Deal: Learn over 40 easy ways to manage stress for under $11

Manage stress effectively

If you’re reading this then you might agree that the festive period can be stressful. Family commitments collide with work or study, and you can find yourself struggling to cope. You probably have a big January ahead, so it’s important to manage stress effectively for your wellbeing.

Gregory Caremans can help. He’s a psychologist and current Director of the Institute of Neurocognitivism in Brussels. He understands how stress can permanently damage the brain, and therefore how important it is to combat it.

If you want to manage stress, Caremans has put together a short online learning kit to get you started. The Stress Management Course has over 40 easy tips you can follow to help you overcome this mindset.

The tips are split into four types of relief strategies: cognitive, physical, sensory, and emotional. Whatever’s getting you frazzled, this course can help you overcome it.

Stress Management Course at a glance:

  • Access 19 lectures and one hour of content 24/7.
  • Understand the different types of stress.
  • Learn different types of relief strategies.
  • Apply over 40 different ways to manage your stress.

The course retails for $100, but right now it’s being promoted for just $12.99. Also, we have a promo code to save you a little bit extra. If you use the code NEWYEAR2019 at the checkout, the price drops again to just $10.53

This deal ends in a couple of days, so make 2019 the year you manage stress more effectively. The button below takes you to the deal.

The AAPicks team writes about things we think you’ll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links. To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB.


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Source: Android Zone

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Phones we caught cheating benchmarks in 2018

Smartphone companies cheating benchmarks is a story as old as smartphones themselves. Ever since phones started crunching through Geekbench, AnTuTu, or any other test, manufacturers have been trying to win by any method possible.

We had Gary Sims from Gary Explains walk through why and how OEMs cheat back in February last year, and it appears the process described then is the same today, generously called “benchmark optimization.”

So what’s happening? Certain companies appear to hardcode their devices to offer maximum possible performance when a benchmark app test is detected.

How is a benchmark identified? Android Authority understands that both app names and detection of performance demands are important — so an app called “Geekbench” that is demanding maximum performance is enough for the smartphone to put aside normal battery life conservation and heat dissipation techniques. It’s a complicated area, but what’s clear is that there’s a difference that can be tested.

This isn’t the real life behavior that you get day-in, day-out.

Everything running flat out and pushing past normal limitations isn’t the real life behavior that you get day-in, day-out. What’s real, and what’s not? We worked hard to find out.

What we did to find the number benders

In our Best of Android 2018 testing, we worked with our friends at Geekbench to configure a stealth Geekbench app. We don’t know the exact details as to what changed, but we trust Geekbench when they say they cloaked the app. And the results shown in our performance testing prove it.

It might surprise you to know this method caught out at least six different phones, including devices made by Huawei, Honor, Oppo, HTC, and Xiaomi. Not all devices on the list showed cheating behavior during both single-core and multi-core tests; the HTC U12 Plus and Xiaomi Mi 8 only show significant decreases during the multi-core test.

We found up to a 21% discrepancy between the normal benchmark result and the stealth version.

The lowest result identified beyond signal noise was a three percent jump in scores, but we found up to a 21 percent leap in two devices: the Huawei P20 Pro and Honor Play. Hmm!

Here are graphs of the results, showing regular Geekbench scores versus the stealth Geekbench scores from the phones that detected the app and modified their behavior. For reference, we included in the chart below a phone that doesn’t appear to be cheating, to give you an idea of what the difference between runs should look like. We picked the Mate 20 from Huawei.

These results are the averages of five benchmark runs, all of which had slight percentage differences, as you see in the Mate 20 detail. Cheaters do best in the regular score (in yellow), and drop back when they don’t recognize benchmarking (blue is the stealth result).

First the single core result:

Then the multi-core results:

Look at those drops! Remember, you want the same performance when running any graphics-intensive game, any performance-demanding app, and not just the benchmark app one with the trademark name.

Huawei shows significant discrepancies on the list, but not with the latest Mate 20.

There are some big opportunists on display, along with some smaller discrepancies by the likes of the HTC U12 Plus and the Xiaomi Mi 8.

We also see the Huawei Mate 20 (our reference device) results are fine, despite Huawei/Honor’s obvious push to show the best possible benchmark performance on the P20, P20 Pro, and Honor Play. That’s likely because Huawei added a setting called Performance Mode on the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. When this setting is toggled on, the phone runs at its full capacity, without any constraints to keep the device cool or save battery life. In other words, the phone treats all apps as benchmark apps. By default, Performance Mode is disabled on the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, and most users will want to keep it disabled in order to get the best experience. Huawei added the option after some of its devices were delisted from the 3DMark benchmark database, following a report from AnandTech.

Moving on, let’s take a look at a chart showing which benchmarks results were more heavily inflated, percentage-wise:

As you can see, HTC and Xiaomi played around with small, less than five percent boosts. The P20 range, the Honor Play, and the notably ambitious Oppo R17 Pro (packing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710) put their thumb on the scale much more heavily. Oppo really went for it with the single-core scores.

Cheating is as old as time

These sorts of tests have caught out most manufacturers over the years, or at least brought accusations of cheating, from the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the LG G2 back in 2013, to more recent naughtiness from OnePlus and Meizu. Oppo even spoke with us about why its benchmark results were so artificial in November:

When we detect the user is running applications like games or running 3DMark benchmarks that require high performance, we allow the SoC to run at full speed for the smoothest experience. For unknown applications, the system will adopt the default power optimization strategy.

Oppo’s explanation suggests it can detect apps that “require high performance,” but when the app isn’t given a benchmark-related name and is given some stealth updates, those same apps no longer appear to require the same special treatment. That means you better hope Oppo can detect the game you want to play at maximum performance, or you’ll get a drop in grunt of up to 25 percent on the Oppo R17 Pro, at least.

But not everyone cheats

During Best of Android 2018, we tested 30 of the most powerful and modern Android devices. The devices we talked about above cheated, but that still leaves 24 devices that fought fair and square. Besides our reference device, the Mate 20 (and the Mate 20 Pro), the list includes the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Sony Xperia XZ2, Vivo X21, LG G7 ThinQ, Google Pixel 3 XL, OnePlus 6T, and the Xiaomi Mi A2, to name a few.

The inclusion of the OnePlus 6T on the “nice list” is worth highlighting — last year, the company was caught gaming Geekbench and other benchmark apps. Fortunately, OnePlus seems to have abandoned the practice. Along with Huawei’s addition of Performance Mode as a user-accessible toggle, this makes us hopeful that fewer and fewer OEMs will resort to shady tactics when it comes to benchmarks.

Benchmarks are getting smarter: Speed Test G

We’ve known for some time that benchmarks don’t tell us the full story, and that’s where “real-world” tests come in. These followed the idea you could start smartphones, run through the same apps, load in and load out, and test which ones would do best over a given set of app runs and loops through a controlled process. The problem with these kinds of tests is that they are fundamentally flawed, as Gary Sims has pointed out in great detail.

Speed Test G, featuring the 2018 OnePlus phones.

Speed Test G getting to work with Gary Sims

That’s why our own Gary Sims created Speed Test G, a specially crafted Android app that offers a more genuine and realistic real-world set of problems and tests that importantly cannot be gamed. It’s already showing amazing results and clearing up lots of confusion about what makes a phone “fast” or “powerful” — for example, the OnePlus 6, 6T and 6T McLaren Edition (with more RAM than the rest) all returned the exact same Speed Test G result.

That’s because all three devices fundamentally have the same internals, except for the additional RAM. While extra RAM might sound nice, it doesn’t actually solve many performance problems. Gary’s test doesn’t perform the traditional app reload cycle (where more RAM typically shows its value) because the Linux kernel’s RAM management algorithm is complex, which means it hard to measure reliably.

You have to wonder: how many apps does the average user need to keep in RAM, and for how long? Of course, that won’t stop Lenovo from bringing out a phone in less than a month with 12GB of RAM. Save some for the rest of us!

In any case, we’re greatly appreciative of our friends at Geekbench for helping us with a stealth benchmark app to ensure we found the truest results possible.

Source: Android Zone

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Deal: Save big on Anker wireless chargers, battery packs, and more on New Year’s Eve

Were you gifted a fancy new smartphone over the holidays? If so, you might want to consider getting some useful accessories to go along with it. Thankfully, Anker, one of the best mobile accessory companies, has some great smartphone accessories that currently have some deep discounts on Amazon. These sales end late today.

Our favorite Anker product on sale today is its wireless charging pad, which is very useful if you bought a Qi-based wireless charging phone like the Galaxy Note 9 or Google Pixel 3. It has an LED ring that lets you know when your phone is fully charged up, too. It’s available today on Amazon for just $12.99, nearly half off its normal $24.99 price tag.

Another great Anker product on sale today is the Astro E7 26,800mAh portable battery charger. Not only does it have a huge external battery that should charge your smartphone multiple times, it also has three ports so you can charge your phone, your tablet, and your friend’s phone at the same time. Anker’s PowerIQ technology is also a part of this device, which allows the external battery to detect which device is hooked up to it, so it can deliver the fastest possible charge to that phone. It’s available today on Amazon in a glossy white color for $48.99, which is $21 off its normal $69.99 price tag.

There are other Anker mobile accessories on sale today only on Amazon that you might be interested in as well

Which one of these accessories will you be picking up today for your new smartphone to celebrate the new year?

Source: Android Zone

The post Deal: Save big on Anker wireless chargers, battery packs, and more on New Year’s Eve appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

Best upcoming Android phones of 2019

Honor View20 screen

After a sluggish few years in the Android world, 2019 is set to be a smash-hit for smartphone fans. Folding phones are on the horizon, display hole (punch hole) cameras are coming to make displays even bigger, and goodness knows how many cameras we’re going to see.

If you want to know more about the kinds of phones you can look forward to, check out our list of the top upcoming handsets arriving in the first half of the year below.

Samsung Galaxy S10 and folding phone

Samsung’s folding phone is probably the most exciting phone we’re going to see in early 2019 — if not the whole year. We know it’s well into development, we’ve already seen how it works, but we’re yet to learn what the final product will look like and how exactly it will operate.

But it’s an exciting prospect. It’s set to include an outward-facing display as well as an inner display that can fold out into something like a small tablet. It will be unlike anything we’ve ever encountered on Android, though all that cool will come at a cost. It’s going to be expensive, so for those who want something slightly cheaper, Samsung has another potentially super handset in the works: the Galaxy S10.

Editor’s Pick

Samsung’s new S-series flagship is tipped to arrive with an Infinity-O display, as many as three rear cameras, and possibly a vibrating display for audio. There’s likely be a few variations of it too, including a Plus model and a 5G model.

Both the S10 and Samsung’s foldable phone are going to be big talking points in 2019 and the best news is we may only have a couple of months to wait before they arrive: current speculation suggests they may arrive at MWC 2019 in February.

Launch ETA: February

Samsung Foldable Phone

A render of Samsung’s folding phone prototype.

Huawei P30 and folding phone

Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer developing folding phones and phones with punch hole displays. Huawei just launched the display-hole wielding Nova 4 in mid-December, and it’s also tipped to have a folding phone out in 2019.

We don’t know exactly when — in fact, we know even less about Huawei’s folding phone than we do about Samsung’s. However, current speculation suggests it will land at MWC 2019 around the same time as Samsung’s folding phone. What a matchup that will be!

Editor’s Pick

Meanwhile, Huawei will likely release new flagship sequels to the P20 and P20 Pro, potentially called the P30 and P30 Pro. Given Huawei was among the first manufacturers to take on dual and later triple camera setups, there’s potential for the P30 Pro to adopt four rear cameras in 2019. Further, the handsets will probably use the Mate 20’s Kirin 980 chipset, just as the Huawei P20 series used the earlier Mate 10’s chipset, the Kirin 970.

Launch ETA: March

Honor View 20 and Honor 8A

The Honor View 20 (seen at the top of the page and below) will launch globally in January 21. We’ve already gotten a good look at this phone and it’s going to be one of the first to feature a punch hole display, which we expect to trend in 2019. That’s not its only interesting feature though: it’s packing a supposedly super fast charging 4,000 mAh battery and a unique design.

Honor may also launch a new phone in its budget A-series early next year, the Honor 8A. This passed through the FCC recently looking something like an iPhone 6 with a notch. It could be another budget wonder from the Huawei sub-brand.

The standard Honor View 20 launches in Chinese markets for 2,999 yuan (~$435) and you can read some of our early thoughts on it in our hands-on coverage here.

Launch ETA: Already launched (View 20), April (Honor 8A)

Honor View20 back

The Honor View 20.

OnePlus 7

From the outside, it looks like OnePlus had a very successful 2018. The Chinese firm had its best smartphone launch yet with the OnePlus 6T and secured a potentially lucrative sales partnership with T-Mobile to sell it.

Since we’re betting on more display hole cameras on 2019 flagships, we wouldn’t be surprised if OnePlus had one too.

The OnePlus 7 is surely in the works, and should arrive before the end of June 2019 (the OnePlus 3, 5, and 6 launched in May, June, and April respectively). Based on OnePlus’ history, there are a couple of guesses we can make about the direction the OnePlus 7 might take.

OnePlus has recently followed industry trends on display notches, headphone ports, and in-screen fingerprint sensors. Since we’re betting on more display hole cameras on 2019 flagships, we wouldn’t be surprised if OnePlus had one too.

Additionally, the flagship will probably have 10GB RAM or more (the OnePlus 6T McClaren has 10GB), the latest Qualcomm platform (Snapdragon 855), and cost more than the $550 OnePlus 6T. Don’t expect a OnePlus folding phone next year, though — it’s still early days for a small company like OnePlus to enter this race.

Launch ETA: May

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

Google Pixel 3 Lite

Google’s Pixel phones are the darlings of Android but they’re not exactly easy on the wallet. The latest model, the Pixel 3, begins at $799, while the larger Pixel 3 XL costs $899. The good news for budget-minded folks is there’s a strong chance Google has a solution for you coming in the first half of 2019.

A couple of sources, including the typically reliable @OnLeaks, have hinted that Google is working on ‘Lite’ versions of the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3 XL. We don’t have much to go on, but supposed render images of these suggest they’re well into development — we wouldn’t see rumors that we have for a Google Pixel phone launching next October (the usual Pixel timeframe).

The standard Pixel 3 Lite is rumored to carry a Snapdragon 670 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 12MP main camera, and an 8MP selfie camera. The Pixel 3 Lite XL will likely offer similar specs with a larger display and battery.

Possibly most exciting of all, both of these Pixel 3s may come with a headphone port. Jackpot.

Launch ETA: Spring

A comparison between the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 Lite XL.

The supposed Google Pixel 3 XL Lite (left) and Google Pixel 3 Lite.

91Mobiles/OnLeaks

Sony Xperia XZ4, Xperia XZ4 Compact, XA3, XA3 Ultra

Sony hasn’t announced its upcoming XZ and XA phones yet, but they’re expected early in the new year and we’ve seen a couple of recent leaks regarding them.

As interesting as the XZ and XA series look, they’re probably going to struggle without a more aggressive price strategy from Sony.

We have potential Xperia XZ4 and Xperia XZ4 Compact renders from the reliable @OnLeaks. These flagships would possibly arrive at MWC in February, seeing as the Xperia XZ2 appeared there in 2018, ahead of the XZ3 later that year. The XZ4 series phones are among the many Android’s tipped to feature triple rear cameras and Snapdragon 855 chips in 2019; the leaked renders suggest they’re going to be pretty slick.

Sony may also launch new phones in its midrange XA series this January: we’ve seen leaks concerning both the standard XA3 and the XA3 Ultra.

Sony’s smartphones are often well-regarded yet fail to capture the hearts of consumers due to several factors (steep pricing among them). As interesting as the XZ and XA series look, they’re probably going to struggle commercially without a more aggressive price strategy from Sony.

Launch ETA: February (XZ4, XZ4 Compact), January (XA3, XA3 Ultra)

An unofficial render of the Sony Xperia XZ4.

A render allegedly depicting the Sony Xperia XZ4.

MySmartPrice

Xiaomi Mi 9 and Mi Mix 3S

The Xiaomi Mi 8 was one of the most impressive phones we saw in 2018. It wasn’t necessarily the most inventive smartphone, but it was hard to argue with the specs and usability quality it offered at its price. Now, all eyes on Xiaomi to deliver again with the Mi 9.

This would no doubt be another comparatively low-cost Xiaomi phone. And probably its best yet.

The Mi 9 is said to arrive with a 6.4-inch display, Snapdragon 855 chipset, a triple rear camera, and as much as 10GB of RAM. Despite the premium spec sheet, this would no doubt be another comparatively low-cost Xiaomi phone. And probably its best yet.

Meanwhile, rumors are already circulating about Xiaomi’s next major Mi Mix device. The Mi Mix 4 would also apparently feature a Snapdragon 855 and triple camera setup; however, it’s possible the speculation regarding this phone actually relates to the Mi Mix 3S.

The Mi Mix 2S arrived last April as an upgraded version of the Mix 2, featuring an upgraded chipset and an extra camera on the back. As the Mix 3 arrived with a Snapdragon 845 and dual rear cameras, one might expect the Mix 3S to feature the aforementioned upgrades. As for whether the next major Mi Mix phone will fold — as has been hinted at — we doubt it, though the series is known for its progressive display efforts.

ETA: June (Mi 9). Spring (Mi Mix 3S).

A supposed render of the Xiaomi Mi 9.

A supposed render of the Xiaomi Mi 9.

Pocket-Lint

HMD Global Nokia 9 PureView

HMD Global has done brilliant things with the Nokia brand since it acquired it a couple of years ago now and the Nokia 9 PureView might be its most anticipated device yet. We’ve encountered numerous leaks about the phone (though HMD hasn’t announced it), the latest of which included a leaked video offering some potential specs.

Editor’s Pick

The Nokia 9 is set to come with a 6-inch, 2K, HDR 10 display, Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage space, and an in-display fingerprint sensor.

It’s a compelling specs sheet, but it’s the rear of the handset that’s causing the biggest stir, as it’s set to come with five cameras. While these may not necessarily lead to best-ever smartphone photo quality, they should offer some neat tricks, as well as superior low-light performance.

Launch ETA: January

A leaked render of the Nokia 9 PureView.

91Mobiles/OnLeaks

LG G8 ThinQ and LG folding phone

LG is another OEM which tends to release an H1 flagship and it’s possible we’ll see the LG G8 ThinQ before July next year (if indeed it will be called that).

Twitter leaker Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) tips it for a 4K LCD display and, as a major TV manufacturer, LG is likely to put an impressive screen on its flagship phone. Whether or not that truly means 4K resolution we’ll have to wait and see.

Editor’s Pick

We haven’t heard much else about this phone yet; however, LG has confirmed it’s working on another major handset you may be interested in.

LG says it has a folding phone already in development but also that it won’t be first to market with such a product. If Samsung or Huawei produce a foldy by February, that would put the phone’s release more than a couple of months away. With that in mind, ever-reliable leaker Evan Blass suggests it might be unveiled in January.

Launch ETA: June (LG G8 ThinQ), January (Folding phone)

LG V40 vs LG V30 close up of camera lenses

The LG V30 (left) and LG V40 (right).

Lenovo Z5 Pro GT, Moto Z4, and Moto G7 series

Lenovo has already announced the Z5 Pro GT and it looks like an incredible handset from the off. The sliding phone packs up to 12GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 855 chip, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and four cameras.

Best of all, it has a near bezel-less, notch-free, 6.4-inch display.

The Z5 Pro is also relatively well-priced in China, the 12GB of RAM + 512GB ROM model costs 4,398 Chinese yuan (~$635). This one may not see a wider release though.

Best of all, it has a near bezel-less, notch-free, 6.4-inch display.

Other notable upcoming phones under Lenovo’s watch include the rumored Moto Z4 (codenamed Odin), which may launch with a 5G Moto mod and Snapdragon 855, and the Moto G7 range of low-cost handsets. The standard G7 variant is said to come with a 6-inch, Full HD+ display, 64GB of internal storage, and dual 16MP + 5MP rear cameras.

Launch ETA: Already launched (Z5 Pro GT), H1, (Moto Z4), April (Moto G7 series)

An official promotional image of the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT.

The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT.

An upgraded HTC U12 Plus?

HTC’s Taiwan president recently spoke about the direction of its next phones, and it looks like we may not get a true HTC U12 Plus successor in the first half of next year.

Apparently, HTC’s current plan is to “extend” the U12 Plus range. Though HTC didn’t give us any further details on that when we reached out to it, it could mean a slightly upgraded U12 Plus is set for H1 next year.

Launch ETA: H1 2019


This isn’t a comprehensive list of upcoming Android phones, just a taste of what’s to come in 2019. Let us know if we’ve missed any big ones and tell us the handset you’re most excited for in the comments.

Source: Android Zone

The post Best upcoming Android phones of 2019 appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

2018 rewind: by the numbers

Android phone by the numbers

2018 has been a year of excellent smartphones, pleasing and shocking news stories, as well as firsts and lasts for a number of tech companies. Here’s a look at some of the most significant numbers in the smartphone industry throughout the year.

1.48 billion: smartphones sold

Almost a billion and a half smartphones shipped this year, according to researcher estimates. It’s a hefty number to be sure, but this is actually a slight decline compared to previous years. Global smartphone shipments have been mostly flat since 2016, declining by roughly one percent this year, depending on which calculations you look at.

The global picture is made up of major growth in India and a few other newer markets. Meanwhile, traditional Western consumers are holding onto their smartphones for a little longer these days, hence the overall plateau. The picture will probably look very much the same in 2019, and this is expected to have a knock-on effect for some of the world’s biggest manufacturers.

300 million: Facebook pictures uploaded every day

That’s a pretty staggering number of pictures being uploaded every single day, and that’s just to Facebook. If you factored in Instagram, Google Photos, and various other sources the figure could be well over half a billion. Still, with over 2 billion consumers using some form of Facebook-owned service every single day, this much engagement perhaps isn’t so surprising.

It’s worth remembering this number when we look at arguably the biggest trend in smartphones this year — dual and triple cameras. Most of us document our lives through pictures, and the medium’s enduring popularity is why phone manufacturers pay so much more attention to camera designs these days, whether they use a wide range of camera lenses or follow Google’s pursuit of AI-assisted perfection.

$2,430: the price of the Porsche Design Mate 20 RS

Our bank accounts know about the increasing prices of flagship smartphones all too well, but the Porsche Design Mate 20 RS costs enough to make a Saudi Prince’s eyes water. The top of the line 512MB storage version of the phone retails for or around 2,095 euros or 1,990 pounds, putting it just south of $2,500 if the phone was available in the U.S. Ouch!

The Mate 20 RS isn’t the most expensive smartphone ever though — Vertu still retains that particular accolade. The company returned from bankruptcy this year with its $5,000 Aster P model, which you would have to be absolutely insane to cough up for a Snapdragon 660 powered handset.

$300: the cost of the Pocophone F1

You could buy eight Pocophone F1 handsets for the price of a single Mate 20 RS. Xiaomi’s affordable handset set a new bar for high performance on a budget in 2018, offering a Snapdragon 845 chipset for just 21,000 rupees (~$300).

Editor’s Pick

Even though the cost of the average flagship phone is around the $1,000 mark today, Android continues to provide a diverse ecosystem catering to the wide range of consumer needs all around the globe. At $300 the Poco is one of the best bargains of the year.

19 percent: Samsung’s global market share

Samsung retained its spot as the world’s top smartphone manufacturer in 2018, accounting for 19 percent of global shipments in Q3 2018. That’s not really good news. Year-on-year shipments declined by 13 percent over the period, according to Counterpoint Research.

Its rival Huawei had a much better year, reaching 13 percent market share in Q3, up from 10 percent the year before. This squeezes the company ahead of Apple, although Cupertino tends to perform strongly at the end of the year following its latest iPhone releases.

36: days spent a year staring at your phone

Digital Wellbeing Hands-On

That’s right, according to an eMarketer report, the average U.S. adult spends 2 hours and 23 minutes on their smartphone each and every day, or 3 hours and 35 minutes once you throw other mobile gadgets like tablets into the mix. That’s 52,352 minutes, 872.53 hours, or 36.4 days on a phone each year. For some of us “power users,” that number will probably be much, much higher!

Editor’s Pick

If you’re alarmed (I am!), there are tools to help you make changes to this frankly unhealthy habit. Google’s Digital Wellbeing tool unveiled during Google I/O 2018, is designed to help you keep tabs on your time spent on your phone. Unfortunately, it’s only available for Pixel and Android One smartphones running Pie at the moment. There are also some alternatives apps available on the Play Store.

4.3 billion euros: Google’s fine from the EU

The EU fined Google a record-breaking 4.3 billion euros earlier this year for imposing anti-competitive terms on companies using its Android OS. Google is contesting the ruling, which has kicked the check writing down the road a little bit, but this almost certainly won’t be the last fine Google has to contend with.

That’s more money than small countries like Tonga, Comoros, and Dominica make in a year combined — by a lot. You could buy three Buckingham Palaces, or three or four NFL teams with that money. However, Google makes around $30 billion in revenue per quarter and its parent company, Alphabet, turned over more than $100 billion last year. That’s just how crazy rich Google is.

78.3 million: monthly Fortnite players

Don’t miss

You probably won’t find a bigger pop culture phenomenon this year than Fortnite. At last count, Epic confirmed 78.3 million peak monthly players across all support platforms, which includes the Android version of the game. There are also now over 200 million accounts registered for the game, so you’re almost bound to know someone who has played at some point.

I doubt anyone predicted a video game would garner more monthly players than the entire population of the United Kingdom after barely a year. Fortnite is expected to generate $2 billion in revenue for Epic this year, an equally impressive statistic for a free-to-play game.

650,811: votes cast for the Best of Android Reader’s Choice award

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Best of Android 2018 Reader's Choice

After 24 days and 23 different head-to-head matchups in our inaugural Best of Android Reader’s Choice award, Android Authority‘s most passionate readers spoke. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is your pick for the best phone this year.

Honorable mentions in the voting include the fan favorite OnePlus 6T, alongside the powerhouse Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Ultimately, your huge response to our Reader’s Choice award goes to show smartphone enthusiasm is alive and well in 2018. We can’t wait to see what you’re going to pick next year.

Next: The state of smartwatches and fitness trackers going into 2019

Source: Android Zone

The post 2018 rewind: by the numbers appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

Update your Motorola Moto G6 Plus to Android 9 Pie now

Moto G6 Plus Motorola

The Motorola Moto G6 Plus isn’t available in North America, unfortunately. However, if you’re lucky enough to live in a country where the device is available, you can now upgrade your Moto G6 Plus to the latest Android 9 Pie.

According to the Indian support page for the Moto G6 Plus, OTA update notifications are rolling out to the device now. If you can’t wait, you can follow the instructions below and update your device manually.

The upgrade to Android 9 Pie on the G6 Plus brings all the usual improvements, including adaptive battery, adaptive brightness, security enhancements, and various changes system-wide to UI elements.

Editor’s Pick

The Moto G6 Plus is very close in both design and specs to the Motorola Moto X4, which is probably one of the reasons it’s not available in North America. The G6 Plus has a 5.9-inch IPS LCD screen, a Snapdragon 630 processor, a single 12MP camera sensor on the rear, a 5MP RGB camera on the front, and a 3,200mAh battery. Its Indian retail price is 22,449 rupees (~$323).

To upgrade your Moto G6 Plus to Android 9 Pie manually, follow these instructions:

  1. Select the Settings icon in the apps menu
  2. Select System
  3. Select System updates
  4. Select “Download and Install”.
  5. After the software is installed, select “Restart Now”
  6. Your phone is now updated.

NEXT: Motorola One and Moto X4 get Android Pie in the U.S.

Source: Android Zone

The post Update your Motorola Moto G6 Plus to Android 9 Pie now appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

Best phones with 8GB of RAM — what are your current options?

It wasn’t that long ago that 8GB of RAM was considered a pretty sizeable capacity, even for a computer. Now, phones with 8GB of RAM are a thing – in fact, phones are even starting to offer 10GB of RAM! While that’s arguably an overkill, more RAM is never a bad thing, especially if you plan to keep your handset for several years. More RAM doesn’t necessarily mean you’re totally future proof, but it certainly helps.

If you’re in the market for a phone with 8GB of RAM, you’ll be happy to hear there are already quite a few of them to choose from — check out the five best ones below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

phones with 8GB of RAM

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was announced in August and is currently one of the best smartphones you can get your hands on. We here at Android Authority named it the smartphone of the year. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, although a version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is also available.

The flagship sports a 6.4-inch display with QHD+ resolution and is powered by the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset, depending on the region. There’s a dual-camera setup on the back with two 12MP sensors featuring dual aperture and scene recognition. It’s IP68 rated for protection against water and dust, has an 8MP selfie snapper, and packs a massive 4,000mAh battery.

Read next: Best Samsung phones you can buy right now

The handset also comes with the S Pen, which is a signature feature of the Note series. It now supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that lets you remotely control the camera with the button on the stylus. Samsung’s flagship is quite expensive, with the version sporting 8GB of RAM retailing for $1,250.

Specs

  • 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution, 516ppi
  • Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset — depending on the region
  • 6/8GB of RAM
  • 128/512GB of storage, microSD expansion up to 512GB
  • Dual 12MP rear cameras, 8MP front camera
  • Non-removable 4,000mAh battery
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g

Read more


OnePlus 6T

OnePLus 6t large display

The OnePlus 6T features 8GB of RAM paired with either 128 or 256GB of storage. However, a cheaper variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is also available.

Editor’s Pick

The device sports a 6.41-inch Full HD+ display with a notch and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset and has a dual-camera setup at the back with 16 and 20MP sensors. Other specs and features include a 3,700mAh battery, a 16MP front-facing camera, and Android 9.0 Pie with the popular OxygenOS skin on top.

What makes the OnePlus 6T so popular is its price. The 128GB variant can be yours for $580, while the 256GB model retails for $630. This is a great deal, but keep in mind that the device is missing a few flagship features like an IP rating and wireless charging, to name a few. There’s also no headphone jack on board.

Specs

  • 6.41-inch AMOLED display with 2,340 x 1,080 resolution, 402ppi
  • Snapdragon 845 chipset
  • 6/8GB of RAM
  • 128/256GB of storage, non-expandable
  • 16 and 20MP rear cameras, 16MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3,700mAh battery
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • 157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2mm, 185g

Read more


Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Huawei Mate 20 Pro in-display fingerprint sensor

The Mate 20 Pro is the best phone in Huawei’s lineup, as well as one of the best phones you can get. It comes with high-end specs, a gorgeous design, and a few extra bells and whistles you won’t find on any of its competitors.

The Mate 20 Pro sports a curved display, a triple-camera setup, and a massive 4,200mAh battery.

The flagship sports a large 6.39-inch screen with curved edges, similar to the ones found on the Galaxy S9 series. It has an in-display fingerprint scanner, a triple-camera setup on the back, and 3D facial recognition. There even a feature called reverse wireless charging on board that allows the phone to double as a wireless charger — learn more here.

The Mate 20 Pro is the class leader when it comes to battery life thanks to its a massive 4,200mAh cell. It’s also IP68 rated for protection against water and dust and supports expandable storage via Huawei’s new Nano Memory standard. The 6GB RAM version of the handset launched with a price tag of 900 pounds in the U.K and 1,000 euros (~$1,145) in the rest of Europe, but you can get it from around 850 euros at the moment — depending on where you buy it. The variant with 8GB of RAM is exclusive to certain markets and is a bit harder to track down — but you can get the international model on Amazon for around $1,200.

Specs

  • 6.39-inch AMOLED display with 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, 538ppi
  • Kirin 980 chipset
  • 6/8GB of RAM
  • 128/256GB of storage, expandable up to 256GB via NM (nano memory)
  • 40, 8, 20MP rear cameras, 24MP front camera
  • Non-removable 4,200mAh battery
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6mm, 189g

Read more


Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro

The front of Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro has top-of-the-line specs including the Snapdragon 845 chipset and 8GB of RAM. It also sports a dual-camera setup on the back, a 6.21-inch Full HD+ display, and 128GB of storage. 

Editor’s Pick

The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, allowing you to unlock it by placing your finger on a specific part of the screen. But in his review, our very own Oliver Cragg said it only worked maybe 40 percent of the time.

Xiaomi’s flagship has an eye-catching design thanks to its transparent back, which allows you to see the internals of the device — kind of. Other specs include a 3,000mAh battery, dual-SIM support, and Android Oreo with the company’s MIUI skin on top.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro was announced in September and is available in a number of European markets. In the U.K., you can currently get it for 480 pounds (~$605), which isn’t a bad deal. 

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro -- one of the best phones with 8GB of RAM

Specs

  • 6.21-inch Super AMOLED display with 2,248 x 1,080 resolution, 402ppi
  • Snapdragon 845 chipset
  • 8GB of RAM
  • 128GB of storage, non-expandable
  • Dual 12MP rear cameras, 20MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3,000mAh battery
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • 154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6mm, 177g

Read more


Asus ROG Phone

Asus ROG Phone display

This is a gaming phone. In addition to high-end specs, which include the Snapdragon 845 chipset and 8GB of RAM, it sports an attention-grabbing design with a customizable RGB logo at the back.

You can get the Asus ROG Phone with a range of accessories.

The phone comes with a range of accessories that improve the gaming experience. These include a TwinView handheld dock with a secondary display and 6,000mAh battery, a third-party GameVice controller with WiGig functionality so you can play on an external display, and more. The flagship even sports a performance mode called X Mode, which raises the minimum clock speed and restricts tasks to the four fastest cores.

Other specs and features of the handset include a 6.0-inch display, a massive 4,000mAh battery, and dual front-facing speakers. The entry-level version with 128GB of space can be yours for $900, while the 512GB variant will set you back $1,100.

The back of the Asus ROG Phone.

Specs

  • 6.0-inch AMOLED display with 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, 402ppi
  • Snapdragon 845 chipset
  • 8GB of RAM
  • 128/512GB of storage, non-expandable
  • 12 and 8MP rear cameras, 8MP front camera
  • Non-removable 4,000mAh battery
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.3 mm, 200g

Read more


There you have it, folks. These are our picks for the five best phones with 8GB of RAM, although there are quite a few others out there to choose from. These include the Oppo Find X, Asus Zenfone 5z, and the Huawei P20 Pro. Then there’s also the Pocophone F1, but the version with 8GB of RAM is exclusive to certain markets and kind of hard to get. Let’s not forget about the Honor View 20 that recently made its debut in China, with the global announcement scheduled for January 22. Which ones would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Android Zone

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Head of R&D at Essential: ‘We aren’t done, not by a long shot’

  • The Essential Phone is out of stock and that stock will no longer be replenished.
  • This news led many to believe that the company as a whole is going down in flames.
  • However, Essential’s head of research and development tweeted that the company isn’t done, “not by a long shot.”

Late last week, we found out the Essential Phone’s stock had run dry and would not be replenished. Many news publications took that information and ran with it, posting headlines such as “The Essential Phone is dead,” and “RIP Essential Phone.”

After reading headlines like those, one might jump to the conclusion that Essential itself is dying as well. However, Jason Keats — the head of research and development at Essential — would beg to differ. Shortly after the headlines began making their way across the ‘net, Keats took to Twitter to dispel the rumors:

In the tweet, Keats says that the negative headlines about “the death” of the Essential Phone simply fuel his desire to succeed with the company going forward. He ends the tweet by saying, “We [Essential] aren’t done, not by a long shot.”

While this isn’t quite an official announcement from the company, it does seem to suggest Essential is simply transitioning at the moment. Although Andy Rubin — the founder and head of Essential, and the so-called “Father of Android” — is in some trouble right now in both the PR and legal sense, and the company just laid off a third of its workforce, it appears all that bad news combined with the end of Essential Phone production isn’t what it seems to be.

In fact, back at the beginning of November, Keats posted this cryptic tweet about some big news at Essential:

While no concrete information is relayed in that tweet, it does seem to suggest there’s something big in the pipeline. That something might make an appearance next week at CES 2019, if rumors surrounding Essential are to be believed.

Editor’s Pick

It should also be mentioned that Keats might not be the most reliable source when it comes to relaying company news. In the thread of comments under his tweet about the company not being done, someone cheekily referred to the headphone jack as being “essential,” referencing the fact that the Essential Phone does not have the much-loved port. Keats responded with an angry-sounding message in which he claims responsibility for the removal of the jack because he hates it and feels it drives phone design in bad directions.

However, Keats then deleted that tweet shortly after.

Luckily, the tweet has been preserved in the screenshot below:

While people delete tweets all the time, it doesn’t make a person look too reliable when they are in the habit of going “off script” for a bit and then deleting their statements. With that in mind, take any information Keats delivers on Twitter with a grain of salt.

What do you think? Is Essential going to make one of the biggest potential comebacks in mobile history, or is the company just hanging on by a thread? Let us know your theories in the comments.

NEXT: The Essential Phone Audio Adapter HD is here (a year too late)

Source: Android Zone

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5G is almost here – here’s what you can expect from Verizon

Verizon began its preparations for 5G years ago by densifying its 4G LTE network using small cell sites in highly-populated areas. The company’s current fiber-based network — a huge web consisting of 900,000 global fiber route miles as of August 2018 — will deliver data to Verizon’s millimeter (mmWave) 5G small cell sites scattered across the nation. In rural areas, Version will install fiber cable in 1,000-foot intervals.

Overall, Verizon’s 5G rollout plan is the exact opposite of T-Mobile: Sell a fixed in-home 5G-based service first and launch a mobile 5G service sometime thereafter. T-Mobile is focusing on nationwide 5G coverage using long-range LTE Band 71 and two other short-range mmWave bands first, followed by an in-home service at a later date.

Related:

While T-Mobile’s 5G service is based on industry standards approved by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project conglomerate (3GPP), Verizon is initially using its proprietary-yet-open 5G TF network standard. Verizon took this route because the company simply didn’t want to wait for the 3GPP 5G NR standard to make it to network equipment, devices, chipsets, and software. Once hardware, software, and equipment arrive using the 3GPP 5G NR standard, Verizon will update its “First on 5G” members for free.

Meanwhile, Verizon’s other big competitor AT&T is pushing to bring mobile 5G to 12 large and mid-sized cities – including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, and more – in 2018. The company will then increase that coverage to around 19 cities in 2019 and eventually expand its 5G network once it’s established the service in those 19 markets. A home network service is in the works too, which AT&T is currently testing in limited markets like South Bend, Indiana.

The key takeaway from 5G is capacity in addition to faster download speeds. According to Verizon Communications chief executive Hans Vestberg, 4G can handle around 1,000 connected devices per square kilometer whereas 5G can handle one million. Meanwhile, 4G has a latency of around 200 milliseconds whereas 5G goes down to a mere 10 milliseconds.

All that said, here’s what we know about Verizon 5G and what’s to come later.

Spectrum

Verizon 5G uses the 28GHz and 39GHz bands, both of which are high-band millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. Verizon holds 76 percent of the available 28GHz band and 46 percent of the available 39GHz band. So far there’s no indication Verizon will use LTE Band 71 for long-range 5G coverage like T-Mobile.

Rollout plans

Verizon launched its 5G-based home networking service in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento on October 1. The company will build out its 5G coverage using equipment based on the 3GPP 5G NR standard when they become available. According to Verizon, Clayton Harris of Houston, Texas, became the very first 5G customer.

Samsung will provide the initial hardware for Verizon’s in-home service. Depending on the customer’s location, the professionally-installed setup may consist of a compact 5G home and outdoor router, a 5G Radio (Access Unit, Digital Unit-integrated type) and virtualized radio solutions. You’ll also receive a free Apple TV or Google Chromecast device.

According to Verizon, customers will see an average download speed of 300Mbps and a maximum download speed of 940Mbps with no data caps. By comparison, you can get a Charter Spectrum wired connection at 300Mbps for around the same price, but you’ll never see the maximum speed reported by Version.

The company’s in-home service also boasts unlimited data, no annual contracts, no additional fees, no increases, no taxes and no additional equipment charges. It only supports data, meaning you can’t use the in-home service to make cellular calls and send texts. Even more, Verizon claims it won’t throttle data as seen with its current mobile 4G LTE “unlimited” data service.

“In our testing, including rain and windy environments, there have been no indications of typical weather issues affecting 5G Home service,” Verizon states in its FAQ. The comment stems from a common problem seen with millimeter waves, as they can’t easily penetrate buildings and other obstacles. They can also be absorbed by plants and rain. Placing small cell networks throughout the city helps eliminate these barriers.

During the SCWS Americas 2018 wireless connectivity show, Verizon’s Bill Stone said 5G Home connection speeds will double within the next six months. The service currently uses Verizon’s licensed 28GHz spectrum in four 100MHz channels but will eventually expand to eight channels (800MHz).

Real-world testing shows the current download speeds can surpass Verizon’s advertised 300Mbps, hitting 600Mbps and 800Mbps. These tests were conducted by Emil Olbrich, VP of networks at Signals Research Group. He said Verizon already expanded its 5G Home service to six channels at 100MHz each since launch, increasing the initial download and upload speeds. Distance and obstacles seem to have very little effect despite the use of short millimeter waves.

To demonstrate its new in-home 5G Home service, Verizon launched 5G Experience Labs in its four current markets. Although the “labs” remained open for only a week, these experiences provided examples of how gaming and VR will benefit from 5G connectivity. For example, the company teamed up with LiquidSky to showcase high-resolution game streaming on a mobile device paired with a wireless controller. Another demonstration, 5G VR Basketball, enabled players to shoot hoops without seeing the actual, physical hoop.

Finally, Verizon’s 5G mobile service will launch roughly six months after its fixed 5G service.

Markets announced

Current markets include portions of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. Verizon will reveal availability in additional markets at a later date.

Plans and prices

The cost of the Verizon 5G Home network service is $70 per month, or $50 per month if you have a separate Verizon Wireless $30 phone plan. There’s no charge for the first three months, and you also get three months of YouTube TV for free. Google’s service will cost $40 per month thereafter.

Verizon has not officially announced any plans and pricing for its mobile 5G service.

Verizon 5G

Other things we know

Verizon teamed up with Ericsson to use its commercial 5G Radio Access Network software, which will allow Verizon to switch on its 5G network when ready. The software applies to Ericsson’s 5G-ready Ericsson Radio Systems, which now has a bigger footprint in North America thanks to an expanding 4G partnership with Verizon. They reached a milestone in July by deploying Massive MIMO transmissions in Irvine, California.

Verizon and Motorola introduced a the Moto Z3 in August: The Moto Z3. This new smartphone ships with the 5G Moto mod, a snap-on adapter adding 5G connectivity when Verizon flips on the mobile service sometime in 2019.

Voxon Photonics achieved the world’s first holographic communication using Verizon’s 5G network on the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor. The data only traveled 200 feet between Verizon’s booth and Ericsson’s booth, and consisted of a caller’s holographic face in a real-time conference video using an Intel RealSense depth camera.

Verizon acquired Straight Path Communications in February for $3.1 billion in an all-stock transaction. Straight Path owns a large stockpile of 28GHz and 39GHz spectrum Verizon will use for its 5G services. In turn, 20 percent of Straight Path’s 39GHz spectrum was handed back to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to a violation of the FCC’s buildout and discontinuance rules. The company also paid a $600 million penalty.

Samsung will launch its first smartphone compatible with Verizon’s 5G network in North America during the first half of 2019. The device will be based on Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship Snapdragon chip with a built-in X50 5G NR modem and antenna modules. It’s supposedly code-named “Bolt,” which is different than the “Beyond” code-names tied to the upcoming Galaxy S10 “ultimate” variants slated for February. This same device may be available at AT&T and T-Mobile as well.

Verizon will introduce a 5G hotspot designed by Inseego Corp in 2019. Both companies revealed the device during Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon summit, showcasing how it can handle a live virtual reality telemedicine demo streamed by Columbia University. The hotspot will be based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chip with a built-in Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules. It will also include Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 6 component, which is a newer, easier name to remember than Wireless AX. Verizon did not say when this hotspot will be made available in 2019.

Source: Android Zone

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Best of Best WordPress Tutorials of 2018 on WPBeginner

The year 2018 is about to come to an end. It was a great year overall for WPBeginner, WordPress community, and for many of our users who started new websites and businesses. We want to thank all of you for your continued support of WPBeginner.

To continue our tradition, in this article, we will share our staff-pick of the best of best WordPress tutorials on WPBeginner. We will also share an overview of the success that our team had in 2018.

Best of the best WordPress tutorials of 2018

WPBeginner Recap 2018 by Syed Balkhi

Like every year, 2018 has been the best year ever for me both personally and professionally.

WPBeginner YouTube channel passed over 100,000 subscribers (currently at 122k subscribers). This was one of my goals for 2018, and I’m very glad that we met it.

We switched WPBeginner to HTTPS and added Browser Push Notification. In the last 6 months, we have added over 260,000+ users in our push list. This has been a great new traffic source for the blog.

In August, I launched the WPBeginner growth accelerator fund, which is the first-ever growth fund focused entirely on WordPress businesses.

WPBeginner Growth Accelerator Fund

Over 90 companies applied to receive investment and mentoring (which is quite humbling).

I completed the first round and invested in some amazing WordPress products including: MemberPress, Pretty Links, Affiliate Royale, Formidable Forms, and SeedProd.

If you’re interested in learning more, then check out this blog post where I shared some behind the scenes details.

2018 was a great year for WPBeginner’s family of products.

WPForms passed over 1 million active installs and it’s now one of the top 25 most popular WordPress plugins of all time. Considering that we only launched it in 2016, it’s amazing to see how far we have come.

We added a lot of powerful features in WPForms including: surveys & polls, form permissions (form locker), conditional form confirmations, Stripe recurring payments, Drip addon, rating fields, likert scale, NPS fields, image choice fields, custom input masks, better terms of service field, GDPR compatibility, Gutenberg compatibility, and so much more.

WPForms is the most beginner friendly WordPress form plugin, and that’s why it has continued to maintain a 4.9 out of 5 star rating average with over 3000+ five star ratings (read WPForms user reviews).

Not using WPForms yet? You can try the free version and then upgrade to Pro when you’re ready.

MonsterInsights, the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, passed over 2 million active installs.

We launched a brand new Overview report inside WordPress dashboard. We also created customized reports for Publishers and Ecommerce websites, so you can see the stats that really matter. We added several other reports as well including: Search Console report, Form Conversion report, and Custom Dimensions report.

MonsterInsights has become one of my most favorite plugins in 2018 because it helps me grow our business with confidence. I sincerely believe that it’s easy to double your traffic and sales when you know exactly how people find and use your website. MonsterInsights helps me make data-driven decisions to grow our business.

OptinMonster, our flagship conversion optimization software, continued to push the limits in 2018. We launched version 5.0 which added a brand new drag & drop campaign builder and a revamped display rules engine, so you can create more personalized campaigns.

Aside from the big release, we also released several new campaign templates, email conversion summaries, a new beta program, and my favorite Smart Tags feature.

Smart Tags basically makes dynamic personalization easy. Previously OptinMonster offered this feature as part of our API, but it required coding.

Now you can add personalization like user’s name, location (country, city, state, etc), time, and other items inside your OptinMonster campaign to boost conversions without writing any code.

Our free plugin WP Mail SMTP also passed the 1 million active installs mark.

In October 2018, I sold my popular List25 blog, so I can better focus on our WordPress and software business.

List25 was a side project that I started in college as an experiment. In 2018, we passed 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube and had 570 million total video views.

This blog never fit into what we did at Awesome Motive, but I kept it for as long as I did for sentimental values. Not to mention, it did generate a pretty good side income.

As for personal life, 2018 was a great year for my family. My son, Solomon, turned 2 years old. It’s been quite fun to watch him grow. We traveled to 6 countries this year. Solomon attended 1 WordCamp in 2018 (WordCamp Miami). His two favorite letters in the alphabet are W and P. Surprisingly it took me a while to catch that, and of course that makes sense considering most of the shirts I wear are WordPress branded. Below is a picture of our family, since I know many of you often ask for it.

Syed Balkhi Family Photo 2018

If you want to see more of my personal journey, then please check out my 2018 Year in Review blog post on my personal blog. It has everything that happened to me in 2018 both personally & professionally along with lessons that I learned, and my goals for 2019.

With that said, let’s take a look at the best of WPBeginner in 2018.

Best WPBeginner Tutorials in 2018

We published some really useful guides, tutorials, and how-tos throughout 2018. Here are some of our favorites.

January

What’s the difference between domain name and web hosting – We started the year with a beginner’s guide explaining the difference between domain name and web hosting. Many beginners often confuse the two terms, so we thought it is about time we explain the difference to help users understand the web basics.

How to send email in WordPress using the Gmail SMTP Server – Often WordPress websites fail to send emails because of poor configuration of email functions on their WordPress hosting servers. In this article, we showed an easier solution to the problem by sending WordPress emails using Gmail SMTP server.

Shopify vs WooCommerce – Which is the better platform? – Many beginners who want to start an online store often struggle in choosing between two of the most popular eCommerce platforms, Shopify and WooCommerce. In this article, we compared both platforms side-by-side for their features, ease-of-use, pricing, and flexibility to help you choose the best eCommerce platform for your online store.

16 Best Alternatives to the WordPress Jetpack Plugin – As your website grows, you will likely need to expand beyond the basic functionality of the Jetpack plugin suite. That’s why we created a list of the best Jetpack alternatives for specific features.

February

How to create an online course with WordPress using LearnDash – Selling online courses is becoming a common way for bloggers to make money online. In this guide, we explained how to easily create an online course using LearnDash with step by step instructions.

How to create a survey in WordPress – Surveys are a great way to gather valuable information from your users and use it to grow your business. In this step by step guide, we showed you how to create a survey in WordPress with beautiful interactive reports.

How to create a micro-job website like Fiverr with WordPress – Fiverr is a popular marketplace. This tutorial allows you to create a micro-job website like Fiverr and allow users to offer their services on your website, so you can earn a commission when jobs are completed.

How to fix the Mixed Content Error in WordPress – Mixed content error in WordPress is caused by incorrect HTTPs/SSL settings. While it may not affect your website’s functionality, it can have adverse affects on your website’s SEO and user experience. This guide helps you fix that.

How to add a stats dashboard on your WordPress site – Step by step guide on how to see your website stats inside your WordPress dashboard.

March

How to create an online marketplace using WordPress – A marketplace website allows your users to buy and sell items by setting up their own mini-stores within your eCommerce website for a fee. It is one of the fastest growing eCommerce categories with many opportunities for small niche marketplaces. In this guide, we showed you how to create your own online marketplace using WordPress with step by step instructions.

How to build an auction site like eBay using WordPress – An auction website allows users to bid on products to purchase them. This helps you to maximize profits and you can even allow other users to run their own auctions on your website for a fee. In this article, we showed you how to easily create an eBay like auction site using WordPress without any special technical skills.

How to sell ads on your WordPress blog – Online ads are one of the most popular ways to make money from your website. In this step by step beginner’s guide, we showed you how to properly sell ads on your WordPress blog and how to maximize your ad earnings.

Best online grammar checker tools for WordPress – Modern browsers come with built-in spellcheck but there is no way to check for grammar or readability. We hand-picked the best online grammar checker tools to help you write better blog posts for your website.

11 most important pages that every WordPress blog should have – Ever wondered what are the most important pages that you must have? As you go into 2019, make sure you have these important pages on your blog.

April

The ultimate affiliate marketing guide for beginners – Affiliate marketing is one of the most successful ways to monetize WordPress websites. In this beginner’s guide, we explained affiliate marketing, how it works, and showed step by step instructions to get started with affiliate marketing.

How to enable customer tracking in WooCommerce with Google Analytics – Customer tracking helps you understand user behavior and improve shopping experience on your website for maximum conversions. In this guide, we showed how you can enable WooCommerce tracking with Google Analytics and unlock this invaluable information.

Best WordPress job board plugins and themes – We hand-picked some of the best plugins and themes that you can use to add a job board to your WordPress website.

Revealed: Which are the most popular types of blogs? – This is one of the most commonly asked questions we get from new users who’re looking to start a blog. This article should help you find the best niche for your website.

May

The ultimate guide to WordPress and GDPR Compliance – The EU’s GDPR law made most website owners concerned about how it would affect them. In this guide, we explained everything you need to know about GDPR compliance in plain English.

How to easily accept credit card payments in WordPress – Many beginners want to accept credit card payments on their website without adding a shopping cart. In this article, we showed you how to easily accept credit card payments in WordPress without using a full-fledged eCommerce platform.

Best content marketing tools and plugins for WordPress – Content marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to get search traffic to your website. We shared our pick of the best content marketing tools and plugins for WordPress to create a killer content strategy for your website.

Ultimate list of WordPress stats, facts, and other research – Need to convince your boss or someone else in your organization to use WordPress? Here some stats, facts, and research that will help.

How to register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for free) – Beginner’s guide on what is a domain name, how to register one, and a bonus tip on how to get it for free.

June

How to do keyword research for your WordPress blog – In this article, we explained what is keyword research and how you can use it to find blog post ideas, improve SEO rankings, and get more traffic for your WordPress blog.

Wix vs WordPress – Which one is better? – Wix is a popular website builder that helps you create websites without any programming skills. In this article, we compared Wix vs WordPress with pros and cons of both platforms to determine which one is better.

How to create a free business email address – A business email address uses your company name and looks a lot more professional than a generic Gmail or Hotmail account. In this step by step guide, we showed you how to easily create a free business email address in 5 minutes.

Best analytics solutions for WordPress users – Website analytics help you find out where your users are coming from and what they do on your site. In this showcase, we shared our pick of the best analytics solutions that you can use on your WordPress website.

How to allow users to upload images in WordPress comments – By default WordPress doesn’t let users upload images in comments. If you want to allow your readers to upload images in comments similar to Facebook comments, then here’s a step by step tutorial to do that.

July

18 most important things you need to do after installing WordPress – Starting a new WordPress site? Here’s a checklist that we recommend you follow after you have installed WordPress.

How to properly move WordPress from HTTP to HTTPS – In July, Google announced that Chrome browser will mark all websites without an SSL certificate as insecure. This beginner’s guide shows you how to properly switch WordPress from HTTP to HTTPS.

How to choose the best domain registrar – Domain registrars are the companies responsible for registering and managing all domain names in the world. Choosing the right domain registrar will help you avoid additional costs and have full control of your domain. In this guide, we shared the best domain registrars that you can choose from.

Proven and easy to start online business ideas – If you are looking for a business idea that you can start online and start making money, then this guide is for you. We shared easy to start online business ideas that actually make money and do not cost much to start.

How to import external images in WordPress – Extremely useful guide for those who’re switching domain names or moving websites from another platform to WordPress.

August

How to create an IDX real estate website using WordPress – Many of our users wanted to build a functional real estate website using WordPress. In this tutorial, we showed how to easily build an IDX real estate website using WordPress without spending a fortune.

How to protect your WordPress site from brute force attacks – Brute force attacks can slow down a website, make it inaccessible, and even crack passwords to install malware. In this article, we showed you how to effectively protect your WordPress install against brute force attacks.

How to fix common SSL issues in WordPress – Some of our users wanted to know how to fix issues when moving their website from HTTP to HTTPs. In this beginner’s guide, we shared how to fix common SSL issues in WordPress.

Best WordPress caching plugin to speed up your website – One of the fastest ways to speed up your WordPress site is to install a caching plugin. This article highlights the best WordPress caching plugins.

How to create an Etsy-Like store with WordPress – Tired of paying Etsy’s high transaction fees? Here’s a step by step guide on how to create an Etsy-Like store in WordPress, and how to properly move an existing Etsy store to WordPress.

September

How to switch from Blogger to WordPress without losing Google rankings – We did a massive rewrite of one of our most popular articles on the website. Want to switch from Blogger to WordPress? We’ve got you covered.

How to take a screenshot for your blog posts (Ultimate Guide) – This step by step guide covers 6 different methods to taking screenshots for your blog posts. Bonus Power Tip that helps you quickly create screencasts and animated GIFs.

Top reasons why WordPress sites get hacked – One of the most common myths about WordPress is that it is less secure. WordPress is the most popular website builder in the world, and that’s why it is often the biggest target of any hacking attempts. In this guide, we shared the top reasons why WordPress sites get hacked and how you can easily prevent it from happening on your site.

How to properly move from Squarespace to WordPress – Many people who start their websites using Squarespace quickly realize the limitations of that platform and want to move. In this article, we shared how to move your website from Squarespace to WordPress.

How to disable Gutenberg and keep the WordPress Classic Editor – A lot of users are not happy with WordPress 5.0 block editor (Gutenberg). This article shows you how to disable Gutenberg and keep the classic editor.

October

40 most common WordPress errors and how to fix them – This ultimate guide is worth bookmarking because it has solutions for fixing 40 of the most common WordPress errors.

How to style the WordPress comment form – This guide is theme designer’s dream come true. It covers all the things you need to customize your WordPress comment form.

Ways to recover WooCommerce abandoned cart sales – More than 67% of users on an eCommerce stores abandon their carts without checking out. In this guide, we showed you how to recover those WooCommerce abandoned cart sales and grow your business more efficiently.

How to move your site from Joomla to WordPress – Joomla is a popular CMS software, much like WordPress but with a much smaller user base. In this step by step tutorial, we showed how to easily move your site from Joomla to WordPress.

How to check keyword rankings for your WordPress blog posts – You work hard on improving WordPress SEO and creating great content but how do you know if your site is doing well? In this beginner’s guide, we showed you how to check if your blog posts are ranking for the right keywords.

How to show your business review from Google, Facebook, and Yelp in WordPress – Want to add social proof to your business website? This plugin easily lets you display positive reviews about your business from social media right on your WordPress site.

November

Ultimate WooCommerce SEO Guide – Search is the most important source of traffic for most online stores. In this beginner’s guide, we showed you how to improve WooCommerce SEO with step by step instructions to rank higher in Google.

10 website marketing data you must track on your site – Instead of relying on your best guesses to make important marketing decisions, we showed you which website marketing data you must track on every WordPress site from day 1.

How to use user-generated content in WordPress – Use generated content allows you to add content created and generated by user activity on your website. In this tutorial, we showed you how to properly utilize user-generated content in WordPress to grow your business.

15 tips to grow your business online with a small budget – Most businesses who are just starting out don’t have big marketing budgets. In this guide, we shared our expert tips on growing your business online without spending a lot of money.

How to clone a WordPress (in 7 easy steps) – Moving a WordPress site to a new web host? Switching to a new domain? Or just want to create a staging site? Here’s a step by step guide on how to easily clone your WordPress site.

December

Using Google Search Console to grow website traffic – Google Search console is an incredibly powerful tool that offers tons of useful information that you can use to grow your website and get more traffic. In this beginner’s guide, we showed you how to properly use Google Search Console to grow your website traffic.

Best free website hosting compared – Many beginners who just want a quick website often want to start with a free website hosting company. In this article, we shared our pick of the best almost free and free website hosting companies and how they stack up against each other.

How to properly move from Medium to WordPress – Medium is a free writing platform but it is not exactly a flexible website builder like WordPress. In this step by step tutorial, we showed you how to easily move from Medium to WordPress.

How to use the new WordPress block editor (Gutenberg tutorial) – In WordPress 5.0, the classic content editor was replaced by a brand new block editor called Gutenberg. To answer user questions, we published the comprehensive Gutenberg block editor tutorial that walks you through the new editor and how to use it like a pro.

Best live chat software for small business – Our expert comparison of the best live chat software for small businesses.

These were some of the best WordPress tutorials on WPBeginner in 2018. We hope that you found them helpful.

We want to thank all WPBeginner users, who visited our website, offered feedback, left comments, and shared it with others. We truly appreciate you.

We look forward to adding even more useful WordPress tutorials in 2019. Have a Happy New Year.

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