Here's your daily tech digest, by way of the DGiT Daily newsletter, for Friday, May 31, 2019! Get your house in order, it's the last day of the month!
Sign up right here to get the full email with much more into your inbox.
1. Moto Z4: Zzzzz, or a Pixel 3a killer?
The Moto Z4 launched yesterday as a bit of a surprise. Motorola hadn't even made the Z4 official before yesterday, although that one person did manage to buy one from Amazon before the announcement, so it wasn't a complete shock.
Z4 specs and need-to-knows:
- The Moto Z4 is a mid-range fighter, not a flagship spec beast, but it's still handy.
- The Z4 packs a Snapdragon 675 SoC, 6.4-inch OLED screen, and supports the Moto Mods line, including that $200 5G mod.
- The choice of a Snapdragon 675 is a firm message that Motorola is playing in the mid-range game – it's an interesting choice to downgrade from the Snapdragon 800 series.
- At least the SD675 offers strong battery life and performance isn't a big step down.
- Otherwise, the Z4 sees some nice upgrades over the Z3: bigger battery, more internal storage, a larger screen-to-body ratio, and the addition of an in-display fingerprint sensor.
- The 3.5mm headphone jack is back in the Z-line, too, while Android Pie ships in the box.
- The rear camera is back to a single-lens, reducing different types of camera options, but it's a 48MP imaging sensor now, so image quality is hopefully improved.
Thoughts:
- For many of us in the Android space, the Z4 doesn't seem too exciting – the specs and price are easily beaten by many players including OnePlus, Asus, and Redmi, and it isn't trying anything new.
- But Motorola has the big advantage of a North American release, with contract availability as well, which is the big market.
- So it's a bit of safe bet for Motorola – probably too safe to make a big impact.
- But there's a Verizon deal that makes it stand out when it would otherwise have been shunned.
Price and availability:
- It's available in the U.S. and Canada.
- It's a fantastic deal on Verizon: $240 ($10 per month for 24 months) with new activations, and there are some trade-in deals as well.
- For everyone else, the unlocked phone is $499. Which is a huge RRP that seems unlikely to stay in place over the coming months.
- But if you're buying this outright for $499 over the Pixel 3a ($399) or 3a XL ($499), we need to talk.
2. Uh-oh: Galaxy Note 10 might not have headphone jack, physical keys (Android Authority).
3. HMD Global sends out invites for June 6 event, Nokia 5.2 and 6.2 inbound? (AA).
4. Pocophone F1 redux: Still the best value for money? (AA).
5. Amazon interested in buying prepaid cell carrier Boost from T-Mobile, Sprint (Reuters). This tweet from @trengriffin explains it's all about the spectrum at wholesale prices.
6. Apple WWDC 2019: Mac Pro, iOS 13, Marzipan, and what else to expect (The Verge).
7. PC players get thrown a bone: Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Game Pass to Windows 10, meaning the battle to be the Netflix for games has properly started (Engadget).
8. Open Insulin: biohackers trying to create a "microbrewery" for insulin as an answer to price-gouging (Boing Boing).
9. Now that Uber and Lyft are public, their inevitable financial collapse is much clearer (Naked Capitalism).
10. Also in capitalism: How Qualcomm shook down the cell phone industry for almost 20 years (Ars Technica).
11. What's your go-to snack for a long road trip? (Jalopnik). My cousin used to eat a whole loaf of bread, but that always seemed so unexciting. "I don't eat in the car like a savage," is also an option for you very fussy.
12. Is secondhand vape bad for you? (Gizmodo)
DGiT Daily: Your Tech Resource
In case you don't know, the DGiT Daily delivers a daily email that keeps you ahead of the curve for all tech news, opinions, and links to what's going down in the planet's most important field. You get all the context and insight you need, and all with a touch of fun, and the daily fun element that you otherwise miss.
from Android Authority http://bit.ly/2KeOvDG
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment