Google to pull the plug on Hangouts in 2020

If you're still using Google Hangouts, you should start looking for an alternative over the coming months. According to a source who's familiar with the Hangouts internal roadmap, Google is planning on pulling to plug on the messaging platform sometime in 2020. The service hasn't received any updates in more than a year and Google itself has already mentioned that Hangouts would be repurposed as an enterprise messaging service for its G Suite customers as Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.

While Google doesn't have a direct replacement for Hangouts, the planned shutdown of the platform isn't surprising. For the past few years, Google has been leading the charge on RCS which is the replacement for MMS service that's offered by nearly every service provider around the globe. Android Messages is likely what Google plans to use as its direct Hangouts replacement once the new Chat feature which will allow many of the same features that are built into Hangouts and allow you to send and receive messages on your phone and computer.

Hangouts was never the perfect chat service, but it did become the default platform for millions who relied heavily on Android and Gmail since the service was built into Gmail on the web. While I personally still use Hangouts as my main messaging platform to communicate with friends, family and co-workers, it may finally be time to find a replacement messaging service. Most other platforms have evolved way beyond what Hangouts has to offer, but it'll be hard living with an alternative service which doesn't allow you to search through years of archived messages or quickly find images which were sent to you and automatically stored in Google Photos.

Source: 9to5Google

 

 

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Rumored OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition to feature a stupid amount of RAM

OnePlus has been known to deliver handsets which offer incredible performance and specs without too much of an impact on your bank account, but the company plans to take things to the next level with the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. The latest rumor claims that the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition will be equipped with a mind-boggling 10GB of RAM will likely cure your storage anxiety by giving you 256GB of internal storage.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is said to the results between McLaren and OnePlus, with the former lending a hand to help design and market the smartphone. While the phone's 10GB of RAM may set it apart from the regular OnePlus 6T, most of the phone's other specs should remain the sale. The device is expected to feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6.4-inch display and 16MP cameras on the front and back of the phone. 

OnePlus is expected to officially unveil the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition in London on December 11th and in Mumbai on December 12. Pricing details are still not available, but expect to pay at least $659 for the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition since the OnePlus 6T with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage currently sells for $629.

OnePlus and @McLarenF1. Forever in pursuit of speed. Experience the #SalutetoSpeed on December 11. https://t.co/inqbUCRYcK pic.twitter.com/Q7HGBqmZtw

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 27, 2018

We all know that 10GB of RAM on Android is more RAM than you'll ever need, but I'm sure more than a few of you will be enticed by the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. Are you planning on buying this new device once it's made available or will you be waiting a few more months to pick up a 2019 flagship device?

Source: mysmartprice

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HTC jumps in with its first Android Pie update

Android Pie has been available for a few months now, but HTC only now jumping in with its first update. The HTC U11 Life is the first device in the company's lineup to receive the Android Pie update, though HTC has promised to deliver the new version of Android to the HTC U11, HTC U11+, HTC U12+ and the HTC U12 life.

While we're excited to see begin its Android Pie rollout to older devices, we don't expect the update for the HTC U11 and the HTC U12+ are right around the corner. The update that's currently rolling out is for the Android One version of the HTC U11 life which runs on stock Android with a few minor tweaks. The HTC Sense variant of the HTC U11 life will likely not receive its Android Pie update for a few more months and the US model sold by T-Mobile will likely get its update even later than that.

Project Treble falls short, leaving Android more fragmented than ever

HTC hasn't given any indication as to when the HTC U12+ will receive its Android Pie update. The company has typically released Android updates for its flagship devices in mid-Q4, but it looks like we may be waiting until early 2019 before the HTC U12+ and last year's HTC U11 will be getting a taste of the latest version of Android.

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How to get one month of Google Fi service for free

After changing its name and opening up its service to dozens of Android and iOS devices, Google Fi is now offering a new promotion to significantly increase its subscriber numbers. Google Fi is offering one free month of service to new customers, potentially saving them up to $80 (depending on how much data they use). The promotional offer is available now through December 19th and is limited to one account per person. 

Like most special offers, there are a few requirements which must be met in order to take advantage of the free month of service:

1. You must be a new Google Fi (formerly Project Fi) customer
2. You must port an existing cell phone number to Google Fi
3. You must bring your own Google Fi compatible device

As you can see, the list of requirements is pretty short. If you're not sure if the device you currently own is compatible with the service, you can check out the full list of Google Fi supported devices.

Source: Googe Fi

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Are you ready to do your banking with T-Mobile?

If you are feeling a little bit of déjà vu when reading this headline then perhaps you are remembering back into the distant past of January 2014 when T-Mobile last announced that it was going to help you manage your money. That time around the initiative was called "Mobile Money" and it hung around for about 30 months before shuttering in July of 2016.

There are some similarities between that service and the newly announced T-Mobile Money, such as no fees whatsover, including overdraft or ATM fees. But this time around the service is going to be a bit more like a traditional banking service with checking accounts that will net you at least 1 percent annual interest or 4 percent (on up to $3,000) if you also deposit at least $200 each month via direct deposit or the like. Anything beyond the $3,000 will earn interest at 1 percent, which as T-Mobile points out is still well above the current national average of 0.4 percent from the top 5 banks.

There is naturally an app to go with the service with the familiar T-Mobile magenta theme to it and at first glance it looks like a clean and intuitive interface. You'll receive a traditional Debit card and the service is compatible with Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay at launch. Accounts are FDIC-instured up to $250,000 and along with the fee free overdraft protection, T-Mobile subscribers are even eligible for up to a $50 "Got Your Back" interest free loan in essence from T-Mobile that will cover the overdraft as long as you pay it back within 30 days.

In case you were worried that T-Mobile was just venturing into the banking business on its own, they are partnered up with BankMobile, which is the younger and presumably cooler digital division for Customers Bank.

It's an interesting move from T-Mobile, probably wiser than going for yet another payment service, but would you consider using your carrier as your bank?

Source: T-Mobile

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Google Fi officially adds support for ‘the majority of Android devices’ and iPhones

Google Fi has officially announced that it now supports "the majority of Android devices" and quite a few of Apple's iPhones as well. In the past, Google's MVNO was only compatible with a select number of smartphones which were specifically built to work on the Google Fi network. 

While the announcement is good news for those who simply wanted to use Google Fi with a device that they already owned, the official Google Fi supported devices will still have an advantage since they are able to seamlessly switch between T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular towers to find the best reception and data speeds. Google has indicated which network all other devices will be operating on, but we suspect that most will be connecting to T-Mobile since it offers the best coverage of the three networks that Google Fi uses.

If you're interested in switching to Google Fi, the service starts at $20/month with unlimited calling and texting with a $10 additional charge for every GB of data you use. The additional data charges are capped at $60/month even if you use more than 6GB of data, essentially giving you an unlimited talk, text and data line for $80/month. Google Fi also offers international roaming in 170 countries with the same data usage fees it charges in the use (including the $60/month charge cap).

With this new change, Google Fi will definitely be more appealing to the general public. It'll be interesting to see how Google changes its go-to-market strategy over the next few months. We won't be surprised if Google Fi ads show up a lot more frequently across the web.

Source: Google

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Huawei to introduce smartphone with ‘punch hole’ display before Samsung

A few weeks ago we learned that the Samsung Galaxy S10 will be one of the first devices to market featuring the company's new Infinity-O display which features a "punch-hole" cutout for the front-facing camera. Since then, Samsung Galaxy A8s leaks have surfaced which suggest that it would introduce the new Infinity-O display to the world before the end of the year. The new display technology would allow the despised display notch's real estate to be reduced significantly and allow it to get lost in the notification bar more easily.

Unfortunately for Samsung, it looks like Huawei is planning to beat them to the punch. According to an image shared by @UniverseIcem Huawei is planning to unveil a device in December which will also feature a punch-hole cutout in the display for the front-facing camera. As shown in the image below, the front-facing camera hole would be located in the top left corner of the display. While Samsung's Infinity-O display technology has gotten a lot of attention these past few weeks, we were first introduced to the technology concept this past summer when a Huawei patent surfaced which showed a punch-out hole for the front-facing camera in phone's display.

We do not know the name of the Huawei device which will feature the punch-hole camera cutout, but with its launch scheduled for December, we should know more soon. Based on what we know so far, do you think a punch-hole display is a better option than the notched displays we've seen this year?

Huawei will release the world's first hole-screen mobile phone before the Samsung Galaxy A8s, which will be released in December, but the A8s may also be released in December, so who will start, it will wait and see.
Huawei's offensive against Samsung has never weakened. pic.twitter.com/MqefEgK7j0

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 26, 2018

 

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Big changes could be coming to Google Fi

Thanks to a now-pulled news piece, we may be getting a look at the future of Google Fi. According to the article that originally appeared over at BGR, it looks like Google is going to expand the lineup of phones it allows on its MVNO, Fi.

Currently, Google recommends that you purchase only the devices it sells to work on its network. Those range from Google's own Pixel lineup to offerings from Motorola and LG. If the information in the BGR piece is accurate, you will soon be able to use devices from Samsung, OnePlus, and Apple. This change is potentially huge for customers looking for a low-cost option but are tied to a specific device. This news comes several weeks after we learned that Project Fi has been rebranded to Google Fi, implying that Google may be looking at changes to the service which will make it more appealing to mainstream consumers.

Google does give the disclaimer that you may not get the "full Google Fi experience" if your device isn't "designed for Fi." But what exactly does that mean? Right now, the devices that Google sells all have the ability to quickly switch between service providers. Like all MVNO carriers, Fi leases unused tower space from larger service providers. In this case, Fi leases space from T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular. Designed for Fi phones are able to quickly switch between towers they're connecting to based on which has the strongest signal. Fi offers a base of $20 per month for calling and texting and $10 per month for each gig of data that you use. Additionally, data rates are capped at $60 per month no matter how much data you use so customer costs don't spin out of control. For users who use very little data or a ton of data, these rates are great and now the expanded choice of phones makes Google Fi even more compelling.

It's yet to be seen if a move like this will entice customers to come on board. The quick network switching is one of the biggest reasons to join Project Fi and if you're unable to take advantage of that, Fi looks like any other carrier. But, what do you think? Does this make you more likely to consider Fi in the future? Let us know in the comments.

Source: BGR via Droid-Life

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New Pixel 3 Lite leak gives us a closer look at the phone

If you're not aware, recent leaks indicate that Google is working on a budget-friendly variant of the Pixel 3. The device was first spotted a few weeks ago, sporting a plastic body and a less-powerful processor. While this latest leak doesn't reveal anything new about the phone's specifications, it does give us a closer look at the phone's design and size, with multiple side-by-side pictures of the phone next to other devices.

The Pixel 3 Lite may look similar to the Pixel 3, but its front-facing stereo speakers have been replaced with speakers along the bottom edge and a 3.5mm headphone jack has been added to the top edge of the device.

Codenamed Sargo, the Pixel 3 Lite features a 5.6-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage inside a body which matches the same size and shape are the regular Pixel 3. . While the plastic body of the phone may seem like a big compromise for the Pixel brand, the device is said to feature the same 12MP camera sensor on the back which would allow the pixel 3 Lite to offer the same camera experience as Google's flagship-tier Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

Source: Wysla

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Save $200 on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (unlocked)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is considered to be one of the most powerful and full-featured smartphones of 2018. The only downside to the phone is its usual $999.99 price tag. While there are a lot of people who would be willing to pay that much money for everything that the Note 9 has to offer, there are those who would rather wait for the light deal to roll around. If that's you, we're sure you'll be pleased to hear that the unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can be purchased from Amazon for $799.99 with free shipping if you're an Amazon Prime member.

The $799.99 sticker price gets you the 128GB model which comes with 6GB of RAM, but you can pick up the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM for $1,049.99 (the same $200 in savings) as well.

If you're looking for the absolute best deal, Amazon also has the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 without a US warranty for $737.

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Save up to 54% on Smart Speakers and Wireless Headphones from Bose, Sony, Google and Amazon

As promised, retailed across the web have continued to offer incredible deals this Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. If you've missed our other deal posts, you can catch them all here. Today, we're highlighting the best smart speaker and headphone deals we've been able to spot from Best Buy, Amazon and Target which offer savings up to 54% on some of the best products that are currently available.

For easy reference, we've divided the products up by category so that you can quickly find the products you might be looking for. Let us know which of these you're likely to pick up this weekend or if you happen to find a deal that we missed.

Smart Display Speakers

• Google Home Hub – $99 (33% discount)
• Lenovo Smart Display (8-inch) – $99.99 (50% discount)
• Echo Show (2nd Gen) – $179.99 (22% discount)

Smart Speakers

• Echo Dot (2nd Gen) – $19.99 (50% discount)
• Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – $24.00 (52% discount)
• Echo Dot (Kids Edition) – $49.99 (29% discount)
• Echo (2nd Gen) – $69.00 (31% discount)
• Echo Plus (2nd Gen) – $109.99 (33% discount)
• Google Home – $79.99 (38% discount)
• Google Home Mini – $24.99 (50% discount)
• Google Home Max – $349.99 (12% discount)

Over-ear Wireless Headphones

• Sony WH-CH700N Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones – $99.99 (50% discount)
• Sony 1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – $199.99 (20% discount)
• Bose SoundLink II Wireless headphones – $199 (29% discount)
• Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones – $179.99 (40% discount)

 

Wireless Sport Earphones

• Google Pixel Buds – $109 (31% discount)
• Jaybird X3 – $59.99 (54% discount)
• Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones
• Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless Headphones – $169 (15% discounts)

 

 

 

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Save up to 75% on Amazon’s Fire and Echo products

Amazon has some of the best deals on electronics this holiday shopping season, especially if you're looking at the company's Echo or Fire products. Most of the company's product lineup has been heavily discounted with prices being cut from 20% all the way up to 75%.

We went through and compiled a list of the best deals we've been able to spot so that you can find something perfect for you. If you happen to stumble upon a deal that we haven't listed, feel free to share it in the comments.

Happy shopping!

Fire Tablet Deals

• Fire 7 tablet – $29.99 (40% discount)
• Fire HD 8 Tablet – $49.99 (38% discount)
• Fire HD 8 Tablet with Show Mode Charging Dock – $79.99 (25% discount)
• Fire HD 10 Tablet – $99.99 (33% discount)
• Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet – $69.99 (30% discount)
• Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet – $89.99 (31% discount)
• Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet – $149.99 (25% discount)

Fire TV product Deals

• Fire TV Cube – $59.99 (50% discount)
• Fire Stick – $24.99 (38% discount)
• Fire Stick (2 pack) – $39.99 (50% discount)
• Fire TV Recast – $179.99 (22% discount)

Echo product Deals

• Echo Look – $49.99 (75% discount)
• Echo Dot (2nd Gen) – $19.99 (50% discount)
• Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – $24.00 (52% discount)
• Echo Dot (Kids Edition) – $49.99 (29% discount)
• Echo (2nd Gen) – $69.00 (31% discount)
• Echo Plus (2nd Gen) – $109.99 (33% discount)
• Echo Spot – $89.99 (31% discount)
• Echo Show – $179.99 (22% discount)

Echo & Smart Home Combo Packs

• Echo Dot (3rd Gen) + Ring Video Doorbell 2  – $139.00 (44% discount)
• Wemo Smart Plug & Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – $29.00 (64% discount)
• Sengled Smart Lighting Kit & Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – $79.98 (38% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo Dot 3 bundle – $69.99 (42% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white  and color bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo Dot 3 bundle – $94.99 (53% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white  and color bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo 2 bundle – $144.99 (44% discount)

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Save up to 50% on Philips Hue and Yeelight smart lighting products

Smart lighting systems promise to save you money and give you more control over the lights in your house, but they're typically exorbitantly expensive. Thankfully, there are quite a few deals available this weekend on smart lighting products from Philips and Yeelight which will allow you to save up to 50% on your purchases.

If you're not familiar with Yeelight and Philips Hue products, there are a few things you need to know:

• The two systems are not interoperable (you'll need to commit to one system for the best experience)
• Both Yeelight and Philips Hue products work with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
• Yeelight products are cheaper than Philips Hue products, allowing you to switch to smart lightbulbs for a lot less
• Philips Hue offers more accessories like wireless switches and replacement wall switches

With that out of the way, here are the best deals we've been able to find on Yeelight and Philips Hue smart lighting products.

Yeelight Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals

• Yeelight Smart LED Bulb (white)  – $14.99 ($35% discount)
• Yeelight Smart LED Bulb (RGBW) – $16.99 ($31% discount)
• Yeelight Candela – $47.00 (22% discount)
• Yeelight Desk Lamp – $62.99 (10% discount)
• Yeelight Bedside Lamp – $59.99 (11% discount)
• Yeelight LED strip – $43.96
• Yeelight LED motion sensor hall/cabinet light – $15.99 (20% discount)

Philips Hue Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals

• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo Dot 3 bundle – $69.99 (42% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white  and color bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo Dot 3 bundle – $94.99 (53% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (2 white  and color bulbs & Hue Hub), Echo 2 bundle – $144.99 (44% discount)
• Philips Hue White & Color LED Bulb – $39.99 (20% discount)
• Philips Hue Starter Kit (4 White LED Bulb & Hue Hub) – $79.94 (20% discount)
• Philips Hue White LED Bulb (4 pack) – $39.99 (20% discount)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FLASH SALE: OnePlus 6T for $299 and the Xiaomi Mi 8 for $199

There's no denying that there are plenty of amazing Black Friday weekend deals floating around this year, but the best overall deals that we'd been about to spot are a $250 discount on the OnePlus 6T and a $300 discount on the Xiaomi Mi 8. Both of these devices typically sell for pretty cheap when compared to flagship devices from Samsung, LG, Huawei and most other big brands, which means that the final price for the OnePlus 6T is $299.99 and the Xiaomi Mi 8 is going for a mere $199.99.

While we'd like to say that anyone will be able to pick up these phones at these incredibly low prices, there's a catch. GearBest is only selling 10 of each device at their highly discounted prices. If you want to be among the lucky few to pick up these amazing steals, you'll need to be ready to add the devices to your cart and check out as quickly as possible at 10:00 UTC (5AM Eastern, 2AM Pacific).

• OnePlus 6T – $299.99
• Xiaomi Mi 8 – $199.99

If you don't manage to snag the OnePlus 6T or Xiaomi Mi 8 during the flash sale, GearBest has quite a few other amazing discounts that you might want to consider:

Smartphones

• OnePlus 6 (6GB RAM) – $389
• OnePlus 6 (8GB RAM) – $439
• Xiaomi Mi 8 – $369 (30% discount)
• Black Shark Gaming Smartphone – $499 (28% discount)
• Pocophone F1 – $329 (23% discount)

Other deals

• Xiaomi Mi Band 3 – $20.79
• Yeelight SMart LED Bulb (white)  – $14.99 ($35% discount)
• Yeelight Smart LED Bulb (RGBW) – $16.99 ($31% discount)
• Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 – $165.99 (33% discount)

 

 

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AUKEY cuts prices on chargers, power banks and other accessories for Black Friday

The best thing about Black Friday weekend is that you can find deals on anything. We've put together a detailed list of all the deals you can find on AUKEY's chargers, batteries and smartphone accessories. Our two favorite items on the list are the USB C Charger with 30 Power Delivery ($13 discount) and the 20,000mAH Power Bank with 18W Power Delivery ($8 discount). If you have a newer laptop, you'll be able to use the charger and power bank to charge your laptop and your smartphone without needing to lug around the dedicated power cable that came with your laptop.

All of AUKEY's Black Friday discounts are available through November 26th or until supplies run out. On top of that, all of the products can be purchased directly through Amazon which means you can get free 2-day shipping if you're a Prime Member.

Chargers:

AUKEY USB C Charger 30W Power Delivery 2.0 & 18W Quick Charge 3.0 – $29.99
AUKEY USB Foldable Wall Charger w/ 4 40W/8A Ports – $15.99 with code BFRI0048

Power Banks:

AUKEY USB C 10000mAh Power Bank Power Delivery & Quick Charge 3.0  – $23.99 with code 3U77VI6Y
AUKEY USB C 20000mAh Power Bank Power Delivery & Quick Charge 3.0 – $34.40 with code 3U77VI6Y
AUKEY 20000mAh USB-C Power Bank – $29.59  with code AUKEY14Y

Wireless Charger:

AUKEY Ultra Slim Qi-enabled Wireless Charger  –  $8 with code  H5EFAE4A

Accessories:

AUKEY Air Vent Magnetic Car Phone Mount – $4.96 with code BFRI005H
AUKEY Mini Aluminum USB C to USB 3.0 Adapter  – $4  with code AW29MKOO

Hubs

AUKEY USB C 7-in-1 Hub with HDMI Port –  $38.99 code: AUKEYBFD
AUKEY Aluminum 10-Port USB Hub  – $32.99

Smart Plugs & Lamps:

AUKEY Wi-Fi Mini Smart Plug with Compact Design (2 Pack)  – $21.99
AUKEY Wi-Fi Mini Dual Smart Plug with Outlet-Compact Size – $19.99
AUKEY RGB Night Light with IP65 Water-Resistance & Drop-Resistance – $14.24
AUKEY LED Desk Lamp with Wireless Charger and 4 Brightness Levels  – $25.99
AUKEY Rechargeable Table Lamp with Color Changing RGB – $21.59
AUKEY Tall Reading LED Floor Lamp with Touch Control  $31.99 with code QZVOQXTD

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Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL deals abound for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL are among the hottest flagships of the moment with their arguably best in class camera experience, the price was one of the complaints levied at the smartphones and thankfully it hasn't taken long for some excellent deals to come up.

Verizon

Verizon has a couple different options for prospective Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL buyers to consider this Black Friday depending on whether you have a device to trade in or not. The first deal, for those of you that do have a trade-in, is available right now. You can get an additional $100 off when you upgrade to the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL from your existing device or if you are switching to Verizon or adding a new line you'll receive $300 off with your trade-in.

If you'd rather sell your old phone yourself or you simply don't have an old phone to trade in you can instead opt to pick up the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL on a payment plan and Verizon will give you $400 over the course of 24 months in bill credits. This deal kicks off tomorrow online and Friday through Sunday it will be available in-store and online. If the Pixel 3 line isn't your thing, any Android phone over $400 when purchased via a payment plan is eligible for a $200 bill credit paid out over 24 months.

Google Store

Naturally, Google themselves are here for you with some deals on their flagship smartphones in the Google Store. The first deal is available on Thanksgiving through Sunday and it is a straightforward price cut of $150 on the Pixel 3 or $200 on the Pixel 3XL, no strings attached and shipping is free.

Looking ahead to Cyber Monday, purchase either a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL in the Google Store and you will get a Google Home Hub thrown in along with a $50 credit to use in the Google Store. As you can also currently pick up the Google Home Hub in the Google Store for $99 during the Black Friday sale I would lean toward the first deal.

Best Buy

If you don't mind activating your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL on Verizon, then you can save $200 on the spot at Best Buy, this deal starts at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving and ends on Saturday.

Target

Finally, at Target we have a similar offering to that found at Best Buy, just activate your new Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL on Verizon and you will get $200 back in the form of a Target gift card. While a Target gift card leaves open lots of options, presumably you'd rather have the cash in your pocket, but if Best Buy is sold out then this is one to consider. Target's offer will run from Friday through Sunday.

That's all that we've spotted so far, let us know in the comments if you see any other deals on the new Pixels or if one of these deals is going to get you to finally pick up either the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL.

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There's no denying that a OnePlus 6 for $389 is an incredible deal, but we thought we'd also share a few smaller deals that are being offered through Google Play for Black Friday. You'll be treated to great discounts on games, movies, movies and more. Simply put, there's something for everyone. Check out the deals below and feel free to let us know which deals you'll be taking advantage of.

Movie and TV Show discounts

We'll start things off with an assortment of deals for movies and TV shows on Google Play. All movie rentals have been dropped to 99¢ through the weekend! If you'd rather buy a new release, you'll also find discounts ranging from 40% to 60% on titles like Spiderman Homecoming, Deadpool 2 and Ready Player One. Google is even throwing discounts up to 50% on TV show bundles if you're interested in purchasing an entire season or a full series of your favorite shows. 

Game discounts

Our favorite Google Play deals are always massive discounts on amazing games. This year there are 18 titles which have had their prices slashed dramatically. You're able to pick up Monument Valley 2, Evoland 2, Dungeon Maker, Reigns and quite a few other titles for just 99¢. Other discounted games include Final Fantasy Tactics, The Room: Old Sins, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and more. 

Subscription discounts

If you've had your eye on an app subscription, this may be the perfect time to start. You can grab a 50% discount of a few months free when you subscribe to services from Stars, Map My Run, Fabulous and a few other apps.

Audiobook and eBook discounts

If you'd rather spend your money on a good Audiobook or eBook, there's something for you as well. Google Play has over 150 Audiobooks which are selling from $4.99 to $9.99 which include titles like Ali, A Walk in the Wood, Black Hawk Down and The Forgotten Girls. Those who would rather read the book themselves can sift through the selection of ebooks that are on sale.

Source: Google

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OnePlus 6 $140 Black Friday discount is available now

The $529 full retail price of the OnePlus 6 is already an incredible deal on a regular day, but what if we told you that you can get a $140 discount on one of the best smartphones of 2018? GearBest has slashed the price of the OnePlus 6 with 6GB of RAM to just $389 for Black Friday. The discount is already available and will last for the next few days or until the inventory of the OnePlus 6 has been depleted. You can also pick up the OnePlus 6 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $439.99.

If the OnePlus 6 isn't the right fit for you, GearBest is also offering a 30% discount on the Xiaomi Mi 8, 28% off on the Black Shark gaming smartphone, and big discounts on dozens of other unlocked devices.

Source: GearBest

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YouTube adds 99 movies for you to watch for free

There are a lot of reasons to love YouTube. It's the best place on the web to find user-generated content and music videos, but Google is slowly transforming YouTube into a place for you to find and consume mainstream content. While YouTube has been offering movie rentals for several years now, the company has just added a collection of 99 movies which can be watched for free. Of course, like all things "free" from Google, you'll be subjected to unskippable commercial interruptions from time to time while you enjoy these flicks. If you're a YouTube Premium subscriber, you'll be able to enjoy the free movies without any ad interruptions.

The list of movies ranges from the original Rocky movies, The Terminator, Hackers, The Man in the Iron Mask to B-list flicks like The Woods, Monsters Beware and A Guy Thing. Scanning through the list, there are at least 20 titles that I'd be interested in watching. It's not clear if YouTube will be adding additional titles to its free movie collection of it this is simply an experiment to see if they can generate more revenue with ads than they could by renting the movies for $2-3 each. If the list of free movies does grow over time, it definitely adds a lot more value to the YouTube Premium subscriptions.

You can take a look at the full free movie collection here. If you're not a YouTube Premium subscriber already, would you consider joining if YouTube adds new free movies each month?

Source: YouTube

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Pixel 3 Lite leak reveals headphone jack, cheaper build, inferior specs

Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have been on the market now for more than a month, but a new leak suggests that Google may soon add a new member to its Pixel family. Thanks to the guys over at Rozetked (the same ones who first shared leaked images of the Pixel 3 XL), we now have images and new details of the fabled Pixel 3 Lite.

The Pixel 3 Lite Leak

According to the images and details shared by Rozetked, the Pixel 3 Lite (also referred to as Sargo) is a cheaper variant of the Pixel 3, featuring a 5.56-inch, 2220 x 1080-pixel IPS display, a less-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 2915 mAh battery, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 12MP main camera with a dual-LED flash, a single 8MP front-facing camera, single speaker on the front and a 3.5mm headphone jack which Google didn't include in its Pixel 3 and Pixel 2 lineups.

The exact camera sensor model is not disclosed, but the source claims that the image quality from the Pixel 3 Lite matches that of the Pixel 3. The shape and size of the Pixel 3 Lite appear to match that of the Pixel 3, but the build materials have changed from metal and glass to plastic.

Pixel 3 review: perfect imperfection

Due to the less-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 SoC and the cheaper build materials, the Pixel 3 Lite's retail price should be significantly lower than the Pixel 3. Rozetked speculates that the pixel 3 Lite will be priced between $400 and $500.

Our take on the Pixel 3 Lite leak

While Google squashed rumors regarding a budget-friendly Pixel smartphone in 2017, the Sargo code name for a third Pixel 3 smartphone has been circulating for the past few months. While we are in favor of a cheaper Pixel 3 variant, a plastic body and a Snapdragon 670 may actually be a few steps too far. Other manufacturers like Huawei, OnePlus and even LG have proven that it's possible to use high-quality build materials in a budget-friendly smartphone.

The good news is that Google doesn't seem to be messing with the camera experience that much. We don't know if the main camera has optical image stabilization and we're a bit disappointed that there's only a single sensor and lens on the front, but that really won't matter if the images captured by the Pixel 3 Lite can match those taken with the regular Pixel 3.

As for performance, the Snapdragon 670 SoC is known more for its power-efficiency capabilities more than anything. With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL already delivering less-than-optimal performance due to their sub-par RAM management, we'll be setting out expectations pretty low for the Pixel 3 Lite.

At this point, there's still a lot we don't know about the Pixel 3 Lite. There's little chance that the phone will make its debut before the end of the year, but Google could release it in Q1 before the first wave of 2019 flagship devices make their debut.

Do you think a $400-$500 Pixel 3 Lite is something you'd be interested in based on the specs we've seen so far?

Source: Rozetked

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EXCLUSIVE: No HTC U13 in 2019, expect ‘something else’

With all the Samsung Galaxy S10 rumors floating around these days, you might be wondering what other smartphone makers are planning for 2019. Rumors and speculation regarding HTC's next device have started spreading with quite a few HTC fans hoping the next HTC device will feature a full-screen display (we hope they skip the notch) the next stage of HTC's "buttonless" design language that we saw on the U12+,  VR/AR integration to complement the HTC Vive and of course the inclusion of Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8150.

What we know about HTC's 2019 plans

Rumors are thin at the moment with HTC keeping their cards close to their chest, but a source familiar with the matter has informed us the HTC may not release the HTC U13 in the spring. Instead, we should expect to see a  mid-flagship device.

While we do not have any additional details at this time, our sources did hint at "something else" from HTC later in the year.  There's no indication as to what this "something else" actually is, but HTC has the chance here to completely re-group and start with a fresh plan moving forward in mobile.

Our take on this new information

Rather than continuing to compete with "the big boy," HTC may change its focus to concentrate on the core network of fans and die-hard users. What we're actually going to see in 2019 is anybody's guess, but with recent industry introductions of hidden cameras, in-screen fingerprint readers and button-less design (U12+), perhaps we should start preparing for something similar to the HTC Ocean that was accidentally teased nearly 2 years ago.

One thing is clear, HTC needs to stop what it's been doing and hit the reset button in 2019.

A few things you might not know if you are new to the HTC conversation.

• Long before HTC decided to go it alone, it manufactured devices for other companies, who then sold them under their own names. The list of early products it made includes the HP iPAQ Pocket PC and the Palm Treo 650.
• The HTC Wallaby, the first phone HTC ever made, was sold under many pseudonyms including – O2 XDA, T-Mobile MDA, Dopod 686, Siemens SX56, and Qtek 1010.
• HTC, until recently still made devices for other companies from time to time. These include Google's Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Nexus One.
• HTC was the first company to add a customized skin on top of Android. Called "Sense" it debuted in 2009 on the HTC Hero. Almost every manufacturer has followed HTC's example since then.
• HTC reached its peak in the Q3 of 2011. According to reports, the company was the biggest smartphone maker in the U.S. with nearly 25% of the mobile phone market. Shipping around 5.7 million devices in the period, 800,000 more than Samsung in second place. Apple came in third with sales of 4.6 million units.

[Poll] HTC in 2019

— Darren Millar (@darrenmillar) November 16, 2018

With less than 2 months to 2019 and less than 6 months until spring we can only imagine what is happening on the famous 16th floor of HTC's HQ in Taiwan. Oh to be a fly on the pristine white marble walls. I'll likely be attending MWC in Barcelona next year, I'll meet up with my sources an see what's coming, in the meantime, I'll keep an ear to the ground. Here's hoping HTC can turn it around in 2019 maybe they'll even bring back some metal body variants.

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Be afraid — the double-notch smartphone era has arrived

Those who oppose the smartphone notch have a new adversary to deal with — the double-notch of the upcoming Sharp AQUOS R2 compact. That's right, the phone will feature a small notch on the top for its front-facing camera and a larger notch on the bottom of the display for what appears to be a fingerprint sensor.

The product demo video shows that the fingerprint sensor also doubles as a trackpad which will allow users to scroll through content without smudging up their display with their greasy fingers, something that we have not seen on Android phones in quite some time. While we have to give Sharp some credit for creativity, we're not sure why Sharp thinks that a double-notch is the way to go when in-display fingerprint sensors are now readily available.

As for the specs of the Sharp AQUOS R2 compact, the device is expected to feature a 5.2-inch Full HD+ (2,280 x 1,080 pixels)  with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a Snapdragon 845, 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 64GB of storage, microSD card slot,  22.6MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture, OIS, 8MP front-facing camera, IP68 dust and water resistance, a front-facing fingerprint sensor (obviously), and a 2,500mAh battery with fast charging.

Sharp is planning to sell the AQUOS R2 compact in Smoke Green, Deep White and Pure Black across Japan and a few other select markets starting in mid-January. 

Source: Sharp

 

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Snapdragon 8150 early benchmarks show crazy performance increase

The current-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is considered to be a decent chip, but it's a bit underpowered when matched up against Huawei's Kirin 980 and Apple's A12 Bionic chip that's used in the 2018 iPhones. Naturally, Qualcomm is expected to in forward with its next-gen chip which is due sometime in early 2019, but a new leak suggests that performance improvements could be bigger than expected. 

A leaked AnTuTu benchmark score of the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 has surfaced with a total score of 362,292 and GPU score of 156,328, making the Snapdragon 8150 the most powerful smartphone chip we've ever seen.  While the score is only 2.8% higher than the A12 Bionic's 352,405, it's 17% higher than the 309,628 score posted by the Huawei Mate 20 Pro which is using the Kirin 980. 

For reference, OnePlus 6 with 8GB of RAM managed a score of 293,151 while our Pixel 3 with only 4GB of RAM was able to deliver a score of 279,701. Both phones are using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, so there's clearly a wide range in performance that needs to be taken into account.

While Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 wasn't the most powerful mobile chipset we saw this year, it looks like the new Snapdragon 8150 take the crown in early 2019. Hopefully, Qualcomm is also working on efficiency improvements as well which will allow 2019's smartphones to last longer on a single charge.

Source: Weibo Via: TechRadar

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Samsung offers $200-$400 discounts on Galaxy S9 and Note 9

If you weren't tempted by the $389 OnePlus 6, Samsung has a few deals which might excite you. The company has unveiled massive discounts on its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 smartphones, offering up discounts which range from $200 to $400.  The discounts on the unlocked smartphones are already available, but you'll have to wait a few more days for the best deals on carrier-branded versions on the Samsung phones.

Naturally, the biggest discounts apply to the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Note 9, you'll still be able to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S9 for as little as $429 — a savings of $372 when compared to its usual list price.

Check out the deals below and be sure to share them with friends and family members who might need a smartphone upgrade this holiday season.

Unlocked Phones

• Samsung Galaxy Note9: $800 – $200 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: $840 – $200 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9: $520 – $200 OFF

Verizon (starting Nov 22)

• Samsung Galaxy Note9: $600 – $400 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: $440 – $400 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 (64GB) $340 – $400 OFF

T-Mobile (starting Nov 18)

• Samsung Galaxy Note9: $800 — $200 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: $640 – $200 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9: $520 – $200 OFF

AT&T (starting Nov 18)

• Samsung Galaxy Note9: $800 — $200 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: $640 – $275 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9: $520 – $270 OFF

Sprint (Effective November 18)

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9: $700 — $300 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: $540 – $372 OFF
• Samsung Galaxy S9: $420 – $372 OFF

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Night Sight camera feature roll-out for all Pixel phones has begun

At the Pixel 3 launch event in October, Google unveiled the phone's Night Sight feature which would allow the phone to capture incredible images when taking them in impossibly-dark situations. The feature built specifically for the Pixel 3, but Google announced that it would also be coming to the Pixel 2 and the original Pixel phones.

Night Sight was not yet read when the Pixel 3 made its retail debut last month, Google has announced that the new camera feature is being rolled out to all of its Pixel smartphones through an update to the camera app which can be downloaded from the Play Store.

Below are a few sample shots we've taken with Night Sight on the Pixel 3 compared to the camera's Auto mode. As you can see, the images captured with Night Sight are dramatically brighter revealing details that were previously lost in the shadows and even allowing you to see a scene that was otherwise completely dark. Night Sight also comes in handy even if you can capture the Auto mode since it relies more on Google's computational photography algorithms to fill in the color and deliver much better white balance.

If you've tested Night Sight out already, feel free to share a few of your images in the comments below.

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Anker Soundcore Liberty Lite wireless earbuds get a $15 discount

With Black Friday quickly approaching, Anker is hoping to get you in a joyous shopping mood by offering up a $15 coupon on its  Anker Soundcore Liberty Lite wireless earbuds. Typically priced at $80, the Aker Soundcore Truly-Wireless Earbuds have been discounted to $64.98, but with the addition of the $15 coupon, you can pick them up for just $49.98 with free shipping if you're a Prime member.

Anker hasn't been in the wireless earbuds business for that long, but their Soundcore Liberty Lite earbuds have been well received so far, offering IPX5 water resistance, 3.5 hours of music playback on a single charge and an additional 9 hours of battery life through the carrying case. Anker's earbuds are the perfect companion for your workouts or any other time you simply want to listen to audio on the go. 

See on Amazon Source: Amazon

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Samsung Galaxy S10 to introduce ‘punch hole’ display camera cutout

Now that we've gotten all those pesky October smartphone releases out of the way, we can now turn our attention to the first round of 2019 flagship smartphones. As you might expect, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is among the most anticipated devices of 2019, expected to set the bar for all other devices released next year. We've already heard that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 will be one of the first devices to sport an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, but a new leak from Evan Blass claims that it might also be the first smartphone to feature a "punch hole" cutout in the display for the front-facing camera along with three camera sensors on the back of the phone.

Few preliminary Galaxy S10 details:

– "Punch hole" style selfie cam cutout (sounds like Infinity-O display).
– Ultrasonic, in-display FPS
– Three rear cameras (standard/wide/tele)
– One UI over Android Pie

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 13, 2018

While a "punch hole" style selfie cam might sound like something completely new, it's really just another variation of the notch which was first introduced last year. In fact, the punch hole may actually be closer to that of the Essential Phone than all the other notches we've seen since. As you can see in the diagram below, the punch hole cutout allows for thin bezels all the way around the display while only using a minimal cutout for the camera lens on the front of the phone. For what it's worth, the image below is associated with a new story form a few months ago which claimed that Huawei is also working on a similar punch hole display for an upcoming smartphone.

We're not sure if the "punch hole" cutout in the display for the front-facing camera is the new trend we'll see in 2019, but it's definitely a lot better than the hideous notches that were forced upon us this year. Do you think this is a step in the right direction or should Samsung stay clear of anything that can be associated with the smartphone display notch?

 

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FLASH SALE: Xaiomi’s Foldable Electric Scooter is get a $200 discount

You might have heard that GearBest has been running massive discounts on quite a few popular phones (OnePlus 6 for $369 and the Pocophone F1 for $279) for its Singles Day sale, but there are also quite a few other deals which are worth taking note of. With electric scooters being all the rage these days in cities across the west coast, we thought you might be interested in a $200 discount on the Xiaomi M365 Folding Electric Scooter. That's right, you can now purchase one of the best electric scooters on the market for $399 rather than its usual $599 sticker price.

While $399 is still a lot of money for what some consider to be a toy, it's definitely better than the advertised price of the Xiaomi Scooter on Amazon. If you're not familiar with its specs, the Xiaomi M365 has a max speed of 15 mph with a 280Wh battery which gives it a range of 15 miles (a bit more than 25km). It features disc brakes, LED head and tail lights, a bell to warn those pesky pedestrians that you're about to run them over and a dedicated smartphone app which is used to change some of the features on the scooter, display its speed, monitor battery life, lock the tires and set the built-in alarm.

Source: GearBest

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