Eight alternative SMS apps for Android

SMS apps, all phones come with at least one. But why do they all have to be so boring? Well, the good news is that you can easily spice up your texting experience.

Since the first SMS message was sent back in 1992, text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication, especially among the younger crowd.

Being able to send short, written texts via mobile phones has clearly advanced communication in certain respects. And the greatest benefit of texting it that it allows you to communicate instantly with other people wherever you are, without interrupting them in a way that a call would.

Phone manufacturers usually bundle their phone products with a default SMS app, but thanks to the Android’s open ecosystem, if you’re not happy with it, you can easily change it.

There are many third-party SMS apps available via the Google Play Store you can download right now. So below we’ve assembled a list of some of the best SMS app-alternatives you might want to try on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Textra

What it is:

A clean-looking SMS app that lets you customize your texting experience in numerous ways.

Why we like it:

• Textra transforms the drab experience of your default SMS app into a customizable adventure: users can change almost anything from theme colors and notifications to the style and colors of the message bubbles.
• A fan of iMessages? Textra can give you the sense you’re using an iPhone when you’re texting.
• The app also offers useful features such as SMS scheduling, quick replies, SMS blocking, dark, light & auto-night modes and a lot more.
• Tap into the 2000+ Android, Twitter, Emoji One & iOS style-emojis to spice up your text messages.

Install Textra

Pulse

What it is:

Pulse is a next-generation SMS app which brings together all your texts from all the devices you use including phones, tablets or computers.

Why we like it:

• The app is highly customizable just like Textra, offering the ability to set themes, share GIFs with your messages from Giphy and enable sound effects.
• Pulse’s standout feature is that it makes your messages available across all your devices. You can send and receive text messages from your phone number on your computer, tablet or smartwatch. Basically on any device that has access to a web browser. Note: This feature is available for a paid subscription, but you get a 7-day free trial
• The app includes other useful features such as delayed SMS sending, spam blocking and advanced search in messages and contacts.

Install Pulse

Mood Messenger

What it is:

Mood Messenger aims to combine both text messaging and web messaging into one. So, the app can be a great alternative to WhatsApp, but also a worthy default SMS replacement app.

Why we like it:

• Aptly named Mood Messenger, the app lets you send texts with mood. Users are invited to customize everything from the colors and shapes of the message bubbles and style of each font to backgrounds and notifications sounds. Add emoticons, emojis, and smileys for an enhanced effect.
• The app also acts as a basic photo editor by allowing you to do things like add text or emoji and even draw on your pic, before sending it along.
• Pulse is a modern SMS app, so its privacy-oriented, keeping your messages away from private eyes.

Install Mood Messenger

Handcent Next SMS

What it is:

Handcent Next SMS brings next-generation texting to your Android device. Available since 2010, the app has embraced Material Design thus offering a fresh, modern look.

Why we like it:

• Like Pulse, Handcent Next SMS lets you send messages from any device that has a browser installed on it. You can also use the app to make free calls over the Internet.
• Includes a feature called Privacy Box, an encrypted message box which can only be opened by a unique pre-set passcode.
• The app is riddled with emoji, stickers and everything you need to make your texts more fun.
• There’s also a Stick on top feature which pins your favorite contacts on the top.

Install Handcent Next SMS

Chomp SMS

What it is:

Chomp SMS is a third-party messaging app which comes equipped with an impressive set of features, as well as with many customization options.

Why we like it:

• Chomp SMS enables texters to create their own unique look by tapping into the 100 free themes/skins. You can also customize things like notification icons, LED colors, ringtones, vibrate patterns and a lot more.
• Boasts advanced features such as passcode app lock, privacy options, scheduled SMS senders, stop a text while sending, backup, blacklisting, and signatures.
• Includes a large 1600+ database of Android, Twitter, Emoji One and iOS-style emojis for your enjoyment.

Install Chomp SMS

Silence

What it is:

An interesting replacement for regular SMS apps with a focus on security and privacy.

Why we like it:

• Privacy is what everyone is worried these days, right? Well, then you’ll be glad to hear Silence stores all messages you receive in an encrypted database. By default, it’s not protected by a password, but you can set one if you so desire.
• When both parties use Silence the app automatically recognizes this and starts using end-to-end encryption to send messages and media. Otherwise, it works just as a standard SMS app.
• Silence is open source, which means its code can be scrutinized for vulnerabilities, backdoors and other shady stuff.

Install Silence

QKSMS

What it is:

Like Silence, QKSMS is an open source messenger which wants to help you re-live the glory days of text messaging.

Why we like it:

• The app offers access to nearly 200 themes including dark ones. There’s also an Automatic Night Mode which can turn itself on when it’s dark out.
• The QK Reply tool enables you to reply to messaging without having to stop what you’re doing.
• Other useful features include floating notifications, MMS, group chats and a search tool.

Install QKSMS

EvolveSMS

What it is:

EvolveSMS is a powerful texting replacement app that makes keeping in touch with your friends and family a breeze.

Why we like it:

• On top of letting you customize your SMS experience any way you want, EvolveSMS’ most important feat is probably allowing users to swiftly send/receive all kinds of media including images, videos, and GIFs.
• The app allows you to reply to your chats directly from your notification bar. It also lets you set up a password to protect your private conversations.
• EvolveSMS comes with Android Wear support and Facebook integration.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.klinker.android.evolve_sms

So what do you think? Which of these apps sounds more promising in your opinion? Do you have a favorite app for texting? Is it the stock app that comes with your phone or one of the titles above? Let us know in the comments!

Roku’s free movie channel arrives on Samsung smart TVs this summer

Last year, Roku launched a free, ad-supported film channel available to those with a Roku player, stick or TV in the US. Now, the company has announced that The Roku Channel will be available as an app on select Samsung smart TVs this summer. The channel’s selection includes content from studios like Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment as well as films from Roku channel publishers such as Popcornflix and American Classics. The selection updates every month.

The company says that The Roku Channel is a top 20 channel on the Roku platform and that even though it’s ad-supported, it has around half of the advertising per programming hour that traditional TV channels do. There’s no word yet on exactly when the app will be available on Samsung TVs or which models will have access. And though The Roku Channel may hit more third-party devices in the future, Roku hasn’t said which. “We are looking at a variety of distribution opportunities but don’t have anything specific to share today,” a spokesperson told Variety.

Source: Roku

Popular iPad Drawing App ‘Linea Sketch’ Gets Major Feature Update

Popular iPad sketching app Linea from The Iconfactory has been renamed to Linea Sketch and updated with multiple new features in 2.0 update that was released this morning.

There are new Templates and Grids in the app, including Notepad options with wide and narrow rules for note taking and new storyboarding templates. Existing app design templates have been updated for Apple’s newest devices, and there is a new small dot grid available.

The previous version of Linea was limited to landscape mode, but the new update adds support for portrait orientation so you can draw in either landscape or portrait modes. New sketches are created using the iPad’s current orientation, and all templates support the new portrait orientation.

Images can now be imported from the camera, photo library, clipboard, or a file browser app, and imported images can be added to a layer for editing or tracing.

There’s also a new ZipLine tool for creating straight lines and polygons, a new scissors tool for creating selections in the Layers panel, and support for new gestures. You can resize selections by dragging with the orange handles or rotate using two fingers.

Linea Sketch supports several iOS 11 features following the update, including Drag and Drop and Split View multitasking, which allows it to be used alongside another app.

Linea Sketch can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 for a limited time, a 50 percent discount off of the regular price. [Direct Link]
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Galaxy S9+ vs. Galaxy Note 8: Which should you buy?

Samsung fans will be torn between these two.

Samsung’s dual-flagship approach is great for smartphone super-fans, because we get to see a new top-of-the-line phone from the company twice a year. The Galaxy S series refreshes early on in the year, followed by a Note phone about six months later.

But for someone who holds off on a purchase and doesn’t necessarily upgrade every six months (or even each year), it creates a quandary when you go to buy a Samsung phone: do you buy the Galaxy S, or the Note? Right now you can get the Galaxy Note 8, which is still just a handful of months old and very much a modern phone, but if you want the absolute latest tech from Samsung it has actually been supplanted by the Galaxy S9+.

The Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series have converged over the past few years, but it hasn’t ever been this close — here’s what you need to consider when choosing between the two.

What’s the same

The Galaxy S9+ has a few improvements over the Note 8, but as you’d expect considering their proximity much has been carried over. The two phones share a common platform in their hardware when it comes to the quality of the materials and the overall design, with the only real change being the GS9+’s different metal finish. The Galaxy S9+’s display has improved from the GS8+, but is indistinguishable in quality from the Note 8 — so yeah, both look amazing. And of course there’s just a 0.1-inch diagonal difference in size.

This is the same core hardware platform supporting both phones.

The rest of the hardware features like waterproofing, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, wireless charging, Quick Charge 2.0 and the supporting specs are all the same. Yes the processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 845 in the Galaxy S9+, but that shouldn’t make you forget about the Note 8’s considerable speed in its own right. Both have the same RAM and storage, too.

Even though the Galaxy S9+ is running Oreo out of the box, I won’t even claim it’s a big difference. The Galaxy Note 8 should have its Oreo update in short order, and it will have as many of the same software features as possible. But even that aside, Samsung’s take on Oreo isn’t all that removed from the Nougat launched on the Note 8 — all else being equal in the phones, don’t choose one over the other just to get it.

What’s different

Physically, it’s simply a bit easier to handle the slightly smaller Galaxy S9+. We’re talking about 4 mm in height, 1 mm in width and 6 grams in weight, but add it all up with the slightly more rounded corners and the GS9+ feels like less of a behemoth than the Note 8. If the Note 8 is outright unmanageable for you the GS9+ won’t feel like an entirely different phone, and you should consider the regular Galaxy S9 instead — but I’ll never complain about a phone being smaller and easier to hold, even if it’s subtle.

A slight drop in size and a better fingerprint sensor placement definitely make a difference.

Perhaps more important than the size is the fingerprint sensor placement on the Galaxy S9+. You can easily reach up and touch the lower, center-mounted fingerprint sensor without shifting the phone around in your hand. It’s something you do dozens (perhaps hundreds) of times per day, and it’s something you don’t really think about until you’ve lived with the far inferior placement on the Note 8.

The Galaxy S9+ also introduces stereo speakers. A phone the size of the Note 8 really should have them as well, but at least you have access to it with the GS9+. The speakers aren’t dramatically louder, but getting stereo separation and not having the audio easily blocked by your finger when holding the phone in portrait mode is another subtle usability improvement. And yes, the battery on the Galaxy S9+ is slightly larger, 3500 versus 3300mAh. That 6% bump in conjunction with the slight efficiency improvement from the Snapdragon 845 helps battery life, but it’s not a massive shift.

Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

One could say the biggest improvement in the 2018 phone is its main camera. This is an all-new setup for Samsung, with a brand new sensor and a variable aperture. The new sensor is capable of taking fantastic photos with less noise and sharper lines in all sorts of scenes, but really shines when it comes to low light photography. It also has 960 fps super slow-motion video capture, which is a neat trick. The Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

The only benefit the Note 8 has going for it in this comparison is the feature that gives it its name: the S Pen stylus. If you like to draw or write notes by hand, there isn’t anything like the S Pen on any other phone. Sure the Galaxy S9+ has some of the same features, but when it comes to getting that super-precise input there’s no replacement for having the S Pen at the ready.

Bottom line: Which should you buy?

This really feels like a toss-up. Not only do these two phones have nearly identical experiences, but they also cost about the same. Though the MSRP of the Note 8 was a bit higher, around $940, a few months on the market and the release of the GS9+ has brought that down in many places to the same price as the newer phone. Given their similarities we know basically no one will be upgrading from a Note 8 to a GS9+, but these two will be cross-shopped for someone coming from an older phone.

Unless you need the S Pen, you should buy the Galaxy S9+.

With so much shared between the phones in hardware, design and capabilities, this really comes down to evaluating the few differences and how they’ll actually matter in daily use. The Galaxy S9+ offers a slightly more compact size, a little better battery life, an improved main camera and stereo speakers — but importantly, it doesn’t make any compromises compared to the Note. The Note 8 offers a tiny bit more room to work on the screen, and obviously the excellent S Pen — but that’s it.

So either you need a stylus and you buy the Note 8, or you’ll be better served overall by the Galaxy S9+.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
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LG G7 (2018 flagship): Rumors, Specs, Release Date, and More!

The LG G6 was a solid phone that got overshadowed by the competition. With the G7 (or whatever it ends up being called), LG isn’t going to let that happen again.

When talking about underrated phones from 2017, it’s almost impossible to not mention the LG G6. LG made a huge comeback following the disaster that was the G5, but devices like the Samsung Galaxy S8 simply ate the G6 for breakfast and didn’t leave it with much of a fighting chance to stand out from the crowd.

LG needs a winner this year with the G6’s successor, and although details aren’t quite as abundant as they are for the Galaxy S9, there are still a few solid rumors floating around that have us excited for what LG will release in 2018.

Without further ado, here’s everything we know about LG’s successor to the G6.

LG’s adopting the notch, because why not?

Amidst all the announcements coming out of MWC 2018, LG gave certain attendees an early look at its upcoming flagship phone for 2018. The photos captured of the device were pretty blurry and not all that detailed, but thankfully TechnoBuffalo teamed up with designer Ben Geskin to give us a clear look at what we can expect from LG later this year.

First off, let’s get the elephant out of the room – LG’s next flagship will, unfortunately, have a notch. This is a trend a lot of Android OEMs are rushing to adopt, and it’s one I’m not a fan of seeing. LG will likely use a software trick to hide the notch with a black status bar, but even with that in place, a notch is still a notch.

The phone will have hardly any bezels surrounding said notch (save for a small chin at the bottom), and the back will be made out of glass and feature a fingerprint sensor and dual-camera setup.

While it’s not the worst-looking phone I’ve ever seen, I’m not sure playing copycat is the right move for a company whose mobile division has been losing money quarter after quarter. An original design would have played in LG’s favor considering how many other companies are also trying to mimic the iPhone X, but that doesn’t appear to be what we’re getting.

It might not be called the LG G7

A report popped up on January 3 indicating that LG will be ditching its G-series branding in favor of something else for a phone that’ll be released in “the first half” of the year.

This rebranding will supposedly make its debut with what would have been called the G7, and while the phone in question will be the sequel to the G6, it’s said to have a much different name. LG is reportedly playing around with the idea of having the phone launch with two digits in its name so that customers don’t think it’s outdated compared to the likes of the Galaxy S9 and iPhone X, but this could also change by the time the phone’s released.

We’ll get an MLCD+ display instead of an OLED one

Most all flagship phones are shipping with AMOLED or OLED displays, but after sub-par reviews of the V30 and Pixel 2 XL’s screens, LG will be changing gears and trying its hand at a new type of panel – MLCD+.

MLCD+ is fairly new in the mobile space, but it sounds promising. Compared to traditional IPS LCD screens, MLCD+ uses 35% less power, uses the RGBW matrix, and has a max brightness of 800-nits.

The V30’s OLED panel wasn’t necessarily bad, but it also paled in comparison to Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Note 8. A new type of screen could help LG differentiate itself from the rest of the market, but a lot of this will hinge on the company’s execution of it.

The phone should be powered by the Snapdragon 845

As great as the G6 was, one of the main reasons you might have been inclined to choose the Galaxy S8 over it was because of the processor it shipped with. The G6 launched with the Snapdragon 821, and while the 821 was a perfectly fast CPU, the S8 launched just a few weeks later with the much newer 835.

This year, however, we aren’t expecting LG to make the same mistake. A report from The Investor last May said that LG would be partnering with Qualcomm to release the G7 with its Snapdragon 845 processor, and towards the end of December, a list was found showing that the G7 would launch with the 845 in February.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 is a big improvement compared to the 835, offering speed improvements, better camera performance, faster cellular speed, and a lot more. If LG can get this inside the G7, that’ll put it on a much more level playing field than what we saw with the G6 and S8 last year.

Based on the information we have and historical trends, we think this will be a close match to the G7’s final specifications:

Expect a release sometime in June

Rather than trying to compete head-to-head with the Galaxy S9 this year, LG will be sitting on the bench a while longer to make sure its phone is as good as can be.

According to VentureBeat, LG will be launching “Judy” (the name for its 2018 flagship) at some point in June. That’s quite a bit later in the year compared to past entries in LG’s G-series, so it’ll be interesting to see if this tactic has any positive impact on sales. For LG’s sake, I sure hope it does.

LG G6

• LG G6 review!
• LG G6 specs
• LG G6 vs. Google Pixel: The two best cameras right now
• Everything you need to know about the G6’s cameras
• LG forums

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Updated March 2018: Added all of the latest info for the G7!

Best Verizon Wireless Deals of March 2018

No matter what T-Mobile says, you can actually find some pretty great deals on Verizon.

Verizon Wireless has some of the largest coverage for customers in the United States, and although T-Mobile likes to continually poke fun at the carrier for having high monthly rates, there are actually some really solid deals to be found if you know where to look.

You can typically find quite a few deals being run by Verizon at any given time, but if you only want to look at the best of the best and don’t have time to sift through the garbage, that’s where we come in.

These are best deals on Verizon Wireless right now.

Buy one Galaxy S9, get another for free

If you’re in the market to buy a new phone, chances are the Galaxy S9 is at the top of your shortlist. The S9 and S9+ both bring a lot to the table, including the ultra-fast Snapdragon 845 processor, top-of-the-line Super AMOLED displays, and a rear camera with a physically changing aperture for gorgeous low-light photographs.

As long as you add a new line of service, Verizon is letting you buy one Galaxy S9 or S9+ and get another one completely free. No trade-in is required to take advantage of this deal, and your savings are applied over the course of 24 months via bill credits.

The free phone you get must be of equal or lesser value, meaning if you choose one S9 and one S9+, you’ll pay for the more expensive S9+ and get the regular S9 for free.

See at Verizon

Get the Pixel 2 XL for just $22.91/month

If you want one of the best Android phones money can buy, look no further than the Google Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 XL is packed to the gills with features to love, including the best smartphone camera on the market, a pure Android experience, the ability to squeeze the phone to get Google Assistant, and so much more. You’ll usually pay $35.41/month for the phone, but right now you can get it for just $22.91/month.

A small credit is applied to your account with each monthly bill, and at the end of 24 months, you’ll end up with a savings of $300 off the regular price. Also, for that same $22.91/month, you can get the regular Pixel 2 and see a savings of $100. No matter which phone you pick, no trade-in is required.

See at Verizon

Get a $150 prepaid card when you switch to Verizon

Thinking about switching to Verizon but waiting for the perfect time to do it? Your lucky day has arrived!

When you switch to Verizon and port over an existing number, the carrier will send you a free $150 prepaid gift card that you can do with as you wish. The card will arrive within 8 weeks after you’ve made your claim for the deal, and you’ll need to buy a new 4G LTE phone, too.

There are a number of devices that are part of this promotion, including the Galaxy S9, Pixel 2, Moto Z2 Play, and others.

See at Verizon

Buy a Moto Z2 Force, get a free Alexa Moto Mod and $50 gift card

Motorola’s Moto Z series continues to be one of the most unique in the smartphone space, and the current flagship for it is the Moto Z2 Force. The Z2 Force is not a perfect phone, but if you’ve been dying to finally experiment with Moto Mods, Verizon’s got a killer deal just for you.

When you buy a Moto Z2 Force on Verizon for its regular price of $31.50/month, you’ll get a free Moto Mod Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa at no extra cost. Even better, Verizon will also throw in a $50 prepaid Visa gift card that you can use to buy more Moto Mods, pay your monthly bill, or virtually anything else.

See at Verizon

Save $50 on the Samsung Fast Charge Power Bundle

Should you take advantage of the first deal and get two brand-new Galaxy S9s for the price of one, that’s not all Verizon has to offer.

As long as you buy it and a Galaxy S9 or S9+ in the same transaction, you can get the Samsung Fast Charge Power Bundle for $50 off — bringing its final price down to just $99.

For $99, you’re getting an official fast wireless charger from Samsung, 5,100 mAh battery bank with Fast Charge, and a Fast Charge car charger.

See at Verizon

Carriers

• Which unlimited plan should you buy?
• Verizon’s Unlimited plans: Everything you need to know
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• Join the Discussion

Updated 3/20/2018 – Added a heap of new deals for March!

These are the U.S. carriers that have updated the Galaxy S8 to Android Oreo

Available now on Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T.

Android Oreo has been rolling out to unlocked models of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ since February 22 after Samsung fixed a bug with its initial build, but there’s been no word as to when U.S. carriers would begin updating their versions of the phone. Thankfully, that’s starting to change.

Verizon

Verizon recently updated its official support page for the Galaxy S8, indicating that Oreo started being pushed to the phone on March 15, 2018. The build number for the S8 is G950USQU2CRB9, whereas the one for the S8+ is G955USQU2CRB9.

Similar to what we’ve seen for past updates, Oreo adds picture-in-picture, the Autofill API, and much more to the S8/S8+. This changes the Samsung Experience to v9.0, and it also adds the February 2018 security patch. I’m not sure why we didn’t get the more recent March patch, but I digress.

T-Mobile

Just a day after Verizon started pushing Oreo to the Galaxy S8, T-Mobile was quick to follow in its footsteps. We’ve received multiple tips from our readers (thanks to everyone who let us know!) that T-Mobile is now updating the S8 and S8+ to Oreo, and with it comes version 9 of the Samsung Experience and the February 2018 security patch.

Sprint

Sprint has updated the Galaxy to 8.0 Oreo, and it comes with all the same features we’ve seen from the Verizon and T-Mobile updates.

Along with upgrading the Samsung Experience to v9.0, Oreo also adds the February 2018 security patch to the S8.

AT&T

Finally, AT&T is the last of the big four U.S. carriers to update the Galaxy S8 to Android 8.0 Oreo.

Although it should go without saying, I’ll run through what’s included one last time. In addition to Oreo, this update also brings Samsung Experience v9.0 and adds — you guessed it — the February 2018 security patch.

If you’ve got a Galaxy S8 or S8+ on Verizon, have you gotten the Oreo update yet?

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
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Updated 3/20/18: Added AT&T to the list!

Audible is now available on Sonos speakers

Ready to use right now.

Smart speakers from Amazon, Google, and Apple are incredibly popular right now, but even so, Sonos has managed to stay plenty relevant. Today, the company is adding something to its speakers that fans have been wanting for years — support for Audible.

Starting today, you can now listen to your Audible audiobooks natively on Sonos speakers.

Per Sonos’ official blog:

It’s rare to block out your unending to-do list and take a minute to just relax with a good book. But if time is a luxury, then so is reading. We think there’s something wrong with that, which is why we’re excited to announce that Audible is now available on Sonos.

If you’re not currently an Audible subscriber, now’s the perfect time to join. For a limited time, you can get a 30-day trial, two free book credits, and a copy of Miles: The Autobiography of Miles Davis when you sign up for Audible through the Sonos app.

Now that Audible is here, what’s the first audiobook you’ll listen to on your Sonos speaker?

Google Home Max vs. Sonos

The Google Clips camera is down to $212 today

The Google Clips AI-powered camera is down to $212.49 through Best Buy’s eBay store with code PSPRINGTIME. It sells for $250 without the code and that’s what it’s going for everywhere else as well. This camera does not go on sale. Pretty sure outside of big site-wide sales like this we’ve never seen a deal on it.

This code comes as part of eBay’s 15% off site-wide sale today. It’s good for one order only, and it expires tonight at 10 p.m.

The Google Clips camera is a powerful little device meant to work autonomously from you and record everything interesting that comes within its view. You’re then able to quickly discard the stuff you don’t want and keep the things you do. Read more about it on Android Central.

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HTC’s Vive Focus VR headset is super cool, but you can’t have one

It was supposed to be the first Daydream Standalone headset, but HTC is doing something potentially more interesting now.

Back at Google I/O last year, Daydream Standalone was teased as the next big thing in VR from Google. A big part of that plan was a special headset from HTC that didn’t require a phone to work, but instead, we’ll soon be using the Lenovo Mirage Solo as the first Daydream Standalone headset. What happened to the HTC design? It became the Vive Focus, running its own software with its own Vivewave app store, and is currently only available in China.

I got a few minutes to try one out at GDC 2018, alongside a few minutes with the Best Vivewave Game, the award-winning Spark of Light, and to be honest I’m more than a little bitter I can’t buy one of these headsets right now.

Vive Focus is an untethered Six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) headset, which means you can move around like you would if you were using an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, but the headset isn’t attached to a phone or computer. All of the tracking, processing, and connectivity bits are contained within the headset, with its own battery and controller. Where Daydream, Cardboard, and Gear VR only let you turn your head to explore a virtual space, the Vive Focus lets you lean down to see more of the world. It’s a whole new level of immersion if you’ve only ever experienced phone-based VR headsets.

What makes the Vive Focus really stand out for me is the head strap. Adding a battery and embedded display and processor to these headsets adds some understandable weight, and to solve this the head strap is designed to hug your noggin perfectly. Where most headsets are starting to adopt the “halo” design that hugs your head like a crown, this strap system moves down to grab closer to the base of your skull. There’s a gear to tighten the strap down across your head, ensuring the pressure is away from your eyes and nose. As a result, it’s one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever put on, and does a great job making it easy to take on and off.

When asked if the Vive Focus would ever come to the US, the response was an almost programmed shoulder shrug.

As freeing as this comfortable 6DoF headset feels, that’s exactly how restricting the 3DoF controller is to use. You can rotate the controller around in your hand and point at things like you would on Daydream or Gear VR, but if you move your arms around like you would a Vive or PlayStation VR, nothing happens in the headset. Instead, you have a trigger and touchpad for interacting with the world around you. Spark of Light, the award-winning game I was able to demo with this headset, worked hard to take advantage of this limitation. The game walks a character through a series of puzzles happening all around you, making it so you enjoy turning around and leaning in on the details while only occasionally clicking on specific set pieces to set up the next part of the puzzle.

When asked if the Vive Focus would ever come to the U.S., the response was an almost-programmed shoulder shrug. It’s not impossible, but doesn’t seem overly likely anytime soon. Google is fairly focused on Daydream Standalone everywhere outside of China, creating an opportunity for HTC to build a platform with Vivewave that lots of manufacturers can participate in over there. Which is a shame, because if that headset were available for me to purchase today I would absolutely do so.