The OnePlus One was one of the best-priced Android phones to come out in the last few years; made in small batches which created demand from those without invitations to purchase, it combined many of the features that people liked from different phones to create one single shockingly inexpensive, well-built and well-featured device. Dan and I both bought one.
Yesterday Verizon and Motorola announced two new Droid smartphones; the Droid Turbo 2 with an “indestructible” screen, and the Droid Maxx 2. On paper, the Turbo 2 is the real story; the screen, 48 hours of battery life, and tons of customizations. The Maxx 2 has a lot of that, minus the indestructible screen. Oh, and it costs only $384.
After all the articles swirling around last week regarding how the new HTC One A9 looked like an iPhone 6 copy, looking at the just released phone, I’d have to say “not really”. Okay, it’s got the same antenna lines, but you can find those in other unibody Android phones.
I’ve been an Android user ever since I received a G1 as a gift. I’ve only ever had Android phones and tablets, so I haven’t had a lot of exposure to iOS. When my workplace offered us a phone for work use, I had a choice between a Galaxy Note 4, a Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6.
We’ve all panicked while out and about, realizing that our phone battery is low, and either we scramble to the car to get the cable, or we turn off every setting possible in attempts to keep enough battery to make it home. The Echo Connect Key by the company named, you guessed it, Echo, is a small charge key that you can attach to your keyring so you’ll never find yourself without a way to charge your device. Now what if you have an iPhone and your friend offers you their Micro-USB cable? Well there’s a solution to this as well!…
Fact is, what we once thought was considered “mid-range” in regards to smartphones has truly changed. And now, you can have the same premium features you’d expect from those $500 and above smartphones at a reasonable price!
I asked the Gear Diary team a question last night: if you had an additional $300, how would you spend it? The reason I asked, was that $300 seemed to be the average cost difference between an iPhone/Galaxy phone, and the new Nexus phones (Nexii?) and the Moto X Pure; was it enough to lure switchers?
I used Google Wallet for one reason: it held my loyalty cards. Unfortunately, with the new Android Pay I can’t access my loyalty cards unless I have a compatible bank card added! Wallet functioned fine without a card added, and even if I add a bank card, if it’s not a supported card I can’t access anything in Android Pay.
Apple Watch has been stealing much of the wearable thunder since it debuted, but Android Wear isn’t cowering in the corner. Motorola, Huawei, and Asus all showed off new versions of their Android Wear watches at IFA this week. From budget-minded to extravagant, there appears to be an Android Wear watch for all tastes!
Remember how Steve Jobs used to always have “one more thing” that he would mention when presenting a keynote? That’s how the IFA Huawei press conference seemed to go as they introduced their new Mate S and solidified details and pricing on the Huawei Watch.
Acer CEO Jason Chen started their IFA 2015 press conference with a bang; not only did he announce a new Chromebook and a new 2-in-1, he also announced new additions to the Predator gaming line. Are you interested in bigger, faster, and stronger? That’s what Acer seems to be aiming for.
Do you use an iPhone but drool over the Moto 360? Or have you been eyeing up the beauty of the LG Urbane while staring forlornly at your 6+? Google has some good news for you: Android Wear is now available on iOS, though with some restrictions (both Google and Apple-related).
One of my favorite exchanges in “The Simpsons” comes from “Treehouse of Horror III”, where Homer goes to buy a doll for Bart and has an exchange about the tradeoffs (doll is good, but cursed, but comes with a free frogurt, also cursed). It seems like the same good/bad tradeoffs exist in smartphones these days as well!
HTC is not doing well. Their stock is trading badly right now, and their reputation as a top-tier smartphone company is under a great deal of pressure. The HTC One M9 landed with a whimper rather than a bang, and they had to delay their Grip fitness band. So does HTC have a future?
It took a long while to finally receive one to review, but we here at Gear Diary finally received an LG G4 to review for you guys!
Motorola has been having a busy morning. They’re updating their flagship Moto X with not one but two new devices, plus their budget Moto G is getting a boost as well! All three phones are going to be available via Moto Maker, so your phone will be uniquely yours. The question is, which one to buy?
You can ask anyone about one thing they would love to change about their cell phones, and most will tell you: They’d like more data, and a lower bill. As someone who has been grandfathered in on data, I know for a fact that having to pay full retail for my phones every two years sucks.
There’s no shortage of innovative smartphones these days, but there is a shortage of one particular feature that not many devices get correct, and that’s screen retail. But as of today it seems that Nubia, a high-end Android smart phone manufacturer, has officially solved that problem for folks looking to get more screen and less bezel. Today, Nubia unveiled their flagship 2015 device in the US, the Nubia Z9, which they call a leap forward in styling in ease for Android smartphones. The borderless phone is the first of it’s kind in the US, but with features like grip and…
If you are tired of paying higher data rates for your under-contract cell phone, then you might want to look at paying full price for an unlocked smartphone. But if a $500+ phone isn’t in your budget, you don’t have to buy a crappy cheap phone just to avoid making monthly payments; instead check out the $249.99 Huawei P8lite.
If you were able to read our review on the Alcatel OneTouch IDOL 3 earlier in the month and were excited about it enough to pre-order, you’ll be surprised to know that pre-orders have officially began shipping as of today! The IDOL 3, Alcatel’s new global flagship device will also officially launch here in the US through alcatelonetouch.us as well as Amazon.com officially today. The IDOL 3 is a great phone that not only has a great battery, and a long battery life for an affordable price, sporting great speakers and a vibrant display, it’s no surprise Alcatel made sure that the…
Not everyone wants to pay an arm and a leg for a smartphone. Or you simply just want your phone to work directly out of the box, regardless of carrier. If you are one of those people, you should be checking out the LG G Stylo, which is a budget smartphone that is sure to meet your needs.