Google could finally hit the nail on the head with the Pixel 6 — here’s why

For years, Google’s ambitious Pixel project has ceased to impress, failing to mark its stamp on the mainstream market, specifically in the flagship space. Rather ironically, Google’s biggest success was the Pixel 3a — Googles’ last-ditch attempt to save the day after the Pixel 3’s epic fail. Of course, at this point, many people would rightfully write them off, with last year’s Pixel 5 resembling the spec sheet and features of a fancy/posh mid-ranger more than a fully-fledged flagship smartphone. This year, however, Google seems to be gearing up to make a comeback with the Pixel 6 series. Here’s how Google could turn the market on its head.

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Farewell, LG

Earlier this month, LG officially announced its decision to shut down its mobile sector for good, leaving its customers — whoever they are — in extreme disbelief. Truth be told, it hardly came as a surprise to anyone — the company has been reporting quarterly losses since 2015. In fact, quite a lot of people were bemused to know that LG was actually still in the business until their recent announcement. As a tech enthusiast myself, it pains me to know of any company’s decision to exit the market. However, I cannot say that I didn’t see that coming either. Here’s why.

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OnePlus 9 series: too expensive

Earlier this week, OnePlus announced its all-new OnePlus 9 Pro, its fully-fledged no-frills flagship, along with its slightly toned-down sibling, the OnePlus 9. Naturally, with a Hasselblad badge on the back, the OnePlus 9 Pro claimed all the headlines, with the promise of providing a much-improved camera system to its consumer base. However, with yet another incremental price hike seeping through, OnePlus might have punched a bit over its weight. At $969, OnePlus is no longer undercutting the competition, instead further reinstating its status as a competitive flagship smartphone vendor. Sniffing at the heels of other household names such as Samsung is no easy task, but perhaps OnePlus feels ready enough to compete with the likes of the Korean behemoth. That seems to be the case on paper, but in reality, OnePlus might need to up the ante a bit to swing the balance in their favor. Here’s why I think OnePlus might need to step up to prove its worth.

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[Update: Patch rolling out] Several phones plagued by spontaneous app crashes, here’s how to fix them

Many users have been complaining about how their phones have been plagued by random app crashes this afternoon, particularly those who own more recent Samsung flagship and mid-range smartphones. Other phones such as the Google Pixel and OnePlus phones seem to be also affected albeit not as heavily. It’s been a cause of headaches for hundreds of users so far, with seemingly no particular reason.

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Samsung’s latest Galaxy S21 Ultra could spell the end of the Note line — and that’s ok

Earlier last week, Samsung unveiled the much anticipated Galaxy S21 series in typical fashion, with the Galaxy S21 Ultra featuring all the bells and whistles one would expect, alongside the other toned-down S21+ and the vanilla S21 variants. While the latter two models got everyone talking about their respective features — or lack thereof — it is the S21 Ultra that’s got my attention. Of course, with that hefty price tag and such impressive camera hardware, the S21 Ultra is surely made to turn heads around. But as we look at the bigger picture, the S21 Ultra could signal the beginning of a new era where Samsung’s prestigious Note lineup could fade away.

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Samsung Galaxy S20+ long-term review: trusty reliable

With Samsung primed to announce the Galaxy S21 series in a couple of days, I figured out it might be a good time to assess how the Galaxy S20 series has fared so far. I happened to own a Galaxy S20+ since May 2020, more particularly the international Exynos-powered variant which is often frowned upon by the tech geeks around the world. Here’s my long-term review.

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[Update: Fixed] NBA 2K21 players on Stadia are essentially being scammed by 2K

When it comes to basketball video games, 2K and its NBA 2K series are pretty much the only option out there, and, with that, you’ve either got to put up with all of its pros and cons or just vote with your wallet and simply not buy it. For NBA 2K21 on Google Stadia, the latter is definitely what I would recommend.

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Google’s new Pixel Buds are plagued by quality control issues that need to be addressed

Google announced the second-generation Pixel Buds way back in October of last year, but only the white color was first made available to consumers in late April of this year. The three other colors — black, orange, and mint — were just released this month. I’d been wanting a pair of these ever since they were announced last year to replace my current pair of 2018 Samsung Gear IconX earbuds. So, as soon as the “Almost Black” variant was made available this past week, I splurged at bought a pair. Unfortunately, the quality control (QC) issues are real, and I’ll be returning mine.

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