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Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 to take on OnePlus in India

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The Pocophone F1 is the first phone from Xiaomi’s new sub-brand meant to take on OnePlus. It seems rather commonplace in China for big mobile brands to have a sub-brand. Even OnePlus is a sub-brand of OPPO, while Huawei and ZTE have sub-brands as well.

While the Pocophone F1 hasn’t launched officially yet but that hasn’t stopped people from getting their hands on it early before the event on August 22. There are even videos on YouTube of it being unboxed.

Thanks to the unboxing and other leaks, we not only have a great view of the phone but have most of the specs confirmed as well.

Specs

  • 5.99-inch 2246 x 1080 LCD display
  • Snapdragon 845
  • Adreno 630
  • 6GB of RAM
  • 64GB/128GB of storage with microSD card slot
  • 12MP f/1.75 dual lens rear-camera
  • 20MP f/2.0 front-facing camera
  • 4000mAh battery
  • Android 8.1 Oreo

On paper, the Pocophone F1 is a powerhouse ready to take on the OnePlus 6 and any other flagship out this year. It even includes the trendy notch display with a large chin like most other 2018 flagships. Other features include an IR face unlock, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5, headphone jack, and quick charge 3.0.

Availability and Price

Besides India, it is not yet clear where else the Pocophone F1 might launch. It is very possible Xiaomi would also offer it in Europe considering some European bloggers and journalists have already gotten them. Whether or not Xiaomi expands the Poco brand even further remains to be seen.

Pricing so far isn’t official but Roland Quandt of WinFuture tweets that the 6GB/64GB model will be priced at 420 Euros and 460 Euros for the 6GB/128GB model. With those prices converted that comes to $478 or Rs 33,500 for the 6GB/64GB model and $523 or Rs 36,700 for the 6GB/128GB version. A subsequent tweet from Roland put the pricing even lower at 390 Euros.

We’ll have to wait till August 22 to find out the official pricing and availability. However, if the price is in the market of what has been leaked it would be a steal for this phone.

What is a YouTube Signature Device and what phones are certified?

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If you’ve never heard of a YouTube signature device until the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch, then you’re not alone. For many of us, that was the first time we ever heard of this certification. Join us as we dive deeper into what exactly a YouTube signature device is and what devices are currently certified.

What is a YouTube Signature Device?

In short, it is a device which has been certified by YouTube to provide you with the best video quality and fastest load times on YouTube. Breaking it down further, YouTube tests the devices to make sure that they meet these specific qualifications.

HDR Video

HDR video playback certification ensures that your phone can display a greater dynamic range for videos that support it. Meaning simply that you will be able to view more detail in the highlights and the shadows of the video. It also provides you with more vivid true-to-life colors.

360° Video

Support for 360° videos that allow you to look up, down, and all around you. Whether you’re controlling it with your finger or a VR headset, YouTube Signature Devices are certified to immerse you in the scene.

4K Video

As 4K TVs and video cameras are becoming more prevalent so are the videos. Any phone that has undergone YouTube Signature Device certification has been tested to guarantee it can decode and play 4K videos. You’ll have no worries about watching all your favorite content with crystal clear clarity.

High Frame Rate

Videos shot in high frame rates appear smoother to the naked eye and are very useful for high action situations such as sports. In the case of YouTube Signature Devices, this covers any videos that are greater than 60 frames per second.

Next Generation Codecs

Video codecs are used to compress video files making them smaller and easier to transport faster over the internet. The higher the compression the smaller the file and the more advanced the codec the smaller the file can be while retaining higher quality.

The qualifications for a 2019 YouTube Signature Device requires hardware with the ability to decode the VP9 profile 2 codec. Use of the VP9 profile 2 codec allows for you to stream high-quality video with up to 30% less bandwidth.

Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management or DRM is a form of copy protection used to protect media from being shared or stolen. While YouTube is mainly a free or ad-supported platform, they also provide services for renting and purchasing videos as well as the YouTube TV service. All signature devices must be compliant with DRM protection.

What Devices are Supported?

Google

  • Pixel 2
  • Pixel 2 XL

HTC

  • U12+

Huawei

  • Mate 10 Pro

LG

  • G7 ThinQ
  • V30

Nokia

  • Nokia 8 Sirocco

OnePlus

  • OnePlus 6

Samsung

  • Galaxy S8
  • Galaxy S8 Plus
  • Galaxy Note 8
  • Galaxy S9
  • Galaxy S9 Plus
  • Galaxy Note 9

Sony

  • Xperia XZ2
  • Xperia XZ2 Compact
  • Xperia XZ2 Premium

Xiaomi

  • Mi 8
  • Mi Mix 2S

More Coming in the Future

At this time the total includes 19 YouTube Signature Devices in total. One glaring omission you might have noticed is the iPhone. Apple devices don’t support the VP9 profile 2 codec and as such cannot be YouTube Signature Device certified. However, this list can grow over time as YouTube provides a link to a form for manufacturers to request their devices be certified.

The current qualifications are specified for the year 2019. As time goes on, there will certainly be advancements in technology and the requirements are sure to evolve with those advancements.

HTC’s next smartphone in the U12 series might not be made by HTC itself

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It’s no secret that HTC’s smartphone business has been struggling for years. The company’s latest flagship, the U12+ hasn’t done much to turn things around and in July, the phone maker was forced to lay off 1,500 workers in its manufacturing unit in Taiwan.

You’ve probably heard that HTC is preparing to launch a new budget phone called the U12 Life (Imagine Life). Well, as a result of these job cuts, it seems that HTC won’t be actually making this phone. It will just carry its name.

The HTC U12 Life might not be made by HTC

A reliable leaker this week released the information according to which the U12 Life will be made by a separate ODM. An original design manufacturer is a company that designs and manufactures a product, as specified, that is then rebranded by another firm for sale. If you need a real-life example, think of what HMD has done with Nokia.

This is not a first for HTC, who used to outsource the production of several Desire models in the past. But the big difference here is that the HTC U12 Life is part of the flagship U12 series and not just a standard mid-range.

Although if we look at the rumored specs, the HTC U12 Life does seem to fit right into mid-range parameters. Unless it ends up borrowing some premium features from its more advanced U12+ brother like Edge Sense.

Last year’s HTC U11 Life

According to the leaks we’ve seen so far, the U12 Life will come equipped with a 6-inch FHD+ resolution display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The handset will rely on a Snapdragon 636 processor, backed up by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (microSD card slot included).

On the back, the device will have a dual camera setup with 16MP+5MP sensors, phase detection autofocus and 4K video. As for selfies, customers will get a 13-megapixel front-facing camera.

A 3,600 mAh battery will round-up the package. Unfortunately, the device is rumored to launch with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and not Android Pie.

Sprint and LG partner up to release the first 5G smartphone in the US

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The era of 5G smartphones is coming. And Sprint seems to be determined to be a leader in this approaching age.

America’s fourth-biggest carrier just announced it has parented up with LG to bring US customers their first 5G phone. The device is scheduled to land on the market in the first half of 2019. Following the launch of Sprint’s 5G network at the beginning of the year.

Sprint’s initial 5G markets include Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City and Houston. Which were chosen due to their high traffic and their spectrum holdings.

The press release doesn’t shed much light on additional details regarding the smartphone. Sprint only says the LG device will be a beautifully-designed advanced 5G smartphone capable of offering blazing fast speed and ultra-reliable wireless.

Sprint wants to give the US its first 5G smartphone

The handset will be able to complete full-length HD movie downloads within seconds rather than minutes. On top of that, we can expect it to play graphics-heavy videos and high-speed games without the usual hiccups.

Sprint’s director of product development John Tudhope also revealed the LG phone will be compatible with T-Mobile, but only on the carrier’s existing 4G network (via Reuters).

The price of the phone and the exact launch date will be announced at a later date, the press release said.

Sprint and T-Mobile are currently working to persuade antitrust regulators to approve their merger, which would combine the nation’s fourth-largest and third-largest wireless carriers, respectively.

The deal would give the resulting company control over 100 million customers, edging out AT&T’s 93 million and putting it within striking distance of Verizon’s 116 million subscriber base.

It’s unclear at this point, whether the merger will happen in time for the upcoming 5G revolution. One thing’s for sure though, 5G smartphones are just around the corner!

Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless High-End Over-Ear Headphones Review

A bit ago, we looked at a new initiative by the high-end headphone maker, Beyerdynamic. Its lack of wireless options began to be addressed with the Aventho Wireless, which we deemed a thoroughly premium and well-performing on-ear. But a hole was left for folks who prefer the over-ear flavor. That’s now filled with the new Amiron Wireless.

We’re a little thrown off by the naming convention, having expected the “Aventho” name to become the company’s new wireless series. Maybe the fact that they both start with the letter “A” shows implies some relation. Similarly, the headphones don’t share much in the way of design, but can still be considered brothers. Anyway, with the Amiron’s considerable price tag pitting it for the wireless headphone top spot, we’re most interested in if it can deliver. Let’s find out.

Design

Beyerdynamic Amiron HeadphonesPortability is inherent in wireless tech, and therefore, such headphones make an extra effort to be compact and lightweight. The Amiron, on the other hand, didn’t get the memo. Its footprint is burly like that of Beyerdynamic’s classic over-ear headphones. We’re talking about imposingly-sized ear cups/pads, thick headband, and maybe what will be of most contention, no fold-ability.

You’ll see a consequence of that last point when you pull the product out of the box. The carrying case supplied with it is bulkier than we imagine most users would want to commute with. The more we tour the Amiron, the more we believe Beyerdynamic’s purpose for them was in-home or in-office listening, rather than on-the-go. This is evident from its stout 380 g weight as well.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Headphones
Beyerdynamic’s hard, zipper case is constructed well but imposing.

Beyerdynamic owns the fact when it comes to design. It feels as brawny and sturdily constructed from every angle. Although, the materials aren’t quite what we’d expect from a $700 headphone. Except for the metal ear cup stems, we feel plastic throughout. Granted, it’s a very slick, smooth, and sophisticatedly finished plastic (ceramic-like in feel). But it’s still apparently hard plastic, and the structural elements, like the stem hinges and headband caps, have the slight plastic-y creak to them. We aren’t doubting that they’ll stand the test of time; this is more of an evaluation of the “premium” aesthetic of an expensive device.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Headphones
The headphone’s exterior features bunched on the right ear cup.

As for features, the expected elements of a wireless over-ear are present. The physical interfaces are bunched towards the bottom of the right ear cup: power button (which is transparent to show the blue/red status LED underneath), charging port (kudos to Beyerdynamic for using the current USB-C standard), and 3.5 mm jack for optional wired listening. That’s not all, though. The flat surface of the ear pad is touch sensitive for various playback controls, a design feature that mimics that seen on the preceding Aventho Wireless.

Function

A hefty headphone begs for substantial cushioning, and Beyerdynamic fortunately did not skimp. Both the ear pads and headband are equivalently plump and feel great on the head. The wrappings are a soft fabric rather than leather, making the headphones feel like a pillow encompassing your head. The design successful in making you forget about the heft, and instead, relax in comfort.

The thick ear pads also make noise isolation above average. These headphones are wireless but not noise-canceling, so this important attention to detail is appreciated.

Getting started with the Amiron is as easy as should be. Long press the power button and the headphones will first boot in pairing mode (flashing the LED blue and red). Then find it in your device’s Bluetooth settings and get playing. You’ll get a vocal indication of battery percentage level at each startup.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Headphones
Just like the Aventho Wireless, the playback control is via an inconspicuous touchpad.

The touchpad gesture controls aren’t nearly as simple to figure out. The touch response works great, but you’ll have to refer to the manual to learn all the maneuvers. You will catch some of the essentials by sliding your finger across: swiping left and right switches the track, while up and down adjusts the volume. And then double-tapping is how you play/pause the audio.

A cool feature that Beyerdynamic has developed for its flagship wireless headphones is sound-personalization software. With the Amiron (Aventho too), you can utilize the company’s MIY app, which runs you through a hearing test in order to tune the output for your specific ears. It’s a neat effort and improves your audio in a more calculated way than just the user making manual adjustments.

As for the performance of the Amiron as a wireless headphone, it is rock solid. That is, the battery life has about 30-hour endurance, and the Bluetooth connection was faultless in our usage.

Sound

Like the Aventho, Beyerdynamic makes the Amiron Wireless able to accept the higher fidelity aptX HD transmission. For a “HiFi” wireless headphone, we wouldn’t expect to see anything less. That said, at this price range, we would’ve liked to see support for LDAC as well. Sony has the footing on wireless audio bandwidth. Specifically, we’re talking about aptX HD’s 576 kbps vs LDAC’s 990 kbps channel, not a small difference.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Headphones
The aptX HD-enabled Amiron Wireless and LG G7 the perfect match.

Still, upon first listen, we’re immediately hit with an exceptionally detailed sound (relative to other wireless headphones). A lot what we liked about the Aventho’s signature is present here, and then some. That is, a notably clean/clear and distinctive delivery throughout and punchy energy. However, it’s important to know that while the Amiron’s quality trumps many of the wireless headphones out there, it does noticeably heed to what would be its wired counterparts. You don’t get micro-details or extension, such that a careful ear would pick up from deep bass or crisp highs. But it gets most of the way there.

Dynamics are the Amiron’s shining quality, right in line with the general benefit of a full-on over-ear headphone. That is, you get an expanded space around your head, where instruments can display spatial distinction. The Amiron well defines these elements, capable of delivering encompassing symphony that you can get lost in. The crispness from cymbals crash with echoing range and boom of the bass skillfully expands in all directions without overtaking any range.

With all this said, it’s not the widest or airiest delivery. Granted, closed-back headphones can’t compete with their more spacious open-back counterparts. But even compared to its own class (especially price class), it’s fairly average, making this part of the Amiron’s sound our least favorite.

Final Thoughts

Beyerdynamic Amiron Headphones

The Amiron Wireless is no doubt a solid wireless headphone. We love the sophisticated look, extra comfy padding, high-res wireless playback, and the notably dynamic and crisp sound. But we can’t ignore that steep $700 asking price, which shines the light on its imperfections. The headphones overwhelming footprint is kind of counter-intuitive for a wireless “mobile” device. While its build is nice on the surface, in-hand it doesn’t quite feel the price. Lastly, the sound is very much that of a closed-back headphone, not making a valiant effort to past the boundaries like some others.

Qualcomm announces the new high-tier Snapdragon 670

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The new Snapdragon 670 represents a strong push by Qualcomm to bring a little feature parity between its Premium (800 series) and High (600-series) tier phones. In the past, the 800-series has always gotten the latest and greatest features, while the 600 series was left in the dark with older ones.

The 670, however is quite the beast. Its Cryo 360 CPU features two performance cores (rated at 2.2GHz) and six efficiency cores (rated at 1.7GHz), for a total of eight cores at 2.0GHz. That’s not quite as powerful as an 800-series processor, but it is 15% faster than the next-best 600-series one. The 670 should see improved graphical processing as well, with an Adreno 615 GPU.

The 670 also features Bluetooth 5, Quick Charge 4+, and a Hexagon 685 AI chip, all cutting-edge specifications normally seen on a higher-tier processor. It also includes support for  a 16MP dual-sensor camera or 25MP single-sensor camera, and a 30% reduction in power demands for those sensors. Finally, the Snapdragon 670 features an improved X12 LTE modem, supporting download speeds of up to 600Mbps.

According to Qualcomm:

The Snapdragon 670 Mobile Platform is the latest addition to the family, and is engineered to deliver cutting-edge technologies to mainstream smartphone buyers who want to make the most of what their Snapdragon-powered device has to offer.

Here at Qualcomm Technologies, we’re developing breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects and communicates, and the Snapdragon 670 Mobile Platform is no exception. By using premium technologies typically found in higher-tier processors, the platform is optimized to bring flagship features to more people. It’s a win for everyone — from OEMs to users — and it opens the doors for further innovation that benefits the mobile industry.

Look for the phones featuring the Snapdragon 670 coming later this year, perhaps as soon as this fall in the States. We’ll keep you informed, as always!

Do smartphone processors confuse the hell out of you? Check out our Guide to Snapdragon processors to see the differences between them.

Smartphone glass types compared (Updated 08/2018)

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Updated 8/13/2018 with Gorilla Glass 6

Original Equipment Manufacturers, or OEMs, use a number of different kinds of materials to make smartphone glass. Not to be confused with the tech inside of the displays, we’re referring to the actual glass that covers them.

Most modern smartphones feature some sort of toughened glass face, the most common of which is Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Less common is the Japanese-made Asahi Dragontrail glass; rarer still is a coating that’s not glass at all, but Sapphire.

Aside from materials, there are also varying structures of glass. While smartphones used to use a typical pane (2D) of glass, we are more commonly seeing curved screens (3D, like on the Samsung Galaxy Edge series) and flat screens with curved edges (2.5D, like on the V30).

Let’s take a look at the various types of materials used to protect screens on your phones and tablets. We’ll explore some of the differences between them, highlighting some of the most interesting and relevant details.

Corning Gorilla Glass

Gorilla Glass is an alkali-aluminosilicate glass manufactured by the New York-based Corning. Over the last few years it’s become the brand name of display glasses, becoming synonymous with durability of displays. Corning designed Gorilla Glass to be scratch-resistant, drop-resistant, and crystal clear to ensure the best possible picture.

Gorilla Glass 6

Gorilla Glass 6 is an entirely new glass composition that can be chemically strengthened to give it significantly higher levels of compression than is possible with Gorilla Glass 5. This enables Gorilla Glass 6 to be more resistant to damage,” said Dr. Jaymin Amin, vice president of technology and product development, Corning Gorilla Glass and Corning Specialty Materials. “Moreover, with breaks during drops being a probabilistic event, the added compression helps increase, on average, the likelihood of survival through multiple drop events.

  • Announced: July 2018
  • Application: Smartphones, tablets, laptops
  • Hardness: Unannounced

While Gorilla Glass 6 has been announced, we don’t have any laboratory-level testing for it yet. It’s only been confirmed on one phone (the Oppo r15) thus far, and none in the US, but we’ll keep our eyes out for more. If the press release from Corning is any indication, Gorilla Glass 6 should be the biggest improvement in smartphone glass yet. Corning boasts that Gorilla Glass 6 is twice as impervious as Gorilla Glass 5, and can withstand 15 drops of up to 1 meter without damage. We’ll see.

Gorilla Glass SR+

Corning® Gorilla® Glass SR+ is a glass composite designed specifically for wearables that combines the legendary toughness, optical clarity and touch sensitivity of Gorilla Glass with superior scratch resistance approaching that of luxury watch cover materials.

  • Announced: August 2016
  • Application: Smartwatches, wearables
  • Reduces visible scratches
  • 70% better damage resistance over previous generations
  • 5% better optical transmission over previous generations
  • 25% better front surface reflection over previous generations

Gorilla Glass 5

Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 – Corning’s latest glass design was formulated to address breakage – the greatest concern of consumers, according to Corning’s research. The new glass is just as thin and light as previous versions, but has been formulated to deliver dramatically improved damage resistance allowing improved in-field performance. Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 has been tested for performance when subjected to sharp contact damage.

According to Corning, phones with Gorilla Glass 5 can survive drops of up to 1.6 meters. Moreover, its tech can prevent cracks in up to 80% of falls onto extremely hard surfaces from heights of one meter.

  • Announced: July 2016
  • Application: Smartphones, tablets, laptops
  • Hardness: 601-638 kgf/mm2
  • Improved drop performance
  • High retained strength after use
  • High resistance to scratch and sharp contact damage
  • Superior surface quality

Gorilla Glass 4

It was the fourth generation of Corning’s tech where the company decided to tackle the idea of being resistant to drops. Remember the commercials for the Droid Turbo in late 2014? This was the era where the uncrackable glass took off, giving phones a much tougher protection over displays. Twice as strong as its predecessor, it definitely changed the game.

  • Announced: November 2014
  • Application: Smartphones, tablets, laptops
  • Hardness: 489-596 kgf/mm2
  • Enhanced retained strength after use
  • High resistance to scratch and sharp contact damage
  • Improved drop performance
  • Superior surface quality

Asahi DragonTrail Glass

Dragontrail glass, like Gorilla glass, is an alkali aluminosilicate Japan-made by the Asahi Glass Company. The high-end of Dragontrail’s product line, PRO, actually sports a higher hardness rating than Gorilla Glass 5, according to Vickers Hardness rating. It should be noted that Corning and Asahi use different standards to measure drop testing, so it’s hard to compare them side by side.

Dragontrail glass is more common among mid-tier Chinese-manufactured phones, with Western-marketed ones favoring Gorilla Glass.

Dragontrail PRO

  • Announced: September 2016
  • Application: Smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs
  • Hardness: 542-672 kgf/mm2
  • Scratch-resistant, Crack-resistant
  • More high compression stress available
  • Large-size available
  • Various thickness
  • Higher strength than the conventional product

Dragontrail

  • Announced: 2011
  • Application: Smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs
  • Hardness: 595-673 kgf/mm2
  • Scratch-resistant, Crack-resistant
  • High compression stress available
  • Large-size available, Various thickness
  • 6 times stronger than sodalime glass

Sapphire

While there isn’t a “name-brand” manufacturer for Sapphire smartphone glass, it’s relevant enough to mention here. Rather than making a phone’s screen out of glass, as is so common, it’s made of Sapphire – an exceedingly hard (and subsequently brittle) gem. Perhaps the most famous smartphone with a Sapphire display is last year’s special edition HTC U Ultra.

Though it’s extremely scratch-resistant, mitigating the need for a screen-protector, a Sapphire display is also very brittle, and thus prone to shattering on impact. So while a Sapphire coated smartphone display solves one problem – scratches – it makes another one – drops – worse.

2.5D

Sounds like a buzzword, right? Gotta be something some marketing exec made up and slapped on a smartphone’s box, no?

While 2.5D smartphone glass is purely aesthetic and ergonomic in nature, with no real practical application, it does represent a technological process in making great-looking displays.

Samsung’s Galaxy Edge and Note series use 3D glass in which the entire display curves, resulting in curved sensors beneath the glass. On the other hand, 2.5D glass is completely flat on its face.

This allows OEMs to continue to use technology like Corning Gorilla Glass without trouble. The extra 0.5D comes from the curved edges of the display that drape over the edges of the phone, creating the bezel-less appearance that’s so popular these days. You’ll find 2.5D glass on phones like the LG V30 and the Galaxy S series.

Report: Google will continue tracking you, even if you told it not to

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We all know that Google tracks us. But what you don’t know is that the search giant will do so even after you’ve told it not to.

Google does give you the option to turn Location History off. Yet according to a recent paper, this act might not have the intended effect of wiping your tracks completely.

An investigation led by researchers at Princeton Universe and reported by the Associated Press revealed that Google services on Android continue to store location data. Regardless of whether you opted out in privacy settings.

Google has its eyes on you, always

The findings were based on work done by postdoctoral researcher Gunes Acar. He carried an Android phone with Location services turned off while traveling through New York, only to discover that Google was still tracking him the entire time.

The Associated Press included an interactive map which pinpoints exactly where he traveled. What’s more, this information was stored in Acar’s Google account.

The conclusion of the research is that Google continues to track you through services like Google Maps, weather apps and even browsing searches, even if you told it not to. While searching online isn’t directly linked to tracking, it can be used to determine your location and save it to your Google account.

In response to the Associated Press article, Google provided the following statement:

There are a number of different ways that Google may use location to improve people’s experience, including Location History, Web and App Activity, and through device-level Location Services. We provide clear descriptions of these tools, and robust controls so people can turn them on or off, and delete their histories at any time.

Want to prevent Google from really tracking you? There’s a feature for that, although you might not really know it’s there. And surprise-surprise it’s not Location History.

How to keep Google from tracking you

You’ll need to toggle off the “Web and App Activity” option which is enabled by default. On your Android phone to go to Settings>Google>Google account>Data & personalization. Here’s where you will find the Web and App Activity option. This will actually turn off location tracking for good.

What’s confusing is that Web and App Activity sits right above Location History. This suggests the two are different options. What’s more, Google doesn’t mention anything about a location on the Web and App Activity description saying that it:

Saves your activity on Google sites and apps to give you faster searches, better recommendations, and more personalized experiences in Maps, Search and other Google services”.

As you can see, it quite hard to determine that something called Web and App Activity is actually in charge of controlling Google’s collection of location data.

Project Fi is offering $200 off the Pixel 2 XL and deals on Moto and LG phones

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Google’s back to school sale isn’t the only way to get a deal on a Pixel 2 XL. Starting August 12 until the 31 Project Fi has some discounts for you as well. Starting with the Pixel 2 XL, LG G7 ThinQ, LG V35 ThinQ, and Moto G6 for some pretty steep discounts.

Pixel 2 XL

The Pixel 2 XL is still one of the best Android phones around and one of the few running the official release of Android Pie. The $200 discount through Project Fi is for all current and new customers. With the discount, this effectively drops the price of the 64GB model to $649 and $749 for the 128GB model. However, it will require you to activate a line within 30 days or your account will be charged the additional $200 and is limited to 1 per customer.

LG G7 ThinQ and LG V35 ThinQ

For this pair of LG phones, Project Fi is offering a bill credit of up to $899 when you purchase two of them. You can purchase two G7 ThinQ, two V35 ThinQ, or mix and match. However, the bill credit will be for the amount of the cheapest phone. In order to receive the credit, both phones must be activated on the shared group plan within 60 days of purchase. They must also remain active for 30 consecutive days, only then will you begin to receive the bill credits.

Moto G6

The Moto G6 is one of the best budget phones around and with this Project Fi deal you can snag it for $50 off. In this case, just as with the LG phone deal, the discount comes in the form of a bill credit. The Moto G6 must also be activated within 30 days of purchase and remain active for 30 consecutive days before you’ll receive your credit.

If you’re interested, you might want to jump on these deals quickly. Even though they run through August 31 the terms also state they are only good while supply lasts.

T-Mobile offers a free network trial in select locations across the US

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Do you live in Boston, MA or Austin, TX or Atlanta, GA? If you do, we have an interesting piece of news to share with you.

T-Mobile is giving you the opportunity to experience its network for free for up to 30 days or up to 30GB of data (whichever comes first).

To take advantage of the offer you will have to sign up online to receive a small trial device that needs to be connected to your phone. There are no additional costs attached to the trial.  Simply use the trial device to experience the T-Mobile network for up to 30GB of LTE data or 30 days. You’ll be able to continue to use your own phone and number. So there’s also no switching involved.

See how it feels to be on T-Mobile by signing-up for a free trial

Once you’ve completed the registration process, you’ll get the trial device mailed to you within 2-days. The trial package includes a SIM card that you need to insert in the trial device.

Keep in mind that once you’ve participated in the network trial, you won’t be eligible to participate again for the next 6 months.

If after the trial is over you find that you’ve enjoyed the experience, simply head out to the local T-Mobile store and join the ranks of Magenta subscribers.

The trial experience is currently available only for residents of Boston, Austin and Atlanta.

T-Mobile says it knows how hard switching can be, which is why it’s offering this network trial to allow people to experience the perks of being on T-Mobile without the hassle.

In related news, T-Mobile will be giving away 9 Galaxy Note 9 smartphones this Thursday. So if you want the chance to win Samsung’s latest flagship, don’t forget to join the sweepstakes.

The Galaxy Note 9 launched a few days ago with monster specs, but also with a beastly price. Which makes winning one even more appealing.