Home Blog Page 804

How hard is it to keep Android up to date?

Dan Bartram
-
0

One of the biggest frustrations that plague Android users is the lack of updates when it comes to getting the latest version of the operating system. Minus the Pixel users, most of us find ourselves in a situation whereby it can be anywhere from 6 months to a year to almost never before we see a new version of Android hit our devices.

In what seemingly is a simple case of issuing an update to all Android devices, manufacturers are constantly struggling to emulate what Apple can do with its iPhone and issue the latest version of OS immediately to devices.

But just how easy is it to keep an Android device up to date?

Sony takes a stab at providing just how complex it is to issue an update to its devices with a handy infographic.

Alright, so the process is extensive. But, Apple seems to do it just fine with the iPhone and I don’t see any steps it would cut out to streamline the process. Ok, perhaps they don’t have to go round the carrier loop to have extra software bundled but even if that added a 3-month delay, it doesn’t explain why my Samsung device isn’t running the latest version of Android.

Sony, if this is the process, and I’m not just looking at Sony here, please speed this up, for the sake of Android.

Huawei’s Honor V10 reportedly to debut December 5

Dan Bartram
-
0

Huawei could be set to unveil its next Honor-branded device with the V10 featuring a 5.99-inch all-display design that could debut as soon as December 5 this year.

According to leaked documents spotted by GizChina, the near bezel-less device features a Kirin 970 chipset, the same one found in the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, as well as 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. You’ll get a dual-camera setup as seems common in most smartphones these days that packs a 16-Megapixel and 20-Megapixel setup.

Huawei keeps its personalization with the EMUI 6.0 Android skin on top of Android 8.0 Oreo. The Honor V10 will reportedly be announced at an event in London on December 5 for around $452 so is an extremely competitive price for the specs. It seems Huawei is continuing to embrace the industry trend of pushing the boundaries of screen displays by reducing the bezels and the V10 seems to bring that high-end spec sheet to an affordable price.

While obviously this is all rumor and should, therefore, be taken with the accompanying pinch of salt, Huawei is making it clear it is a force to be taken seriously with its plethora of devices that cater for all budgets and seem to not compromise on specs.

Samsung throws shade at Apple’s notch with its latest ad

AG Deals Team
-
0

Over the last few years, things between Apple and Samsung have been relatively quiet. There hasn’t been much bickering between the two and that’s mainly because Apple decided to stick with the same iPhone design while Samsung continued to innovate.

However, that all has changed now that the iPhone X has been released, which is a complete overhaul of Apple’s design. Gone are the huge bezels and metal build, and now we have an all-glass design along with the Notch.

As expected, Samsung has released a new advertisement which encourages iPhone owners to “grow up” and get a Galaxy device. However, the shade is being thrown around pretty well in this ad, including the image above of a man with a haircut in the shape of the iPhone X’s notch.

This was a pretty hilarious response to the release of the iPhone X as Samsung and Apple will go head to head in sales this Holiday season. Let us know what you think about the ad in the comments below and let us know what you think about how the iPhone X stacks up to the Galaxy Note 8.

ZeroBounce email validation system – Boost your email marketing effort (Promoted)

AndroidGuys
-
0

Do you run an online business of your own? If answered yes, chances are high that you have started collecting mail addresses of your users and you’ve involved yourself in email marketing to get your subscribers returning to you for more. You will probably have millions of email addresses by now but the million-dollar question is how many among them are valid enough. Online subscriptions forms attract spambots and due to this the email databases are mostly full of spam addresses. This keeps wasting your money.

This is when you can turn to services like ZeroBounce which is one of the best email
validation services which permits you in validating your mail address before you add that to
your database. Few of the best features of ZeroBounce are:

  • Detection of email bounce
  • Detection of spam trap and email abuse
  • Data append of email

Into the details…

Detection of email bounce

For every single email address, ZeroBounce will question the email server like Yahoo, Gmail
or AOL to check whether or the email address is valid. ZeroBounce will then eliminate all the illegitimate mails from the list to prohibit email bounces which later on tarnishes your
deliverability.

Detection of spam traps and mail abuse

ZeroBounce can even recognize those domains which are well-known for spam, abuse and
emails created by bots. It can even identify those mails which already have a history of
marking mails as spam. ZeroBounce can also recognize temporary mail accounts which are
used to mask actual mail addresses.

Data append of emails

Majority of the time, only email addresses are captured of the users instead of also capturing
their location and name. When you validate emails, ZeroBounce can even recognize your
first name, your last name, age of the mail address, location and add it on to your list.

Testing your ZeroBounce account

Signing up with ZeroBounce and creating an account is free of cost and you will be offered
100 credits to test the system where 1 credit is equivalent to 1 email validation. In order to
get started, here are the few steps that you should take:

  • Sign up in order to get a free account with ZeroBounce
  • As soon as you log in, you will find yourself in the section called the Bulk Email Validator where you will be allowed to upload a text file of the mail address which you wish to verify
  • Once the text file or the CSV file is prepared, upload the file to ZeroBounce and alter ‘Choose Separator’ to ‘Comma’. Next you have to click on button ‘Validate File’ and begin the validation. You’ll soon be taken to the section called ‘Uploaded Files’ where you can check the validation status. This takes around 30 minutes to validate around 100 mail addresses.
  • You’ll get a mail notification as soon as the validation completes.
  • You can download this file from ZeroBounce.

So, if you’re serious and eager to know about email marketing, you should use ZeroBounce
to verify your mail addresses. It will not only let you save your dollars but also boost your
rate of engagement which is something that mail marketers yearn for.

You’ve been warned: Don’t do a factory reset on Android 8.1 Oreo

Dan Bartram
-
0

The Developer Preview is now available for Android 8.1 Oreo on Nexus and Pixel devices but it comes with quite a big caveat.

Android 8.1 adds SMS connect to the feature list but you’ll want to be sure not to forget your PIN and be forced to do a factory reset. Early adopters of the Developer Preview are saying that the device asked for a ‘Previously Used Secret’ and not for the Google account upon booting for the first time after a reset.

Redditor Tom Bolger shared what happened to his Android 8.1 phone following a factory reset and despite doing another reset the same thing happened. He contacted Google tech support who failed to help him get into his phone and suggested a replacement device.

While the chances of this happening are pretty slim, in that the likelihood is you’ll remember a previously used code, it doesn’t help those who simply forget. It’s not clear if Google will revert this change for the public release of Android 8.1 as the company does tend to test new features regularly.

So if you’re planning on resetting your device anytime soon, make sure you make a note of the previously used PIN or be prepared to have a very expensive paperweight.

Which one should you buy: HTC U11 Life vs Moto X4

Alexandra Arici
-
0

HTC is dabbling in mid-range territories once more with the new HTC U11 Life which was recently announced in Android One and Sense flavors.

The Sense version is already available for purchase in the States, but the question is should you buy it? Or should you opt for an alternative like the Moto X4 (which also has an Android One version)? Bellow, we compare the two phones, to give you an idea of which one might be best suited for your needs.

On the outside

On today’s market, budget phones no longer synonymous with low-quality. Just look at the Moto X4 which comes with a metal and glass design, Gorilla Glass 4 and a contoured back. It even offers IP68 water and dust resistance, which is better than the Moto Z2 lineup’s “splashproof” rating.  On the negative side of things, it does not offer support for the Moto Mods modular accessories.

The new HTC U11 Life, however, features a back panel made of acrylic glass that’s designed to be highly reflective and features a plastic frame. The result is that even as the IP67-rated HTC device looks premium at first glance, it does not feel so nice when you hold in hand.

When it comes to the front, both handsets rely on a 5.2-inch display with FullHD resolution and include a physical home button with the fingerprint scanner embedded.

On the inside

As for computing power, both the Moto and the HTC rely on a Snapdragon 630 SoC, aided by 3GB of RAM an 32GB of expandable storage (for 256G and 2TB respectively).

What about the batteries? There is a 3,000 mAh power cell fueling the Moto X4 (expect a single day of use without batting an eye), while the HTC U11 Life is kept alive by a smaller 2,600 mAh one.

Photography

Fans of dual camera phones will probably prefer the Moto X4 which pairs a 12-megapixel sensor (f/2.0) with an 8-megapixel sensor (f/2.2) with phase detection autofocus and dual-LED flash. When it comes to selfies, Moto X4 owners can take advantage of the 16-megapixel secondary camera with f/2.0.

In contrast, the HTC U11 Life relies on a singular 16-megapixel sensor with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and LED flash. On the front, we find the similar 16-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 that can shoot video in 108p.

Other features

The Moto X4 comes with Amazon Alexa out of the box. It also ships out with the Moto Key – an option which allows users to access password-protected websites with a touch of a finger. Furthermore, the Moto X4 owners can pair up to four Bluetooth audio devices with the phone including headphones, speakers or stereo systems.

Moving on to the U11 Life, the phone has inherited the Edge Sense pressure-sensitive frame from the U11 flagship, which lets users squeeze the phone to trigger an action. The new HTC middle-ranger also supports Cat.9 LTE in the US, with peak download speeds of 450Mbps and uploads up to 50Mbps. Alexa is also on board of the new device.

Customers who order the HTC U11 Life will also get a pair of HTC USonic earbuds in the box. But while the HTC U11 Life does not include a 3.5mm headphone jack, the Moto X4 does.

Both phones launched with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box but will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo in the near future. For its part, HTC promised the update for the U11 Life will arrive by the end of November.

Pricing

The HTC U11 Life is currently available from T-Mobile for $350 or you can get it unlocked directly from HTC.com.

The unlocked Moto X4 can be grabbed for $329 from Amazon if you’re a Prime member. If you’re not, the purchase will take you back with $399. The Moto device is also offered as an Android One branded phone through Google’s Project Fi for $399.

What should you get? The decision is up to you, but to recap the HTC U11 Life offers a sleek design, it’s Cat.9 LTE compatible, comes with HTC USonic earbuds and includes the Edge Sense gimmick.

On the other hand, the Moto X4 has a larger battery, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual cameras and is cheaper if you’re a Prime member.

Protect your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 without adding bulk to it with these Peel cases

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Cases are handy accessories which keep fragile phones like the Galaxy Note 8 from getting accidentally harmed. However, there’s usually a trade-off involved – you snap a case on your phone to keep your mind (and wallet) at ease, but in some situations (like when using a rugged case) you end up being stuck with a pretty bulky device.

For those who, if given a choice would prefer to keep their Galaxy Note 8 as sleek as possible, we have a solution. It’s offered by accessory maker Peel which also offers cases for the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Google Pixel XL.

The company has unveiled a line of new ultra-thin 3.5mm cases for the Galaxy Note 8 which provide protection from scratches and minor contusions while keeping the phone’s curves and frame almost unchanged. What’s more, you’re probably going to love the fact that these accessories are devoid of any branding.

If you find yourself interested in a Peel case for the Galaxy Note 8, you can head on to the official Peel website and order yourself one for 25 bucks. The accessory is available in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray or Arctic Silver.

For Galaxy Note 8 owners the opposite spectrum, you might want to check out ZeroLemon’s chunky case for the flagship which includes an additional battery that can add 210% extra battery life to the device. It will set you back with $59.99.

Cricket Wireless rolls out handful of seasonal promos

Scott Webster
-
0

Cricket Wireless on Friday announced it will offer a number of promotions over the coming weeks.

Beginning on Sunday, November 5, its $30 rate plan will see the data doubled from 1GB per month to 2GB. Additionally, the $40 plan customers will receive increased data from 4GB to 5GB per month.

Cricket is also bringing back its two-line Unlimited 2 plan which costs only $80 per month and gives each user unlimited high speed data. Customers who want to add more lines can do so at a rate of $25 per line, per month. There is a limit of six total lines on an Unlimited 2 plan.

Lastly, Cricket is giving subscribers the ability to add Mobile Hotspot to the Unlimited and Unlimited 2 plans for $10 per month. This option gives up to 8GB of wireless tethering per billing period. Going over the threshold results in slowed speeds of 128Kbps.

It’s not immediately clear how long the various promotions will last.

Cancelled Pixel 2 XL “muskie” comes back to life as HTC U11+

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Once upon a time, word on the street was that the Pixel XL’s successor was codenamed “muskie’. However, at some point, we learned that muskie was shelved (for unknown reasons) in favor of “taimen” – the Pixel 2 XL made by LG which we have today.

But if you were wondering what happened to muskie, now we might be able to provide you with the answer. According to a report from The Verge who received a confirmation from a source familiar with the intricate Google and HTC “family” relations, the recently unveiled HTC U11+ is actually based on the canceled muskie.

The new HTC U11+

Do we have any proof to support this claim? Just take a look at the LG-made Pixel 2 XL and new HTC U11+ and it will start to make sense. For starters, unlike current HTC flagships, the U11+ boasts a fingerprint sensor on the back (it’s the first to do so for a while, remember the HTC One Max from 2013?), while the LG-made Pixel also places the scanner on the rear. Secondly, the U11+’s 6-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio and 2880 x 1440 resolution is a direct match to the Pixel 2 XL’s. The only difference is that the U11+ takes advantage of an LCD display while the Pixel 2 XL includes an OLED one, which as we have seen for the past few weeks – is riddled with all kinds of issues.

But HTC made a few changes before releasing muskie as the U11+. For example, it gave it the all-glass makeover and also included a larger 3,930 mAh battery under the hood. Naturally, the Visual Core chip meant to boost artificial intelligence and image processing on the Google phones was not included in the package. Even so, at first glance the HTC U11+ appears to be an impressive device, but unfortunately, it won’t be sold on the US market, as the device is destined only for Europe and Asia.

On the bright side, HTC have taken Google’s rejection pretty well. “Nothing is lost, everything is transformed” seems to be the company’s new motto.

Grab a Galaxy S8/S8+ or Note 8 and get a free Gear VR or DeX Station from Samsung

Alexandra Arici
-
0

As new premium devices like the Razer Phone and HTC U11+ make a debut on the market, Samsung wants to make sure customers don’t forget about its own flagship offerings. So the Korean tech giant is hosting a promotion for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S8 Active and Galaxy Note 8.

For a limited time, if you buy one of these smartphones, Samsung will also throw in a free Gear VR or DeX Station. But take into account that you’ll have to order your device from the official Samsung.com website or via the Shop Samsung app in order to be eligible to receive the gift.

Samsung also notes that the gift may be shipped separately. In the case that the smartphone is returned, customers will have to give back the freebie as well. If they don’t, Samsung will charge them with the full retail price. Speaking of which, the Gear VR is worth $129.99, while the DeX Station costs $121 (discounted from the original $149.99).

For those who aren’t familiar with the DeX Station, the idea is that your high-end Galaxy phone becomes your computer by connecting it to a monitor and other peripherals via the DeX docking station.

If the deal sounds good to you, then you should know you have until November 18 to take advantage of it, so you best hurry up and place your order.

1...803804805...1,315Page 804 of 1,315