latest
LineageOS comes to the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note10 families
Other newbies include the Razer Phone 2, FairPhone 2, and various flavors of Xiaomi and Poco
LineageOS is the custom ROM version of Android for when you throw your phone's original software away and say "screw it, I'm gonna load my OWN Android, with blackjack and hookers." We keep an eye on Lineage to let you know when it's come to new devices, but these are frequent enough (and sometimes inconsequential enough) that ain't nobody got time to do them one by one anymore. Here's a bunch of new devices that have received their first builds over the last six weeks.
Lineage OS the premiere custom Android ROM, and one of the best things about it is that it's constantly expanding. Over the last few weeks the distributed team has added no less than sixteen new phones and tablets from a handful of vendors.
Those who have come into contact with super-fast refresh rate displays have hyped them to be a big-time ruiner for anyone going back to 60Hz or less. Razer brought a 120Hz experience to mobile with its phones and while their viability has been in question, you'd probably still be interested in giving the Razer Phone 2 a try. Lucky for you, the company's dropping this ol' reliable down to its lowest price yet.Alright, yes, a Razer Phone 3 might not be happening (at least this year...) and that doesn't exactly instill confidence about the software support timeline. But remember that the phone itself is barely a year old, has some good cooling stacked on top of its Snapdragon 845, and has a respectable LED glow-up config. Oh yeah, and that 120Hz display. Fun stuff to play around with.
Read update
ASUS announced the ROG Phone II earlier this year, and it is truly a beast of a smartphone, featuring up to 1TB of storage, a Snapdragon 855 Plus, 12GB of RAM, and a 120Hz display. With the September launch date inching closer, the company is sharing which games will support the high-refresh-rate screen, plus a couple more that barely surpass 60fps.
Razer is mostly known for its RGB-lighting heavy gaming equipment, but the company also already published the second iteration of its Android phone around this time last year, the aptly named Razer Phone 2. With a list price of $800, the device was supposed to be competing with the Pixel 3, OnePlus 7, and others in that range, but the phone's cost has quickly fallen and is now down to just 3 on Amazon.The Razer Phone 2 sports a glowing multicolor logo on its black glass rear and comes with last year's highest-end hardware, as you'd expect from a gaming device. The pixels on its 5.7-inch 120Hz QHD screen are pushed by a Snapdragon 845 and 8GB of RAM, powered by a 4,000mAh battery. You won't find a good camera on it, though. In our review last year, we wrote that it "doesn’t come close to achieving the rich detail and color vibrancy you see with an excellent camera device like the Pixel 2. The photos tend to come out softer, and there's a tendency toward blowing out light areas of a given scene."
Read update
In the midst of all the Prime Day deals you're peering through on Amazon today, you might want to consider this deal of the day for the Razer Phone 2. Sure, the cameras on this thing aren't the best, the whole device series is still in limbo, and, frankly speaking, it's a last-gen phone. But it still works, it's still a respectable option for people who love gaming on the go, and, for now, it's just $400.If you need a reminder of what's gone into this phone, it has a 1440p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It's a chonker of a slab, but it packs in stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support with 5.1 surround sound and a THX-certified DAC for USB-C headphones.
A phone can be among the most expensive purchases in a given year, so it's good to pick one up on sale or at a discount, and Prime Day is the perfect time to snag one. From Pixels to Galaxy phones, and the substantially discounted Nokia 9 PureView and LG G8, now is the time to pick one up, so here's a list of phones discounted this Prime Day.
Due to the Netflix app's use of DRM and other restrictive technologies, not every Android phone or tablet can automatically watch movies and shows in HD. In most cases, Netflix has to certify each device for HD playback, and run additional tests to make sure HDR works. The company has now certified 23 new phones and tablets for HD playback, and brought HDR compatibility to a handful of phones.
With Snapdragon 855-running smartphones around the corner, we've begun to see markdowns on "older" flagships that are powered by the S845 SoC. Today's sale on the Razer Phone 2 (which is just a few months old) is one such instance — it can be had for $500, down from $800.
The Razer Phone 2 is the gaming company's second smartphone and is a solid gaming device — our review praised the 120Hz display and RGB lighting on the back (if that's your thing). The device has been regularly updated — it recently received Android 9 Pie and also picked up 60fps video recording.Since the phone's release, competition in the gaming space has heated up — Asus now sells a ROG phone, and lower-priced gaming phones have entered the market, like the Nubia Red Magic Mars. It should be noted that Razer recently announced layoffs, possibly in the phone division, so a Razer Phone 3 is far from a sure thing.You can buy the Razer Phone 2 directly from the company, or Amazon. We even saw a few open-box listings for $450, if you don't mind a phone that isn't brand-new.
Following the Razer Phone 2's Android 9 Pie release late last month, the company has published updated factory images and kernel source code for the phone. The files are now available for download on Razer's site for those of you who need them.
Shortly after news of Pie incoming for the Razer Phone 2, the company pushed out an update to the camera app that enables the option for 60 frames per second video recording.
Even though the Razer Phone 2 launched two months after Android 9 Pie went official, it shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo. Owners were left in the dark until last week, when Razer announced that their second phone would receive Pie on February 27th. Well, it's now February 27th, and Razer has kept its word — the Pie update is out now.
The Razer Phone 2 was released in October of last year, and if you enjoy playing games on the go, it's not a bad phone. However, it did ship with Android 8.1 Oreo, even though Pie was released two months prior. Razer has now announced that Android 9.0 will start rolling out to the phone next week.
Razer's second phone, creatively named "Razer Phone 2," has been on the market for a couple of months now. Our review showed that it's a good device overall, with many improvements over the original Razer Phone. It's now available at a $100 discount from Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft, and Newegg, bringing the price down to $699.99.The Razer Phone 2 sports a 5.72" 1440p 120Hz LCD (in a now-rare 16:9 aspect ratio), a Snapdragon 845, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, dual 12MP rear cameras, an 8MP front-facing camera, and a 4,000mAh battery. We enjoyed the 120Hz display, the dual front-facing speakers, and the RGB logo, though we did note that the display is a bit dim, the camera is still merely okay, and the design can be uncomfortable for some. This phone excels in many areas, though it does have a niche audience.You can find the Razer Phone 2 for $699.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft, and Newegg. We're not 100% sure when the sale will end at every retailer, though Newegg's site says that it'll expire on Monday. Hit the source links below if you're interested.Source: Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft, Newegg
For many, a phone is a black box filled with apps, connectivity, and no small part of modern tech magic. But for the technically inclined (like enthusiasts and developers), the intricate operations that keep us knee-deep in apps and services are well understood, and access to specifics like kernel sources and factory images helps tremendously when it comes to rooting, ROMing, and device-targeted development. So it's a good thing Razer pushed out both factory images and kernel sources for its most recent flagship, the Razer Phone 2.
You can run out right now and order the Razer Phone 2 unlocked and use it on AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. However, then you're on the hook for the full $800 purchase price up front. Starting this Friday, you can get your hands on the AT&T variant and pay a comparatively low monthly price. AT&T will apparently be the only official carrier partner for the new Razer Phone, too.
It's not easy to turn heads in the mobile industry in 2018. At best, we see new handsets come out to critical acclaim but also a sense of stifled boredom. Maybe it is the best of its kind yet, but so what? Apart from the fact that it ticks every box, what does it bring to the table that's new? Fortunately, for those of us seeking something different (if a bit quirky), Razer has decided to get into the mobile market. The gaming hardware company is now on its second generation smartphone, the Razer Phone 2, and it's staying true to its original vision: a handset for elite mobile gamers. This puts the device in an interesting position. It's vying to be a luxury product — so it should not only compete with the best but somehow achieve more. That's where the 120Hz refresh rate display comes in, and the RGB light-up logo.
Read update
The Razer Phone 2 is a predictable and modest improvement over the first-generation Razer Phone. It has a better 120Hz screen, wireless charging, and a glowing logo. It also has Verizon Wireless support, or rather, it will soon. The new Razer Phone has the necessary hardware for Verizon, but Razer is still working to make it functional.
Whether he's attempting to destroy an expensive phone or turning one into something even more beautiful by making it transparent, JerryRigEverything's (real name, Zack) videos are essential viewing. The latest phone whose durability he tests is the Razer Phone 2 — which we reviewed here — let's see how it gets on.
Razer sees itself as a gaming phone pioneer. During today's launch of the Razer Phone 2, the company stressed that while other companies may be following suit, it kicked off this new mobile category. But is it really a new, under-served segment of smartphone buyers? And is there enough of a market to support mobile hardware purposefully targeting a specific slice of the overall demographic? Razer clearly thinks so. Every aspect of its second-generation device is aimed at enticing the gaming enthusiast, from a 120Hz display refresh rate to an RGB light-up logo on the rear. But in setting such a clear direction and introducing unique features for the gaming set, it's also done something more. Razer made a device that's enticing to any smartphone enthusiast who is tired of the same old thing.