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Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are official with improved noise-canceling, better voice detection, and more
Pre-orders live today for $350
Noise-canceling headphones are no longer rare—you can even get a passable pair for well under $100 now. However, Sony still makes some of the best over-ear Bluetooth headphones money can buy, and now Sony is ready to take your money for the new WH-1000XM4 cans. These headphones look very similar to the popular WH-1000XM3s, but Sony added a few new features, and improved noise-canceling. Pre-orders are up today for $350, the same as the XM3s at launch.You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the XM4 and old XM3 at a glance because Sony kept the same physical design. Audio quality should be largely unchanged with the same 40mm drivers, as well. However, noise-canceling should be noticeably improved thanks to the new Bluetooth audio processing chip. Sony says the XM4s can analyze ambient noise and make adjustments to the audio output 700 times per second. There are also five microphones with "Precise Voice Pickup" technology for better phone call performance and voice detection.[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/RudzhutfxY0[/EMBED_YT]The other major improvement in Sony's latest headphones is the addition of multipoint pairing. You can finally connect the XM4s with two different devices, or you will following a firmware update. This will allow you to go back and forth between devices without manual disconnecting and reconnecting.If that all sounds good, you can place an order for the WH-1000XM4 right now. Both Best Buy and Amazon have pre-orders today, and the headphones will ship around the middle of the month. Best Buy is currently reporting shipping a bit sooner than Amazon, for what it's worth.[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/QUfPZs80yKA[/EMBED_YT]Source: SonyBuy: Best Buy, Amazon
Samsung just announced it's committing to 3 years of Android OS updates
Unless "three device generations" means something else
Samsung just finished unveiling the Galaxy Note20 series, along with the Tab S7, Watch3, and a few other electronic gizmos. That's all par for the course in Unpacked, but Samsung also snuck in a surprise near the end of the stream. Because Samsung (apparently) supports using smartphones for longer, it now promises OS updates for up to "three device generations."
Motorola Edge review: Lasts so long on a charge you'll get tired of holding it
Motorola's almost-premium phone is almost good
Motorola took a few years off from making flagship phones, but 2020 was supposed to be its big chance to get back into the high-end. Well, it's a lot harder to sell a $1,000 phone in the midst of a global pandemic, but maybe a somewhat cheaper phone has a shot? The new Motorola Edge is the pared-down version of the Edge+ that launched a few months ago. Unlike that phone, this one is unlocked and has a Snapdragon 765 for 5G connectivity rather than the 865.
OnePlus has dipped its toe into the Bluetooth audio waters several times, but it stubbornly avoided true wireless even as the rest of the industry dropped wires. Now, OnePlus is getting with the times. The true wireless OnePlus Buds are now available in the US, priced at $79.
Google employees will reportedly work from home through July 2021
Google's not taking any chances with COVID-19
Like most companies, Google sent its employees home in the face of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year. Many firms have floated aggressive timetables to get people back into the office, but Google is apparently embracing remote work. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google does not expect to bring people back to its offices until July 2021.
Samsung has been doing better with Android updates lately, often deploying monthly patches in lock-step with Google. That's only for the latest generation phones, though. Samsung's older devices will wait a bit longer, but it does still update them more reliably than a lot of OEMs. Case in point, the Galaxy Note9 got an update with One UI 2.1 back in June, and now the new experience has arrived on the Verizon variant of the phone, complete with the July security patches.
Sharing Wi-Fi passwords is one of those awkward parts of modern life that just never seems to have an easy fix. Even with guest networks, you still have to share some kind of information with visitors to your home, and that often means spelling out some nonsense numbers and letter that they'll probably get wrong twice before you just write it down or text it to them. Thankfully, with Android 10, there's a much easier, faster, and simpler way to share your Wi-Fi password, no awkward conversation required.
GPS has made it possible to always know where you are. Actually, scratch that—not always. GPS can be flaky in dense urban areas, but Google has a solution. The Live View AR feature from walking navigation is now available as an option to calibrate your location and orientation. The option is a bit hidden, though.
Android 11 apps won't have full storage access until 2021
Google blames "COVID-19 related considerations"
Google tried to sneak scoped storage into Android 10, but developers weren't having it. This more restrictive (and secure) method of managing your internal storage is coming back in Android 11, but there will be a new "all files access" permission. Or rather, there was supposed to be. Google has updated its support page to clarify that Android 11 apps won't be able to use that permission until 2021.
Samsung's Galaxy A71 5G UW heads to Verizon on July 16 with millimeter wave support
Pre-orders start on July 9
Samsung the A71 and its A-series cohorts this spring before launching them in Europe and Asia. The A71 launched in the US last month as a 5G phone on T-Mobile and AT&T. Today, it's also official on Verizon. The carrier says it will start taking pre-orders for the $650 phone on July 9th, and it will ship on July 16th.
FCC shares Pixel 4a certification docs, in case Google ever decides to release the damn thing
Seriously, Google!
We were all expecting the Pixel 4a to be a thing by now, but 2020 has derailed everyone's plans. Google submitted the Pixel 4a to the FCC a while back, and now that filing is available for all to see. Admittedly, there's not a lot to see, but we'll take what we can get at this point.
Verizon's new prepaid plans get cheaper the longer you subscribe
Starting with a $5 discount after 3 months
It's been at least a few months since Verizon changed its rate plans, and you know what that means. Yes, we are long past due for new Verizon plans. The carrier's latest prepaid plans offer several data tiers as usual, but now you get $5 discounts after three and nine months as a customer.
The internet is unfathomably massive, and sometimes you end up in weird places. And... maybe you don't want all those places connected to your online persona. No problem, as long as you're a Redditor. The official Reddit app has a new anonymous browsing mode that's more anonymous than the one it had previously.
Twitter is adding voice recording tweets to the official app
But you can't create voice tweets on Android yet
Twitter started with a mere 140 characters per tweet—barely enough to work yourself into a lather. Little by little, Twitter has expanded the capacity of tweets by exempting images and boosting the character count to 280. Now, Twitter is expanding into spoken words. The iOS app will soon have support for recording your voice, and it will automatically run into multiple tweets.
There was a time when Flash made the web a more vibrant and fun place by providing easy access to games and video content. There was even a brief time when everyone wanted Flash support on Android. However, Flash was always a security nightmare and a drain on system resources, and newer web technologies have surpassed the capabilities of Flash. Adobe decided to wind down Flash support in 2017, and now we know when this once-storied web plugin will die for good: December 31, 2020.
Arlo announces $129 Essential Spotlight camera with 1080p video and color night vision
You can even use it without the Arlo wireless hub
There are many, many options for home security cameras, but most of those require a power outlet. Arlo is one of the most prominent purveyors of battery-powered cameras, and it has a new one to talk about today. The Essential Spotlight borrows some features from Arlo's more expensive cameras, but it sticks with 1080p resolution. It'll cost just $129, and unlike most of Arlo's cameras, it doesn't require a dedicated wireless hub.
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Google is a big company with a lot of different projects and groups developing "experimental" products that may never see the light of day. Google's Area 120 division is one such incubator for experimental products, and it has a new thing to show off. It's a Pinterest clone called Tangi because one Pinterest is apparently not enough.
Phone screens keep getting bigger, but you know what's bigger still? Your TV. If you want to show content on your phone to a room full of people, what better way than to mirror it on the TV? With a Chromecast, you can mirror your screen in a few taps, but some phones also support other options.
Google delays YouTube Music transfers due to 'high demand'
Another sign that everything is A-okay with Google's music streaming products
Google's long-awaited transfer tool for YouTube Music debuted a month ago, and surprise, it's getting swamped. Google now warns users that transfers are "delayed" because of high demand. Transfers are still happening, but they're going to be slow enough that Google felt the need to warn everyone.
Google Photos is already extremely good at searching through your old snapshots—you can search for objects, people, and even locations to find photos. Google is apparently testing a more visual way to find your photos based on location called "Explore map." a few lucky users already have it, and others have managed to get the map by poking at the APK.