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Audeara A-01 headphones review, how a headphones with a hearing test affects your music

Jason England
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The Audeara A-01 headphones are an ambitious project from two Australian doctors with a goal to provide better-personalized audio for every ear. They tackled this problem by using their medical background to create a pair of headphones and an app that tests your hearing.

After testing, it then uses this information to customize the sound specifically to your ears. In theory, this sounds amazing and after raising $100,000 within the first hour of launching on Kickstarter there are big expectations.

Design and Comfort

The Audeara A-01 headphones are solid as a tank. They are built using aluminum, hard plastic, and faux leather ear cups. The headband also features a touch of the faux leather with Audeara embossed on the top and a soft cushion underneath.

You’ll find the music controls, power switch, and headphone jack on the right ear cup. I’m a big fan of headphones that offer a wired back up and I’m glad to see they included this option. While the left ear cup includes the micro USB charging port and the switch that controls noise cancellation.

Unfortunately, like many headphones, the Audeara A-01 use micro USB to charge instead of USB-C. It’s difficult to hold this against them as the vast majority still use micro USB, but I still dream of a world that leaves micro USB in the past and embraces USB-C for everything.

While there is nothing particularly special about the design of the Audeara A-01 headphones they are durable, comfortable, and feel well made. Between the oversized rotating ear cups and the padded headband, you should have no problem wearing the A-01 headphones for hours. However, your ears can become warm after a while, but this is typical of closed back headphones.

When not in use the Audeara A-01 can be kept safe in the include hard case which also includes accessories such as a 3.5mm cable, airline adapter, 6.5mm headphone adapter, accessories bag, and micro USB cable.

The App

The Audeara experience would not be complete without the app, it is an integral part to the experience. The Audeara app is required to test your hearing and apply the Audeara effect. The app itself is designed beautifully and works great.

You’ll be required to set up an account before using it though, which also requires you to verify with your email address. This was a minor annoyance but Audeara says they have plans to enable sharing of profiles and settings in the future.

The hearing test itself is straightforward with easy to follow directions. After you set up your profile you are able to choose from three different accuracy levels. It is important to do the test in a quiet area and not to cheat because you’ll only be cheating yourself. The Audeara app also tests both ears separately because each ear hears differently.

Once you finish the test you are presented with your very own audiogram displaying a line graph for each ear. I found this fascinating looking at how my ears differed in frequency response. No matter what age you are bound to have some hearing loss to some degree. Which is exactly why these headphones were created with this app.

After inspecting the graph you can jump to enabling the effect and once enabled it will stay enabled on the headphones. Whether you choose to use them wired or wireless as long as they are turned on the effect will be applied.

The Audeara app allows you to create multiple profiles and do multiple tests all saved under your profile. So, fear not if you make a mistake or want to test again later on or in another location.

Sound Quality

Now, here’s what you’ve all been waiting for. After all of that testing, what do they sound like? Audeara provides you with the ability to apply the effect at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent. It suggests starting with 50 percent and working your way up from there because 100 percent can be overwhelming at first.

Audeara wasn’t joking, there is a huge difference in sound quality after applying the effect. Like suggested, I started out at 50% and could hear an instant change in the music. Out of curiosity I jumped to 100% and found music unsettling to listen to. I soon switched back to 50% and then began to sample each level with different songs.

While I wish I could say it made the music sound amazing or better than any other headphones I’ve ever heard. That simply was not true, I had high hopes to see what could be done with a medically based test to personalize headphones to my ears. Yet, it did not enhance the music listening experience the way I wish it had.

What I found as I increased the effect was it made the highs stronger on each level while decreasing the bass. Apparently, according to the hearing test, I’m good at hearing the low end and not as good at hearing the high end of the spectrum. It seemed as if it was trying to compensate by turning up the treble and turning down the bass in order to level out the music.

This was an effect I did not care for. I found it most pleasing to listen to at 25 percent and thankfully they provide that option. At 25 percent the highs were boosted slightly while still leaving some bass in the music. However, it still lacked the deep bass, clean highs, and open soundstage that I’ve come to enjoy from other headphones. I ran the test at all three levels and each time I was presented with similar results.

According to Audeara it can take some time for your ears to adjust and for your brain to relearn how to hear. After using them for several weeks exclusively and going back to my favorite headphones that wasn’t true for me. I’ve been listening to music my entire life and I don’t think my brain needs to learn how to hear differently when something sounds good, it just knows.

Noise Canceling

The addition of noise canceling technology is welcomed in any pair of headphones. It is a stand out feature and a great perk for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, this was another area the Audeara A-01 didn’t quite live up to.

Without a doubt, the A-01 headphones minimized noise but not as much as several other pairs of noise canceling headphones I’ve tried in the past. If this is an important feature in your headphones then there are more affordable headphones on the market that do it better.

Battery Life

Battery life has been stellar on the Audeara A-01 headphones. I have been using them both wired and wireless with the Audeara effect turned on and ANC turned off. They are rated for 45 hours with Bluetooth with the Audeara effect and I’ve yet to kill them. Thankfully, even if you were to run the battery down the wired option guarantees that you’ll never have to be without your music.

Final Thoughts

The Audeara A-01 headphones sounded so promising. They were taking a medically based approach to improve the way we enjoy our music. I was so excited of the prospect of hearing my favorite songs with a fresh pair of ears. Hoping to hear new them in a whole new light picking up on instruments or vocals in ways I had never heard before. Unfortunately, in practice, they fell far short of that.

It’s not that the Audeara A-01 headphones sounded bad by any means but they lacked the deep rich bass, clean highs, and open soundstage of other more affordable headphones. When you’re asking $499 for a pair of headphones you are hitting at the premium sound end of the market and you better deliver. You can find better-sounding headphones at half of the price.

Regardless, I love the concept of a medical hearing test to personalize the sound for your ears. I only wish the execution would have been better. If you’d like to give it a try yourself then you can pick up a pair at Audeara’s site by using the link below.

Purchase from Audeara

World’s first foldable smartphone just launched, but it’s not made by Samsung or Huawei

Alexandra Arici
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While we’re still waiting for Samsung or Huawei to launch a foldable smartphone, it seems an obscure company has managed to beat the two iconic brands to the punch.

The Royole Corporation, a start-up based in California has announced the first commercially available foldable smartphone, the Royole FlexPai.

Royole officially launched the device in Beijing late last month, in an attempt to disrupt consumers’ traditional concept of a smartphone. The product is marketed as being a hybrid between a mobile phone and a tablet and is already available for pre-order.

The FlexPai is based on Royole’s second-generation ultra-thin, fully flexible AMOLED display that stretches to a full 7.8-inch in diagonal. The panel has 1920 x 1440 resolution in expanded mode and 308 ppi.

FlexPai is an experimental device with a price to match

The FlexPai is basically a tablet which you can fold in half to obtain a thick smartphone-like device. In its folded state, the gadget has a primary and secondary screen that can be used together or separately. The device has three aspect ratios: 4:3, 16:9 and 18:9.

Royole claims the display can be successfully folded up to 200,000 times before it’s likely to break, so you don’t have to worry about the mechanism failing. The device weighs 320 g and 190mm in width.

On the stub when folded, the FlexPai can display something like a screen side bar, where you can see notifications for calls, messages and other apps.

When it comes to internal specs, the foldable smartphone is based on Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8-series flagship SoC. Built using a 7nm process, the chip can be upgraded to support 5G. Backing this up is either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.

The phone/tablet also includes a dual-camera setup comprised of a 20MP telephoto lens and 16MP wide-angle sensor. Royole says, the device can snap great pictures thanks to the unique bending angles. The camera features a Dual View Mode in which the subject of the photo is visible from each screen when folded or stretched.

To support this unique device, Royole has created Water OS, which is a forked version of Android 9 Pie. The whole shenanigan is kept alive by a 3,800 mAh battery.

Availability and pricing

As we mentioned above, the device is already up for pre-order. You can get it from Royole’s website in exchange for €1,388 / $1,578 for the 128GB version. It’s quite expensive, but such is the price of experimental tech such as this.

What do you think? Does the Royole FlexPai sound tempting to you?

Buy the Royole FlexPai

Check out these great products from Anker, UPDESK, LEVO, Coolest, and Ninety7

AndroidGuys
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November is upon us, which means the weather is getting colder, and the holiday season is getting closer. This also means that we are finally nearing the end of #phonepocalypse, as almost all of the flagships for 2018 have been revealed.

Now’s the time when we start purchasing gifts for friends, family, co-workers, and ourselves. To that end, we want to help make things easier for you. Here’s a roundup of five items we think you, or someone close to you, might really enjoy.

The Weekend Recommender is our chance to share some of the better tech items that have recently crossed our path. What you’ll find below are a few products that we’ve spent time with over the last few weeks which deserve special recognition. Who knows? Maybe your next favorite thing is listed here!

Anker PowerCore for Nintendo Switch (20100/13400)

Anker is the best in the business when it comes to keeping your devices charged. Previously, these were “limited” to just your smartphone or tablet, but Anker is upping the ante and expanding.

Recently, the company launched a couple of new portable chargers aimed at Nintendo fans. Specifically, the new PowerCore 20100 and 13400 for the Nintendo Switch.

The PowerCore 20100 and 13400 are optimized for Switch owners, and offers full-speed USB-C charging. There is also a standard USB port with Anker’s Power IQ technology to charge your other devices.

These will keep your Switch charged on the go, along with your smartphone or tablets. Pricing for the 20100 starts at $89.99, while the 13400 goes for $69.99.

We’ve covered Anker plenty of times here at AndroidGuys, and if the company keeps making great products, that will continue.

UpDesk Home

As someone who not only works a day-job but also freelance writes on the side, it’s important to have a great desk. Previously, I have primarily owned IKEA desks, but I wanted to venture into the world of standing desks.

The reason behind the movement is because it’s absolutely terrible for you to be sitting all day long. Regardless of whether you have a great ergonomic chair or not, you should stand every once in a while.UPDESK is a company that has specialized in standing desks, but the price tags were a bit steep. Recently, the UPDESK Home was introduced, which is likely to appeal to those who aren’t looking to break the bank.

The Home features a desktop size of 60-inches by 30-inches, which sounds a bit small. But in actuality, it is big enough to house your computer, monitor, speakers, and just about everything else you may need on your desktop.

As a desk, the Home is absolutely wonderful, but turning it into a standing desk is amazing. There is a built-in controller which has 4-presets, with “automatic drive”, to raise the desk when it’s time to stand.

UPDESK has also included two wheels on the bottom to make moving the desk a bit easier. This doesn’t mean the desk will slide around when you don’t want to, but it’s there to help you adjust.

Pricing for the UPDESK Home starts at $595 with free shipping. But we also recommend picking up a standing desk pad, which you can get for $97.

LEVO G2 Tablet Floor Stand

Because sometimes we can’t be bothered to hold onto a tablet for more than a few minutes. In all seriousness, a product like the LEVO G2 is perfect for the lean back experience.

Whether you’re sitting on the couch, relaxing in bed, or enjoying coffee in a chair in the den, the stand aims to please. It wheels into place, articulates, and holds your tablet in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Reading a book on your Fire HD tablet or binge-watching a few shows on Hulu is much more enjoyable if you can free up your hands. That’s exactly what happens here; you can sit back, relax, eat, or fiddle with your phone.

The LEVO G2 stand is a really sturdy solution that can roll under the edge of your bed or couch. The arm swings at two places, giving you an exact, comfortable placement. Moreover, the head twists and tilts on multiple angles so you end up with the angle that works best for the moment. All of this, of course, moves and adjusts on the fly so there’s zero hassle.

While we enjoyed reading books in bed, we also found the stand worked well in the office. Specifically, it was the perfect tool to display a tablet over the desk for passive monitoring of social media or YouTube TV. When done, we simply moved it away, and minimal effort.

The LEVO G2 has a range of 30-inches up to 56-inches; an extension is available for higher beds and treadmills. Purchase yours for $189.99 at levostore.com.

Coolest Cooler

Tailgating with your friends and chilling by the pool is cool, but do you know what’s cooler than that? The Coolest Cooler. Yeah, it’s a thing, and it lives up to its name.

Forget about throwing ice and a few drinks in a generic plastic cooler — It’s time to up your pre-game game. The Coolest Cooler not only provides space for a whole array of cold ones, but it packs so much more.

When was the last time your cooler came with a built-in blender? Raise your hand if you can plug your phone into that old Coleman tub you keep dragging to barbecues. We didn’t think so. The Coolest Cooler does that, and more.

With 60 quarts capacity, this cooler houses four plates, a ceramic knife, cutting board, a bottle opener, and corkscrew. Dope, right? It’s also got an accessory deck where you can throw your keys or phone. Let’s see, what else?

The Coolest comes with a Bluetooth splash-proof and shock-proof speaker with eight hours of charge. You can even pair it to another speaker for even louder party anthems.

Don’t know much about mixing up drinks? Turn to the drink guide and learn 20 ways to use five different ingredients. Now that you’re a bartender you’ll want to purchase the bar-top table accessory that uses the handy handle. Or, accessorize with the solar lid to ensure that you never run low on juice.

How does it do with actually keeping things cold, you ask? We found our review unit kept ice cold for more than a few days. To be fair, we tested it in 50-60 degree weather, but Coolest says 4-5 days is attainable on its website.

When you’re done with things and ready to head home, the bungee strap keeps your blanket and other items nice and snug. Pull out the telescopic handle and wheel it away. Speaking of which, the rubber wheels are twice as wide as you’d expect and make it really easy to control. Then, when you need to pick it up, reach for the two handles which are also double-wide.

The Coolest Cooler comes in a variety of colors; we reviewed the blue model, but you can also purchase it in black, orange, red, and white. Purchase the cooler for $250 and up through its official website. Note that the blender and USB charger are an accessory that come with an add-on price.

Nintey JOT Portable Battery Base for Google Home Mini

Having a Google Home Mini is simply awesome. It’s compact, unobtrusive, and really smart. And, when you add it to a group for multiple-room music, it’s even cooler. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take that speaker everywhere you go, without plugging and unplugging?

The JOT is a portable accessory for the Google Home Mini which has the privilege of bearing the “Made for Google” program badge. In other words, it’s not some generic knock-off device that doesn’t meet Google’s standards.

With an internal battery that provides up to eight hours of playback, this accessory is perfect for those of us with a fear of commitment. We only have so many smart speakers but we want them in all of our rooms. The JOT lets you take the speaker with you from one room to the next and without the hassle of cords.

The base comes apart near the top whereupon you slide your speaker into place. Snap the ring back on and you’re ready to power up. The base includes a microUSB port so you can plug your existing cord in.

Four LED lights indicate how much juice you’ve got left in the battery. Conveniently, there’s a cutout where you can toggle the mute button. A power button at the bottom lets you turn the whole thing off so you’re not wasting any charge. Otherwise the speaker will continue to listen for commands.

The JOT is available in two color options (Carbon, Silver) and runs just $29.95 at Ninety7’s website.

Google Home Hub review

AndroidGuys
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First there was the Google Home. Then, the Google Home Mini and Home Max. For 2018 it’s the Google Home Hub.

Unlike its predecessors, the Home Hub is the first product in the smart home line to offer up a full display. It’s the same smarts underneath, and features a a decent speaker, and sounds pretty much like the same experience. It’s not. The Google Home Hub changes the game for Google.

Think back over the last decade or so and chances are good that you’ve either owned or known someone who purchased a digital picture frame. Google Home Hub is that, but so much more.

Almost all of us have at least one Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected speaker that we like to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks on. Nothing fancy, just a favorite unit that travels either throughout the house or stays in a convenient location. The Google Home Hub is that, too, but so much more.

Many of us own a smart speaker that we can tap into for reminders, grocery lists, help with cooking or homework, or general search. Google Home Hub is… well, you already know.

Falling Fast in Love

After just a few days with the Home Hub we’ve already come to appreciate it for so many reasons. From the simple, intuitive design to the technical prowess under the hood, it’s one of those devices we can see in each room of the home.

The Home Hub is more compact than you’d imagine, but it doesn’t feel small. It’s comprised of a 7-inch display with a white bezel and a speaker. The former sits in landscape mode at a reclined angle while the latter is your base. The speaker is wrapped in a fabric not unlike what Google has on the Home Mini.

The front side features two far-field microphones, and “Ambient EQ” light sensor. Around back is the volume rocker and the microphone toggle. There’s no camera to be found, but you won’t really need, or miss that option.

The light sensor automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature based on the ambient lighting in environment. Place it in a well-lit kitchen or living room area and it pushes out a brighter image. Dim the lights, or keep it on the nightstand, and it dials things down so they’re not jarring or harsh.

Display

Surprisingly, the display resolution is relatively low at 1024 x 600, which is far less than what you’re getting in today’s smartphones. What’s more, the pictures you’re capturing tend to have exponentially higher pixels. That’s hardly noticeable here as pictures still pop right off and look every bit as sharp as you’d like.

Color balance and saturation are tuned to our liking and we never really felt like we needed to dial something up or back. Brightness, thanks to the sensor, is always what the room calls for and doesn’t distract.

Tips and tricks every Google Home user should know

If for no other reason than to provide a connected digital picture frame, the Google Home Hub is worth the price. Moreover, it’s incredibly simple to set up and work with; it’s a perfect gift idea for grandparents or long-distance family.

Setup

Setting up the Home Hub is incredibly simple, particularly if you’ve already got a device or two in the home. Our process consisted of plugging and following the prompts in the Google Home apps on our phone. All told, we probably spent 3-4 minutes in setup with some of that coming from an update.

The connected device is designed to work as a passive, always-ready, speaker and display. You can leave it alone for days on end and let it cycle through your Google Photos or a collection of curated pictures. Alternatively, you can opt to show one of a few clock options.

Choosing your pictures to showcase can be a lot of fun as all of your shared albums are ready to go. Additionally, you can just let Google do its magic and pick highlights of your gallery, randomly pulling up your best stuff.

Users have control over how often pictures change with a range of five seconds to ten minutes. Changing the album(s) and speed is a breeze; you’re never stuck with anything.

The Google Home app has really improved over the last few releases, adding in options and a more friendly interface. It’s insanely easy to configure your connected speaker or display.

If anything, the Google Home Hub is the easiest device we’ve added to a network. Why? Maybe it’s the visuals that help us see where we are in the process.

What Else?

The Google Home Hub is ready for you to Cast to it. That’s an awesome feature and one we’ve found ourselves using quite a bit. Depending on where you’ve placed the unit you might want to send YouTube TV or Hulu over to it to act as a second or third screen in the room.

You can cast pretty much anything you want to the Home Hub save for Netflix. This isn’t a limitation on the side of Google so much as an Netflix decision. Nevertheless, as much as we’ve enjoyed watching small bursts of news or sports as we go about chores, we don’t see ourselves binge-watching our way through Ozark on it.

Sound is good, but it’s not great. If you’re primarily concerned with pumping out music, you’ll want to pair a separate Bluetooth speaker to it. Generally speaking, we’re okay with the somewhat flat audio experience as it’s right in line with the Google Home or Google Home Mini.

The more we’ve used Google Assistant over the last few years, the more we’ve come to appreciate it. We’ve evolved from having it on our phones as a Google Search/Google Now on steroids to something we often rely for small things.

Today we’re routinely asking Google Assistant about our day, the weather, our appointments, or commute. Getting that information is helpful not only on a phone, but anywhere we happen to be. Having visuals makes that better.

It cannot be overstated how nice it is to see a graphic representation of the weather, or calendar events. Ask how your day looks and you get a map of the route with any slow downs or accidents to accompany the commute details.

We’re going to have a difficult time getting the Home Hub outside of the kitchen. Not only are we enjoying the manner in which recipes look and work, but we’ve asked it to be our oven timer and conversion tool, too.

Although the Home Hub doesn’t have a camera on it, you can use it for Google Duo calls over voice. By contrast, the Lenovo Smart Display does allow for this, and it’s pretty nice to have. We don’t necessarily need it, though, as it’s not a primary means of communication.

As the name implies, the Home Hub does give you control over the various connected items in your home or office. You can’t set everything up directly from within the app, but it’s a solid way of managing things once they are up and running.

Controls can include things such as dimming lights or switches throughout the house, adjusting the thermostat, or viewing Nest doorbells and cameras. Google has done an excellent job of adding in new controls and hardware partners over the last couple of years. Looking ahead we fully expect that to ramp up, particularly now that we have visuals.

Conclusion

The Google Home Hub is a must-have device for those who rely on Google Assistant. For about $20 more than the Google Home you end up with a 7-inch digital display that compliments search and routines.

We like creating groups of speakers and devices so we can play music, podcasts, and other media throughout the home. As we move from room to room in the morning, as part of readying for bed, we appreciate that we can keep up with the news or a book.

Given how easy it is to install and configure, we’re really itching to add devices like these to other rooms. In fact, we’re already looking ahead to the holidays and outfitting the homes of friends and family.

If you’re considering a connected or smart speaker, you absolutely should put the Google Home Hub on your list. Whether it’s your first foray into the world of Google Assistant or if you’re complimenting your current setup with something visual, it’s the stepping off point.

6 things we like about the new OnePlus 6T

Alexandra Arici
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During an event in New York City earlier this week, OnePlus unveiled the much-anticipated follow-up to the OnePlus 6, which arrives with a number of new hardware specs and features.

The OnePlus 6T is set to go on sale soon, so with the imminent release here are six things we like about the new device.

If you’re still pondering whether you should get the OnePlus 6T or not, this article will hopefully help you in making up your mind.

New look

This past year, the notch has become the go-to design element for many top Android smartphones. But in many cases (see the Pixel 3 XL), the notch is wide and runs across a large portion of the top of the screen.

The OnePlus 6 also had a notch, albeit smaller compared to other flagships. But with the OnePlus 6T, the company wanted to offer even more display real estate, so it implemented a tiny waterdrop-shaped notch, which only contains the selfie camera.

The bottom bezel has also been shrunken down, thus ensuring the display is more expansive than it has ever been on a OnePlus phone. The screen takes up 86% of the front surface, and it’s covered with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 6.

It’s a 6.41-inch AMOLED display, by the way, with FHD+ resolution. OnePlus has yet to make the jump to QHD+, but even so, we expect the panel to be excellent.

In-display fingerprint sensor

The biggest change brought by the OnePlus 6T is the in-display fingerprint sensor. The unlocking sensor no longer lives on the back on the device and has now moved to live underneath the display.

It’s an optical affair that shines green light to ensure every detail is captured when a fingerprint is registered. The company claims that the in-display fingerprint technology it uses it’s the fastest around, taking just 0.34 seconds to unlock the device.

The phone also offers face unlock, so users have a choice when it comes to unlocking the display.

Big battery

The OnePlus 6T arrives with one of the biggest batteries we’ve seen on a OnePlus device. Compared to the OnePlus 6’s 3,300 mAh power box, the OnePlus 6T gets a superior 3,700 mAh one.

Given how well optimized the OnePlus 6 was and how long the battery lasted, we’ll have to assume the 6T will perform even better. Actually, the company says users should expect to see a 23% increase in overall battery life, but we’ll have to wait for reviews to be able to actually confirm that.

What’s more, you also get fast charging which has been rebranded from Dash Charge to Fast Charge on the new model. The technology should users to juice up the device in no time. We expect the OnePlus 6T will be fully charged in about an hour an a half.

Android Pie with OxygenOS 9.0

OnePlus is among the few Android OEMs that jumped on board the Android Pie train very early on. The OnePlus 6 already received the stable update and now the OnePlus 6T comes with Android 9 Pie out of the box with the company’s own OxygenOS skin on top.

Obviously, you can expect a very clean and fast user experience. All the new features of Android Pie are to be found on board including improved navigation gestures. On top of that, you’ll also find OnePlus’ own set of exclusive features.

For example, there’s a new Smart Boost tool, which improves the app cold-start speeds by up to 20% by storing data from frequently used apps in the phone’s RAM.

New camera modes

While the main camera hasn’t changed all that much since the OnePlus 6 in terms of hard specs, the 6T does bring some novelties to the table. We still have the 16MP+20MP sensor duo, both of which flaunt f/1.7 aperture. The main camera also has OIS (optical image stabilization) and EIS (electronic image stabilization).

On the OnePlus 6T, users will get two new shooting modes: Nightscape and Super Slow Motion. The latter allows you to shoot 1080p resolution video at 240fps. As for Nightscape, the feature lets you capture low-light photos with improved clarity, less noise and more accurate color reproduction.

What’s more, the OnePlus 6T also brings something called Studio Lighting, which is a feature that allows users to enhance the luminosity in portraits.

Readily available

You won’t have to wait long to be able to get the OnePlus 6T. The company will start selling the handset as soon as tomorrow via its official website.

What’s more, for the first time ever, T-Mobile will also be offering the device in the US. So the OnePlus 6T will be the company’s most widely available phones.

Not only that, but the OnePlus 6T is also fully certified to work on Verizon Wireless, unlike the previous iterations.

How to change your Google Assistant voice

Alexandra Arici
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During its I/O 2018 keynote earlier this year, Google announced that it has been working on newer, more lifelike versions of its AI-infused virtual assistant. According to CEO Sundar Pichai, the goal is for the Google Assistant to to have a more natural voice that is closer to how humans speak.

The refreshed Assistant, which now features both male and female voices, is built on a machine learning technology called Wavenet. This allowed Google to simulate an entire vocabulary using much less human recording. In other words, the human actors don’t have to spend as much time in the recording studio, like the original voice, “Holly” did.

This is how Google is able to more easily turn popular voices, like John Legend, and others in the future, into the voice that living in your smartphone or smart speaker.

If you were excited about trying the new voices yourself, the good news is that you can do so directly from your phone. Here’s how!

How to change your Google Assistant voice

  • Summon the Google Assistant on your phone by saying “OK Google”
  • Tap the blue icon in the upper right corner of Assistant screen
  • This will open up the Explore tab
  • Tap on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner
  • Tap on Settings

  • Choose Preferences.
  • Tap on Assistant Voice.
  • Choose the one you like best.

The Google Assistant voice you select here the one that will answer all your questions when you use the Assistant whether that be Android devices, Google Home speaker, or Google Home Hub.

Note that the voice selection works with multiple users, so each household member can pick his/her favorite voice to interact with.

Gear Up: Belkin USB Type C chargers and cables

AndroidGuys
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With so many smartphones and electronics having transitioned over to USB Type C for charging, it stands to reason you might need to pick up a couple of new cables or chargers. Sure, you get one with pretty much every device you buy, but who wants to drag a cord around the house or lug it back and forth to school or work?

If you’re the proud owner of a new flagship phone, you probably have a handset that relies on USB Type C for its charging port. Moreover, laptops, Pixelbooks, and gadgets like the Nintendo Switch also feature the new standard plug.

We were recently sent a handful of products from Belkin which center around the Type C plug. Having spent some time playing with them and putting them in our cars, home, and office, we’ve found each to be helpful in their own respect.

If you’re looking to pick up some cables or chargers for your devices, check out Belkin’s selection. Without further ado, here’s some info on the various products we’ve tested and are happy to recommend.

USB-C Charger Kit + Cable

This three pack bundle includes a 15W USB-C Home Charger, 5W USB-C Car Charger, and a USB-C to C cable.  The 15W allows for safe, and really quick charging of smartphones and tablets. This is roughly 50% faster than what you’d get out of a normal 5W charger.

The cable, which is Type C on both ends, can connect to both the wall charger and the car charger. Moreover, you can use it for file transfers or sharing photos between devices. And, at five feet long, it’s the kind of cable you can tuck away behind a hard-to-reach spot under the desk. Pick this kit up for about $50 directly from Belkin.

BOOST↑UP Quick Charge 3.0 Home Charger with USB-A to USB-C Cable

When what you really care about is charging and getting back out there, you want something that’s super fast. That’s what you get here in the 18W charger that features Qualcomm Charge 3.0 technology. Backwards compatible with QC 2.0 devices, it’s smart enough to know what speeds your device needs.

The included cable is USB C on one end and traditional USB A on the other. At four feet long it’s tested to be tough and works great for syncing files or devices. Add it to the charger and you’re looking at about a half hour to go from empty to around 80 percent full. Now, get back out there. Belkin offers this two-piece kit for around $35.

MIXIT↑ DuraTek USB-C Cable Built with DuPont Kevlar (USB Type-C)

If you’re the type of person who does need to carry a cable with you, the build quality makes all the difference in the world. Chances are you’ve seen a regular cable break at the charging port or even split along the line. That doesn’t happen to strong cables with Kevlar and braided coating.

Backed by a five year warranty, this cable comes in four color options: Black, Gold, Silver, and Rose Gold. You’ll have a hell of a time trying to tangle this one up. The cable is as flexible as anything else you’ve used, but it’s a lot tougher and a whole lot smarter.

The intelligent chip supports up to 60W optimal charging and up to 480Mbps data transfer. Oh, and kiss those breaks goodbye as this cable features a longer neck at the end which can withstand more than 5,000 charges when the cable is bent at 180 degrees. Grab yours for about $30 at Belkin’s website.

How to set custom ring tones with Zedge

Alexandra Arici
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Android is a flexible operating system that allows for tons of customizations. And one of the most common ways to add a personal touch to your smartphone is set your own ringtones.

On Android, this feature is readily available, and it’s actually very simple to use. Here’s how to do it using Zedge.

There are many third-party apps out there that offer custom ringtones. But Zedge is one of most well-known out there. The app not only lets you customize your sounds, but also your wallpapers. There’s also a Games section, which recommends some of the best titles available.

How to set custom ringtones with Zedge

  1. Open the Zedge app on your Android device.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
  3. Tap on Ringtones.
  4. Browse through the list of ringtone and choose your favorite.
  5. You can tap on the Play button to listen to the ringtone and see whether you like them or not.
  6. Once you’ve decided on one, tap on it.

  1. Tap on the Set button located below.
  2. From here you have four options:
  • Set alarm sound
  • Set notification
  • Set contract ringtone
  • Set ringtone
  1. Select which option you prefer and the app will set that particular tune as your ringtone, alarm sound and so on.
  2. In case you prefer to do it manually: tap the tree dot menu in the upper right corner and select Download.
  3. The ringtone should now be saved to your internal memory and you will be able to see it in your phone’s ringtone list.

How to set a custom ringtone to a contact

  1. Open up the list of contacts on your phone.
  2. Tap on the contact you wish to set a custom ringtone for.
  3. Tap on the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
  4. Tap on select ringtone.
  5. Because you’ve already downloaded the custom ringtone from Zedge, it should show up in the list of local ringtones..
  6. Pick the ringtone you want to set.
  7. That’s it!

So now every time you get bored with the sounds your phone makes, you can fire up Zedge and download a bunch of new ones. The app has an extensive database, so you won’t run out of them any time soon.

Get Zedge from the Google Play Store

New OnePlus 6 features, Google’s new Emoji movement, and more news you need to know

Matt Adams
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Welcome to In Brief, the AndroidGuys tech briefing. Today is Tuesday, October 30, and we’re taking a look at all the tech news you need to know. In this post, we want you to learn about the news the way you want to learn. We’ve embedded a podcast version of all this news below. If you don’t want to listen, you can read just like you normally would.

In today’s edition, we’ll tell you what OnePlus 6T features are now available on the OnePlus 6, how bad things look for Sony Mobile, and a security flaw that Google says isn’t that big of a deal.

We’d love feedback on this post, so please let us know what you think in the comments. If we can improve in some way, we’d love to know!

Open Beta 6 brings new features to the OnePlus 6 ahead of 6T launch

There’s quite a bit of excitement around OnePlus right now. Not only did it just announce its brand new flagship phone, but it also made waves by signing its first carrier agreement in the United States. Yes, if you’re a T-Mobile customer, you can go pick up the OnePlus 6T on Thursday.

But, what if you’re holding onto your current OnePlus 6? The 6T isn’t a massive upgrade so we expect plenty of people to continue rocking their phones for a while. Well, you’re all in for some good news as the brand new OnePlus 6 beta is bringing some brand new features to your phone.

In Open Beta 6, the OnePlus 6 now gains access to new features like Nightscape. Nightscape is a feature that uses computer learning to brighten up darker photos without adding distortion to the photos.

The OnePlus 6 now also has a new gesture system, improved UI for About phone, better options for screenshots, and the November security update. If you’re already enrolled in the beta program, you should see the update soon. If you’re not and would like to sign up, you can head to downloads.oneplus.com and sign up.

Gboard lets you customize emojis

Emojis are an important part of life. Now, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d utter, but its true. People use emojis more and more every day and now Google is giving users of its Gboard keyboard some customization options.

Starting in its newest beta, Gboard allows users to create “Emoji Minis” which are emoji-sized stickers that look like you. Now instead of sending a random winking face, you can send yourself winking. Not creepy at all, right?

Google stated in a recent blog that, “Emoji Minis are designed for those who may have stared into the eyes of emoji and not seen yourself staring back. These sticker versions of the emoji you use every day are customizable so you can make them look just like you.

Your customized emoji can have different colored hair, piercings, hats, head coverings, glasses and more. If you’d like to up your emoji game, head over to the Play Store listing for Gboard, then opt into the beta for the update.

Sony Mobile could be in trouble

Sony Xperia XZ3 1Sony is a well-known name, but its mobile division could be facing some bleak times. The company released its recent financial results and the numbers reveal that Sony only shipped 1.6 devices in the last three months — a record low.

On the back of the results, Sony reduced its full-year shipment expectations to 7 million, a third consecutive downgrade.

So, what’s the cause? It looks like Sony lost its momentum in Europe. The company makes several popular mid-tier devices that it sells in European and Asian markets, but sales are down and it’s not pretty.

Sony recently adopted a new design language that is very “love-it-or-hate-it.” It seems like more potential customers are on the “hate it” train and Sony knows it. The company’s Chief Financial Officer recently stated that “The competition is fierce and our products have not been attractive enough.”

Is the Google Home Hub secure?

Google’s new Home Hub is a cool little gadget. It puts a face to the voice of Google Assistant and displays relevant information. When it’s not displaying the weather, a recipe, or a YouTube video, it can play a slideshow of your Google Photos library. Pretty nifty.

But now security researchers are ringing the bell about the device. One researcher is claiming that the smart display is “beyond dismal”, a harsh rebuke of Google’s efforts. For Google’s part, it’s denying the claims.

Jerry Gamblin, the security researcher causing waves, says he spent a couple nights poking around with the Home Hub. What he found was that the Hub allows full remote unauthenticated control by an undocumented API.

Speaking to Android Authority, Google says the claim about security on the Home Hub is inaccurate. “The APIs mentioned in this claim are used by mobile apps to configure the device and are only accessible when those apps and the Google Home device are on the same WiFi network. Despite what’s been claimed, there is no evidence that user information is at risk.”

Huawei Watch and Watch 2 get an update that brings better performance

The Huawei Watch and Watch 2 are two of the most popular Wear OS watches on the market today. Despite their introduction the better part of three years ago, the watches remain as solid options until a new breed of watches come out later this year and early 2019.

Much to the surprise of everyone, the watches are still being updated. They recently were updated to Wear OS 2.0 which brought a new interface and features. Now, with version 2.17, the watches are getting even more improvements.

The update brings new swipe gestures, the latest Wear OS interface, and Google Assistant and Fit shortcuts. Users are also reporting that performance has received a boost too. We’ll be keeping an eye on this update to see if battery life gets better too, but it’s too early to tell right now.

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Hexologic review: A hexagon-based logic game that will twist your brain

Alexandra Arici
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Most of the times we play a game on our Android device, so we can relax and take our mind off things. Simple games like Cooking Madness or Candy Crush are a great way to tune out the daily noise, but what if you’re looking for something more challenging? Something that truly puts your mind at work?

Well, today we’re taking a look at Hexologic, a game that will challenge you to think differently, imagine and solve ever-changing problems that won’t allow you to get used to them and fly on autopilot.

Overview

Hexologic is a game developed by MythicOwl and costs $0.99 to download from the Play Store.

The game doesn’t offer a tutorial, but the gameplay is simple enough, so you won’t have to do much guessing.

Impressions

First off let me tell you that Hexologic has a very calming overall feel. It features nice, soothing graphics in pastel colors that allow you to concentrate on the puzzles at hand. Although, they tend to be a little repetitive, boasting the same vibe throughout the entire game.

On top of that, you also get some nice ambient music thrown in, so for a moment, you might think you’re in a meditation app instead of a game.

The premise of this Sudoku-inspired game is pretty straightforward. It’s all about hexagons! You’ll need to combine the dots inside the hexes in three possible directions so that their sum matches the number at the edge.

As with any puzzle/logic game, the level starts easily enough, and you’ll find you can go through the first 10 stages quite fast. But by the time you hit level 30, things get a lot more complicated.

For example, more advanced levels feature linked blocks, so when you change the value of one of these hexes, others with the same colored outline will also automatically get the same value. Which means you’ll have to adapt your whole strategy based on that.

Alternatively, some tiles have numbers of them which you cannot change. Their value can larger than the three dots you’re normally allowed to add in the empty hexagons.

There are 60 levels in total, which are broken off in four worlds which have their own, unique gameplay mechanisms.

Unlike other puzzle games, Hexologic doesn’t have a timer. So you can take your sweet time completing the levels. Interestingly enough, there are no repercussions for incorrect moves, so you’ll never have to start from the beginning if you make a mistake.

So in that sense, the game poses no real challenge. But the satisfaction of knowing you’ve mastered the complete set of 60 levels is in itself a goal.

Additionally, the game has no real replay value. Once you’ve figured out the levels, there’s nothing else much to do. Yes, you can unlock certain bonus stages, but they are not so very different from the standard levels.

Honestly, Hexologic ends way to quickly – you could finish it in one day if you have a few hours to spare – and I think the game could have used a little bit more variation when it comes to gameplay. For example, it could have included a timer, as to prolong gaming sessions.

Conclusion

Hexologic is a fun and addictive puzzle game, set in a beautiful world. Yet, it feels a bit minimalistic when compared to other games in the category. You can complete it in a few hours, but again, that’s probably something that casual gamers will appreciate. After all, most of us don’t have the time to spend countless hours playing games.

Download Hexologic from the Play Store

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