10 best Pokémon games for Android!

There is actually a collection of Pokémon games on mobile now. It was a long time coming because Pokémon is one of the most popular gaming franchises out there. Each game plays a little differently. That means no two games offer the same experience. There aren’t many yet, but here are the best Pokémon games for Android!

Read Next: Pokémon Quest tips and tricks: From beginner to master in only couple of hours 

Here are some more games like Pokémon as well as some emulators to play the classics!

10 best Game Boy Advanced, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy emulators for Android

10 best games like Pokemon for Android

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Camp Pokémon

Price: Free (with advertising)

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Camp Pokémon is a cute little Pokémon game for kids. You traverse an island and play a bunch of mini-games. The mini-games are all rather simple, but still Pokémon related. Additionally, you catch Pokémon, track your progress through the game, and enjoy some truly colorful and fun graphics. There are also stickers to collect and some other fun game mechanics. It’s definitely not the deepest game on the list. However, its age range is between six and eight years old so we weren’t expecting a full game here. In any case, it’s completely free with no in-app purchases. There may be some small adverts, though.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Magikarp Jump

Price: Free with in-app purchases

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Magikarp Jump is one of the newest Pokémon games on the list. It’s a simple little casual game. Your job is to train Magikarp. The goal is to make him flop higher than your opponent’s Magikarp. It may seem a little silly because it definitely is. You’ll have to feed it, train it, and put it through competitions to make it stronger. It features cameos from other Pokémon along with some customizations. Like Camp Pokémon, it’s definitely made for casual gamers.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon Duel

Price: Freemium

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon Duel is one of the newer Pokémon games on Android. It plays a little bit like a board game mixed with the traditional card game. You create a lineup of Pokémon and battle another player or AI opponent. You move your pieces across the board strategically and take out the opposing Pokémon. The extra strategy elements make the game a little different from other Pokémon games. However, you still get classic mechanics like elemental weaknesses and special moves for specific Pokémon. It’s a freemium game so do beware of that. Otherwise, it’s a decent little time killer for Pokémon fans.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon Go

Price: Freemium

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon Go hit the world like a ton of bricks. It is without a doubt the most popular Pokémon game on mobile. There aren’t a lot of people who don’t know how this game works. You walk around in the real world, catch Pokémon, level them up, and then use them to battle gyms. The real world element also motivates you to leave the couch and go meet new people. There are various things to make the game more engage like in-game events. The fad has died down a lot. However, that just made more room for the real Pokémon Go fans. 2018 updates added things like trainer battles, Pokémon trading, and some additional new mechanics. The game also integrates directly with the Let’s Go, Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu games on Nintendo Switch for some cross-platform fun. It’s definitely not the same game you played back in 2016. It’s much better now.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon Playhouse

Price: Free

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon Playhouse is a kids game for Pokemon fans. The game includes a large playhouse with tons and tons of Pokémon. Children interact with the house, the Pokémon, and other in-game elements. The game has super simple controls, lots of colors and noise, and other elements that kids might like. It’s intended for younger kids from ages three to five. Thus, don’t expect anything complicated out of this Pokémon game. Camp Pokémon is another excellent Pokemon title for slightly older kids. Pokémon Playhouse is also free with no in-app purchases or advertisements.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon Quest

Price: Freemium

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon Quest is another newer Pokémon game from 2018. It’s also one of the few cross-platform Pokémon games. You can play on mobile or on Nintendo Switch. The Pokémon world is in cubes, but your goal remains mostly the same. You catch Pokémon, train them, and battle them. There is also a campground where players customize the space and make it their own. This is a full game unlike something such as Camp Pokémon or Pokémon Playhouse. Thus, we only recommend it for older kids and adults. There are a few bugs in the game play, but nothing overly serious. Admittedly, it’s not quite as fun as a main series Pokémon game.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon Shuffle Mobile

Price: Freemium

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon Shuffle Mobile was one of the first Pokémon games on mobile. It is essentially a classic match-three style game with some added combat mechanics. You have to match up a bunch of shapes in order to attack your foe. You get larger attacks if you match more than three shapes at once. It otherwise acts like any other Pokémon game. It’s a casual game. Thus, it’s not difficult to play and you’ll be grinding for new stuff often (or paying for it). That doesn’t make it bad or anything, just more friendly to a casual audience. It is not as deep as some other Pokémon games on this list.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Pokémon TCG Online

Price: Freemium

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Pokémon TCG Online is a mobile, freemium version of the popular trading card game. Players collect various Pokémon cards, build decks, and challenge other players. It works a lot like games such as Hearthstone or Clash Royale, but with Pokémon mechanics. It has online PvP, AI opponents for non-PvP play, various customization elements, and a lot more. It’s a freemium game like we said earlier. That means there is a pay-to-win element with this one. Otherwise, it’s quite a bit of fun. It competes favorably with Pokémon Duel as a slightly more serious, but still very casual Pokémon game.

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

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Nintendo DS Pokémon games

Price: Varies

CHECK OUT THE BEST NINTENDO DS EMULATORS HERE!

There were a few Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS. They include Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver, Black and White, and Black 2 and White 2. Many of those games are older, but still very fun and very traditional Pokémon games. We don’t recommend piracy, so please try to buy these games before attempting to emulate them on your Android devices. That said, DraStic is likely your best option for a functional Nintendo DS emulator. You can check out our full list of Nintendo DS emulators by clicking the button above. This is an excellent way to get some classic Pokémon games on your phone or tablet.

CHECK OUT THE BEST NINTENDO DS EMULATORS HERE!

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Even older Pokémon games

Price: Varies

CHECK OUT THE BEST GAME BOY EMULATORS HERE!

There are a bunch of Pokémon games for older game systems as well. Game Boy and Game Boy color saw the classic Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow along with Gold, Silver, and Crystal (Game Boy Color only). Game Boy Advance had Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald. Again, we do not condone piracy so do try to buy these games before emulating them on your phone or tablet. That said, we have a list of the best Game Boy emulators (including Color and Advance) at the button above. Check those out and find the one that works best for you. Between these, the DS ones, and the mobile games, you’re actually only missing a handful of Pokémon games on Switch and Nintendo 3DS. You otherwise have access to all of them.

CHECK OUT THE BEST GAME BOY EMULATORS HERE!

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Thank you for reading! Here are some final game lists to consider!

15 best RPGs for Android

10 best Strategy RPGs and Tactical RPGs on Android

If we missed any great Pokemon games for Android, tell us about it in the comments below! You can also click here to see our latest Android app and game lists!

Source: Android Zone

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The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will eventually support a new LTE band

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL already support a robust number of LTE bands. That number will soon go up by one, thanks to a software update that will introduce LTE band 48 support.

We’re not sure when the software update will arrive. Google requested a change to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL’s FCC filings back in November 2018, with the addendum made public yesterday.

For the uninitiated, LTE band 48 is also known as the Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS). The LTE band is split into three tiers, with the first reserved for Navy radar and other carrier-aircraft communication.

The second tier can be made available to others when not fully utilized. Companies can bid to use the second tier. Lastly, the third tier operates as unlicensed spectrum that can be shared.

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The ‘Google sharing bandwidth’ and CBRS story: What’s actually happening in the wireless space

Wireless spectrum is in high-demand in the U.S., and for good reason. 5G is just over the horizon, and carriers need low-latency, high-bandwidth frequencies. It’s not cheap, either.

The wireless industry is built on high-priced auctions …

It’s that third tier that Google and U.S. carriers are strongly looking at. LTE band 48’s third tier allows carriers to share airwaves and dismisses the necessity for carriers to acquire their own spectrum licenses.

In the long run, carriers can save money, add capacity to their networks for improved speeds and reliability, and possibly speed up 5G deployment if they use that third tier.

In April 2018, Verizon announced it would target CBRS-compatible devices and service by the end of 2018. FCC approved Verizon’s application to conduct year-long CBRS tests in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, Florida with several smartphones.

NEXT: 5G is almost here — Here’s what you can expect from Verizon

Source: Android Zone

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FTC antitrust case against Qualcomm officially starts

Today, in California, the United States Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against chipset-maker Qualcomm officially started, via Reuters.

The FTC accuses Qualcomm of abusing a monopoly on mobile chip technology, the company’s bread-and-butter. The outcome of the case could have major ramifications not only for Qualcomm’s business but the smartphone industry at large.

The non-jury trial is expected to last for 10 days. Presiding Judge Lucy Koh will issue the verdict.

Editor’s Pick

Qualcomm gets partial iPhone sales ban in Germany (Update: Qualcomm playing dirty?)

Update, December 21, 2018 (01:55 PM ET): Although Qualcomm has recently earned two significant wins in global courts related to its patent war with Apple, things might not be as clear-cut as Qualcomm would have us …

If Qualcomm is found to be abusing a monopoly, that verdict will have explosive ramifications for the company and its multiple lawsuits around the world. Qualcomm is engaged right now in several high-profile disputes with Apple, two of which are tipping in Qualcomm’s favor. If this FTC case ends out of Qualcomm’s favor, those other cases could be affected.

Jennifer Milici, an FTC attorney, alleges that Qualcomm abuses its power in the industry. “Qualcomm says you will pay our rates if you want our chips,” she said during opening arguments. “The only way to arrive at a market rate [for Qualcomm’s patents] is to negotiate without that threat.” In other words, Qualcomm has little-to-no competition in these matters, so a fair market rate for its patents cannot be determined.

The FTC also accuses Qualcomm of striking deals with major manufacturers — including Apple — intended to undermine competition from rivals, such as Intel.

NEXT: Apple pulls iPhone 7 and 8 from store shelves in Germany, thanks to Qualcomm

Source: Android Zone

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Here are leaked renders of the upcoming Huawei P30 with headphone jack

91mobiles

The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro were some of the most popular and highly-rated smartphones of 2018. Now we have some leaked renders courtesy of reliable source @OnLeaks (via 91mobiles) which depict the supposed follow-up to the P20 — presumably called the Huawei P30.

On the outside, it doesn’t look like Huawei is deviating too far from the established look of the P20 when it comes to the new P30. The metallic colorful design is here as well as the vertically-mounted camera setup.

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Huawei wants to overtake Samsung and become the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world by the end of 2019. That’s a lofty goal, to say the least. This is especially true in markets like the …

However, that doesn’t mean it’s all the same. The most notable difference with the P30 is at the bottom of the device: the return of the headphone jack. Both the P20 and the P20 Pro didn’t have the much-loved port.

Two other differences, from what we can tell from the renders, is the new waterdrop-style notch (and removal of the Huawei chin) and a triple camera setup on the rear. Last year, the triple camera was reserved for the P20 Pro, while the vanilla P20 had a dual lens.

Finally, a big change is the absence of a rear fingerprint scanner, heavily suggesting the P30 will have an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Check out the renders below:

Renders from @OnLeaks are usually very reliable, so there’s a good chance this is what the P30 will look like. However, the P30 and the P30 Pro could be pretty different from one another, so it’s not assured that the P30 Pro will also have the headphone jack, in-display fingerprint scanner, etc.

What do you think? Are you ready for a proper flagship from Huawei with a headphone jack? Let us know in the comments.

NEXT: Huawei apparently fines employees $700 per month for iPhone blunder

Source: Android Zone

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Samsung might release new Gear IconX earbuds this year

According to SamMobile, Samsung is working on new Gear IconX true wireless earbuds. The company will reportedly release the updated earbuds sometime this year.

Anonymous sources claim that the updated IconX earbuds come with model number SM-R170. They also claim that the earbuds feature 8GB of internal storage. That’s double the amount of storage we’ve seen in Samsung smartwatches and previous IconX models.

Finally, the updated IconX reportedly comes in three colors: black, white, and yellow. The current version of the IconX comes in black, pink, and gray.

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Best true wireless earbuds – there’s more than Apple out there

If your new phone’s missing the headphone jack, you’ve probably already had to entertain the idea of switching to Bluetooth. Why stop there? Why not go with a true wireless option, and ditch even the cables connecting …

Not much else is known about Samsung’s upcoming wireless earbuds. We can guess that Samsung will use Galaxy branding instead of the Gear branding used in older IconX models.

We can also guess that the updated IconX features AKG branding and tuning. Samsung flagship smartphones released in the last two years feature AKG-tuned speakers and AKG-branded earbuds.

Released in 2016, the original Gear IconX earbuds arrived during a time when true wireless earbuds were just taking off. Even though battery life was poor and they were difficult to control, the original IconX earbuds had plenty of potential.

Samsung followed up its freshman effort with the Gear IconX (2018). Samsung made improvements across the board with the newer earbuds, though the touch controls remain a bit finicky.

We can be sure that the upcoming IconX earbuds feature even more improvements. We just don’t know what those improvements look like just yet.

NEXT: What we know so far about Samsung’s foldable phone

Source: Android Zone

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Apple pulls iPhone 7 and 8 from store shelves in Germany, thanks to Qualcomm

• The iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus are no longer for sale in Germany.
• The devices have been pulled from Apple.com as well as the 15 official Apple stores in Germany.
• The sales ban is in response to legal troubles the company faces with chipset-maker Qualcomm.

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Towards the end of December, a German court determined that Apple infringed on chipset-maker Qualcomm’s intellectual property for power savings in smartphones. In response to this, the District Court of Munich ordered Apple to pull iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models from its store shelves in Germany.

Today, Apple did just that. As of now, the iPhone 7 and 8, as well as the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus, are no longer for sale at official Apple storefronts, including the German version of Apple.com. Apple has 15 physical stores in Germany, all of which no longer sell the allegedly infringing devices.

Here is an image of how Apple’s German site looked before and after the ban, via MacRumors:

The ban also forces Apple to pull the infringing iPhone models from third-party German stores. However, this is a huge undertaking and, as one would expect, the iPhone models in question are still available at plenty of German retailers both online and physical.

In order to ensure the ban took place, Qualcomm had to pony up 1.34 billion euros (~$1.5 billion) worth of security bonds. This huge backing of cash proves Qualcomm is serious about fighting hard to win this case against Apple. The money is being kept aside in case Apple’s appeal of the verdict ends up in its favor.

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In big win for Qualcomm, Apple must cease sale of iPhone models in China

Chip manufacturer Qualcomm announced today that it received a big win in China in regards to its years-long fight with Apple over patent infringement.

According to Qualcomm, a Chinese court granted preliminary injunctions against Apple over …

Apple and Qualcomm are engaged in tough legal battles throughout the world. Although each one is a little different, they all are based on the idea that Apple is using various Qualcomm patents in iPhones and not paying Qualcomm the proper licensing fees. Apple accuses Qualcomm of abusing the patent system, while Qualcomm accuses Apple of taking advantage of its property rights.

Recently, Qualcomm earned a big win in China against Apple, and this German case looks to be going well for the chipset-maker, too. However, similar cases in the United States — the home turf of both companies — ended in Apple’s favor, and Qualcomm has been accused of playing dirty in some of the cases.

Apple also recently became mired in controversy after CEO Tim Cook published a letter to investors revealing iPhone sales are not as good as originally anticipated. You can read more about that — and how it affects the smartphone industry at large — by clicking the link below.

NEXT: Yes, Apple, the slowing smartphone market affects you, too

Source: Android Zone

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Half-price deal: Become a certified project manager with RedVector

Becoming a project manager has significant perks. It’s a problem-solving role with responsibility and good pay to match, not to mention the number of industries to which you can apply your skills.

The main problem is finding affordable tuition because it’s not just about passing exams. Whatever certification you want to add to your resume — and you’re going to want certification — you’ll have to meet a minimum number of contact hours as well. Fortunately, today’s deal offers you the chance to fast-track your training.

RedVector has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The team has trained one million professionals across 2,500 companies, and right now the whole Project Manager Pro Collection is on offer.

RedVector offers you the chance to fast-track your training.

Project Management Professional (PMI-PMP) and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) are two of the biggest certifications in the project management game. RedVector fully prepares you to cruise the exams for both at the first time of asking with easy-to-follow tutorials.

Not only do they provide you with the materials for exam prep, but there are also a wealth of other resources to prepare you for certification too. For instance, you can meet the professional development unit (PDU) hours required for the certifications.

RedVector Project Manager Pro at a glance:

• Access over 100 courses and gain contact hours toward your project management certifications.
• Prepare to ace the PMI-PMP and PMI-ACP certification exams on your first try.
• Deepen your understanding of risk management, quality assurance, and cost control.
• Reach the 36-hour educational requirement to sit for the PMP certification.
• Obtain the PDUs required to renew your PMP certification.
• Meet the 21-hour education requirement to sit for the PMI-ACP certification.
• Familiarize yourself with scope, time, and HR management.
• Dive into Agile principles, change management, problem detection, and more.

The one-year subscription to the this service is $199 on the RedVector website, but right now at Tech Deals you can get the same one-year membership for just $99.

This half-price deal ends this weekend. If you want to start training or to find out more, hit the button below.

Find out more!

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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New LG TVs will use AI to better the picture and sound based on content

High-end LG televisions come with the ThinQ branding, which signifies built-in AI features. Although previous LG TVs have included Google Assistant built in and newer ones are now featuring Amazon’s Alexa too, LG will debut a new type of AI-powered television at CES 2019.

According to an LG press release, the company’s newest flagship TVs will use a new algorithm to offer enhanced picture and sound by analyzing source content as well as optimize content by recognizing ambient conditions.

In other words, if you’re watching an action film with loud explosions and big, bold colors, the TV will respond to that and alter the picture and sound to accommodate. The TV will do likewise for sports games, TV shows, video games, concerts, etc.

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LG’s trio of soundbars look to impress with Google Assistant and Dolby Atmos

LG

Ahead of CES 2019 in January, LG announced three new soundbars: the SL10YG, SL9YG, and SL8YG.

All three soundbars were developed in conjunction with Meridian Sound, an English manufacturer known for its high-fidelity audio …

This new AI feature is powered by the company’s second-generation Alpha 9 Gen 2 intelligent processor which will power LG’s Z9, W9, E9, and C9 series OLED TVs. The optimization algorithm was built using a database of over one million visual data.

In addition to using the visual image depicted by the TV, the processor uses the TV’s ambient light sensor to measure light levels in the room, automatically adjusting brightness to compensate as needed. No more adjusting brightness on sunny days!

LG will be showing off its new TV lineup at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, which starts in a few days. Stay tuned for more info on these and other LG product releases.

NEXT: CES 2019 — What to expect

Source: Android Zone

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Blu announces its first two Verizon-compatible phones

Blu announced that the Vivo XI and XI Plus are now compatible with Verizon’s network. Both phones feature 4G bands 2, 4, and 13, which make up Verizon’s LTE network.

You can’t just take a Verizon SIM card and put it into your Vivo XI or XI Plus, however. You’ll have to first email Blu’s customer service. From there, Blu will push a software update to your phone that will turn on Verizon compatibility.

Blu also announced that the Vivo XI and XI Plus are part of Verizon’s bring-your-own-device promotion. If you activate either phone on Verizon, you’ll get a $150 prepaid MasterCard and free SIM card.

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Best unlocked Android phones (December 2018)

Now that more smartphone manufacturers sell phones at cheaper price points, it’s much easier for consumers to afford an off-contract device, rather than purchasing one with a two-year contract. At least in the United States, …

Finally, you can get the Vivo XI for $20 off at Best Buy. The discount brings the price down to $199.99. The Vivo XI Plus is available at its normal $299.99 price.

To recap, the Vivo XI features a 5.9-inch display with HD+ resolution (1,520 x 720), dual 16- and 5-megapixel rear cameras, MediaTek’s octa-core Helio P22 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, 3,000mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo.

The Vivo XI Plus features a larger 6.2-inch display with Full HD+ resolution (2,246 x 1,080), dual 16 and 5MP rear cameras, MediaTek’s octa-core Helio P60 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 3,050mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo.

Both phones will get Android 9 Pie. You can buy the Vivo XI and XI Plus at the links below.

Blu Vivo XI

BLU Vivo XI Plus

Source: Android Zone

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TCL will launch new Alcatel smartphone at CES 2019, debut new display tech

We just got word from TCL Communication that the company plans to debut a brand new Alcatel smartphone at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

TCL was quiet on any concrete info about the Alcatel phone, which will be the first of its 2019 smartphone lineup. However, the company did dish that the phone will feature the Alcatel Full View Display.

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Alcatel 1 with Android Go available in the US for only $80

YouTube

Back in June, we found out the Alcatel 1 was landing in Europe for 79 euros (~$92), making it the cheapest Android smartphone available with an 18:9 display. Today, the Alcatel 1 is …

The company also said it will demonstrate new smartphone display technologies at CES 2019, including its edge-to-edge and dot displays. TCL’s sister company, CSOT, will be designing and producing the displays. CSOT is the same company that makes TCL-branded television displays, which usually earn high reviews.

Although TCL will not launch any new BlackBerry smartphone at CES, the company did say that it will be “sharing the latest carrier availability for [BlackBerry] devices in the U.S. and elsewhere
around the world.” This probably means some new carrier partnerships for the latest BlackBerry KEY2 and KEY2 LE.

The most recent Alcatel smartphones are the Alcatel 5, its larger sibling the Alcatel 5V, and the Android Go-powered Alcatel 1.

NEXT: CES 2019 — What to expect

Source: Android Zone

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Yes, Apple, the slowing smartphone market affects you, too

The Guardian

Yesterday, a rare thing happened: Apple CEO Tim Cook penned an open letter to investors explaining an update to the company’s revenue projections. You can read the full letter here, but the basic gist is pretty simple: the iPhone is not selling as well as Apple said it would, and the company is now formulating a new strategy in response.

After the letter hit the internet, Apple stock took a nose dive, dropping nine percent in pre-market trading. Nine percent may not seem like much, but it’s literally billions of dollars.

Apple investors were clearly very surprised by Cook’s letter. However, what’s really surprising about the letter isn’t the contained information, it’s that Apple took this long to admit what’s happening.

The smartphone industry isn’t doing so well

Over the past two years, overall smartphone sales have declined. In late February 2018, a report surfaced announcing, for the first time ever in the history of the smartphone industry, smartphone sales went down year-over-year from 2016 to 2017.

In Q4 2016, smartphone sales topped out at about 432 million units sold. In Q4 2017 there were only approximately 408 million units sold — about 5.6 percent less.

The global industry in 2018 wasn’t much better. Although there was minor growth compared to 2017, sales likely won’t match the 2016 peak.

Ignoring overall industry trends, there were some bright spots. Huawei and Xiaomi, in particular, both found incredible growth in 2018. OnePlus also did exceptionally well, selling more smartphones in 2018 than it ever has before.

Overall, the smartphone industry is struggling with some major growing pains.

Despite these success stories, major players found it hard to sustain industry growth. Sales for the Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series have declined with every new iteration since the Galaxy S7. In response to this, Samsung pushed up the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to try to drum up more sales. We expect Galaxy Note 9 sales to be lower than those for the Galaxy Note 8, though Samsung’s Q4 2018 financial reports haven’t been published yet.

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For the first time ever, smartphone sales go down year-over-year

Smartphone sales fell overall in the last quarter of 2017 for the first time ever. Research and advisory company Gartner started tracking the global smartphone market in 2004 (right around the release of the Palm Treo …

What is happening? Why aren’t phones selling as well anymore?

There are lots of reasons, but the biggest problem is saturation: pretty much everyone in developed nations around the world owns a smartphone. If someone owns a phone, it’s harder to sell them another one, especially if the one they own works perfectly fine.

In other words, we’ve reached a crossroads where smartphone OEMs now have to strategize more on getting people to upgrade their current smartphone, rather than buy their first one. For the past few years, companies have been trying to do both, but going forward they’ll have to focus much more on one rather than the other.

For some reason, Apple thought it was above the fray

Each quarter, Apple holds a public investors call where Tim Cook lays out what’s happened with Apple’s sales and revenue over the past few months and what will happen in the future.

If you listened to these calls over the past year — and didn’t investigate further — you would think everything is awesome.

“We’re thrilled to report another record-breaking quarter that caps a tremendous fiscal 2018, the year in which we shipped our 2 billionth iOS device, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the App Store and achieved the strongest revenue and earnings in Apple’s history,” said Cook the most recent investor call this past November.

During the call, Cook and his team laid out the following projections for its first fiscal quarter in 2019:

• Revenue between $89 billion and $93 billion
• Gross margin between 38 percent and 38.5 percent
• Operating expenses between $8.7 billion and $8.8 billion
• Other income/(expense) of $300 million
• Tax rate of approximately 16.5 percent before discrete items

Editor’s Pick

Report shows how Apple is essentially handing Indian market to Android

It’s no secret that the entire smartphone industry is betting big on India. In many parts of the world — including the United States — smartphone sales are flattening since pretty much everyone has a …

Apple posted a quarterly revenue of $62.9 billion prior to that call, which means the company expected to make up to $30 billion more in the following quarter — at least until yesterday’s letter.

Apple was banking on the release of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and especially the iPhone XR to bring in that extra money. The company likely assumed those devices would sell like hot cakes through the holidays, bolstering revenue to yet another record-breaking quarter.

However, the Cook letter from yesterday proves Apple won’t meet those lofty projections, and investors are not at all happy.

Sorry, Apple, but you’re not immune

I don’t have an insider’s view of Apple, but this whole situation makes it seem like the company views itself as existing outside the “normal” smartphone industry. It definitely doesn’t.

Apple might be one of the biggest and most important industry players, but it is still playing the same game as every other company.

Perhaps Apple thought it was protecting its investors by not dishing out all the pertinent info. Perhaps it was nervous about stock tanking and wanted to wait until the last possible moment. Whatever the reasoning, the writing was on the wall, and Apple didn’t admit until yesterday it would be affected, which is obviously a really bad business move.

There was plenty of prior information showing iPhone sales were not going well. Sure, when the iPhone doesn’t sell “well” it is still likely selling more than almost any other smartphone, but predictions from popular investment experts painted a bleak picture. Reports from companies manufacturing iPhone parts also should have raised some eyebrows.

Proof the iPhone wasn’t selling well was all there — you just had to look.

For example, investment analyst Ming-Chi Kuo originally slated the iPhone XR as being a big seller. However, he then changed his tune, dropping his shipment estimates by 30 percent.

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Apple also allegedly told iPhone part suppliers to cut down planned orders pertaining to the latest models, further fueling speculation Apple knew the latest iPhone models were struggling to meet estimates.

Perhaps the biggest sign things weren’t altogether good with Apple came with that investment call I mentioned earlier. It was the first ever call in iPhone history where the company didn’t give hard sales numbers for the device.

So, analysts were predicting iPhone sales drops, manufacturers were slowing down production, and Apple was mysteriously holding back how many iPhones it sold in the previous quarter.

It seems Apple investors didn’t put all this together — and really, why would they? On the last investors call, Apple said business was great and the next few months would be strong.

Now we know what’s really going on because Apple finally admitted it — months later than it should have.

Apple needs to change its game plan, just like everyone else

Samsung had to revamp its strategy for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in response to slower-than-expected sales of the Samsung Galaxy S9. Around the same time, the company also revealed it will revamp its mid-range products to offer more cutting-edge features, drastically alter its release strategy for the Samsung Galaxy S10, and focus more on bolstering sales in developing markets like India and China.

Samsung is doing all this because its sales are dropping and it needs to change course to stay on top. It makes perfect sense — even if the company has also been slow to realize these trends (but that’s a whole other article).

Android OEMs are revamping their strategies in response to the slow market, and Apple can’t afford not to follow suit.

If Apple wants to stay on top, it needs to throw out the old rule book too. It needs new, enticing features to its future iPhones to convince customers to upgrade, rather than releasing slightly-altered versions every other year. It needs to offer different types of phones at different price points to attract Android users who can’t afford an ultra-premium iPhone. It needs to stop ignoring developing global markets where it is being crushed by smaller players like Xiaomi and OnePlus.

In other words, Apple will have to do exactly what every other company is doing.

The Cook letter was a wake-up call

The popular contention is Android fans detest Apple and Apple fans don’t think about Android much. While that might be true in some cases, the smartphone industry as a whole is in some hot water, and every company needs to work hard to pull themselves out.

With that in mind, Apple will have to start paying more attention to what’s going on with the rest of the industry — which means paying attention to Android. On the flip side, Android OEMs should also be paying attention to Apple. This recent turn of events shows exactly what will happen when a smartphone company ignores the market and assumes the problems affecting Company A don’t affect Company B.

Apple better have something pretty monumental up its sleeve for September 2019 when it will likely launch the next set of iPhones. The iPhone XS is a marginal upgrade over the iPhone X, which is probably a big reason customers aren’t buying as much as expected. If the company tries to push a slightly upgraded version of the XS this year, things probably won’t go very well.

NEXT: For phones over $800, Apple owns 79 percent of the global market

Source: Android Zone

The post Yes, Apple, the slowing smartphone market affects you, too appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Dual displays done right

Earlier this year, Oppo and Vivo surprised us all when they unveiled some of the most unique smartphone designs to date. While Oppo’s Find X hid the front and back cameras in a full cutout slider mechanism in the top of the device, Vivo managed to slot the selfie cam into a much smaller mechanism at the top of the phone, keeping the main cameras mounted to the back of the device.

Now, Vivo is trying something new.

With displays on both the front and back, the Vivo NEX Dual Display avoids using moving parts altogether. Is another screen a good method of ditching the front-facing camera? Let’s find out.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review notes:

I’ve been using the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition on a roaming e-SIM network in the U.S. for 7 days.  Our Vivo NEX Dual Display edition is running Android 9.0 Pie and Funtouch OS 4.5 version PD1821F_EX_A_1.5.9 on the December 2018 security patch. We’ll refrain from adding review scores until we can put the device through our full suite of tests.

The international version does not seem to support the bands required for T-Mobile. I usually run my devices on Google Fi, which runs off T-Mobile’s network, but I couldn’t get more than 2G EDGE data. I’ve reached out to Vivo about this and will update this post when I have a response.

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review unit was provided to Android Authority by Vivo.

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Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Design

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition feels quite unique. We’ve gotten used to most phones sporting glass backs for things like wireless charging in 2018, but Vivo installed a fully usable touchscreen to circumvent the need for a selfie camera. When you turn your phone to selfie mode the device will ask you to flip it over and use the 5.49-inch display with the rear cameras seated above it. This is quite a unique method of removing the need for a front-facing camera, but if anyone was going to try it, it makes sense that it would be Vivo.

Vivo embedded part of the camera module in the rear display to make room for a ring light. This is useful for selfies, as it lights up faces much more evenly, but it can also be useful for things like notifications. The ring light’s bright LEDs shine white when taking a selfie, but will glow various colors when it’s charging or when new notifications come in.

While many phones this year have adopted a curved approach, Vivo’s device is definitively flat. This is obviously due to the screen on the rear of the device. Surprisingly, I don’t hate it. Curved devices are made to fit more snugly in your hand, and while the NEX doesn’t do this, I quite like the candybar-style feel the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition has going on.

The right side of the device houses the volume rockers and a power button for the main display, and on the left you’ll find yet another power button. This power button actuates the secondary display on the rear of the device. Launching the camera from this side of the device automatically puts the phone into selfie mode, which can be useful if that’s exactly what you want to do.

On the bottom of the device you’ll find a USB Type-C port, speaker grill and dual SIM tray. On the top Vivo has included a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s quite nice to see Chinese manufacturers like Honor and Vivo maintaining the port for at least a little longer, while most other A-class companies shift completely over to USB Type-C. We’ve even seen BBK’s third company OnePlus dump the headphone jack in its most recent flagship, the OnePlus 6T, so it’s only a matter of time before every new device sheds the port for good.

Overall I quite like the design, Obviously case options are going to be quite limited due to the nature of this device, but Vivo has made a special bumper case in the colors of the device to protect it from accidental falls. The phone itself is made from Gorilla Glass so it should be relatively resistant to cracking, but if you’re exceptionally anxious about breaks this is a good option.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Display(s)

The primary display of the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition is a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,340. It is big, bright, and vivid, and doesn’t feel overly saturated like some of the displays I’ve used this year. If I had one complaint it would be that the pixel density feels just a little low, especially for how big this display is. While it’s fine for most things, icons and white pages have almost a matte look to them, which makes me think the pixel density or resolution could be just a bit higher.

The rear display is also 1080p, but has a resolution of 1,080 x 1,920. It looks fairly similar to the front display, but squishes apps to maintain the 19.5 x 9 aspect ratio. There is an option to force apps to use the full rear display, but this is only for supported apps. Currently, none of the apps I use support this, which is a bit of a bummer. You’ll likely want to use the main display for most things.

The color on both screens is nice, and not too punchy or washed out like some panels we’ve used this year. The screens can get very dim and very bright, and I didn’t have issues using this device outside.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Hardware

While Vivo’s last NEX device has some pretty impressive hardware, the new Dual Display edition pushes its specs even further. This device is one of a handful of recent phones with 10GB of RAM, a healthy amount of memory for even the most intensive user. I didn’t have any memory trouble like I’ve had on the Pixel 3 XL in recent weeks, and while 10GB is overkill for pretty much everyone, it gives a sense of longevity to any potential buyers.

Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 128GB of storage, and a 3,500mAh battery. I initially though battery life would suffer on a phone using two screens, but both displays are on at the same time so infrequently it wasn’t an issue. Unfortunately Vivo’s UI doesn’t report screen-on time, but we’ll be sure to run the device through our full battery suite during our full testing process. I usually ended my days with about 25 percent battery life. That isn’t the best battery life we’ve seen so far, it should be enough for most users.

Vivo included two additional methods of device authentication past a simple unlock code — an in-screen fingerprint reader and a 3D time of flight (TOF) IR camera sensor. The in-screen fingerprint reader is on the main display and works fairly well, though it isn’t quite as fast as the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The 3D TOF sensor is located on the back of the device, so you would probably only use this when getting ready to take a selfie. This sensor can also be used to scan real world objects into 3D space, giving you modeling capabilities for apps like Facebook.

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As mentioned before, Vivo has included a 3.5mm headphone jack. This almost entirely invalidates the argument that there isn’t enough space with a larger screen. The NEX Dual Display edition has one of the highest screen-to-body ratios we’ve seen in a device so far. While there isn’t a dedicated headphone amp past the one included in the SOC, it’s extremely nice to see the port on a flagship device.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Performance

As expected, the NEX Dual Display edition performed admirably in everyday use. I never once had to worry about apps closing due to memory constraints, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 was every bit as fast as it has previously.

In benchmarks, the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition performed very well, beating out the OnePlus 6T and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in multiple tests. We ran the device through  3DMark and AnTuTu benchmark tests. You can see the results below.

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition scored 4,720 in 3DMark, while the OnePlus 6T and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 scored 4,697 and 4,294, respectively.

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition scored 296,854 in AnTuTu, compared to the OnePlus 6T’s 262,266 and the Galaxy Note 9’s 272,168.

We tried to run Geekbench 4 as we usually do with our devices, but for some reason the test wouldn’t complete, citing an internet connection error. We’ve reported this bug to Geekbench.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Camera

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition has three cameras, but unlike most devices, they are all on the rear of the phone. Because the device has two screens, Vivo has re-purposed the main 12MP f/1.8 shooter alongside the secondary 2MP f/1.8 sensor for both general shots as well as selfies. Rear cameras have traditionally been superior to front-facing options on smartphones anyway, so it only makes sense to take advantage of the extra quality.

Vivo included a set of two LED’s in the camera module, which emulates a ring light. This gives the subject very even exposure during selfies, and drastically improves the quality of the image.

Generally, images are a little soft, but I quite like the color. It has a much more muted profile than many other flagship devices, and it reminded me of the camera on the OnePlus 6T. If the clarity was a bit better images would look quite similar to the Xiaomi Mi 8 camera, which was my favorite smartphone camera from 2018.

Dynamic range on the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition is decent, but I found it over-processed images to raise the shadows. This created a lot of noise in those areas. Computational techniques like Lucky Imaging, which is employed by the Google Pixel to clean shadows, would help with this. The phone has an HDR mode, but it was quite inconsistent.

The phone uses the 2MP depth sensor to enable some different portrait lighting modes which look ok, but the quality of the bokeh, or out of focus areas wasn’t very convincing. The NEX struggles with a problem many smartphone cameras have, in which they only create two distinct focus planes in an image. Google’s new Pixel 3 can create a variety of focal planes using its dual-pixel technique combined with an enormous database of trained data to measure depth. This is much more accurate to how an analog camera lens operates, so we’d like to see manufacturers like Vivo adopt similar techniques.

One little thing that isn’t technically important but just plain cool is the LED light strip around the camera module. This lights up the color of the device when you get notifications or charge the phone, but it can light up a variety of colors when you use the different portrait lighting modes. One of my favorites was the rainbow lighting mode, which adds a rainbow lens flare to the image and illuminates the ring in a variety of different colors. Even though this isn’t technically important to the performance of the camera, it’s a nice little addition.

Take a look at the gallery above to get a sense of what this camera will look like. These are compressed images to make the website load faster for you. If you want to see the photos in their full resolution, head to this shared Google Drive folder.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Software

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition runs on Funtouch OS 4.5 based on Android 9.0 Pie, and I think it’s just plain bad. I recognize Vivo devices are primarily tailored for the Chinese market, where emulating iOS is normal, but I personally hate it.

There is no app drawer, and no way to add it in settings. Because of this, you’re forced to use multiple folders and pages to store your apps. I’m a minimalist at heart, and usually use the app drawer and dedicated gestures to access my apps. Folders and pages just aren’t my thing, and I wish Vivo would give users both options on this device.

Navigation gestures aren’t enabled by default, but you can turn them on in the settings. The phone has some of the better navigation gestures I’ve seen on Android, blending the newer iOS gestures with traditional Android navigation quite nicely. You can swipe up from the bottom center to go home or hold to multitask, swipe up from the right to go back, and swipe up from the left to access a quick settings panel with various toggles and switches. While this panel looks extremely similar to the iOS version, it’s a smart implementation I enjoyed throughout my time with the phone.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: The second screen

While I initially expected the second screen on the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition to be little more than a gimmick, it adds enough features and functionality to the device I thought it deserved its own section in the review.

While the main intent of the second screen was obviously to take selfies, Vivo has made the imaging experience better by adding something called “mirror mode.” This mode displays the camera output on both the front and rear displays, allowing the subject as well as the photographer to see the scene. This is incredibly useful when taking photos of other people, because it lets them pose in a way they like before the image is actually taken. I don’t see a lot of portrait photographers switching to this phone just for the functionality, but people were always quite impressed with the feature when I took photos of them.

The other main feature Vivo is touting is the ability to use the rear display as triggers for games like PUBG. Vivo worked with Tencent to get this functionality working in the NEX, and I think it’s quite intuitive. It always felt strange to run, aim, and shoot with buttons on the front screen, so it’s nice to be able to keep your thumbs on the front of the phone while shooting with your middle fingers on the rear. While Vivo hasn’t announced any other partnerships to bring functionality to other games, I could see it being quite useful for racing titles as well.

The other benefit of a second screen being able to continue using the phone if you break one of your displays. Taking selfies would be tough if you break the back display, but for someone that cares about general functionality above all, it’s convenient to have a second screen on reserve.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Specs

	Vivo NEX Dual Display edition
Display(s)	Primary: 6.39-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD+ (2340 x 1080), 19.5:9 aspect ratio Secondary: 5.49-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD (1920 x 1080p resolution), 16:9 aspect ratio
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with AI Engine, 64-bit, octa-core, 10nm
GPU	Adreno 630
RAM	10GB
Storage	128GB
Cameras	Rear: Dual pixel 12 MP f/1.8 (Sony IMX363) with 1.4µm pixel size, OIS and EIS, 2MP f/1.8 for depth sensing, f/1.3 TOF sensor
Audio	32-bit/192kHz audio, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery	3,500mAh, fast charging
IP rating	No
Sensors	Fingerprint (3rd generation in-display), accelerometer, proximity, compass, gyroscope, infrared, ambient light
Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 CDMA 800 3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 4G bands LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 19(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5.1G/5.8G, hotspot Bluetooth 5.0 A-GPS 3.5mm headphone port USB Type-C
SIM	Dual SIM/hybrid slot
Software	Android 9.0 Pie Funtouch OS 4.5
Dimensions and weight	157.2 x 75.3 x 8.1mm 199g

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Price and availability

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition is available now in Chinese markets for 4,998 yuan (~$727).

There will only be one SKU available at launch, with 10GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The device will come in red or blue.

Vivo NEX Dual Display edition review: Final thoughts

The Vivo NEX Dual Display edition isn’t the Vivo NEX 2 we were expecting, but it is a thoughtful and creative way to avoid the notch on a smartphone. With smart implementations like mirror mode and dual screen gaming, the second display is more than just a gimmick for me. While I don’t necessarily see this becoming a trend in 2019 devices, I’m glad to see companies like Vivo continuing to innovate and keeping smartphones fun.

At the equivalent of $730, this rather unique device is relatively affordable. While I would like to see a better camera, and a dedicated UI more tailored for a western audience on the international version, the Vivo NEX Dual Display edition surprised me in a very good way.

Source: Android Zone

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