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Jumat, 30 November 2018

Amazon's 4K UHD movie sale offers three best-selling films for $40

Choose your own bundle.

Adding to your 4K movie collection can be an expensive endeavor, but right now Amazon is running a sale on select 4K UHD films to help you get some new additions in your collection at a discount. You can take home three of the films in the sale for just $39.99 total, or $13.33 each. Today's sale includes over 135 films to choose from, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding some you'd like to watch, and most of these haven't ever dropped this low in price before.

Considering December is just a day away, maybe you want to use this opportunity to pad your collection with holiday films. You could catch every snowflake in films like How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Ice Age 5: Collision Course, or you could pick up more adult-appropriate fare like Interstellar or A Quiet Place. As you can see, there's a good mix of movies for both young and old audiences here.

This sale at Amazon won't last forever, so be sure to check out the rest of the 4K UHD films available and make your decision while you can.

See at Amazon

The Yi Compact dash cam has 1080p, night vision, and more for just $25

Get everything on tape. Or SD card, I guess.

The Yi Compact 1080p dashboard camera is down to $25 on Amazon once you clip the $15 off on-page coupon. We've seen this dash cam go on sale a couple times but not for a while now, and the last deal only dropped it to $26. It regularly sells for $40.

The Yi Compact came out around the end of last year, but it's right in line with the other Yi dash cameras as great budget alternatives to far-more-expensive options like the Garmin 65W. With this camera, you get 1080p at 30 frames per second, a 130-degree wide angle lens, and night vision. It has a 2.7-inch LCD screen with easy-to-use navigation. The built-in Wi-Fi lets you connect to the smartphone app that lets you download and share videos. Users give it 3.7 stars based on 383 reviews.

You will need an SD card to record your footage onto, so it's a good thing Samsung's Evo Select microSD cards are still down to crazy low prices.

See on Amazon

Google Hangouts is reportedly shutting down in 2020

The name will live on through Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat.

Hangouts, Google's chat app that was first debuted in 2013, may finally be nearing the light at the end of the tunnel. According to a report from 9to5Google, Hangouts will be shut down once and for all at some point in 2020.

While we can't confirm the validity of this report, a move like this sure does seem likely. Google first announced back in 2016 that it was refocusing Hangouts for use in the enterprise space, and then in March 2017, two new services were announced in the form of Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet — a Slack competitor and video chat platform, respectively.

This really shouldn't surprise anyone.

Fast forward to April of this year, Google announced its new "Chat" features for Android Messages as its next big project for finally delivering a messaging service that can compete with Apple's iMessage. In the process, Google also confirmed that development for Allo (the messaging app that had just been released less than two years prior) was being put on hold.

With Hangouts now being used for business purposes and Chat being developed for consumer use, the regular Hangouts app no longer serves any real purpose.

Google's yet to officially comment on this news, but don't be surprised if we get an announcement at some point next year confirming that Hangouts is on its way out the door.

Are you still using Hangouts? If so, why? Let us know in the comments below.

Google 'Chat': Everything you need to know

What happens when my child outgrows the Kano Computer?

Best answer: Creating your own PC truly is the next best thing after your child grows out of the Kano Computer. Why? Because creating your own PC can be just as rewarding as putting together the pieces for your Kano Computer. Though be warned, it can get complicated. Thankfully, we've got a kit here that'll help you start out.

Newegg: PC Kit Combo: 3859739 ($604)

Why should I build a PC instead of buying one?

As someone who doesn't like building things, I can understand why some folks would rather just buy a PC instead of going through the hassle of just creating your own PC. However, there are so many more advantages of building your PC from scratch, and let's be honest, if your kid enjoyed creating the Kano Computer, then they are going to love getting stuck in and building their own PC from the ground up.

The first, and rather obvious benefit is that it's cost-efficient to build your own PC. Going to Best Buy and just buying a regular PC can cost up to thousands of dollars. What's worse, sometimes these kits don't even have everything you need, so you're spending money, and not even getting what you need. That's why you should instead focus on studying what you'll need for a great computer, and then go shopping to get all the parts.

Another benefit is that building a computer takes skill. You may not think it, but even when your child was building their own Kano Computer, they were learning about the bits and pieces that make up the machine. Building your own PC isn't all that different, it just has more parts. Regardless, knowing how to build a PC puts you at a clear advantage against those who don't. Depending on what your child decides to do in the future, this could be a make or break skill.

There are a number of reasons why building a PC is better than buying one: developing new skills, cost efficiency and even giving you peace of mind knowing where everything is. But the main reason is simple: the satisfaction of your child saying they've built something is a hard thing to pass on.

The basic components of a PC

You'll first need to know the anatomy of building a PC, which is much more difficult than slotting the pieces of your child's Kano Computer together. Thankfully, there are a lot of places out there that'll help you get the PC build you want for what you want. You are able to buy simple kits online with absolutely everything you need, but if you don't intend to buy them and would rather figure out how to do things for yourself, that's fine too.

Listed below are the main components you'll need for your very own PC.

The Processor: Without the processor, you won't be getting very far. While the motherboard may the heart of your PC, the processor is the brain that'll help get your PC running.

The Motherboard: So you may have the brain, but now this is the heart. The motherboard is a circuit board, much like your Raspberry Pi, that hosts the processor and RAM. The motherboard is also where you plug in your hard-drives, network cables and your SSDs.

The Power Supply: If you have a laptop, you'll remember that heavy, rectangular brick that comes with your wires to power your machine. For your PC, you'll also have a heavy brick, but you won't be lugging it around. With the power supply, it is genuinely better to have more power in case you upgrade your PC in the future.

The RAM: The RAM will handle all the heavy stuff, such as your graphics and the memory of your PC. Depending on what you're going to use your PC for, you might seriously consider investing in faster RAM. It's more expensive, but if your child is a gamer and wants to code their very own game, the more RAM the better.

The Storage: Storage is everything. HDD or SSDs, it doesn't matter. You need storage otherwise your going to be running a PC that, to be metaphorical, is constantly dropping all of your stuff.

The Case: The case is surprisingly harder than it looks. First off, you'll need a case that fits absolutely everything mentioned above, which may be quite tricky if you've not built everything right. Secondly, you can't get too tight of a case, otherwise that'll help with overheating and overheating is something you most definitely don't want to happen to your PC.

The Monitor: Again, this is obvious. There's no point in having a PC only to have nothing to show for it! Your monitor can be an actual PC monitor or even a TV screen, whichever suits you best.

If you're still unsure just what works with each component, we can't recommend PCPartPicker enough. Not only will it give you different ideas that'll help you in creating the perfect PC, but it will guide you step-by-step on whether PC parts are compatible or not.

But, if you're still struggling on how to put those parts together, I'd recommend following this 'How to build a PC' guide from Windows Central.

Our pick

Combo Computer Kit: 3859739

$604 at Amazon

Be a pro with little time

This computer kit will help you get started in creating the PC you deserve. Here you'll be able to look at just what it takes to build a PC, with not too many parts that'll leave you scratching your head.

Anker's discounted Jump Starter Pro should be in every single trunk

Winter's here.

The Anker Roav 800A 8000mAh Jump Starter Pro is down to $74.99 with code ROAVR320 on Amazon. This normally sells for $100 and this beats our previous posted discount by $5. This deal puts it at the same price as the much smaller Anker PowerCore mini jump starter.

Anker's device combines an emergency jump starter with an emergency battery charger. If your car dies on you, you won't have to worry about being stranded in the middle of nowhere. You can get up to 15 jump starts from a single charge of this device. Hopefully you won't need to use them all. If it happens at night, the device has a built-in high-intensity LED lamp. Plus, there are two USB ports for charging your mobile devices in a pinch with the 8000mAh battery. Anker backs it up with an 18-month warranty, and the 57 users who have reviewed it give it 4.6 stars out of 5.

See at Amazon

The Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC is worth the extra money

Razer makes two pairs of excellent USB-C headphones and having lived with both, we're in the best place to help you choose between the two.

Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC

Noise cancelling

$100 at Razer

Pros

  • More comfortable that the regular version
  • Nice length cable
  • Memory foam tips included
  • Excellent ANC

Cons

  • No flat-tangle free cable
  • Case is too small
  • Quite expensive

The cable tangles up far to much on the Hammerhead USB-C ANC, but for the extra $20 you get the noise cancellation, a better, more comfortable design, and Comply memory foam tips included in the box.

Razer Hammerhead USB-C

Tangle free

$80 at Razer

Pros

  • Less expensive
  • Flat, tangle-free cable
  • Superior case
  • Sound as good as the ANC version for less

Cons

  • Not as comfortable and well-fitting as the ANC version
  • No memory foam tips
  • No ANC

The regular version of the Hammerhead USB-C has almost everything you get from the ANC version at a lower price, with matching sound quality, a better case and a superior, tangle free cable.

If you're looking for active noise cancellation (ANC) in your in-ear headphones, the Hammerhead USB-C ANC is one of the better choices out there. They're easily worth the extra money, but you don't lose out on sound quality by getting the regular version. If you're rarely in situations that would benefit from full ANC, they're still a great choice and they won't tangle up, either.

The same, but different

There's a reason that the two different versions of the Razer Hammerhead USB-C headphones are only $20 apart in price. The regular version with the green cable has been on sale longer, in part launched to partner the Razer Phone with its lack of 3.5mm headset jack. The newer ANC version is more expensive because it has active noise cancellation.

That's the main difference between the two, and the big selling point for the new version. For a set of in-ear headphones, the noise cancellation is excellent, helped in no small part by the (optional) Comply memory foam tips included in the box. There's no charging or external battery required, either — it's powered by your phone over the USB-C connection.

You don't have to worry about emptying your phone battery with either of these headphones, though there is some small drain. Importantly both sound as good as each other, so you're not losing out on the most important part of any headphones by going for the cheaper option.

Design differences

There are a couple of design differences with each pair that could sway a decision one way or another. The Hammerhead USB-C has a striking green cable that's flat and tangle-free. The ANC version has a braided cable but coupled with a lesser case, it will tangle up a lot.

But, the ANC version of the Hammerhead USB-C is more comfortable in the ear. Instead of the dead straight design, the ANC version is angled slightly for a better fit in the ears and it won't fall out as often, especially during exercise.

Both have light up logos, though. Because that's important.

Ultimately both of these headphones are worth buying, but at only $20 more with a better design and excellent noise cancellation, the ANC version is definitely worth getting.

Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC

Our pick

$100 at Razer

Comfortable, great-sounding and with excellent noise cancellation

The extra $20 is well worth it for the excellent ANC and better design that won't fall out of your ears as often. The memory foam tips are an added bonus.

Razer Hammerhead USB-C

Still great

Same great sound quality and won't tangle up.

$80 at Razer

Aside from a slightly less comfortable design and no noise cancellation, the regular Hammerhead USB-C remains a great choice with a great sound. The good thing is if you don't really need the ANC function, you don't lose out on the most important thing, sound quality, by going for the cheaper version.

Nest Hello vs. Ring Pro: Which should you buy?

We love connected home tech, and we try out just about every video doorbell extensively to give you the best recommendations possible.

Nest Hello

Our pick

$229 at Nest

Pros

  • Much better dynamic range
  • Uses facial recognition to announce who's at the door
  • Better Wi-Fi connectivity

Cons

  • Subscription service is more expensive

The Nest Hello isn't just a great-looking piece of hardware. Its camera has excellent dynamic range that keeps glare from the sun from blowing out your live feed, and it makes use of Nest's facial recognition technology to announce who's at the door — so long as you've identified them before.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Runner-up

$249 at Amazon

Pros

  • Cheaper subscription service
  • Subscription stores 60 days vs. Nest's 5

Cons

  • No continuous recording
  • No facial recognition

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro integrates great with Amazon services, allowing Echo speakers to announce when someone rings your doorbell. Where the Ring Pro wins out big is in its cheaper subscription service, which offers a whopping 60 days of storage for recorded events.

Ring has made quite the name for itself the past couple years thanks to its stable of video doorbells, DIY security cameras — and I'd say some damned good marketing. So good, in fact, that Amazon reportedly scooped up the company for something like $1 billion.

But Nest Hello is here. It's the first doorbell from the company that brought you the world's sexiest smart thermostat, with all the back-end power that a Google-owned organization can possibly throw at it.

The result? I now have a new favorite doorbell.

Break it down now...

Installation is a wash. Nest Hello and Ring Pro install with nearly identical processes. You'll need a low-voltage doorbell system already in place — because how else would you get power to the thing, right? And if you're handy at basic home improvement wiring stuff, you can get either doorbell up and running in about 20 minutes or so (maybe a tad longer — I've installed a half-dozen of these things at this point and have gotten pretty quick about it).

In terms of pure looks, Nest wins out. Both doorbells are the only ones I haven't looked at with a sense of disgust — seriously, there are some bad-looking video doorbells out there — but Nest is just a sexier piece of hardware, hands down. But it's in the operation where things really stand out.

Most importantly, it's the camera. Nest Hello has some HDR processing, and it's readily apparent. My covered front porch tends to be backlit a lot, and Nest Hello handles that much better than Ring Pro. Then there are the notifications; Ring is pretty aggressive with them, though it does have an excellent snooze functionality. But Nest Hello wins out with facial recognition. It sees a face, you give it a name, and then you get smart notifications telling you who's at the door.

Nest Hello Ring Pro
Camera 1600x1200 1080p
Field of view 160 degrees 160 degrees
Wi-Fi 802.11ac 802.11n
Live view Yes Yes
Continuous recording Yes No
Face recognition Yes No
Subscriptions Start at $5/mo Start at $3/mo

Ring has optional chimes, so you can hear notifications throughout your home. Nest Hello can use any of the three Google Home speakers — that means a $29 Google Home Mini can do that much more. And if someone the doorbell recognizes rings the bell, it'll announce them by name. Which is ridiculously cool.

Ring Pro is pretty darn good. Nest Hello is better.

Then there's the connection. I don't know if it's the difference between Ring Pro being an 802.11n device and Nest Hello being 802.11ac-compatible, or if it's some other server magic from a Google-owned company, but Nest Hello hasn't suffered from anywhere near the lag or outright disconnections that Ring Pro has.

Ring wins out in terms of subscription service, at least as far as price is concerned. Just $3 a month (or $30 a year) stores recorded events (motion, rings, and live viewing) for 60 days. Nest Aware starts $5 a month (or $50 a year) and gives you five days of recording. That's five days of continuous recording, though. Not just events.

I've used every doorbell Ring has produced, and while I still say ecosystem wins out — if you have a bunch of Ring equipment already, stay with a Ring doorbell — Nest Hello wins the head-to-head competition.

Our pick

$229 at Nest

Nest's first foray into video doorbells is a smashing success.

The Nest Hello is simply the best video doorbell around, thanks to its HDR camera and extremely useful facial recognition features. If you have a Google Home around the house, it'll even announce who's at the door.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Runner-up

Still every bit worth the money for Ring users.

$249 at Amazon

If you're already wrapped up in the Ring ecosystem — or if you have a lot of Amazon Echo speakers around the house — the Video Doorbell Pro is a great option. Its two-month event storage is a great addition for a small fee each month.

Feel completely secure with the $329 Ring Alarm 14-piece system

A sensor for every egress.

The Ring Alarm 14-piece Home Security System is down to $329 on Amazon. That's almost $100 off what it normally goes for, and this is a full system with all the pieces it comes with. Today's deal is the first time we've seen it go this low.

You can still get the 8-piece system on sale for $188.98 right now. That's been the price since before Black Friday, although it has gone out of stock a couple times.

The 14-piece system comes with the Ring base station, eight contact sensors, two motion detectors, two keypads, and a range extender. You can have the system set up in minutes without the need for professional installation and get 24/7 monitoring of your home. I mean, the 14-piece setup is already a lot to work with, but if you ever need more you'll be able to expand it pretty easily, which is one of the benefits of the Ring system.

Android Central took an in-depth look at the Ring Alarm system and praised its ease of installation, build quality, and value for money.

See on Amazon

YouTube Music is a bad product in desperate need of improvement

YouTube Music as a service has been around for about three years now, though it really only existed in earnest once the revamped version of the YouTube Music app and dedicated website, as we know it today, launched in May. Whether you look at it as three years or just six months old, one thing is clear: YouTube Music isn't finished yet, is filled with issues and is incredibly frustrating to use on a daily basis considering it costs the industry-standard $10 per month.

YouTube Music is so unfinished and lacking features that I question whether Google has any intentions of following through with its vision of replacing Google Play Music entirely. Put simply, I can't believe Google thinks anyone will pay $10 per month for it when all signs point to Google itself not caring about YouTube Music's success.

YouTube Music effectively doesn't work with Google Home. Yes you can select "YouTube Music" as your music provider in the Google Home app, but that only gives you access to a music catalogue when you ask for specific songs or artists. You can ask any way you want, but a Google Home won't play your YouTube Music "Mixtape" or any custom playlists. It'll try its best to play some music from YouTube on your Chromecast instead, but that's not helpful. And most times when you think you do get a Google Home to play YouTube Music, it isn't actually playing YouTube Music — it's playing Google Play Music, of course, so there's a good chance it'll start pulling your old GPM playlists and sending listening history there instead. Great.

YouTube Music also still doesn't work with Android Auto, which is just as inexcusable as not working with Google Home. Android Auto and YouTube Music apps have both been updated at least half a dozen times since the music service re-launched with this new direction, and I still can't use it to play music in the car. You can start up YouTube Music and then open Android Auto to at least get a player for play/pause/seek, but it won't show up as a media choice in the app.

YouTube Music doesn't integrate with Google's other hardware or services, so why should I care?

Then there's the Music app and website, which are just rudimentary. Building playlists is clunky and feels tacked-on. Search is an odd mix of actual songs, tracks from compilation albums, and a weird sprinkling of YouTube videos. I want music, not music videos or weird tracks uploaded at low fidelity to YouTube then transposed over to the Music side. Nor do I want my YouTube history and home page filled up with "YouTube Mixes" suggestions. I want YouTube to be where I go for video content, and YouTube Music for just music. Stop trying to make this cross-pollination happen, because it just adds a bunch of cruft and hurts both services.

The YouTube Music Android app is updated regularly, and actually has a good rating on Google Play. And that's somewhat justified — it works well enough for the basics, is stable, and has a good amount of customization in the settings. Unfortunately, it's not getting appreciably better or fixing any of these major compatibility gaps.

This whole situation is complicated (and actually alleviated) by the fact that Google Play Music still exists. Play Music will be around for some time yet — likely until 2020 — as YouTube Music takes its sweet time integrating into all of Google's other products. Play Music is still the music service backbone for Google, even though YouTube Music is the brand it's pushing externally. GPM has more features, better device compatibility and fewer "gotcha" shortcomings — and most importantly, it has lots of customers that have their own music library uploaded, have been paying $10/mo for years, or both.

Play Music's existence is also the reason why many of these complaints with YouTube Music are in vain. So long as you don't have problems with device de-auth limits (which I do, but recognize it's not a big deal for most people), Google Play Music is still available and a better overall product than YouTube Music.

YouTube Music has little benefit over Google Play Music, but several shortcomings.

YouTube Music is really good at one thing: automatically generating a never-ending playlist of songs based on your listening history, and letting you "like" or "dislike" songs as they come up to tailor the suggestions. Sound familiar? It's precisely the experience YouTube has honed over the years, so it's no surprise that YouTube Music is exceptional at this one thing and very little else.

Outside of this, YouTube Music basically has two things going for it. The first is cost: YouTube Premium, which removes ads from YouTube and gives you background listening and downloads, is $12 per month and includes YouTube Music. You can easily justify YouTube Premium at $12 per month on its own, making YouTube Music effectively "free," and making Spotify or Apple Music a tougher sell. The only other benefit is that YouTube Music isn't saddled with the same de-authorization limits of Google Play Music — there are limits on how many devices on your account can download content, but not how many can stream.

I'm paying $12/mo purely for ad-free YouTube, and getting Music for $0. Because that's all it's worth.

At this point, I'm paying $12 per month purely for an ad-free YouTube experience, which I feel is absolutely worth the money, and getting YouTube Music as a side benefit. And as it stands, I'm going to keep using Google Play Music instead, because the YouTube Music experience is so bad there's no way I'd pay for it independently. YouTube Music does a couple things well. It's not a complete failure. But the fact that I can't use it either at home or in the car, despite using Google's own hardware and services in both, is baffling. The app and website aren't yet ready for prime time, and the half-baked integration with YouTube just gets in the way of both services.

Look, I understand why Google's transitioning its music efforts to YouTube. An incredible number of people already use YouTube for music, and it's clearly a stronger brand than "Google Play" — particularly outside of the Android world. Moving to YouTube Music is an attempt to leverage that strong brand to start making consistent subscription money off of everyone who's currently listening to music videos in a browser tab. But that brand isn't worth anything if the YouTube Music experience is severely lacking as a standalone product. As soon as Google shows me that it cares about YouTube Music, I'll start caring about it too.

Red Dead Online beta is now available to all players

The wild west has never looked this good.

Yes, it's finally happening my fellow outlaws. Red Dead Redemption II is real and it's coming to PlayStation 4 this year. After Rockstar Games' massively successful open-world cowboy game set during the death of the Wild West, fans began clamoring for a follow-up that continued the story of the Marston family or embraced a new gunslinger.

After years of rumors and silence on Rockstar's end, they finally surprised the world on one random morning in 2016 by announcing a sequel to their critically acclaimed western. It took over a year to get any actual concrete details regarding the game and frankly, it's still a bit of a mystery but it sounds like it could be a mix of a story of a new outlaw and also fill in a massive gap in John Marston's story.

See at Amazon

What's new with Red Dead Redemption 2?

Rockstar Games has been quiet lately regarding the highly anticipated sequel, but with Red Dead Redemption 2's imminent launch approaching in just a few short months, the studio is starting to discuss the game some more. We'll keep you up to date with everything you need to know as it's released.

November 30, 2018 — Red Dead Online beta is now available to everyone

Hot off the heels of Ultimate Edition players getting a taste of Red Dead Online's beta, Rockstar has announced that it is now open to everyone. Since these are still the early days of the beta, the studio encourages players to continue sending feedback so that the experience may be improved.

In response to previous feedback, Rockstar also provided a few tips to help players get started on their journey, but most appear to be listing button commands to pull up various menus that players may have been having trouble with.

November 9, 2018 — Online beta will arrive late November

Hot off the heels of revealing that Red Dead Redemption 2 has already outsold its predecessor, Rockstar has confirmed a new release window for the game's Online beta. Before, the beta was only slated to arrive at some point in November, but now we know that it'll come later rather than sooner.

With a late November launch, we may not see the full launch of Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode until some point in December. That'll be fine for many folks, as tons of people are still trotting through the wild west in this hugely expansive game. Others may not take too kindly to the news, but it's important for Rockstar to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. It's by far the most significant launch of this generation, and with the company hoping to replicate the online success it found with Grand Theft Auto 5, it can ill-afford to misstep.

October 23, 2018

Whether you love or hate them, companion apps complement some of our favorite games, and Red Dead Redemption 2 will be no different. Rockstar has announced a companion app for the title that is set to release alongside the game on iOS and Android devices.

According to the company, you can use this second-screen experience to display the game's map, waypoints, journal entries, and your Rockstar Social Club statistics. There will even be an option to move elements of your HUD from your television screen to the app on your smartphone, allowing you to further immerse yourself in the game without becoming totally lost.

October 22, 2018 — New gameplay footage leaks

A 23-second clip of Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay leaked on Reddit this past weekend. While not particularly long, it was a rather exciting third of a minute that shows main character Arthur Morgan approaching a hostile camp on horseback.

They aren't too welcoming at first, but they at least have a cool enough temperament to ask what he's doing there before they go any further. But whoever was controlling Morgan here had no time for words, as he immediately climbs off his steed to pull out his dual wield revolvers and lay waste to its inhabitants in the very way you'd think an old western badass would. The quick draw ends with a final fatal shot that is glorified in slow motion, blood flying everywhere as the body is blown back from the force of the bullet.

While the scene itself was great, we see a few interesting things going on in the HUD throughout this clip. A big label up top shows the current status of Arthur Morgan in whichever area he's visiting. It says "Wanted" here, which explains the caution displayed by the folks he's approached. Beneath that label, it's clear that the player is in an interrogation situation, something that quickly changes once the bullets start flying.

We also get a glimpse at the weapon wheel. It's a standard mechanic in action adventure gmes, but it allows us to see just how much he can carry. On his person are a hunting bow, a rope, a shotgun, a combat knife, and his pistols. Oh, and those fists of his which we also know can be deadly weapons on their own. The player will also have separate wheels for their items and whatever their horse is carrying in its inventory.

While we've seen official in-game footage from Rockstar already, this is the first time we've seen uncut gameplay that wasn't carefully selected for purposes of marketing. It's possible the clip comes from a reviewer who has broken embargo, a lucky player who was able to buy the game early, or maybe even leaked from Rockstar's very own offices, perhaps intentionally as the company looks to keep the hype machine going full throttle. We suppose the origin doesn't matter much, especially since the world will be able to play the game in just a few short days. Red Dead Redemption 2 will arrive October 26, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox one.

October 18, 2018

We're in the homestretch now and Rockstar has released Red Dead Redemption 2's launch trailer a week ahead of its anticipated release. At only a minute long, it's short and sweet, but it teases some tense conflicts with the Van der Linde Gang.

October 15, 2018

A little less than two weeks out from Red Dead Redemption 2's release, Vulture recounted the highly-anticipated titles making in a new article published today.

One of the most notable pieces of information to come out of the publication's interview with Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser is that the development team was apparently working 100-hour weeks to get the game done on time. This has caused quite a stir and a renewed conversation surrounding the unsustainable working conditions that game developers suffer through.

Rockstar additionally employed over 1,200 SAG-AFTRA actors to bring to life the game's massive 2,000-page script. This ended up requiring 2,200 days (a little over 6 years) of motion-capture work.

Despite 700 of these actors being brought on for speaking roles, the studio decided that it wouldn't bring big name actors onto projects anymore because of their egos. "I don't want to speak ill of the dead, poor bugger," said Houser, "but we don't bring in name actors anymore because of their egos and, most important of all, because we believe we get a better sense of immersion using talented actors whose voices you don't recognize."

Red Dead Redemption 2 features 300,000 animations, 500,000 lines of dialogue, and "many more lines of code." Hundreds of versions of its trailers were produced until perfected. According to Houser, this immense amount of work results in "this seamless, natural-feeling experience in a world that appears real, an interactive homage to the American rural experience. (It's) a vast four-dimensional mosaic in which the fourth dimension is time, in which the world unfolds around you, dependent on what you do."

As for how long the game's main campaign will take, you can expect to put in roughly 60 hours. It used to be closer to 65, but as release day approaches the team cut 5-hours of content because "they were never going to work technically or be quite slick enough, or they felt superfluous. We removed a mission on a train where you had to deal with bounty hunters, because it was fun at first, but then it wasn't. This part of the process is always about compromise and horse trading. Everyone always loses bits of the game they love."

October 12, 2018

The Wild West was filled to the brim with its own unique weapons for the time period, so Rockstar is ensuring that Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of authentic weaponry as well. The developer recently detailed the game's weapons and their customization systems.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will feature over 50 unique usable weapons, from classic revolvers to sawed-off shotguns. If you gravitate toward one specific weapon, you'll be happy to hear that the more a weapon is used, the better it will perform. The drawback to this being that weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2 will degrade over time, so you'll need to clean your weapons to keep them in pristine condition.

The game boasts "a myriad of customization options ranging from visual upgrades like new metals, woods, varnishes and engravings to performance upgrades like new barrels, grips, sights and scopes." Performance upgrades can improve your damage output, accuracy, reload speed, and more. It's best to take the time and consider what's best for your playstyle, or what suits a particular weapon type the most.

October 10, 2018

Rockstar has clarified some recent news surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 and how its NPCs will react to players whether they have their mini-maps and HUDs turned on or off. Previous reports stated that if players turned off their mini-maps that NPC dialogue would change, giving them more directions and information about where to go. This appears to have been false. According to Rooster Teeth employee Alanah Pearce, "they'll always give you directions, people likely just noticed them more when their HUD was off."

Seeing as NPCs will provide context and dialogue regardless of your mini-map status, it could end up working out similarly to Assassin's Creed Odyssey's exploration mode. Whether you have this mode enabled or not, NPCs can and will give you directions should you ask.

October 1, 2018

Rockstar has released its second Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer showcasing just a few of the illegal activities that the Van der Linde Gang can commit. What would a Western be without a good old-fashioned train heist? You won't just be out and about committing crimes all the time though. The world that Rockstar created feels alive, and as Arthur, you can go into taverns, have a nice meal, play some cards, and even decide when to shave or bath.

This trailer also gives us a new look into the game's revamped Dead Eye system, which will now progress in stages. Players will be able to slow time, mark multiple targets, and view critical or fatal points of their enemies. According to Rockstar, "how and when you use it is up to you."

Near the end, we even got a better glimpse of Red Dead Redemption 2 in its 1st-person mode, which will launch with the game unlike its later introduction into Grand Theft Auto V.

September 24, 2018

Sony has announced a new PlayStation 4 Pro bundle featuring Rockstar's upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. Pre-orders begin today for $400. The console will release alongside the game on October 26.

See at Amazon

September 19, 2018

Rockstar has officially announced Red Dead Online, a multiplayer component for Red Dead Redemption 2 similar to that of Grand Theft Auto Online.

According to the developer, Red Dead Online is "an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption, blending narrative with competitive and cooperative gameplay in fun new ways. Using the gameplay of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation, Red Dead Online will be ready to be explored alone or with friends, and will also feature constant updates and adjustments to grow and evolve this experience for all players."

Though Red Dead Redemption 2 releases in October, players won't be able to hop into Red Dead Online until the following month, where it is set to initially enter a public beta sometime in November.

September 7, 2018

Rockstar has revealed new plot details surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter

"Dutch's presence loomed over the original Red Dead Redemption, and his influence on events was a big inspiration for the setting and direction of Red Dead Redemption 2," said art director Josh Bass. "We all wanted to know more about him and the gang —what was it like riding in that gang? What led them to the events of the original game? What happened to them along the way?

"In Red Dead Redemption 2 you get to see that gang, including Marston, at the peak of their notoriety and at the very moment things begin to fall apart," he continued. "This story focuses on Arthur Morgan, Dutch's most trusted enforcer. Adopted into the gang by the Dutch when he was a young boy, Arthur considers the gang to be his family — Dutch has given his life some much‐needed purpose, and the gang has served as the one positive and constant in Arthur's life."

Since this is the tail end of the Wild West, Dutch's gang is struggling with their old ways of life coming to an end as they flee through the country.

"We've aimed to capture a wide slice of American life in 1899, a rapidly industrializing nation that would soon have its sights on the world's stage — and would do whatever possible to 'modernize,' " said director of art Aaron Garbut. "It's a brutal landscape with a sordid history, but also one that's full of opportunity. One of the most satisfying aspects of creating a world of such scope and scale is the ability to experience a whole range of stories and characters in your journey across that world. The gang's journey and the game's epic scope makes room to touch on all aspects of turn of the century America in a meaningful, substantial way."

Though Rockstar's previous title, Grand Theft Auto V, switched between the perspectives of a few different characters, Red Dead Redemption 2 is centering all on Arthur Morgan.

"Sticking with a single character felt more appropriate for the structure and narrative of a western," said Bass. "Arthur lives with and fights alongside the other members of the Van der Linde gang, and they are a group of fully realized characters with relationships to each other and to Arthur, but this is Arthur's story and we are placing players firmly in Arthur's boots as he and the gang deal with a rapidly changing world. We think people will really love the feeling of being in the gang. It isn't like anything we've done before."

Rockstar also revealed the entire Van der Linde gang, all 23 members, along with short character bios for each.

August 15, 2018

Digital Foundry has given us our best look yet at Red Dead Redemption 2 running on a PlayStation 4 Pro. According to the outlet, which analyzed a 68mbps version of the trailer provided by Rockstar, RDR2 appears to run at native 1920x2160 on the PS4 Pro, "halving the pixel count on the horizontal axis from a proper 4K." This is still a 12.5% increase in pixels over a 1440p image.

They were unable to get a reading on gameplay performance as the game is set to run at 30FPS and the video itself only supported 30FPS.

August 10, 2018 — New Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay has arrived!

Rockstar today released new gameplay footage for Red Dead Redemption 2, giving us our deepest look at the wild west open world game yet. The 6-minute trailer showed us a great deal of the gameplay mechanics, a bit of the world, and more.

For starters, we got to see the sheer scope of the open world. Red Dead Redemption 2 will be massive in size, and there will be a variety of environments to explore both on foot and on horseback. From mountainous terrain and forested countrysides to those growing towns chock full of saloon-goers and merchants, it appears players will be able to take in the full breadth of the cowboy experience.

Rockstar says it was important for the game to be massive not just in size, but also in depth. That means the player — taking the reigns as Van Der Linde gang member Arthur Morgan — will have a living, breathing society around him to interact with.

Red Dead 2 may set a new standard for open-world gameplay.

You can go into shops and sell the pelts you've skinned off the back of your latest game hunting prey. And if you get caught trying to steal or shortchange the shop vendor, well, don't be surprised if you have to knock him out in the street. That the townspeople gathered around to watch the confrontation as it went down is a testament to the emphasis Rockstar is placing on immersion.

That sort of interaction can be coerced out of the game by your own will, too. You can interact with almost everyone and everything. Meet some passersby on the road with a quick greeting and be on your way, or question someone you think might be doing dirt in the city. These interactions seemingly have the potential to escalate into something more, whether that be a new opportunity for Arthur Morgan and Co. or more fisticuffs to keep people in their place. And yes, that also means you can defuse certain situations.

Should the fighting become so fierce that you resort to weapons, you'll find a new combat system that makes the deed more fluid and fun. Hand-to-hand combat, especially, seems far more involved than the original game. As far as shooting is concerned, Dead Eye is back, and it'll be cooler than ever to put bullets into the heads of six of your enemies simultaneously.

At the end of your daily musings, you'll head back to camp to meet up with your gang. This is likely where you'll be getting the bulk of your missions, but it's also a chance for the player to get to know the other characters in the group. They'll share stories and sing and dance with you as you eat, and you can also play various games to keep morale high. There's a gameplay benefit to all this, as Rockstar says spending time with these people could unlock new secrets.

As a pillar of the gang, you'll be tasked with helping keep them afloat by regularly replenishing food, water, and other supplies. We're not sure what would happen should their morale get too low, but apparently that will play a part in how others in the gang approach you.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is slated for an October 26th release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Head to Amazon and pre-order yours today.

See at Amazon

August 8, 2018

Rockstar has announced that we will see new gameplay for Red Dead Redemption 2 on August 9. This should be our first significant look at gameplay since the game's announcement. The trailer will air 11AM Eastern, and can be viewed on Rockstar's website or YouTube channel. We'll be updating this post with details about the gameplay announcement once it arrives.

August 6, 2018

The big question on everyone's mind: When are we finally getting gameplay? All signs point to soon. Rockstar has recently sent out Red Dead 2 care packages to members of the press, and with Gamescom taking place in just a few weeks, the developer could be gearing up for a big reveal. Red Dead II was notably absent at E3 2018, so the next biggest gaming convention seems like a good bet for it to make an appearance.

During a recent financial call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick took the chance to hype up Red Dead 2 even more, saying, "My belief is that Red Dead Redemption 2 will shatter expectations and that the online experience also will be extraordinary, but unexpected."

Its online aspect was a bit contentious when rumors of its existence began floating around since Red Dead's identity was tied to its single-player, but it looks like Rockstar may have something special they've got cooking up if they're hyping it up so much.

He continued by saying that Red Dead II will "redefine the industry" and "captivate audiences around the world."

PC release?

Though Rockstar only announced PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, there's still hope it could come to PC. It appears that a programmer at Rockstar, who previously worked on GTA V and L.A. Noire, listed Red Dead II on his LinkedIn profile with its platforms being labelled as "PS4/Xbox1/PC." This was eventually amended once word got out, but it's unknown if this was a simple mistake or a PC version is indeed in the works.

The story so far...

Rockstar Games appears to be returning to the traditional one playable character route after successfully experimenting with three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V but he's not John or Jack Marston. Players will travel back to 1899 (12 years before the first game) to fill the boots and don the hat of a much less noble man that goes by the name of Arthur Morgan, a brute that's running with Dutch van der Linde's gang during their prime. While little is known about Arthur, we know he's a much more sinister cowboy who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. In the second trailer, we see him interrogating and roughing up several people who appear to owe money to Dutch's Gang, perhaps for protection. He's a brutal force that is loyal to Dutch and likely only Dutch.

It's likely we're going to see the rise and fall of the gang, with Arthur Morgan playing a pivotal role.

The story will see Morgan and Van der Linde's gang stealing, running, and fighting to survive the rugged and cruel world that is the Wild West. Order has not yet been established, technology is slowly beginning to evolve into something far more advanced, and people like Dutch believe it's important that things stay the way they are. The Van der Linde gang was always viewed as a Robin Hood-type of bandits, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and resisting the government in favor of a structure where it was an "every man for himself" situation.

The gang eventually evolved into something far more dangerous and unhinged according to an anecdote provided by John Marston, leading him to realize their Robin Hood act was all a front for their evil actions and crimes. The event that likely leads to the start of the downfall of the gang seems to be a heist in Blackwater which later became known as the Blackwater Massacre. In the plot synopsis for the game provided by Rockstar, it's revealed that the gang is being hunted after they botch a robbery in the wealthy town that is seen toward the end of the first RDR.

Within the lore of the series, the Blackwater Massacre was a massive shootout that took the lives of over 30 people. Civilians, cops, and criminals were among the casualties of the bloody shootout, actual details of why the battle took place remain a mystery to the residents of Blackwater because the officials went to great lengths to cover it up. Why? Well, we'll likely find out in Red Dead II.

Most people involved died or were criminals who escaped but one of the few survivors was the legendary lawman, Landon Ricketts. Ricketts is in the first game and Marston teams up with him in Mexico, Marston knows him for his status but the two don't seem to know each other. It's entirely possible that Marston was uninvolved in the heist or was playing coy and using him to further his quest for redemption.

How does it connect to the original Red Dead Redemption?

So, what's the connection to the first Red Dead Redemption? Well, Rockstar is being very, very careful not to say much about this game and how it connects to the first game but it will shed light on the stories John told in the first game as well as provide more depth to the men we hunt down in that same game.

John Marston is indeed in the game but Rockstar has noted that this is Arthur Morgan's story, not John's.

Given this game takes place long before the events of the original game and has a direct link to it via Dutch van der Linde and his gang, it's hard to imagine Rockstar isn't trying to expand John Marston's story in some way. With games like Grand Theft Auto, there have been very subtle connections tying the games together but none of them are direct sequels or relate to each other in any way. With Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar had the chance to name the game something like Red Dead Revolution, Red Dead Retribution, or something along those lines given that the series so far has gone Red Dead Revolver and then Red Dead Redemption. They purposely named it in a way that links the two games.

Marston was also a substantial part of Dutch's Gang, he was taken in by Dutch when he ran away from the orphanage he lived in. He was raised by this gang and lived with them for a large majority of his life and in the fallout of him abandoning the gang, it all went to hell and it was more or less disbanded. John Marston is indeed the game, he's heavily featured in new screenshots and is seen in the newest trailer once or twice but Rockstar says this is Arthur's story, not John's. That doesn't mean that we can't expand on the character, it just means he will not be the focal point of the narrative.

Major gameplay innovations are coming in the western sequel

Since Rockstar has been pretty prude about Red Dead Redemption II, we only have the word of the press who have seen the game in action to understand how the game plays. There will be more details in the future regarding what the gameplay will look like but for right now we'll just give you the basic rundown of what we know. For starters, Rockstar seems to be creating their most realisitic world yet and abandoning some of the most video game-y aspects in their formula for something with more depth.

According to Rockstar, they've been developing Red Dead Redemption II for eight years, starting as they were wrapping up the first game. In that time, they've been handcrafting a world with lots of detail and creating systems that may be fairly unexpected from them. A large portion of the game is centered around managing the gang, Arthur is Dutch's right-hand man and he helps keep everything running smoothly. This means you'll help perform odd jobs for gang members, go hunting to get food for the camp or get money to line their pockets with, and so on.

Rockstar has been very clear that you don't have to do this and you won't be severely punished if you don't but the gang will make comments if you leave them hanging for days on end. If you do choose to take care of your gang, you'll be rewarded in ways that have not yet been revealed and your gang will grow stronger.

Also on tap is a new dialog system that allows you to approach situations with more options than just shoot and kill. Each NPC has their own set of branching dialog, with the player able to talk niceties or show a degree of impatience in any given encounter. And this isn't just a black and white morality system either. Some choices will be gray areas, some will be lore-advancing, some will lead to friendships, and others will most certainly erupt into bloodbaths. It's unclear if there will be any more to this system - such as a relationship mechanic that gauges each NPC's level of warmth toward you - but it's something.

If you do choose to go off and do things like hunting, you'll be able to see the amount of depth that Rockstar has added to its hunting system since the original game and Grand Theft Auto V. You'll find yourself stalking animals, choosing your weapon carefully so you don't damage pelts/meat, and tracking an animal by following blood trails after you've hit it. Once you've tracked the animal down, you may find it still alive, bleeding out and yelping. Arthur will then take out his knife and stab the animal in the heart to end its suffering and take what you want from it.

You can then string up your kill on the back of your horse and take it back to camp to feed your people or sell it in town and take the money for yourself. Regardless of what you choose, your hunt will rot and decay over time so the longer you have it on the back of your horse (yes, it's literally on your horse, not in an invisible pouch), the less valuable it'll be. If you were to kill an animal (or even a person) behind and let it sit in the wild, vultures, coyotes, and other creatures would come and munch on the remains.

It looks as if Rockstar will be carrying over the heists from GTA V as we see Arthur Morgan robbing a bank and holding up a train in the second trailer. It's unclear how much of a focal point these will be in the game since it was the core of GTA V's campaign but one has to imagine it plays a similar role given you're a gang of notorious western criminals.

We do know there will be some depth to those heists, though. Players can go loud or quiet, create distractions, choose who you bring with you (some can be done solo but isn't recommended), and use a bunch of other different variables to create different outcomes throughout the heists. All of this will result on if and when law enforcement shows up amongst other things. It's unclear if you can have gang members die or get critically wounded in these heists like in Grand Theft Auto V or just how dynamic these systems are. Grand Theft Auto V's heists were heavily scripted, if you chose a certain crew member to come with, they'd always die on the same mission in the same spot because it was coordinated by Rockstar's writing. It was more of the illusion of choices having consequences rather than them actually having any meaning at all.

Some major changes are also coming in combat with the ability to dual wield weapons like Max Payne, bows and arrows used for hunting and maybe even some stealth combat as we see Arthur Morgan taking a knife to someone's back in the dead of night. We also see Arthur brutally beating people up in the third trailer, suggesting Rockstar has refined their melee combat to create more intense and fun brawls.

A cowboy's best friend

A cowboy's best friend isn't his fellow outlaws/lawmen, it's his horse. In the original Red Dead Redemption, your horse was almost supernatural in the sense it teleported to you and was basically immortal. You didn't have much of a connection to it because outside of its speed and stamina, there was nothing too special about the horses. In Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar plans on changing that.

Your horse in the sequel will be very special. Perhaps the most significant change from the first game or any Rockstar game for that matter is that you won't be able to carry every single weapon with you. The joke of pulling an RPG out of your rear end in GTA wouldn't apply in this game as you'll only be carrying small weapons such as handguns on your person, rifles and other gear will travel via your horse. We're not sure if you can sling at least one rifle over your shoulder while walking around but you can expect most of your guns to be unavailable if your horse isn't nearby.

Your horse won't be disposable in this game, it'll mean a lot more to you because it has lots of value. You'll grow a bond that effects how scared it gets when put in danger, how far it gets from you, and more. Rockstar hopes that this bond won't just serve a gameplay effect but a personal and emotional one to. If your horse gets critically wounded, you can attempt to heal it with medical supplies, if you don't have any you can try and run into town quickly and gather some and run back. You may come back to your horse dead, making you realize that you left that poor animal that loved you to die thinking you abandoned it in its final moments. Brutal stuff, I know. Should it die, you'll have to start that bond all over with a new horse and presumably any gear you can't carry off of that horse's corpse is lost.

It adds a whole new layer to an aspect that's iconic to westerns but doesn't have a lot of attention paid to it.

When you can play it and when we'll know more

The only questions remaining are when we can play the game and when we can expect more firm details from Rockstar. The game is currently scheduled to release on October 26th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, and we can likely expect some news regarding the game in June or July via a Game Informer cover story or a new breakdown directly from Rockstar. As of right now, we'll just have to hold our breaths and keep waiting to saddle up again.

Where to buy Red Dead Redemption 2

You can now pre-order Red Dead Redemption 2 ahead of its October 27th release date. You're in for some nice goodies if you decide to give Rockstar your cash early. All pre-orders for Red Dead Redemption 2 come with the War Horse mount and the Outlaw Survival Kit. The former is a grey-colored steed that has better courage and stamina than others, while the Outlaw Survival Kit gives you extra health kits, Dead Eye replenishment, and more.

If you pre-order the digital copy on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you'll also get some extra in-game cash to start your game, as well as a treasure map, though you'll need to pre-order the game by July 31st to get those.

There's also a special edition of the game available. It comes with 2 extra side missions, a black thoroughbred horse, gameplay bonuses through medllian and talisman charms, in-game cash bonuses, gameplay boosts, and discounts, a gunslinger outfit, and three additional weapons. You'll also get a real map of the game world.

If that's not enough, the Ultimate Edition comes with everything that the Deluxe Edition does, but you can add two more in-game outfits, another black thoroughbred with an exclusive saddle, a Survivor camp theme for the game's online mode, three additional free weapons, and XP bonuses for online play up to rank 25.

As an added bonus for Grand Theft Auto 5 players, all digital pre-orders also come with in-game currency for GTA Online. Standard Edition gets $500,000, Special Edition gets $1,000,000, and Ultimate Edition gets $2,000,000.

Then there's the big kahuna reserved for the most die-hard Red Dead fans. It's a full-blown Collector's Box, a red-tinted metal tithing box with a lock and key that comes with an assortment of real world goodies. There's a collectible coin, a double-sized puzzle, a red bandana, a treasure map, a pin set, commemorative playing cards, a real 150-page Wheeler, Rawson and Co. catalogue, and 12 collectible cigarette cards.

You can pre-order your preferred digital edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or direct from the Rockstar Warehouse. Those opting for the Collector's Box, however, can only get it through the Rockstar Warehouse.

Wanting to catch up and play through the original Red Dead Redemption before the sequel drops? You can find the Game of the Year Edition for $20 at Amazon

See at Amazon

Updated November 2018: Red Dead Online's beta is now available for everyone.

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The Google Pixel 3 is the best Android phone under $800 right now

Smartphones have gotten extremely expensive in the last year, making an $800 budget somehow not reach the top of the market. But there are still tons of great phones in this price bracket, and we test them all to pick the best ones.

Once you step down from the absolute top end of the market, under $800, the Google Pixel 3 is the best phone you can buy for the money. It's an exceptional phone overall that marries great hardware with top-notch software and sprinkles in little features and experiences you can't get anywhere else. It also has an industry-leading camera, and software support from Google for years to come.

Google Pixel 3

-$799 from Google Store -$799 from Best Buy

Google's best-ever phone, in a compact size.

The Pixel 3 has the best Android software experience you can get, paired with the best camera you can get. The rest of the hardware isn't shabby, either, now adding wireless charging, stereo speakers a much better display. It's a powerful compact package.

Who should buy this phone?

The Pixel 3 is an excellent choice for just about anyone, but will be particularly enticing if you've grown tired with the overbearing and bloated software on most other phones. Android 9 Pie on the Pixel 3 is a treat to use, with simple and intuitive touches that make it fun and powerful without getting in your way.

The hardware is great, even though it doesn't look particularly exciting. The screen took a big step forward this year, and the new glass back feels great while enabling wireless charging. The only real shortcoming here is having just 4GB of RAM, which feels a little tight as we head into 2019.

But what can't be argued is that the Pixel 3 offers an exceptional overall package and experience that just can't be matched. It feels holistic and well-integrated into Google's services in a way that no other Android phone can. It's not particularly tangible, but it is something that you notice as soon as you start using the phone.

Is it a good time to buy this phone?

Absolutely. The Google Pixel 3 was released in October 2018, and it will not be replaced with a new model for a full year from that launch.

Reasons to buy

  • Excellent camera
  • Simple and powerful software
  • Stereo speakers
  • Great screen
  • Guaranteed software updates
  • Wireless charging

Reasons not to buy

  • Weak battery life
  • Limited carrier and retailer availability
  • Smaller screen than most

There are other great phones in this price range

Google isn't the only company making a great phone for under $800. Samsung, OnePlus and more have really good competitors for a bit less that are worth considering.

Runner-up

Samsung Galaxy S9+

$720 from Amazon

Getting on in age, but still a great buy.

Solid hardware, an industry-leading display and a mountain of features make the Galaxy S9+ an easy choice. It does everything you can want in a big flagship phone, and has few downsides.

The Galaxy S9+ is a known quantity at this point being over 9 months old, but it's also a well-tested and proven phone that's still a great buy — especially with price cuts that drop it under $800. The hardware is good, and is filled with every spec or feature you could want, and has an amazingly consistent camera that still challenges the best.

Samsung's cameras are still good and consistent, and its software gets an improvement with the Android 9 Pie and One UI update. For the money, it's a great choice and a close runner-up to Google's phone.

Best for less

OnePlus 6T

$549 from OnePlus

A flagship-like experience for a couple hundred dollars less.

The OnePlus 6T gives you everything you want in a high-end phone, and doesn't charge you extra for it. Great hardware, top-notch specs and an excellent software experience combine at a palatable price.

Sure you can spend $800, but you don't have to if you buy a OnePlus 6T — and yet, you still get basically the same phone experience. For well under $700, the OnePlus 6T offers great hardware, a packed spec sheet and excellent software, and isn't saddled with any of the bloatware or unnecessary features you find on most other phones.

It has a few shortcomings, namely in its display and cameras that really feel like they're a step below (or a generation behind) the competition. But you'd be doing yourself a disservice not considering saving a bunch of money getting a OnePlus 6T.

Bottom line

When $800 is your absolute price limit, the Google Pixel 3 offers the best possible experience for the money. It isn't as big as the competition, meaning its screen feels a little tighter and the battery isn't massive, but every other part of the experience is uncompromising. Google's software is exceptional, and this phone has the best camera available today. There are other options from Samsung and OnePlus that offer good value and different feature sets, but the Pixel 3 is still the overall winner of the segment.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. As he's writing this, a mountain of old Android phones is about to fall on his head, but his Great Dane will protect him. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there's a correlation.

Andrew Martonik is the Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central. He has been a mobile enthusiast since the Windows Mobile days, and covering all things Android-related with a unique perspective at AC since 2012. For suggestions and updates, you can reach him at andrew.martonik@androidcentral.com or on Twitter at @andrewmartonik.