Update

Samsung Galaxy M40 review: Short of perfect

Samsung Galaxy M40A really good package, the Samsung Galaxy M40 brings an excellent design, solid ergonomics, and reasonably good cameras to the table. Dips in performance and mediocre battery life, when placed next to the competition, make it fall short of perfection. Table of contents What started off as a bid to have an offering in every price segment has become a near-flood with a multitude of phones that seemingly overlap in their capabilities and price points.

Some Google Pixel phones are having issues with LTE Band 4 connections

While this does not seem to be a widespread problem, a few owners of the new Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are reporting issues with staying connected to their wireless networks. Most of the reports seem to link the problems to networks that use the LTE Band 4 protocol. Google’s product forums show that some of the connection issues are being reported in South America. In addition, Mobile Syrup reports that a few Pixel owners in Canada have also experienced issues with staying connected on Telus and Bell’s networks.

We asked, you told us: Stereo front-facing speakers or 3.5mm headphone jack?

This week’s poll was all about audio question and being forced to make a decision. If you could only have one, which would you choose: stereo front-facing speakers or a 3.5mm headphone jack? There’s no problem if you want both. No problem at all. Except you’re not allowed. In this poll that’s all about audio, you have to choose. So it comes down to what you get the most out of.

3 reasons to use wired headphones

Lily Katz / Android Authority The headphone is still teetering on the edge of its extinction, which has led to the huge uptick in the popularity of true-wireless earbuds. Nevertheless, we consumers should still white-knuckle our wired headphones. Wireless technology just isn’t there yet. Until it gets there, we’ve laid out three reasons why you should buy wired headphones in 2020. 1: Wired audio quality runs circles around wireless Lily Katz / Android Authority

Activision Blizzard is planning mobile games for all of its franchises

Activision TL;DR Activision Blizzard will eventually bring all of its franchises to mobile devices. The company’s plan is buoyed by the success of Call of Duty: Mobile. Crash Bandicoot and Diablo are set to receive mobile game adaptations in 2021. Activision Blizzard will begin a fervent push into the mobile gaming space in the coming years. As confirmed in a recent investor call (via GameSpot), the company’s president Daniel Alegre says the company will eventually see all of its franchises arrive on mobile.

Looks like Apple's M2 chip could continue to include Samsung parts

Gary Sims / Android Authority TL;DR Apple will likely continue to rely on Samsung to supply components for the M2. Samsung would provide a critical component necessary in high-performance chip design. Apple is hard at work on its upcoming M2 chips, and it looks like Samsung could continue to play a key role in manufacturing them. Apple and Samsung’s relationship is a complicated one, with the companies usually taking the top two slots in the smartphone market.

Crunchyroll announces DanMachi: Memoria Freese

TL;DR Crunchyroll announced DanMachi – Memoria Freese, the first game under its Crunchyroll Games brand. The game is based on the DanMachi anime. Memoria Freese is now available as a free download. It might have had sketchy beginnings, but Crunchyroll has grown to become a legitimate anime streaming and manga reading network. It would make sense, then, that the service’s first game is based on manga-turned-anime series Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Nothing hints at its first product with Concept 1

TL;DR Nothing has teased what looks like true wireless earbuds. The product is called the Concept 1. Former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced his new company called Nothing earlier this year. But short of knowing that the firm will announce audio products, we don’t know much else about its wares. Now, the company has announced the Concept 1, and it still hasn’t actually told us what this product is.

NVIDIA Shield Tablet back in stock, renamed Tablet K1 and priced at $200

Last year NVIDIA followed up its Shield portable with the Shield Tablet, a more traditional mobile device that also happened to be packed to the brim with all the specs and special features needed to deliver an exceptional Android gaming experience. Unfortunately, a quick look around most major retailers reveals that the NVIDIA Shield Tablet is pretty much out of stock everywhere these days — likely owing to the issues the tablet had that ledto the recall of a number of affected units.

Here's why I think the refresh rate wars are dumb

For many smartphone enthusiasts, specs are everything. Benchmarks and performance are constantly compared, discussed or argued over. So, it should come as no surprise that the newest spec that has seen major changes — screen refresh rate — is the latest battleground for both manufacturers and Android diehards. We’ve seen high refresh rate display phones from OnePlus, Google, Oppo, Asus, and more are expected to hit shelves this year. But are 90 and 120Hz refresh rates more than a marketing ploy?