LG G7 One has the outside of a G7, inside of a V30, and runs Android One

They share a name, and that’s about it.

LG finds success in using its well-known brands and design language from its high-end phones across a variety of lower-end models, focusing on the value and price-conscious buyers. In its latest attempt, LG is announcing two new LG G7 models — the LG G7 One and LG G7 Fit — with a similar design and brand, but different software and internals focused on differentiating and cutting costs.

The much more interesting of the two is the LG G7 One, which as the name implies is an Android One phone — LG’s first running the software. That means it drops the ThinQ brand and all of LG’s software customization, which a lot of people will see as a plus. The G7 One has the same metal-and-glass hardware, along with its core features like IP68 resistance, quad DAC, 3000mAh battery, SD card slot, boombox speaker and 6.1-inch QHD+ display. LG hasn’t said it’s the exact same display, but all of the specs and messaging indicates that it would be the same as the original LG G7.

If the price is right, LG could have a hit on its hands with the LG G7 One.

LG made some … interesting decisions on where to cut corners to drop the price, though. The G7 One has a step-down Snapdragon 835 processor and 32GB of storage — though with Android One (8.1 Oreo, by the way) on board you would hope performance wouldn’t really take a hit. And just like other Android One phones, LG is making a commitment to having security and platform updates out consistently and extensively. It also says that it will be adding in its AI Cam features later this year, but the phone has dropped the beloved wide-angle rear camera.

Now let’s talk about the LG G7 Fit, which is a much more traditional LG approach to a mid-range version of its high-end phone. Once again it has the same basic external hardware design, same display, IP68 resistance, quad DAC, 3000mAh battery, SD card slot and boombox speaker. But the costs cut back the processor to the Snapdragon 821, which is the same processor in the LG G6 — and even at that time, it was considered past its prime. Once again there’s 4GB of RAM here, and either 32 or 64GB of storage. LG also cut way back on the rear cameras, dropping the wide-angle sensor and moving to a main 16MP camera with an f/2.2 lens … and presumably a step-down sensor.

Per usual LG doesn’t have pricing or availability information just yet, but the LG G7 One could be extremely interesting if the price is palatable. If LG can offer this level of hardware with that clean Android One software for less than the OnePlus 6, it could have a hit on its hands.

LG G7 ThinQ

• LG G7 ThinQ review: Wide angle, narrow appeal
• LG G7: Review, Specs, Availability, Problems and more!
• LG G7 Specifications: Everything you need to know
• Join the LG G7 forums

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Pre-order Creed: Rise to Glory for every VR headset starting today

This might be the biggest VR game launch we’ve seen so far.

When we last saw Creed: Rise to Glory back at GDC in March, I walked away more than a little impressed. Since then, Survios has worked overtime to really make the game feel like it’s a part of the Creed movie universe. You get to choose from a bunch of iconic characters, you get to train with Rocky himself, and of course the game itself has you punching your arms in the real world while you dodge punches in a virtual boxing ring. All we really needed was a launch date, and now that’s exactly what we have.

Creed: Rise to Glory is dropping on Oculus Rift, Steam VR, PlayStation VR, and over 5,000 VR Arcades around the world on the same day, September 25th. That puts the game release almost exactly two months away from the launch of Creed 2 in theaters, where Adonis “Hollywood” Creed prepares for the fight of his life.

Pre-orders across Oculus Home, Steam VR, and PlayStation VR are available now for $29.99. For PlayStation VR folks, there’s an exclusive theme and avatar pack for your PS4 when you pre-order. If you’re excited about boxing with Creed, or if you’re excited by a fitness-focused VR game with a cinematic focus, this is going to be well worth your time and cash.

Pre-order at Amazon

There are two great Galaxy Note 9 deals on Amazon and Samsung.com right now

This can make that $999 price more palatable if you planned on buying accessories.

Typically the best way to get lots of free goodies with a phone is to either pre-order it right from the start, or wait a few months for the hype to wear off. In the case of the Note 9, Samsung has some solid deals even though we’re just a week removed from its retail launch. If you buy from either Amazon or Samsung.com, you’ll still pay full price for the phone but get some free accessories you may have been angling to buy anyway.

Over on Amazon, you can buy a Galaxy Note 9 for the typical $999 retail price and get a free Wireless Charger Duo ($119 value) and a free DeX Pad ($69 value) thrown in. Just be sure to select the option for the bundle rather than the phone. This is the same proper U.S. unlocked phone with a warranty and compatibility with U.S. carriers you’d find from Samsung’s website.

See at Amazon

If you buy the Note 9 from Samsung instead, you can grab the Note 9 and get a free Wireless Charger Duo and your choice of one of many cases that retail for $39-59 each. The deal isn’t applicable to every case Samsung sells, but most of them: the S-View Flip Cover, Rugged Protection Cover, LED Wallet Cover and Leather Wallet Cover.

See at Samsung

This may make that $999 price a bit more palatable in the end.

If you’re just looking for something else to spend that new-found savings on, Samsung’s own site has an additional deal where you can drop an extra $99 on the bundle to get a pair of IconX (2018) wireless earbuds, which normally retail for $179.

These incentives may not be quite as widely appealing or valuable as some of the pre-order incentives and deals we saw with the Galaxy S9 and Note 8, but if you were already planning on dropping the big money on Samsung’s new Duo charger or one of its (very expensive) cases, this is a pretty substantial savings. It may even make that $999 price a bit more palatable in the end.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

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Here’s how to turn your Oculus Go into an external display for your PC

The Oculus Go is a portable VR system that gets rid of the need for cables while still offering a powerful and immersive experience. Thanks to a free app called Bigscreen, you can stream your PC’s display output to the Oculus Go, essentially making it an external display that you wear on your face.

Products Used In This Guide

• Amazon: Oculus Go (From $199)
• Steam: Bigscreen Beta for PC (Free)
• Oculus: Bigscreen Beta for Oculus Go (Free)

How to use your Oculus Go as a monitor for your PC

Once you’ve grabbed Bigscreen for Oculus Go and PC, you can get started with the steps below.

Launch Steam.
Right-click Bigscreen Beta in your Steam library.

Click Play Remote Desktop streaming client.

Click Start Streaming.

Click Connect to your Mobile VR Headset. A small window will appear containing a code. It’s now time to turn your attention to the Oculus Go.

Launch BigScreen Beta on your Oculus Go.
Select Join Rooms.

Select the Room ID field.

Type your unique room code that is displayed on your PC.

Select Join Room ID.

You will now join a lounge within which you’ll see your PC desktop. Sharing the code you received in Step 5 with others will also let them see whatever you’re doing on your PC.

Our equipment picks

These three products are all you need to make a portable external monitor for your PC.

Our Pick

Oculus Go

From $199 at Amazon

The centerpiece of the operation.

Choose from either a 32GB or 64GB model depending on how much storage you think you’ll need, and get an included motion controller with either option.

This one is a no-brainer. We recommend going with the 64GB model, as you’ll find the smaller storage fills up quicker than you think once you start adding games and experiences from the Oculus Store.

For PC

Bigscreen Beta

Free at Steam

It makes streaming from your PC possible.

Bigscreen is still in Beta stage, but that doesn’t mean this free app isn’t full of features. Use it to stream your PC’s display output to your Oculus Go.

In order to turn your Oculus Go into a monitor for your PC, you need Bigscreen Beta installed on your PC. It’s been around for years, with new features still being added. Besides using it to set up an external monitor, you can also use it to watch movies with friends in a virtual theater or set up chat rooms.

For Oculus Go

Bigscreen Beta

Free at Oculus

It makes streaming to your Go possible.

The Bigscreen Beta app is likewise available for Oculus Go, which makes completing the stream possible.

Like the PC version, Bigscreen Beta for Oculus Go is full of features. It’s a great way to make new friends, and you’ll no doubt find some new interesting content before long. Having it installed on your Go is required for streaming.

Popular PC accessories from Samsung, Netgear, and more are on sale today

These prices are good for today only!

Amazon currently has a variety of PC accessories, components, and laptops on sale with prices starting at just $8.99. There’s a little bit of everything here, so whether you’re in the market for a new keyboard, router, mouse, monitor, or even a fully-built machine, this deal has you covered.

These discounts come from well-known brands like Samsung, Linksys, Corsair, and more. Some of our favorite accessories and components include:

• Samsung 32GB EVO Select microSD Card – $8.99 (Was $12)
• Trendnet 5-port Ethernet Switch – $9.99 (Was $18)
• Netgear AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Router – $49.99 (Was $70)
• Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi Router – $134.99 (Was $200)
• HyperX Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – $49.99 (Was $70)
• Acer 23.8-inch IPS Monitor – $99.99 (Was $150)
• Samsung 960 PRO 512GB SSD – $199.99 (Was $300)

Prefer to just buy something you can take out of the box and use? This Dell Inspiron 13 is down to $599 and comes with a 13.3-inch display, 8th-gen Core i7 processor, and more. Acer’s Aspire desktop is down to $359.99 from a regular price of around $480, and it comes with 12GB of RAM, a 2TB internal HD, as well as a keyboard and mouse. You can also grab Acer’s Chromebook R13 for $314.99, which is just under $100 off.

These discounts all end when the day does, so be sure to check out the entire sale now, before it’s too late.

See at Amazon

Can you replace the Bose QC 35 earcups?

Best answer: You can replace the Bose QC35’s earcups, and to get the best deal, we recommend an excellent pair from Accessory House that costs just $20.

Amazon: Bose QC35 replacement ear cushions ($20)

Carefully follow the instructions

Replacing the earcups on the Bose QC35 isn’t rocket science, but it’s a process that should be handled with care.

Bose has an excellent step-by-step guide on its website, that walks you through exactly what to do, but it essentially breaks down into three main steps:

Pull on the outer lip of the earcup — do not remove the lining material.
Fit the replacement cup on the outer rim of the exposed speakers.
Make sure the earcup is attached smoothly and snap it into place.

Don’t rush yourself

While the process for replacing earcups on the Bose QC35 isn’t all that difficult, make sure you don’t rush yourself!

It can be easy to look at the instructions and try to blow through them as fast as you can, but this will only result in headaches and frustration.

Before you do anything, set aside enough time for yourself, take things nice and easy, and you’ll be back to your tunes in no time at all.

Bose has an official pair, but it’s a lot more expensive

Our top recommendation for QC35 replacement earcups comes from a third-party company by the name of Accessory House, but we also wanted to mention that Bose directly sells a pair of replacements, too.

While it’s great to see Bose offering this directly, it didn’t make our list as Bose’s option costs more money and actually has worse reviews than the one from Accessory House. You can still check it out here if you’re interested, but that wouldn’t be our first pick.

Get back to your music

Damaged or worn out earcups can sorely ruin anyone’s listening experience. Pick up a replacement pair before things get too bad and keep your music sounding as good as can be!

Our pick

Accessory House QC35 replacement earcups

$20 from Amazon

Well-made and a great value

Although not made by Bose, these earcups are the best third-party solution we could find. They’re cheaper than what Bose sells and have even better reviews.

Save big on Anker charging accessories + Bluetooth headphones at Amazon UK

Don’t let poor battery life get in the way of your music listening!

As part of its Deals of the Day, Amazon UK has dropped the price of a number of Anker charging accessories as well as Bluetooth headphones and speakers. Several of the products included in the promotion have fallen to all-time low prices, so you definitely want to make the most of these savings while you can.

Highlights include:

• Anker PowerCore Lite 10000mAh Portable Charger £17.24 (was £25)
• Anker PowerPort II USB-C 2-Port Wall Charger £20.17 (was £25.99)
• Soundcore Spirit Pro Wireless Headphones £28.49 (was £37.99)
• Soundcore Liberty Lite True-Wireless Earphones £39.99 (was £55)

Be sure to check out the whole promotion and grab what you want now before the sale ends tonight.

There’s also a variety of other Anker accessories on sale thanks to Thrifter’s exclusive coupon codes, so be sure to check those out. They include wall chargers, battery packs, cables, and more.

For more UK deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter UK, sign up for the UK newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

See at Amazon UK

Tez is rebranded to Google Pay as Google unifies its payment services

Tez is getting features from Google Pay, and vice-versa.

At the latest edition of its Google for India event, Google announced key changes to its payment app built specifically for the Indian market, Tez. Google unveiled Tez in India last year, with the app built on the government’s new digital payments framework, Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Tez — along with a slew of similar UPI-based services by India’s financial institutions — resulted in a massive uptick in UPI transactions, with Google noting that monthly transactions have shot up to over 230 million in the last 12 months. Tez alone handed $30 billion in transaction value, facilitating over 750 million transactions.

Google added bill payments to the service a few months after launch, making it easier for Indian customers to recharge their phones, pay broadband and utility bills, and even pay for Uber or Ola via Tez.

Starting today, Tez is being rebranded to Google Pay as Google unifies its strategy for payment services. As such, customers using Google Pay will be able to pay for online purchases — tickets on BookMyShow, flight bookings on GoIbibo, or buying phones on Mi.com — and over 15,000 retail stores across the country will accept the payments platform.

What made Tez endearing to its customers isn’t going away either — in fact, Google’s VP of product management Caesar Sengupta has mentioned that features from Tez will be making their way into Google Pay in other markets. It’ll be interesting to see what features make their way over, but bill payments are a cornerstone of Tez and it’s likely Google will be looking to bring the feature to other countries.

You’ll soon be able to talk to your Google Home in Hindi

You’ll be able to seamlessly switch between English and Hindi when conversing with your Google Home.

Google introduced the Google Home and Google Home Mini in India a few months ago, and while the smart speaker didn’t have a lot in the way of features when it launched in the country, that’s set to change soon. At the latest Google for India event, Google has announced that the smart speaker will pick up Hindi support shortly.

Google Assistant already works in Hindi, but that feature doesn’t extend to the Google Home. Google is set to enable the feature in the coming months, and you’ll be able to seamlessly switch between English and Hindi when conversing with your Google Home. Amazon has a lead when it comes to the smart speaker market in India as Alexa has better integrations with local services, but the ability to talk to Assistant in Hindi will give Google an edge.

Google has also mentioned that Assistant usage has grown threefold over the course of the last 12 months, with customers asking over 100,000 cricket-related queries. Assistant now supports Marathi as well in addition to Hindi, and Google said it will pick up support for seven Indic languages in the coming months.

YouTube has over 245 million monthly active users in India

Over 95% of YouTube’s video consumption in India is in regional languages.

At the 2018 Google for India event, Google announced key usage metrics for YouTube. The video streaming service has seen a monumental uptick in usage in India over the last two years on the back of affordable 4G plans, which in turn led to a wave of new creators joining the platform. YouTube started prioritising local language content in recent years, and the result is that over 95% of all video consumption on the platform in India is from vernacular languages.

YouTube currently has 245 million active monthly users from India, making it one of the platform’s largest markets. Google rolled out the ability to download videos in the country back in 2014, a feature that has made its way to other markets.

With 4G easily accessible across all parts of the country, more and more users are starting to make their way to the platform. Online video drove over 75% of all data traffic in India, and Google is projecting that YouTube in India will go up to 500 million active users in just two years’ time.

Google is also investing heavily in localising search in India, along with voice search. The Google Assistant now works in Hindi and Marathi, and will support seven other Indic languages later this year.