Eerste vouwbare telefoon is de Royole FlexPai

Niet Samsung, niet LG en ook niet Huawei is de eerste met een volledig vouwbare telefoon. Een kleine Amerikaanse start up gaat er met de eer vandoor. De Royole FlexPai is de eerste van vele vouwbare telefoons die we binnenkort mogen begroeten.

Persoonlijk kijken we enorm uit naar het tijdperk ‘vouwbare telefoons’. Niet omdat die onze levens nou enorm gaan veranderen maar omdat ze fabrikanten dwingen na te denken over toekomstige vormgevingen. Momenteel zit die, laten we eerlijk zijn, enorm op slot. En als we ergens een broertje dood aan hebben dan is het wel saai. De Royole FlexPai lijkt op een iPad mini die je in tweeën kunt vouwen. Het scherm meet 7,8 inch en je vouwt het scherm naar buiten toe waardoor hij altijd te zien zal zijn.

Echt loepzuiver is het scherm niet want over de volle 7,8 inch wordt een resolutie geprojecteerd van 1920 bij 1440 pixels. Dat levert een pixeldichtheid op van net iets meer dan 300. Het scherm is een flexibel AMOLED dat beschermd lijkt door een plastic laag. Omdat het altijd aan de buitenkant zit vermoeden we dat het wel eens snel kan gaan krassen. De FlexPai draait op een eigen OS genaamd Water OS maar is gebaseerd op Android 9.0 Pie. Android biedt momenteel (nog) geen ondersteuning voor smartphones met een dergelijke vormgeving. Om toch het maximale uit de interface te halen heeft Royole hem daarom zelf maar gemaakt.

Flinke prijs

In geopende toestand lijkt de Royole FlexPai nog het meest op een tablet, in gesloten toestand juist op een telefoon met dubbel scherm waarbij ieder scherm z’n eigen taak heeft. Er lijkt ook een nachtstand-modus te komen waarbij je hem half gevouwen naast je bed kunt neerzetten waarna een klok zichtbaar wordt. Qua processor is er gebruik gemaakt van een Snapdragon 8-serie van Qualcomm met 8 GB aan RAM en 128 of 256 GB aan opslaggeheugen. Er zijn twee camera’s van 16 en 20 megapixel met een maximale lensopening van f/1.8. Er is een batterij van maar liefst 3800 mAh om aan de hogere energievraag van het scherm te voldoen. De 128 GB variant moet een duizelingwekkende 1318 dollar kosten, omgerekend 1160 euro. Inclusief BTW is dat zelfs 1400 euro. Innovatie mag wat kosten. Echt slim is het trouwens niet om er ééntje te importeren; het toestel ondersteunt de 20 band niet die hier veel voor 4G gebruikt wordt. Mogelijk werkt hij hier dus niet lekker.

Apple Officially Obsoletes iPhone 5, Ending Repair Support

Apple has updated its vintage and obsolete products list to include the iPhone 5, six years after the smartphone’s launch.

The iPhone 5 is now classified by the company as vintage in the United States and Turkey, and obsolete in the rest of the world. The addition was spotted by Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

Apple defines vintage products as those that have not been manufactured for more than five but less than seven years. Macs and other products on the vintage and obsolete list are generally no longer eligible for hardware service.

The iPhone 5 introduced some major design changes to Apple’s smartphone lineup when it was announced in September 2012.

New features included a lighter aluminum-based body, a taller screen with a nearly 16:9 aspect ratio, LTE support, and Apple’s A6 system-on-chip.

The iPhone 5 was also the first Apple smartphone to include a Lightning port, replacing the 30-pin design used by previous iPhone models.

Tag: vintage and obsolete
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Twitter Adds Floating Compose Button and Tests Option to Switch Between Latest and Top Tweets

Twitter has added a new compose button to its official mobile app for iOS that’s designed for one-handed scrolling and tweet composing.

Located in the bottom right of the Twitter interface, the new floating icon can be tapped to start composing a tweet.

Meanwhile, a 3D Touch or long press gesture on the button causes three options to fan out in a radial menu that includes quick access to drafts, images/videos and the GIF gallery.

Elsewhere, Twitter has announced new tools for users to report spam. The standard Report Tweet options remain as usual, but flagging a suspicious or spam tweet offers the following additional options:

• The account tweeting this is fake.
• Includes a link to a potentially harmful, malicious, or phishing site.
• The hashtags included seem unrelated.
• Uses the reply function to spam.
• It’s something else.

In addition to the above, Twitter has started testing an option to quickly access a classic reverse chronological timeline, as promised back in September. The feature, currently only available to a small number of users, comes in the form new icon in the top right of the interface providing a shortcut to switch between the latest and “top” tweets in the feed.

Once the feature officially rolls out, it should allay user frustration with Twitter’s curated selection of tweets, which often includes a mishmash of relatively old tweets, ads, and tweets your friends like.

Tag: Twitter
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Spotify Grows to 87M Paid Subscribers and 191M Monthly Active Users

Spotify today reported its third quarter earnings for 2018, announcing that paid subscribers for its streaming music service have grown to 87 million and total monthly active users (including the free tier) now reach 191 million. This is an increase from 83 million paid subscribers and 180 million total users that Spotify had in July 2018.

In terms of year-over-year growth, paid subscriber numbers have grown 40 percent in comparison to 2017 and MAUs have grown 28 percent. Spotify touted its various multi-partner bundles as a big help to signing up new subscribers, which are also retaining users for longer and driving churn lower. The latest bundle includes Spotify, Hulu, and Showtime for $4.99/month for students.

Spotify is in an ongoing race with Apple Music to add more subscribers, and as of now Spotify is still winning in terms of paid subscribers. It’s been a while since we’ve heard news of updated Apple Music subscriber numbers, with the last count in April 2018 putting Apple’s service at 40 million paid subscribers. Apple Music does not have a free tier like Spotify, but counting users on the three-month free trial along with paid users, Apple’s service hit over 50 million subscribers in May 2018.

These numbers refer to global paid subscriber users, and in a report over the summer it was suggested that Apple Music is actually ahead of Spotify’s paid subscriber count in the United States. Both Apple Music and Spotify were said to have more than 20 million paid subscribers in the U.S. as of July 2018, and at the time Apple was “a hair ahead” of its rival.

Looking into the fourth quarter of 2018, Spotify expects paid subscribers to reach 93-96 million users, while monthly active users are predicted to break the 200 million user milestone and sit somewhere between 199-206 million users globally.

Tag: Spotify
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Apple in Talks to Buy Stake in U.S. Radio Group iHeartMedia

Apple has held talks with iHeartMedia to buy a stake in the U.S. radio company, according to a new Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter.

iHeartMedia is currently $20 billion in debt, with audiences gradually turning away from radio in favor of digital music services like Spotify and Pandora. The radio group filed for bankruptcy in March, and has been in contact with several potential investors ahead of a deadline later this month to file a reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court.

iHeartMedia is hoping Apple will take an equity stake worth millions of dollars, according to FT sources, although discussions between the two companies are still in the early stages and no deal has been agreed. Apple declined to comment, while iHeartMedia did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The report suggests Apple is angling for a deal in order to gain a platform for wider distribution of its Beats 1 radio station and increase awareness of Apple Music:

A partnership could see Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station, which is only available through its apps, make its debut on broadcast radio. Extra distribution would give Beats 1 and Apple Music greater awareness among older audiences who are later adopters of streaming services. A deal would also put the Apple station into more cars or kitchens.

Despite being billions of dollars in debt, iHeartMedia remains the largest radio broadcaster in the United States, with more than 850 stations operating across the story. One music industry executive who spoke to FT described the potential deal as a “power move” by Apple, as it aims to persuade more artists and labels to strike exclusive or early releases for its streaming service instead of its biggest rival, Spotify.

Apple Music surpassed 50 million subscribers and free trial users earlier this year, giving it a bigger share of listeners in the U.S. than Spotify, although Spotify is still the global leader with more than 80 million paying users around the world. Earlier this year, Apple acquired music recognition app Shazam for $400 million in order to improve Apple Music’s listening recommendations.

Tag: iHeartMedia
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Autonomous package-delivery robots are ready to steal your mailman’s job

Starship Technologies

The machines are here, and they’re going door to door in a neighborhood near you. Well, that’s if you live in the Bay Area in California or the city of Milton Keynes in the U.K. But don’t worry, this isn’t some Terminator-style robot army ready and willing to enslave humanity; these robots simply want to deliver packages for you.

Autonomous delivery robot manufacturer Starship Technologies claims this represents the world’s first commercial rollout of autonomous package-delivery robots in the world. An army of hundreds of wheeled delivery bots are due to commence delivering packages directly to customers’ front doors.

What makes Starship Technologies’ delivery robots interesting isn’t simply the fact that they make us feel like we’re living in the future. They also promise to cut down on package theft in cases where packages are left unattended. That’s because customers can use an app to say when and where they want their package delivered, and then keep an eye on the delivery robot’s progress in real time. Customers will pay as little as $10 per month for the service.

“We’re excited that, thanks to our technology, local communities across the globe will never miss a home delivery again,” said Lex Bayer, Starship’s CEO, in a statement. “Today, more than ever, people lead busy and diverse lives. The hassle of needing to rearrange your life for a delivery will become a thing of the past. No more having to switch your working-from-home day, reschedule meetings, visit a locker, drive to a post office, or contact a courier — all because of a missed delivery. Starship gets packages to consumers when and where they want them. This is the only service of its kind available in the world today, and it works around your lifestyle.”

This isn’t the first time Starship’s autonomous delivery bots will take to the street. The robots are already being used for deliveries in places like college campuses. Earlier this year, the company raised an additional $25 million, which its co-founder told Digital Trends would go toward expanding its fleet to more than 1,000 robots. The newly announced delivery service in San Francisco will commence before the end of the year; it has already kicked off in the U.K.

Although Starship is certainly on the cutting edge when it comes to this kind of technology, it’s not the only startup working in this space. In both Germany and Norway, the national postal services are busy introducing their own delivery robots, which will be delivering mail and packages to customers in the very near future.

Editors’ Recommendations

• In Norway, a robot will soon be delivering people’s mail
• From drones to pickup trucks, Workhorse CEO believes the future is electric
• Arlo’s A.I.-infused security cameras can recognize cars, pets, and packages
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• 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt first drive review

Who’s Bugdroid? Meet the cute mascot of Android

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Having a recognizable logo is important for a company’s branding. When you see the golden arches of McDonald’s M, Nike’s swoosh, or the Starbucks siren, you instantly know what they are. No further signage or explanation is required. Sometimes good logos go beyond simple recognition to convey something about the brand behind them, like Amazon’s logo with the arrow that goes from A to Z, signifying the fact it sells everything.

Before the operating system came along, android usually meant a robot with a human appearance or form, so it makes sense that Google’s Android logo is a friendly-looking green robot. But that friendliness and openness also conveys something about the platform, which was conceived as a path towards open standards for smartphone manufacturers and developers.

What is it called?

The Android mascot was never officially named. For a while the name Andy was associated with the logo — potentially referring to Android’s creator Andy Rubin — but we’re not sure where that came from. The Android team called it Bugdroid, and that name is as close as you’ll get to an official moniker.

When Google mentions Bugdroid, it still generally refers to it as the Android mascot.

Bugdroid goes viral

Who created the Android logo?

The Android logo was created by a designer called Irina Blok while she was working for Google. The idea was to create an open source logo for the developer community. The fact that it was open source, just like the Android platform, meant that anyone could create their own version of it, and they did.
Blok’s design was simple enough to become iconic, appealing to a much wider audience than the development community it was initially aimed at. She went on to work at Adobe, Apple, and Facebook among others.

After its release, the cute Android mascot began to pop up everywhere with all manner of strange makeovers, including ninjas, pirates, and even cats. One of the smartest artworks depicted the Android mascot taking a bite out of the famous Apple logo. Because Google didn’t claim any ownership or try to push design rules or restrictions, the mascot has appeared in countless forms across the world.

Bugdroid quickly spread to t-shirts and keychains. The mascot craze even gave rise to plastic and plush collectibles with endless versions. Google eventually launched Androidify, giving you the chance to design your very own version of the Android mascot that looks just like you.

Now more than a decade old, Bugdroid is still going strong and continues to serve as the instantly recognizable face of the Android platform. Every new version has a Bugdroid to match, and Google has a lawn on its Mountain View campus dedicated to previous Android version Bugdroid statues. Google also celebrated 10 years with a special Android Jetpack browser game that challenges you to navigate the mascot through the air collecting sweet treats and avoiding bugs.

We have no idea what Android Q will be called, but we’re sure the Android mascot will be front and center when it’s unveiled.

Editors’ Recommendations

• From Android 1.0 to Android 9.0, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade
• Android 8.0 Oreo operating system is now on 19 percent of active devices
• How to root Android phones or tablets (and unroot them)
• How to turn off notifications in Android
• Dude, where’s my car? Check out the best Android Auto apps

Twitter tests homescreen button that offers more control of your timeline

Twitter said last month that it wanted to give its community more control over the app’s timeline. Recent changes include giving access to the reverse-chronological timeline that the company ditched in 2016, a move that at the time annoyed many of its users.

Currently, you need to dig into Twitter’s settings to switch between the reverse-chronological timeline and the alternative that includes things like “best tweets first,” recommended tweets, and “in case you missed it” posts. But now Twitter is testing a single button on the timeline to make switching a whole lot easier.

Sometimes you want to see the latest Tweets, first. We’re testing a way for you to make it easier to switch your timeline between the latest and top Tweets. Starting today, a small number of you will see this test on iOS. pic.twitter.com/7NHLDUjrIv

— Twitter (@Twitter) October 31, 2018

With the non-chronological timeline, Twitter “timelines” are hardly worthy of the name, with the list of tweets a result of various algorithms picking out posts that you’ll apparently find a whole lot more interesting than those appearing on the old-style timeline.

Enough users have evidently been putting in complaints over the last couple of years, prompting Twitter to start offering both types of timeline, and Wednesday’s news reveals that the company is focusing on the idea that you might want to flip between the two from time to time.

“We’ve learned that when showing the best tweets first, people find Twitter more relevant and useful. However, we’ve heard feedback from people who at times prefer to see the most recent tweets,” the San Francisco-based company said last month.

During the testing phase, the button is only appearing for select users, but should Twitter deem it a success, we can expect to see it roll out to the entire community before long.

If you’re a Twitter user that isn’t part of the test group but you’d like to view the reverse-chronological timeline, then you can do so by tapping on your profile picture, then on “settings and privacy,” and then “content preferences.” After that, simply toggle the button beside “show the best tweets first.”

Whether you’re new to Twitter or a long-time user, Digital Trends has some top tips on how to use the microblogging service like a pro.

Editors’ Recommendations

• A lot less clutter! Twitter relaunches purely chronological timeline
• Twitter makes it easier to find and watch live broadcasts
• From deal to dumpster fire: A MoviePass timeline
• Not just for photographers anymore, Loupedeck+ now supports Adobe Premiere Pro
• Gaming laptops with Nvidia’s flagship RTX cards could arrive by CES 2019

VPN Unlimited review – lost in the crowd

VPN Unlimited is a premium VPN service by KeepSolid, a company that sells a variety of safety and security products to protect your online activity. VPN Unlimited is also one of the very few VPNs to offer a lifetime subscription plan.

How does it perform? Is the lifetime subscription worth it? Find out in our VPN Unlimited review!

Getting started

Getting started with VPN Unlimited is similar to other VPNs — quite simple. All you need to do is sign up with an email address and password. A confirmation email is then sent to the email address you’ve provided. Click or tap on the link in that email and you’re good to go.

You can also sign up automatically using your Facebook or Google credentials. It seems like an option privacy buffs will shy away from, especially given Facebook’s track record.

Payment and pricing

VPN Unlimited’s subscription plans start at $9.99 per month. This isn’t the cheapest monthly plan available, but it’s far from the most expensive. As usual, significant discounts come into play with long-term subscriptions. The annual plan costs $59.99 ($5 per month) and a three-year plan will set you back $99 ($2.78 per month).

If you choose not to pay during the signup process, you can log in to the dashboard — called KeepSolid Cabinet — and find short-term options like 7 days ($4.99 per week) and 3 months ($18.99). You can also subscribe to one of the other online security products the company has available on this page.

It’s extremely rare for a premium VPN service to offer a lifetime subscription, but VPN Unlimited sells one for $199.99. This is definitely an enticing and affordable option if you are absolutely sure about sticking with VPN Unlimited for the foreseeable future.

Before committing to a lifetime or any shorter subscription plan, VPN Unlimited offers a seven-day trial followed by a seven-day no questions money back guarantee. The free trial doesn’t appear to be explicitly mentioned anywhere, but I was able to clear up my confusion by contacting a very helpful customer service. Basically, as soon as you sign up and log in to an app, the free trial period begins.

Payment options include credit and debit cards, Paypal, Bitcoin, and Amazon Pay. You can also find regional pay wallets like Alipay and more by clicking on “More options.”

Setup and settings

VPN Unlimited’s easy to install apps are available for Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS, Linux, and Windows Phone. You can also find useful guides to manually install the VPN on Wi-Fi routers and streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Android TV.

VPN Unlimited definitely goes beyond the standard as far supported platforms and devices are concerned. We will be taking a closer look at the Windows and Android apps in this review.

Windows

Note: While working on this review, the VPN Unlimited Windows app was updated to version 5.0 (from v4.25). This upgrade introduced some aesthetic changes to the UI that brought the Windows app more in line with the mobile apps. However, the settings and features remain the same.

After logging in to the Windows app, you are greeted by a static map with points showing the various server locations around the world and your current location. Unlike other VPNs that use a map interface, you can’t interact with the VPN Unlimited map at all though. A large “Start” button lets you connect to a server. Optimal (the server closest to you) is selected by default.

Clicking on the server button will bring up the full list that is sorted alphabetically. Unfortunately, there are no other sorting criteria. Additional tabs help in that regard. “Recommended” lists servers that are close to you and with lower loads. The “Favorites” tab will list any you’ve chosen once you figure out which servers work the best for you. Simply click on the server you want to connect to.

Finally, there is a “Streaming” tab showing all the servers with access to streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. There have been a few reports about unblocked streaming not working particularly well with VPN Unlimited. I didn’t run into any issues during my testing, however. If you run into problems, simply disconnecting and reconnecting to the same location may help.

VPN Unlimited has over 400 servers in more than 70 locations and 50 countries around the world. Legal torrenting is allowed, and you can do so by connecting to one of just 5 of the seventy locations. While many VPN companies sell their product based on their torrent-friendly nature, this is obviously not a priority or even a recommended usage with VPN Unlimited.

The Settings menu pops up by tapping on the menu icon at the top left corner of the app. It was previously a more accessible tab, but the interface certainly looks a lot cleaner and more refined now, without getting too complicated. The Settings menu is also divided into tabs. The “Account” page shows you subscription details, lets you change the password, and enable password protection for the app.

The “Settings” section is where you can change the VPN protocol, enable the network kill switch, add trusted networks to a whitelist, and choose system startup behavior. The “Information” tab gives you more info about the VPN service and has a feedback section. Finally, the “Support” section has a useful list of FAQs and the option to contact customer service.

Android

The Android and Windows apps have become more alike after a recent update. The mobile app also has the static map and a button to connect to a preset server. Tapping on the server location tab brings up the full list of servers, sorted, and divided into the same tabs as seen above.

The server list holds a little more information though. You can see the server load on the Android app, and whether a server is torrent-friendly is more obvious. The server load info was available with the older Windows version, but seems to no longer be available following the update.

Settings can be accessed via the hamburger menu. The Settings page has all the options mentioned above. Everything is on a single page though, instead of being spread across various sections and tabs. As it’s a mobile app, you can also add fingerprint protection for the VPN app (instead of just password protection).

Security and privacy

VPN Unlimited comes with a lot of security and privacy features. Most of these options are available on other competing services and are generally what you’d expect from a good VPN service, like DNS leak protection, a VPN kill switch, and the best encryption protocols.

A highlight of the security features is KeepSolid Wise. KeepSolid has developed a special “stealth technology” protocol to make using a VPN extremely hard to detect and block. If you are on a network or in a region where VPN services are actively targeted or blocked, using the KeepSolid Wise TCP/UDP protocols are an excellent way to hide your VPN connection.

Not as exciting on the privacy front, KeepSolid is based in the U.S., which may be concerning since many privacy buffs are wary of using VPN services based in a Five Eyes country. The logging caveats mentioned in KeepSolid’s privacy policy don’t help either. The good news is that there’s zero activity logging.

Logged info includes the total amount of web traffic per session and session dates, but only for showing them in the account dashboard. KeepSolid also logs info like the connection attempt time, the connection and encryption type, and the device type. It is mentioned this information is collected strictly for technical purposes like system and user experience improvements. This may not be a deal breaker for some, but many, like me, certainly prefer a VPN with a zero logging policy.

We tested for IP leaks, WebRTC detection, and DNS leaks using ipleak.net and found no issues. However, there were DNS leaks when the “Stop DNS Leaks” option in the settings was disabled. That seems kind of obvious, and it is enabled by default. It is definitely worth confirming again though since there are leaks when the setting is turned off.

Speed

VPN Unlimited isn’t the fastest VPN I’ve tested, but it isn’t bad either. There’s around a 50 percent drop when connected to servers closest to me, going to a nearly 80 percent drop when connected to locations in the U.S. However, the speed was still good enough to get everything done, including streaming video on Netflix without much buffering.

If there’s one major complaint about the speed, it is with regards to its consistency. The speeds you see above are generally what you can expect, but I sometimes saw speeds fluctuate between an amazing 10 percent drop to a surprising 90 percent drop within minutes without changing servers or locations. I had to check a few times whether my connection was at fault because of how all over the place the speed tests results were.

Strangely, the “optimal” server (Pune, India) often offered the slowest speeds, despite being the location closest to me. Picking another server location in India (Bangalore) offered almost four times the speed. Again, these are average, since there were times when the optimal server was quite fast.

While it’s nice to have a “quick connect” option of sorts with the Optimal server, things will certainly get easier once you figure out the servers that work best for you and have them saved in your “Favorites” list.

• PureVPN
• IPVanish
• StrongVPN

Key features

• Allows up to five concurrent connections. Additional slots for devices can be bought starting $0.99 per month for one device and going up to $5.99 per month for five additional devices. Significant discounts are available with long-term purchases (annual and lifetime).
• You can also boost your speed and security by getting a Static IP (plans start at $12.50 per month) or a Personal Server (plans start at $18.33 per month or $499.99 lifetime).
• Over 400 servers in more than 70 locations (50 countries) around the world.
• Torrenting works well enough. Not enough server support though. Remember to respect your country’s copyright laws. We do not condone or encourage any illegal activities.
• Useful security features like network kill switch, DNS leak protection, and more.
• One of the few premium services to offer a seven-day trial as well as a seven-day no questions asked money back guarantee.
• Excellent customer service! A live chat is available during a certain part of the day (not 24/7) but queries after hours are handled via email. Customer service is extremely quick to respond, both on the live chat and via email.

Final thoughts – Is VPN Unlimited worth buying?

VPN Unlimited doesn’t really do enough to make it stand out from the crowd. SaferVPN also keeps connection logs and offers even fewer torrent-friendly servers (just one), but makes up for it with incredible speeds.

VPN Unlimited comes with a lot of interesting security and privacy add-ons. However, a VPN like NordVPN takes security to another level. Being based in the U.S. is always going to make privacy buffs shy away, but services like StrongVPN and IPVanish alleviate some of that concern with their zero logging policies. Finally, having access to streaming sites are great, but most other premium VPNs offer the same.

If one thing is quite enticing about VPN Unlimited, it’s the lifetime subscription plan for $199.99 (and often discounted to $149.99). This makes it one of the most affordable VPN services around, at least in the longterm.

VPN Unlimited is not bad by any stretch, but there a few red flags make it difficult to recommend. However, your experience could be entirely different from mine. Especially if you live in North America or Europe, where the bulk of VPN Unlimited’s servers are located. Luckily, you can take advantage of the seven-day trial or seven-day no questions asked money back guarantee and find out risk free. If it suits your needs, that lifetime plan is certainly unbeatable.

We’ll be bringing you even more quick review looks at some of the best VPN services in the weeks and months to come. If there is a particular VPN you would like us to review, do let us know in the comments section below!

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• SaferVPN

October was a smartphone smorgasbord. Here are all the new releases you missed

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

October is usually the spookiest month, but it wasn’t the decorative cobwebs or our co-workers’ pre-coffee faces that terrified us this year — it was the scary amount of mobile handsets released by manufacturers around the world. Almost every major smartphone company dedicated themselves to an October release, leading to a jaw-dropping number of new phones in a short period of time. No one will blame you if you missed a couple, so if you’re worried a phone slipped under your radar, or if you’re looking for a recap, we’ve put together this list of all the phones (in no particular order) released and revealed in “Techtober.”

iPhone XR

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The iPhone XR was announced at Apple’s September iPhone event, but it’s one of the biggest phones to release in October. The iPhone XR plays second fiddle to the iPhone XS and XS Max, but it’s the iPhone most people should buy thanks to its $750 price tag. It’s equipped with the same incredibly powerful A12 Bionic processor as the other two phones, a battery that can last as long as its big brothers, and wireless charging support. But where the iPhone XR stands out is its collection of vibrant color options we can’t stop admiring.

The XR is only equipped with a single-lens camera on the back, but it’s not a downgrade. While some users may yearn for the 2x optical zoom telephoto lens on the XS and XS Max, the camera still performs extremely well. In fact, in our Portrait Mode test, the iPhone XR came out on top over the iPhone XS. But the spotlight feature again is the iPhone XR’s price, — you’re getting a lot for less.

Read more

iPhone XR review

Honor 8X

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

It’s not just flagship phones that saw the light of day in Techtober — Huawei sub-brand Honor also made sure to get an early offering in with the budget Honor 8X. Honor’s latest budget phone comes with a sleek glass body and a bezel-less design that’s reminiscent of the newest iPhones. A small notch at the top of the screen houses the front-facing camera, and the dual-lens cameras on the back produces solid photos — though the results are not always consistent.

It’s powered by the Kirin 710 processor, which provides more than enough grunt for most day-to-day tasks. Mobile gaming shouldn’t be too much of a problem thanks to the incorporation of the GPU Turbo mode that supercharges gaming performance. That’s joined by face unlock, and a large 3,750mAh battery. The inclusion of a MicroUSB port is a disappointment these days, but forgivable given the phone’s other successes.

Read more

Honor 8X hands-on review

LG V40 ThinQ

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

LG wasn’t taking no for an answer this year, and the October release of the LG V40 ThinQ marked its fourth flagship release of the year. LG pulled out all the stops for this phone, as the V40 ThinQ rocks an incredible five camera lenses spread across the front and back of the phone. There are three lenses on the back, with the primary lens being joined by a wide-angle and  telephoto lenses. It’s undoubtedly the most versatile phone camera LG has ever offered, and it was a joy to play with. However, consistency between the lenses was missing, and there was a clear difference in low-light performance depending on which lens was currently in use. Still, it was a solid improvement over the LG G7 ThinQ.

The phone is smooth and sleek, with a beautiful glass design that feels great in the hand. There’s a huge 6.4-inch OLED display running a super-sharp 3,120 x 1,440 pixel resolution. You’ll also find a notch at the top of the display — a trend we saw many manufacturers play with throughout October. This year’s powerful “flagchip” — the Snapdragon 845 — powers the phone, along with 6GB of RAM, and a 3,300mAh battery that lasted a day — but likely no more. It’s a solid phone, but one we hesitate to recommend at its initial $900 asking price.

Read more

LG V40 ThinQ review

Nokia 7.1

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

October also introduced us to the impressive midrange Nokia 7.1. It’s a great-looking phone that incorporates a lot of top-level flagship trends, including an edge-to-edge design and a notched screen. The sizable chin at the bottom looks a bit dorky, but it’s still an impressive look for a phone that costs $350. The 5.84-inch LCD display runs a 2,280 x 1,080 pixel resolution with HDR10 support, and it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 processor. Performance is relatively snappy, and there’s plenty of storage with a MicroSD expansion slot.

You’ll find two camera lenses around the back of the phone, and a single selfie lens at the front. Photos are solid, and it comes with support for Nokia’s “Bothie” mode — where a picture is taken with both cameras at once. There’s even a portrait mode available. The battery is decently sized, coming in at 3,060mAh. Nokia also claims the USB-C fast charging will see the phone recover 50 percent battery in just 30 minutes — but we’ve yet to test it. All in all, the Nokia 7.1 is an extremely solid midrange phone with a lot of features you wouldn’t expect to see on a $350 phone. It’s worth a look if you’re phone shopping on a budget.

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Nokia 7.1 hands-on review

Sony Xperia XZ3

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Sony isn’t one to be left behind — it also released a flagship phone in October, revitalizing the XZ range with the new Xperia XZ3. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll find some similar-looking specs here — the Snapdragon 845 is back again, alongside 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage — and it sports a similarly high level of performance compared to other flagship Android phones released this year. The design is nice too, with slimmed-down bezels that help this large phone feel smaller. However, that sleek design also makes it slippery — and the fingerprint sensor is poorly placed.

The huge 6-inch OLED display is definitely a high point of the phone, and it runs a crisp 2,880 x 1,440 resolution with HDR10 support and some wonderful customization tools. It’s easily on par with the other top phones of the year in terms of the display. Unfortunately, that polish doesn’t extend to other parts of the phone, and the single-lens camera on the back of the phone was a letdown, with poor performance in lower lights and a sluggish camera app. You’ll find Android 9.0 Pie on here, which is nice, but with a price of $900, you might find it hard to justify buying it over the competition.

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Sony Xperia XZ3 review

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

October is Google’s traditional stomping ground, and 2018 was no different. Just when we were thinking we’d had enough phones this month, along came Google with two new devices. Despite two different designs, almost everything else is similar between the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, minus screen size and battery. The Snapdragon 845 is joined by super-smooth, almost-stock Android software. Both phones keep to Pixel tradition too, eschewing multiple camera lenses for just a single lens on the back that provides absolutely incredible shots in a variety of different lighting and scenarios. Google did, however, sprinkle in a little more with an extra-wide-angle lens on the front, joining the primary selfie snapper.

A big part of the Pixel 3 range’s success in photography and performance lies in Google’s embrace of A.I. optimization. Artificial intelligence now handles a huge swath of operations on the Pixel 3, from identifying the perfect shot to answering suspected spam calls with Call Screen. Battery capacity is on the lower side for both phones, and you’ll likely be looking to juice up later in the day regardless of which one you pick. However, it’s probably our biggest gripe with these phones (outside of the Pixel 3 XL’s notch), and these two phones are among of the best Android phones you’ll find this year.

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Pixel 3 review | Pixel 3 XL review

Razer Phone 2

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The rise of “gaming” phones has been something to behold. This series of phones with top specs are optimized toward mobile gaming, and usually come with gamer-friendly designs — i.e., RGB lights and sharp angles . The original Razer Phone all but kicked the trend off last year. So we were excited to see the upgraded Razer Phone 2 arrive with its angular design and newly added RGB-lit logo.

It packs the usual tech upgrades and high numbers you’d hope for in a gaming phone — the Snapdragon 845 and 8GB of RAM — and it provided spectacular gaming performance in every game we threw at it. The incredible 120Hz Ultramotion display has to be seen to be believed, and the extra smoothness really cements the top-level gaming performance. Like the previous year’s Razer Phone, the speakers were stupendously loud and clear, while the 4,000mAh battery offers more than enough juice for long gaming sessions. But it’s not all good. Despite improvements, the Razer Phone 2’s camera is still mediocre, and there’s no Android 9.0 Pie yet. It’s also seen a slight price increase to $800. But Razer has its fans, and the Razer Phone 2 could still do well.

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Razer Phone 2 review

Samsung Galaxy A9

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Galaxy A9 is Samsung’s first stab at reinvigorating its midrange entrants in a Huawei-dominated market — and it’s an interesting prospect for sure. The most obvious addition is the sheer amount of camera lenses. Like the LG V40 ThinQ, there’s five in total — but the A9 squeezes four of them onto the back. It’s a world’s first for this amount of lenses on a phone, and it seems utterly bonkers. It leads to an exceptionally versatile camera though, and one well worth playing around with. The design has slim bezels and smooth curves — but it’s the range of colors that really catches the eye.

You’ll find Samsung’s own user interface here, laid over Android 8.0 Oreo. Performance is solid thanks to the Snapdragon 660 processor, and while it won’t be showcasing flagship speed, it’ll be fast enough for most people. The large 3,800mAh should also easily last a day — and there’s fast USB-C charging. The real sticking point is the price. At 550 British pounds, the A9 costs over $700 U.S. — which isn’t really mid-range pricing to us.

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Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 hands-on review

Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, and Porsche Design Huawei Mate 20 RS

As is now fairly usual behavior, Huawei saw what everyone else was doing this month and dialed things up to 11. October saw not one, not two, but four new phones from Huawei — all of them entries in the Mate 20 range. Huawei’s new, exceptionally powerful and A.I.-boosted Kirin 980 processoe powers each of these four phones, and there are also three camera lenses on the back of each — consisting of a primary lens, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto zoom lens. Each also runs the latest EMUI 9.0 software, running over Android 9.0 Pie. But while they all share that in common, there are small differences that make each phone special.

The Mate 20 comes with a huge 6.53-inch LCD display, complete with a small “dewdrop” notch that’s easily one of the best notch implementations we’ve seen yet. The camera suite consists of a primary 12-megapixel lens, a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto zoom lens. The Mate 20 Pro is clearly the super-premium model though, with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display complete with in-display fingerprint scanner, and a triple-camera system that consists of a stupendous 40-megapixel primary lens, a 20-megapixel wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel zoom lens. The Pro does come with a more usual screen notch though, thanks to its advanced face-unlocking tech.

The Mate 20 X is the bizarre middle child. It’s equipped with the same specs as the other phones, but it packs a titanic 7.2-inch screen. Huawei has touted it as being a phone for Nintendo Switch-level mobile gaming. Finally, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 20 RS continues Huawei’s partnership with Porsche, squeezing the Mate 20 Pro’s specs into a luxurious glass-and-leather frame. There’s far more to talk about on each of these phones than we can feasibly cover here — but suffice to say that Huawei may have released a few of the best flagship phones of the year, all in the same month.

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Huawei Mate 20 hands-on review | Huawei Mate 20 Pro hands-on review | Huawei Mate 20 X hands-on review | Porsche Design Huawei Mate 20 RS hands-on review

Palm (2018)

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

One of October’s weirdest releases was Palm’s attempt at making a non-phone. That is, a replacement phone that reduces your normal phone usage by … being a normal phone. In essence, the Palm is designed to be an alternative device to your main phone that you can pick up and use whenever you want to be less tied to your phone. Notifications are sent to the Palm from your usual phone through Verizon’s NumberShare feature, and it’ll get all the same notifications on Android 8.1 Oreo. The twist is that the Palm’s screen doesn’t light up when notifications arrive — which Palm believes will cut down on people being obsessed with their phone. It’s certainly an odd product angle, and one that our own senior writer Andy Boxall was quick to comment on. At $350, it’s a tough sell — especially when iPhone interactivity is limited, and many Do Not Disturb modes on smartphones fulfill the same niche.

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Palm (2018) hands-on review

Asus ROG Phone

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Razer isn’t the only company to pump out a gaming phone this October. Republic of Gamers — the gaming arm of tech giant Asus — finally released its highly anticipated gaming phone, the Asus ROG Phone. Like most other gaming phones, the Asus ROG Phone comes with some spectacular hardware — in particular, our old friend the Snapdragon 845. However, Asus has reportedly overclocked the 845’s clock speed to 2.96Ghz, exceeding the usual 2.8GHz speed. Squeezing the phone’s sides will activate X Mode, which shuffles active processes over to the fastest cores, boosting gaming performance. It comes with a glass-and-metal build, and a design that’s clearly meant to appeal to gamers. There’s also a massive 4,000mAh battery that will power those gaming marathons. We’re still working on our Asus ROG Phone review, but we’ll have our impressions up soon.

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Asus ROG Phone

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3

Xiaomi isn’t a newcomer to the mobile scene by any means, but the Chinese company is redoubling its efforts in global marketplaces, and the announcement of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is likely to be pivotal for its success there. We’re used to high-powered flagships, but Xiaomi is pushing the Mi Mix 3 as something else entirely. The familiar Snapdragon 845 makes an appearance, but it’s joined by a ludicrous 10GB of RAM — a first for a smartphone. It’s also going to be capable of accessing 5G networks when it launches, making this a very futuristic phone.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. The Mi Mix 3 also comes with an exceptionally bezel-free appearance too, and Xiaomi boasts about a 93.4-percent screen-to-body ratio, which it achieved with a pop-up camera design similar to the Oppo Find X. Unlike the mechanical Find X, the Mi Mix 3’s camera is physically pushed up, and has been relentlessly designed to feel comfortable. There’s a dual-lens camera on the back, complete with “bokeh” background blur effects. While we’re not sure if this phone will reach the U.S., it may release in global markets eventually. It costs around $475 in China.

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 news

RED Hydrogen One

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you’re looking for a phone like no other, then the RED Hydrogen One could well be one of the most unique phones we’ve ever reviewed — but it has severe drawbacks. It’s certainly a different-looking phone, even when compared to some of the more unique-looking gaming phones we’ve reviewed this year. The RED Hydrogen One resembles RED’s camera gear, with Kevlar panels, grippy protrusions, and chunky bezels that house front-facing speakers. The really important bit is the screen though. It supports (according to RED) “better-than-3D” content, thanks to the 4-view display. It’s a truly impressive-looking spectacle when you see your first 3D image on the screen — but its novelty wears off fairly quickly, and it’s fairly close to just being a gimmick.

Weirdly, you’ll find last year’s Snapdragon 835 here, and the phone oddly stutters a little. The 4,500mAh battery is excellent though, and it can easily last two days on normal usage. The camera supports taking images in the display’s “4-View” mode, but it’s otherwise average. “Average” is certainly not a word to want to hear when you look at the price. The RED Hydrogen One starts from $1,295, with the price rising to $1,595 for the model with a titanium build. That’s a lot of cash.

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RED Hydrogen One review

OnePlus 6T

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

OnePlus releases a new phone twice a year — but if you think that means it’s slacking off, then the OnePlus 6T is proof is isn’t. As befits OnePlus’ reputation, the OnePlus 6T is packed with all the top hardware you expect from the “flagship killer.” The Snapdragon 845 makes yet another appearance, along with at least 6GB of RAM and a 3,700mAh battery. The dual-lens camera from the OnePlus 6 returns, but the software has been tweaked to provide better performance.

You’ll find most of the OnePlus 6T’s advances on the exterior though, and the design is one of the most striking. The OnePlus 6’s chunky notch has been replaced by a dewdrop-style notch, similar to the one seen on the Huawei Mate 20. But what’s missing is just as notable as what has been added — the fingerprint scanner that used to sit below the camera on the back has disappeared completely. Instead, OnePlus has added an in-display fingerprint scanner, so you’ll now be able to unlock your phone by pressing your finger to the fingerprint icon on your screen. Also, this is the first OnePlus phone available from a carrier in the U.S. (T-Mobile), and it also finally supports Verizon’s network.

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OnePlus 6T review

ZTE Blade Max View and ZTE Blade Max 2s

Did you think the OnePlus 6T would be the last phone announced in October 2018? ZTE hasn’t had much action this year, so it sneaked a couple in before October closed. The ZTE Blade Max View and Max 2s are two budget phones in the sub-$200 bracket that aim to provide great value for money. Both come equipped with a 6-inch LCD display that runs a more-than-respectable 2,160 x 1,080 resolution. There’s an undisclosed Qualcomm Snapdragon chip powering each, but you’ll find slightly more RAM on the more powerful Max View, as well as a dual-lens camera setup.

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ZTE Blade Max View and Blade Max 2s news

Editors’ Recommendations

• OnePlus 6T: Absolutely everything you need to know
• Best smartphones of 2018
• OnePlus 6T review
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• LG V40 ThinQ vs. LG G7 ThinQ: Which LG flagship is right for you?