Verizon customers should be on the lookout for faster data speeds, according to the wireless service provider. Today finds Verizon announcing that some 460+ markets are getting LTE Advanced coverage to the tune of 50% faster data connections.
Indeed, roughly 288 million POPs, or approximately 90% of the US, are able to take advantage of the two-channel and three-channel carrier aggregation. In other words, nearly everyone under its umbrella could be seeing speeds that are twice as fast as before.
To be clear, the LTE Advanced speeds are in theory and at peak times; don’t look for it all day, every day. Moreover, there are handset limitations in place too. Fortunately, if you’ve purchased a device from Verizon in the last couple of years, you are likely already set to go. Select models may be ready for LTE A out of the box while other models may require a software update.
Verizon, the magnanimous carrier it is, is giving customers the faster data speeds at no additional cost.
T-Mobile on Monday kicked off the week with a revision to its recently introduced ONE rate plan.
As a result of the feedback (read as: criticism) of its all-inclusive option, T-Mobile has made an adjustment to its mobile hotspot data speeds. Now, instead of capping at 128Kbps, T-Mobile will let users access share data at 512Kbps.
Additionally, T-Mobile will offer HD day passes for $3 per day. Instead of watching your video streams at 480p, you can watch services at 1080p, 2k, and even 4K resolution. Previously, customers could only purchase an HD add-on package in a one-month bundle.
Today also sees T-Mobile rolling out a One Plus plan that offers unlimited mobile hotspot and unlimited HD day passes. Priced at $25, the option defaults to the standard resolution for streaming video but can be toggled to HD at any time. What’s more, the Plus option doubles international data speeds to 256Kbps.
Previously expected to launch on September 6, T-Mobile’s One plans will now debut five days earlier. Look for things to kick of on September 1.
Miami-based Blu has released its latest smartphone, the Pure XR. Worthy of the title of flagship, it features just about every hardware detail you’d need or expect in some of today’s best Android phones. And, why not? It’s the first sibling to the Pure XL, a powerful device with a big screen and kick-ass hardware.
What makes this one different? For starters, it’s got a price tag that you’ll have a tough time beating. At $300 it’s much lower than what you might find in other flagship models. Even when compared to devices like the $400 ZTE Axon 7, it’s a wonderful value proposition.
We’ve spent the last few weeks using the Blu Pure XR as a daily driver, replacing our main phone. Rather than carrying around a secondary phone, we swapped this one in as the phone we lived with for all needs. Why? Because it’s the sort of package that appeals to us. The specs are right in line with just about anyone’s needs; it’s not just for first-time buyers, but for those with a more demanding mobile lifestyle.
General Impressions
From the second we picked up the box we knew that the Pure XR was a cut above other Blu models. Whereas you might find a thin and cheaply made cardboard box in the R1 HD, this one is solid. We’re talking a thick, white box that signals a more premium device inside.
Opening it up we see that Blu brought its A-game with the phone and its accessories. Inside are the phone, a charger, a pair of headphones, and semi-clear (frosted) plastic protective case. We can see that Blu put extra care in the accessories as they don’t look or feel generic. Sadly, it’s not everyday that you get the headphones with a smartphone at this price.
Picking up the Pure XR, we noticed it was really thin but with just the right amount of heft. The metal unibody design looks gorgeous; there’s nary an antenna line to break up the look. The model we reviewed features a white front and gold rear, but there’s also a grey version to choose from, too.
We liked the chamfered edges on both the front and back, though they aren’t quite as pronounced as what the HTC 10 offers. Nevertheless, the bevel cut certainly catches the light and your eye in the process.
Hardware
On paper, the Blu Pure XR lines up very nicely with phones that fetch $400-$500. This means you’ll get more than enough to run today’s top games and apps, with breathing room for a good year or two as well. It largely depends on what kind of user you are, or end up being, as to how long it will last. We venture to guess you’ll have no problem holding on to this one as long as any other phone you’ve considered.
Power comes from a MediaTak (Helio P10) 64-bit 2.0GHz octa-core processor with a Mali-T860 GPU and 4GB RAM. Storage comes in at 64GB internally, with a microSD card slot good for another 64GB.
Other key hardware includes a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus, laser autofocus, and F/1.8 aperture. Around front we find an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera.
As an unlocked phone, the Pure XR is compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, and their respective GSM networks [4G LTE, (2/4/7), 4G HSPA+ (850/1700/1900/2100)]. Like other Blu models, this one comes with support for two SIM cards so feel free to mix and match, especially if you travel.
In terms of design, the Pure XR looks more expensive than it actually costs. The color palette works well together and we like the choice in material.
The right side of the phone houses the power button and volume rocker with the former sitting below the latter. Across to the left is where you’ll access the SIM cards and microSD expansion card slot. Down below is (from left to right) the speaker, USB Type-C port, microphone, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
The home button doubles as a fingerprint reader while there are two tiny buttons to the left and right. By tiny we mean there are small dots which light up to indicate location. But, in reality, there’s a rather decent amount of space around them which respond to presses. A software setting lets the user define which is the back button and which is the recent apps option.
Display
At 5.5-inches, the Super AMOLED display falls right on the border of super comfy and plus-sized. Its 1080×1920 pixel resolution (401 ppi) screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 so it can withstand scuffs and scratches that come with life. Speaking of the glass, there’s a gently curved edge to the screen which not only looks great, but responds to touch well.
One area where lower priced smartphones tend to cut corners is the resolution; often they’ll dial down to 720p to keep price down. We’re glad to see that Blu went with a full HD image, especially as others are pushing into the 2K resolution.
The Pure XR delivers a gorgeous and accurate picture in all lighting situations. Pictures pop off the screen and reading text was easy in an scenario. With software in the settings users can define particular options and configure to their liking. Want something more warm in tone? Need a larger font? There’s an easy way to toggle these.
One area where the Pure XR stands out from its competition comes in the 3D Touch technology. Indeed, it’s possible to press, long press, or push down on the screen to pull up different options.
There are a handful of places where we encountered the ability to leverage the 3D Touch. Icons for apps like phone, contact, file explorer, and camera yield quick-access shortcuts to functions within the respective titles. A hard press on the camera icon puts you one tap away from selfie, video, or snapshot modes. The file folder does the same for browsing music, documents, videos, or pictures.
To say that the 3D Touch is invaluable would be a stretch. While we were pleasantly surprised at how it was implemented on the Pure XR, we didn’t find that use case where we simply had to use it. It might take some time, but we do see it being helpful and handy. It’s likely going to have to be an Android standard or supported at the platform level before we’re using it on a regular basis.
With all of that said, some of the default apps from Blu were fun to play with and figure out. It’s quite convenient once you figure out which apps take advantage and in what manner. It’s not unlike having one icon on your home screen that pulls triple duty (or more). We look forward to seeing this rolling out to Google apps down the road.
Camera
When it comes to cameras, the Blu Pure XR offers up one of the best experiences we’ve seen this year. And, when you factor in the $300 price tag, it gets even more appealing. We were consistently impressed with the handling of photos, in nearly all scenarios.
The depth of field was downright incredible, and even managed to trick a few of the others here into thinking the images came from some other source. Thanks to macro mode, we really enjoyed taking tightly focused shots and close ups.
Other modes included in the camera software include HDR, night, panoramic, time-lapse, HDR, and a text recognition. Yes, the last one can actually snap a photo of text in a magazine or book and it can be converted to something you can copy or share using Android’s built-in sharing options.
Camera Samples (Flickr)
Time and again we found ourselves tinkering with the options, creating gifs, and other fun stuff. When it came time to editing with apps or sharing on social media, the pictures looked just as good as anything else we’ve taken.
Can you get a better photo from a smartphone? Yes, of course. But, you’re going to spend at least $200 or more for that privilege. The Pure XR is not a perfect camera, but it far exceeds what you should expect from an unlocked $300 phone.
Software
As is to be expected with a Blu smartphone, there’s very little done to distract from the stock Android experience. There are some extra tweaks done here and there, and there are a couple of added apps, but it’s largely the same Android you might get from a Nexus phone.
Among the apps that Blu installs on the Pure XR are McAfee Security, Opera, NextRadio, a couple of Amazon titles, and its own clients for music, sound recorder, notes, and file explorer.
There are also a couple of apps for UI (Chameleon, Theme Park), which give the user control over the aesthetics for menus, wallpapers, icons, widgets, and more. They’re not necessary but they do make for a fun experience that can be refreshed in a matter of moments. If anything, we liked using Chameleon to pull real-world colors into our menus, giving us a palette that speaks directly to us.
Users will also find an option in the software for the 3D Touch which toggles a Force touch “Edge Bar”. When pressed on the edge of the screen it pulls up shortcuts to user-defined apps. It’s not unlike what you might get from a Galaxy S Edge model, but without the edge display. Just press harder on it than you would for a tap and there you go. Speaking of 3D Touch, you can adjust its sensitivity so you don’t feel like you’re going to smash it like the Incredible Hulk.
Interestingly enough, Blu opted to put the shortcuts to system settings at the bottom of the screen. Instead of swiping down from the top as you might in any other setup, this one reveals itself from a bottom up swipe. Doing so reveals your shortcuts to sound, vibration, location, screen rotation, settings for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and more.
Expand the menu and you get deeper into things like alarm clock, camera, calculator, torch (flashlight), and airplane mode. Indeed, there’s even a “fake call” button that triggers a 15-second timer which rings and gives you a recorded message on the other end, prompting you to get out of your current situation.
For those who have ever wanted to take a long, full page screen shot, the Pure XR has you covered. Instead of piecing together multiple images in a row, or sending separately, the software gathers it all up in one neat picture.
Whether or not the Blu Pure XR ends up with the recently introduced Android 7.0 Nougat release remains to be seen. We wouldn’t necessarily hold our breath on it, but thus far we don’t see many things you need to have. Sure, there are features which are definitely enjoyable, but it’s not like the major updates from years back.
At the very least, we hope to see Blu keeping pace with security updates and patches. Given there’s nothing major going on with the UI, this should not be a problem. But, this is the double edge sword that you end up with on unlocked smartphones.
Were we talking about a $100 phone we would say forget it and move on to a new phone a year or so down the road. But, when discussing a potential flagship model, you hope to see more than the minimum amount of support. Here’s hoping that Blu doesn’t “set it and forget it” with the Pure XR.
Performance
As a daily driver for someone who uses their Android for a little bit of everything, the Pure XR performed admirably. We’re always reluctant to install a bunch of apps and games until we’ve gotten a sense for the out of box stuff; a few weeks into using the Pure XR and we’re back to business with the games, apps, and other settings we’ve become accustomed to using.
One of the first things we tend to do with our phones is to swap out the launcher and software experience for Nova or something else. Why? Because it does away with the carrier or branded stuff and gets back to what we’ve defined over the years. Icon packs, wallpapers, widgets, and other settings are a breeze to import; it’s the UI we want.
Strangely enough, going the custom launcher route with the Pure XR was a mixed bag. On one hand we liked going back to the familiar software setup from our previous phones. On the other, doing so turned off the 3D Touch and Edge Bar. In just the two weeks we had with the phone we came to appreciate being able to access select apps and shortcuts from the sidebar.
If you’re not a custom launcher type, you won’t know or care much about this. Go with the stock Blu setup and enjoy yourself. The only real complaint we have with the standard setup is that it removes the app drawer in favor of placing icons on the home screen panels. In other words, you could have multiple pages of icons to swipe through. Yes, you can rearrange them and group into folders, but it can be a little off-putting to users who have come to expect a certain way of organizing things.
As we ramped up the number of apps and games we kept an eye on performance. We’re happy to say that the Pure XR works very well as a daily driver for a seasoned user. The hardware stands up to everything we tossed at it, be it a bunch of apps, GPS, camera, games, or a mixture of all of the above.
Battery life was great as well. The 3,000mAh power source gets us through far more than a day’s worth of usage without us breaking into a panic at dinner time. The included 9V/2A Quick Charger (USB Type-C) lets users juice up quickly so you’re not stuck to a wall for long at all.
Blu says a 10 minute charge is all you need for one hour of talk time and we’d tend to agree. It’s hard to rate talk time anymore since we use our phones for everything but the reason they were first invented. We tend to throw ours on a charger at lunch for an hour and we’re back in business with a full charge to get us home. Watching a variety of YouTube videos, playing a couple of games, and checking email on a regular basis seemed to have the same impact as what you’ll get in much more expensive flagship phones.
The fingerprint scanner home button was quick and very accurate. Whether you want to set this up for your lock screen or other security settings is up to you, but we totally recommend it. We’d like to have been able to simple touch our thumb to the home button to go back to the home screen, but it’s a trivial point. Instead, you have to press into it to activate the home shortcut.
Conclusion
We’ll cut right to the chase: there’s no reason for us to switch to another phone after using this. Sure, there may be some more exotic looking models out there, but they come at a price. Yes, there those with 6GB RAM or heavier specs, but those, too, don’t come cheaply. You’ll have to do your best to convince us to part with more money after having used the Pure XR for a few weeks.
As the second model in the Pure line from Blu, we really like where it’s headed. It’s considerably more of a flagship series than the Energy, Dash, Studio, Life, or Vivo line yet it doesn’t stray from the company’s roots. In other words, there’s tremendous bang-for-buck in the Pure XR.
We would recommend that anyone getting into the first Android consider going the Blu route. If for no other reason that carrier flexibility and price, it’s hard to beat ’em. More savvy or experience smartphone users should definitely consider the Pure XR as a replacement to anything from the last few years.
On paper, the phone lines up quite nicely with the Samsung Galaxy S7 or Motorola Moto G 4 Plus. But, only one of these is going to leave you with money left over for accessories, games, or a nice dinner.
With the gradual rollout of Google’s hot new operating system, we’re still in the process of exploring everything that Android Nougat has to offer. Here are five things we’ve discovered that you might not know.
Move To Android
Google’s response to Apple’s Move To iOS app seems to be a new setup feature in Android N. When you first install Android N, the first screen you’ll see is an option to move your data from an Apple device. On Android’s website, there are already instructions to help bring your content with you, and this seems to be an extension of that.
Next Android Updates
Google is already working on the next three updates to Android Nougat. They are rumored to be 7.1, 7.1.1 and 7.1.2.
The next three quarterly maintenance releases of Android Nougat will be Android 7.1 / 7.1.1 / 7.1.2
Some of our AndroidGuys staff have seen battery issues with Android N, so hopefully these maintenance updates will address that.
Keyboard Themes
The stock Google keyboard now has more customization than ever. Users will be able to change colors, add/remove borders between keys and even use your own photo as the background. You can finally have your keyboard match your wallpaper!
New Emoji
Android Nougat has new emoji! Now they look less blobby and more uniform in appearance. The set of human emoji include more diversity, and they look like actual people and not yellow fingers. Even better: four Googlers have teamed up to present a set of 13 new emoji to the Unicode Consortium. The new emoji depict “a wide range of professions for women and men, with a goal of highlighting the diversity of women’s careers and empowering girls everywhere.”
Wi-Fi Assistant
Finally, this feature isn’t technically an Android Nougat-only feature, but I wanted to include it anyway. All Nexus owners are getting a Wi-Fi Assistant feature that was previously only available for Project Fi. In order to help you save on data, your Nexus phone will now automatically connect to millions of free Wi-Fi hotspots.
Even better, Wi-Fi Assistant routes your traffic through Google’s own virtual private network (VPN) for better security.
Google’s Nexus program has produced incredible devices over the years. If you have followed the Nexus line from the beginning, you have seen these devices grow from relative obscurity to the pinnacle of smartphones in 2015. As in any business, though, perspective and goals must shift, and the Nexus program is no different. By examining both the background of the Nexus program and changes made to this year’s lineup, it is easy to see that Google has plans that may alter the face of the familiar Nexus template.
The Nexus program’s purpose
Before we look at the future of Google’s Nexus program, it is important that we establish an understanding around the meaning behind it. Tech Insider had the opportunity to sit down with a Google rep last October, and they asked him questions regarding the purpose of the Nexus program. The following is a short excerpt from the Google rep’s response:
“The Nexus program is our effort to push what’s possible in hardware design while unlocking the ideal software experience. It’s Google’s take on the total user experience including hardware and software, the retail experience, frequency of security updates (monthly) and ongoing software updates (for two years)… Since Nexus is built by the same people who build the OS working closely with partners, we think these devices serve as a beacon to show the industry what’s possible.”
In short, the Nexus program is meant to be a reference point for the rest of the industry to follow and a source of inspiration. Nexus is Google showing the industry and consumers what is possible within the Android ecosystem.
2 Nexus Phones and a change in direction
2015 brought with it a few new changes to the Nexus program. For starters, Google broke its one device a year precedent by releasing both the 5X and 6P. Google decided to take a different approach with the advertisement of the 5X and 6P. Previous Nexus devices were never in the “limelight” so the new strategy was a major shift. Ads for the 2015 Nexus were far more prevalent than previous iterations of the Nexus family. Along with Twitter, and Youtube, the 5X, and 6P also saw a considerable amount of TV time during what is considered to be prime advertising slots.
For the first time, the Nexus line up was front and center, and it more than met expectations. Review after review came back positive for these devices, and top 10 lists everywhere had both the 5X and 6P listed near the top. Even now, a year since the last Nexus release, and a year full of new flagships, the 6P is still ranked near the top on many “best devices” lists.
2016: The year Nexus may no longer be “stock”
This year, Google is switching things up again by entrusting the production of both 2016 Nexus Phones to HTC. The Nexus devices released this year will change last year’s take on the two devices. Rather than having a mid-class device and a flagship, both the 5″ and 5.5″ Nexus will have (almost) identical internal specifications. The only spec differences are going to be the screen size, screen resolution, and battery capacity. Google will also be removing “Nexus” branding from its 2016 devices. Logo changes may not be earth-shattering news, but it does mark another departure from a well-developed pattern.
Getting excited with all the hardware changes? Well, buckle in because… the Nexus devices will no longer be running stock Android! Nexus devices will now have a unique launcher aptly dubbed the “Nexus Launcher”.
This change marks the first departure from “pure” or “stock” Android. Many of you will be quick to point out that a launcher is just one piece of software running alongside the operating system, and you are correct. The addition of this launcher brings up other questions though like what features did it add? (Gestures on the fingerprint scanner? Check.) The Nexus launcher has been Google’s first endeavor to develop its software suite alongside stock Android.
*Spoiler* It all adds up to the Nexus lineup ceasing to exist
We have finally reached the part of the article I used to reel you all in! My predictions for the Nexus lineup are pretty simple: Google will become more aggressive in the mobile market, producing phones under its name rather than the “Nexus” product line, and this name change will happen this year! I believe the success of the 6P and the overall “quality of the market will prompt Google to pull the plug on the Nexus program.
The Android ecosystem has come a long way since its creation. The Nexus lineup was a clear reference point for a developing community. Those who were new to either the phone or software could look to Google, an established (read: dominant) software developer and phone designer, to get an idea of what works and what does not. It is now 2016, and we have beautifully designed devices like the Galaxy S7, Note 7, HTC 10, OnePlus 3, and many others. The Android market is no longer in its infancy, and the Nexus program is no longer needed to shine a light on good design. Google’s decision to kill the Nexus lineup makes sense and is necessary to further progress.
While the Android market is more developed in the hardware design aspect, it is still in need of guidance when it comes to software. Since Google no longer needs to show OEMs how to design phones, I believe Google will attempt set the example for OEMs software suites by developing its own. The 2016 Nexus will test Google’s custom software suite that was built in tandem with stock Android. This suite will show OEMs the importance of designing software to work alongside Android rather than railroading it. Designing its software will also allow Google the opportunity to work on software features without adding it to Android itself.
With this change in direction, I believe Google will do a bit of rebranding. Going forward, Google will refer to its custom software with the Nexus moniker as demonstrated by the Nexus Launcher, and I predict Google’s software suite will be known as Nexus OS. As for the actual device, I think Google will refer to its phone as the “Google Phone”(Possibly the gPhone to ruffle Apple’s feathers). This change will match the new logo on the back of the 2016 devices. Google’s phones would benefit tremendously from this name change and would immediately inherit all of the brand recognition and clout the search giant has built for itself.
Bring on the Google Phone – 2016
The Nexus lineup has done a significant amount to push the boundaries of the Android ecosystem while also establishing a standard for all others to follow. Google’s shift in attention to the software/feature side of the business marks the start of an exciting new program. This new program will take Google’s phones from being a fringe reference phone loved by Andriod purists, to a mainstream device used and loved by many. Nexus OS will challenge the market to grow and evolve.There is a time for all good things to end, so farewell Nexus phones, and hello Google Phone!
“Good phones are getting cheap, and cheap phones are getting good.” YouTuber MKBHD has been known to repeat this in his videos and he’s generally right. Sure, we do have phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and the Apple iPhone 6S Plus (64GB) with price tags that can reach north of $800, but generally, good phones are getting cheaper and cheap phones are getting better and better every year.
Posh Mobile might not be a name you know right now, but there is a good chance you will soon. It has received some notoriety lately for having the largest LTE phone on the market (review coming soon!), but today we’re focusing on one of its best phones, the Volt LTE L540. It has impressive specs, a sub-$200 price tag, and a massive battery.
Build quality is one of the most popular areas for OEM’s to cut corners so it can control its costs. Posh has done a pretty good job of walking the line of using decent materials and cost savings. It definitely feels like a plastic phone, but I don’t hate it. I’m used to glass and metal phones at this point from my time spent with the OnePlus 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 so the L540 is definitely a downgrade in terms of those phones, but it also costs half as much as the cheapest phone in that list, the OnePlus 3 ($119 vs. $400). Those phones are also very fragile, where the L540 isn’t.
The battery cover is a removable hard plastic that comes off easily and provides only a little bit of flex when removed from the phone. It’s decently strong and I think the biggest advantage of having a phone with a plastic backing is that you’re not going to break or dent it with due to a fall. I’ve dropped the L540 a few times and my daughter knocked it off an end table onto hardwood floors and it still looks like I just took it out of the box. When you remove the back you’re greeted by an embedded battery, two SIM card slots, and a micro-SD card slot. Posh passed on dual use SIM/micro SD card slot that has become pretty popular so you can insert all three cards at once.
The camera on the rear of the phone barely sticks out at all and has a small flash directly under it. The only other two features on the faux brushed metal back are the Posh logo and the deceivingly large speaker grill. It’s a very simple design without being too boring.
Posh chose a simple and angular design for the front of the device. The rectangular screen sits inside of pretty big bezels on the top and bottom and larger than we’d like bezels on the right and left. The chin on the bottom reminds us of an HTC device sans front face speakers. The top of the phone houses the standard speaker, sensor, and front-facing camera.
With the screen off you could be forgiven if you thought that the screen had zero bezels on either side, but once you turn the display on, the illusion is quickly broken. The bezels on the sides are among the biggest I’ve seen on a phone this size and absolutely scream “budget phone”.
The L540 feels solid and light in the hand. This is partially due to the fact that the smaller screen size makes the phone a little more compact, but also because it only weighs a touch under 6 ounces. This puts the phone right on par with flagships like the Galaxy Note 7, HTC 10 and budget phones like the ASUS Zenphone 2.
The L540 is by no means provides an offensive experience, but you definitely get what you pay for here.
Display
The display on the Posh Volt L540 is a 5″ 720p LCD IPS display. As with most budget phones, you’re getting LCD instead of AMOLED here. The blacks get decently dark without looking gray which some LCD panels can struggle with. Viewing angles are great with text still able to read at extreme angles and minimal color shifting.
Where the display struggles is top end brightness and color accuracy. I normally keep my devices on auto-brightness during review periods but the aggressive dimming of the display can make it very hard to use. When taking it off auto-brightness you’re forced to jack up the brightness to at least 75% to get a decent experience. It’s rough to try and use it in direct sunlight since the of the low brightness ceiling. On the other hand, the brightness floor is sufficiently low with nighttime reading in bed a pleasing experience.
Colors, unfortunately, feel washed out on the display. This is very obviously not a current-generation display and may, in fact, be something off the shelf several years old. It reminds me a lot of early smartphone displays that you dealt with because there was simply nothing better on the market. That’s exactly what the display is here, just something you deal with. It, again like the build of the device, isn’t offensively bad, but it’s not a standout feature either.
Software
The L540 is running Android 5.1 Lollipop with a custom skin atop of it. If you’re someone who has used Android before, the first thing you’ll notice is the lack of an app drawer. I actually find this pretty puzzling because the software experience across Posh’s device lineup is not standard. Some of its devices feel like Stock Android, some feel heavily skinned. Some have an app drawer, some drop it. I hope at some point Posh can standardize the software across its lineup so customers have an idea of what to expect.
If you’re worried about bloatware, you can rest your head easy because there isn’t much installed on the L540. No, not much bloatware but not much period. It comes with only the basically Google mandated apps like the App Store, YouTube, and Maps and a few that Posh loaded onto it like FM radio, a music player, and a Sound Recorder.
Prominently displayed in the dock alongside the dialer, messenger, and browser is the “Posh Apps” application. The app allows you to earn tokens when you complete surveys, watch videos and install suggested applications that you can spend on app deals and accessories. You’re given 100 tokens right off the bat, but I was never able to do anything with them because the app won’t actually load beyond the tour and splash page. I don’t know if Posh is having issues with the service, it hasn’t begun operations or it’s already killed it, but for right now it’s just an icon taking up space on my phone screen.
Performance
Posh Mobile seems to be able to push the quad-core 1.0GHz chip in the L540 about as hard as it can. It does fine with normal tasks like social media apps, texting, and most web browsing. You won’t have an enjoyable experience if you try to play any kind of graphics intensive games with it, though.
I generally stay away from benchmarks, especially on phones like this because I think it sets false expectations. This isn’t a phone that you’re going to swap out your Galaxy S6 or LG G4 for. If you have something like HTC Desire 816 from back in 2014, this would probably seem like an upgrade. You can easily get through the basic tasks with some occasional lag when scrolling through long lists or the graphics get a bit heavy.
Expect to stick with just one task when using the L540. I saw some pretty bad lag and dropped frames when I would run YouTube in the background listening to music and trying to do anything else.
Battery life is easily the standout feature of the L540. Due to the large battery and the low resolution of the display (720p), the battery can easily last two full days of use. When the processor pushes hard you can see a noticeable dip in battery life, but for standard use, a teenager or senior citizen looking for their first smartphone should see wonderful battery life.
Camera
The camera frankly reminds us of something straight out of 2013 or 2014. While it is possible to snap good pictures in optimal conditions, it is a bit of a mess in overly bright or low-light situations. You’ll see foggy pictures, blown out brights, crushed blacks, and soft focus. The camera is best suited for social media pictures and MMS only. Taking pictures with the intention of blowing them up or printing them is outside the capabilities of this camera.
Conclusion
The Posh Mobile Volt LTE L540 definitely makes some compromises to keep the cost down, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad phone- in fact, it’s a pretty good one. The L540 won’t be an upgrade to may of you who own flagships from the last two years, but there are a couple of groups of people I would recommend it for.
First being travelers. If you’re navigating around a city while on holiday or a work trip, the dual SIM capabilities and a huge battery will keep you in contact with your friends, family, and colleagues until you can get back to a charger.
The second group of people would be those seeking their first smartphone, such as kids and seniors. Again, the huge battery will come in handy for those who are on their phones a ton doing social media or might forget to charge their phones at night since they’re coming from flip phones that last multiple days.
I’m not in love with the build materials or the camera, but I’m also coming from flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. This phone isn’t for me. As a reviewer, though I can definitely see that the group of people who this phone is made for would absolutely love it.
The Volt LTE L540 isn’t a perfect phone, but it is a very good one for the price. You can pick it up on Amazon.
The Asus ZenWatch turned some heads when it was released in 2014, but with more of the market moving towards round faces, nobody knew what to expect for its successor. The Asus ZenWatch 2 was announced at IFA in 2015 and released in September of 2015. The ZenWatch 2 was different from its predecessor due to the fact that it was offered in two different sizes; 49mm and 45mm with strap sizes of 22mm and 18mm, respectively.
Casio is a name familiar to the watch industry. The Smart Outdoor Watch marks the legendary company’s first foray into smartwatches. The watch was announced at CES 2016 and marketed to fans looking to live an active lifestyle.
While it isn’t the cheapest watch out there, you do get many features not included in most Android Wear smartwatches. A rugged design, water resistance, and many connected apps, just to name a few.
The Huawei Watch isn’t Huawei’s first foray into the smartwatch world, but, it was its first smartwatch to feature Android Wear. The Huawei Watch was announced at Mobile World Congress in February of 2015 and officially released in September of 2015.
Huawei has impressed so many with its first smartwatch that some say its the best on the market. The Huawei Watch is a beautiful Android Wear device and is definitely worth checking out.
2015 brought several new traditional watchmakers to the Android Wear community, one of the most notable being Fossil. The legendary watchmaker released a few watches, most notably the Q Founder.
The Q Founder sits in the same price range as watches like the Moto 360 while offering stunning looks and great reliability. In a crowded market, Fossil is looking to give customers a reason to choose them over the rest of the field.
This is the only watch that can get data on its own without needing a smartphone to connect to it. Using AT&T’s Number Sync feature the watch and get calls that are redirected from your cell phone using your current number.
The Watch Urbane – 2nd Edition LTE also has a huge (considering it’s a watch) 570 mAh battery that should last you all day if not into the night before having to charge it.
Arguably the most beautiful Android Wear device was released in late 2014, the Moto 360. Folks everywhere were wondering how Motorola was going to follow up the great first run with an Android Wear smartwatch, and whether that annoying flat-tire would still be around. When the new Moto 360 started getting leaked, people were disappointed, until they saw it in person.
The 2015 Moto 360 still has that flat tire that houses the various sensors, but Motorola was quick to let everyone know that the display to bezel ratio was better than any smartwatch available today. It comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes as well as Rose Gold, Chrome, and Black.
Battery life is one of the most important factors in a smartphone. One would logically think with a decade of building smartphones, that the battery life would be around two to three days by now. However, our smartphones are becoming increasingly powerful to handle our desire to do everything through our phones which leads to stagnation in battery life efficiency. Replaceable batteries are going by the wayside as well, and are being sealed inside of the smartphone. That leaves power users, or travelers limited options for staying charged up while on the go. It pretty much leaves us with portable power banks to charge our devices while we are away from a wall or car charger.
If you’ve ever checked for external batteries on Amazon, you’ll thousands of options with a wide range of prices and sizes. I’ve been using the EasyAcc Monster power bank, and it is called the Monster because it is literally one of the biggest batteries you can buy today.
Build and Usage
The EasyAcc Monster Power Bank is the largest portable battery I have ever used. It is rated at 26000mAh, which is about 7.5 times larger than the 3500mAh internal battery on my Samsung Galaxy Note 7. There are power banks that are twice this size if you do a search on Amazon, but those are mainly for laptops and cost twice as much.
It’s made of typical plastic that has a matte finish to prevent fingerprints. The Monster is heavy for a portable battery weighing in at a full pound. Even though it isn’t physically all too large at 6.57 x 3.1 x 0.86 inches, you probably won’t be carrying this in your pant pockets. A battery with this much capacity would typically take up to 16 hours to fully charge with a 2A standard input, which is a long time. EasyAcc did something I haven’t seen before, it included dual input slots so you can charge it with two microUSB cables.
The power bank has four full sized USB A output slots and all can be used simultaneously. The output per slot is 2.4A, which isn’t Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0 compatible, but it is still faster than your typical charge of 2A. There’s no need to worry about compatibility as the charging ports will automatically detect what kind of charge to give your devices. I used several USB Type C smartphones with this battery and they all charged without issue.
There’s a flashlight built into the front which is bright enough to help you locate items in your car, purse or backpack when you need it. It’s not a flashlight you would rely on for camping, but it is sufficient for most purposes and is a nice feature to have on a battery of this size.
Testing a battery of this size takes time. I needed to get through at least five full cycles to test its reliability. In order to test it, I frequently recharged up to four smartphones at the same time, with a mix of tablets and accessories as well. The Monster recharged four cell phones at the same time with ease, and still had two of its four LED indicators on leaving me with 50% power. Recharging the battery from nearly dead to 100% took almost eight full hours, so you’re going to need to leave it connected overnight before you head out on your adventures.
A battery of this size is perfect for families who need power. Or it is also great for extreme users of Pokemon Go who venture out in groups to capture the little beasts. This is the type of battery I would bring along with me on my next camping trip. I can keep my smartphone and portable speaker powered all weekend long with this bad boy. My friends will also use it to charge their phones as well.
When I tested this power bank with my Note 7, I frequently got 6-7 charges out of the Monster, but I never recharged my Note 7 from 0%. Instead I hooked it up when I hit 20%. I basically used my Note 7 for an entire week without ever connecting it to a car or wall charger.
There aren’t many bells and whistles associated with this battery. While it is made of plastic, I prefer that over metal as it is already heavy enough. The build is solid, sturdy and is built to last a long time.
Summary
If you need a lot of power, the EasyAcc 26000mAh battery is the one for you. It’s priced right at $49.99 at Amazon, and if you’re using it just for yourself, you can easily get a full week’s usage out of your smartphone and this battery. Or if you have a family that consumes a ton of power while you’re out and about, having one massive battery is a great option to keep everyone happy.
I’ve used several EasyAcc products in the past and they’ve all held up very well. It’s one of the brands I trust and recommend to friends and family.
Google is partnering with DashLane on an open-source API project called OpenYOLO. It’s for Android developers and lets third party apps access passwords stored in password managers.
OpenYOLO
Standing for You Only Login Once, the project technically doesn’t “kill the password.” What it does do is make sure you don’t have to keep logging in to your apps and services. Password managers like 1Password and Dashlane help users create secure passwords and stores them for ease of use.
“In the future, we see this open API going beyond just Android devices, and becoming universally-implemented by apps and password managers across every platform and operating system.”
OpenYOLO streamlines this process by automatically linking logins for participating apps with your password manager of choice. Right now we don’t know which apps will use this API in the future, but Google hopes that developers will eventually make use of it on multiple platforms and operating systems, not just Android.
Sprint on Friday debuted a variation on its recently introduced Unlimited Freedom rate plan. Priced at $80 per month, the new Unlimited Freedom Premium option gives customers unlimited calls, messages, and data, including high-definition video streaming.
The move likely comes as a direct result of customers who liked the idea of the Unlimited Freedom’s all-inclusive rate plan but not its data streaming. The $60 option does give consumers all you can eat talk, text, and data, but the video was dialed back to 480p.
Music streaming and gaming gets better with the Premium version, too. HD music streaming can be had at rates of up to 1.5 Mbps while streaming games clocks speeds up to 8 Mbps. This is considerably better than the normal Unlimited Freedom plan which offers 500kbps and 2Mbps, respectively.
Sprint’s Unlimited Freedom Premium cost $80 for one line of service and $140 for two lines. For a limited time, customers who sign up for the Unlimited Freedom plan will be upgraded to the Premium class at no additional cost. The promotion runs until October 31, 2016.
Other key hardware includes a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus, laser autofocus, and F/1.8 aperture. Around front we find an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera.
The 
With all of that said, some of the default apps from Blu were fun to play with and figure out. It’s quite convenient once you figure out which apps take advantage and in what manner. It’s not unlike having one icon on your home screen that pulls triple duty (or more). We look forward to seeing this rolling out to Google apps down the road.
Interestingly enough, Blu opted to put the shortcuts to system settings at the bottom of the screen. Instead of swiping down from the top as you might in any other setup, this one reveals itself from a bottom up swipe. Doing so reveals your shortcuts to sound, vibration, location, screen rotation, settings for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and more.
Whether or not the 
The Nexus program’s purpose
2 Nexus Phones and a change in direction
2016: The year Nexus may no longer be “stock”
