These are the Best Calendar Apps and Widgets on Android: Google Calendar, DigiCal, and more!

Calendar apps are handy in effectively organizing your time. Still, many of us end up using whichever calendar app comes preinstalled on our Android phones. But the bundled apps are rarely the best ones around. Thankfully, there are many great options to choose from in the Google Play Store, and we present some of them to you in this article.

Navigate this guide:

• Google Calendar
• Business Calendar 2
• DigiCal Calendar
• aCalendar
• TimeTree
• Proton Calendar
• Calendar Widget by Home Agenda
• Month Calendar Widget
• Calendar Notify
• Everyday Calendar Widget

Best Calendar Apps and Widgets

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is one of the better calendar apps on Android. It includes all the basics of a calendar in a pleasing design. You can toggle between calendar views, manage or view tasks, and get all your calendar data in one place. Being a Google app, it can automatically import events from Gmail and add them to your calendar.

If your team uses Google Workspace, you can check your co-worker’s availability, whether meeting rooms are free, or share calendars with other team members using it.

Google Calendar (Free, Google Play) →

Business Calendar 2

Business Calendar is another popular calendar app. The app acts as your complete personal organizer, giving you features of a calendar, schedule planner, and task organizer. The app can also sync with Google Calendar, Outlook, Exchange, and other apps to show everything in one place. Additionally, there are several customization options, widgets, themes, and calendar views.

You can also use the Business Calendar 2 app to answer meeting invites or invite people to your events. It’s free to download and use with ads. There’s a premium version as well, which you can unlock with a one-time payment. It removes ads and adds lots of advanced features.

Business Calendar 2 - Agenda, Planner & Widgets (Free⁺, Google Play) →

DigiCal Calendar Agenda

DigiCal includes all the typical calendar features and also gives you access to sports schedules, TV schedules, weather forecasts, holiday calendars, and more. It also allows you to have a local calendar on the device that isn’t synced anywhere for extra privacy. If you do want to sync, there’s support for Google Calendar, Outlook, and Exchange.

The app also gives you seven agenda views, six widgets, and a dark theme. The DigiCal Calendar app is free to download and use. But you can opt for DigiCal+ to remove ads, get extra widgets, and other advanced features.

DigiCal Calendar Agenda (Free⁺, Google Play) →

aCalendar

If you want a calendar app that comes with lots of powerful widget options, aCalender is your answer. It has seven widgets that you can customize to your liking. Additionally, the app lets you easily switch between day, week, month, and agenda views. Year view and export support are present as well.

aCalendar is free to download and use with ads. But with in-app purchases, you can get a holidays calendar, more color options, business features, tasks support, and more.

aCalendar - a calendar app for Android (Free⁺, Google Play) →

TimeTree

If you’re looking for a calendar app for your entire family, friends group, or team members, TimeTree could be the answer. This shared calendar app allows everyone to view the same calendar and add events to it. You can create multiple shared calendars for different needs. Additionally, users can chat with each other in each event.

There is a memo feature as well in TimeTree that helps plan things. The app is free to download and use, but it does include ads.

TimeTree - Free Shared Calendar (Free, Google Play) →

Proton Calendar

If you’re privacy-conscious and don’t appreciate your calendar provider having access to your data, you should try out the Proton Calendar app. From the makers of ProtonMail, the Proton Calendar app is currently in beta, so there’s a chance you might run into some bugs. It includes end-to-end encryption so nobody can see your calendar data, including Proton. Additionally, there are no ads or trackers to keep everything private.

In addition to the calendar basics, the app allows you to create recurring events and schedule appointments in any timezone. You can also add multiple notifications to any event. Proton Calendar is also available on the web, and an iOS version is coming soon. The developers promise to add more features as the app moves out of beta. It’s free to download and use.

Proton Calendar - Private and secure calendar (Free, Google Play) →

Calendar Widget by Home Agenda

This paid Calendar Widget from Francisco Franco of Franco Kernel fame is another good option. It gives you a lot of customization options and even allows you to import themes made by anyone. You can choose to show just today’s events or a running list. Also, you can set the maximum number of days shown in the widget. There are several other options to help you tweak the widget to your liking.

There’s a free version of the app, but it’s pretty barebones, and only the paid version makes sense.

Calendar Widget by Home Agenda ($1.99, Google Play) →

Month

If you’re looking for a neat calendar widget for your phone, you may like Month from Candl Apps. It includes several customization options, allowing you to tweak how the widget looks on the home screen. There are over 80 themes, but not all are available in the free version. Month also lets you pick which calendars show up in the widget. Lunar Calendar support is present as well. You may spot this app in some of our reviews as my colleague Aamir Siddiqui heavily relies on this for his homescreen.

Month is free to download and use with ads. But you can use in-app purchases to remove ads and unlock additional features.

Month: Calendar Widget (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Calendar Notify

While widgets are great at giving you a glance at your schedule, they’re only visible on particular home screen pages. So if you want to see your calendar at more locations, Calendar Notify is a handy app. It acts as a companion to your existing calendar app and puts your calendar on your notification shade. You also get regular widgets.

The app allows you to tweak how your calendar looks in the notification shade. Additionally, you can back up or restore your app settings. Calendar Notify is free to download and use. There’s a premium edition as well that unlocks a few additional features.

Calendar Notify - Widget, Lock and Status bar (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Everyday

In other calendar widget options, we also have Everyday from XDA Recognized Developer Pranav Pandey that looks beautiful. The app comes with a theme engine that will match the calendar widget to your style. You can choose from Agenda, Today, or Month views to get what you want on the home screen.

There are lots of other settings to customize the widget as per your needs. You can pick calendars, events visibility, and more. Everyday is free to download and use with ads. But you can get the Everyday Key to gain more features and remove ads.

Everyday | Calendar Widget (Free, Google Play) →

---

These are the best calendar apps and widgets for Android. Which calendar app or widget do you use? Let us know in the comments section. Check out our best Android apps, best podcast apps, and best weather apps lists for more app recommendations.

The post These are the Best Calendar Apps and Widgets on Android: Google Calendar, DigiCal, and more! appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3joJmtH
via IFTTT

Surface Go 3: Release date, everything we know, and what we’re hoping to see

While the spotlight is on the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Book 4 — since they’re likely coming this year — there’s plenty more going on with the Microsoft Surface lineup. If you’re thinking about a Windows tablet but want something a little less expensive than a Surface Pro, that’s where the Surface Go comes in.

The current Surface Go 2 is a bit long in the tooth; in fact, it was using last-gen hardware when it was announced. In fact, it was announced alongside the Surface Book 3, so it’s not crazy to think a refresh might be coming soon.

Navigate this page:

• Surface Go 3 release date: When will it come out?
• Surface Go 3 price: How much will it cost?
• Surface Go 3: What we’re expecting
• Surface Go 3: The wish list

Surface Go 3 release date: When will it come out?

While the Surface Go 2 was announced alongside the last Surface Book 3, don’t expect the Surface Go 3 to arrive alongside the Surface Book 4 later this year. The reason is simply that this isn’t hero hardware. The event later this year is going to be about launching Windows 11 and the hardware that’s meant to showcase the new OS.

No previous model of the Surface Go has been announced at an event, whether virtual or in-person. It’s always something that gets announced via a press release, and for good reason. Can you imagine Panos Panay taking the stage to show off the Surface Go 3? What would he even say? After all, it’s a mid-range tablet.

That means there are two things that can happen here. One is that Microsoft could announce the Surface Go 3 the week before the main event. This is something Apple does a lot. For anything that’s not worthy of the main spotlight, it can announce it ahead of time. That’s not really a Microsoft thing to do though, especially for the Surface brand. It’s more likely the product will be held back until spring 2022.

Surface Go 3 price: How much will it cost?

I fully expect the Surface Go 3 to maintain the same pricing as it has right now. Right now, here’s what you can get:

Processor	RAM	Storage	LTE	Price
Pentium Gold 4425Y	4GB	64GB eMMC	No	$399.99
	8GB	128GB SSD		$549.99
Core m3-8100Y				$629.99
			Yes	$729.99

Obviously, the configurations might change. Still, I’d expect it to still start at around $399.99 for the model you don’t want, and go up from there.

Surface Go 3: What we’re expecting

When Microsoft announced the Surface Go 2, there were a handful of new features.

• A larger, 10.5 inch display in the same size chassis
• A spec bump to a Pentium Gold 4425Y
• An option for a Core i3-8100Y

For the Surface Go 3, I’d expect the chassis and the display will remain mostly the same. Given the display size increased with the second-gen model, it’s a lot to ask that anything changes on the next one.

Other than a leak on the CPU, there haven’t been many rumors, but here are some safe bets.

A spec bump

Given that Microsoft used eighth-gen processors in the Surface Go 2 in an era when 10th-gen was current, there’s a lot of room for an upgrade here. There are two key possibilities based on Intel’s current selection, including the Pentium Gold 6500Y or the Pentium Gold 7505. Thanks to the Geekbench database, we now know that the company will likely use the Pentium Gold 6500Y, a significant improvement if CPU benchmarks are any indication.

The Pentium Gold 6500Y is from the Amber Lake Y series, meaning it’s basically still an eighth-gen chip. It’s also still built on a 14nm process. That means the Core m3 — now rebranded to Core i3 — will be the Core i3-10100Y. That means that it’s going to be 10th-gen Amber Lake Refresh.

Also notable is that with the 10th-gen Amber Lake processors, Intel actually increased the TDP from 5W to 7W. Note that with the Pentium Gold that’s being used, the TDP is still 5W, so you’ll get a solid boost in power from the Core i3.

The Pentium Gold 7505 would make a lot more sense for this product. It’s from the Tiger Lake family, which is 11th-gen. But even if Microsoft doesn’t want to be current-gen with the Surface Go 3, it won’t have to. By next spring, higher-end products will have moved on to 12th-gen Alder Lake.

Another thing that’s cool about Tiger Lake is there’s no more Y-series. This is sort of a low-power U-series chip that’s meant to scale. It would also allow the team to use something like a Core i3-1110G4 in the higher end model. Sadly, that seems like something that we’ll have to wait for the Surface Go 4 to see.

Faster cellular speeds

Microsoft Surface is never on the cutting edge when it comes to new technologies, especially on a mid-range product like the Surface Go 3. Even if it adopts 5G in the Surface Pro 8 this year, I’d expect the Surface Go 3 would still only offer 4G LTE options.

Still, I’d expect a better 4G modem. Both the Surface Go and the Surface Go 2 used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X16, the same that was included in the Snapdragon 835 chipset. It’s come a long way since then, so I would expect something like a Snapdragon X20 or X24.

Removable storage

Introduced in the Surface Laptop 3 and the Surface Pro X, removable storage has made its way to the Surface Pro line with the Surface Pro 7+. I fully expect it to eventually come to the entire Surface lineup, because this really isn’t meant to be a premium feature.

Microsoft is serious about removable storage. What’s important for you to know is it’s not there so you can upgrade your own SSD without paying the frankly absurd prices Microsoft charges.

This is a business feature, and just in case you haven’t noticed, every single Surface product has a business option, so I completely expect this feature to be offered throughout the lineup (except the Surface Duo, obviously). It’s a feature that’s important for governments too. If you’ve got a Surface Go 3 and it needs to be serviced, it might have sensitive information on it. Removable storage lets you take that out.

Also, when you recycle the PC or sell it, you can remove that storage and destroy it. For some businesses and governmental institutions, this feature is necessary for even considering a purchase.

Surface Go 3: The wish list

This is where we go from things that we’re expecting, to things we simply want.

5G

I noted above that I fully expect faster cellular in the Surface Go 3, but seriously, it’s time to put 5G in all the things. That’s just where we’re at now. The problem is when it comes to stuff like this, Microsoft likes to stay a step behind the curve.

To me, one of the biggest pain points in the PC market is how much of a premium cellular capabilities are made out to be. I can go out and spend $300 on a phone that will have 5G (let’s go with the OnePlus Nord N10 5G). However, if I bought an HP Elite Folio, it would cost an additional $444 to have it configured with 5G. Honestly, it’s something the PC market hasn’t cared to move toward, similar to how that same $300 phone can have a 16MP front camera that records 1080p 60fps video and you’re lucky if your $2,000 laptop records 1080p 30fps video.

Luckily, the Surface Go 2 already has an FHD webcam. Just give us the 5G now, and let’s not pretend it needs to be a $1,000 product to have it.

Ship the pen in the box

If Microsoft wants to still sell the Surface Pen separately with the Surface Pro 8, that’s fine. Both with less expensive products, things tend to be more bundled. Asking people to spend $549.99 on a tablet that’s supposed to be a budget device, and then grabbing an additional $99.99 for the pen and $129.99 for the keyboard takes away the value.

Seriously, just throw the pen in the box with the Surface Go 3. I’d say throw the keyboard in as well, but I don’t even think that’s necessary. Let’s make this a purely tablet experience. With that 10.5 inch screen and Android app support, the Surface Go 3 could be pretty cool.

No more Surface Connect

It’s time to kill off Surface Connect, Microsoft’s proprietary connector. There have been two versions of it, one of which shipped in the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface RT, and Surface 2. The other debuted in the Surface Pro 3, and that’s the one we know today.

That leaves just one other Surface PC, the Surface 3. That actually used a micro-USB connector for charging, and it was abandoned because too many people were wondering why it would take 12 hours to charge their tablet if they used their phone charger. The spiritual successor to the Surface 3 was the Surface Go, and it’s time to try this again.

I firmly believe all Surface PCs should switch to USB Type-C charging. I wouldn’t mind if the Surface Go 3 was the first.

---

That’s about it for the Surface Go 3. As mentioned earlier, there really aren’t any credible leaks or rumors just yet. Of course, we’ll update this page as we learn more.

The post Surface Go 3: Release date, everything we know, and what we’re hoping to see appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/38jmLbV
via IFTTT

These are the Best Email apps for Android: Nine, Aqua Mail, Spark, and more!

Most of us deal with email on a daily basis, and there can be a ton of emails coming in on most days. So if an app can make working with emails even just a tiny bit easier, we welcome it with open arms. While there’s a good chance your Android phone came preinstalled with an email app, it may not be the best option for you. Fortunately, the Google Play store is full of email apps, and we’ve picked the best ones for you.

Navigate this guide:

• Nine
• Aqua Mail
• Spark
• Outlook
• FairEmail
• Gmail
• K-9
• Edison Email
• MailDroid

Best Email Apps

Nine

Nine is one of the most popular email apps on Android. It cares about users’ privacy and doesn’t store email data on its servers. The app connects to your email servers and downloads data directly to your device. In terms of providers, it supports everything from Gmail to Microsoft Exchange Server. It also provides Direct Push Synchronization with Exchange ActiveSync.

Other features include the ability to select folders for which to enable push notifications, sync tasks and calendar, conversation mode, and a lot more. Nine is free to download, but you’ll need a $14.99 license to use the app after a two-week trial period.

Nine - Email & Calendar (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Aqua Mail

Aqua Mail is another great email app for Android. It offers several customization options, allowing users to personalize how the app looks and operates. Additionally, you get support for 20 languages. Similar to Nine, Aqua Mail doesn’t store your email data on its servers. You can also use pretty much any of your email accounts with the app, including Gmail, Exchange, IMAP, or POP3-enabled servers.

Other Aqua Mail features include Smart Folders, contacts and calendar sync, Android Wear support, email backup/ restore via cloud storage services, and widgets. Aqua Mail is free to download and use, but you can opt for the Pro version to remove ads and get advanced features. Some of these features include support for unlimited accounts, push for Exchange, and unlimited aliases.

Email Aqua Mail - Exchange, SMIME, Smart inbox (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Spark

Spark is made for email power users. It intelligently prioritizes emails to help you focus on the important stuff. The same smartness is present in its notifications, and it’ll only ping you about the emails from people you know. Other great features include intelligent search, quick replies, email scheduling, snooze emails, and more.

The app also allows you to collaborate with your team on emails, which you won’t see in many email apps. You can have shared drafts, private team comments, and shareable email links. Additionally, Spark works with all major email providers. It’s free to download and use, but a premium subscription unlocks more features.

Spark Email – Connect Gmail, Yahoo & Outlook mail (Free, Google Play) →

Outlook

Microsoft’s Outlook email app is an entirely free option that works with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. It doesn’t include a lot of options, but you get simplicity and a good design. You get three tabs — email, search, and calendar to keep things straightforward. Integrations for Microsoft products, like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and OneDrive are also present.

Outlook also comes with a feature called Focused Inbox that can pre-sort your emails to highlight essential emails. Threading support and add-ins for popular third-party services are available as well.

Microsoft Outlook: Secure email, calendars & files (Free, Google Play) →

FairEmail

FairEmail is an open-source email client that values your privacy. It works with all major email service providers, but you won’t get access to the non-standard protocols, such as Microsoft Exchange Web Services and Microsoft ActiveSync. You get support for unlimited accounts, a unified inbox, conversation threading, push notifications, and material design.

The app doesn’t store your email data on its servers. Also, there are no advertisements or analytics of any kind. Its free version is quite feature-rich, but you can buy the Pro version to get several advanced features.

FairEmail, privacy first email (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Gmail

Like Microsoft’s Outlook app, it may feel like the Gmail app is only meant for Gmail users, but it can be your email client for non-Gmail providers as well, like Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, IMAP, and POP3-enabled servers, Exchange and Office 365, and more.

Given Gmail’s home-field advantage, it comes preinstalled on an overwhelming majority of Android devices. So it’s also the easiest to get on board with. You don’t have to go looking for another app in the Google Play store. Thanks to Google’s search capabilities, you get an excellent search feature on the app. All things said, some people may not want to use the app over privacy concerns, and the amount of data Google collects.

Gmail (Free, Google Play) →

K-9

K-9 Mail is one of the oldest email clients for Android. It kind of disappeared into the background over the last few years, but it made a return to form in July this year with a redesign. K-9 is open-source and privacy-friendly, two things that a lot of XDA readers appreciate. It also supports pretty much every email service provider.

Some of the K-9 features include per account notifications, unified inbox, push IMAP support, dark theme, OpenPGP encryption support, and local as well as search-side search. K-9 is free to download and use. There are no ads or in-app purchases.

K-9 Mail (Free, Google Play) →

Edison Email

Edison is another decent email app out there. By default, it stores commercial messages, like emails related to shipment tracking, purchases/receipts, and entertainment. But you can opt out of data sharing and delete any stored data. Edison is fast and supports pretty much all email services and providers. Additionally, you get a focused inbox feature, like Outlook, that highlights essential emails.

The app also allows you to unsubscribe from junk emails and block tracking pixels easily. A built-in AI assistant can search for stuff, like bills, tickets, travels plans and more, to tell you about upcoming meetings, due dates, and more. Edison Mail is free to download and use and doesn’t include any ads. There are some in-app purchases for additional features.

Email - Lightning Fast & Secure Mail (Free⁺, Google Play) →

MailDroid

Like K-9, MailDroid is also a veteran of the Google Play store. The app cares about your privacy and acts as a pure email client, meaning there’s no MailDroid server storing your emails before delivery to your phone. It also supports all major email services and servers, including Microsoft Exchange. But you won’t get ActiveSync support.

MailDroid features include custom mail rules, calendar integration, cloud storage support to store attachments, themes, spam filter plugin, and more. OpenPGP and S/MIME support is available as well. It’s free to download and use with ads. There’s a Pro version as well that removes ads and adds some new features.

MailDroid - Free Email Application (Free⁺, Google Play) →

---

Which email app do you use? Let us know in the comments section. Meanwhile, check out our best Android apps and best podcast apps lists for more app recommendations.

The post These are the Best Email apps for Android: Nine, Aqua Mail, Spark, and more! appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3mFM7Jt
via IFTTT