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What’s the difference: Nokia 6 vs Nokia 6 (2018)

Alexandra Arici
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A year has passed since HMD unveiled Nokia’s first comeback smartphone in China, the Nokia 6, so this week the Finnish company has taken the wraps off an updated version of the phone destined to be sold in the same region.

The second generation Nokia 6 brings only a few improvements over its predecessor and in what follows we’re going to take a look at what sets it apart from the original version.

Exterior

At a glance, the Nokia 6 (2018) looks quite akin the original model, although a few key aspects have changed. The phone still comes featuring a 5.5-inch IPS fullHD display and is based on similar aluminum unibody design.

However, unlike last year’s model, the second-gen Nokia 6 has shed the physical home button located under the display, so the fingerprint scanner now resides on the phone’s back. Despite this change, the top and bottom bezels remain quite chunky and the phones still feature the less modern 16:9 aspect ratio.

On the back, the centered vertical camera is now surrounded by a sleek colored rim. This year, Nokia is offering the Nokia 6 in two stylish versions: black with copper highlights and white with rose gold accents. The original Nokia 6 was sold in Matte Black, Tempered Blue, Silver, and Copper, as well as an Arte Black Limited Edition version.

Interior

If last year’s Nokia 6 relied on a Snapdragon 430 (low-end 1.4GHz octa-core chip), the Nokia 6 (2018) makes the transition to solid mid-range territory by employing the help of a Snapdragon 630 (2.2GHz octa-core processor) – the same processor that powers mid-range phones such as the HTC U11 Life, Moto X4 or the ASUS Zenfone 4.

The original Nokia 6 launched with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but the Arte Black version offered a more advanced 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage configuration.

The Nokia 6 2018, on the other hand, includes 4GB of RAM by default with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Both models include a microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB.

Battery capacity hasn’t been upgraded this year, so both models rely on a 3,000 mAh powerhouse to keep lights on.

Photography

Things haven’t changed much in the photography department either, except with a few exceptions. The new model still has a 16-megapixel (with f/2.0) sensor living on the back and an 8-megapixel (with f/2.0) front camera (with added 84-degree wide-angle capture for the new model).

But the second-gen Nokia 6 now includes an additional microphone to support Nokia’s OZO Audio’s spatial audio capture, a feature HMD also offers on the Nokia 8 flagship. On the downside, the phone lost the second speaker in the process.

Another feature borrowed from the Nokia 8 is the Dual-Sight mode or bothie mode. This allows the phone to simultaneously film what is in front of the device, while also recording selfie videos. Useful? It’s up to you decide, but it sounds like it would be fun to try at least once.

Other features

With the Nokia 6 2018, the company decided to ditch the micro-USB port in favor of the newer USB Type-C. The good news, however, is that the 3.5mm headphone jack is still on board the new model.

What’s truly disappointing about this new phone is that it launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out the box – the same software version the original Nokia 6 came with almost a year ago. Obviously, HMD said the phone will get the Oreo update soon, but that’s beside the point. Why are so few new phones launching with Oreo as default operating system when Google’s latest Android version has been out for months? We will probably never know…

Pricing

Like its predecessor, the Nokia 6 2018 will be a China exclusive device at launch. The 64GB version is expected to land in retail with a price of approximately $260 attached to it, while the 32GB model will be sold for around $230.

Currently, the original Nokia 6 is available in the US for $229.99 on Amazon, while the Arte Black version with 4GB of RAM is no longer on sale (it was priced at $299). So it seems this year, Nokia has priced the phone more competitively.

Even the Nokia 6 2018 will initially go on sale only in China, we expect it to land in the States, as well at some point in the future.

LG Tribute DYNASTY arrives at Boost Mobile and Sprint for $99.99

Alexandra Arici
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Sprint and its prepaid branch, Boost Mobile today announced the LG Tribute DYNASTY. An entry-level smartphone, the new device is available for purchase right away at Boost and starting January 12 at Sprint for only $99.99.

At this price, the LG Tribute DYNASTY is not here to blow your mind away with advanced specs and unique features but to offer a complete package for basic users who don’t need a high-end smartphone for every-day use.

The new phone takes advantage of a 5-inch HD IPS Touchscreen display, a 1.5GHz octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage and a 2,500 mAh battery which is said to be able to offer up to 15 hours of talk time.

Users will also be able to take pictures and selfies with the phone thanks to the rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and the 5-megapixel secondary shooter but don’t expect stellar results.

The device also has a fingerprint sensor located on the back and is Mexico Roaming Capable.

If you think the LG Tribute DYNASTY might be a welcome addition to your life, then you’d better act quick. For a limited time Boost Mobile customers will be able to purchase the phone for as low as $59.99. But keep in mind that the deal is only available in in-store locations.

Customers who abandoned their carrier to join Boost Mobile should also take note as switchers can purchase the phone for only $9.99.

What’s more, existing customers who add a monthly plan to a new or existing $50/month Unlimited Gigs plan and buy a phone like the new LG Tribute DYNASTY will get an instant $30 credit on their account.

But if you’d rather purchase the LG Tribute DYNASTY from Sprint, you’ll be able to do so starting next week for $25 down and $5/month with an 18 Sprint Flex lease payments.

OnePlus 5T in Sandstone White goes live, will be available starting January 9

Alexandra Arici
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At launch, the OnePlus 5T was offered only in Midnight Black color version. Two months later, customers now have a new color version to choose from. It’s called Sandstone White and it looks quite similar to the limited Star Wars edition model which was released exclusively in India not so long ago.

The new OnePlus 5T variant is said to be paying tribute to the original OnePlus Sandstone designs, which proved to be quite popular with users a few years back. The company uses the “Classic Revisited” tagline to describe the new model, which brings back the rough “Sandstone” feel on the back.

In order to make the Sandstone White 5T even more appealing, OnePlus colored the alert slider of this model in red, a design choice reminiscent of the panda Pixel 2 XL.

Like the Star Wars edition, the Sandstone White version is also a limited edition, so if you want to get your hands on one, you would do best to act quickly on January 9 when the phone will go on sale globally. Starting at 10 am EST, you will be able to place an order for the device.

The new model is offered with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage on board. Otherwise, the specs are the same as the black model’s meaning you’ll get a bezel-less 6-inch AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution, Snapdragon 835 processor, 16MP/20MP dual cameras on the back and a 3,300 mAh battery with Dash Charge.

The phone will be available for $559 a pop, just like the Midnight Black version.

OnePlus also launched a sleek Lava Red version of the 5T, but unfortunately, it only made it available in China. Recent reports indicate it will be soon sold in India as well, but what about the rest of the world?

Cool Kickstarter projects: Embr Wave is a wearable thermostat for your body

Alexandra Arici
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Wearables have been around for a few years, and yet they have failed to find true utility. For example, there’s not much you can do on your smartwatch than you can’t do on a smartphone.

Well a new startup founded at MIT has created a wearable that actually solves a real problem. If you’re human, you probably have gone through moments when you felt either too hot or too cold, while others around you felt completely at ease. It can make you feel extremely uncomfortable, but lucky now there’s a solution. It’s called the Embr Wave and is a tiny thermostat for your body you can actually wear around your wrist.

Had enough of arguing with your workmates whether the air-conditioning should stay on or off? Stuck in an overheated subway car with another 30 minutes to go? Well with Embr Wave around your wrist you’ll be able to get the thermal relief you crave at the press of the button.

Once the button has been activated, the wearable will immediately cool down or warm up the skin around your wrist. That’s it, you might be asking at this point? Well, the MIT-founded start-up claims that warming or cooling one spot on your body is enough to improve your overall comfort, without changing the core temperature. Sitting on your wrist, the Embr Wave works to deliver waves of temperature for efficient, precise and immediate effect.

To start a cooling session, simply click the left side of the Light Bar on your Embr Wave. Conversely, click the right side of the Light Bar to get some heat in your body. For those who prefer intermediate levels of coolness/warmth, the Embr Wave comes with 16 distinct temperature intensity levels ranging from Very Cold to Very Warm.

The wearable relies on a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery with micro USB charging cable that’s said to be good for 2-3 days of normal use.

If you think the Embr Wave would be an useful addition to your life, then you’ll be glad to know the product has been successfully funded on Kickstarter. You can pre-order your own Embr Wave wearable for $299, from the official Embr Wave layer. It’s expected to start shipping in July 2018.

What we know so far: LG G7 edition

Alexandra Arici
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We saw a lot of impressive smartphones making headlines in 2017, and in 2018 we expect to see a new generation of groundbreaking handsets appear on the market.

One of the most anticipated flagships of early 2018 will be released by LG, perhaps during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. But according to recent rumors, there will be no LG G7 this year, as the company is apparently looking to introduce a new branding for its flagship line.

You might not remember, but LG’s first G-series smartphone was introduced back in 2012 in the form of the Optimus G. A year later, the Korean phone company dropped the “Optimus” branding, only keeping the G for the launch of its G2 flagship.

While the specifics of the rebranding haven’t been settled yet, the report reveals two possible scenarios: numbering the phone with a two-digit number or rebranding it with a completely different name. But until we know more about the possible new name of LG’s next flagship, we’re going to refer to it as the G7 for the purpose of this article.

So what will the G7 be like? Read below to learn what we know so far:

Exterior

LG G7 concept

With two months to go before LG will supposedly reveal the G7, we still don’t know much about the upcoming flagship. Rumors are scarce and imagery even scarcer.

Naturally, we expect LG to continue on the path it started on 2017 when it comes to design. That means, its next flagship will probably boast even thinner bezels and feature the now familiar 18:9 aspect ratio. Visually, the smartphone will obviously be styled in the vein of G6, as well as the V30. This means we will get to see a phone made mostly out of glass with a metal frame, rounded corners, and slight curves to the left and right sides.

At this point, it’s quite unclear how large the G7 will end up being, although it’s pretty safe to assume the phone’s display will be between the 5.7-inches of the G6 and 6-inches of the V30 with at least Quad HD+ resolution and HDR/Dolby Vision support.

LG might also substitute the LCD panel used in the G6 with an OLED one, just like it did with the V30, but this is only speculation at this point, as nothing on the matter has been confirmed yet.

Internals

Last year Samsung hogged the initial Snapdragon 835 batch for its Galaxy S8, thus leaving no choice to LG than to use last year’s Snapdragon 821 for its G6 flagship. Which was one of the reasons why the phone was easily overshadowed by Samsung’s illustrious newcomer.

Well, we’ve already heard some rumors dating back to May according to which LG was already taking steps to ensure the G7 will get the Snapdragon 845. The high-end chipset was officially announced not so long ago and hopefully, LG will manage to outsmart Samsung this year. You can read more about the Snapdragon 845 and its promises here.

Furthermore, the G7 could end up offering a more generous RAM & storage configuration. The G6 has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (with microSD card slot support), but the G7 could raise the bar and come with 6GB of RAM and at least 64GB of storage.

Moving on to battery, both the G6 and V30 rely on a 3,300 mAh power box, so we expect to see something similar in the G7. Maybe a 3,500 mAh battery? Who knows, as rumors have been mum on this topic.

Camera

LG V30’s camera

Mystery surrounds the G7’s camera too, although we expect the main one to be a dual camera setup, perhaps a standard lens coupled with a wide-angle one. It’s quite possible, the G7 will take a ton of cues from the V30 in this department, including the f/1.6 aperture (widest seen on a flagship on the Western market).

The camera will most likely also benefit from optical image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, and a manual mode. Obviously, some new features and tweaks will also be sprinkled.

As for the selfie camera, it’s probably going to get a bump from the 5-megapixel of the G6. LG could also end up implementing a dual-camera setup on the front, although that’s less likely to happen.

Other features

Given LG fondness for the premium audio, we expect the G7 to arrive with some sort of Hi-Fi function on board.

The 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as water-resistance and possibly military-grade shatter-resistance, might also make a return to the G7, although nothing is sure for the time being.

Wireless charging also seems to be in the cards and so is Android 8.0 Oreo as default operating system on board (with LG’s skin plastered on top).

Release date and pricing

LG usually unveils a flagship during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This year the event is scheduled to start on February 26, so LG will most likely make the G7 announcement a day earlier on February 25. Subsequently, the phone should go on sale sometime around March-April.

At launch, we expect the phone to be priced around $700, which was also was the starting price of the G6. Yet, soon after the phone got various price-cuts.

How to permanently delete your Instagram account

Alexandra Arici
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How many times did you check your Instagram today? For all the wonders of social media, browsing feeds non-stop can also end up consuming out lives and give us unnecessary anxiety. So are all the drawbacks worth it, or should you simply wash your hands of the whole affair?

If in 2018, you want to focus more on being productive or improving yourself as much as you can, then it might be time to delete your beloved Instagram account.

It’s not extremely difficult to delete your Instagram, but you should be aware there are two ways to go about it. First off, you can just temporarily disable your account – you know, to see how it feels or how badly you miss spying on your friends, err I mean discovering new and wonderful photographs.

This option allows you keep all your pictures and videos in a state of hibernation. They won’t be deleted and once you decide you can’t live without Instagram and re-activate your account, you’ll find they are still there.

The second option is the drastic approach, as it will permanently delete all your data. And there’s no way of getting them back. Except if you have saved said photos and videos on your smartphone or another device you might own.

Below we’ll show you how you can temporary disable your account or permanently delete it.

How to temporary disable your Instagram account

  1. Open up Instagram in a browser (note: you can’t do it from the mobile app)
  2. Log in, if you haven’t already
  3. Click the profile button in the top-right corner
  4. Click on Edit Profile button, next to your Profile Picture
  5. Scroll down until you see “Temporary disable my account” in blue (next to the Submit button)
  6. You’ll be asked why you are disabling your profile and to re-type your password
  7. Do so and click on the “Temporary disable account” button

How to delete your Instagram account for good

  1. Go to Instagram’s dedicated page for permanently deleting an account
  2. Tell them why you are deleting your account
  3. Re-enter your password
  4. Press the red “Permanently Delete my Account” button
  5. RIP Instagram account

Don’t forget, you can do any of this from the mobile Instagram app, you will need to log-in into Instagram in a browser.

9 apps to keep you calm and relaxed in 2018

Alexandra Arici
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Feeling a little stressed about returning to our busy life after the Holiday season? We bet you’d love to prolong the blissful, relaxed state you enjoyed during the mini-holiday and the good news is that you most certainly can.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions has to do with living a more stress-free existence, here are some useful apps to keep you take life a little easier in 2018.

Loop

At the onset of a new year, everyone is busy making a new list of goals to achieve. But it’s not always easy to form a new habit. That’s where Loop steps in.

Once installed on your smartphone or smartwatch, the app can be configured to send reminders for each new habit (like drinking water), as well as provide detailed graphs that showcase your progress over time. The app is completely ad-free and open source and benefits from a clean, minimalist interface.

Pacifica

Feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety and even depression? Pacifica is built on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods, as well as mindfulness, meditation and relaxation principles to help you througher tough times.

The app includes a mood tracker tool which lets users rate their moods and feelings, as well as a psychologist-designed thought analysis tools that teaches sufferers how to by-pass distorted thinking patterns which contribute to their anxiety and sadness.

The app also has a social media component, as you will be able to share your stories via Pacifica’s peer-support community.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer is one of the most popular meditation apps out there, as it comes packed with up to 8,000 guided meditations.

You can follow 1,600 mediation teachers and 500 topics, as well as join one or more of the 5,000 discussion groups. In that sense, the app acts as a sort of social network for meditation students.

The app is free for download, but if you want to use it offline you’ll be required to pay a monthly fee of $2.99/month.

MindFi

Meditation is a deep relaxation method that stills the mind and stops the constant chatter in your head. When this never-ending internal dialogue ceases the mind settles. But what if you’re a really busy individual who just can’t find the time to sit in a quiet room and concentrate on a mantra?

MindFi aims to solve this problem by incorporating meditation into your busy schedule, without interfering with your activities. The three-minute meditation sessions can be done with your eyes open, while you work or do other tasks. It’s pretty handy!

Relax Melodies

You can’t be at your best if you don’t get a good night’s sleep. Relax Melodies helps you achieve just that. Beat insomnia by listening to the app’s collection of soundscapes which includes over 50 free relaxing sounds like white sounds, meditation music, and nature sounds.

Users can also add a guided meditation to their sleep sounds to help them combat stress and anxiety or tinnitus.

Recolor

Coloring books for adults have really taken off in 2017. Advertised as an anti-stress method, many adults have taken to coloring in order to channel their anxiety into a creative process.

Recolor takes the healing power of a coloring book and brings it to your Android smartphone. The app features over 2000 unique pictures including portraits, mandalas, animals and flowers for your coloring pleasure. Finish off your masterwork with unique style effects to make your creation stand out.

Peak

Concentrate your attention on something productive while using your phone, instead of using it for scrolling mindlessly on social media or playing random games.

Peak offers a collection of games to challenge your memory, attention, problem-solving, emotion control and more. The app also includes a personal trainer for your brain, to help you track progress and improve the current state of cognitive function.

7 Cups

Can’t seem to shake off the post-Christmas blues no matter what you do? Maybe you need to talk to someone about it.

7 Cups provides emotional support and counseling from active trained listeners who are available for you 24/7. The app also provides 300 mindfulness exercises to calm your nerves, as well as simple activity prompts to boost your mood.

HelloMind

HelloMind is an app which aims to help you overcome specific issues like weight gain or low self-esteem, not just stress. Choose a treatment of 10 sessions and listen to them in your headphones to break and eliminate the negative patterns you’ve engulfed yourself in.

Or choose a Quick Fix if you crave immediate relief from a craving, stress or panic or simply 5 minutes of complete relaxation. Also learn how to reinforce good emotions, as opposed to negative ones that lead to never-ending loops.

How to “check for updates” on your Android device

Alexandra Arici
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Updating your Android can be a painful experience that requires a lot of patience, depending on the device you own and the carrier you’re with.

Customarily when a new version of Android starts rolling out, it doesn’t hit every device at the same time – it depends a lot on your location. The process can take up to a few weeks, but there are ways to ensure you get the update sooner.

The majority of users usually wait until they receive a notification on their handset which alerts them the new update is available for download. But you don’t have to. Just use the “check for updates” button in Settings, which has been recently updated to help you get the new software a lot quicker.

Follow these steps to manually Check for Updates on your Android device (a OnePlus 5T was used for the purpose of this tutorial):

  1. Open up the Settings app either by using the app icon or by tapping the gear-shaped settings button in the notification bar
  2. Scroll down all the way to the bottom until you reach the System menu
  3. Tap on System Updates
  4. Tap on Check for Updates to see if you have something new

Different manufacturers do things differently, so for example, if you own a Samsung phone you’ll notice things are arranged a bit differently.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Samsung phone
  2. Look for the dedicated Software Update section and tap on it
  3. Tap on Download updates manually to check for updates

It’s worth mentioning that the functionality of the “check for updates” button has changed in recent months. Now when you tap that button, the system will recognize this it’s a user-initiated process and if a new software version is available, you’ll get it immediately.

In the past, the button didn’t do much to speed up things along, so some impatient users resorted to sideloading the OTA updates. But this shouldn’t be necessary anymore.

Hey, iPhone users, Samsung and LG won’t slow down your old devices

Dan Bartram
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By now you’ll have heard the news that Apple purposely slows down older iPhones to reduce the CPU power to account for degraded batteries. Apple acknowledged such practices and said it was to protect against unwanted shutdowns, and not to encourage users to upgrade to the latest and greatest, faster, iPhones.

Huge manufacturing companies aren’t stupid and anyone could see this as a valuable marketing opportunity to one-up Apple. Samsung and LG took the opportunity to both issue statements to Phone Arena:

LG:  Never have, never will! We care what our customers think.

Samsung: Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile’s top priority. We ensure extended battery life of Samsung mobile devices through multi-layer safety measures, which include software algorithms that govern the battery charging current and charging duration. We do not reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycles of the phone.

That’s LG and Samsung added to the list of HTC and Motorola who also confirm they do not forcefully limit devices based on age.

While it can be argued that Apple devices age better than Android smartphones, it still leaves it up to the user as to when the performance of their device is warranting an upgrade and arguably would be longer than when Apple would start throttling performance.

Have you migrated to Android from iOS because of a slow device? Would you have made the jump without this throttling?

The Google Pixel 2 XL has changed how I take photos

AndroidGuys
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I have loved photography ever since my grandfather got me into collecting old film cameras over a decade ago, but that love has never extended into mobile photography. For years, most of the photos you would find on my phone were of documents, notes, or something I wanted to remember for later. Sure, there were a few pictures of my family and friends, but there were almost no photos of landscapes, nature, or anything particularly “Instagram worthy.” I reserved all of those photos for a separate digital camera, my trusted Sony A6000. I took that camera with me everywhere and used it to capture any “real” photos, that is, not photos of grocery lists or receipts. However, this entire dynamic changed once I got my hands on the Google Pixel 2 XL.

During the past year, I have been consistently impressed with the photos taken on the original Google Pixel, and once I began looking to upgrade my phone, I anxiously awaited the announcement for the Google Pixel 2. I am not normally one to put my weight behind numbers and a spec sheet, but when I saw the details come out about the camera on the Pixel 2 along with the score it received from DxOMark, I could not help but get excited and purchased it on release day.

In November, I took a trip down to New Orleans where the strangest thing happened. Even though I carried my Sony A6000 with me the entire time, you will not see many photos from my trip on that SD card. Instead, almost every photo from New Orleans can be found on my Pixel 2 XL and for good reason. The camera on the Google Pixel 2 XL is incredible. With that phone in my hand, I was able to focus more on what I was photographing than how I was photographing it. As someone who almost always shoots in manual mode with my Sony, I’m used to spending a few seconds fidgeting with settings before finally pressing that shutter button, but with the Pixel 2 XL, camera settings were the furthest thing from my mind. Having the incredible power of HDR+ at my fingertips meant every shot I took was as close to perfect as I could hope.

At first, I tried to strike a balance between using my phone and my camera, but it did not take me long to leave my camera around my neck and use my phone only. I imagine I looked pretty strange walking around with a DSLR and taking pictures on a phone, but people weren’t seeing what I was seeing. The photos I was able to capture with my Pixel 2 XL are hands down the best I have ever taken with a phone. I was consistently impressed with the speed and consistency I achieved with this phone, and HDR+ is a gift to all mobile photographers. The Google Pixel 2 XL gave me the confidence of knowing that if I saw something I liked, it would succeed in capturing it for me.

If something caught my eye while walking the streets of the French Quarter, I could quickly capture it without worrying about settings or focus. This meant I could spend more time looking around and less time looking at my viewfinder. It was a fairly sunny day when I was strolling around, and most of the photos I took would have required switching to HDR and fiddling with images in post had I been using my Sony. But with the Pixel 2 XL, I was able to frame my shot and press one button to take a picture that looked pretty darn impressive. The dynamic range of the Pixel 2 XL is amazing both with and without HDR+ enabled, and I could really see just how powerful Google’s camera software is as I watched photos process right before my eyes.

I know what you are thinking, other phones have taken great photos with incredible details and dynamic range long before the Pixel 2, and you would be completely right. However, I never owned any of these phones. I always held performance and software above camera quality, and I normally had a phone that met those criteria. The Pixel 2 XL is the first phone I have owned that delivers stellar results in both software performance and camera performance, and I cannot wait to see what 2018 brings in terms of mobile photography.

Has the Google Pixel 2 XL replaced my Sony A6000? Not at all. But what this phone has done is given me the opportunity leave my big camera at home and not worry about my phone delivering sub-par camera performance. My Sony still holds the edge in overall image detail along with a robust manual mode and the option to change lenses. Photos taken with my Sony and edited in post still look better than most of what the Pixel 2 can capture. However, the Pixel 2 often produces better images than the Sony when no editing is done, and using my phone means I spend less time behind a computer and more time out taking photos. No phone yet has been able to fully compete with a stand-alone digital camera, but the Google Pixel 2 XL is the closest any phone has ever gotten.

(All images are unedited originals from a Google Pixel 2 XL compressed for web use)
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