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Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 too expensive? Check out these cheap lookalikes

Alexandra Arici
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Chinese phone makers are notorious for copying the designs of famous handset models. For example, we’ve seen an abundance of Samsung Galaxy S8-lookalikes in the past few months.

But Chinese companies won’t stop at replicating just international products – they’ll even go after popular smartphones produced by well-known Chinese handset manufacturers. Seeing the success of Xiaomi Mi MIX phablet, which actually started the whole bezel-less trend, many Chinese companies have started pushing out Mi MIX replicas.

Xiaomi has built a name for itself by offering affordable handsets with great specs, but for some customers paying $500+ for a device like the newly unveiled Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 might not be doable. So some obscure Chinese smartphone makers have taken upon themselves to offer cheaper alternatives. And some of them actually look very much like the original Mi MIX. If you’re curious, here are some of the best Mi MIX clones below.

Doogeee MIX

Price: starts at $219

The Doogee MIX is a Xiaomi Mi MIX lookalike that takes advantage of a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 resolution. It relies on an Helio P25 octa-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz in combination with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (up to 128GB).

Unlike the Mi MIX or Mi MIX 2, the Doogee MIX features a dual-camera setup which pairs a 16-megapixel sensor with f2/0 and phase detection autofocus with an 8-megapixel one. It also comes with a 3,380 mAh battery.

Even if the Doogee MIX was recently launched, the producing company already announced a Doogee MIX 2 model which will come sporting rounded corners.

Bluboo S1

Price: $159.99

The Bluboo S1 comes with a more affordable price tag (if you get it during the flash sale which ends in 3 days) but for this amount of money, you will get a 5.5-inch with FullHD resolution not just 720p. The same processor powering the Doogee MIX also pumps life inside the Bluboo S1. The two models are on par when it comes to RAM and storage, as well.

The Bluboo model is also a dual-camera phone that takes advantage of a 13-megapixel/3-megapixel arrangement on the back. The phone relies on a 3,300 mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

Leagoo KIICAA MIX

Price: $109

Want a Xiaomi Mi MIX clone that’s even more affordable? Then you might want to take a look at the Leagoo KIICCA MIX. The handset arrives with a 5.5-inch fullHD display and an octa-core MediaTek MTK6750T processor clocked at 1.5GHz which works in concert with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

Like the previous models listed above, the KIICA MIX also boasts a dual-camera arrangement comprised of a 13-megapixel/2-megapixel sensors. A 3,000 mAh powerhouse keeps the lights on.

Maze Alpha

Price: starts at $189

Industry newcomer took the mobile market by surprise when it unveiled the Maze Alpha bezel-less smartphone. The phone boasts a spacious 6-inch display with fullHD resolution and is powered by a MediaTek Helio P25 processor. There are two versions to choose from, one with 4GB of RAM + 64GB storage and another with 6GB + 128GB storage.

The phone offers the services of a 13-megapixel+5-megapixel dual-camera on the back, as well as a 4,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

UMIDIGI Crystal

Price: starts at $109

The UMIDIGI Crystal is one of the most affordable Xiaomi Mi MIX alternatives out there. It boasts a 5.5-inch display with fullHD resolution and a MediaTek MTK6750T octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It’s offered in 2GB or 4GB of RAM configurations with 16GB or 64GB of built-in storage.

It’s available with a dual-lens rear camera that similar to the one of the Maze Alpha and includes a 3,000 mAh powerhouse.

Ulefone MIX

The upcoming Ulefone MIX is expected to make a debut on the market soon with a body ratio of 90.2%. Not much is known about the device at this point, but you can get an idea of what to expect by checking out the teaser below:

What can Android bring to the table to top iPhone X?

Guest Blogger
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There are many different versions of Android, and it’s quite perplexing for anyone not technically minded to know which operating system will work the best.

A Multitasking Phone

When it comes to mobile devices, Android certainly is one of the most used operating system – and maybe it’s because of its many awesome features. Just for starters, in the hectic 21st century, where time is of the essence, with an Android, you’ve got the advantage of a phone which can multi-task – it is able to perform a number of tasks all at the same time.

A quick look at the LG G3 – you’ll see it has a Dual Window feature which allows you to select 2 apps to open alongside each other. The phone also has Qslide, giving access to 3 apps at the same time.

Smartphone users who are familiar with the different operating systems say that Android is very customizable when compared to the setup of iOS and that you can set up your phone in ways that suits you best. But the question is, what can Android bring to the table that beats iPhone X? While there are a load of features from the iPhone X that everyone is getting super excited about, the Android phone actually has most of those features, and for some time already.

  • Android smartphone makers have for some time already – in fact from 2009 – been using OLED displays, and now Apple is just starting out with OLED with their iPhone X. OLED has an advantage that puts it above LCD in that colours are clearer. OLED also enables your battery to last longer too.
  • Android seems to be one step ahead of iPhone X, and another aspect where this is evident is with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology which Android phones have already been using since 2013 already. On the other hand, Apple have only just recently introduced its own quick charging feature with their iPhones.
  • When it comes to facial recognition, Samsung was ahead with Apple to have this particular feature. It first introduced facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy S8 and a few months after that, Apple followed and also introduced Face ID. It is quite true that Samsung’s facial recognition didn’t take off too well, but nonetheless Android was the first with this feature.
  • Apple may well have embraced wireless charging, but as usual, Android phones have been offering this for more than a year already ahead of iPhone X.
  • Another leading aspect with cool Android phones is that you can install Google Maps on the iPhone, but you can’t make it the default app. Yes, the Apple Maps app is much better than it was at launch, but there are some very important aspects missing such as Points of Interest among others. On the other hand, with Android, Google Maps offers an excellent Point of Interest search which is integrated into the phone. This means that addresses open into Google maps.
  • When it comes to widgets, Android users opt to have widgets on the lock- and home screen. Important information which a user wants to see at first glance, such as the weather, can be found by quickly looking at the screen. With iPhone users, they can add widgets, but only in the Notification Centre. It is far quicker and easier to simply tap on a widget on the home screen than to bother with opening the Notification Centre with the iPhone.

Android Takes the Lead

The iPhone X may have been hailed as ‘the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone’, but the fact still remains that most of its best features have been on Android phones for some time already.

The iPhone X, known as the 10th anniversary iPhone by the media, doesn’t have a home button and its OLED screen takes up the entire front of the phone. It seems to be something astonishing as far as technology goes, in terms of looks and features, but the truth is, Android offers just as many possibilities, and always well ahead of iPhone X. With Android, regardless of what features you look for or what budget you have, there’s an Android for you, unlike Apple where you can’t easily find a phone with the budget you have.

There is competition between Android phones and iPhone, but all that is happening really is that Android’s innovative features are simply being adopted by Apple later down the line.

Tired of how bloated the Facebook app is? Try these five alternatives

Gerson Noboa
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Tired of how bloated the Facebook app is? Try these five alternatives

Oh Facebook, the app everyone loves to hate. Yet it has one billion installations only in Android. With Facebook being so ubiquitous and recognized throughout the world, many figure that it is a necessary evil. However, it is notorious in the Android world for being bloated, slow, data-intensive, and battery-hungry. It is the prime example of a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation.

With more stuff being added to it each day, such as the Explore tab, Marketplace tab, recommendations, and loads of ads, talented developers throughout the world have tried to capitalize on the huge mess by providing apps based on the mobile web version of Facebook. These apps, normally called wrappers, try to bring the Facebook experience to the essentials and leave the heavy, less useful features of Facebook behind. Let’s go throughfive of the most popular alternatives for the Facebook app.

Metal

If you ask around for a Facebook app alternative, there’s at least one person who will mention Metal. Frankly, it is easy to see why. Metal boasts a beautiful, customizable interface fully compliant with Material Design (at least, the navigation drawer and the tab bar are) that adds a dark theme for those AMOLED users out there. This app is based on the hugely popular app called Tinfoil, which is one of the most well known wrappers around. It’s full of features, stable, and constantly updated.

There’s even something called the Metal Bar, which is a persistent notification with buttons for the news feed, friend requests, messages, and notifications. One tap to these buttons opens a floating window immediately with the content you requested. No need to get into the app itself!

Finally, the developer is also delving into Twitter support, so that there’s no need to have two separate apps for the two social networks. Pretty cool stuff.

Download and install Metal from the Google Play Store.

Swipe

Another of the most widely known wrappers is Swipe. This app has so many features that it even tries to emulate the chat heads provided by Facebook Messenger (that app is another bloated mess, by the way). Even though I like Metal’s interface a bit more, the main draw of Swipe is how close it looks (and works) compared to the official Facebook app. If it wasn’t for the useless Stories feature on the top of the official app, Swipe would look almost exactly the same.

However, if you want to change the interface to your liking, you can do so. There’s the option to change the position of the tab bar, make it look a bit more like Facebook for iOS or even adopt the Google+ interface. There’s also several colors to choose from, in case you don’t fancy blue.

Also, if you are looking for a replacement of both Facebook and its Messenger counterpart, then Swipe lets you turn on (poll) notifications for both. It also has multi-account support, in case you were wondering.

Download and install Swipe from the Google Play Store.

Friendly

This app has been going up the recommendations list lately, thanks to its very nice interface (that bottom navigation bar is absolutely beautiful) and several useful features, such as multi-account support, Messenger notifications, an ad blocker, and AMOLED mode. I tested it for a few days and the app runs surprisingly smoothly, notifications are reliable, and the app overall felt like a really solid alternative.

One of the nicest things of this app is the possibility of changing the interface of Facebook instead. Remember, these apps use Facebook’s mobile site for showing your feed, so there is only so much that you can do around it. However, Friendly lets you change the color of the interface and even lets you increase/decrease the font size.

There’s also a cool option that lets you highlight (or hide) a specific word through your Facebook feed. In case you want to avoid spoilers of your favorite TV show, this feature can work wonders for you.

Download and install Friendly from the Google Play Store.

Simple

Put Metal and Swipe in a blender and you’ll get Simple. This app provides a beautiful, blazing-fast interface that closely resembles Facebook, and adds a cool navigation drawer to access your favorite sections with a couple of taps. It also lets you change the color of the app, and, similar to Friendly, lets you change the background color of the content.

Simple provides the option for removing ads, as some of the other apps, but it curiously comes with an option to remove the status update bar. That’s because it has added a floating action button to the main screen. Sure, other apps in this list also have them, but in Simple, that’s the only way of updating your Facebook status (unless you change it in the settings). Even though it is a small thing, it makes the app feel more native than the other options.

It also adds the possibility of browsing your Google+ and Twitter accounts from within the same app, although they are basically just a shortcut to the mobile page. There is no actual integration with the rest of the app.

Download and install Simple from the Google Play Store.

Facebook Lite

Oh, the irony. Facebook actually recognized that their main app is a bloated mess, so they released their own version of a lightweight Facebook app. When they called it Lite, though, they weren’t joking. This app’s download size is less than 2 MB, and is primarily aimed at low-end Android phones that can’t afford to have an app taking almost 200 MB of space. Also, it consumes very little data, ideal for those who have to micromanage their precious megabytes.

If I had to choose a word to describe this app, it would be fast. This is the fastest app out of the whole bunch. Unfortunately, you are facing a trade-off between a lightning-fast experience and a pretty one. This app is all about functionality, not looks. If you are fine with that, then this is probably your best bet, since it is frankly impressive how quickly everything loads here. I wonder why something similar is not used for the normal Facebook app.

The caveat with this app is that it’s available in some countries only. And guess what? The United States isn’t among them, unfortunately. However, if you live in one of the countries that Facebook has deemed as suitable for their Lite app, then you should give it a go.

Download and install Facebook Lite from the Google Play Store.

Bonus – Frost (Beta)

Frost is still, at the moment of writing, in beta stage. However, it already looks very promising. Its interface is kind of similar to Swipe, but with a more organized navigation drawer. One of the most advertised features of Frost is its semi-transparent interface, in which the app adopts the background picture of your phone and overlays the Facebook interface on top, with matching colors and everything. It’s an impressive feat, and, provided you have a cool background picture, looks awesome.

There are already tons of options, such as the ability to change the navigation bar’s position, Messenger support, ad blocker, and animations. A lot of animations. This is the best looking app out of the list thanks to the amount of subtle but gorgeous animations. It’s worth to keep an eye on it, since it can quickly become a contender.

Also, it’s an app currently in beta, but I haven’t experienced a single bug or crash once. Definitely a good sign.

Download and install Frost from the Google Play Store.

Create an app folder in Android [How-To]

Alexandra Arici
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If you’re like me, you love trying out new apps. I have a passion for photography, so I’m always on the lookout for new camera or photo editing apps. That’s why I tend to install a lot of apps on my device, which in turn means I run out of space on my home screen pretty fast.

The solution? You can create app folders which in turn help you organize your apps by categories. This way if you love to download both games and photo editing apps, you can make sure they won’t get mixed up. It’s quite hard to try and locate a single app when the whole screen is filled with them, especially since you can’t quite remember the name of a specific app. But if you create a few folders and assign them the proper names, it becomes much easier to the apps you’re looking for.

Note: This tutorial was written using a Samsung Galaxy phone that runs Android 7.0 Nougat

Create a folder

To create a folder simply long press on an app. Press and hold your finger on the app until you feel a slight vibration. Now drag this app onto another app (from the same category). This action will automatically prompt a folder to appear.

Keep in mind that you can’t drag folders onto apps, nor can you drag home screen widgets into apps.

Note: On older versions of Android like KitKat, you had to tap and hold an application. A “Create folder” option would then pop up and you had to drag the app to it and then let it go.

Name your folder

Once your folder has appeared tap on it. It will say “Unnamed Folder”. Tap it and name your collection of apps and then hit Done. Now you’ll see the name displayed on your home screen.

Delete the folder

 

If you are no longer using the apps in the folder and you want to get rid of them, you can easily delete the folder. Simply long tap on it until the Remove option pops up on top. Then just drag the folder there. The folder will be gone, but that doesn’t mean the apps have been uninstalled from your device. You will have to do that later (from Settings or by long pressing an app icon).

The first headphones with Google Assistant are now official for $349

Alexandra Arici
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Bose today pulled the wraps off the first Google Assistant-powered pair of noise-canceling headphones – the QuietComfort 35 II (QC35 II). As it has been previously rumored, the headphones rock a Google Assistant dedicated button on the left ear cup which, like in the case of the Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 can be used to summon the virtual assistant.

The new pair of headphones is an updated version of the company’s top noise-canceling audio product, the QuietComfort 35. But apart from the presence of the dedicated Google Assistant button, nothing else seems to be changed – the pair has the same noise canceling accuracy and boasts a battery life of up to 20 hours. Akin to the older model, the right ear cup is home to the audio volume control and multi-function button for incoming calls and using Siri.

And like in the case of most Google Assistant-powered devices, the QC35 II headphones will be able to play music, add appointments to your calendar, place a call, alert you in case of notifications and answer queries. But the headphones rely on your Android or iOS phone to do the heavy lifting – like for processing and network connectivity.

On top of the Google Assistant, the QC35 II packs new settings options to control the noise cancellation, so users will be allowed to set it high/low/off from the Bose Connect App. From there, they will also be able to change the Google Assistant button’s functionality so that they can control noise settings from the ear cup if they want.

The Bose QC35 II comes in Black or Silver and should become available for purchase later today for $349.95. Customers in the US, Canada, Germany, France and the UK will be able to grab one.

The next Google Glass might come from Amazon, with Alexa in tow

Alexandra Arici
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2017 may well be the year you switch from tapping or typing on your touchscreen to simply voicing out your commands. Many platforms, including Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Samsung’s Bixby or the Google Assistant want you to talk to them, but Alexa easily leads the race.

Alexa is virtually everywhere – from smart speakers and phones to desk lamps and …soon a pair of smart glasses. Google Glass nostalgics will be happy to hear that according to industry insiders who shared their knowledge with the Financial Times, Amazon is working on a pair of Alexa-powered smart glasses.

The sources revealed that while Amazon’s upcoming smart glasses will look pretty much like a regular pair of spectacles, they allow wearers to summon Alexa at any time or place. The glasses will pair with a smartphone and should feature a bone-conduction audio system which lets users hear Alexa without having to insert headphones into their ear canal.

The Vue smartglasses look like regular glasses

What’s more – we’re told the Amazon spectacles won’t feature a camera (or a display) – which could a wise move given that the Google Glass got blacklisted from restaurants, bars, cinemas and other public places exactly for this reason. Privacy advocates worried that Google Glass owners would secretly start recording patrons or movies without permission.

But despite not being a market disruptor, Google Glass’ legacy continues to live on at Amazon. The retail giant hired Google Glass founder, Babak Parviz back in 2014 who is now overseeing the Alexa spectacles project. What’s more, several other engineers, researchers, and designers who worked on the Google Glass projects have also jumped ship to Amazon, according to a LinkedIn analysis.

The report goes on to speculate that Amazon is targeting the “augmented reality” (AR) googles emerging market with its fair pair of smart glasses. Apple is also rumored on working on its own pair of spectacles that could see the light of day in 2019, so interest for this niche is definitely on the rise.

Google inks non-exclusive $1.1B deal with HTC

AndroidGuys
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Google on Thursday announced that it has entered into a $1.1 billion cooperation with Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC.

Under the arrangement, Google gains a team of HTC employees, a number of which had already worked together on the Pixel smartphone.  Moreover, Google receives non-exclusive licenses to some of HTC’s intellectual property.

As a pioneer of the smartphone market, we are very proud of our history of innovation. Our unmatched smartphone value chain, including our IP portfolio, and world-class talent and system integration capabilities, have supported Google in bolstering the Android market – Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC

The agreement formally cements a relationship that started nearly a decade ago with the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. What’s more, it helps Google and its endeavors in the hardware space; phones and virtual reality are two areas where Google really wants to make headway.

Rumors of a potential partnership have circulated for some time, including a few last minute details surfacing today that HTC has halted sales of its stock.

HTC at one point commanded a sizable slice of the Android and smartphone pie with around ten percent of the market. However, the market share has fallen over the last few years, all the way down to where it sits today at less than two percent.

Google has done its part to keep HTC afloat over time, turning to them for some of the Nexus tablets and the Pixel. It’s hard to say where the company might be had Google not tapped the phone maker for help these last two years.

Regardless of the money involved, Google inherits a company in desperate need of some help, if not a complete turnaround. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Google’s hardware plans going forward and whether they’ll rely solely on HTC’s smarts and IP for future phones.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL could see 3.5mm headphone jack removed

Dan Bartram
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In what seems as a trend in the industry right now with manufacturers removing the headphone jack from smartphones, it seems Google may be following suit with the Pixel 2.

Yesterday we saw leaks of the rear of the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. The renders were only the back of the devices that didn’t reveal a whole lot about what to expect but a new image that has emerged could give an insight into at least one feature, or lack of.

In what may seem like just a whole lot of blur, what you’re looking at here is the bottom of the Pixel 2. The source blurred the majority of the image to protect the leaker but what is instantly noticeable is the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also no speaker grill on the bottom of the device backing up claims that the front-facing speakers will remain.

While it is completely possible that the headphone jack is at the top of the Pixel 2, it does support claims that Google is exploring removing the jack as many others have done.

At this point, you have to evaluate what Google would gain from removing the headphone jack. Unless the company will be accompanying the release of the Pixel 2 with its own Bluetooth headphones there doesn’t seem too much to gain from removing the jack.

Personally, I make use of both Bluetooth and wired speakers so I for one would like to see the port stay. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

MGCool Explorer Pro review

AndroidGuys
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The concept of an action camera is not new; it’s a market that’s dominated by GoPro and its Hero line of products. People have been using them for years to capture footage of motorcycle rides, skiing, skateboarding, swimming, and more.

Although the quality of video from action cameras might not be on par with what you’ll get from a DSLR or even a phone, most users will accept this. They’d rather trade the overall video quality with “in the moment” first person footage only achievable from durable and waterproof action cameras.

The problem with GoPro, for a lot of people, is that they often cost more than they can afford to part with. While an older model could run $150, a brand new one might fetch $300-$400.

What do you if you’re looking for a similar experience but don’t have a few hundred bucks worth of disposable income? As is the case with nearly all types of tech, it’s possible to go “generic” or pick up a knock-off product. Or, as we’ve seen with phones, you look for something that’s from a brand you’re not familiar with. Such is the case with the MGCool Explorer Pro.

Priced less than $40 at most outlets, the Explorer Pro is a more than worthy starter action camera. It’s capable of recording 4K video, 1080p video at 60 frames per second, and slo-motion, too. With an internal 1,050mAh battery, it gives users 80-100 minutes of recording when shooting at the highest setting.

Specs

  • 1/3.2 inch IMX 179 CMOS sensor
  • 4K / 15FPS video resolution, ultra high definition video shooting for a clear image
  • 170 degree wide angle
  • 2 inch screen
  • WiFi connection, up to 10m WiFi distance
  • Support max 64G extended TF card ( not included )
  • Waterproof housing case, up to 30m water resistance
  • Removable 1050mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, support about 80 minutes working time

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of accessories that come with the Explorer Pro. In addition to the camera, we found brackets and clips to attach to helmets, handlebars, selfie sticks, and tripods. The waterproof case snugs the camera up nicely, but, at the same time, still giving us buttons to press. Out of the box we felt like we had everything we needed to get going.

Package Contents

  • MGCOOL Explorer Action Camera
  • Waterproof Case
  • Camera Bracket
  • Clip
  • USB Data Cable
  • Bicycle Stand
  • 2X Helmet Base
  • Connector + Screw

If you’re the type of person who likes to execute tricky or intricate moves, you’ll appreciate being able to record in slo-motion. What’s more, this mode can be helpful for everyday sports such as analyzing your golf swing or baseball at bats.

Snapping on the waterproof case takes all of a few seconds and leads to some incredible footage. We handed the camera off to a few people and asked them to take it swimming, bike riding, and just out and about.

Diving in and out of a pool, we found the camera to work quite well, save for some occasionally poor audio. It’s worth noting that audio is one of those trade-offs you tend to get with an action camera.

Often, the cool footage captured with these cameras is dubbed over with a song and/or narration. That’s probably going to be the case here, but not necessarily any worse than older GoPros. The same, unremarkable audio came from holding the camera out a car window when driving around 20mph and faster, and when riding a bike at high speeds. The footage, though, was as good as anything we’d expect.

There’s an official companion application that you can install on your smartphone. Using the app, it’s possible to watch your footage as it’s being recorded live. Additionally, you can tweak the settings of the camera directly from your phone. We liked this better than playing with the limited number of buttons on the camera. The 2-inch display on the back is just okay but you’re not going to be focusing on it when playing hard. If you need to see what’s going on, definitely go for the app.

The app also includes the ability to download and browse photos and videos, sharing to social networks and other apps. It’s not vital that you have the app, but we enjoyed using it; if anything, it helps to have a larger or secondary screen when the camera is locked in place (think: snowboarding or surfing). You don’t want to continually mount and dismount the camera, right? Just pull up the phone and be done with it.

 

Generally speaking, the MGCOOL Explorer Pro operates and functions exactly as you might expect it to, if not a little better. If you’re looking for a “Fisher Price: My first action camera”, this one more than fits the bill. You won’t want to do any head-to-head comparisons with the pricier stuff on the market, though, because that’s when the light exposes the blemishes.

You certainly aren’t going to get the overall build quality and feature set that comes with a $300 camera, but you aren’t sacrificing 5/6 of the experience. Pictures are so-so and the audio isn’t great at all, however, the price is perfect for starting out. And, while 4K video is perhaps going to be around 15 frames per second, it’s just enough to merit the price tag.

We’ve had a fun time playing with the camera and look forward to using it in more interesting scenarios. As we’re at the end of summer we’re not hitting the beach or biking as much as we’d like. But, with snow only a few months away, we’re anxious to take the Explorer Pro with us when we hit the slopes. We’ll just look forward to dubbing over the audio and leaving things at 1080p.

You can purchase the MGCOOL Explorer Pro from a number of retailers with most places asking around $40-$50. Gearbest has it for as low as $37.99 at the time of publishing this review; Amazon has it for $50.

Project Fi gets its first Android One phone; Moto X4 available for $399

Scott Webster
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Google today confirmed that it will begin offering the Motorola Moto X4 as part of its Project Fi-ready smartphones. Moreover, it also formally introduces the Android One initiative to the United States.

Available in Super Black and Sterling Blue color options, the Android One Moto X4 is available for $399. Interested parties can begin placing pre-orders on the Project Fi website immediately. It is not clear when the phone will ship.

For those of you who have an existing Nexus smartphone, Google is introducing a new trade-in program. Simply send in your Nexus device and Google will give you up to $165; start the trade-in before October 5 and Google will grant you an extra $50 credit toward Fi.

Dovetailing with rumors that surfaced earlier this summer, the Moto X4 brings Fi customers a device that costs considerably less than some of the current models. The Pixel and Pixel XL run $650 and $769, respectively. And, while there are others available, the Motorola brings more modern specs to consumers but with a price tag that has wider appeal.

As is the case with other Android One and Pixel devices, the Moto X4 will be a pure Android experience, running the clean and lean OS. Whereas it will launch with Android Nougat, Google says an Android Oreo update will be here before the end of the year. Moreover, the Moto X4 is already promised to be “among the first to receive an upgrade to Android P.”

Project Fi utilizes networks from T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular, giving customers a large nationwide footprint of service. Rate plans start at $20 for unlimited calls and messages, unlimited international texting in 135+ countries & territories, and 24/7 support. Data costs $10 per gigabyte (GB) with customers being billed the same rate for overages. Any unused data is refunded to subscribers at the same rate, too.

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