Phones

Streaming is pretty much the de facto delivery and consumption method for digital content these days. So much so that getting access to offline content is ironically now a paid subscription feature rather than the default. But there will always be times when an Internet connection isn't available or isn't good enough for quality audio, let alone video streaming. And there are also times when you'd rather not bring your phone with you to increase its chances of survival. For both those cases, the Mighty Vibe, a.k.a. the Spotify iPod Shuffle, might be your cup of tea.

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Xiaomi's smartphones always makes headlines, even in markets where it doesn't sell those phones. But two years ago, one of its more expensive new models sent ripples through the smartphone market that can be felt even today. That was the Mi Mix, the precursor to today's breed of bezel-less smartphones. Since then, the Mi Mix and even its successor, the Mi Mix 2, have been overshadowed by such all-screen smartphones. Xiaomi is aiming to regain that former glory by outfitting the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 with some rather "interesting" features.

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Our smartphones have become a lot smarter, mostly thanks to the inclusion of artificial intelligence or AI in their software features. This AI trend, however, started back when even our powerful handhelds didn't have enough juice to perform all the processing and learning required to make these AI work. To some extent, they still aren't, at least on the learning part. Google, however, thinks the time and hardware is right to make most of the AI happen right on the Pixel 3, keeping data private and prevent it from leaking to the cloud and elsewhere.

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Huawei has just unloaded its not two but three Mate 20 flagship phones but not everyone might be interested in such a high-end device. Not to mention able to afford its equally high-end price tag. For those with simpler needs and simpler budgets, HMD Global has finally announced the Nokia X7 plus, its newest and so far greatest mid-range offering. And while that model might be limited to China, it does hint that an Android One version might not be that far behind.

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We're nearly upon launch day for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. There have been a handful of pre-order promotions meant to tempt people into becoming early adopters for the new Pixel 3 phones, but if you're still on the fence, Google has a last-minute promotion aimed squarely at you. That is, of course, assuming that you're one of the people who qualifies for the promo.

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At a long-awaited launch event in London today, Huawei revealed a bunch of new phones in its Mate line of flagship devices. Most of the devices we saw were ones we were already expecting - the Mate 20 and the Mate 20 Pro, specifically. Huawei, however, had a surprise up its sleeve with the Mate 20 X, but the new devices don't stop there, as we also have the Porsche Design Mate 20 RS to look forward to as well.

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At the Huawei Mate 20 Pro event this week, Huawei showed off a new augmented reality feature called 3D Live Object. In addition to objects pre-loaded into the system, this feature will allow users to scan their own favorite object for later use. Once scanned, a 3D Live Object will be made available to exist in videos filmed by the Mate 20 Pro and will interact with their environment.

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The Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL are nearly upon us, but before they land, iFixit has gotten its hands on the Pixel 3 XL to give us an idea of how easy it'll be to repair. Of course, we don't expect an effort-free teardown and repair process for any flagship phones these days, but still, some phones score better than others when it comes to iFixit's ratings. Is the Pixel 3 XL one of them?

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24 months is almost like a sacred number in the mobile industry. It's how long a standard carrier line contract lasts and, consequently, how long you have to pay for the device in installment chunks. It has also become the standard period for warranties and software updates and support. T-Mobile, which always prides itself as the "Un-carrier" might be working to change that game soon. Based on its website, it might start to offer installment plans that will take you three years to pay off instead of just two.

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Once upon a time, Samsung's Galaxy Note was ridiculed and doubted for the size of its screen. Just last month, Apple announced the iPhone XS Max, not only the biggest iPhone over bit also 0.1 inches larger than the Galaxy Note 9. Clearly, phablets have won and size is no longer Samsung's exclusive domain. Now it needs to step up its game and, according to reports, the next Galaxy Note will outdo the iPhone XS Max by around 0.1 inches as well.

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When smartphone benchmarks become the next marketing weapon, they can become a little bit crazy and sometimes even suspicious. On the mobile photography side, DxOMark had to revise its tests and grading because things have heated up in that space. DisplayMate may want to revise its scoring too because its top score is simply "A+" and, as of today, at least three recent flagships have tied in that spot, with the Pixel 3 XL unsurprisingly named as the best ever yet.

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The brand Palm revealed a new "phone" today that looks nice and has very little reason to exist. Much in the same way the first wave of smartwatches' first job was to solve a problem that did not exist, this first Palm smartphone for the year 2018 is tiny, beautiful, and quite unnecessary. It has a 3.3-inch display and it's coming to Verizon this November!

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