Cell phone manufacturers are battling to design aesthetically pleasing phones with impressive performance, but often neglect their products' repairability and impact on the planet. Fairphone, on the other hand, has been producing handsets that are sustainable and produced ethically. Now, nearly three years after its second handset's release, the company has just announced the Fairphone 3, a modular mid-range phone built with sustainability in mind.
Read More'Blocks' modular smartwatch gets cancelled four years after Kickstarter campaign
The modular 'BLOCKS' smartwatch launched on Kickstarter all the way back in 2015, and quickly raised over $1.6 million. The goal was to make a watch that you could connect extra modules to, adding functionality like an LED flashlight and more battery capacity. However, crowdfunded projects are always a gamble, and now Blocks has officially run out of money.
Read MoreAPEX furthers the Android ROM modularization started by Treble
Google's Project Treble was created to help fight Android's dirty f-word (fragmentation), by making the update process easier and faster for OEMs. Separating vendor-specific code like SoC drivers out from Android itself was meant to help when it came to OS updates and the work required to push them out. Now Google is working on increasing just how modular Android can be with something called APEX.
Read More7 smartphone trends that were terrible ideas
Smartphones have been around for over a decade now. In fact, the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, debuted 10 years ago today. It's not surprising that the category has seen some pretty horrible trends in that amount of time. We've compiled seven of the worst ones we could think of in this post, a couple of which are (unfortunately) still ongoing.
Read MorePopular
Blocks modular smartwatch has started shipping to backers after official launch at CES
Remember when dreaming about modular electronics was all the rage? Even Google got caught up in the fantasy for a little while. Project Ara's notion of a modular smartphone might be dead for now, but there's still a smartwatch with interchangeable components to capture our attention in 2018. Blocks raised $1.6M in a Kickstarter campaign that ended way back in 2015, and there must have been concerns that the product would never make it into production. Some of its backers are thankfully starting to receive their watches now, as the company announces the official launch at CES.
Read MoreZTE Axon M, a foldable smartphone-tablet hybrid with dual 1080p displays, leaks in photos
Those of you who are keen followers of the foldable tablet category might recall the ZTE Axon Multy that had its specs leak earlier this month. Android Authority is now reporting that this smartphone-tablet hybrid will be officially called the Axon M and has published some interesting pictures of it.
Read MoreMotorola commits to at least 12 new Moto Mod add-ons per year
Motorola's latest Moto Z flagship phones are modular, designed to accommodate add-on modules that snap to the back of their cases for extra battery life, more complex camera modules, pico projectors, et cetera. Critical and consumer response to the change has been mixed, as it was for LG's modular G5 designs. But in a recent meeting with technology journalists, the Lenovo subsidiary doubled down on the modular approach. Motorola committed to at least 12 new Moto Mod add-on products per year.
Read More[Update: no modular phone in the works] Project ARA founder now working for Nexpaq, designing modular phone
Following the death of Google's Project ARA, it has been revealed that Dan Makoski, founder of Project ARA and former head of design at Google ATAP, has now officially been confirmed to be working at Nexpaq. In case you don't know what Nexpaq is, it's a startup that campaigned on Kickstarter to create modular phone cases for popular phones like the iPhone 6, Galaxy S6 edge, and Galaxy S5.
Read More[Update] Report: Google has stopped working on Project Ara
It has been a long and winding road for Google's Project Ara, and a new report claims this is the end of the road. Sources tell Reuters that Google has suspended work on Project Ara as part of its efforts to bring together its disparate hardware projects. Google, as you might imagine, refused to comment.
Read MoreUnlocked Moto Z pre-orders start September 15th for $699.99, ships in October
Verizon has had the exclusive on the Moto Z line for the last few months, but that's almost over. Pre-orders for the unlocked Moto Z start on September 15th, but the pricing is even higher than it is on Verizon—$699.99. The device won't actually ship until sometime in October.
Read MoreLatest Deals
-
13
Google teases Black Friday deals: $200 off Pixel 4, $100 off Pixel 3a, up to $648 off Pixel Slate bundle
-
4
Newegg's Black Friday includes sales on ZTE Axon 10, microSD cards, TVs, and more
-
10
The Xperia 10 Plus is $350 ($49 off) right now
-
18
SanDisk 1TB microSD card drops to $300, the lowest it's ever been
-
6
15.6" Acer Chromebook 715 down to $300 on Walmart ($100 off)
-
13
Latest Poll
Loading ...Recent Reviews
-
5
TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip review: Voice-controlled RGB lights for your furniture
-
10
LG G8X ThinQ with Dual Screen review: A different way to fold, with trade-offs all its own
-
12
JBL Link Drive review: Google Assistant in your car still has rough edges
-
22
Plantronics BackBeat 3200 review: Stable sports buds that hit all the right notes but one
-
63
Google Nest Wifi review: Effortless whole-home networking made even better
-
5
Latest Roundups
-
1
22 new Android games from the week of November 11, 2019: Minecraft Earth, Romancing SaGa 3, and Il Filo Conduttore
-
2
17 new and notable Android apps from the last three weeks including Disney+, Spotify Kids, and Stadia (10/26/19 - 11/16/19)
-
10
39 new Android games from the week of November 4, 2019: Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, Soul Chase: Another World, and The Quest - Basilisk's Eye
-
5
26 new Android games from the week of October 21: The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, ROME: Total War - Alexander, and The Swords of Ditto
-
7
18 new and notable Android apps and live wallpapers from the last week including Walmart InHome Delivery, many Digital Wellbeing Experiments, and ZenKey Powered by T-Mobile (10/19/19 - 10/26/19)
-
1
Recent Apps and Games
-
7
Xiaomi's Quick Apps is being flagged and blocked by Google Play Protect
-
43
(Update: Only in 8 countries) Cortana will stop working on mobile devices at the end of January
-
1
22 new Android games from the week of November 11, 2019: Minecraft Earth, Romancing SaGa 3, and Il Filo Conduttore
-
2
17 new and notable Android apps from the last three weeks including Disney+, Spotify Kids, and Stadia (10/26/19 - 11/16/19)
-
3
Path of Exile Mobile announced by Grinding Gear Games, and it looks great
-
7
Blast from the Past
-
29
1 Year Ago Today
Lenovo C330 review: The best 'cheap' Chromebook money can buy
-
126
2 Years Ago Today
Nokia 8 review: Nokia looks and Nexus feel make for a very enjoyable experience
-
198
3 Years Ago Today
Asus ZenWatch 3 review: The best Android Wear device you can get
-
227
4 Years Ago Today
[Updated x3] Google Camera 3.1 Brings The UI From The Nexus 6P And 5X Cameras To All Android 6.0 Devices [APK Download]
-
341
5 Years Ago Today
[Update: Ships With Google Apps] Nokia Announces N1 Tablet With Lollipop, 7.9" 4:3 Display, 64-Bit Intel Processor, Reversible MicroUSB Connector
-
14
6 Years Ago Today
[Deal Alert] Dead Zebra Opens The Vault – Get Discounted Android Minis With Damaged Packaging And Extra Stock Of Old Series
-
22
7 Years Ago Today
SPIGEN Coated Backpack Review: It's Like A Black Hole For Your Back
-
10
8 Years Ago Today
iZac Becomes The First Android-Powered Bartender – Fun, Ingenious, And Open-Source
-
7
9 Years Ago Today
Qualcomm Unveils 2011 Dual Core Snapdragons: 5x CPU Performance, 1/4 Power Consumption, GPU Rivaling PS3/XBOX 360
-
46
10 Years Ago Today
Sprint And HTC Release The First HTC Hero Firmware Update 1.56: Fixes Major Bugs, Adds Small Tweaks
-
29
