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BlackBerry teamed up with TCL a while back to produce Android phones, but the first few were just re-branded Alcatel devices. The KeyOne was the first truly "BlackBerry" phone to come out of the partnership, and a sequel is imminent. A teaser video from BlackBerry shows off some bits of the upcoming Key2, including the new dual-camera setup.
Blu is known for selling inexpensive phones that punch above their weight, but the company's new smartwatch seems like a very odd product. The X Link has a 1.1-inch round display, no apps, and 2G wireless connectivity. So, why would you want that? Well, it's only $50.In case it wasn't clear, this is not a Wear OS device. It's running a much simpler OS that has basic smartwatch features like notification sync, step tracking, and heart rate. If you toss a SIM card in the watch, it can do phone calls and SMS, too. However, the device can only connect to 2G networks (850/900/1800/1900Mhz). AT&T has already killed 2G service, and T-Mobile plans to do so by next year.
Android Wear seemed like the right product at the right time when Google announced it back in 2014. Smartwatches were just starting to take off with products like the Pebble awakening our latent desire for wrist computers. Meanwhile, Apple's long-rumored smartwatch was still unannounced. After four years, dozens of watches, and a name change, Wear OS is in a tough spot.
Most of the companies making Wear OS devices right now are fashion brands and lifestyle companies. They're not exactly the most innovative when it comes to consumer electronics. Mobvoi is trying something new, though. After launching its first-gen TicWatch hardware last year, the company just announced the TicWatch Pro with an interesting transparent LCD to save power in ambient mode.
When people want to look something up, they will more often than not turn to Google. That means Google's search data becomes a snapshot of what's hot, and Google Trends gives you a window into it all. Today, the Trends site has gotten an overhaul with some new real-time data features, as well as curated content and new ways to visualize data.
The OnePlus 6 marks a lot of firsts for OP. It's the first OP phone with a notch, the first OP flagship made from glass, and also the first one that supports Android's seamless system updates. That means quicker OTA installation on your phone.
The apps for home security cameras and smart home devices are usually rough around the edges. While the Nest app isn't perfect, it's better than most of the competition by a wide margin. The way you can scan through your video timeline is especially good. Today, it's getting better still with support for timeline scrubbing in landscape view.
We saw a lot of things at Mobile World Congress this year, but one of the wildest was the Vivo Apex. Even if the name isn't familiar, you've probably seen photos of it. This prototype phone was almost entirely screen, and it had a pop-up camera instead of a notch. Now, Vivo appears to be on the verge of launching the phone. The company has sent out invites for an Apex announcement in Shanghai on June 12th.
Using a single router is so 2014. Now, everyone is into mesh WiFi systems like Eero and Google Wifi. Not to be outdone, Comcast has its own mesh system that connects to the Xfinity Internet Gateway. The new xFi Pods are now available as a three-pack for $119.
Chinese smartphone maker ZTE is currently in a holding pattern after Commerce Department action last month blocked it from accessing US technology for seven years. President Trump has expressed his intention to lift that restriction, but it's unclear when or how that will happen. At a White House event with reporters, Trump has floated a hefty fine and management changes to restore ZTE's business.
Razer launched its first smartphone last year following the acquisition of Nextbit. However, the Razer Phone had a few issues at launch, including a mediocre camera. It's getting better, but it's far from being the best. As part of improving its camera performance, Razer is rolling out a new update today that adds a portrait mode, plus there are new security patches and other goodies.
Dropbox might be running behind Google Drive when it comes to storage, but there's a mobile app update rolling out with some handy new features. Today kicks off the changes, but not all the new features will be available right away.
Sometimes words just aren't enough when sending messages. That's when you resort to emoji, stickers, and (in extreme cases) GIFs. It's getting easier to create GIFs with the latest beta update to Gboard. All you need to do is open the GIF section, and you can make your own custom GIF with the camera.
Your smartphone makes it easy to snap photos on the go. Maybe too easy. You might end up with so many photos of the same things that it's hard to find your favorites. In the next few days, Google Photos will make that easier with the option to mark images as favorites in the app.
Nokia-branded devices were on a steady decline for years as Microsoft's Windows Phone platform crashed and burned. For a while, it looked like there may never be another Nokia smartphone, but then HMD stepped in last year to create new devices running Android under the Nokia brand. There will be a lot more of those phones in 2018 thanks to HMD's new round of funding.
There are some new budget smartphones from Samsung launching in India soon. Samsung just announced not one, not two, not even three, but four new smartphones. The devices are in the J and A series, so you probably know roughly what to expect. The most expensive of them is Rs 25,990, which works out to around $380.
OnePlus got everyone's attention with the OnePlus One because it was cheap and powerful. Each successive OnePlus phone is a little more spendy, but it also adopts whatever hot new features are popping up in more expensive phones. OnePlus has gotten on board with fingerprint sensors, dual cameras, 18:9 screens, and now the OnePlus 6 fully embraces the latest smartphone zeitgeist. This phone sports a glass chassis and a display notch. Inside, it still has the top-of-the-line hardware and a clean build of Android.
Google spent years ignoring Google Voice, but it finally revamped the app and website in 2017. It also promised to keep the updates coming, and it's been doing that so far. In the latest update to the Voice app, you can finally manage your voicemail greeting from the app. Yeah, that should have happened around 2009 or so, but better late than never.
Slow and delayed updates are nothing new for Android devices, but T-Mobile and Samsung seem to be having more issues than usual. Back in April, T-Mobile had to halt the Note 8's Oreo update for several weeks, but it turns out the Galaxy S9 and S9+ had some botched updates of their own. The carrier paused an update in April, and it hasn't restarted more than a month later.
Posting social media updates is so yesterday. Stories are all the rage now with big players like Snapchat and Instagram racking up many millions of Stories each day. Now, Facebook's version of stories has hit a big user milestone—150 million daily users. Being Facebook, that means it's time to start pushing ads.