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Why are Android phones plastic-metal-glass boringburgers when there's a world of premium materials to play with?
OnePlus's Kinder Liu explains why they aren't made of stainless steel, sapphire, titanium, or other high-end materials
I've been envious of the iPhone over the last few years for one, not-so-obvious reason: Apple makes its recent flagships out of stainless steel. Here in the land of Android, the best we can really hope for is aluminum and glass, but there's a whole wide variety of premium, super-durable, and exotic materials out there phones could use. So, why are almost all Android smartphones boring glass and plastic or aluminum slabs? I was able to speak with Kinder Liu, COO and Head of R&D at OnePlus, to find out.
For such a small platform, there are a surprising number of different Android Wear watches on the market. Traditionally non-techy brands like Michael Kors, Diesel, and Tag Heuer all sell smartwatches powered by Google's wearable OS. Nixon is one of those brands, and now offers its Mission watch with stainless steel bands.
2015's Huawei Watch is no longer the most recent smartwatch from the Chinese tech company, but in our eyes, it's still the best. Amazon and B&H are currently running a deal on the Huawei Watch in the very stealthy-looking black stainless steel finish with stainless steel link band for just $199.99, a full $200 off its MSRP.The original Huatch's specifications remain pretty up-to-date, as Android Wear hasn't progressed in this regard. For your $199.99, you'll get a sapphire-topped 1.4" 400p AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 400, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a 300mAh battery, and IP67 water resistance. It's also updatable to Android Wear 2.0.Last time we posted a deal about this particular Watch, it was $199.99 open-box and $219.99 new. Now, it's just $199.99 for a brand-new unit from either Amazon or B&H. Shipping is free from both retailers, and B&H only charges tax if you're in NY or NJ. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so don't snooze if you really want one.Source: Amazon, B&H
The Huawei Watch isn't new anymore, but it's still one of the best Android Wear smartwatches out there, both in looks and functionality. The black body/black stainless steel band combo is arguably one of the best that Huawei offers, but it's also been somewhat pricey. Now, though, you can pick one up for as low as $199.99.Aside from its Snapdragon 400 processor, the Watch's specs are competitive even today. The sapphire-topped 1.4" 400p AMOLED display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, 300mAh battery, and IP67 certification are still top-notch. Plus, the Huatch has just received Wear 2.0, giving it a fresher, more easy-to-navigate UI. Yes, there's a newer, more up-to-date Huawei Watch 2, but it's simply not as good as the original.