Last year, Samsung introduced the DeX Station (for the then Galaxy S8) which allows the user to get a desktop-like experience from their smartphone. This year, Samsung updated the model, named it DeX Pad, and re-created it with the Galaxy S9 in mind. It is now available for pre-order, for you to use with the S9, S9+, or Note 8.
The DeX Pad looks similar to a wireless charging pad. It contains two USB-A ports, HDMI, as well as a USB-C port. You connect your S9 to the pad via USB-C, have the pad also connected to a monitor, and you’re good to go. You can also pair a keyboard and mouse for ease of use, instead of relying on the phone’s touchscreen. Now, you can watch movies, browse the web, and more with a new desktop UI all powered from your smartphone.
Samsung has finally started producing units of its DeX Pad and has put the item up for pre-order. The Pad costs $99.99 and will begin shipping the week of May 13th. If you don’t have a Galaxy S9 yet, you can buy one from Samsung.com and receive a DeX Pad free.
Instagram is getting in on the trend of Portrait style photos. You know, the ones where the subject is clear but the background is (artificially) blurred to help them stand out. Many devices were released in 2017 with dual cameras focused on this feature. Instagram has introduced the feature as one of its camera formats, dubbed Focus.
In the Instagram app, once you launch the stories camera, you should see ‘Focus’ as an option next to Superzoom. From there you can either take a photo or video, using either the front or back cameras as the shooter. After that, you should have your portrait-stylized photo or video, and then you can apply the usual filters, stickers, and more to the content.
The company also released a new ‘@mention’ sticker. The sticker helps with visibility for when you add a name to your stories — instead of just adding hard-to-see text. It can be found with the other editable stickers available after taking a photo or video.
Both the Focus format and mention sticker are coming in an update rolling out in the Google Play store. Instagram states that the feature is for ‘select’ Android devices, yet didn’t expand on which ones. I was able to use it on both my Pixel 2 XL and Galaxy S9+. How likely are you to use this new feature in your Stories now?
Regardless if you care or not, there are more smartwatches being released on a regular basis. The difference is that they are not all Android WearWear OS smartwatches. This is where the Amazfit Stratos comes into play.
While branded as coming from Amazfit, the Stratos is actually from Huami. In case you were unaware, Huami is another sub-brand of Xiaomi which is the popular smartphone OEM.
Amazfit Stratos is here!
Huami has announced the new Amazfit Stratos which includes many the best features that a smartwatch can offer. The smartwatch sports the following sensors:
GPS + GLONASS
VO2max
Optical Heart Rate Sensor
Other specs for the Stratos include 512MB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage, and a water-resistance rating of 5ATM. As one would expect, the Stratos also sports the ability to receive notifications for calls, messages, emails, and more.
The inclusion of the GPS sensor makes it possible for you to leave your phone at home while still listening to your favorite music. On the fitness tracking side of things, this smartwatch sports three new training tools:
Training Effect highlights the impact that specific activities have on the development of aerobic performance capacity.
Recovery Time recommends downtime between each activity to maximize the benefit of each session.
Training Load keeps track of the combined physiological impacts of all activities over the past 7 days.
Keeping with this trend, Huami has partnered with both Zepp and Firstbeat. These partnerships aim to help provide the ultimate workout experience on your wrist while looking stylish.
The only downside that I can see at this moment is that the Stratos’ display is not fully round. There is a flat-tire at the bottom of the display which houses a few sensors, such as the proximity sensor.
With all of these features, you might expect to see a price tag resting around $300 or $400. Thankfully, that’s not the case as the Amazfit Stratos is priced at just $199.
This is a steal compared to other smartwatches on the market. If you want to pick one up for yourself, hit the button below to head over to Amazfit’s website to pick one up today.
The popularity of Samsung’s flagships has inspired numerous companies, especially Chinese ones, to make copycat versions for profit.
But while clones might look like their gorgeous flagship counterparts on the outside, they usually bundle mid-range specs inside. This strategy allows companies with names like Doogee or UMIDIGI to sell these lookalikes for extremely affordable price tags.
These Chinese brands know very well that not everyone can afford to spend $800+ on a new and shiny flagship like the Galaxy S9. In an attempt to cater to the needs of budget-minded consumers, smartphone makers from China have flooded the market with blatant but affordable copies of the Galaxy S9/Galaxy S8. But the question is, are they really worth it?
In what follows we’re going to take a closer look at one of these copycats offered by Elephone. The device is called the U Pro and it’s currently up for grabs for around $400 (depending on configuration and retailer), which is half of what the Galaxy S9 costs.
For the last few years, Elephone has built a reputation for building phones with designs inspired by iconic smartphone models. Its S8 model, for example, was an obvious tribute to the super popular Galaxy S8 flagship.
Well, in 2018 Elephone is offering its next-gen flagship under a different name. Instead of the continuing to replicate Samsung’s naming scheme, the Chinese brand has opted to rebrand. So this year, instead of the Elephone S9, customers will be able to grab the Elephone U Pro instead.
So, should customers consider the Elephone U Pro or simply skip this inviting offer? Continue reading below to find out more about this exquisite Galaxy S9 rip-off.
Design and display
As you pull the Elephone U Pro out of its box, you can’t help but be amazed. The phone looks extremely sleek. Just like the Galaxy S8/S9, the U Pro it’s a metal/glass sandwich. Elephone did a remarkable job of recreating not just the razor-thin bezels, but also the iconic dual curves of the screen.
Indeed, even to the trained eye, telling the difference between the U Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S9 will not be an easy task to accomplish.
Elephone has included a gorgeous 5.99-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2160 resolution. And thanks to the tall 18:9 aspect ratio, the phone slips comfortably in hand. The only problem is that the back, being made of glass, it’s quite slippery, so it’s highly recommended that you use this device in concert with a protective case.
Another drawback is that, albeit being super sleek, the back is a magnet for fingerprints. That’s why using a case with the phone becomes essential. On the other hand, one can’t help by being impress by how gorgeous the back is. It’s reminiscent of the HTC U11 with its unique back metal finish that changes as light hits it. Given that the Elephone U Pro’s rear is highly reflective, it can also be used as a mirror.
Anyway, the back is also home to the main dual-camera setup. Underneath it, sits the fingerprint scanner.
The arrangement is one of the best I’ve seen so far. Elephone has designed the scanner as a seamless extension of the dual-camera setup and the result I have to say looks quite pleasing to the eye. And easily surpasses the setup we’ve seen on last year’s Galaxy S8.
On the other side of the coin, the fingerprint scanner on the U Pro is not nearly as good as the one on other phones I’ve tried. It’s very fast and at often times it failed to authenticate me.
The Elephone logo is placed at the bottom, and looking below you’ll notice the USB Type-C port (sorry folks, no 3.5mm headphone jack) and the two speaker grilles, which are surprisingly loud. The power and volume rocker are placed on the right side, while the left part is devoid of any buttons. At the top, you’ll find the SIM slot.
Unlike Elephone’s older models, the U Pro does not have a physical home button. Instead, it relies on on-screen navigation buttons, which aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Fortunately, Elephone also included here iPhone-style gestures for navigation. Basically, you’ll be able to go Back, Home or access the multi-app window easily via swipes. Bonus, you free up more screen real estate by removing these buttons at the bottom.
While the gestures are a nice idea, they don’t always work as intended. For example, when you’re in an app and have to perform the back gesture, you’ll most likely swipe through the active app which might trigger an unwanted action. Use the nav gestures enough, and it becomes annoying.
Elephone U Pro next to the OnePlus 5T
Anyway back to the beautiful AMOLED display, Elephone has included an option which lets you regulate color temperature. There’s also an adaptive brightness feature that can optimize brightness levels for available light. What’s more, the U Pro also includes a Night Light feature which tints the screen to amber. This makes it easier to look at the screen or read in dim light.
Android’s Ambient Display is available here too. This offers a more efficient means of interacting with your Android notification system while your device is locked. Since the feature is now baked into Android, we’re left wondering why more OEMs don’t include it.
My initial assessment of the Elephone U Pro was pretty optimistic. The exterior was extremely sleek, the AMOLED display was gorgeous and the software tweaks a bonus. And then I started using the phone every day as my main phone…
Performance and battery
While many smartphones launched by the obscure Chinese brands rely on MediaTek chipsets, the Elephone U Pro does not. Instead, it offers a mid-range 2.2GHz Snapdragon 660 chipset.
Even if I wasn’t expecting a stellar performance, I was anticipating the Elephone U Pro would prove quite agreeable to use.
Unfortunately, that was not always the case. Even if the phone comes equipped with 6GB of RAM on board (a version with 4GB of RAM is also available). Despite the plentiful amount RAM, it kept freezing on me while I was playing games. Even more frustratingly, the camera froze while I was trying to focus and shoot a subject, on more than one occasion.
Overall, the interface is pretty fluid, yes. But start doing something more intensive like quickly switching between apps and you’ll soon notice a slight stutter.
Even as the Elephone U Pro relies on a pretty decent 3,550 mAh battery, battery life is pretty average. If you’re the type who is always playing games on your phone, you’re going to be disappointed to see that battery levels drop pretty fast.
The phone is better suited for non-gamers. With standard usage, you can easily go through a day without having to pop in for an additional recharge. I’d get about 30% left at the end of the day, if I only used the phone for chatting, checking the web/email and making a few phone calls.
On the bright side, the phone supports Qualcomm’s quick-charging technology, so it juices itself back up quite fast.
Another thing I’ve noticed: the phone gets hot. It gets hot while playing games and it gets hot while charging. It doesn’t always happen, mind you, although, I expect this problem to become more pronounced over time.
Photography
Like the majority of Chinese phones launching these days, the Elephone U Pro also comes boasting a dual-camera setup on the back. And it’s a proper one even, with two 13-megapixel sensors for bokeh shots.
According to Elephone, one lens is for RGB color information, while the second is monochrome for capturing brightness and detail.
The description sounds good on paper, but in real life, the Elephone U Pro’s camera turned out to be disappointing. In good lighting, I was able to capture some decent bokeh shots. Although it took some effort to take them.
Even in scenarios where there was adequate light, the camera had a hard time telling the difference between an object in close proximity and one that was farther away. When it did focus correctly, half the times the blurred edges weren’t that clearly placed which resulted in some weird-looking shots.
The phone was randomly extremely slow to focus and even froze up a few times as I was trying to shoot. Once I even got an error saying the device “Can’t connect to the camera” and I couldn’t get rid of it issue until I rebooted the phone.
In low-light situations, things get a lot worse. Results turned out to be spectacularly grainy and the colors were washed out.
Yes, Elephone tries to offer quite a few options in its default camera app. You can adjust things like ISO and white balance. There’s also an OptiZoom option which you can use to zoom in on a subject. But the results are cosmeticized automatically and look really bizarre.
Bottom line, I can’t recommend this phone if your main reason for buying it is to be able to shoot great pictures with it.
Software
Elephone U Pro makes up for some of its shortcoming in the software department, as it comes pre-installed with a pretty stock-looking version of Android 8.0 Oreo.
The phone features the complete suite of Google’s apps and luckily, Elephone has abstained from including unnecessary apps on board. There’s an app drawer you can access by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
Given that the U Pro was made in the image of the Galaxy S8/S9, we aren’t surprised that Elephone has also replicated some of Samsung’s software gimmicks. Like the ability to pin app shortcuts to the edges of the screen.
The phone also lets you change the way your home screen and app icons look by switching to a different theme in the pre-installed theme app. You can also change the order and look of the on-screen nav keys.
The device is set to get a Face Unlock feature in a future update, although you can enable the option now by using Android’s Smart Lock feature.
Overall the software experience is a pleasant one. The phone is not too bloated and includes enough neat features to keep most customers satisfied.
Conclusion
Before I go ahead and state my conclusion I should point out an important aspect. Like many Chinese phones, the Elephone U Pro isn’t meant for the US market. As such, it does not support LTE bands, so it won’t work on the country’s major networks. If you’re in Europe like me, the phone works just fine.
So basically for customers in the US, the Elephone U Pro could only find a purpose as a gaming device or YouTube video player. But if you travel a lot, the phone might be a useful purchase.
Now comes the hard question: Is the Elephone U Pro a worthy buy?
I really want to recommend this phone because it’s so damn gorgeous. But I can’t wholeheartedly do so.
Yes, the device is super sleek and is offered at a bargain when compared to the Galaxy S9. It also comes with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and packs some neat software tricks.
While all this is nice and peachy, I can’t get over the freezing issues and the camera is average at best. To top it all, the device has a tendency to overheat, which I find quite disconcerting.
But if you want to how it feels like to own a premium-looking phone for half the money, the Elephone U Pro could be for you.
Usually, prepaid customers don’t get to share in the many discounts that post-paid consumers receive. Starting today, AT&T prepaid is sharing two deals for soon to be customers with and without their own phones.
This first deal goes out to consumers wanting to keep their phones and aren’t already AT&T customers. Those who bring their device to AT&T prepaid AND sign up for a service plan that costs $65 or more will get a $50 service credit. The credit will effectively make the bill for one month of service starting at $15.
The other deal is for the customer with no previous phone. If they go to an AT&T retail store, they can enjoy any prepaid phone for $30 off the retail price. This deal is only available in-store and does require sign up with automatic bill payment (AutoPay). Some standout phones that you can get include the ZTE Maven 3 and LG Phoenix 3.
The smartphones approved for the $30 OFF Promotion are the seven devices AT&T sells in its stores.
ZTE Maven 3
LG Phoenix 3
Samsung Galaxy Express Prime 2
Apple iPhone SE, 6, 6s and 6s Plus
Even with its prepaid service, AT&T still give you the same “top-notch” service, along with no contract, credit check, and unlimited data. If you are interested in taking advantage of either of these deals, they both end on June 7th. That gives you a little over two months, so jump on it.
Android users have been clamoring for a proper AirPods competitor since their arrival. We have seen a few different options come to the market, but none as intriguing as the Zolo Liberty+.
One of the biggest pain points in truly wireless Bluetooth headphones is the price tag. Apple’s AirPods may seem steep at $159, but other options are priced as high as $250 or more. The Liberty+ are intriguing from the fact that these are priced at just $149.
Zolo is likely a brand that you have not heard much of. However, the company comes from Anker which is definitely a brand that carries some clout.
The Liberty+ started out as a Kickstarter campaign where you could get in for as low as $99. Since then, these headphones have properly launched and are available from Amazon and the Zolo website.
What’s in the box?
Before jumping into how well these perform, let’s take a look at what Zolo claims these offer. The Liberty+ are touted as having a 3.5-hour battery life, which bumps to 48 hours with the included charging case.
We also have Bluetooth 5.0 onboard here, which means a range of up to 100 feet. So you can realistically leave your phone inside and go mow the lawn without dropping connections.
In the box, you are presented with the aluminum charging case which houses each earbud. There is also a microUSB charging cable and different ear-tips which will help ensure that these properly fit in your ears.
Sound and Performance
Now, I’m not an audiophile, but I absolutely LOVE headphones. My hearing is well enough that I can tell the difference between headphones that sound like junk, and those that sound proper.
The Liberty+ are a set of headphones that surprised me as soon as they were charged. I put them in my ears, didn’t have to worry about switching the ear tips, and was blown away.
Unknown to myself at the onset of the testing period, Zolo has included some extra goodies here. It seems there is some noise-cancellation on board, which is one of my most favorite features.
It feels as though I can sit at my desk or go for a walk and be left to whatever is playing on my phone. I don’t have to worry about interruptions in the middle of work sessions or anything of the sort.
For those who are interested, you can disable this feature. Removing this can make life a bit simpler if you’re out for a run and don’t want to miss a car driving by.
On the music side of things, there is a standalone application. This app works similarly to what Jaybird has been doing, and allows you to not only easily connect, but also to change the sound profile.
As a fan of different types of music, changing the sound profile makes life easy for switching things up. There were times when the Liberty+ didn’t properly adjust to the profile, but things still worked for the most part.
Battery Life and more
Unlike Apple’s AirPods, the Zolo Liberty+ doesn’t have a specific chipset designed to improve connectivity and battery life. However, Zolo’s claim of 3.5 hours of battery life was actually quite accurate.
I found myself sometimes reaching a bit longer than that. The included charging case is also a nice touch, although it has some quirks.
The first of which is that the Liberty+ case can be recharged via microUSB. USB Type-C has been around for some time, so we aren’t exactly sure why this was a corner to cut. On the outside of the case, there are a few LED indicators. These let users know how much juice is left in the case before it needs to be recharged.
The other qualm that I have is that there are times that the earbuds need to be re-seated. I did run into a couple of occasions where I thought the headphones were charging, only to find out that one was still dead.
Conclusion
Are the Zolo Liberty+ the best Bluetooth headphones on the market? No. Are they a valid alternative to others on the market? Absolutely.
These aren’t Bose or Jaybird headphones. This is Zolo’s first attempt to enter this market, and it’s rather impressive. Not as quite as impressive as the AirPods, but more impressive than Google’s Pixel Buds.
If you are in the market for a new set of truly wireless headphones, then the Liberty+ is a fine choice. For those who don’t want all of the bells and whistles, there is a non-Bluetooth 5.0 version of these that are available for just $100.
If you want to learn more, hit the button below. In the meantime, let us know what you think about these headphones and if they will be in consideration.
If you’re in the market for a new budget device, but don’t want to spend a boatload, you could be in luck. Honor has announced that it will be selling the Honor 7X for just $1 starting tomorrow.
Yes, you read that right. $1. As expected, there’s a catch, as you will have to move quickly. Honor only has three devices in its arsenal that will be available for this sale.
Get the Honor 7X for $1
This flash sale will begin tomorrow and will last until April 8th, so you’ll have three chances. A total of nine devices will be sold for one dollar, three each day.
The other catch is that you will be “limited” to the Blue color option. However, there are some other sales that are taking place.
Honor will be offering a free set of headphones with each regular purchase of the Honor 7X. Additionally, you can get the Honor 6X for just $149, and the Honor Band 3 will go on sale for $39.
As a reminder, the Honor 7X was launched earlier this year and sports an impressive design. It features a 5.93-inch display, with a dual-camera setup, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.
The sale will begin at 10:00 AM PST (1 PM EST), so you will want to move quickly. In order to help speed things up, you can head over to Honor’s website and register a new account. However, it’s important to note that Honor’s site is experiencing some issues, so it may take some time to get registered.
Regardless, hit the button below to learn more about the flash sale and get registered! Be sure to let us know if you’re one of the lucky 9 to get the Honor 7X for $1.
Motorola has sent press invitations to many news outlets for an event in Brazil. The invite doesn’t call out the G6 in name, but it seems like this would be a perfect time. This time last year we had the G5 announcement so now is ideal timing for a G6 introduction.
If you analyzed the invite, it’s green background match the green wallpaper in the Moto G6 leaks. Other than that, the invite-only says “Save the date” as all most of these sort of things often do.
As with the previous Moto G lines, the G6 should provide a great budget option for anyone that doesn’t want to shell out hundreds for a good android phone. We should finally find out if the leaks are accurate in a couple of weeks.
What do you think about the G6? Are you excited about it? Leave a comment below with your feedback or opinion.
Honor has been in the news as of late thanks to the release of the Honor View 10. This device is battling the OnePlus 5T as the best “budget” device on the market.
Honor 10 Launch Event
However, it seems that Honor has something else up its sleeves as the company prepares to unveil another device. The folks at Digital Trends got their hands on a new press invitation for an event on May 15th in London.
While there hasn’t been much mention of an upcoming Honor device, it seems this could be the Honor 10. We are coming up on the anniversary of the launch of the Honor 9, which was released in June of last year.
A recent leak has revealed that the Honor 10 will likely sport a 5.7-inch display while being powered by the Kirin 970. This is the same chipset found on the Honor View 10, as well as Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro.
The leak also suggests that there will be three different configurations starting at 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This could go all the way up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.
Other details are scarce, but considering how popular the Honor 9 was last year, a successor would definitely be welcome. The best part about Honor launching another device is the fact that it will likely be available here in the US.
While Honor’s parent company, Huawei, continues to battle the US government, Honor has been flying under the radar. Its devices will launch on the likes of Amazon, providing for easier consumer access
We’ll have to wait and see what Honor has been working on. In the meantime, let us know what you would like to see from Honor at its May 15th event. If you don’t want to wait, be sure to check out these great deals on the Mate 10 Pro and Honor Mate SE.
If you’re looking for a ever-popular “brain trainer” or puzzle-type of apps or games, a new one available in the Play Store is Boardefuse. Boardefuse is a new all-ages puzzle game from the developer Chronohole. Like, very new… 10+ installs to-date (as of time of writing)! No, not 10 million— 10. And that’s ok; many new apps come out every day, gaining a very small following on it’s way to global domination. It just means it’s new, and that the masses have yet to discover it.
But for a new app to garner quick attention- to grow the way the developer dreams of, the app has to be a number of things including pretty, to learn, offer a general amount of variety, and be immediately (let’s face it) addictive. Finding this combination is the secret sauce that all developers chase on a daily basis.
To be frank, Boardefuse doesn’t quite hit the mark on these primary features. I also have to admit that during my time with Boardefuse, I was generally confused most of the time.
Game Premise
The idea of Boardefuse is a combination puzzle game and brain trainer, forcing you to think creatively to defuse as many bombs as possible on a given game board; linking them under a set of rules/constraints mandated by the game.
Bombs can have numbers or symbols on them; or can be blank (a deactivated bomb). On each game board there is a central blue “B” bomb that you create your links from. Each bomb’s number indicates the quantity of bombs that have to be linked in front of it (e.g.; a “3” bomb has to have 3 bombs in the chain before it).
Blank bombs and ones with symbols allow you to tweak these rules to help reach your goal. You can also acquire tools (e.g.; nippers to defuse bombs) as bonus items or in-app purchases.
The boards start easy, but as you progress through them they become increasingly complex and difficult. Again, the intent is to provide an easy-entry puzzle game that make you think, without being too involved.
Game Reality
Okay, maybe I’m just not getting it, but I’ve had a hard time with Boardefuse as a player. To me, the entire experience is confusing and ambiguous. I’m really not even sure where to start as the whole experience meanders.
Starting with the overall aesthetic, the combination of earth-tone colors and thin font made it fairly difficult for my eyes to read, and to understand the flow of the interface.
The nine tutorial levels are intended to guide you through all the basic game mechanics and challenge types to encounter. But when I completed level 9, I did not feel much more prepared for gameplay than I was at level 1.
Navigating Boardefuse felt like I was on my own most of the time. There’s a lot of icons, without a lot of explanation. If you were to hand me your phone asking me for help in getting to a certain screen, I don’t believe I could do it in under three tries.
Once gameplay began, the experience was similarly underwhelming. The same earth-tones just don’t offer a feeling of invitation and stimulation. The gameplay itself was just ‘blah’; it offered no excitement or invitation to keep playing on. On the positive side, gameplay mechanics were pretty good; the game icons were responsive to touch and slide inputs.
Overall
I just can’t recommend Boardefuse to you. From the drab colors, to the ambiguous interface, to the lack of instruction; I never did get beyond the “OK, how does this work?” phase of gameplay.
Maybe I’m all wet here. Maybe there’s something basic I’m just flat-missing. But until that enlightenment happens, I would move on to other, more established puzzle games. If you do decide to give it a try and have better luck than I do, please let us know at AndroidGuys.
