How fast is the Galaxy Note 8 compared to its predecessors?

Spoiler alert – it’s a big improvement.

Samsung’s been making some of the best Android phones for years, and while the company has been excelling at premium design, camera performance, and gorgeous displays, software is one area that’s never been a strong suit.

This year’s Galaxy S8 introduced the Samsung Experience as a replacement for TouchWiz, and while still not as fast or snappy as stock Android, it was Samsung’s best custom software we’ve seen to date. The Note 8 launched with a very similar layout with a couple tweaks here and there, but when you pair this with a Snapdragon 835 and 6GB of RAM, performance is some of the best we’ve ever seen on a Samsung device.

Here’s what some of our forum users had to say on the matter.

toenail_flicker
11-27-2017 08:01 PM

“

it’s lovely. very smooth and very fast if you keep it clean

Reply

bigcanoe
11-27-2017 08:23 PM

“

Yes, coming from an iPhone 7 it’s like Buttah.

Reply

amyf27
11-27-2017 08:32 PM

“

I have had the S7 Edge, the S8 +, and now the Note 8. The 7edge was a glitchful damned thing, but I still liked it. It was too small though (I haf the Note 7 through two recalls prior). The S8+ was a vast improvement over the 7 Edge. Note 8? Blows everything away, IMO. Fast, smooth, you name it this phone can do it. It is a true beast. I LOVE the darned thing lol.

Reply

Risley88
11-27-2017 08:34 PM

“

Agreed.

I have an iPhone 8+ and Note 8. Both phones have their strengths and weaknesses but the Note 8 is WAY smoother and faster feeling in opening/closing animations, downloading and opening files, web pages etc…

I realize in those geek bench tests and things that the iPhone A11 chip is supposedly light years ahead of everything else but in every day use I’m here to say my Note 8…

Reply

If you own a Galaxy Note 8, we’d now like to pass the question on to you – Have you noticed any slowdowns or lag on the phone?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy Note 5
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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Best MVNO Carriers for Data Hungry Users

When you need all-you-can-eat but still want to save money, Walmart Family Mobile has just the thing for you.

It’s no secret that MVNOs, or alternative carriers, offers the best value when it comes to phone service — particularly mobile data. For some of us, though, the price is secondary because we need to use a lot of data. The good news is that there are options when it comes to MVNO service for data-hungry customers!

We looked at what’s out there, did some math and decided that Walmart Family Mobile is the best MVNO to use if you need a lot of data every month. Here’s how we made that decision.

See at Walmart

The Unlimited Plan

Of course, we mean unlimited 4G LTE data. You have to be careful while shopping because there are plenty of “unlimited” plans with a set limit on LTE data and a fallback to slower speeds once it’s reached. Those are fine plans for a lot of people, but calling them unlimited is deceptive. Don’t fall for it.

Thankfully, Walmart Family Mobile’s Truly Unlimited plan is dead simple: $49.99 per month gets you all the calls, texts and LTE high-speed data you can use. No frills, no international use, no extras. Just as much LTE data and you want each and every month on T-Mobile’s nationwide LTE network.

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Walmart Family Mobile isn’t the cheapest MVNO with an unlimited LTE data plan. Notably, Teltik offers the same no-frills unlimited LTE on T-Mobile for just $40 per month, or a plan with unlimited consumption plus 10GB of LTE hotspot for $50. We’re just not sure if we can trust the company enough to call them our choice for the best because of their history.

Formerly Harbor Mobile, they left plenty of people in a pickle when they dropped AT&T service on short notice resulting in lost phones numbers. More information is available at Howard Forums. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice …

Why Walmart is the best

Sum this one up with two words: cheap and easy.

A SIM card for Walmart Family Mobile costs just $0.99 and you can buy one right at your local store. Drop it in a compatible phone (any T-Mobile branded phone or unlocked phone with the correct network support), set things up online and enter the PIN from your monthly unlimited purchase and off you go. Most every MVNO is this easy to set up, but the kicker is that you can also walk into a Walmart store and get some help with the process if you need it. With a Walmart on every corner of the U.S., this makes a difference for a lot of people.

$50 gets you unlimited calls, texts, and data from a company that will still be here in a year.

T-Mobile’s network still isn’t as good for coverage as Verizon’s, but it’s as good as AT&T’s — and that’s saying plenty. It’s fine for over 95% of the people in the U.S. according to companies like OpenSignal, which makes checking this sort of thing its business, but there are still people who won’t be able to use T-Mobile’s network so they won’t be able to use Walmart Family Mobile. There’s no sense in denying any of this and if you fit into this group of people your best bet is to talk to Verizon about a post-paid plan if you consume copious amounts of LTE data.

Everything you need to know about Verizon’s unlimited plan

That price though. Fifty dollars a month is a substantial savings over every postpaid unlimited plan with any carrier, and having the freedom of paying for service when (and with who) you want is worth just as much as any monetary savings. MVNOs offer cheaper service because they don’t have the same overhead of maintaining a physical network and focus on phone service instead of extras. You won’t be able to make calls to or from Canada or Mexico. You won’t be able to use the service for tethering. You won’t get the same level of support for network issues that you would from T-Mobile proper. But you’re saving over $20 each month and if you just want a real unlimited LTE plan for your phone Walmart Family Mobile is the best MVNO to get it from.

Things you might not like

• T-Mobile’s Network. T-Mobile has come a long way in just a few years, and we’re not kidding when we say the network is as good as AT&T’s now. We’re also not kidding when we say it’s not as good as Verizon’s. It’s fast, and as long as you don’t venture too far off the beaten path you’ll be fine. But if you regularly visit or live in rural America, T-Mobile service can be iffy at best. As always, check this out as best you can before you send any money to any company.
• There is no tethering. None. If you want unlimited data so you can watch YouTube or Netflix all day on your phone (you can be slowed down after you use 32GB in a single month) this isn’t a problem. But if you want to play online games on your iPad or use your laptop away from Wi-Fi, this is not the plan for you.
• Not every phone is compatible. Your phone has to have support for the network frequencies T-Mobile uses. Savvy consumers already know if their phone does, but not everyone is a savvy user. If your phone comes from T-Mobile, regardless of brand, it’s compatible. If you bought your phone unlocked recently, it should be fine, too. But if your phone comes from another network provider and you had it unlocked, or if it’s an older model, you should check. Visit this T-Mobile page and they’ll look it up for you!

MVNOs can be pretty “fluid” and things change from month to month. That means the next time we visit this one the recommendation might change, but right now we say Walmart Family Mobile is the best MVNO for data-hungry users.

See at Walmart

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

• What is an alternative mobile carrier?
• What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?
• How to make sure your phone works on a prepaid alternative carrier
• 8 Important Considerations When Switching To An MVNO
• These are the cheapest data plans you can buy in the U.S.
• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

The Morning After: Wednesday, November 29th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

We have some unexpected news out of Essential, and a vitally important update for anyone running macOS High Sierra. It’s Wednesday.

Breaking news.Andy Rubin reportedly left Google after ‘inappropriate’ relationship

According to The Information, Android co-founder Andy Rubin left Google in 2014 after an internal investigation determined he’d carried on an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Now, after the outlet started asking questions, employees at Rubin’s new company, Essential, have been informed that the founder is taking a leave of absence.

Address this ASAP.A major macOS bug lets anyone login as admin

Yesterday afternoon word spread of a disturbingly easy-to-access security flaw in the last version of Apple’s desktop OS. A developer tweeted that on High Sierra, typing “root” as a username to login and leaving the password blank will (after a few attempts) open full access to the computer. Apple says that a patch is coming to fix the bug, but for now, users must secure their devices by enabling the Root user account and setting a strong password (that they won’t forget).

Not so fast.HP quietly installs system-slowing spyware on its PCs

It wasn’t a great day for Windows PCs either, as Computer World reported HP users have noticed an HP Touchpoint Analytics Service appearing on their devices. They’ve complained that it’s installing without permission and sucking up telemetry data. According to HP, not only is it easy to uninstall or opt-out of, “It anonymously collects diagnostic information about hardware performance. No data is shared with HP unless access is expressly granted.”

The difference between ‘will’ and ‘could.’The FCC is peddling its net neutrality spin as facts

An FCC list of “myths vs. facts” about its attempt to undo net neutrality protections leaves out a lot of key information.

Check the battery level before you drive off.Thieves tell cops ‘Mr. Tesla’ said it was OK to swipe Teslas

Thieves in Utah allegedly made off with three $80,000 Teslas by breaking into a dealership and stealing the keys. Then things got weird.

How many?HDMI 2.1 spec arrives with support for 10K video

The focus of HDMI 2.1 is on higher video bandwidth; it supports 48 Gbps with a new backward-compatible ultra-high-speed HDMI cable. It also supports faster refresh rates for high video resolution — 60 Hz for 8K and 120 Hz for 4K. The standard also supports Dynamic HDR and resolutions up to 10K for commercial and specialty use. Test specs will roll out next year “in stages.”

But wait, there’s more…

• Photoshop uses AI to make selecting people less of a hassle
• Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 experiment: running apps in tabs
• Huawei says its depth-sensing tech is better than Apple’s Face ID
• Infiniti unveils a semi-autonomous QX50 for 2019
• Google finally fixes the burger emoji in its Android 8.1 developer preview

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t Subscribe.

Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.

Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

Prepare yourself for ‘Super Mario’ Cereal

It seems even the Mushroom Kingdom eats cereal like the rest of us. Following the release of Super Mario Odyssey, breakfast blog Cerealousy has uncovered a new breakfast treat with Mario and Cappy on the box. Inside, you’ll find star-shaped oats and marshmallow pieces in the shape of Super Mushrooms, 1-Up Mushrooms and ? Boxes.

Cereal makers have long included video game toys (and even discs) in their boxes, but Kelloggs is doing things a bit differently this time around. Thanks to box art discovered by Cerealousy, we can see that some boxes will include “special Amiibo” that can be used to power-up proceedings inside Super Mario Odyssey. Amiibo typically take the form of figurines, although Nintendo does sell card packs separately.

“We cerealously appreciate your continued interest in seeing a Nintendo cereal,” Kelloggs told one eager Cerealousy reader. “We hope you’ll keep an eye out for the new Super Mario Cereal that is hitting store shelves now. This star-shaped cereal features Super Mario-inspired marshmallows, and a limited number of packages will have an Amiibo powerup sticker that can be used on the Super Mario Odyssey game with the Nintendo Switch gaming console.”

According to gaming tipster Wario64, Super Mario Cereal is already appearing the inventory systems of major US retailers. It can’t be as bad as Mario-themed Happy Meals, can it?

Kelloggs Super Mario Cereal is already in Target’s system, via Brickseek.
MSRP: $3.14
DPCI: 231-00-0209
UPC: 038000176159https://t.co/Vr0rPXdg27 pic.twitter.com/DKvXwBCLbP

— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 29, 2017

Via: IGN

Source: Cerealously

BBC iPlayer to host a ton of TV box sets this Christmas

Nippy mornings and early sunsets. The British winter is here, bringing with it the perfect weather for TV bingeing. For many, that means Netflix, Now TV and Amazon Video, however this year the BBC is embracing the box set culture too. A huge collection of programming will soon return to iPlayer, including the first three seasons of Peaky Blinders, the Tom Hardy drama Taboo and the Golden Globe-winning Wolf Hall. The BBC is also adding crime hit Line of Duty, Happy Valley and a bunch of modern Sherlock, including season three, four and the 2016 special, The Abominable Bride.

If you’ve been captivated by Blue Planet II recently, good news: the original Blue Planet will soon be on iPlayer, in addition to Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and last year’s Planet Earth II. The BBC has experimented with digital box sets before — back in 2014, for instance, it dropped the full series of Jonah from Tonga at once. It’s unusual, however, for the BBC to bring back old programming. Beyond the new BBC archive, most shows disappear after 30 days. Today’s announcement is a Christmas special — the shows will disappear again in the New Year — but maybe, just maybe, it’s a precursor to a larger, permanent shift in the BBC’s iPlayer strategy.

Source: BBC

iHeartRadio App Updates CarPlay Support to Include Podcast Listening

Radio streaming service iHeartRadio has updated its official iOS app to include support for podcast playback through Apple’s CarPlay feature, meaning listeners can now tune into their favorite iHeartRadio podcasts when they’re on the road.

The latest update introduces podcasts in CarPlay through a number of new features, according to a iHeartRadio blog post announcing the changes.

“Continue Listening” lets you resume your last podcast right where you left off, without even having to think. “Your Podcasts” provides easy access to all the podcasts you follow on iHeartRadio right on your screen — no need to take your eyes off the road to find the content you love! And “Podcast Topics” helps you find that specific podcast you’ve been looking for.

The Podcast Topics feature offers listeners 18 different categories to choose from, such as Fantasy Football, NPR, Business & Finance, Sports, and Spoken Editions.

Apple already includes its own Podcasts app in CarPlay, but according to PodTrac’s industry audience rankings, iHeartRadio is the second largest podcasting publisher in the industry, hosting more than 520 original shows.

iHeartRadio is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]

Related Roundup: CarPlay
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Apple Pulls App Store Games That Glorify Philippine President Duterte’s Violent Drugs War

Apple has taken down games from its App Store that glorify the Philippine government’s deadly drugs war, according to a regional organization supporting victims of illegal drugs (via The Philippine Star).

Last month, the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD) sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter demanding that the company remove several iOS games which it said valorized “the emerging tyranny of Duterte’s presidency and his government’s disregard for human rights principles”.

Tsip Bato by Ranida Games
The group named 131 organizations from several countries as supportive of the letter of complaint, with groups working on human rights, youth and drug policy reform among them.

In a statement posted on its website yesterday, ANPUD said that it never received a direct response from Cook, but the runner games that its letter accused of promoting murder, extrajudicial killings and violence appeared to have been removed as of Tuesday.

They include Duterte knows Kung Fu: Pinoy Crime Fighter, Duterte Running Man Challenge Game, Fighting Crime 2, and Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba!, all of which featured Duterte or Philippine National Police chief (Ronald) Bato dela Rosa shooting down criminals while evading obstacles.

Despite their removal from Apple’s App Store, the games remain available for Android users to download from the Google Play store.

Police chief Ronald dela Rosa told the Philippine Star that the removal of the games was a good idea, and that the government’s operation to tackle drug users was not about killing or the use of violence, despite Duterte openly endorsing extrajudicial killings in his drugs war campaign.

“They made the wrong interpretation. Tokhang [the campaign] is not about shooting people,” dela Rosa told reporters. Rather, he said, it involved policemen knocking on people’s doors and urging suspects to stop illegal drug-related activities.

As least 7,000 suspected drug dealers and users were killed in the first six months of Duterte’s crackdown, according to estimates from The Human Rights Watch group. Many of the killings are attributed to “unidentified gunmen”.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: App Store, Philippines
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Upcoming Microsoft App for iPhone Aims to Make Photo Transfers to Windows 10 Easier

Microsoft looks set to release a new iOS app for Windows 10 users in the coming months that lets them transfer photos from their Apple devices to their PCs more easily.

First discovered by Italian blog Aggiornamenti Lumia, the companion app is said to support the fast transfer of photos and videos from Apple smartphones to PCs provided they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The app appeared briefly as an update on the Windows Insider “Fast Channel” and should become available to all Windows 10 testers soon.

The app seems to be for people who don’t use Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud backup service, as it replicates some features already available in the OneDrive app, which lets users upload pictures from an iPhone and import them directly into the Windows 10 Photos application.

The new software is part of Microsoft’s wider mobile strategy to improve its iOS offerings, now that Windows 10 Mobile hardware is no longer a focus for the company. Microsoft officially ended support for Windows Phone back in July, and is no longer developing new features or hardware for Windows 10 Mobile.

(Via The Verge.)

Tag: Windows 10
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New ‘Pixelmator Pro’ Photo Editing App for Mac Now Available

The team behind the popular Pixelmator photo editing app for iOS and Mac today launched its latest Mac app, Pixelmator Pro. Pixelmator Pro is a more advanced version of its existing Pixelmator software, built from the ground up for the Mac.

First announced in September, Pixelmator Pro features a reimagined workflow with simplified editing tools, a single-window interface, and intelligent image editing features powered by machine learning.

The software uses the Core ML framework built into macOS High Sierra to power features like automatic horizon detection, smarter quick selections, and better repair tools for removing unwanted objects from photos.

Non-destructive image editing is a key feature, and there are new tools for resizing and rearranging layers. New color adjustment tools and RAW support make it easy to quickly adjust photos, and there’s an entirely new painting engine and dynamic paint blending technology powered by Metal 2, along with new brushes.

For those who are used to Pixelmator, the new Pixelmator Pro interface is quite a bit different and may take a bit of time to adjust to, but it is easier to locate tools, especially for new users.

The repair tool for editing objects out of a photo is much improved and eliminates objects much more seamlessly with just a few clicks, and tools for selectively adjusting color, brightness, sharpness, and other image aspects are more easily accessible.

Painting with the new painting tools is an entirely different experience thanks to the blending options, and there are a ton of new brushes and styles to experiment with. For photo editing, a new Recipes feature lets you build and save nondestructive effects.

It’s much, much easier to work with multiple layers in the new version of Pixelmator using a new left-handed layer bar that allows layers to be quickly rearranged, resized, grouped, and more. There are also new guidelines for automatic spacing adjustments that are similar to what’s available in Photoshop, and quick selection seems to be much improved.

Pixelmator Pro can be downloaded from the Mac App Store or from the Pixelmator website. On the Pixelmator website, users can get a free 30-day trial to test the app, which is priced at $59.

Tag: Pixelmator
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iPhone and iPad tips offered via Apple’s new YouTube channel

So you’re fiddling about with your new iPhone and you can’t work out how to perform some relatively simple tasks. You might hit Apple’s online support pages for a solution, or try your luck DMing the company’s support service on Twitter. Or maybe load up Apple’s support app if all else fails.

Well, thanks to a new YouTube channel launched by the Cupertino-based company on Tuesday, you now have another option.

Apple Support on YouTube is a collection of how-to videos for anyone looking for tips on getting the most out of their iPhone and iPad. Most of the videos will also work for those of you with an iPod Touch, though Apple only mentions its more popular iOS devices on its new YouTube channel.

It’s official: we’re now on YouTube.

Subscribe and get helpful tips, tricks, and how-tos – straight from Apple. https://t.co/aKKtqzHBBU pic.twitter.com/LmkyRWesBg

— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) November 28, 2017

Having been up for just a few hours, the site so far shows only 10 how-to videos, including how to take a screenshot on your Apple device (by far its most popular video so far and embedded above), how to change the wallpaper, how to delete the call history, and how to link duplicates or delete contacts.

It seems like all of the videos are going to follow the same format — a split screen with a written explanation on the left and the device on the right, and a narrator explaining the steps you need to take. The videos posted so far run for between one and two minutes.

As we said, the channel has only just gone live, so expect Apple to add lots more how-to videos over time.

And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, then check out DT’s own comprehensive guides for Apple devices, including 27 tips and tricks for its latest operation system (iOS 11), handy tips for the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, 15 tips and tricks for the iPhone SE, and how to navigate iOS 11 using the iPhone X.

If you’re really starting from scratch with Apple’s mobile operating system, then our guide to getting started with your new iPhone or iPad (or iPod Touch!) should sort you out nicely.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to get Apple’s iOS 11 on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
• Apple adds more indoor maps for select airports and malls to iOS 11
• Common iOS 11 problems and how to handle them
• Not happy with the latest? Here’s how to downgrade from iOS 11 to iOS 10
• 5 iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus tips and tricks to get the most out of your new phone