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TicPods Free Wireless Earbuds are the AirPods for Android

Andrew Allen
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Headphone jacks on phones are almost dinosaurs these days. With the exception of Samsung and LG, most phone makers have removed the 3.5mm input. That has brought a renaissance of wireless audio devices to emerge over the last few years. Apple released AirPods back in 2017 and while they do work on Android, many of us have been waiting for the “Googled” version.

A relatively new company, Mobvoi, has heard the call and released the TicPods Free earbuds late last year. While they initially look like a colored knockoff of AirPods (which is a warranted first take), they offer some unique options for those of us looking for sleek Bluetooth earbuds for our Android phones.

Design

As mentioned the hardware design is very similar to Apple’s AirPods. The earbuds have a teardrop style earpiece with a long stem that protrudes outside and down the ear. The packaging includes two different size silicone tips for a snug fit in most ears. One thing that surprised me was that the TicPods are covered in a soft touch coating. It offers a nice tactile feel to just slick plastics used in many electronics.

Also covered in this same material finish is the charging case. One downside of the soft touch covering is that is prone to showing fingerprints and oils. The case will charge the devices when away from the outlet as well. Mobvoi rates the overall battery life of the TicPods earbuds and case combo to last 18 hours, but more on that later.

Interactive Features

One separation point for the TicPods Free earbuds and other devices are the touch controls built into the stems. They are also unique depending on which earbud you use to input touch.

You can adjust the volume for music or phone calls by dragging your finger up in down from either earbud. Both will also skip to the next song with a double tap. This one is confusing as both offering input, but there’s no way to go back a track and only the next song can be initiated.

A long press of 2 seconds offers you play/pause while listening to music on the left bud. The same on the right TicPods will launch Google Assistant on the left and will reject a caller while the phone app is ringing. The left earbud offers no other features during a phone call.

One last interaction is that each bud has in-ear detection. If you remove them for any reason, the playback will stop. Want to resume where you left off? Simply put the earbud back in your ear. It’s a little trick that really comes in handy when around other people to quickly ask, or answer, a question.

Audio

Let’s be honest, if you are reading this review you really just want to know how the audio sounds, right? Well, it’s just OK. The sound is crisps and clear, but I think they could be louder overall. While they have passive noise isolation, I have had times in a busy room where they just weren’t as high volume as I’d like.

Other devices like my Pixel Buds offer a more robust sound in a wired format, but maybe this is too be expected from the new wireless world. It doesn’t deter me from using the TicPods Free, however. I really like the form factor and portability of the earbuds.

Battery Life

Speaking of portability, I’ve found that the 18 total hours of playback with using the case to top off the buds when not in use is pretty close to my results. I get about 3 and half hours of mixed usage between phone calls and music with the buds and can top off at least 3 times with the case before reaching for the power cord. I do with that cord was USB-C too. Micro USB is so 2016.

Conclusion

I really enjoy the TicPods Free wireless earbuds from Mobvoi. The company is quickly building a nice portfolio of Android accessories that’s pretty impressive for the budget minded. The TicPods will set you back $129 dollars and come in 3 different colors: Ice White, Lava Red, and Navy. You can pick them direct from Mobvoi or Amazon right now.

Nokia will offer a $100 discount on the Nokia 9 Pureview through March 3-10

Andrew Allen
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The company behind Nokia’s relaunch, HMD Global, had a great showing at MWC 2019. Now they are following up that hype by launching the new Nokia 9 Pureview at a $100 discount at some of your favorite stores. Starting March 3rd, you can pick up the Pureview for $599 at Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H.

This is a significant price cut behind a phone that has a lot of people taking notice. For those that may have missed it, Nokia 9 Pureview has 5 separate camera lens that takes shots simultaneously. While it looks like a DC Universe villain, Nokia promises incredible results. After the photo is taken, the software stitches them together for a single image. So far, the initial samples looking stunning and may live up to Nokia’s praise.

This budget cutter is only good for exactly one week. It starts Sunday, March 3rd and will end midnight on March 10th. This gives you seven days to make the jump into this great looking device.

Nokia is making inroads in more than just the photo labs. The company has made a major effort to become an official Android One partner with Google. This a big deal for those looking for superb updates without dropping huge money on the Pixel line.

With Android One, Nokia is committed to a longer update cycle than the average manufacturers. This brings version updates for 2 solid years and security patch support for 3 years. Android One is also a very stock build of the OS and should result in snappy performance even on lesser hardware.

So, go ahead and set aside a little extra gadget money and set your sights on the new Nokia 9 Pureview. The sale pages for Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H should all be live in the wee hours of March 3rd. Have your wallet handy and happy hunting.

How to make your Google Home devices sound better

Jason England
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Whether you consider yourself an audiophile or not, everyone wants the best sound from their speakers.

One of my biggest complaints since the launch of the original Google Home was the sound quality. It had tons of bass and that can be great for certain songs or situations. Unfortunately, that overwhelming bass makes music sound muffled and drowns out the high notes in songs.

Read More: How to set your default music service for Google Assistant

The good news is, Google has addressed this issue with an equalizer you can access through the Google Home app. All you have to do is follow the steps below and your Google Home speakers will be sounding better than ever.

Open the Google Home app and locate your Google Home speaker

Select the configuration icon in the top right

Play with the Bass and Treble settings until you find what sounds best to you

Above is an example of my favorite settings for the Google Home speaker. As you can see, I had to crank up the treble and lower the bass to combat the extreme bass on my Google Home speaker. Afterward, the music sounded much more balanced bringing some of the highs back into the mix with the deep thumping bass.

Regardless of the adjustments, the Google Home will never sound as nice and clear as a speaker that was designed and tuned to be more balanced such as the JBL Link series.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Google Home speakers be sure to check out our list of Google Assistant speakers.

You can finally use Google Duo on the web

Andrew Allen
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Google Duo launched WAY back in 2016. It started as just a Facetime alternative on Android, but soon it was apparent that Google had bigger plans. We thought that would become even more immediate when it made the announcement that Hangouts would be retired.

However, things slowed and it really never looked like we’d see Duo move past Android phones. We really wanted to have it on the web as a full-fledged replacement for Hangouts calls, but it just didn’t seem to be on the horizon, but finally, Google has made it happen. Our buds over at Andriod Police spotted that a new web interface is now live for Duo calls from the web!

Setup is pretty much non-existent. If you are logged into your Google account in a web browser, then all you have to do is point it towards duo.google.com and you are good to go. You should instantly see all your contacts synced, and if they have Duo installed, then you are ready to make your first call.

Once you click the contact, you are presented with a popup. From here you get a preview of your live video and the option to perform a voice or video call. Like previously mentioned, it does require the user on the other end have Duo installed, but otherwise, it should be ready for the live chat.

This marks another move for Google to extend its core messaging apps to be platform agnostic across the web and Android. The setup is also much cleaner than the QR code login you will find on Messages for Web. Google has always been a proponent of using web platforms, at least to spark a new project, but it’s nice to see Duo arrive on the free web as long as mobile.

U.S. Cellular offers 50 percent off phones for all

Jason England
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Too many times when you see a promotion it is for new customers only, but with this deal from U.S. Cellular. From now until March 19 any customer current or new will have the opportunity to get a phone 50 percent off. You can even put this discount towards the newly announced Samsung Galaxy 10e.

In order to qualify for the 50 percent off promotion, current customers must be upgrade eligible and on the Unlimited Plus Plan. For new customers, you’ll need to open a line on the Total Plan to be eligible for this promo. Like most promotions, this discount will come in the form of bill credits stretched out over a 30-month contract.

U.S. Cellular is the fifth largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States. They are also the only carrier that offers an Unlimited with Payback plan that pays you for unused data. For every month that you use less than 3GB U.S. Cellular will pay you $10 back per line. This helps you cash in on months when you’re light on data usage and can add up to $40 per month for a family of four.

Huawei’s Mate X is the foldable phone we’ve been waiting for

Jason England
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Let the battle of the foldable phones begin. Samsung struck first with its Galaxy Fold model for MWC 2019 but Huawei’s Mate X makes it look like a prototype. Utilizing a flexible OLED screen and what Huawei has dubbed the Falcon Wing Mechanical Hinge Huawei has given us the best looking foldable phone yet.

The Mate X outclasses the Galaxy Fold’s design in every way by giving you an 8-inch edge to edge display without a notch at a mere 5.4mm in thickness. The Mate X also only needs three cameras instead of the six you’ll find on the Galaxy Fold.

This is due to the clever design of the Mate X which uses a screen that folds outwards instead of inwards and makes use of a handy grip to store the cameras. By using a screen that folds outwards and lines up seamlessly with the grip housing the cameras, it is easy to double the cameras for rear or front facing photos.

When in the closed position you can shoot photos as you normally would using the large 6.6-inch screen as a viewfinder. If you want to take selfies, simply flip it around and you have a large 6.38-inch preview. What makes this even more useful, is the fact that you can have both screens on at the same time giving your model a mirror view while you take their photo.

Specs:

  • Display: 6.6-inch 2480 x 1148 front panel; 6.38-inch 2480 x 892 back panel; 8-inch 2480 x 2200 unfolded
  • CPU: Kirin 980
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 512GB + Nano Memory card support up to 256GB
  • Rear/Front Camera: 40MP Wide + 16MP Ultra-Wide + 8MP Telephoto
  • Battery: 4500mAh
  • OS: Android 9 with EMUI 9.1.1

Just like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Huawei Mate X is packed with high-end specs including the Kirin 980 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 4500mAh battery. The Mate X even features Huawei’s Balong 5000 5G modem making it capable of superfast 5G speeds.

This phone exudes speed from its 7nm processor, to the 5G modem, to even its 55W SuperCharge battery charging. Something that will be most welcomed with such a large battery to charge.

While the specs are top notch the real genius here is the design of the Mate X. Huawei’s wraparound approach with a built-in grip is practical for a couple of reasons. It makes the most efficient use of the cameras and gives you a handle to use when in tablet mode. When folded over the screen uses two magnets to hold itself closed and to release there is a button on the grip which allows you to unfold the screen.

Despite the clever and eye-pleasing design, it is possible that could be the worst part of the Mate X. The use of an outwards folding design might not be as durable as an inwards folding model, such as the Galaxy Fold. Another issue could be the oversized nature of it even when folded it could be a challenge to fit in your pocket. It is still early days for this new breed of cellphone and there are sure to be a lot of lessons learned as they evolve.

The Mate X is expected to launch sometime mid-2019 in Interstellar Blue with a hefty 2,300 EUR ($2,600 USD) price tag. Huawei has yet to give any details on carrier or partnership deals.

The Nubia Alpha is a smartphone for your wrist

Jason England
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What’s that on your wrist? Is it a watch? Is it a phone? If it’s the Nubia Alpha, then technically it is both. Over the years smartwatches have become more independent with cellular connections but aren’t exactly standalone devices.

The Nubia looks to bridge the gap with their recently announced Nubia Alpha. Technically this isn’t the first time the Nubia Alpha has been shown off, but it now officially has a price and is expected for release later this year.

While most phone makers are taking advantage of flexible displays to create phones that unfold into tablets, Nubia has gone in another direction. The Nubia Alpha uses a 4-inch 960 x 192 OLED flexible screen to wrap around your wrist.

The display is protected by heat-resistant polymer called Polyimide and Nubia says it is the “largest wearable flexible screen in the industry”. It is certainly the largest I’ve seen and like most other smartwatches it is water-resistant.

The Nubia Alpha is powered by a Snapdragon 2100, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 500mAh battery. This hybrid watch/phone has been in the works for a while and that might explain why it is using the older Snapdragon 2100 to power it. Last year this outdated smartwatch processor was replaced by the Snapdragon 3100.

Nubia claims the battery life will be good for up to 1-2 days of usage on a single charge. When it comes to connectivity, the Alpha is tricked out with Bluetooth, WiFi, and 4G support using an eSIM. With all those connection options you’ll have no issues operating independently from your phone.

Besides the display, so far the Nubia Alpha sounds a lot like a typical smartwatch. It has another key area that helps separate it from smartphones and that’s the 5MP camera. Perhaps meaning someday you might be able to have video calls on your wrist or you could just take awkward photos.

The Alpha is using a custom made OS that will limit its access to apps and its functionality overall. However, it has all the functions of a typical smartwatch or fitness tracker. It can track your exercise, sleep, check your heart rate, and more. The Alpha even has motion gestures built in and the ability to watch videos on your wrist. Naturally, it will also be able to send and receive messages or make phone calls as well.

If you’re looking forward to getting one of these on your wrist then it’s going to cost you. The Nubia Alpha starts at €449 ($510 USD) for the Black Bluetooth only model. While the 4G eSIM Black model will set you back €549 ($623 USD). If you want the gold plated version it will run you even more starting at €649 ($737 USD). Expect to start seeing these roll out in North America and Europe later this year in the third quarter.

HTC unleashes a 5G hub to give you blazing speeds at home or on the go

Jason England
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The HTC 5G Hub is part 5G hotspot, part Android smart hub, and part confusing. At a glance, you have what appears to be a 5-inch HD smart display running Android 9 Pie. However, inside tells a different story because it is packing the Snapdragon 855 with the X50 5G modem for some serious bandwidth.

It also comes with the Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset based on the 802.11ad specifications and is Wi-Fi 6 ready. What all of this means is the HTC 5G Hub is ready to take that high-speed 5G signal and pump it out to all of your connected devices. In fact, it can support up to 20 devices providing a high-speed secure connection.

With all of that speed and the ability to share the connection over so many devices, the HTC 5G Hub could easily replace a home router. It even comes with a large 7660mAh battery making it ideal for sharing the connection when on the go.

Compared to most hotspots where the screen is mostly useless outside of changing settings. The HTC 5G Hub has an advantage by running Android 9 Pie. This allows it to playback videos directly on the screen or even output them via the USB-C port to a larger display. Thanks to the high speeds of a 5G connection you’ll easily be able to stream 4K videos.

Just because it has a screen doesn’t mean you’ll have to use it. The HTC 5G Hub would work fine as a standalone hotspot, allowing you to playback 4K videos on other devices utilizing its speed and low latency connection to play games online.

In the end, the HTC 5G Hub will come in handy to take advantage of 5G speeds in areas where it is available to share with your devices that don’t yet support it. HTC will be launching the HTC 5G Hub on Sprint in the US in Q2 of this year but pricing as not yet been announced.

Seeing how this will be early adopter technology the pricing will not be cheap. However, the availability of the 5G network itself is likely to be the larger issue. 5G connectivity is rather limited at the moment only being supported by 9 cities by Sprint including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, and New York City.

HTC is also launching the Hub in these additional countries Telstra in Australia, and European carriers Three UK, Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Sunrise (Switzerland), and Elisa (Finland).

Samsung Galaxy A50, A30 arrive for mid-tier needs

AndroidGuys
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It might be the week of Mobile World Congress and the season of big, flagship phones, but that’s only part of the story. Indeed, there’s plenty on the horizon for mid-tier consumer needs, including a pair of new Samsung phones, the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A30.

Although they share physical similarities each features slightly different internal hardware. On the surface they’ll look the same but will just enough unique to merit standalone models.

As to what’s identical, the two have 6.4-inch displays with 1,080 x 2,340 pixel resolution with “3D Glasstic” design. Moreover, they’re the exact same dimensions right down to the millimeter.

SEE ALSO

While both have a Super AMOLED Infinity-U display, the A50 has an on-screen fingerprint reader. The A30 slides the reader around back.

Both phones include 4,000mAh batteries and include Fast Charging, Samsung Pay, and a number of Bixby-based features. Samsung doesn’t disclose which version of Android powers the two but we assume it’s 9 Pie.

Galaxy A50

The Samsung Galaxy A50 is the more powerful of the duo with a octa-core (Quad 2.3GHz and Quad 1.7GHz) processor bolstered by 4GB RAM. Storage is listed at 64GB with a microSD expansion card slot for up to 512GB of media. A 6GB/128GB variation is also expected.

The rear of the Galaxy A50 houses three cameras, a 25-megapixel, 5-megapixel, and 8-megapixel shooter. Around front is a 25-megapixel sensor.

Samsung Galaxy A50 cameras:

  • Capture the world without constraint with the Ultra Wide lens. Paired with the ‘intelligent switch’ function, your camera can now identify and recommend when to use the Wide Shot mode.
  • The 25MP main camera shoots vivid images in bright daylight. While in darkness, the innovative lens enables clear shots by detecting more light and reducing noise. Combined with the Depth lens, the camera offers a Live Focus experience, enabling you to choose exactly where to accentuate.
  • AI Camera helps you capture the best scene, with a Scene Optimizer feature to recognize and optimize 20 scenes, and Flaw Detection to make sure you never miss a perfect portrait shot. Bixby Vision uses the camera and AI to help you shop online, translate text and find the information you need.

Galaxy A30

The Samsung Galaxy A30 dials things down a bit with its dual 1.8GHz and Hexa 1.6GHz processor. Memory and storage options are 3GB RAM/32GB and 4GB/64GB with the same microSD expansion card slot.

As for cameras, this one has a 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual setup on the back. The front packs a 16-megapixel camera for selfies and video chat.

Availability

The Galaxy A50 will be offered in Black, White, Blue and Coral “inspired by scattered light”. The Galaxy A30 looks to be sold in Black, White, and Blue. Pricing and timing has not been disclosed.

ZTE offers up Blade V10 for select markets

AndroidGuys
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ZTE this week announced its first 5G smartphone, the Axon 10 Pro 5G will arrive later this year. Before then, however, its Blade V10 will go on sale in select markets.

The ZTE Blade V10 isn’t a flagship model, but it will certainly feature some interesting details. Key among them is a 32-megapixel front-facing camera with AI technology.

The Blade V10 runs Android 9 Pie with ZTE’s custom MiFavor 9.0 user interface and comes in two memory and storage options. The 32GB model has 3GB RAM while the 64GB version houses 4GB RAM. It’s not clear what processor powers the Blade V10 but ZTE indicates it’s an octa-core 2.1GHz CPU.

SEE ALSO

With a large 6.3-inch (2,280 x 1,080 FHD) display, the handset has a 90.3 percent screen-to-body ratio and water drop cutout. The thin bezels and framing should make the Blade V10 easy to mange with one hand.

The real standout feature, of course, is the 32-megapixel front camera with AI smarts. The tech can adjust and perfect selfies regardless of environmental lighting. Similar to its predecessor, the Blade V9, it can produce clearer and softer images for low-light settings.

The ZTE Blade V10 can identify 300+ scenes in preview mode and will automatically adapt camera technology to grab the best shots possible. Around back we locate a 16-megapixel AI dual-camera with a secondary 5-megapixel shooter.

The Blade V10 will go on sale in Europe, Latin America and China starting in March. There’s no word on whether the US will get is own release. Pricing has not been announced, however a representative tells CNET it will cost about $300 USD. Look for it in black, blue, and green colors.

A variant, the Blade V10 Vita is also on the horizon, but ZTE has not disclosed the specifications. Reportedly it will run about $200, but we don’t know what differences are from the standard model. We might safely assume a slower CPU and lower resolution display.

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