Earlier this week we told you about some new rewards that would be coming to Cricket Wireless subscribers, but it seems there was more in store from the carrier. Cricket Wireless has announced that two new handsets will be entering the lineup, beginning with the Alcatel PulseMix.
The PulseMix is an interesting device, as it offers a different take on a modular smartphone through its “SnapBak” covers. These covers offer different capabilities, which are explained as follows:
LightUp SNAPBAK – Grab the spotlight wherever you are! With the LightUp SNAPBAK, customizable, multicolor, flashing LED lights illuminate with incoming calls, messages, e-mails, snaps, likes and mentions. Plus, pick a pattern or customize it to match your favorite color when playing music, playing games, attending a concert or just having fun.
Sound SNAPBAK – Become the life of the party and transform your PULSEMIX into a portable entertainment system with the Sound SNAPBAK. Get powerful and crisp high quality stereo sound from two 2.5 watt speakers. Amp up watching videos, listening to your favorite music with friends or catching up on your favorite TV shows with DIRECTV NOW, available for download on the Google Play Store.
Power SNAPBAK – Always running out of juice? Extend your battery life with the slim and easy-to-connect Power SNAPBAK
The Alcatel PulseMix will go on sale exclusively through Cricket Wireless on July 21st and is priced at just $79.99 when activating on your plan. Additionally, if you port in your current number from a different carrier, you can get the PulseMix for just $29.99.
However, the fun doesn’t stop there as Cricket also announced the addition of the Samsung Galaxy Halo to its lineup of devices. Luckily, you won’t have to wait until July to get your hands on this one, as the Galaxy Halo will go on sale this Friday.
This device may look familiar, and that’s due to the fact that the Galaxy Halo is, in fact, a rebranded Samsung Galaxy J7. The device features a 5.5-inch FHD display while being powered by the Exynos 7870 SoC and 3GB of RAM. When it comes to storage, you are “stuck” with 16GB, but there is a microSD card slot to expand that up to 256GB.
Cricket is quietly expanding its lineup, and the PulseMix looks to be a rather interesting take on modularity. Let us know what you think about these new devices and if you’ll be looking to get one for yourself.
Our houses are getting smarter all the time. Be it light bulbs, security systems, doorbells, or something else, the Internet of Things is growing at quite a rate. In fact, it’s hard to buy household things, or at least consider them, in 2017 that aren’t “smart”.
Speakers are one of those items that have been getting increasingly more robust and well-rounded. To many, the grandfather of the smart speaker is the Sonos and its Wi-Fi based setup.
There’s something very cool about being able to play separate music playlists in individual rooms or tie them together for a group party. Moreover, it’s really fun to have so many different music and audio sources.
Chromecast Audio, and later Google Cast for Audio, is a great, inexpensive way to get users/listeners halfway there. It’s a low-cost way to play music and other audio through speakers that otherwise might not have the capability. Then, of course, there’s the old standby in Bluetooth. It doesn’t get much easier to pair a speaker to a phone and play your favorite tracks.
Introduced in April, Logitech’s latest audio offering is the Z537 speaker system. Designed to connect to your desktop computer or laptop, it’s a 2.1 channel setup that also includes RCA input and Bluetooth. The four-piece system runs about $130 and can be found at a variety of retailers.
As is the case with most speakers designed for computers, the Logitech Z537 has its share of cables. Nothing crazy, mind you, but the standard stuff to tie the four components together. Included in the box are two upright speakers, a sub-woofer, and a control dial puck.
Setup is really quite simple in that you plug the monitors into the sub-woofer; the puck is hardwired into it. The sub acts like the brains or the main component and there’s plenty of cord length to place it away from your feet. The left and right speakers are marked and also come with a nice length to them. You aren’t confined to the typical 3-foot space and can space them out as you need. Audio sources come from three options: 3.5mm, RCA, and Bluetooth.
The puck has a rubbery, tacky material on the bottom which keeps it from sliding around. You adjust the volume by turning the dial and the power button is on the left. Should you wish to jump from your desktop’s audio to a Bluetooth connection, it’s as simple as pressing a button.
The left and right satellite speakers are just a hair under 7-inches tall and are designed with black, grey, and a bronze. Taken as a whole they look great and the colors balance well. The speakers are not protected by any grille but we’re quite fond of the look.
The Z537 puts out an impressive amount of sound, both in terms of volume and quality. Considering the $130 price tag, we expected it to be loud and semi-decent range. We didn’t expect to use this as a primary audio experience, but the RCA input has changed our mind. Another item we’ve recently been reviewing is a turntable (yep, records) with RCA output. When paired with this setup we now have a reason to bring our vinyl to the office.
We really like the Logitech Z537 as a desktop setup as it delivers more robust audio than some of our previous computer speakers. You’ll certainly find a variety of speakers at a lower price, but you probably aren’t getting the added Bluetooth and/or RCA inputs. Should you find yourself with a number of sources of music, you’ll want to consider this one.
We’ve been a fan of Logitech since as far back as we can remember, perhaps dating into the 90’s with our first replacement computer mice. The brand consistently puts out excellent hardware in all areas and we’ve yet to run into something that gives us pause.
The Z537 has quickly made itself comfortable here at the office. The puck makes it easy to hop from a podcast on the phone (Bluetooth) to a movie trailer on the computer (3.5mm). It’s hard to overstate that convenience and functionality.
The Logitech Z537 can be purchased directly from Logitech’s website as well as other retailers such as Amazon and FRY’s. Pricing tends to stay right around the $130 mark as this is a newer product.
One of the main reasons bezels still exist is to host a button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor. This could all be about to change as Qualcomm are making a sensor that it says will work embedded under a display.
The Galaxy S8 is one of the first devices to feature an almost bezel-less design and rumor has it that the fingerprint sensor was meant to be integrated into the display but Samsung just couldn’t figure it out. It decided to put the fingerprint sensor rather uncomfortably on the rear of the device having run out of options.
Qualcomm have seemingly entered a new area of business with fingerprint sensors and could have cracked a problem most of the OEM’s seem to be working on. These sensors work through ultrasonic technology and can not only recognize a fingerprint but can also detect blood flow and heart rate. The technology relies on a device using a display panel under 1200 μm, meaning traditional LCDs won’t work. OLED panels will however work just fine.
Assuming Qualcomm can iron out any issues and make the chip mainstream, we could begin to see this technology in smartphones as early as 2018. Imagine a Galaxy S8 with a fingerprint sensor embedded directly in the virtual home button… There’s no real indication from Qualcomm if the embedded fingerprint sensor has a better or worse accuracy rate over a physical home button but here’s hoping it’s just as good, if not better.
Would you still prefer a physical home button? Drop us a comment below.
The Google Play Store is filled with many apps, which is great for consumer selection, but can often make app discovery difficult. Some apps just never make it to our homescreen. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of this weeks hottest Android apps that have most likely gone under the radar or are so new that they haven’t had enough downloads to be featured or make it onto a top list.
Firefox Focus
App Info: Browse like no one’s watching. The new Firefox Focus automatically blocks a wide range of online trackers — from the moment you launch it to the second you leave it. Easily erase your history, passwords and cookies, so you won’t get followed by things like unwanted ads.
App Info: The Sonic game that started it all is now free-to-play and optimized for mobile devices! Race at lightning speeds across seven classic zones as Sonic the Hedgehog. Run and spin through loop-de-loops as you collect rings and defeat enemies on your mission to save the world from the evil Dr. Eggman.
App Info: KingRoot-2017 verify proper root (superuser or su) access is configured and working using KingRoot! Free, fast, easy, and used on over 10 million Android devices, Root Checker shows the user whether or not root (superuser) access is properly installed and working. KingRoot-2017 is a root tool for “lazy people” who just want to get root access but don’t want to flash any third party Recovery into their lovely device.
App Info: Network Signal cannot be boosted by an app, Network signal can be refreshed and recovered. Network Signal Refresher is not a network signal booster. No network signal boost is achieved here. NSR tries to refresh the network several times till you get a better network signal.
If you like these apps then drop us a comment below with your thoughts. Also if you have spotted a new app that you think is worth a mention, leave a comment below with your suggestion and we’ll be sure to check it out.
Yesterday Huawei’s sub-brand Honor announced the European availability of the new Honor 9 – the successor of the awesome Honor 8.
But the company said nothing about a potential launch in the US. A few hours later, speaking to Android Central VP of Honor Global and president of Honor EU, Eva Wimmers revealed that an US release for the Honor 9 is not “planned at this moment”
That’s not to say that the Honor 9 won’t make it across the pond at some point in time, but unfortunately, things don’t seem too encouraging at the moment. And it’s a shame since the Honor 9 seems like a great product.
Trouble is, the US market didn’t really embrace the Honor 8, despite it being an attention-worthy smartphone with great specs and a decent price tag. That’s probably because, in the States Honor is not a very well-known brand. Not yet anyway.
But for customers with a more “exotic” taste, the Huawei sub-brand currently offers the Honor 6X – an affordable dual-camera phone in the country and the Honor 8 is still available for purchase from places like Best Buy.
If you missed yesterday’s announcement you can check out the specs of the Honor 9 here. As you can see it seems like a very promising handset and hopefully we’ll be able to pick it up here in the States sometime in the future.
Last week Chinese company OnePlus unveiled its latest flagship the OnePlus 5. And despite being more affordably-priced, the OnePlus 5 comes to compete head-to-head with the other high-end smartphones on the market including the LG G6.
In what follows, we’re going to take a quick look at how the LG G6 stacks up against OnePlus’ new latest and greatest effort.
Design and Display
One of the main complaints about the OnePlus 5 is that its design is very reminiscent of the iPhone 7 Plus due to its antenna lines curving along the top and bottom metal edges. The dual camera setup and fingerprint sensor placement don’t help the OnePlus 5 make a case for unique design either.
Still, the OnePlus 5 is the sleekest flagship released by the company so far, coming with a full metal body and a really thin frame of 7.25mm.
The LG G6, on the other hand, brings forth a refreshing design with its slim bezels and an extra-tall screen with 18:9 aspect ratio. The round corners bring an extra touch of class, but the metal-glass combination is a fairly common among flagships and phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and HTC U11 also offer it.
The LG G6 has its fingerprint sensor housed on the back, while on the OnePlus 5 it’s embedded in the home button.
Moving on to the display, the LG G6 features a 5.7-inch display with Quad HD+ resolution (2,880 x 1,440) with 564ppi and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The OnePlus 5 goes for the more typical approach with a 5.5-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Beyond the extra height and pixels, the LG G6’s screen also offers mobile HDR support for compatible content. In contrast, the OnePlus 5 uses the same display panel as the OnePlus 3T.
Performance
LG rushed to release the G6 before the Samsung Galaxy S8, so given Snapdragon 835 shortages at the time, the phone runs on the older Snapdragon 821 (quad-core processor clocked at 2.35GHz). At launch, the device was offered with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, but LG recently announced it will start offering a 64GB version as well.
The company also unveiled the G6+ model which comes equipped with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
The OnePlus 5 on the other hand, takes advantage of the latest Qualcomm chipset – Snapdragon 835. There are two options available for purchase – either with 6GB of RAM/64GB of internal storage or with 8GB of RAM/128GB of storage. The OnePlus 5 does not come with a microSD card slot, while the LG G6 includes a microSD slot which allows for memory expansion up to 256GB.
Cameras
Both the OnePlus 5 and LG G6 boasts dual-camera setups. The OnePlus phone has opted to include a 16-megapixel main sensor with f/1.7 alongside a 20-megapixel telephoto ally with f/2.6. The phone also includes a Portrait Mode and a variable zoom that does not sacrifice quality.
On the G6, LG has taken a different approach that couples two 13-megapixel units together. The standard one includes f/1.8 aperture, while the additional one is a wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture.
As we told you in our LG G6 review, the phone is capable of taking fantastic images with great detail and natural colors. Although there’s room for improvement in the low-lighting scenarios.
When it comes to selfies, the LG G6 includes a 5-megapixel 100-degree secondary camera that can shoot 1080p video and come with a beauty mode. As for the OnePlus 5, it houses a 16-megapixel self-portrait snapper with f/2.0.
Battery and other features
The LG G6 relies on a 3,300 mAh battery and so does the OnePlus 5. While in our review, we found the LG G6’s battery life a bit lacking, it’s not a huge complaint. The phone also includes wireless charging in the US and Quick Charge 3.0 – which should allow users to juice up their phone super-fast.
The OnePlus 5 also features an improved Dash Charge technology, which should soften the blow of having a smaller battery (the OnePlus 3T relied on a 3,400 mAh juice box). The presence of the power efficient Snapdragon 835, as well as software optimizations, should also help.
The LG G+ with DAC
As for extra features, the LG G6 comes with IP68 certification (dust/water proof over 1.5 meters and 30 minutes). The OnePlus 5 is not waterproof or water-resistant.
And with the advent of the LG G6+, the Korean company will also offer the audio DAC feature in more markets (the feature has been limited to Asia so far).
Software
The OnePlus 5 comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OxigenOS on top. It’s a minimalist approach to Android with plenty of extra features like a dedicated Reading Mode, Automatic Night Mode, extended screenshots and an in-game Do Not Disturb mode.
The LG G6 relies on Android 7.0 Nougat with the company’s LG UX on top which offers a cleaner experience overall. LG recently announced a software update for the LG G6 which is bound to add a new Face Print feature that will allow users to unlock the phone with their face, as well as a new Lower Power Consumption mode.
Pricing
The LG G6 has been out for some months now, so it can be purchased at a discounted price. For example, T-Mobile is selling it for $500 (down from $650) which sort of puts the LG G6 on par with the OnePlus 5 price-wise.
The factory unlocked version of the LG G6 (with no US warranty) can be purchased for $457 from Amazon right now.
The OnePlus 5 was just launched. You can grab the 6GB/64GB for $479, while the 8GB/128GB version is $539.
So what should you get? Well, it’s up to you – really. But to summarize it all, the LG G6 offers the advantages of a QHD+ display, a more striking design, water resistance and microSD slot (and maybe soon DAC), while the OnePlus 5 has more RAM, a newer processor, and more affordable price-tag.
Do you know one of the most effective and easiest ways of changing the way your smartphone operates? Well, it is by customizing your phone by installing a launcher. With the increasingly large numbers of launchers that are being designed by developers, they let you seek benefits of tons of personalized Android icons and themes and also offers full control over the way your phone performs while launching apps, switching screens and many other actions.
Just as website designers keep looking for free WordPress themes to decorate their websites with the best possible features, smartphone users also watch out for such launchers to personalize their phones.
But how do you know which launcher to install if you’ve recently bought your smartphone? Should you ask your friends and family members? Before you do so, we help you with the names and features of some of the latest Android launchers that you can download and install to transform the entire look of your phone.
ZenUI
ZenUI is a launcher which fills in the gap between low-end, bloatware-heavy launchers which are replete with ads and unwanted apps and the more adept and expert launchers. This launcher is not only home to several high-quality themes but it even includes advanced and modern personalization features for all those who want to refine the entire Android experience. This launcher has been developed by Asus and you can adjust the grid size of the home screen, customize transitional animations while moving in between screens and also the theme of the folders.
Smart Launcher Pro 3
The Smart Launcher Pro 3 has got its personal distinct flavor and is unlike any other launcher that you find in the list. It starts with a set-up procedure where you will be asked for your preferred app, dialer, music and photo app from all those that are already installed within your phone. Once you select them, you will find a home screen which will have 6 apps and you have the discretion of increasing the number of apps but you can’t add more home screens. This launcher has got a minimalist setup with an exciting design.
Nova Launcher Prime
You will find several articles on the Nova Launcher Prime and one may say that being able to install this launcher is one of the main reasons behind buying Android smartphone instead of an iPhone. It won’t look like some ‘Wow’ when you first open it but it will include 3 folders with the names Google, Create and Play. Apart from these, there will be a Gmail widget and a Google Search Bar on the left screen beside the main home screen. Once you click on the ‘Settings’, you will find plethora of options for customizing the entire phone, from app margins to appearance to font colors to app drawer layout to animation effects to dock settings and everything else. The overall performance of this launcher is buttery-smooth with a slew of gestures.
Apex Launcher
Apex Launcher is yet another launcher packed with features with both free and premium versions. The non-paid version also has several customization options. In many ways, this launcher is pretty similar to Nova as it provides you with a slew of options like dock bar, app drawer, home screen, folders and it also has a back-up option for transferring the settings to different devices. You can even customize the home button to make it perform more than one action.
Therefore, if you’re a smartphone owner who is pretty bored with the way your smartphone looks internally and works, you can certainly install any of the above launchers which you prefer to transform the entire look of the phone.
Virtual assistants are everywhere – most of them live on your phone, but some reside inside your home-connected speaker, your wearables, and even your fridge.
Now it appears laptops might be next in line to get virtual assistant support. ChromeUnboxed reports that Google is working on a new Chromebook product dubbed “Eve” which will supposedly come with a with the Google Assistant onboard.
The latest “Eve” code commits reveals the Chromebook will take advantage of an extra key that’s being referred to as the “Assistant key”.
Pixel 2 Chromebook
At this point, it’s quite unclear how this function is going to be implemented. Unearthed evidence suggests that users will be able to summon the Google Assistant either by using the Assistant key or a keyboard shortcut, but also by virtue of a voice command.
The same blog unearthed details about “Eve” in the past. Older information suggests the Chromebook will be a convertible boasting a touchscreen display with 2,400 x 1,600 resolution with 3:2 aspect ratio, backlit keyboard, and stylus. The laptop is also expected to also integrate a fingerprint sensor, improved trackpad, and an Intel Kaby Lake processor.
While the “Eve” is shaping up to be a flagship product (it’s been a while since the last Pixel Chromebook) it’s still unclear whether Google (or an OEM partner) is actually working on it.
Details about a Chromebook codenamed “Kevin” that Google was developing in partnership with Samsung leaked out last year in similar fashion. So it’s quite possible we might get to see a Google Assistant-infused Chromebook make an appearance on the market soon enough.
Rumors that Samsung was looking to launch a refurbished Galaxy Note7 edition have been floating around the web for some time.
A few release dates were thrown around at some point, but so far the device failed to materialize. Now a report coming out of the Wall Street Journal reveals the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 dubbed Fandom Edition or FE will make a debut on the South Korean market on July 7.
WSJ also notes the new phablets were made from refurbished parts and will include a smaller 3,200 mAh battery.
Remember me?
We’re told Samsung plans to ship 400,000 Galaxy Note7 FE units, but at this point, it’s unclear whether these phones will be offered in other markets as well.
Last year, Samsung was the subject of a huge scandal which involved its latest (at the time) flagship product, the Galaxy Note7 catching on fire. The Korean tech giant was forced to recall around 3 million units while ceasing production of the phablet altogether.
But according to the WSJ report, in a few days the Galaxy Note7 will be making a comeback – with a hefty price tag of approximately $616 attached.
Pricing aside, with the Galaxy Note8’s announcement being just a few months away, we have to ask: does releasing the Note7 FE even make sense anymore?
When it comes to smartwatches, the Apple Watch, Samsung’s Gear S lineup and Google’s host of Android Wear devices dominate the market in the United States. But outside its borders, smartwatch makers are popping out like mushrooms after the rain.
A good example of such smartwatch manufacturers is Mobvoi with its Ticwatch 2 product which was successfully funded on Kickstarter. The watch offered plenty of features, as well as great aesthetic quality – and to top it all an affordable price tag of only $199.
Ticwatch E
So far Mobvoi’s smartwatch lineup relied on the custom Ticwear OS, including the international Ticwatch 2. But good news, this summer the company plans to release two new series of smartwatches, the Ticwatch S and Ticwatch E – both of which are going to be powered by Android Wear. The watches will land on Kickstarter soon. Here’s what Mobvoi revealed in an official email:
“This summer, we are proud to present you Ticwatch S•E, our new watch series that represents the whole team’s efforts, as well as responses to your valuable feedbacks.
Powered by Android Wear™, Ticwatch S & Ticwatch E series comes with all the essential hardware design tailored for a sporty active style.
The best of all, you can bring one beautiful new piece home with less than $100 through our Kickstarter SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. The specific launch date and time of the Ticwatch S & E Kickstarter campaign, as well as more exploding details on the product and the price, will be revealed in the coming emails.”
Ticwatch S
The two collections have already been listed on Mobvoi’s official website, but they are listed as running Ticwear OS. Even so, the global versions should come with Android Wear out of the box. According to the listed specs, the watches take advantage of OLED displays, MediaTek 2601 SoCs, NFC (so hopefully Android Pay is going to be onboard the models slated for Kickstarter), GPS and IP67 certification.
According to a recent place release, (at least) the Ticwatch S will also be able to accommodate SIM cards in order to allow users to use their watch to call, use data services and receive notifications, even as their smartphone is out of reach.
So what do you think? Would you be interested in funding Mobvoi’s first Android Wear smartwatches?
LG rushed to release the G6 before the 
