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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.

Things People Rarely Consider When Choosing A Smartphone

AndroidGuys
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If you are to look at all the smartphones that are available at the moment on the market you can easily notice that it is really easy to feel overwhelmed. We are faced with so many problems since a smartphone that is really good for a person is not necessarily the best one for another. You want to always be sure that you choose the very best smartphone for your own needs. This is where everything becomes complicated.

Most people basically only think about how much they are going to pay for their smartphone or what camera is included in the device. Making such a shallow choice is definitely going to lead to a bad decision. What is very important is to always think about every single thing that is of importance for you as a phone user. With this in mind, here are some things that you most likely never consider when you choose your smartphone and that can help you make a great choice.

The Reason Why You Buy The Smartphone

You surely have a main reason why the smartphone is bought. Think about the main applications you are going to use the device for. In many cases we see that people just use the phone to make phone calls. If this is the case you do not need much. However, in the event you use the smartphone when creating a blog to post posts, take professional photographs and even use applications to edit videos while on the go, something a lot more powerful will be needed.

Some of the smartphones will be a lot better for some specific operations than others. This is what you want to remember at the end of the day. Learn all that you can about how the gadgets will act in specific situations and your choice will be the best one possible.

Portability

If you look at modern smartphones, you instantly notice that they become larger and larger. This can make it quite complicated to carry them around in some situations. What you have to do is always consider smartphone size. While what the gadgets offer is definitely something of interest, size should never be underestimated. See if large smartphones are what you need or a smaller size is more suitable.

Manufacturer Reliability

It is really important that you always learn all that you can about the reliability of the manufacturer. Since not all people are going to have the money to buy the really expensive devices, it is a very good idea to focus on reliability. There are many manufacturers that are going to offer really shady devices that are not at all of a high overall quality. These are not the ones you should buy from. You want to remain focused on quality at all times. The best possible gadgets are always those that are going to last for a long time and that will be suitable for future upgrades. Always be sure that you do not neglect manufacturer reliability since this is one of the most important factors to consider at the end of the day.

My Home Dungeon: An interesting RPG amidst the endless-game craze (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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With the increasing amount of “endless” type games that feature almost no story and no progression, it is nice to see more ambitious projects such as My Home Dungeon. Developed by BerryRabbit, the game features an actual story, character progression and more depth than what you normally find these days in the Play Store.

Developer: BerryRabbit

Price: Free

Setup

Just as you open the app, it will ask you for permission for accessing your contacts. It’s like apps don’t even try anymore. I’ve played several hours of the game without one single instance in which my contacts are required for some kind of functionality. Why then? This is a widespread problem across the Play Store and it has no sign of stopping.

Anyways, after this, the game will take you to a short tutorial. The game will teach you in a funny way the basics of the gameplay. Let me take the opportunity to mention that the initial story of this game is hilariously ridiculous. “Oh look, there’s a huge, monster-riddled dungeon just beneath my house! And for some reason I am broke and selling it but I carry a fire-spewing sword with me everyday! And also I can throw fireballs!”

Overview

my home dungeon
Not the best way of starting a story.

There are four main on-screen buttons: two at the left, which are used for moving your character, and two on the right. The action of the first right button depends on the circumstances. You have a bar at the top, and if it is filled up, then you launch a very strong special attack. If the bar is not filled up, then you have two medium-powered attacks. After that, you just have a VERY weak sword attack that is better left unused.

The second button is used for generating fireballs. You can hold this button and your character will generate a continuous blast of fireballs. This will turn out to be your primary weapon throughout the game.

Gameplay

Monsters come at you in waves. There are normally three or four waves per level. After clearing each wave, a new section will show up and you progress until you reach a boss level. These bosses can vary from giant variations of the monsters you normally see to thought out, challenging boss fights.

These boss sections are also where the story unfolds. At first, the story is confusing but it starts to make a bit more sense as you keep playing. Something interesting is that the story gives you choices, and the story tends to change a bit depending on what you choose. For example, I managed to make a boss angry at me and increase its powers because of an answer I selected, so be careful about that.

my home dungeon
Controls are easy to use.

Monsters spawn from the sides of the stage, and thus, you need to carefully plan how you will approach each stage. Since there’s no way of jumping or similar, you can easily get stuck in the middle of two or more monsters without any place to go. If you deplete your three hearts, either by hitting monsters or by touching spikes, it’s instant death. You can either try the level again or watch a 30-second video ad to repeat only the last wave.

When killing monsters, they will throw gold and some energy orbs. Gold can be used for buying new equipment and increasing your character’s level. Also, you can increase the power of your fireballs and sword skills. If you are impatient, you can also buy gold through in-app purchases. The energy orbs will replenish the previously mentioned bar so that you can perform your strong sword attack.

Overall, the game feels very balanced. There’s no instance in which you feel that your death has been unfair or that it gets prohibitively hard just to push you to spending money on gold. It might get a bit repetitive after a while, though.

The way your character moves around the stage is almost as if he was walking on ice (which he actually does, in some stages), so you have to get used to it in order to avoid crashing into a monster by accident just because you moved your character in a wrong way.

Graphics

my home dungeon
There’s a clash between different types of art.

Graphics for this game are weird. On one side, we have pixel-style sprites for the majority of elements in the game, including your character, monsters and scenery. On the other side, the game presents very polished and not-pixelated elements on the main screen. Also, this same line of design is used for sprites and characters when there is on-screen dialogue.

Both elements clash with each other and give the impression of not being cohesive. It’s like two developers didn’t communicate with each other at all and then asked the design team to create assets for each of their parts.

This doesn’t mean that the graphics look bad. I like the polished assets much more than the pixel art (especially because now it seems that every game is trying to do pixel art), and I believe that the game would benefit greatly from either converting everything to pixelated sprites (probably easier, since the majority of elements have been drawn this way) or to polished art.

Sound

Just as with many games nowadays, sound is good enough for what it is intended. Sound effects are there but they don’t excel in any way. Music for the normal levels is the same, so you will probably get tired of it at some point. For some reason, I love the boss music. It is very dramatic and enhances the act of fighting against the boss.

Ads

my home dungeon
🙁

One of the good points of this game is that ads and other ways of monetizing the game are not intrusive. You never feel like the game is pushing you to buy gold, and there are no ads thrown at your face for no reason. Instead, the developer has made them optional, and you can totally do without them.

For example, if you lost all of your hearts at the last wave of monsters and you are too lazy to repeat the whole level, then after a 30-second video ad, you are back at the same wave. You could also repeat the whole level if you wish, and thus avoid the ad.

There’s also a way of earning gold by watching 30-second videos. If you don’t want to, then you can always repeat previous levels and earn gold that way. It’s your choice, and not the developer’s, if you want to go through ads or not. This is something increasingly uncommon in the Play Store, and for that, I applaud and thank the developer.

Conclusion

My Home Dungeon combines RPG elements with a very simple gameplay and controls to make an appealing game that can keep you entertained for a while. With the different options to increase your character’s strength, monsters getting gradually stronger, and no ads being forced down your throat, you can be confident that My Home Dungeon is worthy of being in your Android’s internal storage.

Download My Home Dungeon from the Google Play Store.

Best phones you can pick up from T-Mobile right now

Alexandra Arici
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Stepping into the new year, you might find yourself craving a new phone. You can already check our AT&T and Verizon buying guides, but if you are not a fan of either carrier, an alternative would be to look towards T-Mobile.

The magenta carrier offers plenty of mobile solutions and some of them are even available with a consistent discount. Keep reading to find out which are best phones you can purchase off T-Mobile right now.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 EdgeSure, in a month and a half Samsung will unveil the all-new Galaxy S8, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge will stop being worthy phones. At T-Mobile, you can pick up the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with a bit of a discount. Customers can purchase the phone for $26/month on a two-year contract of $629 outright (discounted from $689). As for the Galaxy S7 edge you’ll need to make an initial down payment of $9.99 before embarking on a two-year contract that will add $30 to your bill each month. Or you can choose to pay in full. The Galaxy S7 edge can be yours for $729 (discounted from $789):

Below you’ll find the main specs of the two phones:

Galaxy S7

  • 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 200GB)
  • 12MP/5MP camera combo
  • 3,000mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (currently getting Android 7.1.1 Nougat)

Galaxy S7 edge

  • 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 200GB)
  • 12MP/5MP camera combo
  • 3,600mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (currently getting Android 7.1.1 Nougat)

LG G5

lg_G5_trayLG’s soon to be previous-gen flagship the G5 is available will T-Mobile. We expect the G6 to mark a departure from the modular approach of the G5, which hasn’t impressed customers all that much. However, the phone features a capable set of specs and to be fair, is quite intriguing and attests LG’s interest in shaking things up.

At T-Mobile the phone can be yours for $0 down and $20/month for two years or for $499 outright. Check out its specs:

  • 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 200GB)
  • 16MP+8MP dual camera/8MP selfie camera
  • 2,800 mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (upgradable to Android 7.0 Nougat)

LG V20

lg-v20LG’s dual screen phone is seeing some competition from the newly announced HTC U Ultra, so maybe you want to wait for that. But if you like LG more, then you can get the phone from T-Mobile if you make an initial $49 down payment and then continue on to pay $30/month for two years. Or if you have $769 at your disposal you can purchase it in full. Take a look at its specs:

  • 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513 ppi
  • Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS LCD screen with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB/64GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 256GB)
  • 16MP+8MP dual camera/5MP selfie camera
  • 3,200mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 7.0 Nougat

Samsung Galaxy J7

carousel-samsung-galaxy-j7-all-380x380-1Moving on to middle-range phones, the Galaxy J7 is a perfect for customers who don’t want to pay premium for a handset, but still enjoy having a large display. You can get the Galaxy J7 for $0 down and $11 for the next 24 months. Or you can buy it for $249 outright. Here’s what you’ll get:

  • 5.5-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 267 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 256GB)
  • 13MP/5MP camera combo
  • 3,300 mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

Kyocera DuraForce XD

Looking for a rugged phone that can handle anything you throw at it? Imagine being able to take selfies in the rain or browse the web while you’re watching your kids play in the pool. With the Kyocera DuraForce XD you can. Grab it for $0 down and $16/month for 2 years or for $399.99 outright (previously $449.99). Here’s what you will get:

  • 5.7-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 258 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 64GB)
  • 8MP/2MP camera combo
  • 3,700 mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 5.1 Lollipop
  • IP68 certification for dust/water jet/water immersion up to 6 feet for up to 30 mins

LG Stylo 2 Plus

lg-stylo-2-plus-phabletAt CES 2017, LG unveiled the Stylus 3 model but if you don’t wait until the phone becomes available, you can simply go for the LG Stylo 2 Plus, which comes equipped with a pressure sensitive pen.

So if you like to scribble notes and reminders on your phone, you can get the LG Stylo 2 Plus from T-Mobile today for $0 down and $10/month for 24 months. Or just pay $239 in full. Here’s what to expect from this mid-range phablet:

  • 5.7-inch with 1280 x 720 resolution, 386 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of on-board storage (microSD card allows expansion up to 256GB)
  • 13MP/5MP camera combo
  • 2,900 mAh battery (removable)
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
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