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Android O brings some significant improvements for VR

Dan Bartram
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Getting a device Daydream certified is a documented process that any smartphone can apply for. Simply have a HD resolutin that can run two separate streams at 60 frames per second with a latency under 25 milliseconds.

It also needs to run without overheating and maintain a decent battery drain rate. That sounds quite simple right? Hardware is only part of the story and Google need to do its part in the Daydream experience software side of thins. It sounds that Android O is heavily focused on bringing improvements that could see more devices Daydream certified.

Don’t Miss: Google now allows anyone develop Daydream VR apps

Specificially these changes revolve around the graphic APIs that can be used from Vulkan and OpenGL. Android O will be better at drawing data on the screen compared to previous versions of Android. This will mean that the process of taking this data and turning into a VR experience will be much more efficient.

Android O also improves the way background processes are handled so this will also benefit VR and could see more devices see that Daydream certification as battery life becomes more efficient as a result.

It seems Google are going big on VR and are putting a lot of emphasis to take the technology to the next level. The next year is certainly going to see huge improvements in the platform.

Tip: How to speed up your Moto G4

Dan Bartram
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The Moto G4 is still a great device and perfect for those looking for an Android smartphone that is close to stock on a budget. However, the device is not as new as it once was and with apps getting more resourcing demand you could find the G4 to be slowing down. Luckily there is a hidden feature that you can change that will instantly speed up your device.

The tip will help speed up your Moto G4, helping reduce the impact of the aging processor and resource hungry apps. The best bit is there’s nothing extra to install or tons of settings to change, just a simple case of changing a setting with developer options enabled.

The little hack revolves around the animations applied to transitioning between windows and turning the device on or off. By simply turning this off, it contributes to making the device seem extremely snappy and fast by reducing the delay applied to the animation.

First, you’ll need to enable the Developer Options hidden menu. To do this, go into Settings -> About Device and scroll down to “Build Number”. Now, tap on “Build Number” five times and you’ll see a notification saying that “Developer mode has been enabled”.

With that hidden menu now enabled, we can head on into it to begin fastening up our Moto G4.

  1. Head on in to Developer Options in Settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Drawing section.
  3. Of interest here is the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale.
  4. Click on them individually to change the scale.

You are able to turn the animations off completely, or set them to 0.5x (default is 1x) so the animations will be double speed for those who would like to retain them.

You’ll notice your Moto G4 feels substantially quicker without any hacks that affect your software, warranty, or device battery life. Let us know your comments in the section below.

How to SIM unlock the LG G5

Matt Adams
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The LG G5 was released last year to a ton of hype for its redesigned body and modular system. And while it wasn’t the huge success that LG wished it had been, a ton of people bought into LG’s vision. Even if you don’t get the cool modules you can add into the G5, you’re still getting a phone with a great display, dual-camera setup, and a removable battery for a good price.

Right now, you can get an LG G5 used on Swappa for an excellent price. If you’re looking for a “new-to-you” phone, it’s an excellent option. But, if the phone you pick doesn’t match your network, or you want to take your phone on vacation with you and buy a local SIM card, it needs to be unlocked.

To get your phone unlocked, you have two options.

First off, you can go through your carrier. If you bought your phone from a carrier and your account is in good standing, your device is paid off, and you’ve had the device on your account for a set number of days (varies by carrier) then you can request an unlock code.

If you’re like most Americans and you bought your LG G5 on a payment plan or a two-year contract through your carrier, you probably will not qualify for that at this point since it’s unlikely your phone is paid off or the contract term is up. If you don’t meet the requirements or you’re trying to unlock a used or “new to you” phone, you’ll need to go through a third-party unlocking service like Android SIM Unlock.

So, how exactly do you get your phone unlocked? Here are the steps we’ll need to take for both methods.

Get your IMEI Number

Before you do anything else, you need your IMEI number. IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identifier and it’s the unique code for every device to identify it to carriers for access on their networks. Here’s how you get your IMEI number:

  1. Open the phone application
  2. Dial *#06#
  3. Your phone’s IMEI will pop up on the display
  4. Write it down in a document on your computer or a piece of paper nearby

Unlocking

Free unlocking

Earlier in the article, we talked about the requirements to get your free SIM unlock. If you’re unsure if you qualify, give your carrier a call and ask. The worst they can tell you is no and all you’ve lost is time. If you do qualify, wonderful! Here are the steps to unlocking your device with an unlock code provided by your carrier:

  1. Call your carrier customer service (normally you just dial 611 and hit send!)
  2. Request an unlock code
  3. Provide the IMEI number you wrote down earlier
  4. Your unlock code will be sent to you and should arrive within 5 days
  5. Replace the SIM card in your phone with one from another carrier
  6. Enter the unlock code when the prompt comes up

When you get your unlock code, grab a piece of paper and write it down. While these steps are easy, you don’t want to be left trying to pull that information out of a document you have saved in the cloud when you have no service and no WiFi connections. Just do it the old fashion way.

Paid unlocking

If you don’t qualify for a free SIM unlock from your carrier, you still have options! You can buy a cheap unlock code from a third-party unlocker like Android SIM Unlock. This method will work for carriers besides T-Mobile and MetroPCS, so if you have service through them, we’ll have special instructions below for you.

  1. Visit Android SIM Unlock or a similar unlocking site and enter the IMEI you wrote down earlier
  2. Complete the checkout process
  3. Your unlock code will arrive in your email in about an hour, but most of the time sooner than that
  4. Put a SIM card from another carrier in your LG G5
  5. Enter the unlock code in the prompt that appears on screen

T-Mobile and MetroPCS Unlocking Process

T-Mobile and MetroPCS, as we mentioned above, has its own unlocking app. Even if you don’t qualify for a free unlock, you can still unlock your device using the T-Mobile or MetroPCS Device unlock apps. Here’s how you’ll go about it:

  1. Visit Android SIM Unlock or a similar service and select the T-Mobile Device Unlock or MetroPCS Device Unlock option
  2. Enter your IMEI number
  3. Complete the checkout process
  4. You’ll receive your unlock confirmation email in 1 – 3 days
  5. Open the T-Mobile Device Unlock or MetroPCS Device unlock app
  6. Press Continue, then Permanent Unlock
  7. The unlock process will run and reboot your phone when it’s done

The process for T-Mobile isn’t any more complicated than other carriers, it’s just a bit slower.

It’s as easy as that. Enjoy your new (or used) LG G5 on any network you please.

Huawei Honor 6X phone reivew

AndroidGuys
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Google made it clear at I/O that there is a huge focus on lowering the cost of purchasing an Android device. With the announcement of Android Go, coinciding with the launch of Android O, it is clear that Google is pushing for manufacturers to develop and release phones at even lower prices than they are now.

Speaking of budget devices, we have been reviewing a unit from one of the big names in low-cost devices. The Huawei-made Honor 6X aims to take many of the key features that users want and wrap them up in a device that is much more affordable than those carrier offered phones. Let’s take a look under the hood and see what $250 can get us in 2017

Style

The Honor 6X is a very classy device; sporting a single piece milled chassis holding all of the internals in place and a 2.5D piece of glass for the touchscreen. I would have loved to see some Gorilla glass here for scratch resistance but those are some of the sacrifices we make when getting a phone in this price range.

The initial inspection reveals that the phone comes with a preinstalled, lightweight, plastic screen protector. It isn’t much but it is nice to know that since we are not getting top dollar glass, Honor has thought to give us some extra protection out of the box.

The front, from top to bottom sports the ear speaker, an 8MP front-facing camera, and a simple Honor logo at the bottom. It is nice to see that there are no hardware buttons to mess with and we have an Android device the way it was intended.

The left and right side house the usual SIM/SD card slots and the volume rocker and power buttons respectively. The card slot is easy to open and even easier insert your SIM and SD card (or double SIM cards if you prefer) into. The volume and power buttons are placed intuitively for hand placement and are pronounced just enough to be easily usable but not enough to be annoying or catch in a purse or bag.

In typical fashion, we find the microUSB port centered on the bottom of the device between what appear to be dual speakers. Unfortunately, only the one on the right is actually a speaker, the other appears to be simply for decoration/symmetry. We also find a 3.5 mm audio jack on the top-left side of the phone.

Finally, we flip this bad boy over and find some pretty cool stuff for a budget phone. We are greeted with a LED flasher, a dual camera (12MP + 2MP) and a fingerprint sensor reminiscent of the one on the Huawei Mate 9. More on the camera later but the fingerprint sensor has never had issues reading either of the fingers I have set up. I have even placed my finger upside down and it logged me in without issue.

Hardware

Now that we have talked about what comes on the outside, I think it’s time to talk about what we get on the inside of the Honor 6X. According to the Huawei site, the highlighted specs are as follows:

  • Display: 5.5” 1920p x 1080p full HD display with 16 M colors, 403 PPI
  • CPU: Huawei Kirin 655 Octa-Core Processor
  • Operating System: Android 7 and Huawei Emotion UI 5.0
  • Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM
  • Camera: 12MP + 2MP rear; 8MP front
  • Battery: 3340 mAh

While it is always nice to see what kind of specs are packed inside of a device, the bigger question is what does that all equate to? Well, let’s take them all one piece at a time.

The full HD display is larger than my Galaxy S7 and equally as vibrant to the eye. Watching YouTube is a dream and I have yet to see any games or images that don’t display as expected.

The CPU and RAM have been able to tackle every task I have thrown at them without issue. Even some of the larger games I have played have no issues with frame lag or heating up.

Battery life is AMAZING. Honor designed the 6X with the intention of it lasting 2 days for the average user and I am happy to say that it does that without exception. As I have said in my other reviews, I use my device for work emails and work calls and the Honor 6X has lasted two days on all but 2 occasions, but both of those days were extremely high use days and the battery lasted longer than expected in both cases.

Camera

Honor 6X

As you can see from the camera roll above, the camera is a decent quality for a budget phone. There are almost as many controls in the 6X camera as we found in the Mate 9, which makes sense considering they are running the same OS (thanks to the recent Android 7 update). The images are crisp and clear and the shutter speed seems to be exactly what I expect out of the camera on a phone in this price range.

Software

The last feature that we have not touched on is the software. When I first received the review unit, it had Android 6 and EMUI 4.5 installed. My major issue with this setup is that there was no option for an app drawer. Seriously, if I wanted a phone with no app drawer I would go Apple and not worry about it.

Thankfully, the update from Huawei was released and both Android 7 and EMUI 5.0 were installed. My favorite change is obviously the option to add the app drawer back to the OS. I really like a clean home screen. The update to EMUI also brings some enhancements to maintain your precious battery life. Huawei has put some major effort into app management and keeping the device bloat free, putting conservation of RAM and CPU at the top of the priority list. As mentioned above, I regularly get 2 full days out of a single charge and I largely attribute that to the EMUI software.

Conclusion

My overall experience with the Huawei Honor 6X could be described as surprising. I did not expect to enjoy using it as much as I did, especially after I got my app drawer back. There is a delightful mix of quality, budget-friendly hardware, software that is mindful of resource management and style that makes this $250 phone just delightful to use and comfortable to purchase.

The real question is, where can you pick one up? Honor just announced that the 6X will be available at over 460 Target locations in the US. You can find a target with the 6X near you by checking out this web page. It can also be picked up at Amazon with Prime shipping or from our friends over at B&H. No matter where you choose to purchase your Honor 6X the price remains the same at $249.99.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 tipped to arrive later in September with $900+ price tag

Alexandra Arici
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A few days ago we told you a recent report claimed the Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be unveiled during an event in New York on August 26.

But reliable leakster Evan Blass now paints a different picture through a recent article for Venture Beat. According to sources, the phone will go official in the second half of September –  after the IFA 2017 tradeshow – with a massive price-tag attached to it.

If the information at hand is correct the Galaxy Note8 is going to be Samsung’s most expensive phone to date retailing for €999, which according to the leakster should translate to a bit over $900. The unlocked versions of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ initially sold for €799 and €899 respectively in Europe and for $725 and $825 in the US.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 concept

The current report also sheds more light on the upcoming phone’s specs. The device should arrive with a 6.3-inch Infinity Display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio and Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835 chips – depending on the market.

The phone will be the second Samsung product to boast 6GB of RAM after the Galaxy C9 Pro, but the first Galaxy flagship to feature a dual-camera setup which according to industry sources will include two 12-megapixel sensors and independent optical image stabilization for the lens. We’re also told the camera lenses will be placed horizontally and not vertically.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 concept (2)

@evleaks reveals another interesting aspect – Samsung has decided to stick to the same fingerprint sensor placement we’ve seen on the Galaxy S8 and S8+. This time around the cameras and fingerprint reader will be separated by the LED and heart rate sensor, so at least the modules are going will have a greater distance between them.

On top of that, the phone will reportedly rely on a 3,300 mAh battery like the Galaxy S8+ and will bring updated S Pen functionalities like full-sentence language translation and currency conversion. The DeX desktop dock will also be compatible with the Galaxy Note8, which should be available at launch in Black, Blue, and Gold colors.

So what do you think? Would you pay $900+ for the Samsung Galaxy Note8?

YouTube TV expands into 10 new markets

AG Deals Team
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Back in April, Google introduced its answer to the likes of Sling TV and DirecTV Now with YouTube TV. Unfortunately, the new streaming service was limited to 4 major markets, preventing many folks from giving it a shot.

Don’t Miss: How YouTube TV could revolutionize television

With VidCon 2017 underway, YouTube has made a few different announcements regarding its services, but one of the biggest is the expansion of YouTube TV. Over the course of the next few weeks, YouTube TV will be coming to the following markets:

  • Dallas-Fort Worth
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Houston
  • Atlanta
  • Phoenix
  • Detroit
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale
  • Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne
  • Charlotte

With more and more users looking for ways to cut the cable, YouTube is just another option on the market. However, the benefits are obvious if you’re tied into the Google ecosystem, and for $35 per month, this would make things even better.

This monthly fee of $35 gets you a few more features that can’t be provided by the competition. The list includes 4K content, Unlimited Cloud DVR, as well as a channel lineup which includes the likes of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about YouTube TV, you can hit the link here to sign up. Once the service becomes available in a market near you, Google/YouTube will reach out to let you know when you can sign up for the service.

Let us know what you think about YouTube TV and whether you’ll be looking to give it a shot once it comes to your area.

The LG V30 is likely to feature a new design and will support wireless charging

AG Deals Team
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Over the last month or so, we have been learning more and more and information about the LG V30, as it aims to help LG take over the 2nd half of 2017. There have been various renders and leaks showing off the possible design of the V30, along with a few spec leaks here and there.

The latest LG V30 leak gives us some more concrete information on what to expect with the device. @OnLeaks has shared that the V30 is due to include wireless charging, much like the LG G6, leading to speculation that the V30 will feature a glass back.

Now we aren’t expecting an almost exact copy of the G6, but anything is possible as LG has recently done just that with the slightly-improved LG G6 Plus. It was also revealed that the V30 will keep the dual-camera setup on the rear of the device, with the fingerprint sensor placed below the camera sensors on the rear.

Other expected features and specs of the V30 include the return of the iconic secondary display, along with the Snapdragon 835 SoC and 6GB of RAM. We are also expecting to see LG implement a new Quad-DAC for those audiophiles out there.

Let us know what you think about the LG V30 and if you’ll be looking to get one, provided it holds up against the Galaxy Note 8.

The Galaxy S8 Active appears in new benchmarks with an odd screen size

AG Deals Team
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Whenever a new Samsung flagship is announced, we expect to see a rugged version with the “Active” moniker released. However, that hasn’t been the case yet in 2017, but we are learning more information about the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active.

Previously, there have been references on Samsung’s own website for the device, but now the device has passed through GFXBench. With a model number designation of SM-G892A, the device clocked in with the following specs:

  • 5.4-inch 2008 x 1080 Display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB Storage
  • 8MP Front Camera
  • 12MP Rear Camera
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active

The first question that you’ll likely have is regarding the display size and resolution. The 2008 x 1080 pixel resolution equates to an aspect ratio of 16.7:9, which lines up more with the Galaxy S7 Active and not the new aspect ratio found in the Galaxy S8 lineup.

This may be due to the nature of Samsung providing a flat Infinity Display, versus the curved option found on its 2017 flagship lineup. However, it’s also possible that the GFXBench results simply misreported the screen resolution.

Regardless, it’s already known that the Galaxy S8 Active will be made available through AT&T exclusively. But, we’ll have to wait to see more information regarding what the design will look like.

Let us know what you think about the Galaxy S8 Active and if you’ll be looking to pick one up for yourself once it’s made official.

YouTube’s mobile app will soon adapt to any video size to fill the display

Alexandra Arici
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Present at the VidCon conference in Anaheim, California, YouTube made a pretty interesting announcement: soon its mobile app will soon be able to fill the screen when you’re watching a clip – regardless of how it was shot.

Soon the YouTube app will gain the capacity to dynamically adapt to any type of video you’re watching, even if it was formatted in 16:9, 4:3 or in square shape.

This means that next time you’re watching a square video, YouTube’s mobile app will be able to fill in the entire screen, rather than displaying those annoying black bars on the sides of the video.

It’s not an overwhelming upgrade, but certainly, a nice feature to have that was long overdue. It will become available to users in the next few weeks.

On top of that, YouTube announced a new way of sharing videos via its platform directly from your mobile app. After selecting a video, users will be able to share it with their phone’s contacts alongside a message. Each video will be accompanied by a dedicated chat section and contacts will be able to respond with texts, videos or hearts.

The new way of sharing is coming to Latin America in a couple of weeks, after which it will make its way to the US.

This wearable claims to be able to alleviate stress in 30 seconds

Alexandra Arici
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Stress is an everyday fact of life that we must all deal with. It comes in many shapes and sizes and spares none of us.

The unfortunate reality is that stress is a common symptom of our modern lifestyle which leaves us feeling drained, tired or defeated and can over time lead to some serious health issues.

However, there are ways to combat stress – you could try meditating or go on a nice, long vacation. Or if you like technology, you can try this wearable. It’s called TouchPoints Basic and comes in two pieces. Users can wear them around their wrists like a watch or clip them to a piece of clothing.

Once the wearables sit comfortably on your body, they will start using something called Bi-Lateral Alternating Tactile (or BLAST) tech to send alternating vibrations to the body in order to modify the Fight or Flight response caused by stress.

While the exact scientific details on how the technology actually works are not available on the wearable’s Indiegogo, BLAST should, at least in theory, restore homeostatic nervous system functioning, thus leaving the person feeling calmer and more relaxed.

The wearable duo can also be used to increase focus, optimize performance or to sleep better.

TouchPoints Basic apparently has a whole scientific advisory board behind it, comprised of Neurology professors and Clinical officers, so we’ll have to assume the product does produce some noticeable results.

The TouchPoints Basic features 3 speeds – slow, medium and fast, and is available in four color options including Cornflower Blue, Marine Green, Fuchsia Pink or Graphite Gray.

The Indiegogo project has already exceeded its funding goal, so the wearable should start shipping out to backers starting August 2017. If you think the TouchPoints Basic has the potential to make your life better, go make a pledge. For $169 you’ll receive 1 set of TouchPoint Basic (includes two wearables), a charging cable, linen carry bag and four watch bands.

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