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Verizon’s new holiday deals have dropped

AndroidGuys
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If you missed all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals at Verizon this year, don’t worry as Verizon has dropped a few more deals for you to pick from.

The most exciting deal is if you are switching to Verizon from another carrier, you could get up to $2000 to make the jump. You can get up to a $1000 trade-in on an eligible device when you select an unlimited plan. Verizon will also give you up to a $1000 prepaid Mastercard to cover the breakup fees from your previous carrier.

Some other notable deals at Verizon this holiday season are:

  • Buy a select 5G phone and get another free on an unlimited plan.
  • Buy select smartwatches and get another free.
  • Get up to $250 off select tablets when you purchase any smartphone on monthly payments.
  • New Fios Gigabit customers will get a free year of Disney+ and AMC+ as well as a $200 gift card.
  • If you are a new 5G Home Internet customers will get a free year of Disney+ and AMC+, a Google Hub Max, and a $100 bill credit.
  • New LTE Home Internet customers get the same deal as 5G customers except you get a free Google Nest Mini instead of the Max.
  • You can also snag various accessories at a discounted price.

While the deals may not be as spectacular as some of the previous offerings, if you missed those deals, you could still get yourself and a loved one a brand new device this holiday season.

The real deal is if you need to break from your current carrier, as Verizon is effectively giving you a free phone and paying off your old one as well.

Qualcomm announced their all-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 platform

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At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit is currently taking place in Hawaii, it took the wraps off its brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The Snapdragon 8 is set to power many of the top upcoming Android devices, not made by Google. Let’s break down what you have to look forward to.

Connectivity

Qualcomm has equipped the Snapdragon 8 with its new integrated X65 5G modem. This modem will support 10 Gigabit download speeds, WiFi 6, and WiFi 6E. The Snapdragon 8 WiFi can handle speeds up to 3.6 Gbps to ensure smooth performance.

Camera

The Sight technology included in the Snapdragon 8 platform is capable of capturing a lot of data. Up to 4000 times more camera data than its previous flagship chip, the Snapdragon 888. This data is for increased dynamic range, color, and sharpness at speeds up to 3.2 gigapixels per second.

It is the first mobile platform to capture video in 8K HDR with support for HDR10+. They even included a new Bokeh Engine to help all your photos taken in portrait mode.

They have included an Always-On function that allows the camera to run in a low power state. This enables the device to unlock when it sees your face and immediately lock when it is no longer detected.

Snapdragon 8 info

Gaming

Consisting of over 50 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features. It will deliver ultra-smooth responsiveness, HDR, and desktop-level capabilities.

The new Adreno GPU provides a 30% increase in graphics capabilities. All while using up to 25% less power compared to previous generations.

The Variable Rate Shading Pro will allow game developers to fine-tune performance. Volumetric rendering brings increased realism for things like fog and smoke.

Sound

Snapdragon Sound Technology and Bluetooth 5.2 allows for crystal-clear voice and music. The Qualcomm aptX Lossless Technology enables CD-quality lossless wireless audio.

Security

A dedicated trust management engine provides an extra Root of Trust for apps and services. It will be the first mobile platform to feature Android Ready SE. Which is the new standard for digital car keys, and your driver’s license. It will also have iSIM support.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Featuring a 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine powered by a Hexagon processor. It is up to 4x faster than its predecessor, with up to 2x larger shared memory and a 2x faster tensor accelerator.

The Snapdragon 8 platform is going to bring some great new features and capabilities. You won’t have to wait long to see it in action as devices are rumored to launch with the Snapdragon 8 in Q1 of 2022.

Samsung announced their cheapest 5G device, the new Galaxy A13 5G

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Samsung announced the Galaxy A13 5G this morning, and it packs quite the punch in the affordable phone market. Priced at only $250, Samsung has thrown a few goodies into this competitive part of the market.

One of the main selling points of the A13 5G is its large 90Hz edge-to-edge 6.5-inch HD+ LCD display that sports a 720 x 1600 resolution. An adaptive 90Hz refresh rate is not common at this price point, and there are phones that cost up to 3 times as much without this feature.

Another selling point for the Galaxy A13 5G is its massive 5,000 mAh battery. It even supports 15W Fast Charge to top you off when you are running low on juice.

Samsung Galaxy A13 5G Home screen

The device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 and has 64GB of onboard storage. If you find that to be a bit limiting, it is expandable, supporting up to a 1TB microSD card.

Rounding out the device is a side fingerprint sensor, Sub-6 5G, and Samsung Pay support. All of this runs on Android 11.

The Galaxy A13 5G will be available on December 3 from AT&T and Samsung.com. T-Mobile will launch it sometime in January 2022.

Samsung also stated that they have another device coming January 2022, the Galaxy A03s. The details are scarce, but Samsung stated that this device will have a triple camera setup and a fingerprint reader. It will be available at AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Samsung.com for $159.

15 simple ways to extend your Android phone’s battery life

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A paper published by Nature Communications in 2014 reported that the lithium batteries used in powering our mobile phones wear down over time. You know what that means?

It means whether you like it or not, you’ll have to change your phone’s battery at some point since you can’t fix batteries the same way you would fix phones easily.

Instead of coughing out the cash for a new battery (which would equally depreciate over time), why don’t you try these 15 tricks and tips to extend your Android phone’s battery life?

 1. Turn on battery saver

This is perhaps one of the most obvious solutions, even though a lot of individuals neglect using the battery saver mode until the battery of their phone is almost dead. 

For iPhone users, the “Low Power Mode “goes on automatically when the phone hits 20%, although you can always go to the Settings > Battery and turn it on whenever you desire or include it in your Control Center if you want easier access. 

A lot of Android phones equally provide a similar feature that can be switched on whenever the user wants. This helps in conserving some power and extending the battery life of your Android phone. 

 2. Smart charging 

Whenever you need to charge your Android device, there are certain precautions you should observe in order to avoid degrading your battery beyond the current state. 

First, make sure you only use the fast charging feature when you’re in a hurry. Although this feature actually tops off the battery much quicker, it wears down the battery’s life span faster than normal charging. 

Secondly, avoid leaving your phone to charge overnight as this will only cause damage to the battery life of your phone in the long run. 

3. Switch off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use

If Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on, but your device isn’t connected to anything, you would be wasting battery as your device tries to detect a new connection. Hence, toggling off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you’re out of the house or not connected to headphones or a wireless speaker is a good way to save extra battery life on your Android phone. 

 4. Use Wi-Fi when it’s available

Yes, using Wi-Fi when available can actually conserve battery life as well. This is because it utilizes less battery life than the regular cellular connection. Feel free to ask for the internet password when you’re at a cafe or a friend’s. 

 5. Switch on Airplane Mode 

It might be better to consider turning on Airplane Mode if you’re beginning to run low on battery. The essence of Airplane Mode is that it disables a number of features that consume battery power. These include Wi-Fi, cellular data, Bluetooth, etc. However, if you need any of these features, you can always toggle them on manually without exiting the Airplane Mode. 

 6. Reduce the screen brightness 

When it comes to draining Android battery life, the display is a primary culprit. Whenever it’s turned on, you lose valuable power. The best way to get around this is to reduce the brightness of your screen. Doing this can save you a couple of minutes of additional battery life. 

 7. Uninstall your Facebook app and use your browser instead

We know how this sounds: weird, right? But the truth is that your Facebook application is one of the greatest battery thieves on your device. Not to worry, there’s an easy solution to removing the application without missing out on the latest status updates from your loved ones. Accessing Facebook from your Android phone browser will give you a nearly similar experience while also saving you some useful battery life. 

 8. Switch off location tracking for unnecessary apps

Certain apps (such as Google Maps) actually need access to your location in order to function. However, some others (such as Facebook) don’t really need it. Apart from the issue of privacy, you can extend your Android phone’s battery life by turning off location services for applications that do not need it. This is because your device would no longer be operating over time to track your location. On an Android phone, just go to Settings > Security & Location > Location. 

 9. Disable background refresh

The background app refresher on your Android phone is another potential battery hog. While it isn’t a major offender, you might want to disable it to save some battery life. To turn it off, just go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and then turn it off. Depending on your Android model, it may be a bit tricky to pull this off. Regardless, you should still find it by going to Settings > Data Usage and figuring your way around.

10. Disable “OK Google” hot words

It’s amazing to have a phone AI assistant that listens to you at all times. However, what this means for your phone battery is constant battery power wastage. 

To disable your Android Google Assistant, go to the Google app and select the menu icon in the top left corner. Then tap Settings > Voice > “OK Google” detection. You would see a toggle indicated as “‘Say OK Google’ any time.” Turn it off, and you’re good to go! 

11. Switch off visual effects, live wallpaper, and live widgets

Moving wallpaper and widgets are other features that consume battery power. Try to adopt a simple still background image and delete widgets with automatic updates. 

12. Disable automatic app updates

If you really want to extend your Android phone battery life, then you should really consider disabling those frequent default updates. This will help reduce the volume of activity in your phone’s background, thereby reducing power consumed by unimportant actions. 

13. View battery usage to know which applications consume the most battery power

Finally, if you’ve done everything to squeeze out extra battery life from your phone and nothing seems to work, then search for the main culprit. All you have to do is check your phone’s battery usage and proceed to delete the worst power-hogging apps. On your Android phone, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage, and you’ll find all the services and apps that are draining your battery.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Save an extra 40% on Knowable’s audio learning platform

AG Deals Team
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We’re all busy people. You’re busy, we’re busy, and everyone we know is, too. Between work, school, family, or other obligations, we rarely find that we have “extra” time.

How do we grow as a person or learn new ways to take care of ourselves when we don’t feel like we can sit down long enough to read a book or invest in training? One of the most popular ways to stay connected with content, or passively consume it is via podcasts and audio.

Can that format work for learning topics such as self-care, entrepreneurship, leadership, and management? You bet it can. That’s exactly what Knowable does. As a platform centered around audio learning, Knowable has an extensive catalog of long-form courses from hundreds of experts and institutions.

Delivered daily in the morning, Knowable’s content arrives as 10-minute clips all designed to level up your life.

Knowable Topics:

  • Mental models
  • Habits
  • Leadership
  • Productivity
  • Focus
  • Job success
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Managing teams
  • Creativity
  • Self-care
  • Today’s top non-fiction books
  • More

Knowable works everywhere you go as it’s managed through a mobile app. And because it’s audio, it does not require you looking at the screen; just put it in your pocket and go. You’ll be amazed at how much personal development you can have this way.

Get Started

Typically, a one-year subscription to Knowable is priced $100 but we offer it for just $20 in the AG Deals Store. Alternatively, one can purchase a lifetime account for just $90 through our outlet.

For a limited time you can take advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday discounts and shave another 40% off those prices. This puts a lifetime Knowable account at just $54 and a one-year plan at only $12.

To take advantage of the limited time savings, enter coupon code CMSAVE40 at checkout. Hurry, this offer ends on December 5, 2021!

New Android features for you to unwrap

AndroidGuys
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Google is giving Android new features and updates to help you out this holiday season all while tightening security. From keeping you on track during this busy time to holiday memories, Google is looking to make life a little easier. Let’s unwrap all the new updates and features.

Google Assistant updates

Family Bell is coming to mobile devices. Family Bell is a highly customizable reminder feature that can broadcast a schedule for the entire family. Previously this was only available on home speakers or smart displays, so it will be nice to keep the family on track on the go as well.

In addition to keeping you and your loved ones on track throughout the year, you can use Family Bell to keep everyone up to do with all of the various holiday activities such as watering a tree or family movie night. Google has added suggested bells for families this holiday season.

Each family member will be able to set their own individual bells as well.

New Android widget features

Widgets are always useful to keep you up to date on your device without having to load the entire app. Google has 3 new widgets coming to Android.

To keep your holiday music going all season long, Google is launching a new YouTube music widget. It gives you playback controls and recently played tracks right on your Home screen.

Coming next week, Android is getting a new Google Play Books widget that will give you access to all of your books as well as let you keep track of your audiobook progress.

The Google Photos People & Pets widget allows you to put your family right on your Home screen. Starting next week you will be able to select a few faces, pick a frame and watch the widget decorate your Home screen.

Get festive with Google Photos

Google Photos will begin curating your photos and videos to display holidays like New Year’s Eve and Halloween or special dates such as birthdays. It will display them as in a grid and give you granular control to rename, personalize, correct, or even remove the Memories altogether.

New Android Auto features

Google is adding Android Auto features to make your holiday season easier, even when on the go. With the new auto-launch feature, Android Auto will now start as soon as you connect your phone to a compatible car.

You can now get more done with just your voice. Just tap the new search icon and tell Google Assistant what you want to listen to and you will be cruising to your favorite tracks while keeping your eyes on the road.

There is also a new always-on play button on the Home screen, allowing you to quickly find your favorite music.

Google Assistant is also here to help you respond to your messages quicker and safer. All you have to do is hit the Smart Reply button and let Google Assistant do all the work.

Users (from select countries) who own the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, or Samsung Galaxy S21 now have access to a digital car key for compatible BMW vehicles. Enabling you to lock, unlock or even start your car, all from your phone.

New security features

We all have apps on our devices that we download and completely forget about. These apps are left alone, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t tracking you in the background.

With permissions auto-reset, your device will automatically turn off app permissions when you haven’t used them in a while. You can always turn the permissions back on if you decide to use the app in the future. This launches next month on devices with Android 6.0 or higher.

 

New emojis are coming for Gboard

Starting today Gboard Beta users will have access to thousands of new emoji combinations that are coming to Emoji Kitchen. Emoji Kitchen allows you to combine emojis into stickers to share with those you care about most. It will roll out to the rest of the Gboard users in the coming weeks.

You can learn more about each new feature or update at Android.com.

Sky: Children of Light will put you to sleep in the best of ways

Scott Webster
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Have you ever played a game that’s so soothing and relaxing that it put you to sleep? That’s exactly what happened the first two times Scott played Sky: Children of Light. It’s not only visually enticing but the audio experience is equally enthralling.

There’s plenty of game to unfold here but you can take your time exploring the worlds and spaces. The color palette is one of the best we’ve seen in a long time and really helps to draw the player. Spend a little time with the game and you’ll see why we awarded it with an Editor’s Choice.

Listen to the embedded podcast below to learn more about the game.

Learn to design video games using Unreal Engine for less than $11

AG Deals Team
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One of the things that comes with being so immersed in the world of mobile apps and games is that we often have our own ideas for titles. But having the concept is one thing; being able to turn it into a working product is another thing.

If you’ve ever had ideas for video games but don’t know where to turn for production, we’ve got your back. Right now there’s a bundle in the AG Deals Store that will arm you with the education to code it yourself. That’s right, thanks to the 2022 Ultimate Learn Unreal Game Development Bundle you can become an indie game developer. And it’s cheaper than ever.

Priced as low as $35, the bundle gives you lifetime access to five courses with the knowledge to make your own games using Epic’s incredibly popular Unreal Engine. And if you act fast and take advantage of the final days of our Black Friday offers, you can get the whole kit for just $10.50. All you have to do is use coupon code BFSAVE70 by December 5.

About the Deal

The best Unreal courses all in one place! Learn Unreal, C++, and game development. Want to level up your game development skill? This series of highly-rated Unreal Engine courses, created in collaboration with Epic Games, can help! Anyone who wants to learn to create games: Unreal Engine is a fantastic platform that enables you to make AAA-quality games.

You’ll get full lifetime access for a single one-off fee. The creators are qualified and experienced coders and avid gamers, so are able to explain complex concepts clearly, as well as entertain along the way. You will have access to a course forum where you can discuss topics on a course-wide basis, or down to the individual video. Join and start improving your game development now!

  • Access 5 courses & 95 hours of content 24/7
  • Code your first video game in just 100 minutes with visual scripting
  • Learn C++ from basics while making your first 4 video games in Unreal
  • Create cinematic cut scenes & gameplay moments for games
  • Become a multiplayer master & create Epic multiplayer experiences using Unreal
  • Make VR experiences & build stunning video games in virtual reality with Unreal VR Dev
  • Get full lifetime access for a single one-off fee
  • Get plugged into communities of amazing developers on Facebook (nearly 20k), in own TA-curated Community (17k views/day), and student chat group (10k live at any one time)

Get Started!

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn game development with Unreal Engine! Be sure to use coupon code BFSAVE70 to get The 2022 Ultimate Learn Unreal Game Development Bundle for only $10.50 while the Black Friday sale is active. Note: This coupon code is good through Dec. 5, 2021.

Does Two Dots pass the test of time?

Scott Webster
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With a seemingly endless number of options to choose from, there’s never a shortage of new games or apps to check out. But what about older titles or those which made a big splash at one time in the past?

Scott and Luke sit down to discuss Two Dots and find out whether it’s worth revisiting in 2021. Does it stand the test of time? Listen to the embedded podcast below and find out!

AT&T Cyber Monday deals are live

AndroidGuys
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This holiday season is a great time to upgrade that old phone, especially if you are on AT&T. Whether you are buying for yourself or a loved one, there is an AT&T Cyber Monday deal for everyone.

You can get yourself a FREE Samsung Galaxy S21 5G with no trade-in required. This deal does require an unlimited data plan and you get the discount via monthly bill credits. But one of the best phones available today for free is a deal that is almost too good to pass up.

Some other notable deals from AT&T are:

  • Google Pixel 6 Pro for up to $800 off with an eligible trade-in.
  • Galaxy S20 FE 5G for only $5 a month with no trade-in required.
  • Samsung Galaxy A12 for $1 a month with no trade-in required.
  • Samsung Galaxy A52 5G for only $6.95 a month with no trade required.
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max for up to $1000 off with an eligible trade-in.
  • iPhone 13 Pro or an iPhone 13 for $0 with an eligible trade-in.
  • Buy any 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic 46mm and get $430 in credits or $400 in credits for the 42mm model.
  • Purchase any 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch4 44mm and get $330 in credits or $300 in credits for the 40mm model.
  • Buy any 2 Apple Watches and get $330 in credits.

Check out these AT&T Cyber Monday deals because they won’t last long.

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