Boardefuse review: It has a purpose but we just can’t figure out what it is

If you’re looking for a ever-popular “brain trainer” or puzzle-type of apps or games, a new one available in the Play Store is Boardefuse. Boardefuse is a new all-ages puzzle game from the developer Chronohole. Like, very new… 10+ installs to-date (as of time of writing)! No, not 10 million— 10. And that’s ok; many new apps come out every day, gaining a very small following on it’s way to global domination. It just means it’s new, and that the masses have yet to discover it.

But for a new app to garner quick attention- to grow the way the developer dreams of, the app has to be a number of things including pretty, to learn, offer a general amount of variety, and be immediately (let’s face it) addictive. Finding this combination is the secret sauce that all developers chase on a daily basis.

To be frank, Boardefuse doesn’t quite hit the mark on these primary features. I also have to admit that during my time with Boardefuse, I was generally confused most of the time.

Game Premise

The idea of Boardefuse is a combination puzzle game and brain trainer, forcing you to think creatively to defuse as many bombs as possible on a given game board; linking them under a set of rules/constraints mandated by the game.

Tutorial home screen.

Bombs can have numbers or symbols on them; or can be blank (a deactivated bomb). On each game board there is a central blue “B” bomb that you create your links from. Each bomb’s number indicates the quantity of bombs that have to be linked in front of it (e.g.; a “3” bomb has to have 3 bombs in the chain before it).

Blank bombs and ones with symbols allow you to tweak these rules to help reach your goal. You can also acquire tools (e.g.; nippers to defuse bombs) as bonus items or in-app purchases.

The boards start easy, but as you progress through them they become increasingly complex and difficult. Again, the intent is to provide an easy-entry puzzle game that make you think, without being too involved.

Game Reality

Okay, maybe I’m just not getting it, but I’ve had a hard time with Boardefuse as a player. To me, the entire experience is confusing and ambiguous. I’m really not even sure where to start as the whole experience meanders.

I honestly

don’t know what

these screens do.

Starting with the overall aesthetic, the combination of earth-tone colors and thin font made it fairly difficult for my eyes to read, and to understand the flow of the interface.
The nine tutorial levels are intended to guide you through all the basic game mechanics and challenge types to encounter. But when I completed level 9, I did not feel much more prepared for gameplay than I was at level 1.

Navigating Boardefuse felt like I was on my own most of the time. There’s a lot of icons, without a lot of explanation. If you were to hand me your phone asking me for help in getting to a certain screen, I don’t believe I could do it in under three tries.

Not a fan of the font.

Tutorial home screen.

Yep, I died.

Once gameplay began, the experience was similarly underwhelming. The same earth-tones just don’t offer a feeling of invitation and stimulation. The gameplay itself was just ‘blah’; it offered no excitement or invitation to keep playing on. On the positive side, gameplay mechanics were pretty good; the game icons were responsive to touch and slide inputs.

Overall

I just can’t recommend Boardefuse to you. From the drab colors, to the ambiguous interface, to the lack of instruction; I never did get beyond the “OK, how does this work?” phase of gameplay.

Maybe I’m all wet here. Maybe there’s something basic I’m just flat-missing. But until that enlightenment happens, I would move on to other, more established puzzle games. If you do decide to give it a try and have better luck than I do, please let us know at AndroidGuys.

If you must, download Boardefuse from the Play Store here.

New York City’s WiFi kiosks now offer real-time bus arrivals

Numerous cities display real-time bus arrivals on public screens, but New York City? Not so much — you’ll probably have to pull out your phone to know if you have a chance of making your ride. That shouldn’t be a problem before long, as the city has launched a pilot program that puts real-time bus info on LinkNYC’s gigabit WiFi kiosks. Visit one of 29 kiosks in Brooklyn’s City Council District 39 and you can see arrival times for nearby stops at a glance, letting you know when you need to hustle.

The two plan to bring arrivals to kiosks in every borough in the “coming weeks.”

LinkNYC’s stations were initially focused on plain internet access, phone charging and other fundamentals, but they’ve gradually rolled in features like social service access and even messages to Santa. Bus data is just a logical extension of that strategy — the kiosks are quickly becoming catch-alls for any info that might be helpful when you’re navigating the sidewalks.

Source: NYC DoITT

Consumer tech lobbyist calls China tariffs a ‘poison pill’

The White House might argue that its proposed tariffs on Chinese tech would punish the harvesting of American intellectual property while preserving the US economy, but don’t tell that to the Consumer Technology Association’s Gary Shapiro. The industry lobbying group CEO has issued a statement describing the tariffs and the likely Chinese response as a “poison pill” to production, the “innovation economy” and customers’ wallets. Instead, he suggested that the US slap China-style requirements (not necessarily joint ventures) on foreign companies while pushing for greater transparency, competition and respect for patents.

The CTA hasn’t finished reviewing the would-be tariffs, but it’s concerned that some sections (such as those dealing with electronic components) could hurt US technology. Shapiro called on both companies and the public to take advantage of the public comment period on the tariffs to voice their objections.

It’s far from certain that the White House will listen to the objections, let alone change its mind as a result of them. However, it’s notable that the CTA is speaking up in the first place. The Association does speak out on issues, but it tends to take a relatively safe position. Here, it’s concerned enough about the potential consequences of the tariffs that it’s willing to stick its neck out and risk antagonizing supporters of President Trump’s economic policies for the sake of protecting the tech industry’s interests.

Via: John Hendel (Twitter)

Source: Consumer Technology Association

Instagram Disables Several APIs Used by Third-Party Apps

Along with multiple privacy-related API changes being made to Facebook, Facebook, which owns Instagram, announced that it has disabled several Instagram Platform APIs as of today, disabling certain Instagram features that are available in third-party Instagram apps.

Third-party Instagram apps will no longer be able to use APIs that provide access to follower lists, likes, relationships, and public comments.

To continuously improve Instagram users’ privacy and security, we are accelerating the deprecation of Instagram API Platform, making the following changes effective immediately. We understand that this may affect your business or services, and we appreciate your support in keeping our platform secure.

In the future, other APIs will be disabled. Starting on December 11, 2018, Instagram will no longer allow apps to read public content, and in early 2020, apps will not be able to read a user’s own profile info and media. These APIs are all part of Instagram’s older platform, and it has already been working towards transferring developers to a newer, more restrictive platform.

As TechCrunch points out, Instagram had originally planned on deprecating the APIs in July and December of 2018, but suddenly moved the timetable forward in the wake of Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal. While the remaining APIs won’t be disabled fully until 2020, Instagram has implemented rate limit reductions on them as of last weekend to limit access.

Instagram previously allowed 5,000 API calls per user per hour, a number that has been cut down to 200.

Tag: Instagram
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AirPods trouble? Here are the most common AirPods problems and how to fix them

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Apple’s AirPods are some of the best fully wireless earbuds around right now, but they aren’t perfect. From disconnected calls and pairing issues to basic audio woes, there’s a lot that can go wrong with any pair of true wireless earbuds — even those from Apple. Whether your AirPods are giving you serious headaches, or you just have the feeling that something isn’t working right, we’ll help you diagnose (and hopefully fix) the most common AirPod problems.

Find those Pods

This may not be an actual issue with the buds themselves, but considering the size and wireless nature of the AirPods, this is a fairly common complaint. Fortunately, it’s easily fixed using Find My iPhone.

To get started, launch the Find My iPhone app on your iOS device or head to the iCloud website, sign in with your Apple ID, and select Find My iPhone. From there, select your AirPods and you’ll see a map showing where they are, or their last location before they were powered off. If you see a green dot next to the icon for your AirPods, it means they’re turned on, and you can play a sound to easily locate them. If they’re turned off, the map should at least give you starting point.

Pairing problems

If you’re running into an issue where your AirPods aren’t connecting to your phone or tablet, the first thing to do is put them back in the charging case, wait around 10 seconds, then take them back out and put them in your ears again. In a lot of cases, this is all it takes.

If that doesn’t work, the next step is to try turning Bluetooth on and off on your phone or tablet. Then repeat the above process. In all but the most unusual cases, this should solve the issue.

It’s not likely, but you may encounter situations where neither of these solutions work. If this is the case, you can try fully resetting the AirPods. This is a catch-all fix for a lot of problems, and one we’ll detail at the bottom of this article.

Computer connection woes

This isn’t much of an issue with newer Macs, but sometimes maintaining a Bluetooth connection can be problematic with PCs and older Macs. The first thing to try is the same as the first step when trying to connect to a phone: Put the AirPods back into their case for 10 seconds before putting them back in your ears.

If that doesn’t work, you’ll want to unpair and pair them again, which can be done by turning Bluetooth on and off, but this could be a problem if you use a Bluetooth mouse on your computer. In this case, head to your Bluetooth settings, find the AirPods, and disconnect them. Then go through the same steps you used to pair the AirPods to your computer in the first place.

Call drops

One of the more annoying issues with AirPods, intermittent call drops have been plaguing the earbuds since launch. Fortunately, this has a simple fix that often works: Try taking calls with only one AirPod in your ear, not both. This works wonders for lots of users, and you may not have to try anything else.

Josh Edelson/Getty Images

If that doesn’t work, there are a few options that iPhone users can try. First, open the Settings app and go to the Bluetooth section. Next to the AirPods entry on the list of devices, you should see an “i” icon inside of a circle. Tap this, then select microphone, and set it to either left or right. In extreme cases, you can also turn off Automatic Ear Detection in the same section, though this disables one of the earbuds’ most convenient features, and will also run down the battery faster.

If you still have issues, you can again try the full reset detailed at the end of this article.

Audio issues or static

Unlike some of the other problems described in this article, static and/or sub-par audio quality can be caused by a lot of things, so it’s much tougher to diagnose. Bluetooth connections can be affected by interference, which can cause everything from static to reduced audio quality and even disconnects. If this always happens in one place, interference could be the problem. If this is happening in your home, you might be able to track down the device causing interference and move it, or use your AirPods in a different area. If you’re in the office, you may be out of luck.

Fortunately, there is one fix that several users have reported works, though it isn’t exactly convenient. Wi-Fi can cause interference with the AirPods, especially during calls, so you might want to try turning off Wi-Fi while making calls. Of course, you’ll want to turn it back on when you’re done. If you’re getting stuttering instead of static or noise, you can also try turning off Automatic Ear Detection as detailed above.

Android volume trouble

If you use your AirPods with an Android device, you might have run into a problem in which the volume is much lower than with iOS devices. A lot of features of the AirPods use the W1 chip to interact with your iPhone or iPad, but Android devices don’t get this luxury, and volume control can be affected by this.

The heart of the issue is that when you’re dealing with most Bluetooth audio devices, there are two volume levels: The volume of your source device (phone, tablet, or computer), and the volume of your audio device. When using the AirPods with an Android source device, the volume of the AirPods isn’t automatically controlled as it is on iOS. Luckily, there’s an easy fix.

For a stock Android device, tap the volume either up or down and you should see the volume control appear on the screen. Tap the down arrow next to the volume control, and you’ll see all the available volume sliders appear. One of these should be Bluetooth. Now just turn this one up or down as needed.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, it’s a little different. Go to Settings, then Connections, then Bluetooth. Here, tap the three dots in the top right corner for more options, then turn on Media Volume Sync. Now you can use the volume control on the device in the same way you would on an iOS device.

Bad battery

Out of the box, the AirPods should last about five hours on a fresh charge, which puts them right toward the top in the genre at time of publication. Over time though, this will start to wear down. There’s nothing you can do about this, unfortunately, but if you’re experiencing dramatically shorter battery life than expected, there are a couple things to try.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

First, make sure that Automatic Ear Detection is on, as this puts the AirPods into a low-power mode that is essentially off when you’re not using them. If you have this on and are still getting much shorter battery life than you were recently, we’re going to refer you one last time to that total reset option below.

How to reset your AirPods

As noted above, totally resetting your AirPods can fix several issues. The good news is it won’t even take you a minute to do. Here’s how:

Put your AirPods back in the charging case.
Hold the button on the back of the case for roughly 15 seconds until the orange LED flashes.
Open the case next to your phone and wait for the AirPods to reconnect.

Assuming you’re using an iPhone, iCloud will sync the connection to your other devices at this point. If you’re using another device, you’ll have to pair manually as you would with any other Bluetooth device.

A Genius solution

No one likes to get on that customer service train, but if you have an issue with your AirPods that isn’t listed above or if they’re not working at all, your best bet is to contact Apple support or head to the nearest Apple Store. If you’re just reading this because you’re thinking about buying a set of AirPods, be sure to check out our full review.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The new Apple AirPods case could be an iPod Nano in disguise, suggests patent
• Apple AirPods may soon get over-ear headphone sibling with better sound quality
• A man’s Apple AirPods allegedly exploded while he was working out
• Tampa man says Apple AirPod earphone blew up
• 15 annoying iPhone 7 problems, and how to fix them

Verizon offers Pixel 2, iPhone X for up to half the price with a trade-in

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

On Tuesday, April 3, Verizon announced new promotional deals starting on Thursday, April 5. The carrier is offering up to 50 percent off for its top smartphones including the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9, and more.

For a limited time, you can trade in your smartphone and receive up to 50 percent off a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, along with a few other perks. The deal also includes two months free of YouTube TV, a Google Chromecast, and a Google Home Mini. But even if you decide to buy the device at full price without a trade in, you still receive the Google bundle.

With YouTube TV, you will be able to stream 50-plus live TV channels which also includes a cloud DVR with unlimited storage space. You can then redeem your YouTube TV trial via YouTube’s website. But it’s important to note that it’s only available for customers who haven’t subscribed to the trial in the past. After the trial period ends, you will be automatically charged $40 per month — unless you cancel beforehand.

In addition, Verizon is also offering a second deal starting April 5. Customers can get up to 50 percent off Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and iPhone X as long as they have an eligible trade-in.

To get 50 percent off the iPhone 8, Galaxy S9, Pixel 2, or Moto Z2 Force, the following devices are eligible for trade in: iPhone 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, GS8, GS8+, Note 8, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, LG G6, LG V30, Moto Z2 Force, and Moto Z Force.

You will be able to receive 35 percent off when trading in the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, Samsung GS7, Note 5, GS6, GS6 Edge, Gs6 Edge+, LG G5, LG V20, Moto Z Droid, Moto Z2 Play, or HTC 10.

As for the iPhone 8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Pixel 2 XL, and LG V30, you can trade in the iPhone X, iPhone 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, Samsung GS8, GS8+ Note 8, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, LG V30, or Moto Z2 Force.

For the 35 percent off, you can trade in the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, Samsung GS7/Edge, Note 5, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, LG G6, LG V20, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z Force, or HTC 10.

Lastly, to get 50 percent off the iPhone X or Galaxy Note 8 you have to trade in either the iPhone 8 Plus, GS8+, or Note 8. To get 35 percent off you can trade in the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, iPhone 8, Samsung GS8, Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, or LG V30.

The deal is available for both those who either switch to Verizon from another carrier or choose to upgrade. Trade-in credits will be issued over 24 months, and they will appear within one to two billing cycles after Verizon receives the device you traded in.

See Offer Details

Editors’ Recommendations

• Everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
• See how the Galaxy S9 Plus handles low-light against the competition
• Flagship face-off: Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus vs. Google’s Pixel 2 XL
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• Huawei P20 Pro vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Can the P20 Pro dethrone Android royalty?

Skyscanner travel app now lets you book train tickets, too

Skyscanner already has a place among Digital Trends’ collection of awesome travel apps thanks to its ability to surface the most affordable flights, hotels, and rental cars, as well as its ease of use.

Anyone using the app in the U.K. can now tap it for train travel, too. The latest feature, currently for iPhone and iPad but coming soon for Android devices, lets you search for and book rail tickets for trips across the U.K., with no hidden fees added during transactions. To be clear, it’s currently not possible to book Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris, Brussels, and beyond, though hopefully that’s something the team is looking to add.

In a blog post announcing the new feature, which is available now via the latest update, Skyscanner said it had noticed that travelers have been using its service to search for more than 350 destinations in the U.K. that aren’t served by a nearby airport. “Now, they’ll be able to get to their destination by train with Skyscanner’s newest offering,” it said.

Skyscanner’s train service is powered by Trip.com, a recently launched online travel agency owned by Shanghai-based travel operator Ctrip. Skyscanner was acquired by Ctrip in 2016 in a deal worth $1.7 billion.

Trip.com will facilitate train bookings made via Skyscanner and also offer 24-hour customer service in the case of any inquiries or hiccups.

Commenting on Skyscanner’s latest feature, Bryan Dove, the company’s chief technology officer, said, “Our focus has always been on making travel as easy as possible and our new train feature will do just that, with the benefit of no booking fees.”

Besides the new train options, Skyscanner can also show you the cheapest dates to fly by way of a handy month-view calendar, and you can also set up alerts if prices change following a search. Another feature is its “Top Deals” offering ideas for places to go, and at prices that should leave you with a bit of spending money once you’ve paid for transport and accommodation.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Skyscanner launched first for the web in 2002. Its app appeared in 2011 and has now received more than 70 million downloads around the world.

Considering the global approach of Skyscanner’s operation, we can expect to see the train service roll out to other markets at some point in the future.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Keep May 15 free, because Honor has a new phone to show us

Smartphone brand Honor will reveal a new device on May 15. In an email announcement, the company sent out the image above, indicating a launch event will take place in London on the day, and that we should expect a phone that’s attractive, and that features artificial intelligence. It hasn’t provided any other official details outside of this yet; but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.

Honor is a subrand of Huawei — think of it like Mini to Huawei’s BMW — which means that while it releases distinctive models of its own, it also means quite a lot of technology, design, and features are shared between the two. Huawei has just launched the P20 and P20 Pro smartphones. Could this be our alert that we’re due for a similarly themed Honor phone? Possibly, but if so, don’t expect Leica camera technology or three camera lenses, which characterize the P20 Pro.

Instead, we may be introduced to the official successor to the Honor 9, which was released in June 2017. Since then Honor has launched winning midrange phones — the Honor 7X and the Honor 9 Lite — along with the excellent Honor View 10, which shares plenty with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Will the phone shown on May 15 be called the Honor 10?

That name has recently shown up on a series of documents leaked on Chinese social network Weibo, where it was listed as a 5.7-inch phone with the Kirin 970 processor, and set for release before the middle of 2018. While the document isn’t official, it did correctly predict the P20 and P20 Pro’s specification and release. The Honor 10 is joined by the Honor 10 Lite on the list, but isn’t expected to arrive until towards the end of the year.

Honor may take some of the technology and features seen in the Huawei P10, now replaced by the P20, for its new flagship phone. The Honor 9 represented great value for money, and had a stunning design, making us keen to see what’s next. Additionally, Honor often sells its devices in the U.S. — unlike Huawei.

We’ll keep you updated on the Honor 10, or whatever the phone Honor announces on May 15 will be called, here and across Digital Trends.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 4 cameras and a mirror-like finish make the midrange Honor 9 Lite stand out
• Huawei P20 Pro vs. Apple iPhone X: A battle of flagship smartphones
• Honor View 10 review
• Honor 9 Lite hands-on review
• Protect your new phone with one of best Huawei P20 cases

Microsoft ‘excited’ about its secret hardware built for artificial intelligence

A.I.-driven hardware produced by Microsoft is on the horizon according to Harry Shum, executive vice president of the company’s A.I. and Research Group. It’s part of Microsoft’s initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into every product and service offered by the company. Shum says these devices will be “very, very exciting.” 

The comment arrives after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced yet another reorganization within the company, with the result creating two new engineering teams: the Experiences & Devices group led by Rajesh Jha, and the Cloud and A.I. Platform group led by Jason Zander. Harry Shum will continue to run the current A.I. and Research group. 

“When we established A.I.+R nearly two years ago, our primary goal was to accelerate the adoption of A.I. innovations from research into product, and the changes we are making today reflect our strong progress,” said Nadella in an email to Microsoft employees last week. “We will continue to drive investments in A.I.+R across research and A.I. breakthroughs that are key to our long-term success.” 

Since the launch of Microsoft’s A.I. and Research group in September 2016, around 3,000 workers have joined the original 5,000 crew before Microsoft’s reorganization last week. In that time, Microsoft introduced a bot framework for adding interactive assistants and chatbots to services and tools. The company even improved its language translation technology over the last 18 months. 

Additionally, the company now serves up cognitive services on its Azure platform, bringing speech recognition, vision knowledge, and other technologies into developers’ hands. Meanwhile, Microsoft is taking on Salesforce by moving its A.I. technologies for business applications over to the new Cloud and A.I. Platform group to create new “dynamic” versions. 

Another example is the next version of HoloLens, the company’s headset that supports high-resolution augmented reality. It will be based on the company’s custom Holographic Processing Unit with an integrated coprocessor to specifically handle artificial intelligence and ultimately deep neural networks. But Microsoft isn’t just trying to make HoloLens smarter: the company is working on dedicated A.I. processors for a portfolio of devices. 

“We have to continue to find those pieces of silicon, those chipsets that have to be developed to bring sensors to life, to connect people with each other and with their products,” Panay admitted to CNBC in November. 

As the network points out, Microsoft needs to catch up in the A.I. chip race given that Apple already installs its Bionic chip inside iPhones, and Huawei’s Mate 10 smartphone relies on the Kirin 970 chip with a built-in neural network processing unit for A.I. acceleration. Both enable faster, on-device artificial intelligence versus devices that require the cloud to perform A.I.-based tasks. 

Given that Microsoft manufactures a number of first-party devices, adding a proprietary processor to specifically handle Cortana and other A.I.-related tasks makes sense. As Panay stated in his email to employees last week, the company has a responsibility to “ensure technology’s benefits reach people more broadly across society.” But these technologies must also be trustworthy for individuals and organizations alike. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Truly creative A.I. is just around the corner. Here’s why that’s a big deal
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How to buy the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro in the U.S.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The P20 and P20 Pro are the latest Huawei smartphones to feature a Leica-tuned camera, and the latter device is the first smartphone to feature three lenses. Add in a large touchscreen with a small notch, a slim chassis, artificial intelligence driven by the Kirin 970 chip and the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), plus a large battery, and we’re sure you will want to check one out.

Sadly, if you live in the U.S., buying one is going to be difficult because Huawei has no current plans to sell the devices in the country. Huawei is focusing on other markets at the moment, as it has struggled to find a way past the gatekeepers in the U.S., despite bringing the Huawei Mate 10 Pro to online retailers last year. However, even this deal is falling apart. Granted, Huawei usually doesn’t sell its P-series phones in the U.S.

This means if you want a P20 or P20 Pro, you’re going to have to import one. As always with this method of buying a phone, there are various things to consider. Before we go any further, while the P20 is a great phone, if you’re making the effort to import one, we suggest going for the P20 Pro, and we’ll concentrate on that model from here on.

Will it work in the U.S.?

Not all phones work on all networks internationally. Huawei gives a comprehensive breakdown of the 3G and 4G LTE bands supported by the P20 Pro on its website, which can be compared to the bands offered by AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. It will happily connect to AT&T and T-Mobile in most major cities; but because the phones aren’t specifically built for either network, they do not support supplementary bands helpful in rural areas, or for periods of heavy traffic. This means it may not be as reliable as a phone made for use in the U.S.

The P20 Pro is a GSM phone, and will only work on compatible GSM networks. That means if you’re on Verizon or Sprint, it’s not going to connect. If you decide to import a P20 Pro from China, ensure it’s a “global” model, and not one specifically for China, as the bands may differ on a China-only version.

Where to buy the P20 and P20 Pro?

The P20 Pro is sold in China, the U.K., Canada, and all over Europe. The official price for the P20 Pro is 900 euros, or around $1,100. The P20 is cheaper at 650 euros, or about $850. It’s possible the P20 Pro will cost less in Canada, where it will be sold on all major networks — Bell, Rogers, Telus, Videotron, Fido, and Koodo — but pricing has yet to be revealed. In the U.K. the P20 and P20 Pro are also being sold through all major networks, unlocked without a contract through various retailers and online stores.

Anything else to remember?

If you import a phone and it breaks, or something goes wrong, using the warranty will be very difficult. Some Chinese import companies do provide their own warranty services, just don’t expect them to be very speedy, as many involve returning the phone to China.

Is all the effort to acquire a P20 Pro worth it? We think so, based on our initial impressions. We like the phone, and the camera is something very special indeed, making it twice as frustrating we can’t just pre-order it officially in the U.S.