Tuesday 30 April 2019

DEAL: Samsung Will Still Give You $200 Off the Galaxy S10 for Trading in Any Smartphone

Samsung probably won’t give you $550-off through trade-ins on the Galaxy S10 again, but they still have good deals available.

For example, trading in any working smartphone will get you $200 off today. It could be from 2010, you just need to make sure it turns on, has been factory reset, and doesn’t have cracks. You could get up to $300 off with other trades too, but the $200 is the best value right now, since there is a good chance you have a random old smartphone sitting around in a drawer or closet. Seriously, go dig in there and find one.

In addition to the $300 or $200 off, depending on the Galaxy S10 you want, you could get freebies. The Galaxy S10e 256GB comes with a free Samsung Duo Charger. If you buy a 512GB regular S10, you’ll get both the Duo Charger and a pair of Galaxy Buds.

Worried about Samsung’s trade-in program? Check this post out.

Shop Samsung Galaxy S10

Learn a new language by listening to catchy tunes for $15 with Earworms MBT

Learning a new language is quite tough, and yet we can learn the lyrics and melody of a new hit song within minutes! That’s because our mind instinctively picks up on memorable tunes, a phenomenon known as “earworm”. Combining an earworm with language association makes learning a new language much easier, which is where Earworms MBT comes in, and it’s on sale for $14.99.

Earworms Musical Brain Training (MBT) is a language learning tool that plays music filled with rhythmic repetitions to help you subconsciously learn verbs, nouns, and connecting words. By memorizing these tunes you’ll be able to string together phrases and entire sentences to help you survive real-world scenarios such as ordering food or hailing a taxi. This deal comes with Volumes 1-3 in each available language, with each language offering over 200 minutes of continuous audio.

With Earworms MBT, learning a new language is as simple as listening to some catchy tunes. You can learn Italian, German, French, and both Latin American and European Spanish with Earworms MBT for just $14.99.

Earworms MBT Language Learning Bundle Vol. 1-3 - $14.99

See Deal

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G launching in Switzerland on May 2

Sunrise customers can get hands-on with Xiaomi's first 5G phone that same day.

On April 30, Xiaomi announced that its first 5G capable phone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, is ready to launch with sales beginning in Switzerland starting May 2. It will launch on the Swiss network Sunrise and customers can visit Sunrise stores beginning May 2 to get hands-on with the device and feel the raw speed of 5G networks.

Xiaomi first unveiled the Mi Mix 3 back in October of last year with the promise of a 5G variant of the device to come at a later date. We have since seen it pop up at MWC, but now it is making its way to Switzerland via the Sunrise mobile network that offers 5G coverage to over 150 cities and locations.

Unlike the original Mi Mix 3 which uses a Snapdragon 845, the 5G version uses the faster Snapdragon 855 and the X50 5G modem capable of connecting to sub-6GHz signals for up to gigabit-class download speeds. The Mi Mix 3 5G also includes 6GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and dual cameras on the back and front of the device.

One of the Mi Mix 3's claims to fame is the nearly bezel-less display, which it achieves by utilizing a sliding design to allow for the selfie cameras to remain hidden when not in use.

Sliding fun

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3

$500 at Amazon

No notch no problem

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 offers plenty of performance with a Snapdragon 845 and 6GB of RAM. Not only will it give you great performance, but it'll also turn heads with its sliding design that hides the selfie cameras and allows for a nearly bezel-less screen.

A guide to finding your new favorite Chromebook keyboard!

Once upon a time, Chrome OS only came on laptops that had a keyboard built-in, but now we have Chromeboxes, Chromebits and Chrome tablets. No matter what form yours seems to take, one thing remains absolutely clear: a good keyboard is essential! Chrome OS plays well with most keyboards on the market — you might need to remember which F key corresponds to which Chrome function — and whether you're looking for a travel-friendly keyboard to replace your Chromebook's sticking keys or need a wireless keyboard to use in bed, we've got a keyboard for everyone!

Does everything well

Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

Staff pick

The Logitech K380 is our long-standing favorite Chrome OS replacement keyboard because of its long battery life, near universal compatibility, and ability to switch back and forth between three devices quickly using the device buttons on the top left corner of the board.

$30 at Amazon

Great for students and travelers

iClever Wireless Folding Keyboard with 3-Color Backlight

Most folding keyboards have gaps, shrunken keys, no stability, or all three, but not iClever! The tri-colored backlighting is a nice touch, but being a regular-sized, solidly stable keyboard that can fold up compactly, packs well, and works hard more than earns it a spot in our gear bags.

$47 at Amazon

Flexible wireless upgrade

Logitech K780 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

This is the full, 104-key version of our beloved K380. It comes with a Logitech Unifying Receiver in case you need to use it with a non-Bluetooth device or 2.4 Ghz wireless mouse. Prop up phones, tablets, or notes while you work with the built-in kickstand and get to work!

$60 at Amazon

Budget pick

Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo

Logitech makes keyboards at every price point, but if you want a wireless keyboard for cheap, the MK270 will get you by easily. This mouse/keyboard combo uses a Logitech Unifying Receiver, which you can easily hide in the mouse when they're not in use.

$20 at Amazon

Go mechanical

AUKEY KM-G6 LED Backlit Mechanical Keyboard

If you really want to upgrade your keyboard experience, ditch the membranes and grab a mechanical keyboard. This compact beauty has Outemu Blue Switches — clicky like an old IBM Model M — 6-color LED backlighting for late night homework, and a water-resistant design for the spill-prone among us.

$33 at Amazon

Rocking retro & futureproof

Azio Retro Classic

Want a super premium keyboard that works wireless or wired and looks drop-dead delightful? Save up your paychecks and treat yo' self to this backlit Bluetooth keyboard with clicky mechanical switches, a 6,000 mAh battery, and a USB-C cable for charging or hardwired use.

$220 at Amazon

Go wireless or go home

Whether you intend to use this keyboard at home or on the go, a wireless keyboard is the best bet. They're great for using on the couch, on the bed, or in a home office that's already overrun with cables. Most Chromebooks these days still come with at least one USB-A port for a wireless adapter like the one included with the Logitech K780, but Bluetooth keyboards like the Azio Retro Classic don't have to hassle with adapters at all. The Azio even lets you use it hardwired with a USB-C cable, which is an awesome perk, but for that price, it should be able to do it all, right?

I really, really want an Azio, but until I get my hands on one, I'm happy to have an AUKEY mechanical keyboard to clickety-clack away on at home. Of course, I live alone, but if a loud keyboard could drive your family and/or coworkers to homicide, you can always go with the tried and true Logitech K380. The K380's Bluetooth connection works with damn near everything and the ability to switch between your phone and Chromebook can be a godsend for live-tweeting a jaw-dropping finale— I mean for homework! Totally great for homework!

Samsung losing more ground in India while Vivo gobbles it up

Samsung lost its top spot in India to Xiaomi a little over a year ago now (whether Samsung wants to admit it or not). Although there doesn’t appear to be any chance in the near future of the company losing its second-place slot, the latest smartphone shipment estimates paint a bleak picture for the South Korean electronics giant.

According to Canalys, Samsung shipped 7.3 million smartphones in India during the first quarter of 2019. That’s a small (but significant) drop of 200,000 units as compared to the first quarter of 2018.

You can buy three new Samsung tablets starting today

AT&T If you're in the market for an Android tablet, today is a big day for you: there are now three new Samsung tablets available to order ranging in price from $230 all the …

Of the top four Indian smartphone vendors — Xiaomi, Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo, in that order — Samsung is the only brand to ship fewer smartphones in the country year-over-year.

To make matters worse, Samsung also lost Indian market share this past quarter by a little less than one percent.

Samsung’s troubles in India reflect the company’s woes throughout the rest of the world, so these results aren’t too surprising. However, India is a very important market for all smartphone vendors as its one of the few markets that’s still growing, making it an opportunity for revenue. Samsung’s share shrinking is definitely bad news.

Canalys

It wasn’t all dour news in India, though. Number one vendor Xiaomi grew its market share by four percent and shipped 400,000 more smartphones than it did the previous year. The overall India market also grew by just under two percent — not an excessive amount of growth, but growth nonetheless.

Here are the best Samsung Galaxy chargers

In the Android smartphone world, Samsung the biggest game in town. Its Galaxy-branded handsets, including the recent Galaxy Note 9, and the Galaxy S10 series have all been sales hits. These phones, along with some …

The real star of India right now, though, is Vivo. According to Canalys, Vivo shipped 2.4 million more smartphones in India as compared to Q1 2018, a growth of over 100 percent. This increased its market share from 7.3 percent to 15 percent, handily securing its third-place slot on the leaderboard.

Also, the young company Realme — itself an offshoot of Oppo — made significant gains shipping 1.3 million units. We can’t compare that number to Q1 2018 because the company wasn’t active then, which is pretty impressive growth.

You can read the full report from Canalys here.

NEXT: Report: Chinese smartphones are dominating in India, but so are Indian feature phones

Enter the GRID Autosport race early, private beta sign-ups now live

The Android port of GRID Autosport has been a long time coming. Back at the tail end of 2017, we learned that the Android version would be delayed until 2018, but then at the end of that year, Feral Interactive announced that GRID Autosport would officially land on the Play Store sometime in 2019. Well, this most recent time frame appears to be holding true since the developer recently announced a private beta program, and if you would like to take part, you can sign-up through a Google Form for consideration.

Enter the GRID Autosport race early, private beta sign-ups now live was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Facebook Messenger getting a desktop app, end-to-end encryption, and more

Facebook's also creating a new version of the mobile app that's smaller/faster.

Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, and in a now-removed blog post published ahead of its annual F8 developer conference, Facebook announced a heap of new features and changes coming to the platform later this year.

First on the list, Facebook is creating another version of the Messenger mobile app. Referred to as "Project LightSpeed", the app will be able to launch in under two seconds and weigh in at just 30MB. Unlike Messenger Lite that's designed for low-end hardware and omits some of Messenger's more high-end features, Project LightSpeed will offer the full Messenger experience but be based on "an entirely new code base." It's unclear when the app will be ready, however, as Facebook simply notes that it'll "take time to roll out."

That's not the only new Messenger app Facebook's working on, however. Also announced by the company is a Messenger desktop client for Windows and macOS. You'll be able to access all of your messages, video chat, and more in the desktop app, and according to Facebook, it'll be released at some point this year.

In addition to new apps, Facebook's also making a big push to have Messenger become more social than it is in its current form. On this note, a "Watch Together" feature is being tested that allows users to join a virtual room and watch videos with one another simultaneously. Along with that, Facebook also shared screenshots of a new Friends section that'll help you find pictures, videos, and more from your closest friends.

Last but certainly not least, Facebook is working on designing Messenger to be completely end-to-end encrypted. Although we don't have a date as to when this will be available, Facebook does note that it's "committed to making Messenger end-to-end encrypted by default."

Should you buy Facebook Portal?

Motorola Moto G7 Power is headed to Verizon, fantastic battery life in tow

Back in February, when Motorola announced its new Moto G7 smartphone series, it mentioned that one particular model - Moto G7 Power - would be released via two major carriers: T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile (alongside its prepaid brand Metro) started selling the G7 Power last week, and now it looks like the handset is about to be launched by Verizon, too.

We think that the largest US carrier is really close to releasing the Moto G7 Power. That's because we discovered a Verizon branded version of the phone on Best Buy's website - there's no launch ...

OnePlus 7 rumor review: price, release date, and new features

By now, you probably already know: there will be not one, but two different OnePlus devices: a OnePlus 7 model and then an advanced OnePlus 7 Pro version with a brand new generation of screen that promises to outdo all existing phones in terms of color accuracy and smoothness.

With all the leaks, rumors and teasers by OnePlus, we now have a nearly ...

Samsung Galaxy Fold vs the foldable Motorola Razr: how are they different?

With big names like Samsung and Huawei investing heavily in this new form factor, it seems safe to say that foldable phones are here to stay. And we have nothing against that. The smartphone space was starting to feel stagnant with all offerings looking pretty much identical, so a little meaningful innovation is more than welcome right now.

What we don't mind either is that a particularly well-known brand may be about to launch a foldable smartphone of its own. Rumor has it that Motorola is working on a foldable Razr phone, and just recently, leaked renders gave us a glimpse of what that ...

Wells Fargo offers decent cash back credit card

Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Mobile Nations may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.

Those who are looking for a new credit card but don't travel much and don't care about hotel status are in luck. There are numerous simple and pure cash back cards that might meet your needs. Today we'll talk about one of those options - the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card.

Right now, if you apply and are approved, you will earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending just $1,000 in the first three months of account opening. That's a pretty nice 20% return on your first thousand bucks. In addition to the bonus, you will earn a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases. This might lead many to immediately think about the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which also offers the same flat earning rate. However, there's an elevated cash back rate if you use your Cash Wise card through Google Pay or Apple Pay. Instead of the base 1.5%, you'll enjoy 1.8% on all purchases, an increase in the earnings rate of 20%. However, this elevated rate is only applicable for your first 12 months as a cardholder.

Straight cash

Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card

See at The Points Guy

This is a card for those who want a simple cash back card with no annual fee and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. And for a limited, cardholders can enjoy an elevated cash back rate by using Google or Apple Pay.

One additional benefit worth mentioning is cell phone insurance. Cardholders can receive up to $600 in protection on damage or theft of their mobile devices. To be eligible, you must be paying your monthly cellular bill with your Cash Wise card. If you're someone who is prone to dropping your phone, this could be a pretty useful benefit.

Though the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card might not wow anyone with its perks, it does offer a decent welcome bonus, good cell phone insurance, and charges no annual fee. If these are benefits that attract you, consider adding this card to your wallet.

Ingress: The Animation debuts on Netflix worldwide starting today

The anticipated anime series has arrived.

Last November with the launch of Ingress Prime, fans were teased with an anime show and told the Japanese series would be coming to Netflix someday. Well, that day has finally come as Ingress: The Animation is debuting worldwide on Netflix starting today.

With the worldwide launch of the series on Netflix, Ingress fans now have a new way to interact with the popular AR game without even leaving their couches. The series follows two main characters, Makato who can see the history of objects he touches, and Sarah who can see certain aspects of time and space. There's also a third character named Jack, but little is known about him right now.

Ingress: The Animation is based on the popular AR game Ingress created by Niantic. It launched over six years ago and uses a unique style of location-based gameplay. By combining the GPS capabilities of your phone and augmented reality, Ingress encouraged players to gather around real-world locations and team up for control of portals leaking Exotic Matter.

If the gameplay style sounds familiar, it should. Niantic is the team behind ever-popular Pokemon Go and the upcoming Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, but it was Ingress that laid the groundwork for both of these games. All of the Ingress fans and players are what helped shape the future of location-based games, and it'll be really interesting to see how the Ingress world transitions to this new medium.

World class streaming

Netflix

From $8.99 at Netflix

The best streaming has to offer

Netflix is the king of streaming networks with tons of content and the best originals around. There is an app for almost any device out there with a screen and plans start at $8.99 but go up to $15.99 for higher quality 4K streams and more user accounts.

The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 is pricey, flawed, and a joy to use

Premium Chromebooks are a niche product category; most Chromebooks in any price range can do pretty much all the same things. The difference comes in how well a particular device handles those tasks — and while HP's Chromebook x360 14 G1 is unlikely to convert anyone already against high-end Chrome OS devices on principle, it's an extremely competent laptop that's worth a look for anybody interested in a quality Chrome machine.

The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 is pricey, flawed, and a joy to use was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Google Maps can suggest the most bustling, interesting, or popular neighborhoods around you

Whether you're momentarily traveling to or have recently moved to a new country or city, you'll probably look at Google Maps or other travel and discovery apps to find places to visit nearby. The same can be true if you're just planning a trip, or if you've been living somewhere for a while but still want to discover new locations around you. Maps' Explore tab serves that purpose well, and has received a small update now to improve discovery of not just places, but also nearby areas or districts.

Google Maps can suggest the most bustling, interesting, or popular neighborhoods around you was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Huawei networking equipment for Vodafone found to have hidden backdoors

Yet another bad look for Huawei's global image.

Huawei's current presence in the global technology space is...not great. It's already banned in four major countries across the world, and thanks to a new report from Bloomberg, the image of the company is once again headed in the wrong direction.

Speaking with Bloomberg, Vodafone confirmed that it discovered vulnerabilities in Huawei-made equipment that it was using in 2011 and 2012. Per the report:

Europe's biggest phone company identified hidden backdoors in the software that could have given Huawei unauthorized access to the carrier's fixed-line network in Italy, a system that provides internet service to millions of homes and businesses.

Huawei was asked by Vodafone to remove the backdoors and "received assurances from the supplier that the issues were fixed." However, testing later revealed that nothing had actually been done.

Furthermore:

Vodafone also identified backdoors in parts of its fixed-access network known as optical service nodes, which are responsible for transporting internet traffic over optical fibers, and other parts called broadband network gateways, which handle subscriber authentication and access to the internet, the people said.

While it doesn't appear that this issue will have any serious impact on Huawei and Vodafone's relationship, another incident like this certainly doesn't bode well for Huawei as a whole. Vodafone's said that it's continued to work with the company thanks to its competitive pricing, so much so that Huawei is the fourth-largest supplier for it.

Huawei still has good relationships with the likes of China, South Korea, Italy, and others, but with 32.6% of the world's GDP already banning the company and another 2.3% likely to issue a ban, stories like this need to stop popping up if it wants a shot at redemption.

Huawei P30 + P30 Pro: Everything you need to know!

The best accessories for the Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is no longer a brand-new smartphone, but whether you've been using it since it came out in 2017 or recently picked one up at a discount, the Note 8 can be made even better when paired with some great accessories. There are a lot to choose from, but these are our favorites.

Slim, stylish, protective

Spigen Neo Hybrid

Staff pick

For just about every phone, one of the first cases we recommend is the Spigen Neo Hybrid. Available in six great colorways, the Neo Hybrid provides ample protection and style without adding too much bulk/heft. Even if you already have a Note 8 case, you'll still want to pick this up.

From $16 at Amazon

Look ma no wires

Samsung Qi Fast Charge Wireless Charger

Wireless charging is a fantastic feature on the Note 8, and if you want one of the best chargers to use it with, you'll want to pick up this one made by Samsung. It offers fast charging up to 1.4x more quickly, is available in two great leather finishes, and has an LED light to indicate your current charge status.

From $50 at Amazon

Expand your storage

Samsung EVO Select 256GB

Should you find yourself running out of storage on the Note 8, you can easily add a ton of extra room with this 256GB microSD card from Samsung. With fast read and write speeds, it's more than capable of handling things like 4K video, high-res pictures, and gaming. It also has a 10-year warranty!

$45 at Amazon

No shattered screens here

Whitestone Dome Screen Protector

Spending this much money on a screen protector might sound crazy, but the Whitestone Dome is— hands down — the best one you can buy for the Galaxy Note 8. The installation process does take some time, but once the protector is applied, it protects the entire screen (including the curved edges) with great precision and accuracy.

$50 at Amazon

Best buds

Samsung Galaxy Buds

Explicitly made with Samsung phones in mind, the Galaxy Buds are fantastic. They offer great sound for such a small package, are water resistant, and have onboard storage for saving your songs for offline use. They're also considerably smaller and lighter than the older Gear IconX.

$129 at Amazon

Power on the go

AUKEY 10,000mAh Power Bank with 18W USB-C and Quick Charge 3.0

Aukey's 10,000mAh power bank offers the best of both worlds: it charges your Note 8 at its maximum Quick Charge or USB-C PD speeds, and the power bank itself recharges quickly via USB-C PD. So before you take a trip, grab this bank to ensure your Note 8 doesn't run dead between in-flight movies.

$30 at Amazon

Stay connected

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

Without a doubt, the Galaxy Watch Active is one of the best smartwatches you can get — especially considering the price. It has a gorgeous AMOLED display, robust fitness tracking, built-in GPS, waterproofing, and NFC for Samsung Pay, not to mention the four great color options.

$200 at Samsung

Turns it into a desktop

Samsung DeX Pad

Did you know your Note 8 is more than a smartphone? When you plug it into the DeX Pad, it essentially transforms into a little portable desktop computer. Just connect the Pad with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and you're ready to start getting work done wherever you are.

$100 at Samsung

Explore new worlds

Samsung Gear VR

Get ready to transport yourself to a new world with the Samsung Gear VR. Powered by Oculus, the Gear VR offers immersive, high-quality virtual reality experiences wherever you are. You can play games, watch 360-degree video, interact in VR chat rooms, and so much more. The Gear VR isn't necessary, but wow is it a lot of fun.

$130 at Samsung

Soft and lovely

Samsung Alcantara Cover

Samsung's official Alcantara case for the Galaxy Note 8 is something special. It's incredibly soft and comfortable while also adding excellent protection to the phone without making it too bulky. You can get it in four different colors, and considering the craftsmanship, it's quite affordable.

From $15 at Amazon

Pump up the pool party

Tronsmart Force Bluetooth speaker

$60 at Amazon

This Bluetooth speaker has quick NFC pairing, and best of all, it charges with the same USB-C cable your Note 8 does. Do not doubt the IPX7 water resistance of this speaker; we threw it four stories into a pool and it's still kicking!

Charger for the car

Aukey Car Charger

A good car charger is an essential accessory for any smartphone, and for the Note 8, the one we recommend the most comes from Aukey. With two 2.4A USB ports, this charger delivers dependable charging speeds, has a built-in safeguard to protect against overheating, and includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

$9 at Amazon

If we had to choose

While we recommend all of the accessories on this list, we also don't expect you to go out and buy every single one.

If you only have room for the necessities and can't splurge on anything too fancy, we'd at least suggest picking up the Spigen Neo Hybrid and Whitestone Dome Screen Protector. These will protect your Galaxy Note 8 to ensure it stays safe throughout all of your daily use and are the two bare minimum accessories you should get.

On the other hand, if you have a budget which allows for some more frivolous purchases, the Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Buds are among our top choices. You don't necessarily need them, but they work beautifully with the Galaxy Note 8 and really do make your overall experience that much better.

The phone with the biggest battery in the world has been canceled

The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop was announced at MWC 2019 back in February as the smartphone with the world’s biggest battery. But just two months later, the product has been officially canceled.

The company behind Energizer’s recent devices, Avenir Telecom, chose to fund the smartphone via a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The goal was to raise a whopping $1.2 million which, at a price of $549 per phone, meant a minimum of almost 2,200 units had to be sold. But fast forward to today and this hasn’t happened.

According to the latest Indiegogo update, just $15,005 was ...

Energizer’s 18,000mAh phone is an Indiegogo disaster

The Energizer P18K Pop.

The Energizer P18K Pop, offering an 18,000mAh battery, has fallen short of its Indiegogo goal.
Avenir Telecom’s smartphone only managed to hit roughly one percent of its target.
It might be the thickest smartphone we’ve ever seen due to the massive battery.

The Energizer P18K Pop caught our eye at MWC 2019, owing to its gigantic battery and comical proportions. Unfortunately, the phone’s IndieGogo campaign failed by a massive margin.

The IndieGogo campaign, launched by Energizer brand licensee Avenir Telecom, had a $1.2 million goal. It only managed to hit $15,005, or just over one percent of its goal, according to The Verge. More specifically, the campaign only had 11 backers. To put that in perspective, it had fewer backers than the pricey Meizu Zero port-less phone.

The Energizer P18K Pop.

The Energizer P18K Pop offered a pop-up selfie camera mechanism (with a 16MP+2MP pairing), a 12MP+5MP+2MP triple rear camera trio, a Helio P70 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The star of the show was an 18,000mAh battery though, taking up to nine hours to fully charge. The battery is also responsible for the incredibly thick design (which bizarrely lacks a 3.5mm port as well).

It’s a little disappointing to see the campaign fail, as it’s always refreshing to see something different. There seems to be demand for bigger batteries from some consumers, even if it means the phone has to be a little thicker. Unfortunately for Avenir, users seem to agree that the power bank-sized phone was a step too far.

Android smartphones with the best battery life (January 2019)

Some people might think that the most important feature in a smartphone is its display size. Others believe it comes down to a phone's processor performance, or the amount of RAM, or even how much …

Then there was the asking price, as the Energizer P18K Pop had an early bird price of $549 (normally $699). Chinese brands like BlackView and Oukitel offer 10,000mAh+ phones at a much cheaper price tag. Sure, these devices don’t have an 18,000mAh battery or pop-up selfie camera, but you’ve still got a long-lasting phone with juice to spare for other gadgets.

We’ve contacted Avenir Telecom to find out whether the P18K Pop will still see the light of day. But a company statement on Indiegogo suggests that it could yet see a release.

“Although it didn’t reach its goal, we will work on further improvement on the P18K (design, thickness, etc.) as we do believe there is a rising interest for smartphones with incredible battery life, which can also be used as power banks,” read an excerpt of the statement.

NEXT: How to download images from Instagram — Android and PC

Get a refurbished Apple iPhone 7 at a big discount from Woot while you can

While Apple unceremoniously pulled the plug on the iPhone X just one year after releasing the company's first "all-screen" handset with Face ID recognition, the venerable iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are still sold through the official online store of the Cupertino-based tech giant... at arguably excessive starting prices of $449 and $569 respectively.

Of course, third-party retailers like Walmart and carriers like AT&T have been gracious enough to offer some pretty incredible discounts on the two 2016-released iOS 12-running devices over the past few months, and for 24 hours only, ...

This could be our first look at the foldable Motorola Razr smartphone

2019 is definitely the year of the foldable smartphone. We’ve seen Samsung and Huawei come forward with foldable handsets of their own, and to our surprise, it was rumored that Motorola could be working on a similar device with the revival of their iconic Razr flip phone, except designed with a more modern twist.

Now thanks to a series of renders posted on Slashleaks, it seems that we could have gotten our first look at what the upcoming phone could look like. As expected, the phone seems to very closely resemble the Razr when folded shut and is in line with an earlier discovered patent.

It does have a huge lip at the bottom that sticks out quite a bit, suggesting that the phone is meant to be kept closed when not in use. This is versus the other foldable phones from Samsung and Huawei which are still very much like smartphones, except when unfolded they are transformed into tablet-like devices.

As for the specs of the device, we have heard that the phone could be packing a 6.2-inch 2142×876 display and could also have a secondary display on the outside. Oddly enough, the chipset of choice has been rumored to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 and might be paired with 4-6GB of RAM. We would have thought that Motorola might prefer using the Snapdragon 855, but then again these are rumors so they’re probably best taken with a grain of salt.

Also based on the renders, assuming they’re accurate, it seems like the phone could only feature a single rear-facing camera. Perhaps Motorola is hoping that with its basic features, they can keep costs down (Samsung and Huawei’s foldable smartphones are priced starting at the $2,000 mark). There is no word on when Motorola might be officially announcing the handset, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Source: Slashleaks

Deal: 7 web development kits for less than the price of 1

For most of us, $29 isn’t going to break the bank. If you’ve got an interest in web development and a bit of drive to learn some handy new skills, it could be life-changing.

That’s the price that the Complete PHP and MySQL Web Development Bundle has been slashed to today. This combination of seven online training kits and 44 hours of expert instruction is enough to take you from an absolute beginner to web dev guru by the time you’re done.

I mean, if you consider that a supercomputer or AI-driven machine could be doing your job in 10 or 20 years time, what will you be doing?

The people who will still have lucrative jobs will be in IT and web development. If you can build high-functioning websites, you’re future-proof.

PHP and MySQL are two important tools used in web development, allowing you to create interactive content that integrates with databases to manage large amounts of data.

Across this set of learning kits, you’ll specialize in these useful applications, as well as frameworks which take them to the next level such as Yii and Laravel. Don’t worry, the web lingo will all make sense pretty quickly.

The full web development bundle:

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TikTok Finally Available Again From App Store, Google Play in India

The TikTok app is back on the Indian app stores soon after Madras HC lifted ban on the popular social media app last week.

Microsoft Launcher Gets a Cricket Widget to Provide Live Scores on Your Home Screen

Microsoft Launcher provides real-time cricket scores through the widget just when you unlock your smartphone.

11 things you need to know in tech today

Here’s your daily tech digest, by way of the DGiT Daily newsletter, for Tuesday, April 30, 2019!

Like what you’re reading? Then you can also subscribe and get the newsletter sent directly to your inbox — check out the box at the bottom of the page.

1. Google’s Pixel pressure

Google’s parent Alphabet reported earnings yesterday and while Google is doing very, very well, growth wasn’t as strong as predicted.

A brief look at the numbers before we talk Pixel, just because it’s amazing how extraordinary numbers can become so ordinary:

Alphabet reported a net income aka profit of $6.6 billion on $36.33 billion in revenue for the first three months of 2019.
That’s 17% more revenue when compared to the same first three months in 2018.
The company now has close to or around 100k staff.
But the signs are that Google’s advertising business can’t keep growing as fast as it has, reaching a saturation point.
That leaves growth for Google to be found elsewhere.
And on that point, the company’s “Other Bets,” which include ideas and companies like self-driving Waymo and Project Loon internet balloons, are expensive. Those efforts lost $868 million, or nearly $300m a month. Betting on big ideas costs money.
So what about Google’s hardware, from the Google Home to the Pixel, and so on?

Google’s hardware division:

First, it emerged that Pixel smartphones aren’t selling well, despite the launch of the Pixel 3.
Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat noted the decline on the company’s earnings call.
Sales were already miserly.
Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, was on the defensive about its hardware investments, talking up the Google Home smart speaker as a “market leader” and that “our commitment is very strong”.
More detail was given by CFO Porat, “hardware results reflect lower Year-on-Year sales of Pixel reflecting in part heavy promotional activity industry-wide given some of the recent pressures in the premium smartphone market.”

What does that mean exactly?

I’m not sure. Two “reflections” in one sentence is difficult to parse.
It looks like Google is saying: expensive smartphones aren’t selling as rapidly as in the past – even Apple can’t sell as many iPhones and no longer reports details.
Last night revealed Samsung made a lot less in Q1 too, although that was expected, and the Samsung Galaxy S10 sold well enough through marketing efforts (The Verge).
So, competitors have spent big on marketing, which has squeezed out the Pixel line.
And that would echo what we know: the flagship market is the toughest it ever has been. High-end phones from a year or two ago last longer, still perform well, people aren’t upgrading as rapidly because new phones cost more than ever, and new devices don’t pack enough must-have features.
You can listen in to the entire earnings call or just tap here for the moment at 7:51 when Porat mentions the Pixel issues, and see what you can decipher.

A remedy?

We’ve argued in the past that Google probably doesn’t even want market share from its Pixel line. Google just can’t be this bad at selling smartphones.
Pixels seem to exist as a platform for Google software, including its Pixel camera, rather than truly excellent hardware. They’re still expensive, they’re still not widely sold – only available on one carrier in the US.
It’s an expensive flagship that seems more like a hobby for Google.
The fix isn’t impossible: better hardware, better value, but only if Google wants to do so.
That might all change at Google I/O this year. Google confirmed last night it will make a hardware announcement.
Finally, we might see something different, and potentially aggressive?
Most expect the Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL: more budget-friendly devices with the same excellent camera.
Will that be enough?

2. “I spent a week with a $17 phone – here’s what I learned” (Android Authority).

3. The once-hot cute robotics startup Anki is shutting down after raising more than $200 million (Recode).

4. Vodafone found hidden backdoors in Huawei equipment back in 2011 and 2012, no evidence of data compromise though (Bloomberg).

5. OnePlus ad in NYT references that U2/Apple iTunes thing for some reason (AA).

6. Tesla is finding out what it’s like when China gets a little angry (Business Insider).

7. “Apple, enough with the slow-ass chargers” (Gizmodo).

8. The cameras YouTubers love: Video creators are using everything from Sony’s A7 III to RED’s Monstro 8K (Engadget).

9. Tame white Beluga whale with harness could be Russian weapon, say Norwegian experts (The Guardian).

10. Enough with the ‘Actually, electric cars pollute more’ bullsh-t already (Jalopnik).

11. “What felt like a useless piece of advice until you actually tried it?” (r/askreddit). (This blew my mind: “If you have a clogged nose, doing 8-10 pushups will temporarily clear it up.”)

DGiT Daily: Your Tech Resource

In case you don’t know, the DGiT Daily delivers a daily email that keeps you ahead of the curve for all tech news, opinions, and links to what’s going down in the planet’s most important field. You get all the context and insight you need, and all with a touch of fun, and the daily fun element that you otherwise miss.

OnePlus 7 Pro's camera and 90Hz display get tested with encouraging results

By now, it's no secret that there will be two OnePlus models, 7 and 7 Pro that are about to be hinted at during an event next week. While that may be surprising for OnePlus fans, it's not for everyone that has followed the recent developments in 5G-capable phones.

Samsung and LG both issued separate models in their flagship lines with 5G capabilities - the Galaxy S10 5G and LG V50 - for instance. Since the Snapdragon 855 chipset doesn't integrate Qualcomm's 5G modem, it has to be tacked on separately, increasing costs, build complexity and battery draw, so phone ...

Why should anyone buy the LG G8?

A quick word from the AC forums.

For years now, it seems like LG's phones have all been...fine. They're built well, have good cameras, and solid displays. Unfortunately, when compared to all of the other handsets being offered, LG doesn't do much of anything to help its phones truly stand out.

Someone in our AC forums recently asked the community to convince them to buy the LG G8, and this is how some folks responded.

LilSweetLin

04-28-2019 11:03 AM

“

Once you listen to music on LG phones with a pair of quality, high impedance headphones with the HiFi quad DAC and DTSX surround toggled on, it'll spoil you. There's nothing like it on another smartphone. The problem with them is their weak reception. That's why I had to sell my V30 after a couple weeks. Otherwise, the skin, while not light, is still less intrusive than something like TouchWiz of...
Reply

Mike Dee

04-28-2019 07:17 PM

“

LG phones that have dedicated DACs have good audio regardless of what's plugged in. It's even better though with decent headphones.
Reply

dby2011

04-29-2019 08:32 AM

“

People are probably not going to like what I have to say but someone has to say it. I bought into the DAC argument for LG phones with the V30S and G7. Never again. You can buy a nice DAC for any phone (check out Fii0 BTR1K) to use with your headphones. You CANNOT buy routine software security updates and routine OS support/updates. You CANNOT buy better camera functioning (some recent in depth...
Reply

Morty2264

04-29-2019 01:28 PM

“

I've had an LG phone in the past, so I'll do my best to answer your questions: 1) The LG Skin is a mixed bag - you either love it or you hate it! Since you've used Samsung phones, you know their OS's can be a little heavy. But, simple solution: if you don't like the skin, you can download a launcher to replace it! 2) Compared to an S7, the G8 will have a far superior camera. Phones like the...
Reply

What do you think? Why should anyone buy the LG G8?

Join the conversation in the forums!

5 New Android Apps to check out this week (APR 30, 2019)

The Google Play store is full of awesome apps that can help you with tasks or simply help you take a break and relax with an engaging game. But how do you know what ones you should try? We can help you with that! Every week, we will share awesome new apps that we think you will enjoy. The highlights from this week include a fitness app, an app for your kids, and a social podcast app.

Take a look at the list below to find the perfect new app for you this week.

Peloton Digital

Description: Total body workouts and more: introducing Peloton Digital. Redefine your fitness routine at home or on the go with a membership to Peloton Digital. Take one of 15+ daily live studio classes taught by elite NYC instructors, or choose from thousands of on-demand classes, with new classes added every single day. Join inspiring and motivating workouts from anywhere, including cycling, running, bootcamp, outdoor, floor, yoga and more via your Android phone or tablet.

Price: Free
In-app Purchases: Yes
Rating: 4.4/5
Installs: 100,000+

Install Peloton Digital

Swoot – Podcasts with friends

Description: Swoot is the podcast app where you get to see what your friends are listening to. Whether you’re new to podcasts or a long time listener, Swoot is the best way to discover podcasts you love and share them with friends.

Price: Free
In-app Purchases: No
Rating: 4.6/5
Installs: 1,000+

Install Swoot

Download Navi

Description: Download Navi is a free and open-source download manager. Features: Free and Open Source software (FOSS), Material Design, Multiple themes (Light, Dark, Black), Android TV support, Chrome OS support, Pause and resume downloads, Simultaneous downloads (default 3)

Price: Free
In-app Purchases: No
Rating: 4.2/5
Installs: 5,000+

Install Download Navi

Splash and Bubbles for Parents

Description: SPLASH AND BUBBLES FOR PARENTS is an app that provides families with conversation starters, videos, and activities to explore ocean science together. Developed in collaboration with early childhood and marine biology experts, the app can be used as a second-screen experience while watching the PBS KIDS series SPLASH AND BUBBLES. When synced with a SPLASH AND BUBBLES episode, the app provides information about relevant animals, environments, and science themes.

Price: Free
In-app Purchases: No
Rating: New
Installs: New

Install Splash and Bubbles for Parents

unrd

Description: Experience stories told through someone else’s phone. Unrd gives you access to a fictional character’s phone and lets you live their life through their messages. Receive real time messages, videos, photos, voice notes and even visit a character’s social profiles. Unrd has something for everyone: the edge of your seat thrillers, hide behind your sofa horror, gripping crime, and exciting romance.

Price: Free
In-app Purchases: Yes
Rating: 4.4/5
Installs: 100,000+

Install Unrd