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Smart Lights on a budget [How-To]

AndroidGuys
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Say you want to get in on the whole “smart home” craze that has begun to pick up steam, but you don’t want to break the bank just to get your lights to come on automatically. Well thankfully, there are a bunch of wallet-friendly solutions for getting your lighting situation into the “smart home” bubble.

Prerequisites:

  1. Strong home Wi-Fi
  2. A budget
  3. Electricity

Setup:

There are only a few steps for getting smart lights on a budget:

  1. Choosing your light source
  2. Choosing your control method
  3. Integration and optional expansion

Step 1: Choosing your light source

The first thing you’ll need is LED light bulbs. They don’t have to be smart bulbs necessarily, but they are also an option. Regular old-fashioned light bulbs of yesterday won’t get the job done anymore for automated lights, unfortunately. They don’t offer the dimmable functions or efficiency of a standard LED bulb, so it’s time to upgrade! Luckily LED bulbs are rather inexpensive now, a 4-pack of standard size bulbs runs you about 20 bucks at your local store. Also, there are some affordable smart bulb solutions that can get you started even faster but are a bit more expensive.

philips smart bulbs

Smart bulbs from brands like Belkin, GE, LIFX, Philips, and Tikteck are offered in more affordable packages that won’t break the bank for a few bulbs and are also expandable within the brand ecosystem so you can add more lights in the future. Choose the one that looks right to you based on features and price, and set them up for the easiest way to get started with smart home light control.

Step 2: Choosing your control method

Once you’ve decided your lighting choice, the next step is to pick your method of control. There are a few options to control non-smart LED bulbs including smart plugs and smart switches.

wemo

WeMo is a Belkin brand of smart home devices that offer a few different solutions for smart light control. The easiest is the smart plug, a $40 smart outlet that attaches to your current lamps and lights, allowing them to be turned on and off remotely or on a schedule. Just plug it in and set it up on your phone using the app, and you’re done. There are a few different models of smart plug from WeMo that offer additional features and cost a bit more, but we’re focusing on the cheapest option here. Alternatively, the WeMo Light Switch replaces your current light switch for $50 and does much the same thing as the plug version, but for any lights controlled by that switch.

D-Link is alternative to WeMo, as they offer a smart outlet of their own for slightly less money and a bit less functionality. However, if you’re just looking for cheap automated lights and nothing too fancy, then the D-Link smart plugs are a strong option. Other brands offer smart plugs and switches as well, like Lutron, Philips, and Logitech. These tend to be a bit more expensive and require a hub or other hardware to function, however, so may not be the best budget option.

So once you’ve picked your smart system of choice; be it bulbs, switches, plugs or a starter kit, the only thing left to do is to set them up in your home and on your wireless network. Each device has it’s own setup process, so once you’ve completed that you are all set up with smart lighting done affordably. Depending on how many lights and your method of control, a couple of room’s worth of smart lights should cost less than $250.

Step 3: Integration and optional expansion

echo dot and tap

Now, the final step for true smart home light control would be integration into other smart home systems. Products like Google Home and Amazon’s Echo Dot, a $50 smart home hub and speaker, will allow you to voice-control most popular brands of smart products. There are few options this robust in the sub $100 price range, but if eventually down the line you want to add more smart home devices and lighting options there are a few to consider. Products from Samsung, Logitech, and apps like IFTTT all allow additional control over your smart home.

See Also: Making your house WiFi enabled with Alexa and WeMo

Use Google Home to control your lights with Hue

Samsung’s SmartThings, a whole-home smart system that controls most popular brands through a hub and app. The Smart Things ecosystem includes door sensors, light control, and motion sensing along with other smart home devices like garage door openers, cameras, and even sprinklers and door locks. The price for entry into Samsung’s system is reasonable and comes with a few sensors to get you started, but is totally optional as well. Also, the Logitech Harmony remote system is a good option, which offers control of lights and plugs connected to your smart home as well as your entire home theater setup as well, all on the app or one of their excellent remotes.

Smart home technology doesn’t have to break your bank account these days, and even the most simple smart lighting solution can save you money and give you peace of mind. So go ahead and embrace the Internet of Things into your home, and get your own smart home lighting system set up today!

BoomBuoy Floating Waterproof Speaker review

Scott Webster
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When you think of all of the places you take your phone and listen to music, one place we rarely picture is the bathroom. Typically we conjure up images of school, office, backyards, and general outdoors. But, the truth is, we bathe daily (or should, at least) and a lot of us like to sing in the shower. Why don’t you have a speaker to accompany you or provide background music?

We’ve been playing with the BoomBuoy portable waterproof speaker from Scosche for the last few weeks. Designed to float in water and withstand rain and basic outdoor elements, it’s a small (roughly 4-inch diameter) unit that can clip to a backpack. The clip can also be used, of course, to hang it in the shower.

IMG_20170112_114612

Given its size we didn’t expect a ton of power out of the BoomBuoy. Indeed, it doesn’t get all that loud when used outdoors. If you’re clipping it on your backpack (carabiner included) or waist, you’ll have enough volume to hear things clearly, just don’t expect to really rock it out. On the other hand, should you hang it in the shower, you’ll have plenty to wake yourself up in the morning.

Staying with the topic, we did find the sound to be tinny and grainy but that varied based on music genre. If you’re the kind of person who likes to listen to news and podcasts as you go about your morning rituals, you’ll enjoy the sound; spoken word was a pleasure. On the other hand, you’ll not want to crank this too loudly in places where you plan to have conversation. It’s a good background music source and works better when it’s not the center of attention.

IMG_20170112_120741

There are a handful of buttons on the speaker that let you control playback. Present are volume up and down, pause/play, and the ability to jump forward and back on tracks. This was a little tricky for us to figure out at first as we learned that volume was maxed out on the speaker. When trying to press the ‘+’ symbol a few times we realized it was skipping songs. Hold the button down, though, and you can adjust volume.

Battery life is rated around seven hours which is accurate in our testing. With roughly an hour a day used in the shower between a family, this should get you through a week on a single charge. Charging is done via the included USB cable.

IMG_20170112_120837

Interestingly enough, the speaker can float in water. The speaker grill points upward and provides the sound for those having in a dip in the pool, river, or bathtub. When done, the BoomBuoy is small enough to throw in a purse, backpack, or pocket.

We found the build quality to be in line with our expectation. At $40 it should be solid enough to take a drop or two in stride and not get scuffed up. This was the case for ours. An accidental fall to the ground (cement driveway) saw the speaker come away without so much as a scuff. The buttons respond nicely to touch and the grille is strong enough to withstand moderate abuse.

The BoomBuoy comes in two color options: black/grey and grey/lime. We tested the latter and found it to be a fun combination that works well in the various environments.

You can purchase the BoomBuoy directly from Scocshe for $39.99. We checked around the various online retailers and did not see it offered elsewhere.

Disclaimer: Our review unit was provided to us at no cost from Scosche.

IMG_20170112_120827

Commute: Heavy Traffic – When games simulate life, are they still fun? (App Review)

AndroidGuys
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Sometimes fun can find you in the weirdest of places. A boring commute is rarely one of them, but making fun out of the monotony of sitting in traffic is exactly what Commute: Heavy Traffic aims to do. However, can anything really make a constant stop-and-go of city traffic any fun? Let’s take a look.

Developer: Kiary Games
Price: Free/IAP
Download: Google Play, iOS

Controls

This game has a quick and easy control scheme. It lets you pick from its standard controls or a more advanced set. Basic control has your car move forward when you touch and hold the screen and brake when you let go. Advanced settings will cause your car to accelerate when you touch the screen but will only brake when you touch the brake button at the bottom center of the screen. Both modes have you simply swipe to the left or right to switch lanes. I prefer different controls for the different game modes, using the basic for most modes, but switching to advanced when I play a mode that requires more lane switching. Once you take a minute to learn the ropes, it’s off to the game.

The Commute

Ugh... We're never gonna get there.
Ugh… We’re never gonna get there.

You start off with a full road of traffic in front of you. Once you tap to begin, traffic comes and loads up behind you completely boxing you in. Every few seconds, traffic in front of you will move forward and you need to keep up with it or get rear-ended. There is a sweet spot behind the car in front of you about a car and a half long that you can stop in safely. The cars behind you care little for your safety or their own, so you can’t expect them to stop any further back than your designated safe space.

Similar to driving a real car, the faster you drive the more time to need to stop, so timing is key along with tapping to control your speed. Once you get your rhythm and timing down, you can make it pretty far. There are different mission objectives, but most are nothing more than making it to the next major building. There are also a few different locale to visit, but there isn’t really any change in gameplay. You can unlock multiple cars that have different stats, but for the most part these changes are not very helpful or necessary to your success in the game.

Game modes

Your red car really stands out in the sea of brown and white vehicles, so you can easily keep track of yourself as you smash carelessly into everyone else around you.
Your red car really stands out in the sea of brown and white vehicles, so you can easily keep track of yourself as you smash carelessly into everyone else around you.

Besides the default game mode, there are two other modes included: Two Way Traffic and Wrong Way. Two Way Traffic adds 3 additional lanes next to your regular lanes that are traveling in the opposite directions, but they have so much less traffic. Is it worth the risk to jump to the other side of the road to get a bit more distance? You have to decide if and when it’s worth the risk because merging back into your proper lanes is very difficult and requires good timing, but the lure of picking up a lot of speed from the nearly empty roadway is super tempting. When the traffic does come down the road, you will not always have a safe space, so be careful.

Wrong Way is just like it sounds. You are going the wrong way down the highway. There is more space between the cars in this mode, so it’s easier to dodge them, but again they don’t care about you or your safety very much. The will occasionally brake for you, but you can’t rely on it because just as many will crash into you head on. Both of these modes are an amazing twist on the core gameplay and are incredibly fun.

Conclusion

Commute: Heavy Traffic tries to take the most boring and unfun part of your day and create something fun out of it, and it succeeds quite well. You have your main game mode that brings a lot of challenge, and the other two modes are incredibly fun. With a slew of vehicles to unlock and several locations to visit, you can play this one for a while.

Best smartphones under $100 for buyers on a budget

Alexandra Arici
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Looking for a handset this season but have a limited budget? No problem, more and more Android OEMs are looking to cater to the needs of customers who don’t want to break the piggy bank when acquiring a new phone.

Now if you have 100 bucks at your disposal you can actually get your hands on a pretty decently specced device. Surely it won’t be enough to buy a Pixel, but you’ll be surprised what $100 can get you. So we compiled a list of some of the best affordable phones that are currently available for purchase. Continue reading below:

Moto G4 Play

01 Moto G PlayIf you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can get your hands on the Moto G4 Play for only $99. Otherwise you’ll need to take $149 out of your pocket. The Prime version will come with Amazon apps pre-installed and users will see “personalized deals and recommendations” delivered by Amazon right on their screen. If you’re not a fan of that, we suggest you try and invest an additional $50. In the meanwhile, check out Moto G4 Play’s specs:

  • 5.0-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor (4 x 1.2GHz Cortex-A53)
  • 1GB of RAM / 2GB of RAM
  • 8GB / 16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 256GB)
  • 8MP/5MP camera combo
  • 2,800 mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (planned upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat)

Bluboo Picasso

02 Bluboo PicassoBluboo is an obscure Chinese brands that’s has recently caught our attention. This year the company has set some ambitious aims – one of them is be to be first to release a smartphone with dual front and rear cameras.

While we wait on that, check out the Bluboo Picasso – and especially beautifully designed smartphone. It’s available for only $93 at GearBest and comes packing a consistent set of specs, so you might want to take it into consideration:

  • 5.0-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
  • MediaTek MTK6735 processor (4 x 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of on-board storage
  • 13MP/8MP camera combo
  • 2,800 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow (little chance of seeing Android 7.0 Nougat update)
  • Dual microSIM
  • NFC

ZTE ZMax Pro

03 ZTE ZMax ProIf you are a fan of larger phones, then you’ll love the ZTE ZMax Pro and its big display. The phone is an MetroPCs exclusive and is currently available for only $99 a pop (from a discounted $179). The phone can be called a premium lower-end device, so go ahead check out what it has to offer:

  • 6.0-inch with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 367ppi
  • Snapdragon 617 processor (4 x 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4 x 1.0 GHz Corex-A53)
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 32GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 128GB)
  • 13MP/5MP camera combo
  • 3,500 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow (could see Android 7.0 Nougat update at some point)

Oukitel U7 Plus

04 Oukitel U7 PlusOukitel is another obscure smartphone that is trying to attract attention upon itself by offering stylish designs, dirt-cheap prices and decent specifications. Take the Oukitel U7 Plus which usually sells for around $107 (ok, a bit over our budget) on GearBest. However, if you hurry up you could get the phone for only $85 (through a flash sale). Here’s what the Oukitel U7 Plus could bring in your life:

  • 5.5-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 267ppi
  • MediaTek MTK6737 processor (4 x 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 32GB)
  • 13MP/5MP camera combo
  • 2,500 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow (little chance of seeing Android 7.0 Nougat update)

NUU Mobile A3L

05 NUU Mobile A3LNUU Mobile is a little known Hong Kong smartphone maker which is trying to penetrate the budget market too. Their A3L model offers the basics, but runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow – a positive attribute considering some better specced handsets like the recently announced Samsung Galaxy A (2017) launched with Android 6.0 in 2017.

  • 5-inch with 480 x 854 resolution, 196ppi
  • MediaTek MTK6580 processor (4 x 1.1 GHz Cortex-A7)
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 8GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 32GB)
  • 5MP/2MP camera combo
  • 2,000 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow (little chance of seeing Android 7.0 Nougat update)

BLU R1 HD

06 BLU R1 HDThe BLU R1 HD is an Amazon Prime exclusive and those who have subscribed for the service can get the device for $59.99. Sure, BLU has been through a scandal recently, as the company was accused of bundling some of its products bundled with a spyware which sent private user knowledge off to China without the owner’s consent. But all that has been resolved now and all-in-all BLU’s R1 HD can make for a decent day-to-day handset.

  • 5-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
  • MediaTek MTK6735 processor (4 x 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • 1GB/2GB of RAM
  • 8GB/16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 64GB)
  • 8MP/5MP camera combo
  • 2,500 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow (little chance of seeing Android 7.0 Nougat update)

Samsung’s acquisition of Harman might not happen after all

Alexandra Arici
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Back in November, Samsung made headlines when it announced it was in the process of acquiring car and audio giant Harman. Samsung agreed to pay $8 billion or $112 a share in cash while allowing Harman to become a standalone subsidiary under its wing, a 28% premium over the share price of the day which was set at $87.65.

It was said that the deal between Harman and Samsung should be finalized sometime in mid-2017. Well now it seems the merger might not happen at all.

As ZDNet reports, Harman shareholders are unhappy with the Samsung deal and have started a lawsuit in the hopes of blocking it.

Harman In CarShareholders led by Robert Pine oppose the merger and accuse the Harman board to have agreed to sell the company for too low a price. On top of that Harman’s CEO and board failed to look for competing bids and accepted Samsung’s offer immediately.

Last month, US hedge fund Atlantic Investment Management which holds a 23% stake in Harman, announced it will vote against the deal for the reasons specified above.

If the deal is to go through after all, at least 50% of Harman’s shareholders need to be onboard. The meeting which will decide the fate of the Harman acquisition is expected to take place in Q1 2017.

Harman Kardon SpeakerHarman shareholders lead by Robert Pine filed the lawsuit against Harman CEO Dinesh Paliwal and his board in a court in Delawear.

Remember the rumors saying that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will launch with Harman-branded dual speakers onboard? Well you’ll probably want to scratch that off the list. With the Samsung-Harman deal in the balance, the chances of seeing that happen slim down considerably.

Keep checking back with us to learn of further developments in the matter.

Nokia 8 could be the flagship we’ve all been waiting for

Alexandra Arici
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Last weekend HMD announced Nokia’s first comeback smartphone, the Nokia 6 – a middle-range device with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, destined for China (at least at first).

But come MWC 2017, we expect HMD and Nokia to reveal something juicer – a flagship Android device. We’ve seen a few images supposedly showcasing Nokia’s upcoming premium handsets in the last few months.

nokia-android-phones-whiteThis week brings us news on the whole Nokia flagship affair. It appears Qualcomm had one of these upcoming phones on display at CES 2017. Why’s that? Because at least one of Nokia’s yet to be released premium handsets will take advantage of a Snapdragon 835 chipset.

We’re also given a name. Apparently the phone will be launched under the Nokia 8, which makes sense given the Nokia 6 which saw the light of day not so long ago.

nokia-android-phones-blackAccording to the information at hand, HMD will unveil two Nokia 8 version. The most high-end one will feature Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipsets plus 6GB of RAM and a 24MP OIS + EIS camera (optical image stabilization + electronic image stabilization) with Carl Zeiss optics (?).

The device will be offered in 64GB/128GB storage variants (with a microSD card slot onboard for further expansion). It seems like microSD slots are making a comeback while flagships are concerned. The newly launched HTC U Ultra also has one and the LG G6 should also boast one. The more advanced Nokia 8 should also feature a 12MP selfie shooter.

nokia-android-phones-profile-whiteAs for the “lower-end” version, it will come with a Snapdragon 821 under the hood plus 4GB of RAM. Just like the HTC U Ultra and Google Pixel.

Qualcomm asked people not to photograph the Nokia 8 put on display at CES 2017, but one eager person did more than that. He shot a video of it. You can check it out below.

It seems the new Motorola Moto G5 Plus will be out soon

Alexandra Arici
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Remember that a few days ago images showcasing the purported Motorola Moto G5 Plus showed up online?

Well it’s now starting to look more and more like Motorola is gearing up to launch the new middle-ranger soon. Less than a week since the leaked pictures showed up, we also get to see a press image exposing the same phone (albeit it’s not the clearest image you will lay your eyes on).

Moto G5 Plus RenderAs you can see, the phone looks quite similar to the previous images, so we guess the Moto G5 Plus will make it out on the market soon enough.

According to what we know so far, the Moto G5 Plus should arrive with a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution and a Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0GHz processor nestled under the bonnet. Motorola is expected to also throw in 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a standard 13MP/5MP camera duo.

moto-g5-plus-front-and-backEverything onboard will be kept alive by a 3,080 mAh battery. Last but not least, the Moto G5 Plus will run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

The phone should feature a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button of the device.

Compared to last year’s model improvements aren’t mind-blowing and in some areas we’re even bound to see a downgrade.

The Moto G4 Plus is a smartphone that takes advantage of a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution and makes use of a Snapdragon 617 clocked at 1.5GHz to keep things running. The phone is available in three versions including 2GB of RAM + 16GB of internal storage, 3GB of RAM + 32GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM + 64GB of internal storage.

Moto G4 Plus feat image (FILEminimizer)In the photography department, the Moto G4 Plus features a 16MP main camera with f/2.0, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash and a 5MP selfie shooter. The phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box and lives off a 3,000 mAh battery.

As you can see, the Moto G5 Plus doesn’t seem to present significant upgrades, so a lot of Moto G4 Plus owners might not be compelled to upgrade to the newer version.

The Moto G5 Plus should make a debut in March 2017.

New Galaxy S8 render gives us the first look at the phone’s lock screen

Alexandra Arici
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Yesterday we shared with you a bunch of Galaxy S8 renders which seem to confirm a few things about the upcoming flagship.

Today, MobileFun.co.uk has another one for us. Case maker Olixar has shared a very graphic image of the yet to be released Galaxy S8 edge, encased in a FlexiShield protective cover. As you can see the render seems to confirm the absence of the home button. We also get an exclusive look at the Samsung Galaxy S8 edge’s previously unseen Lock Screen.

Olixar Case BlackThe LED flash cutout is visible on this particular Olixar case, so it seems quite likely the real Galaxy S8 edge will look quite a lot like what we’re seeing now.

There’s also no fingerprint scanner located on the back, once again confirming this year Samsung will embed the sensor into the display.

Interested customers in the UK can already place a pre-order a FlexiShield protective case from MobileFun for approximately $6 (other color versions might cost more).

Olixar Case SilverAs we’re getting closer to MWC 2017 which is scheduled to begin on February 27, we’re bound to see more and more Galaxy S8 centered leaks.

It’s interesting to note that the Galaxy S8 edge model we’re seeing here could actually be the standard Galaxy S8. Rumor has it both upcoming Galaxy S8 models will feature dual-curved displays very much like the Galaxy S7 edge.

Galaxy S8 Render 2This year, Samsung is expected to unveil the 5.7-inch Galaxy S8 and a 6-inch (or 6.2-inch) Galaxy S8 Plus. The latest hearsay concerning the new devices claim the Galaxy S8 Plus will come packing a dual-camera setup while the Galaxy S8 will not. Which the current render confirms as well.

Installing the August Smart Lock is as easy as locking the door [How-To]

AndroidGuys
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During the last few weeks we have been doing a series on how to make your analog home “smart”. We have covered things like controlling your Thermostat, controlling lights and appliances with WeMo, and using Hue to set the mood. There is one major piece missing from your smart home that we have not covered, security.

Imagine, you routinely have a child walk home from school. Normally parents rely on their children to call them and let them know they got home safely. How would you like to get a text message when your loved ones get home. The August Smart Lock can do just that and more.

If you combine the Smart Lock with the August Connect you get some additional features. With the Connect, it allows you to remotely control the lock. You can get reports about who enters the house and when and also create personalized codes for plumbers, cleaners, family members, or anyone else that may need access to your home.

Prerequisites:

The only prerequisite for this is a door that needs locking and a desire to make technology work for you.

Locking up your safety:

This particular How-To is a little different than normal. Much of the work that needs to be done is physically installing the Lock. In an effort to not recreate the work and give credit where credit is due, the install instructions straight from August can be found here.

Once the lock is installed, download the August Home app and click the setup button. It will have you create and login to your account then go though finding and setting up your custom lock features.

What features are your favorite about smart locks? what is your favorite smart home device so far? Anything else you would like to see? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

HTC’s U Ultra is the perfect example of why HTC is failing as a company

Matt Adams
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One of my favorite games journalists, Jim Sterling, has a segment that he’ll occasionally run at the end of his weekly video editorial. The segment is called “Oh, Ubisoft”. It revolves around some of the decisions that French video game publisher makes that make you tilt your head to the side, put your hands on your hips and say “Oh, Ubisoft!”

I feel like here at AndroidGuys we need to start a variation on that concept and name it “Oh, HTC!”

Today HTC took the wraps off two new phones, most notably the HTC U Ultra. You can read our coverage from this morning on it here, but suffice to say it’s a big mishmash of huge numbers and bad ideas.

This thing is way too big

The HTC U Ultra has a 5.7″ display. Not bad, right? It’s in the upper echelon of screen size right along side the now-deceased Samsung Galaxy Note7 and the popular LG V20. But, what those devices had/have are small bezels and a pretty small frame to hold those displays. The V20 wastes little space on the sides of the device and is one of the thinnest phones I’ve ever held. The Note7 had a dual-curved display that made it feel much smaller in the hand. The U Ultra looks to be neither of those things.

HTC-U-Play-2-1140x855If the massive display wasn’t enough, the secondary ticker display that sits at the top of the 5.7″ main screen is 2″. Another 2″ on an already huge display is, frankly, stupid. Stop making phones that are so large your hands hurt from stretching to the top of the display. This goes to all of you handset makers out there.

Every phone these days has some sort of assistant or AI that is supposed to make your device feel like YOUR device, not just a device you own. And yet, none of them ever do.

I’m not going to sit here and say that Steve Jobs was right for keeping the screen size of the iPhone so small for so long, but there was some sort of method to his madness. The fact that you could easily touch nearly every part of your display with your thumb was a nice feature that I frankly miss with today’s phones. I won’t give up my extra screen real estate for it, but when we’re producing phones that span over 6″, it’s time to rethink things.

Tickers are for sports channels

The ticker madness needs to stop. In theory, they’re a wonderful idea but in practice, they don’t make enough positive impact in a phone to justify their inclusion. The display on the V20 just looks weird, if we’re being honest, the ticker display on the U Ultra looks equally as bad.

htc-u-ultra-product-13HTC didn’t even innovate. Everything we see in press pictures just emulates what you get on the V20. We’ve already seen rumors that the V series will be dropping the ticker in the next round of phones and while my opinion on that matter doesn’t make much a difference, what does is if people are buying the phone because of the feature or despite it. No one is going to buy the U Ultra because of the ticker display. If they wanted one, they’d already own an LG V20.

Try innovating

As with the ticker, the rest of the phone feels like a bunch of slapped together features from other phones. There’s zero innovation in the U Ultra worth mentioning. The two headlines we keep seeing for this device is the ticker display and the assistant feature that is supposed to tailor the phone to your needs. Every phone these days has some sort of assistant or AI that is supposed to make your device feel like YOUR device, not just a device you own.

And yet, none of them ever do.

I really like Google Assistant and I tolerate Siri, but even those who genuinely love those features won’t be wowed by the U Ultra’s implementation of its personalization assistant. Supposedly the Sense Assistant that is included with the U Ultra relies on machine learning to pick up on your daily habits and really learn who you are as a person so it can suggest faster routes, new restaurants, and more.

In my opinion, this sounds exactly like Google Assistant and every other assistant out there. Google has more of my information and more machine learning power than anyone else out there right now and it still gives me sports scores for teams I hate and suggests I leave early for sports games that are taking place several hours away from my house because they happen to be in my calendar.

No personal assistant is ever going to be perfect, but this feels like HTC pouring resources into duplicating something Google already offers.

Battery is the name of the game

The three phones I used the most in 2016 were the Moto Z Play, iPhone 6S Plus, and Pixel XL. If you didn’t pick up on the pattern there, they’re all battery life champions. The Moto Z Play has the best battery life in a device I’ve ever seen and the iPhone and Pixel XL can get me through two days of moderate use. People want great battery life. Every study ever released indicates that people would rather give up a little bit of bulk to get a bigger battery.

Why, then, do you suppose that HTC put only a 3000mAh battery in a phone that has a power-hungry Snapdragon 821 processor and a 5.7″ Quad-HD 2560 x 1440p display? I truly hope that HTC has some serious battery saving techniques up its sleeve because this looks like a recipe for disaster.

Quit getting rid of the headphone jack

This is so stupid it actually makes my head hurt. Why, for the sake of everything holy, would you get rid of a universally loved and accepted port like the 3.5mm headphone jack on a phone this huge?

htc u ultra 1I can understand Apple’s decision to do it, even though I disagree with it. Apple wanted to use a new haptic motor and they needed the space to do it. At least it came out with a selection of lighting headphones after it released the jack-less iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It was a dumb decision but at least it went all in.

HTC apparently saw that move and took all the wrong lessons from it. I have no idea what the internals of the U Ultra look like but on a phone that big, you can’t find room for a headphone jack? Really? And, the USB type-C headphones that you’re including in the box only work with HTC devices even though they use a universal port?

What in the bloody hell are you thinking HTC?

You forgot what your best feature was

Remember BoomSound speakers? I do. I remember the first morning I had my shiny new M7 and my alarm went off. I almost peed a little bit because of how freaking loud it was. The front-facing BoomSound speakers on the M series were awesome. As someone who watches a ton of media on my phone, I have to wonder if HTC is intentionally leaving off the best feature its ever had.

A measly bottom-firing speaker is the bare minimum these days and it seems like HTC is settling here. Put all of that awesome technology to use and make a true media powerhouse with a beautiful QHD display and front-facing speakers that sound like a premium Bluetooth speaker is attached to the front of the phone.

Pricing and availability

Good phones are getting cheap and cheap phones are getting good. Tech YouTuber MKBHD is constantly reminding us of this little mantra and I agree with him. When you look at the entire landscape of phones, and you see amazing pieces of tech like the OnePlus 3T, Moto Z Play, Honor 8, and Axon 7, all at prices that don’t break the bank, why the hell would you ever buy a phone outright from HTC for $749? That is at the very peak of what phones cost today, going right up against the Apple iPhone 7 Plus.

Not only is the pricing insane, but the availability is too. You can get a U Ultra in Taiwan, where HTC is located, pretty quickly. If you live anywhere else you’re going to have to wait until March.

Yep, two months after its announcement the HTC U Ultra will finally be available. Cell phone sales are all about hype. Does HTC plan to keep the hype train going for two months? Does it plan to outspend Samsung and LG when their flagships come out around the same time they’re announced? There is something to be said for being first to market, but this is way too early for the release date.

I hate beating up on HTC. The HTC M7 was the first phone that I really fell in love with but to say that HTC has lost its way since then is a massive understatement. For a long, long time we were begging HTC to put out something different than its metal meets glass HTC M series (later the HTC 10 dropped the M moniker). While HTC has gone out of its way here to do something completely different, they missed the mark.

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