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Oh, BLU. You make good phones for the money, but you've shown you just don't care about software time and time again. The brand new R1 Plus features some decent hardware, like 3GB of RAM and a 4000mAh battery, for $159.99... but it has Android 6.0 Marshmallow onboard. It's 2017, guys.
If you haven't been turned off by the 2015 software (not likely if you're a frequent reader of this site), the R1 Plus is actually a pretty good endurance machine. The Gorilla Glass 3-topped 5.5" 720p display with curved edges isn't super high-res, but that, along with the massive 4000mAh cell, should make the aluminum-bodied Plus last for quite a while. BLU claims that it has 30 days of standby and will last for 2-3 days without charging. Impressive.
Performance specs include a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 32GB of storage and a microSD slot. That shouldn't make for a speed demon, but it should be adequate in normal use, especially with that solid amount of RAM. It's also nice to see 32GB of storage becoming the norm on even sub-$200 devices.Out back, there's a 13MP shooter that's capable of a standard 1080p at 30fps - nothing special. On the front, though, there's an 8MP unit with LED flash, which should make for a great experience for those of you selfie-takers. There's also a headphone jack (thank God) and a rear-facing speaker.The BLU R1 Plus supports LTE (bands 2, 4, 7, 12, and 17), and is GSM unlocked for carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile. It only appears to come in one gray color, which does look pretty nice. It's already available at Amazon for 9.99, and should be at Best Buy shortly.Source: Amazon
The Facebook app and Messenger are commonly criticized for being too large and consuming too many resources. For people in emerging markets with less powerful devices, that can be an issue, which led Facebook to develop Facebook Lite and Messenger Lite. Now, Messenger Lite will be available to download in 132 more countries. Not in 'Murica, though.
The still-new Galaxy S8 is arguably the best phone on the market right now. The gorgeous Infinity Display and Snapdragon 835 are features that competitors just can't match. That being said, at $756 + tax for the Verizon model, it's on the higher end of the market. Even though it's been less than a week since pre-orders have been arriving on tech enthusiasts' doorsteps, you can save a pretty significant chunk of change by purchasing one from a Top Rated Plus seller on eBay.
People tend to think that vinyl skins for their slippery smartphones will greatly increase grip, but that's just not true. Sure, a skin will protect your $700 piece of glass and metal from fingerprints and scratches, and it might make it a teensy bit grippier, but you'd still be much better off by adding a bit of bulk and going with a case if you want real control over your phone.
Here at AP, we're quite fond of Ultimate Ears' MEGABOOM Bluetooth speaker. In our review of it from back in 2015, we found that it was tough, sounded great, and had a nice companion app. The only major sticking point - its MSRP of $299.99 (which it still retails for, by the way) makes it pretty pricey for a Bluetooth speaker. However, Best Buy is currently selling refurbished units of the MEGABOOM for just $129.99 a pop, making it a much more enticing value.This isn't the first time Best Buy has sold MEGABOOM refurbs, but $129.99 is the cheapest we've seen it being sold for. It's gone for $139.99 and $149.99 in the past from Best Buy, and Amazon currently wants 9.99 for the same refurbished speaker. But at the current price point, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better speaker; the MEGABOOM features loud 360-degree sound, IPX7 water resistance, shock resistance, NFC pairing, and a 20-hour battery. Plus, you can use it with Logitech's new beta companion app, which features Alexa support.Interested? Although there's only one color available, it is the least offensive (and in my opinion, best-looking) Charcoal black with blue accents. Shipping is free, and depending on your location, you may be able to pick it up at a store as well. Hit the source link below to grab one.Source: Best Buy
Remember those crazy expensive apps that only existed for you to show off how rich you are to your friends (and to make developers some quick cash from chumps)? The $999.99 'I Am Rich' iOS app from back in '08 comes to mind, but it turns out that those apps still exist on the Play Store. PENITAX, a Slovakia-based 'developer,' has just made all three of his lackluster $399.99 apps free for a limited time on the Play Store.
Android Auto has been hitting more and more cars lately, and the most recent recipients are several 2017 Citroën models. If you live in the US and you aren't a car enthusiast, you probably haven't heard of this French automaker, but their cars are pretty popular in regions such as Europe and Asia.
In the market for some new tech to play with, but don't want to waste too much of your hard-earned cash? Well, eBay has just the thing for you. For a limited time, the online marketplace is offering up to 20% off on tech items from select sellers on items over $25, with your maximum discount capped at $50.
Free or cheap international service is something many US carriers have been doing lately. Not having to buy a separate SIM card when you travel abroad is a very nice convenience, even if some aspects of your plan suffer a bit. Today, Sprint has announced that it's ramping up its international service to 165 countries, as well as some other new tidbits.
Yesterday, we found out in a teardown that version 2.13 of the Google Photos app brings video stabilization. This is a welcome addition, of course, as nobody enjoys watching shaky footage, but how well does it work? Thanks to some comparison videos that were shared on the net, we can now see that it's pretty damn impressive.
Did you like the Xperia XZ, but find it a crippling flaw that it couldn't shoot video in super slow-motion? Well, you're in luck, as the Xperia XZs is now available for purchase. It's capable of shooting a whopping 960fps with its new Exmor RS sensor. In the US, Amazon will sell you one of these bad boys for $699.As you may have guessed from the Apple-inspired nomenclature, the XZs is simply a slightly upgraded version of the XZ. Compared to the XZ, the XZs has a 19MP 'Motion Eye' sensor compared with the XZ's 23MP unit, an extra gigabyte of RAM (it's 4GB now), and double the internal storage at 64GB (a 32GB model was announced, but won't be sold in the US). Additionally, the Forest Blue (read: dark blue) color has been ditched for a lighter Ice Blue.[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibzZ4fhP9x0[/EMBED_YT]Otherwise, it has the same metal body, same 5.2" 1080p display, same Snapdragon 820, same microSD expansion, same 13MP front-facing camera, same 2900mAh battery, and same IP68 water resistance. Also worth noting is that the XZs is launching with Android 7.1 Nougat, which is awesome to see. Android O is still a ways off (its official name hasn't even been announced yet), so this is the best you can get for now.If you want an XZs, you can buy one now from Amazon for $699 in Black, Ice Blue, or Warm Silver. This time around, the US is getting a dual SIM model, though you'll only be able to use one SIM if you want to also use a microSD card.Oh, and ignore that one three-star review. Please don't be one of those people who reviews things on Amazon without actually having purchased them.Source: Amazon
LG isn't really well known for building strong, reliable smartphones. Last year's G5 was a build quality nightmare, and even its newer phones are still bootlooping (on a completely unrelated note, check out our Nexus 5X long-term review). With the G6, though, LG incorporated a beefy metal frame, as well as some other little tweaks that make this 2017 flagship one of the more durable phones that JerryRigEverything has tested.
Unlocked phones are great. You can take them to whichever carrier you desire, you usually have greater control over software modification, and you don't have to deal with contracts. Amazon seems to think so, too; as a result, it's running an "Amazon Unlocked Phone Event" that starts today, with discounts on Sony Xperia, LeEco, Lenovo, ASUS, and Coolpad smartphones.The discounts range from $40 on the lower-priced devices to $125 on the more expensive ones, but they're all pretty solid price reductions. You've probably heard of most of these phones, like the LeEco Le Pro3 and Le S3, as well as the Tango-equipped Phab2 Pro.Here's the full list:
Large displays such as TVs and monitors have been rapidly going down in price in these past few years. The Sony 4K Android TV we're featuring here is a perfect example of this; this exact model (XBR55X850D) retailed for $1600 just over a year ago when it came out, and now its price tag has more than halved to $769. What a world we live in.We're featuring the XBR55X850D (what a mouthful) on here because it runs Android TV, but it's an incredibly solid set otherwise as well. The screen is a 54.6" 3840x2160 unit with HDR capabilities, which is sure to look gorgeous playing any sort of content. It also features small bezels (always a plus on TVs) and a very nice-looking stand, should you choose not to mount it on a wall. Amazon has it for $998, and Best Buy for $999. $769 is a fantastic price.This TV is being sold on eBay by Buydig, a very reputable store (443,259 stars!) and comes with free shipping. Tax is only taken in NJ, and the listing specifically mentions that this is a USA model with a warranty. You'll have to hurry if you want one, though; eBay is showing that there's a "limited quantity available."Source: eBay
YouTube is constantly testing new interfaces or features, often at the same time. Case in point: we published an article about a new YouTube comments layout on Android just two days ago, and here you are, reading another one today. As you may have guessed from the title, the bottom nav bar is back, but with some nice tweaks from the last time we saw it. It's virtually identical to iOS's YouTube app now.
Yesterday, Google finally gave a reason on why most Android Wear watches still haven't received the long-awaited 2.0 update: "a bug found in final testing." Some commenters speculated that this might have something to do with Snapdragon chipsets, given how the first few watches that received the update used chipsets from other manufacturers. That being said, five of the six watches on today's list sport the Snapdragon 2100.
With USB-C getting more and more popular, some of you power users might want to measure the rate at which your devices are charging. Earlier this month, Satechi released a USB-C power meter that Jordan had some hands-on time with. However, Plugable sells one as well, and at its current price of $17.95, it might be worth picking up if you like to check this kind of stuff.Basically, this little tool allows you to monitor USB-C charging rates in both directions. It has an OLED display to clearly show the stats, and a chunky aluminum body that, while not as attractive as the Satechi's, gets the job done. It also comes with a one-year warranty. Artem actually compared this one with Satechi's, and while he liked the Satechi more, the Plugable wasn't at all bad. The on-sale price of $17.95 is $17 lower than the MSRP, and $7 less than it usually goes for.If you want one, just hit the Amazon link in the source below. We don't know exactly how long this deal will run for, so don't snooze if you're interested.Source: Amazon
Out of all the Google apps that receive server-side changes, YouTube is one of the most prominent examples. It seems like YouTube is always experimenting with some sort of revamp, whether the changes are large or small. In this case, the changes are rather large; the comments section, which has been made a pop-up instead of a permanent part of the UI, now has an icon alongside the 'like' and 'dislike' functions.
You guys clamor and complain about Simple not supporting Android Pay in the comments of every single one of these updated bank posts. Well, complain no more, as Simple customers can finally - yes, that word - use Android Pay. That is, if you're on an account with Simple's new partner bank, BBVA Compass.
The Galaxy S8 and S8 plus were launched in NYC just a few hours ago, but since it's now March 30th at 12am ET, pre-orders at the big four US carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon), Best Buy, and Samsung.com are now live. If you want one of these bezel-less beauties quickly (we techies can be an impatient bunch), now's the time to order.