Best Accessories for OnePlus 6

Get more from your new phone, for less.

The OnePlus 6 is another great phone release for 2018 that did a good job of adopting some of the latest trends (that screen notch tho) while avoiding others (still got that 3.5 mm headphone jack).

With a new phone comes the need to stock up on some accessories. OnePlus does a fine job supporting its own devices with a wide range of accessories available from their store. We’ll be highlighting some of the best bundles available directly from OnePlus itself, along with some other quality third-party accessories that are worth considering.

• OnePlus Accessory Bundles
• Orzly Ultimate Pack
• Spigen Rugged Armor
• Ringke Fusion clear case
• IQ Shield LiQuidSkin screen protector
• OnePlus Dash Type-C Cable
• OnePlus Bullets V2 wired earbuds
• UE BOOM 2 Bluetooth speaker

OnePlus Accessory Bundles

There’s a number of reasons why you might be inclined to shop at OnePlus.com for your phone and accessories. They’re one of the few companies out there that offer a referral program that let you earn points by referring your friends and family to get a OnePlus phone. They also offer some pretty fantastic accessory bundles which include nearly everything you’d want for your brand new phone. Check them out:

• OnePlus 6 Prime Bundle: includes a bumper case, tempered glass screen protector, OnePlus Bullets (V2) earbuds, OnePlus Fast Charge Power Adapter, and a OnePlus Fast Charge Type-C cable starting at $84.78.

• OnePlus 6 Ultimate Bundle: includes a OnePlus bumper case, a tempered glass screeen protector, and a pair of OnePlus Bullets earphones starting at just $62.86.

• OnePlus 6 Total Protection Bundle: includes a OnePlus bumper case and a tempered glass screen protector for just $37.90.

These bundles are your best value if you need to stock up on multiple accessories for your OnePlus 6 and you want them to come straight from the source. Each accessory is available to be purchased individually, too if you prefer.

See at OnePlus

Orzly Ultimate Pack

Like the OnePlus bundles but looking for something a bit more affordable? Orzly has got you well-covered with this fairly comprehensive accessory pack on Amazon.

With this pack, you get three different case styles (a fashionable wallet case, a minimalist clear case, and the Orzly Lux case with a card slot on the back), an Orzly tempered glass screen protector, and an in-car charger adapter, USB-C cable, stylus pen, and style ring.

That’s eight different accessories all yours for just $27! This also makes a great gift for any OnePlus 6 owner in your life.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor case

If you’re just after a minimalist, one-piece case to keep your brand new phone safe without much unnecessary bulk, the Spigen Rugged Armor case can’t be beat.

This case is form fitted for your OnePlus 6 with little pockets of air built into the corners to provide a bit more protection for nasty drops. There’s an ample cutout around the well-designed camera and fingerprint sensor on the back. The matte finish is paired with a carbon fiber finish around the top and bottom to give it a unique and stylish look.

Get yours for just $13 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Ringke Fusion Clear Case

Eager to show off the look and design of your brand new phone but also want to ensure it stays safe and secure? This Rinke Fusion clear case gives you the best of both worlds, offering a shock absorbing TPU bumper around the perimeter and a tough polycarbonate plate on the back. You’ll get quality drop protection for your OnePlus 6.

There’s also an optional wrist strap included with this case because sometimes the best way to protect your phone from drop damage is to not drop your phone.

Get yours for just $10 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

IQ Shield LiQuidSkin

Typically we would recommend a third-party tempered glass screen protector, but beyond the ones offered in the OnePlus accessory bundles we really can’t recommend any others because the user reviews on Amazon have been pretty disappointing across the board. This is because the curved screen has seemingly causd some issues this time around.

So instead, we’ll recommend a quality film screen protector from IQ Shield. This kit includes everything you need for a wet installation, including an installation tray, spray solution, and a squeegee for squeezing out any air bubbles. Once installed, the display glass will be protected from scratches and it’s designed to be case friendly, too.

Buy this screen protector for just $8 and be confident knowing that IQ Shield backs up their products with a lifetime warranty.

See at Amazon

OnePlus Dash Type-C USB cable

When it comes to charging accessories, USB-C is still a bit of a mixed bag. That’s why we recommend picking up an extra OnePlus Type-C cable because 1) they look great and 2) it’s always better to use proprietary accessories with your phone when possible.

Since these cables are designed by OnePlus itself, you can be sure that they won’t cause any damage to your phone and they’re also specifically designed for use with the OnePlus Dash wall charger.

Get this backup cable for just under $8 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

OnePlus Bullets V2 wired earbuds

The OnePlus 6 made a point of calling out Apple again for ditching the headphone jack, so as you’d expect they included it in their latest flagship phone. One thing they didn’t include, however, is wired headphones in the box.

Fortunately, they do offer some great earbuds which are included with most of the accessory bundles from their site. If you want to buy them individually you have that option as well. These are surprisingly great little earbuds that include features you’d expect such as inline volume control and great sound quality for their compact size.

Get yourself a pair for just $40 on Amazon (or get them along with other goodies from OnePlus)

See at Amazon

UE BOOM 2

It’s summertime, which hopefully means plenty of time spent enjoying the sun. A Bluetooth speaker always makes for a fantastic accessory, and few speakers can top the UE BOOM 2.

This is a waterproof speaker that’s perfect for the beach or poolside, featuring a battery that will last you approximately 15 hours of playing time. The Bluetooth range is around 100 feet, which allows you to keep your phone tucked away some where safe.

Get yourself a UE Boom 2 starting at $100.

See at Amazon

What are your go-to accessories?

These are our top picks for the OnePlus 6, but what are your must-have accessories? Let us know in the comments!

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 review
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: How much changes in six months?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?
• These are the official OnePlus 6 cases
• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Play Impossible Begins Selling Smart ‘Gameball’ Through Apple After Inking Exclusive Retail Deal

Seattle-based startup Play Impossible has inked a retail deal with Apple for its smart inflatable “Gameball” that encourages people to play both single player and multiplayer games through a connected iOS and tvOS app (via GeekWire). The Gameball connects to iPhone, iPod, iPad, or Apple TV through Bluetooth, and games emphasize hand-eye coordination, agility, and creative thinking, according to the company.

Games include “Splash,” a virtual water balloon toss game where you have to keep the Gameball in the air longer by catching it as softly as possible since handling it roughly will result in a “popped” balloon. There’s also “Jostle,” a play on a game of keep away where you have to try to keep the Gameball as still as possible while friends attempt to make it move.

There are versions of Hot Potato and a volleyball-like “Rally,” all aimed at ages 9 years and older. The device includes games related to STEM as well, encouraging younger players to grasp how physics plays into sports by keeping track of airtime, height, speed, or catch force in games like “Skyscraper” and “Sports Lab.” Additionally, Gameball’s session data can be exported from the iOS app to spreadsheet software for classroom activities.

Gameball records airtime as experience points every time you play a game, building into each user’s own level system and achievements that are available to unlock. Experience can be gathered through playing the device’s games or completing daily missions discoverable through the connected app.

In a profile shared today by GeekWire, the company confirmed that Gameball is now an exclusive to Apple Store locations across North America and on Apple.com, after previously being available at Target and Amazon. At Apple stores, Play Impossible CEO Brian Monnin explained that visitors will be able to go hands-on with the Gameball to better understand what it does:

“It’s a place where people can come touch and play with the Gameball,” said Play Impossible CEO Brian Monnin. “In a few seconds, you fall for it.”

Gameball sells for $99.95 in Green and Purple on Apple.com. The device supports play sessions that last for up to 2 hours, and an included Rapid Charger refuels the Gameball in approximately 20 seconds.

Tag: Play Impossible Gameball
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Logitech Updates Slim Combo and Slim Folio Keyboards With Support for 6th-Generation iPad

Logitech today announced that its popular Slim Combo and Slim Folio Bluetooth keyboards have been updated with support for sixth-generation iPad, which means they’re now available for Apple’s most affordable tablet.

The Slim Folio was previously available for the fifth-generation iPad and is also now compatible with the sixth-generation model, while the Slim Combo was previously limited to the iPad Pro. The new Slim Combo is compatible with both fifth and sixth-generation iPads.

Priced at $100, the Slim Folio is designed to turn the iPad into a laptop replacement, with a lightweight design and well-spaced mechanical scissor keys, along with iOS shortcut keys. It also serves as a protective case for the iPad, keeping it safe from scratches, drops, and spills.

There are two different viewing angles, so it can be used in a typing mode or a mode for watching videos and playing games, and the new version includes a holder for the Apple Pencil.

The $120 Slim Combo offers similar features, but it has a detachable keyboard and an adjustable kickstand for more versatility. Like the Slim Folio, the Slim Combo is a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard case that lets you type anywhere.

For the sixth-generation iPad, there is a built-in Apple Pencil holder to store an Apple Pencil when it’s not in use, plus it comes with backlit keys. Unlike the iPad Pro version of the Slim Combo, which connects to an iPad Pro using the Smart Connector, the Slim Combo for iPad connects via Bluetooth.

The Slim Combo and the Slim Folio can be purchased from the Logitech website starting today.
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Elgato Shifting to Focus ‘Exclusively’ on Line of Eve HomeKit Devices

Elgato Systems today announced that it will shift its focus “exclusively” to its line of HomeKit-connected Eve devices, in the process rebranding itself to “Eve Systems.” At the same time, it confirmed plans to sell its streaming accessory division Elgato Gaming to peripheral company Corsair to continue life as a separate brand.

Under its new name, the company said that Eve Systems will offer a “constantly expanding ecosystem” of accessories that are designed exclusively for HomeKit. It also told users to look out for the next line of product announcements coming to IFA Berlin in a few months, running from August 31 through September 5.

In the announcement, Elgato founder and CEO of Eve Systems Markus Fest explained that the Eve product line will benefit from a “focused team and a dedicated organization” thanks to the gaming division’s sale.

“Today, the Gaming space is more dynamic and exciting than ever, and we sought a larger partner to help us capitalize on the phenomenal opportunities ahead” said Markus Fest, Elgato’s founder and now CEO of Eve Systems.

“Our gaming business has been wildly successful, and that success is inextricably linked to the Elgato brand. The brand has been with us for almost twenty years and we are obviously a little sad to see it go, but Corsair is a fantastic company and will be a great new home for Elgato. At the same time our Eve product line will benefit from a focused team and a dedicated organization. This move will further strengthen both product families.”

For products that don’t fall under the Eve or Gaming categories — like Elgato’s thunderbolt docks — the company confirmed that anything that is not an Eve device will also be joining Elgato Gaming under Corsair.

The most recent HomeKit product announcements from the company came with the Eve Aqua and Eve Flare. Eve Aqua connects to your outdoor water system so you can control your sprinklers or other irrigation system through the Home app or Siri. For European users, the Eve Flare lamp is a portable LED lamp that offers six hours of illumination on one charge.

Otheriwse, the company sells numerous Eve devices on Apple.com, including the Elgato Eve Degree Connected Weather Station, Light Switch, Wireless Motion Sensor, Room Sensor, Energy Smart Plug, Button, and more.

Tag: Elgato
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Facebook Testing Ability to Snooze Keywords for 30 Days

Facebook has confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing an ability for its users to “snooze” certain keywords in their News Feed and groups for 30 days. The text-based snooze follows an update from late last year that introduced a way for users to snooze people, pages, and groups for 30 days.

In order to start snoozing keywords, users will first have to come across a post that includes the keyword they want to avoid, as there’s no dedicated section to enter keywords into. Facebook has said that a “preemptive snooze option” is being looked into and could be added in the next few weeks.

Image via TechCrunch
For now, once a post is spotted users will find a new “Snooze keywords in this post” option in the ellipsis drop-down menu. From there, Facebook will generate a list of nouns gathered from the post that are available to snooze for one month. TechCrunch gave one example of how this might work for avoiding spoilers in the World Cup:

Tapping that reveals a list of nouns from the post you might want to nix, without common words like “the” in the way. So if you used the feature on a post that said “England won its World Cup game against Tunisia! Yes!”, the feature would pull out “World Cup”, “England”, and “Tunisia”. Select all that you want to snooze, and posts containing them will be hidden for a month. Currently, the feature only works on text, not images, and won’t suggest synonyms you might want to snooze as well.

Ads won’t be affected by snoozed keywords, so if you snooze something related to a movie the feature will only hide posts by friends and groups, but not ad posts encouraging Facebook users to visit the film’s page or buy tickets.

In regards to the 30-day limit, Facebook mentioned that it is open to expanding the snooze feature if it hears from people “that they want more or less time,” but didn’t confirm an unlimited ability to snooze keywords. In comparison, Twitter and many related third-party clients offer the ability for users to mute keywords, users, hashtags, and more for as long as they want.

For Facebook’s keyword snooze feature, a “small percentage of users” will see the update today ahead of a wider rollout in the coming weeks.

Tag: Facebook
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How to disable background playback on YouTube Premium

Playing videos on YouTube without the screen on is a great feature, but it’s not one we all want turned on all the time.

Background playback is quite possibly the best part of YouTube Premium. Being able to start a fun playlist or a long discussion panel, turn off the screen, and listen while you keep going about your day is indispensable, but there are times where it can get annoying. For instance, you tap a Reddit link and it automatically opens the video in YouTube, and you hit the back button to go back to Reddit, but the video keeps playing in the background.

Whether you want background playback to happen some of the time or none of the time, here’s how to turn it off.

• How to disable background playback
• How to disable picture-in-picture

How to disable background playback

Open YouTube.
Tap your avatar in the top right corner.

Tap Settings.

Tap Background & downloads.
Tap Playback.

Tap Off to completely disable background playback.

• To disable background playback when not using headphones or Bluetooth speakers, tap Headphones or external speakers.

If you want to come back and re-enable background playback later on, you can come back to this same setting and set it back to On. There is still one type of background playback that lives outside the Background & downloads section: picture-in-picture

How to disable picture-in-picture

Picture-in-picture is a type of background playback that keeps a tiny playback window floating atop your screen while you use other apps. If you prefer to not have to close this floating playback window every time you exit YouTube from a video playback screen, you can turn off picture-in-picture easily in YouTube’s settings.

Open YouTube.
Tap your avatar in the top right corner.

Tap Settings.

Tap General.

Tap Picture-in-picture to toggle it off.

Play your way

You can keep YouTube Premium’s picture-in-picture turned on while keeping regular background playback turned off, or you can turn off picture-in-picture while still keeping background playback turned on. Or you can turn them both off and only see YouTube the way God intended: with your eyes glued to the video.

The choice is yours.

Read more: YouTube Premium is Google’s streaming future

Casper’s one-day sale offers 20% off multiple sizes of its popular mattresses

The bed comes in a box, which is so cool.

As part of its Gold Box deals of the day, Amazon has 20% off Casper’s popular mattresses, bringing the prices down to as low as $476. In addition to discounts on just the mattress, this sale also has bundles which include the comfortable Casper Sheet sets in a variety of colors. The mattresses ship in a box, and Casper recommends opening the box and letting the mattress settle for 72 hours before using it for the best results.

• Twin mattress – $476 (Was $595)
• Twin XL mattress – $516 (Was $645)
• Full mattress – $716 (Was $895)
• Queen mattress – $796 (Was $995)
• King mattress – $956 (Was $1,195)
• California King mattress – $956 (Was $1,195)

Casper is so sure that you’ll love this mattress that the company backs it with a 100 Night Trial period. If you don’t end up liking it during that time, you can call up and schedule for it to be picked up and your money will then be refunded. Remember, these discounts are only good for today, so you’ll want to get your order in before it’s too late.

See at Amazon

Deal: Huge discounts on the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL from Verizon

Get in on this.

For a limited time, Verizon is offering up a brand-new Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL at $200 off (with monthly payments). Plus, if you trade in an eligible device, you can get up to an additional 50% off!

This online-only offer will get you a Pixel 2 or 2 XL and $200 off after $8.33 monthly credits applied over 24 months (with a new monthly device payment activation). You’ll also get up to 50% off with eligible trade-in applied over 24 months — that’s up to a $424.99 trade-in credit when buying the Google Pixel 2 XL!

When you consider the Pixel 2 is still one of the best Android phones you can buy today, this is one heck of a deal on an amazing phone.

See at Verizon

5 changes that would make the Galaxy S9’s software dramatically better

Samsung’s made strides, but there are a few final things that make the GS9 frustrating to use.

I quite like my Galaxy S9+. The overall experience of using this high-end phone is great, but as I’ve said many times I’m not a huge fan of the software overall. To put it concisely, I use the Galaxy S9+ despite its software rather than because of it. That’s the opposite of my feelings toward phones like the Google Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 6, which have software that draws me in and rarely frustrates.

So I’m going to nitpick for a little bit, and point out the handful of things I’d love to see change in Samsung’s software simply for my personal edification. The Galaxy S9’s software is finished and isn’t going to change dramatically, but hey maybe we’ll see some of these changes come to the Galaxy Note 9 or the GS9’s successor next year.

Make Samsung apps optional during setup

In an alternate universe where Google didn’t operate the Play Store or make a whole host of extremely popular apps, Samsung’s suite of pre-loaded apps would make a ton of sense. But the reality is Samsung’s apps are completely duplicative with Google’s, and they just constantly get in the way — and it’d sure make things simpler if Samsung just let you pick and choose which ones to use when you first set up the phone.

Some people prefer Samsung’s apps, but those who don’t should have a choice.

To be clear, I’m not asking for Samsung to go full-on Motorola or OnePlus and just move to only using Google’s apps rather than its own. I simply want the option during setup to choose which ones I want. I know a lot of people like Samsung’s Gallery, Email and Messages apps, but I don’t — and I think everyone should have the choice. Of course you can set your default apps and hide the ones you don’t want from your launcher, but why should we have to go through that hassle?

Yes I understand that Google requires that Samsung load many of its apps as a condition of having the Play Store, and that’s rather unfair to Samsung. But it’s the world that every Android manufacturer plays in, and I would love to see Samsung make a consumer-friendly move and let us make the choice as to whether we want its apps or not.

The notification shade should respect media apps

One of the most egregious examples of Samsung’s software being designed in a vacuum is its notification shade. Despite having guidelines to help integrate, the Galaxy S9’s notification shade has no idea how to gracefully handle app-defined non-standard notification colors, leading to jarring (and frankly broken looking) visuals. The entire shade is white, with these multi-color notifications coming through in a complete contrast — making it worse is the persistent bar at the bottom of the notification shade for managing notification settings.

Multi-colored notifications from media apps clash hard with the white aesthetic in a way that makes me wonder if anyone at Samsung listens to music or podcasts with third-party apps. There are ways that you can integrate these multi-colored notifications in a smooth way, and it looks like it hasn’t even made an attempt.

Fix your dang keyboard

Despite its massive engineering resources, Samsung somehow continues to ship one of the worst virtual keyboards in the industry. Yes you can replace it, as I do with every Samsung phone I use. But the people who don’t know (or care) to replace their keyboard end up using this subpar experience.

I’m not sure what it is, but Samsung’s auto correction system is just horrible. It randomly inserts punctuation and corrects words to form incoherent sentences with no regards to the structure of the words around it. I don’t quite understand how it could be this bad, especially given there are many companies that would happily license (or outright sel) to Samsung to improve things.

Best keyboard apps for Android

Overhaul the lock screen and always-on display

Being an early pioneer of OLED displays, Samsung had a big differentiator on its hand when it introduced its always-on display. But it’s 2018, and every single company has some sort of ambient display now — the core concept of Samsung’s hasn’t changed since it was introduced.

Samsung was an early pioneer of always-on displays, but it’s fallen behind now.

Always-on display is pretty useful, but only in a very limited set of conditions. It shows you various different clock styles, along with the date and a couple other small bits of information … and that’s it. There’s no integration with the lock screen or notifications, so any interaction with the always-on display is different from what you’d experience by turning on the screen first. Yes you can add music controls and calendar “widgets” to the always-on display, but these are different from the lock screen ones. Baffling.

The always-on display shows icons for notifications, and that’s it. Why? Who knows. Every other manufacturer lets you glance at the screen and get a better view of details about the notifications right alongside the clock and date information Samsung provides. Samsung knows you want to see the notification details on the lock screen itself, why not show a greyscale version on the always-on display also?

I like that Samsung has put a lot of thought into the design of the always-on display, and it definitely wins in the customization department, but the functionality portion of the equation isn’t anywhere near the competition. This needs a redo.

Push out security updates, please

It’s hard to pick on this one in particular because it’s both something you can’t actually see and something that isn’t actually wrong with the current software on the phone. But Samsung continues to have a borderline abysmal record of consistently updating its phones to the latest security patches, even for the latest high-end models.

People buying an $800 phone shouldn’t have to worry about updates for a while.

Perhaps the most frustrating part about this whole situation is that it varies wildly between regions and even specific carriers. Some have received a few security updates since launch and are just a month behind, while others haven’t received a single update. Considering Samsung isn’t interested in pushing large bugfix and feature improvements regularly, in which it would make sense to maybe roll up a couple security updates together with them, it must improve the cadence of security updates to its phones.

You can argue that the average consumer doesn’t care about security updates, and I’d agree with you. But I’d also say these are the people who will benefit most from having inherently more secure software to save them from unknown security holes they may be walkaing into.

So that’s my list of changes I’d like to see on the Galaxy S9 — do you have any of the same complaints? Or maybe different ones?

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Vivo Unveils 3D Sensing Technology With 10 Times as Many Data Points as Apple’s Face ID

Chinese mobile phone maker Vivo has today unveiled new 3D sensing technology which it says has 10 times the accuracy of the Face ID authentication system in Apple’s iPhone X.

Vivo says its Time of Flight (TOF) system uses 300,000 data points to map the user’s face in three dimensions, compared to the 30,000 points of infrared light used in Apple’s facial mapping technology.

The TOF system works by detecting the time it takes for emitted pulse light to return to the sensor, which allows it to accurately map objects at up to three meters in front of it, according to Vivo. The company said the tech would enable “new opportunities in facial, gesture and motion recognition, 3D photography and AR, expanding the capabilities of the next generation of smart devices.”

“From last year’s debut of In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology, the recent launch of the truly bezel-less Vivo NEX, to our ground-breaking TOF 3D Sensing technology, we continue to forge ahead and evolve towards the truly intelligent future by opening new ways for the AI to help the consumer,” said Alex Feng, Senior Vice President of Vivo. “By combining TOF 3D Sensing Technology with AI, we will continue to explore new possibilities for a better future.”

Vivo demonstrated the 3D sensing technology at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, a stage it has used in the past to make similar big reveals. Last year Vivo used the platform to unveil its screen-embedded fingerprint sensor technology, at a time when Apple was thought to be struggling to achieve the same result. Of course, it later emerged that Apple was leaving fingerprint recognition systems behind.

Vivo says its latest 3D sensing tech is “no mere proof of concept”, but it will be a while before it makes it into a commercial smartphone. Whether the increased number of data points automatically translates in practice to better security and accuracy remains to be seen.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Neutral)
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