Let this $45 Black+Decker cordless vacuum help keep your car clean

No more crumbs.

Amazon has Black+Decker’s cordless hand vacuum on sale for just $44.99 today as part of its Gold Box deals of the day. This is the lowest price that this vacuum has ever sold for, and it normally is available for around $70. It can hold a charge for up to 18 months in standby and reviewers state that you can use it for around 60 minutes before you need to charge it again.

It only comes with one filter, so you’ll want to grab a few extras to be able to swap them out regularly.

See at Amazon

Intel’s stopping development of its Vaunt smart glasses

The entire New Devices Group behind Vaunt is also being shut down.

This past February, you probably saw The Verge’s hands-on look at Intel’s Vaunt smart glasses. Vaunt was the latest project being developed by Intel’s New Devices Group, but on Wednesday, April 18, Intel announced that it was shutting down the entire group.

Image credit – The Verge

In an email sent to CNBC, Intel gave the following statement –

Intel is continuously working on new technologies and experiences. Not all of these develop into a product we choose to take to market. The Superlight project [Vaunt] is a great example where Intel developed truly differentiated, consumer augmented reality glasses. We are going to take a disciplined approach as we keep inventing and exploring new technologies, which will sometimes require tough choices when market dynamics don’t support further investment.

Vaunt was shaping up to be a spiritual successor of sorts to Google Glass, allowing you to see notifications, turn-by-turn directions, and more out of the corner of your eye. Vaunt stood out by packing a lot of useful features into a body that looked remarkably normal even in its early prototype stage, so here’s to hoping Intel can further its development in another department later on down the road.

The New Devices Group was created in 2013 by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and it was expanded in 2014 and 2015 when Intel purchased fitness wearable-makers Basis Science and Recon Instruments, respectively. There were around 200 employees working in the New Devices Group, and they could be facing layoffs as a result of this decision.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review, 7 months later: A great phone that nobody should buy anymore

These super-popular iOttie car mounts are heavily discounted at Amazon

Keep it out of your hands.

Amazon currently has a bunch of the insanely-popular iOttie car mounts on sale for as low as $9.99. The iOttie Easy View 2 is down $5, making it just $9.99 in black only. It can hold phones from 2.5 to 3.5 inches in width. Next up is the One Touch XL, which is only $10.99 thanks to this sale. It releases your phone with just the press of a button, making it extremely easy to not only put your phone into but also get it out of.

The Easy One Touch 2 offers similar ease of use, except it adds a telescoping arm for easier reach in your car. You can grab it for $12.73 today, which is within a few cents of its all-time low. Lastly, the most compact option in this sale is the Easy Flex 3 for $12.74. It can only hold phones up to 3.1 inches wide, but if you cherish the space on your dashboard, this is the way to go.

Price drops on iOttie mounts don’t ever seem to stick around for long, so be sure to grab one before they disappear.

Xiaomi’s Black Shark shows that the next big leap for smartphones will be gaming

Mobile gaming could be the catalyst for the next wave of smartphone innovations.

Smartphone design hasn’t changed much over the last two years, and if you’re in the market for a phone today, you can either get a phone with a glass back like the Galaxy S9+ or Huawei P20, or one with a metal chassis like the Redmi Note 5 Pro or Honor 7X. The Mi Mix 2S and the Essential Phone are notable for using ceramic and titanium, and the Pixel 2 series and the Nokia 7 Plus come with a ceramic coating over a metal back.

But overall, there’s little to no variation when it comes to the design, but it now looks like mobile gaming could drive the development for the next wave of smartphones. The Razer Phone launched last year to much fanfare, offering a 120Hz display, high-end specs, and the “best damn smartphone speakers” on a phone today.

Xiaomi also rolled out its take on a gaming phone with the Black Shark last week, featuring top-of-the-line hardware and a controller that can be affixed to one side of the device.

Both phones are noteworthy as they’re targeted at gamers. Mobile gaming is a niche, but the introduction of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) on mobile has catalyzed the market.

PUBG, especially, has some of the best controls I’ve seen in a mobile game, and the Android version is just as enjoyable — if not more — as its PC counterpart. The fact that the mobile version of the game is free doesn’t hurt either. PUBG for PC is made by a Korean studio, but the mobile client is developed by China’s Tencent. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Tencent is the studio behind Clash of Clans.

Mobile gaming is huge in China, and Xiaomi is now catering to that market.

While mobile gaming hasn’t really taken off in Western markets, there’s considerable interest in the medium in Asian markets, especially China. Tencent’s MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) title Honor of Kings is the world’s largest-grossing mobile game, and over 70 million people play the game in China daily (the game is available in Western markets as Arena of Valor).

The game is so addictive that it was described as a “drug”, with Tencent instituting daily limits on how much younger players could play — one hour for players under the age of 12 and two hours for those aged 12 to 18.

One of the reasons the game is such a success is that it is designed primarily for mobile devices, offering simple controls and short match times. The 5v5 multiplayer mode is another reason the game caught on with a younger audience, and Xiaomi is now catering to this niche with the Black Shark gaming phone.

A simple control scheme is also the reason why PUBG is so alluring on mobile. Technically, you don’t necessarily need a gaming phone to play visually-intensive titles — the Galaxy S9+ has the same chipset as Xiaomi’s Black Shark, and it handles any game you throw at it with aplomb.

Even $400 devices offer a user experience that’s near-identical to what you get on “traditional” flagships, and while they may not have the same grunt as the Adreno 630 GPU on the Snapdragon 845, they’re more than adequate for gaming.

Instead, what gaming-focused phones offer new technologies designed to maximize your gaming experience. The Black Shark, for instance, comes with liquid cooling that’s touted to decrease temperatures by up to eight degrees Celsius, which makes a huge difference during sustained gaming sessions. The Razer Phone, on the other hand, has a 120Hz display that makes visuals buttery smooth.

You don’t need a gaming phone to play the latest titles, but they offer features that maximize your gaming experience.

The Black Shark phone has a dedicated button that enables a “gaming mode” — designed to boost the performance of the device during gaming. The X-style antenna design also maximizes Wi-Fi connectivity while making it easier to hold the device during extended gaming sessions.

Then there’s the design aspect — gaming phones have a certain aesthetic that makes them stand out. The Razer Phone has a black color scheme with its iconic snake logo prominently highlighted at the back, and the Black Shark goes one step further and features green inlays at the back.

Mobile manufacturers are taking a similar approach to the PC industry when it comes to design: the Das Keyboard has the same Cherry MX switches as a Corsair K95, but the latter has RGB lighting and a striking design. If the Galaxy S9 is the equivalent of a Das Keyboard thanks to its clean design, the Xiaomi Black Shark is more like the Corsair K95.

It also looks like we’ll see more momentum in the gaming phone front later this year, as ASUS is set to make its foray into this segment by introducing a gaming phone. ASUS has a lot of pedigree in PC gaming thanks to its motherboards and video cards, and its entry into this category signifies a growing interest from manufacturers to cater to this market.

Would you be interested in picking up a gaming-focused phone? Let me know in the comments below.

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Google’s Family Link now supports monitoring of Chromebooks

Available as part of Chrome 65.

For parents that need a helping hand monitoring their kids’ device usage, Google Family Link is one of the best options around. The service was made available for all parents in the U.S. and Canada over the last few months, but up until now, it’s only been available to use for monitoring Android and iOS devices. Now, Chrome OS is being added to the list.

As noted by ChromeUnboxed, Google’s support page for Family Link has been updated to show that you can “manage your child’s activity on a Chromebook.”

This functionality is available as part of Chrome 65, and once enabled, allows you to block or allow certain websites, prevent your kiddos from using Incognito Mode, view their Chrome history, block access to the Play Store/Chrome Web Store, and more.

Family Link is free to use, and you can get started by downloading the app on your phone and creating a special Google account for any of your kids that are 13-years-old or younger.

Download: Google Family Link (free)

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Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus specs

Two of them are coming to the U.S.

Motorola has introduced three new Moto G6 phones for 2018, the G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus. They’re all pretty similar, and familiar, but each has its own place in the market. Here’s what you need to know.

Operating System	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo
Display	5.7-inch IPS LCD 1440×720 18:9 aspect ratio	5.7-inch IPS LCD 2160×1080 18:9 aspect ratio	5.9-inch IPS LCD 2160×1080 18:9 aspect ratio
Processor	Snapdragon 427 1.4GHz octa-coreAdreno 308 GPU	Snapdragon 450 1.8GHz octa-coreAdreno 506 GPU	Snapdragon 630 2.2GHz octa-core KryoAdreno 508 GPU
Storage	16/32GB	32/64GB	64/128GB
Expandable	microSD card up to 128GB	microSD card up to 128GB	microSD card up to 128GB
RAM	2GB / 3GB	3GB / 4GB	4GB / 6GB
Rear Camera – Main	13MP, ƒ/2.0	12MP, ƒ/1.8	12MP, ƒ/1.7 Dual Autofocus Pixel
Rear Camera – Secondary	N/A	5MP RGB (for depth)	5MP RGB (for depth)
Video	1080p @ 30 fps	1080p @ 60fps	4K @ 30 fps
Front Camera	8MP front-facing flash	8MP	8MP (some markets) 16MP with low-light mode (APAC)
Connectivity	802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Bluetooth 4.2	802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Bluetooth 4.2	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Bluetooth 5.0
Battery	4000mAhNon-removable	3000mAhNon-removable	3200mAh Non-removable
Charging	Micro-USB10W rapid charger	USB-C15W TurboPower charger	USB-C15W TurboPower charger (included)
Water resistance	Water-repellant nano-coating	Water-repellant nano-coating	Water-repellant nano-coating
Security	Fingerprint sensor (rear)	Fingerprint sensor (front) Face unlock	Fingerprint sensor (front) Face unlock
NFC	No	Haha	LOL
Dimensions	154.4 x 72.2 x 9 mm	153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3 mm	160/161 x 75.5 x 8.0mm depends on market
Weight	175g	167 g	167-168 g depends on market
Audio	Front speaker	Front speaker	Front speaker
U.S. Availability	Yes	Yes	No
U.S. Price	$199	$249	N/A
Carrier support	T-Mobile, AT&T Verizon, Sprint	T-Mobile, AT&T Verizon, Sprint	GSM carriers
European price	TBD	TBD	€299

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Moto G6 series hands-on preview: Hello photo

Budget beauties.

It’s been five long years since Motorola introduced the Moto G, a phone that would, after the ignominious rise and fall of the ahead-of-its-time Moto X, come to stand out less for its features than its legacy.

When Lenovo took over the Moto brand, “G” was the lone money-maker in Motorola’s shrinking portfolio, so the new owners did what any corporate parent would do in such a circumstance: it expanded.

What was a single model between 2013 and 2015 bloomed to three in 2016 with the Moto G4, G4 Plus, and G4 Play, and four the following year with the Moto G5, G5 Plus, G5s and G5s Plus, all carefully designed to cater to various slices of the global budget phone market.

To avoid the pitfalls of other companies in such a low-margin business, Motorola has embarked on a ruthlessly data-driven quest to build phones for the existing needs of its incumbent countries, rather than waiting for customers to seek them out. That’s why you’ll find upwards of a dozen individual variants of this year’s Moto G lineup, with different combinations of RAM, storage, camera resolution, NFC, fingerprint sensor, and digital TV support.

That lineup includes three Moto G devices, the G6 Play, G6, and G6 Plus, two of which are coming to the U.S. — Motorola is also announcing three new Moto E5 devices.

Moto G6 series specs: Everything you need to know!

Moto G6 Play

The cheapest and least interesting of the new products, the Moto G6 Play is a pretty straightforward sequel to last year’s Moto G5, though like all the phones in this year’s lineup, it shares design language with the Moto X4 reboot — a reflective curved back and pronounced circular camera bump — with a few notable changes.

First, every phone in Moto’s 2018 portfolio takes on the now-common 2:1 display aspect ratio found on flagships from Samsung, LG, Huawei, OnePlus and likely the upgraded Moto Z release coming this summer. The 5.7-inch LCD panel on the G6 Play is just 720p — 1440×720 pixels — but it’s nice, and keeps the phone relatively compact for the amount of usable real estate.

The G6 Play doesn’t have much new to say, but Motorola doesn’t want to mess with its best-selling product.

The second improvement is one I’ve been requesting ever since Motorola neglected to do so in the 2014 Moto X2: a fingerprint sensor embedded in the rear Moto “batwing” logo. In 2018, some of Motorola’s phones have made that long-awaited improvement, and it works as well as you’d expect. Internally, you have the same Snapdragon 427 platform from the Moto E4 series, up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (though some markets will get 2GB/16GB), and a massive 4000 mAh battery that Motorola says will achieve up to 36 hours of mixed use.

The $199 device is adorned with a single 13MP rear camera with an ƒ/ 2.0 aperture and phase-detection autofocus, an 8MP front-facing camera and flash (Motorola says most G Play users use their selfie cameras about as much as their rear counterparts), and plenty of LTE bands to work in most parts of the world. There’s also CDMA support, so expect announcements from Verizon and/or Sprint in the coming weeks, too.

The G6 Play benefits from Motorola’s light software touch, too, here running Android 8.0 Oreo with a flourish of Moto experiences like Moto Display that keep things interesting. Of course, being the most frugal passenger on the G train, the Play can be defined almost as much by what it lacks as what it has: there are no advanced camera features which, as we’ll see shortly, are a mixed blessing. There’s also no second camera, which Motorola sees as a sign of maturity in the lineup, and most frustratingly, the G6 Play is the last phone in the series to maintain a Micro-USB port.

On the other hand, Motorola readily admits that the Play variant is its best-selling phone, and that people seek it out when they are looking for battery life over features. The 4000mAh cell and no-frills software should get users to that day-and-a-half milestone Motorola enjoys teasing, and the capacity is impressive given the phone’s lithe 9mm frame.

The Moto G6 Play arrives in late May for $199 USD.

Moto G6

The mainline G6 is the budget flagship for 2018, at least in the U.S. Where in 2017, Motorola decided to go all-in on the most expensive G in the United States, that phone, the Moto G6 Plus, is going to be reserved for markets that didn’t get the Moto X4 in last year.

The sting is somewhat alleviated when you look at what you get with the G6. Sure, the Snapdragon 450 platform is, on paper, a less powerful chip than even the Snapdragon 625 found in the G5 Plus, but they’re essentially the same chip — same eight Cortex-A53 cores, same Adreno 506 GPU, same ultra-efficient 14nm process. It is clocked slightly lower, at 1.8GHz compared to 2.0Ghz on the 625, and a less advanced ISP limits video capture to 1080p at 60fps, whereas the Moto G5 Plus could do 4K@30fps, but the day-to-day differences should be limited.

In exchange (and for the same $249 starting price), you get a much nicer metal and glass body, with curved Gorilla Glass on the back, dual cameras, and a really nice 5.7-inch IPS LCD panel in that new taller aspect ratio. Holding the phone feels unlike any other Moto G to date, and it’s interesting to see just how far Motorola has pushed the design and form factor of its most precious of brands without ramping up its price.

Of course, spending money in some places required paring back features in others, and the Moto G6 doesn’t move the needle in a lot of ways I would have liked. Sure, it introduces a USB-C port to the Moto G line — OK, that’s a pretty big deal — but you’re still not getting features like wireless charging, waterproofing, or stereo speakers. The irony is that the lineup actually had two of those three at some point (the Moto G2 had stereo speakers and the Moto G3 was IPX7 water resistant) but gave them up in the name of design and cost-cutting.

Motorola would rather spend money on improving build quality and upgrading the camera than on features like wireless charging that wouldn’t be used by everyone.

This generation is, once again, therefore all about design and camera, with a few nice software features thrown in for good measure. Let’s talk about the design. Unlike the G6 Play, the mainline G6 (and the Plus for that matter) maintains its fingerprint sensor on the front because Motorola sees demand for its One Button Nav feature that replaces on-screen navigation buttons for gestures. Not only does Motorola say this year’s gestures are more reliable than ever, but the sensor gives the impression that there is less bottom bezel than is actually there.

Still, I would have preferred the sensor on the back of the phone (in the batwing logo!) and relied equally on the new face unlock method, which in my brief testing works incredibly well. (I also would have liked an NFC radio, because mobile payments. Come on, Moto.)

Elsewhere in the software, Motorola is pushing its overhauled always-listening Moto Voice platform, which now plays half-Bixby, half-Google Assistant. To translate, it means that you can ask the phone to perform one of thousands of localized commands — “Open Netflix and play Jessica Jones,” or “Turn on Bluetooth and connect to Jaybirds X3” — or, if connecting to the internet, defer to Google Assistant. This is the best of both worlds, and something I wish Samsung’s more selfish Bixby would allow for, since Google Assistant is a safe fallback in the case of failure.

Don’t call it AI, but Moto’s camera is trying to be smarter about object and landmark recognition.

Motorola is also getting into the pseudo-AI game, though it is careful not to call artificial intelligence what is merely landmark and object recognition. The updated camera app not only looks and performs better, but there are a host of new modes, like face filters and portrait mode, if you don’t want to let the “Smart Camera” do the work on its own.

I’m intrigued by Motorola’s new dual camera setup: the 5MP secondary sensor is plain RGB, unlike the monochrome variety in the more expensive Moto Z2 Force, and the lens is standard issue, unlike the wide option in the Moto X4. It’s there merely to gather depth data.

My problem isn’t with the hardware or software itself but with Moto’s legacy of underwhelming and at times plainly bad photo processing. While the core competencies of the single-camera Moto G5 were excellent for the price, I had very little nice to say about its dual-lens sequel, the Moto G5S Plus, which produced overly-processed, compromised regular photos and laughably bad portraits.

A sample photo from the Moto G6.

I was able to keep one photo I took during my demo time with the Moto G6, of Engadget’s senior editor, Chris Velazco, and you can judge its fidelity for yourself.

Given that the Moto G6 is the top-line G-series device coming to the U.S this year (so far), some may be disappointed that it’s not a direct step up from the Moto G5 Plus. Its bona fides are improved, but that you can’t draw a straight line from last year’s to this year’s model may make some uncomfortable.

The new Moto G and E series coming to the U.S. From left to right, the Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, Moto E5 Plus, and Moto E5 Play.

On the other hand, this is a lot of phone for $249, especially given that it will work, like its predecessor, on all four major U.S. carriers out of the box. And like every Motorola phone, its Android 8.0 build is clean, fast, and free of duplicative apps, with the company emphasizing its commitment to quarterly security updates and “regular” platform updates, though given that the Moto G5 Plus still runs Android 7.0, I don’t have much faith in those words.

The Moto G6 arrives in late May.

Moto G6 Plus

The G6 Plus is ostensibly the flagship of Motorola’s new budget lineup, bumping the display size to 5.9 inches from 5.7, adding an extra 200mAh of battery to the mix, and beefing up the CPU (Snapdragon 630), GPU (Adreno 308), maximum download speeds (600Mbps), Bluetooth version (5.0), and Wi-Fi support (AC). It also comes with between 4GB and 6GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of storage, which should bump up the price close to €400

Perhaps most notably, the camera is also improved; the 12MP sensor is better than the one in the mainline G6, and it features Dual Autofocus Pixels, which sound like a marketing gimmick but they actually work. Couple that with a wider, brighter ƒ/1.7 lens and you have a pretty potent dual camera system.

Of course, all of those benefits are moot for U.S. buyers, who are going to be politely pushed towards the Moto X4, which features nearly identical base hardware specs in a smaller body, and is available in both unlocked and Project Fi versions.

The Moto G6 Plus is going to cost €299 when it goes on sale in late May, which is already more than the Moto X4 in some markets. Were Motorola to have decided to bring the G6 Plus to the U.S., it would have butted up against an already-discounted X4, which can be found for under $250 on the right day. By focusing on the cheaper G6, Motorola can address a price-sensitive market without confusing potential buyers. Disappointing for me, the reviewer, but understandable.

Just know: once the Moto G6 Plus becomes available in late May, it will inevitably be importable to the U.S., but it won’t be optimized for any of its carriers, nor will it work on Sprint or Verizon.

Moto G6 series Which should you buy?

Motorola is taking its time with its most important phone series this year. Despite the mid-April announcement, the Moto G6 line won’t be available for close to a month, which gives the company enough time to build up a considerable inventory of product to ship around the world.

If you’re looking for a great budget phone, none of these phones will disappoint.

And make no mistake, the Moto G is a global brand. Most popular in India and Brazil — the launch event for the new lineup was held in Sao Paulo — there is a reason the U.S. often feels like it gets overlooked by Motorola’s budget phones. That’s because, while the unlocked models sell relatively well Stateside, it’s nothing like the deluge of demand that spills out of the heavily-populated, developing markets like the ones I mentioned.

Keep that in mind when you’re looking at the spec sheet and wondering which phone to buy. The Moto G6 Play will likely be the most popular because it’s the cheapest and simplest, and with a plastic body, may end up being the most durable. It’s also the most boring.

Between the G6 and G6 Plus, I’d spring for the latter if it’s available in your market. While base performance should be identical, there is a nice feature bump with the Snapdragon 630, including newer standards like Wi-Fi AC and Bluetooth 5.0, along with 4K video recording and twice the potential download speeds as the Snapdragon 450 in the baseline Moto G6.

Still, U.S. buyers — and anyone else for that matter — shouldn’t feel affronted at having to consider the Moto G6. It’s a well-built, attractive, functional device with a lot of positive traits. Let’s just hope that the camera is ready for its own portrait.

While you’re here, check out our Moto E5 preview

See at Motorola

Moto E5 and E5 Plus hands-on preview: Your next cheap phone

This is how Motorola plans to keep its hold on the low-end market.

I would argue that the Moto E line is the last of Motorola’s phones that stays true to the company’s original vision for modern Android smartphones. The vision shown with the original Moto X of a simple, compact phone with specs that were good enough but a complete experience that far outweighed the spec sheet. That’s all but gone now to make way for big, feature-packed and costly phones in the Moto Z line and even the Moto G line, which had extremely humble beginnings but has since eclipsed even what that 2013 Moto X represented.

Last year’s Moto E4 wasn’t flashy or exciting — but it was cheap, and in a real differentiator for a phone of that price it also wasn’t crap. Actually, it was pretty good. The Moto E4 topped out at $129, could regularly be found for about $100, and had all of the entry-level smartphone basics more than covered. This is where Moto makes a killing in developing markets selling unlocked and in North America via prepaid carriers.

Now for 2018, markets around the world will get some combination of the Moto E5, E5 Plus and E5 Play. Once again they aren’t flashy or exciting from the perspective of the Android enthusiast crowd, but they’re incredibly important for Motorola’s sales numbers and millions of people who just can’t (or won’t) pay any more for a phone but still need a quality experience. Here’s what the entry level of Motorola’s lineup looks like for 2018.

Moto E5 and E5 Plus Hands-on video

To get the quick take on the E5 and E5 Plus, you’ll want to watch our hands-on video above. You can get a better feel for the phones, see how they look together and how they fit in the hand. Once you’re done with the video, read our full impressions below!

Moto E5 and E5 Plus Hardware and specs

The most striking part of the new Moto E5 series is how “upscale” it has turned, sharing as much design and philosophy with the Moto G6 line — announced alongside it — as possible. The Moto E5 lineup (E5 Plus, E5, E5 Play) ranges right up to the new Moto G6 lineup (G6 Plus, G6, G6 Play) to the point where the highest-end Moto E5 Plus is near-identical in design to the lowest-end Moto G6 Play. These really aren’t distinct lines anymore as much as they are continuations on the greater “Moto” lineup with easier-to-understand delineations along X, G and E names based on price.

Just look at the circular camera housing, the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor in the “M” logo and the curved sides — these are unmistakably Motorola phones, despite the fact that they’re dramatically cheaper than the rest of the company’s offerings.

So, what are the differences? The Moto E5 Plus works the hardest to look very similar to the Moto G6 series. It has a thick acrylic back with a deep coloring to it that mimics the Moto G6’s glass, and at a quick glance you wouldn’t have any idea which is the more expensive phone — and that’s a good thing for Moto E5 Plus buyers. The “regular” Moto E5 (as I’ve taken to calling it) has an entirely plastic back, but one that masks its price with a metallic paint that initially feels like a thin sheet of metal. You know it’s plastic, but it doesn’t immediately look or feel cheap — and that’s great. The E5 Plus is inarguably the nicer-looking phone, but they both feel good in their own ways.

The Moto E5 Plus has a spec bump across the board over the E5 and E5 Play. It has a Snapdragon 435 processor with a more powerful GPU, and that’s importantly paired up with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage rather than just 2GB and 16GB on the lower models. That’s important now, but it’s extra important a year from now when you’re using this phone as apps get larger and more demanding.

Moto E5, E5 Play and E5 Plus specs

These are full-day phones without question — and they even pack TurboPower chargers.

Both the E5 Plus and E5 are 18:9 aspect ratio phones, which just feels more modern, with the E5 Plus rocking a quite large 6-inch display and the E5 using a more manageable 5.7-inch panel. Both are IPS LCDs at 1440×720 resolution, which is completely fine for this price range (we’re talking well under €199 here) and look just fine. The phones are hefty, at 200 and 174 grams respectively, and that purely comes down to their massive batteries — 5000mAh on the E5 Plus, and 4000mAh on the E5. Motorola designed these phones to be full-day phones without question, and they also come with TurboPower chargers for quick top-ups when you need it.

The camera story on these phones is basic compared to the higher-end Moto G6 series. The Moto E5 Plus has a 12MP (1.25-micron pixels) sensor with an f/2.0 lens, and the E5 has a 13MP (1.12-micron pixels) sensor also with an f/2.0 lens — the only notable advantage, if any, is laser auto focus on the E5 Plus. The E5 Plus also has a higher resolution front-facing camera at 8MP, compared to 5MP, though I have to question how much you’d notice; both come with an LED flash.

Moto E5 and E5 Plus Software and features

The story of “it’s just a Motorola phone” carries over to the software and features. The full suite of gestures and “nice to have” software features are to be found on a Moto E5 Play, for just over $100, as they are on a Moto X4 for four times the price. The only things that are missing here are hardware-dependent, like the extra camera shooting modes that require a secondary camera — everything else in the software suite is comparable to the models up the line.

Motorola’s approach to software continues to be a success story.

Motorola’s approach to software continues to be a success story. Speaking with executives prior to the Moto E5 and G6 launch, they continually focused on the fact that their software additions should be there “if you want them,” and not in your way if you don’t. If you want to use Moto Actions and different gestures, fine — but if you never touch the settings, they’ll never bother you. If you open up the Moto E5’s app drawer you’ll see just a couple dozen apps, not a bunch duplicates or cruft.

Motorola knows the markets these phones are being sold into, so it wasn’t going to remove the headphone jack — you’ll find it right on the top of the phones. You’ll subsequently see that there’s a built-in FM radio tuner, which goes hand-in-hand with the hardwired audio output. There’s also a MicroSD card slot across the line, and Motorola has made a conscious decision to have it used as adoptable storage in particular to make sure the Moto E5 and E5 Play owners with just 16GB of internal storage don’t feel the pressure of that limited space as they use their phones months and years down the line.

As for the Micro-USB ports … yeah, I’m not happy to see them here (or on the G6 Play, especially). But there are two reasons why they’re here: the part is cheaper and keeps the overall cost down, and people who buy inexpensive phones don’t yet want to upgrade their accessories to USB-C. Maybe next generation.

Moto E5 and E5 Plus Preview

As you can see, I’m heavily focusing on the main Moto E5 and Moto E5 Plus here. That’s because the odd duck out, from my perspective, is the Moto E5 Play. Internally it’s near-identical to the standard Moto E5, but is considerably smaller with just a 5.2-inch display, has a different form factor with a 16:9 aspect ratio, has a different style of plastic body, and subsequently has a dramatically smaller 2800mAh battery. It really feels like a refreshed Moto E4, not a part of the E5 family. As we saw with the Moto Z2 Play last year, the “Play” moniker no longer means “slightly cheaper with a huge battery” as much as it just means “the lowest-end model in the lineup” — and that rings true here.

The E5 Plus is the one to get, provided you can handle the size and weight.

Here in the U.S., we’ll have access to only the larger Moto E5 Plus and smaller Moto E5 Play. Most markets will only get one or two of the three models, which Motorola says is an attempt to simplify the offerings — and indeed, when you look at these three phones it’s hard to see what market would demand the choice of all three.

Provided you have the choice, you’ll want to go for either the Moto E5 or E5 Plus, and skip the Play unless you really have to hit that ultra-low price point. The Moto E5 Plus is the one to get if you want a massive screen and know you need no-compromise all-day battery life — and to go along with it, you get higher-end specs that will suit you both today and in the future. The standard E5 will fit the bill for the widest number of people considering it’s cheaper, easier to handle because of its smaller screen, and still has a huge battery. The lower RAM and storage will hurt you in the long run, but any other differences in build quality or camera specs won’t be as noticeable as saving the extra money.

Unfortunately for every prospective Moto E5 buyer, we’re looking at “the coming months” for a launch time frame — and when the phones arrive in different markets will vary. Motorola is quoting pricing of €169 for the Moto E5 Plus and €149 for the Moto E5 — we don’t yet have a number for the Moto E5 Play, but can expect U.S. prepaid carriers to pick it up around $100. At those prices, you’re getting an amazing deal no matter which of the three you decide to pick up. Motorola’s once again done a fantastic job of making phones that are inexpensive, but not cheap.

Moto E5, E5 Play and E5 Plus specs

Everything that’s inside.

The Moto E series is more about price point and value than raw specs, but you still want to know what you’re getting inside your affordable phone. Here’s the full spec sheet for the Moto E5, Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus.

Operating system	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo
Display	5.7-inch IPS LCD, 1440×720 (18:9)Gorilla Glass 3	5.2-inch IPS LCD, 1280 x 720 (16:9)	6-inch IPS LCD, 1440×720 (18:9)Gorilla Glass 3
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 quad-coreAdreno 308 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 or 427 quad-coreAdreno 308 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa-coreAdreno 505 GPU
Storage	16GB	16GB	32GB
Expandable	MicroSD up to 128GB	MicroSD up to 128GB	MicroSD up to 128GB
RAM	2GB	2GB	3GB
Rear camera	13MP, 1.12-micron, f/2.0, PDAF	8MP, 1.12-micron, f/2.0	12MP, 1.25-micron, f/2.0, laser AF
Front camera	5MP, LED flash	5MP, LED flash	8MP, 1.12-micron, f/2.2, LED flash
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radioGPS, GLONASS	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radioGPS, GLONASS	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radioGPS, GLONASS
Audio	Single loudspeaker3.5 mm headphone jack	Single loudspeaker3.5 mm headphone jack	Single loudspeaker3.5 mm headphone jack
Battery	4000mAhNon-removable	2800mAhRemovable	5000mAhNon-removable
Charging	Micro-USBTurboPower 10W	Micro-USB5W or 10W charger	Micro-USBTurboPower 15W
Water resistance	Water repellent coating	Water repellent coating	Water repellent coating
Security	Rear fingerprint sensor	Rear fingerprint sensor	Rear fingerprint sensor
Dimensions	154.4 x 72.2 x 8.95 mm174 g	151 x 74 x 8.85 mm150 g	161.9 x 75.3 x 9.35 mm200 g

Amazon’s now letting anyone create custom questions/responses for Alexa

Custom responses are just a few clicks away — no coding required.

If you’ve got a question, chances are Alexa has an answer. Amazon’s been hard at work improving its AI for a few years now, and its latest development results in you being handed the tools for creating custom responses specifically for your own Alexa-powered speaker.

Amazon just launched a new service called “Alexa Blueprints”, and it enables you to cook up personalized responses from Alexa based on certain questions that you ask it.

There are a variety of Blueprints to choose from on Amazon’s website, with some of the highlights including custom responses for babysitters, family jokes, a collection of your favorite inspirational quotes, etc.

In one example for the Houseguest skill, you could say “Alexa, open My Houseguest Guide” to then hear an intro from Alexa introducing some of the custom questions your guests can ask, such as “How do I turn on the TV?” or “Where’s the toilet paper?”.

After selecting which Blueprint you want to work with, you’ll be able to quickly edit the questions and responses to your exact liking. Once the content is made, you’ll give it a name, create the skill, and then link your Amazon account so you can start using it. Custom skills you make are tied specifically to account, meaning they’ll only work on Echo speakers that you own.

You can start playing around with Alexa Blueprints in the U.S. starting today.

Amazon Alexa: Everything you need to know about the heart of the Echo

Amazon Echo

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

See at Amazon