Verizon has a new deal that will either incentivize you to get the vaccine or reward you for already taking it. Starting on June 15, 2021, Verizon customers who have had at least one dose of the vaccine will be eligible to receive a promo code for 10% off of one accessory.
Additionally, if you’re a first responder, nurse, teacher, or member of the military then this deal is also open to you whether you’ve been vaccinated or not.
To make the deal even better, the promo code will stack on top of other offers. For example, starting tomorrow, you could pick up a pair of Sony’s fantastic WH-1000XM4 ANC headphones for $270, which have a retail price of $350. If you’re looking to expand your smart home, you could grab the Google Nest Hub Max for $180.88 instead, saving you nearly $50 off the normal price. Below is a list of some other great deals you can take advantage of during this promotion.
Apple AirPods Pro for $179.99 (reg. $249.99; 6/15-6/20)
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones for $269.99 (reg. $349.99; 6/15-6/20)
Eufy RoboVac G30 Verge for $224.99 (reg. $349.99; 6/15-6/20)
JBL Quantum ONE Gaming headset for $224.99 (reg. $349.99; 6/15-6/27)
Google Nest Hub Max for $180.88 (reg. $229.99; 6/15-6/27)
Arlo Video Doorbell for $116.99 (reg. $149.99; 6/15-7/4)
Razer Kishi for Android (Xbox) Gaming Controller for $80.99 (reg. $99.99; 6/15-6/19)
Fitbit Charge 4 for $89.99 (reg. $129.99; 6/14-6/19)
As you can see, you can really save quite a bit of money on some fantastic products by stacking this discount on top of other offers. However, there are some restrictions on which products are eligible, any item that ends with $0.97 is exempt from the 10% off code. Anything else is free game. So, how do you go about getting this discount?
In order to get in on these savings, you’ll have to have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or have one of the eligible professions. Next, you’ll need to visit the promotion page. Once there, you’ll need to fill out a form, and afterward, you’ll receive a one-time use promotion code within 24 hours for 10% off eligible accessories.
You’ll want to hurry though, because Verizon is only running this promo until the end of July, and codes must be used by August 15, 2021.
Most wireless customers are familiar with the big-name brands in Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Relatively few buyers, though, are as well-versed when it comes to the topic of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO).
Companies like Metro, Boost Mobile, and Cricket Wireless license the towers and coverage from tier-one providers but offer their own phones, rate plans, and customer service.
Walmart Family Mobile is one such MVNO and is certainly worth closer inspection. Yes, that Walmart.
Using T-Mobile’s network for its service, Walmart Family Mobile is a service provider that exists almost virtually. While you cannot go into a dedicated Walmart Family Mobile store, customers can pay for their service at Walmart locations. Moreover, if you go to Walmart’s website, you can shop for phones and SIM cards.
Given that it does employ T-Mobile’s network, it does allow for customers to use their own devices. If you’ve already purchased an unlocked GSM phone, chances are good it will work just fine with Walmart Family Mobile. Those which might be locked to other carriers, however, may need to be unlocked before making the switch.
What are Walmart Family Mobile plans like?
Keeping things nice and simple is the name of the game here. There are currently four rate plans to choose from, all of which stay under $50 per month. As one might expect, each comes with its own amount of data.
$24.88 per month – Unlimited talk, text and 2GB 4G LTE data
$29.88 per month – Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of 4G LTE data
$39.88 per month – Unlimited talk, text and 20GB of 4G LTE data
$49.88 per month – Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, plus 30GB hotspot
There are no overage fees for hitting your data threshold. Once met, the speeds are throttled to 2G bandwidth for the rest of the billing cycle.
Yes, customers interested in family plans or multiple lines can add them to the unlimited data plan for $24.88 per line. Doing so gives the additional lines the same pool of data. In essence, it’s the $49.88 plan plus the $24.88.
If you qualify for SNAP, Medicaid, or other social assistance programs, you are probably eligible for the “Lifeline” Financial Assistance. Should you be approved you’ll save $10 on your bill each month.
What deals does Walmart Family Mobile have?
There are a number of phones listed with “Rollback” pricing on the Walmart website. These are often limited time promotions, but can save anywhere from $50-$200 on some models.
International Calling
Walmart Family Mobile offers $10 Extras Pack bundles which can be used for international calling and roaming. Rates vary by location.
How is the phone selection at Walmart Family Mobile?
Taking a look at the current lineup of phones offered through Walmart Family Mobile we find relatively few Android devices. In essence, it’s a smattering of LG, Motorola, and Samsung handsets. The selection is a mixed bag, and it skews heavily toward affordability and not power.
There are plenty of wireless service providers to choose from, at least here in the United States. In fact, it may seem as if there are too many options to consider. But when it comes down to it, many of them rely on the networks offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Walmart Family Mobile, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), is one such carrier. Indeed, it has its own rate plans and features, but it licenses coverage from T-Mobile.
When it comes to buying a phone for use on Walmart Family Mobile there are a few options to consider. For starters, you can bring your current T-Mobile device to the carrier. Additionally, you can buy an unlocked phone for use on Walmart Family Mobile.
You can check to see if your current device is compatible with Walmart Family Mobile by texting BYOP to 611611.
Customers can also purchase a phone directly from Walmart Family Mobile. While there’s a fairly robust handset selection to peruse, select models rise to the top.
What follows are some of the best Android phones available at Walmart Family Mobile today. These aren’t the most powerful, but rather the best for particular needs.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
The Best Available
Perhaps one of the best handsets you’ll find at any carrier this year, you’ll have a tough time beating this one. It’s the hardware and software experience that rivals nearly all comers.
For your money you get a gorgeous and spacious 6.9-inch display, incredible multi-camera array, and long-lasting battery. Under the hood is a powerhouse processor with lots of memory and storage. Most folks could see years of usage from this one.
This is a great phone for first-time buyers and those who don’t need all that much from their handset. It’s a solid mix of entry-level hardware with a clean and user-friendly version of Android.
The Motorola phone offers up a 5.7-inch HD+ display, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. That should be plenty sufficient for your social media, light gaming, web browsing, and email.
One of the best things about today’s breed of smartphones is that you can often purchase a generation or two later and still end up with more than you need. That’s the case here as the popular Samsung phone still handles all of your tasks.
For about one third of today’s flagship phone you can get something that will last a couple of years. We’re talking plenty of hardware, a beauty of a screen, and one of the better cameras around.
If you’ve never owned a smartphone, or are giving your child their first handset, you likely don’t want to spend that much money. To that end, you can get a decent phone for cheap.
The LG Rebel 4 is a little older than the others here but there’s a reason it’s still offered. Priced well under $50 you get a 5-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, and decent hardware. It won’t set the world on fire, but you’ll have a better understanding of needs for the next device.
Can I use my own phone with Walmart Family Mobile?
Don’t forget, you can also bring your own GSM phone so be sure to look around at places like Amazon, B&H, or Best Buy. You may find something better or more in line with your needs.
Here’s a little secret for all you would-be podcasters and vloggers out there: people are willing to forgive subpar video as long as the audio quality is good. That is to say listeners desire high quality audio and seek it out.
A USC study from a few years back found that when subjects were asked to rate two versions of the same YouTube talk they found the harder-to-hear version to be worse. In fact, even though it was the same content, the subjects described the speaker as less likable and less intelligent.
“As soon as we reduced the audio quality, all of a sudden, the scientists and their research lost credibility,” Newman said.
Audio matters. If you’re looking to create your own content and plan to have audio as part of it, you’d be wise to do things right. The 2021 Premium Audio Production Bundle ($29.99 in the AG Deals Store), provides seven hours of tools, tricks, and best practices for professionals.
Whether it’s for podcasts, videos, voice-overs, presentations, or something else, this suite is here to help. Over nearly 100 lessons you’ll find pro-tips on what software to use and how to do it.
2021 Premium Audio Production Bundle Features
Audio Recording 101: Record Voice Audio for Video Production – Record Spoken Voice Audio & Process in Audacity for Video Production and Podcasts
Audacity Essentials for Voiceover: Record, Edit & Process Audio – Learn the essentials of Audacity for Recording, Editing & Processing Voice
Audio Mixing + Processing Voice in Adobe Premiere Pro CC – Learn the Essentials & More of Audio Mixing and Production
Audio Production Course: Record & Mix Better Audio – Learn How to Record, Mix & Edit Professional Audio for Video Production, Podcasting, Music and More
Music Production in Logic Pro X : Audio Mixing for Podcasts – The Beginner’s Guide to Audio Mixing for Podcasts, Tutorials, YouTube Audio, Audiobooks & More
Get Started!
The coursework in The 2021 Premium Audio Production Bundle is a $1,000 value, but with the current deal, it’s all available to AndroidGuys readers for about $6 per course. Grab it all for just $30 while prices last.
Many people know about the big name wireless service providers of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. This is for good reason – they advertise everywhere and they basically own the airwaves.
What about those random brands that you might have seen in the store but don’t really know? What’s the difference between them and the more popular carriers? Are they a risk or gamble? Are they too good to be true?
Let’s take a look at a relatively newer carrier, Ting. This guide will serve to help you understand what the MVNO offers and how it stacks up against others.
About Ting
Launched in 2012, Ting finds itself in the increasingly crowded segment of low-cost, no-frills alternatives. Ting was one of the first in the industry to popularize the pay-for-what-you-use structure.
Does Ting support GSM or CDMA?
Ting’s service uses the Verizon and DISH networks for CDMA coverage and T-Mobile for GSM, but it operates with its own plans and features. You can check potential coverage ahead of time, even checking expectations based on the phone you currently own.
Finding unlocked phones with support for GSM is much easier as the selection is larger. Moreover, if you travel internationally, the GSM-based devices will work just fine, and without requiring any major changes.
Tell me about Ting rate plans
Ting’s rate plans are pretty straightforward, giving consumers a few options that cover the bases for most user types. All of the plans include unlimited talk and text with nationwide LTE + 5G data; data speed is reduced to 2G after monthly data allotment is exceeded.
Flex ($10/mo.) – Data is $5 per gigabyte
Set 5 ($25/mo.) – Includes 5GB data which can also be used as hotspot
Unlimited ($45/mo.) – Includes 22GB data, 12GB of which can also be used as hotspot
Unlimited Pro ($60/mo.) – Includes 35GB data, 30GB of which can also be used as hotspot
You can set alerts and caps in the Ting Dashboard, and create limits on individual lines. This is peace of mind for parents who might be otherwise worried about a child using an exorbitant amount of data for streaming HD video.
Are there any other Ting features worth noting?
Ting users can benefit from calling more than 60 countries at no additional cost. All minutes are counted the same whether it’s US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Puerto Rico, or a bunch of others.
Ting offers a cancellation-fee reimbursement if switch from another service provider. You’ll get back 25 percent of whatever it costs for you to leave your carrier, whether an early termination fee or a balance remaining on your phone. Reimbursement is capped at $75 in credit on your account.
For those who want to purchase a phone, Ting has a fairly well-rounded selection of devices. Looking at it today we see new and notable models like the Motorola one 5G ace and Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
Ting offers a small selection of phones, however it’s comprised mainly of Samsung and Apple, with a few LG and Motorola models sprinkled in. For what it’s worth, it does offer the iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10+, and Google Pixel 4a.
There are plenty of wireless service providers to choose from, at least here in the United States. In fact, it may seem as if there are too many options to consider. But when it comes down to it, many of them rely on the networks offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Walmart Family Mobile, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), is one such carrier. Indeed, it has its own rate plans and features, but it licenses coverage from T-Mobile.
When it comes to buying a phone for use on Walmart Family Mobile there are a few options to consider. For starters, you can bring your current T-Mobile device to the carrier. Additionally, you can buy an unlocked phone for use on Walmart Family Mobile.
You can check to see if your current device is compatible with Walmart Family Mobile by texting BYOP to 611611.
Customers can also purchase a phone directly from Walmart Family Mobile. While there’s a fairly robust handset selection to peruse, select models rise to the top.
What follows are some of the best Android phones available at Walmart Family Mobile today. These aren’t the most powerful, but rather the best for particular needs.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
The Best Available
Perhaps one of the best handsets you’ll find at any carrier this year, you’ll have a tough time beating this one. It’s the hardware and software experience that rivals nearly all comers.
For your money you get a gorgeous and spacious 6.9-inch display, incredible multi-camera array, and long-lasting battery. Under the hood is a powerhouse processor with lots of memory and storage. Most folks could see years of usage from this one.
This is a great phone for first-time buyers and those who don’t need all that much from their handset. It’s a solid mix of entry-level hardware with a clean and user-friendly version of Android.
The Motorola phone offers up a 5.7-inch HD+ display, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. That should be plenty sufficient for your social media, light gaming, web browsing, and email.
One of the best things about today’s breed of smartphones is that you can often purchase a generation or two later and still end up with more than you need. That’s the case here as the popular Samsung phone still handles all of your tasks.
For about one third of today’s flagship phone you can get something that will last a couple of years. We’re talking plenty of hardware, a beauty of a screen, and one of the better cameras around.
If you’ve never owned a smartphone, or are giving your child their first handset, you likely don’t want to spend that much money. To that end, you can get a decent phone for cheap.
The LG Rebel 4 is a little older than the others here but there’s a reason it’s still offered. Priced well under $50 you get a 5-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, and decent hardware. It won’t set the world on fire, but you’ll have a better understanding of needs for the next device.
When it comes to shopping for a high-end phone, there’s always something new and exciting for consumers. Hardware advancements continue to outpace the needs of users and the bleeding edge tech seems to be about two years ahead of what a typical person needs to get by.
While many of us are content to get by with devices and features that are a generation or two behind, there’s always going to be a segment of buyers who wants the best or newest. Fortunately, that’s a nebulous concept as there’s either a hot new thing that just arrived or another one that’s just over the horizon.
OnePlus has made its name on creating powerful and exciting devices with great value propositions. And although its phones are not so much “flagship killer” today, it’s handsets are “flagship” through and through.
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, introduced in early 2021, are the brand’s latest products and both provide some of the best of what’s available in the market. On paper at least. But how do they do in practice and usage?
If you caught our review of the OnePlus 9 Pro, you already know we found it to be among the most exciting phones on the market. What about the standard model? What follows is our review of the OnePlus 9.
For a bit of context we should mention that we’ve spent an additional couple of months with this version. That’s not to say we didn’t have enough time to formulate a solid opinion of the 9 Pro. Rather, it’s to further drive home our feelings about the OnePlus 9 as we lived with it a little longer.
Design
The OnePlus 9, like its Pro counterpart, has a sleek design that invites the user to look it over with curves and edges. OnePlus has done a great job of mixing the right materials (glass and aluminum) with color options, delivering an all-around aesthetically pleasing experience.
One of the hallmarks of a OnePlus phone is its dedicated ringer switch, located near the power button. It lets users jump directly to silent, vibration, and ringer with a simple slide. Is it necessary? Hardly. Do you miss once you’ve spent a fair amount of time with one? Definitely.
The OnePlus 9 is a little heavier than it appears but it’s a balanced weight. Holding it and looking at it from the front it feels like most higher-end phones, but flip it over and you’ll see a unique configuration to the camera. The multi-camera system takes up a rather significant part of the corner and it bears the Hasselblad branding. It’s not unsightly or off-putting, but it’s a departure from the clean strip that went down the spine of its predecessor.
Hardware and Features
The OnePlus 9 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, putting it at the top of the ladder in terms of CPU. Moreover, it’s supported by 8GB LPDDR5 RAM with 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. That is to say that the handset is among the best on the market.
One area where OnePlus tends to shine is in its batteries, or more specifically, the charging. Here you get a 4,500mAh power source which is equipped to handle 15W wireless charging and up to 65W Warp Charge. Technically speaking, there are two batteries tucked inside and both can be charged at the same time. So, when you put a fast charger on it, you’re pulling in at twice the rate.
We’re a fan of the image quality and high refresh rate of the OnePlus 9 but we’re really fond of the flat screen. While it might sound like the OnePlus 9 Pro is a more exciting or well-rounded phone, we are more than content stopping here. To us the extra juice isn’t worth the squeeze (extra money).
Software
The OxygenOS software experience is based on Android 11 and could be described more or less as a stock build. Indeed, it provides plenty of extras in the way of customization and user experience, but its UI is the same as what Google offers up with the Pixel line. Moreover, it doesn’t come with a bunch of clunky, unwanted duplicate apps, or carrier bloat.
OnePlus commits to two major software updates and three years of security updates for its phone. This is fairly similar to the Android One program and what Nokia and Samsung promises for its devices.
OnePlus does a pretty good job of offering software updates in a timely manner and that’s important to us. We also dig it when we’re able to tinker and modify, customizing our phones to be truly unique and feel like it’s “ours.” The OnePlus 9 does just that and manages to do so in a way that doesn’t require users to have a degree in engineering.
Camera
Historically, one of the more problematic areas for OnePlus phones is in its cameras. They’re often good, but they’ve never been truly great. While a common tactic has been to increase the number of cameras, it doesn’t address the overall quality. It doesn’t matter how many cameras you have on the back or how many shooting modes you have if the results don’t look very good.
As far as we’re concerned, it’s nearly impossible to beat what Google does with its cameras. That is to say for the “open the app and snap a pic” demographic. We often don’t fuss with ultra-wide or telephoto shots; it’s usually a standard pic or something with the portrait mode on.
For 2021 OnePlus turned to Hasselblad for its camera experience in both the 9 and the 9 Pro. In fact, this is the start of a three-year relationship between the two companies. The biggest task for Hasselblad and these new devices is the color-tuning and accuracy.
In our time with the OnePlus 9 we’ve found it to take good-to-great pictures, but only after a little bit of learning. Lighting is generally even; however, every so often it turns out a bit more blue. The same goes for over sharpening — it happens on occasion. even with using the different shooting modes.
OnePlus 9 Camera Samples
About the camera samples: Images were resized to 1280 pixels wide and slightly compressed for the sake of file size. No other edits were made.
The OnePlus camera app is fairly intuitive, even for those who have not spent time with one of its devices. If you’ve used a OnePlus phone in the past, you’ll know your way around it.
One rule of thumb we tend to employ with phones and their cameras is to stay at least one step away from its maximum zoom settings. Just because you can zoom in on a subject doesn’t mean that you should. And here when you do that, you’ll find some less than desirable final results.
We suggest taking a few pictures of your subject whenever possible and spend time learning its limitations. Get out in the real world and try to snap some pics too early and you’ll come away with grain, noise, and unflattering shots. It’s a really decent camera experience, but you need to figure that out. By contrast, the Pixel 5 may not be as well-rounded but it’s easier to understand and master.
Performance
When it comes to power and performance, we had absolutely zero problems with running apps and games. We loaded our device up with all of the accounts and daily titles straight away and have used this as our main phone for a few weeks. Suffice it to say, it’s on par with the OnePlus 9 Pro in terms of handling our needs.
This brings us to the topic of whether it’s necessarily worth spending the extra money for the more premium model. From our perspective we don’t think it’s justifiable to pay more of features that we may not fully appreciate. It’s not so much that the 9 Pro isn’t a value, it’s that the standard model is just that good.
What does the extra money provide? Features include faster wireless charging, a telephoto lens, optical image stabilization, mmWave 5G support, and a slightly smaller screen.
The displays are technically different, too, but we bet you’d hardly notice. And if we’re being fully honest, we like the flat screen on the 9 better than the curved edge of the 9 Pro.
Conclusion
With a little over three months of semi-daily usage under our belt we feel pretty confident in saying that the OnePlus 9 is a hell of a phone. The OnePlus 9 isn’t quite a “flagship killer”, it’s a “flagship.” Shave $100 off of it and you’re looking at one of the best packages available.
Having been able to compare the 9 and the 9 Pro we have a tough time advising most people spend the extra money. Yes, it does come with extras, but they’re nothing that’s necessity. Those features include faster wireless charging, a telephoto lens, optical image stabilization, mmWave 5G support, and a slightly smaller screen. Yes, the displays are technically different, too, but we bet you’d hardly notice. But as we mentioned above, we like the flat screen on the 9 better than the curved edge of the 9 Pro.
We were fans of the scrappy upstart brand and the whole “Never Settle” attitude that OnePlus started out with some years back. It has gone through an occasional rough patch but we’ve come to respect it and look forward to its big releases.
The OnePlus 9 builds on an increasingly strong line of devices and deserves to be included in conversations when the topic shifts to best phones. We’d love it if it were more readily available if only because more customers deserve to know about it.
Back at Google I/O 2021, we got teased with Android 12 and some of the new goodies we can expect to show up in the next version of the operating system. Google also released the first open beta of Android 12 for Pixel smartphones and other partners on the same day.
Being the first beta version, it wasn’t going to be super stable, nor was it going to include many of the new features Google just showed off. However, a little less than a month later and Google has rolled out the second beta.
Android 12 Beta 2 was released on June 9, 2021, and comes with a host of new privacy-related features. It is available for Pixel smartphones and select partner smartphones. You can enroll using a Pixel by clicking here, if you’ve previously enrolled then your phone should have already gotten the over-the-air update. To find out if your non-Pixel phone is supported and how to get the update, check here.
Privacy dashboard
For starters, Google has a new Privacy Dashboard in Android 12 Beta 2. The dashboard gives one all-inclusive place to view a timeline of the apps that have recently accessed your microphone, camera, and location.
With this information, you can keep an eye on what apps are doing in the background, and also request details of why a certain app accessed that permission. This will help keep app developers honest with users watching them.
Microphone and camera indicators
Android 12 Beta 2 also introduced indicators in the status bar to inform you when apps are using the microphone or camera. When you see these icons, you can pull down the Quick Settings pane to check which apps are accessing the camera or microphone and manage the permissions.
Microphone and camera toggles
Taking it a step further, are the new microphone and camera toggles that allow you to immediately disable the app’s access. When toggled off, the app will be fed a blank video or audio signal instead of having access to the camera or microphone on your device. This will only be available on supported devices though.
Clipboard read notifications
Android 12 Beta 2 also adds a new feature to prevent apps from abusing access to your clipboard. From now on, there will be a toast notification at the bottom of the phone informing you when an app reads something you’ve copied to the clipboard. However, this only happens if it’s an app outside of the app you used to copy the information.
Internet Panel
The new Internet Panel will help you stay on top of your network connections. Whether you need to change your Internet provider or troubleshoot a connection issue, you’ll be able to access the Internet Panel quickly and easily from the Quick Settings menu. Afterward, it will appear at the bottom of the screen allowing you to make changes.
If you want to develop and create video games, the cold truth is that you need to know Unity. Why? Well, the gaming engine powers roughly one in every three of the more popular mobile games. Players like Square Enix, Ubisoft, EA, and others are using it; it’s simple, versatile, and leads to great gaming experiences.
It’s time to get you on the same playing field as the bigger names. Our AG Deals Store highlight for you today is a Unity Game Developer Bundle and a 1-year subscription to PlayStation Plus — all for just $70.
Designed to get you from newbie to master in no time at all, it’s 10 courses, hundreds of lessons, and tons of education all centered around game design. Well, it’s all that, plus one year of PlayStation Plus, too.
The training is yours for as long as you want to use it, plus you can access it on both desktop and mobile platforms. Use it at whatever pace you want, pacing yourself into a new side hustle, hobby, or fast-track your next video game from idea to finished product.
Get Started!
Order your bundle for just $69.99 in the AG Deals Store and get started on training immediately. And when you’re ready for some down-time gaming, add the PlayStation code and extend your subscription for another year!
You might have heard the news recently that Google Photos unlimited storage is going away and photos that you store from this point forward will count towards your total Google storage quota (which includes your Gmail and Google Drive data).
Even with that change, you probably still want to store your photos in the cloud. There are plenty of options to choose from but some are better than others.
Here are some options for you to consider for cloud storage, presented in a handy chart.
15GB – Free 100GB – $2 per month/$20 annually 200GB – $3 per month/$30 annually 2TB – $10 per month/$100 annually 10TB – $100 per month 20TB – $200 per month 30TB – $300 per month
Easy to Navigate Organization by subject or location Easy search Photo Editing Sharing Creation of montages, collages, animations, and more Photo books
Works across all Google Apps, including Google Drive Can be shared with your family 24/7 Support Can be paid for with your Google Play Balance Google Play Points towards in-game credits, Google Play credit, or even donations to charities Up to 40% off at hotels Cash back at the Google Store, up to 10% for the 2TB plan A VPN at the 2TB option or higher Pro Sessions where Google tech support can help you learn more about Google Products if you have the 2TB plan or higher (currently only available in English)
5GB – Free with Amazon Account Unlimited storage – Free with an Amazon Prime account (Still only 5GB video/file storage) 100GB Video/File – $2 per month 1TB – $7 per month 2TB – $12 per month
Photo Editing Merchandise (Hardcopy, merch, and decor) Image recognition search
50GB – Free 400GB – $6.09 per month/$60.96 per year 2TB – $12.18 per month/$121.94 per year 8TB – $24.38 per month/$243.89 per year 16TB – $36.57 per month/$365.84 per year
No specific photo features
Easy Sharing Transfer Center Open Source End-to-End Encrypted Secure Chat
Free – 21GB 100GB – $12.50 per month for up to 5 people or $24.50 per month for up to 50 people Also available via AndroidGuys Deals: 100GB – $30 lifetime 500GB – $70 lifetime 1TB – $72.74 lifetime
RAW images/Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop files Collections to group files and search Tags and custom fields for searching Import from social media AI organization and search In-built file previews
Sharing Any types of files AES-256 Encryption Custom metadata editing and extraction
Free – 2GB 100GB – $30 a year 250GB – $59 a year 1TB – $147 a year 2.5TB – $293 a year 10TB – $879 a year Also available via AndroidGuys Deals: 100GB – $30 lifetime 250GB – $60 lifetime 1TB – $169.99 lifetime
No specific photo features
Two step verification Sharing Support for Facebook or Chrome Versioning and recovery Integration with other cloud storage
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, as many of you may recall, launched back in January. I picked one up through AT&T as an upgrade and have been using it as my daily driver ever since. In fact, I have fallen in love with it.
Here are some of the things that stand out to me as it pertains to using the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for an extended period. Suffice it to say, I won’t touch on the general performance as that’s already been found to be a non-starter of a topic. It’s a tremendous device with plenty of power, but some features do rise to the top — at least for me.
The Good
Camera
Probably the most important feature you can find in this device is the camera. Look at the back of the phone and you’ll see four sensors: an 108MP main sensor, two 10MP telephoto lenses, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. These are backed up with amazing image processing and photo modes such as a portrait mode, a night mode, and a feature called Single Take.
Single Take is possibly the best camera feature I could conceive of. I’ve used it numerous times because it is incredibly useful. Single Take takes a video that is up to 15 seconds in length and processes that video in a variety of ways, including creating sped up videos, wide shots, portraits, and still photos with a variety of filters on them. This is great if you’re on the move and want to capture a beautiful scene or if you’re having a photoshoot with your partner, family or friends and want to capture it all.
Picture taken with Normal Camera
Picture Taken with Single Take
Portrait Mode
Portrait Mode 2
Portrait Mode 3
Picture taken with Normal Camera
Picture of A starry night using Night Mode
Software
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra runs on One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 which comes with a variety of thoughtful features that I think makes it wonderful:
Screen Recorder – One UI comes with an inbuilt screen recorder, eliminating the need for a third-party app. The best part is this feature is accessible straight from your quick settings. You can record videos with no sound at all, media sounds, and media + mic input as well as the quality of the video.
Share Menu – This is something small, but the share menu on the S21 Ultra is wonderfully designed: When sharing a picture, you’re given a nearby share option or a share as link option, then a listing of your most frequent contacts, your most frequent apps, and then a list of every other available app option, with each of them able to be pinned as a favorite.
Edge Panels – If you’ve used a Samsung device in the past few years, likelihood is you’ve heard of the Edge Panels. A feature from the Note Edge that couldn’t quite be killed, the Edge Panel is a launcher that can be accessed no matter what screen you’re on. There’s a variety of customizable panels that you can get direct from Samsung and some third-party ones from some imaginative developers.
Edge Panels
Available Panels
Battery Management – Do you ever not use an app for a while and don’t want to remove it from your phone but also know it’s taking up space or resources on your phone? Meet your sleeping apps. After a period of time, the device will temporarily disable that app until you open it again. This does present some issues, such as disabling icon packs, where you only open the app once to apply it and then never again. The issue comes from these disabled apps not getting updates. You can disable this feature if you want or whitelist apps so they don’t sleep.
DeX – DeX is an absolutely amazing experience that has saved me quite a few times during a period when I haven’t had a computer.
Battery Life
The battery life on the S21 Ultra is pretty amazing. I could most definitely have this battery last for a solid day and have relatively no issues leaving it overnight. If I need to charge it, this phone can pull in 25W of charge and can charge within an hour to an hour and a half.
The Not-So-Good
Design
First, I want to talk about all the good aspects of the design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s pretty, with Gorilla Glass on the front and a plastic panel on the back. Some people might be upset that a premium phone doesn’t have glass on the back, but I quite like the concept that I don’t have to worry about covering the back of the phone in fingerprints or cracking or scratching some random piece of glass that doesn’t matter to the phone.
Now, the kind of eh stuff. First of all, the phone is kind of tall, which is weird to me. This is mitigated with the fact that One UI features the big blank spaces at the top of most interfaces, so you don’t have to worry about reaching the top of the screen, but when you do, you’ll have to shimmy that phone up in your hand.
Secondly, the camera bump. So much camera power comes with a big old camera module which protrudes from the phone. This is probably the majority of the phone’s weight, and it makes it sit weird on a table. Once again, this can be mitigated…with a case. I’ll discuss some of the best cases I’ve come across in the future. You can also get a protector that covers the camera, and these can be sold separately or along with a normal screen protector.
Theming
I think One UI is wonderful but considering Samsung is well-known for its themes, I find Galaxy Themes to be quite lackluster, and this is primarily because of inconsistency in the icons. When you apply an icon theme, most of the stock Galaxy apps are themed and the rest get a mask around them. These icon masks turn me off from using the default One UI launcher because I want icons with a consistent theme no matter who makes them.
I also don’t like the fact that the themes and Samsung’s Dark Mode are incompatible. By that, I mean if I want to see the full coloration of a theme, I have to turn off dark mode, which makes the majority of apps that base their personal themes on the system theme a blinding white. I wish applying a dark theme had the same effect as dark mode or dark mode was otherwise compatible with the themes. Hopefully this will be fixed as we move into Android 12 which has more native theme support.
Conclusion
Despite some minor issues, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the best phones I’ve ever used and it would be the best Samsung phone I have ever used if it were not for the fact that I prefer the Note line (though who knows if that will be a thing anymore).
