Look around the home or office and chances are you’ll find items sitting there collecting dust. Whether it’s an old lamp, hooded sweatshirt, or pair of shoes, there’s probably something you’re holding on to for no good reason.
Maybe you’re just hanging on with the idea that some day you’ll have a yard sale. Perhaps you just forgot you even had it in the basement. Whatever it is, you’ve probably got junk that needs to go away.
As you know, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Why bother throwing items out in the garbage when you might be able to make a few bucks on them instead? There are tons of Android apps and services designed to help you sell your old stuff.
We’ve gathered up seven of them which we think rise to the top. There may be a little crossover between some of the titles, but each offers an ecosystem worth exploring. Moreover, you’ll find that the apps offer unique features and layouts which make them appealing.
LetGo
Essentially like having a flea market on your handset, LetGo gives users the ability to search through all sorts of local deals. With tons of categories to pick through, the app lets you talk privately with buyers or sellers so you can haggle on the cost. Speaking of which, there’s no fee to list or sell; everything you earn is yours. Create an account with Facebook or email and get to selling immediately.
eBay
As if you’ve never heard of it, eBay is an online service that brings together buyers and sellers from all over the world. It’s perhaps the first name in buying and selling your stuff and it’s one of the most trusted names in the space. The mobile app has grown leaps and bounds over the years and now, more than ever, it’s a cinch to list products for sale directly from your phone.
OfferUp
Like having a virtual classified section in your hand, OfferUp pairs buyers and sellers together in a visually appealing manner. Whether you’re looking to unload that unused tablet or hoping to pick up an extra coat for the winter months, this app will help you find what want.
Once you’ve found a local item that interests you, reach out to the buyer and chat them up. Or, check their reputation to see if they’ve been fair and easy to work with.
Listing your stuff couldn’t be much easier. With tons of categories to choose from, you’ll be able to unload an entire room’s worth of unused items. Make sure you build your reputation and raise your profile so buyers know they’re dealing with a trusted person.
Carousell
With a selling system that promises to be as easy as posting an Instagram picture Carousell listings can be done in as little as 30 seconds. There are no fees associated with selling and the service does not take a commission off the top. Carousell Groups make it easy to buy and sell in interest groups, neighborhood groups, school groups and other trusted manners.
Choose up to four pictures for each item you plan to sell to help buyers get a food feel for what’s being offered. Once you’ve got it listed, share it with Facebook Pages, Groups, and other social media. Keep at it and you’ll earn verified badge to help boost credibility in the marketplace.
VarageSale
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to bother with shipping items out once they’re sold, you might want to try your hand at VarageSale. Designed as a local classified platform, it connects you with others in your immediate area. Members connect with Facebook so you’ll get real names, pictures, and reviews to consider before making a decision. Follow your favorite sellers or categories; rate your transactions and leave feedback for the next person.
Wallapop
Although you can use Wallapop in pretty much any market, you’ll get the best results from one of the following cities: New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Austin, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Fast, easy, and free to sell, listing is a simple as taking a picture and attaching a price. It’s like carrying around a tiny flea market in your pocket.
5miles
Another one that works great for those looking to buy and sell locally, 5miles keeps things confined to –wait for it– a five mile radius. Use GPS and zip code to look up thousands of items, send an offer via text, and chat with sellers. If you’re looking to buy, the app lets you list items for free; the service also lets you search for roommates, housing, freelance jobs, and more.
Conclusion
There’s no shortage of apps and services to choose from when it comes to unloading your old stuff. Given we’re in a new year here and your resolution is to save money or take a nice vacation, these apps are here to help. Have you had any experience with anything else along the way? Let us know in the comments which one you trust the most with your stuff.
Apart from consumer product launches from major OEMs, CES 2017 is also a platform for companies that want to showcase their latest and greatest experimental designs. But many of these prototypes slip under the radar and honestly it’s a real shame.
That’s why today we want to bring to your attention a highly unusual smartphone. Fans of Star Trek will probably remember Spock and Dr. McCoy’s tricorder – a device used to analyze all kinds of materials and objects. Well it turns out a handset with a built-in tricorder-like system actually exists.
Aptly named Israeli company, Consumer Physics unveiled the world’s first smartphone that features a molecular scanner. The device is called Changhong H2 and features a SCiO sensor which can correctly identify the composition on several materials. The phone achieves that by connecting to the Internet and tapping into information stored on a server.
The scanner lives on the back of the device, where the main camera should be. The sensor takes advantage of a spectrometry system in order to beam out a near-infrared light on the object that needs to be analyzed. At the CES 2017, Consumer Physics demonstrated how the phone could be used to rate fruits based on their freshness. It also correctly identified a person’s body mass index (BMI) by letting the sensor analyze the person’s skin.
Another demo showed the smartphone scanning different pills in order to identify their chemical composition.
What’s even more interesting is that the Changhong H2 is not an experimental phone. No, it will actually go on sale in China sometime in June with a price-tag of around $435.
Lots of people complain of the lack of innovation in smartphones. Well the Changhong H2 is not your average handset that’s for sure. It would be interesting to see Consumer Physics partner up with an iconic smartphone producer like Samsung or HTC in order to bring their tech to the masses. The Changhong H2 will be available in limited quantities and that’s a real shame, because a tricorder-equipped smartphone like this could find numerous uses in daily life.
Looking back at 2016, we saw how entry-level devices got better and better. And as we speculated in a recent article, dual cameras are going to become the norm for most smartphones launched in 2017, even the lower-end ones.
Dual cameras mostly made it on premium phones like the iPhone 7 Plus, LG V20 or Huawei Mate9 in 2016, but this year we believe we’re going to see more and more affordable device adopt this camera setup.
At CES 2017, we saw the launch of two budget-friendly phones with dual-cameras – the Honor 6X and ZTE Blade V8 Pro. The handsets are already available, so if the idea of having a dual-camera phone appeals to you, here’s a comparison of the two models to help you decide which one is for you.
Display
5.5-inch with 1920 x 1080 resolution vs 5.5-inch with 1920 x 1080 resolution
Both smartphones feature a 5.5-inch panel with FHD resolution (approx. 401ppi), so if you’re looking for a slightly larger handset with an affordable price-tag, you can either chose either the Honor or the ZTE. It depends on your preference. Let’s see what else these two smartphones have going for them.
Computing power
Kirin 655 clocked at 2.1GHz vs Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0GHz
3GB/4GB of RAM vs 3GB of RAM
Mali-T830MP2 vs Adreno 560
The Honor 6X features one of Huawei’s own processor, the Kirin 655 which is clocked slightly higher than the Snapdragon 625. Both are octa-core affairs destined for the middle-range sector and are capable of sustaining most daily operations without much fuss.
The Kirin 655 is made up of four 2.1GHz Cortex-A53 cores plus four 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 cores, while the Snapdragon 625 features eight 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores – so you shouldn’t see a huge difference in terms of performance.
The Honor 6X is offered in a 4GB of RAM version, but both phones come with the standard 3GB of RAM option.
Cameras
12MP+2MP/8MP vs 13MP+13MP/8MP
The dual camera setup on the ZTE Blade V8 Pro seems a bit more advanced. The phone has a dual 13MP main camera with Phase Detection Autofocus and dual-LED flash plus an 8MP selfie snapper capable of shooting 1080p video.
In contrast, the Honor 6X features a dual 12MP+2MP setup with Phase Detection Autofocus, LED flash and an 8MP selfie snapper with 1080p video capturing capabilities at 30fps.
Software
Android 6.01. Marshmallow vs Android 6.0 Marshmallow
The Honor 6X was announced with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box and we thought that was a real shame. Luckily, a few hours after the announcement the company let us know the Android 7.0 Nougat will be offered sometime in Q2 2017.
As for the ZTE Blade Z8 Pro – the device also runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but we’re not so optimistic ZTE will offer Nougat treatment for this device. But who knows.
Battery
3,340 mAh vs 3,140 mAh
Given that both phones feature a 5.5-inch display with FHD resolution and the two chipsets powering the devices will exert similar demands, the Honor 6X will probably offer a longer life cycle. Especially with the Android 7.0 Nougat update coming. However, the difference is not going to be out of this world.
Other features
32GB/64GB of internal storage vs 32GB of internal storage
The Honor 6X has a beefier variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. However, keep in mind that both phones have a hybrid SIM card, which means users can use one of the slots to add a microSD card slot. So both phones’ internal memory can be expanded up to 256GB.
Pricing
$249.99 vs $229.98
As you can see the ZTE Blade V8 Pro is a bit more affordable. Also users who order the phone from ZTE’s website will also receive a complementary phone case.
The Honor 6X’s 4GB of RAM variant will cost $299 and will be sold in select markets.
Verdict
The phones are quite similar in terms of specifications, except the ZTE Blade V8 Pro offers a more advanced dual camera setup. On the other hand, the Honor 6X has a 4GB + 64GB version available, just for your pleasure. Don’t forget that the Honor 6X will get Android 7.0 Nougat soon, while we’re not too sure the ZTE Blade V8 Pro will ever get it. The former also comes with a slightly larger battery.
Motorola unveiled the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus back in May and the smartphones went on to become extremely popular with customers everywhere. And now it appears that the Lenovo-owned company is working towards two follow-up devices.
According to a listing that popped up with a Romanian re-seller OLX, the Moto G5 Plus (model number XT1685) might just be in transit and due for release by March 2017.
As expected, the device bundles a solid set of specs which includes a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution and a Snapdragon 625 processor under the hood. If this is indeed the real upcoming Moto G5 Plus, then we should see it arrive with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, a 13MP/5MP camera duo and a 3,080 mAh battery.
Like most smartphones launching this year, the Moto G5 Plus runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The phone’s price tag on OLX is approximately $387, although this will probably not be the official pricing.
The seller does not say how he or she managed to get their hands on this unreleased device. And given that you can spot the “Motorola confidential property, not for sale” mark in the picture, it might not have been exactly legal.
The phone in this particular set of images looks suspiciously familiar to the Moto X (2017) which leaked a while ago. Does this mean that a new Moto X won’t be released this year? It sure seems so right about now.
At the time of writing this article, the post has disappeared from OLX. Luckily someone on Reddit managed to make a webpage capture of it before it went missing. The device in the images looks real enough, so we do believe Motorola will refresh the G4 lineup at some point this year. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the G5 or G5 Plus looks anything like this.
Keeping up with the latest in technology is great, but sometimes it’s fun go old school. You probably still think back enthusiastically about that first smartphone, the one that truly made an impression on you, thus turning you into a diehard Android fan.
Well wouldn’t it be great with Android OEMs would re-release some of their most popular smartphones as “retro” phones? We would certainly love to see that happen and here are a few models we’d be super excited to see make a comeback on the market. Adapted to the present era, of course.
HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1
Once upon a time a small Palo Alto-based mobile software company going by the name of Android Inc. was absorbed by Google’s expanding empire. Three years later, the first-ever Google phone saw the light of day.
The HTC Dream marked another milestone – it was the first to run Android. And after only six months on the market, Android became a threatening presence to major smartphone platforms of the time, including Symbian, BlackBerry OS and iOS.
The HTC Dream featured a touchscreen as well as a sliding, physical AZERTY keyboard. The inclusion of the keyboard was intentional, as most users back then were not familiar with a touchscreen display and did not like the idea of a keyboard-less device.
A retro version of the HTC Dream with updated specs would be like unearthing a relic from Google’s and Android’s past and we’re sure many users would be interested in buying one, even if only to relieve the glory of old times past.
The HTC Dream or T-Mobile G1, however you want to call it marks Google’s first step toward the mobile market domination it enjoys today, so it has secured itself a place in mobile history.
Motorola Photon Q
Since we’re reminiscing about smartphones featuring a slider keyboard, anyone remember the Motorola Photon Q?
The device was sold under Sprint and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Later on an update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean was released. According to reviewers, the Motorola Photon Q featured one of the best keyboards of its time and was a big highlight for the Android developer community.
In an age where users are losing their interest in phones with physical keyboards, a renewed Motorola Photon Q might put sliders back into the spotlight.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Lovers of atypical smartphones really loved the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, as the phone’s physical design was clearly targeted at fashion-conscious buyers. Back when it launched in 2011, the Xperia Arc was the first of Sony’s portfolio to land a “big” 4.2-inch display.
It’s curved back case is what made the Xperia Arc stand out six years ago and we believe it could still do so today. The phone shipped out with Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box and did not feature a search button. The search functions were activated by long-pressing on the menu button.
Would you see yourself rocking a Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc today?
HTC Legend
Speaking of interesting design, many people loved the HTC Legend for this exact very reason. The phone was released back in 2010 and captured the hearts of customers thanks to its aluminum unibody and its slimmer form factor (compared to its predecessor).
At release the unit shipped out with Android 2.1 Éclair and had a removable battery which slid out from a component located at the bottom of the bottom.
The phone is also worthy to be mentioned, because it includeded the much praised optical trackpad – an improved version of the analogue trackpad present on the HTC Hero.
There are many users today who would love to see the trackpad make a return, so a retro HTC Legend could certainly attract a lot of attention if it were to be released in 2017.
Nexus 4
The Nexus 4 saw the light of day in 2012 and users loved it so much the phone reached some sort of cult status.
A Nexus 4 (2017) version will certainly excite a lot of Android diehard fans. Google would have to keep the same characteristic shape and back texture of the original Nexus 4, but maybe make the phone a bit slimmer. Maybe add today’s specs, camera, battery and Android 7.0 Nougat onboard and many would rush to purchase it.
Any thoughts? What smartphones would you like to see get a retro edition or a new 2017 reiteration?
You may have noticed by now that we have a theme going with Google Photos How-To’s; we have things like how to backup your pictures, editing pictures and creating a slideshow. Today we continue that with creating and sharing albums with Google Photos. Albums are sort of like folders, they allow you to group photos together for easier viewing and sharing.
Prerequisites:
The prerequisites are the same as what we have for the other Google Photo How-To’s
Initially introduced in late 2016, the Huawei Mate 9 is a 5.9-inch phone with some of the best hardware available. Powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor, the flagship device boasts 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.
The Mate 9 runs Android 7.0 Nougat which puts it on a pretty short list as of its launch. It does run Huawei’s custom Emotion UI (EMUI 5.0) which gives users a few extras over the stock experience. Starting in February 2017, the Mate 9 will gain Amazon Alexa support in the United States.
In terms of cameras, the phone packs a dual module on the rear which is powered by Leica. The main camera is comprised of an f/2.2 12-megapixel color camera and f/2.2 20-megapixel monochrome camera, which combine to produce images with more detail. Around front is an 8-megapixel shooter.
Rounding out the specs are microSD expansion card slot for up to 256GB, fingerprint sensors, IR blaster, stereo speakers, and capacious 4,000mAh battery.
[vc_custom_heading text=”Where to Buy” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|color:%23d70060″ google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”]
[vc_cta h2=”Amazon” h2_font_container=”color:%23444444″ h2_google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Shop” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-basket” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” h2_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2ibo8QJ||target:%20_blank” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2ibo8QJ||target:%20_blank” btn_add_icon=”true”]Amazon sells the Moonlight Silver and Space Gray versions of the phone; both cost $599.99 at launch. International versions of the Mocha Brown and Champagne are available but do not come with warranties.[/vc_cta][vc_cta h2=”B&H Photo Video” h2_font_container=”color:%23444444″ h2_google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Shop” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-basket” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” h2_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1300843-REG%2Fhuawei_51091bkv_mate_9_mha_l29_64gb.html%2FBI%2F20229%2FKBID%2F14505||target:%20_blank” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1300843-REG%2Fhuawei_51091bkv_mate_9_mha_l29_64gb.html%2FBI%2F20229%2FKBID%2F14505||target:%20_blank” btn_add_icon=”true”]Customers can choose from the Space Gray and Moonlight Silver colors of the phone with both of them retailing for $599.99 as of publication.[/vc_cta][vc_cta h2=”Best Buy” h2_font_container=”color:%23444444″ h2_google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Shop” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-basket” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” h2_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhuawei-mate-9-4g-lte-with-64gb-memory-cell-phone-unlocked-space-gray%2F5709704.p%3FskuId%3D5709704||target:%20_blank” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhuawei-mate-9-4g-lte-with-64gb-memory-cell-phone-unlocked-space-gray%2F5709704.p%3FskuId%3D5709704||target:%20_blank” btn_add_icon=”true”]Best Buy offers the Huawei smartphone in Space Gray and Moonlight Silver, both of which run $599.99.[/vc_cta][vc_cta h2=”Newegg” h2_font_container=”color:%23444444″ h2_google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” shape=”square” add_button=”bottom” btn_title=”Shop” btn_shape=”square” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shopping-basket” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” h2_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newegg.com%2FProduct%2FProduct.aspx%3FItem%3DN82E16875606089%26cm_re%3Dhuawei_mate_9-_-75-606-089-_-Product||target:%20_blank” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newegg.com%2FProduct%2FProduct.aspx%3FItem%3DN82E16875606089%26cm_re%3Dhuawei_mate_9-_-75-606-089-_-Product||target:%20_blank” btn_add_icon=”true”]Newegg offers both the Space Gray and Moonlight Silver flavors of the phone, each retailing for $599.99.[/vc_cta]
When it comes to virtual private network (VPN) apps, the online market is brimming with available options. However, to truly benefit from what the technology has to offer, it’s imperative that you don’t settle for any unnecessary compromise.
Choosing the right free VPN app for your Android or iPhone isn’t really that complicated as long as you’re aware of the factors that must be taken into consideration. In case you’re oblivious to what those factors are, here’s a quick run-through:
Security Protocols
If you’re contemplating the use of VPN apps to keep hackers and snoopers at bay, then you really need to pay attention to the tunneling and encryption protocols its security framework is based on. The aforementioned protocols are basically security technologies that hide data from prying eyes and/or convert them into an unreadable form.
The technical details of this feature can become a bit overwhelming, which is why we’re going to keep everything simple and suggest you look for OpenVPN or IPsec/L2TP in a VPN app before giving it any further thought. There are other security protocols as well, but these two are generally believed to be the securest.
Log Policy
While a VPN service may be well-equipped to mitigate the risk of data interception and surveillance, you really shouldn’t consider yourself fully secure until you’ve confirmed its log policy. It’s not uncommon for VPN providers to retain at least some information about its users. This may be something harmless, e.g. non-personally identifiable information and session timestamp, to something far more revealing like browsing history and online activities.
Since you’ll be entrusting a VPN service with what could be really personal or sensitive information, make sure you go through its privacy policy thoroughly to learn exactly what sort of information it will be logging, how long the information will remain stored on its servers, how the information is used, and whether the VPN provider has taken necessary precautions to secure its data storage centers from foreign threats.
Server Locations
A lot of internet users turn to VPN apps to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that is either only available in a specific country or is banned by their government or local internet service provider (ISP). This is achieved by shifting virtual location, which involves tunneling the traffic to a VPN server in a country of choice and then accessing the desired content from there.
If attaining easy and unhindered access to geo-fenced content perfectly describes your intent, then be sure to pay close attention to the locations where the VPN app you’re considering has its servers located. For example, if you want to access US-specific content, then make sure there’s a server located there.
Connection Speed and Bandwidth Limitation
No matter what VPN service you use, it will almost always throttle your internet’s speed. That’s inevitable so you really shouldn’t hope for a miracle. However, this dip in speed doesn’t have to be too significant, which is where the make of the app and its network of servers come in. To find out how well a VPN app of your choice ranks in this area, you will need to do a bit of research and read reviews written by users and professionals.
Another factor that you need to consider is the amount of bandwidth that you’ll be getting. It doesn’t really make a great deal of sense to be paying money to use a VPN service that imposes a limit on the amount of data you can transfer during a specified time. In case a VPN provider provides some kind of logical justification for this limitation and compensates for it through additional features, or if you don’t plan on using VPN too frequently, then your willingness to settle for a slight compromise may increase.
Device and OS Compatibility
You would probably want to keep your data protected and enjoy an unrestricted internet access on more than just one device. That is why you must always ensure that the VPN service you’re considering supports multiple simultaneous connections. This way if you later change your device or start using an additional device for online browsing and transferring sensitive data over the internet, you won’t need to invest in another app.
OS compatibility is also a crucial consideration. You may be using an Android device at the time of investing in a VPN, but what if you later switch to an iPhone? Irrespective of the unlikeliness of that happening, keep yourself future-proof by refraining from completely ruling out the possibility. Therefore, be sure to confirm a VPN app’s support for multiple OS.
Price
Although there are plenty of free VPNs around and even some of the most renowned VPN providers offer an abbreviated version of their actual product, you may still find yourself leaning towards the paid version due to premium features. This, of course, makes price an integral factor since you will need to be paying a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual subscription fee.
Before you commit to any app, make sure it justifies the price. Go through its list of features, compare them to what it’s offering in its free version, and read user and professional reviews to decide whether investing in the paid version is worth it or not. It has generally been observed that paid VPN apps perform much better than their free counterparts. Therefore, try not to let the price of a VPN service influence your decision too much.
In a time where we have reached a plateau in terms of innovation in the smartphone segment, companies have to resort to doing things differently in order to stand out in a sea full of choices. Nomu has built its brand around ruggedness, about getting things done in environments where no other phone can, about not worrying about the well-being of your device in certain conditions. The Nomu S30 is the company’s flagship device, packing the best specs out of the trilogy (completed by the Nomu S10 and S20). As such, Nomu has tried to incorporate everything it’s got, from NFC to useful software features, from a 16MP camera to an impressively loud speaker, from a 1080p screen to an elegant body design.
Specs
Being the flagship phone by Nomu, the phone packs really good components under the hood.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
5.5-inch display at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution; Gorilla Glass 4
Octa-core MediaTek 2.0GHz processor
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage; microSD expansion card slot for 32GB
13-megapixel (interpolated to 16-megapixel) rear camera
5-megapixel (interpolated to 8-megapixel)front-facing camera
Dual-SIM
5000mAh battery
2G GSM:850/900/1800/1900(B5/B8/B3/B2)
3G WCDMA:900/2100(B8/B1)
4G FDD-LTE:850/900/1900/2100(B5/B8/B2/B1)
FDD-LTE:800/900/1800/2100/2600(B1/B3/B7/B8/B20)
WiFi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4GHz
Bluetooth: 4.0 BLE
NFC
Unlike its smaller, less powerful brother, the Nomu S30 actually has two SIM slots and a microSD card, so you won’t have to compromise anything.
Initial Impressions and Setup
The back of the device is plastic, with a nice carbon fiber pattern.
Nomu tried to keep the device packaging as uncomplicated and straightforward as possible. The box is a light brown package with the Nomu logo on the center and not much else. Inside, you’ll find the phone and, below it, some instruction booklets, a pair of headphones and a charger. Keep in mind that it is designed for European outlets, so, in order to charge your phone in the United States and some places of Latin America, you will need an adapter.
Unlike the Nomu S10, the S30 takes you to the usual Android configuration process. This means that you can’t use your device until you finish the lengthy setup process. I can’t figure out with the S30 has a different setup process than the S10, but I like the S10’s approach much more.
Hardware and Build Quality
Just as Scott mentioned on his initial impressions article, the Nomu S30 doesn’t look like a rugged device. You can see elements that both the S10 and the S30 share, such as the distinctive corners of the device or the flaps that protect the ports, but other than that, they look very different.
At the bottom of the Gorilla Glass 4 screen, you’ll find three capacitive buttons: Menu, Home, and Back. More on these buttons later. The front of the device is only disrupted otherwise by the front-facing camera and the earpiece. A hole for the microphone can be seen at the bottom left of the device, something I haven’t seen in a phone for a while.
The device has a plastic shell with carbon fiber patterns on the back. There’s also a door just below the camera/flash combo that houses the ports for the SIM and microSD cards. At the top of the device is the headphone jack, while at the bottom you’ll find the microUSB port (which is curiously aligned to the left of the device and not to the center). Both are covered by rubber flaps.
The sides of the device are covered by a silver metal frame. The right side is the home of the volume keys and the power button, while the left side has a button that can be mapped to different functions (more on that later).
Personally, I dig the aspect of the device. It looks elegant, different from the glass/metal craze that is invading several OEMs these days and does a good job in hiding the ruggedness of the device behind its looks. Something I dislike is the huge bezels that the device has. It makes the phone unnecessarily big, and it is more noticeable when you compare it to other 5.5-inch devices. Sure, most of them don’t pack a 5000mAh battery, so that’s the tradeoff you have to make in order to get a phone with a big battery.
Also, I have to mention that the device is heavier than you might me accustomed to. I’m coming from an iPhone, but before that, I had a Nexus 6, which is probably the heaviest device I’ve ever owned. At 260 grams, it is a full 76 grams heavier than the Nexus 6 and more than 100 grams heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S7. Keep in mind the battery that this device has, though.
The IP68 water resistance rating this phone holds means that you can submerge it in water for 30 minutes up to 1.5 meters. This means that you can pour your favorite liquid over it and the S30 will be fine.
The device has capacitive keys that weren’t working correctly for me.
Here’s the problem: my capacitive keys are nuts. They just love to press themselves for no reason. You think that you finally got the perfect angle for that shot? It would be a shame if the back button presses by itself. In the middle of a very important conversation on Telegram? Home button for you, sir. Sometimes when you are on the home screen, you see the phone struggling with itself, pressing the menu button and then the back button repeatedly with no reason at all. It’s sad and thus, it diminishes my enjoyment using it. Scott reported this same thing as well.
We don’t know the reason, but if it was because of water or shipping, then this leaves the company in a bad position. Being a phone that is supposed to handle water with ease, while being shock resistant, and then breaking at the first sign of unfavorable conditions doesn’t speak well about its ruggedness. We will work with Nomu to see if they can find the source of the issue and update the article if we get some news.
Screen
The Sharp-produced 5.5″ 1080p panel manages to produce very vibrant images. Everything seems to pop out of the screen. Sure, this is no Samsung AMOLED, but the screen on this device is very respectable and more than enough for whatever activities you plan to do on the device. I feel like it could get a little bit brighter, but that is a minor thing that doesn’t cut away from the enjoyment of using it.
Also, it’s good to know that it doesn’t have the weird defects the Nomu S10 has, so that’s a plus. I certainly was expecting an improvement from the S10, but the vibrant colors, deep darks and overall clearness of the screen left me pleasantly surprised.
Unfortunately, the screen is almost unusable when wet, even if it is just a little bit. True, most screens can handle just a certain amount of water before they have no idea of what is going on, but the Nomu S30 is particularly bad at this. It’s a real surprise since the phone is supposed to fare well under conditions that are not ideal.
Something that surprised me is that the screen is weird under normal conditions, too. If I want to change the home screen’s page, but I just drag halfway and keep holding, the icons jump around until I let go, something I have never seen in a modern smartphone. Sometimes, it registers my scrolls as clicks too, leading to a lot of undesired actions and navigation. Sometimes it doesn’t register my touches at all. Since the screen is the main source of user input, having a panel that doesn’t work obliterated the enjoyment I got out of this device.
Speakers and Audio
Since the speaker is at the bottom, the device doesn’t have to be in a specific position to get the most out of it.
The bottom-facing speaker means that you can actually leave your phone on the table and it will work flawlessly. It seems like loudness is pretty high on Nomu’s list of priorities because, just as the Nomu S10, this speaker can get very loud. Unfortunately, at high volumes, some quality is lost, but it is not as bad as with the Nomu S10.
Being a drummer, I pay close attention to the drumming lines in songs, so I was disappointed when I could barely hear the drums in Kamelot’s “Insomnia” or Delain’s “Fire With Fire.” However, quality is decent enough to use the phone as a speaker for some nice background music in one of those improvised moments where you don’t have a proper speaker nearby.
Quality from headphones was good enough too. When I don’t have my iPod nearby, Spotify is my product of choice, and I had no issues outputting music through my headphones while walking to my lectures.
Connectivity
This aspect of the phone could make or break it for you. Apparently, Nomu has very few intentions of penetrating the US market, since its phones don’t include some of the necessary bands for LTE connectivity. This means that you could be stuck in 3G (or even in 2G!). As I live in Estonia, the phone actually has the bands necessary for LTE reception.
Remember checking the compatible bands before clicking the Buy button.
I think these days, very few phones have problems with call quality or connectivity. Some get a bit more reception than others, but that’s about it. This phone got the same signal strength as my iPhone 6 and the Nomu S10 review unit. Also, WiFi behaved the same as with other devices I have (not laptops, obviously), so there’s no surprises in this area.
Software
Stock Android!
Thank you, Nomu! The company decided to ship the S30 with an almost stock Android 6.0 build. Also, the few things that were added are actually useful! Weird, right? Let’s dig further.
The stock launcher is pretty barebones. Also, for some reason, it isn’t the same as the S10’s launcher. In the S30, the app drawer features horizontal paged navigation, which is a deviation of what Google is doing with the Google Now Launcher and the Pixel Launcher. Other than that, the minimum features are included and not much else. A problem with the S10 was that some of its apps had icons from the Jelly Bean era, and some Google apps were not installed by default. This is not a problem from the S30, as the only missing app is YouTube. Even Android Pay is included.
The quick settings have a new member that is not included in stock Android: Audio profiles. This lets you change quickly from four different presents: General, Silent, Meeting and Outdoor. It is a very useful and fast way of changing from different environments.
Curiously, one of the highlights of the Nomu S10, Supershots, is not included here. You can only take a screenshot and it will be saved for you. That’s it. No editing, no cropping, no scoll, nothing.
Also, Nomu has included some gestures when the screen is off. This includes double tap to wake, swipe up (lights up the screen and unlocks), launch apps by drawing letters on the screen while it is off and control music through gestures. I’m glad to say that all of them work extremely well and add to the experience. More OEMs should consider adding this kind of useful stuff to their Android builds.
Other interesting features added to the software are Glove Mode, Flip to Mute (incoming calls, alarm, music, and videos), and a built-in task cleaner. Also, you can change what the previously mentioned left button does. You can choose between triggering an app or an SOS situation. To expand on this last feature, the S30 lets you call an emergency number and send an SMS to it. We hope you never have to use that function, but it’s there for you anyways.
Performance
For those of you interested in benchmarks, the phone scored 52149 in AnTuTu.
This puts it fairly above the Meizu M3 Note, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8. The difference between the S30 and the Xiaomi Mi 4s is almost 9000, while it has similar values to devices like the HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and the Nubia Z9 Max.
Fortunately, this is translated into good performance in real life. Every task is a breeze, the phone never lags (except when using Facebook, but that isn’t the phone’s fault) and gaming on it is really good. Even when trying some N.O.V.A. 3, the phone was able to keep up a produce great graphics. I didn’t notice any slowdowns or skipped frames, even when there was a lot going on.
Going from one app to another through the task switcher is swift, thanks to the 4GB of RAM. Unless you’re doing something extremely heavy and processor-demanding, there’s no way the performance of the S30 will leave you disappointed.
Camera
The 13MP (interpolated to 16MP), Sony-produced, f/2.0 lens camera aided by a single flash behaves exactly like me in university (and almost every human being, for that matter): really good in some situations, decent in some of them and laughably bad in others. If you are here looking for a Samsung Galaxy S7 camera experience, then you will have a bad time. However, if you just want to take some shots of things happening around you, then the S30 does a pretty good job at it… Except in nighttime.
Living in a place that has been covered in snow almost every day since the end of October, the pictures that I can take are mostly white with cloudy skies. I noticed that the camera sometimes struggle to capture the sky. It just gives up and gives you a white thing on top. If you are patient enough, then the camera can actually make peace with it and capture its details. Other than that, the camera behaves decently enough, although it tends to blur things a little sometimes without no reason.
The problem comes when the sun sets. Night pictures are so unbelievably bad. You can judge from the samples yourself.
I had a Siemens C66 that behaved better than this in night time. Well, not really, but I can’t recall a camera that performed so poorly in night conditions.
Also, on both situations previously mentioned, the camera was really slow to focus and to actually take the shot. This was exacerbated in night shots, where the camera just stood there doing nothing for 2-3 seconds.
Indoor shots performed much better and are definitely the strength of this camera. Photos taken inside are detailed and have very vivid colors. Also, almost none of the lag found on other situations was found here.
Regarding the front camera, as long as you are not planning on printing them or something similar, you’ll be fine. Just don’t rely on it for taking decent pictures of that once-in-a-lifetime trip you’re about to make.
Battery
Nice functions have been added to the software and they don’t affect battery life in a noticeable way.
As with the Nomu S10, battery life is one of the S30’s strongest points. Featuring a massive 5000mAh battery, it puts my iPhone 6’s battery to shame (but then, which phone doesn’t?). I reported that the Nomu S10 could last three days on a single charge easily. The S30 has less endurance, with two days being easily achievable and maybe two and a half if you are careful enough. Still, two days is pretty good and I have no complaints about it.
Something to note, when I received the unit, it was fully discharged. I failed to bring it back to life using the phone’s included charger. On a last try to revive the phone, I used my iPhone’s charger, and then it worked. Not sure if this is something about my device or if it is a widespread issue, but either way, I’m still worried about the QA process that this company has.
Conclusion
Just as the S10, the Nomu S30 left a bitter taste in my mouth. Even though it has everything to succeed, it has these punctual but almost unforgivable mistakes that keeps it from reaching the glory. While some stuff is really good, such as performance, battery life, software and the speaker, other aspects like the poor camera, dodgy screen and build quality issues are very evident and make this device difficult to recommend.
If they can get these issues sorted out, then Nomu will have a winner in their hands. In it’s current state, however, the bad things outweigh in importance the good things. Sure, it’s nice to have a phone with a big battery so you don’t have to worry about charging it every day, but it’s of no use if your capacitive keys keep messing with you and your actions.
If you still want to buy the phone and see if you have better luck than I do, you can do it from these outlets:
Prices vary from $230 to $270, but you shouldn’t pay more than that. To get more information about the phone, head to Nomu’s official site. They have everything laid out in a nice way.
Remember we told you the 128GB Pixel XL was in high demand at Verizon? The carrier started sales of the Pixel in October 2016, but those who ordered the beefier Pixel XL model were notified their phone might not arrive until early 2017.
Well it appears Verizon is still having a hard time keeping up with high demand for the smartphone. You’re not going to like this. A Phone Arena reader received an email from Verizon which alerted him his Pixel XL won’t be shipped until March 3. The user purchased the phone during Verizon’s Black Friday sale on November 26.
The previous shipping date was January 6, but now it looks like 128GB Pixel XL buyers are being slammed with an additional 3-month! waiting time. Which is quite outrageous! Four months waiting for a phone? We wouldn’t blame customers if they get fed up with all the waiting and decided to go for another phone. That’s the only sensible solution to this mess!
Now if you look at the Verizon page, you can see that the estimated shipping date for the 32GB Pixel XL is March 3, as well. Now if you truly want a Pixel from Verizon, your best bet would be to order a 32GB Pixel. The 128GB Pixel’s estimated delivery date is January 27 and there’s no guarantee that won’t change.
For customers who want a Pixel, but haven’t decided where to buy it from we recommend looking towards Google’s own Store or Project Fi, unless you want to play the waiting game with Verizon for God knows how long.
Google and HTC should do something about speeding up the production process. It seems customers really love the Pixel, but if such delays keep happening we’re afraid users might migrate towards other smartphone providers.
With a selling system that promises to be as easy as posting an Instagram picture Carousell listings can be done in as little as 30 seconds. There are no fees associated with selling and the service does not take a commission off the top. Carousell Groups make it easy to buy and sell in interest groups, neighborhood groups, school groups and other trusted manners.
Aptly named Israeli company, Consumer Physics unveiled the world’s first smartphone that features a molecular scanner. The device is called Changhong H2 and features a SCiO sensor which can correctly identify the composition on several materials. The phone achieves that by connecting to the Internet and tapping into information stored on a server.
What’s even more interesting is that the Changhong H2 is not an experimental phone. No, it will actually go on sale in China sometime in June with a price-tag of around $435.
Both smartphones feature a 5.5-inch panel with FHD resolution (approx. 401ppi), so if you’re looking for a slightly larger handset with an affordable price-tag, you can either chose either the Honor or the ZTE. It depends on your preference. Let’s see what else these two smartphones have going for them.
The Honor 6X features one of Huawei’s own processor, the Kirin 655 which is clocked slightly higher than the Snapdragon 625. Both are octa-core affairs destined for the middle-range sector and are capable of sustaining most daily operations without much fuss.
The dual camera setup on the ZTE Blade V8 Pro seems a bit more advanced. The phone has a dual 13MP main camera with Phase Detection Autofocus and dual-LED flash plus an 8MP selfie snapper capable of shooting 1080p video.
Given that both phones feature a 5.5-inch display with FHD resolution and the two chipsets powering the devices will exert similar demands, the Honor 6X will probably offer a longer life cycle. Especially with the Android 7.0 Nougat update coming. However, the difference is not going to be out of this world.
As you can see the ZTE Blade V8 Pro is a bit more affordable. Also users who order the phone from 
As expected, the device bundles a solid set of specs which includes a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution and a Snapdragon 625 processor under the hood. If this is indeed the real upcoming Moto G5 Plus, then we should see it arrive with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, a 13MP/5MP camera duo and a 3,080 mAh battery.
The seller does not say how he or she managed to get their hands on this unreleased device. And given that you can spot the “Motorola confidential property, not for sale” mark in the picture, it might not have been exactly legal.
At the time of writing this article, the post has disappeared from OLX. Luckily someone on 
