Galaxy S9+ vs. Galaxy Note 8: Which should you buy?

Samsung fans will be torn between these two.

Samsung’s dual-flagship approach is great for smartphone super-fans, because we get to see a new top-of-the-line phone from the company twice a year. The Galaxy S series refreshes early on in the year, followed by a Note phone about six months later.

But for someone who holds off on a purchase and doesn’t necessarily upgrade every six months (or even each year), it creates a quandary when you go to buy a Samsung phone: do you buy the Galaxy S, or the Note? Right now you can get the Galaxy Note 8, which is still just a handful of months old and very much a modern phone, but if you want the absolute latest tech from Samsung it has actually been supplanted by the Galaxy S9+.

The Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series have converged over the past few years, but it hasn’t ever been this close — here’s what you need to consider when choosing between the two.

What’s the same

The Galaxy S9+ has a few improvements over the Note 8, but as you’d expect considering their proximity much has been carried over. The two phones share a common platform in their hardware when it comes to the quality of the materials and the overall design, with the only real change being the GS9+’s different metal finish. The Galaxy S9+’s display has improved from the GS8+, but is indistinguishable in quality from the Note 8 — so yeah, both look amazing. And of course there’s just a 0.1-inch diagonal difference in size.

This is the same core hardware platform supporting both phones.

The rest of the hardware features like waterproofing, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, wireless charging, Quick Charge 2.0 and the supporting specs are all the same. Yes the processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 845 in the Galaxy S9+, but that shouldn’t make you forget about the Note 8’s considerable speed in its own right. Both have the same RAM and storage, too.

Even though the Galaxy S9+ is running Oreo out of the box, I won’t even claim it’s a big difference. The Galaxy Note 8 should have its Oreo update in short order, and it will have as many of the same software features as possible. But even that aside, Samsung’s take on Oreo isn’t all that removed from the Nougat launched on the Note 8 — all else being equal in the phones, don’t choose one over the other just to get it.

What’s different

Physically, it’s simply a bit easier to handle the slightly smaller Galaxy S9+. We’re talking about 4 mm in height, 1 mm in width and 6 grams in weight, but add it all up with the slightly more rounded corners and the GS9+ feels like less of a behemoth than the Note 8. If the Note 8 is outright unmanageable for you the GS9+ won’t feel like an entirely different phone, and you should consider the regular Galaxy S9 instead — but I’ll never complain about a phone being smaller and easier to hold, even if it’s subtle.

A slight drop in size and a better fingerprint sensor placement definitely make a difference.

Perhaps more important than the size is the fingerprint sensor placement on the Galaxy S9+. You can easily reach up and touch the lower, center-mounted fingerprint sensor without shifting the phone around in your hand. It’s something you do dozens (perhaps hundreds) of times per day, and it’s something you don’t really think about until you’ve lived with the far inferior placement on the Note 8.

The Galaxy S9+ also introduces stereo speakers. A phone the size of the Note 8 really should have them as well, but at least you have access to it with the GS9+. The speakers aren’t dramatically louder, but getting stereo separation and not having the audio easily blocked by your finger when holding the phone in portrait mode is another subtle usability improvement. And yes, the battery on the Galaxy S9+ is slightly larger, 3500 versus 3300mAh. That 6% bump in conjunction with the slight efficiency improvement from the Snapdragon 845 helps battery life, but it’s not a massive shift.

Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

One could say the biggest improvement in the 2018 phone is its main camera. This is an all-new setup for Samsung, with a brand new sensor and a variable aperture. The new sensor is capable of taking fantastic photos with less noise and sharper lines in all sorts of scenes, but really shines when it comes to low light photography. It also has 960 fps super slow-motion video capture, which is a neat trick. The Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

The only benefit the Note 8 has going for it in this comparison is the feature that gives it its name: the S Pen stylus. If you like to draw or write notes by hand, there isn’t anything like the S Pen on any other phone. Sure the Galaxy S9+ has some of the same features, but when it comes to getting that super-precise input there’s no replacement for having the S Pen at the ready.

Bottom line: Which should you buy?

This really feels like a toss-up. Not only do these two phones have nearly identical experiences, but they also cost about the same. Though the MSRP of the Note 8 was a bit higher, around $940, a few months on the market and the release of the GS9+ has brought that down in many places to the same price as the newer phone. Given their similarities we know basically no one will be upgrading from a Note 8 to a GS9+, but these two will be cross-shopped for someone coming from an older phone.

Unless you need the S Pen, you should buy the Galaxy S9+.

With so much shared between the phones in hardware, design and capabilities, this really comes down to evaluating the few differences and how they’ll actually matter in daily use. The Galaxy S9+ offers a slightly more compact size, a little better battery life, an improved main camera and stereo speakers — but importantly, it doesn’t make any compromises compared to the Note. The Note 8 offers a tiny bit more room to work on the screen, and obviously the excellent S Pen — but that’s it.

So either you need a stylus and you buy the Note 8, or you’ll be better served overall by the Galaxy S9+.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Update May 2018: Updated to reflect the Note 8’s position in the market with the latest pricing information.

Detroit: Become Human – Everything you need to know!

Look into your soul and decide whether you’re OK with letting history repeat itself.

Quantic Dream is one of those rare studios which dares to be different, and the company’s 2018 title – Detroit: Become Human – continues that reputation of peculiarness. You could describe the company’s works to date as interactive movies more than they are games, with the experience primarily driven by narrative and decision making.

Expect more of the same out of Detroit. That’s not to say that the game doesn’t deserve its status as such. You won’t need pristine mechanical gaming skills or muscle memory to get through it. It’s all about influencing the game through your choices and watching it all unfold. Here’s everything you need to know about Detroit: Become Human.

History repeats itself

Detroit: Become Human is a classic thought-provoking story by Quantic. It’s designed from the ground up to make you question your every move, as well as your resolve, emotions, and morals. In this game, you’ll take control of at least three characters, all of whom are sentient robots called androids living in futuristic Detroit.

These androids were first employed as helpers. Naturally, the humans thought this was the perfect role for them as they were to be emotionless beings whose actions are entirely programmed by their makers. But as these types of stories always go, they become aware, and they eventually figure out just how oppressed they really are.

You’ll see the events unfold through the eyes of three such characters:

• Kara: This is the main character designed to get you emotionally attached. Kara is the “nanny-bot” of the story, the typical service android that shows how life with these things should be. She helps a single father whose baby girl needs taking care of. Kara eventually shows signs of becoming sentient, teetering on the lines of obedience and rebelliousness.
• Connor: He’s an android detective, and his entire mission is to track down what they consider to be rogue bots. If a robot is overstepping its boundaries, Connor makes sure they’re corrected one way or another.
• Markus: Say hello to your classic rebel. Markus is probably the most “woke” of all the androids, with a strong play for civil rights, freedom, and equality being his driving force. His role in inspiring other androids to take a stand and fight for their rights is the polarizing issue driving the plot at large.

Detroit’s script is classically long, with its writer – David Cage – known for going over 2,000 pages with all his work. You likely won’t experience all 2,000 of those pages in one sitting, and maybe not even in five.

You can expect an overwhelming amount of branched dialog choices and multiple possible story outcomes. In fact, Quantic Dream suggests there are over 1,000 possible combinations. That’s likely an exaggeration as minor, inconsequential changes in detail will inflate that number, but you don’t have to worry about a shortage of conclusions.

And there’s a lot to it, to boot. The game touches on many of the issues prevalent in today’s society: racial inequality and prejudices; domestic abuse and violence; love. These games have always challenged the player’s soul.

You may be thinking to yourself by now: this is iRobot, The Game. That’s one way to put it, and we won’t argue. While it’s not the iRobot game we imagined we’d get – there were some really cool battle scenes in that movie that you won’t be able to replicate with pure gaming skill – it’s close enough in its underlying theme to make us happy.

Your choices matter

There isn’t much to Detroit’s gameplay. You control the three main characters of the game as you guide them throughout the city’s various environments to look for information, clues, details, and more.

That’s not to say that Detroit won’t have your adrenaline pumping or have your critical thinking skills put to the test. The constant threat to your favorite characters’ safety and your ultimate desire to see the happy outcome you’re hoping to see will have you mulling over each decision as carefully as you can. Your choices of dialog in any given situation are polarizing enough to tear away at the very fabric of your sanity. Your connection to these characters will grow.

Quantic Dreams is trying something a bit different with Detroit: Become Human in that regard, though. In years past, the formula for deciding the outcome of a situation was hidden to the player. You were left to use your deductive reasoning skills to try and figure out where the story would turn. It was obvious in some cases, but really vague in others. To be fair, it added to the feeling of uncertainty that kept you on edge and has become a staple trait of Quantic’s games.

This time, however, we get what’s called a ‘Probability of Success’ meter that shows in real time the consequences of your choices and actions. It seems to be a reliable way to gauge how certain situations will play out and could ultimately help you figure out how you want to react to each situation. But it is only a probability of success, after all, and your outcomes are never guaranteed.

Get ready for Detroit: Become Human

Ready to play Detroit: Become Human? You won’t have long to wait, as its release date is pegged for May 25th, 2018. That date is set in stone, too, with recent news that the game has gone gold, which means they’ve finalized the game and will start producing copies based on the master Blu-Ray disc on which it was preserved.

If early gameplay footage and previews don’t do it for you, there’s a free demo available to download on the PlayStation Store. It features you playing as Connor in a heated attempt to save a woman’s daughter. You’ll get a good serving of that gut-punching dialog and a scenario that does well to preview everything the game has to offer. There are even multiple endings, so there’s a reason to replay it after you’ve run through it for the first time.

If you’ve decided to pre-order it then you’ll want to know the best places to spend your money. For starters, every single pre-order of the standard edition of Detroit: Become Human will net you a dynamic PS4 theme and the game’s digital soundtrack, the latter of which should be able to contend with your library’s most memorable scores.

Amazon Prime members will get 20% off the game’s usual cost of $60, which brings the total to $47.

See at Amazon

Best Buy also offers the same discount for its Gamers Club Unlocked members.

See at Best Buy

For folks who don’t want to pay the cost to be part of either service, Newegg figures to be your best bet with a flat $10 off for anyone who buys it at their online storefront.

See at Newegg

There’s also a $70 digital deluxe copy available, and you’ll definitely want to consider spending the extra $10 here. The biggest benefit is that it comes with a digital copy of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream’s PS3-bound classic. Heavy Rain was a huge improvement on the company’s signature formula and still holds up as one of the finest interactive storytelling experiences gaming has to offer. Other goodies include a digital artbook, the digital deluxe soundtrack, 2 PS4 dynamic themes, and 10 PS4 avatars. The digital deluxe edition costs the same no matter where you buy it.

See at Amazon

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Action Launcher v35 brings Android P-like dock and folders in app drawer

The update’s available in the Play Store right now.

If you’ve been hanging around AC long enough, you know that Action Launcher is one of our favorite Android launchers around. Developer Chris Lacy recently launched v35 of the app, and as always, there are plenty of new goodies to familiarize yourself with.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice that the dock has received a facelift. A transparent box now encompasses your app icons and search bar just like we see with Developer Preview 1 of Android P. Since this is Action Launcher, however, you can customize the color of the new box or remove it entirely and go back to an older design.

Another big addition with v35 are folders in the all apps drawer. Lacy notes that this has been one of the most requested features over the past couple years, so I imagine most of you will be ecstatic about its arrival.

Also new is a search bar at the top of the app drawer, an option to hide apps from your app drawer that are on your desktop, a more rounded look for folders, the ability to sort folders and add multiple apps to them at once, and over 20 stability improvements to ensure Action Launcher is as smooth and fluid as can be.

Action Launcher v35 is on the Play Store now, and you can read the full release notes here.

Download: Action Launcher (free)

USB-C audio: Everything you need to know

The port on the phone isn’t the only difference, but some things are the same as they have always been.

There’s a good chance the next phone you buy will support USB-C audio, even if it still has a “regular” 3.5mm headphone jack. That means we’ll soon be seeing more headphones that have a USB-C connector because that’s how this circle works — support a thing and companies will make the things. But there’s a lot of confusion about using a USB port for audio and what’s different than how we’ve been doing it for years. If you’re into electronics and love getting down and dirty you can take a look at the USB-C audio specification (direct download link) but for the rest of us here’s what you need to know.

New port, same parts

Audio of any type that can be played back on our phones needs to have a handful of specific parts to work. Moving from a 3.5 mm jack to a USB-C port doesn’t change that. Where those parts are, though, can change a lot.

You need a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), an amplifier, and a speaker(s) to turn files into sounds on your phone. Speakers work by moving and creating a pressure wave that our eardrums pick up, and the moving parts use electromagnetism to do their thing. That pressure wave corresponds with whats called an analog signal and the variation of that signal is what creates different tones and sounds. In a nutshell, the signal waveform is what a speaker uses to vibrate, that vibration sends pressure waves to our eardrums, and they vibrate in time inside our head to make the sound. Biological magic aside, it really is that simple. If you look at an analog audio waveform and hear the sound, you can see how things line up.

Making a copy of a copy of the original audio is complicated and needs the right parts.

Files on our phone or files streamed through the internet are digital. That means they are a bunch of binary (a counting system that only uses zero and one) bits that are packed together so a computer can read them and know what to do with them. Yes, your phone is a computer! Digital files do not have any type of waveform that a speaker can use to create sound. We need something to convert them.

Complex algorithms are able to take recorded audio, which is in an analog format, convert it to a digital format like a .mp3 file for storing on a computer, and convert it back to analog when played. This data needs to be sent through the DAC for conversion to a proper waveform and then sent through an amplifier so that the waveform is made strong enough for headphones to use. There are some pretty cool things that scientists and engineers can do to “make” sound, but every phone and every portable audio player and every set of speakers need this process.

More: Does my phone have a DAC? Explaining DACs and Amps in smartphones today

A phone like the LG V30 has a very good DAC and a very good amp and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. An app plays the file, the DAC converts it to analog, the amp boosts the signal, and the 3.5mm headphone jack sends it out to whatever you have plugged in. Every phone with a 3.5 mm headphone port works exactly the same way, even those without the promise of a premium sound experience. A phone that uses the USB port for audio might not work this way, though.

A little more legroom

For an explanation, let’s turn to Bluetooth. You don’t need to physically connect Bluetooth headphones to anything, so things are built differently even if they are using the same parts. Your Bluetooth headphones have their own onboard DAC and amplifier. The digital file is sent from your phone and all the conversion is done on your head. At first, this can feel a little complicated but it’s not really. The same process is used and the only difference is where the components are. Now let’s get to USB.

There are two ways to send audio data through the USB port, and I’ll bet you can guess them: Analog and digital. Analog audio can be converted with an onboard DAC and amplifier inside your phone then sent out through the port to a passive set of headphones or an adapter. For this to work, the device needs to support whats called “audio accessory mode” and the headphones or adapter are just “dumb” connections that pass along the signal.

If you are using an active set of headphones or adapter, the audio signal being sent through the USB port is still in its digital form. That means the DAC and amplifier are inside of the headphones or the dongle, and the conversion is done there instead of the phone.

Buying USB-C headphones can be torturous; get advice from someone who has been there.

This can get messy. You need to make sure that you’re using the right “thing”. If you are using a passive adapter or headphones, your phone needs to support audio accessory mode and many don’t. The mess is because most dongles, adapters, and headphones aren’t labeled with how they are built and we don’t know if they are active or passive.

The Pixel 2 has an onboard DAC embedded in its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, but audio accessory mode isn’t supported. That means you need a pair of active headphones or an active adapter, like the dongle that came with the phone. The HTC U11 and Essential Phone are the same, but Motorola makes phones that do support passive headphones through the USB port. All phones should support an active adapter or headphones, though.

One more thing: Not all active USB audio products will work with all phones because manufacturers are able to use several new wires in the USB-C connection for extra features, like HTC did with the U11’s earbuds to provide active noise cancellation.

Before you buy any USB-C headphones or an adapter, find out if it works with your phone.

Is USB-C audio better?

Yes, but also no. The actual sound isn’t better just because the port has changed. As mentioned above, you still need to use the same components and manufacturers are free to choose from high-end gear or budget gear. USB-C doesn’t make anything better here, it just changes the connection.

But there are some benefits. The USB Type-C Specification 1.0 was released by the USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) in 2014 along with the USB 3.1 specification. While not required, USB-C has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for the way it can communicate and connect. A USB-C port can support these things simultaneously:

• Audio accessory mode For passive audio or passthrough audio.
• Alternate mode This uses some of the wires in the USB connection for direct device-to-host transmission of alternate data protocols; as of 2016 this includes Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, Mobile High-Definition Link, and HDMI.
• Billboard Device Class This communicates to supply details of Alternate mode connections or to simply provide information about the connection or the device connected at either end.
• Audio Device Class 3 specification This sends analog or digital (or both) audio data through the port.
• USB Power Delivery This not only provides “fast charging” over USB, but it also supports DRP (Dual Role Power) to fast charge your phone and supply power to a connected device at the same time.

The USB Type-C specification doesn’t require these things, but they are supported. That means you can do a lot more with the USB-C port on your phone that listen to music or charge it if the company making it wants to include any of these extra modes. Some are great — HDMI or DisplayPort through the Alternate mode specifications means you can connect your phone to an AV Receiver for premium sound and mirror the screen. And charge it, and send data or charge another USB-C accessory with the right cable all at the same time.

Android, along with Chrome, Windows, macOS, and Linux all fully support the USB Type-C specification. While the audio won’t necessarily sound better because it’s using the USB-C port, there are a lot of cool things that can be done while we are listening. Too bad no manufacturer seems to be implementing them even though they are all quick to point out the benefits of losing the headphone jack.

It’s coming

Some phones line LG’s V series will likely support the 3.5 mm headphone jack for the immediate future. That’s great for people who have other audio gear that uses the old standards and want their phone to be a great sounding music player. But the move to USB-C for audio has happened, and eventually all portable (and possibly standalone) audio will use USB-C. That’s because it benefits the companies who make the products we love.

Omitting the headphone jack does two things for a company designing a phone. It gives them a little more space and saves them some money — two things designers love.

When you aren’t using a 3.5mm jack, you don’t have to make the phone as thick and have a few square millimeters of footprint space on a circuit board to put other components. With AI and Machine Learning also being a thing, there are multitudes of tiny parts that need a home somewhere on a circuit board and now they have one. The headphone jack itself isn’t very expensive (though every penny counts), but if a company is not supporting any type of passive or passthrough audio connection over USB-C it doesn’t have to design, build, and solder in an amplifier for the signal. That can be a significant saving for the cost of making a phone from beginning to end.

Some of us will miss the 3.5mm jack. I know I will because I love my favorite headphones more than the phone or player they connect to. But benefits are there for users if companies would choose to implement them.

Update: April 2018: This post was updated and checked against the current USB Type-C specifications.

Newton’s ‘True Inbox’ kills off your email’s Sent folder for good

You can turn it on by going to Settings > General > Conversation View > True Inbox.

Last week, Gmail got a huge redesign that’s been needed for years. It’s now much prettier and modern, but fundamentally, it’s still the same email experience that we’ve known for some time. Newton’s become iconic for changing the way we use email, and now it’s taking things a step further by killing off the infamous Sent folder.

Newton’s achieving this with a new feature called “True Inbox”, and it’ll be rolling out to users over the coming days. True Inbox will begin working automatically, and once you have it, any emails that you send will begin to show up in your main inbox rather than being pushed to the Sent folder. This is helpful for new conversations you begin, and Newton’s hoping it’ll make the experience feel much more like a chat app.

New emails you send will appear at the top of your inbox, and as you reply to messages, emails will be sorted by your interactions/activity with them — again, just like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

Assuming you have Conversation View enabled, you can turn on True Inbox by heading to Settings -> General -> Conversation View -> True Inbox. Once enabled, you’ll begin to see the layout after you’ve started a new conversation.

Download: Newton Mail — Email & Calendar (free)

Best apps and services for people with limited mobility

Make getting around a bit easier with these apps and services.

Some of us need a little help getting around. Regular life can be difficult when you have trouble with stairs or steep slopes, or even something as simple as a curb. Things that most of us take for granted, like grabbing a bus and heading downtown, are stressful for a person with mobility issues because we never know if we’ll get to a place that stops us in our tracks. And that’s OK — nobody in a wheelchair or behind a walker wants you to feel bad or feel sorry for us, we just want to be able to access the same things you do.

That means it’s important to be able to find an elevator or a restroom with accessibility features or to make sure the bus that’s coming in six minutes has a lift. Thankfully there are some apps that can help out. We’ve found the best apps that can help anyone with limited mobility do those normal things that normal people do.

Uber

Uber has a strict policy of Equal Access For All that makes sure you’ll always be able to connect with a driver that can help you get from where you are to wherever you need to go. Even the Uber app meets WCAG 2.0 guidelines for accessibility features and it’s audited regularly to maintain compliance.

Uber also goes the extra mile with their UberWAV pilot program. Currently available in Toronto, Austin, Chicago, and London, with more cities to come soon, UberWAV provides service for folks who use motorized chairs by providing vehicles with lifts and harnesses installed. And the company doesn’t charge extra for this service; an UberWAV ride in the pilot cities is the same price as a standard UberBlack ride. With Uber, you’ll never have to deal with a cab driver who won’t assist you with your chair again.

Download Uber (free)

AXSmap

AXSmap is a web app designed to let you know how accessible any building or establishment inside a building is. It’s a crowd-sourced app that users can update in real time so you’ll be aware of things like sidewalk closures or broken elevators before you get to a barrier or sign. That also means it gets better the more people use it, so this is one everybody can use to help out.

As a web app, you can use it from any device with a web browser and an internet connection. There’s also a dedicated Android app that opens the web front-end for people who would rather have it in app form. While there are plenty of places that haven’t been rated, I found the information to be spot on in downtown Washington, DC and I’ll keep using AXSmap to help provide information about every place I visit. You should, too!

Visit AXSmap on the web

Download AXSmap (free)

Wheelmap.org

Wheelmap.org is an online community dedicated to letting you know if the places you want to go are accessible. Like our previous entry, it’s a map-based web app that uses crowd-sourced data, but Wheelmap lets you know at a glance if things are accessible with a simple traffic light system: green is great, yellow is not so great, and red isn’t great at all.

A great feature of Wheelmap.org’s Android app is Tango integration. If you have a Tango device like the ASUS ZenFone AR, you can measure things like door width, step height, slope of ramps and clear floor space in restrooms. There’s no word if the developers will transition to ARCore (which replaces Tango) but we certainly hope so!

Download Wheelmap.org (free)

Virtual Reality apps

There are some places that you just can’t visit because of mobility issues. The world of VR lets you experience mountain climbing or the Great Pyramids from the comfort of home and are easy to use. While standalone VR headsets like the Oculus Rift or HTC VIVE are great, your Android phone can also act as a VR portal with the right headset. Samsung’s Gear VR and Google Daydream are a great way to virtually get away from it all and relax in a rain forest or to explore the wonders of the Arctic without worrying about getting stuck.

While they aren’t a substitution for the real thing, VR apps and movies are immersive and enjoyable. And maybe diving with Great White Sharks is best done through a VR YouTube video.

Everything you need to know about Samsung Gear VR

Everything you need to know about Google Daydream

WheelMate

Sometimes it’s tough to recommend an app that only has one simple function, but this isn’t one of those times because WheelMate can be a lifesaver if you have trouble getting around.

The one simple thing it does is something everyone with limited mobility will need eventually — it shows you where accessible restrooms are near you. All you need to do is make sure you have location services enabled and open the app. You’ll then see a map with accessible restrooms that are open to the public (if a restroom is for customers only it’s not shown) marked in their location so you know where you need to go when you need to go.

WheelMate is both crowdsourced and curated and I’ve found it to be indispensable — yes, it’s an app I never leave home without.

Download WheelMate (free)

Google Maps

Google Maps is a great service that is used by almost everyone. It also has a great, but mostly hidden, accessibility feature that lets you know if your transit options are Wheelchair accessible or not.

Google’s Local Guides program allows participants to mark transit routes that are accessible and you’ll find the option to check your route in the extras menu when you’re telling Maps where you need to go. This hasn’t rolled out everywhere just yet, but it will be a nationwide addition in the near future.

Google Maps is probably already installed on your phone, but if not you can grab it at the link below.

Download Google Maps

Your accessibility options

What do you use to make your world more accessible? Let us know in the comments below!

Qualcomm updates network patents to ease tensions with Apple

Ever since January of last year, Qualcomm and Apple have been fighting back and forth over unpaid royalties, patent disputes, and more. In an attempt to make peace between the two entities, Qualcomm is updating its licensing terms for mobile network technologies to give Apple more tech at the same price.

A good deal of Qualcomm’s profit comes from its patents/licenses, but as we’ve seen over the past few months, this has caused tensions with not only Apple, but Huawei and Samsung as well.

With these patents, customers (like Apple and Huawei) have the option of purchasing one of two options – a full set that charges them 5% the cost of their handset or a “standard essential patent” with a more affordable 3.25% rate.

That standard option only includes licenses needed for mobile networks, and instead of lowering the rate of the full option, Qualcomm’s adding patents for 5G to the standard one and making it so customers don’t have to buy both plans to ensure their devices work the way they should.

Qualcomm reiterates that it’s not lowering its prices, with Qualcomm’s Head of Licensing, Alex Rogers, saying –

We have not lowered the rate. What we’re doing is including more technology, more intellectual property in the offering without increasing the price.

It remains to be seen if this move will be enough for Qualcomm to settle its ongoing disputes, but this certainly seems like a step in that direction.

Apple hits Qualcomm with countersuit for infringing on battery patents

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?

Samsung’s market leader versus Google’s idealistic view of a smartphone.

Samsung’s flagships may outsell Google’s in massive numbers, but that definitely doesn’t stop many of us from thinking that the Pixel phones are the absolute best expression of Android on a smartphone. The Google Pixel 2 launched into a world where the Galaxy S8 was already over six months old, and now the roles are reversed: we have the brand-new Galaxy S9 to compare to.

The Galaxy S9 shares a lot with its predecessor, but there are strategic improvements that help it match the Pixel 2 — and in some areas it continues to best Google’s little flagship. Here’s how the new Galaxy S9 compares to the Pixel 2 in hardware, software and value.

What’s the same

Despite dramatic differences in initial appearances, there’s a lot shared between these phones. Sure the materials and designs differ, but they’re actually nearly the same overall size. The Pixel 2 is a tad shorter and lighter, but both phones are pretty compact and easy enough to manage in one hand — especially compared to the ever-growing competition in the 6-inch (and-above) smartphone space.

Samsung Galaxy S9 specs

Throughout the hardware you’ll find matching spec and features. The Galaxy S9’s new fingerprint sensor placement on the back matches the Pixel 2, as does its water resistance, stereo speakers, 64GB base storage and relatively small battery capacity — though the Galaxy S9 does edge out the Pixel 2 by 300mAh there, real-world use of the Pixel 2 shows it can do great things with what it has.

The phones are almost the same size, and filled with the same core specs and features.

For all of the design similarities between the Galaxy S8 and S9, one thing that took a big upgrade was the camera — and it’s exciting enough to have it up here in the “same” section to be mentioned alongside the Pixel 2. The Galaxy S9’s new camera sensor is doing a lot of the same multi-frame advanced processing of images that we hear Google talk about with HDR+ on the Pixel 2. These phones take different types of photos and often come to notably different results in the same scenes, but seeing each one on its own will show you they’re both great. The Galaxy S9 is often a bit truer to the scene and more simple, while the Pixel 2 takes photos that have more color, contrast and drama to them.

Add in its adjustable aperture up to f/1.5 and we see low-light performance that takes a considerable jump up to challenge the Pixel 2 as well. Right now this is still the Pixel 2’s crown, but I’m glad the Galaxy S9 didn’t stick with an iterative setup from the Galaxy S8 — the GS9 has extremely low noise and accurate colors at night. At the same time, the Galaxy S9 adds in 4K 60 fps video, as well as 960 fps slow-motion — both of which best the Pixel 2’s video capabilities in terms of raw numbers, but we know the Pixel 2’s video stabilization is still king.

What’s different

Remember our comparison of the Galaxy S8 and Pixel 2? Well, for the most part, you can just press replay on that. It only takes a glance to tell these phones have completely different identities, with the Galaxy S9’s primarily glass build and glistening curves contrasting with the Pixel 2’s monolithic metal and subtlety. Both execute their designs well, but it’s easy to see why so many people prefer the flashy head-turning design of modern Samsung phones — even if the glass back is a bit more fragile. Not everyone is attracted to the subtle approach of the Pixel 2, even if its metal body may age better.

Polar opposites in design, all surrounding a startling difference in usable screen space for the size.

Then, of course, there’s the difference in usable screen space for the size of the phone. In the same overall hardware package, the Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch 18.5:9 display, versus the Pixel 2’s 5-inch 16:9 display. Put another way, over 83% of the front of the Galaxy S9 is screen, whereas under 70% of the Pixel 2 is screen. That’s a startling difference in usable screen space for the same size of phone. Sure the immediate sides of the Galaxy S9 are curved and therefore not all that usable, and full-screen content doesn’t always utilize the space, but it’s tough to shake the feeling that the Pixel 2 “wastes” space on the front of the phone.

What’s inarguable is the difference in screen quality. The Galaxy S9 took the Galaxy S8’s display and made it 15% brighter, adding more brightness to what was already a bright, vibrant and just generally wonderful display. The Pixel 2 also has an OLED panel, but it’s just on a lower level in terms of colors and brightness, not to mention its 1920×1080 resolution is a bit lower as well. The Pixel 2’s display is certainly good enough, but it’s not an industry leader like the Galaxy S9.

Samsung wins on the ‘number of features’ game, but loses by the same account in software.

Samsung is always going to win the “number of features” game, and that’s clear again here with its inclusion of extras like a headphone jack, wireless charging, and an SD card slot. You can argue that having an option of 128GB internal storage on the Pixel 2 negates some of the SD card value, and you could also say the wireless charging is more of a niche feature. But you can’t say that having a headphone jack isn’t a huge benefit — particularly when you don’t have to give up anything else in the hardware to get it. Samsung even adds a really nice pair of earbuds in the box; Google gives you a USB-C headphone dongle.

Now, here’s where things swing in the other direction: the Pixel 2’s software experience. This is a place where Samsung’s approach of “more features” can get in the way of having enjoyable and useful software for many people. Android 8.1 Oreo on the Pixel 2 is smooth, clean, consistent, and great to use. The Galaxy S9 has far more features, but so many of them are set up to be left unused and just sit in your way when you’re trying to do other things. Convoluted processes for doing so many things just seem unnecessary when you see how simple it all is on the Pixel 2. It’s a difference in philosophy and perhaps Samsung’s approach doesn’t bother you, but people who use Pixels know what I’m talking about here — using Google’s take on Android is fantastic, and it stays that way over time with three years of guaranteed software updates.

Bottom line: Which should you buy?

There’s a lot to digest in this comparison. Much of the core experience and features are shared between the Galaxy S9 and Pixel 2, but the exterior designs, screen and additional features differ widely. There are two clearly different approaches to a high-end smartphone at play here.

There are two clearly different approaches to a high-end smartphone at play here.

The Galaxy S9 is the features king, with hardware that bests the Pixel 2 with extras like wireless charging, a headphone jack, newer processor, bigger battery, and a larger (and nicer) display. The hardware is flashy, which is appealing to many people, even if it’s a bit more fragile. The Pixel 2 is much more subtle in its hardware and simple to use in its software. It has the core features you need, and little extra. There aren’t many headline-grabbing things you can point to, but just use one for a few days, and you’ll see what all the talk is about. It also has a proven great camera, and the track record of software support direct from Google.

Finally, we have to remember pricing. As high-end smartphone prices continue to rise, the Pixel 2 held its ground down at a relatively affordable $649. The Galaxy S9, on the other hand, is roughly $100 more depending which carrier you buy from — which I think is enough of a gap to matter to people when they’re cross-shopping these two phones. If you’re really keeping the budget tight, the Google Pixel 2 is obviously a better choice. If you’re willing to pay more money for more features, regardless of whether the overall experience may be better, you’re likely to go with the Galaxy S9.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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AT&T
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Sprint

Update May 2018: Refreshed with a new perspective based on the age and price of the Pixel 2.

RED Hydrogen One delayed until August to add even more impressive cameras

The extra time will also allow RED to launch the phone on multiple carriers at once.

RED threw us all a curveball last July with the announcement that it’d be shifting away from multi-thousand dollar cinema cameras for a second to make an Android phone. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer before we can actually get our hands on the thing.

The RED Hydrogen One was initially supposed to be released during Q1 of this year, but RED later pushed its sights back to this summer. Now, the company is saying it won’t be until August before the phone is launched.

Delayed releases are never cheery things to talk about, but RED’s reasoning for its decision here sounds more than fair.

The Hydrogen One will now be able to natively record 4V content.

One of the highlights for the Hydrogen One is its 4-View holographic display that’ll allow you to move your head to look around objects in certain photos and videos. RED was originally going to sell an attachment that’d allow you to capture 4V content on the Hydrogen One, but thanks to the delay, will be adding a second camera to the front and back so you can record it natively.

Additionally, RED notes that the August release date will enable it to launch the Hydrogen One on multiple wireless carriers simultaneously.

RED’s founder Jim Jannard recently said in the RED forums that the company has “no idea” what it’s doing and that the Hydrogen One will have “more firmware/software updates than any other phone ever made” seeing as how it admittedly “won’t be complete” upon launch.

Whether it’s amazing or a steaming pile of garbage, the Hydrogen One will undoubtedly be one of the most interesting phones we see all year. Are you still excited for it to come out?

RED Hydrogen One will have a 4500mAh battery and carrier support

LG G7 Specifications: An extra-tall media powerhouse with a too-small battery

6.1-inch display, Snapdragon 845, and dual 16MP cameras.

LG is back with another flagship phone, the G7, and it’s a very powerful, feature-rich device. The main improvements come in the form of a more powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, a brighter, taller 6.1-inch LCD display, and dual 16MP cameras, with a new Super Bright Mode for low-light performance. And like the V30, the G7 features a strong amplifier, a headphone jack, and a powerful new speaker.

As with the G6, LG is releasing the G7 in two variants: a G7 ThinQ with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and a G7+ ThinQ with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

What else? Here are all the specifications you need to know.

LG G7

• LG G7 hands-on preview: All about that bass
• LG G7 Specifications: Everything you need to know
• Join the LG G7 forums