Judul : Tracfone Christmas Gift Guide 2018
link : Tracfone Christmas Gift Guide 2018
Top 10 Gift Ideas for Tracfone - 2018
Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, with news, reviews and Tracfone promo codes! |
| Tracfone Christmas Gift Guide 2018 |
It is also a time where we must find gifts for everyone on our list, and that can be a real challenge! But we've got plenty of ideas with our annual Christmas gift guide 2018.
In this list we share some great Tracfone related gift ideas, and more general smartphone accessories and options for almost anyone to enjoy and use!
If you are new to Tracfone or not sure how it works exactly, be sure to visit our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.
Now let's see the gift ideas for 2018!
Tracfone Gift Guide - Christmas 2018
Browse these 10 ideas to help find gifts for everyone on your list!1. New Tracfone Smartphone
Christmas is a great time to get someone a new smartphone, or even their first cell phone. And Tracfone has recently released a variety of new phones with the latest Android OS (8.0 Oreo) and a number of other great features for $100-200. |
| LG Rebel 4 |
LG Rebel 4
The Rebel 4 has a smaller, 5" screen, quad-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It is a great option for people who prefer a smaller device and are low to moderate users. It might be a good option for first time smartphone users and it has been found for as low as $50 in some cases. Learn more about the LG Rebel 4 in our Review.
View the Rebel 4 on Amazon for $51
View the Rebel 4 on HSN
Samsung Galaxy J3 OrbitAnother phone with a 5" screen, the J3 Orbit also features an Octa-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. The Orbit is a great all-around smartphone with signature Samsung design elements including a matte black back and relatively small screen bezel. See the full specs and more in our Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit Review.
View the J3 Orbit on HSN
Moto E5
For those looking for a larger screen, the Moto E5 packs a 5.7" touchscreen, Quad-core processor and 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM. It also has excellent battery life and is available for just over $100. It is a great option for new smartphone users or as an upgrade from an older devices as it offers good performance at a reasonable price. Learn more about the Moto E5 with our Review.
View the Moto E5 on Amazon
View the Moto E5 on HSN
Moto G6
Long awaited by Tracfone users, the Moto G6 has a 5.7" full HD screen, Octa-core processor and 32 GB storage, 3 GB RAM. The additional storage and RAM make this phone great for everyday users who want to load a variety of apps and media onto their phone. The G6 is a solid balance between performance and price, retailing for around $200. See all the features and more in our Moto G6 Review.
View the Tracfone Moto G6 on HSN
For more great options, visit our List of the Latest Phones from Tracfone
2. Unlocked Smartphone for Tracfone BYOP
For consumers who want a little more performance form their phone, or simply want more control and flexibility, an unlocked smartphone is a great option and can be used with Tracfone through the BYOP program. Here are some of our top picks:Moto G6
 |
| Moto G6 |
Buy the Moto G6 on Amazon
Nokia 6.1Made from a single block of aluminium, the Nokia 6.1 brings some very nice finishes at a budget friendly price. It has a 5.5"full HD touchscreen, Octa-core processor, 32 GB storage and 3 GB RAM. It has dual SIM card slots and is compatible with GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile.
View the Nokia 6.1 on Amazon
There are lots of other great unlocked phones that will work with Tracfone and to learn more visit our Tracfone BYOP page.
3. Phone Case/Cover
 |
| Moto G6 Case |
The easiest way to find a case or cover is to search on Amazon your cell phone name and see what options are available. For more popular phones like the Moto G6, there are plenty of options available but for older or less popular devices it can be harder to find a case or cover.
4. External Battery Pack
 |
| Solar Powered Battery Charger |
External battery packs come in a variety of sizes and storage capacities, with most smaller than a phone and capable of charging a phone several times. The Anker Powercore 10000 is one great option that is small and portable and will recharge most phones 2-3 times. View the Anker Powercore 10000 on Amazon for price details.
Or, for the truly outdoorsy people in your life, take a look at this Solar Powered Charger from Hilucky Outdoor on Amazon.
5. Tracfone Airtime Card
 |
| Tracfone 120 Minute Card |
Here are some popular airtime card options:
- 60 Minute Card for $20 adds 60 minutes to any Tracfone devices and 90 service days. Doubles or Triples on eligible devices.
- $20 Smartphone Only Card adds 300 talk minutes, 1000 texts and 1000 MB data, 30 service days.
- 1 GB Data Card for $10 adds an extra 1000 MB of data to any smartphone
Look for airtime cards in store or on the Tracfone website.
And view our post on the Best Deal on Tracfone Minutes to learn which cards are the best deal.
 |
| Amazon Gift Card |
6. Gift Cards for Buying Apps/Games on Google Play Store or Apple App Store
If you're not really sure what the latest game or online app the kids are playing a gift card can be a good option and let someone get what they really want. A gift card for Google Play store or Apple App store allows users to purchase apps or games. Amazon gift cards are also a great option as you can get anything from movies, apps, games, toys and more.
7. Headphones or Speaker
Some of the best accessories for a smartphone are headphones or portable speakers and there are plenty of great options available. |
| Bose Soundlink headphones |
For headphones with sound and noise cancelling, consider the Bose Soundlink around ear headphones which can connect to your device wirelessly and includes a long lasting rechargeable battery.
When it comes to speakers, there are many options ranging from small and portable, to large and powerful. Adventurous music listeners will find the JBL Clip 2 perfect for attaching to a backpack or belt while on the go and it has IPX7 Waterproof rating.
The Anker Soundcore is a little larger, and more suited to causal gatherings indoors or out. It has 24hrs of playback time and connects to any smartphone via Bluetooth.
8. Extra Phone Storage
 |
| Samsung 64 GB MicroSD Card |
The Samsung 64GB MicroSD Card is a popular option that comes with an SD card adapter and is at a great price.
9. Camera Accessories and Lenses
 |
| Camera Lens Kit |
If you're looking to improve your photos don't miss our Guide to Better Cell Phone Photography.
10. Smartwatch
Our final gift idea is a popular choice these days that packs a huge number of features and convenience into a device that fits on your wrist and acts like a watch. |
| Apple Smartwatch |
Popular Smartwatch Options:
Apple Watch Series 3
Huawei Watch 2 Sport Smartwatch
Samsung Gear Sport Smartwatch
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!Leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or questions.
Also join us on Facebook with a growing community helpful users who answer questions, share experiences and deal alerts
Learn 4 Ways to Check your Airtime Balance including ways to check it from your phone or a computer.
And take a look at Tracfone Promo Code List which includes codes for extra minutes on almost every airtime card!
Finally, don't miss the best Deals Discounts and Sales on Tracfone Devices and Minutes.
Thanks for visiting!
Top 10 Gift Ideas for Tracfone - 2018
Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, with news, reviews and Tracfone promo codes! |
| Tracfone Christmas Gift Guide 2018 |
It is also a time where we must find gifts for everyone on our list, and that can be a real challenge! But we've got plenty of ideas with our annual Christmas gift guide 2018.
In this list we share some great Tracfone related gift ideas, and more general smartphone accessories and options for almost anyone to enjoy and use!
If you are new to Tracfone or not sure how it works exactly, be sure to visit our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.
Now let's see the gift ideas for 2018!
Tracfone Gift Guide - Christmas 2018
Browse these 10 ideas to help find gifts for everyone on your list!1. New Tracfone Smartphone
Christmas is a great time to get someone a new smartphone, or even their first cell phone. And Tracfone has recently released a variety of new phones with the latest Android OS (8.0 Oreo) and a number of other great features for $100-200. |
| LG Rebel 4 |
LG Rebel 4
The Rebel 4 has a smaller, 5" screen, quad-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. It is a great option for people who prefer a smaller device and are low to moderate users. It might be a good option for first time smartphone users and it has been found for as low as $50 in some cases. Learn more about the LG Rebel 4 in our Review.
View the Rebel 4 on Amazon for $51
View the Rebel 4 on HSN
Samsung Galaxy J3 OrbitAnother phone with a 5" screen, the J3 Orbit also features an Octa-core processor, 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. The Orbit is a great all-around smartphone with signature Samsung design elements including a matte black back and relatively small screen bezel. See the full specs and more in our Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit Review.
View the J3 Orbit on HSN
Moto E5
For those looking for a larger screen, the Moto E5 packs a 5.7" touchscreen, Quad-core processor and 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM. It also has excellent battery life and is available for just over $100. It is a great option for new smartphone users or as an upgrade from an older devices as it offers good performance at a reasonable price. Learn more about the Moto E5 with our Review.
View the Moto E5 on Amazon
View the Moto E5 on HSN
Moto G6
Long awaited by Tracfone users, the Moto G6 has a 5.7" full HD screen, Octa-core processor and 32 GB storage, 3 GB RAM. The additional storage and RAM make this phone great for everyday users who want to load a variety of apps and media onto their phone. The G6 is a solid balance between performance and price, retailing for around $200. See all the features and more in our Moto G6 Review.
View the Tracfone Moto G6 on HSN
For more great options, visit our List of the Latest Phones from Tracfone
2. Unlocked Smartphone for Tracfone BYOP
For consumers who want a little more performance form their phone, or simply want more control and flexibility, an unlocked smartphone is a great option and can be used with Tracfone through the BYOP program. Here are some of our top picks:Moto G6
|
| Moto G6 |
Buy the Moto G6 on Amazon
Nokia 6.1Made from a single block of aluminium, the Nokia 6.1 brings some very nice finishes at a budget friendly price. It has a 5.5"full HD touchscreen, Octa-core processor, 32 GB storage and 3 GB RAM. It has dual SIM card slots and is compatible with GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile.
View the Nokia 6.1 on Amazon
There are lots of other great unlocked phones that will work with Tracfone and to learn more visit our Tracfone BYOP page.
3. Phone Case/Cover
|
| Moto G6 Case |
The easiest way to find a case or cover is to search on Amazon your cell phone name and see what options are available. For more popular phones like the Moto G6, there are plenty of options available but for older or less popular devices it can be harder to find a case or cover.
4. External Battery Pack
|
| Solar Powered Battery Charger |
External battery packs come in a variety of sizes and storage capacities, with most smaller than a phone and capable of charging a phone several times. The Anker Powercore 10000 is one great option that is small and portable and will recharge most phones 2-3 times. View the Anker Powercore 10000 on Amazon for price details.
Or, for the truly outdoorsy people in your life, take a look at this Solar Powered Charger from Hilucky Outdoor on Amazon.
5. Tracfone Airtime Card
|
| Tracfone 120 Minute Card |
Here are some popular airtime card options:
- 60 Minute Card for $20 adds 60 minutes to any Tracfone devices and 90 service days. Doubles or Triples on eligible devices.
- $20 Smartphone Only Card adds 300 talk minutes, 1000 texts and 1000 MB data, 30 service days.
- 1 GB Data Card for $10 adds an extra 1000 MB of data to any smartphone
Look for airtime cards in store or on the Tracfone website.
And view our post on the Best Deal on Tracfone Minutes to learn which cards are the best deal.
|
| Amazon Gift Card |
6. Gift Cards for Buying Apps/Games on Google Play Store or Apple App Store
If you're not really sure what the latest game or online app the kids are playing a gift card can be a good option and let someone get what they really want. A gift card for Google Play store or Apple App store allows users to purchase apps or games. Amazon gift cards are also a great option as you can get anything from movies, apps, games, toys and more.7. Headphones or Speaker
Some of the best accessories for a smartphone are headphones or portable speakers and there are plenty of great options available. |
| Bose Soundlink headphones |
For headphones with sound and noise cancelling, consider the Bose Soundlink around ear headphones which can connect to your device wirelessly and includes a long lasting rechargeable battery.
When it comes to speakers, there are many options ranging from small and portable, to large and powerful. Adventurous music listeners will find the JBL Clip 2 perfect for attaching to a backpack or belt while on the go and it has IPX7 Waterproof rating.
The Anker Soundcore is a little larger, and more suited to causal gatherings indoors or out. It has 24hrs of playback time and connects to any smartphone via Bluetooth.
8. Extra Phone Storage
|
| Samsung 64 GB MicroSD Card |
The Samsung 64GB MicroSD Card is a popular option that comes with an SD card adapter and is at a great price.
9. Camera Accessories and Lenses
|
| Camera Lens Kit |
If you're looking to improve your photos don't miss our Guide to Better Cell Phone Photography.
10. Smartwatch
Our final gift idea is a popular choice these days that packs a huge number of features and convenience into a device that fits on your wrist and acts like a watch. |
| Apple Smartwatch |
Popular Smartwatch Options:
Apple Watch Series 3
Huawei Watch 2 Sport Smartwatch
Samsung Gear Sport Smartwatch
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!Leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or questions.
Also join us on Facebook with a growing community helpful users who answer questions, share experiences and deal alerts
Learn 4 Ways to Check your Airtime Balance including ways to check it from your phone or a computer.
And take a look at Tracfone Promo Code List which includes codes for extra minutes on almost every airtime card!
Finally, don't miss the best Deals Discounts and Sales on Tracfone Devices and Minutes.
Thanks for visiting!
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. 
24 phones enter, one remains after a month of head-to-head competition. These are the award categories we considered: Best smartphone of 2018 Best smartphone innovation of 2018 Best display 2018 Best audio 2018 Best performance 2018 Best battery 2018 Best camera 2018 Reader’s choice 2018 (will be determined Nov. 27) Best gaming smartphone 2018 Best value phones 2018 We sincerely hope you enjoy our Best of Android content, and would love to hear back from you to figure out what we can improve next year. We didn’t have time to discuss every data point, but we left no stone unturned in our quest to provide you with the information you need. All that we do is for our readers, and we hope to help you make the best decisions on your smartphone journey.
Xiaomi has been the number one smartphone brand in India, the company’s biggest market outside of China, since over a year now and much of its success and positive mindshare has been piggybacking on its bestselling Note series. Ten months ago, Xiaomi launched the upgraded Redmi Note 5 but also introduced Redmi Note 5 Pro with better internals and camera to appeal to the power users on a budget. And just before 2018 ends, we already have the Redmi Note 6 Pro launching in India on November 22. I spent some time with the device this week, and here are my initial impressions of the same. Iterative update to the Redmi Note 5 Pro 
The design of the Redmi Note 6 Pro has Xiaomi written all over it (not literally!). It looks fine and is functional, but uninspiring. There are subtle changes, especially with the arc design at the back, that improve the ergonomics of the device but competitors like Honor and HMD Global have consistently upped the game in aesthetics and one wishes Xiaomi would break the mould soon. The display gets an upgrade though from 18:9 aspect ratio to a 19:9 aspect ratio which makes for a larger 6.26-inch Full HD+ display in similar form factor. The front of the device has minimal bezels and looks similar to some flagship devices out there. The display is quite bright, and the color accuracy is first-rate – it is clearly one of the best displays in any smartphone in this range. The Redmi Note 5 Pro was made for those who need a little extra on the spec sheet and marked the global debut of the Snapdragon 636 processor at the time — Qualcomm’s latest 600-series chipset. It also featured the newest Kryo technology, which is typically only seen in 800-series chips. The Redmi Note 6 Pro packs in the same internals and comes in two memory variants – 4 GB + 64 GB and 6 GB + 64 GB. Redmi Note 6 Pro Operating SystemAndroid 8.1 Oreo MIUI 10 Display6.26-inch Full HD+ (2280 x 1080) display 19:9 aspect ratio 500-nit maximum brightness 2.5D curved glass Corning Gorilla Glass ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1.8GHz max) Kryo 260 CPU Adreno 509 GPU RAM4/6 GB LPDDR4X Storage64 GB Expandable storage up to 256GB Rear Camera12MP + 5MP dual camera 1.4μm pixel size f/1.9 aperture Single tone dual-LED flash Front Camera20MP + 2MP dual camera AI face unlock Battery4,000 mAh 5V/2A charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Dimensions157.91mm x 76.38mm x 8.26mm Weight182g ColorsBlack, Rose Gold, Blue, Red Four cameras The Redmi Note 5 Pro was the first Redmi phone to pack in dual cameras earlier this year and now Redmi Note 6 Pro is the first Xiaomi smartphone to sport dual cameras both on the front and back. The Note series has usually been marred by average cameras, but the Redmi Note 5 Pro changed that going on to arguably become one of the best shooters in budget and mid-range segment. It’s been further improved this time around with a combination of 12MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture and a large 1.4 μm pixel size and a 5MP sensor used for the depth-of-field effect while shooting portraits. There are also AI smarts like scene detection and adjustable bokeh with interesting features like studio lighting et al. Most of these have been executed quite well. On the front there’s a 20MP primary sensor with a 2MP secondary depth sensor that works quite well for those portrait selfies. There’s also support for AI face unlock. MIUI 10 
The Redmi Note 6 Pro is the company’s first smartphone to ship with MIUI 10, the latest iteration of the company’s proprietary UI layer, out of the box. But MIUI 10 is based on Android 8.1 Oreo, and it is disappointing for a smartphone launching in the last quarter of 2018 with neither Android Pie out of the box nor a definite timeline for the upgrade. Not very ‘Pro’! That said, MIUI is one of the more popular Android customizations, and although it’s a tad bloated, it packs in a lot of features and has its share of fans. Large 4000mAh battery The Redmi Note 6 Pro retains the 4000mAh battery that we saw on the last generation device but Xiaomi claims that due to the latest MIUI optimizations, the battery life has been further improved. The Redmi Note 5 Pro easily gave a day-and-a-half battery life and anything more than that will be terrific. We’ll put the claim to test in our in-depth review of course. However, it’s disappointing to find a micro-USB port instead of a USB Type-C port in a smartphone released in 2018, and one with a ‘Pro’ moniker at that. But at least it’ll work with the old chargers you have lying around the house. Summary 
Xiaomi has carved out a comfortable space for itself in the crowded affordable smartphone market in India and is now playing too safe with an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. The Redmi Note 6 Pro is only a progressive, and a tad underwhelming, update to the Redmi Note 5 Pro but if you’re looking for an affordable smartphone with a good set of cameras and powerful innards, the Redmi Note 6 Pro will be one of the top options on the table. We’ll know more about the pricing and availability when the device launches next week, and will bring you all the details along with a comprehensive review of Xiaomi’s latest mid-range smartphone.
The product demo video shows that the fingerprint sensor also doubles as a trackpad which will allow users to scroll through content without smudging up their display with their greasy fingers, something that we have not seen on Android phones in quite some time. While we have to give Sharp some credit for creativity, we’re not sure why Sharp thinks that a double-notch is the way to go when in-display fingerprint sensors are now readily available. As for the specs of the Sharp AQUOS R2 compact, the device is expected to feature a 5.2-inch Full HD+ (2,280 x 1,080 pixels) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a Snapdragon 845, 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 64GB of storage, microSD card slot, 22.6MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture, OIS, 8MP front-facing camera, IP68 dust and water resistance, a front-facing fingerprint sensor (obviously), and a 2,500mAh battery with fast charging. 
Sharp is planning to sell the AQUOS R2 compact in Smoke Green, Deep White and Pure Black across Japan and a few other select markets starting in mid-January. Source: Sharp 
Samsung recently announced an all-new user interface for its phones. It’s called One UI, and it aims to simplify Samsung’s notoriously feature-packed software while also making everything more visually appealing. If you own a Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus and live in the U.S. or South Korea, you can try out the beta version of One UI right now — and I’d suggest you do so. One UI is a fantastic improvement over Samsung’s previous software, and makes everything much easier to use. What’s new in One UI? There are a ton of new features and visual improvements in One UI. The full list can be found here, but I’ll walk you through the most important ones. 
RelatedAndroid 9 Pie update tracker: What we know so far (Updated November 13) The next major version of Android, Android 9.0 Pie, has already made its way to the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. Google announced this official Android 9.0 update on August … The whole user interface has received a really clean visual makeover. Since this build of One UI is based on Android 9 Pie, you can expect to see even more white settings menus with bright blue accents. Samsung’s system app icons are all new too, as are the buttons in the quick settings panel. About the only thing on the home screen that Samsung didn’t touch is the app drawer, which confusingly still requires you to swipe horizontally instead of vertically. Samsung is trying to reimagine how software is designed in relation to how big our phones are. Instead of including touch targets at the top of an app, Samsung is now reserving that space for visual-only elements. The bottom half of each app is for interactive elements. Take the quick settings panel for example: Once you swipe down twice to reveal all the quick settings, the top half of the screen shows the time and date while the bottom portion shows your quick settings. This not only makes it easier to reach things with one hand, it also makes each app look much cleaner. 
We’ve complained (okay, I’ve complained) about Samsung’s confusing settings menu layout in previous builds, but the company is making that better too. You’ll find some of the toggles have been moved to different areas in the settings menu that make more sense. Also, related settings are now grouped together into subheadings. For instance, the apps and notifications sections are now bundled together, while lock screen and biometrics/security are grouped together. 
Most of you are going to love this next feature. Samsung added a system-wide dark mode to One UI, and it’s just as awesome as it sounds. Turning on night mode gives every system app — messages, quick settings, regular settings, and even Bixby — a dark theme. It’s true-black too (not that mostly grey tone Google uses on its Pixel phones), so you’ll be able to save some precious battery life thanks to the S9’s AMOLED screen. Samsung claims you can set it to automatically turn on/off with the sunrise/sunset, but I think that option is missing from the settings menu in this build. 
Samsung has changed the look of its navigation buttons too. The home button is more rounded, and the app switcher has been changed to three vertical lines. If you don’t want to use traditional navigation buttons, Samsung also included a gesture navigation option in this build. These are Samsung’s own gestures, not the gestures many of us our used to on the Pixel. Basically, the new gestures remove the navigation buttons and replace each one with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen. If you need to go back, swipe up from the left side (under where the back button would normally show up). The same goes for the home button and recent apps. I think the idea behind it is good — the attempt at simplicity shouldn’t be understated — but I don’t think it works well in practice. Maybe I just haven’t given myself time to get used it. 
Finally, the recent apps menu has been overhauled. It now scrolls horizontally like most other Android Pie builds, and it’s quite fast. You also get a search bar at the top if you want to quickly type out the app you’re looking for. 
A few other tidbits to mention about One UI: The always-on display now has a “tap to show” option if you don’t want it running at all times. New clock styles have been added to the always-on display. Always-on display now also features charging information. There’s a new scene optimizer in the camera app that’s supposed to automatically recognize things like food, landscapes, and people. The stock Samsung keyboard now has a floating keyboard option. It will also change color depending on the color of the surrounding app. Bixby Home also received a visual overhaul, but it’s still the same, finicky Bixby we’ve all grown to ignore. HEIF images are now supported. Remember, this is a beta 
For as much of an upgrade as this is, you’re still signing up for a beta. That means apps might not work, random force closes might happen, and you’ll probably experience a good amount of jank in certain parts of the OS. I haven’t had any major problems or app crashes, but I have noticed a few things. As mentioned, Samsung says you can set night mode to a specific time or based on the sunrise/sunset, but that option is missing for me. My Galaxy S9 also likes to disable night mode at random times, even though I have it set to stay on at all times. It’s a small thing, but I’ve also noticed some spacing issues in the app drawer. How to install One UI on the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus You can find all the instructions on how to join the One UI beta program right here. I do want to clarify a few things, though: U.S. users need to join the program via the Samsung+ app, while everyone else needs to join in the Samsung Members app. If you don’t see a prompt to download the One UI beta on the Samsung+ home screen, you may need to update your app. I saw the prompt after updating Samsung+ to the latest beta. You can download that here. I’ve heard some users have been having trouble receiving the OTA update after joining the One UI beta. If you’re struggling with that, pop in a SIM card and the download should be available. I’m really impressed with One UI even though I was skeptical at first. The changes Samsung made to its apps, coupled with the new visual style, make this a fun Android skin to use. I didn’t think I’d ever say that about Samsung’s software, but here we are. Good job, Sammy. Have you given One UI a shot? What do you think so far?