Judul : Tracfone Latest Phones 2019 - List of New Tracfone Smartphones
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New Tracfone Smartphones - List of New Phones from Tracfone in 2019
Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, a blog about prepaid cell phones from Tracfone! |
| List of New Tracfones in 2019 |
When shopping for a new phone, we all want to know which phones were recently released, as these usually have the best features.
This list contains the latest phones released by Tracfone and we will continue to update as new phones are released each month as we get into 2019.
We will include brief descriptions of each new phone, and links to additional information. You can also visit our Cell Phone Reviews page for our latest reviews of new phones..
Starting in April 2017, Tracfone is no longer including Triple Minutes for Life with new phones. Learn more about this, and how it might affect you, in our recent post about the Changes to Triple Minutes for Life.
New Phones Coming in 2019
Several new high end phones may be coming to Tracfone including the iPhone 8, iPhone X, Moto G7 and more. We will be adding any information as soon as it is confirmed!We don't always know when some of these phones will be released, but will share as soon as they are. Now let's look at the phones Tracfone has recently released.
Tracfone Latest Phones for 2019
Below are the latest phones released by Tracfone to use on their prepaid network. This list has the newest phones first, followed by older devices.Alcatel TCL LX A502DL
This Alcatel brand device features a 5.43" touchscreen with 18:9 ratio and 480x960 resolution along with 1.1Ghz processor and 16 GB Storage/2 GB RAM. It is relatively inexpensive for the features, at just $49 retail and often available for less, but this Android 8.1 smartphone doesn't pack a lot of performance and might be best suited to low to moderate users. Find the Alcatel TCL LX A502DL from several retailers including Amazon, Tracfone and HSN.
Motorola Moto G6
The latest budget smartphone from Motorola is now available directly through Tracfone. The Moto G6 features a 5.7" Full HD touchscreen, Octa-core processor with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. It also has dual rear cameras and runs Android 8.0. Unlocked versions of the Moto G6 have been available for use with Tracfone BYOP since the phone was released but now the Tracfone version is available.
The Moto G6 is a very attractive phone at a reasonable price and visit our Moto G6 Review for full specs and features.
Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit
Tracfone continues to update their cell phone lineup with the Galaxy J3 Orbit which has a 5" touchscreen, runs Android 8.0 Oreo and has 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It runs on CDMA networks (Verizon).
On paper the J3 Orbit looks a little overpriced compared to other options, and you can see the full details and specs in our Review of the J3 Orbit.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Crown
The latest phone in the Galaxy J7 lineup, the Crown features a 5.5" HD touchscreen, Android 8.0 Oreo and 13 MP camera. It also comes with an octa-core processor, 16 GB internal storage and 2 GB RAM.
It has a variety of improvements over the previous version, but also has a slightly higher price. Learn more and find out where to buy in our Samsung Galaxy J7 Crown Review.
LG Rebel 4 (L212VL/L211BL)
The latest version of the LG Rebel comes with a 5" screen, 1.4 Ghz quad-core processor, 8 MP rear camera, and most notably, Android 8.1 Oreo. It also features a removable battery and 2 GB RAM with 16 GB Storage.
The Rebel 4 brings modest upgrades compared to the previous version (Rebel 3) and is expected to have two versions, one for GSM and another for CDMA networks.
Learn more in our full Review of the LG Rebel 4
Moto E5 (XT1920DL)
The Moto E5 has a 5.7" screen with 18:9 screen ratio, 4000 mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. The unlocked version was only just released in May, 2018, and now Tracfone is offering a slightly modified version as well.
The Moto E line is known for good battery life and dependable performance at a very budget friendly price.
See our full review of the Moto E5 to learn more!
LG Stylo 4 (L713DL)
Featuring the largest screen of any Tracfone device, the LG Stylo 4 has a 6.2" FHD touchscreen, 13 MP camera, octa-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It also comes with Android 8.1 Oreo which has access to over a million apps on Google Play.
It is currently available for CDMA networks.
Learn more and see where to buy, with our Full Review of the LG Stylo 4 from Tracfone
iPhone 7/ iPhone 6S Plus
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S Plus are both available on the Tracfone website and offer high-end features at a hefty price. The iPhone 7 comes with a 4.7" screen, iOS 10, 32 GB storage and a 12 MP camera. The iPhone 6S Plus features a larger, 5.5" touchscreen, iOS 9, 32 GB Storage and 12 MP camera. Apple smartphones are well known for their impressive camera performance, and these two iPhones are no exception, with the capability of capturing excellent photos and video.
The iPhone 7 is available form Tracfone for $599
the iPhone 6S Plus is available form Tracfone for $399
LG Premier Pro (L413DL)
Stepping in right between the Rebel 3 and Fiesta 2, the LG Premier Pro has a 5.3" screen, Android 7.1, 16 GB internal storage, 2 GB RAM and a quad core processor. It shares a number of similarities with other recent phones from LG but offers a middle ground in screen size.
Learn more in our Review of the LG Premier Pro
LG Stylo 3 (L84VL)
With a lot of similar specs to the LG Rebel 3 and Fiesta 2, the Stylo 3 does stand out with a large, 5.7" touchscreen. This phone also has 16 GB storage, 2 GB RAM, a 13 MP camera, and runs Android 7.0.
Learn more in our Review of the LG Stylo 3
LG Rebel 3 (L158VL/157BL)
The LG Rebel 3 brings several updates to the popular Rebel lineup and is also one of the first new phones from Tracfone in 2018. With a 5" touchscreen, Android 7.0.1, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM, it offers great specs for the price - which is currently $59 on HSN with an airtime bundle.
Tracfone now offers both a GSM and CDMA version of this phone. The GSM version is only available from the Tracfone Website at this time and we include a link in our review. Learn more about the LG Rebel 3 in our Review.
We will continue to add new phones as they are released.
And below are phones released by Tracfone in 2017.
Tracfone Cell Phones Released in 2017
LG Fiesta 2Almost identical to the original Fiesta, the new Fiesta 2 comes with 2 GB RAM instead of 1.5 GB. Otherwise it shares the same 5.5" screen, Android 7.0 and 13 MP Camera that also comes with the Fiesta.
Find the Fiesta 2 on Amazon for $99.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE has the size and feel of an iPhone 5S, while actually containing the internal specs and features of a more powerful iPhone 6S. That includes the very impressive 12 MP rear facing camera, plus A9 processor. The screen size is just 4", which is rather small for a smartphone these days, but this device makes up for it with 32 GB internal memory to store apps and other media. The iPhone SE can be found on the Tracfone website(Last check it was in stock!) and may come with either a CDMA or GSM SIM card depending ont he ZIP code provided. It can also be found for $199 on Bestbuy.
Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro
The Galaxy Luna Pro (S327VL) is an upgrade from the original Galaxy Luna, and comes with a 5" screen, 16 GB memory, 1.5 GB RAM and Android 6.0.1. It is fairly similar to the Galaxy Sky, but with a slightly faster 1.4 Ghz quad core processor. The one drawback about the Luna Pro is that it does not include Triple Minutes for Life. Learn more about this phone in our Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro Review.
Available on Amazon for $109 with airtime bundle. Also available on QVC, HSN and other retailers.
LG Rebel 2
Featuring Android 6.0.1 and a 5" screen, the Rebel 2 has several nice upgrades over the original version, the LG Rebel, but also misses the mark in a few key areas. The Rebel 2 only has 8 GB memory (about 4 GB usable), 1 GB RAM and does not appear to include Triple Minutes for Life. It runs on CDMA networks (Verizon) and is available from several online retailers.
It is retailing through HSN.com for just $59 including 1200 minutes, which is a great deal. (last check it was sold out)
Also available on Amazon for $79 with $40 airtime card.
ZTE ZMAX Champ
The ZTE ZMAX Champ comes with a large, 5.5" HD touchscreen, Android 6.0.1 and an 8 MP camera. It only has 8 GB memory, which may be too little for many users. The phone users CDMA networks and includes Triple MInutes for Life. Visit our Review of the ZTE ZMAX Champ to see all the details and how it compares to other devices from Tracfone.
Find the ZTE ZMAX Champ on Amazon for $89 with airtime bundle or HSN.com with airtime bundle for $99
ZTE ZFive
Another ZTE phone, the ZFive has a 5" screen, Android 6.0 and 5 MP camera. It also is limited to just 8 GB memory, although there is a micro SD card slot. The ZFive uses CDMA networks and comes with Triple Minutes for Life.
Get the ZTE ZFive on Amazon or HSN with minutes bundle for $79
LG Fiesta
The LG Fiesta comes with a lot of great features including a 5.5" touchscreen, Android 7.0, 16 GB Memory, and 13 MP camera. It is a popular choice for the well rounded list of features it includes, except for a lack of Triple Minutes for Life. There are two versions available, one uses CDMA networks and the other GSM.
Read our review of the LG Fiesta to learn more about the phone, and buy it on Amazon for $99 with airtime bundle.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro
Another good option, the Sky Pro comes with a 5.5" screen, Android 7.0, 16 GB memory and 2 GB RAM. It is a popular choice despite not including triple minutes. The Sky Pro uses CDMA networks and there are two other versions with smaller screens and different specs also available; the Galaxy J3 Sky and Galaxy J1 Luna.
Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Sky Pro including where to buy.
Alcatel OneTouch Pixi Bond LTE
Released at the end of 2016 or early 2017, the Pixi Bond has a 4.5" screen, Android 5.1, 8 GB Internal Memory, 1.1Ghz Quad-core processor and 5 MP rear camera. The Bond is only capable of 3G LTE speeds.
It is a very basic smartphone, but comes at an inexpensive price of $30 on the Tracfone website.
Alcatel OneTouch Pixi Avion LTE
Released at the end of 2016 or early 2017, the Avion has almost identical specs compared to the Pixi Bond (listed above), but comes with 4G LTE coverage. It has a 4.5" screen, Android 5.1, Quad-core processor, 8 GB Memory and only 2 MP camera.
Most Alcatel phones are somewhat cheap and may not be the most durable. The Pixi Avion retails for $40 on the Tracfone website.
Alcatel Pixi Unite
The Pixi Unite was released at the end of 2016 or early 2017 and comes with a small, 4" touchscreen, Android 6.0, 8 GB Internal Memory, 1.3Ghz Quad core processor and 2 MP camera. The Unite is capable of 4G LTE speeds and has a Micro SD card slot.
With the newer Android OS and Micro SD slot, the Pixi Unite is a good value at just $30 on the Tracfone website.
That's it for the latest phones, we will continue to add new phones as they are released. Let us know if you see a new phone that isn't on our list!
*****
If you're new to Tracfone, Start Here with our beginners guide. Also take a look at our Guide to Activating or Transferring a Tracfone Smartphone for tips and a step by step list.
Join our Facebook page where we post the latest news, deals and other information. Plus, if you have specific questions you can send us a message.
Learn how to Make your Airtime Last Longer and also check out our recent post on How Data works with Tracfone.
Thanks for visiting!
(Last Update - December 2018)
New Tracfone Smartphones - List of New Phones from Tracfone in 2019
Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, a blog about prepaid cell phones from Tracfone! |
| List of New Tracfones in 2019 |
When shopping for a new phone, we all want to know which phones were recently released, as these usually have the best features.
This list contains the latest phones released by Tracfone and we will continue to update as new phones are released each month as we get into 2019.
We will include brief descriptions of each new phone, and links to additional information. You can also visit our Cell Phone Reviews page for our latest reviews of new phones..
Starting in April 2017, Tracfone is no longer including Triple Minutes for Life with new phones. Learn more about this, and how it might affect you, in our recent post about the Changes to Triple Minutes for Life.
New Phones Coming in 2019
Several new high end phones may be coming to Tracfone including the iPhone 8, iPhone X, Moto G7 and more. We will be adding any information as soon as it is confirmed!We don't always know when some of these phones will be released, but will share as soon as they are. Now let's look at the phones Tracfone has recently released.
Tracfone Latest Phones for 2019
Below are the latest phones released by Tracfone to use on their prepaid network. This list has the newest phones first, followed by older devices.Alcatel TCL LX A502DL
This Alcatel brand device features a 5.43" touchscreen with 18:9 ratio and 480x960 resolution along with 1.1Ghz processor and 16 GB Storage/2 GB RAM. It is relatively inexpensive for the features, at just $49 retail and often available for less, but this Android 8.1 smartphone doesn't pack a lot of performance and might be best suited to low to moderate users. Find the Alcatel TCL LX A502DL from several retailers including Amazon, Tracfone and HSN.
Motorola Moto G6
The latest budget smartphone from Motorola is now available directly through Tracfone. The Moto G6 features a 5.7" Full HD touchscreen, Octa-core processor with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. It also has dual rear cameras and runs Android 8.0. Unlocked versions of the Moto G6 have been available for use with Tracfone BYOP since the phone was released but now the Tracfone version is available.
The Moto G6 is a very attractive phone at a reasonable price and visit our Moto G6 Review for full specs and features.
Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit
Tracfone continues to update their cell phone lineup with the Galaxy J3 Orbit which has a 5" touchscreen, runs Android 8.0 Oreo and has 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It runs on CDMA networks (Verizon).
On paper the J3 Orbit looks a little overpriced compared to other options, and you can see the full details and specs in our Review of the J3 Orbit.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Crown
The latest phone in the Galaxy J7 lineup, the Crown features a 5.5" HD touchscreen, Android 8.0 Oreo and 13 MP camera. It also comes with an octa-core processor, 16 GB internal storage and 2 GB RAM.
It has a variety of improvements over the previous version, but also has a slightly higher price. Learn more and find out where to buy in our Samsung Galaxy J7 Crown Review.
LG Rebel 4 (L212VL/L211BL)
The latest version of the LG Rebel comes with a 5" screen, 1.4 Ghz quad-core processor, 8 MP rear camera, and most notably, Android 8.1 Oreo. It also features a removable battery and 2 GB RAM with 16 GB Storage.
The Rebel 4 brings modest upgrades compared to the previous version (Rebel 3) and is expected to have two versions, one for GSM and another for CDMA networks.
Learn more in our full Review of the LG Rebel 4
Moto E5 (XT1920DL)
The Moto E5 has a 5.7" screen with 18:9 screen ratio, 4000 mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. The unlocked version was only just released in May, 2018, and now Tracfone is offering a slightly modified version as well.
The Moto E line is known for good battery life and dependable performance at a very budget friendly price.
See our full review of the Moto E5 to learn more!
LG Stylo 4 (L713DL)
Featuring the largest screen of any Tracfone device, the LG Stylo 4 has a 6.2" FHD touchscreen, 13 MP camera, octa-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It also comes with Android 8.1 Oreo which has access to over a million apps on Google Play.
It is currently available for CDMA networks.
Learn more and see where to buy, with our Full Review of the LG Stylo 4 from Tracfone
iPhone 7/ iPhone 6S Plus
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S Plus are both available on the Tracfone website and offer high-end features at a hefty price. The iPhone 7 comes with a 4.7" screen, iOS 10, 32 GB storage and a 12 MP camera. The iPhone 6S Plus features a larger, 5.5" touchscreen, iOS 9, 32 GB Storage and 12 MP camera. Apple smartphones are well known for their impressive camera performance, and these two iPhones are no exception, with the capability of capturing excellent photos and video.
The iPhone 7 is available form Tracfone for $599
the iPhone 6S Plus is available form Tracfone for $399
LG Premier Pro (L413DL)
Stepping in right between the Rebel 3 and Fiesta 2, the LG Premier Pro has a 5.3" screen, Android 7.1, 16 GB internal storage, 2 GB RAM and a quad core processor. It shares a number of similarities with other recent phones from LG but offers a middle ground in screen size.
Learn more in our Review of the LG Premier Pro
LG Stylo 3 (L84VL)
With a lot of similar specs to the LG Rebel 3 and Fiesta 2, the Stylo 3 does stand out with a large, 5.7" touchscreen. This phone also has 16 GB storage, 2 GB RAM, a 13 MP camera, and runs Android 7.0.
Learn more in our Review of the LG Stylo 3
LG Rebel 3 (L158VL/157BL)
The LG Rebel 3 brings several updates to the popular Rebel lineup and is also one of the first new phones from Tracfone in 2018. With a 5" touchscreen, Android 7.0.1, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM, it offers great specs for the price - which is currently $59 on HSN with an airtime bundle.
Tracfone now offers both a GSM and CDMA version of this phone. The GSM version is only available from the Tracfone Website at this time and we include a link in our review. Learn more about the LG Rebel 3 in our Review.
We will continue to add new phones as they are released.
And below are phones released by Tracfone in 2017.
Tracfone Cell Phones Released in 2017
LG Fiesta 2Almost identical to the original Fiesta, the new Fiesta 2 comes with 2 GB RAM instead of 1.5 GB. Otherwise it shares the same 5.5" screen, Android 7.0 and 13 MP Camera that also comes with the Fiesta.
Find the Fiesta 2 on Amazon for $99.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE has the size and feel of an iPhone 5S, while actually containing the internal specs and features of a more powerful iPhone 6S. That includes the very impressive 12 MP rear facing camera, plus A9 processor. The screen size is just 4", which is rather small for a smartphone these days, but this device makes up for it with 32 GB internal memory to store apps and other media. The iPhone SE can be found on the Tracfone website(Last check it was in stock!) and may come with either a CDMA or GSM SIM card depending ont he ZIP code provided. It can also be found for $199 on Bestbuy.
Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro
The Galaxy Luna Pro (S327VL) is an upgrade from the original Galaxy Luna, and comes with a 5" screen, 16 GB memory, 1.5 GB RAM and Android 6.0.1. It is fairly similar to the Galaxy Sky, but with a slightly faster 1.4 Ghz quad core processor. The one drawback about the Luna Pro is that it does not include Triple Minutes for Life. Learn more about this phone in our Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro Review.
Available on Amazon for $109 with airtime bundle. Also available on QVC, HSN and other retailers.
LG Rebel 2
Featuring Android 6.0.1 and a 5" screen, the Rebel 2 has several nice upgrades over the original version, the LG Rebel, but also misses the mark in a few key areas. The Rebel 2 only has 8 GB memory (about 4 GB usable), 1 GB RAM and does not appear to include Triple Minutes for Life. It runs on CDMA networks (Verizon) and is available from several online retailers.
It is retailing through HSN.com for just $59 including 1200 minutes, which is a great deal. (last check it was sold out)
Also available on Amazon for $79 with $40 airtime card.
ZTE ZMAX Champ
The ZTE ZMAX Champ comes with a large, 5.5" HD touchscreen, Android 6.0.1 and an 8 MP camera. It only has 8 GB memory, which may be too little for many users. The phone users CDMA networks and includes Triple MInutes for Life. Visit our Review of the ZTE ZMAX Champ to see all the details and how it compares to other devices from Tracfone.
Find the ZTE ZMAX Champ on Amazon for $89 with airtime bundle or HSN.com with airtime bundle for $99
ZTE ZFive
Another ZTE phone, the ZFive has a 5" screen, Android 6.0 and 5 MP camera. It also is limited to just 8 GB memory, although there is a micro SD card slot. The ZFive uses CDMA networks and comes with Triple Minutes for Life.
Get the ZTE ZFive on Amazon or HSN with minutes bundle for $79
LG Fiesta
The LG Fiesta comes with a lot of great features including a 5.5" touchscreen, Android 7.0, 16 GB Memory, and 13 MP camera. It is a popular choice for the well rounded list of features it includes, except for a lack of Triple Minutes for Life. There are two versions available, one uses CDMA networks and the other GSM.
Read our review of the LG Fiesta to learn more about the phone, and buy it on Amazon for $99 with airtime bundle.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro
Another good option, the Sky Pro comes with a 5.5" screen, Android 7.0, 16 GB memory and 2 GB RAM. It is a popular choice despite not including triple minutes. The Sky Pro uses CDMA networks and there are two other versions with smaller screens and different specs also available; the Galaxy J3 Sky and Galaxy J1 Luna.
Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Sky Pro including where to buy.
Alcatel OneTouch Pixi Bond LTE
Released at the end of 2016 or early 2017, the Pixi Bond has a 4.5" screen, Android 5.1, 8 GB Internal Memory, 1.1Ghz Quad-core processor and 5 MP rear camera. The Bond is only capable of 3G LTE speeds.
It is a very basic smartphone, but comes at an inexpensive price of $30 on the Tracfone website.
Alcatel OneTouch Pixi Avion LTE
Released at the end of 2016 or early 2017, the Avion has almost identical specs compared to the Pixi Bond (listed above), but comes with 4G LTE coverage. It has a 4.5" screen, Android 5.1, Quad-core processor, 8 GB Memory and only 2 MP camera.
Most Alcatel phones are somewhat cheap and may not be the most durable. The Pixi Avion retails for $40 on the Tracfone website.
Alcatel Pixi Unite
The Pixi Unite was released at the end of 2016 or early 2017 and comes with a small, 4" touchscreen, Android 6.0, 8 GB Internal Memory, 1.3Ghz Quad core processor and 2 MP camera. The Unite is capable of 4G LTE speeds and has a Micro SD card slot.
With the newer Android OS and Micro SD slot, the Pixi Unite is a good value at just $30 on the Tracfone website.
That's it for the latest phones, we will continue to add new phones as they are released. Let us know if you see a new phone that isn't on our list!
*****
If you're new to Tracfone, Start Here with our beginners guide. Also take a look at our Guide to Activating or Transferring a Tracfone Smartphone for tips and a step by step list.
Join our Facebook page where we post the latest news, deals and other information. Plus, if you have specific questions you can send us a message.
Learn how to Make your Airtime Last Longer and also check out our recent post on How Data works with Tracfone.
Thanks for visiting!
(Last Update - December 2018)
Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit
Nokia 6.1
That concludes our gift guide for 2018! We created this to offer inspiration and ideas for popular gifts in 2018 and we hope it was useful to you!
If you are looking for a cheap way to enter the world of wireless charging, today’s Samsung deal knocks $20 off its Wireless Charger Pad Slim. That brings the price of Samsung’s cheapest wireless charging pad down to just $15. Samsung Wireless Charger Pad Slim There is no fine print with this deal, but there are still a few things to keep in mind. The Wireless Charger Pad Slim does not include a power cable and fast charging adapter, so you will have to buy that separately. Also, you can only get fast wireless charging if you have the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, and newer models of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series. Every other phone charges at the standard 5W charging speed. Editor's PickBest wireless chargers — what are your choices?Apple is finally hopping on the wireless chargers bandwagon in smartphones. The company revealed last week that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X will all natively support the Qi wireless charging platform, which … Finally, Samsung will sell a two-pack Wireless Charger Pad Slim for Black Friday. You might want to wait until then if you want more wireless charging pads around your house. With that said, the Wireless Charger Pad Slim is still a good choice if you want a wireless charging pad from a well-known company like Samsung. It features a slim 11.9mm profile and supports USB Type-C. The Wireless Charger Pad Slim is also very small, though the rubberized circle up top makes sure your smartphone will not just slide right off. This is a limited time deal, so grab it while you still can. While you are at it, check out our Black Friday and pre-Black Friday hubs for many more deals. Samsung Wireless Charger Pad Slim
Three U.S. Senate Democrats sent an accusatory letter to the Big Four wireless carriers. The letter suggests the carriers are throttling customers’ video streams without disclosing, which is an FCC violation. The data the senators based their accusations on has yet to be independently verified. If you’ve had the feeling your mobile streaming is slower than it should be, you might not just be imagining things. According to research collected by a testing platform called Wehe, each of the Big Four carriers is throttling video streams from major media apps. In the case of Sprint, it is additionally accused of throttling Skype calls. In response to this, three U.S. Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Big Four carriers (the aforementioned Sprint, as well as T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon) inquiring as to what is going on — and demanding answers to some tough questions (via ArsTechnica). Editor's PickFCC ready to ‘take action’ against carriers if spam robocalls aren’t stopped Huffington Post In a press release dated yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission detailed the strongly-worded letter chairman Ajit Pai sent to the major players in the United States telecom industry. The letter revolves around the … The three senators — Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) — are asking for “a list of all applications or services that are subject to traffic discrimination,” among other pieces of information. Although mobile throttling didn’t explicitly violate Net Neutrality laws when they were in action (and obviously doesn’t now that they are gone), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does explicitly require mobile carriers to disclose any mobile throttling to its customers. The data collected from the Wehe platform suggests there is hidden throttling occurring of which customers are likely unaware, which would give the FCC the ability to take action. Sprint denies throttling Skype calls and confirmed it received the letter from the senators and will respond directly. AT&T questioned the validity of the Wehe results. FCC chairman Ajit Pai is aware of the letter sent by the senators but also is not certain the Wehe data is ironclad. “My understanding is that the data and analysis that went into those conclusions have not been made available to the extent that others independently can verify those results,” Pai said. According to the letter, the Big Four carriers have until December 6, 2018, to respond. NEXT: California will not enforce net neutrality law it passed (for now)
Happy Friday readers! The cascade of price drops continues in the run-up to Black Friday, and we’re certainly not complaining. The latest deal we thought you might enjoy is a 20 percent saving on the Force Flyers Drone. There’s only so much fun you can get out of a standard drone before you decide to see how fast you can smash it into a tree. However, if your drone is easily and infinitely customizable, suddenly you’ve got a fun and ongoing project. That’s exactly what the Force Flyers Drone offers. It may not be the sleekest looking machine in the sky, but that’s because you can use almost any building blocks to build it yourself. The dream of actually being able to fly your Lego is here, and there’s fun to be had. You can follow the user manual if you want to play it safe, or go off-script and build the wackiest flying contraption you can imagine. 
Both building and flying the drone are beginner-friendly. On the flying side, a six-axis gyro ensures a smooth maneuvering, with auto-stabilization and crash-resistant plastic also keeping things easy. The Force Flyers Drone at a glance: Build and customize your drone with fun building blocks Learn about key concepts such as aerodynamics and weight distribution Compatible with all major building blocks for extra versatility Zip through tight spaces with the digital proportional control and a 6-axis gyro Pull off impressive 360-degree stunt flips Easily control your drone with auto-stabilization There are four fun variants of this drone, which you can check out on the deal page. You’d usually pay $50 on the Force Flyers website, but right now you can get one from Tech Deals for only $39.99. If you order now then it ships in good time for Christmas too, though you might not want to be giving it away. The deal ends on Sunday, so now’s the time to treat yourself. Hit the button below to find the offer. Check it out! The AA Picks team writes about things we think you’ll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links. To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB. Looking for a new phone or plan? Start here with the Android Authority Plan Tool: 
This smart tool lets you filter plans by phone, price, data tiers, and regional availability. Stop overpaying for cell service you hate and a phone that you’re tired of. Use our Compare Phones & Plans tool to fully customize your mobile experience and painlessly transition from one carrier to another!
When it comes to silicon, for the moment you want Huawei’s Kirin 980 powering your smartphone. While there’s been a lot of hay made by tech bloggers about concerns shown with benchmarks, even Qualcomm is taking notes on this chip. Until Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 hits shelves, we won’t have another credible 7nm chip to compare the Kirin with. That might not be enough to satisfy you, so let me go a little more in-depth on how we determined our leaders in this competition. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is not the best phone in every benchmark we ran, it’s simply the best overall results. We chose benchmarks for a decent cross-section of performance results… and to sidestep cheating In all of our benchmarking, we unintentionally limited what kinds of performances we’d find by using almost only flagship phones. In truth, most results from device to device are much smaller than the numbers would have you believe, so it was tough to get a good cross-section of performances. If you were to add more phones like the Motorola Moto G6 or any bargain model outside of the Xiaomi Pocophone F1, you’d find a lot more separation between devices. Our battery of tests consisted of: AnTuTu GFXBench (T-Rex) GFXBench (Manhattan) Basemark OS Jetstream Geekbench (single core) Geekbench (multi core) Geekbench (single core stealth) Geekbench (multi core stealth) 3DMark (Slingshot Extreme) If you’re wondering what that “stealth” version of Geekbench is, it’s a build of Geekbench that defeats benchmark detection on today’s crop of phones. We didn’t want to have to do that, but to find results more indicative of your actual use we have to keep manufacturers honest. We won’t shame companies outright with this, but we’ll only be listing results from the stealth app. We have the “regular” results too, but we’re more interested in what the phone actually gives its users. ...of the 30 phones that we tested, seven phones cheated so badly that the average inflation in Geekbench score was just under 3 percent. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro sits at a rather advantageous position, as its processor is an early entrant into next year’s generation of chips. Consequently, it boasts a number of advantages that will likely be eclipsed in the near future. Its GPU is limited by its display, which caps its video benchmarks at 60fps. Razer and Asus eclipsed the Mate 20 Pro here, as that benchmark isn’t limited by the displays, for example. Performances were incredibly similar After normalizing the scores in each category, we found much like the competition in displays: the differences between units were really nothing to write home about. Here are our rankings for the best-performing smartphones, all hitting marks within 2 points out of 100 of each other in our scoring. All of these phones will perform brilliantly, and you won’t likely notice anything different — outside of the Razer Phone 2’s higher frame rate, at least. Huawei Mate 20 Pro Asus ROG Phone OnePlus 6T Huawei Mate 20 Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Samsung Galaxy S9+ Samsung Galaxy S9 LG V40 Razer 2 All of these models lag severely behind the iPhone, but I’ll let Gary explain that one. In truth, smartphone processing power has never been more astounding than it is now. It’s one of the last things you should be concerned about. The Mate 20 Pro holds its own in graphics processing Most phones hit the 60fps limit in the first GFXBench test, so let’s also look at GFXBench Manhattan, where there was a lot more separation. This high-level test is brutal for GPUs, and relies on lots of difficult-to-handle tasks. GFXBench T-RexHigher is Better GFXBench ManhattanHigher is Better However, that’s a fairly limited test, and throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix yields slightly different results: 3DMark overall scoreHigher is Better The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is still among the leaders in the pack, but not the best for graphics. The chip’s “weakness” in graphics is intense 3D rendering, but it still hangs tough with the top gaming phones. That’s not bad! The Mate 20 Pro excels in OS-level benchmarking Testing processors is a marathon, not a sprint, and how the OS does things is what most users will notice. The Mate 20 Pro wasn’t the best in Basemark, but it more than made up for it in the Geekbench and Jetstream tests. Basemark OSHigher is Better JetstreamHigher is Better The stealth Geekbench results were far and away the best we tested this year, which makes sense, given the differences in chip architecture between the latest Kirin chipset and the Snapdragon 845. Those advantages look pretty small when that chart uses a 0-scale, eh? Like I said, processors are so good and so similar now it’s really tough to tell the difference half the time. The only time you’d really notice any small change in performance is if you somehow find a magic outlier weakness of a chip, memory, or its task-scheduling. Still, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro posted a respectable advantage over its competitors, giving us a taste of what’s to come with more 7nm chips coming in 2019. Stealth Geekbench, (Green - Single, Purple - Multi)Higher is Better These are the stealth, anti-benchmark cheating results. Because we can’t install the unlisted app on an iPhone, we can’t compare results here. If you were to run benchmarks on your own phones, you’ll almost certainly get different results than we did. In fact, of the 30 phones we tested, seven phones cheated so badly the average inflation in Geekbench score was just under 3 percent. Considering we want every phone on equal footing, I’d say it was very fortunate the folks at Primate Labs are so helpful and kind. Final thoughts If running through all these tests has taught us anything, it’s that the processors of tomorrow will probably focus more on battery performance improvements and other structural changes to achieve a more palatable smartphone experience. Many chips already do extraordinarily well compared to last year. In that light, Huawei’s Kirin 980 seems to be indicative of future trends in processing. If we’re going to be seeing processors with changing philosophies in the future, it makes sense that we’d see chips move away from focusing solely on raw performance.