Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Invisible friend App

Make Secret Santa an easier game than ever with this easy-to-use app that allows you to create gifting groups and send messages.

Available on:

iOS

Weather Now

Beautiful 3D images of our planet draw your attention for so long that you may forget that this application has other useful features that allow you easy access to precise, global weather information.

Available on:

iOS

SafeRide/WalkSafe

SafeRide/WalkSafe is a travel safety app designed to give you peace of mind, especially when traveling alone. You can feel safe and secure by using SafeRide/WalkSafe when you take a taxi, use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or walk alone at night.

Available on:

iOS

No More Socks

Easily find, organize, remember, and buy amazing presents for all your friends and family. This app includes gift lists, events, ideas gathering, birthday reminders, online and offline shopping, and sharing.

Available on:

iOS

Traffic Time

Traffic Time makes it easy to view and share exactly how long it will take to reach all of your favorite destinations.

Available on:

iOS

My Book List

The ideal repository for book recommendations gathered from friends, reviews, and other sources, the app will locate the actual book cover and store it on its iBook-like shelf or as an entry on a list.

Available on:

iOS

Editor’s Recommendations

• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

HTC U11 Life vs. HTC U11: How different is HTC’s slimmed-down budget U11?

This year has been one of the most competitive ever for smartphones, with a steady stream of desirable devices flowing onto the market. Despite serious competition, the HTC U11 stands out as one of the best, but at $650 it’s not one of the cheapest.

If you like the look of the U11, but don’t have the cash, you’ll be glad to know the Taiwanese manufacturer has launched a scaled down version, dubbed the HTC U11 Life, for just $350. To find out precisely what changes HTC has made, we decided to compare the two.

Specs and performance

HTC U11 Life

HTC U11

Size
149.1 x 72.9 x 8.1 mm (5.87 x 2.87 x 0.32 in)
153.9 × 75.9 × 7.9 mm (6.05 × 2.99 × 0.31 in)
Weight
5.01 ounces (142 grams)
5.96 ounces (169 grams)
Screen
5.2-inch Super LCD
5.5-inch Super LCD
Resolution
1,920 x 1,080 pixels
2,560 × 1,440 pixels
OS
Android 7.1 Nougat
Android 7.1 Nougat
Storage
32/64GB
64/128GB
SD Card Slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM
3/4GB
4/6GB
Connectivity
Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, GSM
Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, GSM
Camera
Front 16MP, Rear 16MP
Front 16MP, Rear 12MP with OIS
Video
2,160p 4K
2,160p 4K HDR
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5.0
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Edge Sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor
Edge Sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor
Water Resistant
Yes, IP67
Yes, IP67
Battery
2,600mAh
3,000mAh
Charger
USB-C
USB-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
No
No
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Black, blue, white
Silver, blue, black, white, and red
Availability
HTC, T-Mobile
HTC, Sprint
DT Review
4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars

While the HTC U11 is a true flagship, boasting Qualcomm’s popular Snapdragon 835 processor inside, the U11 Life makes do with the mid-range Snapdragon 630 processor. The U11 is significantly faster than its smaller sibling, but the difference isn’t as great as you might presume.

In terms of benchmarks, the U11 Life managed an AnTuTu score of 71,397 and a Geekbench 4 multi-core score of 4,078, compared to 175,748 and 6,493 respectively for the U11. Although the U11 Life is a bit slower to load apps and occasionally stutters, it still feels plenty speedy enough. It’s worth remembering that the U11 is one of the silkiest performers we’ve tested all year.

Both phones come in two varieties. You can get the HTC U11 Life with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The HTC U11 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Both phones have MicroSD card slots for expansion.

With a better processor and the option of more RAM and storage, the U11 takes this round, but the U11 Life is an impressive performer in its price bracket.

Winner: HTC U11

Design, display, and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The metal frame and eye-catching liquid glass back really make the HTC U11 stand out, although we’d like it more if the body was a bit smaller and those bezels were shaved down. The U11 Life looks quite similar at first glance, but there are a lot of important design differences.

The back is acrylic instead of glass, so it doesn’t change color as you move it around in the light, like the U11 does. The frame in the U11 Life is also plastic, so it feels very different in the hand. It’s much lighter (27g lighter to be precise) and less classy, but HTC has done a good job of matching the general aesthetic. Overall, the U11 Life is slightly shorter and not as wide, though it is a hair thicker than the U11.

While the U11 boasts a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, the U11 Life makes do with a 5.2-inch screen and a standard full HD 1080p resolution. Both are Super LCD, and while the U11 screen is obviously sharper, the screen in the U11 Life is perfectly decent.

On the durability front both these phones score an IP67 rating, which means they can survive rain, unexpected spillages, and even the odd dunk in shallow water. The U11 is less durable, as it’s sandwiched by glass that’s shatter prone. Cases are a good idea.

Winner: HTC U11

Battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The HTC U11 impressed us with its battery life, easily lasting a day and beyond between charges. It has a 3,000mAh battery in it, whereas the battery in the U11 Life is rated at 2,600mAh. It’s not a big difference on paper and you may wonder if the slightly smaller, lower resolution screen would make up for it, but we found the U11 Life offered average day-long battery life.

In terms of charging, both phones can juice up quite quickly. They charge via USB-C and you can expect a useful chunk of battery life from a 30-minute charge. Sadly, there’s no support here for wireless charging.

Winner: HTC U11

Camera

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

We’re big fans of the 12-megapixel main camera in the HTC U11. It has a large f/1.7 aperture, with optical image stabilization (OIS), a dual LED flash, and HDR Boost. Our point-and-shoot results using the automatic settings have been very pleasing. It’s one of the top cameras around at the moment, though there’s a lot of stiff competition, so it doesn’t quite make our best camera phones list.

The U11 Life has a 16-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture and it simply can’t compete. There’s no OIS, it struggles with low light conditions, and there’s some shutter lag. It’s still good for a phone in this price bracket, but it’s streets behind the U11.

Both phones sport a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture, which serves just fine for selfies.

Winner: HTC U11

Software

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Both these phones run Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box with HTC’s Sense UI on top, though they are both slated to get Android 8.0 Oreo updates very soon. Sense UI offers a lot of customization options, but it may feel a little busy if you’re coming from stock Android.

You’ll find a trio of assistants on board the U11 and U11 Life in the shape of Google Assistant, Sense Companion, and Amazon’s Alexa. If you’re an Alexa fan, then there’s an important difference to watch out for – the U11 Life doesn’t respond to the voice trigger, whereas the U11 does.

We’re pleased to find Edge Sense, which allows you to squeeze the sides of the phone to launch Alexa, or take a photo, or whatever else you care to map it to, is present on both phones. It’s unusual to find a flagship feature like this carried over to a cheaper device like the U11 Life.

Winner: HTC U11

Price and availability

You can snag the HTC U11 direct from HTC or buy it unlocked at Amazon for $650. The only U.S. carrier to pick it up was Sprint, which offers it for $29 per month on contract.

The HTC U11 Life only costs $350 direct from HTC and it’s available on T-Mobile for a $12 down payment, and then $12 a month for 24 months, which comes down to $300.

At $300 cheaper, the U11 Life finally wins a category.

Winner: HTC U11 Life

Overall winner: HTC U11

It should come as no surprise that the HTC U11 wins this contest, sweeping every category except price. It’s a superior phone with a more stylish design, higher quality finish, better processor, sharper and bigger screen, and a far better main camera.

Whether it’s worth $300 more than the U11 Life is a tougher question to answer. Both these phones scored 4 out of 5 in our reviews and they’re amongst the best in their respective price categories. There’s actually a lot less quality to choose from in the mid-range segment than there is in the flagship field, so if your budget is around that $350 mark, the U11 Life is a compelling option.

Editor’s Recommendations

• HTC U11 Life review
• Everything you need to know about the HTC U11 Life and HTC U11 Plus
• HTC U11 review
• HTC’s Green is Good sale slashes prices on the HTC U11, HTC U Ultra, and more
• Don’t want the iPhone X or Galaxy S8? The HTC U11 Life is a viable option

AT&T Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

Find out what AT&T has to offer.

AT&T is the second-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. with over 100 million subscribers across the country. It offers nationwide Voice and LTE data coverage on its network, using GSM and LTE technology for both voice and data, primarily on 700, 850, 1700 and 1900MHz spectrm.

AT&T offers unlimited talk and text wireless plans for individuals and families and have deals on the latest phones including the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. If you’re a loyal AT&T customer for other services, you’ll be happy to know that there are benefits to bundling your services together, but if you’re strictly looking for a wireless plan, AT&T’s base offerings are definitely on the pricier side — though they do offer affordable prepaid plans and the option to save by bringing your own device.

Read on to learn more about what AT&T has to offer, and find the best plan and phone deal for you!

• Best Individual Plans
• Best Family Plan
• Best Phones
• Best Deals on AT&T
• How to cancel AT&T
• How to unlock an AT&T phone
• Finding an alternative carrier that uses AT&T’s network

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Best Individual Plans

AT&T offers a range of mobile service options for individuals. We’ll start off with their standard talk, text, and data plans available when you’re buying a new phone through AT&T, then look at AT&T’s prepaid no-contract options, and finally your options for bringing your own device to the AT&T Network.

• Talk, Text and Data plans
• AT&T Prepaid
• Bring your own device to AT&T

Talk, Text and Data plans

AT&T offers two base talk, text, and data plans for individual lines — the AT&T Unlimited Choice plan, and the Unlimited Plus plan.

The Unlimited Choice plan starts at $65 a month for a single line (before discounts) and includes unlimited talk, text, and data with standard definition video streaming and data speeds that max out at 3Mbps. It’s a great option if you don’t want to worry about managing monthly quotas and don’t mind the slower data speeds for video.

The Unlimited Plus plan is significantly more expensive at $95 a month (before discounts), but that includes high definition video streaming and 10GB of mobile hotspot usage all delivered at the fastest speeds available on AT&T’s nationwide 4G LTE network. Both Unlimited Choice and Unlimited Plus plans include an HBO subscription, which lets you watch all your favorite HBO shows on all of your devices.

Keep in mind the cost of these plans do not include payments towards a new phone. If you’re trying to budget getting a new phone on contract with AT&T, add an extra $25 to get a closer estimation of what your monthly bill might look like. However, there are ways to bring that bill down a bit. You can save $5 a month by signing up for AutoPay and paperless bills ($10 per month for multiple lines). And all DirectTV customers (existing and new) save an additional $25 when bundled with wireless service.

You’ll also save if you add extra line to your account up to four lines total — Unlimited Choice goes down to $40 a month per line, while Unlimited plus goes down to $50 a month per line (after Autopay discount).

AT&T offers a number of bundles that include DirectTV alongside its other services, so if you’re looking for a total home package through one carrier you may lock down a pretty good deal that includes TV, home phone, internet and wireless all through AT&T.

To find the pricing offered in your area, you’ll want to go to AT&T’s website and enter your ZIP code.

Learn more

AT&T Prepaid

Not interested in locking yourself into a long-term contract with AT&T? You may be interested in a prepaid plan instead. AT&T offers GoPhone plans for those looking for cheap and functional wireless services without the hassle of dealing with overage fees and or paying for features you don’t end up using.

Monthly GoPhone plans start at $30 for unlimited talk and text and 1GB of data, and it also offer decent pay-as-you-go plans which start as low as $2 a day for unlimited minutes and texts. With pay-as-you-go, you’re not charged on days that you don’t place or receive a call or send a text.

You can also get an unlimited prepaid plan, which offers up to 22GB of data capped at 3Mbps, for $60 per month after discounts.

Learn more

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Bring your own device to AT&T

If you’re switching over to AT&T from another carrier, you may be able to bring your current phone over to the network. You’ll want to make sure that your device has been unlocked by your previous carrier and then check its eligibility on AT&T’s network. You’re also able to connect laptops, tablets and mobile hotspots to an AT&T wireless plan, which you can learn more about in store.

Learn More

Best Family Plans

AT&T offers shared data plans for families with unlimited domestic talk and text and worry-free data — you won’t receive overage charges when you’ve reached your data allotment.

Add up to 10 lines to your plan and find the monthly data amount that meets your family’s needs. Starting at $80 for 10GB of shared data, your best value for a data-hungry family is the 25GB plan for $110. Spread across a family of four, that averages to 7.5GB per phone, which is more than enough to support regular streaming of audio and video, along with everything else your family uses their phones for.

Since AT&T offers much more than just wireless service, you have the option to add a plethora of features to your plan. First, you can add more devices such as LTE-enabled tablets and wearables for a monthly access charge, as well as laptops and mobile hotspot devices.

More importantly for families, you can add both home phone and internet to your plant for only $30. AT&T also offers cable bundles if you’re interested in cable TV packages.

Learn more

Best Phones

Looking to buy a brand new phone through AT&T? It can offer you the latest and greatest devices — for both Android and iOS — including:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ and Galaxy S8 Active
• LG G6
• LG V30
• iPhone X and iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

You have two options for buying phones through AT&T — you can buy them outright, or pay no money down with AT&T Next, a payment plan service that links the cost of the phone to your wireless contract, as you pay for the phone in monthly installments with an option to upgrade to a new device in two years. You may choose put a down payment on the device to bring the monthly payment down, or consider trading in an older phone to put cash towards your new one.

Learn more

Best Deals on AT&T

Right now, AT&T is pushing a couple great deals for unlimited data plans.

AT&T’s Unlimited choice plan is jam-packed with awesome features for heavy mobile users and fans of HBO. You get 22GB of high speed data before AT&T may slow your speeds and 10GB of mobile hotspot per line per month. You can get four lines for just $160 a month (that’s $40 a month per line) which is a great option for families.

Learn more

AT&T is also offering Direct TV for just $25 a month for 24 months with an AT&T Unlimited Plus wireless plan. We’re all for cutting cable, and technically Direct TV isn’t cable so if you’re looking for a deal on a TV package this might be right for you!

Learn more

The ZTE Axon M is available exclusively through AT&T. It’s a pretty unique device with double the screen! To promote this new device, AT&T is offering a $100 Visa Reward Card when you buy a ZTE Axon M. The phone itself is $725 if you’re into the concept here.

Learn More

How to cancel AT&T

If you’re considering signing a multi-year contract with AT&T, you need to know the details and processes for canceling your service. This is where reading the fine print of your contract ahead of time comes in handy. Depending on your wireless plan, you may have to pay an Early Termination Fee or the outstanding balance of an installment agreement like AT&T Next plans.

You have two options for canceling your services with AT&T:

• Call 1-800-331-0500 or 611 from an AT&T wireless phone, and then follow the call prompts to cancel your service.
• Cancel in-person at an AT&T store near you.

If you’ve decided to cancel your service within 14 days of activation, you’ll want to know about AT&T’s equipment return policies.

Learn more

How to unlock an AT&T phone

If you plan on buying a phone through AT&T, you may want to know the process for unlocking your phone. AT&T has complete instructions on its support website, and the whole process should take no more than three days to process.

The first step is determining whether your device is eligible to be unlocked, and of course AT&T has a site for that. Unlocking your AT&T phone is a fairly painless process, requiring you to fill out some forms with your AT&T credentials and your device’s IMEI number. Once your request has been processed, you are free to connect your device to another wireless carrier.

Learn more

Finding an alternative carrier that uses AT&T’s network

If you want to use the AT&T network but are looking for plans that offer a better deal, you might be interested in a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). MVNOs are often referred to as alternative carriers, and they work by partnering with the big four carriers to piggyback on their networks. That means they can offer better deals to consumers without needing to worry about infrastructure upkeep.

They’ve become increasingly reliable over the years and offer the cheapest plans in the mobile industry. There are currently 12 MVNOs that operate on AT&T, including Cricket Wireless, Straight Talk, and H20 Wireless.

Learn More

Update, November 2017: This article was last updated with the most recent AT&T pricing.

Carriers

• Which unlimited plan should you buy?
• Verizon’s Unlimited plans: Everything you need to know
• Everything you need to know about the T-Mobile ONE unlimited plan
• Everything you need to know about the AT&T Unlimited plan
• Everything you need to know about Sprint’s Unlimited Freedom plan
• Join the Discussion

Are you going to pick up an Essential Phone for $449?

A $250 discount is hard to argue with.

When the Essential Phone initially debuted earlier this year at its introductory price of $699, it left critics and consumers alike feeling quite polarized. The handset has some of the best hardware of any phone released this year, but the myriad of camera and performance issues made the Essential Phone difficult to recommend.

Numerous software updates and a substantial price cut later, and the Essential Phone is now more appealing than it’s ever been. Essential has made massive improvements to the camera speed and quality, and the recent drop from $699 to $499 made it much easier to swallow with the shortcomings the device still has.

On top of that $200 price drop, Best Buy recently took another $50 off for a final price of only $449. Here’s what some of our forum users had to say about this latest discount.

gibsonb2
11-05-2017 08:07 AM

“

Dang… There are quickly becoming ZERO reasons not to buy this phone.

Reply

DominionRoofs
11-05-2017 08:58 AM

“

Thanks very much for the heads up. I just placed my order for the white. Also, sent in a return request for my Pixel 2 XL. I will be saving exactly $529. Yeah, I can live with an inferior camera and a tad less speed for that!

Reply

Wildo6882
11-05-2017 09:04 AM

“

Man, this is getting REALLY compelling. I’ve been debating between this, a Pixel 2, or the iPhone X. I’m usually one to try to have the latest and greatest, but the money savings on this thing is really starting to make sense over those other two phones. Man, what to do?!

Reply

cz9h3d
11-05-2017 02:24 PM

“

I bought white via Amazon last week, and got 10% off due to one day late in shipping, so $449. Also, they will split payments into 5 months, which what attractive.
So far I’m liking the phone. Still getting use to the “small” big screen vs. my Nexus 6P. It’s much faster (of course).
I would love to have a “perfect” camera (i.e. iPhone X or Pixel 2), but certainly not at twice the price! …

Reply

With all that said, we’d like to know – Will you be purchasing the Essential Phone for $449?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Monument Valley 2 is now on sale for $4.99

Time to brush off your puzzle-solving skills.

Monument Valley became an instant classic shortly after its release in 2014, and ever since its debut, fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel to ustwo games’ addicting puzzle adventure. Pre-registration has been open on the Play Store for Monument Valley 2 since this August, but after months and months of waiting, the day has finally come.

Announced last month, Monument Valley 2 is now available for purchase for Android. The title costs $4.99 and weighs in at a hefty 251Mb, and it’s already amassed a lot of five-star reviews. Out of the 291 reviews currently published on the Play Store, 283 are five stars, five are four stars, and three are three stars.

You’ll need to be running Android 4.4 or later to download and play Monument Valley 2, and assuming you have a device that meets that requirement, close this article, head to the Play Store, and buy the game right now. The first Monument Valley really was something, and with initial reviews for its sequel being so positive, we’re bound to be in store for something special once again.

Google Pixel 2 second opinion: Close to perfect

Is the Google Pixel 2 all it’s cracked up to be? Heck yes it is.

I’m a fan of smaller phones, so when Google put the Pixel 2 up for sale I went for the mainline version. I also used the original smaller Pixel since it came out a lot more than the 2016 Pixel XL, so I knew beforehand which phone I wanted. So far, I’m not disappointed, and there are a few things I really love.

You should probably check out the video review and read the full Pixel 2 review to get a handle on all the specs and features of the phone, too. I’m not going to go into a lot of things nearly as deep as was done in the full review. This is more of my take on the phone after I’ve been using it for a while than an in-depth look at it from top to bottom. These are important, too!

Read the full Pixel 2 review

The best of Android

I’ll start with the question a lot of people seem to have, especially folks thinking about moving to Android from Windows or iOS: Is the Pixel 2 the best Android phone you can buy right now?

Yes. It’s not the best LG phone you can buy, or the best Samsung phone, or the best of anything else any company has to offer. But when you want to see Android without any extras added so you can pick your own extra features from Google Play, the Pixel 2 is better than “stock” phones any other company like Motorola or Nokia has to offer.

The Pixel 2 is the best “regular” Android phone you can buy.

Is it the best overall phone? I don’t know. To me it is, as I don’t want another company deciding which features I have installed, or even a carrier having a say. When I spend my money, I’ll decide, thank you very much. Plenty of other people feel differently and want what phones like the Note 8 or V30 have to offer. I can’t decide which type of person you are. If you’re new to Android, I suggest you shy away from the everything but the kitchen sink model and buggy, slow software that Samsung and others use and stick with “regular” Android instead, as it’s very close to what you’re used to from Apple or Microsoft.

While no company makes phones that run unaltered Android (not even Google), the Pixel 2 comes very close and outperforms everything else when it comes to doing the things I want it to do, using the features and apps I have installed. It’s not perfect, but without doing things like rebooting regularly or manually deleting cache for my apps it zooms along and keeps me in touch with family and friends, lets me have a little fun and keeps me informed about the things I want or need to know. And it has one helluva great camera to boot.

An upgrade from last year

As mentioned, I used the 2016 Pixel a lot. The Pixel XL was great for Daydream (and still is) but I never found much of an advantage with the larger size. When the Pixel 2 arrived, I literally turned off my 2016 model and activated it, setting it up from the latest backup and never missed a beat.

Using the Pixel 2 feels a lot like using the original Pixel. That’s a good thing.

There are a few differences, but the experience is pretty much the same. The 2016 Pixel is just as snappy as its successor and is a fine phone that could be a great deal if you find a nice used one.

Don’t buy a 2016 Pixel new, though; the extra $100 you spend on this year’s model means two more years of software updates and warranty, and the camera alone is worth it.

The three biggest differences between the old and new Pixel are the camera, two front-facing speakers, and the headphone jack (or lack thereof). They are about the same size and shape, they have very comparable displays and the very same software. The Pixel 2 has a Project Fi eSIM (which works great and was simple to set up) along with Active Edge, which lets you bring up Google Assistant by squeezing the sides. At this time, though, I’m not finding either to be very compelling. Fi setup with a regular SIM card is easy enough and Assistant is always there when you call it. I do see why people would like Active Edge so I won’t dismiss it, I just don’t use it very often.

The longer warranty and extra year of support make the Pixel 2 a better buy than the original and maybe even worth an upgrade.

I’ll say more about the camera and the audio situation a little further down, but the Pixel 2 is a worthy upgrade just for the warranty and the extra year of updates. If you’re upgrading from something else, the Pixel 2 is definitely the one to get and worth more than the $100 difference from last year’s model.

The display

You can’t say the words Pixel 2 without thinking of the screen. What you need to know is that none of the issues surrounding the Pixel 2 XL display affect the smaller version. You don’t have the extra-visible tint when holding it at an angle, scrolling won’t make everything look grainy and weird, and while normal OLED burn-in is to be expected, it doesn’t have the strange hybrid burn effect that some are seeing on the 2 XL.

None of the display drama seen with the Pixel 2 XL is here.

The colors seem to be a little warmer than the XL’s display, too, so things look closer to the way you expect when you’re using it. It covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color space, has a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and is an overall good 24-bit OLED panel. As a plus, work Google is doing to make colors more vivid on the larger Pixel 2 XL will also be able to give the Pixel 2 a bit of extra punch if you want it.

Eventually, Google will figure all of this out and, hopefully, force developers to support color profiles if they want their apps on Google Play, and we’ll look back on all this with the same nonchalance we did for previous Galaxy S phones before Samsung got it right with the S6.

The Pixel 2 has a good display with the same AMOLED drawbacks as all the rest, but nothing more.

It’s still an OLED screen. That means it will show yellow or blue or even pink on a white background when you tilt it away from you, and things like the battery meter, clock colon, and navigation buttons will eventually burn into the screen. I’ve called this “normal” behavior, but as a commenter once pointed out to me, it’s a thing that the companies making OLED displays need to fix rather than a thing we need to accept. One day we’ll have a display that looks as good as a Super LCD at all viewing angles, has the unlimited black depth and contrast ratio of OLED and doesn’t ever burn in or ghost. For now, we have good displays of each type and a good OLED one is on the Pixel 2.

Bluetooth, headphones, and Snap, Crackle, and Pop

The Pixel 2 does have great speakers, but they don’t make up for the headphone jack’s absense.

I hate that the headphone jack was taken away.

There’s no getting around it, and the headphones I like to use now need to have a dongle swinging from the cord that I’ll eventually lose, or they can just stay at home. The 2016 Pixel didn’t have any extras that made it a great audio powerhouse like we’ve seen from LG and others, but I could put my headphones into the hole and listen to music or a video without bothering anyone else.

To somewhat alleviate the pain, the Pixel 2 does have two front-facing speakers, which are plenty loud and as tinny sounding as a tiny speaker with no enclosure will always sound. To me, though, they are just an extra way to bother other people and I’d gladly trade them for a headphone jack. And before anyone says anything about “old tech” they need to have an excuse ready for 100 plus-year-old tech called the transistor that’s still in use for phones and every other modern gadget.

I’ve wrangled a pair of the Made for Google Libratone Q Adapt Wireless On-Ear Headphones to use, and they’re OK. They sound as good as wired headphones would with the Pixel and Pixel 2, but they also are another thing to keep charged. They also sound pretty poor when compared to my favorite headphones and a music player or a phone like the HTC 10 or LG V20. It’s certainly a trade I don’t want to make, so I don’t listen to music very often when I’m out without something that can play it decently. It’s just not worth keeping track of what’s charged and what’s not.

Taking away the headphone jack means I don’t listen to music as often as I used to.

I’m not seeing any other issues with Bluetooth. Granted, I don’t have a bunch of Bluetooth “stuff” here, but the Pixel 2 connects just fine to my desktop, my MacBook Pro, and my Pixelbook. It also works as expected with our Klipsch portable Bluetooth speaker or with a Logitech Bluetooth audio adapter connected to my stereo. We don’t have Bluetooth in any of our cars here and mostly use Chromecast for streaming audio, so I’m not the best person to judge any Bluetooth issues, but I don’t see any. Your mileage may vary.

I’m also not hearing the pops and snaps through the top speaker that many others are, but understand the issue well enough to see the problem. Google’s solution of toggling NFC while on a call will fix it, but they probably should look at how much power is being sent to the NFC antenna, or why it’s positioned in a place that may need that much power. Passive RFID for contactless communication only needs a millimeter or two of range to properly work and my Pixel 2 will read an RFID tag at five to seven centimeters. I’m assuming a proper long-term fix for a point bump hardware revision can tone things down a bit, but I could be wrong. Either way, shutting off the NFC antenna when a call is active works, and Google needs to get the fix out ASAP.

The camera

The warranty and extra life for updates may be the sensible reason you should buy a Pixel 2, but the camera is the fun reason. It’s everything you’ve heard and then some.

Google’s combination of machine learning and intelligent HDR processing make the camera in the Pixel 2 — both models have the exact same camera hardware and software — the best camera in a phone you can buy today. The hardware and software have been improved from the original Pixel 2, and the one thing Google was unable to do in 2016 was add OIS (optical image stabilization) and has adjusted its camera magic so that it works on the Pixel 2. That will help when you have the shakes.

Software-based photography will only get better with time. You can’t change lenses.

The Pixel 2 also has a dedicated SoC for machine learning called the Pixel Visual Core. It gets enabled in Android 8.1 for Google’s HDR+ algorithms (support for third parties will follow soon after) and will make the camera even better because the “smarts” that can recreate a scene will learn more, learn faster and be able to intelligently recreate missing data. Computational photography is something I’m fascinated with, and pixel-peeping photos at magnifications like 2400% show how great the Pixel 2 can do right now. The addition of a dedicated SoC will hopefully blow our collective minds.

The Pixel 2 can also do “portrait” photography with a single lens. This is also part of Google’s software magic, and somehow enough data can be analyzed to fake a depth map without adding a second focal point. None of this is new tech, but it is tech we’ve never seen on a phone and never seen at an affordable price.

Like all fixed focal length phone cameras regardless of the number of lenses, the portrait mode still looks, well, bad. Blurring the background or foreground and focusing on one shape as the subject is a lot easier than recreating the real unfocused look that our eyes or a more capable camera can recreate, and no matter which phone you use, it shows. As fascinating as the idea of how the Pixel 2 can do this as well as the iPhone 8 or Note 8 with only one lens is, I’m still looking forward to when it will get better across the board.

Portrait photos on tiny fixed lenses with no real aperture looks bad every time. The Pixel 2 looks no worse than phone cameras with two lenses.

The one drawback (or hilarious unintended feature, depending on when it happens) of doing everything through an algorithm is that when it fails, it fails spectacularly. Most of the time, though, it doesn’t fail. I’m not a big camera phone guy. I don’t leave the house without a “gear bag” hanging from my wheelchair, so I always have a camera stashed away somewhere. A phone that can take a decent spur of the moment photo is good enough for my use, so just about every phone since the Nexus 5 will work for me. But I love playing with new tech and find myself taking at least twice the number of pictures with a phone as I used to, even if only to look at the results then delete them. If you really love a good camera on your phone like many other people do, you’ll love the one on the Pixel 2.

Everything else, and should you buy this thing? Yes!

Battery life has been fine and I never hit the sheets without at least 15 – 20% of charge left. I plug it in on my nightstand, make sure the alarm is set and unplug it in the morning. It’s never locked up or rebooted that I can see (the only reboot was to install the 8.1 Developer Preview Beta) and phone calls, data speeds, and every-day functionality exceed my expectations.

Should you buy the only phone that will still be supported in 2020? Yes.

I have the Project Fi eSIM activated and also have either a GoPhone an AT&T Prepaid or T-Mobile SIM card in the slot and can switch on the fly without rebooting or any hiccups. Everything I want or need it to do, it does without any problems. Like the 2016 Pixel, it just works.

If you want a phone that doesn’t try to be everything all at once with a laundry list of features you’ll never use or need, and aren’t into the extra tall no-bezel thing that almost every other high-end phone is chasing, then yeah. The Pixel 2 is the one I’d recommend to you. The camera, the two-year warranty, and the three-year support promise are worth the premium over some other great phones even if you don’t care about having the latest version of Android and any benefits or features that come with.

No phone is perfect, but for me the Pixel 2 comes really close.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

Google Store
Project Fi
Verizon
Best Buy

Grab the ecobee4 Alexa-enabled Smart Thermostat for $209

This thermostat is so smart it just lowered its own price!

Is this deal for me?

Amazon currently has the Alexa-enabled ecobee4 smart thermostat for $209, which is a savings of $40 from its regular price. This is a new all-time low for this item, which is actually much more than just a thermostat.

• Comes with built-in Alexa Voice Service, so you can ask your ecobee to set a timer, read you the news, adjust the temperature, and more. With Far-field voice technology your ecobee4 can hear you from across the room.
• Room sensors help manage hot and cold spots in your home, delivering comfort to the rooms that matter most.
• Easily adjust temperature and comfort settings from anywhere using your Android and iOS devices. Also works with Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT and more
• Save an average 23% on heating and cooling costs each year. Learn more at ecobee.com/savings.
• Fast, easy installation you can do yourself. Use our handy step-by-step guide right on your phone.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – This is the lowest price that the ecobee4 has hit. For a majority of the time since its release, it has stayed right at the $249 price, and odds are this deal won’t last long.
• Things to know before you buy! – The ecobee4 is the latest smart thermostat from ecobee, and it has the Alexa Voice Service built-in. This means you can ask it to set a timer, read you the news, and much more.

See at Amazon

Sprint’s parent company is increasing its stake in the U.S. carrier

“Sprint is a critical part of our plan to ensure that we can deliver our vision to American consumers.”

Talks about a T-Mobile and Sprint merger have been happening for years, and as you probably heard over the weekend, those talks were finally put to rest. T-Mobile recently issued a press release announcing that it and Sprint were “unable to find mutually agreeable terms”, and as such, we shouldn’t hold our breath for a merger between the two carriers anytime soon.

Shortly after this news broke, Sprint’s parent organization – SoftBank Group – issued a press release announcing that it’ll be increasing its stake in the U.S. carrier.

This increased stake will happen through open market transactions and other matters, but SoftBank Group states that it has no plans of increasing its current ownership of Sprint to 85% or higher as a result of this new initiative.

Per SoftBank Group’s CEO and Chairman, Masayoshi Son –

We are entering an era where billions of new connected devices and sensors will come online throughout the United States. Continuing to own a world class mobile network is central to our vision of ubiquitous connectivity. Sprint is a critical part of our plan to ensure that we can deliver our vision to American consumers and we are very confident in its future.

It’s unclear as to whether or not this move by SoftBank will have any implications for U.S. customers, but with the T-Mobile merger now dead, we’ll likely see Sprint make a big push in the coming months to make itself as attractive and competitive as ever.

Unpacking the doomed T-Mobile / Sprint merger

Target’s Black Friday ad is here with a $30 Google Home Mini and more

Target’s Black Friday ad is here, and there are some deals you won’t want to miss!

Black Friday will be here before you know it, and there’s no better time to start preparing than now. Target is one of the many retailers that will be open on Thanksgiving with tons of deals, and there are some you will want to know about, and others that are worth passing.

• Target 2017 Black Friday Ad Analysis
• Target 2017 Black Friday Ad Scan

Target will be open from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Thanksgiving and will re-open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. It has already announced that all online orders will ship for free, with no minimums, and a bunch of the Black Friday deals will be available to purchase online and then pick up in a store near you.

Some of the hottest deals that we spotted include a Google Home Mini for $29 with a $10 Target Gift Card, discounted LEGO sets, up to $300 in gift cards when activating a Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8, or iPhone 8, and $20 off the brand new Amazon Echo.

Of course, there are video games for as little as $15, Blu-ray’s for as low as $4, and CDs starting at $8.

Check out the Thrifter Black Friday Hub

Where to find Beta games for Daydream

Beta Testing can be rewarding and perilous all at the same time.

With VR being such a new technology there are a lot of people out there working on content. If you want to get apps a little early, especially for Daydream, you need to find a beta. There are several different places to look, and we’ve got a handy list here for you!

Read more at VRHeads!