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Asus debuts Ultimate Edition of ROG Phone II gaming phone

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Asus this week introduced the ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition at the annual IFA in Berlin. Building on its previously launched Phone II, it boasts a full terabyte (1TB) of storage, an exclusive Matte Black, and support for Cat. 20 LTE.

Asus in late July announced its second generation gaming phone, the ROG Phone II. The “Republic of Gamers” device ramps things up, offering up a bigger screen, bigger battery, and other improvements as compared to its predecessor.

Don’t mistake this for a top of the line flagship phone; it’s even better than that. Designed with gaming in mind it’s everything you can get in a phone in terms of hardware, plus so much more.This one is an all-out monster that bests anything that crosses its path.

Powered by a stock version of Android, the ROG Phone II has a gigantic 6.6-inch full-HD AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 6 protective coating. With a 1ms response time and 240Hh touch sampling, it’s perfectly tuned for gamers.

Inside we find a Qualcomm Snapdragon Plus processor, the first device to house the souped-up CPU. It’s bolstered by some 12GB LPDDR4x RAM with storage speed and capacities up to 512GB with UFS 3.0 protocol.

As for the photo experience, the handset packs 48-megapixel and 13-megapixel wide cameras, the same found in the Asus ZenFone 6. Around front is a 24-megapixel shooter.

Other kick-ass specifications in the ROG Phone II include 802.11ad gigabit Wi-Fi at 60 GHz, NFC, in-display fingerprint reader, front-facing stereo speakers, and extra 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C ports The battery is generous at 6,000mAh and the Quick Charge 4 and USB-PD mean ultra-fast charging tech.

Like its predecessor, it has an elaborate cooling systems to keep things optimal. We don’t want that high-end processor throttled because of heat, right? Gamers will appreciate the shoulder buttons and their improved latency, haptics, and ergonomics.

Optional accessories include game pad controls which can be attached to the sides of the phone or paired wirelessly, and a second-display accessory.

The ROG Phone II will go on sale in western markets starting on September 4. The ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition will be available in the fourth quarter.

Pricing is reported to shake out to €899 (about $990 USD) and €1,199 (about $1,320 USD) for the standard and Ultimate edition, respectively.

Blu offers up Vivo X5, Vivo XL5 for mid-range users

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Blu isn’t wasting time after announcing its last phone, the G9 Pro. Just days later we see the unlocked phone maker introducing the Vivo X5 and Vivo XL5, a pair of mid-range devices with entry-level price tags.

The Vivo X5 and Vivo XL5 share a number of features but have just enough to justify two different experiences. Priced $100 and $130, respectively, the handsets work with AT&T, T-Mobile, and their various MVNOs.

The pair of phones run a largely untouched version of Android 9 Pie, with but a few pre-loaded apps. Each has an octa-core 1.6GHz processor with 3GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. A microSD expansion card slot allows for up to 64GB of additional space.

Other common specifications include Bluetooth 4.1, rear fingerprint scanners, and leather back covers that appear to be stitched along the edges.

Blu Vivo X5

The Blu Vivo X5 features a 5.7-inch display at 720 x 1,440 pixel resolution with a removable 2,800mAh battery under the hood.

  • Android 9 Pie
  • 5.7” HD+ 18:9 Widescreen Display
  • Leather Back Design
  • Dual Main 13MP + Depth Sensor with LED Flash & a 13MP Selfie camera
  • Octa-Core 1.6GHz Processor with ARM Cortex-A55 Chipset
  • 64GB+3GB
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • High-speed 4G LTE Networks on AT&T & T-Mobile

In terms of cameras, the Blu X5 has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing 8-megapixel selfie cam.

Blu Vivo XL5

The larger sibling, the Blu Vivo XL5, has a 6.3-inch display with a small cutout at the top for a front-facing camera. The resolution is upped just a bit a 720 x 1,520 pixels. The battery here is 4,000mAH and is non-removable.

  • Android 9 Pie
  • 6.3” HD+ Infinity Display
  • Leather Back Design
  • Dual Main 13MP + Depth Sensor with LED Flash & a 13MP Selfie camera
  • Octa-Core 1.6GHz Processor with ARM Cortex-A55 Chipset
  • 64GB+3GB
  • Super 4,000mAh Battery with Quick Charge
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • High-speed 4G LTE Networks on AT&T & T-Mobile

As for its cameras, the Vivo XL5 has a pair of 13-megapixel shooters, one of which is for depth sensing, and an LED flash. Around front is a 13-megapixel selfie camera with Blu Final Touch software for editing.

Availability

Both the Vivo X5 and Vivo XL5 are available through Amazon immediately for $100 and $130, respectively. The dual-SIM handsets work with GSM carriers like T-Mobile, Metro, AT&T, Cricket, Straight Talk, and more.

Introductory Offer

Blu, as is often does with its product launches, has a limited-time discount available for both models. If you act fast, you’ll save $20 on the Vivo X5 and Vivo XL5, putting them at just $80 and $110, respectively.

Review

We have received the Vivo X5 and Vivo XL5 in house and expect to have reviews published in the near future. While we did spend a few days with them, our editors didn’t feel comfortable calling the coverage a “review” this soon.

Samsung intros Galaxy A90 5G for Korea

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Samsung, not content to ride out the year with the Galaxy Note 10, this week introduced its Galaxy A90 5G. Offered, at start, in Korea, it’s part of the series of phones which offer a more affordable approach to handsets.

The Galaxy A90 5G offers consumers most of the cooler features that come in the Galaxy S line, but without some of the extras. Take away things like the waterproof protection, wireless charging, and build materials and you arrive at the Galaxy A family.

The A90 5G has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor with 6 or 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage. The massive 6.7-inch 1080p OLED display has a small “Infinity-U” cutout for the front-facing camera. Like flagship phones, this one has an in-display fingerprint scanner.

As far as cameras go, the A90 5G has a triple-camera setup on the rear centered around a 48-megapixel shooter. The other two are an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 5-megapixel sensor used for depth details.

Around front is a 32-megapixel selfie camera; inside is a 4,5000mAh battery with charging up to 25W.

Interestingly, the A90 5G also has Samsung Knox, DeX support, and 5G connectivity. When you factor these things together with the other hardware, it becomes harder to tell this one apart from the pricier Galaxy S series. In fact, the total package rivals most phones offered in 2019.

The Galaxy A90 5G will be available in two classic color options (black and white) beginning September 4 in Korea, expanding to additional markets later.

It’s not clear which countries will see the Galaxy A90 5G or if the US will ever see it. If recent history is an indicator, we could get the handset with select carriers.

Android 10 now available for Pixel phones

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After spending the last several months in various beta releases, Google has released the final version of Android 10 to its Pixel users. The latest release of Android is available beginning today, September 3, and looks to be coming to other devices in 2019.

Key features in the Android 10 build include Focus Mode, Live Caption, and Project Mainline. It’s worth pointing out that Focus Mode is only offered as a beta at this time and that Live Caption will launch later this year and should be a Pixel-only feature for a limited time.

Focus Mode helps users unplug for studying, down time, family time, or whenever they’d like to be free from common phone distractions. It eliminates notifications from apps and games for determined times, giving users time to focus on whatever it is that’s important.

Android Q to officially be known as Android 10

If you’d like to learn more about Focus Mode, or install it on your Android phone, we’ve got a primer with instructions.

Live Caption is a way to have your phone display real-time captions for any audio or video presented on your handset. As cool as it sounds, and looks, we won’t see it until later this year where, presumably with the launch of the Pixel 4.

Project Mainline, for its part, helps Google address critical security issues by directly patching through the Play Store, is perhaps the most important. With that said, it won’t be offered to devices which update from Android 9 Pie to Android 10; only those models which launch with Android 10 will include the service.

How to get Focus Mode on your Android phone now

Other notable details in Android 10 include simpler notification and security controls, better management for families, and a Dark Theme.

Android users may have recently noticed that select Google titles have been given options for dark colors. According to Google, all of its first-party apps will support the Dark Theme but not all of them are available as of today.

One of the most obvious changes to Android comes in the gesture navigation. With Android 10, users can swipe to go backwards, pull up the home screen, and move between tasks.

To learn more about what’s new and interesting in Android 10, head to the official Google blog.

Android 10 could arrive September 3, report suggests

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After months in beta, Android Q has officially become Android 10. What’s next for the platform? Why, that would be having the software find its way to devices.

Although the Pixel 4 (and Pixel 4XL) is set to be the first new device to launch with Android 10, the mobile software will make its way to other phones first. At least that’s what we’re led to believe.

UPDATE: Two Canadian mobile carriers, Telus, and Rogers, have posted information on their support forums saying Android 10 will hit the Pixel phones on September 3rd. This dovetails with the following details previously posted.

READ: Google confirms Pixel 4 months ahead of expected debut

According to a PhoneArena report, Android 10 will hit the Pixel 3a starting from September 3, 2019. It’s assumed that the other Pixel models will also get their taste of the newest build from Google. Reportedly, the site’s source was able to confirm the date through another conversation.

One would logically expect that Google offers an update to Android 10 for the previous generation of Pixel phones. This would be eight devices if Google goes all the way back to the original Pixel (2016).

  • Pixel, Pixel XL
  • Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL
  • Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL
  • Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL

Pulling the focus back a bit, there are a number of other phone makers will devices official enrolled in the beta program. It’s almost certain that these, too, will get Android 10 in short order.

Google has done an increasingly better job of providing an early look at its operating system. Thanks to Project Treble, this year saw the following phones getting near real-time tastes of Android Q beta updates it became available.

  • ASUS ZenFone 5Z
  • Essential Phone PH-1
  • Huawei Mate 20 Pro
  • LG G8 ThinQ
  • Nokia 8.1
  • OnePlus 7 Pro
  • OnePlus 7
  • OnePlus 6T
  • OnePlus 6
  • OPPO Reno
  • Realme 3 Pro
  • Sony XPERIA XZ3
  • Techno Spark 3 Pro
  • Vivo X27
  • Vivo Nex S
  • Vivo Nex A
  • Xiaomi Mi 9
  • Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

 

Fitbit launches “game changer” Versa 2 smartwatch

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It’s an interesting time to purchase a wearable as multiple vendors are in the process of rolling out new products. Samsung has its Galaxy Watch Active2, Fossil has the Gen 5, and Apple’s expected to launch its latest watch.

Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit has thrown its name back in the mix, this week offering up its refreshed Versa wearable. The Versa 2, as it’s known, is a $200 unit that features Amazon Alexa connectivity and boasts a better display and enhanced battery. It also has a faster processor, too.

Users can trigger Amazon Alexa by pressing and holding the single side button, however you won’t hear any audible response; the Fitbit Versa 2 watch doesn’t have a speaker.

The Versa 2’s AMOLED display comes with an optional always-on screen, which means it will stay on to show time, date, and battery life.

In terms of cool features, the Versa 2 lets wearers control Spotify, letting them manage music and podcasts from their wrist. Additionally, it allows for Fitbit Pay to make wallet-free payments by tapping the watch to terminals.

Fitbit has long offered basic sleep tracking, but it’s expanding that tech with the Versa 2. A new feature called Sleep Score rates the quality of your sleep based on heart rate, length, and time spent in light, deep, and REM sleep.

According to Fitbit, the battery life is up to five days for the Versa 2. This will change, of course, based on how much users play with music, notifications, and whether they opt for the always-on screen.

Fitbit Premium

Fitbit is also launching a new paid service called Fitbit Premium. Priced $9.99 per month, it provides a host of personal insight, advanced sleep features, dynamic workouts, and coaching. On the horizon are games and challenges.

Availability

The Fitbit Versa 2 is available for pre-order now on fitbit.com and will also be offered at select online retailers on September 15. Available in a range of colors, it’s $200 for all standard models.

A Special Edition of the Versa 2 features a woven nylon band and will run $230. For the money you’ll get an extended 90-day Premium trial and an extra classic band.

Motorola offering up to $250 off phones

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Motorola has dropped the prices of select phones as part of a back-to-school promotion. Effective immediately, you can save anywhere from $20 to $250 on some of its handsets.

The discounted prices were originally slated to end this month, but it appears Motorola has extended it until September 8.

Motorola Discount:

The selection is a nice mix of phones, each of which speaks to a different demographic. If you’re in the market for an unlocked device that works with your current carrier, you’d be wise to consider starting with the Motorola discounts listed above.

Whereas most unlocked phones only work with the GSM carriers here in the US, Motorola’s selection offers a few that are compatible with Verizon and Sprint, too.

SEE: Motorola intros Moto G7 family of phones

Meet DiversyFund, the platform that lets anyone invest in real estate

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Investing is an interesting topic. It’s something that you often hear as being smart, but people also understand it to be quite difficult or confusing. Do you go with stocks, bonds, artwork, cryptocurrency, or real estate? It’s assumed that investing is reserved for the super-rich and the Wall Street crowd, right? Not anymore.

DiversyFund

DiversyFund is a relatively new platform that takes the headaches and confusion out of investing in real estate. Aimed at the common man, it’s ideal for those who would like to diversify their portfolio, providing opportunities to invest in commercial real estate. The best part? You don’t have to shell out huge amounts of money.

The DiversyFund concept is that anyone can build wealth without being part of the elite. Instead of needing hundreds of thousands of dollars to work with, you can get started for hundreds.

As an investment partner, DiversyFund helps one to purchase shares in a portfolio of commercial real estate, multifamily properties, and other similar opportunities. Your money is collected with that of others and all of you become co-owners of the assets.

“During my 20 years of experience managing more than $500 million in assets, I continuously saw the wealthy getting in on deals that weren’t accessible to the average person. I was determined to include the everyday person and make investing simple.” – Craig Cecilio, co-founder and CEO of DiversyFund

Unlike other platforms, DiversyFund is vertically integrated, meaning they own and manage the properties, and have no middle man fees or brokers. It charges zero platform fees and all the work is done for you through its team of experts.

Given that the concept gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to invest in the same real estate properties, it sounds like crowdfunded real estate. It’s not. Try as they might to yield returns on each of its assets, DiversyFund cannot promise returns or provide financial advice. Rest assured, though, that they are as invested in growth as you are.

It only takes $500

How much does it take to get started, you ask? As of June 2019, the SEC has lowered the minimum amount required to just $500. Contrast that with what you’d historically see with million dollar net worth or exorbitant annual income and you see the appeal.

DiversyFund holds itself to the strictest of transparency standards and the SEC categorizes them under Regulation A, which means strict reporting requirements, audits, and other watchdog protection.

Get started!

Ready to start investing? From August to September, DiversyFund is offering $20 Amazon cards to the first 100 investors who use the code ‘DIVERSY20‘ at startup. Head to its website to learn more about how it works.

If you’re good to go, use the code DIVERSY20 when signing up, and start growing your wealth today.

EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted deal which means AndroidGuys may receive a small amount of revenue for clicks or purchases made through the content provided.

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Fossil Gen 5 review

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Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear, is an interesting platform to say the least. In theory it’s the best and smartest stuff you could put on your wrist. In practice, it’s a gamble.

While the software has advanced over the generations, the hardware seemingly hit a plateau a year or two back. And, whereas the first few years of smart watches was largely maintained by phone makers, today’s models often come from traditional watch makers.

SEE: Fossil Gen 5 watches launch with 1GB RAM, smart battery modes

Fossil is one brand that’s been in the watch game for decades and who has spent more than a couple of years dabbling in Wear OS. Its latest effort, the Gen 5, pushes the hardware forward a bit, offering up better performance and battery life.

What is the Fossil Gen 5?

The Gen 5 runs just under $300 and comes in two key flavors: Carlyle HR and Julianna HR. The main difference here is that the former is sold in unassuming black and silver cases while the latter is offered in a rose gold face and has a more ornate aesthetic.

All versions of the Fossil Gen 5 come with the same 44mm body with replaceable 22mm bands. Not only does Fossil provide a ton of options in bands, but it’s easy to find them through Amazon and other outlets. The straps included with the watch have a quick-release mechanism so replacing them takes but a moment.

Whereas most of today’s Wear OS watches have 4GB on-board storage and 512MB memory, the Gen packs 8GB storage and 1GB RAM. Moreover, it is also one of the few wearables to include the Snapdragon 3100 processor.

Also tucked inside the watch is a speaker so wearers can take calls and hear alarms and Google Assistant responses. Moreover, an update scheduled for this fall will make it the first Wear OS device to allow for answering calls when paired to an iPhone.

In theory all of this means better performance, more room for music, and more efficient battery life. What about practice?

Performance and Experience

There’s nothing that Wear OS can do that isn’t represented in the Fossil Gen 5. This means animations, Google Assistant, speaker, and Tiles functionality. This alone puts this watch ahead of much of its competition.

Setup is incredibly easy and gets you through the initial process much quicker than in the past. From pairing to the phone and setting preferences to choosing a watch face, it’s seamless.

Speaking of watch faces, Fossil has thrown in dozens of designs, many of which have alternate colors and configurations. There’s plenty to get you started whether it be digital analog, minimal, or busy. The same goes for complications, or the widgets that display on the watch face.

SEE: Fossil Q Control review

Should you not find something you like in the Fossil app, you can always head to the Google Play Store where there are free and paid watch faces.

While gestures and tiles are convenient for interaction, we did find the hardware buttons to feel more natural. Once we got the feel for how each worked, we regularly used them as opposed to swiping through menus.

Although the bands are very easy to swap out and clean, we did find that the silicone material picks up and collects dirt, skin, and the other junk that comes with sweating in the summer sun. We suggest giving them a good wash in the sink every few days just to keep from getting a little gross and/or stinky.

Battery and charging

One of the main draws to the Fossil Gen 5 is the number of battery modes available. Wearers can choose from four options, each with varying degrees of functionality.

On the one end you can have a full-fledged Wear OS experience with all of the bells and whistles. On the other is a traditional watch experience that’s barely anything but a digital time piece.

Between the Daily and Time Only options are customization features like radios, always-on display, speaker, touch-to-wake, NFC, and more. Suffice it to say, the smarter you want your watch to be, the shorter the battery life.

We’re accustomed to taking our watch off at night to charge it so we’re content to keep everything active. With that said, many longer days (7AM-11PM) found us with around 25% or so at bedtime.

We did toggle a few things off in the custom mode just to see how much it would impact battery and we noticed it extended us anywhere from 10-15% more at the end of a day.

Charging is relatively easy as the cable/pad sticks to the back of the watch via magnetic pull. There’s no real wrong way to orient the Gen 5 because the pins can touch anywhere along the halo rings. This is much more convenient than it sounds as nobody wants to fuss with exact placement as they head off to bed.

Our review unit was an all black Carlyle HR which had soft silicone straps. And, while it much look a little utilitarian, we’re drawn to the idea of a dressier or fancier strap we can swap out for more formal occasions.

Should you buy the Fossil Gen 5?

The Fossil Gen 5, for whatever it’s worth, is the best Wear OS experience we’ve seen at this price point. It blends leading edge watch hardware, excellent battery management, and software that finally feels cohesive.

If Wear OS is the platform you’re attracted to, there’s no question that the Gen 5 is the way to go in mid-2019. It might come at a higher price than others but the extra hardware does make a difference in performance.

Sure, Wear OS is robust, flexible, and really smart, but it’s sometimes too much for the average person. Sometimes you’re paying for things you don’t actually use.

A lot of consumers are content with activity trackers and watch experiences like what Samsung offer in its Watch Active line. They’re far smarter than what you would have gotten just 1-2 years ago and they come in about $100 cheaper, too.

SEE: Google Assistant learns a few new tricks

We’re big fans of Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the ways Google ties its wearables to its other devices. Notification management is excellent and highly customizable and we appreciate the watch faces and apps.

Fossil does a great job of creating an experience that doesn’t feel like a watch with software tacked on for no reason. Credit goes to both Google and Fossil here.

Although Wear OS seems to have stalled for the most part, we don’t mind where it is as we wind down 2019. It keeps moving forward ever so slowly, and we’re glad to see watch makers stepping up the hardware.

Availability

You can learn more about the Fossil Gen 5 at Fossil’s website where it’s available in a number of configurations. Both the Carlyle HR and Julianna HR cost $295 as of today. It’s also at Amazon with the same pricing for both models.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 series debuts, led by killer cameras

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Xiaomi on Thursday announced its newest series of phone, the Redmi Note 8, which is highlighted by its camera. Slated to hit China and India, it’s another high-powered experience with a budget-friendly price tag.

Offered as two models, the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro do not share many specifications and details. Among other things, they have different processors, cameras, colors.

Redmi Note 8 Pro

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is boasts a 6.55-inch display, 6 or 8GB RAM and 64 or 128GB storage. A MediaTek Helio G90T processor runs the show here. Where the real attention goes, though, is the 64-megapixel camera sensor.

Technically, it won’t use the full resolution all times; in low-light situations, four individual pixels will comprise a bigger one, putting the resolution in at 16MP. This lens is complimented by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

Best unlocked phones between $150-$250
Best unlocked phones between $250-$400

Other specifications included in the IP52 splash-proof Redmi Note 8 Pro are a 6.53-inch FHD+ display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and a 4,500mAh battery with 18W Type-C fast charging.

Available in gray, white, and green, the 6GB RAM/64GB version will be priced RMB 1,400 (about $200 USD). The 6GB/128GB model will cost RMB 1,600 (about $225 USD) while the 8GB/128GB variant runs RMB 1,800 (about $250 USD).

Redmi Note 8

Slightly smaller at 6.36-inches, you’ll find 4 and 6GB RAM with storage of 64GB and 128GB. Rather than a MediaTek processor, this one includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 CPU.

The quad-camera setup is different, but still drool-worthy with a 48-megapixel sensor. Around front is a 13-megapixel front-facing selfie shooter.

Rounding things out are a 4,000mAh battery with 18W Type-C fast charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, and IR blaster.

Pre-orders commence September 10 with availability on September 17. Sold in blue, white, and black, the 4GB RAM/64GB storage version starts at RMB 1,000 (about $140 USD). The 6GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB models sell for RMB 1,200 ( about $170 USD) and RMB 1,400 (about $200 USD), respectively.

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