GE’s Full Lineup of HomeKit-Enabled Window Air Conditioners Now Available in the U.S.

After a soft launch of just one model earlier this spring, GE today announced the launch of its full lineup of HomeKit-enabled window air conditioning units. While there are a few other HomeKit air conditioners on the market outside of the United States, the new units represent the first HomeKit-compatible air conditioners to launch in the U.S.

GE’s air conditioners deliver 8,000 to 12,000 BTUs and can cool medium- to large-sized rooms, according to the company. With HomeKit control, customers can add the units into the Home app on iOS, connecting them to Scenes, controlling them with Siri, or automating them to activate and deactivate when they arrive and leave their home.

“Consumers told us they like how they can create their own schedules to keep rooms comfortable without wasting energy,” said John Desmarais, Commercial Director, Window A/C, Portables & Dehumidifiers for GE Appliances.

“Many people also found peace of mind in having control of the unit anywhere they have internet access. We’re pleased to offer the very first air conditioners with HomeKit integration, bringing simple and secure control through the Apple Home app and using Siri. We are confident owners will find the convenience at the tip of their fingers.”

Each unit has cooling settings for four-way air direction and an “Energy Saver” mode that automatically shuts off the fan and compressor when the room is cool enough, reducing electricity consumption and helping to save money on monthly bills. Although HomeKit control is supported, GE’s air conditioners also come with an electronic digital thermostat and remote control.

Starting today, the units are available at The Home Depot (which has three models) and Lowe’s (which has two models), and at local authorized GE Appliance dealers. Prices on the units vary depending on the amount of BTUs, starting around $279 (8,000 BTUs) and increasing to $349 (10,000 BTUs) and more.

Tags: HomeKit, GE
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Apple to Prevent iTunes Payment Info Changes on Very Old Versions of iOS, OS X, and Apple TV Software

Apple has announced that, starting June 30, customers will no longer be able to change their iTunes or App Store payment information from devices running iOS 4.3.5 or earlier, OS X 10.8.5 or earlier, or Apple TV Software 4.4.4 or earlier.

In an email to customers who may be impacted, Apple said it is implementing this change to continue to ensure that their financial information is protected when they make purchases on the iTunes Store or App Store. For emphasis, this appears to be a proactive move, not the result of a security breach.

Given how old the affected software versions are, relatively few customers should be impacted by this move. iOS 4.3.5 and Apple TV Software 4.4.4 were both released in 2011, while macOS 10.8.5 was seeded in September 2013 as the final update to what was then called OS X Mountain Lion.

If you’re using one of these versions on your device and need to change your payment method, Apple says to update your device to the latest version of the software. Of course, this may not be possible on older devices that have been phased out, in which case a newer device with newer software must be used.

The full email to customers courtesy of MacRumors reader Rich:

On June 30, 2018, Apple will implement changes to continue to ensure your financial data is protected when you make purchases on the iTunes Store or App Store.

Our records show that you may be accessing the store from an older version of iOS, macOS, or Apple TV software:

– iOS 4.3.5 or earlier
– macOS 10.8.5 or earlier
– Apple TV Software 4.4.4 or earlier

To be able to change your payment information with devices running the software listed above, you’ll need to update to a more recent software version.

The email was also shared on Reddit.

Apple provides more details, instructions on how to update to the latest version of iOS, macOS, and Apple TV software, and steps to change your payment method, in a support document related to this change.

Tags: App Store, Mac App Store
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Apple Pay Promo Offers 20% Off TGI Fridays Pickup Orders Through July 8

This week’s Apple Pay promotion is offering customers the chance to save on their Fourth of July dinners with 20 percent off from restaurant chain TGI Fridays. If you use Apple Pay to checkout in the TGI Fridays iOS app, select the order for pickup, and use the promo code APPLE20, you’ll get 20 percent off your meal through Sunday, July 8.

Apple’s new promotion encourages users to get out and shop to prepare for their Fourth of July celebrations, suggesting stores like Trader Joe’s, Party City, BevMo!, Hannaford Supermarkets, and BJ’s Wholesale Club, all of which support Apple Pay. The email also mentions Apple Pay support at ACE Hardware, where users can find supplies for summer projects.

The last few Apple Pay promotions have been themed around summer activities as well, offering customers the chance to save money on new Adidas shoes to wear during summer workouts, and two free bike rides with the ofo app. Apple tends to theme its weekly promotions around big holidays or events when they happen, offering $5 off movie tickets with Fandango in celebration of the Oscars and a free Postmates Unlimited subscription for holiday dinners last November.

Tag: Apple Pay promo
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Honor’s newest phone costs so little, it may as well be given away

The new Honor 7S borders on the unfathomably cheap. Launched Thursday, June 28, in the U.K., it can be purchased for just 100 British pounds, which converts over to about $130. It has been a while since a smartphone we would consider using dipped under the 100 pound mark, and while the Honor 7S is obviously not going to challenge the Honor 10, or any flagship phone, it’s probably going to have specs far better than you expect.

What do you get for your money? The big news is the Honor 7S has an 18:9 aspect ratio screen, following a major trend throughout the phone industry; but more often seen on devices that cost three times this price. It’s a sensible 5.45 inches in size and the resolution is 1440 x 720 pixels, so while not full HD, it’s still acceptable. It’s wrapped in a body that we’re going to assume is plastic, but it does come in the now-famous Honor blue color, along with black or gold. It’s only 8.3mm thick, and 142 grams in weight.

Android 8.1 is a welcome sight, as many low-cost phones come with much older versions of Google’s operating system installed. It’s certain to have the Huawei EMUI interface over the top. Remember, Honor is a sub-brand of Huawei, and they share certain technology between them. However, rather than use a Kirin processor, the Honor 7S has a MediaTek MT6739 chip inside with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. Adequate, especially at this price, and there is a MicroSD card slot to expand memory, too.

The rear camera has 13 megapixels and the selfie camera 5 megapixels, which also has an LED selfie light to improve pictures taken in poor conditions. A 3,020mAh battery powers the phone for approximately a day, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, the SIM tray will take two SIMs, and it connects to a 4G LTE network. There isn’t much more you would want from a basic phone, and they don’t get much cheaper than the Honor 7S.

Honor will sell the 7S through its own online store from June 28, plus it will be available through Argos stores and Three network stores, too. No U.S. release details have been announced.

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Xiaomi has made the cutest, most beautiful special edition phone you’ll see

Xiaomi has shown how limited edition smartphones should be done, with the announcement of the Xiaomi Mi 6X Hatsune Miku Special Edition, the second collaboration between the Chinese smartphone brand and the virtual pop star. It’s a follow up to 2017’s Mi 4X Hatsune Miku edition, and like all sequels, it’s bigger, better, and yes, cuter than ever before.

What do you get? The Xiaomi Mi 6X for a start. Announced in April, the midrange phone is a great example of the type of device the company does well. It starts at around $225 and has an 18:9 aspect ratio, 6-inch screen with a 2160 x 1080 pixel count, all for that slim-bezel look. A Snapdragon 660 processor and — in the case of the Hatsune Miku model — 6GB of RAM provides the power, along with 64GB of storage space. A 4GB/32GB and a 6GB/128GB are also available without the Hatsune Miku goodies.

The design is highly reminiscent of the iPhone X, due to the vertically mounted camera lenses — 20-megapixel and 12-megapixel sensors — on the back. However, you will be queuing to buy this not because it’s a bit like the most expensive iPhone, but because of the Hatsune Miku tie-in package.

The phone comes in Miku’s signature teal color, which Xiaomi calls Hatsune green, complete with a specially commissioned image of Hatsune Miku on the back, with a limited edition number and logo. It comes in a stunning presentation box, which also contains a case for the phone and a custom battery pack. These both feature the same artwork as the phone, but the box itself is decorated with other images and looks simply fantastic. Artists Mame no Moto and ZYre drew the superb artwork for the special edition phone and packaging, according to mikufan.com, and are well-respected within the Vocaloid community.

No special edition phone would be complete without custom themes, and sure enough, the Mi 6X comes with Miku-centric images, and we’d expect sounds and ringtones to also be part of the package. Xiaomi’s official page for the phone also shows a CD, which presumably contains Hatsune Miku songs, and may come with the device.

If you’re a Hatsune Miku fan, you’ll want this — but it’s not going to be easy to get one. For a start, it’ll only be officially available in China, and only 5,000 of them will be made. Xiaomi wants those interested in buying one to register interest ahead of the July 3 launch, at which time invitations will be randomly given out. At the time of writing more than 105,000 people have registered. Should you be lucky enough to be invited to buy one, it will cost 2,100 yuan, or about $316. The phone will be shipped out on July 10.

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Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 series crosses 5 million sales in four months

The Redmi Note 5 series becomes Xiaomi’s best-selling lineup to date.

Xiaomi has announced that the Redmi Note 5 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro have cumulatively amassed over 5 million in sales. Both phones made their debut back in February, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro in particular continues to sell out within minutes during weekly flash sales.

Its unavailability has led to a lot of consternation among Xiaomi fans eager to get their hold on the device, and Xiaomi for its part has stated that it is looking to scale up production of the phone to meet demand. Xiaomi didn’t break down the sales figures of each individual phone, but the 5 million mark is nonetheless a huge achievement for the brand as it looks to solidify its position at the top of India’s smartphone segment.

It took Xiaomi over six months to get to the 5 million milestone last year with the Redmi Note 4, so clearly there’s upward progress when it comes to sales figures. Looking ahead, Xiaomi is likely to launch the Mi 8 in the coming months.

The Chinese manufacturer hasn’t committed to a launch in the country, but rumors suggest the phone is slated to make its debut sometime next month. Xiaomi hasn’t released the Mi Mix 2S in India, so last year’s Mi Mix 2 continues to be the only mid-range device on offer by the brand. That should change with the introduction of the Mi 8. There isn’t much information to go by regarding a formal launch, but it’s possible Xiaomi will be looking to debut the Mi 8 in India at around the ₹25,000 figure, which comes out to $370.

We’ll have to wait and see about the Mi 8, but in the meantime, Xiaomi is looking unassailable in the budget segment.

LG G6: Specs, problems, availability, and more!

Though it’s been around for more than a year at this point, it’s still worth considering the LG G6.

After a flirtation with mods in the LG G5, LG decided to change things up in a big way for 2017. The mods were gone after only one try. Additionally, LG got rid of the removable battery — a long time staple for power users — in favor of an all-glass build. The dual cameras are back and better than ever, as in LG’s brand of Android.

This is everything you need to know about the LG G6.

Check out our reviews

Honestly, the LG G6 doesn’t do anything poorly. It’s well-designed, gorgeously-engineered, and comes off as a mature, reliable piece of equipment. As MrMobile said in his review, it wears its chunkiness on its sleeve, not trying to hide its metal frame with sloping glass. As a result, it may feel a bit squat next to the Galaxy S8, but I’ve grown to really love that solidity, both in my hand and my pocket.

donm527
04-02-2017 12:07 PM

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The LG G6 has clean strong lines and thick frame leans on the industrial side. Bezels down to a minimum and screen framed with the right amount of chin. Silver has a business classy look to me while the murdered out black reminds me of my LG G2 days and very nice too.

You say the S8 UI looks clean but can’t understand how you can say that compared to the G6. The G6 would be closer to stock…

Reply

It’s waterproof, drop-resistant, and covered in glass, just like the Galaxy S8. And while it lacks this year’s Snapdragon 835 platform, I’ve yet to worry about its performance, since the Snapdragon 821 — which powers the Pixel and Pixel XL — is still so good, and feels so new.

The bottom-firing speaker is good, the headphone quality is great, as is the call quality and LTE reception. I had some trouble connecting to one particular LG Bluetooth speaker, and the Bluetooth volume was unexpectedly low on another speaker, but that’s the extent of the bugs I’ve found so far.

• LG G6 review
• LG G6 second opinion: This one’s the best
• LG G6, one month on: A great phone, and the best LG has ever made

It’s got a big screen, but feels really compact

The LG G6 is the first of likely many phones with a non-standard screen aspect ratio. Specifically, its 2:1 (or 18:9, for a more standard comparison) screen makes it considerably taller than most phones out there today, but coupled with the near-elimination of bezels around the bright, beautiful IPS display, it’s one hand-friendly.

The screen really is beautiful. Contrast is great for an IPS display, an area where Samsung’s AMOLED panels traditionally take the lead, and colors are punchy and accurate. Indeed, LG’s 2880×1440 pixel screen is Dolby Vision HDR certified, as well as HDR 10 certified, two competing standards that, with the help of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and others will make it much more pleasant to watch video content on a relatively small phone screen.

How the LG G6 was made

It’s got wireless charging, but only in the U.S. and Canada

For some reason, LG decided to keep one of its best features, wireless charging, limited to the North American market. It’s not a huge deal — most people rely on Quick Charge wired charging through the USB-C port — but it’s strange nonetheless. Still, the phone’s 3,300mAh battery may need a top-up, wired or wireless, once or twice throughout the day, as we’ve found the phone to have less-than-stellar uptime compared to phones like the Pixel XL.

These LG G6 features are limited to some regions

Its two cameras are wonderful and creative

Like the G5 and V20, the LG G6 has two cameras on the back, each 13MP in resolution but with differing focal lengths, that transition seamlessly using toggles in the simple-yet-powerful camera app.

We’ve spent some time playing with G6’s optics, and while the regular, optically-stabilized is great indoors and out, it’s the wide-angle sensor that we’ve grown to love, especially when taking landscape photos that capture the whole field of view.

LG’s also got some really fun camera modes that take advantage of its symmetrical screen, which can be divided into two perfect squares. You may not want to use the word ‘twofie’, but the phone can take two square photos at the same time using the front and back cameras.

• Everything you need to know about the LG G6’s cameras
• Our first LG G6 camera samples!

Only the Korean unit gets the Quad DAC

One of our favorite features from the LG V20 and V30, the Quad DAC that makes music incredibly inviting, full and sonorous, is not coming to the North American or European models of the G6. Citing higher costs, LG says that there just isn’t a big market for audiophile components in smartphones — but that doesn’t exactly assuage our frustrations.

Fortunately, the LG G6+, which is available as an Amazon Prime Exclusive, has the same Quad DAC in the U.S.!

Get a microSD card, because the storage won’t last

Another strange decision, especially in light of the Galaxy S8 coming with 64GB of storage by default — the North American and European LG G6 only comes with 32GB of internal storage, with no option to buy a higher-capacity model. Sure, 32GB should be fine for most people, but it won’t last forever, which is why we recommend you buy a big, spacious microSD card for it.

Don’t buy an LG G6 without a microSD card

The launcher is still pretty terrible

We like the software on the G6 — it’s LG’s most restrained take on Android to date, and there’s very little to complain about. But the launcher, which eschews the app drawer and adds ugly borders around all homescreen icons, is pretty bad.

Our recommendation? Download Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, Evie Launcher, or something that resembles the opposite of whatever LG is thinking.

More: How to make the most of an extra-tall home screen on the Galaxy S8 or LG G6

Those colors are gorgeous

Black or platinum — doesn’t matter. Both colors are really, really nice, and they shimmer and reflect light in their own unique ways. I haven’t been a big fan of the generic silver that seems to ship with every phone these days, but LG’s take on it, called Platinum, is really something else altogether. And then there’s the shiny, fingerprint-friendly black color, which I’ve been using. I love it; as long as you keep it clean, it’s one of the crispest-looking phones I’ve ever had in my pocket.

There’s also a white variant, but it’s not coming to the U.S.

Which color LG G6 should you buy?

There’s a Prime-Exclusive version

The G6 has joined the ranks of other Android phones that are sold by Amazon for $50 in exchange for advertisements being shown on the phone’s lock screen. The Amazon version of the G6 is unlocked and ready for use on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. The LG G6+ is also available from Amazon, costing only $499. For the extra $100 over the Prime-Exclusive G6, the G6+ includes 128GB of storage instead of 32GB, and the 32-bit Quad-DAC that will make your Sennheisers sound like heaven.

More: LG G6 joins Amazon Prime Exclusive for $399 as the G6+ and Q6 make their U.S. debut

It’s not perfect

Like any phone, the G6 has its fair share of problems, especially when it comes to overcoming some of the endemic software problems LG is known for.

For starters, it doesn’t have a super large battery, but there are things you can do — optimizations and such — to prolong the inevitable. And LG’s software, while not great, is the best it’s ever been — you just have to know how to wrangle it.

Common LG G6 problems and how to fix them

It’s a lot cheaper than the Galaxy S8

So here we come to the final decision. At between $400 and $500 depending on the carrier, and cheaper unlocked, the G6 is a lot cheaper than the Galaxy S8. That’s a lot of money to save on a phone that’s better in some ways (it’s much easier to pick up off a table, and the fingerprint sensor placement is so much better) and nearly as good in others. The Prime-Exclusive version of the G6 is significantly cheaper at $399, so don’t forget that if you don’t mind seeing advertisements.

If you’ve made up your mind, you can learn everything you need to know about the phone in our forums!

Then you can figure out which carrier to buy it from.

Where to buy the LG G6 in the U.S.

If you want something newer, get the G7

Despite earlier rumors, LG has released a proper follow up to the G6 with the G7. The G7 continues key G-series features like the wide-angle camera and excellent audio, with a slightly refreshed design — including a notch that you can hide — and internals to match other 2018 flagships. If you’re in the market for an LG phone today, you may be better of ponying up for the G7.

LG G7: Review, Specs, Availability, Problems and more!

Oreo is here

While it was a bit behind compared to other manufacturers, LG finally starting rolling Android 8.0 Oreo to the G6 in June 2018. It hasn’t quite reached all networks and regions, and we’re only a couple months away from the final Android P release. We can hope that LG will get better with support on future devices, but they’ve had a similar release schedule the past few years.

More: These U.S. carriers have updated the LG G6 to Android Oreo

More: Unlocked LG G6 finally gets Android 8.0 Oreo update

Updated June 2018: Article updated with information regarding the Oreo update and the LG G7.

LG G6

• LG G6 review!
• LG G6 specs
• LG G6 vs. Google Pixel: The two best cameras right now
• Everything you need to know about the G6’s cameras
• LG forums

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Keep an eye on this: Big changes are coming for Sling TV

We’ve got the full coverage at CordCutters.com, but here’s the gist, for those who use Sling TV on Apple TV or Android TV or whatever crazy device you’ve got rigged up to your TV:

• The price of the basic Sling Orange plan is increasing to $25 a month. Boo.
• But Sling is giving non-subscribers a whole bunch of free shows even if they don’t pay. Yay!
• But that part is only available on Roku devices starting today. Oh.
• But it’ll come to other devices later. Which is why it matters to you. Gotcha.
• Also, there are new a-la-carte channels available, and pay-per-view events — even if you’re not a Sling customer. Just pay separately. OK, that’s kind of cool.

Get the whole scoop at CordCutters.com

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LG Display to Supply Apple With 2-4 Million OLED Panels for This Year’s ‘iPhone X Plus’

Apple’s multi-billion dollar investment in LG Display to start supplying OLED technology is close to bearing fruit, reports the South China Morning Post. According to the paper’s sources, the Korean firm is almost ready to become Apple’s second supplier for OLED screens, allowing Apple to reduce its reliance on Samsung, currently the sole manufacturer of the panels in iPhone X models.

The first OLED screens from LG Display will be used in one model of the new iPhones slated for release this year, the people said. LG Display wants to supply all the screens for that Apple model, though it is not clear it can yet achieve that, one of the people said. The shipment is subject to two layers of approval, the first of which is expected around July, the people said.

Previous rumors have suggested LG will be the supplier for this year’s 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus”. The sources in today’s report claim LG Display will initially supply between 2 million and 4 million units, as it continues to work on ramping up capacity. While those figures are small relative to Apple’s sales, the sources note that they would help Apple gain leverage in price negotiations with Samsung as it looks to eventually switch to OLED-only production for iPhone.

In April, The Wall Street Journal claimed that mass production challenges had caused LG to fall behind the schedule it had agreed with Apple. As a result, opinions within Apple were said to be divided on whether LG Display would be in a position to complement Samsung as a second source of OLED displays for the upcoming iPhones. However, analysts at investment firm Susquehanna estimated that LG will supply as much as 20 percent of OLED displays for the 2018 lineup.

Apart from the “iPhone X Plus”, Apple is expected to release two other iPhone models in 2018: a second generation iPhone X and a low-cost, 6.1-inch option with a similar full-face display as seen on the iPhone X, but with LCD rather than an OLED display.

Last month, South Korea’s ET News reported that Apple’s transition to a full OLED iPhone lineup will be complete in 2019. However, analysts immediately cast doubt on that claim, arguing that the switch would be too early and effectively remove the chance for a “low-cost” iPhone model like the LCD version believed to be coming this year. The same view is also supported by today’s report:

The latest move does not indicate Apple is aiming for adoption of OLED screens for all of its iPhones next year and it is more about diversifying its suppliers, one of the people said.

According to The Investor, Apple is investing 3 trillion won ($2.67 billion) in LG’s OLED production for smartphones. LG is said to be building a production line dedicated to iPhone orders only, as part of its agreement with Apple.

Related Roundups: iPhone X, 2018 iPhonesTags: Samsung, LG DisplayBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Neutral)
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Vivo Nex hands-on: Welcome to the all-screen future

The day many of us have been waiting for has finally arrived. A truly bezel-free smartphone is here! Sort of. Many have tried and many have failed, with the much-maligned notch emerging as the compromised offspring of those failed attempts to rid the smartphone of bezels. The Vivo Nex is the closest to a truly bezel-free smartphone we’ve seen come to market. It has very few compromises and no notch.

The phone fuses the in-display fingerprint scanner demo shown at CES 2018 and the drool-worthy Apex concept phone’s front-facing camera from MWC 2018, and we got to go hands on with it.

Unfortunately, the phone everyone wants — with a look long promised by science fiction — not everyone will be able to get. The Vivo Nex is currently only slated for a Chinese release. It may come to other select markets in time, but a truly global release isn’t likely. Given Huawei and ZTE’s woes in the U.S., one can hardly blame Vivo for focusing on more friendly markets. Selling units isn’t Vivo’s main focus here though; demonstrating truly cutting-edge technology is.

Science fiction has long promised us that smartphones of the future would look like the Vivo Nex.

If U.S. hostility to Chinese smartphones means the first bezel-free device you buy isn’t made by Vivo, that’s perfectly fine. Vivo says the Nex is more about taking a step into the industry’s future than it is about being number one. To that end, Vivo senior vice president Alex Feng says he hopes the Nex gets the industry to “continue pondering ‘what’s next?’ in this mobile experience journey.”

For what it’s worth, I wish everyone would have a chance to buy the Vivo Nex, because it truly feels like a momentous turning point. It feels somehow unfair that not everyone will get to experience such a significant device.

As with most smartphones these days, it all starts with the screen. As bezels have shrunk, so too have the defining features on the front of most phones. The Vivo Nex features a 6.59-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 19.3:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,316, 338ppi). As with most other OLED panels, it offers deep blacks and colors that pop. There’s also an always-on display option for showing missed calls and message notifications.

The Vivo Nex does away with the bezel above the display, only keeping a very slight chin at the bottom. In case you’re interested, the bezels measure 1.71 mm on the sides, 2.16mm on top and 5mm below the display. Because the Vivo Nex pushes the boundaries with a 91.24 percent screen-to-body ratio, there’s no room for the usual array of sensors, cameras and speakers you’d find on a traditionally-proportioned smartphone. Those have now moved under the glass or inside the device’s body.

The earpiece speaker has been removed altogether. Vivo’s Screen SoundCasting technology now use the display itself as a speaker. Vivo says this not only releases the Nex from the burden of a top bezel but also adds “more powerful bass and softer, smoother treble.” From what I could hear at the noisy launch event it sounded fine, but we’ll give it some more rigorous testing in the full Vivo Nex review. The rest of the Nex’s audio comes from a single bottom-firing speaker. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone port up top, in case you were worried.

The earpiece speaker and fingerprint scanner live under the display glass while the front-facing camera slides up from the top of the Vivo Nex only when needed.

The in-display fingerprint scanner is the other Big Deal in the Vivo Nex. While the Vivo X21 UD and Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS also featured such a scanner, Vivo was the first to demo the tech back at CES 2018. The tech is now in its third generation, and while it won’t offer device unlocking quite as quick as a modern capacitive finger scanner, the slight delay you’ll experience will be far outweighed by the simple satisfaction of unlocking your phone through the screen. According to Vivo, the new scanner provides a 10 percent speed increase, 50 percent higher accuracy and a 30 percent lower fake recognition rate than the under-glass scanners in previous devices.

The front-facing camera is hidden in the upper frame of the phone, popping up when you launch the front-facing camera. It’s a novel and, perhaps counterintuitively, kind of “obvious” solution to the bezel-free problem. Like Oppo’s rotating camera on the Oppo N1 or a plastic cover to obscure the webcam on your laptop, sometimes a simple solution is best. That said, I totally understand the misgivings many have aired over making the operation of your front-facing camera dependent on a piece of mechanical tech that could fail.

The camera mechanism has undergone extensive testing and can be raised and lowered 50,000 times and withstand up to 45kg of thrust force when extended.

To address the “failure question,” Vivo assures me that the front-facing camera can push up to 500g in repeated trials and its micro-stepping motor, independent drive ICs and control algorithms allow the camera to move with absolute precision. With a special buffer structure design, the camera has also undergone reliability tests such as drop resistance and dust resistance tests. According to Vivo, the camera can be raised and lowered repeatedly up to 50,000 times and withstand up to 45kg of thrust force when extended. Only time will tell what the failure rate of the camera elevator will be in real-world usage.

Speaking of cameras, the Vivo Nex has a dual camera setup on the back. The camera has a 12MP f/1.8 sensor with 1.4-micron pixel size and both optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization. The secondary camera on the back is a 5MP f/2.4 lens and the front-facing camera is an 8MP f/2.0 shooter. We didn’t have time for usable test shots at the launch event, but we can tell you shutter lag is a thing here. Stay tuned for a full gallery of images.

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Vivo Nex specs: More than meets the eye

The Vivo Nex may have two very eye-catching features – that elevating front-facing camera mechanism and an all-screen display – but the rest of the Vivo Nex specs are just as impressive as you could …

Vivo Nex announced: Full-screen powerhouse

Hate the notch? You’ll love the new Vivo Nex. There’s no cutout at the top, yet its bezels are still tantalizingly thin. It may look like a prop from a sci-fi movie, but it’s a …

The camera app offers a range of aspect ratios and shutter triggers (including touch, voice, and a palm gesture). You can also reassign a long press of the volume down button to quickly launch the camera when the screen is off. If the last camera you were using was the front-facing one, the lens will slide up instantly while the camera app launches. There’s a full manual mode, HDR, portrait mode, and Live Photos. The front-facing camera only shoots 1080p video, but the main camera shoots 4K.

The Vivo Nex’s glass back features a nice diffracting pattern beneath the glass which creates rainbow colors in the right light. Despite the glass, the Nex lacks wireless charging, an IP rating, or NFC for contactless payment systems like Google Pay. The omission of any or all of these might be a dealbreaker for some.

As far as the rest of the phone goes though, there are no compromises. The Vivo Nex packs in the Snapdragon 845 with Qualcomm’s AI Engine and the Adreno 630 GPU, 8GB of RAM, variants with 128 or 256GB of internal storage, a 4,000mAh battery with fast charging and Android 8.1 Oreo underneath Vivo’s FunTouch 4.0 software layer.

Display	6.59-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD+ (2316 x 1080, 338ppi), 19.3:9 aspect ratio
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with AI Engine, 64-bit, octa-core, 10nm
GPU	Adreno 630
RAM	8GB
Storage	256GB
Cameras	Rear: Dual pixel 12 MP f/1.8 (Sony IMX363) with 1.4µm pixel size, OIS and EIS + 5MP f/2.4 Front: 8MP, f/2.0 with elevating mechanism
Audio	32-bit/192kHz audio, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast charging
IP rating	No
Sensors	Fingerprint (3rd generation in-display), accelerometer, proximity, compass, gyroscope, infrared, ambient light
Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 5(850), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5.1G/5.8G, hotspot Bluetooth 5.0 A-GPS microUSB 2.0 3.5mm headphone port USB Type-C
SIM	Dual SIM/hybrid slot
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo Funtouch OS 4
Dimensions and weight	162 x 77 x 7.98mm 199g
Colors	Black, Red

The software experience on most Chinese phones won’t appeal to most westerners, but a quick dip into the pool of alternate Android launchers will manage to cure some of what ails you. We’ll dive deeper into what the software offers in the full Vivo Nex review, but most of what you’d expect from an Android device is present and accounted for, it’s simply presented in a less palatable fashion than, say, the Pixel 2.

There’s a dedicated AI button on the left for summoning Vivo’s Jovi Intelligent Voice Assistant. You can change what the button does in the settings, but only to the image recognizer, voice assistant, or nothing — there’s no option for switching it to your virtual assistant of choice. There’s also a ton of AI-this and AI-that, primarily in the camera. Most of this will probably not appeal and often doesn’t rely all that heavily on AI at all. We’ll cover that further in the review too.

Out of the box, the Vivo Nex has gesture navigation turned on. Swipe up from one of three spots on the bottom of the screen to go back, go home or open recent apps. You can also turn on on-screen nav buttons if you prefer. Vivo also lets you rearrange the order to put the back button (or back gesture) on the left side where it belongs. If you opt for gesture navigation and would like a visual cue, you can choose between horizontal lines or small dots. You can remove everything from the bottom of the screen once you’re used to it.

The Vivo Nex will be available in China (and possibly other select markets in future). It’s priced at 4998 yuan (~$780) for the 256GB version, while the 128GB version will cost 4498 yuan (~$702).

Like its screen-to-body ratio, the Vivo Nex comes very close to doing everything but falls slightly short. Even in my brief time with it, I noticed a few things that will niggle some people. Camera lag, a slow(ish) fingerprint scanner, bloatware, as well as the lack of an IP rating, NFC, and wireless charging are all worth noting. In all honesty, those absences are relatively minor, and frequently don’t appear on “normal” phones with big bezels and regularly placed fingerprint scanners.

Where the Nex fails, it more than makes up for in the sheer coolness, the novelty, the audacity of what it promises.

In some ways, the Vivo Nex shouldn’t be considered a normal phone and shouldn’t be judged by the same standards. It goes somewhere no one else has gone before and it does so surprisingly well. However, it’s also a phone in the real world, affected by things like price, availability, update reliability, feature set and so on. It’s a first-gen product, to be sure, and as such we should expect a few things to not be quite perfect. Perhaps this is why Vivo is more interested in showcasing tech with the Nex than it is in taking the world by storm.

The Nex more than makes up for its problems in sheer coolness, novelty, and the audacity of what it promises. We are literally on the brink of smartphones with all their traditional front-facing components and sensors hidden out of sight or underneath the display. The Vivo Nex, even its name, points to a time so tantalizingly close we can almost touch it, even though it still hasn’t fully arrived.