The new Nexus phones are almost upon us and they certainly haven’t been the best kept secret around. If you want to know some of the last few details about the LG Nexus 5X, the smartphone has recently been spotted passing through the Federal Communications Commissions for certification. The listing gives us the model number LG-H790, which looks to be the unlocked version of the Nexus 5X for the US market.

Robert Triggs / Android Authority Buying a brand-new smartphone can give you plenty of peace of mind, but it’s not the only option out there. Taking the refurbished route is another viable option, as second-hand phones can still be very capable devices. Counterpoint Research recently reported 15% year-on-year growth for the global refurbished market in 2021, led by Apple and Samsung. By comparison, new smartphone shipments only grew 4.5% last year.

We’ve known for a while that RadioShack is planning to announce its own Cricket-powered No Contract Wireless service. Now, it’s finally official. RadioShack will launch the service on September 5th. Again, we aren’t surprised, but it’s nice to have official confirmation. Initially, RadioShack Wireless will only carry one feature phone and one Android smartphone. The feature phone is the Huawei Pillar QWERTY for $39.99. As for the Android device, we’re looking at low-end Huawei Mercury Ice will cost $149.

Unfortunately for Samsung, they didn’t really have anything over the holiday season to compete against the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Instead, they were dealing with one wicked migraine of a problem with the Galaxy Note 7. Now that’s all in the past, they’re looking ahead to the future with its upcoming phablet of a phone in the Galaxy S8 Plus. Galaxy S8 vs Google Pixel: The two most important Android devices right now

After months of rumors and speculation, Motorola unveiled the Moto Z2 Force, the Lenovo subsidiary’s flagship smartphone for 2017. Based on the official details, the Moto Z2 Force looks to stand toe-to-toe with the rest of the flagship pack, though its ShatterShield display and Moto Mod support help the phone stand out. Moto Z2 Force officially announced with a new dual-camera setup, thinner design News The months of rumored details did have the effect of building up some anticipation for the Moto Z2 Force, and now that the phone is official with a capital O, the question now becomes when and where will it be available.

I thought that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ were already rather stylish looking smartphones, but Karalux, a Vietnamese gold-plating shop, has decided that a some additional 24K gold plating is in order for a real premium finish. Costing VND 25 million ($1110) for a Galaxy Note 5 and gold plating, these models certainly don’t come cheap. However, if you already own the phone, Karalux will gold plate your handset for just VND 8 million ($355), which actually isn’t that unreasonable.

I am looking out the window at this very moment, it is windy and raining hard. I was able to prepare for it though because my weather warning system built using Zooper Widget in last week’s Android customization series notified me. Speaking of notifications, today we want to step up the notification game, building our own tools, like usual. Just after Android Lollipop was announced (as Android L) at Google I/O back in June, we took a look at an app that attempted to duplicate the new floating notifications that Android L revealed.

Looking for an e-reader on a budget? Barnes and Noble’s NOOK Simple Touch has now become an even more compelling option. Starting tomorrow, Barnes and Noble will start selling them for a very reasonable $79, down from the regular price of $99. Of course, you should remember that this is the barebones option and comes without a backlight. If its a backlight you are looking for, then the NOOK Simple Touch with Glowlight might be more down your alley.

The Asus Transformer Prime TF201 is, quite possibly, the stuff that dreams are made of for a lot of Android fans, except for one annoying flaw that has been plaguing the tablet — its GPS function. Many users have been experiencing various problems, from difficulty to lock onto signals to slight reading inaccuracies. Fortunately, Asus is taking a proactive approach in ensuring that Transformers users are happy with the capabilities of their beloved device.

Google’s groundbreaking Fiber service went live last week and it already began to change the lives of residents of Kansas City. For instance, a couple bought a family home in one of the Fiberhoods (area where Google deploys the Fiber service) and turned it into a startup incubator of sorts, where budding entrepreneurs can establish their “offices” to take advantage of the crazy fast 1Gbps internet access. But Google Fiber provides more than internet access at blazing speeds.