Best Cases for the Galaxy Note 8… So far

There are a ton of great case options for the Note 8 already available.

The Galaxy Note 8 is shaping up to be a contender for phone of the year. While we wait for the phones to start shipping, now’s the perfect time to start the search for the best cases to keep your new phone protected.

The launch of such a major device as the Note 8 means accessory manufacturers are ready to roll on day one. As such, you have your pick of the litter from a great selection of cases from the best brands out there.

We’ve broken things down by the manufacturer and offered direct links to some of our favorite styles. But ultimately the choice is yours, and there’s a ton of cases to choose from already.

• Samsung cases
• OtterBox cases
• Speck cases
• Ringke cases
• Spigen cases

Samsung cases

If you’re at all concerned about not getting the right fit or build quality from a third party accessory maker, maybe you’re best off sticking with cases designed in-house by Samsung.

Samsung offers a similar range of unique case options for the Note 8 that we’ve seen from previous phone releases. You can order your case straight from Samsung alongside your pre-order if you’re buying your phone outright from the source. Here’s a breakdown of what they’re offering:

• S-View Flip Cover — This case keeps your screen protected with a transparent cover that lets you see the time and incoming notifications with a press of the power button. It also folds into a kickstand for hands-free media viewing. Available for $60.
• LED Wallet Cover — Another brilliantly-designed case that blends screen protection with functionality, the LED Wallet cover displays the time and notifications when the screen is covered with a press of the power button. It also features an interior pocket for storing your cash or cards. Get yours for $60.
• Protective Cover — Samsung has you minimalists covered with this ultra thin, transparent case that really lets the Note 8’s design come through. It’s also the cheapest case offered by Samsung at only $20.
• Alcantara Cover — Samsung’s own Alcantara-covered case is beautiful, durable and unique. The suede-like material is becoming more common — it adorns Microsoft’s Surface Laptop, for one — but it feels brand new. At $50, it’s not cheap, but since it ages beautifully, it’s worth every penny.

Check out Samsung’s website to learn more about the cases they offer, as well as the other accessories available for the Note 8.

See at Samsung

OtterBox cases

The Note 8 might be the most expensive flagship phones released in 2017, so you’re going to want to keep it protected. When it comes to the best cases, many people instantly think of OtterBox. It has built a solid reputation of making great cases backed by outstanding customer service.

If you’ve been a fan of OtterBox cases in the past you’ll be happy to hear there are three options from OtterBox for the Note 8: the rugged Defender Series, the slimmer Commuter Series, and the sleek and stylish one-piece Symmetry Series. All of OtterBox’s cases appear to be exclusively offered via their website for the time being and, as you would expect from a premium manufacturer, they’re a bit pricey starting at $50 and up.

However, you really get what you pay for from OtterBox, which includes the aforementioned customer service that’s there to help if any issues pop up.

See at OtterBox

Speck cases

Speck’s Note 8 cases are on full display on their website but appear not quite ready to ship to consumers.

Cases like the Speck Presido Grip and Presido Clear have Amazon pages set up but are currently showing as out of stock (likely waiting for the phones to actually go on sale) so keep an eye out for them to become available, or sign up to be notified from Speck directly by clicking through to their website. Also worth noting that these are significantly pricier options, starting at $45.

See at Speck

Ringke cases

Ringke is known for making more flashy cases with interesting designs and patterns to help make your phone stand out from the rest of the pack. Choose from eight different styles that all feature their own unique design elements and features.

While other brands have yet to start selling cases on Amazon, Ringke is ready to ship and even offers Amazon Prime shipping so you eager beavers can get those accessories well ahead of receiving your phone.

Personally, I really dig the Wave case in Coastal Blue, pictured on the right, which you can get for just $8 on Amazon. You may also enjoy the Ringke Fusion clear case which is typically one of the best clear cases you can buy for a phone if you want to keep your phone protected without impeding the look and design of your new phone.

Check out what Ringke has to offer on its website, then check out Amazon where you’re likely to save a few bucks off the regular price.

See at Ringke

Spigen cases

Spigen always crushes it when it comes to delivering a wide range of case options for the biggest phones of the year. As you would expect, they’re ready to roll for the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 with a collection of 19 different cases to choose from.

You can preview the full lineup of available cases on Spigen’s website linked below, or if you’re ready to buy you can check out some of our favorite case styles on Amazon:

• Rugged Armor — For those who don’t want to sacrifice pocket space for protection, this sleek one-piece case is rugged and sleek with carbon fiber accents that look real nice on taller devices like the Note 8.
• Ultra Hybrid clear case — Looking for a clear case? Spigen has eight different styles of clear or transparent cases to let the Note 8’s design shine through. The Ultra Hybrid is the sleekest and clearest of the bunch.
• Wallet S — I had the pleasure of briefly using the Wallet S case for the Note 7, and for a phone that can already do so much, it just feels right to enhance the experience a case that not only protects, but lets you keep your ID, credit cards, cash, and phone all in one place.

See at Spigen

Which cases are you going to buy?

There’s going to be a ton of accessories released for the Galaxy Note 8, but we want to know which are your favorites. Let us know in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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The State of Android Central Survey: Help us help you (and win big!)

Fair warning: this is a long one!

Our sites at Mobile Nations are living things. Not in the sense that they’re breathing, eating, procreating beasts (though sometimes it feels that way), but in that they’re always changing and evolving to meet the needs of our users — you.

We’ve gone through a number of changes over the past year, and we wanted to check in with you and get your opinion on all of it. How are we doing on reviews, on news, on recommendations, in the forums, on Facebook and Twitter, in our videos, and more? This is your chance to tell us.

Below you’ll find a survey on all of that and more, where your responses will help us evaluate our progress and chart our course ahead. Tell us how we’re doing — there are no wrong answers, and we especially want to hear if you think there are places where we could improve.

Fair warning: this is a long one, you’re looking at around 30-45 minutes to complete, so if you want to open this in another tab or window, here’s the link to do that.

Oh, and as a thank you for your time, everybody who completes this survey will be entered to win their choice of a slew of exciting new gadgets, from the Samsung Galaxy S8 or LG V30 or iPhone 8 to the Xbox One X or a Microsoft Surface Pro i5 to a new VR headset from HTC or Oculus!

Get The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle for just $34!

The Raspberry Pi is one of the most versatile and customizable micro computers you can buy. They’re affordable and perfect for using in all sorts of projects, from designing your own robot to automating things around the house. The only problem is tracking down the learning resources required to get the most out of it.

Right now, Android Central Digital Offers has a deal on The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle. It includes eight valuable courses that will walk you through a number of great projects to use your Raspberry Pi.

This bundle only includes the courses, but you’ll pay about the same amount as it costs to buy a Raspberry Pi 3. So whether you’ve got a Raspberry Pi sitting around getting dusty, or you’ve been thinking of getting one, now is the perfect time to do so.

Here’s the course topics included:

• Automation with Rapsberry Pi Zero
• Introduction To Raspberry Pi
• Hardware Projects Using Raspberry Pi
• Bitcoin Mining Using Raspberry Pi
• Raspberry Pi Robotics
• Internet of Things Automation using Raspberry Pi 2
• Home Automation in 48 Hours Without Coding
• Build Your Own ArmBot Step By Step Using Raspberry Pi Zero

Eager for some new projects to work on? Get this great bundle today!!

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Of course Amazon Fire TV and Roku are the top streaming players

It comes down to two things: Price, and simplicity. And if you don’t lead the way in both, you’ll give way to those who do.

A report out this week from analysts Parks Associates says that more than a third of streaming devices in use today don’t come one of the major companies you’d expect. Not Apple. Not Google.

Nope, it’s Roku, which had some 37 percent of the streaming market as of the first quarter of 2017. And Amazon saw a decent bump from 16 percent to 24 percent.

That’s more than half the market owned by Roku and Amazon. And that shouldn’t surprise anyone. What it comes down to are simplicity and price.

See Roku Stick at Amazon   See Fire TV Stick at Amazon

Let’s start with simplicity. Parks Associates notes that Chromecast — which definitely has the price thing nailed at $35 — is at 18 percent. But while I’d reckon most of us reading anything at Android Central have little problem with that little Cast button, the little HDMI dongle still requires some explanation. “Wait — I have to use my phone, but my phone isn’t actually streaming anything?” I get it. But I also say it’s easier to just live entirely within a streaming box.

(That Parks Associates doesn’t spell out in the summary whether we’re actually talking about the Chromecast device itself, or all the streamers that can use the Cast protocol — including every Android TV box, and Roku, and Amazon’s Fire TV — is a fairly gaping hole, though. Same goes for the accompanying graphic, which clearly screws up the proportions.)

Then there’s Apple, which fell to 15 percent for the quarter. Apple TV is really good — even if it’s limited to 1080p (Roku and Amazon both do 4K resolution) and is easy to use. But a current-generation Apple TV starts at $149, whereas Roku and Amazon each have a stick that costs $39. That’s a full box experience for less than it costs to take your family to a half-decent dinner.

And that’s the ballgame.

I’ve said before that Roku is the best streaming device for most folks, especially for the value you get. Amazon’s Fire TV is a really close second. And let’s repeat the price: You can get either for $39. Why would most folks even consider something else? I still prefer Android TV and Apple TV over both of them, though, but those generally come at a much higher price.

My argument would be that more money almost always equals more powerful hardware, and that’s definitely the case here. The NVIDIA Shield TV is ridiculously powerful, and Apple TV is no slouch either. If you’re to want to do some gaming, you’re going to want to look that direction. But if you just want a basic way to watch some shows, the sticks from Roku and Amazon work just fine.

When you’re moving to streaming content, you balance cost versus usability. Cable TV is better and easier. But usually, it’s way more expensive.

And as long as Roku and Amazon keep making “good enough” as affordable as they have been, the likes of Google and Apple are going to have to get used to living outside the top spots.

See at Amazon

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• Read our full review!
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Huawei has four new inexpensive MediaPad tablets coming to the U.S. next month

Huawei is launching new MediaPads in the U.S. beginning at the end of August.

Besides its Mate flagships and Honor-branded smartphones, Huawei also makes the MediaPad line of tablets. Now, in the days before IFA, Huawei has announced four new tablets coming to the U.S. in September.

The Huawei MediaPad T3 8-inch and 10-inch and M3 Lite 8-inch and 10-inch tablets are now available for purchase from Amazon. The tablets feature entry-level specs, but they’ll pack more than enough power for consuming media.

The T3 tablets include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, 1200×800 displays, 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD) and 2GB of RAM, Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.1 on top, and a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The only difference between the two T3 tablets are the screen size and price: the 8-inch and 10-inch T3’s both include a non-removable 4,800 mAh power pack. The T3 8-inch is priced at $139, while the T3 10-inch retails for $159. The T3 tablets are only available in a black/space gray coloring.

MediaPad T3 8-inch at Amazon   MediaPad T3 10-inch at Amazon

The M3 Lite tablets use an unnamed octa-core processor, 1920×1200 displays 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), 3GB of RAM, Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.1 on top, an 8MP rear and 8MP front camera and a fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking. The 8-inch M3 Lite tablet features a 4,800 mAh battery and two Harmon Kardon speakers, while the 10-inch version sports a 6,660 mAh battery and four Harmon Kardon speakers. The M3 Lite tablets are only available in a white/silver coloring, with the 8-inch version retailing for $199 and the 10-inch version available for $249.

MediaPad M3 Lite 8-inch at Amazon   See the MediaPad M3 Lite 10-inch at Amazon

Are you interested in any of Huawei’s new tablets? Let us know down below!

Bring your own music into these amazing VR games

What VR games let me listen to my own music while playing?

Who doesn’t love listening to their favorite music? Who doesn’t love playing great games in VR? Imagine if you could combine the two in an amazing experience. Here are the best VR games across platforms that let you incorporate your own music for an unforgettable time.

Read more at VRHeads!

Best fantasy football apps for Android

Football season is back, baby!

The kickoff to the 2017 NFL season is rapidly approaching, and from office leagues to public leagues, we’re sure there’s a lot of you looking to get in on the fantasy action. We’ve gathered up our favorite Android apps to help you dominate this year’s fantasy football draft (and hopefully, the season that follows it)! You’ll find plenty of options here, each letting you drill down into player statistics, latest news, and updates to your draft.

Note: these apps are for season-long fantasy football, not daily fantasy sites like FanDuel and Draft Kings.

Yahoo Fantasy

Yahoo Fantasy includes fantasy leagues for more than just the NFL; you can get in on MLB, NBA and NHL at the same time, too. Before the league actually starts towards the end of the month, you can work on mock drafts, check in on player news and score updates, and see what the experts are saying about the latest progress.

Download Yahoo Fantasy Football (Free)

NFL Fantasy Football

The official NFL Fantasy Football app features live and mock drafts, live scoring, in-game video highlights, the ability to join and create leagues, quickly choose your weekly lineup, and tweak your player lineup. There’s lots of timely player news available and expert analysis to help you in your game.

Download NFL Fantasy Football (Free)

ESPN Fantasy Sports

ESPN’s Fantasy Sports app leverages the network’s extensive news teams to provide real-time alerts of trades, injuries, and scores for your favorite teams. You can also check in on live auctions and gut-wrenching snake drafts in addition to participating in mock and live drafts. Of course, you can set your weekly players and follow the latest NFL news from within the app. A new update has also added ESPN’s other fantasy sports to the app like baseball and hockey.

Download ESPN Fantasy Football (Free)

CBS Sports Fantasy

CBS Sports Fantasy is a great football reference that provides projections, 2017 stats, and outlooks by CBS experts. You can play around with mock and live drafts, and dive in with full team management, live scoring and chat with other players in the league. CBS Sports fantasy allows for on-the-go trades for your multiple teams, spanning football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.

Download CBS Sports Fantasy (Free)

Fantasy Draft Dominator

The Fantasy Draft Dominator is a cheat sheet to help you make the best picks for your draft. Players are scored across 20 positions within 19 categories of passing, 12 categories of rushing, 12 categories of receiving, 7 categories of kicking, and 27 categories of defense. You’ll have more data than you’ll know what to do with once this is installed. This is one of the highest-rated fantasy football apps in the Google Play store, and one of the most expensive, too, but really, what’s five bucks if it can help you get an edge in a thousand dollar league?

Download Fantasy Draft Dominator ($4.99)

So what’s your favorite?

There are a lot of ways to get in on fantasy football. What are yours? Who are you eyeballing for your draft? Which leagues do you play in? Hop into the comments and let us know!

Updated August 23, 2017: We’ve updated this post with the best apps for your 2017 Fantasy Football season!

Apple removes apps from Iran following US sanctions

Apple has been cracking down on Iranian apps over the last few weeks, removing those that offer food delivery, shopping and ride-hailing services, among others from its App Stores. Due to US sanctions on Iran, companies like Apple are limited in the sorts of business they can do in the country, which is why the iPhone isn’t legally sold in Iran and why there’s no Iranian App Store.

Earlier this year, when Apple told Iranian developers to take down payment options in their apps in order to make sure no Iranian money fell into Apple’s hands, most Iranian apps switched over to an Iran-based online payment system. But developers of apps like Iran’s Uber-like Snapp, which was taken down this week, were recently sent a message from Apple saying, “Under the U.S. sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers connected to certain U.S. embargoed countries.”

Some developers have taken to Twitter to respond to removals, with one creating the hashtag #StopRemovingIranianApps. Google hasn’t begun to take down Iranian apps from its Play store. In regards to Apple, Iran’s telecommunications minister said on Twitter that the country would “legally pursue the omission of apps.”

Source: New York Times

Google Assistant app now available on iPhones in Europe

If you’ve been hankering for a chance to play with Google Assistant but don’t own an Android phone, Google Home or hate the Allo messaging app, we have good news: Google announced today that the standalone Assistant app has begun rolling out for iOS in the UK, Germany and France, following its US debut back in May.

The app lets you converse with Google’s AI using your voice, which means you’ll likely ask it to answer your questions or use it interact with your smart home devices. Assistant can interact with smart lighting and thermostats, as well as handling calls, sending messages, setting reminders and calendar events, playing music (albeit via YouTube) and directing you home.

Google says the app is designed to operate on devices running iOS 9.1 and above, which should cover the majority of iPhone and iPad users. As we noted in our recent Google Home breakdown, Assistant utilises Google’s search smarts, so it can help you find what you want faster. As Amazon and Apple continue to improve their offerings at a steady rate, it might be worth taking it for a spin, even if you’re already well-acquainted with Alexa or Siri.

Source: Google Assistant (App Store)

Microsoft boasts about Xbox One X sales without giving numbers

Microsoft has been counting the days until the release of its powered-up mid-generation console, the Xbox One X, on November 7th. The company even announced a stylized but otherwise identical Scorpio edition to commemorate the launch. Apparently, that’s gotten players hyped up enough to preorder the console in record but entirely unspecified numbers, Microsoft boasted in a blog post:

“Within just a few days, we saw record-setting sell-out times and are currently sold out in many countries around the world. You, our biggest fans, have pre-ordered more Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition consoles in the first five days than any Xbox ever.”

The post didn’t give any figures, making it hard to understand this milestone in comparison with other console releases. It did quote an SVP of merchandising for GameStop who said that the Scorpio edition sold more preorders than the original Xbox One, but without numbers we can only guess at the how much of a splash the mid-generation console will make. We weren’t impressed with the slate of launch content and remained skeptical about the Xbox One X’s value, but check out the list of games getting enhanced (to whatever degree) by the souped-up console to judge for yourself.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update if we hear back.

Source: Microsoft