TL;DR The Blu X Link watch has an introductory price of $50, but lacks the WearOS platform. Blu’s watch might not have an app store, but it does have cellular connectivity via 2G networks. The wearable also offers a heart rate monitor, pedometer, and sleep tracking functionality. If your name isn’t Apple, chances are good that you’re not selling loads of smartwatches. Now budget U.S. mobile brand Blu has taken a different approach with its X Link watch.

Update, August 1, 2020 (10:40 PM ET): Blue Mail ended up getting restored on the Google Play Store earlier today after 15 hours of it being unavailable to download. According to Google, its removal had nothing to do with retaliation against Blix, as that company’s founder suggested on Twitter. Here is a statement that explains the situation in further detail from Dan Jackson, a Google spokesperson: It’s completely false that we retaliated in any way against this developer.

Eric Zeman / Android Authority TL;DR Today, Google announced that Chrome OS updates will soon come at a quicker pace. Chrome OS users can expect a new update every four weeks starting in the fourth quarter of this year. This schedule will match the new schedule for the Chrome browser itself. Chrome OS gets better (and more popular) with every passing year. One of the big reasons for that is Google’s pretty swift schedule of updates for the desktop operating system.

Update, November 29, 2018 (12:10 PM EST): The October 29 launch date of the Aqua-colored Google Home Mini came and went without a peep from Google. Now, a month later, you can officially buy a Google Home Mini in the newest color option via the Google Store, as well as from Walmart. The Aqua-colored Google Home Mini is the same price as the other colors: $49. Click one of the buttons below to get yours!

Meet Pixel 5a with 5G from Google. It’s all you want in a phone: a big battery, a great camera, water resistance, and superfast 5G.‌ Exclusive offer for our loyal mobile customers: Get $65 off Pixel 5a with 5G — redeem your offer below. Terms apply. *This promotional code offer is provided by LG Electronics USA for use on the Google Store only, and is subject to the following terms. Save $65 on Pixel 5a with 5G.

Credit: LG As almost everyone at this point knows, Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular technology is the next generation of mobile networks. There will continue to be iterative advances, like LTE Advanced, but the core LTE technology is the new global standard for the foreseeable future. LTE provides a wide array of improvements versus previous network standards, but there is still a major obstacle in the path to LTE-only cellular networks.

With top-tier smartphones sporting physical QWERTY keyboards becoming a rarity these days, we can add HTC to the list of phone manufacturers that won’t be offering a new keyboard-equipped Android smartphone anytime soon. Speaking during a press event in Seattle, HTC creative director Claude Zellweger explained the company’s stance on creating QWERTY phones. “As a company, the QWERTY keyboard we’re moving away from in general”, he said. This can be translated as the company’s reluctance to go against the current, with more and more manufacturers focusing solely on producing touchscreen phones, some without physical buttons at all.

The current worst-kept secret in the land of wearables is that Samsung is preparing a new smartwatch called the Galaxy Watch that could run a version of Wear OS instead of the Gear series’ Tizen operating system. Not to be outdone by its local rival, speculation is growing that LG is readying not one but two Wear OS smartwatches that new evidence suggests could launch in next few weeks. The best Wear OS watches (October 2021): Samsung, Mobvoi, and more

Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google has released a new app called Stack. Stack allows users to better scan, save, and organize critical physical documents. It’s only available in the US for now. Google has a new useful app in its arsenal for those who want a complete way to scan, store, and organize important documents. Dubbed Stack, the app is developed by the company’s Area 120 division — the team behind old favorites like Reply and Grasshopper.

The OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro are similar in many ways, yet, there are some key differences between the two. The two phones deliver a one-two punch where they both pack exceptional internals, but there’s just a little extra on-offer with the Pro which may make you want to upgrade. While there are several differences between the devices, the size of the battery and the display are two of the key differentiating features.