Category: News

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Google survey hints at possible price tags of the Pixel 4a and 5

Earlier this week, new rumors suggested that Google might price its mid-range Pixel 4a, the 128 GB model, at $349, much cheaper than we originally thought. This not only puts it in contention with Apple’s newly released iPhone SE but also undercuts it by a substantial $100 margin. It all seems a bit too good to believe. But according to the latest evidence, Google might be really going for the jugular, at least when it comes to the mid-range market.

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Google’s Pixel 4a base model might launch at just $299

Not so long ago, nearly the whole spec sheet of Google’s upcoming Pixel 4a was leaked. From the display and design to all the nitty-gritty stuff, we pretty much know everything about the Pixel 4a. Perhaps the only area these leaks didn’t cover so much was how the Pixel 4a is going to be priced. Based on its successor from last year, one could assume it will be priced around the $400 USD mark, rivaling directly with Apple’s latest endeavor — the iPhone SE. Well, Google might have just caught everyone by surprise.

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Why Google’s Pixel 4a still has a chance

Not so long ago, Apple caught almost everyone by a surprise with their latest iPhone, the iPhone SE. The formula is very simple: old-school hardware, upgraded internals for cheap. And in an era where a $900 OnePlus 8 Pro is considered a great value for the money, a $400 brand new iPhone looked like the bargain of the century. I, for one, believed that Apple might have stolen Google’s thunder before even releasing their own Pixel 4a. But, as the dust settled, I began to think otherwise. Without further ado, here is where the Google Pixel 4a could give the iPhone SE a good run for its money.

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OnePlus might have become a victim of its own success, courtesy of the OnePlus 8

After numerous leaks and endless hyping, OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. And as their monikers suggest, these are the latest sequels to last year’s OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro. While most people have been heaping praise on the latter, the OnePlus 8 has been nothing short of divisive. Sure, both phones share the burden of convincing the user base to spend $200 more on their yearly upgrade. But, in my not-so-humble opinion, the OnePlus 8 can’t even come close.

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The Pixel 5 might not be a flagship, and that’s a good thing

Despite newer generations of mid-range smartphones proving to suit the needs of more people, some people still find the urge to shell out some extra cash on flagship hardware inexcusable. In the past, there was a gulf between both tiers in terms of some crucial aspects, most notably in terms of performance. Fortunately, this difference started to diminish gradually over the years, with mid-range processors becoming more and more capable every generation, and manufacturers bringing more premium features to its mid-range phones lineup. Curiously, Google and LG seem to have recognized how capable newer mid-range processors have become. And if the latest rumors are to be believed, it looks like Google’s upcoming Pixel 5 will be a “premium mid-tier” smartphone instead of being a fully-fledged flagship. While that might upset the tech enthusiasts or the so-called power users a bit, I think this might have just made the Pixel 5 a more appealing offer to the overwhelming majority of average consumers. 

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How to install Android 11 Developer Preview on the Essential Phone

Last month, Google pulled the trigger and released the first Developer Preview build of Android 11 a little bit earlier than much of us anticipated. While it was an exciting prospect to be on the very bleeding edge, it was a bit of a mixed bag more than anything. Shortly after, Google released another Developer Preview build, ironing out some of the bugs reported in the initial release. This indeed is the ultimate gift to entertain all of the geeky owners of the Pixel 4, 3a, 3 and 2 devices during their quarantine (may the Pixel 1 rest in peace). And despite Essential pulling the plug on the PH-1, declaring no further support beyond the February security update, it’s fair to say Essential’s engineers were a bit too stubborn to let it go, treating their geeky users with the biggest surprise yet: Android 11 support. Here is a simple procedure to install the latest Developer Preview build of Android 11 on the legendary Essential PH-1. 

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How well does flagship hardware age in the long-run?

Just as the case with the past years, and despite the calamitous threat of the deadly Coronavirus causing GSMA to call off this year’s MWC, many of the tech companies have unveiled their latest addition to the lineups of their flagship smartphones. But as we drool over the rapid advancements in network speeds and processing power introduced to us every year, it still remains a tough task to guess whether these new smartphones will stand the test of time and prove to be a reliable option a year or two down the road. With the news of my Essential PH-1 will no longer receive official support, I thought it might be the best time to conduct a little experiment to deduce how well do older flagship smartphones stand the test of time.

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Moto 360 (3rd Gen) review: The pioneer of Android wearables is back, sort of

Back in 2016, Motorola made the decision to abandon the smartwatch market, citing it didn’t “see enough pull in the market” for another one. The original Moto 360 and even the 2nd Gen version were major strides in a relatively small Android wearable ecosystem. They were (and still are) pretty beloved devices by (as it was called then) Android Wear users. Fast forward to now and we now have a new Moto 360 running Wear OS, but it’s not exactly made by Motorola anymore.

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