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When and Where to Buy: Samsung Galaxy S8

AG Deals Team
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At an event in New York City, Samsung took to the stage to announce its 2017 flagship lineup with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. These devices represent a change of the guard regarding Samsung’s overall design language as we are seeing an all-new design from top to bottom.

The Galaxy S8 measures in at 5.7-inches, which is a more traditional size for flagships, while the S8+ measures at 6.2-inches. Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, along with 4GB of RAM (unless you live in China where you can get 6GB of RAM), and 64GB of expandable storage.

The story of these devices lies within the new Infinity Display as Samsung finally ditched the hardware home button while stretching the screen to an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. This offers a more immersive experience when using your device while bringing the “edge” features from previous iterations to both the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Now that the devices are available to purchase, let’s dive in to see what each retailer or carrier is offering for the latest Samsung Galaxy flagship.

[vc_cta h2=”Amazon” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2qFuQR3|title:Amazon|target:%20_blank|”]Everyone loves buying things from Amazon and there’s some good news for those looking for the Galaxy S8. Amazon is currently offering both the unlocked US variant AND the international version. This means you have your choice of getting the Exynos processor or the Snapdragon 835. The Exynos version is priced at $843.99 while the Snapdragon 835 variant is priced at $960.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”Verizon” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.verizonwireless.com%2Fsmartphones%2Fsamsung-galaxy-s8%2F|title:Verizon%20Samsung%20Galaxy%20S8|target:%20_blank|”]Verizon is offering the Samsung Galaxy S8 for $31.50 per month for 24 months, or $756 for the full retail price. Verizon is also providing an offer which gets you the device for just $15 month when trading in select devices, while also giving customers a free $50 VISA gift card.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”AT&T” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.att.com%2Fcellphones%2Fsamsung%2Fgalaxy-s8.html%23sku%3Dsku8260387|title:AT%26T%20Samsung%20Galaxy%20S8|target:%20_blank|rel:nofollow”]AT&T is offering the Samsung Galaxy S8 for $25 per month for X months or for $749.99 at full retail cost. However, you can buy one and get one for free when you sign up for a contract with AT&T Next and are subscribed to DirecTV for your television services.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”T-Mobile” shape=”square”]T-Mobile has the Samsung Galaxy S8 on sale for $30 up front and then $30 per month for 24 months. If monthly payments aren’t your thing, you can pay the full retail price of $750. As for promotions, T-Mobile and Samsung are throwing in the new Gear VR headset with Controller for free.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”Sprint” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sprint.com%2Fapps%2Fnew-samsung-galaxy-phone-offers%2Findex.html%3FINTCID%3DHP%3APROS%3ARAN%3AP1%3A042117%3AGS8%23!%2Fconfigure|title:Sprint%20Samsung%20Galaxy%20S8|target:%20_blank|”]The Samsung Galaxy S8 through Sprint can be purchased for $31.25 per month for 18 months, or you can pay the full retail price of $749.99. However, Sprint is also the home of the “Galaxy Forever” plan, which will net you the next Samsung flagship after making 12 monthly payments. Finally, Sprint is also offering a free Galaxy S7 Edge when you add a line and lease the Galaxy S8.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”Boost/Virgin Mobile” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boostmobile.com%2F%23!%2Fshop%2Fphones%2Fsamsung-galaxy-s8%2F|title:Boost%20Mobile%20Samsung%20Galaxy%20S8|target:%20_blank|”]Surprisingly, Boost and Virgin Mobile (Sprint subsidiaries) are offering the lowest price for the Samsung Galaxy S8. When signing up for either carriers services, you can get a brand new Galaxy S8 for just $649.99.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”Samsung” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2Fexplore%2Fgalaxy-s8%2Fbuy%2F%3FCID%3DAFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279|title:Samsung%20Galaxy%20S8|target:%20_blank|”]If buying directly from the manufacturer is your kind of thing, then you can rest easy knowing that you can buy the unlocked Galaxy S8 directly from Samsung. If eligible for financing, you can get the device for $30 per month for 24 months, or pay the full retail price of $726.[/vc_cta]
[vc_cta h2=”Best Buy” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Buy Now” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-cart” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fclp%2Fsamsung-galaxy-s8%2Fpcmcat1489428710715.c%3Fid%3Dpcmcat1489428710715%26pageType%3DREDIRECT%26issolr%3D1%26searchRedirect%3Dgalaxy%2Bs8%26ref%3D199%26loc%3Dje6NUbpObpQ%26acampID%3D1%26siteID%3Dje6NUbpObpQ-iTvbgkutuefespC0yeo9Ww|title:Best%20Buy|target:%20_blank|”]As many of you probably already know, the Galaxy S8 is available at Best Buy for Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon. Best Buy is honoring many of the same deals from the carriers, but is throwing in a $100 Best Buy gift card with each purchase.[/vc_cta]

Teardown: What goes on inside the Bluboo D1?

AndroidGuys
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The craze of dual-camera phones is in full swing and the Bluboo D1 is one of the best on the market right now. The phone launched on April 24 and customers in Asia and those who keep their ear to the ground about such things have been talking about it. In case you’ve missed some of our coverage on the D1, here’s a quick recap of the specs.

  • Quad-core processor MediaTek MT6580A clocked at 1.3 GHz
  • 5.0-inch HD resolution Sharp display, 2.5D G+F
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB ROM (expandable up to 256GB)
  • 8.0-megapixel and 2.0-megapixel rear Sony cameras
  • 5.0-megapixel front camera w/ Selfie softlight, dual rear LED flash, Breathing Light
  • Metal unibody made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy
  • Dual SIM (2x micro SIM)
  • Rear fingerprint sensor
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 2600mAh battery
  • Colors: Black, Blue, and Gold

Now, the Bluboo D1 looks awesome from the outside in its metal unibody shell and brilliant colors, but what’s it like on the inside? With the popularity of sites like iFixIt and YouTube channels like JerryRigEverything, interest is growing higher and higher about what these phones look like from the inside and how they function. We’re even seeing huge companies like HTC get a lot of flack for how much wasted space is in the inside of the U Ultra!

So, let’s take a look inside. In the video below a skilled tester shows off the insides of the Bluboo D1 and… there really isn’t much wasted space. The team over at Bluboo has done an excellent job with the space it had in a relatively small phone to fit all the internals in. Will this make a huge difference in day-to-day use? Maybe not, but you do get the peace of mind in knowing that the D1 is made my professionals and it has very good build quality.

Just a reminder before you watch the video. If you try this at home, you will more than likely void your warranty so we don’t recommend you do that and we can’t be responsible for any issues you might have because you took your phone apart. Enjoy the video!

If you’re interested in picking up the Bluboo D1, it’s still available on its pre-sale bonus of only $69.99. Bluboo is also giving away some free devices through a special promotion. You’ll find all the details on Bluboo’s website, but hurry up because the presale price ends on Sunday, May 7, 2017.

The Oppo F3 launches with dual selfie cameras

AG Deals Team
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Oppo may not be a company that you’ve heard much of, but it is one of the largest OEM’s across the globe. The company’s main presence is in India, where it is in a battle against the likes of Xiaomi and others. However, Oppo has unveiled its latest flagship the Oppo F3, which features an impressive spec sheet.

Starting with the display, Oppo has packed a 5.5-inch Full-HD display onto the front of the F3. The display is also made of the new Gorilla Glass 5 which has been gracing other flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.

Under the hood, the Oppo F3 is powered by the MediaTek MT6750 processor along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. The Nano-SIM tray doubles as a microSD card slot, making for easy access to expand your device’s storage.

The real story of the Oppo F3 comes via the cameras. The rear of the device features 13MP camera along with an LED flash placed to the right of the sensor.

As for the front, Oppo has packed in dual cameras, hoping to provide its users with the ultimate selfie phone. The main sensor shoots at 16MP with a 1/3.1″ sensor, along with a wide-angle sensor coming in at 8MP.

There are also some software enhancements being made for the cameras, as Oppo has included Beautify 4.0. This helps smooth images out, without looking too fake and removing any unsightly grains from your photos.

Looking to the rest of the device, Oppo has packed a 3,200mAh battery into the F3, which can be recharged via the microUSB port on the bottom. We aren’t too sure why Oppo chose to use microUSB versus USB Type-C, as is the case with many other devices in the last year or two. So, you’ll be able to knock the dust off of your microUSB cables when you get the F3.

If you were worried about the lack of a fingerprint scanner, don’t fret. Oppo has placed the fingerprint scanner on the front of the device, while combining it with the home button. Oppo claims that the fingerprint scanner is so fast, that it will unlock your device in just 0.2 seconds. That would be an impressive feat for this device.

Finally, the Oppo F3 is running ColorOS 3.0, which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This is another strange addition for a newly released device, as we are nearing the launch of Android O and Android Nougat is being released to many 2016 devices.

The Oppo F3 won’t launch here in the States right away, as it will be made available in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. The device will launch on May 13th with the only color option being Gold, and will be priced at ~$320.

Oppo is really driving the point home as it looks to be the de-facto source for your smartphone if selfies are your thing. We’ll have to see how the camera actually performs, but early reviews look good.

Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think about the Oppo F3 and if you could see yourself taking advantage of the dual-selfie cameras.

UMIDIGI introduces the CRYSTAL: a $99 frameless smartphone

AndroidGuys
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Smartphone manufacturer UMIDIGI (formerly UMi) is not one to shy away from controversy. Following our report on their iPhone 7 knockoff the UMIDIGI G, a new high-end model has appeared on UMIDIGI’s website.

This time, it is said to incorporate features that can only be found in the highest, most cutting-edge smartphones.

One such high end feature is being touted as the stunning looking “all-screen” (basically its a big screen without any frame around it).

They are calling the new model the CRYSTAL, and its safe to say UMIDIGI appear to be worryingly obsessed with throwing down the gauntlet to Xiaomi and their Mi Mix.

 

According to UMIDIGI’s website – The Crystal is going to have two versions. The Lumia edition as the pro version, and the all-metal edition, which is said to be the first all-metal unibody all-screen smartphone.

Both versions are likely to include a MTK Helio P25 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, and 5.5” full-HD AMOLED screen, dual camera and rear finger print sensor.


The UMIDIGI Crystal will be available to purchase from the 15th of June, and for a limited time you can get it for a reduced pre-order price of $99 by subscribing on their website.

The clock is ticking…..

Fluance Fi50 speaker review, the best bluetooth speaker under $200?

Matt Adams
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We’ve reviewed a ton of Bluetooth speakers over the years here at AndroidGuys. There are thousands on the market and a search on Amazon may turn up an overwhelming amount of small, portable, inexpensive speakers that are almost disposable. But, what if you’re looking for a little bit more?

Fluance is a name you may know from its audio products. Not only does it make speakers like the Fi30, Fi50, and Fi70, but it also has a foothold in the home theater system area too. While the Fi50 isn’t a home theater system speaker, I point this out to illustrate that these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to audio equipment. They aren’t a random company that just shows up on Amazon or eBay.

The Fluance Fi50 isn’t a portable speaker. That isn’t to say it has to be stationary, but this isn’t a speaker you’re going to take with you to the beach or on a day out. It’s big, it’s meant to stay in one place and it lacks any kind of battery power. That’s not a negative. In fact, I think it’s a positive because Fluance is able to do away with a lot of the little things since they know this speaker isn’t moving.

The Fi50 comes in three colors, Black Ash (the color of our review unit), Lucky Bamboo, and Natural Walnut. I like how Fluance changed up the color of the face to match the Lucky Bamboo color, but I really think the design of the speaker shines in the two darker shades. We have a darker entertainment center and darker furniture and it really goes well in our living room. We’ve got it in the center of our entertainment center and it doesn’t look remotely out of place.

On the front of the speaker, you’re greeted by and LCD display and dual full-range 5″ woven woofers. While the LCD doesn’t display useful information like the time, it does give you a readout of the current volume level. A dot will appear in the bottom left corner of the speaker if a device is connected and you have the option to turn the LCD off if you so please.

The top of the device houses the touch-sensitive controls. Fluance opted for these controls instead of buttons that stick out and it was definitely the right choice as they look like they belong here. All you get are buttons to control the brightness (3 stages), an options button and volume up and down. The options button gives you the ability to increase and decrease bass and treble but those are the only two options.

The rear of the device houses ports for power along with a power button, aux in, a USB port and a pairing reset button. The USB port is a nice touch and will charge your devices at 2.1A, which is a little bit higher than you might expect to find on a speaker.

One of the nicer things about the Fluance Fi50 is that it’s always in pairing mode. This is one of those features that Fluance was able to include since it doesn’t have to worry about battery life. I’ve had several friends or family members over that wanted to show us a video of their kid’s dance recital or a cool video they found off YouTube. I had them jump into Bluetooth settings and pair to the speaker in about four seconds.

Another advantage to having a bigger body is just how good this thing sounds. It may not be the best sounding speaker on the market but is certainly in the upper echelon of what you can get for $200 and might be the best in its price range. I’ve listened to speakers that reach up into the $400, $500, and $600 ranges and this matches them in most respects.

Frist off, this thing gets LOUD. If you have a neighbor you want to annoy, get this thing because they’ll definitely be able to hear it unless you have incredibly thick walls. We have generally kept the speaker between 10 and 20 volume and it’s more than loud enough.

Lows are truly awesome. Fluance states the Fi50 gets all the way down to 40 Hz and it shows through in bass-heavy music like EDM or Rap. Again, if you want to annoy your neighbors….

Moving on to the mids and the highs. Fluance did a great job tuning the Fi50 to have a rich midrange and a nice wide soundstage for a Bluetooth speaker. The highs aren’t as harsh as I’ve heard on other mid-tier to high-end speakers and that’s a nice change. Overall, there’s a really nice balance to the Fluance Fi50 between the lows, mids, and highs with a slight tilt towards some of the bassy lows. It’s not Beats worthy, but it does make some more bass-heavy tracks more enjoyable if you’re into that sort of thing.

While the Fluance Fi50 won’t be perfect for everyone, it will be a very nice addition for those seeking something like this. My wife and I often like to turn off the TVs, kick on some music in the background and read Reddit or just hang out and this is perfect for that. The audio sounds fantastic and can get extremely loud if we feel like being a little rambunctious.

The Fi50 is going to sound better than almost all soundbars with Bluetooth and is an improvement over something like a Google Home, so if you care about having a persistent, excellent sounding speaker in your living room that is a snap to use, check out this out. The Fluance Fi50 is easily worth the money you’ll spend on it and beats out a lot of speakers in higher price ranges.

You can pick up the Fluance Fi50 from Fluance’s website, Amazon, and Jet.com

[UPDATED] A warning to all Wileyfox owners on Android Nougat 7.1.1

AndroidGuys
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Update: We, as well as the fine folks on Reddit.com/r/Android, are continuing to dig into this but it may not be as clear-cut as it once seemed. Wileyfox has come out with a statement indicating that it does not collect personal details to sell. We’ll continue investigating and we will bring you more updates as they become available.

Wileyfox Response:

Dear All

The claims made by CXgamer are UNTRUE. They’re ‘alternative facts’ some might say.

Here is the truth:

Yandex Zen – anonymous device ID (e.g. random number associated with the device) – Zen usage data (sources selected during onboarding process, intentional feedback ‘thumbs up’ / ‘thumbs down’ / ‘block this source’, clicks on specific cards, number of cards viewed by user). – Information about how fast the feed is being scrolled, and whether user stopped on some cards and clicked or continued scrolling is also being used to personalized the feed – User’s country to make sure that we’re showing appropriate content model

YANDEX does not collect personal data (e-mails, phone numbers, etc.) and none of the information gathered could be used to identify the specific person using Zen.

All the information used for Ad targeting is being collected by respective Ad network SDKs (Facebook and Google AdMob for EU). Yandex does not have access to Ad targeting data.

YANDEX is a public company listed on NASDAQ, and YANDEX does comply with all the international privacy laws. YANDEX is also one of the few European companies who joined CVE – US-based Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures community to ensure transparency in our methods of protection against security threats: http://www.silicon.co.uk/security/yandex-is-the-first-russian-tech-firm-to-join-the-cve-200060

Datacentre of YANDEX is located in Finland and this is where the anonymous data from EU users are being processed.

To sum it up – YANDEX collects only the anonymous information required to personalize content feed. All the information is collected within the feed itself, and none of the other device data is being accessed or sent to YANDEX servers.”

Original Article:

April 2017 saw a big change. Wileyfox users around the globe bid a fond farewell to the ever present CyanogenOS that had up until last month been the backbone to all of WileyFox’s devices. This has paved the way for a new OS era for the WileyFox brand. Android nougat 7.1.1 has now officially rolled out for the devices, and by all accounts, it has been a welcomed smooth transition, until now…..

Wileyfox have added a feature called Yandex Zen, which is basically an ad package with an incorporated news feed. Seems pretty straight forward right? WRONG

According to a recent post on Reddit owners and internet warriors alike have been deep diving into the published user agreement and have found all things may not be quite as they seem.

Let me give you a quick breakdown here; WileyFox have always sold themselves as privacy oriented, devices had the uber security conscious CyanogenOS out of the box. Now that has gone, attention has been drawn to WileyFox users and the Yandex Zen pre-installed feature.

So what is it exactly that Yandex Zen reportedly does?

  • Collation of location data and WiFi information
  • Selling on the data to third parties
  • Since the app is integrated into the OS, it is able to bypass all android permissions.

So in a nutshell, this means Yandex Zen will collate every user’s digital data and sell it on for a profit. All of this without seeking any form of permission and without any warning about, and I will reiterate – it CANNOT be uninstalled.

Reports say that in the next update the possibility to uninstall Yandex Zen may become available, when will this update roll out? Well, that’s the million dollar question, and you have to ask yourself by then how much information will the advertisers have been able to get on you.

For those of you wanting to dig a little deeper here are the official terms of use: https://yandex.com/legal/zen_termsofuse/

This is a crucial time for WileyFox with them just launching their range into the high street mobile giant Carphone Warehouse in the UK. It’s going to be interesting to see how this all pans out.

OnePlus has a long way to go

ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom vs Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) – Smartphone Showdown

Alexandra Arici
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If you’re currently looking for an affordable flagship alternative this spring, you might want to look towards the premium mid-range category with confidence. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 are expensive phones not everyone can afford, but luckily the market abounds of smartphones with advanced specifications that sell for far more convenient price-tags.

For this smartphone showdown, we chose the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom and Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) because they both borrow include premium features you’d normally expect to see on more premium devices, while keeping costs low. But which one is better suited to your needs? Keep reading below to find out.

Display

5.5-inch display with fullHD res vs 5.7-inch display with fullHD res

401ppi vs 386ppi

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) offers a larger 5.7-inch display, while the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom comes with a smaller 5.5-inch one. However, both bring forth 1920 x 1080 resolution. The Galaxy A7 features a physical home button which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, while the Zenfone 3 Zoom makes uses of three capacitive navigation buttons instead

Performance

Snapdragon 625 vs Exynos 7880

4GB of RAM vs 3GB of RAM

32GB/64GB/128GB of storage vs 32GB of storage

The Snapdragon 625 can be found inside many great middle-rangers like the Moto G5 Plus or ZTE Blade V8 Pro. The octa-core chipset with eight 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 cores is capable of delivering sufficiently advanced performance and a very good battery life.

Actually in a recent video, ASUS touts the Zenfone 3 Zoom’s superior battery life, saying it lasts longer than the iPhone 7 Plus’. The phone also offers more RAM and comes with a three internal storage options. It also bundles a microSD card slot which can be used to increase memory up to 256GB.

The Galaxy A7 (2017) takes advantage of an Exynos 7880 which is also an octa-core affair with eight 1.9 GHz Cortex-A53 cores – so performance should be quite similar to the Zenfone 3 Zoom. However, there’s only 3GB of RAM onboard to support the workings of the CPU. Also the Galaxy A7 (2017) only features on 32GB of built-in storage option. Luckily a microSD card slot is available.

Cameras

Dual 12-megapixel vs 16-megapixel main camera

13-megapixel vs 16-megapixel secondary camera

Photography is one of the ASUS’ Zenfone Zoom 3 biggest selling points. The phone offers 3x optical zoom and 2.3x magnification on one of the lenses that make up the dual 12-megapixel camera setup. The other sensor features f/1.7 aperture and OIS (optical image stabilization). The Zoom 3 also features an impressive 13-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.0.

While the Galaxy A7 (2017) does not have a dual-camera, it does feature a decent 16-megapixel snapper with f/1.9, autofocus and LED flash plus and advanced 16-megapixel selfie camera.

Software

Despite being launched in 2017, the Galaxy A7 (2017) and Zenfone Zoom 3 both come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. While Samsung’s phone will surely get Android 7.0 Nougat at some point in 2017 (the update has entered the testing phase), we can’t be too sure the same will be true for the Zoomfone Zoom 3 (given ASUS’ history with updates).

The Galaxy A7 (2017) offers the services of Samsung Pay, so users can make contactless payments using the phone.

Battery

5,000 mAh battery vs 3,600 mAh battery

Another of the ASUS Zenfone Zoom 3’s attractive qualities is the huge 5,000 mAh battery inside. In a recent video released by ASUS recently we can see the Zenfone lasts longer than the iPhone 7 Plus when shooting a time-lapse video, as well as when playing video playback.

But if the Galaxy A7 (2016)’s battery performance is any indication, the Galaxy A7 (2017) should be able to provide a long lasting battery life thanks to the 3,600 mAh unit hiding under the hood.

Value

$399 vs $352

The ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom is not currently available in the US, although the producing company promised the device will make a debut in the country this quarter. Hopefully by June the device will be available for purchase in the country. The expected price tag is $399.

As for the Galaxy A7 (2017) users can currently pick it up for about $350 from places like Amazon. While the phone comes equipped with less RAM and only one storage option, it does feature IP68 certification for dust/water resistance over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes. It also does not have a dual camera setup, but boasts a more advanced selfie camera. It’s also bound to get Android 7.0 Nougat at some point in 2017.

Amazon’s child-friendly FreeTime app is now available for Android

Alexandra Arici
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0

Amazon is making its FreeTime Unlimited app available for Android smartphones and tablets. The media subscription service for kids is no longer limited to Kindle devices and can now easily be downloaded from the Google Play Store by parents and their kids.

Like Samsung’s recently released Marshmallow app for Galaxy phones, the FreeTime app allows users the set device usage limits for their children and monitor their media consumption through a detailed dashboard (a feature introduced back in April).

There’s a kid-friendly web browser to be taken advantage of too, which can be turned off in case you don’t want your child to be browsing the Internet. On top of that, the app also bundles a library of 13,000 age-appropriate TV show episodes, e-books, games and more. Parents can specify the age of their child and so define how mature the content made available to them should be.

Amazon FreeTime is a subscription service available to customers in the US, UK and Germany and costs $4.99 per month ($2.99 for Prime members) or $9.99 per month for a family with for children ($6.99 for Prime members). And now subscribers can access the service via their Android tablets and smartphones, as well which is a smart move from Amazon’s part given that Android devices tend to dominate the mobile ecosystem.

Why the Android demographic is so important for your site optimization

AndroidGuys
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0

We already know that Google has long dominated the Internet world, and with its Android platform, the Internet giant is also determining the spread and access websites through smartphones that are so far dominated by the Android operating system. This article will highlight the importance of some things that affect Android demographic. These things will determine whether a site will be responsive or not. Since Android is connected to Google, then you can use Google Analytics to make your site look responsive in the eyes of Android smartphone users.

For example, you can set an isolation limit on some traffic types according to what has been reported by your Google Analytics. You can view reporting data that is specific to a particular area, for example if you live in the UK then you can view reporting data that is specific to the UK area only. As such, all your actions in optimizing your site or anything done by a best website builder, can run more effectively and purposefully. Advanced segments are what are offered by Google Analytics and by reading this short article, you’ll know the outline, how it works and how it responses.

You need to see all standard reports from Google Analytics that have been organized based on certain criteria (one of which is location). You can add several other segments, such as demographics, behavior, technology, traffic sources, and visit dates. All these aspects will be organized with some special links.

To use the advanced segment, you need to click the down-dance arrow. And this arrow is located next to the default view of All Visits. By doing this you will enable the Advanced Segment screen. The default view will show all the existing advanced segments and they can all be customized to your liking.

Demographics are all about age, sex, language, location, and so on. When you set up demographic elements in Advanced Segments, you mean that you’ve made your site more efficient or in short, more visible to everyone on the demographics you want. This is what you have to keep in mind that a site’s optimization can be set from the beginning by setting the demographic side. Since you are dependent on Google as a search engine it is highly recommended that you put your focus early on the system provided by Google Analytics. We hope you can benefit by reading this article. Good luck!

Hulu Live TV beta bundles up to 50 channels for $39.99/month

Alexandra Arici
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Hulu made known its plans of launching a TV channel bundle almost a year ago. This week during the annual Upfront presentation, the company finally unleashed a “public beta” for its Live TV streaming service, which launches as an alternative to standard cable packages.

Hulu’s new service costs $39.99 per month and grants access to up to 50 cable channels including broadcasts from iconic networks like ABC, FOX, CBS, CNN or NBC, six user profiles and two simultaneous streams at once. Included in the bundle is also Hulu’s on-demand library (with commercials) – which means users can get access to Hulu originals, as well as an extensive catalog of movies and TV shows. While Hulu’s offer is on par with what’s offered by the competition, it’s still $5 more expensive than the likes of YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue or DirectTV Now.

Subscribers can pay more to remove commercials, add more cloud DVR capacity and more than two simultaneous streams. For example, the company is offering an “Unlimited Screens” plan for $14.99/month which includes unlimited streams in the home, and up to three simultaneous streams outside home.

The “Enhanced Cloud DVR bundle” available for $14.99/month will offer access to 200 hours of DVR recordings with no ads. Subscribers willing to combine the two will be required to pay only an additional $19.99/month fee, thus saving $10 in the process. An add-on premium subscription to Showtime can be purchased for $8.99/month.

However, there are notable absentees from Hulu’s channel list. For example, Hulu subscribers won’t get access to Viacom’s networks including Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Fans of Walking Dead won’t be able to watch their favorite TV show either, because AMC Networks (AMC, IFC, Sundance, BBC America) are not included in the channels. Nor are the channels from Discovery Communications like TLC, Discovery OWN or Investigation Discovery.

But if you’re still interested in the service, then you should know that at launch, Hulu Live TV beta will be available on Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Chromecast and iOS mobile devices. Support for Roku, Amazon Fire TV (and Fire TV Stick) and Samsung Smart TVs will soon be added.

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