Google Pay: Everything you need to know

Here’s what you should know about Google’s big bet to take on Apple Pay.

Gone are the days of messing with Android Pay and Google Wallet. Instead, the home of all things mobile payments on Android now rests on the shoulders of Google Pay.

Google Pay first started rolling out to handsets in early 2018, and while there’s still some work to be done, it’s clear that Google is finally ready to take on Apple Pay with everything it’s got.

From the latest news to all the important details, here’s everything you should know about Google Pay!

• The latest Google Play news
• Everything you need to know

The latest Google Pay news

August 2, 2018 — Google Pay comes to Croatia; now available as a payment method in the Starbucks app

A couple Google Pay tidbits have surfaced over the last few hours, starting first with the service coming to Croatia. This is the third nation in Central Europe to get Google Pay, so be sure to keep an eye out for the app if you live in the area.

Secondly, Google Pay can now be used when reloading your card in the Starbucks app. Google Pay is added to your account automatically, and at this time, can only be used for one-time reloads.

July 20, 2018 — Revolut in the UK is now supported

Good news, UK readers that bank with Revolut! The bank’s been sending out emails to its customers confirming that it’s now starting to support Google Pay.

In am email Revolut’s been sending out to its 2 million+ users:

Test drive the convenience of paying with your phone by adding your Revolut card to Google Pay, to make quick and secure payments – instantly.

All the big details

Google Pay has replaced Android Pay and Google Wallet

Rather than maintaining two separate services for in-store payments and sending money to friends, Google decided to replace Android Pay and Google Wallet with one new app called Google Pay.

There was an awkward transition period at first in which you had to use a separate Google Pay Send app to send/receive money, but Google’s since brought that feature over to the main Google Pay app.

As such, Google Pay is now your one-stop-shop for all things mobile payments if you’ve got an Android phone.

How to get started with Google Pay

That’s all fine and dandy, but how does one actually start using Google Pay?

Thankfully, Google’s made this fairly simple. After downloading the app, you’ll be able to quickly add credit/debit cards, gift cards, loyalty programs, and more.

Need a helping hand? Check out Marc’s how-to guide right here!

What countries are supported?

Google’s regularly adding support for more and more countries that can use Google Pay, and as it currently stands, the list of supported areas is as follows:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Russia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States

Make sure your bank/card is compatible, too

Live in a country that supports Google Pay? Awesome! However, that’s just half the battle in ensuring you can use the service.

Even if you live in one of the above countries, you still need to have a bank and card that supports Google Pay before you can start making payments in stores with your phone. Thankfully, Google’s been building up this list for quite a few years meaning there’s a good chance you’re covered.

Major brands like AMEX, Capital One, Chase, Discover, and Wells Fargo are all on-board with Google Pay in the U.S. Along with this, you’ll also find a huge list of smaller banks/credit unions that are supported as well.

See the full list here

You can use the app to store boarding passes, event tickets, and more

In addition to your credit/debit cards, you can also use Google Pay to store gift cards, loyalty programs, and most recently, boarding passes and event tickets.

You’ll find all of these items in the Passes section of the app, and if you’ve got a lot stored in there, you can hold down on an item and move it around to make sure everything’s as organized as can be.

Support for passes/tickets is still relatively new, with brands like Southwest Airlines, Ticketmaster, and the Las Vegas Monorail being among the only ones available at the moment. Similar to what iPhone users have been treated to for years with Apple Pay, you’ll now see an “Add to G Pay” button when ordering a ticket from these brands so you can easily store everything under one single app.

Track your payment activity on the web

While you’ll likely interact with Google Pay on your phone the majority of the time, you can access it from your computer, too, by going to pay.google.com.

Here, you can see all of your Google Pay activity, send or request money, edit/add/remove payment methods, manage any active subscription services you have, edit your addresses, and more.

Google Pay is present in Android Messages and the Google Assistant

Google occasionally fails to make its various services play nicely with one another, but thankfully, Google Pay has been an exception to that rule.

While sending money to people is pretty simple through the Google Pay app, you can also do this through Android Messages and by talking to the Google Assistant on your phone.

In Android Messages, just tap the + icon at the bottom left and you’ll see two G Pay buttons for sending or requesting money from the person in your conversation. Just enter the amount you want, tap attach money, and your payment/request will be sent off just like that.

Alternatively, you can simply open the Google Assistant and say something along the lines of “Send Tom $15 for Pizza.” After confirming your identity (e.g. fingerprint or PIN), the Google Assistant will send the money for you — all without having to ever open up the Google Pay app.

Best battery backups for Lenovo Mirage Solo

Never lose any battery.

With the Lenovo Mirage Solo coming out, you might be wondering how you can take it around with you wherever you go. Since it is USB-C, you can’t go to any store to grab any charger that they sell.

These are the best ways to keep your Lenovo Mirage Solo going while on the go.

See the Lenovo Mirage Solo at Amazon

• Anker PowerCore+ Charger
• Anker PowerCore Compact Charger
• RAVPower Multiple Port Portable Charger
• Poweradd Pilot Power Bank
• RAVPower Single Port Portable Charger
• RAVPower 26,800mAh USB-C Charger
• AUKEY 20,000mAh External Charger

Anker PowerCore+ Charger

This Anker portable charger is a great option for someone who doesn’t mind spending a bit of extra cash on a charger. For $66, you get a 20100mAh charger with a USB to USB-C, a USB-C to USB-C, and a USB to microUSB port.

Although it is expensive, it’s a great charger if you’re willing to spend that kind of money.

See at Amazon

Anker PowerCore Compact Charger

Another great charger by Anker that will cost you less money than their larger charger. This charger has 13000mAh and two ports for USB to USB-C and it comes with a microUSB to USB so you can charge it. If you don’t have a USC to USB-C cable, you can get one on Amazon.

You can get your hands on this charger for just $32.

See at Amazon

RAVPower Multiple Port Portable Charger

RAVPower is another company that makes great chargers, and this is one of their highly rated ones. With 22000mAh and two USB ports for USB-C connection, it’s a great option for just $42.

It’s a great middle of the road charger for anyone who’s looking for something that’s quality but not over the top.

See at Amazon

Poweradd Pilot Power Bank

Poweradd has a great charger at a cheaper price than the other brands listed. If you’re on a budget, you can get a 10000mAh charger with a USB and USB-C port for $17.

It’s a great deal if you’re looking to save some since you just got the Lenovo Mirage Solo.

See at Amazon

RAVPower Single Port Portable Charger

This RAVPower charger is a better option by RAVPower that’s a single outlet charger. Since it’s a single outlet, it has less mAh, with only 10000mAh as compared to 22000, and one USB-C output/input along with a USB port.

Although it’s a single port, it still comes in at $54 which is a bit pricey.

See at Amazon

RAVPower 26,800mAh USB-C Charger

RAVPower has one more great option for those that want the absolute biggest battery they can manage. And this 26,800mAh is the largest battery capacity you can take on a commercial flight in the United States without jumping through hoops, so it’s a great investment if you want a lot of capacity for your Mirage Solo and other gadgets. The battery itself can charge from the same USB-C cable you use with the Mirage Solo, or with a Micro-USB charger if you so choose. The USB-C port can output at 30W, meaning it may be powerful enough to charge your laptop as well.

RAVPower’s 26,800 mAh USB-C charger is available for $82.

See at Amazon

AUKEY 20,000mAh External Charger

Another common name in the tech accessory world is AUKEY. It makes headphones, charging cables, and of course battery packs. AUKEY’s 20,00mAh USB-C charger offers plenty of charge and some cool tricks. It can charge over Micro-USB, USB-C or Lightning, and it’s not as bulky as other chargers, meaning it may be a better fit in your backpack or purse. The USB-C port only outputs at 15W — powerful enough for the Mirage Solo, but not enough juice to double as your laptop charger. In addition to the USB-C port, you get three USB-A ports for your other small gadgets.

AUKEY’s 20,000mAh External Charger is available for $40.

See at Amazon

Which is your pick?

Which battery are you planning to use with your Mirage Solo? Let us know down below!

Updated July 2018: Added the RAVPower 26,800mAh charger and the AUKEY 20,000mAh charger.

Sidestep pesky airline fees with this $6 AmazonBasics luggage scale

Keep it under 50 pounds!

This AmazonBasics digital luggage scale is down to $6.49 on Amazon. It usually sells for $10 and has never dropped this low before. In fact, it hasn’t dropped from its $10 price since last year. This is the perfect time for it, too, if you’re planning any summer trips.

With this scale, you can see how much your bags weigh before you ever drop them on the scale at the ticketing counter. Don’t get surprised when the airlines try to charge you more for a bag that weighs too much. The scale can carry a max load of 110 pounds and has an easy-to-read digital display. You can also switch between pounds or kilograms and use a function to zero out the scale when necessary. It comes with the battery it needs for power. Users give the scale 4.3 stars based on 590 reviews.

Be sure to check out these other great tips for some more ways to save on baggage overages.

See at Amazon

Apple Shares Details on Planned Tower Theatre Flagship Store in Los Angeles

Apple has long been rumored to be working on plans for an Apple Store at the iconic Tower Theatre in Los Angeles, and today, Apple shared details on the upcoming location with the Los Angeles Times.

According to Apple, the Tower Theatre store will be one of the world’s most prominent Apple retail locations when it is completed, with the company planning to entirely overhaul the interior of the building to turn it into retail space and an interactive community area.

In a rendering shared by Apple, the Tower Theatre store preserves the ornate Renaissance Revival style of the interior of the theatre for an Apple Store that will indeed be one of the most unique. The building, which features French, Spanish, Moorish, and Italian elements, was built to mimic the Paris Opera House.

The Tower Theatre is in disrepair, though, and the area around it has become outdated, leaving the building’s owners and city council members eager for Apple’s revitalization efforts. Apple is using the original Tower Theatre blueprints and photographs to restore original theatre elements like murals, decorations, and the leaded-glass window over the entrance.

BJ Siegel, senior director of retail design at Apple, told the Los Angeles Times that Apple was inspired by the Tower Theatre’s history and many of its firsts — it was one of the first air conditioned buildings in Los Angeles.

“All of that cool technology inspires us because we are a technology company and we are bringing new technology to the place,” Siegel said.

According to Siegel, while many people picture Apple retail stores as “big glass boxes,” that’s not true of all stores the company designs. Other similar stores include Covent Garden, the Opéra store in Paris, Apple Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, Apple Amsterdam built in the famous Hirsch building, Apple’s Grand Central store in New York, and the planned Carnegie Library store in Washington, D.C.

The Tower Theatre location will be very different than other Apple retail stores in Los Angeles, says Siegel, describing it as “in the upper echelon of what Apple does.”

Siegel expects some events at the upcoming store to draw hundreds of people, while other events will be planned for smaller groups. Apple will use part of the store for its Today at Apple sessions, where it provides tutorials and help with various Apple products, along with seminars and programs for children.

Apple is aiming to file plans with the city this week to gain approval for its planned renovation of the location.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Deals: Best Buy’s Apple Watch Flash Sale and B&H Photo’s Back-to-School Savings on MacBook Pro and More

A new one-day-only flash sale has opened up at Best Buy, with nearly 30 models of the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) marked down by up to $250. Sale prices begin at $299.00 for the 38mm Aluminum models and $329.00 for the 42mm Aluminum models, but there are also savings on Stainless Steel and Ceramic versions of the 2017 Apple Watch.

With this sale, Best Buy is offering the best prices online for the GPS + Cellular models of the Apple Watch Series 3, with the entry level Aluminum cases coming in $100 cheaper than rivals like B&H Photo and Walmart.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Below we’ve listed a few of the discounted models, but be sure to head over to Best Buy’s Daily Deals page to see the full list of Apple Watches on sale and make your purchase before the day ends.

• 38mm Space Gray Aluminum, Black Sport Loop – $299.00, down from $399.00

• 42mm Space Gray Aluminum, Midnight Fog Nike Sport Loop – $329.00, down from $429.00

• 38mm Space Black Stainless Steel, Black Sport Band – $449.00, down from $599.00

• 42mm Stainless Steel, Soft White Sport Band – $499.00, down from $649.00

• 38mm White Ceramic, Soft White/Pebble Sport Band – $1,049.00, down from $1,299.00

• 42mm Gray Ceramic, Gray/Black Sport Band – $1,099.00, down from $1,349.00

Additionally, B&H Photo this week launched a new sale focused on back-to-school savings available to students getting ready for the new school year. The sale extends across numerous product categories on B&H Photo, including MacBooks, iPads, microSD cards, portable hard drives, cameras, headphones, and more.

Below we’ve highlighted a few of the sales in a list, but be sure to head over to B&H Photo to browse the full array of its back-to-school discounts.

MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – Save $100 on 2017 models

• MacBook Air (1.8 GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB HD) – $899.00, down from $999.00
• 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.3 GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB HD) – $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00

MacBook Pro – Save $1,000 on a 2016 model

• 15-inch MacBook Pro (2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD) – $2,899.00, down from $3,899.00

9.7-inch iPad – Save $20 on a 2017 model

• 128GB, Wi-Fi only – $379.00, down from $399.00

10.5-inch iPad – Save up to $150 on Wi-Fi + Cellular models

• 64GB – $734.00, down from $779.00
• 512GB – $949.00, down from $1,099.00

Head over to our full Deals Roundup for more information on the latest sales and bargains going on this week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple is Officially a Trillion Dollar Company as Shares Cross $207 Mark

Apple has officially become the world’s only trillion dollar publicly traded company, in terms of market capitalization, which is simply the company’s number of outstanding shares multiplied by its stock price.

Apple achieved this milestone by hitting a stock price of $207.05 and above in intraday trading today, giving it a market cap slightly over $1,000,000,000,000, based on its 4,829,926,000 outstanding shares as of July 20, 2018, which the company disclosed in its quarterly 10-Q filing with the SEC on Wednesday.

While some publications declared Apple a trillion dollar company earlier in the day, this was based on an outdated number of outstanding shares in Apple from tools such as Yahoo Finance, which powers Apple’s own Stocks app.

Apple beat out other large tech companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google parent company Alphabet, in the race to a trillion dollars. As with most milestones of this nature, however, Apple reaching exactly a trillion dollar market cap doesn’t have too much significance, beyond the vanity of it.

Apple’s stock has appreciated over eight percent since the market closed on Tuesday, following its record-breaking earnings results. Apple set a new fiscal third quarter record with $53.3 billion revenue, easily topping Wall Street expectations, and there were also indications that the iPhone X is selling quite well.

The milestone is a testament to the strength of Apple, which has already been the world’s most valuable company for several years. Aside from 2016, which is now an outlier, Apple has been steadily increasing its revenue and profits since 2003, fueled by the massive popularity of products like the iPhone and iPad.

Apple will look to build upon its success with a wide range of new products expected later this year, including a trio of iPhones, iPads with Face ID, Apple Watch Series 4 models, updates to several Macs, new AirPods, and much more.

Update: Apple’s stock price has since dipped below $207 as it continues to fluctuate on the intraday market.

Tag: AAPL
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Mimeo Photos Releases Themes, Book Sizes, and Templates ‘Identical’ to Apple Photo Books as Apple’s Service Ends

In July it was discovered that Apple is planning to discontinue its physical Photo Books printing service on September 30, 2018. With Apple’s first-party option disappearing, users will be left to create and buy physical books from third-party companies, and now one such company — Mimeo Photos — has announced the release of “identical” formats, templates, and book sizes that Apple Photo Books currently offers its users.

This means that those users who opted for Apple’s printing service in the past will now be able to transition to Mimeo Photos and its macOS extension to find all of the features that they’re used to. Specifically, in Mimeo Photos the company says customers will now find design themes, product sets, templates, book sizes, materials, and print quality that is all “the same” as Apple’s Photo Books service.

“This is a real opportunity for us to expand our successes as a prominent Apple Photos extension since the beginning,” said John Delbridge, CEO, Mimeo. “We are really excited to see an increase in demand from countries like Australia and Japan in addition to our strong US customer base.”

The company points out that in addition to the same Apple themes, book formats, and other materials now found within the extension, Mimeo Photos also offers a few other features for designing and creating physical photo books, cards, and calendars. Users can crop and move photos easily with in-depth transformation tools; write personalized texts in numerous fonts, colors, and sizes; add colors into pages with various background options; and choose from a “large variety” of layouts.

Pricing for the two services also appears largely similar, with Mimeo Photo’s softcover landscape books starting at $9.99 in a medium size and increasing to $49.99 for extra large hardcovers. There are also calendars available for $19.99 and cards starting at $0.99, just like Apple Photo Books.

Those interested can download Mimeo Photos for free on the Mac App Store [Direct Link].

Related Roundups: macOS High Sierra, macOS Mojave
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Apple Maps Transit Directions Expand to Luxembourg, New Cities in the US, and Canada’s VIA Rail

Apple recently updated its Maps app to expand the availability of transit directions to several new regions.

Transit data is now available in Luxembourg, a country that has an expansive transit system including buses, trains, and the Luxembourg City tram.

Apple also appears to have made transit data available in several new cities in Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Oregon.

Transit directions were previously available in some of these locations in select cities such as Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, and Portland, but the transit information appears to have expanded to encompass much of these states.

In Canada, Apple has added support for the VIA Rail system that operates across much of the country, spanning more than 7,000 miles across eight provinces. Popular lines include the Canadian that runs between Toronto and Vancouver and the Ocean running from Montreal to Halifax.

There’s also a Corridor service between Ontario and Quebec, and several adventure routes offering transportation to rural areas.

Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 with the launch of iOS 9. Maps initially only offered transit information in a handful of cities, but over the course of the last few years, Apple has worked to expand the feature to additional areas.

Transit information is now live in dozens of cities and countries around the world, with a full list available on Apple’s iOS Feature Availability website.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tag: Apple Maps
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Checking the pressure in your car’s tires is vital — here’s how to do it

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Other maintenance guides

How to change your spark plugs

How to change a car battery

How to rotate your tires

How to jump-start a car

Checking your tire pressure might seem like a simple task, similar to the job of making sure there’s gas in the tank. However, believe it or not, checking tire pressure is something that often goes overlooked as people get caught up in their daily grind.

As seasonal changes yield different outdoor temperatures, your tires can perform very differently. For instance, the air pressurized in your tire can expand or contract according to use and ambient temperature, altering the contact patch, the behavior of your tire, and thus the way your vehicle performs. For the sake of motoring safety, it’s crucial to often check your tire pressure to make sure it’s correct before you drive. If you’ve never checked your tire pressure before, no worries — we’ve created a simple guide that’ll show you how.

Ways to check tire pressure

There are various ways to check the tire pressure on your vehicle. If you have a car that was made around or just after 1986, there’s a chance it comes with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Those chances increase as the cars get newer. For instance, the U.S. saw its first TPMS-equipped car in 1991, thanks to General Motors equipping the Chevrolet Corvette with the system. If your car was made after September 2007, your car unquestionably has TPMS, a federal safety mandate for light-duty vehicles (weighing less than 10,000 pounds), imposed through the United States TREAD Act of 2000. It’s a policy enacted following the historic and major Firestone tire recall of the late 1990s that affected Ford Explorer trucks equipped with faulty tires from the factory.

What does TPMS do? It automatically notifies you via a lit dashboard icon if you either have too much or too little air in your tires. Some of the systems are particularly rudimentary, with a single warning light suggesting one or more of the four tires isn’t filled properly. With more recent cars equipped with infotainment systems or trip computers embedded into the gauge cluster, there are more comprehensive TPM systems that tell you the approximate pressure of each tire.

Here are a few examples of TPM systems on newer vehicles:

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TPMS on a Ferrari 458 Spider Chris Chin/Digital Trends

TPMS on a Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Chris Chin/Digital Trends

If your ride doesn’t have a TPM system, or it does but it doesn’t display individual tire pressures, you’ll need to check the tires the old-fashioned way. First, you need to acquire a tire pressure gauge. These can be picked up very easily from places like your local gas station quick-mart, or any local automotive parts or general hardware department store. Most are just a few dollars, but the fancier ones can cost as much as $20 or $30.

These are the two most common types of tire pressure gauges, analog versus digital:

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Analog tire pressure gauge Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Analog tire pressure gauge Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Digital tire pressure gauge Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Step 1: Determine your correct tire pressure

Your owner’s manual will tell you the proper tire pressure readings for your vehicle application and associated weight. On most cars, like this 2017 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe, the tire pressure information is printed on a sticker placed on the inner door as well.

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Step 2: Double-check the tire sidewall

Read the tire sidewall and compare the information provided to the figures you got from your owner’s manual. As long as your tires are stock or within stock requirements (custom wheel arrangements notwithstanding), this is where your car’s tire pressure should be.

Step 3: Remove the tire valve stem cover

Access any one of your four tires and remove the tire valve stem cover.

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Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Step 4: Take a reading

Take your tire pressure gauge, and place it at the tip of the valve stem with the female receiver end of the pressure gauge. Give it a nice push for a couple seconds, and you’ll hear some air hiss out of the stem — no worries, this is completely normal.

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Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Step 5: Read the numbers

Read the numbers, often in pressure-per-square-inch or psi, and compare them with the recommended tire pressure from steps 1 and 2.

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Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Chris Chin/Digital Trends

Step 6: Rinse, wash, repeat

Repeat this process on every tire, including your spare if you have one, to ensure all the tires on your vehicle are properly pressurized.

Step 7: Fill, if needed

If your tire has too little air in it, which is likely since tires are slightly porous and can lose air in drastic ambient temperature changes, you can top it off using a store-bought air compressor or hand pump. Alternatively, you can pop by your local gas station and use their air pump in exchange for some quarters.

Typically, air pumps at stations have built-in tire pressure gauges to notify you of the pressure reading. Some of them can be worn and thus inaccurate, which is why it’s advised to just buy a tire pressure gauge and keep it in your car at all times.

Notes on nitrogen-filled tires

If your car was at a Costco Tire Center or even a dealership, there are chances your tires were filled with pure nitrogen. The reason for using nitrogen over any plain air is that nitrogen is less volatile of a gas. When plain air heats up, its mass expands and becomes less dense and when it cools down, its mass contracts and becomes more dense, thus affecting the pressurization of a tire. The use of nitrogen would be signified by the use of a green valve stem cap, rather than a normal dark colored one. Although it is advised not to fill nitrogen tires with normal air, there’s no real harm to topping it off if your tire pressure is off by a few psi.

You can get your tires refilled completely with nitrogen. However, average Joe tire shops will charge up to $30 a tire to empty them completely and refill them with nitrogen. Alternatively, you can pop into your local dealership and they might honor a tire refill as part of a customer courtesy. And if you bought your tires at Costco, they offer free nitrogen refills as part of their tire packages for consumers.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play review: The best cheap Android phones you can buy

The beauty of Android is that you can buy a phone no matter how much cash you have to spend. If you’ve got upwards of $800, buy a Pixel 2 XL or Galaxy S9 Plus. If your budget’s more modest, Motorola’s Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play are worth considering.

For between $200-$250, you get a sleek design, two-day battery life, and the best software experience outside of a Pixel or Android One phone. Read the full Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play review to see if these phones are right for you.

Moto G6 review notes: I’ve been using the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play on T-Mobile’s network in the U.S. for 10 days. Our Moto G6 is running Android 8.0 Oreo and software version OPS27.104-15-10 on the March 1, 2018 security patch, while the Moto G6 Play is running 8.0 Oreo and version OPP27.91-35 on the April 1, 2018 security patch. We’ll refrain from adding review scores until we can put the devices through our full suite of tests.

The Moto G6 and G6 Play used in this review were provided to Android Authority by Motorola.

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Design

Phones in this price range all make sacrifices to cut costs, but you won’t find any in the design of these phones.

The Moto G6 feels like a $400-$500 phone.

The Moto G6 and G6 Play’s all-glass designs make them feel more expensive than they are. They’re both comfortable to hold despite the slippery glass designs, mostly thanks to the curved edges around back and the 18:9 aspect ratio screens.

The G6 Play is almost a full millimeter chunkier than the regular G6, and about 13 grams heavier, which makes it phone feel a little cheaper — but not by much. It still feels like a more expensive device than it is.

Also read: The best Moto G6 cases you can buy

Don’t miss

Best budget phones ($500 and under)

There are a lot of great phones out there, but the reality is many of them cost well over $500. In 2017 we even saw flagships reach the $1,000 mark. So what if you want …

They both have fingerprint sensors, and the G6’s is especially quick and accurate. It’s located on the bottom bezel below the screen. I don’t have any issues with that, though it was curious, considering the G6 Play’s sensor is located on the back of the device.

The differences don’t stop there. The Moto G6 has a USB Type-C port, while the G6 Play has the older Micro-USB port. We want all phones to have USB Type-C ports, but let’s face it: Micro-USB is cheaper.

Both phones have a power button and volume keys on the right side, as well as 3.5mm headphone jacks.

To keep costs down, Motorola decided not to make either of the devices water resistant. Instead, the company included what’s called a water-repellant nano-coating to shield the device from splashes of water. Just don’t go dropping your phone in the toilet anytime soon.

Display

It’s really nice to see 18:9 aspect ratio screens on budget phones. It makes them seem more modern.

Both devices come with 5.7-inch IPS LCDs covered in Gorilla Glass 3. The Moto G6 has a higher Full HD+ resolution (2,160 x 1,080), while the G6 Play has an HD+ screen (1,440 x 720).

I’ve been really impressed with the G6’s display quality. It’s crisp, easy to read outdoors, and gets plenty bright or dim no matter if you’re in direct sunlight or reading on your phone in bed.

The G6 Play’s 720p resolution is less than ideal. The lower resolution combined with the big 5.7-inch screen makes everything fuzzier. The screen alone would make me want to fork over the extra $50 for the regular G6. However, it’s worth noting the G6 Play’s display gets both much brighter and dimmer than the G6.

Performance and hardware

Performance has been mostly great on the Moto G6. The mid-tier Snapdragon 450 SoC backed by 3GB of RAM is more than enough to handle “easy” tasks like scrolling through social media, watching YouTube videos, and loading web pages in Chrome. Multitasking in split-screen mode works just fine too, as does using Google Maps in picture-in-picture mode while using other applications.

Everything starts to slow down when gaming. Alto’s Odyssey and Monument Valley 2 lag quite a bit, even though they aren’t the most graphic-intensive games out there.

The Moto G6 also comes in a variant with 4GB of RAM, so you might want to go that route if you play a lot of games.

Performance is only an issue if you play games. For everything else, both Moto Gs will perform just fine.

The G6 Play can mostly keep up with the G6’s performance, though I have noticed a few instances of lag. Gaming performance is a bit laggy too. The Snapdragon 427 chipset won’t win any performance awards, but the 3GB of RAM certainly helps make for a mostly good experience.

There’s also a version with 2GB of RAM, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really looking to save some cash.

Related: Spec showdown: Moto G6, G6 Play, G6 Plus, and Moto G5 series

NFC shouldn’t be something we have to beg companies to include.

Both phones in this review have 32GB of storage. You can also buy a Moto G6 with up to 64GB of storage, or go the cheapest route and buy the Moto G6 Play with just 16GB of storage. Thankfully, all models come with a microSD card slot for an extra 128GB of storage if you need it.

The biggest downside on the hardware front is the lack of NFC, which means no Google Pay. That’s not something we should see in 2018.

Call quality has been just fine on both models. I noticed switching phone calls to speakerphone mode results in a bit of lag, though.

Speaking of speakers (heh), both the G6 and Play have a single front-firing speaker above the display. They’re difficult to cover up when watching videos or playing games, and they get pretty loud. They don’t get HTC U12 Plus or Pixel 2 XL loud, but they’re loud enough for listening to podcasts or music around the house.

Battery

You will not be disappointed by either phones’ battery life.

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Despite the Moto G6’s relatively small 3,000mAh battery, standby and screen-on time has been great. Even when streaming podcasts and playing Alto’s Odyssey for a couple hours, I got roughly five to six hours of screen-on time every day with this phone. If you only use your phone to make calls and send texts, you’d likely have no problem making it last well into the second day without having to top up.

The Moto G6 Play’s battery life is even better. The 4,000mAh battery, coupled with the low-res screen, means the phone will last two days on a single charge — easily. There were a few days I even went to bed with 75 percent charge left, which is fantastic. It’s not out of the question to get seven, eight, or even nine hours of screen-on time with this phone.

Camera

The cameras are about what you’d expect from budget smartphones under $300, but they pull off decent shots every once in awhile.

The G6 has dual rear-facing cameras with a 12MP (ƒ/1.8) main sensor and a 5MP RGB sensor. There’s unfortunately no optical or electronic image stabilization included here.

You’ll rely on the main 12MP sensor for normal shots, while the secondary sensor jumps in when you take portrait photos. If you’re taking photos in a place with enough light, the 12MP sensor can produce some impressive photos. Colors are bright and there’s plenty of detail. Highlights were blown out more often than I’d like, though.

Note: The camera samples in this review have been resized. You can see all the full-res Moto G6 camera samples here and the Moto G6 Play camera samples here.

In anything but great lighting conditions, the Moto G6’s camera struggles. It’s slow to take photos in rapid succession, and sometimes struggles to lock onto subjects.

Portrait mode shots are decent if enough light is in the frame, but you’ll have to take multiple photos to ensure your subject is in focus. About one out of every three or four portrait shots produces good results. On the plus side, you can adjust the amount of background blur before and after you take your photo, and change the focus subject after the fact.

Photos taken with the 8MP front-facing shooter are surprisingly good. Colors are rich and there’s plenty of detail in each shot. You won’t have any issues finding selfies to post on social media or sending to your friends.

Selfies with the Moto G6 Play’s 8MP sensor lack detail and color, unfortunately. I haven’t been able to pull off many acceptable photos with the cheaper device.

On the back, the G6 Play has a single 13MP ƒ/2.0 aperture sensor. It’s much more difficult to snap an acceptable picture with the Play’s camera, no matter what light there is. Colors are dull, there isn’t a lot of detail, and images often come out blurry or blown out if there’s too much light.

Despite the camera quality, Motorola’s camera app is a joy to use. All the main controls are easily accessible with one hand, and switching between menus or different modes is as easy as swiping left or right. Both phones also include a manual mode if you’d like a little more control.

You may not use the app’s various extras (face filters, text scanner, and a YouTube Live shortcut), but all in all the interface is intuitive and polished.

Software

It’s always bittersweet when talking about Motorola and software. Motorola’s software update track record used to be one of the best — it even rolled out major Android releases ahead of Google’s Nexus phones — but those days are over. Ever since the Lenovo acquisition, software updates from Motorola have been extremely late.

It took Motorola 123 days to roll out Android Oreo to its first phone, the Moto Z2 Force, which already ran a near-stock Android experience. That’s unacceptable. The company is even okay with launching a phone it says will never receive a major software update.

I can’t tell you if these phones will receive timely software updates. Motorola says both will be upgraded to Android P, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that didn’t happen until well into 2019.

Alright, enough complaining. Now onto the good stuff.

Motorola makes one of the best versions of Android out there. The stock Motorola launcher is customizable and fast, and there isn’t a ton of extra bloatware like you’d get on a Samsung or LG handset.

Just about all of Motorola’s software additions are tucked away nice and neat inside the Moto app, which can suggest ways to clear up storage, or give you battery saving tips and tricks. This is also where you’ll control all your Moto Actions (chop twice for flashlight, twist to open the camera, or use three fingers to take a screenshot). These are all super handy, and I use them just about every day.

On the Moto G6, you can even eliminate the traditional three navigation buttons in favor of fingerprint sensor gestures. This mode isn’t enabled by default, but it’s easy enough to turn it on within the Moto app.

Moto Display makes its return and remains one of these phones’ most convenient software features. It’s not an always-on display feature like on the Galaxy S9 or Pixel 2, but it essentially does the same thing. Wave your hand over the device and it’ll show you the time, date, battery percentage, and notifications. What’s more, you can act upon notifications without unlocking your phone. Just press and hold the notification, and you can dismiss it, archive it, or reply right from that ambient screen. It’s awesome.

Specs

Display	5.7-inch IPS LCD 2,160 x 1,080 407ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 3	5.7-inch IPS LCD 1,440 x 720 282ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 3
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 1.8GHz octa-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 1.4GHz octa-core
GPU	Adreno 506	Adreno 308
RAM	3/4GB	2/3GB
Storage	32/64GB microSD slot up to 128GB	16/32GB microSD slot up to 128GB
Cameras	Rear: Main 12MP sensor with ƒ/1.8 aperture Secondary 5MP RGB sensor Front: 8MP	Rear: 13MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture Front: 8MP
Battery	3,000mAh Non-removable USB Type-C port 15W TurboPower charger	4,000mAh Non-removable MicroUSB port 10W rapid charger
SIM	Dual Nano SIM	Dual Nano SIM
Headphone jack	Yes	Yes
Fingerprint sensor	Yes (front)	Yes (rear)
IP rating	No, water-repellant nano-coating	No, water-repellant nano-coating
Software	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo
Dimensions and weight	153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3mm 167g	155.4 x 72.2 x 9.1mm 180g
Colors	deep indigo, black, blush, silver	deep indigo, flash gray

Gallery

Pricing, availability, and final thoughts

The Moto G6 and G6 Play are both compatible with the big four carriers in the United States, and the standard G6 is even compatible with Project Fi. You can buy them unlocked from pretty much any major smartphone retailer, including Amazon, which currently sells both devices at a discount if you don’t mind picking up the Amazon Prime Exclusive models. Normally they’d cost $250 and $200, respectively, but the Prime Exclusive models go for $235 and $190.

Moto G6 on Amazon
Moto G6 Play on Amazon

The Moto G line is Motorola’s best-selling smartphone line, and for good reason. They’ve always brought tons of value, striking a perfect balance between quality and compromise. The Moto G6 and G6 Play are no different.

The Moto G line is know for striking that perfect balance between quality and compromise, and these phones are no different.

You’re not going to find a better, more premium-looking phone at this price than the Moto G6. I switched to it from my Pixel 2 XL for the past week or so, and honestly, I don’t want to send it back — it’s that good. No, the camera isn’t great (and neither is Motorola’s software update track record), but everything else is. The build is fantastic, the software is a joy to use, and it’s compatible with all the major carriers in the States.

The Moto G6 Play is great too, but I’d urge everyone to spend the extra $50 (if that’s an option) for the G6. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a lower-res screen, slower performance, a worse camera, and a legacy Micro-USB port. Sure, you’ll have a bigger battery, but you’ll deal with far fewer compromises with the higher-end phone.

That’s it for our Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play review. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.