Is your Galaxy Note 8 showing any signs of slow down?

Nothing to see here.

The Galaxy S9 may be the hottest new flagship around, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the absolute best Samsung has to offer. The Galaxy Note 8 continues to be one of the most powerful Android phones you can buy, and even with it being a few months old and no longer being Samsung’s latest, current owners are still plenty happy with the phone.

Samsung devices have become infamous over the years for slowing down and showing signs of lag after a few months of regular use, and when you spend nearly $1000 on a smartphone, that’s not something you want to encounter.

A few Galaxy Note 8 owners recently got together to talk about whether or not they’ve experienced any slowness on the phone so far, and this is what they had to say.

Lepa79
03-15-2018 04:50 PM

“

Got it on day one. Absolutely a work horse and smooth like butter. I reboot phone about every 2 weeks.

I also have Pixel 2 XL and it’s going on sale this weekend. Love Note 8 10x more.

Only phone replacing note 8 is note 9.

Reply

cwbcpa
03-15-2018 11:39 AM

“

I have had zero issues with mine and I’ve had it almost 5 months. I use Nova, but only because I like to use a few of the options. I could be using stock Samsung experience and it would still fly. I typically don’t have issues with my phone’s lagging too much but the Note 8 has been absolutely amazing. It will be interesting to see what the Note 9 brings and if I think it’s actually worth the…

Reply

amyf27
03-15-2018 04:24 AM

“

I’ve had mine since Sept and it’s been fantastic. I haven’t really noticed any slow downs. I’ve got a warranty replacement phone that I got a few months ago due to a freezing / error moisture code (wasn’t moist) . Overall though this and the original have been fantastic.

I went to try the s9 plus for a couple days and went back to my note 8.

Reply

Climb14er
03-15-2018 08:41 AM

“

No slow down in speeds what-so-ever. Someone mentioned their S9+ 845 chipset is much faster than the Note 8 835 chipset. I said to myself… really? Frankly… I highly doubt it because the Note 8 flys across the screen with no hesitation or lag. It’s a very fast phone and stable too.

Reply

Now, we want to hear from you – If you’ve got a Galaxy Note 8, is the phone still just as fast as the first day you got it?

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Will my phone get Android P?

A new version of Android means it’s once again time to peer into my crystal ball.

Did you hear? Android P is a thing now. We have no idea what the P will stand for (no, it won’t be Peanut Butter and Jelly, unfortunately) and we have very little insight into the changes it will bring because we just got the very first developer pre-beta beta preview. One thing we do know though is that everyone will want it and want it as soon as possible. That’s how it works and that’s how we are wired. We want updates, we want them to be spectacular and we want them right now.

The reality of the situation is a bit different. Most phones made in the last 18 months will see Android P, but some of them will only get an update to P when we see the first developer preview for Android Q (Quince Jelly or gtfo, Google!) come along. It’s a lot easier for manufacturers to update their phones to a newer version, but it’s still not any better. That’s another article for another time, though. This one is where I guess which phones will get updated sometime in the next 12 months.

Predicting anything Android-related is 10% science and 90% interpretation.

It’s not as easy as you think and many sudsy cold beverages worth of thought goes into my guesses each and every year. About one-third of them are no-brainers, but some of the others are basically the same odds as a coin flip. It seems like manufacturers only care about a few models that get a lot of press time. But I do have to toot my own hat (or something) and say I have a pretty good track record. Luck or skill? You decide. (It’s totally skill.)

Let’s break it down by the major manufacturers of the phones we love and make a few predictions. Remeber, these are just predictions and not any official word on anything from any company. We’ll also circle back around once Android P is officially released and see how close I got.

Still waiting for Oreo? Check to see whether your phone will be upgraded!

Google

I always start with Google because it’s easy and I’ll get it right every time. That’s what I want at the top of the page. I say it’s easy because Google has already told us which phones get updated and which won’t.

• The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be updated to Android P.
• The Pixel and Pixel XL will be updated to Android P.
• While not actually from Google, any Android One phones manufactured since October 2017 will also be updated.

And that’s it. Prior to the Pixel, Google promised two years of full support and three years of security updates for phones they sell under their own brand. Come September or so when we expect to see Android P go gold, the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X will be just about three years old.

More: It’s time to say goodbye to the Nexus program for good

Samsung

Samsung makes more models of a single flagship line like the Galaxy S each year than Google has made in total, but it’s also pretty easy to know which phones Samsung will update because they’re predictable. Samsung offers four “premium” models each year. like 2018’s Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, the Galaxy S9 Active that we all know is coming, and the Galaxy Note 9. Even when Samsung sold 15 different models of the Galaxy S6, they were all treated the same when it came to expecting an update.

When to expect it is just as predictable, and it will happen about a year from the date this was first published (March 2018). Some models in Europe will see it first, about a month later it will show up somewhere else, and once Samsung is satisfied it’s not going to totally wreck about a gazillion phones they will give it the green light. Add in whatever time your carrier needs and the final result is just about a year from its initial release.

• The Galaxy S9 and S9+ (and any S9 Active that comes in the future) will be updated to Android P.
• The Galaxy Note 9 will be updated to Android P.
• The Galaxy S8 and S8+, and the Galaxy S8 Active, will be updated to Android P.
• The Galaxy Note 8 will be updated to Android P.

Here’s where it gets interesting. there are a handful of other Galaxy phones that have a huge regional fanbase. In India, for example, the Galaxy J models are huge hits because they offer most of the same experience you find in a Galaxy S at a lower price. Samsung will give them the same treatment the Galaxy S and Note lines receive. That’s not the most interesting part, though.

There’s a chance Samsung will try to update the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to Android P. Adding the third year of life to the Galaxy S line would be an important move in a world where only Apple supports more than the last two yearly remakes. And Apple is Samsung’s only competition is the mobile space so Samsung would love to erase the stigma of Android phones being disposable. I don’t know if Samsung will succeed and get Android P on a Galaxy S7, but I do know they will be trying. They almost have to.

LG

LG has always been a wild card when I write this post every year. Like Samsung, there are a few “important” models that get all the press coverage and plenty of other more inexpensive models that most of us aren’t talking about.

LG also mentioned some streamlining in the release cycle, which means the LG G8 won’t arrive before most people were able to buy a G6. Hopefully, it also gives the development teams time to get an update out the door and have it be a good update.

• The LG V30 (including the V30S or whatever models we have seen or will see) will be updated to Android P.
• The LG V20 will be updated to Android P.
• The LG G6 will see Android P.

Older models like the G5 and V10 are done seeing any attention and won’t see any updates. LG makes a handful of phones that aren’t quite flagship material, and we know it is willing to spend the time and money on updating some of them even if your carrier isn’t and you never see it.

I also think LG consolidating things and releasing phones when they think it’s time for a new model rather than by looking at a calendar will make a difference here and lead to longer support.

Huawei

Huawei is tough to read. It hasn’t abandoned the Asian way of doing smartphones like LG and Samsung have for their U.S. divisions and sometimes that means the things the company does can be puzzling to those of us used to the Western way of thinking. Just when I think I have figured out exactly which phones are the company’s flagship models that will get the lion’s share of time and money spent, they change it all up. That’s a good thing.

Something made Huawei change the way it redistributes and maintains phones running the EMUI operating system (Huawei’s version of Android) in 2017 and I think that’s going to be reflected when it comes to Android P updates.

• The Huawei P10 will be updated to Android P.
• The Huawei Mate 10 will be updated to Android P.
• The Honor 9 and Honor View 10 series will be updated to Android P. I’m hoping, but less confident about the Honor 7X.
• The Huawei Mate 9 will probably be updated to Android P, but we’ll see.

This includes the various Plus, Pro, and Porsche models (I want a Porsche phone) as well, and because EMUI is so different than every other smartphone software available users will have no idea which version of Android they are running unless they look.

Besides, if the things a handful of little birds are saying happen to be true, EMUI 9 isn’t going to be able to run on any hardware older than what comes in these phones.

Motorola

Motorola had a weird 2017. That’s putting it mildly. They released like 100 phones in the Americas and Western Europe (Editor’s note: it was actually 9) and they ranged from the surprisingly great $100 Moto E4 to the Moto X4, the first of hopefully many non-Google phones you can use on Project Fi, and all the Z and Force you can handle in between.. And they did it without compromising the G series which has been a company staple for years from the smartphone division.

Moto phones under Lenovo are slowly becoming like the Thinkpad — quietly chugging along in the background doing their thing. And doing it well.

So far in 2018, we’ve heard the company is going to release more phones than ever this year and that they were scaling back and had to lay off employees (in the same week, no less) so we’re not sure just what to expect. in the coming months. One thing I am pretty sure of is that every one of those 2017 phones, as well as any we see in 2018, will be updated to Android P.

That’s right, no bullet point list of the highlight models. Every Moto phone manufactured in 2017 or later will see Android P.

Lenovo has taken a lot of the fanfare surrounding Android version updates away and quietly builds them in the background. Maybe the update horrorshow that happened when the company first absorbed Moto branding made them decide the limelight is a better place to be. Or maybe when you build like 100 different models, an update day feels more like a Tuesday than something special.

Must mentions

These may be the companies we’re most familiar with in the west that sell Android phones, but they aren’t the only companies doing it. Out of the literally hundreds of models available, a few stand out and need mentioning.

• OnePlus will update the 5 and 5T.
• Sony’s high-end Xperia like the Zs and Xs from 2017 and 2018 will be updated, but other models probably won’t be.
• Essential will have learned from mistakes with Oreo and the EP1 will be fast-tracked for Android P.
• I’m not sure how changes in the company will affect HTC, but thinking all their phones as far back as the U11 and UBolt will see an update.
• The BlackBerry KEYone probably won’t be upgraded to Android P, but we like surprises!
• Now that Nokia has committed to Android One across all of its devices, there’s a good chance many of the more expensive models, like the Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 Sirocco, will be updated to Android P.
• Someone at XDA will update their Nexus One to Android P and I am going to do my best to get Google to send that person a brand new Pixel 3 NotchXL.

Like mentioned earlier, these are just educated guesses at this point. but one thing I know for certain is that no matter what the phone, any updates will feel like they took too long to make it into our hands. That’s just how we’re wired.

Android Oreo beta rolling out to Honor 7X with Project Treble support

Available in the U.S., India, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The Honor 7X is one of the best choices around if you’re in the market for a smartphone under $200 USD, and today, it’s getting a big software update with the beginning of the Android Oreo / EMUI 8.0 beta.

If you signed up to join Honor’s Oreo beta earlier this month, you should receive a message any time now in Honor’s Friendly User Test app with details about how to download the first official version of the beta. Honor says that it’ll be “a staged rollout” and that all of its beta testers should be able to download and install it by the end of the week.

As with any Oreo update, some of the new features include picture-in-picture, Google’s Autofill API, more restrictions on what apps can do in the background, etc. Honor’s also included a couple of its own additions, such as better notifications and a floating dock for your Android navigation buttons.

For those still unimpressed with what’s included, it’s been confirmed that Honor is supporting Project Treble with Oreo on the 7X. This is Google’s new update process that’ll theoretically make it easier for OEMs to push new versions of Android to their phones, and while the effectiveness of Treble still remains to be seen, I know a lot of you will still be pleased to see it make an appearance here.

The Oreo / EMUI 8.0 beta is available for testers in the United States, France, India, Italy, Germany, and Spain, and Honor previously mentioned that this software would be ready for a public launch by Q2 of this year.

Android Oreo

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The Morning After: Toys ‘R’ Us is shutting down

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Friday is the perfect time to take a photo trip through Shinjuku (both in real life and via Yakuza 6) and consider the appeal of Lyft’s all-access subscription.

Free two-day shipping wasn’t enough?Leaked Amazon figures show TV drives millions of Prime signups

Reuters is reporting that it has obtained leaked documents that, if true, will shed plenty of light on at least one part of Amazon’s business — Prime Video. If you thought Amazon was keeping quiet because its projects were flops, think again, because some of its shows are actually more popular than some of the fare you’ll find on basic cable.

Low lag.What to look for if you’re buying a TV for gaming

Most TV makers (and buyers’ guides, for that matter) assume you’re buying a set for the sake of enjoying movies or shows, and that’s understandable. But what if you’re more interested in playing Monster Hunter World than watching Murder on the Orient Express?

Check this out.‘Yakuza 6’ makes Tokyo’s red-light district virtually real

Richard Lai decided to swing by Shinjuku to see how closely Sega’s realization stands up. With real restaurants, hotels and attractions digitized in high detail, it’s occasionally uncanny.

The empowering short that wasn’t.VR escort film pulled from SXSW amid allegations of misconduct

Two days ago, director Michael Jacobs described his first VR short, GFE (an acronym of “girlfriend experience”), to Aaron Souppouris on camera. The film is a “documentary fantasy,” Jacobs said, with a focus on “demystifying escort work and bringing a sense of empowerment to escorts.” According to the star of GFE, it does the exact opposite.

Above and beyond the software patches.Intel redesigned its 8th-gen processors to patch ‘Spectre’ and ‘Meltdown’ flaws

According to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, its future chips will have new layers of protection via something called “partitioning.” The changes will start with Xeon Scalable “Cascade Lake” processors and 8th-generation Core chips shipping in the second half of this year.

Grab some coffee — it’s 56 pages.Google’s year-in-review report of Android security

Android may be perceived as “less secure” than iOS, but take a look at the numbers. In 2016, the annual probability of downloading a potentially harmful app was at .04 percent, which is a pretty small number. Google reduced that number by half in 2017 to .02 percent. It’s pretty impressive.

But wait, there’s more…

• Tech giants like Google and Alibaba are working to save endangered species
• Lyft tests ‘all-access’ weekly and monthly subscriptions for riders
• The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is an agile car with some outdated tech
• Bankrupt Toys ‘R’ Us is closing all US and UK stores
• ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ arrives on September 14th
• Bali plans to shut down mobile internet for its New Year

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Audi Sport’s e-tron GT will be based on Porsche’s Mission E

Audi’s performance Sport division announced that will introduce a four-door high-performance EV as part of Audi and VW’s grand electrification plans. The E-Tron GT will be based on the Porsche Mission E platform and built alongside the E-Tron Quattro crossover we saw recently at the Geneva Motor Show. “We will lead our high-performance brand Audi Sport into the electric future with models like this,” said Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler. “It proves that electric drive can also deliver high performance.”

Speaking of the e-tron Quattro (below), Audi revealed that it will be priced at 80,000 euros or about $100,000. So far, we’ve seen it only in a disguised form, but we’ll get a much better look when the automaker releases more details in August. It might hit the market fairly soon as a 2019 model, and so far we know that it will be built using a carbon-neutral fabrication process and accept a 150kW fast charge.

As Road & Track points out, Audi has been working on a three-motor system to allow for advanced torque vectoring, but Porsche has already said that the Mission E will use just one motor per axle. That means that while Audi Sport’s e-tron GT might share the Mission E platform, it could use different drivetrain components. Once it arrives, the GT will be Audi’s e-tron flagship car.

Source: Audi

Ubisoft revives ‘Might & Magic’ as a mobile strategy RPG

Might & Magic is back, but not in the way you were probably hoping for. Ubisoft has revived the beloved RPG series as a mobile battler called Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians, chock-full of colorful and chibi-esque creatures to collect. The first batch of screenshots reveal a four-person party and various wave-based opponents to dispatch. Ubisoft is promising a “fast-paced strategic battle RPG” with a Pokémon-style elemental system, monster evolution (from “loyal” to “legendary”) and customizable Glyph equips. In combat, though, it seems each monster is limited to three abilities — pre-battle prep, then, is probably where the real depth lies.

Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians launches worldwide on May 31st for iOS and Android. It will have a single-player campaign centered around an apprentice wizard at the Akadimia school of magic. Set in the year 470 YSD, a century before Might & Magic Heroes VI, you’ll traverse Ashan and “specific locations that were unexplored in previous games.” If you’re new to the franchise, however, it won’t matter as the game has been designed with newcomers in mind. And if you’re the competitive type, Elemental Guardians will have a PVP “Arena” mode with leaderboards and unlockable prizes. If you’re interested, you can pre-register the app now and claim an “exclusive creature” based on your mobile operating system of choice.

Source: Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians

Google Lens Currently Rolling Out to iOS via Google Photos App

Google has announced that its previously Android-only Google Lens feature is now rolling out to iOS users who have the Google Photos app installed.

First unveiled last year at the Google I/O 2017 conference, Google Lens uses the company’s image recognition and machine learning algorithms to identify the subjects of photos and videos and present additional helpful actions and information to the user.

For example, if you take a picture of a business card, Google Lens will offer to save the phone number or address to one of your contacts. Similarly, taking a photo of a book, landmark, building, painting, plant or animal can throw up an option to view more details about the picture’s subject.

A few things to note: Currently Google Lens only works if your device’s language is set to English, and you’re running the latest version (3.15) of Google Photos. You can check what version you’re running in the app’s settings – tap the cog icon and select “About Google Photos” in the menu. Also note that your Google Lens activity is saved to your Google Account if you have Web & App Activity turned on.

Starting today and rolling out over the next week, those of you on iOS can try the preview of Google Lens to quickly take action from a photo or discover more about the world around you. Make sure you have the latest version (3.15) of the app.https://t.co/Ni6MwEh1bu pic.twitter.com/UyIkwAP3i9

— Google Photos (@googlephotos) March 15, 2018

If you still don’t see the Google Lens icon when viewing individual photos or videos, it’s likely the feature hasn’t reached your region yet. Google says the update is being released in batches and all devices should receive it soon.

Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tags: Google, Google Photos
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‘ARK: Survival Evolved’ Coming to iOS This Spring With ‘Full Online Experience’

This week, popular console and desktop game Fortnite hit the iOS App Store in beta form, allowing players to access the “same 100-player” Battle Royale mode found on PS4 and Mac computers while on-the-go. Following Fortnite, it’s been announced that another large-scale console title is getting a full game on iOS and Android, called ARK: Survival Evolved and launching this spring (via TouchArcade).

ARK originally released in early access on Steam and Xbox One in 2015, and then the final game launched across most platforms in 2017, including PC, Mac, Xbox One, and PS4. ARK is an action survival game that takes place in a large open world inhabited by dinosaurs, tasking players with building bases and weapons, taming and taking care of dinosaurs, and joining up with other players in tribes.

A few other features coming to ARK on mobile include:

– 80+ Dinosaurs: Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the many dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground.
– Discover: Explore a massive living and breathing prehistoric landscape as you find the means to survive, thrive, and escape on the Ark.
– Craft and Build: Using any means necessary to survive, craft weapons, clothes, and items, and build shelters, villages, or even large cities.
– Survive Alone or With Others: Group up with, or prey on, hundreds of other players in a large-scale online world or choose to go it alone in single-player mode.
– Join a Tribe: The ‘Tribe’ system encourages cooperation, by supporting dynamic parties to share resources, XP, and re-spawn points.

Beta invites for iOS are already open for the game, and mobile game developer War Drum Studios stated that the plan for the smartphone version “is to contain the full online experience as the PC version of ARK.” This includes the game’s 50-person multiplayer environment where players can join tribes to share resources, gain XP, and more, as well as engage in an offline single player experience.

There will also be a few tweaks in the transition to mobile, including faster paced gameplay, a unique user interface, and a “specialized control setup” that was developed specifically for ARK on mobile. The iOS and Android version of the game will offer optional upgrades that players can acquire with “Amber” to progress faster, obtain certain buffs for certain amounts of time, build unique crafting structures, and bring lost dinosaurs back from the dead. The developers said these updates “allow for the ultimate experience on mobile,” while maintaining the true ARK experience as closely as possible.

In a tweet on the new @PlayARKMoible Twitter account, War Drum Studios said that ARK will require 2GB of download space on iOS, and run at 30 FPS on iPhone 7 devices and newer. It “will feature the entire Island map with most of the creatures,” requiring 2GB of RAM on iOS and 3GB of RAM on Android. The developers also put out a trailer for the game, noting that all gameplay footage included was recorded live using an iPhone 8.

ARK will be free-to-play when it launches on iOS and Android widely this spring, but details about any potential microtransactions have not yet been revealed.

Tag: ARK: Survival Evolved
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Mickey and Minnie AR Emoji arrive in time for Galaxy S9 launch

If you think the Galaxy S9’s personalized AR emoji creations are creepy, well, you’re right. But as teased by Samsung at its launch event in MWC a few weeks ago, some familiar Disney faces are joining the robo-avatar party. Both Mickey and Minnie will be available starting today — coincidentally, the day that the S9 and S9 plus go on sale. It’s just the start of Disney’s AR emoji series. Samsung says more will come throughout the year and will include The Incredibles cast and (yes!) Frozen. Ugh, just as long as it’s not Olaf.

Samsung could do with the help. Its AR Emoji are divisive, and aren’t quite as slick as the iPhone X’s Animoji. That said, they’re two very different takes on face-tracking augmented reality. AR Emoji crafts new avatars for every user it scans, while there’s only a limited selection of Animoji to toy with on the iPhone. We’re yet to test it out the Disney additions on our review Galaxy S9, but by the sheer simplicity of Mickey’s design, we’re hopeful for a less creepy outcome.

Source: Samsung

Spotify is finally set to make its debut in India

At an investor presentation, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek revealed that the streaming service will make its debut in India shortly.

There’s no shortage of streaming services in India right now: there are the local players like Saavn and Gaana that offer a myriad selection of regional and international music, and the likes of Google, Apple, and Amazon have also made their foray into the market. Spotify is all set to join that list, as CEO Daniel Ek confirmed during a recent investor day presentation that the streaming service will be making its debut in India shortly:

We are working on launching in some of the biggest markets in the world, including India, Russia, and Africa which has a very rich musical culture.

Spotify made its debut in four new markets earlier this week — Israel, Romania, South Africa and Vietnam — and it looks like that was just the first salvo in a broader expansion into global markets.

Late last year, Spotify hired former Google Business Manager Akshat Harbola to head its India operations, and while the streaming service stated that it had 308 employees scattered over 20 markets, it didn’t divulge a headcount for India. What we do know is that Spotify leased office space in Mumbai last month, so a launch does seem imminent.

Spotify will have its work cut out in India, as the music streaming segment already fields intense competition. Google Play Music is available for just ₹99 ($1.50) a month, and Apple Music isn’t far behind at ₹120 ($1.85) a month — for students, it’s just ₹60 (93 cents) a month.

Amazon Music also made its debut in India earlier this year, with the streaming service bundled into the Prime subscription, which is just ₹999 ($15) a year and includes access to Prime Video as well.

Having used Spotify for over two years, the one thing that it does better than anyone else is curated playlists. But the Indian market is all about value, and it’ll be interesting to see the price point that Spotify will launch at in the country, as that’ll make or break the service.