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Ubiquiti AmpliFi Router review

AndroidGuys
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With all the technology around these days, it is not hard to imagine that there are certain ones that we generally take for granted. I work for a healthcare company and we offer a number of technologies to our patients during their stay to make it a little more enjoyable. Other industries have been doing the same thing for years, including coffee shops, department stores, restaurants and more. WiFi is the most often implemented and taken for granted, with advancements in wireless technologies allowing for guest connections, temporary licensing and more, it makes things safe, easy, and relatively inexpensive for companies to offer internet connections to their customers.

Right, enough about what big business does for us, what about that wireless connection at our house? How can we make that better and easier? What if I want to let friends and family connect to my internet but not get inside my network? Well, Ubiquiti reaches for an answer to all of these questions with their AmpliFi line of products. Now that might sound a little familiar to you since I wrote a review on the AmpliFi MeshPoint as a standalone range extender and it works pretty well. The range on it is good and the quality of parts is top notch, as with all Ubiquiti products, but it is a little expensive to be a simple range extender (at least when used outside of the AmpliFi family).

My hope for this review is to get a better idea of what issues Ubiquiti is aiming with their AmpliFi product line. Let’s jump in and see if this is worth the investment.

Setup

Physical setup is as straightforward as any other. Plug in the router and run Ethernet cables to all your necessary devices. If you ended up buying one of the mesh points, I would recommend plugging it in close to your router now to make initial setup a little easier.

Software setup is a little different than the average router. In the same method as the MeshPoint, the setup for the AmpliFi router is done completely on your mobile device. The app is available on both Android or iOS, meaning no matter what your preference, you will have a favorable Ubiquiti experience.

Upon first login, you are presented with a setup screen, asking if you would like to setup a new device. Choose to setup the new AmpliFi router. Assuming that the router has never been set up before, you will receive the option to setup the SSID and password for your wireless network. and you are given the option to have your network password also be the device password for your router (makes things easy and secure).

Once you have set up the network you are set free to change all sorts of things like your network’s IP address, DNS addresses, PPPoE settings (if you have that), and other traditional router settings.

Hardware

The first thing that you notice about the AmpliFi router is how clean and classy it looks. Boasting a stark white exterior with a circular LCD screen this modern looking piece of technology would add some style to any desk or counter top. According to the AmpliFi website, this stylish piece of equipment was meant to be shown off, thus the addition of the LCD screen which allows you to see a clock, a throughput readout, or even the connectivity status of the four ethernet ports on the rear of the router.

The AmpliFi router does sport a respectable amount of internal hardware to get the job done. When we look just inside the device we see a 3-stream MIMO antenna, designed to get maximum range out of a device without having ugly external antennas. It also sports the now standard 802.11 AC wireless band connection with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band availability.

The single biggest gripe I have with the hardware is that it only comes with a three-foot cord. Really? Most desks are between two and three feet tall and who knows where the nearest outlet is going to be in any given location. Come on Ubiquiti, If I am paying $150 for a quality router, I would like to be able to place it wherever I want without having to stretch an extension cord all over the place.

Function

My overall experience with the AmpliFi system is better than expected. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I work for a large Healthcare system in California. What I left out is that I work 100% from home so my routing (specifically WiFi) system is very important for my career (and my AndroidGuys writing too).

At any given time, I have a minimum of 9 devices connected to my router. What is amazing about the AmpliFi system is that it does use a three-stream MIMO antenna in both the router and MeshPoint, what this means is that you can transfer more data at a time, closing bottlenecks across networks.

Another distinct advantage of a mesh network is that it instead always following a predetermined line to transfer data, the system will help you choose the shortest hop route to access that information, saving you time on your data transfers. Granted, this may not be very relevant to people who have smaller homes or may only be using a single mesh point, but considering that the AmpliFi line of products is specifically marketed to people with larger houses and minimal Wifi footprints, I think it’s something worth mentioning.

The guest network feature is something else that is different than your average router. Not only can you set up a guest router but you can make it available for a set period of time. So if you have a party with a bunch of friends over, you can change your guest network password and set it to only be active for 4 hours, after which it will be disabled.

One last thought on how this system functions. I left off my MeshPoint review hoping that the hand-off from router to MeshPoint would be better than from third-party router to MeshPoint. I have to say that the handoff is better, but not perfect. I’m not 100% sure if this is a software issue between router and device (this would make sense) but I would love to get a hand-off that would not disrupt a download that is in progress.

Added Features

This is where this router, and for that matter a lot of Ubiquiti products, shines. The simple amount of added features all available on your mobile device is pretty amazing. For starters, they recently updated the system so you can access your router and network remotely. Yeah, I said remotely. Like you can be across the country on a business trip and launch the app change your wireless password or enable the guest network. Cool, right?

Other notable features include:

  • Internal speed test from right in the app
  • Current throughput speeds
  • Cotal data transferred readout
  • Easy readout of all devices (both WiFi and Ethernet)
  • Ability to pause connection (on all devices or single devices)
  • Create groups to manage device connection schedules (parental lock-down)

 

Conclusion

Setting up WiFi access in your home is no complicated feat. It doesn’t need to be expensive or something to be afraid of but, when you dig into some of the most common issues with those basic $30 routers on the shelves of big box stores or the pages of Amazon most of them come down to slowness and connectivity issues. The entire AmpliFi system aims to resolve those issues. With clever use of Mesh networking as well as the addition of 3-stream MIMO antennas, network bottlenecks and in home dead spots can be a thing of the past. Oh yeah, and all the cool features I mentioned.

A guide to buying children’s Bluetooth headphones for smartphones

AndroidGuys
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In this era of mobile gadgets, children also don’t want to be left out of all the fun and ‘cool’ they see all around them. Daddy has this cool gadget he wears over his ears to listen to music on the go and watch movies late at night. And Junior wants one of these children’s Bluetooth headphones, too.

How does daddy explain to Junior that these gadgets are expensive, can’t be maintained by kids, and produce sounds too loud for Junior’s little, developing ears?

Well, daddy needn’t bother. This is 2017; there are tons of children-friendly headphones now available – and actually crafted with these dainty little ones in mind. So, all daddy – and you, if you have a headphone-loving child with a smartphone – has to do is buy one of these perfectly-safe-for-children headphones for Junior.

However, as you can most likely already imagine, shopping for children headphones is in several ways different from buying adult or general headphones. So many things to consider and some research and (probably) planning needed to get the best value for your money, while also keeping your kid happy and excited about his or her new toy.

Welcome to the right place, for here you’ll be getting tips to successfully buying the ideal children’s Bluetooth headphones for your kids.

But first, why Bluetooth headphones?

You really don’t want your kid battling with a ball of tangled cord every time s/he wants to use the headphone, till the cable eventually breaks inside and renders the headphone useless. So, wireless, and in essence, Bluetooth naturally seems like the ideal way to go.

Now here are few things you should consider while shopping for children’s Bluetooth headphones:

Safety

This is the most important factor to consider when buying headphones – in fact, almost anything – for your kids. It’s the major reason we’re considering their age in buying headphones, or we’d just buy any one readily available.

With scary reports like: “Over half of the population in the United States will be deaf by the year 2060,” you want to do everything to protect your children right from now. Among things to do to protect your child from future deafness is protecting them from the too-loud sounds most headphones stream almost non-stop into their ears.

You want to ensure your child’s headphones are safe to use, with volume limits. The safe volume level is between 70 to 85 decibels. Make sure you confirm the features of headphones to ensure they’re at a safe volume limit – or can be limited manually – before purchasing.

Comfort

Comfort is a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked when purchasing headphones for your children. You don’t want them always stressing about using their headphones or stop using the headphones after you just bought it for them.

Make sure you get them something that fits snugly over or in their ears. Something they’d be happy to wear for long, and even doze off wearing.

Durability

They’re children, and things they own can easily get damaged. So you want to get something nice but still rugged enough to stand the rough handling the headphones might have to live with. Buying headphones not durable enough translates to having to replace them severally.

Features

You should look to getting something that comes with features both you and your child desire. Yours might be volume limiter switch, so as to prevent your child from taking in sounds too loud for their little ears, and of course, Bluetooth.

Features your child might love could include noise cancellation, control buttons, adjustable and fold-able bands, bright colors, etc.

Type

There are basically four types of headphones. They are earbuds, in-ear headphones, on-ear headphones, and over-ear headphones. Try to determine which your child prefers and is comfortable with, and then get them just that.

Recommended Age

Children’s headphones come with the manufacturer’s age recommendation. Check to confirm if that pair of headphones you and your child love is perfect for your child’s age. You don’t want to buy a Maxwell Safe Soundz, for example, which is for kids aged 6-9 for a teenager.

Budget

Children naturally play a little too hard sometimes, and that makes some of their toys and gadgets break often. It’s reasonable to expect that most parents wouldn’t have a budget that includes replacing expensive children headphones several times a year. If your budget can, then why not!

However, there are cheap but great headphones for children that you wouldn’t have to break the bank to buy.

Now that you know things to consider in buying children headphones, simply go for one with specs that meet your ideal conditions. Purchasing online makes the process easy for you and gives you access to more options – and more features.

Finally, don’t forget to involve your child in the hunt and final purchase. The hunt will thrill them, and when you finally buy it, they’ll appreciate the new “toy” more and protect it even more.

60dB brings you personalized podcasts with style

AndroidGuys
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Overview:

60dB is an app that offers curated short-form audio, such as podcasts, based on your preferences and history, with a clean and simple interface and no frills.

Developer: Tiny Garage Labs

Cost: Free (in beta)

Impressions:

60dB is a podcast and internet radio app, currently in beta on Android, that allows you to aggregate and listen to your favorite podcasts and internet radio streams. It has a simple interface and no ads, which makes for an enjoyable experience when you want to listen to some podcasts.

60dB does an excellent job of working well and staying out of the way while you listen to your podcast. It has a very fast UI and podcasts load quickly and I experienced very little buffering issues. The app has Cast options, as well as sharing and download options to allow you to have full control over your podcast listening experience.

As far as any extra features, 60dB doesn’t really have too much to offer. It has a home screen with curated content based on your preferred shows and liked topics, as well as a list of new episodes from shows you watch. 60dB is the very definition of a simple, yet effective presentation.

Conclusion:

In my time with 60dB, I really couldn’t find much wrong with it besides the lack of a killer feature to set it apart from competitors. As nice and easy to use as it is, it doesn’t make me want to stop using Google Play Music as my defacto podcast and music app. GPM does essentially everything that 60dB does, along with music streaming and holding my personal music library. However, if you’re in the market for a purely podcast app that is functional and simple, then 60dB is an excellent choice. It has everything you’d need for your podcast enjoyment and even has access to internet radio streams from many of the major players like NPR, BBC, and ESPN. Definitely a recommended app for podcast and radio listeners.

Download the 60dB beta now from the Google Play Store

Video compares OnePlus 5’s and OnePlus 3’s audio capabilities

Alexandra Arici
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Another day, another OnePlus 5 feature gets detailed. A few days ago, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei shared a YouTube video which compares the audio quality on the OnePlus 3 to the OnePlus 5’s.

As users commenting on Reddit on the topic have point out, the OnePlus 3 left a lot to be desired in terms of audio. The test recording has the two phones record some deep-house tunes and while the OnePlus 3’s features a lot of noise; the OnePlus 5 is a lot clearer with no audible disturbances to be heard. That’s because the OnePlus 5 probably includes a wide dynamic range microphone.

The OnePlus 5 will finally launch on June 20. We expect the phone to arrive with a 5.5-inch FullHD (1920 x 1080) display and a new Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood. The other day, it was revealed an 8GB of RAM version will be sold on the Indian market, but at this time we don’t know whether other markets including the US one will get the same model or not.

OnePlus’ CEO, Pete Lau previously said the OnePlus 5 will be the thinnest flagship on the market. On top of that, for the first time in OnePlus history, the company is launching a dual camera phone, developed in partnership with DxO Mark.

With only 11 days to go before the official announcement, we’re super excited to see the OnePlus 5 finally make a live appearance. Even though, the OnePlus 5 might be a bit more expensive than its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 leak suggests Snapdragon 836 onboard

Alexandra Arici
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We talked about the Snapdragon 836 yesterday when an alleged image of the Google Pixel 2 leaked out into the world. You see, Google’s next phone will supposedly take advantage of a revised version of Qualcomm’s current top-tier chipset, the Snapdragon 835.

Well, it seems that the Pixel 2 it’s not going to be the first Snapdragon 836-powerd phone to make it out on the market. According to a new report, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be.

We’ve recently told you the Galaxy Note8 might arrive sooner than expected, more specifically towards the end of August, in a move to counter the iPhone 8’s release in September. Now word on the street would have us believe the Galaxy Note8 is going to rely on a Snapdragon 836 chipset.

The leak alleges the new processor will come equipped with an octa-core arrangement clocked at 2.5GHz, which is a bit higher than the current Snapdragon 835’s 2.45GHz clock speed. The SoC will also pack a 740MHz GPU.

Qualcomm adopted a similar strategy in 2016. It first unveiled the Snapdragon 820, but in the second half of the year it pushed out the revised Snapdragon 821, which powered the majority of high-end phones released later in 2016.

According to the report, the LG V30 and Google Pixel 2 models will also get Snapdragon 836 treatment in October.

In related news, a report coming out of Korea and citing a Samsung official crushed many people’s hopes of seeing the Galaxy Note8 arrive with a fingerprint sensor integrated into the display. Sadly, the story is repeating itself once more, as Samsung was reportedly unable to produce a good enough prototype yet again.

Pokémon GO celebrates first year of existence with Solstice in-game event, big update

Alexandra Arici
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If you’re a fan of Pokémon GO then you probably know the game’s one year anniversary is coming up. And in order to celebrate this special occasion, Niantic and the Pokémon Company International announced they will be hosting festivities to celebrate the event.

The Pokémon GO Fest, the game’s first official real-world event which is expected to take place in Chicago’s Grand Park on July 22. Now if you’d like to participate at the Chicago event, you should know tickets will be available from PokemonGoLive.com/Fest beginning July 19 at 10:00 AM PT. More events will be hosted in Europe from June through September.

Gamers can also look forward to the in-game Solstice event which will bring increased encounter rates for Fire-type and Ice-type Pokémon, as well as increased XP for in-game actions and more. The event starts Tuesday, June 13 at 1:00 PM PDT and will continue until June 20 at 1:00 PM PDT.

Shortly after the Solstice Event kick starts, Niantic will unleash a new update focused on collaborative group gameplay features. But be warned – in order to prepare to accommodate the update, the company will have to disable Gyms in-game for a short period of time.

While the developer did not share a lot of details about the update, it’s probably going to bring the much-anticipated Gym overhaul that has been rumored for quite some time now.

Since its released Pokémon GO has been downloaded more than 750 million times, making it one of the most popular titles on the market.

Sprint now offering new and old subscribers 6-months of free Tidal HiFi

Alexandra Arici
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You probably remember that earlier this year Sprint acquired a stake in Jay Z’s music streaming service called Tidal. Back then the two companies talked about working together to deliver exclusive content for Sprint customers, but so far their partnership seemed to be more on paper.

That changes today, as Sprint announced a new promotion which awards new or existing customers six months of free high-end Tidal Hi-Fi service. The offer is available starting today, June 9.

Normally a customer would have to pay $19.99/month to get Tidal Hi-Fi, or $16.99/month if they pay for six months in advance. So basically you’ll be saving approximately $102.

Tidal HiFi allows Sprint subscribers to stream lossless High Fidelity sound quality, as well as access to HD music videos and curated content. After the free 6-month trial expires, customers can extend their subscription by paying $19.99/month. Alternatively, they can switch to the more basic Tidal Premium which streams audio in standard sound quality for $9.99/month.

In the official press release announcing the deal, Sprint explains that given that its customers stream music an average of 45 minutes per day, the Tidal partnership represents a natural fit for its user base. With the new promotion, the carrier also hopes to attract more users into its fold.

Tidal has been struggling to convince music lovers to join its ranks, despite offering perks such as offering access to exclusive albums and songs from top artists. By partnering up with Sprint, Tidal will gain access to the carrier’s 58.5 million wireless customer base and hopefully will convince at least some of them to pay for its service after the free trial ends.

App Highlight: YouTube Kids

Dan Bartram
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The App

Developed by Google, YouTube Kids is an app that no doubt you have heard of as it takes the vast array of content on YouTube and ensures that only child friendly videos are delivered.

What it does

YouTube Kids allows you to confidently allow your child access to YouTube and have all the inappropriate material filtered out. Even some content that is flagged as child friendly on YouTube that makes its way through the filters that isn’t necessarily child friendly is removed from this app.

To make exploration easy, videos in the app are split into relevant categories such as: Shows, Music, Learning, Gaming and Explore. We also took out the complicated stuff to make an app even little ones can navigate — that means big buttons, easy scrolling, and instant full-screen. And when the whole family wants to enjoy their favorite videos together, everyone can watch on the big screen with Chromecast, game consoles, or smart TVs.

Why we like it

As someone who has kids that love YouTube I was horrified when they were browsing the normal YouTube app to find some of the recommendations that were popping up. With YouTube Kids I can confidently allow them to watch YouTube and not worry about foul language or inappropriate material. The interface is intuitive and simple to use and is split into categories to allow easy navigation.

How to get it

YouTube Kids is available from the Google Play Store. You can download it right here.

Dragon Hills (Father-Daughter Review)

AndroidGuys
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This review was done in conjunction with my nine-year-old daughter. She provided her own perspective apart from mine in order to show how both children and adults perceived the Google Play game Dragon Hills.

Proper Introduction

Dragon Hills is an endless-runner style game from Rebel Twins that allows you take control of a raging dragon in a revenge mission against the mischievous knights of the land. Simple controls paired with overall basic gameplay mechanics are at heart here. My daughter recommended this game and I was so surprised by the initial presentation and gameplay from the start so naturally, I had to play (and learn) more.

What’s so Fun?

Dragon Hills smartly integrates the endless style running that’s become so popular on smartphones with a hefty amount of upgrading and collecting. My daughter really enjoyed the upgrading aspect–she was always looking for the next power-up. Dragon Hills allows you the ability to upgrade by spending coins within the game, which are accumulated throughout each level during gameplay by collecting or by using real-world money to purchase coin packs.

dragon hills gameplay upgrade
Dragon Hills allows you to do some major destruction later on, which my daughter found to be very rewarding

The gameplay within Dragon Hills is so simple that it’s instantly fun. Controlling the dragon is similar to other games of this genre, but instead of having the dragon jump or fly from screen presses, he instead dives down onto, and even under, the ground. As your dragon continues on his wrecking rampage, he’ll destroy things in his path, collect coins, eat animals and knights, as well as bust through barricades, trees, and rocks. The goal is to navigate carefully through each level by avoiding deadly obstacles and collecting as much loot in your destructive path as possible.

As you gain coins by playing through the levels, you’ll learn new tricks and how to efficiently navigate through the game world. The coins you gain can be used to spend in the shop for upgrading your dragon’s abilities and armor. More than once my daughter asked if she could just spend real-world money to upgrade, which I guess is what the developer essentially wants in a game like Dragon Hills.

My daughter and I both had a lot of fun playing Dragon Hills (even without investing any money). We would often watch each other play to discover new techniques and my daughter would always check to make sure she stayed ahead of me in the overall progress. The challenges in Dragon Hills aren’t necessarily designed for multiple players, but playing on two separate accounts naturally brought forth some fun challenges.

Royal Presentation

Dragon Hills has art that is incredibly inviting. The characters are drawn and animated in a way that’s clean and distinct. My daughter really likes the way the dragon causes havoc and the way characters within the environment reacted. She was always amused by the crazy sound effects and goofy animations that play throughout each zany level. I found that the overall presentation was spot-on and only interrupted by the occasional, annoying advertisement.

Upgrading your dragon is one of the best parts of Dragon Hills–it really is quite addicting

Music and sound effects are much better than your average Google Play game here. I really felt engrossed in the experience while listening to the tiny humans scream for their lives as the crashing sound of their homes echoed from my little mobile speaker. The catchy tunes accentuate the action as they play in the background–it’s mostly memorable fare without being annoying in a way where it’ll get stuck in your head for days.

The environments in Dragon Hills are great eye candy. As you drive your dragon through each level and cause havoc and destruction, you may notice objects Domino and bounce dynamically with everything in the playable game space. It really is neat to watch the interactions play out. There’s a lot going on here with the dynamic weather effects, particle effects, animated characters and multiple interactions.

dragon hills levels
The gameplay from level to level is super fun, fast and furious, and there’s 200 to complete!

Rebel Twins did a fine and dandy job of packaging Dragon Hills as a worthwhile presentation in so many respects. The entire game is filled with character: in music, art style, sound effects, and animation–something I’d expect from the likes of EA or Ubisoft but not necessarily a smaller indie studio. Simply marvelous.

Final Approach

In closing, Dragon Hills is a wonderful game that creates an enjoyable experience by allowing the player to fully control a maniacal dragon in his quest for vengeance. The whimsical nature of the game perfectly blends this quest into a light-hearted venture that anyone of any age can truly enjoy. Although the premise remains simple, the level design and pick-up-and-play controls had me and my daughter returning for more at nearly every opportunity. My daughter played even more than I did as she was always looking to upgrade as much as possible and complete the next mission.

If you like humor, flare, and pure, entertaining gameplay in your mobile games, you really can’t go wrong with Dragon Hills. Precision control is what allows gameplay to come to the forefront in every step of the way as you guide your dragon through the wonderfully created and magical hills of the kingdom. We had so much fun with Dragon Hills that we recommended it to family members and friends alike.

dragon hills game

HTC U11 vs LG G6 (Smartphone Showdown)

Alexandra Arici
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Situated below Samsung in terms of their foothold in the flagship space, both the LG G6 and the new HTC U11 are two premium smartphones with similar price tags. However, the handsets come with several differentiating aspects, both in terms of specs and feats. Below, we’ll highlight them for you.

Design and Display

The HTC U11 features an all-glass outer casing and a super-shiny glossy back color. Starting with the HTC U Ultra, the company moved away from its classical metal phone design and started making glass-backed devices. And the U11 clearly shows us HTC will continue to expand upon these design principles.

As for the LG G6, the phone comes with a metal body, slim bezels, and unique dimensions. It features a 5.7-inch Dolby Vision HDR display with 2880 x 1440 resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. So, you’ll get a phone that’s a tad wider and longer than most smartphones currently available on the market, including the HTC U11. Both models include a robust metal frame.

The HTC U11 includes a 5.5-inch panel with 2560 x 1440 (QHD resolution) – which is in league with what the majority of flagships offer today.

Performance

While the HTC U Ultra which was launched a bit earlier than the LG G6 included an older Snapdragon 821, the HTC U11 takes advantage of Qualcomm’s newest premium chipsets, the Snapdragon 835.

The LG G6 also relies on an older, more stable (LG says) Snapdragon 821, but we expect the company’s second premium handset for the year, the LG V30 to be based on the newer chipset. The phone also offers 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

As for the HTC U11, the device is available in a 4GB/64GB configuration in markets like the US and UK, but in Asia, a model with 6GB/128GB storage will be offered for purchase.

Both flagships include a microSD card slot which allows users to expand memory capacity to 256GB.

Cameras

The HTC U11 includes a 12-megapixel camera on the back with phase-detection autofocus, optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash, as well as f/1.7. Up in front, customers will find a 16-megapixel selfie shooter with auto HDR and fullHD recording capabilities.

The LG G6 rides the dual-camera trend wave, by offering a dual 13-megapixel main camera with wide-angle, optical image stabilization and phase-detection autofocus. It also includes a 5 megapixel self-portrait shooter with wide angle lens.

Other features

Since it launched only a few weeks ago, it’s only natural the HTC U11 will ship with a newer Android version – 7.1.1 Nougat to be more precise. As for the G6, the phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, which is kept pretty clean by LG (not so much bloatwear onboard).

While the LG G6 rocks a distinct look with relatively minimal bezels 18:9 display, the HTC U11 has its own little quirk. It’s called Edge Sense which is basically the phone’s special frame which allows users to interact with the phone by virtue of squeezing.

The HTC U11 is also riddled with virtual assistants including HTC’s own Sense Companion, the Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. In contrast, the LG G6 only offers access to the Google Assistant. It should be mentioned that in some markets the product is sold with a quad DAC audio feature, while in others it brings forth wireless charging (US included). The phone is waterproof (IP68 rating) in all markets.

Coming back to the HTC U11, it includes Boom Sound Hi-Fi technology and despite not having a 3.5mm headphone jack (which the LG G6 retains), it ships with a 3.5mm adapter with built-in DAC. It also comes with an IP67 rating, which means it can be submerged in up to 1m of fresh water for 30 minutes and come out unharmed.

Battery

Like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the HTC U11 also relies on a 3,000 mAh juice box. As for the LG G6, it includes a slightly larger 3,300 mAh battery. But in our review of the product, we found the battery life a bit lacking.

“I would routinely go rushing towards a charger around 6:00 PM every night to get through the rest of my waking hours.”

Pricing

At this moment you can grab the unlocked LG G6 from Amazon for a discounted $552 (down from $659). The phone is also available with major carriers including Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint, but it will be a bit more expensive. For example, Verizon sells the 32GB model for $672 outright.

As for the HTC U11, the handset is available for pre-order on HTC’s official website and Amazon for $649.99.

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