Today, Motorola announced a new member to its mid-range lineup of phones, the Moto G Stylus 5G. As the name suggests, it’s a 5G capable phone with a stylus that won’t break the bank starting at $399.99.
Beyond the stylus and 5G radio, the Moto G Stylus has a lot going for it. For starters, it packs a 6.8-inch FHD+ display, so you’re going to have plenty of space to write and draw with the stylus. Plus, it’ll be great for watching movies and viewing photos on.
Speaking of photos, the Moto G Stylus features a quad-camera setup on the back. There’s a 48MP f/1.7 main shooter, a 5MP f/2.2 Macro lens, 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. So no matter if you wanna shoot something up close or far away, the Moto G Stylus has you covered. When it comes time to get your selfie on, there’s also a 16MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.
Thankfully, it also includes 256GB of storage and an expansion slot that supports up to 1TB microSD cards. You won’t have any worries about filling up this phone with all your photos and videos.
Powering the Moto G Stylus is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G and 6GB of RAM, making sure that you’ll be able to multitask like a pro with all that memory. And with a massive 5,000mAh battery, the Moto G Stylus can last for up to two days on a single charge.
Phones with a stylus aren’t that common, but the Moto G Stylus 5G comes with one other thing many phones lack in 2021, a headphone jack. That’s right, you’ll be able to use traditional wired headphones with the Moto G Stylus 5G without the need of a dongle.
The Moto G Stylus will be available for purchase starting June 14, 2021. It can be bought unlocked from several retailers for $399.99, including Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Motorola, and Walmart. Later, it will also be available from carriers such as AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cricket, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Xfinity Mobile.
The mobile wireless landscape in the U.S. is controlled by three main companies, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. However, there used to be four major competitors; that was until T-Mobile acquired Sprint for $26 billion in a deal that was finalized in 2020.
Read on to find out more about the self-branded Un-carrier that recently absorbed one of the biggest mobile carriers in the U.S. and find out what plans they offer below.
About
T-Mobile is a mobile wireless carrier operating in the U.S. which currently has the largest 5G network and whose largest shareholder is a German telecommunications company called Deutsche Telekom. It was founded in 1994 and has since grown its position in the U.S. acquiring Metro (now Metro by T-Mobile) and Sprint.
T-Mobile has branded itself as the “Un-carrier” for its outside-the-box thinking when compared to traditional telecom companies. It has tried to set itself apart by offering contract-free pricing, simpler plans, and added benefits.
Some of the Un-carrier moves it has made to date include, Netflix on Us, Taxes and Fees included in your price, unlimited video streaming from top services, a T-Mobile Tuesdays reward program, and more.
Plans
All the prices below are for plans with a single line with AutoPay and the Magenta and Magenta Max plans have taxes and fees included. Keep in mind you can often save money when adding additional lines, sometimes dropping the price to nearly half for each line.
$60 – The Essentials plan offers unlimited minutes and texts with 50GB of Premium Data until your connection is throttled.
$70 – The Magenta plan offers unlimited minutes and texts with 100GB of Premium Data after which your connection will be throttled. Netflix Basic is included for plans with two lines or more.
$85 – The Magenta Max plan offers unlimited minutes, texts, and data no matter how many gigabytes you use. Netflix Basic is included for plans with one line and Netflix Standard for plans with two lines or more.
Can you bring your own device?
T-Mobile is bring your own device friendly, although it offers no guarantees that devices from other carriers will be supported. It does offer a simple way to check if your device is compatible by entering the IMEI number. Need help figuring that out? Here’s an easy way to find your IMEI.
Also, be aware that your phone must support the frequencies T-Mobile’s towers use in order to get service. Some devices may support more frequencies than others and therefore will give better coverage.
If you prefer, you can always buy a device directly from T-Mobile, and then you’re guaranteed that it will function properly on its network.
Where to learn more
Check T-Mobile’s website to learn more about T-Mobile, its history, and all the plans it offers.
Camera phones have changed rapidly over the years since the first camera phone was introduced in 2000 with a 0.35 megapixel sensors. Fast-forward 19 years to the Nokia 9 PureView, a phone with five 12 megapixel sensors.
A year later we see the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, a quad-camera phone with an 108MP main camera and 100 times “Space Zoom”. At the moment, the triple-camera iPhone 12 Pro Max and its three 12MP sensors is the top in smartphone camera performance, with number four being the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
In the old days it was easier to differentiate between phones and their respective results. But, since everyone moves to their own beat, it’s harder to qualify which is best. With so much jargon to contend with it can even become overwhelming to begin talking about the camera experience.
Why does more megapixels or more sensors not mean better camera performance? What even is a megapixel or an aperture? What else matters when considering a phone? Let’s explore.
Camera Hardware
What is a megapixel?
A megapixel is the amount of information per inch of the photo, which also means that higher megapixel images also mean higher file sizes.
A megapixel literally means one million pixels. For example, a 12-megapixel camera can produce images with 12 million total pixels. That’s a lot of dots, right?
Photos with more megapixels will certainly have more detail, but they also come with a larger file size. This can take longer to process or share, and it could eat up your phone’s storage rather quickly.
What is aperture?
Aperture is an opening in your camera lens that allows light to pass through, affecting the brightness of the photo as well as the depth of field.
Aperture is measured in fractions known as f-stops, with a value of f/4 representing a larger aperture than f/16. For reference, the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s cameras ranging between f/2.4 and f/1.6 apertures.
Types of lenses
If you’re looking to buy a modern smartphone with multiple lenses, you’ll probably encounter three types of lenses:
a telephoto lens with a very large focal length(the distance at which a clear photo can still be formed)
an ultra-wide lens with a small focal length
a wide lens that falls in between these two focal ranges
A telephoto lens stacks elements vertically to increase magnification, a step further being the use of periscope cameras, which use angled mirrors to increase magnification while helping to keep the camera system flat in the phone body.
Somewhere in the middle: Acronym Avenue
OIS, EIS, HDR, PDAF, Laser AF. These are all acronyms you might see when you’re buying a phone and reading about their cameras, and it’s very likely that just like me, these acronyms mean absolutely nothing to you. So let’s learn together.
Image Stabilization: OIS vs EIS
If you’re like me and can’t hold your phone still when taking a picture and are then surprised when your picture isn’t a blurry mess, you have image stabilization to thank for this. Image stabilization can be accomplished one of two ways, optically or electronically.
Optical Image Stabilization
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) is a solution baked into the hardware of the camera and works rather simply: a gyroscope in the camera detects movements and shifts the camera in the opposite direction of the movement.
Electronic Image Stabilization
Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is a software solution that makes use of your phone’s accelerometer to detect movements and in modern times, tries to keep the camera’s focus on a specific point while processing the image. One notable example is the “Super Steady” mode on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
These two methods can be and are often combined to produce the most stable image possible, with this being called Hybrid Image Stabilization.
Autofocus: Lasers and Phase(rs)
Autofocusing on your camera is a method of adjusting the lens in your camera to produce a sharp image, and there’s two different methods that are used fairly commonly today, and both can make your photos focused AF.
Laser Autofocus
You might think of lasers as the exclusive property of evil villains, but in Laser Autofocus (Laser AF), this is actually something helpful. Essentially, an infrared light is built into your camera system. When taking a picture, infrared light will be emitted and the time it takes for the beam to return from your subject will be used to calculate your distance from the subject, and the lens is adjusted accordingly. This is beneficial because it works in any lighting conditions and very quickly.
Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)
Phase Detection? While you may think this has something to do with a parent analyzing your Hot Topic receipts, this article is still about cameras. Phase Detection Autofocus is a method that analyzes light at two different apertures at different sides of the lens and adjusts the lens until those two beams of light align onto the sensor.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Vivo XL5 (Standard, HDR)
High Dynamic Range on smartphones is accomplished through combining multiple photos (either through multiple sensors taking a picture of the same thing or through a rapid burst of photos at once). The combination of these photos produces the most balanced lighting in a photo.
Zoom
No, no, come back, it’s not time for a video conference. Remember, cameras. When you zoom in a photo, you’re essentially trying to reduce the focal length of a photo. However, where traditional cameras have lenses that can retract or extend to accomplish optical zoom (decreasing the focal length by getting physically closer to the subject), smartphones would be slightly less portable if they did the same.
One trick smartphones use to increase magnification optically is the periscope lens mentioned above, which aligns mirrors vertically.
Other than that, smartphones resort to digital zoom, which is the same method that you use when you zoom in on a picture in your gallery. It just decreases the visible area of the photo so the subject appears closer.
Camera Software
While all of this is important, there’s probably one question you have in mind. How does a phone with four 12MP cameras become the best smartphone camera in a world of 108MP cameras. The answer: software.
Once your sensors give your phone the image, it has to be processed by your camera software, and this processing is done by your ISP. No, no, not those people who overcharge you for absolutely terrible internet speeds. Your Image Signal Processor. The ISP uses AI to fix up the image with color correction, reduction of light pollution, etc. as well as compressing the photo so it’s easier to store or share. The final image is then spit out into your gallery
Portrait Mode
Shot of my collie using Portrait mode.
Portrait mode is a camera feature that has become very popular recently that produces beautiful portraits. This is accomplished by your smartphone detecting the foreground and the background and blurring out the background so the subject appears sharper and more in focus.
Third-party Apps
Your final question might be why no matter how great your smartphone camera is, your pictures or videos look like hot garbage in apps such as Snapchat or TikTok. This mostly results from the fact that developing a camera app that works across phones, camera types, and operating system versions.
To solve this problem, developers have resorted to a fairly simple and universal method: they access your camera and take a screenshot of the camera output.
Google and Samsung are making steps towards giving third-party developers access to camera software through the Android CameraX library, and that’s why the Samsung Galaxy S21 camera looks a lot better in Snapchat than Galaxy phones of the past. Hopefully more manufacturers will enable this support and people who use iPhones will stop making fun of us Android users for sending them bad photos.
Competitive gaming is all about making the most of each moment. Be it touch response times, incredibly fast internet speeds, or top-notch hardware, every facet matters.
Bluetooth audio, no matter how good, often falls slightly short of the needs of the competitive gamer. Epos strives to address, if not change, that with its Hybrid GTW 270 Earbuds.
The GTW 270 feature the ability to connect via Bluetooth on its own or paired with a small USB-C dongle. The result is a sleek yet robust earbud that provides a clear and quick connection no matter what device you are currently using.
Test Drive posts are our way of sharing immediate impressions and early reactions to products, apps, and services. Not to be construed as a full review, these are first-blush looks at things we think you’d enjoy.
Features
Hybrid audio connection for simultaneous console and bluetooth use
Custom design ear tip for closed connection and sound isolation.
Single button for answer/hangup, play/pause and skipping tracks.
Solid design featuring metal accents and case for peace of mind on the go
Early Impressions
We’re no stranger to wireless earbuds so when these came across the desk I was skeptical. That all faded when I opened the package and started using the earbuds.
I found the build quality of the GTW 270’s to be nothing short of amazing. The metal charging and storage case, while slightly larger than I hoped, is sturdy. There is a nice logo stenciled on the top of the case; the lid’s opening and closing is aided by magnets so it won’t just open up in your bag or pocket.
There is a button on the outside of the case that you can press to see the current charge level via five LED dots. This is a small thing to some, but five lights always feels better to me than four. I can get a better idea of the level of charge with ranges of ~20% instead of ~25%.
The earbuds themselves are just as nice when it comes to build quality. Multiple tips are included in the box and allow for fit for all ear sizes. Each earbud features one single button for controls which is a nice change from having multiple touch control points.
The sound quality matches the design, too as the GTW 270’s are full and balanced. While gaming you have clarity in things such as footsteps from sneaking around, explosions and gunfire, and more, all without the need to adjust settings during gameplay. Find the volume level you like and you’re good to go.
The biggest surprise to me was the aptX USB-C dongle. which gives it a true plug-and-play solution that automatically connects and just works. It works even on the Nintendo Switch, a device that hasn’t always been easy to work with third-party solutions for wireless audio and mobile chatting.
The GTW 270s feature super low latency with the clarity and richness of sound that comes with high-end wireless earbuds. And while the latter is nice for music and daily usage, the former is invaluable when gaming. There’s no audio lag that that confuses listeners by delivering sound a fraction of a second too late.
Where to Buy
The Epos Hybrid GTW 270 are available to purchase through EPOS or Amazon for $199.
One of the most frustrating things about wireless charging is sliding your phone around to ensure it hits the sweet spot. As convenient as wireless charging tries to be, this little game you play each time you want to charge up is exasperating.
Apple came up with a solution in the form of MagSafe on its iPhone 12 models, but what about all of us Android users? Well, popular mobile accessories maker Mophie has a new lineup of chargers and mounts to help us out.
The Mophie Snap line includes vent mounts, power banks, chargers, and phone stands compatible with any Qi-enabled smartphone, such as select Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. The ingenious part of the “snap” products is the magnetic ring which is included that adheres to the back of your phone. This enables the Mophie mount to line up perfectly every time you place the phone on the charger and it even works through thin cases.
Car mounts
First up are the mounts. The Mophie Snap Vent Mount will hold your phone in place while driving and set you back $29.95. There is also a Snap+ Wireless Vent Mount for $49.95 that delivers up to 15W of wireless charging power.
Chargers & Power banks
Next up, are the chargers, no longer will you have to fiddle with lining up your phone perfectly on a puck or wake up to a drained battery because you missed the sweet spot. The Snap+ Wireless Charger provides up to 7.5W to iPhones and up to 15W of charging power to compatible Android smartphones for a price of $34.95.
When you’re on the go, the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini will keep your phone juiced up with a slim 5,000mAh battery that delivers up to 12W of wireless charging power. It can be purchased for $49.95.
Stands
The Snap+ Wireless Stand from Mophie will hold your phone in landscape or portrait while charging and allow you to continue using it for calls or watching videos. It delivers up to 7.5W of power to iPhones, and up to 15W to compatible Android phones. You can pick it up from Mophie during the summer or fall for $59.95.
The Snap+ Powerstation Stand is the mobile counterpart with a built-in 10,000mAh battery, offering the same great stand and making it easy to charge up on the go. It will charge iPhones with up to 7.5W of power and up to 10W with Qi-compatible Android smartphones. Additionally, it can be used to deliver up to 20W over USB-C if you’re in a rush. It can be purchased later this summer or fall from Mophie for $69.95.
Snap adapters
Once you get into the Snap ecosystem, you might find yourself upgrading or changing phones. Whatever the case, rest assured that you’ll be able to pick up new adapters with a two-pack from Mophie for $19.95. So, no worries if you break your phone or change phone cases, you’ll still be able to utilize all your mounts, chargers, or stands.
With Father’s Day 2021 fast approaching, there’s no time like the present to pick up a gift for that dad in your life. If you’re spinning your wheels, trying to figure out what to get dad, we’re going to help you out. In fact, we’ll let you in on a secret: dads love music.
Pick up a pair of wireless headphones, earbuds, or something else that lets him play his favorite tunes or listen to his favorite podcasts and he’ll be pleased with your thoughtfulness.
Here are a handful of headphones worth checking out as you shop for dad this year. Already priced to move, we’ve got an extra 20% promo code for you to apply at checkout. That’s right, you can save even more with your purchase.
Use “WELOVEDAD” at checkout and you’ll get the instant savings! Hurry, this code won’t last long!
Zulu Exero Bone Conduction Headphones
Zulu Exero is a bone conduction headset that lets you experience truly personal out-of-ear audio. Using a light vibration in the headset as they rest around your ears, music is generated just for you, without blocking out your surroundings. There are many situations where noise cancellation is unsafe and also uncomfortable. These headphones are the perfect alternative. Better than normal headphones because you can still hear the world around you. They’re better than earbuds because they won’t fall out; they stay rested around your ears. $40$32
PowerHBQ Pro Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones
Say goodbye to the hassle of tangled wires with these PowerHBQ Pro Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones. Built for elite athletes, these totally wireless earphones have no wires to hold you back. The adjustable, secure-fit ear hooks are customizable with multiple ear tip options for extended comfort and are made to stay in place, no matter how hard you go. These lightweight earphones are IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant, so you can take your workouts to the next level. With up to 10 hours of listening time in each earbud and powerful, balanced sound, you’ll always have your music to motivate you. $55$44
PaMu Quiet Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds
If your top priority is sound quality, you must try active noise canceling wireless earphones. Because with active noise canceling, you can immerse yourself fully in music and hear every detail without distractions. This next-generation tech can not be found on normal TWS earphones in the market. Blessed by Qualcomm QCC5124 and ams3460, PaMu Quiet promises you the most affordable and comfortable active noise-canceling earphones you can find in the market. Unlike most other active noise canceling earphones that use either feedback or feed-forward noise cancellation, it uses both, delivering a better active noise cancelation experience with hybrid noise cancellation. Focus on your audio and nothing else. $100$80
Crave Octane Sport Earphones (Red)
Attack every workout with voracity and keep the beats going strong with premium sound and unmatched comfort. Whether you love running, lifting, Yoga, or CrossFit, you want earbuds that stay in no matter how intense your workout gets. Crave Octane Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds provide high-fidelity sound and the reliability to stay in your ears comfortably even when you’re going all out. Attack every workout with voracity and keep the beats going strong with premium sound and unmatched comfort. Providing a reliable 6 hours of playback time, these earbuds let you take calls on the fly, are water-resistant so they don’t slip out when you get a little sweaty and help block out external noises, so you can focus on crushing your goals. $30$24
TREBLAB Z2 Bluetooth 5.0 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The Z2’s earned their name because they feature twice the sound, twice the battery life, and twice the convenience of competing headphones. This updated version of the original Z2s comes with a new all-black design and Bluetooth 5.0. Packed with TREBLAB’s most advanced Sound2.0™ technology with aptX and T-Quiet™ active noise-cancellation, these headphones deliver goosebump-inducing audio while drowning out unwanted background noise. It’s like you’re at a concert every time you turn up the volume. $79$63
ComfoBuds Pro True Wireless Headphones
1MORE’s proprietary QuietMax active noise cancellation technology combines hybrid ANC technology, precise audio tuning, dual-band ANC and wind noise reduction in one suite for effective noise cancellation for an uncompromised Hi-Fi sound. These ComfoBuds Pro True Wireless Headphones have adjustable ANC modes: strong, so you can enjoy your music and pass-through so you can hear your surroundings. Each earbud has 3 microphones, each with a precise algorithm that works seamlessly to suppress noise and amplify your voice for crystal clear phone calls. ComfoBuds are designed and tested to fit ears of all shapes and sizes. $90$72
Some of the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy come from Sony, and today it announced the latest pair to join its roster. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the follow-up to the fantastic WF-1000XM3 earbuds that I reviewed a couple of years ago. To this date, they remain my favorite pair of ANC earbuds, although, it looks like the WF-1000XM4s might be ready to unseat them.
For starters, Sony has shrunk the WF-1000XM4, leading not only to smaller buds, but also a smaller case. One of the biggest complaints about the previous generation was how large the buds and case were, so it’s great to see that addressed with the latest version.
Improved active noise cancellation
On top of making them smaller and sleeker, the active noise cancellation capabilities have been taken to the next level, thanks to the new Integrated Processor V1 chip developed by Sony. The new chip promises industry-leading noise cancellation while consuming less battery power. Perhaps that’s how Sony was able to trim some of the fat off of the WF-1000XM4 buds. Furthermore, the WF-1000XM4s now have Automatic Wind Noise Reduction to detect wind and suppress it to help keep you fully immersed in your music.
Better sound quality
Besides the improvements to noise cancellation, Sony has also enhanced the sound quality of its flagship earbuds. The WF-1000XM4 now supports the LDAC wireless audio codec. For the uninitiated, LDAC transmits wireless audio at a high-resolution bit rate of 990kbps, which is up to three times higher than aptX.
What this means for you, is a fuller richer sound that nearly matches a wired connection. Additionally, Sony’s Edge-AI DSEE Extreme processing technology upscales compressed music in real-time to provide an even better listening experience.
The WF-1000XM4 buds also feature newly-developed earbud tips made from polyurethane foam that is soft and elastic to create a better seal. These will not only improve the noise cancellation capabilities of the WF-1000XM4s, but they will also enhance the sound of the new 6mm drivers.
Plus, with Adaptive Sound Control, the WF-1000XM4 can sense your surroundings and what you’re doing to help tailor the listening experience.
Smarter
If better sound quality and ANC weren’t enough for you, the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds also feature a host of smart features, some of which are present in its larger over-ear WH-1000XM4 headphones.
For example, Speak-to-chat, which automatically lets in ambient sound for having a conversation while wearing the buds when it hears your voice. There’s also a way to manually trigger ambient mode by placing your finger over one of the buds. Pairing them is also a breeze with Fast Pair technology, and Google Assistant support is on board.
Longer battery life
Finally, one last place Sony improved the WF-1000XM4 earbuds is with battery life. Sony rates them for eight hours of continuous listening and an additional 16 hours from the case. A five-minute quick charge will even give you up to 60 minutes of listening time. Also, with the new case, it allows for wireless Qi charging, it even works with smartphones that support reverse wireless charging.
Where to buy
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are available starting today for $280. They can be purchased on Amazon in Black or Silver, as well as from Best Buy and other retailers.
A growing number of US consumers are becoming familiar with Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) like Metro, Boost Mobile, and Straight Talk. They operate using the towers and infrastructure from the big players but have their own rates, customer service, and phone selection.
Let’s take a look at one of them in particular: H20 Wireless
About
H20 Wireless launched in 2005 and is a US-based (New Jersey) prepaid wireless service provider. It offers its own, albeit small, lineup of GSM phones, many of which are also found at other carriers. Coverage comes from AT&T and its network.
Where are H20 Wireless stores located?
You won’t find an actual retail store for H20 Wireless. Instead, it has availability inside many other retailers and convenience stores. Key among them are Best Buy, Target, 7-Eleven, Office Depot, Circle K, and Speedway.
H2O Wireless provides options to subscribers: Monthly Unlimited and Pay-As-You-Go. Each of the Monthly Unlimited plans include unlimited text and international text, an allotment of data, unlimited international talk to 50+ countries, and up to $20 international talk credit.
Monthly Unlimited
$20/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 2GB of high-speed data, $1.50 international talk credit
$30/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 6GB of high-speed data, $5 international talk credit
$40/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 15GB of high-speed data, $5 international talk credit
$50/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with unlimited high-speed data, $5 international talk credit
$60/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with unlimited high-speed data w/ mobile hotspot, $5 international talk credit
While both the $50 and $60 options provide unlimited high-speed data, the latter provides mobile hotspot. If you don’t need, or plan, to use that feature, go with the cheaper option.
Customers can save a few dollars per month on their rate plans if they sign up for automatic bill payment, which H20 calls Auto Recharge. And really, all of the plans provide unlimited data, but only a specific amount of it is at 4G LTE speeds. The small print says that the unlimited plan allows for up to 30GB of data before speeds are slowed.
Pay-As-You-Go
Customers who prefer to only pay for the services they’ve used might want to check out the Pay-As-You-Go option. There are 90-day ($10, $20, $30) and 12-month ($100) plans and each can be set up for Auto Recharge discounts.
5¢ talk and text
10¢ data and MMS
Can you get family plans with H20 Wireless?
H20 Wireless offers multi-line plans for two-line and four-line accounts. For the money, each line gets unlimited talk and text, with 6GB data, unlimited international talk to 50+ countries, unlimited international text, and $10 international talk credit.
2 Lines – $50/mo
4 Lines – $100/mo
It’s worth reinforcing here that this is not the all-out, high-speed 4G LTE stuff you might expect. Rather, you’ll find it’s capped at 3Mbps speeds. This may be more than sufficient for many of you, especially if you’re not primarily using your phone for watching streaming videos.
As of today there are just under two dozen phones to choose from at H20 Wireless. While the selection isn’t very big, it does feature some respectable models. Currently available are devices like the Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G, Galaxy A32 5G, and a few Nokia products. There is a fairly wide selection of iPhone options, too.
Can I use my own phone at H20 Wireless?
You can often use your current unlocked GSM phone, especially if it was previously paired with AT&T.
From time to time, Google rolls out updates packed full of features for Pixel phones that it calls Pixel Drops. The latest Pixel Drop started hitting Pixel smartphones yesterday, and it comes with a couple of really cool features.
Astrophotography videos
With summer about to kick off in full swing, it’s the perfect time to head outside and enjoy the stars on those warm nights. Pixel smartphones already have the ability to help you capture those late-night memories with astrophotography, and now, Google has taken it a step further by capturing video as well.
Going forward, when you take a photo of the night sky using Night Sight with Pixel 4 phones and above, it will save a video along with the photo. Now, you’ll be able to watch the stars move across the sky as well as having a frozen moment in time captured.
Locked Folder
Another photography feature we were teased with back at Google I/O was the ability to have a private folder in Google Photos protected by a passcode or fingerprint. The June Pixel Drop is bringing that feature to Pixel users. Not only will you be able to stash away all of your personal photos, but you’ll also be able to save photos taken with the camera directly to a Locked Folder. Better yet, all the photos are saved locally and won’t show up in “shared albums, Memories or any other apps on your device.”
Car crash detection expansion
Along with some great new photography features, the Pixel phones are also expanding some of its safety features. The Pixel car crash detection is rolling out to users in Ireland, Singapore, and Spain. Now, if your Pixel detects you’ve been in an accident it will check if you’re OK and if not it can automatically call emergency responders and share your location. Car crash detection was previously only available in Australia, the UK, and the U.S.
Heads Up
What about when you’re not in a vehicle and you’re walking around with your eyes glued to the phone screen? Google has you covered there as well with its new Heads Up feature inside of Digital Wellbeing. With Heads Up, Pixel smartphones will detect when you’re walking and remind you to look up from the screen periodically. Of course, whether or not you actually do that remains to be seen.
Answer calls with Google Assistant
Have you ever been close enough to see your phone when a call comes in but not close enough to reach it and answer? Google is here to help by adding the ability to answer it using Google Assistant voice commands. Pixel users will now be able to pick up or reject a call by simply saying “Hey Google, answer call” or “Hey Google, reject call.”
Smarter Gboard
Gboard is also getting smarter, from now on when you copy and paste certain information, it will be smart enough to suggest the important snippets from it. For example, if you copy text that includes an email address, phone number, or URL–Gboard will be smart enough to suggest those when pasting.
Call Screen and Recorder expansions
The June Pixel Drop also expands some previously released features to new countries. Call Screen, which helps block spam calls by answering them for you is now available in Japan.
While the Recorder app, which transcribes audio into text allowing you to search, edit, and share recordings is gaining some new English dialects, including Australian, British English, Irish, and Singaporean. This will roll out to Pixel 3 phones or newer by the end of July.
New Pride wallpapers
June is Pride month and Google has some new wallpapers and ringtones to celebrate. The bold colorful wallpapers were created exclusively for the Pixel by artist Ashton Attzs. Check out Google’s blog post for a look at them.
Yesterday, Apple took to the virtual stage for its big WWDC event, it’s a lot like what Google I/O is for Android. Among the new features, it teased was a way to have FaceTime calls on Android or Windows. Previously, FaceTime calls were only available for users on Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a FaceTime app for Android, but rather a way for users to join FaceTime calls via a link, similar to how Zoom calls work. It’s clear Apple is feeling left out as many people turned to Zoom and other cross-platform alternatives during the pandemic, and a year after the pandemic was raging they’ve finally caught up.
Regardless of the reasons, it will be nice to take FaceTime calls on our Android and Windows devices in the future. I say in the future, because no date has been released for when the feature will roll out. Presumably, it will launch sometime later this year when iOS 15 comes out, but it could show up earlier.
Along with its new cross-platform capabilities, Apple also announced some exciting new features for FaceTime. Most notably is the SharePlay feature that allows you to share music or streaming video from services such as Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Twitch, and more.
During the pandemic ways to watch videos remotely together gained popularity with many services adding a way to host watch parties. SharePlay takes it a step further by allowing you to be on a video call with people as you watch together.
Both of these features are highly anticipated, especially the cross-platform FaceTime calls. Finally, us Android users will be able to have calls with all of our family and friends on iOS and Mac devices without having to walk them through grabbing a third-party app.
