Samsung this week unveiled a pair of new mid-range phones. The two devices that come to replace last year’s Galaxy J3 (2017) and Galaxy J7 (2017) will go on sale in the US starting early June.
While the Korean company says the new J3 (2018) and J7 (2018) come with stunning displays, great cameras and great long-lasting batteries, in-depth details about the two handsets are quite scarce.
We’re told the Galaxy J3 features a 5-inch HD display that’s perfect for watching movies and TV shows. While the Galaxy J7 takes advantage of a larger 5.5-inch display, which is probably AMOLED, given that last year’s model had one of those.
The phones will go on sale later this month
Samsung also shared some details about the cameras. The lower-end model packs an 8-megapixel (f/1.9) rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel (f/2.2) front-facing camera. It’s nothing to write home about, but hopefully, you’ll be able to take a few decent shots.
The J7 (2018) includes a superior 13-megapixel (f/1.7) camera on the rear and a 13-megapixel (f/1.9) selfie-shooter on the front. Samsung notes that both are engineered for low-light environments in order to produce decent results when shooting in restaurants or at concerts.
Finally, both smartphones come with Samsung Knox on board for enhanced security. The feature helps users keep personal and professional data separate. Essentially, you get the benefits of using a “work phone” without the need of carrying around an additional device.
Samsung doesn’t mention anything about the processor, RAM or storage. The press release does, however, indicate the two phones will come with microSD card slot. Last year’s Galaxy J7 bundled an Exynos 7870 octa-core processor together with 3GB of RAM and 16GB. If this year, the Galaxy J7 (2018) will bring 4GB of RAM and more storage, it remains to be seen.
The phones should hit retail shelves soon and we’ll let you know when that happens.
AT&T recently announced a BOGO deal on the LG V35 ThinQ for Father’s Day. But if you think your dad would prefer LG’s notchy flagship instead, you might want to turn your attention to Verizon.
For a limited time, you’ll be able to pick up one of these top Android phones and get one for free.
Verizon’s BOGO deal includes:
LG G7 ThinQ
Samsung Galaxy S9
Google Pixel 2
Moto Z2 Force
The LG G7 ThinQ is the most recent flagship, launching only a few weeks ago. In contrast, the Moto Z2 Force will get a refresh soon.
Note that in order to take advantage of the deal, you’ll have to buy both smartphones with a new line of service. The amount of device credit you get back for the second device will depend on which manufacturer you’re buying from. So if you’re buying the Galaxy S9 you’ll receive $799, but if you’re ordering the Pixel 2 you’ll get back $649.
LG G7 ThinQ
The credit will be applied as a bill credit to your account over the course of 24 months, which means you’ll be stuck at Verizon for two years.
Alternatively, you can buy other flagship phones and get a discount towards the purchase of a second phone. For example, if you choose the Galaxy S9 Plus you’ll get $799.99 off either the Galaxy S9 Plus or the regular Galaxy S9. The Pixel 2 XL, Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30 are also included in this part of the promotion.
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
Verizon’s BOGO deal for Father’s Day also extends to some iPhone models. So for a limited time, you can buy the iPhone 8, iPhone 8+ or iPhone X and get $699 off the second iPhone 8, 8+ or X.
In case you’re still undecided about what to get the big guy this year, we also have a tech gift guide for Father’s Day that might give you an idea or two.
If you picture “Bluetooth speaker” in your brain, you are almost certain to conjure up a very plain black or very very dark gray brick, with a perforated front and near-invisible control buttons. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of these clone-like bricks in the market. Heck, I have at least three of them in the house as I type this. But, I’ve been given the opportunity to try out a speaker from BenQ; the treVolo S.
If you’re familiar with BenQ, you know their wheelhouse is high-quality projectors and displays. Seems that BenQ wanted to put their unique spin on a speaker….and boy did they ever! The treVolo S is a very high-quality electrostatic speaker… easily the most unique in the market- and honestly, the most popular speaker in our house. It’s not cheap, but as you’ll find, every part of this speaker sings quality. It currently retails for $199 (link to the Amazon listing here).
Body & Design
Starting with looks, the treVolo S is unlike any speaker before it. The highs and mid-range are provided by impossibly-looking thin “wings”, which fold out from the main body for listening. These super-thin speakers are not built like traditional cone speakers but are in fact, electrostatic speakers.
Electrostatic technology makes this speaker unique.
OK, so what on earth is an electrostatic speaker??? This was my question exactly, and if you have even a little bit of nerd blood in you, it’s actually pretty cool science. Instead of the traditional magnet-driven vibrating cone, electrostatic speakers are comprised of a very thin membrane sandwiched between two plates. For audio, electrical current is passed through this membrane, causing the vibrations.
The woofer section in the main center body is comprised of two 12W woofers (each driven by a dedicated amplifier). The front woofer grilles stand out with bold large-perf faces rimmed with a very handsome copper trim. On the sides the body has more integral perforations for passive bass sound.
Controls are (thankfully) large circular buttons with the familiar icons. There is one extra button on top, titled MODE. This button is to enable what BenQ calls “3D Audio”, cranking up the spacial aura of the sound. BenQ’s goal here is to make the audio more multi-directional, and for the most part it works; more on this farther below. The backside has a microUSB charging port and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Controls are simple and easy to figure out.
The wife and kiddos just love the looks of the speaker. The kiddos argue who gets to use it, mostly because of the novel aesthetic. My wife (Hi Lisa!) thinks it’s the most handsome speaker available, and requests it front-and-center in our kitchen/entertaining area (a statement that’s never been previously made in this house). It’s replaced the aging Big Jambox as the ‘main’ house speaker. I can’t argue that point, either; it’s a conversation-starter but not in a weird “what is that?!” way.
Audio Experience
As I stated before, the Trevolo S is uber-popular at our house, and in my opinion is simply the best Bluetooth speaker experience I’ve ever had. It’s mainly a story of quality over quantity here.
Backside of the speaker.
While most other speakers are carrying on about their volume and super-duper bass output, the Trevolo S focuses on audio quality. The electrostatic speakers make much less distortion than traditional speakers. So much so I’ve kinda fallen for the audio delivered by this speaker. It’s a bit hard to explain, but while most speakers have a boom-y sound effect, the sound profile of the Trevolo S is just so much much more clear. Actually, clear doesn’t cut it- transparent is more like it. There is almost zero hum, buzz, for fuzz coming through — just extremely clean, pure music.
Playing tunes while working around the house, I physically stopped to listen closer more than once. Familiar songs came through on another level, almost like when you hear a band live for the first time.
I know I’m gushing a bit, but let me be clear here that these are uncompensated words of mine, here. The treVolo S is my favorite Bluetooth speaker; one truly deserving of its elevated price point.
What Could Be Better
Now, every speaker is a compromise. And the treVolo S doesn’t escape this truism. While a lot of music types truly shine on this speaker, more bass-heavy genres (hard rock, metal, hip-hop) will suffer a bit here. There just isn’t enough output to match the loud hard-hitting music.
As for volume, two 12W woofers it has, but when you crank it up, the audio quantity starts to flatten out pretty fast. This speaker is best used for normal-level listening habits.
treVolo S: Not exactly a party animal.
Physically, while certainly pretty, The treVolo S is not best used as a portable sound unit. The fold-able electrostatic wings infer portability, but they are not robust enough to be used for this purpose (my opinion here). Also, the tall, skinny profile of this speaker makes for a top-heavy thing….so much so that I keep it up high in the house for fear of tipping incidents. It certainly doesn’t seem like it would take a whole lot to topple it.
While it offers multi-speaker stereo mode (dedicated left & right channel function) and party mode (multi-speaker broadcasting), and while these are great features, most of us just aren’t going to be shelling out for multiple units of this speaker, so it’s fairly moot.
Conclusion
I can’t recommend it as a portable/traveling companion, but this is perfectly okay as I don’t think BenQ is fooling anyone here. This speaker belongs front-and-center on your shelf, table, or bedroom dresser.
Other than that, and the higher-than-normal price for a Bluetooth speaker, I have nothing but positive things to say about the BenQ treVolo S. Between its beautiful looks, solid construction, ease of use, and top-notch audio experience, it will appeal to most if not all of your household for daily use.
Welcome to the latest episode of the AndroidGuys Audio Experience! For today we’ve tackled the new Android P Developer Preview update, how Honor is looking for an edge, the first smartwatch from fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and the Moto Z3 Play.
It’s our goal to keep these podcasts short but there’s a reason we lovingly refer to it as “The 15-minute podcast that’s never 15 minutes”. We hope you enjoy the show!
Other news to know
The Verizon Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are finally getting an update. After several false starts, the fantastic phones from 2016 will finally be updated to Android Oreo. The update was previously pulled with no mention of when a fix might be issues. Now, we’re seeing support documents go up on Verizon’s website which indicates the software update is incoming. Unfortunately, users will be on an outdated April security patch, but at least it’s an update of some sort!
Essential owners can now get the latest Android P beta. Andy Rubin’s company is now rolling out Android P Beta 1. The name is different, but it’s the exact same software experience the Android Developer Preview Beta 2 that was released yesterday to Pixel owners. The update brings a new security patch, adaptive battery options, and more.
The special edition OnePlus 6 in Silk White sold out in under a day. The White with Gold time version of the device was put on sale yesterday and sold out quickly. But, fear not, it’ll be back soon. OnePlus announced a limited amount of the beautiful budget flagship will be available on June 12.
Looking for a new phone? We’ve just released our Best Flagship Phones list for June. Check it out here!
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You can download or subscribe to the podcasts wherever you normally find your favorite shows. For your convenience, you can also click the links below.
2018 has not been kind to Chinese OEM’s such as Huawei and ZTE. Huawei was ready to launch a new device with carrier partnerships. Then, pressure from the US Government pushed those carriers to back out of deals
On the ZTE front, the company was temporarily banned from selling its handsets in the US. A recent partnership has seen ZTE pay a $1 billion fine, while also replacing its entire Board of Directors.
Now it seems that the US Government, primarily Congress, has its sights set on Google. This is due to the fact that Google holds a license agreement with Huawei.
TheWall Street Journalreports that there Congress plans to “voice displeasure over Google’s continued partnership with Huawei”. The displeasure comes after Google opted to not renew a Department of Defense contract.
That contract was based on Project Maven, which was a cooperation between Google and the Pentagon. Google has since ceased working on that project once the contract is up in 2019.
There are many concerns from the US Government over privacy and security threats. In fact, a letter was sent to Google’s parent company, Alphabet, that claim deals “raise serious national security concerns”.
While it seems that ZTE has worked through its qualms with the US Government, Huawei is next. While it’s unlikely that anything major comes of these accusations, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
We want to know what you think about this new national security saga. Do you think that Congress should be meddling with these various deals? Or do you think that the companies should be able to operate without any issue.
Matt and Andrew take on the BlackBerry Key2, the new smartphone just announced from TCL. What makes it so special, if anything at all? Where does it fit in the scheme of other devices? Tune in to find out!
BlackBerry’s newest smartphone creation, the KEY2 just went official during an event hosted today in New York.
The new device, which is said to be the most advanced BlackBerry smartphone to date, mixes together iconic BlackBerry features with new experiences.
The KEY2 builds on the previous KEYone’s design, but brings subtle refines in order to offer a more premium look and feel.
Evolved looks
Commencing at the front, the glass panel now extends all the way to the very top of the smartphone. The large metal bezel that was present on last year’s model has been removed and BlackBerry calls this “continuous frame design”.
There’s also a new diamond pattern on the back, instead of the soft touch rear of the previous KEYone, which contributes to the overall premium feel of the new device. Most importantly, BlackBerry has updated the design of its iconic keyboard, which sits below the 4.5-inch display.
The company says that key height on the KEY2 has been increased with 20% in order to make typing more comfortable and accurate. The biggest difference is the inclusion of a new key consisting of nine dots spread out in three rows. BlackBerry has named it the Speed Key and its purpose is to enable shortcut access to a number of functions.
The Speed Key offers 52 shortcuts so you can easily access things like frequently used apps, calling a favorite contact and more.
The evolved keyboard also acts like a trackpad for quickly scrolling through emails and web pages. It also supports flick typing using predictive text.
BlackBerry notes the phone also takes advantage of an enhanced Convenience Key, which makes it easier to access most-used apps with custom profiles for at home, in the car or on the go.
What’s on the inside
For those who were hoping BlackBerry was going to release a true flagship this year, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Unfortunately, the phone relies on a Snapdragon 660, a mid-range octa-core processor clocked at 2.2 GHz and not on a Snapdragon 845. On the bright side of things, you’ll get 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable up to 256GB).
Things are more exciting in the camera department. The KEY2 is the first BlackBerry phone to offer dual 12-megapixel cameras on the back with improved image stabilization. There’s also Portrait Mode and Optical Superzoom Mode.
Like all BlackBerry smartphones before it, the KEY2 includes loads of security and privacy features. It comes preinstalled with DTEK by BlackBerry, an app that provides you with a dashboard look at your device’s security. The service can monitor apps and allows you control how they interact with the device and tracks apps over time alerting you in case they access your location, camera and more.
Another feature, Locker has been greatly improved on the KEY2 giving you better control of your content. It offers features like private folders so that your data doesn’t get uploaded into the cloud. Firefox Focus by Mozilla, a private web browser is also included by default.
Last but not least, the new BlackBerry KEY2 arrives with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and offers integrated Google Lens and Google Assistant functionality.
Availability
For those interested, BlackBerry says the phone will go on sale later this month for $649. You’ll be able to pick it up in full Black or with Silver accents.
If you’re in New York and curious about the new phone, BlackBerry will let you test it in their pop-up showroom. The event will be opened Friday, June 8 until Saturday, June 9 between 10 am and 7 pm.
If you ever needed proof that technology and services are getting more affordable over time, this offering would have to be on your shortlist.
Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) TextNow announced this week a new unlimited data plan that costs only $39.99/month. It’s perhaps the most affordable single-line unlimited option available on the market right now.
In order to jump on board with the new offering, you will need an unlocked Sprint or GSM phone and TextNow’s free SIM card. If you use a Sprint device, you’ll be on Sprint’s network, while GSM phone users will be on a third-party carrier, which is most likely T-Mobile.
TextNow gives you unlimited data on the cheap
The plan itself is pretty standard. It includes calls, texts and high-speed data. Like usual, there’s a data cap, which in the case of TextNow is set to 23GB/month. Once you burn through it, your speed will be reduced.
What’s more, TextNow also offers a Family Plan which includes three lines of unlimited LTE data for only $100 per month. This means you’ll be paying $29.99 for an additional line.
On top of the new unlimited plan, TextNow also offers three other plans:
Talk and Text only – $9.99/month includes unlimited talk and text to USA and Canada, but not data.
2GB LTE with unlimited talk and text in USA and Canada – $19.99/month
5GB LTE with unlimited talk and text in USA and Canada – $29.99/month
So if you think you don’t need more than 5GB of data each month, you’ll can save even more.
For more info on TextNow’s new unlimited plan, check the official website.
The company got its start in 2009 as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) app that provided users with a US phone number for calling and texting over Wi-Fi. Four years later, the service bloomed into a fully-fledged MVNO.
Right on schedule, Google this week released the second beta version of Android P for Pixel owners. It comes bundling the final APIs and updated SDK, so developers can start readying their apps for Android P.
The Android P beta 2 arrives as an OTA update if you’re already running the first beta on your Pixel device. You can also flash the factory image if your Pixel has an unlocked bootloader. Partner OEMs that are part of the Android P beta program will start rolling out the second beta in the coming weeks.
What’s new in the second Android P beta?
The new beta introduces multi-camera APIs, which should let phone stream from two different physical cameras at the same time. This will allow developers to enable a bunch of cool features such as seamless zoom, stereo vision, and portrait mode.
Adaptive Battery and app actions both harness the power of machine learning for different reasons. The latter uses it to prioritize system resources for the apps you care most about, while the former employs it o surface apps at the right time, based on the app’s semantic intents and context. Slices surface rich, template content cards when using Google Search and Assistant.
Smart replies are now headed to third-party apps, and the new OS has a system-managed dialogue to prompt users for any supported type of biometric authentication.
The beta also brings 157 new emoji, including a llama, lobster, bagel, superhero and mooncake. Google also made a few changes to some of its existing emoji.
For example, it took out the egg in the salad emoji to make it vegan. On top of that, there’s also gender-neutral options for family and couple-in-love emoji.
Keep in mind that while any Pixel owner can install the new beta, Google points out that the devices could become unresponsive as a result. What’s more, users might have to deal with slow and janky performance from time to time, while battery life could also take a hit.
If that’s not enough, any NFC capabilities will not work, Bluetooth playback will become unstable, and those with synced devices might not be able to lower or raise the volume on their phone.
Knowing all this, if you still want to get the Android P developer preview beta 2 on your Pixel, you can do so via OTA update of flashing the factory image. Follow the links below to do so. They contain precise instructions on how to install the new build.
Tomorrow on June 7, BlackBerry Mobile will take the stage in New York to unveil its latest effort the BlackBerry KEY2.
This is the sequel of the BlackBerry KeyONE which launched last year and even though it didn’t sell in millions, the phone earned some praise.
BlackBerry KEY2 will go official tomorrow, June 7
The BlackBerry KEY2 launch event is scheduled to kickoff at 10 am EDT. You can join BlackBerry and watch the event live, as it will be streamed via the company’s YouTube channel. Just follow the link embedded below at the right time.
So what should we expect? The leaked images we’ve seen so far make the KEY2 look like a refined version of the KeyONE with a slightly more spacious keyboard layout.
Obviously, the trademark keyboard represents the highlight of the device. While the keys themselves remain largely the same compared to last year’s model, there’s one extra button consisting of nine dots spread out in three rows. This might be a new multitasking button, although this is just speculation at this point. But we’ll know the whole story tomorrow, as BlackBerry unveils the phone.
While design changes on the KEY2 appear to be minimal, the phone does bring a significant improvement. Specifically, it’s the first BlackBerry phone to feature a dual-camera setup. According to rumors, it consists of a primary 12-megapixel sensor and a secondary 8-megapixel lens.
Other specs include a Snapdragon 660, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. On the software side, the KEY2 is expected to come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Some special security features will be included as well. ‘
How much will it cost and when will it be available? We don’t know at this point, but these details will be made available tomorrow by the company itself.
If want know everything about the BlackBerry KEY2, don’t forget to tune in tomorrow at 10 am EDT.
