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Consumer Cellular Buyer’s Guide

AndroidGuys
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Most consumers are familiar with the big-name wireless carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Not nearly as many, though, are as well-versed when it comes to the topic of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

Companies such as 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.

Let’s take a look at one in particular: Consumer Cellular — a customer friendly MVNO which caters to the senior citizen demographic.

About

Founded in 1995, this Oregon-based carrier prides itself on customer satisfaction especially within the 50+ demographic offering low-cost flexible plans with additional savings/perks for AARP members.

In the category of non-contract value wireless providers, Consumer Cellular is consistently ranked well by J.D. Power for customer service having earned that distinction six times in a row.

Consumer Cellular leverages AT&T and T-Mobile network technology to cover a purported 99% of its three million US customers.

Rate Plans

Consumer Cellular’s rate plans include unlimited talk and text with variable amounts of data.

Flexible Monthly Plans (Unlimited Talk & Text)

  • $20/mo. – 1GB
  • $25/mo. – 3GB
  • $35/mo. – 7GB
  • $40/mo. – 10GB
  • $45/mo. – 15GB
  • $55/mo. – Unlimited

There are options for customers which offer just talk; $15 includes 250 minutes, $20 includes unlimited talk.

Buyers can also purchase text and data plans with a limit of 250 minutes but it only saves $5 per month.

Multiple Lines

Consumer Cellular offers the ability to have up to three lines on an account. Adding a second or third line brings the cost down few bucks per line each month but the data is shared across the full account.

AARP Discount

Consumer Cellular has a great deal for AARP members, giving them a 5% discount off of monthly fees and usage charges, a 30% discount off select accessories, plus an extended 45-day money back, risk-free guarantee.

What’s more, new subscribers can sign-up for AARP membership during checkout after selecting service and devices.

Handset selection

Consumer Cellular offers a wide array of phones, from the most basic of devices all the way up to current flagships. Interestingly enough, and considering its target demographic, there’s a decent selection at the upper end.

A financing option called EasyPay allows customers the peace of mind in spreading device payments out over time. Rather than charging them hundreds of dollars at time of service, its subscribers can pay $25 per month with the phone bill.

Bring your own device

Do you already have a phone or possibly looking to buy an unlocked device for use on Consumer Cellular? If the equipment in question meets certain criteria (GSM unlocked, previously used on AT&T or T-Mobile), you can get a free SIM card.

Facebook and Instagram now allow you to hide like and view counts

Jason England
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Social media can be a toxic place that has detrimental effects on your mental health. Several studies have been done on the subject and to curb this, social networks are often looking for ways to improve the experience.

One of the ways Instagram and its parent company Facebook have been experimenting with this is by hiding like counts. Over the past couple of years, both companies have done limited testing of the feature and it is now available for the public to use.

If you enjoy the like counts or rely on them as a creator, then don’t worry, Facebook and Instagram have made the feature opt-in. During testing, the companies found that while some users found hiding the like count beneficial, others were not quite as receptive to the change.

We tested hiding like counts to see if it might depressurize people’s experience on Instagram. What we heard from people and experts was that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some, and annoying to others, particularly because people use like counts to get a sense for what’s trending or popular, so we’re giving you the choice.

Not only is hiding likes optional, but there is also some granular control over what posts will have likes hidden. For example, you can enable hiding likes in the settings to hide it on all posts on the site or you can just hide likes on a singular post. This can be enabled when you first make the post or it can be switched on after the post goes live.

To start hiding likes, go to the Settings menu and locate the new Posts section. From here you can toggle on hiding like and view counts.

Hiding likes and view counts are just the latest way Facebook and Instagram have attempted to make its platforms more palatable to use. The social media giants have also enabled ways to filter offensive content in DMs and given users more controls over who can see or comment on your posts. In the future, the companies will continue conducting research and looking for new ways to improve users’ experiences on the sites.

The best Android phones available at Tello

AndroidGuys
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Sprint is one of the largest wireless network providers in the United States, serving more than 54 million subscribers. As you’d expect, it features quite the handset selection, including models with 5G support. But what about its prepaid brand, Tello?

Tello, as is the case with other MVNOs, has its own rate plans, customer service, and phone selection. Here, we’ll dig into the devices offered at Tello.

We’ve gathered up a handful of the best phones you can purchase at Tello today. Although we do select one as the best overall (Editors’ Choice), the list below offers phones that work for a variety of user types.

For what it’s worth, the handset selection at Tello is really limited light. Moreover, it’s fully comprised of refurbished models. We always suggest buying an unlocked phone for use with a carrier.

Google Pixel 4

Maybe one of the more controversial “best” phones we’ve seen in some time, the Pixel 4 is the newest from Google. And while it’s not the most powerful and robust device on the market, it does have its share of cool features.

First, of course, is the really great camera experience; it gets better with each generation. Also worth your attention is the baked-in Google Assistant and Android 10 experience.

The display is really awesome, too, and we’re big fans of the design change. If you can swing it, buy the larger storage option because 64GB is a little light in 2020. Go for the Pixel 4 XL and get a bigger display and higher capacity battery.

Shop Google Pixel 4 at Tello

Samsung Galaxy A51

The Samsung Galaxy A51 gives users all of the great features found in the Galaxy S line and leaves out the unnecessary bleeding-edge stuff. It ticks the right boxes and leaves money in your wallet.

The phone comes with a big 6.5-inche Super AMOLED screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and packs a 48-MP (wide), 12-MP (ultrawide), 5-MP (wide) macro, and 5-MP depth sensor. Inside is a generous 6GB RAM with 128GB storage capacity for videos, music files, images, and documents.

Shop Samsung Galaxy A51 at Tello

Samsung Galaxy S8

It may be a few years old but that doesn’t mean it won’t handle your tasks. There’s plenty in here that can manage your tasks, play your games, and keep track of your social media.

Features include a 5.8-inch display, 12-megapixel camera, and 3,000mAh battery. An octa-core processor is paired with 4GB RAM while storage is listed at 64GB. Need more room for files? Throw in a microSD expansion card slot for external media.

Shop Samsung Galaxy S8 at Tello

Here’s how to really identify calls (and block them too)

AndroidGuys
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2021 has served as a not so friendly reminder that we’re in fact not as invincible as we thought ourselves to be – that we still need to continue coming out with advanced technologies to protect ourselves. And when it comes to communication? Well, the same thing goes. This is where CallApp comes in, a free Android app here to ensure that calls are REALLY identified, and blocked too when needed. 

  • Caller ID
  • Call Blocking
  • Call Recording

The Most Advanced Caller ID: Identify AND Verify Numbers 

With the world’s largest phone number database and even the ability to verify numbers against Caller ID spoofing, CallApp offers the most advanced Caller ID technology yet. This app can identify just about any number out there, and even those that aren’t saved as a contact, ensuring that you can always know who’s calling. 

Protecting Yourself Has Never Been So Easy 

While it’s of course, important to know who’s calling before you answer – what if you could prevent unwanted calls from coming in from the get-go? Well, with CallApp you really can block spam, scam, telemarketers and literally any other number that you don’t want to be hearing from in just a simple click.  Protecting yourself against dangerous calls has never been so easy! 

Disclaimer: This Call Is Being Recorded 

Another impressive feature built-in to the CallApp software is Call Recording – the ability to record all of your calls without thinking twice.  Never miss an important detail of a call again or prove yourself right during a disagreement about what was actually said. 

Your Phone, Your Call 

CallApp allows you to make the call for every call (in more ways than one).  The app offers a wide variety of unique and fun customization features in order to really make your phone your own and decide exactly how every aspect of your communication experience is going to appear.  One of the most notable customization features offered by CallApp are video ringtones, allowing you to set any video of your choice as your ringtone (with even a different one for each contact). 

Time Is Money: Save It

It’s always a good time to save time. That’s why CallApp is here to make sure that your communication experience is as efficient and as productive as can be.  AI features such as personalized missed call reminders as well as the ability to perform any action in just a click are just a few of the many ways CallApp can save you time. 

Insightful Insights 

CallApp’s AI Analytics & Insights feature offers some seriously insightful insights into your communication behavior, showing you exactly how your time is being spent. This data is specially put together for each individual user and can serve as a useful mirror into what you couldn’t see yourself. 

View Who Viewed You 

One of the newest additions to CallApp, the ‘Who Viewed My Profile’ feature allows you to see who viewed your profile and will even notify you instantly about it too! 

Here To Back You Up

If you want to save your files such as your recorded calls, contacts or maybe even the ringtones you’ve made – you can easily backup them up with CallApp without downloading another app.  

The VIP Treatment 

While CallApp is a free app, they also offer a Premium package that offers access to all advanced features as well as an ad-free experience.  If you’re not looking to spend money though, but rather to get more brownie points from your friends, you’ll surely be excited about the Refer & Earn program.  Invite them to download CallApp and earn yourself a Premium subscription free of charge! 

Download CallApp now for free! 

How to use Caps Lock on a Chromebook

Jason England
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0

I’m not a real advocate for the use of all caps, but there are times when it’s appropriate. Say when your football team wins, or a trailer for the latest Marvel show from Disney+ just dropped. Like it or hate it, sometimes you just need to write in all caps.

The problem is, you’ve probably noticed there is no Caps Lock key on the Chromebook keyboard layout. It seems Google is not a fan of Caps Lock either, or perhaps they don’t deem it important enough to dedicate an entire key to it.

Don’t worry though, because there’s still a way to enable CapsLock on a Chromebook and it’s easier than you might think.

1. Locate where the Caps Lock key is usually found. In its place, there will be a key with a magnifying glass on it that functions as a shortcut for searching on a Chromebook.

2. Press down the alt key + search key simultaneously, and this will enable Caps Lock on your Chromebook.

Tip: Without a dedicated key and indicator on the keyboard, it can often be difficult to tell if Caps Lock is currently on or not. If you ever want to know if Caps Lock is currently enabled on your Chromebook, then look at the bottom right corner. There will be an icon in the system tray and a notification informing you that Caps Lock is turned, as well as telling you how to disable it.

3. When you’re done, press the alt key + search key to disable Caps Lock and go back to normal.

Tip: Caps Lock can also be disabled by pressing the Shift key as well.

If you need a little more help, then Google even has a video walkthrough from its Chromebook YouTube channel we’ve embedded below.

That’s it, that’s all there was to it. See, I told you it was easy.

Realme launches the Narzo 30 5G on AliExpress for $169 for early bird pre-orders

Jason England
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0

Today, Realme launched its new Narzo 30 5G smartphone exclusively on Ali Express. Realme says the Narzo series of phones are targeted at Gen-Z users “delivering high-performance technology and the best processors within their segment.”

To that end, the Narzo 30 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, built using the 7nm process and featuring 5G connectivity. It’s also paired with the Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU with a 950MHz clock speed for gaming performance.

When it comes to memory and storage, the Realme Narzo 30 5G has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with a microSD card slot supporting up to 1TB. While the Narzo 30 5G seems a little light on RAM, it has some tricks up its sleeves.

It features what Realme calls Dynamic RAM Expansion Technology, which converts your storage space into virtual RAM to ensure you can keep more apps in memory.

Navigating around the phone and playing games should feel even more snappy thanks to the 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. And when it comes time to snap some selfies, there is a 16MP camera in the top left corner courtesy of the hole punch in the display.

On the back, is a triple camera setup with a 48MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a special Nightscape camera mode for low-light shots. Plus, there are five different Nightscape filters to change the look of your late-night shots. The other two additional cameras are a 2MP B&W Portrait lens and a 2MP 4cm Macro lens.

Keeping it all powered up is a sizable 5000mAh battery squeezed into the lightweight 185g body of the Narzo 30 5G. Lastly, the phone comes out of the box running Android 11, the latest version, with Realme’s UI 2.0 skin on top.

The Realme Narzo 30 5G is available for pre-order between May 26-28 in Racing Silver or Racing Blue for an early bird price of $169 exclusively on AliExpress. Afterward, the price will jump to $219, which is still a pretty good bargain for what you’re getting.

Google’s new Fuchsia OS will debut first on the Nest Hub

Jason England
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0

Owners of the first-gen Nest Hub are about to receive an update to Google’s brand-new operating system dubbed Fuchsia OS. However, they won’t even notice the change because Fuchsia OS will be identical to the previous Linux-based Cast OS the Nest Hub was running.

Why the change then? Who knows? This is Google after all, but perhaps it is a small step in a larger plan to transition more Google products in the future to Fuchsia OS. Google has been working on the new operating system since 2016 which uses a custom-built Zircon microkernel instead of a Linux-based kernel like Android and Chrome OS currently use.

It has long been rumored that Fuchsia OS would be the successor to Android or Chrome OS and Google would make the swap someday. However, that day is not today, and it’s not likely to be anytime soon. Instead, the first we’re seeing of Fuchsia in its functional form in the wild will be on the first-gen Nest Hub smart display.

The technical lead of Fuchsia OS, Petr Hosek, took to Twitter on May 25, 2021, to announce the roll-out saying, “You don’t ship a new operating system every day, but today is that day.”

If you have a first-gen Nest Hub enrolled in the Preview program, then Fuchsia OS should be hitting it soon. Later, it will roll out more widely to all first-gen Nest Hubs, and potentially to more smart displays such as the second-gen Nest Hub. Although, Google has not made any announcements about Fuchsia OS rolling out to any other products at this time.

Tello Buyer’s Guide

AndroidGuys
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Just about anyone you’d ask is familiar with the top-tier wireless service providers in Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. What about lesser known, or newer brands?

Let’s take a look at a relatively younger carrier, Tello. This guide will serve to help you understand what the MVNO offers and how it competes in the mobile arena.

Tell me about Tello

Tello is a newer player in the mobile field and finds itself in the increasingly crowded segment of low-cost, no-frills alternatives. Its service uses Sprint’s network for coverage but it operates with its own plans and features.

What are Tello rate plans like?

Tello rate plans are no-contract, meaning you can go month-to-month with no long-term agreement, cancellation, or activation fees. As many carriers in this space do, Tello throttles speeds once hitting the data allowance as opposed to charging overage fees.

Customers can mix and match rate plans based on personal needs. A lot of users have access to Wi-Fi connections, or don’t make many calls in a month. To that end, it’s possible to dial things up or down to suit tastes; subscribers can change their plan as often as needed.

Ready-made Plans

There are four ready-made plans that do a great job of meeting the demands of most users. They cost as low as $10 per month and include unlimited text and calling.

  • $10/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 1GB of high-speed data
  • $14/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 2GB of high-speed data
  • $19/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 4GB of high-speed data
  • $39/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with Unlimited high-speed data

Are there any other Tello features?

Tello offers a handful of other options to its customers, including mobile hotspot and international calls. You can use any amount of your data plan to tether other devices. Calls to Mexico, Canada, and China are the same as if you called in the United States.

What about international calls and texts?

In addition to the aforementioned countries, Tello subscribers can make calls to other India, Cuba, and a host of other countries. Each has its own rate and can be used in a mix-and-match fashion. All one need do is purchase a Pay As You Go credit ahead of time.

The credit can also be used for SMS or data, depending on which plan you’re signed up with at the time.

Does Tello have a referral program?

Yes, they’re called Tello Dollars and the referral program rewards you for signing up friends and family members. Share your referral link, and once your friend places their first successful order, you get $10 Tello Dollars. Your friend also gets $10 Tello Dollars.

You can refer as many friends as you like and the money can be used for things like rate plans, phones, and PAYG credits.

What kind of phones does Tello offer?

Taking a look at the current lineup of phones offered through Tello we find familiar names like LG, Samsung, and Motorola. All told, there are more than two dozen phones to choose from but it’s a real tossup as to what’s available.

As is the case with prepaid providers or MVNO brands, selection is a mixed bag and leans more toward affordability and not performance.

It’s worth noting that the phones you order from Tello will come in plain generic packaging and may only include the charger and battery. There will be no manual, earbuds, or other accessories.

Sprint is one of the largest wireless network providers in the United States, serving more than 54 million subscribers. As you’d expect, it features quite the handset selection, including models with 5G support. But what about its prepaid brand, Tello?

Tello, as is the case with other MVNOs, has its own rate plans, customer service, and phone selection. Here, we’ll dig into the devices offered at Tello.

We’ve gathered up a handful of the best phones you can purchase at Tello today. Although we do select one as the best overall (Editors’ Choice), the list below offers phones that work for a variety of user types.

For what it’s worth, the handset selection at Tello is really limited light. Moreover, it’s fully comprised of refurbished models. We always suggest buying an unlocked phone for use with a carrier.

Google Pixel 4

Maybe one of the more controversial “best” phones we’ve seen in some time, the Pixel 4 is the newest from Google. And while it’s not the most powerful and robust device on the market, it does have its share of cool features.

First, of course, is the really great camera experience; it gets better with each generation. Also worth your attention is the baked-in Google Assistant and Android 10 experience.

The display is really awesome, too, and we’re big fans of the design change. If you can swing it, buy the larger storage option because 64GB is a little light in 2020. Go for the Pixel 4 XL and get a bigger display and higher capacity battery.

Shop Google Pixel 4 at Tello

Samsung Galaxy A51

The Samsung Galaxy A51 gives users all of the great features found in the Galaxy S line and leaves out the unnecessary bleeding-edge stuff. It ticks the right boxes and leaves money in your wallet.

The phone comes with a big 6.5-inche Super AMOLED screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and packs a 48-MP (wide), 12-MP (ultrawide), 5-MP (wide) macro, and 5-MP depth sensor. Inside is a generous 6GB RAM with 128GB storage capacity for videos, music files, images, and documents.

Shop Samsung Galaxy A51 at Tello

Samsung Galaxy S8

It may be a few years old but that doesn’t mean it won’t handle your tasks. There’s plenty in here that can manage your tasks, play your games, and keep track of your social media.

Features include a 5.8-inch display, 12-megapixel camera, and 3,000mAh battery. An octa-core processor is paired with 4GB RAM while storage is listed at 64GB. Need more room for files? Throw in a microSD expansion card slot for external media.

Shop Samsung Galaxy S8 at Tello

Are there any phone deals with Tello?

Indeed, there are plenty of phones with discounts, some ranging as high as $50 off. About half of the current roster is comprised of refurbished phones, which also means lower prices.

Can I use my own phone with Tello?

Yes, you can use any Sprint-compatible phone just so long as there’s no unpaid balance on another network. You’ll need to ensure it’s unlocked for use outside of Sprint if it was previously used with another carrier.

Tello only accepts unlocked CDMA devices or unlocked multi-network phones that incorporate both CDMA and GSM technologies.

Head to Tello’s website to check whether your specific model is supported.

Google Photos free unlimited storage is going away, here’s what you need to know

Jason England
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0

Google Photos with its unlimited image backups is probably one of the best things to ever come out of Google. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Last November, Google announced that it would no longer allow for unlimited photo backups. Instead, all photos would start counting against your pooled Google storage beginning on June 1, 2021.

Since November was so long ago, Google posted a reminder about the impending cut-off date yesterday on its blog. It also went into more details about the new policy and who is affected. Basically, everyone will be affected eventually, but if you have a Pixel smartphone you have a bit more time on your side.

Long story short, here’s what you need to know about photo backups going forward on Google Photos. First off, Google is renaming the “High quality” tier to “Storage saver.” The compression won’t change and it will still be the same quality as before, it’s just being rebranded.

Next, all of your “High quality” photos and videos before June 1, 2021, will be exempt from your storage quota and continue to be stored in Google Photos for free. This is for everyone, whether you own a Pixel or any other phone.

Now, if you’re a Pixel user, then things start to get a little more complicated based on which Pixel smartphone you own. Owners of the original 2016 Pixel will continue to get free unlimited Original quality photo and video backups until your phone dies.

Pixel 2 owners got unlimited free storage of photos and videos in Original quality up until January 16, 2021, after which unlimited storage will only be available in Storage saver quality.

Pixel 3 users get free unlimited backups of Original quality photos and videos uploaded until January 1, 2022. So you have a little more time than the rest of us, but after that date, you’ll only receive free unlimited backups in Storage saver.

Finally, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4, and Pixel 5 owners will only get free unlimited backups of photos in Storage saver quality going forward.

In the future, Google won’t be providing free unlimited storage in Original quality to its Pixel lineup of phones. It confirmed this with The Verge last year. So, enjoy it while you can Pixel users because you won’t be seeing it again.

Going forward, Google has also introduced some new tools to help with keeping an eye on your storage. For starters, there will be a personalized estimate based on your usage of Google Photos. It will let you know how long it would take you to fill up the rest of your remaining storage and you’ll also receive a notification if you’re getting close to the limit, as well as an email.

There will also be a new tool to help you manage your storage by helping you locate photos and videos you might want to delete, such as blurry photos, screenshots, or large videos.

Anker’s mighty mini Nano II charger just got smaller

Andrew Allen
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0

If you didn’t know, Anker has a fantastic line of charging cables and accessories. One of our favorites happens to be the Nano charger. This little powerhouse packs quick charge with Anker’s PowerIQ tech that is small enough to throw in in bag or travel case.

One of the key features of the Nano series was that it was the first on the market to use GaN in place of lithium battery technology. Gallium Nitride charges faster and has a longer life cycle than older lithium batteries. Anker is moving that to the next generation with GaN II and Nano II chargers.

Anker points out that Nano II chargers will have more efficient chips, take up less space, and better regulate temperature than the previous generation. The size will be the first thing that catches your eye. These units are up to 58% smaller than the first Nano series.

There are three new versions of the Nano II. All are flanked with a single USB-C port with PowerIQ 3.0 and folding wall prongs for power. Each is monikered by its power output: 30W, 45W, and 65W. This should give users a nice range of both price points from $30-40 and power choice to suit all their devices.

The 30W should be perfect for those looking to replace a standard iPhone or Android brick with something with a little more kick. The Nano II 45W should power some Chromebooks and laptops at a pretty decent pace and the 65W can take on even the hungriest Macbook Pros or Windows laptops with a USB-C charging port.

The pricing is $30, $36, and $40 for the respective power outputs. You can preorder them all starting today on Amazon and Anker with staggered release dates. First, up is the 45W Nano II on May 31 followed by the 30W on June 5, and finally, the 65W on June 10.

Preorder the Nano II 30W

Preorder the Nano II 45W

Preorder the Nano II 65W

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