I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of Instagram’s filters and editing tools. So much that I’d like to be able to use them even with photos I don’t necessarily want to post on Instagram.
By default, Instagram will post any photograph you edit, but thanks to a smart trick you can easily change that. By following the instructions below, you’ll be able to edit your photos on Instagram without them going up on your profile. The results are saved in your Gallery.
Open up Instagram, go to Settings on your profile and scroll down until you find “Save Original Photos”. Enable this option
Turn on Airplane Mode on your phone
Open up Instagram once again, upload and edit your photo
Share
You will receive a failed to post message. Instagram informs you it will “Auto-Post When Possible”
Tap on the Settings and choose “Discard Post”
Check your Gallery. You should find the edited photo there.
The Pixel 2 when it was released followed pretty much every leak we saw about it prior to release. Unfortunately, that did mean that the rumors of the device ditching the headphone jack were also true.
Google, like a few other manufacturers, have taken to removing the headphone jack and instead opted for audio through the USB Type-C audio via an adapter. Google says that “Moving to the USB-C audio port with Pixel 2 allows us to provide a better audio and digital experience, as we move towards a bezel-less future.”
While most headphones will work without any problem through the audio adapter, here’s the list of headphones that are specifically Made by Google or Made for Google.
The ‘Made for Google’ marking specifically supports hardware that has been designed with operability with the Pixel 2 in mind. Google hopes that the branding will be used to imply quality. Obviously, you can use other products, but Google suggests an item from the list above to ensure optimal performance.
BlackBerry has taken the wraps off its latest smartphone called the BlackBerry Motion. Despite the company being famous for its keyboards, the Motion looks like every other smartphone released over the last 10 years.
The specs of the Motion also fall relatively inline with what we’ve come to expect in smartphones with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. Perhaps the most standout feature of the BlackBerry motion is the massive 4000mAh battery that will almost certainly see you through a full days’ usage. On the camera front, you’ll get a 12-Megapixel f/2.0 rear-camera and 8-Megapixel front-facing camera.
The Motion, as you’ve probably gathered, isn’t for the U.S market and it won’t be launching here either. Despite no specific release date, the Motion will be launched in the Middle East for around $460.
It’s interesting that BlackBerry decided not to include a keyboard that the company is so famous for but that could be to keep the cost down. Otherwise, the BlackBerry Motion seems like a relatively normal smartphone at a not great price.
What do you guys think of the Motion? Despite it not launching in the U.S, do you think this will appeal to any market?
With every website and blog speaking about them, you’ve hopefully learned that VPNs are perhaps the most important thing for your online security. Not only do they protect you from the increasing spectre of government surveillance, but they also save you from potential identity theft.
If you’re not using a VPN yet, it’s time to get responsible.
I’m not going to go over all the reasons to get a VPN. But what is important is that you recognise that VPNs are not just for desktop or laptop computers. Your Android device is vulnerable to hackers, especially if you use public WiFi.
So, how do you go about choosing an Android VPN client? This is what you need to look out for to find the best VPNs for Android.
Trial and error will get you nowhere
The first thing to note is that not all VPNs are created equal. Far from it. In fact, most Android VPN apps simply do not work. And 5 star reviews from users are no guarantee either. After all, most casual users do not have any idea how to tell if a VPN is working or not. Just because an app has a great interface and is user-friendly does not mean it does what it claims.
When it comes to internet security, trial and error is simply irresponsible. Instead, look at expert reviews of the services before making a decision.
Here’s what you should look for:
Reputation for security
A good VPN should have a reputation for being secure. It should provide a high level of encryption that can be verified. Importantly, you should choose a VPN that has no history of being hacked or compromised. Yes, some VPNs come back stronger, and if the experts agree on this, go ahead. But rather be safe than sorry.
No user logs
It’s counter-intuitive, but some VPNs log their users’ usage data. In and of itself, this is not necessarily nefarious. However, there’s too high a chance that they’ll sell your data to companies. And, if the law asks them to hand over your information, there’s nothing they can do. Furthermore, if they get hacked, the hackers will know everything there is to know about you.
Variety of servers
The best VPN providers have servers around the world. This is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, you may want to get around regional blocks on content. For this, you’ll need to “pretend” that you’re in a specific location. Secondly, the server’s location will affect your speeds. The closer a server is to you, the more likely it is to maintain the high speeds promised. While a server halfway across the world can still be relatively fast, the small differences are not a compromise we like to make these days.
Good customer service
Chances are, you’re not an IT expert. You’re able to use your smartphone with ease, because they’ve been designed to require almost no troubleshooting. VPNs, however, require a bit of work under the bonnet. For this reason, good customer service is important. If your VPN is not working, you don’t want to have to wait for days before finding out how to fix it.
With more and more devices coming with USB Type-C ports, it becomes increasingly valuable to have a charger or power bank with support. Not only are most new Android phones standardized with USB-C, so are a lot of laptops, tablets, and other gadgets.
One of the newest portable batteries on the market, the Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL, is designed to power not only phones and other mobile devices, but even a MacBook. That fact is front and center in its marketing; it’s only found in Apple stores, Apple.com, and on Mophie’s website.
Priced $150, it’s a high-capacity battery that can fill an average phone six or more times over. The 19,500mAh unit is strong enough to fully charge a 12-inch MacBook and most of the way for a MacBook Pro.
We’ve played with one of these chargers over the last few weeks and have come to appreciate not only its juice, but the aesthetics, too. See, Mophie has wrapped this one in a soft fabric that feels great in hand, Moreover, it looks great, and has a blackish-grey that classes up anything in comes in contact with.
In addition to the USB-C port, the Mophie unit also houses a standard USB-A port and supports simultaneous dual charging. Also, it allows for fast charging of laptop batteries at up to 30 Watts, with the USB-A port handling 5-Watt charging.
Stand the charger up on its side and you’ll find it has four small indicator lights. These allow an at-a-glance view at how much battery is left inside. Our experience with typical phones puts about two full phone charges in for every 25% light. If you’ve got a flagship model with a 3,000mAh battery or higher, you’ll get about three charges for every two lights.
According to Mophie, the Powerstation can be recharged in as few as three hours when used with 29W USB-C power adapters. Included in the box are two cables: USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A.
We liked were the ability to press and hold the button to switch the USB port to power input when charging from a computer. More importantly, though, we were fans of the
Priority+ Charging which is essentially pass-through charging that sends juice to your device first, recharging the Powerstation (USB-A port only) secondarily.
At $150 the Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL doesn’t come cheap. But, when you think beyond having this as a backup for your phone, it becomes more valuable. It’s not all that heavy and fits nicely in a bag. There’s no reason not to buy one of these if you live in a house with a growing number of Type-C products. The fabric is a nice touch, too, and dresses things up.
We’re asked on a regular basis to help determine which phone is the best one available. We get it as a team here at AndroidGuys, but we also field it on an individual level, too. To help address that, we’ve put together a list of the top models you can currently buy at the carrier in question.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone from T-Mobile, this is where you’ll want to start. Note that while this is called the “best Android phones” you can purchase this month, it’s worth noting there are plenty of other models to choose from.
Best is not a universal term to apply to all consumers. Some of you might have a limited budget; some of you may only have very modest needs. To that end, we suggest digging around a little bit and checking with the service provider.
Also, keep in mind that you can purchase your own phone from another outlet which can work with T-Mobile. Because it is a GSM service provider, there are plenty of unlocked devices around which are compatible with its network. Just make sure you double check the phone’s bands with all the ones T-Mobile uses to make sure you’ll fully utilizing the network.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best phones you can purchase this month from T-Mobile.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
This year’s Note device has been the hardest wait because of the Note 7’s crazy fiery outcome last year. Early in the year with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, Samsung proved that delivering excellent hardware could effectively silence the woes. The Note 8 continues that successful formula – maybe a bit too closely with the S8 Plus, where most of the specs are equivalent.
So front and center is 6.3″ of that visually stunning, curved Infinity Display with shrunken bezels at a 18.5:9 and brilliant S-AMOLED panel at a QHD+ resolution (2960×1440 pixels). But we must warn to tread carefully if you’re weary about large phones; this is a 0.1″ increase from the already sizable S8 Plus. Under the hood is still the octa-core Snapdragon 835 (but with 6GB of RAM now), 64GB internal storage + microSD expansion, mono bottom-placed speaker, fast-capable wireless charging, and yes, the infamous button to toggle Samsung’s own Bixby virtual assistant. It’s all protected by a IP68 waterproof casing.
The Note 8 in Orchid Gray.
The main differences that the Note 8 brings to the table are a secondary, telephoto sensor and the excellent S Pen stylus. The primary 12MP f/1.7 sensor with quick Dual Pixel focus is still present, but the additional 12MP sensor allows for optical 2x zoom and a new Live Focus mode that can create Portrait-effect captures like on the iPhone. The S Pen hardware and experience is very similar to the Note 7, but we can now send glow-y written animated messages.
Samsung hasn’t yet been able to incorporate the fingerprint scanner under the display, so we again have that unfortunate placement next to the rear cameras. And the Note 8’s colossal size makes the scanner even less feasible than on the S8+. At least there’s alternatives for security like face unlock or the IRIS retinal scanner. Another downer is that battery capacity had to take a hit to make way for the stylus, down to 3,300mAh from 3,500mAh on the S8+. Samsung is of course being exceedingly cautious to play on the safe side with the battery after the Note 7 fiasco.
The Note 8’s software is driven by Android Nougat 7.1.1 and the latest Samsung Experience interface. Bixby, the company’s software assistant, is also fully incorporated and its voice commands are growing in capability. You’ll find the Note 8 in two color in the US: Midnight Black or Orchid Gray. A point of contention for many will be the price tag, which now inches close to the $1k mark. On T-Mobile, the Note 8 retails for $930, or you can opt for $30/month financing for 24 months after $210 down.
Although the Note 8 is technically newer, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are still relevant. The feature set is almost identical, and being a few months old, you could save a couple hundred in comparison.
To recap, the only things the Note 8 really has on the Galaxy S8 duo is a secondary, 2x telephoto sensor, 2GB more of RAM, the S Pen stylus. The rest of the core specs are the same: octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, 64GB internal storage + microSD expansion, Dual Pixel 12MP f/1.7 primary sensor, fast-capable wireless charging, and IP68 rated waterproofing.
The S8 and S8 Plus are what started Samsung’s beautiful curved Infinity Display, with elongated 18.5:9 ratio’d panel with tiny bezels and QHD+, HDR-capable S-AMOLED tech. But with the S8 and S8 Plus, you’ll get more manageable sizes, at 5.8″ and 6.2″, respectively. Even, the S8 Plus’ battery is 200mAh more than the Note 8, at 3,500mAh vs. 3,300mAh.
On T-Mobile, you can find the Galaxy S8 duo in Midnight Black or Orchid Gray flavors. The standard Galaxy S8 retails for $750 or $30/month for 24 months after $30 down, while the larger S8 Plus goes for $800 or $30/month for 24 months after $80 down.
LG’s V-series Fall releases have been stealing the flagship show as of late, and this year is no exception. The V30 one-ups the G6 in many ways, where we’re used to seeing only minimal improvements in brotherly variants.
The LG V30 in Cloud Silver color.
The first thing to note is the design advancement. The bezels on the V30 are noticeably smaller than the G6 just a few months ago, and the glass on the sides of the display have a premium curve (similar to the current Galaxy phones). Also, LG has finally dropped old LCD technology and embraced OLED – a 6.0″ QHD P-OLED panel to be exact. Other key hardware includes the commonly used Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB of RAM, 64GB internal storage + microSD expansion, 3,300mAh battery (no longer removable), and wireless charging. This is all in an IP68 waterproof rated casing.
As for cameras, the LG V30 continues with a 16MP rear unit, but now with the largest lens aperture found on a phone, f/1.6. The secondary, 13MP wide-angle camera also gets a low-light improvement with a f/1.9 aperture. On the front is a 5MP selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture.
One of the V-series’ standout features is HiFi-capable output from the headphone jack, and LG and ESS Technology have partnered once again for the best mobile dedicated sound processor, aka Quad DAC, you can find on a smartphone. It now comes with a handful of meticulously-tuned EQ profiles meant to suit a wide range of audiophiles.
The software on the V30 is driven by the latest Android Nougat build (v7.1.2) and LG’s latest UX interface, which brings some lofty updates like a Floating Bar for shortcuts, ability to lock the camera zoom on an object, more Always-On display options, and voice recognition to unlock the phone. T-Mobile only has the Cloud Silver color (at least right now) and prices the V30 at $800 retail or $30/month for 24 months after $80 down.
Motorola’s second generation Z Force arrived in the middle of 2017 with quite a powerful spec sheet. As is to be expected, though, it’s one of the flagship models for the unlocked phone maker, and is yet another take on the modular experience.
Powered by the newest version of Android on the market, 7.1.1 Nougat, the Z2 Force will be offered across a variety of carriers. This is somewhat of a departure for Motorola who had been heading toward a direct-to-consumer only route.
Interestingly enough, Motorola has opted for a smaller battery capacity for the Z2 Force. But, don’t let that discourage you from buying as it does have feature the TurboPower Charge capability and Android is ever more optimal for battery life.
Currently, the Moto Z2 Force is available in a few color variants with pricing that hovers around $750.
It’s worth mentioning that in light of the newly launched Pixel 2 duo from Google (and exclusivity with Verizon), T-Mobile has kicked off its own special deal to get in on the action. The Un-carrier cannot sell the Google phones, but instead is going to reimburse you half the cost if you buy it yourself and bring it to the network (via a prepaid card). Sweet deal, but the catch is that you have to open up a new line with it.
Pixel 2 on the left is available in Kinda Blue, Just Black, and Clearly White colors. The Pixel 2 XL on the right gets Just Black and Black and White colors.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are Google’s 2nd iteration flagship phones, with 5.0″ and 6.0″ displays, respectively. They’re essentially Google owned and controlled phones, with pure, stock Android and the very latest software tricks and optimizations.
On the hardware front, the two devices share just about every spec, with exception to the screen and battery sizes. The standard Pixel 2 has a 5″ AMOLED 1080P panel (at the typical 16:9 aspect ratio) and 2,700mAh battery while the 2 XL boasts a 6″ QHD P-OLED (but at the newer 2:1 aspect ratio) and 3,520mAh battery. The common specs are an octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage options, 12.2MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 µm pixel size (looking to be the best performing smartphone camera to date), 8MP front selfie camera, front-facing stereo speakers, IP67 water resistant rating, and Bluetooth 5.0.
Both phones are up for pre-order right now through Google’s online store, with a ship date towards the end of the month. The smaller Pixel 2 will get Kinda Blue, Just Black, and Clearly White colors options and goes for $650 retail, while the Pixel 2 XL gets only Just Black and Black and White at $850 retail.
One of the benefits of T-Mobile being a GSM service provider is that you can bring just about any unlocked smartphone to its network. Moreover, many of the top devices being offered in 2017 are sold in an unlocked capacity. You might have to purchase directly through the handset maker or another retailer, but you are by no means restricted when it comes to choice.
EDITOR NOTE: Where applicable, this article contains content that found on other shopping guides.
We’re asked on a regular basis to help determine which phone is the best one available. We get it as a team here at AndroidGuys, but we also field it on an individual level, too. To help address that, we’ve put together a list of the top models you can currently buy at the carrier in question.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone from Sprint, this is where you’ll want to start. Note that while this is called the “best Android phones” you can purchase this month, it’s worth noting there are plenty of other models to choose from.
Best is not a universal term to apply to all consumers. Some of you might have a limited budget; some of you may only have very modest needs. To that end, we suggest digging around a little bit and checking with the service provider.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best phones you can purchase this month from Sprint.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
This year’s Note device has been the hardest wait because of the Note 7’s crazy fiery outcome last year. Early in the year with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, Samsung proved that delivering excellent hardware could effectively silence the woes. The Note 8 continues that successful formula – maybe a bit too closely with the S8 Plus, where most of the specs are equivalent.
So front and center is 6.3″ of that visually stunning, curved Infinity Display with shrunken bezels at a 18.5:9 and brilliant S-AMOLED panel at a QHD+ resolution (2960×1440 pixels). But we must warn to tread carefully if you’re weary about large phones; this is a 0.1″ increase from the already sizable S8 Plus. Under the hood is still the octa-core Snapdragon 835 (but with 6GB of RAM now), 64GB internal storage + microSD expansion, mono bottom-placed speaker, fast-capable wireless charging, and yes, the infamous button to toggle Samsung’s own Bixby virtual assistant. It’s all protected by a IP68 waterproof casing.
The Note 8 in Orchid Gray.
The main differences that the Note 8 brings to the table are a secondary, telephoto sensor and the excellent S Pen stylus. The primary 12MP f/1.7 sensor with quick Dual Pixel focus is still present, but the additional 12MP sensor allows for optical 2x zoom and a new Live Focus mode that can create Portrait-effect captures like on the iPhone. The S Pen hardware and experience is very similar to the Note 7, but we can now send glow-y written animated messages.
Samsung hasn’t yet been able to incorporate the fingerprint scanner under the display, so we again have that unfortunate placement next to the rear cameras. And the Note 8’s colossal size makes the scanner even less feasible than on the S8+. At least there’s alternatives for security like face unlock or the IRIS retinal scanner. Another downer is that battery capacity had to take a hit to make way for the stylus, down to 3,300mAh from 3,500mAh on the S8+. Samsung is of course being exceedingly cautious to play on the safe side with the battery after the Note 7 fiasco.
The Note 8’s software is driven by Android Nougat 7.1.1 and the latest Samsung Experience interface. Bixby, the company’s software assistant, is also fully incorporated and its voice commands are growing in capability. You’ll find the Note 8 in two color in the US: Midnight Black or Orchid Gray. A point of contention for many will be the price tag, which now inches close to the $1k mark. On Sprint, the Note 8 retails for $960, or you can opt for the carrier’s monthly financing to soften the blow.
Although the Note 8 is technically newer, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are still relevant. The feature set is almost identical, and being a few months old, you could save a couple hundred in comparison.
To recap, the only things the Note 8 really has on the Galaxy S8 duo is a secondary, 2x telephoto sensor, 2GB more of RAM, the S Pen stylus. The rest of the core specs are the same: octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, 64GB internal storage + microSD expansion, Dual Pixel 12MP f/1.7 primary sensor, fast-capable wireless charging, and IP68 rated waterproofing.
The S8 and S8 Plus are what started Samsung’s beautiful curved Infinity Display, with elongated 18.5:9 ratio’d panel with tiny bezels and QHD+, HDR-capable S-AMOLED tech. But with the S8 and S8 Plus, you’ll get more manageable sizes, at 5.8″ and 6.2″, respectively. Even, the S8 Plus’ battery is 200mAh more than the Note 8, at 3,500mAh vs. 3,300mAh.
On Sprint, you can find the Galaxy S8 duo in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, or Arctic Silver flavors. The standard Galaxy S8 retails for $750 and the larger S8 Plus goes for $850, with the option for monthly payments.
LG’s V-series Fall releases have been stealing the flagship show as of late, and this year is no exception. The V30 one-ups the G6 in many ways, where we’re used to seeing only minimal improvements in brotherly variants.
The LG V30 in Cloud Silver color.
The first thing to note is the design advancement. The bezels on the V30 are noticeably smaller than the G6 just a few months ago, and the glass on the sides of the display have a premium curve (similar to the current Galaxy phones). Also, LG has finally dropped old LCD technology and embraced OLED – a 6.0″ QHD P-OLED panel to be exact.
Other key hardware includes the commonly used Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB of RAM, 3,300mAh battery (no longer removable), wireless charging, and a IP68 rated waterproof chassis. It’s important to know that Sprint is getting the slightly higher-end version of LG’s latest, the V30+. The difference with the vanilla V30 is double the base storage, to 128GB instead of 64GB. MicroSD expansion is of course also available.
As for cameras, the LG V30 continues with a 16MP rear unit, but now with the largest lens aperture found on a phone, f/1.6. The secondary, 13MP wide-angle camera also gets a low-light improvement with a f/1.9 aperture. On the front is a 5MP selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture.
One of the V-series’ standout features is HiFi-capable output from the headphone jack, and LG and ESS Technology have partnered once again for the best mobile dedicated sound processor, aka Quad DAC, you can find on a smartphone. It now comes with a handful of meticulously-tuned EQ profiles meant to suit a wide range of audiophiles.
The software on the V30 is driven by the latest Android Nougat build (v7.1.2) and LG’s latest UX interface, which brings some lofty updates like a Floating Bar for shortcuts, ability to lock the camera zoom on an object, more Always-On display options, and voice recognition to unlock the phone.
The Essential Phone is the first phone from a startup company led by one of the co-founders of Android, Andy Rubin. It turned out to be a very well-done original device that could stack up against the more established competition, especially because of its dramatic edge-to-edge display design. And Sprint happens to be the only carrier offering it.
The Essential Phone, aka PH-1, in Black Moon color.
The Essential Phone’s standout features are its 5.7″ almost bezel-less QHD LCD panel, dual camera system, and exceptional construction – titanium frame and ceramic back panel. It keeps up with other flagship specs, such as the octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage (but no microSD card slot), 3,040mAh battery, and Bluetooth 5.0. A couple compromises worth noting are its lack of waterproofing, a headphone jack, and wireless charging. There’s also that unusual disruption at the top of the display to retain the selfie camera.
Like Motorola and Huawei, the Essential Phone’s dual camera system utilizes a secondary, monochrome sensor to boost image quality. Spec-wise, these are 13MP and f/1.85 aperture lenses. And the small notch at the top, center of the display houses a 8MP f/2.2 camera.
One of the Essential Phone’s prime features is to only bare the essentials on the software front, meaning no bloatware or frills. So we have up-to-date Android and near-stock interface experience. Through Sprint, it retails for $700 outright or you can can break it up monthly, in only the Moon Black color.
HTC needed to make a big statement with its 2017 flagship, and it has definitely seemed to do so with the HTC U11. The device features design cues taken from the HTC U Ultra lineup with a shiny metallic finish, but there are extra goodies thrown in.
The specs for the U11 line up with other 2017 flagships, as the device features a 5.5-inch 2K display, while being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The U11 also includes two different variants – 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
As for the cameras, the U11 features a 16MP front camera with HTC’s UltraPixel technology. The rear camera features a 12MP Sony IMX362 sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and the ability to shoot up to 4K video.
Other features of the U11 include a 3,000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, along with a USB Type-C charging port. Finally, the U11 features Edge Sense Technology with a pressure-sensitive frame, which allows users to perform various tasks by simply squeezing the edges of the U11.
Pricing for the HTC U11 comes just under $700 through Sprint; customers can opt for monthly payments for the device or purchase it outright.
Motorola’s second generation Z Force arrived in the middle of 2017 with quite a powerful spec sheet. Powered by the newest version of Android on the market, 7.1.1 Nougat, the Z2 Force will be offered across a variety of carriers. This is somewhat of a departure for Motorola who had been heading toward a direct-to-consumer only route.
Interestingly enough, Motorola has opted for a smaller battery capacity for the Z2 Force. But, don’t let that discourage you from buying as it does have feature the TurboPower Charge capability and Android is ever more optimal for battery life. There’s also the expanding portfolio of Moto Mods. New this year is a external battery TurboPower shell, Moto 360 camera, JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker, and a sweet GamePad mod with physical gaming controls.
Currently, the Moto Z2 Force is available in a few color variants with pricing that hovers around $750-$800.
The smart speaker market is getting more competitive with new products making an appearance almost every week. Case in point, a few days ago Google introduced the Home Max, a product which brings premium audio, alongside the affordable Home Mini.
The Google Home Max is yet to go on sale, but in the meanwhile, customers who care about audio can check out an alternative. Meet the Aivia speaker – a gadget created by Canadian startup SproutBox Design – which is also powered by the AI wits of the Google Assistant.
The Aivia takes inspiration from the Amazon Echo Show and incorporates an 8-inch HD tablet into its body to allow easy access its Android-based interface and apps (like YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, Firefox or Spotify). Like in the case of other speakers, you can stream digital content over to Aivia via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. But in order to set itself apart from the crowd, the Aivia includes a few unique features, as well.
First, it boasts a 15-watt subwoofer on the side for improved sonic output. Secondly, it includes a wireless device charging surface on the top, so you’ll be able to charge your phone by letting it rest on Aivia.
The speaker is quite portable as well. The built-in 10,000 mAh battery ensures users can get up to 5 hours of cordless playback on a single charge.
The two large full range speakers located on the left and right work in concert with the subwoofer – all powered by Bang & Olufson engineering – to produce the highest quality audio output. Last but not least, there’s also an 8-megapixel front facing the camera for video calling.
SproutBox Design has been developing the speaker for two years now and even showcased it at CES 2017 earlier this year. Now they’ve launched it on Kickstarter to gather funds and the good news is that the funding goal has already been exceeded.
If you like the Aivia then you can head on Kickstarter and make a pledge. Super Early Bird packages are still available for $249 a pop which will get you an Aivia speaker. Note, the device is expected to retail for $399 a pop just like the Google Home Max. If everything goes well Aivia starts shipping in July 2019.
Teased last week, the BlackBerry Motion just went official a few days ago. Build by China’s TCL under its license with BlackBerry, the Motion is an all-display smartphone and the first Berry to carry IP certification rating.
This is the second BlackBerry device unveiled by TCL this year, the first one being the KEYone – a model which has seen some success so far. And in case you were wondering, here are the main big differences between the two models.
On the outside
Arguably the biggest difference between the two models is that the Motion comes sans the iconic QWERTY keyboard attached, while the KEYone takes advantage of it.
Naturally, the keyboard is the star feature on the KEYone – it also doubles as a trackpad and brings supports for shortcuts. Each letter key can be programmed with two shortcuts – one for a long press and another for a short one. In total, you have 52 shortcut options.
But as useful as the keyboard might be, at a time when companies like Samsung and LG are stretching their displays from top to bottom, it might seem a little strange to go back to a phone which offers only a small 4.5-inch display with 1620 x 1080 resolution.
As for the new BlackBerry Motion, it comes carrying a 5.5-inch Premium Anti-Scratch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The lack of keyboard, makes the Motion stand a bit taller than its predecessor, but the phone boasts a standard design. So those seeking a bezel-less look will be disappointed here.
Unlike the KEYone, the Motion has a home button which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. It also has the BlackBerry logo imprinted on it.
Both handsets include an aluminum frame with a soft material on the back.
On the inside
Inwards, the two phones are quite similar. Both take advantage of a Snapdragon 625 processor with Adreno 506 GPU. However, the Motion comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
As for the KEYone, the phone is only available in a 3GB of RAM + 32GB storage configuration in the US, although a 4GB of RAM + 64GB storage version launched in select markets like India. Fortunately, both models include a microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 2TB.
The new BlackBerry Motion could be an interesting buy for those who value having a long battery life, as the phone includes a large 4,000 mAh powerhouse. As for the KEYone, it relies on a smaller 3,505 mAh one.
Other features
The two BlackBerry models stick to a single lens camera of 12-megapixel variety with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and dual-LED flash. As for selfies, both rely on an 8-megapixel secondary camera with f/2.2 to do the job.
As we mentioned above, the Motion is the first BlackBerry handset to have IP67 certification for dust and waterproofing. The phone runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box but will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update at some point. And according to the Canadian company, so will the KEYone.
The Motion debuts a new feature called the Locker. It’s a tool which allows users to lock their documents and photos in an internal storage area which can be unlocked via a PIN code or fingerprint authentication. With Locker, the phone stores the sensitive data in the internal storage rather than the cloud.
The Convenience Key includes four profiles on the Motion including Home, Car, Office and User which can be triggered by a home Wi-Fi network, in-car Bluetooth, meetings synced to the BlackBerry Hub or commonly used apps.
Pricing
The BlackBerry Motion will launch on select global markets later this month. According to a recent leak, the phone is headed for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint in the US.
The phone launched for the equivalent of $463 in the UAE, so it might arrive in the States with a price tag of around $500.
Managing a high school or college period means managing ever-expanding responsibility. The younger times were indeed simpler when we had our moms or dads helping us get up in the morning, telling us where we need to be and how we need to do our homework. But now that is all supposed to be managed by you. Welcome to adulting! But luckily, there are tons of apps out there that will help you to get organised, manage a schedule, charter a budget, stay safe and even organize a big project. Here are some of our chosen apps for you to get heads-up on studying whenever, wherever.
Office Lens
This is one the most amazing apps for clicking pictures in college. Whether as an American University Rankings 美国大学排名 student or simply in your high school class when you want to take pictures of whiteboards, documents, magazines, receipts or blackboards, then this should be your go-to app. This app even lets you take pics from a distance or say weird angles (all thanks to you being seats on the side in a classroom). Just click and get clean pics sans any shadows or glares.
Venmo
Venmo is a superb way to bid goodbye to cash till the time you are in college. You will almost have to pay for nothing with cash. From food and laundry to meal planning and in-house college buys, you can practically transfer your money easily with Venmo.
Brainscape Flashcards
This is a cool flashcard kind of app for Android where you can employ brain games to study Chinese, SAT and more. The beauty of this app is how you can custom make your own flashcard set or download them the market, which has both free and paid content. Extremely easy to use and to play with flash cards, this app also has the Flashcards*/ Flashcardlet, which can access content created by the main app and works without any disruption of ads.
Quizlet
For students who love quizzing up stuff, this app is a great download for this. Here, you can study subjects sets using a large collection of flashcards, all of which have been created by high school or college grad students. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot create a series of flashcards of your own. This app even allows you to use images and audio in your flashcards, making your learning more fun and appealing. You can create your study sets one time and can later convert to flashcard app too by reusing the same content.
Evernote
Befitting the title of being the king of note-taking apps, the Evernote app is a perfect mixture of clipping, composing, and bookmarking. Use it for to-do listing or simply for writing your thoughts on the go, this app does it all. It is available on multiple platforms and can be used even in web browser or app and the best is all of its formats are free. It has an interesting Work Chat feature, which lets you text with Evernote users and compare and discuss your notes. These users can be your tuition mates or classmates.
