How to completely disable Bixby

Get rid of the Galaxy’s most disappointing feature.

The Galaxy Note 9 is coming August 24, and it also integrates Bixby. While we’re still evaluating the software, we believe that these steps will be the same on the Galaxy Note 9.

Ever since Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 with its onboard assistant, Bixby, people have been asking for ways to disable it and forget the button ever existed in the first place. With the Galaxy S9, that chorus is even louder.

While the hardware’s not going anywhere, we can definitely do something about the software. Here’s how to get rid of Bixby Voice and, if you’re using Samsung’s launcher, Bixby Home.

Why do you want to disable Bixby?

One of the biggest frustrations with the Bixby button is its placement; the button is right under the volume keys and nearly directly opposite the power buttons. On larger phones like the Galaxy S9+ and Note 8, this often leads to accidental presses and unintended Bixby launches, especially when double-pressing the power button to launch the camera.

The Bixby button is also not mappable to another action; Samsung wants you to use it for Bixby, or not at all. This isn’t ideal, so many people will inevitably choose to just forget it exists and move on.

How to disable Bixby Voice

Bixby is divided into two distinct categories: Bixby Voice and Bixby Home. Voice is the feature that lets you get stuff done by holding down the Bixby button for a moment, walkie-talkie-style. It’s useful but can get frustrating when it doesn’t work, so you’re going to want to turn it off before you disable Bixby Home (which is accessed by short-pressing the Bixby button).

While on the Samsung home screen, swipe right until you get to Bixby Home.

• Alternatively, press the Bixby button on the left side of the phone, right under the volume rocker.

On the top menu bar, tap the three vertical dots.
Tap Settings.
Uncheck Bixby Voice.

That’s it! Now Bixby Voice won’t bug you when you accidentally hold down your finger on the Bixby button. Next, we have to prevent the Bixby button from accessing Bixby Home.

How to disable the Bixby button

Now that Bixby Voice has been disabled, we have to disable Bixby Home from popping up whenever we accidentally press the side button.

Press the Bixby button on the left side of the phone, right under the volume rocker.
In the top menu bar, tap the Settings button (looks like three cogs).
Uncheck Bixby Key.

That’s it! Now when you press the Bixby button once, it won’t open the Bixby Home

How to disable Bixby Home from the home screen

Now, the final step to disabling Bixby entirely is to disable Bixby Home access from the home screen which, by default, puts it on the left-most panel.

From the home screen, hold down on empty space until the menu appears.
Swipe to the right to reach the left home panel.
Disable Bixby Home.

That’s it! Now neither the Bixby button nor the Bixby Home screen will work and you can move on with your life, Bixby-free.

Should you want to access Bixby again, though, you’ll need to follow these steps in reverse, first enabling Bixby Home from the launcher and then the Bixby button from inside the menu.

Questions? Comments?

Got any questions about this process, or just want to share your sheer joy at being able to disable Bixby? Let us know in the comments below!

Update August 14, 2018: This article is still accurate, and we’re looking into whether the steps still work for the Galaxy Note 9.

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?
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Indy is Verizon’s 4th 5G city, will partner with YouTube TV, too

Verizon workers install 5G radios in Indianapolis — the company’s fourth city announced to receive residential 5G service.

Details are scarce, other than Verizon 5G is coming to Indianapolis.

Verizon today announced that Indianapolis will be its fourth city to receive residential 5G service. And to sweeten the deal, it’s pairing up with Google and Apple for some sort of deal for YouTube TV and Apple TV 4K for subscribers.

Houston, Los Angeles and Sacramento previously were announced and will also partake in the YouTube TV and Apple TV 4K fun.

Verizon said more details on the YouTube TV deal would be announced when its residential 5G service actually goes on sale. Currently, YouTube TV has a flat rate of $40 for its service, with additional add-on channels available. It’s not clear if Verizon will foot the bill for YouTube TV in its entirety, or subsidize it for a fixed amount of time. It’s also not clear if it’s throwing in an Apple TV 4K for free — it merely said that it will “offer” the streaming box. (Which, by the way, is our current pick for the best streaming box for most folks.) While Verizon’s press release didn’t mention this, The Verge notes that you’ll either be able to snag an Apple TV 4K, or YouTube TV, but not both.

But that’s conjecture on our part. For now, all we have is a vague press release. But, Indianapolis, Verizon 5G is coming.

Motorola P30 leaks, and … well, it’s another iPhone X running Android

They aren’t even trying to hide it.

Remember the Motorola One Power that leaked a few months back with an iPhone X-like notch and a vertical dual camera array? It turns out that phone might be going by a different name, the Motorola P30.

According to leaked press renders from AndroidPure, the Motorola P30 looks almost indistinguishable from the iPhone X in most angles. It has a metal and glass design with rounded corners and a wide notch at the top of the display. There’s a vertical dual camera array around back with an LED flash between the sensors, and one feature the iPhone X lacks — a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor integrated into the Motorola logo.

Speaking of Motorola logos … like always, there’s one at the bottom of the display, because Motorola just couldn’t help itself. From the looks of the leaked images, the P30 could practically fit in an iPhone X case, though the volume buttons sit above the power button along the right side of the frame, leaving the left side bare.

As far as specs go, we can expect a 6.2-inch 19:9 display, an unspecified octa-core processor, a 3000mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and either 64 or 128GB of storage. It looks like the primary camera around back will be a 16MP sensor, while the secondary sensor will be 5MP and the front camera will be 12MP — all with an f/1.8 aperture.

We don’t know exactly when the phone will be announced (rumor has it it might be tomorrow) or how much it’ll cost if and when it launches in the U.S., but it’s certainly a departure from Motorola’s unique Moto Z lineup. No Moto Mods, no ultra-thin design … just an iPhone X running Android One.

That’s not the most exciting way to sell a phone, but at the same time, hardware is hardly a problem with the iPhone X. Is an iPhone running Android really the worst thing in the world?

Read more: Moto Z3 review: Verizon’s middle child

Hands-On With 6.1-Inch and 6.5-Inch 2018 iPhone Dummy Models

Before every new iPhone release, we’re often inundated with rumors, part leaks, mockups, and dummy models, giving us a clear picture of what to expect when the new devices come out.

This year is no exception, and we’ve managed to get our hands on dummy models that are said to resemble the rumored 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones that are coming in 2018, both of which offer up a look at the sizes and designs we can expect from the 2018 iPhone lineup.

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Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup, like the 2017 lineup, will include three phones, but the lineup’s composition is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Apple is planning to introduce a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone that’s a follow up to the iPhone X, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as an “iPhone X Plus,” and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that’s going to have a much lower price tag than the two OLED iPhones.

We don’t have a dummy model of the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone to go along with dummy models of the upcoming 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhones, because it’s going to look identical to the existing iPhone X, so we’ve used a real iPhone X to compare to the two dummy models.

iPhone X (left), 6.1-inch iPhone dummy (center), 6.5-inch iPhone dummy (right)
All three of the 2018 iPhones feature an edge-to-edge display that adopts Face ID and a TrueDepth camera system, marking the official end of Touch ID for new iPhones. To house the TrueDepth camera, there will be a notch on all three iPhones, just as there was on the iPhone X.

The middle-tier 6.1-inch iPhone uses an LCD display instead of an OLED display to keep costs down, which means that the bezels of that device are slightly thicker than the bezels of the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones. The 6.1-inch iPhone dummy also features a single-lens camera, in line with rumors that Apple will stick with a single camera for cost purposes.

6.1-inch iPhone dummy model
A dual-camera setup is expected for both the second-generation 5.8-inch iPhone X model and the 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus” model, and we can perhaps expect some camera improvements, as Apple typically introduces new camera features with each iPhone upgrade.

Rumors have also suggested the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will have an aluminum frame rather than the more durable stainless steel frame expected in the two more expensive devices, but other than the frame, the camera, the slightly thicker bezels, and the screen sizes, these devices are expected to be nearly identical.

6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone dummy models
All will include Apple’s next-generation A12 processor, according to rumors, along with faster Intel-made LTE chips. RAM could be a differentiating factor, though, with the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone offering 3GB RAM and the OLED iPhones offering 4GB RAM.

We have absolutely no idea what Apple is planning to name its next-generation iPhones given the current iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X naming scheme. Most of the possibilities sound a little off, such as “iPhone Xs” or “iPhone X Plus” or “iPhone 9” or “iPhone XI.” The naming of the 2018 iPhone lineup is perhaps the biggest mystery, given the myriad rumors and part leaks we’ve seen so far.

iPhone X with 6.5-inch iPhone dummy model
Pricing for the 2018 iPhones could start somewhere right around $600 to $700 for the entry-level 6.1-inch LCD model, based on rumors, while the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone could cost between $800 and $900, and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone could cost between $1,000 and $1,100.

For a complete rundown on all of the rumors we’ve heard about the 2018 iPhone lineup, make sure to check out our 2018 iPhone roundup.

What do you think of the iPhones Apple is planning to introduce this year? Which one will you buy? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: 2018 iPhones
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Apple’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Series From Ronald D. Moore Casts Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, and Sarah Jones

One of Apple’s upcoming television shows is an unnamed sci-fi series from Battlestar Galactica developer Ronald D. Moore, which is currently in the casting stages.

According to Variety, several actors and actresses have inked deals to star in the show, which has been described as a series that will explore what would have happened had the global space race never ended.

Image via Variety
Joel Kinnaman has signed on to play Edward Baldwin, a top NASA astronaut, while Michael Dorman and Sarah Jones will play Gordo and Tracy Stevens, a prominent NASA couple.

Kinnaman previously played Takeshi Kovacs in “Altered Carbon,” along with Will Conway in “House of Cards.” He’s also known for roles in “Easy Money,” “Suicide Squad,” and “RoboCop.”

Michal Dorman has been in “Patriot” and “Wonderland,” while Sarah Jones has starred in “Damnation,” “The Path,” and “Alcatraz.”

The show was created and written by Moore along with “Fargo” co-executive producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. Moore is known for his work on shows like Battlestar Galactica,” “Caprica,” “Helix,” and “Outlander.”

Apple has more than a dozen original TV shows in the works, several of which are at the point where actors are being cast ahead of filming. Details on all of the shows that Apple has picked up can be found in the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Rumors have suggested the first of Apple’s TV shows could potentially launch in March 2019, perhaps through an upcoming streaming television service.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: Apple’s Hollywood ambitionsBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Verizon to Offer Free Apple TV 4K in 5G Residential Broadband Package

Verizon today announced that it will offer the Apple TV 4K as part of its 5G residential broadband package that’s set to launch in four markets this year, including Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

A free Apple TV 4K will be provided to Verizon 5G broadband customers in lieu of a traditional cable box. Several other cable providers have also been offering the Apple TV 4K as an option to customers, including DirecTV in the US, Canal+ in France, and Salt in Switzerland.

With the Apple TV 4K, customers have access to cable content, both free and subscription, through a wide selection of apps that are available on the device, plus it includes perks like Siri for voice control and the Apple TV app for keeping track of the content you’re watching across a wide range of apps.

In addition to an Apple TV 4K, Verizon is also planning to provide its 5G broadband subscribers with a subscription to YouTube TV, YouTube’s $40 per month streaming service that offers access to television shows on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW, Disney, ESPN, FX, USA, and dozens more.

Verizon’s 5G residential broadband service will include Apple TV 4K & YouTube TV in Houston, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Indianapolis:

Apple TV 4K: https://t.co/NAyBcRERqT

YouTube TV: https://t.co/dBGgTZdL53 pic.twitter.com/hjuyz3PVJC

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) August 14, 2018

Verizon is aiming to be the first wireless provider to offer 5G residential broadband and 5G mobile service in the United States. Its home internet installations in Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento are set to begin in the second half of 2018.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: VerizonBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless High-End Over-Ear Headphones Review

A bit ago, we looked at a new initiative by the high-end headphone maker, Beyerdynamic. Its lack of wireless options began to be addressed with the Aventho Wireless, which we deemed a thoroughly premium and well-performing on-ear. But a hole was left for folks who prefer the over-ear flavor. That’s now filled with the new Amiron Wireless.

We’re a little thrown off by the naming convention, having expected the “Aventho” name to become the company’s new wireless series. Maybe the fact that they both start with the letter “A” shows implies some relation. Similarly, the headphones don’t share much in the way of design, but can still be considered brothers. Anyway, with the Amiron’s considerable price tag pitting it for the wireless headphone top spot, we’re most interested in if it can deliver. Let’s find out.

Design

Portability is inherent in wireless tech, and therefore, such headphones make an extra effort to be compact and lightweight. The Amiron, on the other hand, didn’t get the memo. Its footprint is burly like that of Beyerdynamic’s classic over-ear headphones. We’re talking about imposingly-sized ear cups/pads, thick headband, and maybe what will be of most contention, no fold-ability.

You’ll see a consequence of that last point when you pull the product out of the box. The carrying case supplied with it is bulkier than we imagine most users would want to commute with. The more we tour the Amiron, the more we believe Beyerdynamic’s purpose for them was in-home or in-office listening, rather than on-the-go. This is evident from its stout 380 g weight as well.

Beyerdynamic’s hard, zipper case is constructed well but imposing.

Beyerdynamic owns the fact when it comes to design. It feels as brawny and sturdily constructed from every angle. Although, the materials aren’t quite what we’d expect from a $700 headphone. Except for the metal ear cup stems, we feel plastic throughout. Granted, it’s a very slick, smooth, and sophisticatedly finished plastic (ceramic-like in feel). But it’s still apparently hard plastic, and the structural elements, like the stem hinges and headband caps, have the slight plastic-y creak to them. We aren’t doubting that they’ll stand the test of time; this is more of an evaluation of the “premium” aesthetic of an expensive device.

The headphone’s exterior features bunched on the right ear cup.

As for features, the expected elements of a wireless over-ear are present. The physical interfaces are bunched towards the bottom of the right ear cup: power button (which is transparent to show the blue/red status LED underneath), charging port (kudos to Beyerdynamic for using the current USB-C standard), and 3.5 mm jack for optional wired listening. That’s not all, though. The flat surface of the ear pad is touch sensitive for various playback controls, a design feature that mimics that seen on the preceding Aventho Wireless.

Function

A hefty headphone begs for substantial cushioning, and Beyerdynamic fortunately did not skimp. Both the ear pads and headband are equivalently plump and feel great on the head. The wrappings are a soft fabric rather than leather, making the headphones feel like a pillow encompassing your head. The design successful in making you forget about the heft, and instead, relax in comfort.

The thick ear pads also make noise isolation above average. These headphones are wireless but not noise-canceling, so this important attention to detail is appreciated.

Getting started with the Amiron is as easy as should be. Long press the power button and the headphones will first boot in pairing mode (flashing the LED blue and red). Then find it in your device’s Bluetooth settings and get playing. You’ll get a vocal indication of battery percentage level at each startup.

Just like the Aventho Wireless, the playback control is via an inconspicuous touchpad.

The touchpad gesture controls aren’t nearly as simple to figure out. The touch response works great, but you’ll have to refer to the manual to learn all the maneuvers. You will catch some of the essentials by sliding your finger across: swiping left and right switches the track, while up and down adjusts the volume. And then double-tapping is how you play/pause the audio.

A cool feature that Beyerdynamic has developed for its flagship wireless headphones is sound-personalization software. With the Amiron (Aventho too), you can utilize the company’s MIY app, which runs you through a hearing test in order to tune the output for your specific ears. It’s a neat effort and improves your audio in a more calculated way than just the user making manual adjustments.

As for the performance of the Amiron as a wireless headphone, it is rock solid. That is, the battery life has about 30-hour endurance, and the Bluetooth connection was faultless in our usage.

Sound

Like the Aventho, Beyerdynamic makes the Amiron Wireless able to accept the higher fidelity aptX HD transmission. For a “HiFi” wireless headphone, we wouldn’t expect to see anything less. That said, at this price range, we would’ve liked to see support for LDAC as well. Sony has the footing on wireless audio bandwidth. Specifically, we’re talking about aptX HD’s 576 kbps vs LDAC’s 990 kbps channel, not a small difference.

The aptX HD-enabled Amiron Wireless and LG G7 the perfect match.

Still, upon first listen, we’re immediately hit with an exceptionally detailed sound (relative to other wireless headphones). A lot what we liked about the Aventho’s signature is present here, and then some. That is, a notably clean/clear and distinctive delivery throughout and punchy energy. However, it’s important to know that while the Amiron’s quality trumps many of the wireless headphones out there, it does noticeably heed to what would be its wired counterparts. You don’t get micro-details or extension, such that a careful ear would pick up from deep bass or crisp highs. But it gets most of the way there.

Dynamics are the Amiron’s shining quality, right in line with the general benefit of a full-on over-ear headphone. That is, you get an expanded space around your head, where instruments can display spatial distinction. The Amiron well defines these elements, capable of delivering encompassing symphony that you can get lost in. The crispness from cymbals crash with echoing range and boom of the bass skillfully expands in all directions without overtaking any range.

With all this said, it’s not the widest or airiest delivery. Granted, closed-back headphones can’t compete with their more spacious open-back counterparts. But even compared to its own class (especially price class), it’s fairly average, making this part of the Amiron’s sound our least favorite.

Final Thoughts

The Amiron Wireless is no doubt a solid wireless headphone. We love the sophisticated look, extra comfy padding, high-res wireless playback, and the notably dynamic and crisp sound. But we can’t ignore that steep $700 asking price, which shines the light on its imperfections. The headphones overwhelming footprint is kind of counter-intuitive for a wireless “mobile” device. While its build is nice on the surface, in-hand it doesn’t quite feel the price. Lastly, the sound is very much that of a closed-back headphone, not making a valiant effort to past the boundaries like some others.

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Forget flying cars: This shoe-tying robot is proof that the future is here

Technology can be a great labor-saving aid, carrying out many of the tasks which are considered too dull, dirty, or dangerous for us to bother wasting our time with. Engineers may be getting to the end of the list of problems to solve, however — since researchers from the University of California, Davis’ College of Engineering recently decided to build a robot that’s sole personality in life is to tie shoelaces.

Word of advice: If you’re getting to the point at which you can’t dedicate a few seconds each day to making sure your shoes are properly laced up, you may be working too hard!

We are, of course, being a bit facetious, since the project was one handed to mechanical engineering students to see if they could carry out a complex task (tying a shoe) using only two motors and no more than $600 in funding. Judging by the results, they passed with flying colors.

The Arduino-powered, shoe-tying robot uses a pair of motors to drive four gearboxes, two on each side of a dedicated shoe platform. One motor transfers power to the machine by driving a horizontal shaft with three spur gears on each side of the motor, while the second motor controls a sort of “clutch”, or idler gear. Using these components, the robot is able to move horizontally and vertically, as well as making rotational movements to manipulate the laces. A finished shoelace tying session lasts around four minutes.

“Imagine getting a project, doing a Google search and finding no leads,” Joel Humes, one of the students who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “[We checked] YouTube, Instructables, random forums, ran patent searches, nothing at all [came up]. In a world full of information easily accessed through internet searches, it was hard to believe a fully automated shoe-tying machine appeared to be completely nonexistent.”

The machine was ultimately pitted against another robot created with the same objective by students from Meijo University in Japan — and emerged the victor. “Currently, there are no plans to further develop this product because we do not have the proper funds to,” Stephanie Thai, another student engineer, told us. We guess that could change in time, however.

Other researchers who worked on the project included Gabriela Gomes, Jacklyn Tran, and Andrew Choi. Remember those names: When their (possible) shoe-tying robot company is valued at several billion dollars, you will want to be able to tell everyone you knew them all back when they were starving students!

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• Want an extra arm? A third thumb? Check out these awesome robotic appendages
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• Half taxidermy, half robot: Why UC Davis built this crazy realistic robo-bird

Nokia 3.1 review

Research Center:

Nokia 3.1

The Nokia 6.1 is our favorite budget smartphone under $300, and HMD Global — the company licensing the Nokia brand name and designing these phones — has introduced an even more affordable option to the U.S. market.

The Nokia 3.1 comes in at just $160, but even at that price it faces tough competition from the likes of Motorola and Honor. It eschews all frills and attempts to focus on the fundamentals, but HMD has to do better. We’ve been using the phone for a few weeks, and there are a few too many compromises. Let’s take a closer look.

Basic design, no fingerprint sensor

The Nokia 3.1 follows the same design cues as its more expensive siblings. There’s no glass on the back — instead you’ll find a phone that’s more utilitarian than stylish.

The front of the Nokia 3.1 carries a 5.2-inch display with chunky bezels at the top and bottom. The top bezel is home to a wide-angle 8-megapixel camera along with the 3.1’s only speaker and prominent Nokia logo. The unadorned bottom bezel looks lonely in comparison. There’s a chrome accent line that works that works its way around the display, adding a nice contrasting look, but its continuity is abruptly interrupted on the top and bottom of the phone due to thick, black antenna lines.

Steven Winkelman

The IPS LCD display has a 1,440 x 720 resolution with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Colors are a little muted overall, and the display is dim. Even with the brightness cranked all the way up we had trouble seeing the screen outdoors. But for the most part it’s  perfectly adequate. We had no issues streaming Netflix and YouTube, and the screen quality posed no problems.

Flip the phone over and you’ll find a black, polycarbonate back with a chrome-accented single-camera lens, flash, and, more Nokia branding. The camera bump is is nearly imperceptible, and the back of the phone is curved ever so slightly, adding a nice ergonomic feel when the phone sits in the hand.

On the bright side, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone.

Notice anything missing? If you said “fingerprint sensor,” you’re correct: There’s none to be found on the Nokia 3.1, though there’s plenty of room for one on the bottom bezel or back. It’s a shame HMD decided to sacrifice the fingerprint sensor on the phone as it really removes the convenience we’ve all come to know and love. The Nokia 3.1’s competition have fingerprint sensors — even the $100 Alcatel 1X Android Go phone packs one.

While the polycarbonate back will certainly be more durable than glass, it does feel cheap. Tap on the back of the phone and it you won’t get a substantial thud you’ll find on other phones — instead you’re greeted with a hollow ring. This is more a remark than a criticism, as most budget phones we’ve tested in this price range can’t help but feel cheap.

On the bright side, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone. Over on the right is the power and volume buttons, which are made of the same plastic on the back of the phone. The buttons feel a little loose, but they didn’t cause any issues. The bottom of the phone is home to a MicroUSB charging port — which is another disappointment as many Android phones use USB Type-C, but we’ll give HMD a pass as budget phones in the price range still use MicroUSB.

Steven Winkleman/Digital Trends

The Nokia 3.1 doesn’t look and feel like anything special; it’s basic, the design works, but a fingerprint sensor is sorely missed.

Frustrating performance, Android One

The Nokia 3.1 is powered by a Mediatek MT6750N octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM (international models have 3GB). Compared to other budget phones like the Honor 7X or Moto E4 Play, performance is frustrating slow.

Two of our benchmarking apps wouldn’t even run.

Lag is a constant companion, from unlocking the phone and opening the app drawer to launching apps and opening the camera. There’s also a pronounced stutter when scrolling through apps like Facebook or Twitter that makes the entire experience painful.

People who like to play games on their phones may find using the Nokia 3.1 even more infuriating. We were able to play Super Mario Run with just the occasional stutter, but when we attempted PUBG MOBILE, things went south. It was possible to play on the lowest graphics setting, but you probably don’t want to sit through constant lag.

Two of our benchmarking apps wouldn’t run on the Nokia 3.1, but here’s what did work:

• Geekbench CPU: 664 single-core; 2,645 multi-core

The Nokia 3.1 performed better than the Moto E5 Play and E5 Plus in our benchmark tests, but it came far behind the slightly more expensive Honor 7X. But benchmarks do not tell the full story, and in our review period, we found the 3.1 performed much more poorly than the rest of these devices.

The U.S model of the Nokia 3.1 comes with 16GB of storage — which we easily maxed out since Android alone takes up more than half of that storage space. Thankfully, a MicroSD slot lets you add more storage if needed.

Perhaps the Nokia 3.1’s best feature is its software. It runs stock Android through the Android One program (Android 8.1 Oreo). The Android One program promises fast software version and security updates for two years, and a clean interface with minimal bloatware. This phone will get Android 9.0 Pie later this year. Most budget phones rarely get updates, so we’re happy to praise a company that puts a priority on issuing updates.

Slow, mediocre camera

It’s hard to expect much when it comes to budget phone camera. They tend to take decent photos in good light, and mediocre to bad photos in low-light scenarios. The Nokia 3.1 bucks that trend, but not in a good way.

Our original Nokia 3.1 unit had a defect that allowed sunlight to refract off the camera lens which led to lens flares on many of our photos. Figuring it was a problem with our review unit, we contacted Nokia and they sent us a replacement.

There’s a 13-megapixel primary camera on the rear with a f/2 aperture, and an 8-megapixel selfie cam with the same aperture on the front. The first batch of photos we took in daylight didn’t just come out blurry, but they had huge lens flares. After cleaning the lens and checking for software updates, we tried again but our tests yielded similar results. Figuring It was a problem with our review unit, we contacted Nokia for a replacement.

Our replacement unit didn’t have the same lens flare issue, but the shutter was incredibly slow. To get decent shots in broad daylight, it was necessary to hold the phone still for three seconds after tapping the shutter button — you don’t need to do that with other phones in this price range.

Shutter lag aside, our daylight photos managed to look decent. Colors are accurate and details are acceptable, but some of the photos lack depth and appear flat.

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Sample photos shot on the Nokia 3.1.

Low-light photos are another issue altogether. There was significant noise and detail loss, and we needed to be completely still yet again to avoid any type of blurriness. There are some decent photos in the gallery above in this kind of lighting, but we were only able to capture them after quite a few attempts.

We never had high hopes for the Nokia 3.1’s camera, but it certainly surprised us at how lackluster it really is to use.

Battery life

The 2,990mAh battery, of all things, is the shining star on the Nokia 3.1. On an average day, we used the phone to surf the web, scroll through social media, listen to music through Spotify, watch YouTube videos, and we managed to have 40 percent left by 8:30 p.m (after taking it off the charger at 7 a.m.).

Nokia 3.1 Compared To

Cat S61

Alcatel Idol 5

Lenovo Moto G5S Plus

HTC U11 Life

Sony Xperia XZ1

Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

ZTE Axon 7 mini

Meizu Pro 6

Nextbit Robin

Motorola Droid Turbo

Sony Xperia Z3

HTC Desire Eye

LG G2

HTC One S

Google Nexus S

Unfortunately if you do find yourself running low on battery, there’s no quick charging feature on the phone.

Pricing, availability, and warranty information.

The Nokia 3.1 costs $160, and you can purchase it through Amazon or Best Buy. It supports GSM carriers like AT&T or T-Mobile, and it won’t work on CDMA networks like Sprint and Verizon.

The phone comes with a standard one-year warranty that covers any manufacturer defects. Water damage, drops, and “Acts of God” are not covered.

Our Take

The Nokia 3.1 is an underwhelming phone in every way. From its low-tier specs, to its mediocre camera, software and battery life are the only things HMD got right on this phone.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. Several excellent budget phones have been released this year. The Moto E5 Plus is an excellent alternative if you can find it for less than $200. Since the E5 Plus packs in a better processor and more RAM, you should have a much better experience overall. It also features a massive 5,000mAh battery, meaning you should able to easily get through a day, if not two, between charges. It’s also worth looking at the Moto E5 Play, which can cost as little as $70 depending on your carrier.

If you’re willing to spend a little more, you may want to check out the Nokia 6.1. It comes in at $270 and is our favorite budget phone for 2018. The $250 Moto G6 and $200 Honor 7X are also worth considering, and you can learn more about them in our best cheap phones guide.

How long will it last?

The Nokia 3.1 should last you a year or more. We say that largely because we believe performance will simply get worse the longer you use it, and you’ll likely want to throw the phone out a window.

Still, its build quality is good, and the plastic body is more durable than other budget phones with an all-glass body. Since the phone is a part of the Android One program, you can expect regular security and OS updates for two years.

Should you buy it?

No. Even at its low price, the Nokia 3.1 doesn’t offer the performance and reliability we’ve come to expect from HMD.

Smartphone out of juice? Get this Anker power bank for half its normal price

What would we do without our smartphones? With all of humanity’s collective knowledge, cat GIFs, and services in the palm of our hands, it’s no surprise we spend all of our free time staring at them. Your phone is there for you when you’re bored, when you need information, and even when you’re just trying to avoid eye contact with a random stranger — but it has its limitations. Its only ever as good as its battery life.

No matter how wonderful your phone is when it’s turned on, once the battery runs out, its about as useful as a brick. It isn’t that big of a deal if you’re near an outlet  — you’ll just need to huddle awkwardly near it while you recharge, but what if there aren’t any outlets? You can either suffer on without it, or just pull out a portable power bank and plug back in. If you need a little extra juice on the go, you can snag an Anker PowerCore 1300 portable charger for just $29 — about half its regular price.

This portable battery charger from Anker is one of the most compact and powerful battery chargers you can find on Amazon. With 1300mAH under the hood, you’ll have enough power to fully charge your smartphone multiple times over. It can charge an iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S8 three times, and it can even fully recharge an iPhone 8 almost 5 times. It also has two USB ports, so you can charge multiple devices at once if you’re feeling kind enough to share with a friend. Unlike many cheap power banks on the market, the Anker PowerCore 1300 has PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technology to allow for high speed charging on any compatible device. And despite having all of these awesome features, this pocketable device is smaller than a wallet.

Until we invent an unlimited power source or perfect wireless charging, everyone who has a smartphone could probably benefit from a portable battery charger. If you’re going to get one, you might as well get one as powerful as this one — especially since its discounted right now. The Anker PowerCore 1300 power bank is normally priced at $56, but for a limited time, you can get it for just $29 on Amazon.

$29 | Amazon

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