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jeudi 15 décembre 2016

Best T-Mobile Android phones (December 2016)

T-Mobile is the carrier everyone else is watching out for. They're currently the third biggest mobile service provider in the United States, and they're growing very quickly. Thanks to T-Mobile's "Un-carrier" plan of action, they've been changing industry standards for the better over the recent years. On top of all of the changes they're making, they have one of the widest varieties of smartphones available on any carrier. We've already taken a look at the best phones you can buy on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, and now it's T-Mobile's turn.

Since T-Mobile has done away with two-year contracts, you'll notice the phones listed here are at full retail price. In some cases it's cheaper to buy them from Amazon, so we've done our best to find you the best deals available. Also, if you don't want to purchase your phone for full price, T-Mobile will let you pay in monthly installments. You can find out more info by visiting T-Mobile.com. Without anymore delay, let's get started!

Editor's note – We will be updating this list as more devices hit the market.

Update, December 2016: We made no changes to our list this month.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren't without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn't offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.

Now the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have made their way to the masses, and they fix many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While they don't offer removable batteries, Samsung included expandable storage on both handsets in case the 32GB of on-board storage isn't enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bumps on the back and made the devices a little thicker to make room for larger batteries.

In terms of specs, these are top-of-the-line smartphones. They come with Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors, 4GB of RAM, great 12MP rear-facing cameras and run the latest version of Android. Instead of featuring the same screen sizes this time around though, Samsung kept the S7 at a smaller 5.1 inches, while the S7 Edge has been bumped up to a larger 5.5-inch panel.

Seriously, these are some incredible smartphones. They are a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S7

5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
4GB of RAM
32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
Non-removable 3000mAh battery
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
4GB of RAM
32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
Non-removable 3600mAh battery
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g

Buy the Galaxy S7 from T-Mobile Buy the Galaxy S7 Edge from T-Mobile

LG V20

The V20 is basically the phone for power users. It has a a big Quad HD display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor, plenty of RAM and on-board storage, dual 16MP rear-facing cameras, and a removable 3,200mAh battery. Of course, the unique Second Screen makes a return this year, along with the addition of Quad DAC, military standard durability, and it's already running Android 7.0 Nougat.

If top-of-the-line specs and an impressive feature set is what you're looking for, you can't go wrong with the V20.

Specs

5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513ppi
- Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS LCD display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
4GB of RAM
32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
Dual 16 and 8MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
Removable 3,200mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm, 174g

Buy now from Amazon Buy now from T-Mobile

LG G5

While the Galaxy S7 series is a minor refresh in terms of design, the LG G5 sees a massive departure from the design language used in the G series, ditching the rear volume/power setup that first debuted with the LG G2. The G5 also adopts a unibody metallic design that has a removable cap for access to the removable battery and a port for modules that allow users to expand the phone's capabilities by adding a camera grip and other special accessories.

The distinctly different design of the LG G5 may not be for everyone, but there's little denying that LG has went out of its way to try and innovate in a market where big changes like this aren't all that common.

Spec wise, we're looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32GB storage with microSD for expansion. The specs here are certainly impressive all across the board. It's also worth mentioning that LG has revamped its software, making it faster and less bloated. One controversial move with the software, however, is the removal of the app drawer in favor of what LG says is a "simplified experience."

Specs

5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
4GB of RAM
32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
16 and 8MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera
Removable 2800mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm, 159g

Buy now from T-Mobile

If you don't mind buying your next smartphone through another retailer, you should absolutely go for Google's new Pixel or Pixel XL. When you buy one of these phones through the Google Store, you'll be able to activate it on T-Mobile's network. Plus, if you don't feel like spending $650+ outright, Google also has some decent financing options.

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

Google's Pixel and Pixel XL are here, and they truly are some amazing smartphones.

Not only are they the first phones to ship with the Google Assistant on board, they also come with plenty of exclusive software features and some of the best smartphone cameras in existence.

Under the hood, they sport some killer specs, too. Both devices have an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage and long-lasting batteries. The overall design of these phones may not be the most unique, but they do feel like premium phones through and through.

There are a few things about these phones that will turn some people away, though. For starters, they only sport an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they're not nearly as waterproof as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. There are ways around that, but none that will make the devices truly waterproof. Plus, these phones don't have the most durable build ever, so you may want to buy a case if you're prone to dropping phones.

If you're in the market for a new flagship Android phone and don't mind spending over $650, you should buy the Pixel or Pixel XL… these are two of the best Android phones out there.

Specs

Google Pixel

5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
4GB of RAM
32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
Non-removable 2,770mAh battery
Android 7.1 Nougat
143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm, 143g

Google Pixel XL

5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
4GB of RAM
32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
Non-removable 3,450mAh battery
Android 7.1 Nougat
154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm, 168g

Buy now from the Google Store

How did you like our list? Do you have any other suggestions? If so, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments below! And if you're looking for a great T-Mobile phone that's a little cheaper, be sure to check out our list of the best cheap Android phones.

Next: Best Android smartphones

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Study: Pokemon GO increases physical activity, but not for very long

Pokemon Go Lure Module

Unlike most mobile games, Pokemon GO gets you off the couch and out the door. In addition to being fun, the game can also increase your physical activity. People from all over the world have been bragging about how much more active they are thanks to Pokemon GO. If you have a Pokemon GO playing friend, you no doubt would have already heard all about the fitness benefits of playing the game.

That may be true, but only to a point. Well, at least according to the interesting study that was recently published by The British Medical Journal. Researchers from Harvard University have conducted an online survey among 1,182 US citizens aged 18 to 35 years. The purpose of the study was to figure out if players really are more active thanks to Pokemon GO.

Pokémon GO gets more Pokémon added

3 days ago

Out of the 1,182 participants in the survey, 560 were avid Pokemon GO players, while the rest (622) had not downloaded or played the game. The researchers tracked and compared the activity — steps taken daily — of both groups four weeks before downloading the game, with the number of steps taken during the first six weeks of playing.

The data shows that before downloading the game, both groups took roughly the same number of steps on a daily basis. But as soon as participants started playing the game, things changed. In the first week, the playing group took 955 extra steps per day on average, which translates into 11 minutes of additional walking. Meanwhile, the non-playing group's activity level did not change.

Apparently, Pokemon GO really does increase people's physical activity. But unfortunately, the game wasn't able to keep its players motivated for long. According to the study, the number of steps among the playing group returned back to pre-download levels within six weeks. The reason for this is that some stopped playing Pokemon GO, while others simply decreased their playing time and therefore took fewer steps.

So, there you have it. The study shows that Pokemon GO does indeed have an effect on players' physical activity, but only for a short period of time. But this is only to be expected, as people tend to get bored easily and quickly move on to the next best thing. Pokemon GO was never going to maintain the fever pitch of its initial popularity for long.

It must also be noted that this study was part of the BMJ's year end research, which typically aims more for entertainment value than hard science, so your mileage may vary. If you've moved on from Pokemon GO and are looking for a new game to play, including those that don't ask you to leave the couch, then be sure to check out our list of the best Android games of 2016.

Are you a lot more active than usual when playing Pokemon GO? Or do you simply do less walking outside the game?

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What’s going on with LG and those bootloops?

LG V10 LG logo boot

LG has put out some impressive Android hardware over the years, but consumer reports would suggest that the company has been struggling for production consistency with its past few models.

Bootloop issues first popped up in force with the LG G4 and users have reported similar issues with most of the company's flagship handset releases since then to varying degrees. Unfortunately, the first report of a similar problem with the V20 surfaced recently, although this could just be an isolated case.

So far, LG has only acknowledged problems with the LG G4 and dealt with some other issues affecting the Nexus 5X that it developed for Google. Consumers have also reported similar issues with the V10, and to a lesser extent the G5 also.

We reached out to LG, but the company declined to make any comments pending the investigation of the reports. Without an official response it's tough to know how widespread, if at all, these problems are for LG's other flagships.

Here's a recap of what's gone on so far, and what we do and don't know about problems with LG's flagships.

Fixing customer support

Back with the original LG G4 bootloop saga, it took LG months to acknowledge the problem after it was first reported around September 2015, and only after customers started up a petition to catch the company's attention. Carriers and retailers were actually much quicker to address the problem, and some offered repairs for devices within warranty. The same couldn't be said for LG though.

Although the company did repair some devices, other consumers were told that their model number didn't make them eligible for a repair or replacement. With a little searching, you can find plenty of consumers who were less than happy with their experience, with reports of overly long delays and problems persisting even after repairs.

It wasn't until January 2016 that LG acknowledged the problem and offered a remedy. The company eventually said that it would repair all the affected devices, but it took far too long to offer a satisfactory solution to this issue.

The original G4 issue was first reported around September 2015, but it wasn't until January 2016 that LG acknowledged and addressed the problem.

The Nexus 5X faced a couple of issues of its own, but LG handled this a little better. The first reported problem was caused by an update to Nougat causing a bootloop issue for a number of users, but some other handset owners also experienced a hardware defect which caused a bootloop that was harder to fix.

For the Nougat software loop, Google offered to fix the issue for phones purchased through through the Google Store, while those who purchased from elsewhere had to have a warranty for LG to take a look at the problem. As for the separate hardware issue, LG had been repairing devices through their usual warranty program, but stopped fixing devices and simply offered consumers a refund a couple of weeks ago. As the Nexus 5X is no longer in production, the company had run out of spare parts to fix the issue, so consumers who had sent their phone in for repairs were offered full refunds. While that might be disappointing for some, LG certainly handled this situation more professionally and promptly than the G4.

As for the G5 and V10, we simply don't know for sure if there are any common issues, but there are certainly fewer reports of bootloops than there were with the G4. Either way, customers with a warranty, which typically lasts 12 months, can send their phone back to LG for a free repair of a genuine defect. Unfortunately, this is what makes the current situation rather difficult to judge.

Besides the officially confirmed G4 issues, we don't know if reports of other LG handsets failing are related, signs of a new fault, or actually being reported by some customers who don't want to admit fault for something else entirely.

It's a similar situation with Samsung after the Note 7 fiasco: now everyone is watching for any rare battery fault to suggest that other Galaxy phones might be dangerous too. Whatever the truth is, a statement from LG might help to clear this all up.

lg g4 now aa (11 of 23)

What could be the cause?

Given that handsets affected by the issue suddenly shut off and can't be restored via a software flash, it's unlikely that LG's bootloop problem was being caused by any of its software (the exception being the Nexus 5X Nougat update brick). It's more likely to be a hardware related problem, possibly a manufacturing defect that occasionally creeps into the production line.

After acknowledging the problem with the G4, LG confirmed that the issue was caused by "a loose contact between components", and it's possible that a similar problem has reoccurred with other models too. The cancellation of Nexus 5X hardware replacements certainly backs up this theory, although we would expect LG to have addressed such a problem with subsequent hardware generations.

LG confirmed that the G4 bootloop issue was caused by "a loose contact between components"

A loose connection between power supply or memory components could certainly cause a phone to fail to boot up properly, due to a lack of system stability or not being able to access vital memory. It's also possible that a faulty connection to other components, such as the camera or fingerprint scanner, could cause a similar problem. This could be down to important setup communications not being sent or received between peripherals correctly.

These type of defects can and do affect a wide range of hardware, and certainly aren't limited just to LG. Even so, it's important that companies have proper, consumer friendly ways to deal with the small number of inevitable defects. LG's poor handling of the original G4 case has certainly placed the company under more scrutiny than it's competitors lately. However, this makes it difficult to know whether LG's hardware is actually more prone to faults than its competitors, or it simply has a target on its back now.

lg v20 vs lg v10 ifa 2016 aa-3

Should I buy a LG phone?

The prospect of ending up with an unusable handset is certainly enough to make almost all consumers think twice about picking up a LG handset, but we must remember that the number of customers affected by bootloops still remains quite small. The scale of the issue hasn't ever approached mass recall levels. Although this doesn't mean that it's worth completely ignoring the possibility that you might be affected.

The safest thing to do is to make sure that you buy your LG handset from a retailer that offers a full manufacturer warranty. Perhaps even upgrade to a third party two year warranty just for that piece of mind. As tempting as bargain second hand or import sales may be, these are by far the least likely products to be covered by a retailer or manufacturer warranty, especially if the phone has come from another country.

Videos

LG V20 review

LG G5 Review!

LG V10 review

LG G4 review

LG still has some very good hardware on the market, but it might be wise to discuss returns policies with your carrier or retailer in advance of an LG purchase. Just in case. If you are affected by a bootloop issue, regardless of your manufacturer, be sure to get in contact with your carrier/retailer and the OEM to discuss your options and have your device repaired.

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Pebble software and services will be available at least until the end of 2017

Last week, we reported that the fitness wearable company Fitbit acquired Pebble. The news made Pebble users a bit nervous, as they suddenly found themselves in a state of uncertainty as to the fate of their devices.

But fear not, my friends. According to the company's recent blog post, Pebble's software and services will still be available for at least another year — until the end of 2017. What will happen after that is anyone's guess right now.

As the blog post states, the Pebble SDK, CloudPebble, Timeline APIs, firmware availability, mobile apps, developer portal, and Pebble app store will all remain in service through 2017. Developers are therefore still able to create new as well as update existing apps, while Pebble users can continue using their beloved smartwatches.

Pebble in the ocean | Podcast 091

2 days ago

The company's mobile apps will be updated in a matter of a few months in order to loosen their dependency on a patchwork of cloud services and to make sure that the core functionalities – like Pebble Health — will keep working smoothly.

But it remains unclear what's going to happen with features dependent on third-party services like dictation, messaging, weather, and others. Pebble says that it is currently evaluating just how long these features can continue and will hopefully announce whatever it comes up with to the public soon.

Do you own a Pebble watch? Are you happy to hear that Pebble's software and services will still be available in 2017?

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Zone Telechargement Gratuit

jeudi 15 décembre 2016

Best T-Mobile Android phones (December 2016)

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Specs

Read more

LG V20

Specs

Read more

LG G5

Specs

Read more

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

Specs

Read more

Study: Pokemon GO increases physical activity, but not for very long

Pokémon GO gets more Pokémon added

What’s going on with LG and those bootloops?

Fixing customer support

What could be the cause?

Should I buy a LG phone?

Pebble software and services will be available at least until the end of 2017

Pebble in the ocean | Podcast 091