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NeoPen M1/N2 review – expensive and niche, but effective

Donovan Jeska
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Hand-written notes are a chore. I grew up in an era where we still wrote everything on paper, with laptops, tablets, and phones all being cost-prohibitive to bring into the classroom. I’d have killed for a device that would automatically digitize and transcribe my notes, when I was in school. Instead, I’d spend hours manually transcribing my notes at home into the Family Dell. With a gadget like the NeoPen, all that time could’ve been saved. That was a decade and more ago, though. In a world where smartphones, tablets, and laptops follow us literally everywhere, is there a place for a digital, transcribing pen? Read on, dear Android Guys.

Build & Design

NeoLAB clearly did its best to design a smart pen that still feels like a normal ballpoint. And in that, it certainly succeeded; the fiberglass body of the M1 feels no different than any other run-of-the-mill ballpoint pen. And while that may be great for some, I prefer to have a pen that feels like an instrument, rather than a piece of plastic. The N2, however, is an all-aluminum body with real heft that scratches that premium itch.

The M1 comes in five colors: Black, Navy, Grey, Red, or Yellow. All feature rather “loud” secondary accents; red, yellow, neon, white, and brown, respectively. If I had my way, my NeoPen would’ve been matte black aluminum, with no accent colors – fortunately, the N2 delivers on that with either aluminum or black styling.

While the body and design of the M1 are nothing to write home about, it’s very light (17.4g) and durable thanks to its fiberglass construction. Both the M1 and N2 use standard D1 refills, making them cheap and easy to keep filled. Interestingly, the LEDs on the back end of the pens are multicolored, rather than your run of the mill red-green LED. The result is some nifty status indicators and patterns that play for various occasions. It’s a cute touch.

Battery Life

At 280mAh, the internal batteries on NeoLab’s NeoPens are pretty small. As such, they charge quickly (just 90 minutes for a full charge using the MicroUSB port on the back of the pen), but support 6 hours of continuous use or 125 days of standby power. The pen powers on when you remove the cap, and likewise powers off when you re-cap it. Additionally, the pen goes into standby mode when it hasn’t been used for ten seconds – it comes out of standby automatically when you start writing again.

Overall, it should withstand all but the most extreme writing marathons – and even if you manage to kill it, you can just plug it in with any MicroUSB you have laying around. One thing I’d love to see in the next generation of NeoPens is an inductive charger on the side of the pen, similar to a smartwatch – maybe even Qi support. I think that would be pretty cool.

Ncode Tech

Ncoded pages
Each page of a NeoLAB notebook is microprinted with Ncode.

The technology that backs the NeoPen is rather impressive. It’s really two or three pieces of technology that work in perfect sync to deliver on its output. There’s a built-in scanner under the barrel of the pen that scans what you’re writing, as you’re writing it. In addition to scanning your writing, it also reads a micro-printed coding on the NeoLAB notebooks and paper that detects which notebook you’re in, which page of that notebook, and which line on that page. It’s all very, very cool. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use any other kind of paper with the NeoPen if you want it to work properly, but – as we’ll talk about below – there are other options to use your NeoPen.

Writing with a NeoPen

  • Transcription is surprisingly accurate. It gets fooled a little by repetitive or corrective strokes.
  • I’m thoroughly impressed with both the NeoPen and its companion app – it works better than I ever expected, and I can see myself using it to transcribe the hundreds of words I scribble on a daily basis.
  • The companion app allows you to select and edit writing, allowing you to change
    colors, add outlines, or highlight text as you please.
  • It also lets you share your pages in a variety of formats, including bitmap, vector,
    and text.
  • I found myself trusting the Neo Pen more and more, writing more quickly and less carefully, and the M1 warmed to the task.
  • Scratching words of leaves them out of the transcription and the app knows what bullets and hyphens are. It doesn’t, however, detect broken up words on two lines.
  • While transcription is impressive, the NeoNotes app does not give you the option to backup your transcriptions automatically – only by sharing the pages individually to Google Drive, via .txt format. For the NeoPen to truly be a tool to digitize handwritten notes, stories, calendars, etc, it needs to be able to seamlessly transfer that information to a format that’s easily manipulated by the user.
  • While this problem is minimized when using the M1 with a Windows computer – allowing you to copy and paste with impunity – it’s harder when you’re trying to migrate notes and such to a Mac, which does not have a NeoNotes App.

But How Does it Work?

You tell me. The above section was written entirely with the NeoPen M1, exactly as-is – all I did was copy, paste, and format. As you can see, it works pretty well, detecting bullets, hyphens, and non-standard English words.

I’d say 90% of my experience with the M1 has been pleasant. It’s accurate and precise, and its transcriptions are fairly accurate as long as your handwriting isn’t awful. That other 10% was a defective review unit that produced some rather odd results. The replacement unit that NeoLAB sent me, though, works perfectly with no trouble.

By and large, though, that shouldn’t be a problem. In the week I tested the M1, that was the only hiccup I encountered; every other occasion handled like a dream. The pen reliably recreates the notes you write on paper, digitally, and then has the ability to transcribe them.

Transcription

Unfortunately, the transcription is a bit limited right now. The app creates a digital version of your handwritten notes, but it has very limited formatting, sharing and no backup support whatsoever. This can all be fixed via software update of the NeoNotes app, and I hope the functionality is added. Being able to transcribe notes is great, but unless you can actually do something with those notes, it becomes less useful.

What I’d like to see is the ability to backup our notes via Google Drive, in multiple formats; Raster, Vector, Text, and PDF. You can currently share your notes in these formats, why not back them up that way? I reached out to NeoLAB for any comment or insight – I’ll let you know if we hear back from them.Try not to let these samples dissuade you from giving the NeoPen M1 a try. It’s not 100% reliable, but it’s close enough to it that it’s an asset to those that prefer to handwrite notes. For instance, at my day job I don’t have the luxury of using a computer, but I have plenty of downtime to write. As such, the ability to digitize my notes automatically – and transcribe them – is invaluable. It saves time retyping my notes, instead allowing me to simply copy, paste and edit.

UPDATE: Looks like automatic transcription format and upload are planned features, but not on the roadmap for 2018. Shame.

Accessories

NeoLAB has a great selection of notebooks and folios compatible with the M1, including Moleskine – a personal favorite for notebooks. They have college ruled, standard, memo, pocket, planners, and professional – which features a faux leather cover and half-ruled, half-blank pages.

Additionally, NeoLAB designed printable PDFs in various styles to print your own Ncoded pages. There are a lot of formats, including Plain, Grid, Dot, Landscape, Manuscript, Checklist, Cornell, Meeting Minutes, Log Sheet, Letter, A5, and A5 string. Very clever.

While this won’t help you create your own Ncoded Code & Quill notebook (for example) it is nice to know that it’s not a requirement to buy proprietary notebooks in order to use the Neo Pen.

Value

If you hand-write notes frequently, the ability to transcribe them seamlessly and automatically is well worth the $130 (plus notebooks) cost of entry. If you don’t write much by hand, you may find this price tag to be too high. I fall into that former group, so you bet I’ll be using it – and probably investing in one of those fancy leather folios.

With the exception of the error I had earlier, the NeoPens performed admirably. In fact, every word of this review was written with the pen, and then formatted manually. I’d say it cut my writing time in half or so, when compared to manually transcribing.

Where to Buy

NeoPen M1: Amazon (Prime) – $129 | NeoLAB – $103 (on sale as of this writing)

NeoPen N2: Amazon (Prime) – $159  | NeoLAB – $169

What’s the difference: LG G7 ThinQ vs LG G6

Alexandra Arici
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The LG G7 ThinQ is the next big device coming from South Korea today. The new flagship comes to replace the LG G6 and arrives with a host of improvements which LG hopes will help outshine competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the upcoming OnePlus 6.

While Samsung hasn’t much improved the appearance of the Galaxy S9 over the Galaxy S8, the same can be said for the LG G7 ThinQ, which isn’t distinctly different from its predecessor, save for the notch.

Nevertheless, the new phone brings forth some improvements, most tucked deep underneath the hood. But what has changed since the G6?

In this article we take a look at the differences between the two models and try to answer the question: should you upgrade?

But first…

Why the LG G7 ThinQ?

ThinQ is LG’s brand for home appliances, consumer electronics, and services that rely on artificial intelligence. The V30S ThinQ was LG’s first ThinQ mobile device, which was basically a slightly improved V30 with AI camera features.

Now with the LG G7 ThinQ, the Korean tech giant takes the focus on AI to the next level. How? Continue reading to find out.

Design & Display

The LG G6 was among the first smartphones to offer a modern bezel-less display with the new 18:9 aspect ratio. Well, with the new model LG has decided to embrace the new trend Apple’s iPhone X established a few months back.

Unlike the LG G6, the G7 ThinQ comes with a notch. Sure, the display is still flanked by razor-thin bezels, but the presence of the notch on top is the main visual differentiator between the two. LG says the bottom bezel is almost 50% slimmer than the one on the G6.

The G7 boasts a metal frame, a slightly curved glass back and comes in New Platinum Gray, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue or Raspberry colors. And like its predecessor, it’s also IP68 certified. The LG G6 has a similar look, with a slightly curved glass back and metal frame.

Compared with last year’s flagship, the LG G7 ThinQ is a bit taller, but otherwise, it keeps the same width and is just as slim.

  • LG G6 – 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm and 163 g.
  • LG G7 ThinQ – 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9mm and 162 g.

The newcomer is a bit longer because it takes advantage of a 6.1-inch FullVision Super Bright Display with 19:5:9 aspect ratio and 3120 x 1440 resolution. In contrast, the LG G6 boasts a 5.7-inch 18:9 display with 1440 x 2880 resolution.

LG’s new LCD technology will enable users to clearly view the phone’s screen in direct sunlight. This is possible thanks to a brightness of up to 1,000 nits and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

The flagship also packs six different viewing modes including Auto, Eco, Cinema, Sports, Game, and Expert. These can be toggled automatically depending on the content displayed.

As for the notch, LG refers to it as the “new second screen”. That’s because it’s easily customizable, so users can choose to expand it to minimize the bezels. Other options including highlighting it by changing the notification bar to a different color or blacking out the notification bar altogether.

Performance

While last year the LG G6 launched with an older processor on board, this year the company did not make the same mistake. LG had its reasons to opt for the Snapdragon 821, the most important one being trying to beat the Galaxy S8 to the market. In retrospect, this wasn’t the best decision, as the G6 still ended up being grossly overshadowed by Samsung’s flagship.

But this year, the LG G7 ThinQ arrives with the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 on board. The new arrival also starts off with more storage than the G6’s introductory 32GB. The G7 includes 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. While an additional variant dubbed the G7+ will ship out with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Both models include a microSD card slot.

The new G7 is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery. Which is a downgrade considering the G6 came equipped with a 3,300 mAh one. However, the Snapdragon 845 chipset powering the new model is said to be up to 30% more energy efficient. The G7’s display also promise up to 30% power savings.

Battery life was never one of the G6’s strong points, but we’ll have to wait and see how the G7 fairs with real-life usage.

Cameras

The LG G7 ThinQ boasts an upgraded 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front, compared to the G6’s 5-megapixel.

But the biggest improvements are on the back. There’s now two 16-megapixel lenses in standard and Super Wide Angle configurations with f/1.9 and f/1.6 respectively. The G6 offered dual 13-megapixel rear-facing cameras.

Naturally, LG has imported some of the AI camera features that made a debut on the V30S ThinQ and improved them a bit.

AI CAM comes equipped with 19 different shooting modes, instead of eight. LG also gives G7 ThinQ users more effect options. The algorithm behind the Bright Mode has been improved too, in order to deliver up to 4 times brighter photos.

LG also bundled the phone with a Live Photo mode which records one second before and after the shutter has been released. A Portrait Mode is available, as well as a feature that uses facial recognition to create your 3D avatar.

Other features

Music lovers might take a keen interest in the new G7 because the flagship comes with a single mono loudspeaker. Yeah, the company choose this route, as opposed to implementing stereo speakers. But the key word here is “loud”.

LG calls it the G7’s Boombox speaker, and as the name suggests it’s bigger and louder than the G6’s. It’s also clever enough to use the inner space inside the device as an echo chamber to amplify the bass. The company says the speaker should be 39% louder than its predecessor.

LG also cares about the new device’s audio quality, so it has included the 32-bit quad-DAC from the G6. The company says the quad-DAC should provide a clearer sound over wired headphones (yes, 3.5mm jack still on board).

The phone also offers DTS:X virtual surround sound, which creates a 7.1-channel audio. This is the first time this technology has been incorporated into a phone.

Another attention-grabbing feature on board of the G7 is the Google Assistant button. Like in the case of Samsung’s Bixby button, you press it once to bring up the virtual assistant.

Should you upgrade?

Notch aside, the LG G7 ThinQ is an incremental update rather than a whole new take on LG’s smartphone offering. Yet, the changes are positive and represent a step in the right direction.

On top of the general performance improvements, you get an improved dual camera on the back and selfie camera. The bright screen is also a nice to have. The Boombox speaker should also be a hit for people who like to use their phone for media consumption or to play music.

Last year, the LG G6 launched in the US for $650 and up. The Korean phone maker has yet to share pricing details for the G7 ThinQ.

The LG G7 ThinQ is here, notch and all

Andrew Myrick
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After months of leaks and rumors, LG has finally launched its 2018 flagship with the G7 ThinQ. The device was finally introduced and has a few tricks up its sleeve to help separate itself from the pack.

Display and more

Kicking things off, we have a 6.1-inch QHD+ display which features a resolution of 3120 x 1440. The reason for the odd resolution is due to the notch that we have on board.

As the recent leaks confirmed, there’s a tiny cut out at the top of the display. This notch houses the front-facing camera, as well as the earpiece for your phone calls.

While some folks may be moaning and groaning, this is the where the first G7 ThinQ trick is found. If you want to hide the notch, LG has included a software feature to get this out of the way and so you can get a “full” view of the display.

This display is rather unique, however, as it was revealed that it is the brightest display on the market. It has a 1,000 nit rating, along with six different viewing modes to optimize the display. All of this means is that you should run into no issues when viewing your phone in any conditions.

LG G7 ThinQ Specs

  • 6.1-inch QHD+ Display (3120 x 1440)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC
  • 4GB RAM (6GB w/ G7+)
  • 64GB Storage (128GB w/G7+)
  • 8MP Front Camera
  • Dual 16MP Rear Cameras
  • 3,000mAh Battery
  • Android 8.0 Oreo

In the power department, we have exactly what you would expect to see in a flagship. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is leading the way, and has been coupled with 4GB of RAM along with 64GB of storage.

New Cameras

Aside from the notch, the cameras are where LG is trying to really set itself apart from the competition. The G7 ThinQ sports a standard 8MP sensor on the front, along with dual-16MP lenses on the rear.

As was the case with the LG V30 ThinQ, the G7 ThinQ has some AI features and goodies of its own. The included “AI CAM” features 19 different shooting modes, along with three different effects.

There is also a “Super Bright Camera” mode which intends to boost up those low-light images. LG claims that these are “up to four times brighter” than your standard low-light photos.

AI-enhanced

It was reported on that the G7 ThinQ would feature its own dedicated Google Assistant button. Now that the device has arrived, this hardware decision has been confirmed, as the button is housed on the left-side of the frame.

This marks the first device with a dedicated Assistant button, as we have only seen Samsung’s Bixby button in the past. However, LG is also having some more fun, stating that the G7 ThinQ will be one of the first devices to launch with Google Lens.

The included hardware button can be tapped once to quickly and easily access Assistant. However, tapping it twice will automatically activate Google Lens, which is “a first on any phone”. Holding down the Assistant button will allow you to start talking and making requests immediately.

Cost and availability

If you were all ready to jump on board with the LG G7 ThinQ, then you will have to wait a bit longer. LG has confirmed that the device will be coming to South Korea first, as has been the tradition.

Then, it will come to “major markets” including North America and Europe. Unfortunately, the company did not share any pricing details or any specifics on a launch date here in the US.

We’ll be sure to report back once this information has been revealed. But in the meantime, let us know what you think about the G7 ThinQ and if you are interested in picking one up for yourself.

Design a watch face for a chance to win a Ticwatch S smartwatch and $300 in cash

Alexandra Arici
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Are you a creative individual who also happens to love watches? Then you’ll be interested to hear that Mobvoi, maker of the Ticwatch lineup of Android Wear smartwatches, has partnered up with Facer for a design contest.

The challenge is to create a watch face using the easy-to-use Ticwatch Creator tool which is powered by Facer. You don’t really have to be a professional designer to submit your creations. The tool is really user-friendly, so amateurs are welcome to give it a go.

Get creative and win a smartwatch

The Ticwatch Creator gives you the choice between creating a Simple or Advanced design. Obviously the latter offers more customization options including the ability to add and edit elements such as Tick marks, Center Point or Weather Text.

Designers can also pick up and move individual pieces, and even rotate and resize them, which will allow them to express their vision in full. Once you’ve finished a design, you can check it out in live mode to see how it would look like on an actual Ticwatch E or S.

All entries will be judged by the Ticwatch S&E design team who will pick the best five designs. All finalists will be awarded a Ticwatch S smartwatch and their designs will be turned into functional watch faces that will be available via the Facer app. But only the winner of the first prize will receive an additional $300 in cash.

The Ticwatch S (Sport) is a competitive, yet affordable smartwatch coming with a 1.4-inch OLED display with 400 x 400 resolution. The wearable is IP67 resistant and also includes GPS, a 300 mAh battery and a wireless charging support. It’s available for purchase for $199.

The contest runs through May 21, so if you’d like to get one for free, you should start experimenting with the design tool.

Instagram is getting video calling, Spotify integration and more

Alexandra Arici
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This week during Facebook’s annual developer conference, Instagram announced a series of new exciting features that will soon become available to users around the world.

For starters, Instagram said more apps will be integrated to upload directly to stories. The first ones to get the treatment will be Spotify and GoPro.

Users will soon be able to tap the share button in either the Spotify or GoPro app and have their content pulled directly into the Instagram camera. From there, they can edit their story or send it via Direct messages.

Note that you don’t have to connect your Instagram account to other apps in order to share Stories, as the sharing is done locally on your device, via the Instagram app.

Instagram brings new ways to share and connect

The second new feature which Instagram announced is third-party AR camera effects. Taking advantage of Facebook’s Camera Effects Platform, Instagram will bring AR effects from celebrity accounts such as Ariana Grande, Vogue, BuzzFeed or NBA.

See an effect you like on one of the accounts you follow? Soon you’ll be able to try it yourself by tapping the “Try it on” button. These new effects include face filters, text styles and stickers.

Instagram will also be rolling out video chat, a feature that has been highly requested by the community. Instagramers will be given the chance to experience real-time video in a small group or one-on-one.

A new camera icon will appear at the top of a Direct thread. To initiate a new video chat, users will have to tap on it.

Instagram says it will also roll out a redesigned Explore interface, to make discovery even easier. Explore will still be personalized for you, but soon it will be organized into topic channels, so you can seamlessly browse your interests.

When will you be able to use the new features? GoPro and Spotify integration is already rolling out as we speak.

The new third-party camera effects and Instagram’s redesigned Explore page will become available in the coming weeks. Last but not least, Video Chat is currently still in testing phase but will be rolling out globally soon.

Eight of the best word games you can play to boost your vocabulary

Alexandra Arici
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Word games are a perfect fit for mobile gamers. They are super easy to pick up whenever you feel like exercise your brain, but they’re also easy to put down when you feel like it’s time to go back to the real world.

The main benefit of word games is that they don’t only keep you entertain, but they’re also great for sharpening your vocabulary.

And we’re all in need of expanding our lexicon, so here’s a bunch of word games that are super fun to play, but are also quite educative.

Word Collect

What it is:

A simple-to-play yet addictive game in which you connect letters in any direction to form hidden word matches.

Why we like it:

  • It offers tons of challenging word jumbles. Players get over 900+ levels to play for free.
  • You start off easy, but the difficulty increases as you go
  • You can play it online or offline, which is great if you want entertainment while you’re on a camping trip.

Install Word Collect

Wordscapes

What it is:

A brain-teasing game which groups together the best of word searching games, anagrams and crosswords.

Why we like it:

  • This game really challenges your brain and vocabulary. With over 3,700 crossword puzzles to solve, you’ll never get a dull moment.
  • Find words while immersed in beautiful scenery including Forest, Desert and Ocean.
  • Stuck? You can easily purchase hints with the in-game currency that you earn by playing the levels. Clues are super useful for when things get harder, and they will as you advance.

Install Wordscapes

Cryptogram

What it is:

A different kind of word game in which you have to decipher the encrypted text to uncover a motivational quote.

Why it’s fun:

  • The game has you uncovering the meaning of cryptograms. But to do that, you need the cypher used to encrypt the text. This is a simple substitution of letters you need to figure out in order to unravel the inspirational quote.
  • It works online, as well as offline, so you can enjoy the puzzle anywhere you are.
  • Broadens your knowledge of inspirational quotes and iconic characters from history.

Install Cryptogram

Stereotypo

What it is:

A game in which you are tasked to find associations starting from a given word.

Why we like it:

  • It challenges you to think creatively. What would you associate “France” with? Play and see if you can answer this question.
  • Trains you to spot details and reveals stereotypes.
  • The game is available in many languages including German, Italian, Japanese and more, so it’s not limited to English speakers.

Install Stereotypo

Baikoh

What it is:

A game developed by Mum Not Proud that challenges you to type words in order to destroy tiles.

Why we like it:

  • In Baikoh letters fall out of the sky and you have to be quick and make words in order to make the tiles disappear. Don’t let the letters stack or you’ll lose.
  • The game has you fight against bombs, ghosts and more foes.
  • Unlock tons of fun badges with unique skills that can be used to survive the toughest levels.
  • The game has really cute dark graphics and an overall sarcastic tone.

Install Baikoh

Words with Friends 2

What it is:

Who hasn’t heard of Words with Friends? In this classic game which you play with friends, you create a word on the board by placing titles vertically or horizontally to make points.

Why we like it:

  • Words with Friends 2 comes with a few improvements over its predecessor. For starters, it has completely redesigned interface and offers a bunch of cool new game modes like the Solo Challenge. This pits you against the computer disguised as figures such as William Shakespeare or Jane Austen.
  • There’s also a fast team mode called the Lightning Round, in which you can set up teams of up to 5 players and compete in matches with other teams.
  • Playing the weekly challenge unlocks different badges every week. And you can build quite a collection.

Install Word with Friends 2

Wordament

What it is:

A real-time continuous word tournament that will get you hooked immediately.

Why we like it:

  • Swipe to connect letters diagonally, horizontally or vertically in order to get points.
  • Stuck? You can rotate the board to better see the combination options.
  • Rich statistics including best word count, best word found and more to let you keep track of your gameplay.
  • Challenges you to become a champion by finding the most words possible, earn the best score or finding the longest words.

Install Wordament

Four Letters

What it is:

Seemingly simple yet very complex game in which you have to make words of four letters.

Why we like it:

  • Challenges you to think creatively and come up with as many four letter words as you can.
  • The game gives you four letters and you have to make a list of words as quickly as you can. Each session is timed.
  • The game includes leaderboards, so you can see your achievements and a Dictionary where you can view all the words you made.

Install Four Letters

So, have a few minutes to spare? Try one of these word games. You won’t regret it.

Why don’t more Chinese smartphones work on US networks?

Alexandra Arici
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More than half a billion Chinese own smartphones. But their favorite handsets barely register any brand recognition outside of China. Especially in the US, where most users are not familiar with the myriad of Chinese smartphone brands.

And that’s a real shame because companies like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Elephone and more are producing really nice phones. The problem? Most of them are not meant for the US market.

What does that mean?

The trouble with these phones is that in the US they won’t be able to act as anything more than a portable gaming device or music player. You see, US and China use different 4G bands, meaning that most of these smartphones will be limited to 3G speeds.

What’s more, a lot of affordable smartphone coming out of China are fueled by MediaTek processors. In case you’ve never heard the name, MediaTek is a Taiwan-based company and one of the largest SoC manufacturers in the world.

But most of MediaTek’s processor doesn’t offer full support for US bands. So if you’re really sure you want to order an imported phone, it’s highly recommended you thoroughly check for network compatibility. Websites like FrequencyCheck can help you do that.

Enabling 4G LTE support is not as simple as pushing a simple software update. It requires clearing certification by the Federal Communications Commission and a lot of effort that not many Chinese phone makers are willing to undertake. Although some brands have taken a few steps in this direction.

The 4G problem will not go away so easily

Look at Xiaomi, whose Mi Mix 2 phablet supports all US bands. Interestingly, Xiaomi is yet to make an official debut on the US market, but the company has been building its resources in order to do so for years. Nevertheless, customers can buy phones like the Mi Mix 2 from third-party resellers like Oppomart.

But the majority of Chinese companies might not really have the motivation to go through the whole process of making 4G available for North American customers who buy their phones.

The US has been a tough place for Chinese firms of late. A deal for Huawei to sell its Mate 10 Pro smartphone via the country largest carriers, Verizon and AT&T recently fell through. Soon after, more than six top US intelligence chiefs told the Senate Intelligence Committee that they would not advise Americans to use products or services from Chinese companies like Huawei.

A very sleek Chinese phone, the Huawei P20 Pro

But truth be told, the majority of Chinese companies are doing pretty great without the US. Despite the US fail, Huawei is still one of the largest smartphone markers on the planet; by some estimates, it’s ahead of Apple and breathing down Samsung’s neck in total volume. It’s quite impressive that the company managed to do so without much of a presence in the US.

So many Chinese phone makers simply choose to focus on markets into which they have an easier entry.

But this doesn’t mean Chinese brands will stay clear of the US for good. Not at all. Chinese companies will keep trying to penetrate the US. And eventually, some will succeed. Especially as MediaTek starts rolling out new chipsets that offer full support for US bands.

Being competitive in terms of price is what Chinese companies excel at. But in recent years they’ve also picked up the pace when it comes to innovation and design. Which is why more and more customers including US ones are starting to pay attention to phones coming out China.

128GB and 256GB Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ up for pre-order now, available May 18th

AndroidGuys
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For all our readers out there that like to keep more and more files on their phones, Samsung has heard your cries. The company has just started pre-orders for the 128GB and 256GB variants of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

The new versions of the Galaxy S9 devices will still be available in the same three colors – Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black. The variants are all also unlocked versions, which means they’ll work with any carrier. What’s different is that these storage increases’ jump at only $50 increments. The phones still aren’t necessarily cheap, but we’re used to seeing $100 increments for storage jumps.

  • Galaxy S9 128GB: $769.99
  • Galaxy S9: 256GB: $819.99
  • Galaxy S9+ 128GB: $889.99
  • Galaxy S9+ 256GB: $939.99

Also, if you pre-order your device before the 18th, you can choose from two of Samsung’s gifts. You can either get a free pair of Gear IconX (2018) or a Gear S3 for $100. These gifts may make the new Galaxy S9 a more enticing purchase.

After the pre-order period is over, there is a bit of a price hike. The 256GB Galaxy S9 and S9+ will see an increase of $20. This will bring the price up to $839.99 and $959.99, respectively.

So just in time for the summer and all the travel that it includes, you can get a great device that can hold even more media. More TV and movies, more pictures and videos, more music for the beach and campfire. Use the extra storage to keep the kids busy while driving.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Pre-Order Link

UPDATE: Included new information regarding price changes after pre-order period ends.

College students and staff can get $100 off on top phones at T-Mobile

Alexandra Arici
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If you’re in the process of attending university, then you’ll be pleased to hear that you can save money on your next smartphone purchase with the special Campus Exclusive discount at T-Mobile. The promotional prices also apply to K-12 and college staff.

Previously this year, the Magenta carrier allowed US college students to save up to $60 on select devices. Well T-Mobile has upped its game and is currently offering savings of up to $100 on certain smartphones, tablets or smartwatches.

While students and K-12/college staff won’t be allowed to save on current flagships like the Galaxy S9, the Campus Exclusive deals include some pretty worthy smartphones.

T-Mobile’s Campus Exclusive deals target students and teachers

For example, you’ll be able to shave $100 off from handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 and LG V30+. Indeed, the new LG V30S ThinQ just went up for pre-sale in the US, but we don’t expect students to be rushing to spend $929.99 on one.

What’s more, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Active are also on sale. If you don’t want a smartphone you can choose to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab E or LG G Pad X2 8.0 Plus with a discount. Or a Gear S3 Classic/Frontier smartwatch. A host of iOS devices are also included in the promo. Visit T-Mobile’s official page to check them all out.

To take advantage of the deals, you will have to call T-Mobile at this number: 1-844-428-3892.

The carrier will then verify you are a college student or teacher to give you the green light. Yet, there’s another thing you should be aware of. The promotion requires a new line and qualifying plan.

This is a limited time offer, so if you’re fit the category, you should hurry up and place your order before the promotion expires.

But even if you miss it, T-Mobile will probably continue to update its Campus Exclusive page with new offers on a regular basis. So keep an eye on it!

LG V30S ThinQ with AI camera features is up for pre-order in the US [Update: new price]

Alexandra Arici
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Back in February at MWC 2018, LG unveiled a new version of its V30 flagship. Called the LG V30S ThinQ, the product comes equipped with a host of new AI camera goodies and was subsequently launched in South Korea.

Now, a few months after its launch, the new LG V30S ThinQ went up for pre-order in the US via online retailer B&H Photo. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most expensive devices ever released by LG.

Customers who want to purchase the new V30S will have to take a whopping $929.99 out of their wallet. B&H Photo sells both the Glossy Moroccan Blue and Matte Moroccan Blue versions. This is the official US variant, so it will work with major carriers in the country including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

You can now pre-order the LG V30S ThinQ in the US

What sets the V30S ThinQ apart from its standard brother? For starters, the ThinQ version comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Also, the new product has a few AI tricks under its belt including AI Cam, QLens, and Bright Mode.

The AI Cam feature recognizes the subjects in the camera frame and recommends the best mode to shoot it. QLens uses image recognition capabilities to scan QR codes of different items. It also offers deals from a variety of e-commerce websites.

As for Bright Mode, this is suited for those shooting in low-light. The tool brightens the images without noise with the help of AI.

It’s worth mentioning that owners of the standard LG V30 can expect an update with the new ThinQ features including Bright mode, Q Lens and Q Voice in September.

Anyway, if you don’t have an LG V30 yet, and you prefer ThinQ version, you can place a pre-order for it at B&H Photo. Although, it’s not clear when the phone will start shipping out.

Update: The phone is available with a consistent discount of $250. Which means it now costs only $679.99.

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