OnePlus is one of the most polarizing Android OEMs out there right now. Fans either love them for their combination of high-end specs and reasonable pricing or hate them for their many, many gaffs. Either way, most people have a pretty strong opinion about the company.
The reason OnePlus gets so much press are those phones with high-end specs and at reasonable prices (also the gaffs, but that’s a topic for another time). OnePlus has done a pretty good job differentiating itself from other Android device makers over the years. It brought interesting materials like Sandstone to the table when no-one else was doing anything like that.
That’s why its most recent announcement is rather disappointing to some diehards. CEO Pete Lau recently confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will sport a glass back. Yes, it’s going to be just like every other Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9, and LG V30 on the market. One of our only options for a device with metal back is now gone. Invest in cases now.
Lau defended the company’s decision by saying that it made over 70 glass prototypes and finally landed on “the best one.” He says in the post’s intro that “a good user experience should be burdenless.” That’s pretty interesting considering how much a burden it is to baby your phone and spend money on cases because you now have another breakable surface on your device. Think its all hyperbole? Our own Donovan Jeska broke the glass back while reviewing the LG V30. With a case on.
For a company that was derided for following Apple’s design aesthetic, it doesn’t look great to adopt a glass back for its phone less than a year after Apple did the same.
What do you think about this move? Will it make you more or less likely to pick up the OnePlus 6? Let us know down in the comments.
Ultimate Ears makes some of the best Bluetooth speakers (and headphones) out there. The UE Boom 2 and Megaboom really made an impact on us, and judging by the reviews on Amazon, we’re not the only ones.
We didn’t know how UE would come to one-up themselves, but now have the answer. The new Blast and Megablast are relative successors, which in a nutshell, introduce current smarts into a familiar package. This review will cover what the regularly-sized Blast is all about, and a look at the XL variant will come soon after. Let’s get rolling!
If you’ve gandered at one of UE’s Bluetooth speakers before, the new Blast will look pretty iterative. And deep-down, that really is the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There was nothing wrong with the original design – it worked excellently from both a functional and audio respect.
At a close look, UE did in fact incorporate a tweak here and there. The largest change is the size of the unit. Side-by-side with its predecessor, the Boom 2, the difference isn’t stark but visible. On paper, it’s a 1mm increase in diameter and 8mm in height.
The growth in size isn’t a significant con, but something to take note of if you carry your speaker in a small/tight bag. Smaller changes you’ll catch at a close look are the now flat-edged and slightly thicker plastic caps at the top and bottom of the cylindrically-shaped unit. The materials are still the same as before. The plastic is robust and rubbery in feel. The substantial thickness makes the device feel sturdy as heck. The same can be said of the super tightly weaved fabric that dominates the speaker’s exterior.
The arrangement looks similar to that on the Boom 2. The braiding is so tight that it feels like plastic in-hand. It efficiently gives the speaker ingress protection (IP67 water/dust-proof rating, to be exact) while still allowing audio to flow through.
Speaking of which, we’ve come to adore this 360-degree output from the cylindrical design. You don’t have to be strategic on where you place the speaker, unlike most of the single direction-firing speakers out there. And indoors, the sound bounces off the walls from multiple directions and fills out the space.
The exterior features of the Boom 2 are carried over for the most part, such as the extra large volume buttons on the side and the bottom attachment ring. The charging port still hides under a thick flap on the bottom (which is sadly still microUSB instead of the current USB-C standard). One thing that’s missing is the adjacent aux port for the optional wired input. UE is now going all-in with wireless.
New with the Blast is also an optional, custom dock that enables wireless charging. No, it’s not Qi, induction charging, but essentially the same practice. The pad has electrical pins that contacts an included metallic bottom attachment ring that you have to install.
And that’s it. Simply plug in the dock with the charger supplied with the Blast and plop the speaker on top – just like a full-on wireless pad. There’s a tiny LED on the front of the pad to indicate charging status.
The unfortunate thing is that the dock doesn’t come cheap. A $40 price tag makes it a total luxury. It’s not that much more inconvenient to just plug in physically; we’re sure most people would rather keep the $40.
Function
So if the design is essentially the same as before, what’s the purpose of this update? That question is answered from the inside. The Blast isn’t just a “Bluetooth” speaker. It’s now WiFi-enabled. This means that it can pull music from online sources all by itself, no mobile device dependency needed. Well…kinda.
For WiFi control, UE partnered with the popular Alexa cloud-based voice service from Amazon. The good thing is that ups the speakers competence from just a music player to a virtual assistant. Despite not being an Amazon-made device, it has full-on Alexa access. This means you can do all things like request information, update your calendar or todo-lists, order items, and vocally control your smart home.
There is a significant drawback, however, when it comes to music. You’re limited to what Amazon’s service offers, which is somewhat…limited. You can’t simply ask Alexa to play music from your Play Music or Spotify accounts. Alexa can only tap into Amazon’s streaming apps.
Amazon’s limited supported music streaming services, at the time of this writing.
This is fine if you’re well-invested in Amazon’s ecosystem. But for the rest of us, we’ll have to revert back to the primitive Bluetooth audio method, defeating the purpose of this upgraded device.
As far as using the device itself, the Bluetooth functions is as simply utilized as before. It boots up in pair-mode; real easy to unbox and get playing. There’s a tiny button atop that you hold down to re-enter pair mode and connect another source. Battery life takes a small hit (probably because the extra tech), from a 15-hour rating to 12 – bummer.
The WiFi bit takes a little more effort, but still easy. UE developed an app in order for you to log into your Amazon account and start utilizing Alexa. The setup process is only a few steps, and the app is pretty basic. Bear in mind, the app is primarily for establishing the speaker and Amazon link; it’s not something you’ll be using regularly.
The integration of Alexa is done well. It essentially functions like an Amazon Echo or Dot smart speaker would, with Alexa summoned vocally to respond to or execute a vast array of inquiries. In this case, you’ll primarily be using the service to play music, and it does so as advertised.
We must mention that we observed some iffy connection reliability, which wasn’t present at all in the old model (in our experience). At times, playback via Bluetooth would just stop and we would have to re-pair. It seemed to happen more when the music was buffering. Streaming through WiFi wasn’t exempt from the issue either. The drops didn’t happen enough to drive us mad; just a minor annoyance.
It’s important to note that UE can administer updates through their app, so it’s possible that the connection concerns get addressed that way.
Sound
The speaker’s internal updates weren’t just limited to functional additions. We adored the audio quality of the Boom 2, but still saw how it could be improved. The most noticeable tweak is the tamed bass. The Boom 2 leaned on the boomy side (go figure), which was sometimes overpowering. The Blast’s sound is more balanced and cleaner on the low-to-mid ranges.
Bassheads will prefer the former; the Blast’s bass is lighter in comparison. But this doesn’t mean it’s of lesser quality. There’s still plenty of punch and sub-bass depth to appreciate. The magnitude is now really determined by the track. As an audiophile, I much prefer this cleaner and refined reproduction. It gives the full-bodied mid-range a better chance to shine. Vocals, in particular, are tonally excellent and engaging, especially when you have the 360-degree sound filling the room.
The treble range is equally rich. It doesn’t have perfectly crisp extension and detail, but it’s well done and one of the best for a portable speaker of this class. Same goes for clarity on a whole. We can see how it can still be improved upon. We feel like UE tries to strike the best balance with power and sharpness, and they’ve done a great job.
Final Thoughts
The UE Blast isn’t as easy as a recommendation as the Boom 2 was. Not saying it’s not an excellent wireless speaker – most of my expression for it has been positive. It’s just that it doesn’t bring a lot to table from the Boom 2. The design is the same, for all intents and purposes. While the sound is noticeably refined, it’s not a big change – certainly not worth the upgrade if that’s the main reason.
What the Blast really has on the Boom 2 is the WiFi and standalone capabilities (along with Alexa support), but it comes with a big caveat. Amazon’s streaming service support is limited, not having access to many popular music apps. Alexa’s abilities are certainly helpful, but this is first and foremost a music-playing device.
We also can’t ignore the substantial price difference between the new and old models. The Boom 2 is about half the price of the new model. It’ll be up to you if the Blast is twice the speaker.
Cricket Wireless on Monday announced it has renamed and clarified its two Cricket Unlimited rate plans. Yes, they’ll still offer two; each offers “unlimited data” but with different benefits.
Formerly known as the Cricket Unlimited plan, the new Unlimited Max plan runs $60 per month with unlimited high-speed data with unlimited calls, texts, and picture messages between US, Canada, and Mexico.
The CricketUnlimited plan replaces the Unlimited 2 option and costs $55 per month with unlimited data with speeds up to 3Mbps. Moreover, it includes video streams at 480p, as well as the unlimited calls, texts, and picture messaging between the three countries.
Customers on the Unlimited Max plan get up to 22GB of high-speed data per line After hitting the threshold, the carrier will throttle speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.
As was the case before, those who sign up for the automatic bill payments will receive a $5 per month discount. This knocks the Unlimited Max down to $55 per month with the Unlimited coming in at $50 per month. The new plans are already in effect.
Want to help Google make better products? Here’s your chance. Get on board the User Experience Research program. By signing up, you get the chance to access unreleased products, services and cool Android features before anyone else.
You can tell Google what you think of its nascent products and new features and be among those who shape the future of this great company.
To get started you will need to sign up, and Google will immediately send you a questionnaire so you can be matched with one of the ongoing studies that are being conducted.
If Google picks you to be part of a study, you’ll receive all the details including time, location and method. Note that studies can take place at a Google office, or in one of the company’s research vans. Alternatively, you can also take part in the survey from the comfort of your home.
Your contribution you’ll be rewarded
You won’t be helping Google for nought. You’ll be rewarded for helping out with a small thank-you gift like a gift card or a donation to your favorite charity. You’ll also get eternal gratitude from Google.
If you’re a big fan of Android, and you want to help improve the OS, this is a great chance to do so. All you need to do is to follow this link and sign up for Google’s User Experience Research program. Google points out that the more info you provide, the better your chances of being contracted by the team.
Google is currently hard at work on Android P, so now it’s a great moment to join the program.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen glimpses of what Android P could bring to the table. For example, it appears that Google will be changing the well-known navigation bar and will introduce gestures instead.
According to the leaks, we will no longer have three icons at the bottom. Rather, Android P will have only a back button and a home button. For accessing the multitasking menu, users will have to use gestures on the home button.
What other features will be part of Android P? Keep checking back with us for updates on the matter.
Last year’s Galaxy S8 and S8+ were excellent but not flawless smartphones. Samsung had molded probably the best-rounded devices, with unrivaled display tech, blazing fast camera performance, and a feature-packed design. However, a couple distinct things were hard to overlook, most notably the terrible fingerprint scanner placement.
The new Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus come out as refreshes to address those imperfections more-so than introduce something new, apparent from their highly recycled designs. There’s more than meets the eye, but it’s a subtle fact. We’ll go over what you can expect.
Design
We got our hands on the Galaxy S9 in Coral Blue and S9 Plus in Midnight Black.
Most onlookers won’t tell a difference between a Galaxy S8 and S9. The most obvious differentiation is the change in fingerprint scanner placement. But it’s not exactly the same phone; tweaks are actually aplenty.
For instance, the metal frame is now matte instead of glossy. It’s a visual improvement (to our eyes) but in actuality, of little consequence usability. The finish is very smooth and still slippery. Coupled with the limited grip area due to the curved sides, this still is far from the easiest phone to hang onto. But it’s one of the prettiest, that’s for sure.
We noticed quite a bit of heft when picking up the S9 Plus the first time. A spec sheet comparison confirmed that it packed on 16 grams from the S8 Plus. Some of that is probably due to the extra camera sensor on the larger model (the standard S9 is only 8 grams heavier). Digging deeper reveals that the Gorilla Glass 5 panels on the phones are 20% thicker. Samsung probably sought to improve drop impact resistance.
Additionally, the upgraded main camera module (which we’ll talk in-depth about later) seems to also have a thickness consequence. A camera hump is reintroduced (although, very slight). Mind you, the rear sensors retain their recessed protection.
The slightest camera hump.
As touched on earlier, the fingerprint scanner can now be reasonably utilized, at an easily reachable location underneath the rear camera. It’s a little too low on the smaller S9 model, but nothing hard to adapt to. Another particularity is the unconventional shape of the scanner. It’s horizontally narrow, resulting in you registering more of your fingertip than an entire finger. But it doesn’t hinder functionality and is quick and reliable. It’s also nice to have the alternate options of IRIS retinal scanning or a combo of IRIS and facial recognition (looking at you, Apple).
Whereas last year the two models had the same camera offering, the S9 Plus now has a secondary 2x telephoto lens advantage.
We love Samsung’s maximized but un-notched screen-to-body ratio. The front of the S8 and S9 look the same, so many won’t know that Samsung actually reduced the bezel slightly. The bottom bezel lost roughly 2mm of width. Another fun fact is that the phones are about 1mm shorter. Very small improvements, but we’ll take them.
Galaxy S9 (left) and S9 Plus (right).
Performance
Suffice to say, the Galaxy S9’s actions are speedy throughout. Executions and scrolling are all silky smooth and carried out briskly. The common Samsung UI stutter shows up occasionally, but as it’s minimal as it has ever been. You really have to pay attention to catch it. Google, naturally, still technically takes the cake for seamlessness in the software with its Pixel phones.
The bottom port layout is the same as last year, with a headphone jack, USB-C port, and speaker. And all extra features we love continue: IP68 waterproofing, microSD card slot, and fast wireless charging.
That said, the Snapdragon 845 doesn’t feel like a drastic step-up from the 835. We’re getting very minimal performance gains now. And the extra 2GB of RAM on the S9 Plus (4GB on the S9 vs. 6GB on the S9 Plus) is of little consequence. We wouldn’t know it if we weren’t told.
A day and night’s battery results on the S9+. Very consistent drain on T-Mobile network and WiFi, and superbly minimal in standby.
Battery life is additionally a similar experience as last year, which is unfortunate. Not that the S8’s battery life was bad. It’s just that since the Note 7 disaster, Samsung has stopped progressing in this area. We think the S9 was the time for the company to move past the mishap, but they didn’t agree. The S9 and S9 Plus have the same capacities as their predecessors, 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh, respectively. And the Snapdragon 845 didn’t bring as big of battery optimizations that the 835 did, so battery life results have been about the same in our experience. The S9 Plus has been consistent in getting us through the day with moderate-to-high usage, but not much more. The S9 trails slightly behind the S9 Plus. It shouldn’t be a struggle to get through the day, you just have to be mindful.
One of the big upgrades this year is the additional external speaker. The earpiece now doubles as a loudspeaker, in tandem with the bottom-firing one that we’re used to. And boy, we forget how much of a difference a speaker pointed towards the user makes. It’s not the superior, dual front-facing setup, but it makes a world of difference compared to the previous single, bottom speaker. It makes for a more rounded, immersive and louder video watching experience, especially with Dolby Atmos enabled.
Display
Little has been updated in the S-AMOLED display tech from last year. Proportions like the screens sizes (5.8″ and 6.2″, at an 18.5:9 aspect ratio) and QHD+ resolution (but still set to FHD out of the box) stay the same. And we see an equivalently crisp picture, vibrant but accurate colors, and unfazed viewing angles. This is fine; the display quality is perfect in our eyes. Samsung still is the clear king of smartphone displays.
But we can’t forget about brightness – a tricky subject in mobile displays. In the Note 8, we saw Samsung make a big upgrade in the brightness capacity of its panel, able to shoot up to a whopping 1,200 nits. This feature naturally migrated to the new Galaxy S9’s, though, at a slightly lower 1,130 nits. Close enough. This display can tackle sunlight like no other.
Size and bezel comparison between S9 Plus (left) and Note 8 (right).
The feel of curved display on the sides remains the same to us, even though Samsung stated that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus has a slightly steeper curve than their predecessors. There will always be the argument of practically, which we side with. Palm rejection is in place to combat inadvertent touch in handling, but accidentally input is still abound in our experience, especially when trying to get away with only using one hand (even in the smaller model).
Camera
We all know that the camera upgrade is the highlight of the Galaxy S9 refresh. Namely, the neat mechanically variable aperture ability of the primary module – a first in a smartphone. But Samsung set itself up for consumers asking, “How does that benefit me?” More specifically, our immediate question was: Why would you want to shoot at f/2.4 instead of f/1.5 at all? The camera defaults to f/2.4 after all (automatically switching to the wider f/1.5 lens opening only when ambient light drops to 100 lux or lower), so there better be a good reason.
There isn’t. The only difference in f/2.4 from f/1.5 is a slightly deeper depth of field (larger area of sharpness than blur). This is neither an advantage or disadvantage, just a preference. But the opposite does have a clear benefit because f/1.5 can let in a whole lot more light than f/2.4. Hence, we’re left questioning why isn’t the camera just set to f/1.5 for everything. The real answer is probably that the feature is paving the way to the future, but not yet of any use. We can’t imagine Samsung admitting this, though.
As far as the quality of shots, we see similar characteristics as last year: slightly warm, bright (sometimes too much), fine sharpness, and excellent contrast (great HDR processing for the most part).
Camera Samples
However, we noticed at times that f/2.4 shots look slightly over-exposed. Especially comparing side-by-side shots with the Note 8’s f/1.7 sensor, which often had deeper contrast. This is interesting because a lower aperture lets in more light and thus a brighter shot. We think Samsung may be overcompensating in post-processing to make sure there’s no lower-light ill-effect of the narrower f/2.4 opening, but it’s hurting quality.
We’ve always loved Samsung’s blazing fast “Dual Pixel” auto-focus system. It’s now called “Super Speed Dual Pixel”, enhanced by the addition of dedicated RAM to the camera. But we’re told that improvement here is the behind-the-scenes multi-frame capture (the system shoots up to 12 frames in one shot to compile the clearest reproduction), not the AF speed as the name suggests. Another benefit of the upgraded camera is 960 fps slow-mo recording. There’s some compromise to get that incredible frame-rate, in the form of 720P resolution and reduced lighting (pretty terrible indoors), but it’s still neat to have.
Software
In usual fashion, the Galaxy S9’s dropped with the latest Android version, while their predecessors are struggling to catch up. Samsung isn’t the best with updating its existing phones. Something to note is that we’re looking at Android 8.0 (Oreo), not the more current 8.1 (at the time of this writing).
Samsung’s UI is also upped to v9.0. Though, its aesthetics are largely the same as on the S8/Note8. The main updates actually revolve around Oreo’s new features, like Picture-in-Picture (PnP) mode, more efficient and cleaner notification system, and custom long-press app icon shortcuts.
Samsung is invested in its home-brewed Bixby virtual assistant, so it’s not going anywhere (nor is the dedicated Bixby button). Bixby operation is also the same as before (we won’t see any drastic updates until v2.0, supposedly arriving later in the year). So there’s the panel on the most left that aggregates information from apps of your choice ala “card” style, and long-pressing the Bixby button toggles voice commands. An advantage Bixby has on others is its robust ability to carry out specific actions, even within third-party apps.
Final Thoughts
It’s no doubt that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are two of the best smartphones you can buy right now. There isn’t much reason that they shouldn’t be recommended. Price is always a sensitive subject with top-end smartphones, but their prices aren’t unreasonably inflated. Well, that is, until the greedy carriers jacked up the prices.
On the other hand, the S9 and S9 Plus don’t offer a whole lot from their predecessors. It’s the most minimal refresh we’ve seen from Samsung. And when that happens, it muddles the recommendation. Most will probably agree that the S9’s updates aren’t worth hundreds more. And it doesn’t help that its most highlighted feature, the variable aperture camera, doesn’t actually equate to much. The considerable benefits of the S9 are the dual speakers, wide f/1.5 lens, corrected fingerprint scanner location, and brighter screen. It’ll be up to you if that’s worth the extra dough.
AI has been a growing trend in the tech world for some time, but only on the software front. In a world where phones are more about swiping and tapping, hardware buttons are going the way of the dinosaur. The upcoming LG G7, following Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, looks to reverse the practice.
To feed the AI trend, the upcoming LG G7 ThinQ flagship will feature a dedicated Google Assistant button. While Google Assistant has been hands-free, a hardware button ushers the AI into a new chapter. Users who frowned upon the voice-conjuring experience can now use their fingers to “summon” the Assistant when needed. The new AI button will be on the left of the phone, with the power button on the right. The fingerprint reader remains on the back cover.
Unfortunately, the new dedicated Google Assistant button won’t have remapping capabilities at the phone launch. Perhaps the LG G7 ThinQ will create the same heated buzz as the Galaxy S8’s announced Bixby button had in that regard. Samsung was the first in known memory to add an AI hardware button on the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The new “ThinQ” moniker is another nod to the AI trend; a Google Assistant button only heightens the emphasis.
The LG G7 ThinQ, in addition to the AI button, will feature an iPhone X-like notch. The notch, housing the front camera, sensors, and earpiece, is a new design trend that has taken off since Apple’s launch of the iPhone X last Fall. The G7 ThinQ will join a list of other notched Android smartphones such as the Huawei P20 (formerly the Huawei P11) and Huawei Honor 10.
A poster leaked earlier this month the London release of the Honor 10. Now, after some waiting, the device is announced in China. Let’s get into the specs, availability, and pricing below.
Honor 10 display
The Honor 10 features a 5.84-inch, Full HD+ (2280 x 1080p) IPS LCD screen. There is a 19:9 aspect ratio that transcends the current 18:9 trend. The notch on the Honor 10 houses the 24MP front camera (f/2.0 aperture), earpiece, and necessary sensors and is Huawei’s (Honor is a sub-brand of Huawei) first smartphone to boast the design.
Processor
The Honor 10 runs by way of Huawei’s octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC, the same chip that powers the Honor View 10 (now available in the US) and the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. While the phone houses a new processor, the Kirin 970 can only compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835. Those who want a Snapdragon 845 competitor must wait until next year.
While the processor isn’t as fast as its Snapdragon rival, the Kirin 970 is the world’s first AI processor whose neural-network processing unit (NPU) is capable of deep user learning. This means that the processor learns your usage patterns and adapts to personal phone use rather than majority use.
The device has 6GB of RAM, maintaining high-end multitasking performance along with 64GB and 128GB storage configurations.
Cameras
As opposed to the triple-camera setup of the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, the new “10” has only a dual camera setup. On the back of the device, you’ll find an AI camera module with a 16MP (f/1.8) camera known for its color and a 24MP (f/2.0) monochrome camera for black and white photos. The camera module rebranding pertains to the new intelligent image stabilization that gives unique filters to each object in a photo scene.
Battery and Charging
This next-generation Honor device houses a 3,400mAh battery with USB Type-C charging and Huawei’s trademark Super Charge fast charging technology. Huawei has opted for a Full HD+ resolution here, which should prove positive to battery life. As always, though, only battery and usage tests will confirm the outcome.
A move Huawei has made that users will applaud is that the 3.5mm headphone jack is present here, unlike in the P20 and P20 Pro. A front-mounted fingerprint sensor and IR blaster atop the device round out the specs. Unfortunately, you won’t find IP water and dust resistance nor a coveted microSD card slot.
Price and Availability
The Honor 10 comes in Purple, Grey, Black, and Blue colors and is now on sale in China (only). The 64GB variant costs CNY 2599 ($414), while the 128GB storage variant costs CNY 2999 ($478).
The Huawei Honor 10 will launch not only in London but also globally on May 15th.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are all about photography this year. The duo boasts an adjustable aperture, while the larger model has been upgraded to a dual-camera setup. There’s also the super-slow-motion video feature that allows users to reverse the slow-mo footage.
But all those quality images and slow-motion videos are bound to take up a lot of space on board of the device.
Yet Samsung didn’t bump up the base storage from the Galaxy S8. The latest models offer 64GB of space for the US. Sure the phones include a microSD slot for memory expansion, but some prefer to pay more and get more built-in storage.
Well, those people are going to be quite happy when they hear that Verizon is apparently gearing up to start offering the 128GB/256GB variants of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. For the time being, we don’t know how much the new models are going to cost or when they are going to go on sale.
However, we can speculate. Using Samsung’s current pricing for the 64GB versions, we believe the S9 with 128GB will retail for $820, while the 256GB version will take you back with $920. If you want the Galaxy S9+ with 128GB you’ll most likely have to take $940 out of your wallet, while the 256GB version will take you back with a hefty $1,040.
It might be worth waiting getting your Galaxy S9
If you haven’t purchased a Galaxy S9 so far, but you were thinking of doing just that, you might want to wait a little bit. The big storage models are probably going to launch soon enough.
Samsung’s latest flagships were recently rated top smartphones by Consumer Reports and overshadowed competitors like the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus.
So, would you consider getting one of the beefier Galaxy S9s? Let us know in the comment section below.
After an extremely long wait, the Android Oreo update finally started rolling out to Galaxy Note 8 owners a few weeks ago. But what about those who are still using Samsung’s older flagships? When will they get Oreo?
Well, we have some good news for you. According to reliable Turkish website GüncelMiyiz, which is a well-known source of info for Samsung fans in the country, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are expected to receive Oreo on May 18, 2018.
What’s more, the report also offers info about Samsung’s mid-range A-series. It appears that owners of the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017) models should get updated on June 01, 2018.
Samsung to start updating 2-year old flagships soon
But wait that’s not all. According to the publication, the Galaxy Tab S3 is also scheduled to get bumped up to Oreo on May 18.
It appears that initially, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge were scheduled to get the new build on April 13, but the date got pushed back.
This month, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge showed up on the Wi-Fi Alliance website. All models including the Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon models were listed. The A-series (2017) also made an appearance on the said website.
Like it’s the case with these updates, it might take a few days or even week before the new build reaches everyone. So even if the Android Oreo update will start rolling out on May 18 in Turkey, owners in the US will probably have to wait a little bit longer to get it.
Hopefully, the dates won’t be pushed back once again. Year after year, the world’s biggest phone manufacturer fails to deliver on its promise for timely software updates, and in doing so significantly disappoints its extensive user-base. But with a bit of luck, the wait for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners is almost over.
Unveiled last month, the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro offer a compelling combination of cutting-edge hardware and software. The two flagships went on sale in China not so long and customers in the country have been flocking to get them.
Well according to the latest data, Huawei has managed to sell over $15 million-worth of P20 devices in just 10 seconds. Apparently, the company has set a goal for itself to ship 20 million of combined P20, P20 Pro and P20 Lite units in 2018.
If these initial numbers are any indications, it seems Huawei will have no problem reaching its goal.
Huawei’s new flagships were well-received in China
It’s worth mentioning, the two flagships were available via a flash-sale, as its customary. The third version, the P20 Lite (known as the Nova 3e on the Chinese market) wasn’t included. If it had been, the revenue resulted from the sale would have been much higher. After all, not all customers have the means to afford a flagship device.
Huawei hasn’t revealed the exact number of phones that were sold, but it’s pretty obvious the numbers are significant.
Currently, the two P20 and P20 Pro are available for purchase in other markets as well, with Huawei heavily marketing the duo in Asia and Europe.
Despite its US carrier deals falling through, we expect that at some point, the Huawei P20 Pro will be made available in the country through retailers such as Amazon. However, due to mounting US government pressure, key partners like Best Buy won’t be selling Huawei’s new phones.
Even if things aren’t going as planned in regards to the US market, Huawei still hopes to be able to overtake Apple and become the world’s second-largest smartphone maker by the end of next year. And with P20 sales kicking off so well, the company has a very good chance to reach its objective.
