Loy Android

To a lot of people, Samsung just makes flagship devices like the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy Note 9. However, it also makes a range of mid-tier devices with its “J” and “A” series. The “J” phones are the more competitively priced and the “A” range is designed to be more premium. I recently got hold of a Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) because I wanted to run Speed Test G on it and its Exynos processor. I was so impressed, I thought it warranted a full written review! Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) design The first things you may notice about the A7 are the bezels. In an age where flagship devices are all about edge-to-edge displays and getting the highest screen-t0-body ratio possible, the A7 (2018) might seem a little jarring. When I showed the device to a teenager in my family, the first reaction was, “wow, look at the bezels.” The A7 (2018) has a 10 percent lower screen-to-body ratio than a device like the Galaxy S9 Plus, which is one of the reasons it’s cheaper. Making all those curved ed...

Over the past few years we’ve seen a number of Chinese OEMs partner with luxury car companies to provide special edition handsets for fanatics with deep pockets. Huawei has Porsche Design, Oppo has Lamborghini, and now OnePlus has a partnership with McLaren to produce a special edition OnePlus 6T. SEE ALSO: OnePlus 6T review: Fundamentally great (Video) Like car-themed phones from other manufacturers, the McLaren Edition’s changes are largely visual. This special edition features a black carbon fiber design with McLaren’s signature “Papaya Orange” color around the rim, starting fairly solid on the bottom and fading as it moves towards the top of the device. The phone is supposed to be modeled after the McLaren MCL33, which was the company’s 2018 Formula One challenger. The specialized detail on the device is quite subtle. You also get a special in-screen fingerprint reader animation with some orange accents, but that’s about it for the visual tweaks compared to the standard One...

Huawei is in deep trouble. It might not quite be ZTE levels of trouble, but the winds are swirling. I’ve written about Huawei’s security and telecommunication equipment problems before. Add in trade wars and criminal allegations, and you’re almost caught up. Previously I’ve tried to get to the bottom of security issues with Huawei, but the exact secrets have never quite been revealed. The Five Eyes nations firmly believe Huawei is more or less a proxy for the Chinese state, but the public hasn’t seen verifiable proof. Things are changing. The arrest of CFO Meng Wanzhou, daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, in Canada occurred on Dec. 1. The public wasn’t aware of her detention until Friday, December 7th. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou is cataclysmic. You may have seen the headlines about Beijing’s fury, threats to Canada, and furor, but it hasn’t taken legal action, as you might have well expected. The situation currently surrounding Huawei has major implications for worldwide 5G r...

If you’re after a mobile photography powerhouse, the new Huawei Mate 20 Pro and LG V40 ThinQ both offer compelling triple-camera setups designed to give serious photographers that added flexibility. Both offer wide-angle shooting options, something that’s become one of the most popular camera features packed into high-end smartphones. LG has been experimenting with wide-angle lenses for a few generations now, so it has plenty of experience here. The Mate 20 series is Huawei’s first entry into the field. Let’s break down how they stack up. Wide Angle Camera Specs Huawei Mate 20 Pro LG V40 Resolution 20 megapixels 16 megapixels Aperture f/2.2 f/1.9 Pixel Size 1.0µm 1.0µm Sensor Size 1/2.7" 1/3.1" Auto Focus PDAF & Laser NA Equivalent Focal Length 16mm 16mm On paper, there’s very little in it. Both offer an equivalent focal length, have 1.0um pixel sizes, and there’s not much detail difference between 16 and 20 megapixel images either. The LG V40 h...

The Honor Magic 2 is an exclusive smartphone to China markets, but it’s a very compelling device and could pave the way for future smartphones. It has a slider design, six cameras, an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and a notch-free bezel-less display. Is the experience as magical as it sounds or is this phone simply just smoke and mirrors? Find out in our Honor Magic 2 review. Design On the outside, the Honor Magic 2 looks like your average flagship smartphone. It’s constructed of glass panels on the front and rear with a metal frame holding it all together. The build quality is exceptional. The entire phone makes heavy use of rounded corners, sides, and tapered edges for a sleek appearance that’s more comfortable. The slider form factor allows Honor to achieve a nearly bezel-less screen with no notch and have the front facing cameras hidden. What makes the Honor Magic 2’s design unique is its slider mechanism. This is similar to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and will give you feel...

Google Gboard comes with a variety of themes to help you customize your smartphone’s on-screen keyboard. Right now, there are two default sections of themes available: color themes and image themes. It appears that color themes are going to get some more customization with the option to add gradients. At least, that’s what Gboard Beta 7.8.8 makes apparent, as gradient themes just showed up there, via XDA Developers. There are both light and dark gradient themes available in Gboard beta, with a pretty wide variety of hues to choose from. See for yourself below: Unfortunately, so far it seems the gradient themes only appear on the Google Pixel 3. Even the Google Pixel 3 XL seems to be unable to get the gradient themes to work in Gboard beta. EDITOR'S PICK 10 best Android keyboards for all kinds of typists Usually, features which appear in the beta version of Gboard eventually roll out to the stable version most of us use, so there’s a good chance we’ll all be able to u...