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Sunshine Weather Forecast faces an uphill battle (Review)

AndroidGuys
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Overview

Sunshine is a weather app offering you the latest weather forecast for up to seven days as well as several graphs to help you plan your day.

Developer: SofTechnology

Price: Free (In-app purchases for extra features)

Review

Main Screen
Main Screen

Sunshine is a beautiful weather app that has a wonderful material design that kind of gives me a Yahoo feel. That’s probably mostly to do with the purple, but it still is nice to look at.

It is powered by Forecast, which is just as good as any other weather provider. It automatically locks in on your location and, with a $1.99 upgrade price, you can add more locations.

You get a lot of the bells and whistles you would expect from a weather app such as wind speed, humidity, visibility and more. It also comes with notifications for rain, snow, sleet and fog.

That upgrade price also includes some very well-designed widgets which I feel covers most designs that you would want, although a clock added to it would be nice. There is a sharing template feature, so you can share different templates on social media; even though I haven’t used it, the more options, the better. They plan on adding Android Wear support, which I feel is a must, as well as more customization options.

Conclusion

This app is in a saturated market and really needs to add some unique features to stand out from the rest, but they are at a good starting point. Overall, it’s a solid app that I’m not sure will replace my current weather app just yet, but we will see where the developer takes it in the future.

Download and install Sunshine from the Google Play Store.

Phiaton BT 100 NC Bluetooth Headphones – Great sound, style, and comfort marred by unreliable Bluetooth (Review)

AndroidGuys
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0

I must confess that prior to this review, Phiaton was not a brand I was familiar with. When these headphones arrived in the mail, I was totally oblivious as to what to expect from them. Let me tell you: I was pleasantly surprised…at first.

What’s In The Box?

The packaging for the BT 100 NC’s was some of the nicest I’ve seen for any product; especially for a pair headphones. The box felt sturdy, strong, was visually appealing, and wasn’t overly difficult to open. I like the contrasting elements Phiaton used with an all-white outer packaging against a black and silver inner packaging. I was also very impressed at how well the headphones and accessories were packaged in the box.

In the box you get:

  • Instruction manual
  • Warranty info
  • Additional ear pads of varying sizes
  • Additional brackets for holding the wiring to the neckband
  • 3.5mm to micro USB cord – this can be used if the BT 100’s battery has died or if you are using them with a device that does not have Bluetooth or NFC
  • USB to micro USB cable

You basically get everything you need in the box. However, I would like to have seen Phiaton include an AC adapter of some sort, so that you could charge the BT 100s using a wall outlet.

Design

The Phiaton BT 100s are drop dead sexy. The white with red accents looks phenomenal. The red accents that surround the Phone and Play/Pause function keys are a cherry apple color that complements the shiny white plastic, quite well. The plastic build feels sturdy and of premium quality. Nothing about these headphones feels cheap. They feel solid enough to survive mild to moderate abuse without needing to worry.

 

On the left side of the BT 100s you have your volume switch, Phone function key (which also doubles as the power button), and an NFC toggle switch. On the right side, you have a Play/Pause function key.

I liked the placement of the function keys and volume rocker. They were very convenient and easy to access. The function keys did feel a bit stiff and had very little play to them, so it was hard to know whether or not you were actually pressing them.

One thing about the BT 100’s that really bugged me was the absence of a retraction mechanism for the ear buds. Phiaton, instead of including a retraction mechanism, opted to include two silos (one on each side) to place the ear buds inside of (partially). The problem is that they don’t fit securely. Instead of the earbuds themselves being a bit over sized to get a secure fit in the silo, you instead have a small peg that is supposed to fit in the hole in the ear pad to secure them. This solution was a glaring design oversight on Phiaton’s part. The peg not only does not secure the earbuds properly, but it is also an utter pain trying to get it into the hole in the ear pads. Consequently, the earbuds frequently fell out of the silos with very little external influence.

Function

Overall, the Phiaton BT 100s were easy to use. It was not straightforward, out of the box, how to pair them with a device or even turn them on, but once I read the instructions, the process was pretty simple. To turn them on, you hold down the Phone function key until you see the indicator light turn on. To pair them with a device, you hold down the Play/Pause function key until you feel the headphones vibrate and the indicator light begins to flash red and blue in an alternating pattern. The instructions tell you to hold down the Play/Pause button for 2.5 seconds to put the headphones in pairing mode. I had to hold the button down for 3-4 seconds.

 

The BT 100’s are rated for approximately 7.5 – 12 hours of use while listening to music. This rating is pretty accurate with my experience. I found the charge time to be roughly three hours from dead to fully charged.

Call quality with the BT 100s was okay, not spectacular. The calls themselves sounded good in the earbuds, but the BT 100’s microphone makes your voice sound a bit muffled to the person on the other end of the line. I did like that the BT 100s have a vibration feature that activates when you receive a phone call. I also liked that I could answer and end calls with the Phone function key.

I ran into some issues with the Bluetooth. Specifically, the BT 100’s had a problem with keeping a stable pairing with my devices. I used them on a BLU VIVO XL, and also on an iPhone 6 Plus. The sound from music and video would quite frequently cut in and out while connected to my VIVO XL. It was almost like listening to a skipping CD. This phenomenon occurred far less frequently with my iPhone, but it still occurred nonetheless. I tried to give the BT 100s the benefit of the doubt and blame my BLU phone, but when the issue occurrs on the iPhone as well, I have to draw the conclusion that the issue lies with the headphones themselves and not my devices.

Sound

The sound quality of the BT 100s is a mixed bag. The most accurate word I can use to describe it, is balanced. The mids and highs were right where they needed to be, and I really appreciate that there is no “tinniness” to the highs. The bass is nothing to write home about but it blends in well with the rest of the spectrum. The problem is this: when I compare these $100 Phiatons to a $30 pair of Syllable G600 headphones, the difference is night and day. The Syllables sound deep and immersive, while the Phiatons sound like a cheap pair of Walmart headphones, in comparison. For $100, the Phiatons need to create an experience that makes me feel like I am physically in the concert hall if I close my eyes while listening to music.

Conclusion

This is tough for me. I like the Phiaton BT 100s. If it were not for the Bluetooth issue that I ran into, as well as the price, I would give you a thumbs up and purchase recommendation without hesitation. They feel good, they sound good, and the features are great… but the Bluetooth is hit or miss and the sound quality is not immersive enough for something that costs $100. I would definitely approach these with caution.

The Phiaton BT 100 NC Bluetooth headphones are available at Amazon.com for $98.99

Phiaton’s official website

How to move from iOS to Android

Andrew Orr
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Maybe you’ve gotten a taste of Android and like it enough to consider switching, or maybe a rabid fanboy finally convinced you that your life is meaningless without Android (unlikely). In any case, we’re here to help you make the switch as painlessly as possible. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t made any of its apps available on Android except Apple Music, although rumor has it that may change in the future. In the meantime, lets explore what Android has to offer.

Turn Off Apple Services

The first thing you need to do is turn off iMessage. You’ll find this in your iPhone settings by going to Settings > Messages > iMessage. If you don’t switch it off you won’t receive any message sent from an iPhone to your phone number. You’ll need to then deregister your phone number from iMessage by heading to this website.

imessage

Next, make sure iCloud is turned off. If you have anything stored in iCloud Drive, upload it to Google Drive or Dropbox, and remove it from iCloud. Make sure you don’t have any documents in Pages, Numbers or Keynotes. Although you can still access your iCloud data by going to www.icloud.com, it’s much easier on Android to transfer content to apps. If you use your iCloud email address, check out Microsoft’s Outlook app here. It works with all of your email accounts including iCloud, so you don’t have to switch all of your email subscriptions.

To make sure all of your contacts are transferred, go into your iPhone settings to find out which account they’re being synced to. If you already use Gmail, then no worries – they will be transferred to Android without a hitch. If you sync contacts to iCloud, you’ll have to jump through some hoops.

  1. On your iPhone, go into Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Accounts > iCloud. Turn on the toggle for Contacts and “Merge” them with iCloud.
  2. Go to http://www.icloud.com and select Contacts. In the lower-left corner, click the wheel and choose “Select All”. Click the wheel again and choose “Export vCard”.
  3. Go to http://www.gmail.com and click on the Mail button and select Contacts. Click “More” and select “Import”. Select “Choose File” and browse to your saved vCard file.
  4. Once importing is done, delete any duplicates by using the “Find and Merge Duplicates” button in the More menu above the contacts list.

google photos and contacts

If your contacts are synced to your SIM card, you have two options. If you have an unlocked iPhone and will be using an unlocked Android phone, then using the same SIM card in the Android phone will have your contacts automatically synced. Otherwise, you can use iTunes on a PC or Mac.

  1. Connect your iPhone and open iTunes. Go into your device settings and click the “Info” tab. Check the box next to “Sync Contacts with”.
  2. Choose “Google Contacts” from the menu and enter your Google account information.
  3. Now sync your iPhone.

Photos and Music

If you stream your music with Spotify, Apple Music, etc., then no problem. Otherwise, you can find all of your iTunes music on your computer and upload them to Google Music.

  1. Make sure your iPhone is synced to iTunes.
  2. Install Google Play Music Manager onto your computer. It’s a tool that will automatically upload your music into Google Music. Download it here.
  3. Finish setting up your Google Play account.

google services

Transferring photos is another easy solution. If you keep your photos on your iPhone, then download the Google Photos app and have it automatically back them up. Unless you have terabytes of photos, you should select the “Keep original files” instead of having Google upload “optimized” versions of your photos. I learned this the hard way when I had Google upload the stripped down and optimized versions of my photos. Then, when my original photos were lost, I only had the compressed versions that Google uses.

If your photos are on your computer, then go to the web version of Google Photos. Uploading is a simple matter of drag and drop.

Once everything is transferred, explore the Google Play Store to find the apps you were using on iOS. You’ll probably find most of them, but if you’ve been using iOS-only apps, you’ll have to either find a third-party alternative or go without. Sorry.

Google Play Alternatives

Android has some great alternatives to iOS apps, especially when it comes to default apps. Google Keep, Maps, Photos, Music, Docs, etc., are all good alternatives to Apple’s offerings. Admittedly, Google doesn’t do as good of a job as Apple when it comes to showcasing new apps, or new app updates. A lot of it will require just searching the store, and investigate the app categories to find the apps you were using.

Don’t Touch the Cakes – A tasty snack of a platformer

AndroidGuys
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0

Overview

Don’t Touch the Cakes is an infinite runner-style puzzle platformer that has you guide a fruit through an obstacle course filled with pastries.

Developer: Finger Apps

Cost: Free (with ads)

Highlights

  • Google Play Games support
  • Simple gameplay and cute artstyle
  • Great for kids

Setup

Don’t Touch the Cakes is easy to set up. Once you download and launch it for the first time, it will give you the Google Play Games prompt and one that’s done you’re ready to play.

Impressions

Don’t Touch the Cakes reminds me of some of the older mobile games that I would play in class when I thought nobody was looking. It’s a simple game with one goal and you can complete multiple rounds in rapid succession. No long commitment or complicated rules to slow you down.Screenshot_20160420-120650

Basically, the objective of the game is to guide an adorable fruit through a randomly generated series of platforms while avoiding obstacles such as walls, small cakes or other pastries. You have one life to collect as many points as possible, in the form of hearts and small gems. The game mostly involves timing and patience, but you can also mash the screen to jump rapidly, you can sort of fly upwards ignoring gravity until you die or stop again. I’m not sure if it’s an intended feature or a bug, but it makes for some fun seeing how far you can get either way.

The gameplay is simple, and the stage is different almost every time, so it adds to the
challenge and makes for good replay value. However, I can see kids as the target audience for this game, something for parents to keep on their devices to placate a child. Adults can find fun here as well, but if you’re looking for depth and substance you may want to look elsewhere.
Screenshot_20160420-121256

Art style for the game is cute and vibrant. There are multiple characters to unlock using 100
in-game points each, but most of them are too similar to each other to really be impactful. On the plus side, they’re
colorful and easy to unlock. The stage art can get repetitive, yet doesn’t get too boring to look at on a long session. However, the background has a noticeable line where the image ends and loops again, but besides that one issue the visuals pass
muster

If I had to pick the one major drawback to the game, it’s got to be the soundtrack. There’s
only one song, and it’s a 15 second loop. The tune is harmless enough, but after hearing it 20 times in a row it begins to get old.

Conclusion

Overall, I liked Don’t Touch the Cakes. It’s fun and has a classic look and feel that harken back to the early days of smartphone gaming. If you are looking for a game for your kids to play, or just looking for a decent game to kill time while waiting in line somewhere or while in class, you can’t go wrong with Don’t Touch the Cakes.

Download on the Play Store

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review: The flagship for small phone lovers

Josh Noriega
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I’m not a small phone lover but I have always loved Sony’s Compact smartphone line. It’s just because of the point of it. Sony is the only manufacturer who offers a “mini” variant with uncompromised specs (for the most part).

The Xperia Z line is fading to make way for Sony’s new Xperia X initiative, but it still is that the Xperia Z5 Compact is your top choice if you want an Android phone under 5 inches.

Z5_Compact_2

And Sony actually brought it to the U.S., where you can grab it from online retailers like B&H Photo. Let’s check out what Z5 Compact is all about.

Design

I would say that Sony is the phone manufacturer that does the least between smartphone releases. I mean, if we compare the Z5 to even the original Xperia Z, there’s really not that much different in terms of design. The Z5 Compact reflects its older brother’s design language, albeit, smaller and a little thicker.

Z5_Compact_10

That’s not all that’s different, though. For better or worse, the Compact series loses the premium metal frame for a plastic one. But I honestly don’t find it a bother. Sony doesn’t do plastic like budget phone manufacturers. It feels expensive – robust but smooth to the touch.

The sentiment extends to the back panel, but the finish has an even softer finish, almost velvety. In usual Sony fashion, you’ll see subtle labeling for the G lens camera, NFC location, Sony branding at the center, and an Xperia logo on the bottom.

Z5_Compact_5

One thing is that the back and front panels aren’t flush with the frame, they’re slightly recessed. This means that the frame makes a sharp lip on the edges. I know some folks don’t like that kind of thing, but to me, it’s really subtle and didn’t bother my usage.

The buttons and I/O blend in nicely with the frame, with the exception of the power button, which Sony maintains the metal-looking aesthetic.

Z5_Compact_1

It’s flush with the frame and shows off a shiny chamfer all around. This would normally be where Sony places the fingerprint scanner, but our unit is the official U.S. variant, of which, for some reason, Sony excluded the feature.

The volume rocker is interestingly placed under the power button (where it’s typically above it or on the other side), followed by a camera shortcut/shutter button. I applaud that Sony never forgets to include a camera button. It’s two-stage (for focusing and shooting) and works fantastically.

Z5_Compact_4
Z5_Compact_9

There’s a big flap on the other side, which protects the SIM and microSD card slots. You’ll need to make sure that this is firmly closed because the Z5 Compact is supposed to be water/dust-proof (IP65 and IP68 ratings). Fortunately, Sony was able to make the bottom microUSB port flap-less.

I was super glad to see Sony maintain the dual front-facing speakers on the Z5 Compact. The top and bottom speaker grills are covert slits between the glass and frame. For headphone audio, the 3.5mm jack on the top of the phone.

Z5_Compact_8

Performance

Let’s take a look at the Z5 Compact’s specs:

  • Z5_Compact_screen_12Display: 4.6″ 720p IPS (Triluminos) LCD
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 810 (octa-core)
  • Memory: 2GB of RAM
  • Storage: 32GB, with microSD card support up to 200GB
  • Cameras: 23MP f/2.0 Exmor RS rear and 5MP f/2.4 Exmor R front
  • Battery: 2,700mAh (non-removable)
  • Software: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) with Sony UI

While Sony packs the same high-end processor across the entire Z5 lineup, the Compact is slightly skimped with 2GB of RAM. But in our experience, this fact didn’t noticeably impact performance.

The best word to describe Sony’s phone performance is: smooth. It’s probably the most fluid experience you’ll find outside of a Nexus. Despite a heavy UI, Sony does a great job with software optimization (I wish Samsung would follow suit). I had an Xperia Z3 before and I remember feeling the same way. But that said, the Nexus 6P does have a slight edge in terms of frame rate.

Audio-wise, while the quality of the front speakers are nothing to write home about, they are oriented in the right direction and give off a stereo experience. Mono speakers pale in comparison. I also found audio out of the headphone jack to sound great (full and engaging).

Display

Z5_Compact_3

You may have noticed in the specs breakdown that the Z5 Compact’s display has a mediocre 720p resolution. It’s true, but if you think about it, we’re dealing with a 4.6″ panel. This means that we still have an acceptable 323 ppi. In my experience, I don’t find myself dying for more pixels.

Regarding picture quality, the Compact’s panel is just okay. It’s not very bright and I find myself often using the max brightness. Straight-on, the display is just fine (albeit, the colors a little dull to my eyes, but that’s me being picky). I was not impressed with the viewing angles. You can still see what’s on the screen clearly, but a slight pink-ish tint appears. And it doesn’t take a large angle to get there. These are nitpicks, though, and I think most consumers will be fine with the screen.

Camera

Z5_Compact_6

Like the chipset, the camera is another area where Sony maintained high-end components on the Z5 Compact. It rocks the same beastly 23MP Exmor RS sensor found in the rest of the Z5 lineup.

Specifically, we’re looking at a home-brewed lens (G lens) with a 24mm wide-angle and f/2.0 aperature. Something new that Sony introduced with this the sensor is a 0.03 sec hybrid auto-focus (AF). It doesn’t use laser AF like you’d think, but rather, Sony says it’s a combination of contrast-detection and phase-detection.

But is it really as fast as it sounds? Yes! I really enjoyed the quickness of the AF. Although, there are nitpicks. The default focus is on the center. You can manually change the focal point by tapping on the screen, but I’d like for the camera to automatically focus on nearer subjects regardless of their positioning. Additionally, while the focus is fast, the capture speed doesn’t keep up. This camera has the potential to be lightning quick, but isn’t yet.

Z5 Compact Camera Samples:

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

Regarding image quality, I wasn’t overly impressed. Sony’s sensor can crank out some great images, but it was hit or miss in my experience. Too often, blurred areas would creep up. Sunlight could throw the camera off pretty easily (resulting in blown out lighting or blurry-ness). Grainy-ness would show show up in darker shots. I mean, no smartphone camera is immune to these issues, but many today deal with them much better.

Battery

Sony’s software optimization reaches to the battery performance. If you used an Xperia phone before, you’ll know that isn’t an understatement. Sony does a fantastic job in minimizing battery drainage.

On the Z5 Compact, we have a modest 2,700mAh capacity. Sony touts that its Xperia phones will get you 2 days of battery life. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it should get most users through the day and then some.

Z5_Compact_screen_11
Z5_Compact_screen_9

I’m a moderate-to-heavy user, and my usage above consisted of common apps like Google Maps, Chrome, YouTube, Play Music, Camera, Google+, Twitter, Slack, and Feedly. My brightness hovered around 75% and max, and my day was split between T-Mobile’s network and WiFi.

I really appreciated Sony’s minimal idle drain. It’s very clear in the graph above when the phone was not in use. I updated my unit to Android Marshmallow, not sure if Sony is using Doze or not. It sure seems like it.

Software

The Z5 Compact launched with Android Lollipop, but it has since been updated to 6.0.1 (Marshmallow). Something else to know is that Sony has been moving closer and closer to Android’s stock UI (thank goodness). It hadn’t sounded like most people took well to it’s custom UI.

You’ll still find Sony’s touches around, such as in the app drawer overlay. But they’re much less invasive, and Material Design elements can now be seen (i.e. the notification shade). For better or worse, Sony continues to include its own media apps.

The Recent Apps function follows Google’s carousel layout, but you’ll see a custom tool along the bottom for “Small apps”. This makes select apps launch as small windows on the Home screen. Samsung and LG’s UI have similar functions.

Also like the other manufacturers, Sony’s UI includes a theming engine. Within the Settings, clicking on “Get More Themes” takes you to a vast library of pre-made styles (free and paid).

There are a couple of other nice additions. Within the Display settings, you can enable Tap to Wake (always a welcomed feature) and disable selection notification icons from showing. Sony is big on audio, so within the sound settings there’s a compressed audio upscaler and Sony’s ClearAudio+ software, that does some voodoo sound optimization.

Final Thoughts

The Z5 Compact isn’t a perfect phone, but it’s definitely a good one. And the space that it fills certainly gives it more weight. All the top-end flagships have moved on from this screen size bracket, so even the fact that the Z5 Compact can be in the same arena as them makes it compelling. This just is the best all-around smartphone that you can get with a screen less than 5 inches.

We don’t know where Sony is going to go from here. The company debuted several new smartphones earlier this year (with the new “Xperia X” branding), but they all had 5″ displays. Who knows if we’ll see another sub-5″ phone with top-end specs.

We’d like to give a shout-out to B&H Photo for supplying our Z5 Compact review unit. You can currently pick it up over there for $445.

KMASHI 20000mAh Power Bank charges your phone on the quick and cheap

AndroidGuys
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0

Batteries. We love them, but sometimes, we hate them. Countless hours of manpower are spent ever year trying to improve upon a century old technology. As batteries improve at a snail’s pace, there are those of us out there who are in a never ending war with trying to keep our phones alive for even a day. We need a better solution than just buying a second battery for our phone. Enter: the power bank.

What is a power bank? In a nutshell, it’s a giant battery. By giant, I mean 3+ times the size of your phone’s normal battery. The key is finding a way to pack as much battery as you can in as small of a package as possible. A company out there named KMASHI has managed to do this with the KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with KMASHI’s 20000 mAh Power Bank. Here are my thoughts:

Specifications

Model Number: Victor K6
Size: 6.69*4.13*0.63in
Weight: 424g
Battery Capacity: 20000 mAh
Battery Type: LG Polymer Li-ion battery
Input: 5V/2A(MAX)
Output 1: QC2.0 5V/2.4A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
Output 2: 5V/2.4A

The KMASHI 20000 mAh power bank is a MASSIVE battery! At that capacity, you could theoretically charge a phone with a 2600 mAh battery roughly 7 times. During my time with the KMASHI, I used it to charge several devices, including:

In my testing, I found that I could charge my BLU Vivo XL (my daily driver) roughly, three times, and the NVIDIA Shield approximately two times, before needing to recharge the KMASHI. Keep in mind, the BLU Vivo’s battery is 3150 mAh, and the NVIDIA Shield’s battery is 5200 mAh. I also liked that I could charge both of these devices simultaneously with no issues. One downside, however, is the absence of passthrough charging, which would let you charge your devices while also charging the power bank at the same time. This would have been an amazing feature to have on top of all of the other stuff this device does.

One feature I loved was the overcharge protection. The KMASHI will automatically turn itself off once a device reaches full charge. This feature is not only great for preventing device overcharge, but it also helps you squeeze every last drop of juice from the battery.

kmashi

The KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank comes equipped with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology. This feature is AMAZING! I was able to charge a phone that was nearly dead, in about it 1.5 hours. It’s unbelievable. When I first started using this power bank, I would constantly exclaim to my wife how much faster this thing charged my phone than the wall outlet did! If you’ve ever had any doubts, I can tell you wholeheartedly that Quick Charge 2.0 works. Bravo to Qualcomm for inventing something so handy.

Design

The KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank is beautiful to look at. It has an all black color scheme with a candy apple red band around the edges. It just looks sexy. It’s also very apparent that KMASHI took a great deal of inspiration from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 when designing this power bank, and that’s not a bad thing. The plastic the KMASHI uses has the same stitching around the edges that you see on the battery cover of the Note 3. The KMASHI’s plastic also has the rough, faux leather feel that you also find on the Note 3’s battery cover. In terms of build quality, the KMASHI feels excellent. It feels very solid, but I never felt super confident that a drop would not destroy this beautiful device.

kmashi

The KMASHI boasts two full sized USB ports to use for charging up to two devices simultaneously. I never tried daisy chaining devices, and I would highly advise against it. In between the two USB ports, you will find a micro USB port that you use to charge the power bank itself. Be warned: this battery is huge and takes about 13-14 hours to charge.

On front side of the power bank, you will see a nice LED display that indicates the battery’s remaining charge. I like that KMASHI chose to use Blue for the LED color. It really stands out and is easy to read.

As far as portability goes, the KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank feels a little heavy, but when you consider that this is a 20000 mAh battery, the weight suddenly feels very light. The KMASHI is perfect for keeping around the house, taking with you when you go camping, or even just having something at the office to give your phone a quick boost throughout the day. You could, theoretically, put this power bank in your pocket, but more than likely, your pants would fit very weird if you did and would probably fall down, as well. However, 424 grams is a small price to pay for several days worth of device charges in a package the size of a short length paperback novel.

kmashi

Conclusion

The KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank is one of the coolest things I own. It is in my top three favorite devices, in fact. I really tip my hat to KMASHI for making such a quality product that not only works really well, but also works as advertised. Quick Charge 2.0 is phenomenal, and it alone makes this power bank worth the price of admission.

If you’re looking for something that can give you several days worth of charging capability in a small package, look no further than the KMASHI. It works like it says it will, and it is one of the best $33 investments you will ever make.

KMASHI 20000 mAh Power Bank – Amazon.com

 

Looking for a quality, cheap, used smartphone? Here are four great options!

Matt Adams
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4

We’ve all been there. You dropped your phone and broke it, you left it a concert venue or some creep swiped it at Starbucks. If you HAVE to get a new one ASAP, don’t worry! An entire industry has cropped up around getting you a used quality phone fast. Here are some of my choices of where to look first.

Swappa

swappa_720

I’m a phone-a-holic so I know Swappa well. I have about 30 transactions on the site and all have worked out well for both parties, even when there’s an issue with the phone. Swappa is a bit like a remote Craigslist.

You make a posting for your phone with pictures and a unique code you have to write down on some paper and include in the pictures. You add in your information like color, accessories, condition, and shipping service. There’s a comments section where people can ask questions and make offers.

Every device is approved by a Swappa staff member based on the pictures. During the posting process, you’re required to put in your IMEI number (perspective buyers can’t see it) so the staff can check to see if it’s on a payment plan or has been blacklisted.

Once you’ve agreed on a price and the purchase has been completed, Swappa generates a second page just for you and the seller. The seller will put in shipping information when it goes out and you can notify Swappa staff of any problems. I once had a phone get blacklisted three months after the sale and once I notified Swappa staff, I was able to get my money back through PayPal. Highly recommended.

Website: Swappa

Overstock

overstock

Honestly, I never would have thought of Overstock.com before I started doing research for this article.

They have a surprisingly good selection of phones. I’ve found some great deals on HTC‘s, Galaxies, and LG‘s. Since you’re buying directly from Overstock, you take the third party out of the equation and that can somewhat streamline the process. The prices aren’t as good as on Swappa since people aren’t competing against each other, but they’re competitive with sites like Gazelle.

Website: Overstock

Gamestop

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With the push into more digital downloads and a move away from physical media, Gamestop has been looking for revenue streams and they’ve found one in electronic trade-ins. Gamestop does sell used and refurbished smartphones on their website, and if you luck out, you may be able to pick one up in store. They definitely win on expediency in that regard.

The prices seem to sit around Swappa and Overstock. They’re not too overpriced, but you can find some better deals if you’re willing to spend the time to look for them and wait on the phone to arrive. Also, be sure to check the condition of the phone. I’ve seen some pretty beat up devices in store.

Website: Gamestop

Glyde

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Glyde offers a strong set of guarantees to make sure your purchase goes smoothly. First off, all sales come with a full return and refund policy. The phones are “gently used” according to Glyde and come with no contracts. All phone listings have their condition listed so you can see if it’s in good, certified, new or another condition to make sure you’re getting exactly what you’re expecting.

Glyde takes care of all seller communications and they’re normally running free shipping promotions. We found some good deals like an unlocked good condition Note 5 for $440 and an excellent condition LG G4 on T-Mobile for only $216.

Website: Glyde

Conclusion

These are just some of the many sites you can purchase used cell phones from. I intentionally left out Amazon, Gazelle, eBay, and Craigslist due to their overwhelming popularity. If you’re having trouble finding a phone for a good price, you should definitely check them out. Posting a “Looking to buy” ad on Craigslist isn’t a terrible idea either!

Have you used any other sites? Let us know down in the comments what they are and how your experience was.

MetroPCS competes with Sprint to offer new family deals

Andrew Orr
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Starting today, MetroPCS is offering more high-speed data for accounts that have 2 or more lines – perfect for families. You can get 2 lines with unlimited talk, text, data and 6 GB of 4G LTE data for $60/month. If you port at least one number from another carrier, you can slash the price down to $30/month for each additional line you add, up to 5 lines.

Competing with Sprint’s limited shared data plan, MetroPCS get their own data so they don’t have to share. In addition, MetroPCS customers get Music Unlimited plus Mobile Hotspot at no extra charge. Sprint customers who switch to MetroPCS can save up to 40% on their phone bill.

Phone Plans Compared

Digital Trends wrote an article back in January and compared shared data plans from multiple carriers. They found that Sprint, Verizon and AT&T focus on sharing data while T-Mobile plans let each family member have their own allotment of data. T-Mobile and AT&T also let customers save data they don’t use and add it to the next month.

t-mobile shared data plans

KPhone K5 review: can this mid-range iPhone clone compete in the US?

AndroidGuys
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If you’ve been following the Android space for some time, then you’ve likely seen the growing trend of unlocked smartphones. Whereas just a few years ago customers were content to fork out a couple hundred dollars and ink a two-year contract, today’s buyers are more reluctant to sign a long-term commitment. Moreover, we’re finding that many consumers are content with a mid-range device instead of top-tier flagships. And why not? Today’s middle ground is quite the powerful experience and can run circles around the best phones from just a short time ago.

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If you keep an eye on the landscape then you may have surely identified the rise of foreign handset makers trying to crack the US market. A few years ago we had names like HTC and Motorola in the same conversations of Samsung and LG. Today, we’re chatting about Huawei, Meizu, Xiaomi, and others.

One brand who is looking to pick up some traction in the US is Chinese OEM KPhone. We have spent time with KPhone K5 5 and would like to share our thoughts and review.

Specs

In terms of hardware, the KPhone 5 is a decidedly mid-range experience. Specifications include 5-inch 1080p display, a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor with 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal storage.

In terms of cameras, the unit offers up a 13-megapixel shooter on the back with a single LED flash, while the front houses a 5-megapixel camera. Running Android 5.1 Lollipop, the K5 is a dual-SIM device that works with many GSM carriers.

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There’s nothing here to be ashamed of, really, and it’s enough to satisfy the needs of average consumers. Other companies are putting out phones in this realm so it’s not as if this is showing up with outdated specs.

First Impressions

Say what you want about other Android smartphone makers, but this is among the most iPhone-like model we’ve ever reviewed. From first glances to playing with the OS, it’s almost as if the OEM tried to emulate Apple.

This phone could easily be mistaken for an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s. Thanks to the glass front and back, the chamfered edges, and placement of speakers, it has “clone” written all over it.

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The right edge of the phone houses the power button; volume buttons are just above this and can easily be pressed with a thumb. Over to the left side, you’ll locate and access the micro-SD and dual-SIM tray.

Up top, and to the left, is the 3.5mm headphone jack. The bottom includes a microUSB port with what appears to be stereo speakers. It’s worth pointing out here that only the left side produces sound, while the right is simply here for balance and aesthetics.

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We noticed early on that the glass front and back were quick to pick up fingerprints or smudges. After a few weeks we also saw that the glass was picking up tiny hints of scuffs. Blame this on the entirely flush design. There’s nothing to keep this guy from sliding around.

General Performance

Those of you who follow the Android or mobile space closely understand that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 isn’t a monster. It’s not the type of processor that you want if you plan to play a lot of games or really tax your phone. The 410, rather, is an Average Joe CPU that’s optimized for typical day-to-day stuff like web browsing, email, social media, and some basic gaming.

The Kphone K5 handled pretty much everything we threw at it, but we were cognizant of what limitations might be. Tower defense, driving, and games with a lot of moving pieces did surprisingly well; perhaps it was due to the 1080 pixel display instead of the 2K stuff in higher end models.

Multi-tasking was right in line with expectations. As someone who gets to play with a lot of hardware, it’s easy to get accustomed to 3GB and 4GB RAM. The 2GB RAM on the K5 was enough for us and we suspect most folks would be content, too.

  • FDD-LTE band 1/4/7/17
  • TDD-LTE band 38/29/40/41
  • WCDMA 850/1700/1900/2100/1700
  • GSM 850/900/1900

As an unlocked phone, the K5 is designed to work with just about any of the GSM carriers. This means you’ll be good with AT&T, T-Mobile, and the numerous prepaid brands that utilize their respective networks. We tested both a standard AT&T and T-Mobile SIM card in the phone and found both coverage and call quality on par with other brands of phones.

Display

It’s not uncommon for low-cost or lesser-name companies to cut corners in the area of displays. We were pleased to learn that Kphone didn’t scrimp on the screen when it comes to the K5. Colors were very accurate, viewing angles were impressive, and images popped. White balance and blacks were represented well, especially considering this is an LCD display. The 1080 pixel resolution was just right for a 5-inch screen phone and should make most users happy.

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Touch was incredible; response was as good as can be expected. Whether it was single touch or multiple fingers, the Kphone K5 registered swipes, presses, and quick tapping.

Sound

Generally speaking, sound quality was average across the board. We were surprised to learn that bottom housed only one speaker, but it’s not a deal breaker of sorts. Audio is clean, clear, and crisp when listening at low and mid-level volumes. Push it toward the high end, though, and you’ll get some hints of distortion. Extended periods of music weren’t all that fun and reminded us why we’re so quick to pair a Bluetooth speaker.

Plugging in headphones we found a pretty similar situation. Here and there we experienced what can only be described as “quiet” audio. In other words, we weren’t getting the same level of volume that we did in a game or other music. Not to worry, however, as this was few and far between.

Camera

Open the camera app and you find the bottom (or right, in landscape) has a dedicated shutter and record button. This is a nice touch as it allows for easy snapping of pictures or video. It somewhat removes the step of switching function.

As for camera modes, the K5 gives users Manual, Beauty, HDR, Panorama, Gesture, Smile, Delay, and Back. Confused by what the latter one does, we learned it’s simply the manner of taking a selfie using the rear camera. Indeed, the phone audibly tells users when it has detected a face to capture. One feature we’ve come to love in our cameras is HDR, which was tucked away a bit. We’d prefer to tap an icon on the standard camera screen so we can more easily toggle the mode. Just a small quibble.

K5

Shutter speeds are fast, perhaps faster than we expected. Whether snapping one pic or holding down the button for multiple images, it works quickly. The issue, though, is getting focus on the subject. If your subject is moving to and from, staying focused can be troublesome. Time and again we found ourselves forced to tap the display to stick on an item. Focus was slower than we’d like to have seen, but still images and basic scenery shots were just fine.

The overall quality of pictures was adequate considering the price point. In most cases users will likely find the results are up to par, especially if the main concerns are for Instagram or social media. Just know that low-light stuff is gonna look pretty bad if you’re trying to capture moving objects. Set it still on a tripod or surface, though, and you might be more than moderately impressed.

At approximately $200, it’s gonna take photos that most users can appreciate. It’s not until you physically do a comparison to other cameras that you find where things suffer. If the camera is your main attraction, our advice is to put a little more money aside and save for something better.

Battery

The Kphone K5 boasts a 2,920mAh battery which is capacious when you consider this is a 5-inch phone. Indeed, it’s bigger than most phones at this screen size. Does it translate to plenty of usage time? You bet it does.

We found that it was quite possible to get into a third day of average use on the phone. This is largely due to the Snapdragon 410 processor and its not-so-demanding performance. More often than not, the Kphone K5 was able to go bell-to-bell for us and into a second day.

Like other brands do, the Kphone has a couple of power saving modes to help stretch out your battery. To be honest, we didn’t really need to use them and were happy with the results otherwise.

Android and UI

Screenshot_2016-04-26-10-01-03Remember how we said this phone resembled an iPhone 4? The parallels are not surface deep; the Kphone looks every bit like it runs an iOS-infused version of Android. Not only are the icons shaded with the pastel gradients you’ll find in Apple’s phones, but the app drawer and menus setup is similar. Oh, and the fonts are Apple-y.

Don’t look for the middle icon on the bottom row to open a full list of apps and games. Nope, everything gets added to the home screen on panels to the right.

To be sure, this devices runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and performs otherwise like an Android device. It takes some getting used to the user interface, especially if you’ve become accustomed to the way just about every other manufacturer does things. Screenshot_2016-04-22-18-33-30After spending a few weeks with the nearly-stock Android build, I was ultimately relieved to install Nova as my launcher of choice.

Poking about the UI a bit, you will find Android standards and perhaps an almost Nexus-like configuration. The pull-down notification bar reminds us of the stuff you get on a stripped down Google experience. If you need to toggle settings for things like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or anything else, it’s readily accessible. Also cool was that the lock screen seems to be untouched from the Nexus models, too.

The Kphone K5 is loaded with a select number of apps (FM Radio, NoteBook, Sound Recorder, and Compass) each of which has some basic, albeit convenient features. They don’t eat up a lot of space on your phone and do feel as if thought was put into them. It’s pretty easy to bake in some crappy versions of these types of apps so props to Kphone here.

Conclusion

Priced at $200, the Kphone K5 is in quite a competitive space. With more unlocked models and brands entering the fray on a regular basis, it’s hard to stand out. It’s even tougher to grab attention when you’re an unknown player.

Getting your hands on the K5 is fairly easy; it’s available through QVC’s website and can be had with Easy Pay options, too. Moreover, it’s possible to buy a three year service contract on top of the phone. Whereas you can learn more about the phone at the official Kphone website, purchasing is still handled through QVC.

Does the K5 have what it takes to stand out in the crowd? Yes, and no. It’s unique enough that it could attract a specific type of buyer. It’s not clear how successful the sales are for QVC or whether the iOS-like experience is popular among its demographic.

The K5 looks unlike most Android phones when you power it on. The problem, as we see it, is getting to that step. To do so, Kphone has to hope buyers find the phone in the first place. Then, at $200, it has to stand out against the likes of low-cost alternatives from Motorola and HTC. And, really, if the consumer is educated enough, they’ll also recognize that they are treading into the space of OnePlus, Blu, and other unlocked, semi-known brands.

Save for the price tag, we can’t fault the K5 for doing what it does. Were it but $50 cheaper, we would find it easier to recommend it. You’re not going to necessarily go wrong with this handset, but you may regret spending the money when you see other, more powerful devices going for less – from larger or established brands.

Roundup: Verus’ case lineup for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Matt Adams
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Here at AndroidGuys, we love phone accessories. Cases are the most popular type of phone accessory, everyone seems to have one. Today we’re going to be taking a look at the product lineup from one of the biggest brands in the world, Verus. Verus was gracious enough to send over some of its Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge cases, so let’s get to it!

Shine Guard Series

The Shine Guard Series from Verus is one of my favorite cases on the market today. The clear back case has a “crystaline design” that combines some frosted elements and some clear plastic to show off the beautiful Galaxy S7 Edge while still adding its own touch of design. The sides of the case feature a bumper designed to absorb impact while still looking good.

The case does an excellent job of walking the line between protection and keeping a slim design. Coming in at 6.20″ x 3.10″ x 0.50″, the Shine Guard Series adds less than a third of an inch to all sides of the case and weighs less than an ounce.

The lip of the case is there to protect the screen from scratches and does a good job without getting in the way of the function of the phone. It actually helps me get a more reliable swipe from the left since I know where to start swiping at. The case comes in three colors; black (pictured), gray, and clear. You can pick it up at Amazon, eBay, MobileFun, Verus’ website, and WalMart.

Triple Mixx Series

The Triple Mixx series is focused a little more on protection than the previously mentioned Shine Guard Series. There are some shared elements, like a mostly clear back connected to a TPU bumper, but it adds a little more bulk to protect your phone in case of falls.

The Triple Mixx measures in at 6.15″ x 3.00″ x 0.45″, which adds almost the exact same amount of bulk as the Shine Guard series, but is a little bit heavier at 1.1 ounces. The extra little bit of bulk and weight can be attributed to the dual layer case design, which features a hard polycarbonate back, impact resistant TPU layer, and “metallic” polycarbonate bumper.

A lip protects the screen so you won’t have to fear it getting scratched, but doesn’t interfere with swiping back and forth. I’m not as in love with the Triple Mixx series as I am with the Shine Guard series due to the little bit of added bulk and the vertical lines on the back of the phone feeling pretty different, but it definitely has some advantages. I do like how much more grip it provides to a slippery phone and how sturdy my phone feels while in the case.

You can pick up the Verus Triple Mixx series at Amazon, eBay, MobileFun, Verus’ website, and WalMart in Shine Gold, Satin Silver, Steel Silver (pictured), or Rose Gold.

Layered Dandy

The Layered Dandy was one of the hardest cases for me to review during this series. My issues come from the fact that I just don’t really like wallet cases. But, then I opened up the Layered Dandy and put it on my phone and almost instantly fell in love with it.

The biggest reason? How the PU Leather feels in my hand. The soft leather is simply a joy to hold and enhances my experience with my phone, much the way a leather wrapped steering wheel enhances driving. It’s not vital, but it just feels premium.

The phone is cradled in a TPU case attached to the leather and held closed with a magnetic clasp. Inside are three slots for credit cards or IDs and a money sleeve that’s hidden behind the slots.

The Layered Dandy is a folio case through and through. You’re going to have the same issues you normally would, like where to put the front cover while taking a picture, and the added bulk, but those are expected with a case like this. What stands out from the rest is how high quality this case is. As I mentioned, it feels fantastic in the hand and the stitching looks great. One-handed use was still as easy as ever.

You can pick up the Layered Dandy from Amazon, eBay, Verus’ website and Walmart in Black, Red or Coffee Brown.

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