Huawei has taken the wraps off the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro and it has everything you could possibly want in a late-2019 handset: all-screen industrial design, giant displays, huge batteries, and 5G. They’re just missing one small thing: Google.

While the new phones are based on the open-source version of Android 10, Huawei is unable to include Google’s apps on any of its new devices since it was blacklisted from doing business with U.S. companies earlier this year. So that means your brand new Mate 30 won’t have Gmail, Chrome, Maps, or the Play Store. That obviously puts a serious damper on what is otherwise a pretty incredible phone. Let’s look at the details...

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Samsung’s phones always have a lot of features hidden in their labyrinthine menus, but the Note series is particularly jam-packed. Along with the usual Samsung One UI features, the 10 and 10+ also have S Pen capabilities and all the features those entail. The new Notes aren’t cheap phones, so you’ll want to actually use all those features. Here are the 10 things you ought to do first.

Choose your navigation buttons

Samsung still defaults to the standard button navigation system, but you can make some changes. There’s even a gesture option that’s easier to adjust to than the systems used by some other device makers. Just head to Settings > Display > Navigation bar.

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With a near “all-screen” design that barely has a bezel, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is one of the prettiest phones we’ve ever seen, but it’s also very fragile. Even if you opt for the smaller model over the monster 6.7-inch version, you’re going to want to buy a case for your brand new thousand-dollar handset. We’re here to help you pick out one that will fit well, keep it safe, and of course, look good. We’ll keep updating this list as we test new cases, but here are our favorite picks so far:

If you own a Pixel or still have an Essential Phone lying around, you’ve probably already tried out Dark theme, gesture navigation, and all the other new Android 10 features. But you might not know there are some other features to explore—features that still need a bit more development time and are currently hidden behind a rather flimsy gate.

Interested? You’ll need to enable Developer options on your phone. To do this, go to the System menu in Settings, then About phone, and scroll down to Build number at the bottom. Tap it seven times, and a message will appear telling you that you’re now a developer. Then go back a screen and tap on System, then Advanced, to see the Developer options menu.

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While all eyes are on Samsung and its next-gen Galaxy Fold that transforms from a 4.6-inch phone to a 7.3-inch tablet, LG has its own idea of what a folding phone should be. And it’s almost charming in its immaturity.

Instead of a revolutionary display that bends, the LG G8X merely adds a second screen via a snap-on case. It’s kind of like hooking up a second monitor to a laptop—if you wanted a monitor that gets in the way of using the laptop. When attached, the second display adds bulk and weight, and the gap between the displays makes it hard to type on the main screen and nearly impossible to type on the secondary one, and blocks the volume keys. The Dual Display concept is similar to the ZTE Axon but portends to be less successful.

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At long last, the Galaxy Fold is finally almost ready to ship to consumers. Again.

Following a false-start in April that derailed the Galaxy Fold’s launch just days before its launch, Samsung has announced that its next-generation handset will begin shipping in Korea on Friday, Sept. 6, and the U.S. on Sept. 26.

As previously detailed, Samsung has preformed a number of changes to the device following several issues with the initial design. Several early reviewers experienced issues ranging from flickering to debris getting stuck under the screen, and in response, Samsung has implemented improvements which it says will “ensure consumers have the best possible experience.” The fixes include:

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When you first start using Android 10, it won’t look all that different from version 9. In fact, the biggest change you’re going to encounter is that it doesn’t have a tasty dessert moniker attached to it. But even without any radical new features, Android “Don’t Call It Q” charts a whole new path for the OS, with new ways to navigate, customize, and secure your phone. So if you can’t find anything new, you’re just looking in the wrong places. Here are all the best new features in Android 10 and how to start using them.

Dark theme

Possibly the most highly anticipated new feature in Android 10 is a simple one: dark mode. Called Dark theme, it flips many of the elements in stock Google apps from blinding white to black or dark gray. However, it’s a little scattered, with some apps turning automatically, while others have their own internal switches. Here’s how it breaks down:

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After months of testing and tweaks, Samsung is finally almost ready to ship its next-generation Galaxy Fold handset. Maybe. Even though a pre-order button appeared on the Galaxy Fold site on Samsung.com this weekend, you can’t actually pre-order the new phone just yet. Instead, you can sign up for more information, which will presumably be the new on-sale date, which is rumored to be later this month.

If you’ve forgotten, the Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s first handset with a foldable screen. On the outside, it has a small 4.6-inch display, but it can be opened to reveal a massive 7.3-inch screen with three-app multitasking and PC-like drag-and-drop support. Inside it’s very much a Note 10+, with a Snapdragon 855 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

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The Galaxy Note 10+ will be too expensive for some people. It’ll be too big for others. Some will balk at its lack of a headphone jack and a few might really want a dual selfie cam. For those people, there’s the Galaxy S10+, which is an excellent alternative that checks off all of the above boxes without sacrificing too much of what the Note 10+ brings.

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I can sum up my first experience in 5G like this: 1.21 gigabits. That’s the first speed I hit when I started walking around Providence, Rhode Island, on Wednesday with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G.

That wasn’t the top speed I hit either. Later in the day, I touched 1.48Gbps and 1.63Gbps. Nor did it represent an average speed, which was closer to 450Mbps. But my first impression of real-world 5G Ultra Wideband—made possible during a Verizon press event, but using already-deployed 5G infrastructure nodes—kind of blew me away.

Here are some real-world stats to help you wrap your brain around the promise of gig-plus download speeds:

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After six betas, there isn’t much we don’t know about the next version of Android, but there was still one burning question: What dessert starts with the letter Q?

As it turns out, there aren’t any good ones. Android Quik? Android Quesito? These would have been ridiculous. But now it’s all moot, as Google has dumped its sweet treat naming scheme altogether, falling back on numbers as identifiers. This year’s release will be Android 10. That’s it.

Google isn’t saying that it was just too damned hard to come up with a pronounceable dessert that begins with Q. Rather, it’s saying that this development was a long time coming, as the rest of the world was sometimes confused with U.S.-centric branding. As Google explains: “Pies are not a dessert in some places, and that marshmallows, while delicious, are not a popular treat in many parts of the world.”

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In no uncertain terms, there’s nothing about the $350 Galaxy A50 that’s only half as good as the $750 S10e. Quite frankly, there’s nothing about it that’s only 40 percent as good as the $900 S10, either. I know that’s not technically how pricing works, but when you have two phones from the same company that are priced so far apart, it’s only natural to compare them.

Unlike the Google Pixel 3a, which basically copied the Pixel 3 note for note with subtle downgrades to bring down the price, there are some major differences between the mid-range A50 and the premium Galaxy S10+. But the main similarities—a giant OLED display, triple-camera array, in-screen fingerprint sensor, and a selfie cutout—give the phones a remarkable kinship. They even have the same pretty, prism-inspired color options.

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Setting a reminder is one of the most useful things you can do with Google Assistant on your phone or smart speaker, especially if you’re the forgetful type. But a new feature rolling out to Assistant will make reminders even more useful, so much so that you won’t have to do the remembering.

Instead of asking Google Assistant to set a reminder for you, you’ll now be able to set one for someone else in your family or household. So, instead of saying, “Hey Google, remind me to take out the trash on Sunday,” you’ll be able to say, “Hey Google, remind Susan to take out the track on Sunday.” Then, the notification will appear on their phone or smart speaker at the specified time.

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Google’s Pixels may be among the best Android phones you can buy, but they had some problems. Among the notable flaws with the original Pixel was an issue with the microphone not recording when it was supposed to. Now Google is paying out a cool $7 million to make it right.

That means anyone who ever bought a Google Pixel or a Google Pixel XL is eligible for a $20 payout, even if your phone never experienced any issues. You read that right: Anyone who bought an original Pixel, in any size or capacity, is eligible to claim $20.

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The decision to buy the newest Note usually comes down to one main question: Do you want an S Pen? But with a second model joining the fray this year, the decision to buy a Note over a Galaxy S isn’t such an easy one. So we’ve broken it all down for you.

Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy Note 10: Display

Samsung has always used the Note 10 as the launching pad for its best and biggest displays. The Note 10 does that with the new plus model:

• Note 10: 6.3-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2200x1080
• Note 10+: 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 3040x1440
• S10: 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 3040x1440
• S10+: 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 3040x1440

One of these things is not like the other, and it’s the smaller Note 10. Not only is the size a tenth of an inch smaller than the S10+ and last year’s Note 9, it’s also much lower-resolution, with Samsung significantly paring down the pixels to reach 1080p. So the sweet spot here is the 6.4-inch S10+, but if you want the best of the best, the 6.8-inch Note 10+ is the way to go.

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For the first time in its 10-version history, the vaunted Galaxy Note comes in two sizes. In photos, that’s a good thing, with two gorgeous Notes dancing and cavorting with each other.

But unlike the Galaxy S10 and S10+, the Note 10 and Note 10+ have more differences than just simple screen size. Bottom line: If you’re a Note fan looking to upgrade, and you’re thinking of buying the smaller 6.3-inch Note 10, you’re going to be in for a surprise. If you want the latest and greatest Note—the one packed with all the features—you’re going to have to spend more money for the larger Note 10+.

Michael Simon/IDG

When I picked up the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, it felt like I was holding the most powerful and beautiful phone on the planet. A 6.3-inch display, near-bezel-less design, triple-camera array, and supercharged S Pen are all crammed into an impossibly compact design. And then I picked up the Note 10+.

For the first time in the Note’s storied history, there are two sizes to choose from, and the difference between the two models couldn’t be clearer. While Samsung has set up the Galaxy S10 and S10+ smartphones to be mostly larger and smaller versions of the same device, the Note 10+ is a clear upgrade from the Note 10—so much so that many fans likely won’t even consider the smaller, lower-end model.

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There’s still another week or so until Samsung unveils the new Galaxy Note 10, but like every year, we pretty much know everything about it already. And because many people have likely already decided whether they want one, Samsung is offering trade-in deals if you reserve one before you officially see it.

That’s good, because the Note 10 is going to be superexpensive. The current Note 9 already starts at $1,000 and tops off at $1,250. All signs suggest the Note 10 will be even more loaded, with the launch of a second, higher-tiered model this year. So a high-end model that tops $1,500 isn’t out of the question. So, let’s take a look at what you’re going to get for all that money. 

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Unpacked isn’t until next week, but Samsung can hardly wait to show us all of the new things it’s been working on. Ahead of the big show, Samsung has taken the wraps off the Galaxy Tab S6, a high-end Android tablet aimed at competing with Apple’s iPad Pro and featuring top-of-the-line specs, a Bluetooth S Pen, and the first in-display fingerprint sensor on a tablet.

After launching the affordable Galaxy Tab S5e earlier this year, Samsung has skipped right to version 6 for its new premium tablet. Design-wise, it looks a lot like the Galaxy S4 that it replaces, with slim, uniform bezels all around and a wide 16:10 aspect ratio. You’ll also notice that there isn’t a headphone jack this time around, helping Samsung trim 1.4mm from the thickness. Here’s how the Galaxy Tab S6 stacks up to its predecessor:

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It was only about a month ago when Google shocked us by revealing the design of the Pixel 4, but it’s not done spilling details about its new phone. In a blog post, Google has outed two of the new features coming to the Pixel 4, and it confirms the biggest rumors we’ve been hearing about the device.

While the last reveal gave us a look at the back of the phone, this one gives us a look at the front. Or more specifically, the top. Google has done away with the Pixel 3 XL’s ugly notch in favor of a less-unsightly strip above the screen containing its new motion-sensing radar called Soli. And it’s a much bigger array than last year’s dual camera. From left to right, the sensors and cameras comprising Soli are as follows:

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It’s back. After a three-month delay following a round of scratched, dented, and downright broken early review units, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Fold is ready for release to the public. And this time, it assures us that it’s serious.

Update 11:45 am: T-Mobile has announced that it won't be carrying the Galaxy Fold in September.

Samsung announced the next-generation Galaxy Fold in February alongside the Galaxy S10. Equipped with a folding OLED screen that opened like a book, it made immediate headlines and generated enormous buzz ahead of its April 26 launch. However, early reviewers experienced numerous problems with the device, leading Samsung to cancel the initial launch while it investigated the issues.

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If you thought the Galaxy Note 10 and Pixel 4 were the only phones worth waiting for, Asus wants to prove you wrong. The Zenfone maker has unveiled the follow-up to its first gaming phone, appropriately named the ROG Phone II, and it’s nothing less than a monster.

When the ROG Phone released, it was a novel, if flawed concept, with things like a second side USB-C port, a clip-on fan, and RGB lighting. The ROG II absolutely doubles down on the concept, with a similar aesthetic but massively improved specs that pretty much include everything but 5G:

• Display: 6.59-inch FHD+ 2340 x 1080 AMOLED
• Processor: Snapdragon 855 Plus
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 512GB
• Rear camera: Dual 48MP, f/1.8 + 13MP ultra-wide
• Front camera: 24MP
• Battery: 6,000mAh

When it comes to the display, Asus has bumped not only the size but also the refresh rate from 90Hz to 120Hz to match the Razer Phone, and it also brings a 240Hz touch sampling rate, twice that of the iPhone XS. The 512GB of base storage uses the ultra-fast UFS 3.0 protocol, while the gigantic battery uses 30W fast charging to fill it up.

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Samsung on Thursday announced a major breakthrough in the future of smartphones: mass production has begun on the industry’s first 12GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM chip, so it should start showing up in smartphones pretty soon. But don't get your hopes up about it showing up on the Galaxy Note 10's spec sheet next month.

As Samsung explains in its press release, the 10nm LPDDR5 chip (Lower Power Double Data Rate) has been "optimized for enabling 5G and AI features in future smartphones." That mainly boils down to speed. The new chips have a data rate of 5,500MB/s, about 1.3 times faster than the 4,266MB/s LPDDR4X DRAM used in the Galaxy S10 5G and the 20nm LPDDR4 in the Galaxy S10+. That's not quite as big of a leap as the 2x increase from LPDDR3 to LPDDR4 (2,133MB/s to 4,266MB/s) but it's still significant.

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In case you forgot to buy your phone a present, it’s World Emoji Day today. And to celebrate, Apple and Google have unveiled a slew of new emoji based on the approved characters in Unicode 12 that will be arriving in iOS 13 and Android Q later this year. And the theme this year is inclusion for everyone. Even vampires.

Whatever your race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, you’ll be able to find an emoji to express yourself. On both iPhones and Android phones, the Holding Hands emoji has been greatly expanded to include more than 70 combinations and sex, gender, and race, so you’ll be able to properly represent your relationship no matter who your significant other may be.

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The Google Pixel 3a makes a strong case for tossing out the spec sheet. On paper, it looks like yet another boring budget smartphone, with a middling processor, single front and rear cameras, and a bare-minimum 1080p screen. But in your pocket, you might just mistake it for a premium phone.

Part of the reason why is because, well, it’s a Pixel. Specifically, it looks a lot like the notchless Pixel 3 and the rumored design for the Pixel 4, and of course, it runs the latest version of Android. But while the high-priced G-stamped phones always left something to be desired when it came to design, the $399 Pixel 3a looks like a budget phone but acts like a premium one. It’s almost like Google has been setting us up for this all along.

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After spending nearly a week with the Pixel 3 XL, my three first impressions of Google’s newest handset haven’t changed: It’s the fastest Android phone I’ve ever used. The cameras are awesome. The notch is an eyesore.

Thankfully, the first two qualities make up for the third. Mostly. If the Pixel 3 XL didn’t have such an ostentatious notch, it would still be an ugly phone, but after a couple days I wouldn’t have cared anymore. Six days later, the notch is still the first thing my eyes go to every time I unlock my phone. It would be one thing if there was some next-generation camera or sensor that demanded such a large notch. But as it stands, there appears to be a lot of unnecessary space around the twin cameras, ambient light sensor, and speaker that live inside it.

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If there’s one constant in the world of Android phones, it’s that the top phones all use Qualcomm’s best Snapdragon processor. This year, that’s the Snapdragon 855, a powerful system-on-chip that we’ve already seen in the Galaxy S10, One Plus 7 Pro, LG G8 ThinQ, and a few others.

Naturally, we assumed that the premium handsets coming in the second half of the year, namely the Galaxy Note 10 and Pixel 4, would use the same processor. But that might not be the case. Qualcomm has announced a mid-year refresh to the Snapdragon 855 that it’s calling the 855 Plus. Because, you know, everything that’s better has a plus in its name these days.

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