Visible quietly adds ultra-budget ZTE phone to its available Android devices

• There’s a new budget ZTE phone available as part of Visible’s wireless service.
• The $99 device is no powerhouse, but looks nice and has some surprising features.
• Visible, a subsidiary of Verizon, has a one-size-fits-all plan which costs $40 per month.

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Verizon subsidiary Visible just added an ultra-budget ZTE phone to its very short list of supported Android devices. The ZTE Visible R2 starts at only $99.

It was only a week ago that the company announced Android support on its previously iOS-only network. With that announcement, Visible revealed it will support the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus at first with more devices to come in the future.

Eventually, you will be able to bring own Android phones to the network, but the company is still signing deals with OEMs in that regard. In the meantime, the S9, S9 Plus, and this ZTE Visible R2 are your only options.

Since the R2 costs less than $100, it’s obviously not going to be a powerhouse. The R2 features a 5.45-inch HD+ LCD display in an 18:9 aspect ratio. It packs an unnamed 1.4GHz quad-core processor, a 3,100mAh battery, and 16GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 2TB with the built-in microSD slot). The listing does not say how much RAM the device has, but we can’t imagine it being more than 4GB.

Surprisingly, the R2 does have a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, which is pretty remarkable considering the price of the phone.

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Verizon’s $40 Visible service will support Android devices, starting with the Galaxy S9

When Visible launched in mid-2018, it was an exciting new entry into the online-only mobile carrier service space. However, Android users were disappointed to find that only iOS devices worked on the carrier.

Now, however, Visible …

On the back, there’s a single 13MP camera sensor and a fingerprint scanner. There’s also a seemingly-textured back coating that gives off an early OnePlus One vibe. On the front, there’s a 5MP selfie cam.

The Visible R2 will ship with Android Oreo — we wouldn’t bet on it getting an upgrade to Android 9 Pie.

Visible’s one-size-fits-all service costs $40 per month and includes unlimited data, text, talk, and hotspot on the Verizon network with no throttling. However, speeds are limited to 5Mbps and video streaming is downgraded to 480p.

Click the button below to check out Visible’s service and the ZTE Visible R2.

Check out Visible

Source: Android Zone

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Skagen, Fossil unveil new hybrid smartwatches, new glitz design for Skagen Falster 2

We’ve already seen new smartwatches from Kate Spade at CES 2019, but Fossil isn’t done pumping out smartwatches quite yet. The company has announced a new design for the Skagen Falster 2, as well as new hybrid watches from Skagen and Fossil.

Let’s start with the Falster 2 — the beautiful smartwatch that broke our hearts due to poor performance. If you can get past the hardware issues, you may want to check out the three new models Skagen is launching at CES.

The Falster 2 now comes in a new ‘glitz’ finish, which features understated diamonds around the entire bezel. Neither color option looks too over the top, which means they fit right in with Skagen’s minimal design language.

Skagen is also launching a new reflective silver strap for the Falster 2 (pictured above). The shine may not come through in pictures very well, but I found it to be really nice in person. It was a little stiff when I put it on my wrist, but I’m sure it will wear in over time.

All three new Falster 2 models are on sale now at the link below.

Skagen Falster 2

The Michael Kors brand hasn’t released a new smartwatch in some time, but that changes today. The refreshed Michael Kors Access Sofie smartwatch is back with a new design and premium hardware features.

The watch features a built-in GPS, heart rate sensor, and NFC chip for Google Pay, just like the new Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2. The new watch also features three physical buttons on the side, as well as a Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset under the hood, and a 300mAh battery.

Check it out at the link below!

Michael Kors Access Sofie

Skagen also announced two new colorways for its Holst line of hybrid smartwatches (pictured above). These watches don’t appear to be on sale yet but we imagine both will go for around $195, similar to Skagen’s other metal-strapped Holst watches.

Not to be outdone, Fossil is also launching two refreshed versions of its popular hybrid smartwatches.

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Withings has announced a new wearable called the Withings Move, a hybrid watch that you can customize to your heart’s content. This is the third device launched under the Withings name following the brand’s brief …

The new Fossil Carlie hybrid (above, left) will appeal to people with smaller wrists. The stainless steel case measures 37mm wide and features 16mm interchangeable straps. Since they’re powered by a coin-cell battery, Fossil expects the battery to last up to six full months without a replacement.

As for colors, the Carlie is offered in a rose gold case with a pink leather strap, or a black stainless steel case and black leather strap for $155. It’s also available in rose gold stainless steel with a rose gold stainless steel strap, and a silver stainless steel case and stainless steel strap for $175.

The Fossil Neutra hybrid smartwatch (above, right) also has a 37mm case with interchangeable 16mm straps. The bottom of the watch face features a smaller dial that will give you an overview of your daily activity. The Neutra hybrid watch is available with a brown leather strap ($155) or a stainless steel silver strap for $175.

And just like other hybrid watches from the company, all of these watches will track your fitness, give you smartphone notifications, and also feature customizable buttons on the side.

Head here for more CES 2019 coverage!

Source: Android Zone

The post Skagen, Fossil unveil new hybrid smartwatches, new glitz design for Skagen Falster 2 appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.