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Android Pie updates, Fitbit Charge 3 coming soon, and other news worth knowing

Andrew Myrick
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Welcome to In Brief, the AndroidGuys tech briefing. Today is Thursday, October 4th, 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 see yet another Pixel 3 leak, HMD Global confirms Android Pie rollout, the Fitbit Charge 3 is coming next week, and more.

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!

Pixel 3 and 3 XL appear in new “Sand Pink” color ahead of launch

We already know that the Pixel 3 lineup will be unveiled on October 9th in New York. We also already know exactly what to expect from these devices in terms of design and specs.

One piece of information we weren’t privy to was which colors the phones would come in. The folks over at Android Headlines were able to get their hands on some official press renders of the devices in Black, White, and a new ‘Sand Pink’ color.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility for this to be legitimate as Google is known for releasing unique color options. Everything other than the front display panel has been made pink, and there will be a matching wallpaper included.

Nokia to begin rolling out Android Pie this month

In addition to unveiling the brand new Nokia 7.1, HMD Global also shared the expected release date for the Android Pie update. The Nokia 6.1 and 6.1 Plus will receive the Pie update first, as the rollout begins this month.

Starting next month, the Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco will begin seeing their updates. We are starting to wonder has been taking so long considering that Pie has been available for a few months.

Nonetheless, it’s great to see older devices updated to the latest version of Android and not just left collecting dust.

Fitbit Charge 3 set to launch on October 7th

The Fitbit Charge 3 was officially announced back in August, but the company failed to share its launch date. That has now changed, as the Charge 3 will launch online and in retailers on October 7th.

As a refresher, the fitness tracker sports a touchscreen OLED display which claims to be almost 40% brighter than the Charge 2. Additionally, Fitbit has stated that you will get up to 7 days of battery life on a single charge.

The standard Charge 3 is priced at $149.95, but there is a special edition which costs $169.95. The difference is that the Special Edition includes an NFC chip for Fitbit Pay.

You can now use Google Assistant to book an Uber or Lyft

An update to Google Assistant is now available which makes it possible to hail either an Uber or Lyft with your voice. Simply say “OK Google, book me a ride to…” and say your destination.

From there, you will be provided with a map of the route, along with comparisons between Lyft and Uber. Then, you can select which service to go with and get along on your merry way.

While the voice command only works in English, Google has confirmed that there are plans to include more languages “over the coming months.”

DVR controls come to YouTube TV

If you’re one of the folks who have cut the cord and subscribed to YouTube TV, there’s good news. The streaming service has opened up DVR controls for more more channels.

Some of the channels include those from AMC, Disney, Fox, and Turner. Unfortunately, there is a catch in certain instances, as specific channels offer a “VOD” edition of a show. This means that you will have unskippable ads that you must watch and can’t fast-forward through.

However, there are still plenty of channels that you can record your favorite TV shows and skip all of the commercials.

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Best diary/journal apps for Android users

Alexandra Arici
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Despite having a rather childish connotation, keeping a diary or a journal is actually extremely beneficial to anyone. A growing body of research is suggesting that writing your thoughts down on paper helps you improve emotionally. There is no limit with writing, which is what makes it such a beautiful and healing process.

But rather than putting pen on paper, for most of us today it will probably feel more natural to use a smartphone app instead to quickly type out our thoughts. We no longer carry notebooks around, but we do take our smartphones everywhere with us. And luckily, there are a number of dairy and journal apps you can use on your Android device. Here are some of the best waiting for you out there.

Journey Diary

What it is:

A straightforward diary app with a nice interface and a few extra goodies to take advantage of.

Why we like it:

  • User-friendly UX that’s very intuitive to use. Simply tap the “+” floating button to start your first journal entry.
  • You can add things like Mood emoticons, activity status and even weather information to your post.
  • The app lets you integrate things like photos, videos, files, as well as audio files into your diary entry.
  • Journey Diary also features a Statistics tab where you can view things like how your Mood has evolved over time and more.

Download Journey Diary

Diaro

What it is:

A multi-platform diary app that can double as an event and appointment calendar, so you can keep track of what’s going on in your life.

Why we like it:

  • You can write short diary/calendar entries to which you can attach tags, mood, weather info and location, as well as photos.
  • Three UI themes to choose from including Light, Dark and Black (AMOLED). Users can also change the UI color and UI accent color. Plus, you get a ton of other customization options.
  • Let’s you keep your entries private, by providing the option to add a security code (PIN).

Download Diaro

Questions Diary

What it is:

An atypical take on the concept of dairy. Instead of free-flow writing, this app challenges you to answer a series of questions. What would you answer a year from now? Will your answers be different?

Why we like it:

  • The app features a clean, pristine interface. The absence of clutter allows the user to concentrate on what really matters and like learning how to manage your feelings or increasing your creative energies.
  • The app asks you a question a day like “Are you happy right now?”. Then a year later, you will be asked the same question, so you can compare the answers. Users can add their own questions.
  • There are different themes available, and you can use the app other languages including French, Dutch, Romanian or Polish.
  • There’s also a community, where you can interact with other users of the app by asking questions.

Download Questions Diary

Daylio

What it is:

A journal app that wants to help you build new, better habits, as well as help you keep track of your evolution over time.

Why we like it:

  • Interactive and modern design that lets you quickly add quick activities. These are short diary entries where you only need to add the Mood and your current venture.
  • The app features a Stats tab where you can get an overall look at your Monthly Mood, see your achievements and your longest best day streak.
  • Daylio comes with the option to change colors of Mood emoticons, as well as set a PIN lock for protection.

Download Daylio

Day One

What it is:

A diary app that allows more comprehensive posts, so you can keep track of your thoughts and feelings in a fun and simple way.

Why we like it:

  • The app provides you with a clean, distraction-free interface where you can focus on writing.
  • Add all kinds of additional data to your post including location, weather info, tags and photos.
  • Day one lets you export content to JSON and plain text (PDF option is coming in a future update).
  • Additional features include powerful text formatting with Markdown, as well as IFTTT integrations.
  • The app also includes the option to add a Passcode.

Download Day one

Bliss

What it is:

An app based on the idea that being grateful about small things in life helps us get better at dealing with everything existence throws at us.

Why we like it:

  • An easy way to help you keep track of what you’re feeling grateful for every day.
  • The app includes a series of “interventions” which have been developed by psychologists in order to raise happiness levels and desirable mental traits. For example, you can learn to practice “Could Be Worse”.
  • Bliss also features a Resources pages, where you can discover interesting books that can help you become a better human.

Download Bliss

Five-minute journal

What it is:

A diary journal app that wants to convince you to spend five minutes a day using it.

Why we like it:

  • Designed with the purpose of helping you focus on your attention on the good that’s going on in your life. Spend five minutes a day jotting down your daily experiences and the things that at the end of the day, you’re grateful for.
  • App lets you add photos to your posts and also gives you the option to see a photographic timeline view of all your images.
  • The app serves up an inspiring quote each day and weekly challenges that users can share via social media.

Attention: This is a paid app

Download Five Minute Journal

Luci

What it is:

While the majority of the apps in this list are standard diary apps, Luci is actually a dream journal that comes boasting a fun, colorful interface.

Why we like it:

  • Did we mention the cute interface? The app also comes with a sleep recorder for those who want to record your night babblings.
  • Luci is also usable as a normal diary if you want that.
  • It comes with backup options, a lock functions and the ability to set reminders.
  • The app also includes a fun sketchpad so you can draw your dreams.

Attention: Paid app

Download Luci

Secret Diary

What it is:

A diary app for those who like flashy, colorful themes and are fans of Material Design aesthetics.

Why we like it:

  • Secret Diary features a simple way to add content. Simply tap on the floating “Pen” icon to start writing and to add your mood.
  • The app features a pristine UI that’s design to help you focus on writing.
  • It also offers a pass lock, so other members of the household don’t have access to your diary.

Download Secret Diary

Offline Diary

What it is:

A simple alternative for those who want to keep a diary in a more classic way. It features a simple UI and the basic features.

Why we like it:

  • Don’t want to worry your diary entries will be leaked online at some point? You don’t have to. With offline diary you can keep your journal entries private and…offline.
  • The app features a pristine UI that’s design to help you focus on writing.
  • It features a pass lock, so other members of the household don’t have access to your diary.

Download Offline Diary

Nokia 7.1 announced with HDR notched display, Android 8.1 Oreo

Alexandra Arici
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As anticipated, Nokia today took the stage in London to unveil its latest star in the budget lineup. The phone is called the Nokia 7.1. Or the all-new Nokia 7, as some of the company’s officials have referred to it during the presentation.

Design-wise, the Nokia 7.1 doesn’t really bring anything new. The phone is made of glass and metal, just like most upper-middle-rangers and flagships these days. It also features a notch on top of the 5.85-inch LCD display. Nokia says the front panel is really bright and that it has the potential to be perfectly legible even in bright sunshine.

The display boasts 1080 x 2280 resolution and has HDR10 support, which is quite an unusual feature in this segment. Additionally, the phone’s screen can do real-time HDR conversion to SDR videos.

Nokia 7.1 is the latest Android One phone

When it comes to performance, the Nokia 7.1 relies on a pretty decent Snapdragon 636 chipset, that’s paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. If that leaves you wanting more, you can expand via the microSD card slot.

Moving on to photography, the new Nokia 7 boasts a Zeiss dual-camera setup on the back that pairs a 12MP (f/1.8) sensor with a secondary 5MP monochrome one. Nokia has embedded a real-time “Live Bokeh” mode on the main camera, that lets you adjust the focus before and after you take the photo.

On the front, the handset enjoys the presence of two 8MP sensors. Bothie mode, the feature that allows taking pictures using the front and back camera simultaneously, also makes a return on the Nokia 7.1.

Other features include a 3.5mm headphone jack and 3,060 mAh battery with fast charging. Nokia says that users will be able to juice up 50% of the battery in just 30 minutes or so.

The Nokia 7.1 will ship out with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. It’s part of the Android One program, and will supposedly get the Android 9.0 Pie update in November.

Price and availability

The new device will go up for pre-order at Amazon, Best Buy and B&H starting tomorrow (October 5) in the US, with shipments expected to start on October 28. The phone will retail for $349 and will be available in Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Steel.

On top of that, a Clear Case priced at $10 and up and a Flip Cover that will start at $20 will also be offered.

Alongside the Nokia 7.1, the company also announced its first pair of headphones called the Nokia True Wireless Earbuds.

Where to watch the Nokia launch and what to expect

Jason England
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October is shaping up to be a big month for phone releases. We’ve already seen what LG has to offer with its new V40 flagship and we’re expecting many more releases this month. Next up is Nokia with its event starting at 12 Eastern time today and live streaming on YouTube.

What to Expect

Invites went out for the HMD Nokia event a couple weeks back and the speculation is this will be the follow up to the Nokia 7 Plus. That makes the most sense because we’ve recently seen leaked renders of the Nokia 7.1 Plus pop up.

From the renders, we know the Nokia 7.1 Plus will have the trendy and unsightly notch and chin design. It also features dual cameras on the back with a fingerprint scanner along with the Android One logo. With any luck, we’ll see it launch with Android 9 Pie and it is also expected to have 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage.

That’s all we have at this point, but all will be revealed later today when the 7.1 Plus officially launches. There is also a slim chance we might see the Nokia 9 launched, but it is far more likely the Nokia 7.1 Plus will be the star of the show.

LG Watch W7 is a Wear OS hybrid with mechanical hands

Scott Webster
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Introduced in tandem with the new flagship V40 ThinQ phone, LG also announced the  LG Watch W7, its latest wearable.

This smartwatch is a successor to the LG Watch Urbane and is the latest Wear OS device by the company. But, unlike the others on the market the LG Watch W7 features a first for Wear OS devices in that it has mechanical hands.

Indeed, it’s a hybrid watch that has enough juice to power the smart stuff for two days. The mechanical aspect is really interesting in that it lets wearers get 100 days on a single charge.

This isn’t a fitness tracker or more traditional smartwatch. It’s big, has a hefty price tag ($450), and lacks GPS and standalone LTE. Moreover, there’s no NFC which means no Google Pay.

Worth noting, the wearable houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 as opposed to the newer, and more efficient Snapdragon 3100. It’s not clear if this was due to time constraints, budget, or some other reason.

The hands are obviously the main selling point for the LG Watch W7. Put simply, you can tell time even if you’re not using any smartwatch functions. You can also use the analog hands for altimeter, barometer, stopwatch, timer and compass.

As far as other specs, the W7 sports a 1.2-inch LCD and supports standard 22mm watch bands. Powered by a 240mAh battery, it comes with 768MB RAM, and 4GB of storage. The LG Watch W7 is IP68 rated to protect against water and dust.

Availability

The LG Watch W7 will be available at Best Buy starting from October 14; pre-orders start a few days earlier on October 7.

Hot Take: What is LG doing with the V40 ThinQ and W7? (Episode 30)

Andrew Myrick
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Join us as we sit down and discuss some of the hot tech topics out there today. The LG V40 ThinQ and Watch W7 were announced at an event in New York today and we explain what exactly the company is doing in today’s market and more.

What we talked about today

More news

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When and where to buy the LG V40 ThinQ

Jason England
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LG announced their brand new V40 ThinQ with 5 cameras today. Following the tradition of previous V series phones, the V40 puts photography and videography at the forefront. The LG V40 uses all three cameras on the back to take three photos simultaneously. Whether you want a super wide shot, traditional view, or a 2X zoom the choice is yours.

LG also shows off their latest display technology with a 6.4-inch OLED screen debuting the notch for the first time on the V series. While the DTS-X 3D surround sound with Boom Box Speakers ensures loud immersive audio while watching videos or listening to music. For more details check out the LG V40 announcement.

Read More: Hot Take: What is LG doing the V40 ThinQ

AT&T

AT&T customers will be able to pre-order the LG V40 ThinQ starting on October 12 for $31.67 through AT&T Next for 30 months with eligible service. However, you won’t be able to get your hands on one officially until October 19.

Shop AT&T

Sprint

Beginning October 19 the LG V40 will be available for $20 a month with Sprint Flex Lease. This promotion adds up to a savings of $360 over an 18 month period and will be available for a limited time at all Sprint stores, http://www.sprint.com, and 1-800-SPRINT1.

Shop Sprint

T-Mobile

The giga-bit class LG V40 ThinQ is the 18th 600MHz capable phone to be released on T-Mobile. It includes several speed boosting technologies such as 4×4 MIMO, carrier aggregation, 256 QAM, and License Assisted Access.

Pre-orders will begin on October 12 online and available in stores on October 19. You’ll be able to pick it up starting at $30 a month for 24 months on the T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan after a $200 down payment.

Shop T-Mobile

Verizon

Verizon has two great deals for those looking to get their hands on the new LG V40 ThinQ. The first will save you $200 when you purchase using Verizon device payment. While the second deal increases the discount to $300 when you switch to Verizon or add a new line when trading in your old phone.

Pre-orders start October 11 and if you order before October 17 you’ll be treated to a 256GB Sandisk microSD card, a DJI OSMOS Mobile 2 Gimbal, and be enrolled into the LG Second Year Promise program.

Shop Verizon

Microsoft brings Android app mirroring to Windows 10

Jason England
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Microsoft brings Android app mirroring to Windows 10

Mirroring or accessing your Android phone’s screen is on your computer is nothing new. There have been ways to do this in the past with other apps on Windows. However, Microsoft is about to make this process a lot easier by building it directly into Windows 10.

Beginning with the October update you will be able to use the Your Phone app to sync your Android phone with your Windows 10 computer. This comes after Microsoft was forced to ultimately throw in the towel with Windows Mobile. In order to stay more relevant in the mobile world, Microsoft must now focus on integrating with Android and iOS. The Your Phone app marks an important first step in this direction.

App mirroring isn’t exactly a surprise feature, as it has been previously shown off via insider builds of Windows 10. This just marks the first official release to the general public once the update pushes through this October.

While mirroring your Android phone on your Windows 10 computer is an exciting prospect. It is important to note that for now, it only includes photos and text messages from stock Android apps.

However, Microsoft announced that more fully featured app support will be coming in the future. Promising that Android users will be able to view and use any Android app on their Windows 10 computer. They even showed off a user exchanging Snapchat messages on stage.

It might not be the complete mirroring solution we’d all like to see but it could be worse. Our poor iOS brethren only have access to sharing a website from their iPhone to Windows 10 PC at the moment.

Google Assistant gets new look, additional features on mobile devices

AndroidGuys
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Google on Wednesday introduced a new version of its Google Assistant app for mobile devices. The refreshed client, available for both Android and iPhone, combines voice and touch-based elements to deliver a more intuitive experience that also closely resembles the other apps getting UI overhauls.

Why It Matters

Google Assistant, first introduced with the Pixel phones in 2016, is the evolution of Google’s artificial intelligence. Part on-demand, part push notifications, and a bunch of “we know you better than you know you”, Google Assistant manages your calendar, searches, contacts, commutes, and so much more.

Don’t Like Google Assistant? Here’s how to remove it!

The newly refreshed approach follows on the heels of a number of visual refreshes for apps and services. The timing is not coincidental; the Pixel 3 arrives next week and is expected to usher in the best of Google in both hardware and software.

What’s New?

  • Bigger visuals that are easy to glance at quickly.
  • New controls and sliders to manage your smart home devices. Use the dials to adjust your lights to the right brightness, or the sliders to control the volume of your smart speaker.
  • An interactive messaging interface so you can use your fingers to add a comma, change a word or make any other quick edits as you compose messages.
  • On Android phones, it’s now easier to access an overview of your day. Open up the Assistant and swipe up on your screen to get curated information based on the time of day and your recent interactions with the Assistant.
  • Developers and brands now have tools to take full advantage of the phone screen. Starbucks now has thumbnails to select from recommended items on their menus, Food Network has larger images of their recipes, and FitStar uses GIFs to give you a preview of your workout.

Google is giving Assistant bigger visuals, making it easier to identify and use the tools and capabilities. Sliders and dials improve things so that users can more quickly adjust speaker volumes, thermostat temperatures, and more.

Also cool, and only available Android, it’s a breeze to swipe up the Assistant to get curated details on your day. As you might expect, it leverages location and time of day.

Google now offers brands new tools to take advantage of mobile devices for search results. New thumbnails allow Starbucks, for instance, to showcase select items on its menu. Developers and brands can start putting Assistant and its custom results to work for them.

Google Assistant is free to download from the Google Play Store and iTunes.

LG V40 ThinQ launches with 5 total cameras and more goodies

Andrew Myrick
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0

All of the fun and games are over in the leaks department for the LG V40 ThinQ. The device has been officially unveiled at an event in New York, confirming much of what we already knew.

LG V40

The LG V40 ThinQ sports a name that is forgettable, as many folks will continue to ignore the “ThinQ” marketing push. Instead, the handset will likely be simply referenced to as the LG V40.

READ MORE: LG G7 ThinQ Review

Nonetheless, the device sports a 6.4-inch QHD+ POLED display which comes in almost a half-inch larger than its predecessor. This is thanks to the notch that has been included and is a carry-over from the LG G7 ThinQ.

  • Display: 6.4-inch QHD+ POLED; 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Storage: 64GB/128GB
  • Battery: 3,300mAh
  • Rear Cameras: 12MP standard, 16MP wide-angle, 12MP zoom
  • Front Cameras: 8MP + 5MP
  • IP Rating: IP68
  • Extras: Quad DAC, Headphone jack, Google Assistant button

Under the hood, we have the usual suspects for a 2018 flagship. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is powering the V40, combined with 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage.

On the battery side of things, LG has included a respectable 3,300mAh battery which should get you through the day. Of course, fast-charging is on board, so you’ll be able to top off whenever you need to last throughout the night.

Cameras

The real story of the LG V40 ThinQ comes courtesy of the cameras. Thanks to a teaser published by LG a few weeks ago, we know that the handset comes with a total of 5 sensors.

There isn’t really too much to write home about when it comes to the selfie camera. There is an 8MP standard sensor and a 5MP wide-angle lens so you can get all of your friends in the shot. LG also has improved its face-recognition software to help keep unwanted individuals out of your handset.

READ MORE: Get started with your LG G7 ThinQ

As for the rear of the device, this is where things really pick up steam. LG has included three different sensors on the V40 ThinQ; Standard, Wide-Angle, Zoom.

The standard lens sports a f/1.5 aperture, while the wide-angle sensor comes with a f/1.9 aperture. The Zoom sensor comes in with an aperture of f/2.4 and 2x optical zoom capabilities.

This will definitely improve the life of those who want to have the perfect camera for the perfect shot. Instead of relying on software to do the work, LG opted to join the camera trend and throw an extra, but useful, lens on its latest device.

Extras

Something that you will notice is that LG decided to keep both the headphone jack and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. This should not really come as a surprise since it seems that the ultrasonic scanners are not ready just yet for primetime. I’m expecting to see this come alongside the LG G8 ThinQ.

As has been the case with the LG “V” series, the V40 also sports an improved Quad DAC. Doing so will make the V40 ThinQ the ‘de-facto’ device for the audiophiles out there who want the best music experience on the go.

One of the more interesting features of the LG G7 ThinQ is making its return on the V40 ThinQ. The company again has implemented the dedicated Google Assistant button on the frame.

This will bring up Assistant whenever you push it, while also being able to take advantage of Google Lens.

Pricing and availability

LG continues the trend of ultra-premium devices. The V40 will range anywhere from $900 to almost $1,000 depending on where you pick it up. Here’s how the cost breaks down for each carrier:

  • AT&T: $950
  • Sprint: $960
  • T-Mobile: $920
  • US Cellular: $900
  • Verizon: $980

Most, if not all, of these carriers, offer two-year interest-free financing that will leave you paying between $35 and $40 a month. Pre-orders kick off on October 12, with the phone showing up in stores on October 19.

Are you going to pick up an LG V40 ThinQ? Why or why not? Let us know down in the comments.

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