Android
Top 10 best smartphones to buy
Black Friday is right around the corner, some great deals have already started to roll out and all we have to do is to prepare our shopping lists and find the best deals there are. Be sure to check out the best deals on drones here, but as we know, there is a big focus on smartphones each Black Friday, but it is hard to search for a great deal when you don’t know what you are looking for. So here are the Top best smartphones of 2015 for you to buy with the Black Friday discounts. The list was compiled based on the best performance specifications but also to contain mid-range smartphones and high range ones. There are no important deals at the moment, if you are looking to buy a phone without contract, but expect their prices to drop significantly on the actual Black Friday. You won’t want to miss any deal on any of these smartphones.
10. OnePlus X
OnePlus X is one of the smartphones that offer high-end specifications for an affordable price. With probably one of the most beautiful designs that OnePlus has ever created, the Dual Nano-SIM smartphone has a 5.0” AMOLED capacitive touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. OnePlus X is powered by 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor combined with the Adreno 330 graphics processor and has a 16GB internal storage with 3GB RAM. Storage can go up to 128GB with an external microSD card. Take high quality images with the 13MP rear camera and the 8MP front one and don’t worry much about battery life with the non-removable 2525 mAh Li-Po Battery. Unfortunately, it only runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS and it is not announced for the Marshmallow upgrade.
OnePlus X combines great specifications with the amazing price of $249 if you have an invite unfortunately. The deal is amazing, but they want to make the phone free to buy from December but we can only hope for a Black Friday sale. As for other deals the phone can actually be purchased for now, without any contract for $344
9. Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML is a mid-ranger phone you won’t want to miss, even if it only runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop OS. The 5.5” IPS capacitive touchscreen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and its display has 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution. You’ll probably want to go for the 4GB RAM model as it can go up to 64GB internal storage and has an upgraded Intel Atom Z3580 2.3 GHz Quad-core processor combined with PowerVR G6430 GPU, while the 2GB RAM model has a much lower price but with some downgraded processor specifications. The camera is not that impressive, with 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera, but it does have an improved 3000 mAh non-removable battery wich will make your Zenfone last longer.
It’s price range is around $200 even lower for the 2GB Ram model, but for better performance you’d better go for the 4GB model which can be bought now at $298 and might have even better deal by Black Friday.
8. LG G4
This year’s LG G series come with significant improvements of design, screen and camera in comparison with its predecessors. LG G4 has a 5.5” IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and is only powered by Android 5.1 Lollipop OS. Combining the Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 1.44 GHZ quad-core A53-Cortex and 1.82 GHz dual-core A57-Cortex with the Adreno 418 graphics processor, LG G4 offers great performance on 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage that can be supplemented by the an 128GB microSD card. As mentioned earlier, improvements were brought to image quality, LG G4 having a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization and a 8MP front one great for video calls as it records 1080p at 30 frames per second. Powered by a 3000 mAh removable Li-Po battery it can go up to more than a day.
LG G4 is somewhat pricier than the previous smartphones, but offers better specifications and you can get it on sale at $403 without contract.
7. Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sony has made up for it Z3+ fail, with the release of the Sony Xperia Z5 models in October. There are no big differences between the three models Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium, but their price is correlated with their performance. Nonetheless, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is the least pricey of the series and most definitely has to be taken into consideration by this year’s Black Friday sales. With a somewhat more rectangular design and the mirror-like effect of the frosted matte glass used to cover the Xperia Z5 Compact, it comes with a 4.6” IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that has the multi-touch feature installed. The 720 x 1280 pixels display is also scratch resistant and has oleophobic coating, that make the display more durable. Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 processor clocked at 1.5 GHZ and 2 GHz depending on the cortex, with Adreno 430 graphics processor, Xperia Z5 Compact is a highly performant smartphone. The downfall is the 2GB RAM with 32GB internal storage, but it originally runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with the planned upgrade to 6.0 Marshmallow.
The 23MP rear camera sure does make it attractive for those passionate with photography, but it is in fact a high-end smartphone with a hi-end price. With today’s deal you can buy it for $539, but who knows what Black Friday has in store for this particular smartphone.
6. Huawei Nexus 6P
Huawei Nexus 6P or more commonly known the Google Nexus 6P is the brands’ very best when considering the right pricing for the actual specifications. As its purpose is to promote the latest Android OS version, Nexus 6P is one of the two smartphones that were released with 6.0 Marshmallow OS. A little bit bigger than most smartphones models with a 5.7” AMOLED screen protected by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with an added oleo-phobic coating, it has a 1440 x 2560 pixels display. With the commonly used for high-end smartphones octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 clocked at 1.55 GHz and 2.0 GHz combined with Adreno 430 GPU Nexus 6P work on 3GB RAM with up to 128GB internal storage, but without external memory capacity. Nexus 6P has a non-impressive rear camera of 12MP combined with a 8MP front one, but does offer great battery life with the Non-removable Li-Po 3450 mAh battery.
The best deal of today are at $629.95 but do look for it on Black Friday as prices might drop significantly.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Expectations are always high when it comes to Samsung Galaxy smartphones, even more for its phablet Note versions. Although Galaxy Note 5 kept the stylish design and great hardware, it just doesn’t seem to be such an amazing upgrade from the previous version, although the price was raised. But, it did come with an impressive new feature the ability to write by hand with its upgraded Stylus model. The 5.7” Super AMOLED screen covered by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4 offers a 1440 x2560 pixels display, similar to Nexus 6P, but lacking in the Android version as it runs on 5.1.1 Lollipop Android OS. With an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor in pair with the Mali-T760MP8 graphics processor, Galaxy Note 5 runs on 4GB RAM with up to 64GB internal storage. Although on 16MP rear camera and 5MP front camera pictures are pretty decent, but there is still place for improvement. The same goes for battery as it is only powered by Li-Po 3000 mAh non-removable battery.
As it has a high-end price of $629 on the 32GB version, we do hope Black Friday sales will make it more affordable as it is a unique phone.
4. HTC One M9
Although released in March, its stunning design, strong speakers and the 5.0” Super LCD3 screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 keeps it on the lead. No different than its competitors it runs on an octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 with the Adreno 430 GPU with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. HTC One M9 gets more credit for adding the possibility of increased storage, up to 200GB with a microSD card. Another fact that can’t be ignored is its 20MP rear camera that offers high quality pictures and 2160p at 30 fps video recording. Although it doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor which is lately a most wanted feature and it is still powered by a 2840 mAh non-removable battery, HTC One M9 is still a high-end smartphone at a most deserved price.
With the upcoming Black Friday its price has already been dropped to $464.99 but who knows what the following weeks bring in term of deals.
3. Motorola Droid Turbo 2
As Motorola has a partnership with US provider Verizon the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 is actually the worldwide released Motorola Moto X Force, but as it has just been released, its price is still high and the actual smartphone is sold only by some retailers, so it is hard to find. Alongside high specifications Droid Turbo 2 comes with an exclusive feature a shatterproof protection. With a 5.4” AMOLED screen offering 1440 x 2560 pixels display, it almost feels like all of its competitor’s smartphone. Powered by the typical octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 clocked at 1.5 GHz and 2 GHz and combined with the Adreno 430 GPU. Although a high end camera was expected, Droid Turbo 2 has a 21MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, but it did not let its users down when it came to battery life. Motorola Droid Turbo 2 is powered by a Non-removable Li-Ion 3760 mAh battery lasting more than 2 days with medium use. With 3GB RAM and up to 64GB internal storage, with the additional microSD 200GB external storage and also by being powered by Android 5.1.1 Lollipop which will be upgraded to 6.0 Marshmallow, Motorola keeps its lead in the high-end smartphone battle.
As its specifications require Motorola Droid Turbo 2 64GB has a price tag of $749 price without any contract, but does offer great deals with Verizon contracts. As for the Motorola Moto X Force the price range is similar worldwide.
2. Apple iPhone 6S
The most awaited Apple iPhone 6S took a huge lead on the smartphone market impressively not because of its newly improved processor, faster wireless or its updated Touch ID sensor, but because of the Rose-Gold Model. Soon after its release the new design took the eyes of everyone and became fairly popular. With the release of the 9.1 iOS which can the upgraded on the iPhone 6S and its new improvements Apple keeps its high standard place in the smartphone market. The iPhone 6S has a 4.7” LED-backlit IPS LCD screen protected by Ion- strengthened glass and oleo-phobic coating, but it did not improve in image quality. iPhone 6S still has a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP front one, which take decent pictures and offer some good quality video. Running on a dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister processor combined with PowerVR GT7600 graphics processor, Apple makes its lower specification work at high performance. Although the 1715 mAh battery could use some upgrading the 3D Touch feature was a high improvement.
Although rumor has it that there will be impressive price drops for the iPhone 6S models on Black Friday, by today you can find some $694.89 deal for the 16GB model.
1. Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge
It is pretty hard to imagine any other smartphone than Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge on the lead as it is the most balanced specification/price device there is. Samsung Galaxy is known for its top-notch smartphones and it is hard to differentiate the two models as they have mostly the same specifications but different designs. Samsung Galaxy Edge has that curved edge screen which surely looks attractive, but some find it unpractical and also, developers powered it with a little bit better battery, though the difference can be mostly ignored. Samsung Galaxy S6 has a 5.1” Super AMOLED screen protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with back panel. The device is powered by the octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and Mali- T760MP8 graphics processor and works with 3GB RAM on up to 128GB internal storage. As a lot of high end smartphones it lacks the external memory capacity and the camera is still a 16MP primary and 5MP second camera, although they have added features that help create beautiful pictures. Battery wise Galaxy S6 is pretty decent being powered by a 2550 mAh non-removable battery that can last up to two days with medium use.
Unfortunately, its Android OS is only upgradable to 5.1.1 Lollipop, but it is still a smartphone anyone can wish to have and Black Friday sales usually drops the most important prices. There are already some sales available for the 32GB model buyable at $504 and the 128GB model that can be purchased at $582 without any contract.
Google is getting ready to make a big change to how its Chrome browser works. This is because new browsers from startups like Arc are making the market more competitive. The company said on Wednesday that it will be adding a new feature called “Minimized Custom Tabs” that will let users tap to switch between a native app and their web content. When you do this, the Custom Tab turns into a small window that floats above the content of the native app.
The new feature is all about using Custom Tabs, which is a feature in Android browsers that lets app developers make their own browser experience right in their app. Users don’t have to open their browser or a WebView, which doesn’t support all of the web platform’s features. Custom tabs let users stay in their app while browsing. Custom tabs can help developers keep users in their apps longer and keep them from leaving and never coming back.
If you make the Custom Tab into a picture-in-picture window, switching to the web view might feel more natural, like you’re still in the native app. People who send their customers to a website to sign up for accounts or subscriptions might also find this change useful, since it makes it easier for users to switch between the website and the native app.
After being shrunk down to the picture-in-picture window, the Custom Tab can be pushed to the side of the screen. Users can tap on a down arrow to bring the page back to the picture-in-picture window when it is full screen.
The new web experience comes at a time when Google is making it easier for Android users to connect to the web. People can find their way to the web with AI-powered features like Circle to Search and other integrations that let them do things like circle or highlight items.
The change is coming to the newest version of Chrome (M124), and developers who already use Chrome’s Custom Tabs will see it automatically. Google says that the change only affects Chrome browsers, but it hopes that other browser makers will add changes like these.
Android
TikTok Shop is now introducing its collection of pre-owned high-end fashion items to customers in the United Kingdom
TikTok Shop, the social commerce marketplace of TikTok, is introducing a new section dedicated to secondhand luxury items in the United Kingdom. This move positions TikTok Shop in direct rivalry with existing platforms such as The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari. The offering has been present at TikTok Shop U.S. for a duration exceeding six months.
The addition of this new category enables clients in the United Kingdom to conveniently buy second-hand luxury garments, designer purses, and various accessories from within the TikTok application. Upon its inception, the platform offers a selection of only five British brands, namely Sellier, Luxe Collective, Sign of the Times, HardlyEverWornIt, and Break Archive.
Since its introduction in 2022, TikTok Shop has generated sales of approximately $1 billion or more in merchandise value. Nevertheless, despite its triumph, some contend that TikTok Shop is undermining the short-form video-sharing platform, alleging that counterfeit and substandard merchandise are inundating the market. The purchase of pre-owned luxury goods online carries the greatest danger of encountering counterfeit products, even for major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and others, which also struggle with ensuring authenticity.
TikTok Shop, like other resale marketplaces, implements an anti-counterfeit policy that ensures a complete reimbursement in the event that a seller is verified to have sold a counterfeit item. Bloomberg has disclosed that the corporation is engaged in discussions with luxury goods company LVMH to enhance efforts to combat counterfeiting.
Every secondhand brand on TikTok Shop in the U.S. must possess certificates from third-party authenticators. TikTok collaborated with authentication providers Entrupy and Real Authentication to verify the authenticity of designer handbags available on the platform.
Concurrently, a representative from TikTok informed me that the five British brands each possess their own internal verification procedure. They declined to provide the commencement date for accepting secondhand brands other than their own.
TikTok Shop’s introduction of a used luxury category is a calculated maneuver to access the expanding market for previously owned high-end goods. The secondhand luxury market is a prosperous industry valued at around $49.3 billion (€45 billion) in 2023, with global sales of pre-owned designer items.
Moreover, this expansion is in line with the growing inclination of individuals towards adopting preloved fashion, and it creates new opportunities for secondhand brands in the U.K. to access a broader client demographic. The prevalence of secondhand fashion on TikTok is apparent, as seen by more than 144,000 TikTok postings utilizing the hashtag #secondhandfashion, resulting in nearly 1.2 billion views.
Today’s statement follows closely after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill mandating that ByteDance sell TikTok or else risk a ban in the U.S. This bill seems to be gaining favor in the Senate. An embargo would have a significant impact on American merchants who sell their products on the application. As per the company’s statement, the brief video-sharing application produced a total of $14.7 billion in revenue for small- to mid-size enterprises in the year 2023.
Android
Airchat, developed by Naval Ravikant, is a social application that focuses on conversation rather than written messages
Airchat is a recently developed social media application that promotes and encourages users to engage in open and spontaneous conversations.
Last year, a previous iteration of Airchat was released. However, yesterday the team, which included Naval Ravikant, the founder of AngelList, and Brian Norgard, a former product executive for Tinder, rebuilt the application and reintroduced it on both iOS and Android platforms. At present, Airchat is exclusively accessible via invitation. However, it has already achieved a ranking of #27 in the social networking category on Apple’s App Store.
Airchat has a user interface that is visually familiar and easy to understand. Users can follow other users, navigate through a feed of posts, and interact with those posts by replying, liking, and sharing them. The distinction comes from the fact that the content consists of audio recordings for both posts and replies, which are subsequently converted into written form by the application.
Airchat automatically starts sending messages, which you can quickly navigate through by vertically swiping up and down. If you have the desire, you have the option to pause the audio and only read the text. Additionally, users have the capability to exchange photographs and videos. However, it appears that audio is the main point of interest for everyone, and Ravikant explains that it has the potential to significantly change the way social apps function, especially when contrasted to text-based platforms.
Upon my recent enrollment in Airchat, the majority of the messages I encountered pertained to the application itself. Notably, Ravikant and Norgard actively engaged in responding to inquiries and seeking input from users.
“All humans are inherently capable of harmonious interactions with one another; it simply necessitates the use of our innate communication abilities,” Ravikant stated. “The prevalence of online text-only media has created the false belief that people are unable to get along, when in reality, everyone is capable of getting along.”
Past instances have seen digital entrepreneurs placing their bets on speech as the upcoming significant trend in social media. However, Airchat’s utilization of asynchronous, threaded messages provides a distinct experience compared to the transient live chat rooms that briefly gained popularity on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. Norgard claimed that this method eliminates the obstacle of stage fright when it comes to participation, as individuals have the freedom to make multiple attempts at producing a message without anybody being aware.
Indeed, he stated that during discussions with the first users, the team discovered that the majority of individuals currently utilizing AirChat exhibit introverted and timid characteristics.
Personally, I have not yet persuaded myself to publish anything. I was primarily intrigued by observing how other individuals were utilizing the application. Additionally, I had a complex emotional connection with the auditory perception of my own speech.
However, there is value in listening to Ravikant and Norgard articulate their perspective instead of solely relying on written transcriptions, as the latter may overlook subtle aspects such as excitement and tone. I am particularly interested in observing how deadpan humor and shitposting are conveyed, or not, in audio format.
I also encountered some difficulty with the velocity. The application automatically sets the audio playing to double the normal speed, which I found to be artificial, especially considering that the main purpose is to promote human interaction. To reset the speed, simply press and hold the pause button. However, when the speed is set to 1x, I observed that I would begin to skim through longer postings while listening, and I would often jump forward before listening to the entire audio. However, perhaps that is acceptable.
However, Ravikant’s conviction in the efficacy of speech to reduce hostility does not always obviate the requirement for content-filtering functionalities. According to him, the feed operates based on intricate regulations that aim to conceal spam, trolls, and those that either you or they may prefer not to receive messages from. However, at the time of publication, he had not yet replied to a subsequent user inquiry regarding content moderation.
When questioned about monetization, namely the introduction of advertisements, whether in audio format or otherwise, Ravikant stated that the company is currently not under any obligation to generate revenue. (He characterized himself as “not the exclusive investor” but rather as a significant stakeholder in the company.)
“Monetization is of little importance to me,” he stated. “We will operate this project with minimal financial resources if necessary.”
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