Android

Although they have never really disappeared, traditional smartphone manufacturers have more or less backed out of the smartwatch market. It has become the territory of accessory makers and luxury brands like Fossil or TAG Heuer. One OEM (aside from Apple) that has remained consistent is Samsung with its Gear line of smartwatches and fitness trackers. But while a new smartwatch is still expected to debut in a few months, change is reportedly afoot. Samsung might be switching back to Wear OS, formerly Android Wear, and it might actually start with this year's Gear S4.

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Google is all about automating things that you shouldn't have to manually do. Like unlocking and keeping your phone unlocked under certain conditions. Android calls this feature "Smart Lock" and those conditions can range from Bluetooth devices to networks to locations. That last one has been the subject of complaints by many users for months but now it seems that Google has found away to silence all of those. Ironically that's by actually removing Smart Lock's Trusted Places option completely.

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Two-factor authentication or 2FA is often hailed as the safe compromise to humans' seemingly innate ability to be very bad at passwords. But not all 2FA methods are created equal and some, particularly SMS, are seen as liabilities more than assets. Especially when put in the hands of Facebook. Now the social network giant is cleaning up is mess by finally allowing the use of theoretically safer authenticator apps when logging into your precious Facebook account.

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HTC clearly pulled out all the stops with the HTC U12+, both in features and in buzzwords. While it is a bit more modest about its camera chops compared to Samsung's "reimagined" slogan for the Galaxy S9, HTC is letting numbers speak for itself. As seems to be customary these days, new flagship smartphones immediately get a DxOMark review on the day they are announced, even before anyone else gets their hands on one. And while last year's HTC U11 was no slouch compared to its contemporaries, the HTC U12+ blows the competition out of the water, save for one.

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Qualcomm has unveiled its new Snapdragon 710 Mobile Platform, the first mobile platform in the company's 700-tier portfolio. The 710 Mobile Platform, Qualcomm explains, will bring certain "premium-tier" features to a wider mobile audience. The new chip will offer better performance in areas that include artificial intelligence, connectivity, camera capture, battery life, and more.

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This Spring a developer by the name of Lexie Dostal hand-constructed an Android 3DS gaming phone. This device doesn't run 3DS games from Nintendo, but it does look a whole lot like a 3DS handheld gaming system. It actually uses some salvaged 3DS parts, as it were - but it runs an open hardware Android SBC called KitePhone.

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After years and years of waiting, The Incredibles 2 is very nearly here. The Incredibles is widely considered to be one of the best Pixar movies ever created, so you can bet fans are looking forward to this follow up. We still have a few weeks to wait for The Incredibles 2 to premiere, but in the meantime, you can keep the hype train going with a set of new AR emoji for the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

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It's not only the notchless display that sets the new HTC U12+ apart from its Android rivals this year, with the phone-maker doubling down on its pressure-sensing sides. Dubbed Edge Sense 2, it's an upgraded and expanded control system that takes into account not only how you're squeezing the phone, but how you're holding it too.

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HTC has revealed its new 2018 flagship, the HTC U12+, and pre-orders for the Android smartphone are kicking off today. You won't find the U12+ in carrier stores, mind you, with HTC opting instead to offer its new phone SIM-free and unlocked. Read on for what you need to know.

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iFixit has wasted little time in tearing down yet another flagship phone: the OnePlus 6. US orders for the OnePlus 6 opened only yesterday, and a mere 24 hours later, iFixit is getting its hands dirty and telling us just how easy it is to repair the phone as a DIY project. As with most phones iFixit takes a look at these days, its findings are both good and bad.

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Samsung boasts of how it has reimagined the smartphone camera in the Galaxy S9 and S9+ but it might still fall short for some more professional mobile photographers. There are certain restrictions placed that may not make sense for some of these advanced users. Those might need more than just a simple third-party camera app. The Zero Camera Mod is definitely more than just that and can greatly improve the Galaxy S9 camera experience, provided you're willing to go for a bit of an adventure.

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You have to give HTC its due: the new U12+ is more than enough evidence to prove the phone-maker isn't giving up on the high-end Android space. Even in a crowded marketplace, slick design and some clever hardware helps the new phone stand out, hopefully appealing to more than just the HTC-faithful in the process. And, if you want to avoid the scourge of the notch, the U12+ is one of just a small handful of flagship options for 2018.

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