Should you buy the Pixel 2 or wait for Pixel 3?

The Pixel 3 will likely be an amazing phone, but the Pixel 2 is still an excellent purchase.

Of all the phones released in 2017, few stood out to us as much as the Pixel 2. There’s no such thing as a perfect smartphone, but the Pixel 2 comes darn close thanks to its industry-leading camera, wicked fast performance, reliable battery life, and excellent software experience.

The Pixel 2 is an improvement to the original Pixel is just about every area, and while that makes it a great buy, we also can’t help but wonder what Google will do to make the Pixel 3 even better. One forum user with the 2016 Pixel asked our community if they should pick up the Pixel 2 now or wait for the Pixel 3, and this is what you had to say:

Retinella
01-04-2018 09:58 AM

“

Well, the OG Pixel and Pixel 2 have those bezels, even after Google knew Samsung and Apple would get small ones. I don’t see the design language changing drastically for the Pixel 3.

Reply

idiotekniques
01-04-2018 08:11 AM

“

Or get both. That’s what I’m doing 🙂

Pixel 2 XL now, Pixel 3 XL end of this year, keep the Pixel 2 XL as a backup phone and for the occasional overseas trip

Reply

scorpiori
01-04-2018 01:52 PM

“

The bezzels defentily don’t bother me, If so, I actually love how this device (black!) is looking this year with the bezzels along with the speakers.

Wouldn’t wait one more day to get it 🙂

Reply

toiday
01-04-2018 09:31 PM

“

If they keep having a trade deal then it’s not bad to get a new one every year.

Reply

How about you – Would you buy the Pixel 2 or hold off for the Pixel 3?

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

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An essential guide to customizing your Android phone

Be different, not the same is more than a tagline when it comes to Android.

Android provides us the freedom to change nearly everything about our phones, especially when it comes to our home screens. We aren’t stuck with a bland grid of icons; we don’t live in our app drawers the way iPhone users do. We can add widgets; we can add search bars and gestures; we can have blank space wherever we want, not just at the bottom of an unfilled page! And if we don’t like the way our home screens look with the launcher that came with our phone, we can ditch it and use a third-party launcher, opening us up to new worlds of customization and theming.

This is our final day in our 12 Days of Tech Tips series. So, ready to make your phone your own? Let’s get started.

Wallpaper wonder

Every phone or tablet comes a selection of wallpapers — images for your home screen or lock screen background that give your device a bit of personality. But often times those wallpapers don’t reflect your personality. We need to change that. Wallpapers are the most basic building block of Android theming, and changing your wallpaper can change the way your entire home screen feels. If you take nothing else away from our guide here, I implore you, please, GET A NEW WALLPAPER.

Whether that means browsing Google’s Wallpapers app, finding an artist you like on Deviantart or just browsing through some of our wallpaper roundups, I guarantee you that there’s a wallpaper out there that speaks more to you and your style than the default wallpaper your phone came with. You can even set one of your photos as a wallpaper, be a picture you snapped on a vacation or a silly snapshot of the grandkids.

It can be anything in the world or out of our world, just long-press your home screen and set a new wallpaper.

Launchers and layouts

Nova Launcher and Action Launcher, themed to perfection

The app that we use to organize and launch apps on an Android device is called a launcher. Every phone ships with one on it, though some are better than others. Most launchers consist of one or more home screens — where you can put the apps and widgets you use most, a dock — where you can keep your most-used apps visible and accessible from each home screen, and an app drawer — where all of your apps are kept for easy access and organization. The launcher is what you use to put your apps where you want, and the layout is how you have apps and widgets laid out on your home screens.

Your phone might have come with a clock widget and some pre-installed apps covering the first few home screens, and you can delete these items to make room for things you actually do want. You can also consolidate apps on your home screen into folders by pressing and dragging one app icon over another. Folders look better in some launchers than others, but there’s no denying how functional they can be in helping keep the apps you use close by. Switching up your layout is a really easy way to shake up your launcher experience.

Some launchers allow you to change the grid size on your home screens, allowing you to fit more apps and widgets on a single screen. If your launcher doesn’t allow you to resize home screens or customize your layout much, you might want to consider switching to a new one. Most third-party launchers have ways to import your current layout from your previous launcher, except for maybe widgets — we’ll get to those in a moment.

Want to try a new launcher? These are our favorites

Widgets and icon packs

Material Music Komponent for KWGT

If you have a launcher you like, another way to jazz up your home screen is by adding a widget or two that can enhance your Android experience by helping you do something without having to open the full app up. If the weather outside is important to you, have a weather widget like 1Weather on your home screen so you can see what the next few hours or days are going to be like when you’re out driving in this ridiculously cold air.

One of the primary uses of my Android is playing music, so my home screens always have a music widget on them so that I can quickly pause my music or switch tracks without having to open up my music app. Most music apps come with a widget or two for your home screen, but there are third-party music widgets that are more flexible with your music sources and or easier to theme if the one that comes with your music app isn’t as pretty as you’d like.

Ombre icon pack

If you don’t need any widgets, consider adding a cool icon pack, which will replace the icons for your apps with something more consistent than the hodgepodge of icon shapes, colors, and styles we see on Google Play. Some packs cover more app icons than others, though more and more icon packs are including quality icon masks to ensure all icons are consistent. Icon packs aren’t supported by every first-party launcher, but most third-party launchers support them, though some launchers respond differently to icon masks than others.

Read more: Best icon packs for Android

Theme it up!

If you don’t feel like exploring and coming up with a theme yourself, don’t worry! We’ve got plenty of easy-to-use, easy-to-love themes that are ready and waiting for you in our theme guides!

• Dark theme pack
• Christmas castle theme
• Rainbow theme pack
• Summer theme pack
• Beauty and the Beast theme pack
• Star Wars theme pack, Vol 1
• Star Wars theme pack, Vol 2
• Marvel theme pack
• Batman & Superman theme pack
• Pokemon Go theme pack

No matter your taste or style, there’s a theme out there for you! If you have a theme you’d like to see us do in 2018, tell us in the comments!

Your turn

The sky’s the limit when it comes to theming your Android. Whether you just need a new wallpaper or you want to completely change the way you see your home screen, there’s a theming style out there that’ll work for you. If you’re looking for more theming awesomeness, here’s everything you need to know about Android theming.

These Orig3n DNA test kits on sale can tell how your genes affect behavior, intelligence, and more

It’s in your blood.

Today’s Amazon Gold Box deal of the day features these Orig3n mini genetic DNA testing kits on sale. Each kit serves its own function, and apparently some genetic profiles are less expensive than others. For example, the Beauty test kit is down to $49.50 from a $99 street price. It can tell you how your genes might effect your complexion, hair health, and other things.

Each kit is essentially a cheek swab in a box. You take some of your DNA in a simple way like that, return it to the Orig3n lab with a prepaid envelop, and you’ll get a full profile in two or three weeks. What you want profiled is totally up to you:

• Superhero DNA Test Kit for $14.50 – so you can see what kind of superhero you’d be inclined to be should you develop mutant powers
• Hair DNA Test Kit for $19.50
• Behavior DNA Test Kit for $39.50
• Child Development DNA Test Kit for $49.50 (from $99)
• Nutrition DNA Test Kit for $74.50 (from $149)

Check out the full list of testing kits, which covers a lot more than what’s in this list.

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Nokia 6 (2018) is official and ships with a Snapdragon 630

The updated Nokia 6 is here, and it fixes our biggest issue with last year’s model.

On January 4, a Chinese retailer leaked the 2018 Nokia 6 in all of its glory – including specs, press shots, and more. Just a day later, Nokia has officially listed the handset on its website to confirm most of what we’ve already seen.

As we previously saw, the design of the Nokia 6 hasn’t changed all that much from year to year. The phone’s still made out of an aluminum unibody with rounded corners, but the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back in favor of slightly slimmer bezels. Also as a result of this, last year’s capacitive navigation buttons are gone and replaced with on-screen ones.

The Nokia 6 (2018) might not look like a huge improvement over the 2017 version at first glance, but that’s because the most important upgrade lies under the hood. Our biggest complaint with the last year’s Nokia 6 was that it shipped with the underpowered Snapdragon 430, but this time around, there’s a much more capable Snapdragon 630 that’s paired with 4GB of RAM.

There’s still a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, 16MP rear camera, and 3,000 mAh battery, and while the Nokia 6 (2018) will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Nokia says that an update to Oreo is in the works. Also new is a USB Type-C port compared to the older microUSB we saw last year.

The 32GB Nokia 6 will cost CNY 1,499 and the 64GB model will be slightly more expensive at CNY 1,699 (€191 and €216, respectively). Pre-orders are set to begin on January 10 in China, and an expanded release to other markets (including the United States) will likely happen later in the year.

Nokia 6 review: A great phone with one major drawback

Stable Android Oreo build leaks for Galaxy S8 with Dolby Atmos support

Samsung gets the Dolby treatment.

Last November, Samsung started accepting beta testers for an early run of Android Oreo for the Galaxy S8. Samsung’s been informing users that the beta will end on Monday, January 15, and ahead of this, someone’s leaked a non-beta version of Oreo for the S8 on Reddit.

Oreo builds for the Snapdragon-powered S8 and S8+ were shared, and while it appears to very similar compared to what we’ve so far with the beta, it’s reported that this leaked build is smoother, has a new boot animation, and is updated with the latest January 2018 security patch.

Along with these improvements, this build of Oreo finally adds support for Dolby Atmos to the S8. Dolby Atmos has been available on select Android devices for a few years, and it allows users to customize their EQ settings, emulate surround sound when listening to music with headphones, and more.

There’s a toggle for Atmos right within Quick Settings, and while users report that its performance is buggy at the moment, these issues will likely be cleaned up once Samsung is ready for an official release of the software.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Amazon Alexa will start helping out in the kitchen with microwave controls

Meet your new cooking assistant.

The different use cases for Alexa has grown substantially over the past couple years. The assistant works great for simple tasks like playing music and getting weather info, and using it for controlling smart lights and ordering an Uber never get old. Now, Amazon is planning Alexa’s next great frontier – the kitchen.

On the Amazon Alexa blog, it was recently announced that Alexa’s Smart Home Skill API is gaining support for cooking features, starting first with microwave ovens. With these controls, users will be able to say things such as “Alexa, microwave for 50 seconds on high” and “Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken” to keep on cooking without having to pound away at your microwave’s keypad.

Whirlpool will be the first to launch these new Alexa controls on its connected microwaves, with GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, and Samsung also working on upgrading their microwaves and other appliances to be compatible as well.

Although Amazon is starting off with microwaves, the end goal is to expand the functionality to other cooking devices, such as conventional ovens, at a later date.

If you own an Amazon Alexa device, do you see yourself making use of these features as they’re made available?

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• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Echo Spot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

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See what all the smart plug hype is about with Etekcity’s $13 option

This makes it so affordable to try!

Right now you can pick up an Etekcity smart plug for just $12.99 at Amazon when you enter the coupon code 7FRQNW4M during checkout. This is a savings of $3 and happens to drop this plug down to its lowest price. While it may not seem like a huge discount, this actually makes it one of the most affordable smart plugs on the market, and it’s even Amazon Certified to work with Alexa.

This means that you’ll be able to use your Echo Dot to control the plugs with just your voice. It also works with Google Assistant, so you can put that Google Home Mini you picked up over the holidays to good use.

• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. Power your devices without lifting a finger. Does NOT currently support SmartThings, Homekit, or IFTTT
• Track power usage for connected devices and figure out which devices use the most energy. You can effectively cut your usage so that you can save money on your next electric bill
• Easy to install and stable connection. Controlled from different devices and manage your home on your smartphone or tablet from anywhere
• Get ready to have a smart home and create customized schedule to automatically turn on and off any home electronics or appliances such as lamps, Christmas lighting, coffee maker, etc

The two-pack of these plugs is down to $26.99 right now, which is a deal we’ve seen in the past. If you’ve been waiting to try these out but only wanted one to start, you won’t want to miss out on this deal.

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A USB power cable for Amazon’s 4K Fire TV now exists

One thing that might deter you from getting Amazon’s 4K Fire TV is that it has to be connected to a power outlet, and that visible cable could ruin your sweet home theater setup. Mission, an accessory-maker, has taken things into its own hands and created a USB power cable for the streaming device, which it says works with all powered ports. Is it a good idea to use it? We don’t know, but the option exists if you want it.

Most TVs’ USB ports don’t have a strong enough output to run the 4K Fire TV, which needs 1200mA to run continuously, so you can’t use an ordinary cable. Plugging the device directly into a TV’s port leads to resets — sometimes, it doesn’t even work. Mission’s has a small box with a lithium-ion battery that stores excess current, and it releases that extra power when the Fire TV needs more electricity than what the USB source can provide. The solution is now available on Amazon for $20, but it’s currently on sale for $15 at Mission’s website if you’re just purchasing to sate your curiosity and want to save a few bucks.

Source: Mission Accessories

Ask Engadget: Is LTE worth it on a smartwatch?

The support shared between readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we’ve known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community’s knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments.

We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we’ve decided to bring back the much-missed “Ask Engadget” column. This week’s question is a quick one about smartwatches enabled with LTE. Weigh in with your advice in the comments — and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com!

Are LTE-enabled smartwatches really worth the extra cost?

Cherlynn Low
Reviews Editor

LTE-enabled watches generally aren’t worth it right now. Most people won’t mind bringing along their smartphones for connectivity. Not only that — how often are you going to be out and about without a phone, and find yourself needing to call or text someone? LTE also tends to drain a watch’s battery, reducing the probably-short battery life even further. Until 5G launches and future iterations of the technology allow for sleeker designs with longer battery life, it doesn’t make sense to splurge just to stay connected on the rare occasions when you’re without a phone.

That said, there is a small subset of people who will benefit from LTE-enabled watches. These are folks with ample disposable income who frequently, say, go on long runs and prefer to carry as little as possible. For these people, the benefit of remaining connected could be worth the cost, if only because they’re so rich that the price difference is effectively negligible.

Neutrogena’s scanner shows your skin in excruciating detail

Neutrogena has unveiled a device that attaches to your iPhone and can tell you more about your skin issues and convince you to (wait for it) buy more Neutrogena products. The SkinScanner from the Johnson & Johnson-owned company attaches to the top of an iPhone, and can take a magnified image of your skin and measure the moisture content. An AI-enabled app called Skin 360 then analyzes the data and gives your skin a 0 to 100 rating and show how it’s improving over time.

Skin scanners are nothing new, as you can find them in spas and cosmetics stores like Sephora. However, the SkinScanner makes the concept cheaper and more consumer-friendly by sticking it on a smartphone. By doing so, Neutrogena is targeting younger users who are comfortable with tech and don’t necessarily buy creams or cosmetics the traditional way.

The device uses 12 LED lights, a 30x magnifier and a moisture detector at the edge of the camera. To use it, you just open up the Skin 360 app, place it directly against your skin and grab some images. The resulting (very) closeup photos show your pores, wrinkles and moisture in (possibly shocking) detail.

From there, the app’s built-in AI compares your skin to other folks your age and assigns a maximum score of 100 for the aforementioned categories. Clicking on the “improve” button will, naturally, take you to Neutrogena’s store, when you can pick up products to fix your problems.

It’s probably not healthy to obsess on your pores and wrinkles, and as we noted with the Way skin sensor, the solution for dry skin is generally to drink more water. And while the tech is kind of cool, as with much of the beauty industry, it seems designed to make you feel bad about yourself so that you’ll spend more money. Nevertheless, it’s not terribly expensive at $50, so it might be worth a go for some. Neutrogena will be showing it at CES 2018, so we’ll try to get an, um, closer look.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Source: Neutrogena