Looking for some mobile VR fun? Here are the top 10 Google Daydream apps, games

While virtual reality headsets from the likes of Oculus are said to offer the best virtual reality experiences, mobile VR is much more affordable and still boasts some pretty cool games and apps. Google Daydream is set to become one of the most used virtual reality platforms since all you need is a Daydream View headset that costs under $100, and you can use your Daydream-compatible phone.

Still, good Daydream apps generally cost a bit of money, and it might be hard to decide which games you should buy — although most of the paid games on Google Play can be returned within two hours of purchase.

Here are the best games and apps currently available on Google Daydream.

Games

Along Together ($10)

Along Together is a beautifully designed game for Google Daydream, in which you play the role of a kid’s imaginary friend. The premise of the game is that the kid’s dog is lost — and it’s up to you, his or her imaginary friend, to guide them through the different levels to find the dog. You use the controller to tell the kid exactly where they should go, as well as interact with boulders and trees to help clear the path. The game is beautifully written and immersive, and nice and colorful, too.

Download now from:

Google Play

Mekorama VR ($4)

Mekorama is a beautifully designed title that’s more of a puzzle game. In this game, you help a small robot through different puzzling levels. You do this through the Daydream controller, which allows you to both guide the robot and move different aspects of each puzzle. The game is really quite simple — but in this case that’s a good thing. It boasts a great design, and we loved every minute of it.

Download now from:

Google Play

Need For Speed No Limits VR ($15)

Prefer a faster-paced game? This may be the one for you. If you’ve played other Need For Speed games, you know the drill. You start fat the bottom of an underground racing league, collecting cars and parts along the way to build up the ultimate ride. You then race that ride through a number of different courses. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly one of the best Daydream racing games out there, and a ton of fun to play.

Download now from:

Google Play

Eclipse: Edge of Light ($9)

Eclipse: Edge of Light has been hailed as one of the best games on the Google Daydream platform, and for good reason. In the game, you play the role of a stranded astronaut on a strange planet filled with alien artifacts and remnants of an old civilization. As you make your way through the different parts of the planet using your jetpack-enabled spacesuit, you explore the ruins to unlock the planet’s past. The design of the game is quite well done, and it’s very immersive.

Download now from:

Google Play

Video

YouTube VR (Free)

YouTube has long been a go-to way to experience video on your digital devices, and that doesn’t change when you put on the headset and enter VR. The YouTube VR app allows you to experience both 360-degree content, and standard 2D content in a cinema-style view. The app is pretty easy to use, especially in conjunction with the Daydream controller.

Download now from:

Google Play

Netflix (Free)

Netflix may not have a whole lot of virtual reality content just yet, but if you want to watch your shows and movies like they’re up on the big screen, then Netflix VR may just be the app for you. In the app, you can watch any content available on the Netflix library, and you’ll be placed in a cozy living room to do it. From Daredevil to Arrested Development, this could well be the most immersive way to watch Netflix.

Download now from:

Google Play

Sports

NextVR (Free)

Movies and TV shows aren’t the only content you can enjoy in VR — you can also keep up with your favorite NBA games, as well as concerts and other experiences through the NextVR app. While you’ll get highlights in VR, you can subscribe to watch full games in 360-degrees. It’s overall a pretty immersive and interesting experience. In fact, it feels a little like you’re sitting center-court.

Download now from:

Google Play

Fox Sports VR (Free)

Want to experience sports matches like you’re in your own VIP suite? Fox Sports VR puts you right next to the action, making it feel like you’re watching the game from the box itself. Not only that, but when live games aren’t being played, you can catch up on the latest highlights and other 360-degree videos. You will need to sign in with your TV provider login — so if you don’t already have Fox Sports as part of your cable subscription, you’ll need to get it.

Download now from:

Google Play

Experience

Google Expeditions (Free)

Looking to experience a little more of the world? Google Expeditions puts you in various locations around the globe, whether it’s an underwater reef, on the set in a TV studio, or some other cool place. The overall interface of Expeditions is super-easy to use, and you’ll get interesting information about the different locations along the way. Best of all, Google is always adding new experiences to the list.

Download now from:

Google Play

Discovery VR (Free)

The Discovery Channel has long been a go-to for great nature documentaries, but now the company has stepped into virtual reality — through Discovery VR. In the app, you can experience tailor-made short documentaries in locations around the world, including content from properties like Shark Week and MythBusters. The app is also pretty easy to use, which is always helpful.

Download now from:

Google Play

Editors’ Recommendations

• How does the original Google Daydream View compare to the 2017 version?
• Google’s Daydream View 2 VR headset more design refresh than big upgrade
• Google Daydream View (2017) review
• Google Daydream View 2 vs. Oculus Go — which will be the better VR experience?
• Google’s learn-and-loan program targets aspiring Daydream content creators

Samsung’s next-gen Exynos 9810 chipset will be unveiled on Jan 4

The chipset powering the Galaxy S9 will be unveiled next week.

Samsung shed early details on its Exynos 9810 platform last month, revealing a third-gen custom CPU core, upgraded GPU, and a Category 18 LTE modem with a maximum bandwidth of a staggering 1.2Gbps that’s achieved through 6x carrier aggregation. The company has now announced that it will formally unveil the chipset on January 4.

Discover #TheNextExynos that goes beyond a component. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/542sWnQ7EZ

— Samsung Exynos (@SamsungExynos) December 28, 2017

The “Beyond a Component” tagline suggests Samsung will likely integrate AI smarts into the Exynos 9810. Huawei kicked off the trend earlier this year with the Kirin 970, which features a dedicated Neutral Processing Unit. Qualcomm is also leveraging machine learning to boost the performance of the Hexagon 685 DSP in the Snapdragon 845.

As for the Exynos 9810, the chipset is expected to power the global versions of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, with the U.S. variants likely to feature Qualcomm’s latest. With the unveil just under a week away, we should know more about what the Exynos 9810 brings to the table soon.

In the meantime, let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing from the Exynos 9810 in the comments.

How to download and play music on the Huawei Watch 2

Whether you’re going to the gym or out on a run, being able to leave your phone at home is a huge convenience.

Audio controls are a huge convenience of Android Wear, allowing you to pause or skip tracks from apps like Spotify or Pocket Casts on your phone. But even more convenient is the ability to load music directly onto your smartwatch and listen to your favorite songs on the go, without needing your phone at all.

Here’s how to download and listen to music on the Huawei Watch 2.

Install Google Play Music

Before you can start downloading music, you’ll need to install the proper software. At the moment, Google Play Music is the only Android Wear app that lets you store songs directly on the Huawei Watch 2.

Press the upper button on the Watch 2 to view all apps.
Tap Play Store.
Find and install Google Play Music. You can find it by tapping the search icon at the top of the app, or simply scroll down the list of Apps on your phone until you find it, then tap the install icon.

Download music tracks

Now that you have Google Play Music installed, it’s time to start downloading music for offline playback and free yourself from the clutches of your phone. You’ll need to connect the Huawei Watch 2 to WiFi for this process.

From the watch face, open the apps list again and tap Play Music.
Sign into your Google account, then follow the short setup process.
Press and hold on any songs, playlists, or albums you want to save. The tracks will immediately begin downloading to the watch.

Keep in mind throughout this process that setting up the Huawei Watch 2 for offline music playback will count it as part of Google Play Music’s 10 device limit.

Connect to Bluetooth headphones

Since the Huawei Watch 2 doesn’t include a built-in speaker (and really, you probably shouldn’t be blaring songs out loud from your wrist anyway), you’ll need to connect a Bluetooth headset to listen to your music.

From the watch face, swipe down and tap the Settings icon.
Tap Connectivity.
Tap Bluetooth.
Tap Available devices.
Find your Bluetooth device in the list, then follow the prompts to pair it with the watch. Depending on the device, you may need to enter a PIN while pairing.

That’s it! Once your songs are downloaded and you’ve paired your Bluetooth headset, all there is left to do is open the Play Music app and pick a song. Whether you’re going to the gym or out on a run, you can leave your phone behind and just rely on your Huawei Watch 2 for music playback.

The $99 Nokia 2 will receive Android 8.1 update with Android Go tweaks

HMD Global is taking the best bits of Android Go and integrating them in the Nokia 2.

HMD Global has done a fantastic job when it comes to updating its phones, and the company is now extending that commitment to the $99 Nokia 2. Replying to a user’s query on Twitter, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas has mentioned that the Nokia 2 will pick up the Android 8.1 Oreo update.

With Android Go now official, Nokia 2 owners were wondering whether the device would make the switch to the lightweight version of the OS. Sarvikas has allayed those doubts by stating that the device will continue to be on the standard version while incorporating Android Go’s memory management tweaks.

Hi! It will receive Android Oreo. 1GB RAM devices will be supported on 8.1 release where many of the Android Go memory management improvements will be integrated. Nokia 2 performance will only get better over time!

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 28, 2017

HMD is known to optimize the software to make optimal use of the hardware — a point it stressed on during the launch of the Nokia 2. The Android Go optimizations should go a long way in making the phone — which has just 1GB of RAM — smoother when it comes to day-to-day usage.

The rest of the specs won’t set your heart aflutter either, with the phone featuring a 5-inch 720p display, Qualcomm 212 chipset, 8GB of storage, microSD slot, and LTE connectivity. The cornerstone of the Nokia 2 is a 4100mAh battery that delivers two days of battery life even with heavy usage. Not bad considering it costs just $99 unlocked.

There’s no timeline for when the Nokia 2 will pick up the Android 8.1 update, but we’ll let you know once we hear more.

Do you prefer curved or flat smartphone displays?

Looks versus function.

If you look at devices like the Galaxy S8, LG V30, and Google Pixel 2 XL, you’ll see that they have one thing in common – they’ve all got curved displays.

Curved displays on smartphones are something that’s become more and more commonplace with each passing year, and while there’s no denying that this is an aesthetically pleasing trend, it’s not the most practical.

Some of our forum users recently got into a discussion about whether or not curved screens are actually worth it, and this is what they had to say:

pool_shark
12-28-2017 07:38 AM

“

The curved screens are overrated in my opinion, I’d rather have a flat screen, but I have 3 different kinds of cases and 3 different kinds of screen protectors.
None of my cases nor screen protectors cost more than $20 individually.
I’m only on my 2nd screen protector since September and that is due to changing cases.

Reply

Tim1954
12-28-2017 09:04 AM

“

Not fussed on these curved screens either, my fingers overlap when I’m lying down (thus need better grip) and annoy the crap out me… Might try the active line in future they have flat screens with bevels I believe…

Reply

rsgoldens
12-28-2017 11:36 AM

“

I’m with you. Had a decent glass screen protector on for a while, but it came off. Then I went without for two days and had micro scratches. I like my screen to stay nice, scratches annoy me but I also don’t like the non glass protectors. I just sold the phone. Might come back when the curves go away. Did the same thing with the S8+.

Reply

bhatech
12-28-2017 12:46 PM

“

Personally I don’t like curved screens and prefer flat screen as well but I haven’t used screen protectors on any of my devices for years now and couldn’t be more happier. I just love the feel of the glass without any additional layers on the screen.
As far as for case I don’t understand, there are many cases for the note 8 with raised lips and good protection. Not sure what kind of case are you…

Reply

As always, we’d now like to hear from you – Are you a fan of curved screens on phones?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Start streaming: How to store your existing media in the cloud

Buying DVDs and CDs made a lot of sense a decade ago. What do you do with them now?

Years ago, the thought of watching movies on a phone was absurd — our connections were too slow, or they took up too much space. Today, if we still buy movies, many of us are choosing to eschew physical media for digital copies that can be watched anywhere effortlessly.

But what do we do with all those DVDs in our living rooms? Well, we can’t digitize quite everything, but there are several ways to bring your library into the cloud for your viewing convenience.

Content

When it comes to getting your media into the clouds, your options are somewhat limited by the type of content you’re hoping to digitize. Music is easily digitized as ripping CDs is a simple and largely unrestricted process, and there are some music services that will let you upload to their cloud and mix your library with their streaming library for the best of both worlds (though they’re quickly disappearing).

Digitizing movies is a bit more complicated or a bit more expensive depending on the route you take. You can either pay to convert your movies to certain digital libraries or you can use specialized software to rip your DVDs and Blu-rays to a digital file that can be stored in the cloud and streamed.

If you don’t want to hassle with uploading what you already have, you can still enjoy most of your movies on one streaming library or another. To see which streaming subscriptions are right for you, check out our holiday streaming guide.

Google Play Music Manager

Say what you will about how badly Google Play Music needs an overhaul — and I have said plenty — but Google currently has just about the best free streaming music locker service on the market right now.

Regardless of whether you subscribe to Google Play Music All Access, Google Play Music allows all users to upload 50,000 songs to their Play Music library (100,000 if you’re a Samsung Galaxy S8 owner) and stream them for free across most mobile and desktop platforms, as well as Chromecast and Android TV. You can upload songs through a Chrome extension, but this is rather tedious as opposed to using Google Play Music Manager, which will upload your music in the background on your Windows PC while you go about your day.

This isn’t without strings. You can have 10 devices authorized for Play Music, only 5 of which can be phones. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, except that you can only deauthorize 4 devices per year, meaning if you device-hop a lot, you could get locked out of your own library.

Google Drive

If you’d rather have your music in a cloud that you can access outside a dedicated app and already have your music organized in folders the way you like, there is another option you might want to consider: Google Drive. Granted, Google Drive only gives you 15 GB for free, but you can fit a lot of music in 15 GB, and you can use Google Drive for far more than just music, such as your documents and movies.

Once you upload your music to Google Drive, you can stream it using a number of Android music players that can stream your music directly from Google Drive, like CloudPlayer by doubleTwist.

Plex

For a more robust streaming service for your personal media cloud, there’s also Plex, which allows you to turn one computer into a personal media server for the rest of your devices. Plex can stream music and movies that you have owned and ripped yourself. If you’ve ripped all your DVD’s and Blu-rays already, Plex will help you organize and stream them to all your other devices, for a small subscription.

Read more: Getting started with Plex

Vudu Disc to Digital

Have a Blockbusters’ worth of DVDs you want to put into the cloud, but don’t want to hassle with ripping them all yourself? Well, Vudu will allow you to convert them into digital copies on their digital cloud — and movies from Movies Anywhere-eligible studios can then travel from your Vudu library to Amazon or Google Play for your easier viewing pleasure.

You can either use Vudu’s Android app to scan the UPCs of DVDs you still have in the box. If you have DVDs that were shifted to a multi-disc binder for easier storage or lost the box somewhere, never fear! You can still convert your DVD’s using a desktop computer with a DVD drive and the Vudu To Go app. The Android app is a bit more finicky than its desktop counterpart, but the desktop app is also a bit slower since you have to insert every single disc you want to convert.

It costs $2 to upgrade a DVD to an SD copy or a Blu-ray to an HDX copy. To upgrade a DVD to an HDX copy is $5, which is still far cheaper than going out and buying a new Blu-ray. Not every DVD is eligible for the program, as studios have to agree to the service, but outside Disney, most mainstream movies are eligible.

Hardware

For streaming your newly-digitized content, we have a plethora of options, but they can be broken down into two types: dongles and set-top boxes. Dongles aren’t as cumbersome to set up and can often hide behind your TV, but they don’t have as robust a UI, and often lack a dedicated remote. Set-top boxes are more expensive and take up more space, but they also can have greater capacity, greater cloud service support, they all come with dedicated remotes.

Many Blu-ray players and Smart TVs come with support for the major digital platforms these days, so check and see what services the tech you already own supports before you go out and buy something new.

Chromecast Ultra

If you just want to start playing digital content on your TV without dealing with a whole new set-top box with a new remote and interface, then the $69 Chromecast Ultra is for you. The hardware side couldn’t be simpler: stick one end into the HDMI port on your TV, stick a power cable into the other end, stick the power cable into the wall. Once plugged up, you use the Google Home app for your Android or iOS phone or through Google Chrome to connect it to the internet and give it a name you’ll see when sending content to it.

To send the media to your TV through the Google Cast protocol, you open a media service on your phone or in Google Chrome and “cast” it to the Chromecast receiver using the cast button in the app. Your stream will start playing on your TV, and you’re free to do other things on your phone or in Chrome while it plays.

See at Google

Amazon Fire TV

If you’re an Amazon Prime user and buy your digital movies from their store, you’re probably going to want to use their Fire TV for streaming. The $70 Amazon Fire TV, like the Chromecast, is an HDMI dongle. It comes with a remote control, supports 4K, and has access to pretty much everything except Apple content, though apps on the FireOS have been a bit slower than the more robust Android TV or Apple TV systems.

Amazon and Google have fought for years when it comes to streaming and streaming devices, so that does mean you’ll have to find something else if you’re a Google Play Music or a big Google Play Movies user.

See at Amazon

Roku Ultra

Roku was the first big name in streaming set-top boxes and it remains one of the most popular and well-supported streaming boxes today. Roku supports just about every streaming service that isn’t Apple — though to be fair, no set-top box supports Apple’s video streaming services except Apple TV. Roku has years more experience in the streaming market, and it shows, as their devices and their remotes continue to refine and refine while most other set-top boxes are still figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re going to buy one, you might as well spring for the $89 Roku Ultra. It features 4K support but no Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision support.

See at Amazon

NVIDIA Shield TV

Android TV is a step up in the living room from Google’s Chromecast standard: it’s Android designed for the big screen and designed to be used with simple remotes or game controllers.

The $200 NVIDIA Shield TV is the best Android TV box you can buy. It’s also the most expensive, but NVIDIA has cut the price of the Shield TV frequently and generously this Christmas season. It features a beautifully simple UI, native support for most mainstream media services, 4K support and some pretty great gaming since it’s an NVIDIA powerhouse in a sleek black-and-green box.

If I had to make one recommendation with the Shield TV, it’s this: get the controller. Lots of scrolling and fast-forwarding is far easier with the controller than it is with the remote.

See at Amazon

Android 8.0 Oreo rolling out to Moto Z2 Force on T-Mobile

And then there were two.

Just about a week ago, Verizon became the first carrier to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo to the Moto Z2 Force. We suspected that other carriers would soon follow in Big Red’s footsteps, and now T-Mobile has done just that by pushing out the update to its version of the phone as well.

The software experience on the Z2 Force was already one of its most redeeming qualities, and the bump to Oreo only helps to improve it. Picture-in-picture is extremely useful, the ability to snooze individual notifications is a godsend, and the overall better performance/battery life is something we don’t expect anyone will have an issue with.

T-Mobile appears to have started sending out the Oreo update late last night, so if it hasn’t hit your Z2 Force just yet, keep an eye out for it over the next couple of days.

AT&T and Sprint – the ball is in your court.

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion

Samsung and LG also claim to not slow down phones with older batteries

“Never have, never will!”

Whether or not you own an iPhone, chances are you’ve heard a thing or two about Apple throttling CPU performance of older handsets as their batteries age. Although Apple has since responded to the outrage around this, there are still plenty of people that aren’t at all happy with the way the whole situation was handled.

Motorola and HTC recently issued statements of their own stating that neither one follows similar practices to what Apple’s doing, and now we have official responses from Samsung and LG, too.

Speaking to PhoneArena, LG said:

Never have, never will! We care what our customers think.

Samsung also doesn’t throttle CPU performance with older batteries, but its answer was much longer:

Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile’s top priority. We ensure extended battery life of Samsung mobile devices through multi-layer safety measures, which include software algorithms that govern the battery charging current and charging duration. We do not reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycles of the phone.

With Android OEMs now speaking out about this, are you more inclined to purchase a Motorola, HTC, LG, or Samsung phone down the road as opposed to something else?

Unlike Apple, Motorola and HTC don’t slow CPU speed as batteries age

Essential Phone review, four months later: The sun is setting on this experiment

Again, how long do we wait for Essential to figure this out?

With big money and big names involved, Essential was a deserved recipient of intrigue when it launched as a company with the promise of a great Android phone (and so much more). Weeks later, I wrote my original review of the Essential Phone in mid-August, and followed it up after a couple software updates with a definitive review on August 28. Even then, it clearly wasn’t a finished product; beta, at best. Dozens of reviews and weak sales numbers reflected that. Weeks later, I was already asking how much longer we would wait for Essential to “figure it out” with updates and accessories to make it a serious player without a series of caveats.

And now, at the end of December, over four months after my first review, some of the parameters have thankfully changed. Like a permanent $200 price drop to just $499, a couple dozen notable software upgrades, and the release of its 360-degree camera attachment. But even though the enthusiast perspective of the Essential Phone has improved over time as people have seen a mountain of software updates released, I somehow still have most of the same questions and head-shaking moments using it today as I did four months earlier.

The question still stands, though, as to whether the Essential Phone, with a large price cut and notable software improvements, is now good enough to warrant looking at it in ways that it so clearly wasn’t at launch. I’m here to let you know.

See at Amazon

Hardware is the saving grace

Essential Phone What I still love

The one (big) part of the Essential Phone that has aged well, but to be honest didn’t really need any improvement in the first place, is the design and execution of the hardware. The ceramic back isn’t completely impervious to scratches, but it sure is durable. And when it’s perfectly mated to a titanium frame like this, you get a heft in your hand like something that’s truly expensive and finely crafted. All of the flat planes and tightly cut edges are pristine on the same level as any high-end phone out there, but the Essential Phone still manages to be friendly to hold thanks to its strategically curved edges and relatively small dimensions for a modern phone.

This is an excellent design at any price, and it’s executed perfectly.

And that brings us to one of the Essential Phone’s key features, the display. Or, rather, the size and shape of the display and its bezels. This was “the notch” people talked about before Apple released the iPhone X, and it enables the Essential Phone to have a surprisingly large 5.7-inch display that’s comfortable to use in one hand. Aside from some occasional app quirks with a taller-than-usual status bar that covers the notch, I don’t notice that front-facing camera at all. I never feel like it’s in the way or hindering my ability to see things, particularly as that area just blacks out when viewing full-screen video. It’s extremely well handled.

Design and quality-wise, this is a ridiculous value for $499. It feels every bit a phone that used to be $699, and can easily go toe-to-toe with the rest of the flagship market in terms of raw quality and feel. Sure there are a couple odd quirks like the lack of a headphone jack, lack of waterproofing and an oddly rattly vibration motor, but the overall execution of the hardware aside from these little details is immaculate. Of course, it can easily be argued that those details do matter, but that’s a different discussion altogether.

We can’t forget the packed spec sheet, and battery life is good despite the average-sized capacity.

Along the same lines, Essential has a seriously spec-packed phone for this new lower price. It has everything inside it needs to perform well, basically matching the specs Google has in the Pixel 2. As I’ll get to below, Essential simply doesn’t execute with those tools — except in one area, which is battery life. 3040mAh definitely gets the job done with the Essential Phone, leaving me with power in the tank at the end of the day. Aside from a day where bad cell signal really destroyed the battery, I can’t recall a time when the Essential Phone called it quits before I expected it to.

Since we’re following a theme of great ideas that have poor executions, let me also mention that I seriously appreciate Essential’s approach to software. It’s bare-bones out of the box, and I like it that way! A simple interface, a lock screen that works well, no unnecessary bundled apps and very few unnecessary visual changes. Sure I wish Essential could work up a better ambient display, and the camera app is still a disaster (again, more below) but in general this is a fantastic way to do software when you’re a small company that doesn’t have the people or time to spend a ton of customization that in the end actually offers little value.

Software struggles

Essential Phone What I don’t like

Aside from the hardware, every other aspect of my Essential Phone experience has been about frustration. Mostly, it boils down to horrendous software stability and performance. Despite dozens of updates and the anecdotes you may have seen that indicate performance issues have been “fixed,” it most certainly hasn’t. The Essential Phone is handily outperformed by a Moto G5, and that’s just unacceptable — at $699, for sure, but at $499 as well.

Four or five years ago, Android phones were slow and unstable like this. But not today.

It all starts with just general app instability. Apps crash — a lot. More than I’ve experienced on any other phone. They freeze, stutter, lock up and force close. Sometimes you tap an app to open it, and nothing happens for multiple seconds. When an app calls up another one through a share action, it takes the same egregious delay. Sometimes apps open and switch just fine, but then randomly slow down to a crawl with inordinately long splash screens or loading animations. And it isn’t tied to just one app, it’s all apps.

The app issues seem to come as a result of general system instability that I haven’t seen in a high-end phone in years. Touch response is very slow, making everything simply feel sluggish as you tap and scroll around every day. The phone will often struggle to open or close the camera and can fail to save photos if you close the camera too quickly. I’ve had the entire phone go unresponsive for several minutes and require a force reboot (hold the power button for ~15 seconds) multiple times.

Let’s expand on that camera point. Because Essential does deserve some praise for dramatically improving both the performance of the camera app and the overall quality of its photo output since I first looked at the phone. But you have to understand just how downright horrible the camera was at the start … there was nowhere to go but up. Still, a few months and several updates later I’m actually able to take some good photos with the Essential Phone, and that’s great to see. Here are some examples of what it’s capable of:

Camera quality has come a long way, but it still isn’t great and the app is a train wreck.

Those are some good photos. Not fantastic or industry-leading, but good. But what you didn’t see is the frustration and piles of bad shots required to get that handful of good ones. The camera app is slow and unstable and lacks basic features like viewfinder grid lines or any sort of customization or “pro” mode. HDR mode doesn’t really seem to do anything but take photos slower, and toggling it on still inexplicably turns the flash to “auto” mode. The slow performance directly contributes to missing shots, and the fundamentals of a small sensor with no OIS mean you get grainy and blurry low-light shots regularly. The Essential Phone’s camera is still so far from the competition.

Am I nitpicking on this performance and stability point? A little bit, but it’s for good reason. Essential has a phone here that was originally on sale for $699. Even though the price has dropped, it still has an extremely capable set of internal specs. It has set high expectations for this phone to be a great, clean, smooth Android experience. And it isn’t. Not in any way. And in a world where you can get a OnePlus 5T for the same price — not to mention a Motorola phone for $200 — that runs circles around it with better software, you have a problem. Four or five years ago, Android phones were slow and unstable like this. But not today.

The sun is setting

Essential Phone Four months later

Months of hefty software updates have clearly improved the daily experience of using the Essential Phone. What used to be a phone that was near-impossible to consistently use is now one that’s just … mildly frustrating. And it’s mildly frustrating at a lower price, which always helps. At the same time, its hardware stands up incredibly well against its new, cheaper competition — that ceramic and titanium body is perfectly crafted, unique and striking to hold. The internal specs are great for the end of 2017, it’s very compact for its screen size and battery life is good.

It used to be a phone that was near-impossible to use but is now just … mildly frustrating.

The fundamentals are all there. Truth be told, they were there from Day 1. But four months after I first reviewed the Essential Phone, there remains a severe lack of execution. You just can’t get away with selling a high-end phone of any sort that has performance this bad, stability this unpredictable and core functionality that’s just downright broken. It’s exemplified by the camera, but apparent throughout the software experience that Essential is just behind the curve. The company has taken big strides in just the last couple of months, and behind the scenes has surely learned lots of lessons about optimizing an operating system. But as it turns out, this software is really hard to get right. Just as I wrote in my initial review, Essential still seems like it’s one big step away.

I would love to see Essential persevere and actually release another phone next year as a follow-up to the original. Despite the Essential Phone clearly not being finished or refined to the point where it can truly compete, even at $499, I think it’s time to go into maintenance mode with this device and move on to making sure the next one is truly great from the start. The sun is rapidly setting on the Essential Phone launch to the point where no amount of updates or good press can make this phone appealing or sell in the numbers required to make it a success. That window has closed, and it’s time to build up to the next launch — hopefully with software, camera performance and an ecosystem that’s worthy of the hype bestowed on the original.

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China’s Shenzhen city electrifies all 16,359 of its public buses

If you ever see anyone crowing about how nobody’s taking the initiative on sustainable transport, point them in the direction of Shenzhen. The Chinese city has announced that it has successfully electrified its entire fleet of public buses, all 16,359 of them. In addition, more than half of Shenzhen’s fabs now run on electricity, and the plan is to get rid of the remaining gas-powered rides by 2020.

Of course, it’s not as simple as just dumping more than 16,000 diesel-powered buses in a lake and hoping for the best. There was also the matter of building out 510 charging stations and an additional 8,000 charging poles across the city. According to EyeShenzhen, these poles can re-juice a bus from dry in two hours, serving up to 300 vehicles each day.

As much as this is good for the environment more generally, there are already some more tangible benefits for local authorities. China is notorious for its smog problems, but the fleet of electric buses serves to avoid releasing around 1.35 million tons of CO2 into the local atmosphere each year. Then there’s the fact that the city is much quieter now, because the buses themselves aren’t as noisy.

And then there’s the overall cost savings, since the vehicles use nearly 75 percent less energy than their fossil-fuel powered equivalents. Yes, it took around $490 million in subsidy to get the program started, but that’s a small price to pay for cleaner air, quieter cities and a huge boost to the renewables world.

Source: EyeShenzhen