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Jumat, 31 Mei 2019

Report: The US is investigating Google for antitrust violations

What you need to know

  • Antitrust investigation by the Justice Department will focus on search platform.
  • Google has faced multiple fines from EU in recent years for similar actions.
  • A previous investigation in 2013 led to voluntary changes from Google.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google subsidiary is reportedly the target of an antitrust investigation by the US Justice Department, according to the Wall Street Journal. The full report is behind a paywall, but the summary notes that Google will be scrutinized for its dominating search platform and other businesses.

Google has been under a bit of pressure in this area, particularly in the EU. The EU has leveraged several fines against Alphabet Inc., including a whopping 4.34 billion euros (4.86 billion dollars) penalty for blocking rival software on its dominant Android platform. The EU is also investigating Alphabet Inc. for practices pertaining to local search results and Google Adsense, both of which maintain dominant positions in their respective markets. The EU is reportedly also investigating Google's mapping technologies, among other things, potentially preparing further antitrust cases against the search giant.

In the late 90s, Microsoft was famously slapped by the US Department of Justice and the EU for its own antitrust violations, which led to the "Choose your browser" pop-up in older operating systems, alongside a range of other rules Microsoft had to follow.

If the US Department of Justice finds that Google has been unfairly leveraging its dominant positions in search and other businesses to stifle competition, it could lead to severe consequences for the tech giant.

Baldur's Gate and more D&D classics are coming to modern consoles

Your favorite RPGs are back and better than ever.

What you need to know

  • Larian Studios recently teased Baldur's Gate 3.
  • Baldur's Gate, Planetscape, and Neverwinter Nights are coming to modern consoles.
  • Each game will come with all DLC and expansions this fall.

The Dungeons & Dragons resurgence has done wonders for the popularity of tabletop role-playing games, and now that success is bridging the gap to modern consoles. It's sometimes hard to justify enhancing decades-old video games, but Skybound and Beamdog have teamed up to do just that to bring Baldur's Gate, Planetscape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Pack and Planetscape: Torment: Enhanced will hit store shelves first starting on September 24, 2019 in North America. Neverwinter Nights will hit the market on December 3, 2019 in North America. They will release in other territories three days after their initial North American releases, respectively.

Each will release digitally and at physical retail for $50 and contain the following according to Skybound:

  • The Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Pack: Celebrating the series' 20th anniversary, the original Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and its sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, return with all DLC and restored quest content, as well as the Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion, featuring new original content developed by Beamdog to bridge the two games.
  • Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition / Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition: Two must-play games and all their DLC in one package – the chilling Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, plus its expansions, and the enhanced edition of 1999's RPG of the Year, Planescape: Torment.
  • Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition: The 2002 Computer RPG of the Year and all its DLC deliver 10 standalone D&D-based adventures featuring co-op and online multiplayer.

According to Beamdog, these titles will be upgraded with "native support for high-resolution widescreen displays, controls optimized for console controllers, new standalone content, new characters and classes, new voice sets, expanded character creation options, improved multiplayer functionality, redesigns of the UI and UX, bug fixes, balance changes and more."

This announcements comes amid rumors that Baldur's Gate 3 is in the works from Divinity: Original Sin developer Larian Studios. The company had put up an image on its website teasing the number three, and while many believed this to be a reference to a possible Divinity: Origin Sin III, fans were quick to discover that the HTML code hints that it is actually related to Baldur's Gate 3, which would be officially licensed by Dungeons & Dragons makers Wizards of the Coast.

Baldur's Gate 3 has not been confirmed, but you can officially start the hype train to E3.

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Playstation 4 Pro From $400 at Amazon Playstation 4 Slim From $300 at Amazon

Pixel 3a is the best $400 phone. Will Moto Z4 sell 5G?

Jerry Hildenbrand, Andrew Martonik, and Daniel Bader look at Pixel 3a and its place in the market as a $400 phone. They also discuss the new Moto Z4 and Moto Mods, including the 5G add-on.

Things are still not looking good for Huawei, but they have a replacement OS ready to go in June. Probably? Maybe?

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Show Notes and Links:

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RIP BlackBerry Messenger: Gone, but not forgotten

It's been a long time coming, but the day is finally here. BlackBerry will pull the plug on BlackBerry Messenger (the consumer version) at the end of the day today, and while we know you likely don't use it anymore, BBM was a big part of the past for many. It hasn't been the center of attention in a long time, and if we're being honest, people haven't really even talked about it all that much in the recent years thanks to apps like WhatsApp, Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more taking over. All of those apps are great, but the nostalgia around BlackBerry Messenger has me feeling a certain type of way today

I was a die-hard BlackBerry user 10 years ago, I bought every single one of them that came to Verizon. My first one was the BlackBerry 8703e, which had the scroll wheel on the side and didn't even include a camera. Shortly after buying it I discovered BlackBerry Messenger (thanks to CrackBerry!), and it honestly changed my life. I met some great people, found a passion for writing, and even met my wife on the platform. Seriously, when I say BBM changed my life, I 100% mean it.

You didn't have to give out your phone number to strangers, you had a PIN number that identified you and that was great at the time. At a time when carriers used to still charge for texts in bundles, it was great to be able to use another service to avoid paying extra each month. Over the years, BlackBerry added features like group chats, Channels, games, and more. At the time, BBM was king, and no one thought it was going anywhere. Then Apple announces the iPhone, Google introduces more Android phones, and the competition heats up. Much like the current "iMessage lock-in" that some people have today, that's how it was on BBM for me. I never wanted to leave my BlackBerry phone, because that meant giving up communication with all my friends that I spoke with regularly.

Fast forward a few years, mobile apps start getting better, phones are beginning to include crazier cameras, and the appeal to switch continues to grow. With apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger around that were cross platform, you could technically still talk to friends if you could get them to switch over. For what felt like an eternity, people asked BlackBerry to bring BBM cross-platform. We wanted BBM support on Android and iPhone so that we could continue those conversations regardless of our mobile choices, but it took BlackBerry too long.

Thanks for the memories, even if they weren't so great

By the time BBM finally made its way to other platforms, the allure was gone, people didn't seem to care about it much anymore, and no one wanted to switch back to it. Those who moved beyond BlackBerry (myself included) had already settled into a new messaging app, and didn't want to have to start over. Thinking back, though, it's clear that BlackBerry Messenger played a large part in evolving messaging apps into what they are today. Some of the best features of it made their way into other apps. The "Delivered" and "Read" indicators from BBM are available in both WhatsApp and iMessage, Group Chats are widely available, gaming is now something people do inside chat apps, and so much more.

When I think back about BBM, a quote from Fall Out Boy comes to mind: "Thanks for the memories even though they weren't so great." For all the things BlackBerry Messenger did great, there was a bunch of stuff that it never did well. You were locked into a single device to communicate, you couldn't transfer chats easily, moving your contacts from one device to another wasn't always a painless experience, and much more. I'm very thankful for everything that BlackBerry Messenger brought me, but I think it's time that it gets put to rest. All good things must come to an end, and it's that time for BBM. If you aren't quite 100% ready to give it up (hey, we aren't judging), you can sign up for BBM Enterprise, which costs just $2.49 for a 6-month subscription.

The best screen protectors for the Galaxy S10e

The best part about the Galaxy S10e — from a our screen-oriented standpoint — is that its screen is flat, so just about any quality screen protector should work like a dream. And unlike its counterparts, the S10e sticks with a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor on the power button rather than an gimmicky new in-screen sensor, meaning that we don't have to worry as much about air gaps and incompatibilities. That gives the Galaxy S10e — and users like you — the advantage when shopping for screen protectors.

Tough as a lion

LK Tempered Glass (3-Pack)

Best value

This 3-pack of tempered glass screen protectors is perfect for the klutz in your life, because tempered glass gives your phone a higher degree of protection than regular plastic films, remove easily thanks to the laminated construction, and unlike single-packs, you won't have to wait weeks on replacements to ship out to you if and when your screen protector give its life in service of your S10e.

$9 at Amazon

Upgrade pick

Whitestone Dome Glass (2-Pack)

Top protection

Whitestone's Dome Glass screen protectors are quite expensive, but they're a bit of a marvel. If there are minor cracks in your phone's screen, these protectors can fill them in, and they're guaranteed to work with Samsung phones, since Whitestone is a part of the Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program.

$70 at Amazon

Impact protection

InvisibleShield Glass+

InvisibleShield makes some of the best film and tempered glass protectors on the market, and the Galaxy S10e is the only S10 model it offers tempered glass protectors for. The Glass+ is the more affordable of the two, with Ion Matrix impact protection that should help it escape drops without shattering.

$40 at ZAGG

Wet install

Skinomi TechSkin (2-Pack)

Skinomi's edge-to-edge screen protector films allow you to make adjustments while installing them due to the wet install method the films are applied with. This is great if you want some extra placement protection, just keep in mind that as a wet install protector, you'll want to leave the phone alone for a few hours to let it dry afterwards.

$8 at Amazon

Case-friendly

ArmorSuit MilitaryShield (2-Pack)

Like Skinomi, ArmorSuit uses a wet installation to help ensure the perfect placement and no bubbles. This flexible, self-healing US-made skin also features an oleophobic layer to help keep your fingerprints from smudging up the film too badly. A lifetime warranty also ensures that should you somehow mess up the two included, you won't be left unprotected.

$8 at Amazon

Gamer smooth

IQ Shield LiQuidSkin (2-Pack)

IQ Shield is another long-time name in protective films, and these smooth skins won't snag or smudge on you while swiping away at your favorite games, ensuring that your screen protector doesn't keep you from dominating the competition. Give these smart screen protectors a shot; you won't be disappointed.

$8 at Amazon

No problems here

The Galaxy S10 series as a whole is rather difficult to protect the screen on. Both the S10 and S10+ have in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensors, surved screens, and hole-punch selfies cameras, all of which complicate screen protector designs and materials. The S10e has none of these problems, which means that we have more affordable and more diverse options to choose from here!

A screen protector is an excellent investment when it comes to protecting your new phone, since it covers the most important part. For reliable, inexpensive protection, I'd go with LK's tempered glass 3-pack, but it's hard to deny the appeal of Whitestone's Glass Dome and its unique UV-curing system.

Lenovo Smart Clock vs. Amazon Echo Spot

Smart Displays continue to take the world by storm and we have tested just about all of the options on the market. The best part about it is that it's rather easy to find the best display for your needs.

Lenovo Smart Clock

Bigger and better

$80 at Lenovo

Pros

  • Larger display
  • More powerful speakers
  • Built-in USB port
  • Lower price

Cons

  • No camera for video chats
  • Can't set Google Photos for photo frame

The Lenovo Smart Clock is a fantastic bedside companion with Google Assistant support. It's a little cute package with larger speakers that won't take up too much space on your bedside table, and will fill the room with your favorite music.

Amazon Echo Spot

Tried and true

$130 at Amazon

Pros

  • Built-in camera for video calls
  • Smaller build to keep out of the way
  • Multi-room speaker support

Cons

  • Speakers are not as powerful
  • Video playback looks awkward on round screen
  • More expensive

Amazon's Echo Spot was first on the scene for a bedside smart clock, but it is beginning to look dated. The built-in camera makes video calls a breeze, if that's your sort of thing, although the speakers leave a bit to be desired.

Amazon was one of the leaders when it came to bringing smart displays into everyone's home. The company has been doing this for quite a while, but now, there's competition from a myriad of companies, including Lenovo. The new Lenovo Smart Clock has all of the benefits of Google Assistant, and a few other tricks, without the pervasive camera.

Does a bigger screen mean it's better?

The first thing you'll notice when comparing the Lenovo Smart Clock and Amazon Echo Spot is the disparity in display size. Lenovo included a 4-inch display, while the Echo Spot comes in at just 2.5-inches. Obviously, there's more screen real-estate on the Smart Clock so that you can see all different bits of information. However, the Echo Spot has a few extra benefits of its own other than Alexa support.

Lenovo Smart Clock Amazon Echo Spot
Size 4.4" x 3.14" x 3.11" 4.1" x 3.8" x 3.6"
Display 4-inches 2.5-inches
Resolution 480 x 800 480 x 480
Audio Input N/A 3.5mm jack
Speaker Power 6W 2W
Camera N/A Yes (VGA)
Smart Assistant Google Assistant Amazon Alexa
Volume Buttons Yes Yes
Mute Toggle Yes Yes
USB Port Yes No

In addition to sporting a bigger display, the Smart Clock comes with a 3W speaker with a "peak power" of 6W. This is combined with 2 passive radiators which Lenovo claims has enough power to "fill the room" with music or any other media that you want to play back.

In comparison, the Echo Spot's 2W speaker measures in at 1.4-inches. It'll do the job if you just want to hear the weather for the day as you get ready to start yours. We definitely wouldn't recommend using this to playback any type of music for extended periods of time. BUT, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can connect it to a larger speaker if you want an extra cable hanging around.

Unfortunately, with Lenovo's Smart Clock, what you see is what you get, as there is no 3.5mm headphone jack. However, the company did include a standard USB-A port on the back, which allows you to plug in your smartphone, whereas the Echo Spot does not include the USB port. This won't provide fast-charging, let alone something like Quick Charge 2.0, but it will still charge your phone overnight in case you can't find your regular charging brick.

Both speakers include hardware volume controls so that you can get the volume just right. Or, you can hit the mute switch if you don't want to hear anything from your smart speakers for a period of time.

Assistant vs Alexa

Outside of the price and the design, the biggest difference between the Smart Clock and the Echo Spot are the brains of the operation. The Lenovo Smart Clock gets its smarts from Google with Assistant, and the Echo Spot while Amazon's Alexa powers this speaker.

This isn't necessarily a battle of Amazon versus Google, but picking the "best" does depend on what products are already in your home. For example, with the Smart Clock, you can take advantage of asking Assistant to play content on your bedroom TV with a Chromecast connected. Plus, this is compatible with Google's routines, so you can set them up on your phone and use your Smart Clock to activate the routines.

As for the Echo Spot, you get everything that Alexa has to offer, along with the millions of Alexa Skills that have been created over the years. These skills allow you to connect and integrate with a myriad of different smart home products, apps and more.

Bedroom privacy

Another consideration is whether you want a camera in your bedroom or not. Putting a camera in a baby's room is one thing, but having a camera in your own bedroom controlled by an off-site company can be bothersome.

If you really want the Echo Spot because you're entrenched in Amazon's ecosystem, but don't want the camera, the fix is simple: put a piece of tape over the camera. With the Smart Clock, there's nothing to worry about, as Lenovo decided it would be prudent to leave the camera for other parts of the home.

Both devices support integration with smart locks and other products, such as those from Nest and Ring. Either will make it easy to see who's knocking at the door, without ever leaving the bedroom.

Which should you buy?

If you are just getting started in the smart home world and don't know which to pick, we would lean towards the Smart Clock. This bedside clock is arguably smarter with Google Assistant, includes a larger display, along with louder speakers.

The Echo Spot is great if you are already familiar with the Alexa ecosystem and want a smart bedside clock. The inclusion of the camera is something that you will have to deal with, but Amazon did a fine job in releasing something that is cute and smart, at the same time.

Lenovo Smart Clock

Google Smarts

$80 at Lenovo

It's like a mini Nest Hub

With its 4-inch display and louder speakers, Lenovo knocked it out of the park with its first smart speaker. The Smart Clock is very attractive and will fit in wherever you decide to put it, and has the power of Google Assistant behind it.

Amazon Echo Spot

Bedside Alexa

Smaller isn't always better

$130 at Amazon

The Amazon Echo Spot has been around for a couple of years but is still extremely capable. The included camera makes video-chat possible, but could be a turn off for some.

Project Strobe is making your data more secure in Chrome and Drive

Chrome extensions will now be required to use permissions with access to the least amount of data.

What you need to know

  • Chrome extensions will now be required to use permissions with the least amount of data in order to function.
  • Extensions which handle user-provided content and personal communications must now provide a privacy policy.
  • Third-party apps will now only be able to access specific files in Drive unless they have been approved by Google.

Google has announced some new policies to better protect your data in Chrome and Drive. The new policies come as part of the Project Strobe initiative, which was started to secure users' data from third-party apps and extensions.

The latest change to come out of Project Strobe has to do with permissions used by extensions found on the Chrome Web Store. While Google has always encouraged developers to use permissions that access as little data as possible to function, it will now become a requirement.

Extensions found violating this policy will be removed from the Chrome Web Store and extensions which are already installed will be disabled. The new policy goes into effect in the Fall of 2019 to give developers time to update their extensions to comply.

These new requirements go into effect in Fall 2019.

Previously, Google implemented similar policies for Gmail and Android. The changes to SMS and Call Log permissions alone resulted in a 98% decrease in apps that have access to sensitive information.

Another change will require more extensions to post privacy policies. In the past, Google required extensions that handled personal or sensitive user data to provide a privacy policy.

The policy has now expanded to extensions that also handle user-provided content and personal communications. This will help users stay informed about what is happening with the data you do allow extensions to collect.

The new Drive policy is an extension of the same policy Google uses with Gmail when it comes to apps trying to access your data. From now on when a third-party app requests access to Drive, it will be restricted to specific files.

When it comes to apps that require more broad access to Drive, such as backup utilities, it will have to undergo verification from Google to do so.

Best Chrome extensions you didn't know about but should be using

Protect your investment with these Galaxy S10 screen protectors

The Galaxy S10 has got a great, big, beautiful screen with some new tricks inside — like that fancy ultrasonic fingerprint sensor — but those tricks make buying a screen protector all the more important and all the more difficult. See, that in-screen fingerprint sensor can't tolerate any air bubbles or gaps between the screen and the screen protector, so your best bets are plastic film protectors or the Whitestone Dome Glass, which is currently the only tempered glass screen protector we can find that plays nice with it.

UV for Ultrasonic Viable

Whitestone Dome Glass

Staff pick

Whitestone's Dome Glass screen protectors use a UV curing wet-install system to ensure a secure fit, and so far they claim to be the only tempered glass screen protectors that will work with the Galaxy S10's ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Whitestone is mighty proud of its products and its pricing reflects that, but it's still cheaper than replacing a broken screen.

$50 at Amazon

Glass protection from a film protector

InvisibleShield Ultra Clear

Easy to install

InvisibleShield's screen protector carries the "Designed for Samsung" certification, and while it's not the tempered glass screen protectors we normally look to the brand for, the Ultra Clear film protectors are shiny, clear, and case-friendly quality. The lifetime warranty here is just as tough as ever, offering replacements if your film ever clouds, tears, or warps.

$30 at ZAGG

Smooth and selfie-friendly

LK HD Clear Screen Protector (3-Pack)

These thin TPU screen protectors are self-healing, case-friendly, bubble free, water and fingerprint resistant, and smooth to the touch so you aren't fighting friction when you try to break your high score. LK uses laser cutouts so that you won't have to deal with films messing with the selfie camera.

$9 at Amazon

Edge-to-edge protection

Skinomi TechSkin (2-Pack)

This case-friendly pair of self-healing films from Skinomi use a wet install method, allowing you to ensure that you line up the hole-punch selfie camera and the edges just so. Even as a thin film screen protector, Skinomi recommends cranking up the Touch Sensitivity to ensure that everything behaves as it should.

$10 at Amazon

Boost the original glass

Spigen Glas.tr Nano Liquid Universal Screen Protection

Screen protectors for the Galaxy S10 can sometimes leave something to be desired, so you may just want to skip the films and go nano! Wipe on this nifty solution onto the front glass, wait ten minutes, then wipe off the excess for a smooth, nano-hydrophobic layer that can help repel scratches and fingerprints.

$17 at Amazon

Forget the fingerprints

amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Considering the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor isn't really all its cracked up to be right now, you might say TO HECK WITH IT and use your PIN, like some neanderthal. If so, amFilm is up front about saying this one doesn't work with the ultrasonic sensor, but it will protect your S10's glass and comes with a nifty installation tray.

$12 at Amazon

That ultrasonic sensor can't stand gaps

Wondering why there's so few tempered glass protectors around for the S10? Blame that gimmicky new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, because since it uses sound pressure waves to map and read your finger, there absolutely, positively cannot be any air gaps between your screen and its screen protector. While the Whitestone Dome Glass uses a patented UV-drying application system that ensures no air pockets or gaps between tempered glass and your Galaxy S10's screen, other tempered glass screen protectors that use traditional adhesives around the edges leave gaps between the two that disrupt the ultrasonic sensor's readings of your finger.

If you can't stomach $50 to cover your screen, you'll have to settle for film screen protectors like the InivisibleShield Ultra Clear or the LK 3-Pack. That's just the way the cookie crumbles with cutting-edge tech sometimes.

What matters to you more: the fingerprint sensor or the screen it sits under?

While the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is neat, it's also finicky and slow, and I'm betting that protecting that screen means more to you than using it. If that's the case, you may want to consider disabling the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and instead using Smart Lock, Facial recognition, and PIN/Pattern/Password to secure your phone and grab yourself an affordable traditional tempered glass protector like the amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector.

As someone who has used Smart Lock since the old Moto X days when it was called Trusted Bluetooth, this is a useful feature that's made me care a little less about the fingerprint sensor overall because so long as I'm wearing my smartwatch or my trusty headphones, I don't need the use my fingerprint to unlock my phone more than once a day: when I wake up in the morning.

China starts working on its own blacklist in response to the Huawei ban

The blacklist would include foreign companies that have been deemed unreliable.

What you need to know

  • China is planning on blacklisting foreign companies that have been deemed "unreliable."
  • It could include companies from the U.S. as well as Japan or Britain.
  • China could also restrict rare earth exports to the U.S. in the future.

Tensions are rising in the trade war as China threatens to create its own blacklist. The list would contain foreign companies or organizations which China has deemed unreliable.

China will set up a mechanism listing foreign enterprises, organizations and individuals that don't obey market rules, violate contracts and block, cut off supply for non-commercial reasons or severely damage the legitimate interests of Chinese companies.

It is clear this is a direct response to the recent U.S. ban on Huawei which has caused many U.S. and foreign companies to cut ties with the Chinese mobile giant. The ban has resulted in Huawei losing direct access to Android, as well as access to patents from ARM that are used to make its Kirin processor.

While Huawei has its own operating system in the works set to launch in China in late 2019, getting around the hardware regulations will be a tougher cookie to crack.

As the trade war continues to heat up between the two countries, it was only a matter of time before China found a way to retaliate.

It's expected that China will not only target U.S. companies but also other foreign companies who have been dragged into this dispute. For example, Japanese companies Toshiba and Panasonic or Britain's ARM who have both been forced to shun Huawei after the U.S. ban was handed down.

A Ministry of Commerce spokesman for China, Gao Feng said that China is setting up the list:

to protect international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system, to oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism, and to safeguard China's national security, social and public interests

Another measure China has considered is restricting exports of rare earth minerals to the U.S. That's a big deal because these minerals are used in high-tech electronics, automobiles, and even for defense. The minerals aren't called rare for nothing, and China is the largest supplier with around 35% of the world's reserves and responsible for 70% of the mining done in 2018.

Trump has said in the past that Huawei could be part of a trade deal between the two countries. However, until the U.S. and China can come to a trade agreement, the two will continue to battle it out with tariffs and blacklisting companies. The U.S. still has the potential to add new companies to the entities list such as Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump will next meet at the G-20 Summit at the end of June. Whether or not this next meeting leads to a trade deal is still up in the air, with Trump saying he's in no hurry to make a deal.

Losing Google support would irreparably damage Huawei's global smartphone business

The best Android phones under $300 right now!

You can get a lot of phone for $300 or less these days. Motorola has been a leading name in midrange options for years, and that holds true with its excellent new Moto G7, but there are other great options to consider from brands like Huawei and Nokia, too.

Best overall

Moto G7

Staff pick

The Moto G7 has just about everything you could ask of a phone at this price. The software is clean yet clever with Moto Actions and Moto Display, and it's quick to recharge with Motorola's TurboPower charging. The G7 also has decent specs, including a Snapdragon 632, 64GB of expandable storage, and 4GB of RAM — and it finally charges over USB-C!

$300 at Amazon

Midrange done right

Samsung Galaxy A7

The Galaxy A7 packs a 6-inch display, 128GB of storage, and a triple camera array into a gorgeous glass and metal design. What more can you ask for at such an affordable price? You also get a 3300mAh battery, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a fresh Android 9 Pie update. Oh, and did we mention it still has a headphone jack?

$250 at Amazon

Android One

Nokia 6.1

Nokia is back in the game with a refreshed Nokia 6 that offers far better performance and battery life. Because it runs Android One, the Nokia 6.1 runs delightfully barebones software on a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD that looks good, and it has one of the better cameras in its segment. On top of that, Nokia is great with monthly security updates to keep its phones protected — a rarity for low-cost phones.

$229 at Amazon

Modern chic

Huawei P20 Lite

The P20 Lite has a gorgeous reflective glass-and-metal design with a high screen-to-body ratio and a notched display. It won't work on CDMA carriers, but AT&T and T-Mobile customers can enjoy its speedy performance and eye-catching looks. The 3000mAh battery provides excellent longevity, and while stock Android purists may not love its EMUI software, it runs well and it's soon to receive an update to Pie.

$210 at Amazon

Great affordable option

Honor 8X

The Honor 7X may only be $200, but it feels more like a flagship with its head-turning glass design and zippy EMUI 9 interface overtop Android 9 Pie. Its dual cameras take surprisingly good photos, and the specs are outstanding for the price — an octa-core Kirin 710 chipset and up to 6GB of RAM. The 3750mAh battery is long-lasting, and the rear fingerprint sensor can be conveniently used for accessing the notification shade.

$200 at Amazon

For tight budgets

Moto E5

The Moto E5 may not seem appealing at first compared to the Moto G7, but for less than half the price, it carries an enormous 5000mAh battery that provides multi-day battery life. It still runs fairly smoothly as well, with a Snapdragon 425 processor, a pared-back build of Android 8.0 Oreo, and its dual SIM capabilities make it great for international travelers.

$130 at Amazon

Why you don't need to spend more than $300 on a phone

Affordable phones used to be a complete mess of cheap parts, slow performance, and nonexistent software updates, but thankfully, those days are long gone.

In 2019, premium materials and designs are no longer exclusive to top-dollar flagships. Displays in cheaper phones have gotten surprisingly dense and vibrant. Budget phones aren't always loaded to the brim with bloatware anymore, and some of these phones even get software updates quicker than most flagships!

Put simply, affordable phones have gotten to be really great lately, with fewer compromises than ever before. Sure, a higher-end phone will still have luxuries like complete water resistance, wireless charging and better cameras, but most people don't need those features. The things that really matter, like performance and longterm support, are finally all here in the affordable space.

Why the Moto G7 is the right pick

The Moto G series has always been a staple of the affordable market, and with good reason. The Moto G7 is an outstanding value in every right.

The design is sleek and modern with trim display bezels and a rear fingerprint sensor, the camera is impressive for its field, and it's even splash resistant (though keep in mind that that's not the same as full-blown water resistance). Plus, you'll always be able to enjoy Motorola's simple and useful software.

The alternatives are good, too

The Moto G7 is great, but it isn't the only good phone for under $300. The Galaxy A7 has a glass and metal design that trounces the Moto G7's polycarbonate shell, and packs NFC for mobile payments. Unfortunately, you'll have to import it if you live in the U.S., and we're not expecting it to get Android Q any time soon, if ever.

Likewise, you won't find the P20 Lite or Honor 8X in stores Stateside, but they work great on GSM networks and have a lot to offer, from their gorgeous designs to their excellent battery life. The Nokia 6.1 is one of the few phones in this price range that's already running Pie, and thanks to the Android One program, it'll likely be one of the first to receive Android Q, too.

If you're on an especially tight budget, the Moto E5 Plus is another great choice. While not quite as speedy as the G7, it comes in at less than half the price with equally clean software, dual SIM support, and a massive 5000mAh battery that all but guarantees you'll never need to worry about your phone dying before the day's over.

Word Forward offers a fresh challenge for word puzzle fans

Word games are one of the more popular smartphone games in part because they can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Who among us hasn't spent some time playing games like Words With Friends, killed time with the excellent NYTimes Crossword, or checked out the plethora of word-building games on the Google Play Store?

With so many games retreading the same territory, it can be real hard for a new game to stand out from the pack. Word Forward accomplishes this by mixing the familiar word building elements with new challenging twists that require more strategy than you'd typically expect from word games.

The premise is very simple: you must clear a 5-by-5 board of letters by connecting tiles and making words that use three letters or more. The tricky part is doing so in a way that doesn't leave any letters stranded. Instead of a randomly generated board, each level gives you a set board to clear and there's something like 500 puzzles to work through.

This game is serious business. Just when you think you're doing well by landing some big words, you'll hit a wall and realize you haven't planned out how to use the remaining tiles and be forced to start over. But first you've got five power ups at your disposal and they come in handy.

Each level gives you two random letters to swap in, a randomizer that swaps out all the remaining tiles on the board with fresh ones, the ability to change one tile to a letter of your choosing, and a bomb that lets you remove one pesky tile from the board. You also collect tile swap moves as you create words, which let you swap any two tiles on the board which can help you create bigger words and adds a good layer of strategy to the game.

Word Forward is a paid app with no ads or in-app purchases. If you love a good word puzzle challenge, this game is definitely worth your time.

Download: Word Forward ($2.99)

Get the most out of your Android gaming experience

SteelSeries Stratus Duo

$60 at Amazon

A great Bluetooth controller for use with Android games that offer gamepad support that also includes a wireless USB dongle for gaming on PCs. Highly recommended!

Ventev Powercell 6010+ Portable USB-C Charger

$37 at Amazon

This battery pack from Ventev is recommended so often because it's so compact and convenient. You get a built-in USB-C cord, built-in AC prong for charging the unit, and 6000mAh battery capacity.

Spigen Style Ring

$13 at Amazon

Of all the phone mounts and kickstands we've tested, the most consistently reliable and sturdy is the original Spigen Style Ring. It also has a minimalist hook mount for your car's dashboard.