Tim Cook Told Donald Trump China Tariffs Are ‘Not the Right Approach’ in Recent Meeting

Apple CEO Tim Cook conducted a private meeting with United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 25, where the discussion was said to be focused “on trade.” Following a recent interview with Bloomberg Television, Cook divulged more details about the meeting, mentioning that the two men discussed topics like recently imposed tariffs on China and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

In late March, Trump launched 25 percent tariffs on around $50 billion worth of Chinese products, citing a “tremendous intellectual property theft problem” in previous U.S./China trade relations. In the new interview, which happened on “The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations,” Cook admitted previous trade policies had their drawbacks, but still held that Trump’s tariffs are “not the right approach” in this situation.

Apple CEO Tim Cook at the Executive Tech Summit at Trump Tower in December 2016

“It’s true, undoubtedly true, that not everyone has been advantaged from that — in either country — and we’ve got to work on that,” Cook said. “But I felt that tariffs were not the right approach there, and I showed him some more analytical kinds of things to demonstrate why.”

The two also discussed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as children from deportation. The Trump administration’s decision to end DACA was blocked in January by a federal judge in San Francisco, and today representatives of the administration will attempt to convince the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it was justified in the move to end the program.

In the days after Trump signed an executive order against DACA early last year, Apple and other major tech companies penned an open letter to Trump urging the importance of the program. Cook discussed his support of DACA throughout the year, and told Rubenstein in this week’s interview, “We’re only one ruling away from a catastrophic case there.”

Other parts of the interview touch upon the new corporate tax policy in the U.S., Apple’s growing services segment, Apple Music’s new 50 million paid and free trial user milestone, and the company’s behind-the-scenes work on original TV content. Head over to Bloomberg to read more details from the interview.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: Tim Cook, Donald Trump
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Apple Music Has Over 50 Million Paid Subscribers and Free Trial Users Combined

Apple Music now has over 50 million users on either paid subscriptions or free trials, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Cook revealed the updated total in an interview with Bloomberg Television, nearly five weeks after Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue said Apple Music had 48 million users, including 40 million paying and eight million on a trial.

Apple Music remains the world’s second most popular streaming music service, behind Spotify, which disclosed that it had 75 million paying subscribers as of March 31, 2018. Spotify has a much larger total of at least 170 million active users, however, due to the free, ad-supported tier that it offers.

Apple Music has been a key contributor to the continued growth of Apple’s services category, which brought in $9.1 billion revenue last quarter, an increase of 31 percent on a year-over-year basis. Other service-related revenue includes App Store and iTunes Store sales, paid iCloud storage, licensing, and more.

Tag: Apple Music
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Adobe Makes XD Design Software Free Through New XD CC Starter Plan

Adobe today announced the launch of the XD CC Starter plan, which provides users with free access to Adobe’s all-in-one UX/UI design platform. Adobe’s new XD CC Starter plan offers no-cost usage of Adobe XD for Mac and Windows and mobile apps for iOS and Android to allow users to design, prototype, and share user experiences.

Starter Plan users can create an unlimited number of XD documents, expert assets for production, and create videos. One design prototype and one design spec at a time can be shared, with a paid plan available to enable unlimited sharing.

“UX design is one of the fastest growing segments in design,” said Scott Belsky, chief product officer and executive vice president, Creative Cloud at Adobe. “The new Starter plan for Adobe XD supports Adobe’s vision to give everyone–from emerging artists to enterprise brands–everything they need to design and deliver exceptional digital experiences and explore the rapidly expanding field of UX design with no financial commitment.”

In addition to the starter plan, Adobe XD is gaining new features and workflow enhancements including improvements to Sketch and Photoshop CC integrations, password protection for design specs to restrict who can view files, drag and drop options for swapping symbols, and the option to paste to multiple artboards. More information on the improvements can be found in Adobe’s blog post covering the update.

In the near future, Adobe plans to roll out advanced prototyping and animation capabilities, new team collaboration features, and new plug-in options.

Adobe is also announcing a new $10 million Adobe Fund for Design, distributed to designers and developers through grants and equity investments. Adobe’s am with the fund is to help designers and developers “innovate in the world of experience design” and leverage the Adobe XD platform.

Adobe XD is free as of today and can be downloaded from the Adobe XD website. Existing Adobe XD plans will continue to be available, with the $9.99 Adobe XD Single App plan offering Creative cloud members unlimited shared prototypes and design specs. Customers who subscribe to a Creative Cloud all apps plan have full access to unlimited sharing. More information on XD plans can be found on Adobe’s website.

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FileMaker 17 Launches With Improvements to App Development Speed and Interface

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today announced the launch of FileMaker 17, the newest version of the company’s popular database platform designed to make it easy for businesses to create a range of customized apps able to operate effortlessly across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and the Web.

Version 17 of the FileMaker software focuses on speeding up and simplifying app development through start apps, master-details layout options, and a revamped layout mode, plus it includes an overhauled FileMaker Server Admin Console and a new Admin API.

According to Ann Monroe, vice president of worldwide marketing and customer success at FileMaker, version 17 of the platform allows users to do more in less time.

“With the FileMaker 17 Platform, not only can users do more in less time, but they also can do more on the go. Business teams of all sizes are looking to improve productivity, and this launch builds on FileMaker’s track record of providing a unified tool for quickly creating and deploying custom apps.”

FileMaker customers can start development on apps more quickly with one of six new starter apps that can serve as a base able to be enhanced through connected add-on tables.

Layout tools for custom apps are more easily accessible thanks to a redesigned layout interface that makes tools and customization panes more discoverable, and master-detail layouts can be used to save common design patterns.

New support for sensors allows mobile apps to capture information from the iOS sensors in iPads or iPhones, and on iPads with iOS 11.2 or later, drag and drop support has been introduced, for easily transferring files, photos, links, and more between two apps. Local notifications can also be displayed on an iPhone or iPad when FileMaker Go is not running or is in the background.

The FileMaker Server Admin Console has been redesigned with a more streamlined user interface, and trial access to the REST API for managing and administering the FileMaker server is available. The REST API offers support for a more standardized API format, FileMaker Server scripts, and uploading files to container fields.

FileMaker says FileMaker Cloud support for the new FileMaker 17 Platform features will be available “in the coming weeks.”

FileMaker pricing is not changing with the release of FileMaker 17. FileMaker uses a subscription licensing structure for teams of five or more users, with access to FileMaker Server and FileMaker systems across desktop, mobile, and web.

Pricing starts at $15 per month per user for an annual subscription, with discounts available for larger teams. Perpetual licenses, which allow users to access the current version of the software in perpetuity with no expiration date, are also available at 3x the cost. Updates are not included in the perpetual plan options.

Tag: FileMaker
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Stewie the robot offers horseback therapy without the stable fee

Dogs may be man’s best friend but, for many people with special needs, happiness is found on horseback. It’s thought that the rhythmic, rocking motion can stimulate good posture, confidence, comfort, and other therapeutic benefits for people who suffer from physical and mental disabilities. The problem is, horses are expensive and can be hard to come by, especially for people living in the city.

But a team of undergraduates from Rice University have developed a robotic horse to offer therapies for patients with no easy access to a stable. Expanding on a similar device previously developed by Rice engineers, the robot, Stewie, is designed to provide a cost-effective alternative to the living creature.

Hippotherapy is a technique commonly used by therapists working with children with disabilities. Patients ride, while the therapist walks alongside, often engaging the patient in speech and visual exercises along the way. But these sessions can be expensive, sometimes costing hundreds of dollars.

“Our project is exciting because we are able to re-create multiple different horse gaits with the switch of a button,” Matt O’Gorman, a Rice undergraduate researcher who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “Unlike a mechanical bull or a toy horse outside a supermarket, we accurately match the motion of horses that are used in hippotherapy, which can thus provide much more effective results. Furthermore, our design is fully open-source and easily constructed with minimal machining, for a significantly cheaper price than other devices on the market.”

Stewie takes inspiration from the Stewart platform, a robotic concept that allows machines to move with six degrees of freedom. The Rice team powered their robot using Arduino and six motors for its six legs, enabling Stewie to move with the rhythmic, rocking motions of a real horse.

“The motion of the horse generates motion in the rider that similarly matches a human’s walking motion, so it’s able to provide rehabilitative benefits in walking and generating core muscle strength,” O’Gorman said. “Additionally, the motion relaxes the rider, allowing it to be paired with other therapies. Therapists have found that patients are more effective in speech and similar therapies after being paired with hippotherapy.”

The robot’s biggest benefits boil down to cost and convenience. Parts for Stewie cost around $3,500, while the team said patients can spend upwards of $5,000 on hippotherapy sessions with a real horse. Plus, Stewie’s food and lodging fees are nominal.

“This means he can be used within the city, or an already existing therapeutic center, without necessitating long commutes,” O’Gorman said. “There are some disadvantages as well, notably that Stewie … isn’t a live animal! While the main benefit of hippotherapy is physical, there is some mental component as well, which is why we made Stewie stuffed like a horse to mimic this as best as we could.”

The researchers admit Stewie isn’t as effective as the real thing and, since they’re all graduating, don’t plan on refining the robot much further. But they’ve left the project open-source and encourage anyone who’s inspired to develop the project further.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Assistive tech is progressing faster than ever, and these 7 devices prove it
• This robot eel glides through saltwater without making a sound
• Our guide to the best robot vacuums
• Meet the British whiz kid who fights for justice with a robo-lawyer sidekick
• Counting down the 10 most important robots in history

Wired speeds in a $60 cordless gaming mouse? Logitech did it

After releasing its “pro” Powerplay wireless charging system and mice last summer, Logitech returns with an affordable wireless mouse for mainstream PC gamers. Called the G305, the new peripheral is based on Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless technology promising wired-like performance only seen in the company’s premium mice lineup. What you won’t see here is a premium price. The G305 ships this month for $59.99. 

PC gamers looking for lots of bling in a mouse need to look elsewhere. The Logitech G305 takes a simplistic approach, sporting a slim, compact design for easy portability. Yet despite its initial ambidextrous appearance, it’s mostly built for right-handed gamers, shoving two thumb buttons onto the left side. Lefties can still use this mouse, but Logitech reserves leftie-friendly features for its higher-priced mice. 

That said, if you’re migrating from a higher-class gaming mouse like Logitech’s G903, the G305 will feel minimalistic in size and features. Its slim form factor makes it a great solution for gaming-on-the-go, and the bundled miniature USB dongle fits nice and snug next to the single AA battery under the palm rest lid. Overall, it’s a solid, high-quality device that doesn’t feel too small in your hand.

Lightspeed wireless performance

Logitech’s marketing push behind the G305 focuses on two components: The optical sensor and wireless connection. We’ve seen the Hero sensor before in Logitech’s G603 gaming mouse, short for High Efficiency Rating Optical. Logitech built this sensor from scratch to squeeze out lots of high-performance tracking without gobbling the peripheral’s battery. Logitech says this sensor provides up to 10 times more power efficiency than its 3366 optical sensor. 

As for the wireless connectivity, we know this technology well: Lightspeed. In this case, Logitech boasts that it brought professional-grade wireless gaming to the mainstream. It’s still a 2.4GHz connection, but what’s important to note here is that Logitech’s proprietary wireless technology enables wired-like report rates of one millisecond. That’s how many times the mouse can report to the parent PC each second. Bluetooth ranges between 7.5 and 11.25 milliseconds. 

We tested the mouse in some rounds of Destiny 2, a first-person shooter that requires some twitchy reflexes. Partnered with an Alienware R4 laptop, we didn’t experience any input lag using the mouse. Given it uses the same wireless technology as the “pro” G903, we expected the G305 would provide top-notch performance. It didn’t fail those expectations, even in the Crucible.

But the cost of a one-millisecond report rate is an overall reduced battery life. To tackle this problem, you can use the free Logitech Gaming Software desktop client to adjust the rate between 125Hz (8ms), 250Hz (4ms), 500Hz (2ms), and 1,000Hz (1ms). Thus, if you’re not gaming, the default 125Hz setting is ideal and doesn’t present any noticeable lag during general use. You’ll find two power modes as well – Lo (nine months) and High (250 hours) — that simply toggles between 125Hz and 1,000Hz rates.

Not a slouch in customization

On the customization front, Logitech provides plenty of choice. The software enables you to re-assign the six physical buttons with a new command, edit a command, use the button’s generic functionality, or un-assign a command. Assigning a new command brings up a new window presenting three categories: Mouse function, keystroke, and multi-key macro.

By default, the button mounted behind the mouse wheel cycles through your DPI settings. The mouse sensitivity ranges between 200dpi and 12,000dpi that you can set using five customizable levels. Just hit the DPI button to cycle through each color-coded setting indicated by a single LED: Yellow, white, red, purple, and blue. You can also re-assign the thumb buttons to DPI Up and DPI Down if that works better for you.

Finally, you can save one set of mouse settings to the peripheral — DPI sensitivity levels, button assignments, and report rate — using its on-board memory. It’s a general mouse “profile” that doesn’t load with a specific game, and comes in handy when you’re connecting the mouse to another PC without the Logitech Gaming Software client installed.

Want to attach specific settings to a specific game? Just switch the software over to “Automatic Game Detection” mode, which stores all settings on your PC. The software will scan for new games and list them at the top of a newly-unlocked Profiles section. You can then assign specific commands to the mouse buttons (and compatible Logitech keyboard keys) that will automatically load when the game starts. 

At $60, G305 wireless mouse pushes the mainstream boundaries. You don’t have to pay premium prices for a cordless mouse with great wired-like performance and customization solutions.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best wireless mouse
• Optical vs. laser mouse
• The best ergonomic mouse you can buy
• Logitech G560 review
• What kind of mouse do you use most on a daily basis?

SanDisk’s one-day memory sale has 64GB flash drives starting at $10, microSD cards at $16

Score big discounts today.

Amazon is back with another one-day sale on various SanDisk memory products. From high-capacity microSD cards to durable portable SSDs, there’s something here for everyone. Many of these prices are historic lows for these items, or pretty close to it.

Whether you’re looking to add storage to your phone, tablet or action camera, or want to be able to keep your files mobile with you all the time, there are tons of deals here that you won’t want to miss.

MicroSD Cards

• 64GB Ultra Micro SDXC – $15.99 (Was $25)
• 128GB Ultra Micro SDXC – $31.99 (Was $50)
• 256GB Ultra Micro SDXC – $87.56 (Was $150)
• 400GB Ultra Micro SDXC – $159.99 (Was $250)

Flash Drives

• 64GB Cruzer USB 2.0 – $10.39 (Was $16
• 64GB Ultra Flair USB 3.0 – $14.39 (Was $18)
• 64GB Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0 – $16.15 (Was $21)
• 256GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C – $51.99 (Was $79)
• 128GB iXpand Lightning Flash Drive – $55.99 (Was $70)
• 256GB Connect Wireless Stick – $95.99 (Was $120)

Solid State Drives

• 1TB Extreme Portable SSD – $249.99 (Was $350)

Remember, these prices are here today and gone tomorrow, so don’t miss out.

These are all the Android One phones available today

Here’s what you need to know about the current wave of Android One phones.

The Android One program was initially designed as a way to ensure seamless updates for entry-level devices, but Google didn’t see a lot of traction on that front. As such, Google went back to the drawing board and reimagined Android One as an initiative that isn’t limited to the budget segment.

Today, you’ll find Android One phones on sale from $200 all the way to $800, and the unifying theme among all of these devices is a clean and uncluttered user interface along with the promise of quick updates. The program isn’t confined to emerging markets either, as there are Android One phones up for sale in the U.S., UK, and most global markets.

With handsets available across a wide variety of price points, there’s no dearth of choice if you’re looking for a capable phone with pure Android.

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Earlier this year, HMD Global announced that it would be committing to the Android One program for all of its upcoming phones. The Finnish manufacturer revived the Nokia brand last year, introducing phones with classic industrial design and a clean user interface devoid of any bloat. So it stands to reason that the next step for HMD would be to formalize its association with Google by partnering over Android One.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is the most expensive Android One phone currently available, with the phone selling for just over $880 (£649) in the UK. HMD has also kicked off sales in India, where it costs $745 (₹49,999).

The Nokia 8 Sirocco features a 5.5-inch QHD panel, Snapdragon 835, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual 12MP cameras at the back, 5MP front shooter, and a 3260mAh battery.

The phone has a dual curved screen, and while it’s still using a 16:9 display, it has minimal bezels at the top and bottom. The curved form factor and the durable chassis make it stand out in this segment, and being an Android One device means it will be one of the first to receive platform and security updates.

See at Flipkart

Nokia 7 Plus

The Nokia 7 Plus is one of the best mid-range phones of 2018. It comes with an eye-catching design that sees copper accents along the mid-frame and at the back, and is currently the only device in HMD’s portfolio to adopt the 18:9 form factor.

It isn’t lacking in the hardware department either, thanks to a Snapdragon 660, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage along with a microSD slot. It also comes with dual 12MP + 13MP cameras, a 16MP front shooter, and a 3800mAh battery that delivers two days’ worth of usage from a full charge.

Nokia 7 Plus review: Come for the value, stay for the excitement

The build quality is outstanding, and honestly, you can’t ask for much more from a $400 phone. The Nokia 7 Plus is available from Amazon India for $385 (₹25,999), and is up for sale in the UK for $475 (£349).

See at Amazon

Nokia 6.1

HMD’s budget phone has been refreshed for 2018 with a beefier chipset and USB-C. The Nokia 6.1 has the same durable chassis as the 2017 variant, but is now powered by the Snapdragon 630.

You also get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, 16MP camera, 8MP front camera, and a 3000mAh battery. And unlike the rest of HMD’s lineup, you’ll be able to buy the Nokia 6 in the U.S. for $269.

See at Amazon

Xiaomi Mi A1

Xiaomi’s Mi A1 is one of the best value-for-money phones around. For what amounts to $220, you get a 5.5-inch Full HD panel, Snapdragon 625 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, dual 12MP cameras with a dedicated zoom lens for 2x optical zoom, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3080mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Best of both worlds

The Chinese manufacturer hasn’t put a foot wrong with the Mi A1, but the main drawback with the phone is availability. The Mi A1 is officially sold in India and other Southeast Asian markets, and has recently made its debut in Europe for €229. If you’re looking to pick it up from a country where it isn’t officially available just yet, then your best bet is to go through a Chinese retailer.

See at GearBest

Motorola Moto X4

The Moto X4 is an important device as it’s the only device outside the Nexuses and Pixels that is officially certified to work on Project Fi. There’s plenty to like with the phone, and the decent hardware combined with Project Fi’s service makes it a potent combination.

Moto X4 review: A mid-range phone done right

On the hardware front, the Moto X4 offers a 5.2-inch Full HD panel backed by Gorilla Glass 3, Snapdragon 630, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, dual 12MP + 8MP cameras at the back along with a 16MP front shooter, IP68 certification, and a 3000mAh battery. The phone retails for $399 in the U.S., and is up for sale in India for ₹22,999 ($360) for the variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

See at Google

HTC U11 Life

The U11 Life has a lot of hardware similarities with the Moto X4. You get a 5.2-inch Full HD screen, Snapdragon 630, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and IP67 dust and water resistance. You lose out on the dual cameras — with the phone sporting a single 16MP shooter at the back — but you do get a 16MP camera up front as well.

HTC U11 Life review: High style at a low price, with compromises

HTC has opted for differentiation with a feature called Edge Sense, a squeezable frame that lets you launch the camera or Google Assistant by just pressing down on the sides of the phone. Other specs include a 2600mAh battery, and while that’s decent enough to last the better part of a day, the phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack. You do get HTC’s USonic earbuds bundled in the box though. Not bad considering the phone costs $349.

See at HTC

Y!Mobile X1/X2/S1/S2

If you’re looking to pick up an Android One phone in Japan, SoftBank’s Y!Mobile has you covered. The carrier has a strong lineup of phones, including Sharp’s X1 and S1, Kyocera’s S2, and the HTC X2.

Let’s kick off with Sharp’s offerings first: both the X1 and S1 feature Full HD IGZO panels and are dust and water resistant. The X1 has a 5.3-inch screen, is powered by the Snapdragon 435, and offers 3GB of RAM/32GB storage, microSD slot, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front shooter, and a huge 3900mAh battery.

The S1 features a 5.0-inch screen, Snapdragon 430, 2GB of RAM/16GB storage, microSD slot, 13MP camera, 8MP front camera, and a 2530mAh battery. Both Sharp phones are on Android 8.0 Oreo.

Coming over to the Kyocera S2, the budget phone has a 5-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 425, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, microSD slot, 13MP rear shooter, a 2MP front camera, and 2300mAh battery. The S1 is available on monthly plans starting as low as $20 (¥2,138).

Finally, the HTC X2 offers a 5.2-inch Full HD panel, Snapdragon 630, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, microSD slot, 16MP front and rear cameras, and a 2600mAh battery. The phone is certainly the most feature-rich when seen next to other Android One devices in the country, and that corresponds to a monthly plan of $30 (¥3,434).

See at Y!Mobile

General Mobile GM6/GM5/GM5 Plus

Turkey’s General Mobile 4G was the first Android One device to feature a Snapdragon chipset. The phone made its debut in 2015, and while Indian vendors rolled out Android One devices a year prior, they were running MediaTek’s MT6582 platform.

Currently, the Turkish phone manufacturer offers three Android One phones: the GM6, GM5, and the GM 5 Plus. The GM5 and GM5 Plus are older devices running the Snapdragon 617, with the former featuring a 5-inch 720p display with the latter offering a 5.5-inch Full HD panel.

The GM6, meanwhile, features MediaTek’s octa-core MT6737T chipset, and has 3GB of RAM/32GB of storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front shooter, and a 3000mAh battery. Crucially, all three devices have received the Oreo update.

See at General Mobile

Your favorite

What Android One phone piques your interest? Let us know in the comments!

Our favorite Android devices throughout the years, 2018 edition

Looking back, everyone has a point where they started loving Android. Often those products became sentimental favorites. These are some of them as told by the AC editors.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that Android has had on the world. In the last decade, it’s become the most widely used mobile operating system in the world, garnering massive communities of developers, enthusiasts, and even bloggers and reporters — like us!

Here at Android Central, we make our livings writing about the latest Android-related technology. As such, we get to play with and experience nearly every phone on the market, and as nice as that can be, it also makes it easy to feel jaded and unimpressed by new releases. Still, some devices are so captivating that they stick with us for years after their release — not necessarily because they were the best devices around at the time, but because they did something special to stand out against a sea of uniform options.

We did this in 2017 and it was a lot of fun, but it’s been over 15 months since that last roundtable, so we thought we’d do it again. Here’s the 2018 version of our favorite Android phones throughout the years!

Andrew Martonik: Google Pixel and Nexus 5

In the grand scheme of Android, the original Google Pixel was both extremely important for Google and also an overall wonderful phone to use. I’m specifically talking about the smaller Pixel and not the XL, though obviously the availability of two different screen sizes was part of the whole appeal.

Like so many other people, I just appreciated the simplicity and quality of the original Pixel. That solid metal body, fantastic construction and no-frills design really spoke to me. It was a delivery mechanism for the software more than anything, just like Nexuses were, but in being more expensive it was also dramatically better made than any Nexus. Top-notch hardware with Google’s great software — a perfect match.

The software was just so good, and integrated with Google’s services perfectly. Unlike Nexuses before, the Pixel had a little extra differentiation in the design and function of its software, too, giving it a bit more personality and distinction. It really paid off — the Pixel felt like a complete product top to bottom.

Sure the battery life wasn’t fantastic, and pushed me to use the Pixel XL instead when I was traveling, but that’s really the only complaint I could ever have with it. And of course there’s the camera, which 18 months on is still extremely good. Google just absolutely nailed so much of the experience on that phone that

I also want to give a nod to the Nexus 5 for a completely different set of reasons. It wasn’t well made, particularly beautiful, or even filled with the best specs for the time. But it was the pinnacle of what Google’s Nexus program could achieve: a phone that clearly cut corners in hardware and design but delivered an amazing smartphone experience regardless. It didn’t need the best specs because Google’s attention to the software and experience was so good — and the Nexus 5 remained in my pocket for so long as a result. When a cheaply made plastic phone with missing features can stay in use for that long, you know the whole package had to be something special.

Ara Wagoner: Moto X (2014)

The 2013 Moto X was the phone that turned me from Android user into Android fangirl, and while the 2014 Moto X wasn’t quite as small or cute as my Texas-built original AquaCherry Moto X, it made up for that with features that just felt completely and utterly magical. Google Assistant might be able to hear me in more environments and do way cooler things, but I miss the custom trigger phrases you could use on Moto Voice. I had mine set to completely made up words, so it sounded like I was casting a spell when I summoned Moto Voice for a command.

Even more magical than the custom phrases, however, were the IR sensors on the front of the phone. Yeah, they made the white-faced Moto X look like a pimply teenager, but they blended in well on the black front and they were handy as all get-out. I could leave my phone face-up next to my workstation, wave my hand over my phone, and see my notifications or wake up the phone for whatever I needed.

The Moto X 2014 felt magical in a way that no phone since really has. Maybe part of that has to do with the fact that I was still just a budding Android writer at the time, and maybe part of it has to do with the fact that in 2018 we don’t have more phones with custom hotwords or that wake up without being picked up or fingerprint swiped. I want back my pretty, magic Moto.

Alex Dobie: Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

For reasons that made little sense at the time, and seem even crazier today, Europe didn’t get the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Instead, we traded the Note 5’s utility for the more stylish S6 edge+, which was the only large form factor Samsung phone sold in Europe in 2015. After passing on the smaller S6 models, this was my first experience with an “edge” model Samsung phone, and my favorite device of the year. I had just come from using an LG G4 — a great phone in its own right, but one with many legacy design traits, like plastic contstruction, removable back panels and replaceable batteries. The S6 edge+ was unmistakeably a forward-looking, futuristic handset.

The curved display was great at the time, and has aged surprisingly well, as has the single 16-megapixel rear camera, which could go toe-to-toe with its successor, the S7, in many situations.

And although it shipped with the decidedly quirky Android Lollipop, we were on the cusp of Samsung’s software starting to become both stable and aesthetically pleasing, and the S6 edge+ became even better the following year with its update to Marshmallow, bringing parity with the design of the S7’s software. What’s more, Samsung’s use of its own Exynos processor meant it didn’t have to deal with the performance, heat and throttling issues of the Snapdragon 810 and 808 chips that powered many of its competitors.

The not-so-great stuff? Battery life was rough, with a huge 5.7-inch 16:9 display and a mere 3,000mAh battery. And the in-button fingerprint scanner was bad — so poor, in fact, that I eventually gave up and used Smart Lock.

Daniel Bader: HTC Hero

The HTC Hero in all its chin-wagging glory.

There’s something about Sense. Back in 2009, when the only version of Android one could know was what Google had built for the G1 and other early devices, the Sense-running HTC Hero was an outlier, a stylish, fluid, all-touch smartphone capable of taking on the Droid’s more aggressive qualities.

The version I had up in Canada was sold by Telus, and it looked a lot better than the one Sprint sold, which traded the chin for a flatter bezel and trackpad. Nevertheless, it was a game-changer and showed me that smartphone software could be intuitive and performant at the same time, two things that “stock” Android wasn’t at the time.

HTC deserves a lot of credit for designing a really good phone, even if today the 3.2-inch 320×480 display is comically small. I loved this device when it was released, and it holds a special place in my nerd heart because of it.

Harish Jonnalagadda: LG G4

LG hasn’t fared all that well in the smartphone segment in recent years, but it isn’t for lack of trying. The manufacturer consistently incorporated fresh designs into its flagships, like the flexible LG G Flex and the modular LG G5. What it failed to do was execute on them, as evidenced by the lack of paltry support for add-on modules for the G5.

The LG G4 wasn’t as outlandish, however, and it came with a fantastic QHD display and a great camera. It was the first phone I used with a QHD panel, and I loved the vibrant colors and the excellent contrast. The G4 also had a cohesive design for the user interface, and most of the software additions turned out to be useful.

What I particularly liked about the LG G4 was the ability to customize the back with removable shells. LG had a range of options available — from plastic to leather and a metallic finish — that altered the look and feel of the device significantly. The phone wasn’t the fastest and didn’t have great battery life, but there was a secondary battery in the box along with a charging cradle that came in handy during travel.

Hayato Huseman: HTC Inspire

One of my favorite phones I’ve ever owned was the first-gen Moto X. No other phone offered that kind of hardware customization — you could choose from different colored front panels and backings (mine was turquoise with a black front), get a custom phrase screen printed on the back (mine had my Twitter handle), and even choose a custom phrase that appeared under the Motorola logo on the boot screen! What a cool device.

Ultimately, though, my absolute favorite Android phone would have to be my first one: the HTC Inspire. That thing was far from perfect; the battery life was terrible, and the door to access the battery was near impossible to get off without breaking a fingernail or scratching the back of the phone with whatever you had tried to pry it off with. On top of that, it didn’t even have a front-facing camera — if you wanted to take a selfie, you had to do so with the rear camera … which also wasn’t great.

Still, it was my first ever Android phone, and I absolutely adored it. The 4.3-inch screen felt enormous at the time — so big that I traded it off for a more comfortable Motorola Atrix for about a month before realizing the error of my ways and trading back. Coming fresh from an iPhone 4, I was fascinated by the Android experience, and couldn’t believe I could do things like run GameBoy emulators without having to hack my software. I didn’t mind Android’s then-lacking app ecosystem, because it was just so much fun to tinker with. I’d be lying if I said I don’t still look at eBay listings of the Inspire from time to time.

Jerry Hildenbrand: Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung wasn’t always the dominant force in mobile that it is today, and the original Galaxy S is the phone that started its climb to the top.

Google and HTC started the mobile arms race with the so-called “Superphones” — the Nexus One and the HTC Evo 4G — and it didn’t take long for Samsung to show everyone how a phone with out-of-this-world specs should be done. The Galaxy S wasn’t nearly as powerful as what we have with today’s Galaxy S9, but for its time, the Hummingbird chipset was amazing.

Where Samsung excelled is also where they lead today: a beautiful AMOLED display and features that nobody else can offer. Samsung’s version of Android can be polarizing, but no matter if you love it or if you hate it you have to admit the company can think outside of the box and take the good ideas to a higher leright

Strategic partnerships with North America’s carriers rounded out Samsung’s strategy and soon you saw a Galaxy S in every carrier store in the U.S. and Canada. Sitting ight beside an iPhone it was easy to see the big beautiful display, and that hooked many a user on Android. Without the Galaxy S, the mobile landscape simply wouldn’t be the same.

Joe Maring: Moto X (2013)

Two Android phones that will always hold a special place in my heart are the 2013 and 2014 Moto X. Those were two of the first phones I purchased with my own money, and between that and the ability to customize each one to my heart’s content, I had a bond with them I’ve experienced with seldom other gadgets over the years.

The Moto X for its first two years didn’t try to conform to what the rest of the smartphone world was doing. Instead, it was its own thing. The 2013 Moto X didn’t have the best processor or display at the time, but instead, focused on delivering the best experience possible with software goodies that were genuinely helpful and exciting. Twisting for the camera and later chopping for the flashlight on the 2014 model are still some of my favorite gestures ever on a phone, and being able to call it whatever I wanted for Moto Voice is something the Google Assistant still lacks.

Also, can someone pleeeassee bring back Moto Maker? Tweaking a phone to look just the way you want it is something that’s still unique to the Moto X line, and there’s something special about knowing no one else has a phone that looks the way your does. Plus, that cognac leather on the 2014 Moto X was 🔥.

I still have my 2013 Moto X in a drawer, and whenever I’m feeling nostalgic, I’ll power that puppy on and play around with it for a few minutes. Even after all these years, it still looks incredible and moves way faster than it has a right to.

Motorola, please bring back the Moto X we know and love. I’ll give you cookies if you do.

Marc Lagace: Google Pixel XL

I have to go with the OG Google Pixel XL, which was as close as it gets to a perfect phone in my eyes. Its design stood out from the crowd, it was the perfect size for my hand, and it was the first phone to feature the Google Assistant — a feature I absolutely love.

The camera felt faster than anything I’d used before, and the resulting photos were nearly always crisp and detailed. Thanks to Google Daydream, I could be “the cool cousin” who showed up to family gatherings with a new VR game to show off. Even as we ruminate about what fancy new specs or features will be included with the Pixel 3, I’m still a big fan of the first Pixel that started it all.

Russell Holly: HTC One M7

For me, the original HTC One stands out as something special. The all-metal body felt nice, it had a unique look, and even though the cameras weren’t the best in the world it was clear HTC was doing something unique with the Ultrapixel tech.

HTC Sense, flawed as it was, had some great ideas as well. It’s kind of interesting to see some of the new digital wellbeing things Google is putting in Android P right now, because these things have roots in Sense UI’s early days.

In a world where so many of the “top tier” Android phones are barely different from one another, it’s nice to look back at the HTC One and see a company willing to try something new.

Tom Westrick: Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra

I love big phones. The only thing that stopped me from getting the Sony Xperia Z Ultra was its lack of a camera flash (seriously Sony, WTF?!) — especially once the Google Play Edition was released. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of a tablet-sized phone — not just an LTE tablet, but full support for full phone calls. I don’t care how silly I look with a tablet next to my head either.

The closest I’ve come was with the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra. I religiously tracked FCC announcements to see if this device was passing through certification for sale in the US, but it never did. When the rest of the Zenfone 3 series went on sale in the States and I saw the writing on the wall, I imported one of the Ultras. It was gloriously giant, but had limited network support — to the surprise of no one. It worked well enough though, and I absolutely loved watching videos, reading comics and browsing websites on that big display. I happily dealt with some of the quirks of Asus’ software (and there were many quirks).

Unfortunately, all good stories must come to an end. I dropped the Zenfone 3 Ultra in a Starbucks, and while I surprisingly didn’t cause an earthquake, I did destroy the camera. I begrudgingly sold the phone to someone who intended to repair it, and no phone since has matched the sheer joy I had when I used that.

I never owned one, but I was also super intrigued by the Nokia Lumia 1520. Windows Phone 8 (and 8.1 and 10 Mobile) never had all of the apps I need, but I’d love if HMD remade this device with modern specs and their minimalist software.

Your turn: What’s your favorite Android device?

There must be some Android device you hold dear. Maybe your first phone, or a tablet you particularly enjoyed? Let us know in the comments!

Watch: Honor 10 launch live stream

New shinies.

The Honor 10 — not to be confused with the View 10 — officially breaks cover today at a launch event in London. While the phone is already on sale in China, today we’ll learn the full details of the Western version of the handset, which looks set to bring some of the Huawei P20’s features to a lower price point.

We’ll be covering the event live from London, and you can follow all the details on Honor’s live stream below. The action kicks off at 2 p.m. BST — which is 9 a.m. EDT, or 6 a.m. PST.

Expect iridescent glass chassis, high-end specs and an AI-enhanced camera — and perhaps some surprises. Take a look over the Chinese announcement for more clues.