OnePlus Takes a Big Step Towards Offering Wireless Charging in Its Phones

OnePlus has joined Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) that is a group responsible for developing and maintaining of wireless charging standards.

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Series Sale Date to Be March 6, US Website Reveals

The Samsung US website reveals on its reservation confirmation page that the delivery date for the next Galaxy phone is slated for March 6.

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SK Hynix Posts Lowest Profit in 7 Years, Warns of Growing Uncertainties

South Korea's SK Hynix, a chip supplier to Apple and Huawei, on Friday warned of growing uncertainties, after posting its lowest quarterly profit in seven years, hit by a protracted industry downturn.

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Nintendo CEO Says No Plans to Launch New Switch Model in 2020

Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said the gaming company has no plans to launch a new Switch model this year. Nintendo launched a handheld-only version of its hit console in September, driving demand...

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Tangi Is Google's New Short-Form Video App for DIY, How-Tos, More

Google has joined the race to launch short-video making apps with unveiling Tangi that is focused on creativity and Do It Yourself (DIY) space.

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Nintendo CEO Says No Plans to Launch New Switch Model in 2020 *APP_NEWS*

Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said the gaming company has no plans to launch a new Switch model this year. Nintendo launched a handheld-only version of its hit console in September, driving demand for the hit device through the year-end shopping season.

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Tangi Is Google’s New Short-Form Video App for DIY, How-Tos, More *APP_NEWS*

Google has joined the race to launch short-video making apps with unveiling Tangi that is focused on creativity and Do It Yourself (DIY) space.

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How to download YouTube videos to watch offline android os

We can stay up from dawn till dusk and we will never run out of YouTube videos to watch, but what do you do when you have to stray from your faithful Wi-Fi? You download some YouTube videos for offline playback, of course. Here's how — and who — can download videos in YouTube for offline playback.

Products used in this guide

• Watch videos all day: Google Pixel 3a XL ($445 at Amazon)

Who can download videos to play offline

There are two categories of YouTube users that offline playback are available to: YouTube Premium members and YouTube users in select developing countries.

Now, Google knows that in many countries of the world, mobile data is a precious commodity — assuming mobile data is available at all in some places — but it still wants people in these countries to be able to enjoy YouTube. To that end, in over 120 countries/territories around the world, users can download YouTube videos for offline playback without a subscription. This includes most of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean, and in countries like India, YouTube's offline features are widely used and have some extra features that YouTube offline in YouTube Premium countries do not, like Smart Offline.

YouTube Premium is YouTube's subscription service that removes ads across YouTube's apps and enables premium features, including background playback and offline playback. YouTube Premium also give users premium service on YouTube Music (except in South Korea) and Google Play Music, which makes YouTube Premium the best deal in streaming today. Here's the full list of countries where YouTube Premium is available.

How to download a YouTube video to play offline

Should you be lucky enough to have the option of saving YouTube videos for offline viewing, here's how to start downloading videos.

1. Open YouTube from the app drawer or home screen.
2. Tap on a video you want to download for offline viewing.

3. Tap Download, between the Share and Save buttons below the video's title.

   

4. Choose the Video quality that you want to download in.
5. Hit Ok.

6. You'll see a blue Downloaded tick on the Download button, indicating the video is available for offline viewing.

   

How to download a YouTube playlist to play offline

If you've got an entire playlist you want to watch offline, you can download that playlist without having to individually download every single video.

1. Tap on a playlist you want to download for offline viewing.
2. Tap the Download button to get started. It's between the Share and Save buttons.
3. Choose the video quality.

4. Tap Ok.The playlist should begin downloading.

   

You'll also see a pop-up warning you that downloading a playlist can take a lot of time and data. Based on the number of videos in the playlists and your internet connection, the download may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

How to change your YouTube video download quality

By default, after you pick the video quality for your first downloaded YouTube video, all other videos will download at the same quality. But you can change that quality — or tell YouTube to ask you the quality every time — by going into YouTube's settings. You can also tell YouTube to download on your SD card if your phone has one.

1. Open YouTube from the app drawer or home screen.
2. Tap your avatar in the top right corner.

3. Tap Settings.

   

4. Tap Background & downloads.
5. Select Download quality.

6. Choose Ask each time.

   

If you have a phone with a microSD card, you'll see a toggle on this same screen to Use SD card for YouTube downloads. If the toggle is blue, videos are downloading to the SD card. You can also see how much space your downloads are taking up by looking at the Available storage bar at the bottom of the screen.

How to schedule offline downloading for Wi-Fi

Not everyone can afford unlimited data plans, so if you want to download videos for offline viewing without burning precious mobile data, YouTube can wait to download that video until you're off paid data and onto Wi-Fi.

1. Open YouTube.
2. Tap your avatar in the top right corner.

3. Tap Settings.

   

4. Tap Background & downloads.

5. Under Download, tap Download over Wi-Fi only to toggle it on.

   

Downloaded videos remain on your device until you delete them, but YouTube requires that you go online once every 30 days. This is so that the service can see if there are any new videos in a playlist you've downloaded.

Watch videos all day

Google Pixel 3a XL

$445 at Amazon

Great mid-range phone that does it all.

The Pixel 3a XL is one of the best mid-range phones you can buy today. It has robust hardware combined with the best camera you'll find in this segment, and you get a vibrant screen that's great for playing YouTube videos. The battery life is pretty great as well, and you can stream videos for hours on end without any issues.

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It's easy to use an Xbox One controller with your Android device android os

Did you know it's possible to use an Xbox One controller with your Android device? That's because, as of the release of the Xbox One S, Microsoft started outfitting its Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth radios. While this feature was made mostly for PC gaming, you'll be happy to know that it works surprisingly well with Android phones. While there may be more appropriate controllers for mobile gaming available, this is a nice trick to have in your back pocket if you already have a compatible Xbox One controller and don't want to spend money to buy something you'll only use for your phone.

Products used in this guide

• A simple, quality controller: Xbox One Wireless Controller ($45 at Amazon)

How to pair an Xbox One controller with your Android phone

For starters, you'll want to ensure the Xbox One controller you have uses Bluetooth. As a rule of thumb, newer versions of the Xbox One S and Xbox One X come with Bluetooth by default. If you're buying the controller new, Amazon has them for $50. Assuming the phone you have works just fine with the Xbox One controller, the pairing process is painless. Here's how to get connected:

1. On your Android phone, swipe down from the top to pull down the Notification Shade.
2. Long press the Bluetooth icon.
3. Tap Connection preferences.

4. Tap Bluetooth.

   

5. Turn on the Xbox One controller by holding the Xbox button.
6. Look for the sync button on the top left of the Xbox controller. Hold it for a few seconds until the Xbox button begins blinking.
7. On your Android phone, tap Pair new device.
8. After some time, you should see the Xbox One controller appear in the list of nearby devices. Tap it to pair.

9. If all goes well, your phone should show a connection to your Xbox One controller, and the Xbox button will stop blinking.

   

For some phones, you'll see evidence of the controller working right away, with the directional pad and buttons being used to navigate the system UI. To test further, fire up your favorite game with Bluetooth controller support to see how it all works out.

I've tried several games with the Xbox One controller, including Modern Combat 5, Riptide GP, and BombSquad. Not only did the games work with the controller flawlessly, they even show proper on-screen control prompts appropriate for the Xbox One controller. And for emulators, you should have no problem mapping the buttons however you prefer.

How can I make sure my Xbox controller has Bluetooth capability?

For those looking to use their existing controllers, the easiest way to check is to look at the controller itself. If the area around the Xbox button is part of the same piece of plastic as the rest of the controller, it has Bluetooth. If your Xbox button is recessed within a separate piece of plastic, it does not have Bluetooth. Reference the image below if you need help — if your controller has Bluetooth support, it should look like the bottom one.

The best thing to do for those who already own the controller is to simply try it. If you don't own it, be sure to search around for your specific phone to see if others have had success, as you don't want to be dropping cash for something that doesn't work. (Of course, Amazon's return policy is incredible, so if you're buying from them, then it may be worth the hassle.)

Our top equipment picks

Up your game

Xbox One Wireless Controller

$45 at Amazon $30 at Best Buy

Easy to use

The Xbox One controller is a solid option that, when using Bluetooth, can easily elevate your Android gaming experience.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip US FCC Listing Tips NFC Support, Compatible LTE Bands

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip unlocked variant has been listed on FCC with the model number SM-F700U, and the listing suggests that the phone will support NFC and Samsung Pay's MST as well.

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Apple Unveils Revamped Maps App to Challenge Google in the US

Apple on Thursday said it has finished rolling out an overhauled map app in the US in another attempt to challenge Google's popular smartphone navigation software.

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EU Lawmakers Push for Common Mobile Charger

EU lawmakers overwhelmingly called on Thursday for rules to establish a common charger for all mobile device makers across Europe, a drive that iPhone maker Apple has criticised.

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Amazon Soars to $1 Trillion Value as It Hits 150 Million Prime Members

Amazon.com on Thursday posted holiday quarter results well above expectations as the expansion of its one-day shipping program came under budget and membership in its Prime loyalty club notched a 50...

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Apple Completes Rollout of Redesigned Maps App in the US, Europe Next *APP_NEWS*

Apple on Thursday said it has finished rolling out an overhauled map app in the US in another attempt to challenge Google's popular smartphone navigation software.

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IBM CEO Ginni Rometty to Step Down in April

International Business Machines (IBM) Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will hand over the reins to the head of the company's cloud business, as the pioneer tech company continues its efforts to...

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The EU may push iPhones to adopt the USB-C that Androids prefer android os

It is finally time to end the tyranny of the Lightning connector.

What you need to know

• The European Parliament voted to force phone manufacturers to use a common charging standard.
• Apple is the lone manufacturer not using USB-C for phone charging.
• The European Commission must now write the laws that would be enforcable in the EU.

The European Union has officially encouraged phone manufacturers to use a common standard for ports and charging cords, but one major manufacturer never seemed to get the message. Now Reuters reports that the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly, 582-40, to encourage the European Commission, the law-making body for the EU, to adopt new regulations to force the issue. European lawmakers say that the Commission should adopt the new regulations by the summer.

Of course, this leaves much undetermined, and that singular manufacturer is sure to raise a legal stink. Android manufactuers have almost entirely adopted the USB-C port standard on flagship devices and most other smarphones. Even before USB-C, all of the Android manufacturers had settled on microUSB, so the lone holdout to voluntarily following the European Union preference has long been Apple. This is especially ironic as Apple has seen fit to include USB-C on its high-end Macbook Pro laptops, as well as on its newest iPad Pro tablets. Only the iPhone and some related accessories still rely on the lighting connector.

The European Parliamenrt also encourages manufacturers to move to a common standard for wireless charging, which is a much more realistic goal as most manufacturers use some technology that is compatible with the Qi standard from the Wireless Power Consortium. Even Apple uses wireless charging that is Qi compatible, though like some other manufacturers it also has a proprietary faster wireless charging feature available.

Apple hits back at EU charger proposals, says it would create "unprecedented volume" of waste

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WhatsApp Reported a Dozen Security Vulnerabilities in 2019, US Database Reveals *APP_NEWS*

WhatsApp is found to have disclosed a total of 12 vulnerabilities in 2019. Entries were found on the US National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

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Google Announces $1 Million Grant for Promoting News Literacy in India *APP_NEWS*

Google on Wednesday announced a $1 million grant for global non-profit organization Internews that will launch a new initiative to promote news literacy among the Indian public.

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Saif Ali Khan: A Star in Bollywood — and on Netflix *APP_NEWS*

Saif Ali Khan, bonafide Bollywood royalty and star of Netflix hit Sacred Games, says India's massive film industry does not need international audiences to thrive. But that may not be a good thing, he cautions.

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Amazon, Flipkart Need to Establish System for Collecting Plastic Waste: CPCB to NGT *APP_NEWS*

Amazon and Flipkart need to fulfil their extended producer responsibility under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and need to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to the packaging of their products, the Central Pollution Control Board told the NGT on Tuesday.

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Amazon-Owned Ring App Sending User Data to Third Parties: EFF *APP_NEWS*

US-based digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) has found that Amazon-owned Ring doorbell app is "packed" with third-party tracking, sending out a plethora of customers' personally identifiable information.

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India vs New Zealand Third T20I Cricket Match Today: How to Watch Live, Follow Scores Online *APP_NEWS*

India vs New Zealand T20I cricket match is set to begin at 12:20pm today. India is currently leading the series 2-0 and will be looking to seal the series with another win over New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series.

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iPhone Sales Rise for the First Time in a Year as Apple Braces for Coronavirus Impact *APP_NEWS*

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons like AirPods wireless headphones.

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Huawei Denies German Report It Colluded With Chinese Intelligence

Huawei, the leading maker of telecoms network equipment, denied a newspaper report on Wednesday that alleged the German government was in possession of evidence that it had cooperated with Chinese...

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Apple's iPhone Strength Is Back and Analysts Say It Is Here to Stay

Wall Street analysts were smitten by a rebound in sales of Apple's iPhones after a year of decline. So much, in fact, that they looked past a weaker-than-expected rise in services revenue, the...

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Apple's iPhone Strength Is Back and Analysts Say It Is Here to Stay *APP_NEWS*

Wall Street analysts were smitten by a rebound in sales of Apple's iPhones after a year of decline. So much, in fact, that they looked past a weaker-than-expected rise in services revenue, the company's growth driver.

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Tesla Extends Its Profit Run, Promises Record Production

Tesla on Wednesday posted the second quarterly profit in a row on record vehicle deliveries and said it would produce more than 500,000 units this year, as the electric carmaker's shares surged to new...

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Microsoft Posts Better-Than-Expected Profits on Cloud Business Growth

Microsoft on Wednesday reported quarterly sales and profit that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by the first acceleration of Azure cloud computing revenue growth in eight quarters.

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Realme X2 Pro Gets Wi-Fi Calling Support Through Software Update

Realme X2 Pro has started receiving a new software update with Wi-Fi calling support. The update also includes the January 2020 Android security patch and various bug fixes.

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Realme C3 Design, Specifications Teased on Flipkart Ahead of Launch

Realme C3 is teased via dedicated page on Flipkart, confirming its availability on the e-commerce site. The phone is listed to come in two configurations – 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB.

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Microsoft Posts Better-Than-Expected Profits on Cloud Business Growth *APP_NEWS*

Microsoft on Wednesday reported quarterly sales and profit that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by the first acceleration of Azure cloud computing revenue growth in eight quarters.

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Apple, Broadcom Ordered to Pay $1.1 Billion to Caltech for Patent Infringement

A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday ordered Apple and Broadcom to pay $1.1 billion to a university in California for infringing on four Wi-Fi technology patents.

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Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Samsung Galaxy A71 vs Samsung Galaxy A50s

We pit the Samsung Galaxy A51 alongside the Galaxy A71 and the Galaxy A50s to see how the new entrant in the Indian market fares against the competition, on paper.

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UN Was Hacked Last Year and It Kept Quiet

Sophisticated hackers infiltrated U.N. networks in Geneva and Vienna last year in an apparent espionage operation that top officials at the world body kept largely quiet.

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Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth Snapped Sporting Realme Fitness Band

Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth had confirmed in his latest #AskMadhav episode that the first Realme fitness band will be launched in India next month.

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The best smart doorbells on the market right now android os

Whether you're in a house or apartment, making sure your home is safe while you're away is a key priority. One of the best ways to deter thieves while providing yourself with peace of mind is with a quality smart doorbell like the Nest Hello. We've done the research and made a list of the best smart doorbell cameras for any home. See which one works for you.

Best Overall: Nest Hello

I love this smart doorbell. It costs a little more than average, but you get plenty of features that make the price worth it. For one thing, you can set it up to give you alerts whenever it detects motion in specific areas of your yard. What's more, it has facial recognition abilities, so it can tell you if a particular friend is approaching before they even ring the bell. The camera operates at 1600x1200 with HDR for clear video quality. When the camera senses that it gets dark, it automatically switches to night vision. It's in grayscale, but it's clearer than many other cameras on the market.

When I was trying to decide between doorbell cameras for my home, I landed on this one. Unlike some others, it's always recording. Doorbell cams that only turn on when they detect motion sometimes turn on too late, making it so owners can't see the faces of those who've stolen packages from their porch. With the Nest Hello, I can go through the log and see everything that happened within the past few days. The app even allows me to zoom in for a closer look.

There are a few things that might give people pause when buying this device. For one thing, it requires a hardwired connection. It needs to work with the proper transformer so some folks, especially those in older houses, might need to purchase one of those as well.

Finally, like many other smart doorbells, this one requires a subscription if you want to view recordings, and you'll need to pay per camera (though you do get the service at a discount if you have multiple cameras). The service is called Nest Aware and you have the option of paying $5 per month for a five-day plan, $10 per month for a 10-day plan, or $30 a month for a 30-day plan. On the plus side, Google announced that it's will be moving to a whole-house pricing plan in early 2020, to keep the subscriptions more competitive.

Pros:

• Non-stop recording
• Great video quality
• Smart home integration
• Facial recognition
• Can set motion zones
• Zoom ability

Cons:

• Hardwired connection
• Subscription costs
• More expensive than others

Best Overall

Nest Hello

$230 at Best Buy

An excellent doorbell camera

Monitor live feeds at any time and set specific motion zones for camera alerts. It also distinguishes between humans and cars and records 24/7.

Best Budget: Ring Video Doorbell

If you're looking for a way to monitor your home without spending too much, you should consider the Ring Video Doorbell. It doesn't have as many features as other smart doorbells, but it does an excellent job with the things it can do. It only uses a 720p camera. but the 180-degree field of view can capture a wider area than some other doorbell cameras. You can also set it to monitor specific areas of your yard. That way, it will only send alerts if it sees people in your yard rather than cars driving past on the street.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to get this doorbell is the incredibly easy installation. It comes with all the tools you need to install it, and it's designed to either function using a battery or by being hardwired to your home. It even has interchangeable faceplates so you can select a design that looks best with your door. When the battery life gets low, it will send you a notification so you can recharge it. It typically takes 10 hours to reach a full charge and should last roughly 12 months.

This little device connects to your Wi-Fi, allowing you to monitor and control it using the Ring app or smart home services like Amazon Alexa or IFTTT. Link it to your accounts, and you can use it to talk with those on your porch via two-way communication, or simply to view motion detection alerts.

The biggest downside to this doorbell is that it only records when it detects motion. Some users complain about how the camera didn't start recording until after someone had already made off with their packages. As with the other doorbell cameras on this list, you'll need to pay a subscription to access videos. You can pay $10 per month for a Protect Plus Plan or $3 per month for a Protect Basic Plan.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Can set motion zones
• Interchangeable faceplates
• Works with smart home services
• Alerts you to motion detection
• 180-degree field of view

Cons:

• Only 720p video
• Only records when it detects motion

Best Budget

Ring Video Doorbell

• $100 at Amazon $100 at Walmart

An inexpensive smart doorbell

This is one of the cheapest doorbells you can find. You can either power it with a hardwired connection or rely on the rechargeable battery for power.

Best August Smart Lock Integration: August Doorbell Cam Pro (2nd Gen)

August is best known for its smart locks and keypads, but it also makes video doorbells to complete the whole smart door experience. If you already own an August smart lock, you should consider getting this doorbell. It works as a Wi-Fi bridge for the August Smart Lock Pro, which on its own can only be controlled via Bluetooth. When used together the Doorbell Cam Pro lets you control the Smart Lock Pro from anywhere on your smartphone as long as you have an internet connection.

This doorbell can also be controlled with Amazon Alexa, so you can use an Echo device to interact with it or talk with people on your porch. Something to note is that the square-shaped casing is broader than many other doorbells. You'll want to make sure you measure out the space of your existing doorbell to make sure it can fit. It does require a wired connection, so it takes more work to install than the battery operated options. The app is well organized and even includes step by step installation instructions to get you started.

This camera has an unusual resolution of 960x1280, which means the camera records vertically with a 120-degree field of view. While this does make it easier to use on a smartphone without turning the screen sideways, it makes it so you see less of your yard. Of course, if you have a long, narrow entryway, this won't be a problem. Unlike other doorbells that we looked at, you cannot set motion zones. This flaw means you'll be getting alerts whenever a car drives by instead of just when someone happens to be on your front yard. It comes with a free subscription plan that allows you to see 24 hours-worth of saved recordings. If you want a longer record, you'll have to pay more. There's the Premium Plan, which gives 15-days of recordings for $3 a month, or the Premium Plus Plan for 30-days of records at $5 per month.

Pros:

• Good app design
• Pairs with August smart lock and keypad
• Two-way audio

Cons:

• Vertical 120-degree field of view
• Requires hardwired installation
• Wide square design
• Can't set motion zones

Best Smart Lock Integration

August Doorbell Cam Pro

$198 at Amazon

Pairs perfectly to August smart locks

This camera doorbell works with August smart locks to help protect you and your home. Use it to monitor your porch more conveniently.

Best for Apartments or Condos: Ring Video Doorbell 2

Ring is a home security company owned by Amazon. As such it's not surprising to learn that Ring devices work super well with the Echo Show (2nd Gen), the Echo Show 8, or the Echo Show 5 to help you monitor your front yard or engage in two-way conversations with those on your porch. If your smart home is already primarily made up of Alexa devices, this is an excellent doorbell for you.

This camera offers better video quality than the original Ring Video Doorbell at an improved 1080p. Something I appreciate is that it's super easy to install since it can be either battery-powered or hardwired into your home. Since the hardwiring is optional, it's a great option to use on apartments and condos where permanent changes might not be allowed.

As with other Ring doorbells, this one only starts recording when it detects motion. Just be aware that several users have reported that their doorbell has only started recording once someone has already stolen a package or stolen the doorbell itself. Others have reported that the doorbell helped them see intruders or even scare them off before they did anything. It will just depend on how quickly your doorbell decides to turn on. As with other Ring doorbells, you'll need to pay a subscription if you want to view recordings.

Pros

• Battery or hardwired connection
• Easy installation
• 1080p video quality
• Motion detection

Cons

• Triggered recording
• Must pay subscription to view recordings

Best for Apartments or Condos

Ring Video Doorbell 2

$199 at Amazon

A sleek doorbell with quality video

It gives you 1080p of video resolution and works with Amazon Alexa. You can choose between a battery or a wired connection for power.

Best Amazon Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Of all of Ring's video doorbells, I like the shape of this one the most. Since it's smaller and slimmer than the others, it's more likely to fit on the door frame or wherever else your current doorbell resides. It's the most expensive unit on this list, but it also offers some features you won't find elsewhere. For one thing, it supports both a 5GHz and a 2.4GHz wireless connection, so you're more likely to get it to work on your Wi-Fi without connectivity issues.

Within the app, you can draw your own motion zones. I love this since it makes it, so you only get notifications if someone is on your property rather than every time a car passes by. The resolution is a beautiful 1080p, which will give you a clearer view of porch guests than many other doorbell cameras do.

This doorbell does require a hardwired connection so you'll need to do the wiring work to make that possible. Additionally, this Ring doorbell comes with a Pro Power Kit, that must be installed inside your home for the doorbell to work correctly. The thing with this kit is that it needs the right kind of transformer to work correctly, so you might need to go out and purchase a new one. As with other Ring doorbells, you'll need to pay a subscription to view recordings.

Pros:

• Detects motion better than other Rings
• 1080p video resolution
• Allows for 5GHz connection
• Can draw your own motion zones

Cons:

• Expensive
• Requires hardwired connection
• Pro Power Kit installation required
• Might need to upgrade transformer

Best Amazon Doorbell

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

$249 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy

A powerful doorbell that supports 5GHz

This premium Ring doorbell features a sleek design, offers 1080p video quality, and allows you to draw your own motion zones.

Best Peephole Upgrade: Ring Peephole Cam

Sometimes pulling out your phone to check to see who's on your front porch feels a little slow or even a little silly, especially when you're standing right behind the door. In these situations, it would be nice to just have something that worked as both a door camera and a peephole. Enter the Ring Peephole Cam. It's small and installs in place of your existing peephole to give you both an in-person and digital view of porch guests.

You can also set motion zones and make it so that the Ring device only alerts you if it sees movement in specified areas of your yard. One of the reasons this device is so easy to install is because it's battery-powered. You don't have to do any wiring to make it function. Now, if you don't already have a peephole in your door, the installation will be more of a challenge. In that case, you'll either need to drill a hole into your door or hire someone to do it for you.

As far as doorbells go, this one has a decent camera. It features a 1080p video for a clearer viewing experience. Additionally, the device features both a camera and a microphone. Using the app, you'll be able to talk with porch guests and hear their responses from anywhere. However, while some other buzzers feature HDR video, that's not something you'll find with this unit. Since this is an Amazon product, the camera only works with one smart home service: Amazon Alexa. If you prefer a different smart home assistant, this won't be the ideal option for you.

Pros:

• Physical peephole
• 1080p HD video quality
• Can set motion zones
• Battery-powered
• Two-way communication

Cons:

• Only works with Alexa
• Drilling a peephole might be daunting.
• No HDR video

Best Peephole Upgrade

Ring Peephole Cam

$199 at Amazon

A smart doorbell with a keyhole view

This doorbell is easy to install in doors that already have a peephole. It's also battery-powered, so you don't have to worry about wiring anything.

Ding dong

When you're looking to protect your home and deliveries, a smart doorbell is the way to go. There are several options on the market to choose from. We did the research and collected the best of the best for a variety of uses. When you go to purchase a smart doorbell, you'll want to consider a few things. Things like whether or not you want a wired connection, what kind of subscription plan you're willing to pay for, the size of the smart doorbell, and of course the price of the device itself.

We highly recommend the Nest Hello as it records non-stop instead of only recording when it detects motion. It also features 1080p of HDR video quality for a clearer view of guests and trespassers. Best of all, you can set detection zones and make it so the device can tell if a human is approaching rather than a car or animal. It even offers facial recognition to let you know if a friend is approaching your door.

Credits

Rebecca Spear loves keeping up-to-date with the latest and greatest electronics. She is a life-long gamer and a writer who has written hundreds of online articles over the past four years. On any given day you'll find her drawing with her Wacom tablet, playing video games, or reading a good book.

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Samsung Hit by Weakening Demand in Key Products in Q4

The world's biggest smartphone maker, Samsung Electronics, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits on Thursday, blaming weakening demand in key products and falling chip prices.

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Facebook Climbs to 2.5 Billion Monthly Active Users in Q4

Facebook said on Wednesday that growth would continue to slow as its business matured and it reported a surge in quarterly expenses, disappointing Wall Street expectations that the costs of improving...

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117 new emoji coming in 2020 including ninja, bubble tea, and more android os

Express yourself with a green bell pepper, black cat, or non-binary symbol.

What you need to know

• The 2020 emoji lineup has been announced.
• There are 117 new emoji coming this year.
• There is finally a roller skate emoji.

Every year, the Unicode Consortium votes on and approves a new set of emoji symbols for the year. Emoji 13.0 was just announced today and with it comes a laundry list of 117 new symbols (no laundry list symbol though). These emoji symbols will be coming to most platforms in the second half of 2020. Not every device will have all 117 symbols. Most software developers pick about half from the list to add to their various apps and operating systems.

New symbols range from new facial expressions, like a smiling face with a tear (I feel this way often), to body parts, like an anatomical heart and lungs, to animals, like a black cat, bison, mammoth, beaver, polar bear, and the dodo bird. There are a few new food and drink options, like blueberries, olive, bell pepper, flatbread, tamale, fondue, and bubble tea.

I can't wait to see how people get indignant over what a tamale is supposed to look like.

What's your favorite new emoji for 2020?

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Microsoft's Edge to Help Google Improve Tab Management in Chrome *APP_NEWS*

Just days after bringing Chromium-based Edge browser for Windows and macOS users, Microsoft is found to have started helping Google engineers improve Chrome’s multi-tab management.

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Indian Online Food Delivery Market to Hit $8 Billion by 2022: Google, BCG Report *APP_NEWS*

The report by Google and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that variety in cuisines (35 percent) was one of the top reasons for recurrent use of online food ordering apps, followed by good discounts and convenience.

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Instagram Led Social Media Outages in Q4 2019: Downdetector *APP_NEWS*

Facebook-owned Instagram experienced the highest outage in the fourth quarter of 2019 with 21,682 reports at the peak on November 28, 2019

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Avast Antivirus Collected and Sold Users' Web Browsing Data, Company Responds *APP_NEWS*

An investigation on Monday claimed that the popular Avast antivirus -- installed on nearly 435 million Windows, Mac and mobile devices globally -- harvested users' data via browser plugins and then sold it to third parties.

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Data Privacy Day: What It Is, Its Importance, and What It Means for Your Information Security *APP_NEWS*

Data Privacy Day is an international event that occurs on January 28 each year. The event aims to spread awareness on user privacy and data security and is celebrated internationally.

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TikTok, DSCI Partner to Launch Quiz to Spread Awareness on Online Privacy *APP_NEWS*

Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Chinese short-video making app TikTok on Monday have come together to launch an interactive and informative quiz for its community online.

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Jeff Bezos Phone Hack: Facebook Blames iOS for the Hacking *APP_NEWS*

Facebook has blamed Apple's operating system for the hacking of Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos' phone, saying WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption is unhackable.

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Apple Planning to Make 6 Million iPhone SE 2 Units in Early 2020: Report

Apple is mulling to make 116 million iPhone units in the first half of the fiscal year 2020, according to a recent estimate by Cohen & Company analyst Krish Sankar.

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Amazon-Owned Ring App Sending User Data to Third Parties: EFF

US-based digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) has found that Amazon-owned Ring doorbell app is "packed" with third-party tracking, sending out a plethora of customers'...

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India vs New Zealand Third T20I Match Today: How to Watch Live

India vs New Zealand T20I cricket match is set to begin at 12:20pm today. India is currently leading the series 2-0 and will be looking to seal the series with another win over New Zealand in the...

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Realme Teases New Realme C-Series Phone Launch in India Tomorrow

Realme introduced the Realme C2 in India in April last year, and now the company is teasing the arrival of its successor. Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth has teased the launch of a new 'C' series...

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Amazon-Owned Ring App Sending User Data to Third Parties: EFF *APP_NEWS*

US-based digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) has found that Amazon-owned Ring doorbell app is "packed" with third-party tracking, sending out a plethora of customers' personally identifiable information.

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India vs New Zealand Third T20I Cricket Match Today: How to Watch Live, Follow Scores Online *APP_NEWS*

India vs New Zealand T20I cricket match is set to begin at 12:20pm today. India is currently leading the series 2-0 and will be looking to seal the series with another win over New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series.

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Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Reportedly Receiving Android 10 Update

It seems as though Samsung has begun rolling out the One UI 2.0 update based on Android 10 for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in the US and Germany.

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Apple Reveals HomePod Smart Speaker Price in India, Sales to Start Soon

Apple HomePod, which was unveiled back in June 2017 and was launched in the US, UK, and Australia in February 2018, is now set to reach India. The price of the Apple HomePod has been showcased on the...

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Official-Looking Renders, Price, and More Leaked

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is just days away, and the company is largely expected to unveil its second foldable phone alongside the Galaxy S20 series at the event. Believed to be called Galaxy Z...

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Facebook's New Tool Allows You to Manage Data From Other Sites

Facebook said Tuesday a new tool allowing users of the social network to view and delete data it collects from third parties is rolling out to the estimated two billion members of the leading social...

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Indian Railways to Use Facial Recognition Amid Privacy Fears

Most major railway stations in India will use facial recognition to fight crime by the end of 2020, a senior official said, in a move that digital rights campaigners on Tuesday warned could breach...

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Apple iPhone Sales Saw Double-Digit Growth in India Last Quarter

Apple registered double-digit growth in India for iPhone models in the holiday quarter (October-December period), the company's CEO Tim Cook has announced.

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EU Will Not Ban Huawei, but Impose 'Strict' 5G Rules

The EU will not ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei or any other company in Europe, a top official said on Tuesday, despite intense pressure from Washington to shun the firm over spying fears.

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Realme 5 Pro Price in India Slashed, Now Starts at Rs. 12,999

Realme 5 Pro has received a price cut in India. The Chinese smartphone maker has dropped the price of each storage variant of the Realme 5 Pro by Rs. 1,000.

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How Facebook Thinks Its Independent Oversight Board Should Work

Facebook recommended rules on Tuesday for how its independent oversight board will work and said a former human rights group director will lead the board's administrative staff.

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Apple Supplier Says Plans in Place to Meet Obligations After Virus Outbreak

Apple supplier Foxconn said it could continue to meet all manufacturing obligations in the wake of a coronavirus outbreak in China even as the iPhone maker flagged uncertainty created by the disease.

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iPhone Sales Rise for First Time in a Year as Apple Reports Record Earnings

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons...

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iPhone Sales Rise for the First Time in a Year as Apple Braces for Coronavirus Impact *APP_NEWS*

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons like AirPods wireless headphones.

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iPhone Sales Rise for the First Time in a Year as Apple Braces for Coronavirus Impact *APP_NEWS*

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons like AirPods wireless headphones.

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Samsung Galaxy A51 Set to Launch in India: All You Need to Know

Samsung Galaxy A51 is all set to launch in India today, the latest model in the company's Galaxy A-series that was launched alongside the Galaxy A71 last month.

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Who's playing in the Super Bowl for 2020? android os

With the regular season behind us, and the playoffs finally finished, we now know which two teams will be playing in Super Bowl 2020. After some intense AFC and NFC championship games, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will be going head to head on February 2 in Miami to see who will come out on top this year.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat out the Tennessee Titans by a score of 35 to 24. The team heads to the Super Bowl with a record of 14-4. As for the 49ers, the team beat out the Green Bay Packers by 17 points, with a final score of 37 to 20. San Franscisco managed a 15-3 record.

When it comes to the Super Bowl, neither of these teams is all too familiar with heading there. San Franciscos's 49ers have appeared in the Super Bowl six times to date, (2013, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1982), while the Kansas City Chiefs have only appeared in two other Super Bowls, (1967 and 1970). The 49ers have won five of its previous appearances, and the franchise was actually the first to have won five Super Bowls. The Chiefs on the other hand only won one of the two appearances to date.

Both teams will be heading to Miami, Florida to play in Super Bowl 2020 on February 2. Kick off is scheduled for 6:30pm ET. There are talks of big commercials, a killer half-time show, and more. You can stream the Super Bowl for free this year, so be sure to check out our guide and get yourself ready for the big game!

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Google Pay Launches UPI Recharge Option for FASTag Users *APP_NEWS*

Google Pay on Monday announced that it has added a new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) feature that will let them link FASTag accounts to the Google Pay app and recharge and track their payments.

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Vine's Spiritual Successor Byte Is Here: All You Need to Know *APP_NEWS*

There's good news for those who've been missing Vine. Dom Hofmann, the co-founder of the now-defunct six-second video platform, has announced the release of the app’s successor called Byte.

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Poco X2 Confirmed to Feature 120Hz Display Ahead of Next Week's Launch

Poco on Monday revealed that it will launch its new Poco X2 smartphone on February 4 in the country. Although the company is keeping a lid on Poco X2 details, it has started to reveal some information...

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OnePlus Reveals Camera Features Coming to Its Future Phones

OnePlus has detailed its roadmap on the basis of feedback it received during the "Open Ear Forum" held in New York and revealed some of the upcoming camera improvements.

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LG Reveals Android 10 Update Rollout Timeline, Some Phones to Get It in Q4

LG will be releasing Android 10 update for LG V40 ThinQ, LG V50 ThinQ, LG G8X ThinQ, LG G8s ThinQ, LG G7 ThinQ, LG K50S, LG K40S, LG Q60, and LG K50.

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TikTok, DSCI Partner to Launch Quiz to Spread Awareness on Online Privacy *APP_NEWS*

Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Chinese short-video making app TikTok on Monday have come together to launch an interactive and informative quiz for its community online.

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TikTok, DSCI Partner to Launch Quiz to Spread Awareness on Online Privacy

Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Chinese short-video making app TikTok on Monday have come together to launch an interactive and informative quiz for its community online.

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Samsung Galaxy A41 Battery Details Surface Online

Samsung Galaxy A41 battery has apparently been certified in South Korea. It is said to be 3,500mAh capacity, larger than the 3,100mAh battery available on the Galaxy A40.

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Jio Largest Telco in Terms of Revenue, Customer Base: India Ratings

Reliance Jio has become the largest telecom player by revenue and subscriber base, India Ratings said on Monday.

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NASA Seeks Mission Leader for Mars Sample Return Programme

NASA is planning to bring samples from Mars to Earth and the US space agency is seeking a person to lead the mission which is called Mars Sample Return (MSR) programme.

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Twitter Says Several NFL Teams' Accounts Hacked

Twitter said on Monday accounts of several NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, were hacked, ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday.

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Ring app for Android found to be ‘packed’ with third-party data trackers android os

The data sent by the Ring app helps analytics and tracking companies form a clear picture of your device.

What you need to know

• An investigation by EFF has revealed that the Ring doorbell app for Android is packed with third-party trackers.
• The trackers reportedly send out sensitive information such as the customers' names, sensor data, private IP addresses, and more.
• The trackers send out information to four main analytics and marketing companies – Facebook, MixPanel, AppsFlyer, and Branch.

An investigation carried out by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has found that the Ring app for Android is "packed" with third-party trackers, which send out a wide range of personally identifiable information (PII) to analytics and marketing companies.

The EFF says the third-party trackers in Ring for Android v3.21.1 send information to four analytics and marketing companies: Facebook, Branch, AppsFlyer, and MixPanel. Facebook receives alerts whenever the app is opened and upon app deactivation after screen lock due to inactivity. Even if the Ring user does not have a Facebook account, the social networking giant still receives information such as their time zone, device model, language preferences, as well as a unique identifier.

The most information, however, is sent to MixPanel. In addition to device information, the company receives users' full names, email addresses, and app settings include the number of locations they have Ring devices installed in. MixPanel also happens to be the only company to be mentioned in Ring's list of third party services.

More alarmingly, AppsFlyer receives sensor data from Ring devices. On its test device, EFF found the Ring app was sending data from the magnetometer, gyroscope, and the accelerometer.

Best Smart Doorbells in 2020: Top 6 ranked

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Should you upgrade from the Skagen Falster 2 to the Falster 3? android os

Important improvements

Skagen Falster 3

$295 at Amazon

Pros

• Better performance + storage
• New Snapdragon Wear 3100
• New smart battery modes
• Larger case size
• Built-in speaker

Cons

• Expensive

If you had your share of issues with the Falster 2, it's more than likely that the Falster 3 will solve most — if not all — of them. It offers the same core features with better performance, a bigger case, a built-in speaker, and more.

Affordable predecessor

Skagen Falster 2

$149 at Amazon

Pros

• Crisp, clear display
• Onboard GPS
• Google Pay
• Heart-rate monitoring
• Activity tracking

Cons

• Mediocre battery life
• Laggy Snapdragon Wear 2100
• No built-in speaker

The Falster 2 succeeded in some key areas but failed in others. It's a solid smartwatch, but performance often falls flat. It can handle activity tracking and other basic functions, but don't expect much more.

While the Skagen Falster 2 had some high points, the lows are what stuck out to most users. The laggy performance seemed the be the most common complaint, which was mainly due to the old Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor. The disappointing 512 MB of memory and 4GB of storage didn't help with these issues. Last but not least, the battery would last for a day or less depending on usage. There weren't multiple battery modes to make it last longer, either. Not to mention that you need to wait two hours for it to charge back up.

If these problems sound familiar, you'll be relieved to know that the Skagen Falster 3 has done an incredible job of eliminating them. You can expect better performance with the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, 1GB of memory, and 8GB of storage.

While one-day battery life is still present, you have a variety of modes to help extend it. Rapid charging has arrived as well with the watch reaching 80% in just 50 minutes. Did we mention there's also a built-in speaker on the Falster 3? As you can see, there are a lot of valid reasons to consider upgrading despite the expensive price tag.

Similar design

Pictured: Skagen Falster 2

If you're familiar with the Skagen Falster 2, you know that it's all about offering a lightweight, minimalist design. The modest 40 mm case is just 11 mm thick and sports a 20 mm interchangeable that's available in silicone, leather, or stainless steel mesh. The always-on display is colorful and crisp with seamless touchscreen navigation and a rotating crown.

The design isn't the only thing that's similar. Both the Falster 2 and the Falster 3 are equipped with a lot of the same core features, like built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, Google Pay, music storage and controls, Google Assistant, fitness tracking, and waterproofing. Both of these smartwatches also provide you with notification support.

	Falster 3	Falster 2
Display	1.3-inch AMOLED	1.2-inch OLED
Sensors	Heart rate, accelerometer, altimeter, ambient light, gyroscope	Heart rate, accelerometer ambient light, gyroscope
Connectivity	Bluetooth® Smart Enabled / 4.2 Low Energy	Bluetooth® Smart Enabled / 4.1 Low Energy
Water Resistance	3 ATM	3 ATM
Battery life	1 day and new smart modes	1 day
Onboard GPS	✔️	✔️
NFC payments	✔️	✔️
Google Assistant	✔️	✔️
Interchangeable bands	✔️	✔️
Built-in speaker	✔️	❌
Snapdragon Wear 3100	✔️	❌

The new successor remains true to the sleek design elements of the Falster 2 with a few tweaks. Upon first glance, you might not notice a difference. Look again and you'll see the case is larger this time around at 42 mm, which most users will appreciate. The watch lugs are slightly more pronounced, too. You also get stylish new band options, which are 22 mm on the new edition. You can choose from three bands, including blue silicone mesh, gunmetal steel mesh, and silicone-backed brown leather.

Improved performance

Pictured: Skagen Falster 3

As we mentioned earlier, the Falster 3 has made the most strides when it comes to performance. Not only do you have the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor as well as improved memory and storage, but you also have multiple smart battery modes. You might recognize them from the new modes that were also made available on the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches.

The daily mode enables key sensors, including the always-on display while extended battery mode turns off most sensors except heart rate and notifications. You also have custom mode, which lets you turn on/off any sensor you want. Then there's the less popular time-only mode, which only tells the time.

Another notable improvement is the new rapid charging feature, which allows your watch to reach an 80% charge in under an hour. You also have a built-in speaker, so you can hear Google Assistant answers, notification sounds, music, and phone calls without having your Bluetooth headset connected.

Bottom line

The bottom line here is that the Skagen Falster 3 had made some impressive strides in the areas that needed it most. It's no secret that the biggest gripe most people had about the Falster 2 was the performance, which is pretty important on a smartwatch. While some of that could be attributed to Wear OS, there's no way around the fact that the limited memory/storage and an outdated processor were also to blame. The Falster 3 fixes that and seals the deal by throwing in smart battery modes, a built-in speaker, and a larger case. When all is said and done, this is a worthy upgrade through and through.

Now that the Falster 2 is available at such an attractive price point, the flaws might not seem so bad. This is especially true if you're new to smartwatches and don't want to spend a lot when you're just starting out. It handles all of the basics with ease, including fitness tracking with GPS, heart-rate monitoring, music storage and controls, Google Pay, and more. It's not bad for beginners or budget shoppers, so long as you can handle buggy performance. However, if the question comes down to which is the better option, the Falster 3 wins this round by a long shot.

Important improvements

Skagen Falster 3

A worthwhile upgrade

$295 at Amazon

The Falster 3 might be on the high end of the smartwatch price range but it's with good reason. All the improvements you've been waiting for have finally arrived. You'll have smart battery modes, rapid charging, better performance, and a built-in speaker.

Affordable predecessor

Skagen Falster 2

Great smartwatch despite some flaws

$149 at Amazon $197 at Walmart

While many users had complaints about the Falster 2, it's still a solid choice for certain people. If you're content with fitness tracking, GPS, heart-rate monitoring, and Google Pay, this is a nice starter smartwatch at a fair price. With that said, be prepared for some lag.

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These are the best Android smartwatches you can buy android os

Right now, the best smartwatch for Android users is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. It's optimized for Samsung phones but runs well on all Android devices and has all the smartwatch and fitness features you'd expect. It's compact and lightweight but still offers good battery life. But if you're not into that one, the good news is that there are so many other amazing options from Fossil to Garmin to Fitbit and more.

Best Overall — Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

You don't have to use a Samsung phone to enjoy the benefits of owning a Samsung smartwatch, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 provides the most well-rounded wearables experience for Android users right now. It's compact and lightweight but features an extremely sharp and vivid touch display that's easy to navigate and fun to use thanks to the new capacitive bezel. The Tizen OS is smooth and battery-friendly, unlike Google's own Wear OS, and while the app selection isn't massive, the core tenets are there, like Spotify, Strava, and more.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 contains its primary purpose in its name: exercise tracking. The watch comes with GPS built-in, and features automatic workout-tracking, along with sleep tracking, water, food and caffeine consumption tracking, and more. The Running Coach feature is improved, which now gives you real-time pace metrics and a rundown of what to expect from your workout before you start. You'll receive audio cues that can be heard through the watch speaker or Bluetooth headphones.

If you mainly wear a smartwatch for notifications, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 delivers there, too, with excellent support for Android's notification system, letting you reply using your voice, the built-in keyboard, or with one of the many quick answers.

Finally, battery life, while not quite as good as some of the other larger watches on the list, is still pretty excellent, and the watch can be topped up with select Qi wireless pads or with the Galaxy S10's Wireless PowerShare feature.

Pros:

• Compact and well-designed
• 2-3 days of battery life
• Automatic workout tracking
• Water-resistant up to 5ATM
• Built-in GPS and NFC
• Capacitive bezel
• Optional LTE

Cons:

• Third-party app support could be better
• Tizen OS learning curve

Best Overall

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

$220 at Amazon $280 at Samsung

Smooth, elegant, and smart(watch).

The Active 2 offers a pretty display, onboard GPS, ample activity tracking, and a unique capacitive bezel for easy navigation.

Best Value — Mobvoi TicWatch E2

Without breaking the bank, Mobvoi's TicWatch E2 is a killer smartwatch that doesn't cost an arm (you're not wearing your smartwatch around your leg, are you?). It's got a big 1.4-inch display that looks way better than its price would suggest, along with all the fixings a smartwatch should have: great touch response, awesome battery life, waterproofing, a heart-rate monitor and automatic workout detection, and decent 1+ day battery life.

This smartwatch runs Google's Wear OS, which is great for a lot of things, including notification support and Google Assistant. And while Wear OS doesn't have amazing native fitness support, the TicWatch E2 supersedes Google here with its own TicMotion layer that automatically detects workouts and monitors swim performance and provides stroke analysis.

So why's it cheap? Well, it's not the most stylish or skinny smartwatch on the planet, so it's more for the person who wants utility more than aesthetics.

Pros:

• Solid construction
• Waterproofing
• Automatic workout detection
• Excellent notification support
• Built-in GPS

Cons:

• Not exactly stylish
• Did we mention it was pretty chunky?
• Built-in watch strap is kind of gross (but easily replaceable)
• No navigation crown

Best Value

Mobvoi TicWatch E2

$120 at Amazon

Gets the job done

This no-frills Wear OS-powered smartwatch does everything you need it to do — for a lot less than you'd expect to pay.

Most Stylish — Skagen Falster 3

Sometimes you just want a smartwatch to look like a ... watch. Simple design, excellent quality strap, and a finish that doesn't scream, "This is a piece of technology!" Well, the Falster 3 from well-known Danish watch brand Skagen is precisely that.

One of the Falster 3's main benefits is its three-button layout, which includes a rotating crown that helps to scroll through Wear OS without having to touch the screen — an enormous benefit once you start using it. You also get a beautiful stainless steel body, well-constructed straps in either leather, metal, or silicone in a variety of colors, and all the essential features you'd expect, like water resistance, GPS, a heart rate monitor, NFC, and more.

The Falster 3 is the 2020 update to Skagen's smartwatch line, and is improved in every way — you get more RAM for smoother performance, a speaker for making and taking calls, and much-improved battery life thanks to Skagen's new Extended Battery modes.

Pros:

• Attractive, classic design
• Digital crown is fantastic
• GPS, NFC, speaker, water-resistance and heart-rate tracking
• Excellent quality display
• Built-in GPS and NFC

Cons:

• Expensive
• 22mm bands not compatible with previous Falster watches

Most Stylish

Skagen Falster 3

$295 at Amazon

Day and night ready

The Skagen 3 is a perfect blend of style and sophistication in a smartwatch. It's one of our favorite versatile Wear OS watches.

An Oversized Masterpiece — Samsung Galaxy Watch

If you love everything about the Galaxy Watch Active but want it in a larger size with Samsung's incredible rotating bezel to get around the Tizen interface, the Galaxy Watch is going to be your best friend. Samsung's spent a long time perfecting its smartwatch design, and the Galaxy Watch is an amalgam of all of the company's best ideas. A beautiful AMOLED screen available in either 42mm or 46mm sizes, the Galaxy Watch offers all of the tracking features you'd expect, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, GPS, NFC for Samsung Pay, and more.

The main difference between the Galaxy Watch and our best overall choice, the Galaxy Watch Active, is the included rotating bezel and its larger battery, which adds a few extra hours to the uptime. The downside, though? It's considerably bigger and not quite as universally accessible from a design perspective.

Pros:

• Well-built and nicely designed
• Beautiful AMOLED display
• Rotating bezel is super useful
• Excellent multi-day battery life

Cons:

• Large and a bit utilitarian-looking
• Expensive

Best Oversized

Samsung Galaxy Watch

$250 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy

A big hunk of smartwatch on your wrist

Available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, and a variety of colors, the Galaxy Watch is an outstanding smartwatch for any Android user.

Best for Long-Distance Runners — Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

There's a smartwatch for every type of Android user, and the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is an outstanding choice for anyone who runs, bikes, or swims. It's not the best smartwatch, but it does receive notifications from your phone. If you don't need much more than that — and who does these days? — the Forerunner 245 makes up for it with incredible 7+ day battery life, or 6 hours with GPS enabled, which is more than enough for a marathon (or two if you're really good).

Better yet, the transflective screen means that the Forerunner 245 is easily visible in direct sunlight, making it perfect for extended outdoor excursions. There's also music storage and the option to stream from Spotify or Deezer, which is seriously great if you're trying to hit those personal bests. Add in 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, advanced workout capture and advanced features like VO2 max estimation, a recovery advisor, and more, this is an excellent option.

Pros:

• Advanced workout tracking and guidance
• Incredible battery life
• Sunlight-friendly transflective display
• Music streaming
• Extremely comfortable strap

Cons:

• Limited smartwatch features
• Basic design may not be for everyone

Best for Long-Distance Runners

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

$306 at Amazon $340 at Walmart

A solid, slim GPS tracker.

Garmin's GPS tech is paired with a reliable heart-rate tracker in a slim watch that syncs to its own app and other popular apps.

Best for Casual Athletes — Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit has gone to great lengths to convince the world that it's more than just a fitness tracker company. The Versa 2 is a fantastic, colorful product that combines the best of the company's athletic DNA with solid smartwatch features, a bevy of useful apps, and nearly a week of battery life. The new Versa 2 also has a sleek modern design, a faster processor for smoother performance, a microphone so Android users can dictate replies to incoming notifications, and built-in Alexa support for when you need to know the weather or who won last night's game.

The best part of Fitbit is how seamlessly it interacts with your Android phone. You just wear it — to work, to bed, in the shower — and it uploads your results in the background, syncing with your phone and, potentially, your group of friends who are constantly keeping you challenged. Yes, that's the other best part of Fitbit: its social network. Enjoy weekly challenges, or compete with the company's many experts in pre-made discovery challenges and adventures.

While the Versa 2 lacks GPS, it makes up for it by including on-screen workouts and collecting plenty of useful data. Plus, if you're into sleep tracking, no one beats Fitbit for insights and accuracy.

Pros:

• Low-profile, attractive design
• Excellent battery life
• Solid smartwatch features
• Lots of different colors
• Built-in Alexa support

Cons:

• Limited app selection
• Installing new bands can be tricky

Best for Casual Athletes

Fitbit Versa 2

$150 at Amazon

A fitness tracker that's good at everything

The Versa 2 improves on everything over the original, including a sleeker design, better battery life, and built-in Amazon Alexa.

Simply Great — Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

The Galaxy Watch Active has already been replaced by the Watch Active 2, but the original only came out six months ago, and is still a great choice for anyone who wants a compact smartwatch with amazing capabilities.

The main draw here is the beautiful AMOLED display which is readable in all lighting conditions including bright sunshine. The watch is light and comfortable to wear all day — which is good, because the battery lasts that and then some. While it lacks the capacitive "rotating" bezel of its more expensive counterpart, the original Watch Active has everything you'd need to stay, well, active: GPS, NFC, storage for music, and wireless Qi charging through Samsung's Wireless PowerShare feature.

Best of all, it's been heavily discounted since the sequel was released, so you can get it for much less than its original price.

Pros:

• Compact and well-designed
• 2 to 3 days of battery life
• Automatic workout tracking
• Water-resistant up to 5ATM
• Built-in GPS and NFC
• Relatively inexpensive

Cons:

• Third-party app support could be better
• Tizen OS learning curve

Simply Great

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

$152 at Amazon

Smaller, cheaper, and nearly as good

If you don't need the capacitive "rotating" bezel of the Galaxy Watch Active 2, the original Watch Active is a great choice.

A Fantastic Wear OS Choice — Fossil Sport

The Fossil Sport is probably the best-looking "sport" watch running Wear OS. It's also one of the few on this list running Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform, which gives it in an edge in battery life and some much-needed future-proofing for when Google roles out significant updates to its wearables platform.

While it has the same features as the more-expensive Skagen Falster 3 (GPS, 24/7 heart rate tracking, NFC, waterproofing), it's set in a lighter, slimmer and more versatile aluminum and plastic body. Fossil has also added several attractive sporty watch faces that you'll love, as well.

Pros:

• Lots of colors
• Attractive, sporty design
• Included silicone band is very comfortable
• Has all the features you want in a smartwatch
• Affordable

Cons:

• Wear OS is still buggy
• Battery life is limited to around a day

A Fantastic Wear OS Choice

Fossil Sport

$165 at Amazon

A rainbow of useful features

The Fossil Sport is super comfortable to wear all day, and it has a versatile design to be attractive under any circumstance.

Best for Women's Fashion — Fossil Gen 5 Julianna

Fossil has always been about fashion watches, which makes the Julianna, its latest smartwatch aimed at women, one of the most fashionable yet. Fortunately, the Julianna stands out for more than looks. It's built on the same modern platform as the Fossil Sport but has even more features. In addition to being waterproof and supporting 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, there's also GPS for tracking runs and a versatile digital crown for easy scrolling.

Then there are the features you'll barely see anywhere else in the Wear OS ecosystem: a built-in speaker for taking phone calls when connected to an Android device or iPhone, as well as an improved battery that provides up to three days of moderate usage. Finally, the 1GB of RAM ensures the fastest performance in the Wear OS ecosystem. (Fossil also has a Gen 5 smartwatch aimed at men called the Carlyle.)

It's not cheap, but the Julianna is one of the best Android smartwatch options out there.

Pros:

• Fashionable and functional
• Excellent performance thanks to 1GB of RAM onboard
• Able to take phone calls with built-in speaker
• Supports any 22mm watch band
• Outstanding battery life for a Wear OS watch

Cons:

• Expensive

Best for Women's Fashion

Fossil Gen 5 Julianna

$205 at Amazon

Does it all

Fossil's latest smartwatch for women does it all, from fitness tracking to taking calls to using apps — and looks good doing it.

Best for Men's Fashion — Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2

Michael Kors continues to be one of the leaders when it comes to fashion smartwatches. The new Access Bradshaw 2 is no exception. It comes in a generous 44mm case and is available in silver, gold, gunmetal, and rose gold variants. It might be hard to believe that a watch this beautiful does more than look pretty, but it does. This Wear OS smartwatch is running the new Snapdragon Wear 3100. When you combine that with 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM, you can expect ultra-smooth performance.

There are many features to love here, including music storage and controls, Google Fit, voice-activated Google Assistant, Google Pay, onboard GPS, heart-rate tracking, and more. It has both a microphone and speaker, enabling you to take calls from your wrist. While the battery will last for a day at best, it comes with rapid charging that'll reach 80% battery in under an hour.

Given all of these updates, the Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2 certainly isn't cheap. The price tag makes sense given the superior performance, new features, and premium design.

Pros:

• Sleek, stylish design
• Voice-activated Google Assistant
• 3 ATM water resistance
• Heart-rate tracking
• Onboard GPS
• Google Pay  

Cons:

• Very pricey
• Only one day of battery

Best for Men's Fashion

Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2

$395 at Amazon

Pretty and smart

Men can be fashionable, too. The Access Bradshaw 2 is looks and smarts, from taking calls to fitness tracking to payments.

Best Battery Life — Amazfit GTR

Great smartwatches often come from companies you've never heard of. The Amazfit GTR is one of those incredible smartwatches that defies all expectations — especially when it comes to battery life. The Xiaomi-backed startup has fashioned a beautiful, classically modern smartwatch with a stunning high-resolution 1.39-inch AMOLED display and an incredible 24-day battery life.

While you're using the GTR, you can receive notifications from your smartphone, track steps and workouts, and even go swimming with its 5 ATM-rated waterproofing.

So what's the catch? Well, there are a few things the Amazfit GTR can't do. To maintain such astonishing battery life, it doesn't support advanced sleep tracking, and its app ecosystem is sparse to say the least. And because Amazfit is a pretty young company, its Android app needs a bit of polish.

But overall, if you're just looking to wear a watch that keeps you in the loop about what's going on, and tracks your steps and workouts with ease without needing daily charging, the Amazfit GTR is your top pick.

Pros

• Beautiful, timeless design
• 24-day battery life
• Easy-to-navigate user interface
• 5 ATM waterproofing
• All-day heart rate tracking

Cons

• App is unpolished
• No on-board GPS
• App support is limited

Best Battery Life

Amazfit GTR

$159 at Amazon

Keeps going and going.

The Amazfit GTR is an unassuming smartwatch that does more than you expect for less money than you'd think. Great design, amazing battery, and plenty of smart features.

The Amazing Hybrid — Withings Move

Sometimes you don't need a screen — you just want to tell the time, track steps and sleep, and not charge your watch every night. The Withings Move is an outstanding value product — it offers a battery that lasts nine months while tracking steps, swims, and sleep in a fun, lightweight body. Given that it's so cheap, it's made of plastic, but the materials are hardy enough to withstand everyday life. The Android app that it syncs to is also excellent.

You should come for its simplicity but stay for one of the five color combinations.

Pros:

• Lots of fun colors options
• Inexpensive
• Simple, practical step and sleep tracking
• Months-long battery life

Cons:

• Lacks a screen
• Doesn't support notifications or apps

The Amazing Hybrid

Withings Move

$56 at Amazon $70 at Best Buy

Cheap and cheerful

If you want a regular watch that can take a beating while also offering activity tracking, the Withings Move is your best bet.

Bottom Line

The good news about wearing a smartwatch in 2019 is that while there are plenty of options on the Wear OS side of things, you have fantastic options from companies like Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin, too.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an outstanding choice for most people and has received our most coveted Best Overall recommendation. You can even enjoy it if you don't own a Samsung device. You'll have built-in GPS, activity, sleep, and heart-rate tracking, music storage, smartphone notifications, Samsung Pay, and more. It doesn't get much better than this.

Of course, everyone has their preferences. If you're not a fan of Tizen OS or Samsung Health, your choices don't stop there. You'll have your pick of many other wearables, whether it be from Fitbit, Garmin, Fossil, or any other brand that has captured your attention.

There are plenty of factors to consider when you're shopping for a smartwatch. First and perhaps most importantly, you'll need to figure out what size of watch you're after. Smaller watches are often a bit cheaper than their larger counterparts, and some watches may by too large or small for your wrist, which will quickly thin out the herd. You'll also need to weigh the importance of features like fitness and sleep tracking, cellular connectivity, and of course, aesthetics — you're still shopping for a watch, after all, and it should be compatible with your style!

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. As he's writing this, a mountain of old Android phones is about to fall on his head, but his Great Dane will protect him. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there's a correlation.

Hayato Huseman is a recovering trade show addict and video editor for Android Central based out of Indianapolis. He can mostly be found complaining about the cold and enthusing about prog metal on Twitter at @hayatohuseman.

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