Thursday, November 30, 2017

These are Google Play's best apps, games, and movies of 2017

These are the most popular apps, games, and movies on Google Play in 2017.

Google has published its Best of 2017 list, highlighting the most popular apps, games, movies, books, and songs of the year. Pic Tools' Photo Editor turned out to be the most popular app of 2017, followed by weather forecast app What The Forecast?!! and Cartoon Network's Boomerang service.

Game of Thrones is once again the most popular TV show on Google Play (for obvious reasons), followed by Rick and Morty and The Walking Dead. Kendrick Lamar's single HUMBLE edged out Ed Sheeran's Shape of You to claim the top spot in the music category, and last year's animated hit Moana beat out Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in movies.

Most popular new apps of 2017

Most popular new games of 2017

Top five streamed songs of 2017

Top five movies of 2017

Top five TV shows of 2017

Top five books of 2017

Looking for the full list? Hit up the Play Store from the link below to find the best apps, games, movies, books, and movies for your region.

Google Play's Best of 2017



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How to get the best fit for your Gear VR

Getting a good fit is the first step on a journey in VR.

Gear VR is one of the more accessible VR headsets available right, as well as being a pretty comfortable fit. Before you go diving directly into VR though, you're going to want to adjust the headset so that it sits correctly on your head. After all, who wants to start enjoying VR only to move their head and have their headset slip off their face?

This is how you ensure that never happens.

Read more at VRHeads!



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Buy 3 Months of Wireless Service, Get 3 Free with Mint SIM

Mint SIM is offering HUGE savings for new customers!

Mint SIM is a revolutionary mobile service that lets you prepay for your service in 3-, 6-, and 12-month increments, with various data plans, for much less than the other guys. Since Mint SIM already helps you save big on your phone bill every month, it only makes sense that it's offering two of the best deals around for new customers.

Right now, new customers can get 3 FREE months with the purchase of 3 months of service. Mint SIM is offering this deal for all of its 3-month plans (2GB, 5GB, and 10GB), which means you'll save $45 when you sign up for 2GB of fast 4G LTE data, $60 when you sign up for 5GB, and $75 when you sign up for 10GB. This deal is live now!

See at Mint SIM

But Mint SIM isn't stopping there! New customers can get 3 FREE months with the purchase of any unlocked GSM phone from BestBuy.com. You'll get 5GB of fast 4G LTE data and unlimited talk and text for 3 months, and all you have to do is buy your unlocked phone online from Best Buy. Save $60!

See at Mint SIM

Getting someone special a new phone for the holidays? Why not save with Mint SIM and Best Buy? Even if you're just looking to save on your existing monthly bill, there's never been a better time to try Mint SIM. Sign up for only 3 months and get an additional 3 months for free, no matter which plan you choose.


Check out Mint SIM for all the details!

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Google Home Max might be released on December 11

Time to start counting down the days.

It's hard to believe that Google's big hardware event was almost two months ago, but time sure flies when you're waiting for a release date for the company's awesome Assistant-equipped home speaker.

We're obviously talking about the Google Home Max, and when it was unveiled back in October, we knew that it'd be released at some point in December. However, according to a Best Buy listing spotted by 9to5Google, that December release date could be here sooner than some were expecting.

Best Buy has the Home Max listed on its website with a "coming soon" label attached to it, but next to the model and SKU information, there's also a release date of December 12, 2017.

In addition to this, one commenter also noted that the terms and conditions section on the Google Store for the YouTube Red promo with the Home Max reads that the promotion is open to "participants in the U.S. who purchase and activate a Google Home Max between December 11, 2017 and February, 2018.

We can't say for certain whether or not the Home Max will launch on December 11 without a direct confirmation from Google, but it certainly does look like that'll be the case.

Everything you need to know about Google Home Max



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Google Assistant now helps you find a local plumber or electrician

Finding local assistance is just one "Ok, Google" command away.

If you've ever tried finding a handyman or woman to hire for a project at your house, you know the experience of searching through various companies and trying to figure out which services they offer can be a big pain in the rear. Thankfully, a new update to Google Assistant makes this ordeal a lot more bearable.

To get started, simply start talking to Google Assistant by saying, "Ok, Google, I need a plumber." You'll then get a list of common orders to choose from, such as installing a faucet, unclogging a drain, etc. Once you've chosen which services you need, the Assistant will then confirm the address at which you need the work done.

After confirming this, you then have the option of having the Assistant call the first plumber it finds or getting a list of the ones in your area that provide the services you need.

You'll be able to use this feature not only with plumbers, but also electricians, house cleaners, and other service providers. Google will be rolling this out to Assistant on phones and smart speakers (like Google Home) over the coming weeks in the United States, and in certain cities, recommendations are prescreened by HomeAdvisor and Porch.

'Hey, Google' command now rolling out to Assistant on Android phones



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Video: HTC U11+ review

It's become something of a sad cliche to preface an HTC review with a grim recap of just how far the Taiwanese company has fallen in the past half-decade. Sure: HTC has indeed seen better days, but it still knows how to make great Android phones, as evidenced by the quality of this year's U11 handset.

Now, as the year draws to a close, there's a new model on the horizon — boasting a larger, taller screen, a gigantic battery and Android Oreo out of the box. The HTC U11+ sees HTC join the 18:9 club while further refining its "liquid surface" glass design and introducing a smattering of new software features — all while retaining the key features that made the U11 a great device. Unfortunately, there's no U.S. launch planned for the U11+, but it's out now in parts of Asia, and coming to Europe soon.

Check out our video review above for a full rundown on what's good — and not so good — about the latest phone from everyone's favorite Android underdog.



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The best tech deals that you don't want to miss out on

Our friends at Thrifter post some great deals every day, and here are the best ones available right now!

From mobile phones to general tech, home goods and much more, the team at Thrifter is scouring the web every single day to find the best deals. Whether something hits a new all-time low, gets discounted for just a limited time, or has a new coupon code available for it, you won't want to miss out any of them. If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you'll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

So, what are the best deals that you should be looking at right now? Well, let's take a look at them so you can see which ones are best for you!

Amazon Dash Buttons - Buy 1, Get 2 Free

With this deal, all you're spending is $5 on a single Amazon Dash button. You'll get two extra dash buttons for free, and all Dash buttons give you a $4.99 credit the first time you use them. That's $25 total coming back to you with $10 in free Dash buttons and $15 in credit after you use each one.

All you have to do to get the Buy 1, Get 2 discount is add three Dash buttons to your cart. You'll see $10 taken off the price automatically during checkout.

See at Amazon

Echo Dot + Light Rhapsody Bundle - $49.99 (Was $74.99)

Amazon currently has an Echo Dot bundle that you may not expect, but it's one you should definitely look at buying. Right now you can combine an Echo Dot with the Light Rhapsody Holiday String Lights for just $49.99, which is a savings of around $25.

These lights normally sell for $44.99 on their own, and the Echo Dot is down to $29.99 (from $49.99), so it's basically like adding an Echo Dot to the lights for just $5, which is awesome. Amazon has certified these lights as "Works with Amazon Alexa", meaning the integration was tested and works as it should.

See at Amazon

RAVPower Dual USB Car Charger - $5 (Was $6.99)

Amazon is offering the RAVPower Car Charger for $6.99. Use coupon code OKAYP031 and bring the final price down to $4.99. This is the lowest price we have seen this item by a dollar.

This tiny car charger outputs a powerful 4.8A which is packed inside a thumb-sized body. This is suitable for your 12-volt/ 24-volt car. It features a dual USB output which can power large, power-demanding devices such as an iPad and a Bluetooth adapter at the same time.

See at Amazon

Sonos Play:1 & Play:3 - $50 off each

The Sonos Play:1 wireless speaker is down to $149 on Amazon, and the Play:3 is down to $249. Both of those prices are $50 lower than they were before Black Friday.

All the other systems Sonos was selling during Black Friday are back to their normal prices. So we don't know how much longer the Play:1 and Play:3 will be discounted. These prices could be gone before the end of the day.

See at Amazon

Anker Cyber Week deals - Starting at $10

Anker is dropping prices on... well, everything. This includes deals on chargers, cables, speakers, and a whole bunch of other things. Whatever gear you need, pretty sure you can get a nice chunk off the price today.

See at Amazon

More great deals!

For even more great deals, and to see these discounts as they become available, be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!



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Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is fun but a little rough

Fishing in VR with a Monster Hunting flavor.

Monster of the Deep is a spin off VR game, based on the Mini game from Final Fantasy XV where Noctis goes fishing to gain AP. This VR game is essentially a fishing game with the occasional crossbow shooter thrown in for good measure, which winds up being a good bit of fun.

Unlike the main game, you play a nameless hunter in the world of Final Fantasy XV instead of the whiney hero Noctis from the main game. You do bump into others in the game however, so far I've met Noctis and Cindy, the amazing mechanic who is entirely underdressed for this game, with more showing up as you play.

Read more at VRHeads



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Google's cracking down on Play Store apps that include lock screen ads

Intrusive lock screen ads, your time has come.

We've all been there at one point or another. You download an app from the Play Store, all appears to be well, and then it happens – intrusive advertisements start popping up on your lock screen. This has been an issue on Android for years, but it looks like Google is finally taking the right steps to stop this from happening any longer.

First spotted by Android Police, Google Play's Developer Policy Center has been updated with a new section under the Lockscreen Monetization portion that reads:

Unless the exclusive purpose of the app is that of a lockscreen, apps may not introduce ads or features that monetize the locked display of a device.

Some of the biggest offenders of this include ES File Explorer and Hotspot Shield VPN, and while it's unclear what Google will do to apps that are currently violating this rule, it's reassuring to see that some guidelines are finally in place.

Apps like S'more and Slidejoy that are created around the idea of serving ads to your lock screen aren't affected by this, but those that try to sneak ads in there without the you being aware are getting the boot they deserve.

Well done, Google 👏

Google reported to absorb Nest into its own hardware division



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Best Tempered Glass Screen Protectors for Google Pixel 2

What are the best tempered glass screen protectors for the Pixel 2?

The Google Pixel 2 is here and as expected it's pretty amazing — and if you want to keep it looking amazing, you should be sure to protect that screen with a screen protector. Tempered glass screen protectors are your best option for protecting your phone's screen from drop damage and general wear and tear. And chances are you will see some wear over time.

Fortunately, there's a number of great options out there for you to choose from. Let's dive in!

Power Support Tempered Glass Film

We'll start with the tempered glass accessory that Google sells alongside the Pixel 2 on the Google Store. It has a black border at the top and bottom to help with lining it up during installation and also has cutouts around the front-facing speakers. Curved edges ensure a good in-hand feel, and the oleophobic coating will ensure you're not constantly wiping fingerprint and grease smudges off of your screen.

Google is selling this screen protector for a whopping $39.95, but for that money, you can be sure that it's a quality product and designed precisely for your Pixel 2.

See at Google

IntelliGLASS 3D Tempered Glass Screen Protector

IntelliARMOR is a trusted brand in phone protection, and right now they've got a great deal on their IntelliGLASS 3D screen protectors. Regularly sold for $45, you can get one for just $20.

The IntelliGLASS screen protector is incredibly thin and features the ever-important oleophobic coating to prevent oils and dirt from sticking to your screen. It's a great option that is super thin and lightweight but tough when it counts. IntelliGLASS uses a silicone-based adhesive that makes for an easy installation, and if you have any problem the IntelliARMOR customer service will work to make things right. It's available with a white or black border, or you can opt for the IntelliGLASS HD that's fully transparent and starts shipping the first week of December.

See at IntelliARMOR

Vigeer Tempered Glass Screen Protector [2-pack]

Vigeer has opted for cutouts around the front-facing speakers at the top and bottom, which will leave those bits of the screen exposed. But otherwise this screen protector will cover the entire flat portion of the screen (damn those curved edges!) and should be fully compatible with cases.

The kit comes with two protectors along with a microfiber cleaning cloth, an alcohol wipe pad, and some dust removal stickers to ensure you get a clean installation. Get this 2-pack for just $7.99.

See at Amazon

ZeKing Tempered Glass Screen Protector [2-pack]

If you like the price of the Vigeer option but don't like leaving the top and bottom edges of your phone exposed, ZeKing's screen protector is for you. Opting to provide precise cutouts around the front-facing speakers instead, this two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors will offer good protection for the entirety of the display up to the curved edge of the screen glass.

It's a basic kit but includes all the standard features including an oleophobic coating for fingerprints along with alcohol wipes for a clean installation. At just $6.99, you aren't likely to find a better deal on a tempered glass screen protector.

See at Amazon

InvisibleShield Glass+ Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Zagg is a trusted name in phone accessories, and especially screen protectors. It's one of the few premium brands to already be selling a tempered glass screen protector for the Pixel 2.

The InvisibleShield Glass+ provides ample impact protection for your screen and is designed to withstand shattering itself. If it does, you can count on its limited lifetime warranty in which it'll replace the screen protector if it gets worn or damaged for as long as you own the phone (you only pay shipping and handling costs).

It's also smudge- and scratch-resistant, too, so it will hold up nicely to daily wear and tear — and you wouldn't expect any less from a product that costs $39.99.

See at Zagg

amFilm Pixel 2 XL Tempered Glass Screen Protector

One of the few options available for the Pixel 2 XL, this tempered glass screen protector from amFilm should do the trick. It's been specifically designed for the larger model and claims to offer edge-to-edge protection. The glass has a black trim around the perimeter of the curved corner display, and notches cut out of the top and bottom to accomodate the front-facing speakers.

This is a case-friendly screen protector that features an invisible dot matrix to simulate fingerprint contact most accurately. It also has an olophobic coating to prevent fingerprints which is always important.

There may be cheaper options to come, but for $14.99 you'll get everything you'll need to ensure a clean installation and quality protection for your new phone.

See at Amazon

Which screen protectors do you trust?

Are you going to grab something off our list? Eyeing a different brand? Let us know in the comments!

Update November 2017: Added the Power Support and IntelliGLASS screen protector, and removed the MP-MALL screen protectors, which are no longer available.



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Google reported to absorb Nest into its own hardware division

Google's pretty serious about this smart home stuff.

Nest is one of the biggest names in the smart home space, and in 2014, was purchased by Google. This lead the two companies to work very close with one another, but they were then distanced following the launch of Alphabet in 2015. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Google is interested in acquiring Nest once again and merging the company directly into its own hardware division.

Nest's latest product, the Thermostat E.

The reason for this merger is reportedly due to overlap that currently takes place between the two companies, ranging from product development, the manufacturing process, and even the final retail distribution.

Google's been pushing further and further into the smart home space since 2016 with the likes of Google Home and Google Wi-Fi, and this push is continuing with the Home Mini and Home Max. Along with this, there's already a level of integration between the companies' products with Google Assistant and Home support available for a wide array of Nest gadgets.

Should this merger take place, Nest's entire workforce of 1,000+ employees would join Google and start developing smart products under its name. This would be a huge win for Google in its constant battle with Amazon for the smart home space, but at this time, neither Google or Nest has commented on whether or not this might actually take place.

How to connect Google Home to your Nest thermostat



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Android Central is giving away a gold Honor 6X! Last day to enter!

The Honor 6X is a great phone at an affordable price, and we have one to give away! Keep reading to enter!

Honor's 6X brings high-end features like a dual-sensor rear camera at a highly affordable price point. Sporting a premium metal construction and a price that can be found as low as $250 unlocked, the 6X is an easy phone to consider. The display is a 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p IPS panel, surrounded by 2.5D curved glass and your choice of a gold, silver, or dark gray metal body. Huawei's octa-core Kirin processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 32GB internal storage you can expand via microSD card, along with Android 6.0, make the Honor 6X a compelling buy.

Now on to the giveaway!

THE PRIZE: One Android Central reader will win a Gold Honor 6x, MSRP: $199.99.

TO ENTER

  • Click HERE to go to the forums and post in the contest thread. This is mandatory and gains you one entry into the giveaway.
  • Once you have posted in the giveaway thread, you can earn more entries by participating in the Honor forums. Ask and answer questions, join in the conversation, and have fun! Just don't spam the forums with valueless comments because they won't count and could end up getting you disqualified from the giveaway.

Due to sponsor restrictions, this giveaway is only available in the US. We will keep it open until November 30, 2017, and the winner will be announced right here after the closing date. Good luck!



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Best Samsung Phones

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

See at Amazon See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint

From dual cameras and a Wacom-powered stylus to water resistance, wireless charging, a massive curved display and even a headphone jack, the Galaxy Note 8 packs just about everything you could possibly ask for in a modern flagship. At 1200 nits, its display is one of the brightest on the market, and it's hard to beat the combination of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chipset and a whopping 6GB of RAM.

Bottom line: The Galaxy Note 8 is simply the best device Samsung has ever built. At least, until the Galaxy S9 shows its face.

One more thing: Depending on where you buy it from, the Galaxy Note 8 nears $1000 outright. For all its compelling features, a thousand dollars is hard to swallow for any phone.

Why the Galaxy Note 8 is the best

Samsung packed everything and the kitchen sink into the Galaxy Note 8.

For the absolute biggest and best that Samsung has to offer, you go with a Galaxy Note 8. It's the only way you can get an S Pen and the suite of software that makes it so powerful, but it's also the only Samsung phone available with its new dual camera setup. Those dual cameras let you zoom in on subjects with less resolution loss, and combine for a "Live Focus" effect that selectively blurs the background to mimic a DSLR's shallow depth of field. The main camera on its own remains unchanged from the Galaxy S8, however, which is disappointing to some who want to see an improvement but is a rock-solid shooter we're all familiar with at this point.

Aside from those two features, though, the Note 8 is near-identical to the Galaxy S8+. It has all of the same specs, save for a bump to 6GB of RAM and a drop to 3300mAh battery. It also has the same overall design and build, with a screen that's just 0.1-inches larger and a body that's only minimally bigger in each direction. For that reason, if you don't need the S Pen or are drawn in by the cameras, you'd be smart to consider saving some money and getting a Galaxy S8+ instead.

Best small phone

Samsung Galaxy S8

See at Amazon See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint

The Galaxy S8 is just another example of why Samsung remains one of the top performers in smartphones. It features one of the best smartphone displays with a vibrant color palette and fantastic brightness. It's equipped with a stellar 12MP camera with manual shooting abilities, as well as a 3000mAh battery that will last you through the day. Samsung also continues to bundle in the "extras" you won't always find on other devices, like a water resistant chassis, wireless charging and a microSD expansion slot.

Bottom line: With the way Samsung has aggressively marketed and cut the price of the Galaxy S8 over time, it's no surprise this phone is on just about everyone's list in the top-end smartphone market. It does just about everything you want.

One more thing: Like every other Samsung phone released in 2017, the S8's fingerprint sensor is a bit hard to reach — luckily iris recognition works pretty well in all but the brightest environments.

Best mid-sized phone

Samsung Galaxy S8+

See at Amazon See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint

Need something bigger? The Galaxy S8+ has all the same innards as its smaller counterpart, but it builds on that foundation with a larger 6.2-inch display and 3500mAh battery to accompany it. It also comes packed with all the same goodies, including water resistance, an expansion slot, USB Type-C fast charging, wireless charging, and the ability to pay with either Samsung Pay or Android Pay.

Bottom line: If the Galaxy S8 is too small for your liking, and you don't care about the S Pen or dual cameras, the S8+ is your best bet. It's cheaper than the Galaxy Note 8 and offers a nearly identical experience.

One more thing: This is still a really big phone — we certainly recommend holding both it and the standard Galaxy S8 before making a buying decision on which one works for your hands.

Best durable phone

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

See at AT&T See at T-Mobile

The Galaxy S8 Active offers an identical core experience to the Galaxy S8, down to every little feature like wireless charging and specific hardware components. At the same time, the entire outside of the phone is considerably thicker, wider, taller and heavier than the Galaxy S8, with a flat screen and no glass on the back. It also has a plastic-like coating on the screen to make it shatter-resistant, which is great for those who need it but a slight detriment to the rest of us as it picks up casual scratches much easier.

Bottom line: The Galaxy S8 Active isn't a better overall phone than the standard Galaxy S8, but it sure is a great "rugged" choice considering the competition.

One more thing: All of that extra size let Samsung put an extra 1000mAh of battery capacity in, totaling 4000mAh, so you really don't have to worry about battery life on the Galaxy S8 Active.

Best for less

Samsung Galaxy S7

See at Amazon See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint

The Galaxy S7 may now be considered to some as old news, but you'll save a considerable amount of money picking this one over its latest successor. It's considerably smaller when you compare it to the Galaxy S8, and aside from the "Active" models it's the last modern Samsung flagship with a flat screen. But it has a whole host of other modern features, like IP68 water resistance, Samsung Pay, an SD card slot, and what we'd still consider a very capable 12-megapixel rear camera.

Bottom line: If small and affordable is what you're going for, and you don't mind the impending end-of-life status of software updates after the next major release, the Galaxy S7 remains a good deal.

One more thing: Keep in mind that the Galaxy S7 comes from the era of Micro-USB ports … you may need to have a different cable if you've already started to upgrade the rest of your setup to USB-C.

Update, November 2017: The list was brought up to date with the addition of the Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Active, as well as the removal of the Note 7 and Galaxy S7 edge, for simplicity's sake.



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Nokia 2 now available for purchase in U.S. for $99

You can buy the Nokia 2 from Amazon and Best Buy starting today.

The Nokia brand has been rather prominent in the Android space this year, and this has resulted from the release of the Nokia 8, 6, 5, and 2. The Nokia 6 was the first of these phones to launch in the United States this past July, and that's now being followed by the more affordable Nokia 2.

You'll be able to purchase the Nokia 2 from Amazon and Best Buy starting today, November 30, and it'll cost you just $99. For that price, you're getting a 5-inch 1280 x 720 LCD display, Snapdragon 212 processor, 8MP rear camera, and a huge 4,100 mAh battery that Nokia says allows for two days of use on a single charge.

Other specs include 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 5MP front-facing camera, and a microUSB port for charging. The Nokia 2 ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and while we'd expect an Oreo update soon, an ETA for this has yet to be announced.

See at Amazon



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With the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei comes close to greatness

The Mate 10 Pro is one of the fastest and most seductive phones on the market, but its software lets it down where it counts.

Here in North America, there are the phone companies you know about, and the ones you need to know about. Huawei is in the latter category, despite broaching fame in early 2017 with the U.S. release of its flagship Mate 9.

With that phone's sequel, the company divided the line into two distinct models: the regular Mate 10, which looks a lot like its predecessor, and the Mate 10 Pro, which is taller and sleeker and goes forward in a more modern, future-proof direction. That latter version is coming to the U.S. in early 2018 (though the company won't say exactly when, or if it's partnering with a carrier this time around), and there's a lot to look forward to.

I've been using the Mate 10 Pro for a few weeks now in both the U.S. and Canada, and though you can't buy it yet, there's lots to look forward to when it becomes available next year. (Or if you're so inclined, you can import it from Europe, but that's for the truly desperate.)

Huawei Mate 10 Pro review: Best Android flagship for battery life

Huawei Mate 10 What you'll love

There's a lot to like about the Mate 10's hardware. You should take a look at Alex's review because it gives an excellent overview of the way Huawei has migrated, as other companies have, away from metal to a warmer glass-back design. The racing stripe along the back gives what would be an otherwise bland-looking device a bit of personality, too, which is a nice touch.

  • Display: 6 inches, 2160x1080 pixels (2:1 aspect)
  • OS: EMUI 8.0 (Android 8.0 Oreo)
  • Price: €699 (EUR) / TBD (US)
  • Processor: Kirin 970
  • RAM: 4GB / 6GB
  • Storage: 64GB / 128GB
  • Camera (front): 8MP ƒ2.0
  • Cameras (rear): 12MP (main) | 20MP (secondary)
  • Weight: 178 grams
  • Size: 152.2 x 74.5 x 7.9mm
  • Wireless: LTE 1.2Gbps
  • Sensors: Rear fingerprint
  • Battery: 4000mAh
  • Water resistance: IP67
  • Colors: Midnight Blue, Titanium Gray, Mocha Brown, Pink Gold

Holding the Mate 10's all-glass chassis is often treacherous given its size and weight — it's over 6 inches tall and weighs 173 grams, but as an object, the phone is stunning to look at. The AMOLED screen, despite not matching up in resolution to much of the competition (and, oddly, to its own LCD-sporting Mate 10 counterpart) is vivid and accurate, without a hint of the unsightly blue tint that has afflicted the LG V30 and Google Pixel 2 XL.

Like the Mate 9, the Mate 10 Pro does away with most of the bezels around the screen, though that effect is less pronounced this year for a number of reasons: there are many phones that look almost identical (the front is a dead ringer for the OnePlus 5T); and the AMOLED screen blends nicely with the black bezels.

This is one of the fastest phones on the market, and the Kirin 970 is to thank for that.

The phone is also very fast — the Kirin 970 processor inside the Mate 10 Pro matches or outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in most synthetic benchmarks I've used, and the phone feels incredibly snappy. While I'm no fan of Huawei's software — EMUI 8.0 is still a mess in many places — there's no question that using the company's latest flagship feels like there is plenty of headroom (I've been using the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Other nice touches: Huawei's fingerprint sensor is incredibly fast and wonderfully placed. On a phone this tall, I never had a problem getting to the home screen. (That's a good thing, too, because the phone lacks any form of gesture to wake the screen with a double-tap.) It's water-resistant, rated IP67, which is good for one meter of submersion for 30 minutes.

Given that this is the first in the Mate line with such a pedigree, it's a timely addition, as the feature feels like table stakes for a release in late 2017. There is no headphone jack, nor wireless charging; oddly, I'm less bummed about the former than the latter.

The camera is outstanding on here. Huawei has always done a great job with its optics, partnering with Leica in the past, and the collaboration bears even juicier fruit with the Mate 10 series than it did on the P10 and P10 Plus from earlier in 2017.

The Mate 10 Pro's camera has decent dynamic range in difficult shooting situations. This is without HDR.

Colors are vivid and pleasing.

The big change is in low light performance: the secondary 20MP monochrome sensor is now paired with an ƒ/1.6 lens, and the results are truly special. I still think it's nuts that Huawei's otherwise-excellent camera app still doesn't support Auto HDR, but shooting photos and video is an otherwise sublime experience. I'd buy this phone for the monochrome sensor alone.

If you're a camera junky — especially a fan of monochrome photography — this is the phone to get. It takes beautiful photos.

Battery life from the 4000mAh battery is astoundingly good. I know, that's a big adverb, but it's worth the hyperbole. I only had to charge the Mate 10 Pro once every two days, and that's with using it as I would any other phone. Yes, battery life has improved across the board on high-end Android phones this year — the 10nm manufacturing process of chips like the Kirin 970 and Snapdragon 835 have facilitated that — but this takes things to a whole new level.

Elsewhere, I had no problem using the phone to make calls and connect to both AT&T's and TELUS's LTE networks in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, and though I couldn't take advantage of the purported 1.2Gbps potential network speeds, I did notice the phone's LTE connection was always solid, even in remote areas. The stereo speakers, too, are very good.

Huawei Mate 10 What you'll hate

I said it earlier, and I'll strongly reiterate it here: I do not like EMUI. Even with its modern retrofit, running Android 8.0 Oreo behind the scenes, Huawei still doesn't understand what makes Android so singularly decent. It strips away the logical changes Google brings to the fore, opting to hide behind years of legacy behavior that offers almost no value to the user.

If you're a Pixel software fan, this is as far from that as you'll find.

The most striking example to me is the most simple: it's not possible to expand notifications on the lock screen. It appears you can, but tapping the arrow that on other Android phones offers the entirety of a message does nothing here. The phone just prompts you to tap again to go directly into the app. That's the exact opposite of the behavior I want.

Next is the insistence on theming the phone like it's a character in a space opera. Everything is chrome and textured and ugly. That the phone makes it difficult to change one's default launcher doesn't help matters, but I wouldn't mind if the one that ships with it was any good. Of course, the default version lacks an app drawer, but that's relatively fixable. What isn't is finding a theme — and there are around a dozen pre-installed — that doesn't offend my eyes. I couldn't install Action Launcher and AdaptivePack quickly enough.

Thankfully, once those issues were dealt with, the software experience was akin to any other Oreo-based phone. EMUI 8.0 is not a drastic change from 5.0, which shipped on the Mate 9.

Huawei insists that its machine learning algorithms will keep the phone running quickly well into its expected two-year lifespan, but in my few weeks with the Mate 10 Pro I haven't noticed any substantive difference.

There's a lot of potential inside Huawei's NPU, but it will rely on the ingenuity of developers to make it useful.

Moreover, Huawei's Neural Processing Unit, a vector-based chip that offloads a bulk of the machine learning processing from the main Kirin processor, doesn't seem to have a real-world impact on performance or even experience at this point. The main use case, identifying various subjects and changing the camera settings accordingly, is nice in theory, but applying additional saturation to my food subjects isn't impressive.

I am encouraged by what the NPU is capable of, and I expect Qualcomm to double down on AI-based silicon optimizations in upcoming versions of its platforms, but for now, the NPU is waiting for a killer app. (And no, the pre-installed version of Microsoft Translate that speeds up on-device translation doesn't count as a killer app.)

I also had a hell of time getting Bluetooth headphones — multiple headsets — to maintain solid connections to the Mate 10 Pro. I'm sure this is a software bug, but it basically precludes me from using the phone to listen to music, as its lack of a headphone jack puts me in dongle territory, and I hate being in dongle territory.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Should you buy it?

My visceral reaction to the Mate 10's few software quirks is likely not going to mirrored by the vast majority of people. I prefer Android when it gets out of my way and just does things intuitively — Pixel 2, OnePlus 5T, even Galaxy Note 8 — and when I use the Mate 10 Pro, I always feel like I'm fighting the software. But I felt that way about the Mate 9 before Huawei released a massive update weeks after its release to fix some nagging bugs, so I'm hopeful of the same thing here.

At the same time, this is classic Huawei hardware: substantial and practical, if a little derivative. The Mate 10 Pro is a good-looking phone indeed, but it's the hardware inside that's most impressive. No company packs its phones so full of specs like Huawei.

If you're not a fan of the Pixels, the Mate 10 Pro offers a camera experience that's far more feature-filled, with day- and low-light shots that come out nearly as well. If you're a photo fanatic, this is one great companion.

We don't yet know specific U.S. release details, but I'd bet that the Mate 10 Pro will undercut the vast majority of flagships available today, and that will make it a hell of a good deal.

See at Huawei



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