Best Phone for Gamers

• Best overall
• Best for smoothness
• Best value
• Best for accessories

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S8

See at Amazon   See at AT&T  
See at Sprint  See at T-Mobile   See at Verizon

It should come as little surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S7 has been dethroned as the best phone for gamers by its follow up, the Galaxy S8. Whether you go with the Galaxy S8 or the slightly larger S8+, you’ll be getting an outstanding device that can handle pretty much any game you throw at it.

It features a brilliant AMOLED display capable of scaling up to QHD+ resolution — that’s 2960 x 1440. Depending on your region, the Galaxy S8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor with a beefy 3,000 mAh battery tucked into the phone’s thin frame. It combines beautiful design with raw processing power to create a phone that delivers all the gaming action you can handle with nary a hiccup in gameplay.

On top of just being a fantastic phone with top-tier specs and a brilliant display, Samsung has done a great job of revamping the Game Tools first introduced on the S7. If you’re serious about mobile gaming and can afford the upgrade, the Galaxy S8 or S8+ is a quality investment to make.

Bottom line: Samsung has done a better job integrating Game Tools features with the Galaxy S8.

One more thing: Make sure to turn on the setting that stretches the game to fill the Galaxy S8’s unique aspect ratio.

Why the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best

The best just keeps getting better.

The Galaxy S8 isn’t new, but it’s the perfect combination of size and performance in a phone today. And that beautiful Super AMOLED just makes everything, from the simplest puzzle game to the most resource-intensive MOBA, look amazing.

Both Game Launcher and Game Tools are back and better than ever, with Samsung making strides to improve their integration into the overall experience of the phone. Game Tools especially, which has been built into the navigation bar and appears any time you load up a game.

It includes the same features for turning off distracting notifications while also including important new features for addressing the curved edges of the screen and temporarily turning off the “invisible” home button so you don’t accidentally press it during gameplay. If you’re the type that likes to stream as you game, you’ll love the built-in screen recorder tools which let you record at 720p and use the front-facing camera to record your reactions as you play.

Simply put, the Galaxy S8 is packed with all the specs and features you need for the gaming performance you desire.

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Best for smoothness

Razer Phone

See at Razer  

Razer burst onto the Android scene in 2017 with its first smartphone that was designed for the gamer on the go.

Razer went all out on the specs for this phone and it’s a beast, with a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 835 chipset, a whopping 8GB of RAM, a huge 4,000mAh battery, and a 5.7-inch display that supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz — capable of producing the most buttery-smooth frame rate you’ve seen on a phone. It’s also got front-facing speakers that sound amazing and 64GB of on-board storage along with a dedicated microSD slot.

It all sounds so promising, so why didn’t it snag the top spot on our list? Well, as Alex Dobie discovered in his review of the Razer Phone, while the phone certainly features some impressive specs, it manages to falls short in a number of areas, most notably the shoddy camera performance, lack of waterproofing, and abysmal screen brightness that makes the screen hard to see in natural lighting. Basically, despite the top-tier specs and revolutionary display refresh rate, the Razer Phone falls short performing some of the basic features you’d expect from a $700 phone in 2017 — and that’s without mentioning the massive bezels that go against current industry trends.

Bottom line: In designing a phone for gamers, Razer seemed to lose focus on other aspects of a well-rounded mobile experience. And there still aren’t many games optimized for 120Hz.

One more thing: That massive battery is one of the largest you’ll find in an Android phone and should ensure your gaming sessions are never cut short by a low battery warning.

Best value

OnePlus 5T

See at OnePlus

OnePlus continues to deliver outstanding hardware at a great value, and the OnePlus 5T is another great flagship that is bound to turn a lot of heads.

You get premium specs at the starting price of just $499, which include 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a gorgous 6-inch AMOLED display and a 3,300 mAh battery, or you can bump up to the $559 model that packs in 8GB of RAM and 128GB. But specs aren’t everything, and along with the mostly stock OxygenOS that OnePlus is known for, the company has also included some software features that are perfect for longer gaming sessions.

Take the do not disturb mode for gaming, which blocks notifications from peeking in from the top of the screen while playing specific apps. It’s entirely customizable so you’ll never be distracted while playing your favorite games.

Combine the price, the great specs, and the great do not disturb feature for gaming and that’s one heck of a value for gamers.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a brand new phone, the OnePlus 5T is a top-tier contender at a mid-range price.

One more thing: The OnePlus 5T has a dual camera setup featuring 16MP and 20MP sensors.

Best for accessories

Moto Z2 Play

See at Motorola

The latest in Motorola’s modular lineup, the Moto Z2 Play features a slightly smaller battery than its predecessor at 3000 mAh, paired with a Snapdragon 626 processor and 4GB of RAM.

But the real advantage to the Moto Z2 Play are the Moto Mods. Battery life still not enough? Take advantage of the Moto Z2 Play’s modular design and slap on the Incipio offGRID Power Pack and add an extra 2,260 mAh battery to your phone, along with charging efficiency and the added ability to wirelessly charge both the pack and your phone.

One Moto Mod that’s specific for gamers is the GamePad Mod which lets you trade touch screen controls for physical joysticks and buttons

Bottom line: Starting at around $499, the Moto Z2 Play is a pretty great phone that’s only made better with the right Moto Mods.

One more thing: Other awesome Moto Mods available for the Moto Z2 Play include a JBL Soundboost 2 speaker, Hassleblad True Zoom camera mod and the Moto InstaShare Projector.

Conclusion

For the best Android gaming experience, look no further than the Galaxy S8. It’s got all the top-end specs you need to any game in the Google Play Store at the highest settings, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. If battery life is your biggest concern, the Moto Z Play is your best bet, especially with an optional Moto Mod to expand that battery life further. If you think lag is a real drag, the HTC 10’s touch responsiveness is what you want.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S8

See at AT&T  
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon

It should come as little surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S7 has been dethroned as the best phone for gamers by its follow up, the Galaxy S8. Whether you go with the Galaxy S8 or the slightly larger S8+, you’ll be getting an outstanding device that can handle pretty much any game you throw at it.

It features a brilliant AMOLED display capable of scaling up to QHD+ resolution — that’s 2960 x 1440. Depending on your region, the Galaxy S8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor with a beefy 3,000 mAh battery tucked into the phone’s thin frame. It combines beautiful design with raw processing power to create a phone that delivers all the gaming action you can handle with nary a hiccup in gameplay.

On top of just being a fantastic phone with top-tier specs and a brilliant display, Samsung has done a great job of revamping the Game Tools first introduced on the S7. If you’re serious about mobile gaming and can afford the upgrade, the Galaxy S8 or S8+ is a quality investment to make.

Bottom line: Samsung has done a better job integrating Game Tools features with the Galaxy S8. On top of that, it’s easily the best phone you can buy right now.

One more thing: Make sure to turn on the setting that stretches the game to fill the Galaxy S8’s unique aspect ratio.

Update November 2017: We’ve added the new Razer Phone to our list, but its shortcomings failed to knock the Samsung Galaxy S8 from the top spot.

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Android Wear 2.6 adds Recent Apps complication, download progress indicator, and more

The 2.6 update is available now through the Play Store.

If you’re still the proud owner of an Android Wear watch, we’ve got some good news to brighten up your Wednesday morning. Version 2.6 for Android Wear was recently made available for download in the Google Play Store through its companion phone app, and there’s a decent amount of new features here that should make using Android Wear all the more enjoyable.

For starters, there’s a new watch face complication that allows you to quickly open up whatever your most recently used app is. To add this, simply open up the editor for whatever watch face you’d like to use, tap on the complication area you want to add it to, and choose “Recept app” that can be found in the General category. Once this is added, the complication icon will change to that of whatever app is has been opened the latest.

Speaking of apps, you can now actually see how long it’ll take for a new one to download on your watch. This is something that’s been annoyingly absent from Android Wear since its inception, but with 2.6, downloading a new app will now show a download progress card that tells you how many minutes or seconds are left before your download is complete.

Along with these two bigger changes, Android Wear 2.6 also introduces the ability to see Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular icons in your Quick Settings page, the size of text for notifications now changes based on how much is being shown on the screen at once, and there are also fixes to accidental swipes and gestures that some users were previously complaining about.

Android Wear 2.6 is available now on the Play Store.

Samsung’s Gear Sport is currently the best alternative to Android Wear

Pick a new color for every situation with this $40 Philips Hue smart bulb

White and multi-colored, dimmable, and smart. This bulb does everything.

This Philips Hue A19 3rd generation LED smart bulb is down to $39.99 on Amazon. This bulb has been selling for as much as $47 recently. Although it does drop in price often, this sort of deal can be easy to miss because it doesn’t last long.

Whether you’re just getting started with smart bulbs or want to add to an ever-expanding collection, this smart bulb can do whatever you need it to do. Add some color to a dull room, ambiance to your movies or video games, or just use it because it’s dimmable.

Features include:

• Choose between millions of colors and shades of white light to light your home, wirelessly control with your smartphone or tablet, and sync your light immersively to music, games, and movies.
• Requiring the Hue Bridge for the full Hue experience, this bulb fits standard-size table and floor lamps. Enjoy richer shades of green, cyan, and blue with improved design.
• Install the LED light as you would install ordinary bulbs, then pair them with the Hue Bridge, which allows you to control smart-bulb-equipped lamps and overhead lights via the Philips Hue App.
• Easily expand your lighting system with accessories (sold separately), such as a Hue Dimmer Switch, Hue Tap, or Hue Motion Sensor. Pair it for automation with your existing Nest or SmartThings system.

If you want to fully control multiple Philips Hue bulbs, you’ll need a Hue Bridge. You could just get the Hue Starter Kit, which includes the bridge and three of these lights. It’s down to $110 on Best Buy right now.

See at Amazon

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to introduce friends and family to VR

Sharing VR with friends is easy, once you know what you’re doing.

Virtual Reality opens doors to entirely new worlds letting you visit places you’ve never been before from the bottom of the ocean as you swim with whales, to a mining platform in space that has to be protected from raiders. While it’s perfectly well and good to enjoy everything that VR has to offer, it can be so much better with friends. If you’ve been considering strapping your favorite headset onto friends or family, then you’ve come to the right place!

We’ve got a few tips for getting the people you loved as hooked on VR as you are for you here!

Read more at VRHeads

This $100 Blue Yeti USB mic includes Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Step up your audio game with a Blue Yeti USB Microphone.

Is this deal for me?

Amazon is offering the Blue Microphone USB Condenser Microphone (Blackout Edition) and Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Standard PC download) for just $99.99 while supplies last.

Amazon was recently selling this bundle for $140, but it fell to $110 a couple of days ago. That was already a good offer considering the mic sells for $130 on average on its own. This deal saves you $40 off the bundle’s regular price, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands sells for around $44 itself. $100 is an awesome deal on this mic, but the game included makes it a steal if you’ve been wanting to play it.

If you really don’t care about the game, you can pick up the microphone by itself from Walmart for $89.

The Blue Yeti USB Microphone features a pattern selector which allows you to pick up audio from a specified direction (directly in front of the mic, all around the mic, in front and back of the mic, etc.). It also features a gain control dial and a mute button, along with zero-latency headphone output.

I own one of these microphones myself, which I use to record vocals & guitar often. It’s lasted me for years and it’s such a noticeable upgrade in quality over any phones or cheaper mics I’ve tried to record with. I won’t be switching anytime soon, as its recordings are so clear they help me improve when I hear the track back.

For a less expensive option from Blue, check out the Snowball USB Condenser Microphone for just $49.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – The Blue Yeti USB Microphone (Blackout Edition) normally sells for $130 on its own. This deal bundles in Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PC download) and it’s only $100!
• Things to know before you buy! – This is the coolest looking version of this microphone in my opinion, but Yeti also offers it in a variety of other colors like Satin Red and Space Gray. If you’re looking for a great mic at a lower price, Blue also offers the Snowball for only $49. The Blackout edition is also available at Walmart by itself for only $89.

See at Amazon

Samsung plans new research center to keep pace in the AI wars

Samsung, jumping on a trend adopted by pretty much every tech outfit, is creating its own consumer-focused artificial intelligence research center. In a fairly vague statement released today, the company announced its plans to more thoroughly pursue AI endeavors with a dedicated project within its mobile and consumer electronics businesses, although it didn’t say where the center will be located.

Earlier this year the company made its AI intentions known when it opened a lab in Canada focusing on self-driving cars and image recognition. However, this latest announcement comes buried in a wider statement revealing minor changes to the role of Samsung’s chief strategy officer Young Sohn, which has been expanded to explore new business opportunities — a move designed to “quickly respond to market changes”, according to the company. Samsung has a habit of getting ahead of itself, announcing its ambitions before it’s close to creating a tangible output (see its ambiguous plans for a folding smartphone and Bixby’s roll-out fiasco) so what will come of the company’s AI research plans remains to be seen — at least it’s finally establishing itself in the AI club other tech players joined long ago.

Via: Reuters

Source: Samsung

‘Dance with flARmingos’ hides a deeper discussion behind goofy moves

Flamingos are all legs and pink feathers — an iconic symbol of kitsch America. They’re still a bird though; a species that’s struggled against global warming and human development on its habitats. For the past two years, artist Kristin Lucas’ work has revolved around flamingos. She’s adopted 20 of ’em, but suspected she’d never meet any of them. Dance with flARmingos tries to bring people closer to the bird, combining mixed and augmented reality tricks to immerse the attendee in a flock of strutting flamingos. Lucas’ enthusiasm for the bird is infectious — here’s the story behind the project.

Xbox’s $1 Game Pass includes ‘Gears of War 4’ and ‘Mass Effect’

If you’ve been thinking about trying out the Xbox Game Pass, but don’t want to risk the normal $10 price, Microsoft has a deal for you. It’s offering the first month of membership for $1, giving you access to well over 100 games. It’s also offering Xbox Gold for $1, so Xbox is clearly trying to push users onto memberships over the holidays. This month, new titles include Gears of War 4, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter and others.

What’s more, with the holidays arriving, you’ll be able to give an Xbox Games Pass as a gift by going to the Xbox Game Pass Store and selecting “Buy as Gift.” That makes sense, as Microsoft introduced game gifting for Insiders last month and launched the feature widely to the public last week.

On top of the three games mentioned, Microsoft is bringing four other new titles to Game Pass: Mass Effect, Mega Man 10, Casey Powell Lacross 16 and This War of Mine: The Little Ones. You’ll also get the complete set of Gears of War games with an Xbox Game Pass. If you want to get that deal for $1, you’ll have to act soon, as it’s only valid between November 17th and 27th.

Macy’s Launches Apple Watch Series 1 Black Friday Discount: 38mm for $180 and 42mm for $210

The latest Black Friday deal has gone live today, and this time it’s for the Apple Watch Series 1, which debuted alongside the Series 2 in September 2016. The Series 1 models lack the advancements of 2017’s Series 3 — like LTE and a faster processor — but the older Apple Watch is still a reliable device, and now with a cheaper entry price over at Macy’s, it makes for a great holiday gift.

The retailer has the Apple Watch Series 1 discounted by $70 beginning today, with 38mm models running for $179.00 and 42mm models priced at $209.00. In terms of overall Black Friday deals, we know that Target will match this $70 off Series 1 deal beginning tomorrow when sales there go live. So if you’re looking to get some shopping done a little early, Macy’s offer is the first notable Apple Watch Series 1 deal happening this holiday season.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with LivingSocial. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Here’s every Apple Watch Series 1 device available in Macy’s sale:

• 38mm Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band – $179.00, down from $249.00
• 38mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – $179.00, down from $249.00
• 38mm Gold Aluminum Case with Midnight Blue Sport Band – $179.00, down from $249.00
• 42mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – $209.00, down from $279.00
• 42mm Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band – $209.00, down from $279.00
• 42mm Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Pink Sand Sport Band – $209.00, down from $279.00
• 42mm Gold Aluminum Case with Midnight Blue Sport Band – $209.00, down from $279.00

As a point of comparison, the new non-LTE Apple Watch Series 3 models are priced at $329 (38mm) and $359 (42mm). Sales on Series 2 models have been appearing frequently throughout the fall, with the most recent dropping 38mm cases to $229 and 42mmm cases to $259. Until Black Friday sales, no notable deals had yet to arrive for the Series 1 devices following the launch of Series 3 in September.

If you purchase the Series 1, be aware that in comparison to higher-cost versions it has a slower S1P processor, lower water resistance (so it is not suitable for swimming), a display that doesn’t get as bright, slightly lower battery life, and no LTE or GPS support. Otherwise, you’ll be able to access all of the expected Apple Watch features like activity tracking, notification and phone call support with a connected iPhone, and more.

Also of note is an Apple Music deal going on at LivingSocial, where you can get a four month subscription to Apple’s streaming music service for free. This deal essentially adds one extra month (priced at $9.99/month) onto Apple Music’s existing three month free trial, and is only available to new subscribers signing up for an individual membership plan.

As always, you can visit our Black Friday Roundup to keep track of the latest deals going on heading into Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Some sales will begin going online a bit early today, but the bulk will see activation when retailers first open their doors tomorrow night between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, Apple Black FridayTag: Macy’sBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Microsoft sued over HoloLens patent infringements

Microsoft’s HoloLens has hit a legal speed bump. The mixed-reality device, which is gaining traction with businesses, is at the center of a patent infringement lawsuit filed by HoloTouch. The Connecticut-based company alleges that HoloLens infringes on two of its patents — dating back over a decade — relating to its holographic imaging tech. HoloTouch is now seeking a jury trial and triple damages (although a specific amount hasn’t been outlined), claiming that Microsoft “wilfully” knew about its patented technology for years.

In its filing, the company says it first approached Microsoft for a partnership in 2006, but never got a response. The tech giant then, allegedly filed its own patent in 2013, citing HoloTouch’s patents as “prior art,” showing that it was aware of them. HoloTouch says it again reached out to Microsoft in 2015, and then in 2016, to discuss a licensing agreement for the patents, to no success.

We’ve seen the kind of financial damage patent holders can do to big firms in their quest to for cash. And, it sounds like HoloTouch is about to go on the warpath. The company claims that others are also using its tech, which lets users interact with machines using holographic images. Plus, its patents go beyond the US to encompass Australia, Canada, Japan, and the UK.

Source: HoloTouch