Nokia 7.1 Plus appears in more renders

The phone will be known as the Nokia X7 in China.

Although its phones may not be that well-known in the States, Nokia’s been kicking out a heap of low-to-mid-range smartphones this year that have been absolutely killing it. Following up on devices such as the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus, we now have a lot of details regarding the company’s next product — the Nokia 7.1 Plus.

The Nokia 7.1 Plus is expected to be the next most powerful handset for the above two phones, and in China, it’ll be referred to as the Nokia X7. As you can see from the picture above, the phone has a notched display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and a resolution that’ll likely come in at 1080 x 2280 Full HD+.

Glass and metal are the materials of choice for the Nokia 7.1 Plus’s construction, and around back, you’ll find a Zeiss-branded dual camera system and rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 is expected to power the phone, there will be up to 6GB RAM, as much as 128GB of storage, and Android 9 Pie out of the box with Android One.

There’s currently no word on when the Nokia 7.1 Plus will be released, but in regards to pricing, it should come in under Rs. 25,000 in India.

Nokia 6.1 2018 review: Delivering value in simplicity

Updated September 21, 2018: Added new renders of the Nokia 7.1 Plus from @OnLeaks.

Android Central’s guide to U.S. prepaid wireless plans

Sick of committing to annual contracts? Enjoy the flexibility of a prepaid wireless plan.

The days of being locked into a lengthy wireless contract are over, as there is a plethora of prepaid options that allow you to pay for your phone service on a month-to-month basis. We’ve taken the liberty of breaking down the top prepaid wireless options for you in this handy guide.

Check your coverage

One of the first things you should consider when deciding on a prepaid carrier is the coverage provided in your area. Prepaid carriers often have a smaller coverage map than postpaid carriers because of their limited roaming agreements, so it’s good to re-check your area, even if you’ve used the carrier before. Here are the coverage maps for the carriers we will be looking at:

• MetroPCS — Map
• AT&T Prepaid — Map (make sure to check the Prepaid map)
• Boost Mobile — Map
• T-Mobile Prepaid — Map
• Mint Mobile — Map
• Straight Talk — Map (requires Zip Code, and preferred phone/carrier)
• Cricket Wireless — Map
• Virgin Mobile — Map
• Simple Mobile — Map
• GoSmart Mobile — Map
• Project Fi — Map

MetroPCS

MetroPCS uses T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and LTE network, as it is owned entirely by the larger carrier. You have the option to purchase a phone through MetroPCS, or bring your own device that’s compatible with the T-Mobile network.

Price

Plan pricing is based on how much high-speed data (LTE) you think you’ll use on a monthly basis. There are no annual contracts, and taxes and fees are included in the price.

• 2GB of high-speed data — $30/month
• 5GB of high-speed data — $40/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $50/month
• Unlimited LTE + 10GB hotspot — $60/month

All plans come with unlimited talk, text, data, Wi-Fi calling, caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, and Data Maximizer, a feature that helps optimize your high-speed data usage when streaming videos.

Music Unlimited is included on $40 and higher-rate plans, which allows you to stream from over 40 streaming music services including Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and more, without dipping into your monthly high-speed data allotment.

Note that once you’ve burned through your allotted LTE data, you’ll notice your data speeds fall to 2G.

How to reload

Log into the MetroPCS website to make a payment or set up Auto Pay. You also have the option to pay in person at a MetroPCS store.

AT&T Prepaid

AT&T’s prepaid option lets you choose from a selection of phones specifically for their prepaid plans, or you can purchase a prepaid SIM card kit if you’d prefer to bring your own device.

Price

AT&T prepaid plans include unlimited talk and text in the U.S., as well as unlimited messaging to Mexico, Canada, and over 100 countries. For data, AT&T offers several types of prepaid plans:

• Pay-as-you-go ($5 per 250MB) LTE data — $30/month
• 1GB of LTE, with rollover data — $35/month
• 8GB of LTE, with rollover data — $50/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $65/month
• Unlimited LTE + 10GB hotspot — $85/month

The 8GB and unlimited LTE plans also include unlimited talk and text within and between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and allow you to use your high-speed data allotment from your plan when in Mexico or Canada. You can also save $5 per month on any plan by signing up for Auto Refill.

You can also pay $2 per day for unlimited nationwide talk and text or pay $0.25 per minute and $0.20 per text message. Data is available at $2 per MB (based on their stated $0.01 per 5KB rate), or you can add on a data package that gives you 100MB for an extra $1 a day.

How to reload

Pay online via myAT&T using a credit/debit card or eCheck, buy a Refill card (available online, at AT&T wireless stores, and at more than 200,000 retail locations), or call 611 anytime from your phone (or 1-800-901-9878) and follow the prompts for Refill.

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile uses Sprint’s nationwide LTE network. You have the option of buying a phone through Boost or bringing your own Sprint-compatible device.

Price

Boost Mobile offers four types of monthly prepaid phone plans featuring LTE high-speed data. Once your plan’s data allotment has been reached, speeds are reduced to 2G for the remainder of the plan cycle.

• 3GB of LTE + hotspot — $35/month
• Unlimited LTE + 8GB hotspot — $50/month
• Unlimited LTE + 20GB hotspot — $60/month
• Unlimited LTE + 40GB hotspot — $80/month

Boost’s unlimited plans come in different tiers; the $50 plan reduces media streaming quality with unlimited LTE everywhere else, whereas the $60 and $80 plans offer up to 1080p streaming. The Ultimate Unlimited plan included for $80 also includes bonuses like TIDAL Premium and international calling and texting.

All plans come with unlimited domestic talk and text (available even if you haven’t paid for up to 60 days), unlimited music streaming with select music partners, call waiting, voicemail, 3-way calling, as well as the ability to turn your phone into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.

How to reload

Pay online via My Account on the Boost Mobile site or sign up for Auto Re-Boost. Pay by phone by dialing #-A-D-D (#-2-3-3) and following the prompts to pay with your credit, debit, or Re-Boost card, text ADD and the pin on the back of your Re-Boost card to 7225 (ex. ADD 12345678912345), or text “PAY,” the dollar amount, and the last four digits of the credit or debit card associated with the account to 7225 (ex. PAY 50 1234).

Alternatively, you can pay in-store at any Boost Mobile location.

T-Mobile Prepaid

T-Mobile’s prepaid service gives you access to T-Mobile’s nationwide network without signing up for an annual contract. You have the option to buy a prepaid T-Mobile phone, or bring your own device for only the cost of the SIM card.

Price

T-Mobile offers prepaid plans for individuals and families, as well as a pay-as-you-go option.

Individual plans include:

• 4GB of LTE + hotspot — $45/month
• 10GB of LTE + hotspot — $50/month
• Unlimited LTE + unlimited 3G hotspot — $60/month
• Unlimited LTE + unlimited 3G hotspot + 5GB data in Mexico and Canada — $70/month

All plans include unlimited talk, text, and data on T-Mobile’s nationwide LTE network, with data speeds slowing to 2G upon reaching your monthly data allotment.

The only difference between T-Mobile’s $60 and $70 unlimited plans is your data speeds when internationally roaming. The former offers unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada, but only at 2G speeds, whereas the latter offers 5GB of LTE.

If you’d rather pay as you go, T-Mobile offers a plan that starts at $3/month for any combination of 30 minutes of talk or 30 texts, with options to add a high-speed data pass with daily ($5/day for up to 500MB of LTE data) and weekly ($10/week for up to 1GB of LTE data).

How to reload

To reload your account online, go to T-Mobile’s website, either through one-time payments or by setting up recurring payments. You can also call -A-D-D (-2-3-3) from your T-Mobile phone to reload your account via credit, checking account or T-Mobile Refill card. Refill cards are available to be purchased online or in-store at a T-Mobile location.

Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile is a T-Mobile subsidiary owned by Ultra that sells its plans in multi-month bundles. You can buy a phone from Mint or bring your own T-Mobile-compatible or unlocked GSM phone.

Price

All of Mint’s plans include a 7-day money back guarantee, along with unlimited talk, text, and 2G data, international calls to Mexico and Canada, and mobile hotspot.

• 2GB of LTE per month — $45/3 months
• 5GB of LTE per month — $60/3 months
• 10GB of LTE per month — $75/3 months
• 2GB of LTE per month — $108/6 months
• 5GB of LTE per month — $144/6 months
• 10GB of LTE per month — $180/6 months
• 2GB of LTE per month — $180/12 months
• 5GB of LTE per month — $240/12 months
• 10GB of LTE per month — $300/12 months

If you try out one of the 3 month plans and decide to stick with Mint, you can retain the introductory pricing by buying a whole year at a time — otherwise, there’s a slight price increase.

How to reload

Sign into your Mint Mobile account online or download the Mint app on Android or iOS to renew your plan manually or set up automatic re-ups.

Straight Talk

Straight Talk is a prepaid carrier that doesn’t rely on just one wireless network to provide services to it’s customers. It purchases the right to use other the towers of the four major carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.

Straight Talk offers prepaid phones for purchase, and also lets you bring your own device. But just because it offers service from four carriers, that doesn’t mean you get access to all four at the same time — you get to choose between T-Mobile or AT&T if you bring your own phone, or Straight Talk may choose the right carrier based on your location when you buy a phone from it.

Price

Straight Talk has five tiers of wireless plans available for your smartphone starting as low as a dollar a day, as well as extended plans up to a one-year unlimited plan for $495.

• 100MB of data, 1500 minutes of nationwide talk, unlimited texting — $30/month
• 2GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text — $35/month
• 10GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text — $45/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $55/month
• 10GB of LTE + international talk and text — $60/month
• 3-Month Extended Plan: Unlimited talk, text, and data (10GB of high-speed data) for 90 days — $130
• 6-Month Extended Plan: Unlimited talk, text, and data (10GB of high-speed data) for 180 days — $255
• 12-Month Extended Plan: Unlimited talk, text, and data (10GB of high-speed data) for 365 days — $495

How to reload

Go to the Straight Talk site to reload your account via service card, setting up recurring automatic payments, or downloading the Straight Talk My Account app for Android or iOS.

Cricket Wireless

After being acquired by AT&T, Cricket Wireless has supported devices that use AT&T’s HSPA+ and LTE network. You can purchase a phone from Cricket, or BYOD.

Price

Cricket Wireless offers five plan levels, from talk and text to unlimited data.

• Talk & Text: Unlimited nationwide talk and text — $25/month
• 2GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text — $30/month
• 5GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text — $40/month
• Unlimited data at up to 3Mbps — $55/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $60/month

Any plans starting at $40 are eligible for a Group Save Discount when you add additional lines to your account. Save $10 when adding a second line, $20 off your third line, $30 off your fourth line, and $40 off your fifth line for a total eligible savings of $100.

Receive a $5 credit on your monthly bill by signing up for Auto Pay (not available with the Group Save Discount).

Cricket’s unlimited data plans include unlimited texts to 37 countries, as well as unlimited calls, texts, and data to and from Canada and Mexico — though Canada usage can’t exceed 50% of your overall usage for the month.

There’s also a bunch of add-on features available for each plan.

How to reload

Log in to My Account on the Cricket Wireless site to pay your bill or sign up for Auto Pay, or download the My Cricket app for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile uses Sprint’s CDMA and LTE networks. You have the option of buying a phone through Virgin or bringing your own Sprint-compatible device.

Price

All of Virgin Mobile’s plans are no-contract and offer unlimited talk, text, and 2G data, along with the LTE data you pay for. You also get access to Virgin’s Member Benefits, including discounts on food and merchandise.

• 5GB of LTE — $35/month
• 10GB of LTE — $45/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $60/month

Virgin’s plans don’t include mobile hotspot by default, but you can add it for $3 a day (500MB), $5 a month (1GB), or $10 a month (2GB). You can also add international calling to your plan for $5 a month — unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico, and unlimited worldwide texting.

How to reload

You can top up your Virgin Mobile account by buying a Virgin Mobile Top-Up card and entering it along with your Virgin Mobile number online, or simply pay online with your credit/debit Card or PayPal.

Verizon

Verizon’s prepaid option gives you full-access to Verizon’s nationwide network without locking you into a lengthy contract. You have the option of buying a prepaid phone from Verizon or BYOD.

Price

Verizon offers monthly smartphone plans, featuring no annual contract, no activation fee, and no credit checks.

• 500MB with data rollover — $30/month
• 3GB with data rollover $40/month
• 7GB with data rollover — $50month
• 10GB with data rollover — $60/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $75/month

Verizon’s prepaid plans all include unlimited talk and text, but it’s important to note that they don’t fall back to 2G when you run out of LTE data. On the bright side, every plan includes mobile hotspot and unlimited international texting to 200 countries, and the 10GB and unlimited data plans include unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada.

How to reload

Reload your Verizon account online, buy refill cards, or pay in-store at a Verizon Wireless location.

Simple Mobile

Simple Mobile uses T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and LTE network and offers options to purchase a new phone or bring your own T-Mobile- or AT&T-compatible GSM phone.

Price

Simple Mobile offers five prepaid plans, which all feature no contract or credit check, unlimited talk and text, unlimited international texting, international calling to 68 countries, and roaming to 16 Latin American countries.

• 1GB of up to LTE speeds + hotspot — $25/month
• 2GB of up to LTE speeds + hotspot — $30/month
• 6GB of up to LTE speeds + hotspot — $40/month
• Unlimited LTE data — $50/month
• Unlimited LTE + 10GB hotspot — $60/month

How to reload

ReUp through the Simple Mobile website via credit card or pin. You also have the option to pay in advance with Stash, allowing you to add money to your plan when you have it, so you don’t have to worry about re-upping when your service runs out.

Project Fi

Google’s first foray as a wireless carrier only charges you for the data you actually use. Sounds great, huh? The only unfortunate bit is that the service is currently limited to to a handful of Google-approved devices. You can bring your own phone if you already have one of the approved devices, or you can buy one from Project Fi with some attractive pricing incentives and financing options.

Price

Project Fi’s pricing is fairly flexible and straightforward. For $20 per month, you get unlimited domestic talk and text, unlimited international texts, mobile hotspot, and coverage in 170+ countries.

You pay for data as you use it. Featuring LTE speeds, you set your own custom data budget at $10 for every GB of data you use — but you’re refunded if you don’t reach that limit, measured down to the MB. Once you’ve hit past 6GB, you’re no longer charged for the extra data, but you may get slowed down for the month after exceeding 15GB.

In addition, you can add up to 5 people to your plan for $15 each, though the threshold to reach unlimited data increases with each user, and you all pull from the same collective data bucket.

How to reload

Everything is controlled through the Project Fi app and website.

Updated September 2018: This guide has been completely revamped for 2018. Enjoy your bargain-hunting!

Awair 2nd Edition review: Number 2, but in a good way

Air quality readings so detailed that they just may scare you into holding your breath — or doing something about it.

I checked out the Awair Glow a while back and loved its double duty as air quality monitor and smart plug. I was then asked more recently to review the Awair 2nd Edition — it’s the second iteration of the main Awair air quality monitor, and I figured I better give the bigger, better device a go. Plus, I wanted to know just how dusty my bedroom was.

Awair 2nd Edition

Price: $199

Bottom line: It tells you everything you need to know about your air quality, right down to the tiniest dust particle.

See at Amazon

The Good

• Looks great
• In-depth air quality measurements
• Excellent app
• Very easy setup

The Bad

• Temperature reading is usually a little high
• Internal fan gets kind of loud

Awair 2nd Edition What I like

The aesthetic of the Awair 2nd Edition hasn’t really changed at all from its predecessor, and that’s totally fine. It looks great — a dark wood cabinet with an off-white front and a minimalist LED display that shows readings and the time. I love that you knock twice on the top of the Awair to change the display from readings to the time. It’s simple, and it has a satisfying wood note, like a marimba.

I also love the way the Awair 2nd Edition functions. It appears to be more accurate than its Glow counterpart, and the addition of dust measurements in the 2nd Edition is huge for me, especially since I’m quite allergic. It can be kind of worrisome seeing a red indicator and an overall reading below 60 first thing in the morning, after the door’s been closed all night, but seeing bad readings ignites the desire to do something about the air.

Awair has made me care about my home’s air quality.

That’s probably the best part about the Awair line: I’ve actually started caring about the air quality in my house. Granted, it’s a double-edged sword: I’m probably a little too conscious of it now. But the suggestions in the app are practical and have helped. My wife and I went out and bought houseplant, I keep the windows open more often, and I’ve started vacuuming every week and not “leaving it ’til next week.”

In the app, you can also switch between air quality preferences, so you can set it to general, or view ratings for allergy sufferers, sleep, productivity, or babies. For example, if carbon dioxide is too high, then you’ll get a lower overall score if you have it set to monitor for productivity.

Awair 2nd Edition What I don’t like

It can be quite loud. There’s a fan that sucks in air to analyze, and I understand that it’s necessary, but it’s woken me up in the dead of night. I am, admittedly, a very light sleeper, but the noise is reminiscent of a distant car passing outside your window. It’s nowhere near as loud as an oscillating floor fan, but it’s noticeable.

Seeing a bad air reading day after day can get frustrating — even if it’s our own fault.

Integration with Google Assistant is kind of hit and miss. I linked up my Awair account, and you’re supposed to be able to say, “OK, Google, ask Awair about my air quality,” but whether or not I get a real response is kind of hit or miss. More often than not I get, “It looks like your Awair account is not linked yet.” But it totally is. Whether that’s Awair’s fault or Google’s, though, I’m not certain.

Now, this is just the nature of the beast, but sometimes having a constant air quality reading can just be a bit tedious. We, of course, choose to have these devices in our homes, but after a full week of 59 across the board, there’s almost an “Ugh, what the hell do you want me to do?!” feeling. Things should be interesting when winter hits and my windows don’t open until spring.

Awair 2nd Edition

If you want a full picture of your home air quality, then it doesn’t get much better than Awair. For $199, I feel like it’s a tad pricey, but if air quality is important to you, then it’s worth it. The app gives you great suggestions, a full reading, and the option to connect other devices that can trigger based on certain scenarios. For example, turn on the dehumidifier when humidity reaches X.

4.5
out of 5

The Awair 2nd Edition may lack a smart plug like its Glow brethren, but what it lacks in smart home control it makes up for in the addition of dust measurement, as well as seemingly accurate (I mean, how can I really know?) overall readings, and an excellent interface, both on the physical device and in the app.

See at Amazon

YouTube Music gets audio quality controls!

YouTube Music is here — and it’s packing the biggest music library in the world.

YouTube is one of the most-viewed websites on the planet, and by far the most popular video platform today, so it’s no surprise that millions upon millions of users turn to it every day for music. It’s the default platform for music videos — especially viral music videos like This is America and Girls Like You — and it’s also a place to find just about any song, remix, mashup, or fan cover you could ever want. Whether you’re looking for lyrics to a song before karaoke night, music to sleep to, or a new remix to play at your next party, YouTube has what you’re looking for.

Now, YouTube is ready to make another run at a music app built upon their video empire with YouTube Music. It’s a music app with a truly unique interface, an unparalleled selection, and more than a few kinks to work out, but YouTube Music is here to stay and here to compete.

The latest YouTube Music news

September 21, 2018 — Audio quality controls roll out to Android and iOS apps

YouTube Music has been waiting on a number of features, and none more impatiently as audio quality controls. YouTube Music has an amazing selection, but until now it’s been stuck at 128kbps. Today, YouTube Music has pushed out audio quality controls to both the Android and iOS apps, seemingly as a server-side update as they appeared without an app update in the YouTube Music app on my Galaxy S9+. There are audio quality settings in three places:

• General: Audio quality on mobile network — Low, Normal, High, Always High
• General: Audio quality on Wi-Fi — Low, Normal, High, Always High
• Downloads: Audio quality — Low, Normal, High

“If you stream at Normal quality, you are getting 128kbps AAC as your bitrate. For premium subscribers, we offer High quality which is 256kbps AAC. If you have flaky network connectivity or want to save data, you can switch to low quality which is 48kbps HE-AAC. 256kbps AAC is equivalent in audio quality to the 320kbps CBR mp3 that we had for GPM, but it uses less data. Right now we don’t have any plans for audio quality higher than 256kbps. Our deals would require us to charge more to stream FLAC, so at this point we are focused on improving performance rather than supporting lossless streaming.” — YouTube Music Product Manager Brandon Bilinski

Read more answers from the YouTube Music Q&A

September 20, 2018 — YouTube Music Product Team holding Q&A on September 21st

YouTube Music pledged to bi-weekly updates back at the beginning of August and more transparency, but 6 weeks out and very little seems to have changed. There are still tons of questions swirling around the revamped music service, and to help assuage concerns the YouTube Music Product Team is holding a Q&A session Friday morning at 9:30AM PT.

You can submit your questions for the team right now on the event thread of the official YouTube Music Help forum. There have already been a flurry of questions posted, especially around the migration of Google Play Music to YouTube, Android Auto support and library sort options, which are two features that the YouTube Music team said were coming “in the next few months” back in July.

Go ask a question for the YouTube Music team to answer

August 29, 2018 — YouTube Music Premium expands to 4 more countries

As the YouTube Music Premium rollout continues, it’s now been confirmed that the service is available in four additional countries. Specifically, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands!

Similar to other parts of Europe where YouTube Music Premium is available, the service costs €9.99/month and 99 kroner/month in Denmark.

August 1, 2018 — YouTube Music plans bi-weekly update schedule, reconfirms some coming features

YouTube Music has a lot of bugs to fix and features to add before it can begin to truly compete with Spotify or begin migrating Google Play Music subscribers over, and while those updates will take time, we at least have something of a timetable for when YouTube Music will be receiving updates.

YouTube Music product manager Elias Roman tells Engaget that the service plans to push out updates for the service every two weeks. Among the changes Roman confirmed:

• An album sorting option beyond recently added
• A drop-down menu option to filter out musicians you follow on YouTube Music from the main YouTube Subscriptions feed
• Low/medium/high audio quality settings for streaming and downloads (coming in a few weeks)

Roman was also quoted as saying that “We are not focused on exclusives. We don’t believe exclusives are good for the industry or good for consumers.” This makes sense for YouTube Music given that everything available on YouTube Music is available on the main YouTube app to both paid and free users, which would make exclusives available to everyone.

July 17, 2018 — Google promises Android Auto support, better sound quality, SD card support, and more with future updates

There are plenty of areas in which Google can improve YouTube Music, and thanks to the team behind the app, we now have a short list of features to expect in future updates.

Over on the YouTube Music Help forum on Google Support, the YouTube Music team says that the following features will be available in no particular order over the coming months:

• Better audio quality, and ability to select the quality for downloading and streaming
• Sonos support
• Android Auto support
• SD card support for Android
• More obvious shuffle vs. play-in-order options for playlists

It’s unclear when exactly all of this will be available, but the option to save downloaded songs to an SD card is rolling out now.

June 18, 2018 — YouTube Music is coming to 12 new countries and becoming available to all inside the original “Early Access” countries

YouTube has opened up YouTube Music to 12 new countries , as well as ending its awkward and often confusing “Early Access” period and making the service available to everyone in its original five countries.

This brings the number of countries YouTube Music serves up to 17 — Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States — and with the new YouTube Music also comes the new YouTube Premium pricing system.

May 23, 2018 — Your locally owned songs from Google Play Music will transfer over to YouTube Music… eventually

Google wants all of its Play Music subscribers to migrate over to YouTube Music at some point in 2019, and to help make that process as seamless as possible, the company’s confirmed that some of Play Music’s best features will be coming to the new YouTube Music — the biggest of which is a music locker for storing copies of song you locally own.

This news was recently confirmed by Google to The Verge, with the Head of YouTube Music saying on Twitter that “Your collection, playlists and preferences from Google Play Music will be preserved at migrated to YouTube music for a soft landing.”

In addition to having a place to store music you already own, YouTube Music will eventually allow you to buy new songs that you can add to your collection.

May 22, 2018 — The new YouTube Music is officially here!

Just like we expected, YouTube Music’s new app and desktop site officially started rolling out on May 22. Google says the new look is currently in “early access” and is gradually becoming available for folks in the U.S., Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

To access YouTube Music, you can download the app from the Play Store or hit up the desktop site at music.youtube.com. If you’re not seeing the changes quite yet, be sure to check back frequently to know when you’ve been graced with Google’s good wishes.

All the big details

The service starts at $9.99/month — but no one should pay that

There’s no real sugar-coating it: using YouTube Music as a free user on Android is bad. There are ads every three to six songs, and you can’t leave the Now Playing screen, so it hogs your screen and your battery. YouTube Music is worlds better when you unlock its paid features. YouTube Premium is absolutely worth paying for.

YouTube Music Premium, however, is not.

For the love of Duarte, buy YouTube Premium instead of YouTube Music Premium

Where is YouTube Music Premium available?

If you’re still interested in checking out YouTubeMusic Premium, the service is currently available in the following countries:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Russia
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• United States

What’s happening to Google Play Music? Where’s my likes and playlists?

Google wants all of its Play Music subscribers to migrate over to YouTube Music at some point in 2019. That means YouTube Music will be adding most of Google Play Music’s tentpole features — the biggest of which is Google Play Music’s free 50,000 song music locker.

What does YouTube Music mean for Google Play Music

That said, Google Play Music and YouTube Music’s libraries and catalogs at the moment are completely disconnected and there’s quite a bit that has to happen before that can change. The library migration is a long ways off, but in the meantime, Play Music users get two music apps to play with instead of one. So which one should you use?

YouTube Music vs. Google Play Music: Which should you use?

A mixtape full of promise

YouTube Music is built on a gold mine. YouTube is not only the most used video platform in the world, it might be the biggest catalog of professional, semi-professional, and amateur music available in the world. This isn’t the first time Google has tried to capitalize on this, but this time is different. YouTube’s music team has finally gotten its act together and made us all a mixtape full of promises.

But can it follow through on them?

YouTube Music review: A mixtape full of promise

Getting started

YouTube Music is an adjustment from traditional music services — especially because it is based around video rather than audio — but thanks to the Google’s search prowess and downright uncanny predictions and recommendations, getting used to Google’s newest music service should be as painless as possible. And since it’s built around years of your YouTube history, YouTube Music already knows you better than you think.

Getting started with YouTube Music

Going offline

Networks fail. Your plane says it’s going to have Wi-Fi, but nope. You get stuck in the car with your parents in the middle of nowhere, and you’re outside cell range, and the radio stations are nothing but static and muffled AM country. Having music to listen to when you offline is important, and when the music service you’re using is based around video — which eats data like nobody’s business — how you save your music for offline playback is even more important.

How to download music for offline playback in YouTube Music

What is it missing?

YouTube Music is a brand-new service — albeit one built on an old app of the same name — and like most things that are shiny, new, and different, there are a lot of bugs to be worked out. There are a lot features that are still missing — from basic audio quality settings to more complicated endeavours like gapless playback and library management — and we’ve got a handy list of what’s missing and when we could maybe see some of it.

On that note — YouTube Music’s library does not include every video on YouTube, nor does it include every song and album on Google Play Music right now.

What YouTube Music still needs

Making the most of things

YouTube Music is “Early Access” right now, which means the service is essentially a beta and it is definitely buggy. While time and updates will fix some of those bugs, there are some things you can do to make the most of its current state.

6 tips and tricks for using YouTube Music

Also, even if you’ve never used YouTube Music before, it has years and years of your YouTube history to work off of. That means that YouTube Music could already have a good idea what you like, or it could have things completely wrong because you’ve mostly used YouTube to pull up music when your nieces are over or you’re hosting a party for your country-obsessed friends. Here’s how to help YouTube help you with better suggestions.

How to improve YouTube Music recommendations

Can it dethrone Spotify?

Spotify has spent the last decade building up a loyal user base, building algorithms that few companies can even begin to touch, and building up a reputation as the best brand in streaming music. YouTube, however, is one of the most used sites on the internet, period, a selection you can’t find anywhere else — a selection that will be absolutely unbeatable in the future — and Google is bringing its best algorithmic game with YouTube Music.

It’s still early days, but YouTube Music will be enough to dethrone Spotify soon?

YouTube Music vs. Spotify

Updated August 2018: Added a new section for where YouTube Premium is available.

Google reveals new Daydream controllers for Lenovo Mirage Solo

All Daydream owners can also run any Android app/game in VR.

Google’s Daydream VR offers one of the best mobile virtual reality experiences around, and today, a few big improvements for the platform were announced to take it even further throughout 2018 and beyond.

First up, Google has some cool stuff coming for the Lenovo Mirage Solo — the first standalone Daydream headset. The Mirage Solo is capable of six degrees of freedom tracking (6DoF), meaning Daydream accounts for your motion up, down, left, right, forwards, and backward. To take advantage of all that tracking, Google’s created new 6DoF controllers.

The controllers use optical tracking to follow your movements, meaning there’s no need for external cameras or sensors of any kind. It’s possible we’ll see a consumer version of this announced at Google’s October 9 event, but for the time being, they’re only being offered to developers.

Sticking with the Mirage Solo, Google also announced a new See-Through Mode. Using Google’s WorldSense technology, See-Through Mode allows you to see everything in front of you in real-time even with the headset on. Along with the basic convenience this should bring, See-Through Mode also allows for powerful AR experiences — such as adding virtual furniture in your living room to see how it’ll look.

Last but certainly not least, all Daydream devices can run standalone Android apps and games starting today. Apps are run in a big-screen mode rather than in full 360 VR, but even so, it’s a great addition that gives users a lot more VR experiences right out of the box.

Lenovo Mirage Solo review: Two steps forward, one step back

Don’t make this mistake when preordering your Echo Plus or Show

Double check your order before checking out!

Amazon has announced a bunch of new devices and you can already pick some of them up at a discount if you bundle them. One of the deals is the inclusion of a free Philips Hue smart bulb when you purchase an Echo Plus or Echo Show, but it doesn’t just happen automatically. On the product page for each of them is three different listings, one for just the device, one bundled with other hardware, and one that says “with free smart bulb”. The Philips Hue bulb will only come included with orders placed using that listing, as it’s actually a different product as far as Amazon’s concerned.

• Pre-order an Echo Plus with free Philips Hue Bulb
• Pre-order an Echo Show with free Philips Hue Bulb

Clicking the links above will take you directly to the listing that you want to purchase, but if you somehow get mixed up and land up somewhere else, you’ll want to verify during checkout that your cart shows the inclusion of the free bulb. If you already hopped on the pre-order train and clicked the wrong listing, all hope is not lost. You can place an order for the correct bundle and then cancel your original one without any harm. Amazon doesn’t charge your credit card for anything until the order actually ships, so you won’t need to worry about extra money being held so that you can make the switch.

If you have friends or family that are looking to purchase either of these refreshed devices, be sure to share this tip with them. Both the Echo Plus and Echo Show allow you to connect smart home gadgets (like the bulb) right to it without the need of a separate hub, which saves you even more money in the long run. These discounts won’t last forever, and the products are scheduled to begin shipping on October 11.

Wireless earbuds, robotic vacuums, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Eufy’s robotic vacuum cleaner, microfiber towels, the Orbi mesh networking router, and more!

View the rest of the deals

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Replace the band on your 46mm Samsung Galaxy Watch

The Galaxy Watch is a great match for any Android phone, especially since you can easily make it your own. Not only can you choose from a number of watch faces, the watch bands are easily replaceable to better match your style. Here are the best replacement bands for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm!

Totally metal

V-MORO 22mm Stainless Steel Strap

This strap from V-MORO is made of heavy duty stainless steel, and it can go on in an instant with the built-in clasp. It’s available in black or silver to better match your watch, and it can be installed with the quick-release pins.

$16 at Amazon

Wooden wonder

LDFAS 22mm Wood Band

This band will definitely help you stand out from the crowd, with the red sandalwood in between each link. You can get this band in either black or silver steel, and both look great with the red wood. There’s a clasp to get the band on and off your wrist, and quick release pins to join the band and watch.

$30 at Amazon

Super stretchy

Speidel Stainless Steel Watch Band

These stretch watch bands are my personal favorite because they’re super easy to slip on and off, and they’re the perfect fit. You’ll likely need a jeweler’s help to get that perfect fit, but it’s worth it. This one from Speidel comes in either a straight end for easier installation or with a curved end to better match the contours of your watch.

$35 at Amazon

Lovely leather

Berfine 22mm Vintage Genuine Leather Watch Band

Few things are as classy as a nice leather watch band, and this one from Berfine is plenty stylish. It comes in black, brown, or dark brown, and it’ll fit your Galaxy Watch perfectly. You get a heavy metal buckle and lighter stitching, so your watch pops even more.

$18 at Amazon

A bit less expensive

Fullmosa Genuine Leather Watch Band

If you prefer thinner leather — or just want to save a few dollars — this band from Fullmosa is great as well. You can choose from 10 different bands and buckle color combinations to best match your style, and there’s an included installation tool to get the band on your watch. The buckle is heavy metal, so it’ll be nice and sturdy on your wrist.

$11 at Amazon

A different style

EACHE 22mm Genuine Leather Watch Band

This band from EACHE is still leather, but a bit different style than the other picks. There are 14 different bands and buckle color combinations that’ll fit your Galaxy Watch, and all of them will look great. There’s no visible stitching along the sides of the band. Instead, it’s closer to where the band attaches to the watch.

$16 at Amazon

For the fitness gurus

KADES Silicon Replacement Strap

The Galaxy Watch comes with a silicone band so it can be used when you work out, but this band is going to be a little better. There are more perforations on the band, so your wrist will breathe a bit easier. More perforations also mean a more exact fit, definitely important if you’re monitoring your heart rate. The strap comes in nine different colors, and there are bundles if you want to get multiple colors.

$10 at Amazon

Totally secure

PBCOBE NATO Strap

If you want a watch band that won’t budge, you want a NATO strap. This one from PBCODE is made of heavy-duty nylon, and it comes in eight different colors. The only buckle color is silver, so keep that in mind if you want one for your Galaxy Watch.

$16 at Amazon

Mix and match

CIVO NATO Strap 4 pack

If you want to swap out different bands to change up your style, this set from CIVO is for you. You get four straps of different colors and patterns, and there are 15 different bundles to choose from. The kit includes an installation tool, and a few replacement pins to keep the bands attached to your watch.

$14 at Amazon

No matter what your style is, it’s easy to find a replacement band for your Galaxy Watch. The watch takes standard 22mm straps, so any band that size will also fit your watch. And since watchmakers have used that size for centuries, it shouldn’t be hard to find the perfect watch band for you.

Canada Daily Deals: All-new Echo Bundles, GPS running watches, and more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on newly-announced Amazon Echo devices, Polar GPS running watches, countertop AeroGardens, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA and follow the team on Twitter.

Belkin Introduces BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock With iPhone XS/XS Max/XR and Apple Watch Series 4 Compatibility

Belkin today introduced its BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock for wirelessly charging an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. There is also a USB-A port for charging a third device like an iPad via Lightning cable.

Belkin BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock
The dock is compatible with the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, with wireless charging up to 7.5W, and all Apple Watch models at 5W/1A. It also works with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. The extra USB-A port also has an output of 5W/1A for wired charging of other devices.

The dock is certified under Apple’s Made for iPhone program, compliant with the Qi standard, has the ability to charge through iPhone cases up to 3mm thick, and is compatible with Nightstand mode on the Apple Watch. The dock plugs into a wall outlet with a 45W AC adapter included for instant setup.

Belkin says the dock will be available in December at Apple Stores worldwide, priced at $159.99 in the United States.

Belkin also plans to introduce an updated PowerHouse Charge Dock for the iPhone and Apple Watch, for customers who prefer to charge their iPhone via Lightning connector. The new dock looks virtually identical to the previous version, but with a red-colored dial to raise and lower the Lightning connector.

The new PowerHouse Charge Dock
The new PowerHouse Charge Dock will be compatible with all iPhone models with Lightning connectors, including the latest iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, as well as all Apple Watch models. Belkin says it will be available at select retailers in November, priced at $99.99 in the United States.

The existing Belkin Valet Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone and PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone are not compatible with the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, according to Belkin.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5, iPhone XS, iPhone XRTag: BelkinBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now), iPhone XR (Buy Now)
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