The best screen protectors for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Android phones, and we want to make sure our phones stay as beautiful as the day they come out of the box. Therefor, screen protectors are something we buy with every phone we use.

The iAnder Galaxy Note 9 Screen Protector has every feature you could want from a screen protector, and it’s inexpensive for a two-pack.

Our pick

iAnder Galaxy Note 9 Screen Protector

• $11 from Amazon

This screen protector is inexpensive, it’ll feel great to use, and it’ll save your phone if it drops.

You don’t need to spend an exorbitant amount just to protect your phone’s screen from scratches. This two-pack has everything you need in a screen protector, and it doesn’t cost much.

Who should buy this screen protector

If you have a Note 9, this is the screen protector for you. It’s tempered glass, so it will feel just as smooth as the glass on your phone. Its slim enough to fit under cases, so you can protect the rest of your phone as well. It includes an oleophobic coating to keep fingerprints and smudges at bay, and iAnder promises 99% light transmission, meaning the display will look just as wonderful as it would without the screen protector.

One thing to note (no pun intended) is that this screen protector won’t cover 100% of the glass because of the curved design Samsung uses. If you want to completely protect your phone,

Is it a good time to buy this screen protector?

Yes. The Note 9 was just released, so there’s no better time to get a screen protector. The price of this two-pack isn’t going to get drastically lower, and it has every feature you would need from a screen protector.

Reasons to buy

• Two-pack for a low price
• Oleophobic coating to prevent smudges
• Case friendly
• Smooth, smooth glass

Reasons not to buy

• Doesn’t cover 100% of the front glass

Why you should buy this screen protector

It can be tempting to spend a lot for a screen protector, but after dropping $1000 on your phone, there’s no need to spend more money. This comes in a two-pack, so you have a backup in case you misapply the first one, a screen protector for your partner, or just a second one if the first one cracks from a fall. Since this is tempered glass, it will feel just as nice as the actual display glass on the phone.

Don’t spend more than you need to, especially after buying an expensive phone.

Every feature you could want in a screen protector is here, so you’re not sacrificing anything to get to that low price. There’s an oleophobic coating to keep the glass free of fingerprints and other grime, the glass is slim enough to fit underneath most cases, and your display will look just as clear as it would if you didn’t have a screen protector installed.

Alternatives to the iAnder Screen Protector

If you’re reading sensitive material on your phone or want an unbreakable bond between protector and screen, it’s worth considering some other options.

Best for the privacy conscious

MOZEEDA Privacy Glass Screen Protector

Don’t let wandering eyes look at your sensitive documents.

$12 at Amazon

This has everything you could want in a screen protector, with a privacy bonus on top.

The Note line has long been known as a productivity powerhouse — the large screen is great for reading through documents, and the S-Pen is perfect for annotating PDFs. But working on that while on the go means there are a lot of chances for people to see what you’re working on. This screen protector has all the standard features — it’s tempered glass, has an oleophobic coating, anti-scratch and anti-shatter — but it has a coating that makes it nearly impossible to see the screen at off angles.

Upgrade pick

Whitesone Dome Glass Screen Protector

If you want a 100% perfect fit, this screen protector is for you — but it won’t come cheap.

$60 at Amazon

This screen protector will cover 100% of the front glass, and there’s no gap between it and the glass on your phone.

The Note 9 is a gorgeous phone, so it’s understandable to want a screen protector that perfectly matches all of the phone’s curves. This one doesn’t come cheap, but it will look and feel significantly better than other screen protectors.

Bottom line

The iAnder Galaxy Note 9 Screen Protector is the perfect companion to your Note 9. It will keep the display scratch free, repel fingerprints, and do so without blowing a hole in your wallet.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Tom Westrick is a U.S.-based freelancer. He’s been poking and prodding at Android phones since 2011, and covering various topics for Android Central since 2017. He can often be found with multiple laptops in his backpack and a cup of iced tea in his hand. Follow him on Twitter.

Ara Wagoner is overjoyed to have joined the Android Central team full-time after four years of freelance contributions to the site. Yes, her holster is for a phone not a gun. When she’s not building new Android themes and poking Google Assistant with a stick, you can find her gutting pumpkins to brine and bake pumpkin seeds. If you see her without headphones, RUN.

Protect yourself as your browse the web for $79

We unfortunately live in a time when simply browsing the internet can be perilous. Our personal data is being harvested for targeted advertising, our identities can be stolen, and we can be left open to cyber attacks. Protecting your browsing habits and your privacy with a quality VPN is not only a great idea, but it’s prudent. Plus, a VPN can help you connect to all sorts of awesome content all around the globe, without the annoying geo-restrictions.

Surfshark VPN doesn’t make your compromise speed and privacy. It lets you browse with unlimited data, thanks to over 500 torrent-friendly servers around the world. A Surfshark subscription usually runs you $430 for three years, but right now at Android Central Digital Offers, you can save 81% and get signed up for three years for only $79.

Thanks to Surfshark, you’ll get the following protections and features when browsing the web:

• Browse securely, even on public WiFi, w/ AES-256-GCM encryption
• Surf restriction-free w/ unlimited data & bandwidth on unlimited devices
• CleanWeb™ feature blocks ads, trackers & malware while you browse
• Access 500+ servers in 38 countries worldwide
• Protect your true IP from websites w/ WebRTC protection
• Mitigate risks w/ IPv6 leak protection, kill switch & Zero-knowledge DNS
• Enjoy content faster w/ optimized online streaming & torrent-friendly servers
• Evade geo-restrictions & access your favorite sites anywhere
• Browse w/ peace of mind thanks to a strict no logging policy

Protecting your browsing habits means true online freedom, and Surfshark VPN is an excellent way to claim that freedom in a big way. Only, don’t go paying $430 for three years. Get your subscription at Android Central Digital Offers and get three years for only $79. If you don’t want to sign up for three years up front, you can still get one year for $39 (down from $145).

See at Android Central Digital Offers

LG announces October 3 event for V40 launch, hints at five cameras

This is LG’s most powerful phone of 2018.

Last year saw a big shift for LG’s V series. Unlike the V10 and V20 that experimented with metal designs, removable batteries, and secondary ticker displays, the V30 introduced a slick glass back, incredibly slim bezels, and a pOLED screen made by LG itself.

We’re anticipating the V40 to share a lot of similarities to its predecessor and this year’s recently announced LG V35, and as new information trickles in, we’ll be regularly updating this guide to help keep you up-date on everything that’s going on.

Without further delay, here’s everything we know about the LG V40!

The latest LG V40 news

September 13, 2018 — LG announces October 3 event for V40 launch, hints at five cameras

Following a good helping of leaks and rumors, LG’s now sent out press invites to an October 3 event in New York City where it’ll announce the LG V40 ThinQ.

The phone’s name and logo are both confirmed on the invite, and along with this, the “Take 5” tagline suggests that the phone will ship with a total of five cameras (something we’ve been expecting). Although the implementation of these cameras has yet to be confirmed, it’s believed that two will be on the front while the other three will reside on the back of the phone.

Stay tuned!

August 27, 2018 — V40 leaks again in more high-res renders and 360° design video

Just a few short days after the below renders leaked for the LG V40, OnLeaks and SlashLeaks teamed up to dish out even more renders of the phone.

We once again see the V40’s front and back, but these images also showcase the phone from a couple different angles. Along with the still images, there’s also a design video that gives us an even clearer look at the device.

No new details are revealed with these renders, but even so, it’s still fun to get another glimpse at LG’s next big flagship for the year.

August 22, 2018 — First LG V40 render appears with triple rear cameras and a notched display

After months of waiting, we’ve finally got our first look at the LG V40 thanks to a leaked press render from MySmartPrice.

As you can see from the photos, the V40 retains a lot of the V30 and V35’s design language while making a few big updates. The glass back and metal frame are staples from the past two V handsets, as is the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. There’s a large display on the front that likely uses an OLED panel, and similar to the G7 before it, the V40 also features a notch at the top. Inside that notch, you’ll find two front-facing cameras and an earpiece for phone calls.

The V40 also appears to be the first LG phone to come equipped with three cameras on the back. We’ve seen other OEMs such as Huawei mess with triple camera setups before, so it’ll be interesting to see LG’s implementation of this.

The LG V40 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and a third hardware button that’ll likely be used for opening up the Google Assistant.

A date of November 16 on the V40’s lock screen suggests that the phone’s just a couple months away, but this doesn’t line up with an earlier rumor claiming that the V40 would be released on October 5. As more details about this come out, we’ll let you know.

July 19, 2018 — LG to launch the V40 on October 5, reported to have a 90% screen-to-body ratio

A new report from ETNews recently broke, and if you weren’t already excited about the V40, this just may change your mind.

Following last month’s rumor of the V40 having a total of five cameras, ETNews says that three of these will be on the back of the phone and consist of 20MP primary, 16MP wide-angle, and 13MP telephoto sensors. The remaining two cameras will be on the front and allow for a 3D facial recognition system.

Speaking of the V40’s front, it’s said that we’ll be met with an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 90%. LG will apparently have a “different from the conventional” method for keeping bezels so small, suggesting that the company might have found an alternative solution to the notch.

Lastly, LG will reportedly announce the phone during IFA late next month and then begin sales on October 5.

June 26, 2018 — The V40 will reportedly have a total of five cameras, a notch in its display, and face unlock system

News dump alert! Our friends at Android Police recently spoke with a source that’s apparently familiar with the V40’s development, and as such, we’ve got some juicy new details about the phone.

First and foremost, it’s reported that the LG V40 will ship with a total of five cameras. We can’t say with 100% certainty how these will be positioned on the phone, but it’s likely we’ll get two on the front and three on the back. Speaking of cameras, LG’s working on a new face unlock system that could feature 3D mapping technology, not unlike the iPhone X’s Face ID.

Something else to take note of is the fact that the V40 is said to come with a notch in its display. LG will allow you to use software to hide the notch just like it does on the G7, but as expected, this is a trend you just can’t escape for the time being.

Other reported features are the Snapdragon 845, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a dedicated Google Assistant button next to the volume rocker.

May 2, 2018 —It’ll probably use an OLED display

Shortly after the G7 ThinQ was announced, LG confirmed something rather interesting — it only uses OLED screens for phones in its V series.

In other words, that’s about as close of a confirmation as we’ll get that the V40 will come equipped with an OLED panel. We don’t know what the resolution will be or if it’ll have a notch, but OLED is pretty much a guarantee at this point.

April 19, 2018 — “Storm” is the codename for the V40

Evan Blass shared on Twitter that the V40’s codename is “Storm.” This doesn’t provide much insight into specifics regarding the phone, but it is suggestive that LG’s flagship will be big and powerful.

Since there’s not much else to say about this, here are a few storm emojis 🌩🌪☔️

What specs can we expect?

Talk about the V40’s specs is still relatively quiet, but even so, we can make a few guesses about what it’ll come equipped with.

At the heart of the V40 will likely be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor. This has been the chipset of choice for most 2018 flagships, and as we’ve seen before, the 845 is a beast when it comes to performance, camera processing, battery life, and more.

Something else the V40 will likely carry is an OLED display. In May, LG confirmed that it reserves its OLED panels for entries in the V series. Unless something has radically changed since then, this is a sure bet that the V40 will be graced with an OLED screen.

Lastly, the V40 will come with at least two cameras on the back. We don’t know what kind of sensors will be used or what the aperture rating will be like, but similar to past LG flagships, we should get a primary lens with a regular focal length and a secondary, wide angle one.

When will the LG V40 be released?

On September 13, LG issued official press invites announcing that it’ll hold an event to unveil the V40 on October 3 in New York City.

It’s unclear how long it’ll take for the V40 to go up for purchase following the event, but we’re sure to learn more soon.

How much will it cost?

We have a pretty good idea as to when the V40 will be released, but what about its price?

Details on this are still few and far between, but to make an educated guess, let’s first look at past retail pricing for other entries in the V series.

• LG V10 — $600
• LG V20 — $830
• LG V30 — $800
• LG V30S — $930
• LG V35 — $900

LG’s been steadily increasing the price of its V phones with just about every release, and based on the most recent V30S and V35, I think it’s safe to say that the V40 will cost around $900 and possibly cross that $1000 threshold.

The V series has never been cheap and the V40 won’t be an exception to that rule.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors: Release date, specs, price, and features!

LG V30 + V30S ThinQ

• LG V30S hands-on: A 2017 phone with 2018’s buzzwords
• LG V30S specs
• LG V30 review: The no-BS flagship
• Top LG V30 camera features
• Full LG V30 specs
• Join our LG V30 forums

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Top tips and tricks for your Lenovo Smart Display

It’s called a Smart Display for a reason!

The Lenovo Smart Display is the first device that brings the power of Google Assistant to life with its own screen. That means it can do a lot of really cool things that other “smart” devices can’t.

Its beautiful design means you can place it anywhere, and you’ll find its right at home in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and everywhere else that you are right at home in. Here are some great tips that help you make the most of your Smart Display no matter where you use it.

Make a video call

The Lenovo Smart Display can use Google Duo to make high-quality video calls. Even when your hands are full, you can use your voice to call your friends or family members because Google Assistant is right there ready to help.

The Smart Display’s beautiful screen can be used in landscape or portrait during Duo calls, and you can make them to other Smart Display users or anyone with a smartphone who uses the Google Duo app.

Monitor and control your smart home

Google Assistant works with over 5,000 smart devices — including security systems and cameras.

With your Smart Display, you can not only control your lights and other smart things, you can see what a supported camera — like the Nest Cam — can see in real time. That makes it great for a baby monitor or to see what that noise in the garage was.

A smart ambient display

The Smart Display is best when its where you spend your time. That means it needs to look good all of the time, not just when it’s being used.

Several smart ambient display modes are available, including a Google Photos frame, a cycling art show, or a clock with the weather. You can bring everything right back to life with a quick “Hey Google!”, too. I like to use the ambient clock display, as my Smart Display is the perfect bedside alarm clock.

Enable night mode

Because you can place your Smart Display out in the open, it needs a way to quiet itself down from time to time.

Night Mode is set up through the Google Home app and it dims the display and lowers the volume on a set schedule. You can also enable it manually so your next movie night doesn’t get interrupted.

Digital recipe book

With your Smart Display in the kitchen, you’ll get all the information you need to fix your next great meal.

Just ask to see a recipe for whatever it is you’d like to cook and the Smart Display will show you a list of delicious dishes. Pick the one you like and you’ll get a complete walkthrough about how to fix and serve it, and it’s all done hands-free using voice commands. You can even watch a video to see the action if you like!

Set a routine

Routines are a set of actions the “play” automatically when you give your Smart Display a single command.

You already have a few preprogrammed routines — see them in the Google Home app — ready to customize, but the most fun way is to say “Hey Google, Good Morning!” and you’ll be walked through the complete setup. Routines can also use Voice Match so up to six different users can program their own routines.

Watch YouTube

Of course, you can watch Google’s own YouTube through the Smart Display’s bright screen!

You can search for videos or content creators, watch a specific channel, or just go to your TouTube home all wplentyice commands. We’ve got the whole write up to get you started.

How to watch YouTube videos on the Lenovo Smart Display

Your tricks?

We know planty of folks are enjoying their Smart Display and have some awesome tricks of their own. Be sure to share your favroites in the comments below!

See at Best Buy

Verizon now taking sign-ups for 5G Home service, costs $50/month

Available in Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

After years of talk, 5G connectivity is finally making its way to consumers at a steady pace. One of the first efforts comes from Verizon with its new 5G Home broadband service.

After signing up for Verizon 5G Home, you’ll get a modem/router for your home that’s able to pull in Verizon’s 5G network to power all of the devices. In other words, it essentially replaces your home Wi-Fi network. Speeds should average around 300Mbps, but Verizon notes that they can reach up to a whopping 1Gbps.

Your first three months of the service are free, and following that, Verizon wireless customers will pay $50/month while everyone else pays $70/month. In addition to that, Verizon’s offering everyone three free months of YouTube TV and your choice of an Apple TV 4K or Chromecast Ultra.

There aren’t any contracts to sign, and for this first batch of customers, Verizon’s offering free hardware upgrades for your first year.

Sign-ups for Verizon’s 5G Home are live now and the service will officially launch October 1 in Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

If you live in any of these areas, will you be signing up for Verizon 5G Home?

See at Verizon

The Wisenet SmartCam N1 and N2 security cams have advanced face recognition

No surprises.

Hanwha Techwin America announced this week two new security cameras: the Wisenet SmartCam N1 and the SmartCam N2. These are very similar cameras, but the N1 is a Sam’s Club exclusive and costs just $149.99. The N2 will be $50 more, available at a variety of retailers like Amazon, Crutchfield, and more, and add a couple features like “Abnormal Sound Detection,” which alerts you to glass breaking, babies crying, and other unusual noises.

Both cameras will be compatible with devices like the Echo Dot and Google Home Mini to add voice control. The cameras have a 130-degree field of view, 1080p resolutions, night vision, motion detection zones which focus on specific areas, and two-way talk so you can communicate with whomever you have detected. They also support the use of microSD cards up to 128GB, which is generous for a security camera.

The security cameras will come with access to the free SmartCam+ app, too. You’ll be able to use the app to stay connected to your home no matter where you are. You can access the cameras, create and schedule events, customize the notifications you receive, and more.

One of the big selling points for these security cams is the Facial Recognition feature. For one thing, you’ll be able to set the cameras to a “humans-only mode” so your phone doesn’t get pinged every time your cat switches positions. Plus, instead of getting hit with a motion detection notification for every single person the camera detects, you will be able to add recognized faces to an “Interested Group” list. That way the camera just notifies you when it detects strangers. Once on the interested face list, you can setup custom notifications for those people, so your phone will let you know when your kids come home from school.

These are just individual cameras, and you might need to buy more than one to cover the ground you want to cover. You could also look into larger systems like the cameras from Ring or the Netgear Arlo as a way to cover more territory in a single package.

See on Amazon

PUBG Mobile gets a new jungle-themed map in latest update!

The best shooter on Android just gets better and better.

Player Unknown’s Battleground (or PUBG for short) is a battle royale-style game that pits you against up to 99 other players in a heart-pounding survival scenario where you must scavenge for loot, explore the map and stay in the safe zone while taking out your competition. It’s a highly competitive game that offers game modes for Solo play, pairing up in Duo mode, or playing as a squad of four, and every playthrough will be unique in its own way.

Originally released in China, the mobile version is now available in North America and elsewhere around the world and, in short, the hype is real. Keep reading to learn more about one of the biggest games released for Android in years.

Download: Player Unknown’s Battleground (Free)

Update Sept. 13, 2018: Latest update serves up a brand new jungle map, Sanhok, and improves anti-cheating measures

The latest update for PUBG Mobile has officially rolled out and it includes some significant additions and improvements to the game. The biggest is the addition of a new map, Sanhok, which offers up jungle warfare with ancient temples and encampments to explore. With the new update you now have the option of downloading both Sanhok and the desert map Miramar in the game rather than including both pre-installed after the update. Here’s a peek at the new island map layout:

Where will you drop in #Sanhok? #airdrop4life pic.twitter.com/uzPoCQsoIh

— PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) September 9, 2018

Also included in the update is an ultra-rare flare gun which will let you call in an airdrop to your location. If you’re in the circle, you’ll get a typical airdrop filled with valuable supplies, but if you’re outside the safe zone the airdrop will deliver a bulletproof UAZ, one of two new vehicles being added to the game.

Along with these new equipment additions, the latest update also improves some of the anti-cheating measures that include improved recognition of cheating plug-ins and more report buttons for when you’re spectating and on the results page after your match has concluded.

You can check out the full patch notes here.

Update June 19, 2018: Major update adds first-person mode, Battle Pass Season 1, and a host of other cool features

The latest update to PUBG Mobile has introduced a slew of features that have made the best shooter for Android even better. You can find the full list of new features in the “What’s New” section of its Google Play Store listing, but I’ll highlight the most significant improvements to the game:

• First-person perspective: Many players have been clamoring for the developers to add a proper first-person mode to the game and it’s finally here. To play in first-person, you’ll need to tap the new drop-down option on the main menu that says “TPP” (third-person perspective) and select “FPP” (first-person perspective). Rather than including FPP as a customization in your personal settings, the developers have basically made it a separate gameplay mode so that you’ll only be playing against others using the same playing perspective as you are.

• Royale Pass Season 1: Royale Pass is a new feature for PUBG Mobile which allows players to rank-up during each season to unlock rewards that include player profile and unlocks new crates for customizing your character. There’s a free Royale Pass available to all players and the option to upgrade to an Elite Royale Pass ($10 in-app purchase). It borrows heavily from the Battle Pass found in Fortnite, and is surely intended to try and keep pace with it’s top competition. There are more (and better) rewards available for Elite Royale Pass players so it may be a compelling option for some.

• New UI improvements: Once you’ve jumped into a game you’ll notice a few key improvements to the user interface. For starters, there’s a dedicated slot for pistols now, which means you won’t automatically drop a pistol if you come across a better weapon, and allowing you to carry three guns at once and preserve your primary weapon ammo as needed. The update also introduces emotes, which are located in a new menu near the top of the screen. Emotes let you react to other players with physical gestures and even dance — although the best emotes must be unlocked as Royale Pass rewards. Also another example of PUBG Mobile “borrowing” from a feature already found in Fortnite, but I’ll allow it because it’s fun.

What makes PUBG Mobile stand out on Android?

We’ve all played mobile ports of a favorite PC or console game that try to take the look and feel of the full game and then oversimplify it for mobile or bog things down with in-app currencies and energy meters to temper your ability to just play the game. PUBG for Android is essentially the full game that you could buy for Steam or Xbox One, simply scaled down for mobile devices.

Unlike other mobile adaptations that offer a simplified version of a popular PC game, PUBG Mobile is the real deal optimized to be played on the go!

This would have been a golden opportunity to make this game pay-to-win with in-app purchases available to let you start with a kick-ass gun, but that would have also clearly broken the scavenger aspects of the game. You also have full access to use vehicles scattered around the map. Pretty much, if you’ve seen a streamer pull off some ridiculous stunt on the PC version, you can do it on the mobile version, too. This includes voice chat, which lets you talk with teammates or other players in your immediate vicinity, however not too many people make use of this feature, and in my experience, most of those that do are kind of annoying.

The fact this game has been released for free is just the icing on the cake. In-app purchases have been introduced for clothing and accessories via loot crates, but fortunately, it only affects cosmetic upgrades to your character, so players can’t just pay to win.

The mobile version automates a few things for you, which is highly appreciated.

One of the biggest things holding back mobile ports of first- or third-person shooters would be complaints about touch controls, but big props to the developers here for spending the time to not only offer really functional touch controls but for also including a bevy of settings to tweak things exactly the way you want.

I’ve found the controls to be pretty stellar right from the start, but I love that you’re able to really finetune look and movement sensitivity, re-map button locations, and ultimately find the right configuration for touch controls that work best for your play style.

The game has streamlined some of the more finicky mechanics, so you will automatically pick up ammo and accessories for your equipped weapons along with any other upgraded equipment, and by default the game will auto-open doors as you approach them, although that can be turned off in settings if you’d like to preserve the element of surprise. Another clutch feature you’ll use a lot is auto-sprint, which allows you to keep running in one direction while using the look button to scan your surroundings for enemies.

Frankly, I feel like third-person shooters like PUBG are perfectly suited for mobile, as you’re able to quickly scan around your surroundings while still moving towards your next target as opposed to first-person shooters where your viewpoint is locked. While there’s no formal controller support, people have managed to find a way to play the game with a keyboard and mouse which looks awkward as all hell and could be considered cheating, however, I really don’t buy into the argument that it’s a huge advantage.

Can my phone run PUBG?

If you’ve got a newer device that allows you to play this game at the highest graphics setting, DO IT. I’ve been playing this on a Galaxy S8 and it plays like an absolute dream at the top settings compared to the medium settings recommended for my Pixel XL.

Reddit users have reported this game running fine on low settings on a Samsung Note 3, so you should be able to get this game to play on practically any Android phone — but it really shines the brightest on the max settings.

What game modes are available?

There are three main game styles to choose from in PUBG Mobile — Solo, Duo, and Squad. Solo is just you versus the world, Duo lets you team up with a friend or an auto-matched teammate, and Squad has you teaming up with three others to try and take down the other 24 teams scattered through the map. Once you’ve decided whether you want to squad up or go lone wolf, you can choose between Classic and Arcade modes.

Classic mode is the full PUBG experience, from jumping out of the plane, following the safe circles, and outlasting 99 opponents until you’re the last man standing. These games can take upwards of 30 minutes to complete and offers up the full island complete with all the available weapons and equipment scattered randomly throughout the buildings.

Arcade mode is a condensed version of the game that was specially created for mobile gamers who may be looking for a more bite-sized chicken dinner. In this mode, you’re air-dropped into safe zone circle that cuts off most of the map from play with about a quarter the number of players as a Classic match. Within Arcade mode, there are two additional variants to choose from: Quick Match and Sniper Training.

Play through an epic 30-minute battle in Classic mode, or opt for a bite-sized, 8-minute match in Arcade mode.

Quick Matches are typically around 8 minutes and feature a random variation. You may play a game with all weapons available to you, or a game featuring only shotguns, melee weapons, or pistols. This requires you to adapt your strategies depending on the drop location and the game variation. Alternatively, Sniper Training is a snipers-only mode that’s great if you want to brush up on your long-range skills.

Which game mode you choose ultimately depends on your level of time commitment — if you’re down for a marathon session you can play a single Classic match for close to an hour sometimes. If you want a quicker game, the Arcade modes offer a different style of challenge that’s significantly condensed.

Is there cross-platform support like Fortnite?

Fortnite is the biggest competitor to PUBG, and while it’s not yet available for Android it is coming and it seems to be setting itself to carry over your Fortnite profile across multiple platforms. PUBG Mobile is a wholly different game than PUBG for PC or console, and so it’s a more insular community that requires you to log in via your Twitter or Facebook account.

Tips for surviving until the end

• Pick a smart landing spot: You can set yourself up for success or failure before you even jump out of the plane by taking the time to pick a strategic place start your game. You’ll ideally want to try and pick a spot that’s not too far off the flight path with a landing spot that’s near some structures where you’ll find weapons and gear. Typically 20 or so players will immediately jump out as soon as the option appears, so you’re best off waiting a bit to avoid getting caught up in an early round gunfight before you’ve acquired proper gear for yourself.

• Learn to master the look feature: The best way to get kills and win in PUBG Mobile is by getting the jump on your opponents. If you can spot an opponent way off in the distance before they can spot you, you can get off the first few shots and maybe snipe them before they have a chance to spot you. That’s why you need to become best friends with the look mode, which is the eyeball icon on the right-hand side of the screen. You can set your character to sprint towards the safe zone while using the look feature to scan the horizon for enemies. Master this technique along with the intelligent use of the map noise notifications and you should be able to get the jump on enemies.

• Get down and take cover: If you start getting shot at out of nowhere and you can’t immediately tell where the shooter is, you need to assess the situation fast and find cover. If you’re running through a grassy section, often your best bet is to go prone and crawl while using the look icon to try and get a read on where the shots are coming from. Alternatively, if there’s a shelter nearby, make a beeline for it and heal yourself before engaging with the enemy.

• Vehicles are almost unstoppable: There’s a number of reasons why it’s a smart idea to make use of vehicles in PUBG Mobile. The most obvious reason is if you’re well outside the safe zone and the circle is closing in on you a vehicle is often your only chance of survival. But cars and trucks can also be used as an effective weapon against other players. There’s no point in sticking to the roads in a game like this, and it can be pretty easy to catch players running through an open field. Hit them going full speed and it’s usually a one-hit kill. Of course, if you miss they will have a prime opportunity to shoot back — so don’t miss.

Is it worth playing?

Emphatically yes. This game is the real deal. If you’ve played PUBG on another platform, or have seen Twitch streamers playing the game and wanted to check it out, you can play PUBG on your Android for free. If you’re in the game, add me, mousemachine, and let’s go win some squad matches!

Download: Player Unknown’s Battleground (Free)

Updated Sept. 13, 2018: Added info on the new update.

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Hands-on with Windows 10’s new ‘Your Phone’ Android SMS features

SMS sync is now available in the Your Phone app, and we’ve gone hands-on with its new features.

Last week, Microsoft rolled out a second new feature to the Your Phone app on Windows 10 that further integrates your smartphone and PC. Now, Windows Insiders can test out SMS capabilities in addition to Photos sync, allowing you to send, receive, and read SMS conversations that you’re having on your Android phone in the Your Phone app.

It’s still a little rough

I’ve been giving the new SMS capabilities a go over the last several days, and my first impressions are somewhat mixed. I love the user interface in the Your Phone app. It uses columns, with the middle one showcasing all the conversations on your phone, and the far right one showing your selected conversation in full.

The app can sync all current SMS conversations from whatever SMS app you’re using on your phone, and even syncs your contacts so that you can start new conversations directly from the Your Phone app, too. The idea is that you shouldn’t ever have to pick up your phone to initiate or respond to SMS messages. I have noticed that contact photos don’t sync, however, meaning everyone has a blank profile picture in chat windows.

The actual syncing between your phone and PC could use some work. When you set up the SMS syncing for the first time, it works well, but soon after it begins to really slow down. I often find now that new SMS messages aren’t showing up in the Your Phone app at all unless I hit the manual “refresh” button to force the app to resync with my phone.

This also means that the app isn’t always automatically refreshing for new SMS messages, and as such I’m often not receiving popup notifications when using another app when an SMS comes in, making the SMS sync capabilities useless. The Your Phone app appears to stop functioning if the app itself closes, meaning you won’t receive popup notifications when a new SMS message comes in unless the Your Phone app is open.

You also can’t respond to messages directly from popup notifications, which is annoying. I’m not particularly satisfied with the overall speed of sending messages, either. It takes around five seconds, sometimes more, for a message to send. This is because it’s sending the message directly to your phone through Wi-Fi, and it’s just not fast. I shouldn’t have to press a manual refresh button to see new messages. It should just show up right when a new message hits my phone.

Not perfect but lots of potential

Your Phone is still in preview testing, so there’s plenty of time for Microsoft to fix these issues. I’d love for them to add contact profile photos and improve how the Your Phone app syncs and presents new messages. It also really needs to be faster if it’s going to be useful. Right now, the SMS syncing experience is rather frustrating.

Microsoft is expecting to roll out Your Phone to the public alongside the Windows 10 October 2018 Update in early October. So far, the app only works with Android phones, because Apple refuses to let third-parties access data like SMS conversations for syncing with the Your Phone app.

Have you tried Your Phone? Let us know in the comments.

TP-Link’s Smart Power Strip lets you control each outlet with your phone

Six smart plugs can’t plug into one outlet, but this power strip can.

Smart plugs are extremely useful pieces of tech that can actually change your daily habits. However, purchasing multiple plugs can be a costly task. Many of the smart plugs available even end up blocking the unused outlet above or beneath it which can be a huge hassle when you want to plug in multiple devices which sit near each other in your home. Luckily, TP-Link just introduced a product to alleviate these concerns: the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip.

This power strip features six smart outlets which can each be controlled independently just as you can control a smart plug, which makes it perfect to use with your home entertainment setup, home office, or kitchen appliances. With the free Kasa app for iOS and Android devices, you can turn on and off any of the outlets on the strip one by one and see whether you accidentally left them on while you’re away from home. There are three built-in USB ports as well which max out at 4 amps.

Using the app, you can set icons and a name for each outlet to remind you of what’s plugged into it. You can also set schedules for each outlet so it will turn on or off at a specific time each day.

TP-Link designed this power strip to function as a surge protector too. As such, it’s ETL certified to shield your electronics from power surges. It also offers voice control if you have a device with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana, such as the Amazon Echo Dot. Kasa claims HomeKit support is coming, though it hasn’t given a release window for it at this time.

If the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip has you interested, you can order yours now at B&H for $79.99. Though that seems like a pretty steep price for a power strip, just consider the price of a single smart plug by TP-Link which is generally $25 at least. Here you’re getting the power of six plugs and also three USB ports at a much more affordable price.

See at B&H

When You Can Pre-Order iPhone XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 in Every Time Zone

Pre-orders for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 will kick off on Friday, September 14 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, allowing customers to purchase one of Apple’s newly announced devices.

Apple is planning to make the new devices available in multiple countries around the world simultaneously, so we’ve created a list of when pre-orders will kick off all around the world.

• Australia West – 3:01 p.m. AWST
• Australia East – 6:01 p.m. AEDT
• Austria – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Belgium – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Canada West – 12:01 a.m. PDT
• Canada East – 3:01 a.m. EDT
• China – 3:01 p.m. CST
• Denmark – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Finland – 10:01 a.m. EEST
• France – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Germany – 9:01 a.m. CES
• Guernsey – 8:01 a.m. BST
• Hong Kong – 3:01 p.m. HKT
• Ireland – 8:01 a.m. IST
• Isle of Man – 8:01 a.m. BST
• Italy – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Japan – 4:01 p.m. JST
• Jersey – 8:01 a.m. BST
• Luxembourg – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Mexico – 2:01 a.m. CDT
• Netherlands – 9:01 a.m. CEST

• New Zealand – 8:01 p.m. NZDT
• Norway – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Portugal – 8:01 a.m. WEST
• Puerto Rico – 3:01 a.m. AST
• Saudi Arabia – 10:01 a.m. AST
• Singapore – 3:01 p.m. SGT
• Spain – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Sweden – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Switzerland – 9:01 a.m. CEST
• Taiwan – 3:01 p.m. CST
• UAE – 11:01 a.m GST
• United Kingdom – 8:01 a.m. BST
• United States West – 12:01 a.m. PDT
• United States Mountain – 1:01 a.m. MDT
• United States Central – 2:01 a.m. CDT
• United States East – 3:01 a.m. EDT
• US Virgin Islands – 3:01 a.m. AST

We haven’t listed every time zone for every country, such as in Canada, Russia, and the United States, so make sure to double check your specific time zone so you’re certain you know the exact time that pre-orders will kick off. A time zone converting website is a useful tool for confirming accurate pre-order times.

Rumors have not suggested that supplies of the iPhone XS and XS Max will be constrained, but it is always best to pre-order as soon as possible if you’re aiming to get a new device on launch day.

We also haven’t heard rumors about Apple Watch Series 4 supply, but given that this year introduces major changes like larger displays and ECG functionality, available supply could go quickly.

iPhone XS and XS Max pre-orders are available September 14 in first wave launch countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UAE, UK, US and US Virgin Islands.

Pre-orders for the cellular Apple Watch Series 4 models are available in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, UK and US.

Non-cellular Apple Watch Series 4 models are available for pre-order in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, UK, US and US Virgin Islands.

The first pre-orders for new iPhone and Apple Watch models will arrive on Friday, September 21, the official launch date for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4.

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