 8 and that was due to the phone not having 100% battery out of the box and setting up all of my apps. If you have a charger in your car capable of quick charging or a charger at your desk, it’s very possible to not charge your phone at night and just continue topping off as needed. To say I was impressed with the battery life would be an understatement.
Camera
We’re starting to see more and more companies put dual cameras on the rear of phones to maximize mobile photography opportunities. Huawei was one of the first to do this with the Honor 8. The rear of the phone houses dual 12MP cameras, one lens to capture color and one monochrome. This design intends to let more light into photographs in low-light situations. While you will see some grain in these low-light situations, I was impressed at how well the Honor 8 was able to let in as much light as possible. When you’re able to use the flash, you will notice a huge difference. In the sample below, you would be forgiven if you though the brighter picture was taken during the day rather than at 7:30 at night in a dark room with only a television for light.
The cameras do even better in well-lit situations. A day at the ballpark and the beach left us with some truly excellent pictures. Here are some camera samples from my time with the Honor 8
The camera app gives you more than just the bare-bones, too. I was impressed that a quick swipe to the left from the viewfinder found 16 different modes including pro and beauty modes for both photo and video, Good Food, Panorama, HDR, Night Shot, Light Painting, Time-lapse, Slow-mo, Watermark, Audio note, and document scan. While most of the modes will probably go completely untouched, it is nice to have them built-in to the camera app instead of needing to download third party applications if you ever do decide to use them.
Conclusion
As lovers of technology, the writers here at AndroidGuys often engage in conversation about phones like the Honor 8, ZTE Axon 7, OnePlus 3, Moto Z Play, and the Idol 4S. It’s hard to pick which would be the “best” $400 phone since they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. But, the fact that we’re able to consider these phones over flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG V20, and HTC 10 means that the state of midrange phones has never been better.
I really enjoyed my time with the Honor 8. I’ve used a lot of the phones released this year, and while it isn’t my favorite phone released in 2016 (Moto Z Play, in case you’re wondering) I would have no trouble recommending it to anyone. Huawei proves that they pay attention to detail and put a lot of work not only into the physical design of the phone but the software too.
The software may not be everyone’s idea of what they’d like to see on an Android device, but much like Samsung devices, Huawei was able to pack in a ton of features without making the device feel bloated. It feels sleek and cool like a cutting edge product no-one else has gotten their hands on yet. The Honor 8 is something completely different than what’s on the market right now and that’s a huge plus.
