mobile

This close to the final launch, you’d think iOS 12’s beta would have very little in the way of big changes, especially those that tend to break things. But such are the risks of beta version software, be it Beta 1 or Beta 7, as iOS developers found out the hard way this week. Apple immediately pulled out Beta 7 after numerous complaints but has now brought it back as Beta 8. But, no, it doesn’t bring back Group FaceTime.

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Google's MVNO service Project Fi has made an announcement that has some subscribers upset: it'll be shutting down text forwarding next month. Subscribers have a little under a month to decide on a game plan, though Google says the service's call forwarding feature will remain. The feature is used by some for business or to maintain boundaries with acquaintances, among other things.

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When the Motorola P30 was leaked earlier this week, all I could see was the latest Android-laden iPhone X. Even though the Essential Phone PH-1 was the first major smartphone with a notch, Apple put one on their iPhone and sold an outrageous amount of units. Since then, several China-based companies have taken to cloning the iPhone X industrial design as best they could. When you're in a place where making a good, cheaper copy isn't looked down upon, it's rewarded, it makes good business sense to make said copy.

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Microsoft has been giving Insiders a foretaste of features and changes that are coming in the next Windows 10 version. Naturally, it is presumed that those features won’t actually be arriving until that version rolls out later this year. That was definitely the presumption for the “Your Phone” app that promises a seamless connection between Windows 10 and, at least initially, Android smartphones. It turns out, though, that the app is now generally available to all, even on the current 1803 version of Windows 10.

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Following news that some 2016 Pixel XL owners are experiencing issues with fast charging following the Android Pie update, Google has confirmed that it is working on a fix for the problem. According to impacted device owners, their Pixel XL smartphones no longer fast charge after installing the latest Android update, forcing them to charge at normal or slow speeds.

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There's really no way around it - Motorola's joined the copycat club. This is apparently the Motorola P30, a device with a near-full-frontside display with a notch, a fingerprint sensor in the top middle of its back, and a pill-shaped set of cameras with its LED flash in the center. It's basically the Xiaomi Mi 8, a device which is basically an Android version of the iPhone X.

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The White House has officially banned the government use of hardware made by Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei, including smartphones, routers, and similar devices. The move follows years of debate over the two companies and the potential national security risk their hardware may present. The ban is part of a $716 billion defense policy bill newly signed by President Trump.

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Owners of the Pixel XL, the larger of the original Pixel models, are complaining about issues with fast charging following the Android Pie update. According to reports from impacted device owners, the update broke the device's ability to fast charge, an issue that isn't present on the smaller Pixel model. Not all users are experiencing the problem, however.

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There's a new way to get in on the Fortnite Android beta just released to the web today. This new method involves getting yourself banned from ever playing the game again on any platform with your original account. But there's a LEGIT way to get in on the Beta, so let's discuss both the way that's right as well as the way that's wrong.

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The Android platform has a reputation for being less than secure, and, despite the system's advantages and improvements, the situation isn't getting any better at the rate it should be. New research from security firm Kryptowire has found that a number of Android devices include vulnerabilities right out of the box, including those shipped directly from wireless carriers. Unfortunately the cause of the problem stems from one of Android's biggest and oldest strong points: its open nature and ability to be modified.

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YouTube has released a list of smartphones its recommends for the best streaming experience. These "Signature Devices," the term used by the company, are said to offer best-in-class YouTube experiences across multiple aspects, including reliability and performance, and when viewing 360-degree content in addition to regular videos. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes in at the top of the list, and there's one surprising absence.

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Smart speakers are all the rage when it comes to smart home products and its pioneers are trying their best to build up on that new cash cow. Back at CES early this year, Google revealed its roster of Smart Displays to take on Amazon’s Echo Show. All of those, of course, revolve around Google Assistant. But to make sure that those without such big screens don’t feel too left behind, Google seems to be pushing a small update to Google Assistant on smartphones to bring it on par with Smart Displays, at least as far the same user interfaces go.

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