Yesterday, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor unveiled the Honor 7X in China – an affordable dual-camera smartphone which comes to replace last year’s Honor 6X.
The Honor 6X was launched in the US back at CES 2017, so we expect the Honor 7X will land on the American market at some point in the next few months. In what follows we take a look at the improvements the new Honor 7X brings to the table in a bid to determine whether they are enough to warrant an upgrade from the Honor 6X.
Display and design
The Honor 6X looks quite fine for a device priced around $250 (at launch). It has a metal back, plastic top and bottom edges and a fingerprint sensor located on the back. The front is plain and all-glass – nothing more, nothing less. However, the Huawei 6X belongs to the old school of smartphone design with its prominent bezels and standard 16:9 aspect ratio.
The Honor 6X in the sunlight
But the Honor 7X makes the transition to modern design, and it offers it on the cheap too. The Honor 7X is the first smartphone in the company’s portfolio that comes boasting an edge-to-edge panel, really thin bezels and 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone also takes advantage of a metal body and in combination with the design, you’ll feel like you’re holding onto a pretty premium phone.
The Honor 7X features a larger display of 5.93-inch variety with 2160 x 1080 resolution. In contrast, the Honor 6X bundles a 5.5-inch LTPS IPS LCD panel with fullHD resolution.
Under the hood
The Honor 7X relies on a Kirin 659 processor, an octa-core chipset clocked at 2.36GHz, while its predecessor took advantage of a Kirin 655, also an octa-core SoC clocked at 2.1GHz.
The newcomer will be offered with 4GB of RAM on board and either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. The Honor 6X includes a choice between 3GB and 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. Both take advantage of a microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB.
The Honor 7X relies on a 3,340 mAh battery, while the Honor 6X includes a similar unit. Both phones have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Unlike last year’s model, the Honor 7X is IP67-certified which means it is water-resistant.
Photography
Naturally, the Honor 7X continues the dual camera legacy and packs a 16-megapixel+2-megapixel combo with phase detection autofocus, LED flash on the back, as well as an 8-megapixel selfie snapper on the front.
This is an improvement from last year’s model which features a 12-megapixel+2-megapixel arrangement on the rear. However, the selfie snapper is the same as on the newer model.
Value
The Honor 7X with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box will be first launched in China with prices starting at $200 for the 32GB model. The 64GB version will cost a bit more around $260.
Hopefully, Honor will bring the handset across the pond in the upcoming months. Who knows, it might launch it during the next CES event, as it did with its predecessor. Speaking of which, the Honor 6X is currently available for purchase from Amazon with a discounted price. Interested parties can get it as low as $179.99 for the 3GB of RAM+32GB storage variant.
Starting today, the LG V30 is available for purchase at T-Mobile for a hefty $800 or for $80 upfront and $30/month for 24 months.
T-Mobile also launched a promotion for customers who are looking to purchase not one but two V30s. So for a limited time, the carrier will be offering a discount of $500 on this double purchase.
To be eligible to take advantage of the deal, a customer needs to buy both LG V30 phones on a 24-month equipment installment plan, with at least one newly activated line. Once all the requirements are met, customers will receive a $500 rebate via a Prepaid MasterCard. So you’ll be able to get the second V30 for $300 instead of $800.
Those who don’t need a second LG V30 can opt to receive a free LG G6 or LG V20 when they purchase a LG V30. The term “free” is used here to refer to bill credits applied over the next 24 months.
The promotion is available starting today and all the way through November 16, so you have plenty of time to decide whether you want two LG V30s, a LG V30+LG G6 or LG V30+LG V20.
The LG V30 is also available with Verizon, AT&T, and US Cellular, while the LG V30+ with 128GB storage can be bought from Sprint and US Cellular.
I think perhaps the best word to describe Kmashi’s Victor K7 20,000mAh external battery pack is solid. At just under a pound (14oz.), with an aluminum case and red rubberized accents, this battery is an absolute brick. At 6.4″x4″, it’s a bit bigger than your average modern phablet, with a pretty slim 0.5″ for a 20,00mAh battery. Slim is relative, though, and this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a pocket battery. It’s definitely better suited to sitting in a backpack, or a purse perhaps. As with many standard externals, there is a single input port (MicroUSB) and two output ports (both Type-A USB), with a small line of LEDs to show the current level of juice in the pack. While there’s no USB-C on this version, I suspect the next generation of external batteries – from Kmashi or otherwise – will make liberal use of USB-C’s reversible connector and dual-use input/output connector.
Performance
When it comes to external batteries, there isn’t really a whole lot to say – so I’ll keep it sweet. Kmashi’s 20,000mAh battery is perfectly adequate, offering a standard 5V/2.4A USB-A output as well as a variable charge 3.6-6.5V/2.4A Quick Charge 3.0 output. The lone input is MicroUSB-A, which is unfortunate for anyone using a smartphone that was purchased within the last year or so. As you’d expect, though, it charges QC devices very quickly and can charge all but the largest of smartphone batteries three times over without breaking a sweat.
Value
At $35.99 from Amazon, Kmashi’s Victor K7 is on the higher end of the 20,000mAh price range, on par with Anker’s own comparable unit at $39.99. There are a number of lesser-known manufacturers that offer the same size batteries for $20 or less, but Kmashi’s reliability is up there alongside Anker and Aukey – in this case, you pay for that consistency and quality. Looking at one of those lesser brands in particular, Vinsic offers a 20,000mAh battery pack for $34.95 that also includes a Type-C port, making it more versatile and future proof than Kmashi’s product.
As such, if you have a phone that has a USB-C connector, I’d wait until Anker, Aukey or Kmashi comes out with their own model of USB-C compatible external batteries. If you’re using a phone with MicroUSB, Kmashi’s battery is a nice balance of cost and quality, for a great value.
Announced back at IFA 2017, the Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch and Gear IconX 2018 are finally up for pre-order in the US starting today. The products are due to hit retail shelves on October 27.
Samsung’s latest Tizen smartwatch is offered with a $299.99 price tag. For this amount of money, users will get an intelligent timepiece which was designed especially for those who lead an active lifestyle . To that end, owners can use the wrist-bound device to track health, wellness goals and get nutrition management alerts.
The Samsung Gear Sport boasts water resistance and can be used for swim tracking. It also includes a heart rate sensor for top-of-the-line heart rate monitoring. It will be available in Blue and Black from Samsung’s own website, but also from retail partners such as Best Buy, Amazon, Macy’s and US Cellular. Yet, you can only place pre-orders with Samsung and Best Buy.
The Gear IconX 2018 are also available for pre-order starting today for $199.99. A refresh of last year’s model, the new pair of wireless headphones now support up to five hours of uninterrupted audio streaming.
Each bud comes with 4GB of storage giving users the option of carrying their music around their ears – no smartphone pairing needed. A built-in Running Coach is also available, as these buds are actually designed for runners. Last but not least, the IconX 2018 add support for the Bixby virtual assistant for select handsets.
The wireless headphones come in Black, Gray, and Pink and will be available from Samsung, Amazon, Best Buy, Sprint and US Cellular. You can only pre-order them from Samsung’s official layer.
Back at MWC 2017 in Barcelona, Motorola revealed it was developing a number of new Moto Mods prototypes. And by far the most exciting was an Amazon Alexa Moto Mod – basically a mini speaker which users could snap on the back of the phone.
This week, serial leakster @evleaks has given us a glimpse of how the upcoming Mod will look like by sharing a picture showcasing the accessory, alongside a second yet-to-go-on-sale Polaroid Insta-share printer Mod, which was also teased during the Mobile World Congress.
As the name indicates, the Polaroid Insta-share can print out a physical copy of the photograph you’ve taken with your Moto Z / Moto Z2 series phone.
Going back to the Amazon Alexa speaker Mod, the accessory will enable users to control their smart home, hear the latest news and weather reports, as well as shop via voice on Amazon all via their Moto Z / Moto Z2 phones.
Evan Blass hasn’t revealed how much the upcoming Mods will cost, but this information will probably be revealed soon. We also don’t know when they will go on sale, but chances are it’s going to be soon.
In related news, you should know you that the Verizon Moto Z2 Play (which is compatible with Moto Mods) is currently on sale and customers can pick it up for just $239.
Google has had support within Chrome to allow Android users to bring over their iTunes songs for iPhone and iPad users for a few years, a huge relief to multi-platform users, but the same can’t be said for movies. Customers who want to shop around and get the most competitive prices for movies often find themselves with movies on multiple platforms: Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes, for example.
And this only complicates the movie-watching process; you can’t just go to one app and find your movies because they’re in three different apps. For some it’s a combination of Google Play Movies & TV, iTunes, and/or Amazon Video.
Google, Apple, and Amazon want to lock you into their movie world, but consumers just want to access their movies without trouble. Is that too much to ask?
Well, Google has finally decided it’s time to ease the movie-watching process for millions of Android users. The Android owner has added support today for Movies Anywhere, an app that’s free at signup and lets you bring together your movies from four platforms: Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, and VUDU.
You need only log into all four platforms and connect your accounts to Movies Anywhere, and that’s all. And for all your trouble of connecting two or more accounts with Movies Anywhere, you can receive five free movies: Ghostbusters (2016), Ice Age, Big Hero 6, The Lego Movie, and Jason Bourne.
To get started, you’ll need to head over to Movies Anywhere at the Play Store, then log in and agree to a video data sharing policy. Once you’re done, feel free to start adding your movie platforms to the app. You can also access the Movies Anywhere website to log in as well.
Are you glad to see Movies Anywhere bring all your movies together? Wish this had come along sooner? What do you think of the idea of Movies Anywhere?
When Google launched the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL earlier this month, Google and Android fans were excited to see what they had in store. But did you know that the camera that comes with the new Pixels is probably the only standout feature on these new devices?
What I am saying is that almost most of the “new” features introduced in the new Pixel 2 lineup including the Always on display, the AR effects in camera, the all new home screen setup, motion photos and even the widely talked about always listening feature have already been present in the Android world for quite some time now.
So, if you are one among the people who are excited to get their hands on the all new Pixel 2 or the Pixel 2 XL as soon as they are publicly made available, you might want to consider this: you can get some of the most exciting features of these devices right now on the Android device you currently own. Surprised? Well, here is how to do it.
Always on Display
Always on display is a way to make your phone’s display stay on at all times, but also to display only the most essential things like the time and important notifications instead of lightening up the whole screen. The concept behind this is that the user will not have to power up the display every time he has to see the time or to check a notification.
Since most flagship devices these days come with an AMOLED display and AMOLED displays do not use any pixels for the black parts of the screen, a lot of battery is saved on devices that have the Always on display implemented.
So, if you want to get the Pixel 2 like Always on display on your device, proceed by downloading the Always On AMOLED – BETA app from the Google Play Store.
Once you have installed the app on your device, just open the app and then provide the necessary permissions like notification access and modify system settings to proceed.
The app will now begin to work and you will be getting the Always on display as soon you lock your device. The best thing about this app is that unlike the static setup on the Pixel 2, you can customize the display with different watch faces and backgrounds if you want.
You will also be getting the preview of your notifications along with the date and calendar setup based on your preferences. If you chose to buy the pro version of the app then you can access many new watch faces and backgrounds apart from the ones that are already available in the free version.
Always listening
This feature is probably something Google bragged a lot about in the Pixel 2 launch. What it does is listen to the songs that are playing around you at all times and will detect what the song is and will display it to you as a notification on your lock screen. But this feature had been in existence on the Android OS for a long time now and you can get it on your device right now with the help of an app called Shazam.
Shazam is an app that uses a huge library of audio files to detect and recognize any kind of audio you hear with it. While during the early days, it could only be used by opening the app and then clicking on the listen button, a few updates back Shazam introduced a new feature called Auto Shazam.
What Auto Shazam does is some what similar to the Always listening feature on the Pixel 2. Once you turn on this feature from the app settings, a persistent notification will appear and it will stay on your notification bar and continue to listen to the songs playing around you until you turn it off manually.
Auto Shazam is extremely accurate at all times and is also quick most of the times. While it is true that long time usage of this feature might have an impact on the battery life of your device, it is good to know that you can get the feature that everyone thought was exclusive to the Pixel devices right. And hey, you can save the precious battery if you chose to turn the Auto Shazam feature on only when you are outdoors.
AR Stickers
As we all know, Augmented Reality or AR is predicted to be the next big thing and most OEM are trying to integrate it into their devices to attract a larger set of audience. We saw it in the iPhone X launch and Google is also including it in the Pixel 2 devices and they are called AR stickers.
While the concept sounds interesting and Google has improved it a lot by maintaining interaction between the user and even 2 AR Characters at the same time, basic AR objects like popular super hero characters, famous monuments or even animals are around as simple Android apps for a long time.
An app called Holo – Holograms for Videos in Augmented Reality was introduced earlier this year and it became quite popular after it was used as a promotional medium for the recently released Spiderman : Homecoming movie. While the technology used in this app is not as sophisticated and advanced as the one in the Pixel 2 for obvious reasons, it is still pretty cool and most of the AR objects in this app looks realistic enough.
You can just download the app from the Google Play Store and then select your favourite AR object from the list which includes Spiderman, a Tiger, a Zombie among others. Just like the Google Pixel 2 you can capture images and videos with these characters near you or anywhere you like and then share them with your friends. Hopefully the developer adds support to interaction between the user and the characters or between themselves in the future updates of the app.
Motion Photos
We all know that Google itself kind of borrowed this feature from the Live photos feature of iOS. Motion photos is a simple but interesting feature which captures a few seconds before and after you click on the capture button and will display it to you as an animation or a GIF.
If you like the idea of it, but are not planning on buying the Google Pixel 2 anytime soon, then you can get the Motion photos feature on your Android device right now by installing the Camera MX app from the Google Play Store. Once you have provided the initial permissions and have setup the app, you can proceed to capture your first Motion photo by clicking on 3 circles icon at the top and selecting Live shot from the pop up menu.
Since it is somewhat of an exclusive feature, the app requires you to connect your Google+ or your Facebook account to try this feature. So, connect your account to proceed and you can capture motion photos using the app.
You can access the image from the Gallery. At first, you will only see the image you have captured but if you press and hold the image, you can view what happened 3 seconds before you captured the shot and what happened 3 seconds after. Pretty cool isn’t it?
Home screen Layout
We have already covered a separate post on how to get the new home screen layout of the Pixel 2 on any Android device using simple tweaks on Nova Launcher. Google has completely removed the dock on the home screen of the new Pixel devices and has replaced it with the Google search bar widget.
It not only makes sense as it is easier to access now on devices with a bigger screen, it is also a smart move as a lot of people might use the search widget more often than before. If you love the new setup, then you can get it right now on your Android device by following our guide here.
So, what do you think about these features and how do they work for you? Are you excited to get your hands on the features from the latest flagship device in town on your Android device? Let us know in the comments below.
As one of the first Bluetooth speakers to come from Fender, the Monterey is the larger counterpart to the Newport (Read our review of the Fender Newport). Like its brethren, it looks every bit like a guitar amp with a design that looks right at home on stage. You’d expect to see something like this at a rock concert, but it’s designed for personal use at home.
It’s big and heavy; don’t look for an easy way to lug this one around. There’s no carrying handle on the speaker, something we figured we’d miss. But, once in place, with a record player, we found its permanent home. This is a set it and forget it kind of experience.
While it does have a traditional guitar amplifier design, it is also feels entirely new and modern. It is actually unlike anything else on the market. The cloth grille and faux leather stand out and fit nicely with today’s other speakers.
There are three modes of audio input: RCA, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm auxiliary. The power cord is the big standard AC plug that you might see with a computer or monitor. There are no USB ports for charging up; this does not have an internal battery. The Fender Newport, for its part, offers the ability to charge a phone on the go.
Features
120-watt Bluetooth® speaker
Quad-driver system: two woofers, two tweeters
33-foot+ Bluetooth range; mic with echo cancellation
3.5mm auxiliary input jack
RCA connectors for preamp-equipped turntables
The Fender Monterey is a fun speaker to touch and run your fingers over, adjusting volume, bass, and treble channels our wannabe rock star. The power light, and its switch, are a very cool touch that aren’t necessary at all, however we loved them.
Turn the speaker on and you are greeted with guitar noises and notifications. They’re gentle and “country” like and alert you much like any other Bluetooth speaker. Toggling modes is as simple as pressing one of two tiny square buttons. The other button is used for pairing over Bluetooth.
This speaker wants to be looked at just as much as it wants to be heard. If you want a conversation piece or something that changes up a room’s decor, start here. And why not? it truly does resemble a 1968 amplifier.
As for sound, well, we were equally impressed. We found that in an office suite environment we didn’t want to push it beyond a level 3 of 10. In down time, and when others have left for the day, we enjoyed getting into 6 or 7 but never felt the need to go louder.
We also like being able to adjust the bass and treble levels. Using the familiar mushroom cap knobs, it’s a matter of dialing in from 1-10. It’s also worth noting that there’s a toggle on the back that enables and disables these equalizer settings. Should you have an audio source with its own settings, you can turn the Fender’s off and on based on your inputs.
Were the speaker more portable we could very well see us taking it to parties or setting it up for a day in the back yard. And, even though there’s no handle, we will likely do that when the weather breaks again. Overall, given the lengthy RCA inputs and 3.5mm cord, this is the sort of setup that you’ll want to keep pretty permanent.
The wooden speaker enclosure gives your music an excellent, warm, sound. Whether it was rock, electronic, or spoken word, the Monterey delivers a natural sound, both with and without equalizer settings.
Conclusion
At $350 the Fender Monterey prices itself out of range for casual users or those who looking for a decent Bluetooth experience. There are plenty of less expensive models that deliver a similar sound and which might also offer internal batteries or water resistance. But, music aficionados, or Fender brand enthusiasts will love the speaker.
For the money you get a speaker that has a great level of attention and love put into it. The Monterey is solid all the way through, with fine craftsmanship that results in a superior sound.
We love the multiple inputs and have come to set up our office around the speaker. The turntable has been moved to a more central location and we’re only too happy to bring the vinyl to work. We’ve come to listen to a wide variety of music, from an also wide selection of sources.
Is it worth the full $350 price? For most people this will be a hard one to say yes. Get it close to $300 and it’s a totally different ballgame. We have recommended this one to everyone we’ve encountered and left the decision up to them. But, even in cases where we know that they’ll turn up their nose at the cost, we’re still eager to let them listen — and drool.
When it comes to earphones, not everyone wants to hunker down and hide from the world – yeah, I’m that guy on the bus (if I ever rode the bus, at least). Some people want to wear it loud and proud and rock out for all the world to see. If that’s you, and if you love cat ears – or if you have a child, perhaps, that does – MindKoo has a headset for you.
Key Features
– Cat Ear Design with LED Earmuff lighting; stand out while you rock out with cat ears that set you apart from the crowd.
– 4 Unique Lighting Settings– Outshine everyone, seamless switching between modes lets you tailor your look to your mood effortlessly.
– Long-Lasting Battery Life – Enjoy up to 5 hours of uninterrupted, high-quality listening with all your glowing lights, or 8 hours of audio-only enjoyment.
– Bluetooth 4.2 provides the ultimate wireless experience while enabling completely unrestrained listening across multiple platforms, be it smartphones, PCs, or game consoles.
– Warranty – MindKoo covers the Cat Ear Headphones 12 months from the date of purchase, including any amazon fulfilled orders which are past the return window.
– Coupon Code: GE6OH4UL, 40% Off
– Final Price: $21.59
In addition, following MindKoo via its website gives you access to exclusive deals and enters you to win other MindKoo products!
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It is a well known fact that online data theft is something that every online entrepreneur dreads. And this is one of the reasons why you must not use a public network especially when you are making use of your hand held device. Even a young child knows that public network is not something that you can trust as it is not secure and is one of the avenues that hackers make use of by stealing data.
Most importantly, your personal information like bank account numbers and credentials can fall into wrong hands. And to overcome such incidents or mishaps, the use of VPN or Virtual Private Network makes sense. This allows your information to be encrypted which keeps your data safe and secured.
In this write-up, let us find out what you should know about the nuances of using VPN on your Android device. So, read on for a better insight. The article will deal with the following topics:
VPN – What is it
Why use VPN
Should you use it on your phone
VPN – What is it
In simpler terms, it is basically a “middleman” or a “bridge” between the internet and you. It is basically a service that enables you to receive as well as send data across virtually. So, if you choose to set up and activate Virtual Private Network, it means that all the web traffic is being directed to you and from you through this network, which is undoubtedly secure as the data is transmitted in encrypted form.
However, only 2 people are involved in the transmission of data, the one that sends and the one that receives provided both have the permission to communicate across the network. You will be provided with an IP address which is user specific. There are 2 ways in which you can avail the service, paid and non-paid or free. The former offers more incentives.
Why use VPN – Benefits of using VPN
Using a private network has several benefits. Some of them are as follows-
Privacy and security – Using a virtual private network may not protect your data fully unless you use an encrypted connection and most importantly from a reliable service provider. In this way, a channel is created between you and the party on the other side. No third party can intercept the communication that is taking place between 2 parties. And if at all there is security breach and data is grabbed, no one will be able to decode the data.
Access to restricted areas – If you are not able to access services of areas that are restricted, with the help of VPN on Android device you are using, you can access the service. There are times when services or access is denied due to “regional lock”.
Should you use it on your phone
By all means, you can use virtual private network on Android device. This is because you may not always need encrypted data or you may not be exchanging sensitive data always. If you are planning to use it on your phone, you can install one of the apps that let you set up the feature and activate it.
Several features like bandwidth monitoring are also offered by certain service providers and you can keep a tab on the amount of bandwidth you are using. However, make sure you opt for the paid service or the subscription based service, which offers much more than the free ones.
Most importantly, virtual private network is compatible with majority of the web browsers and also with apps that you install on your phone.
