Thursday, August 31, 2017

LG V30 price, release date, and carrier deals (Updated)

In case you missed it, the LG V30 is finally official. With its 18:9 FullVision display, Snapdragon 835 processor, and dual camera setup, LG's new flagship is one heck of a flagship smartphone. But you're not here for the specs, you want to learn more about where to buy the LG V30. Look no further! In this post, we'll walk you through the LG V30 price, release date, and any carrier deals we can find.

Related reading: LG V30 hands-on – a mobile photography powerhouse | LG V30 specs – a true multimedia machine | What you need to know about the LG V30 | LG V30 vs LG G6

The LG V30 release date is Thursday, September 21 in South Korea, followed by North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Unfortunately LG hasn't given us release date details for any other region yet.

The LG V30 price has not been announced yet, though we likely won't have to wait much longer. Since the V30 release date is only three weeks away (at least in Korea), it shouldn't be long before carriers begin announcing pricing and availability details.

Rumor has it that the V30 will go for the starting price of 800,000 KRW in South Korea, the equivalent of around $699 for the version touting 64 GB of internal space.

Not every market will get the LG V30 Plus. In its announcement, LG noted that the V30 Plus with 128 GB of storage will be available in "limited markets", and the good news for US consumers is that Sprint has already confirmed that it would carry the V30 Plus stateside.

The 64 GB V30 comes in four color options: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet. There's no word yet as to which color options will be available with the V30 Plus.

B&O Play earphones will be packaged with the V30, but only in some markets. LG says these earphones feature digital filters that adjust the pre- and post-ringing of the impulse response of music with three different user-selectable features. There are also four presets that mix and match sound frequencies and decibel scales to help produce high-quality audio.

LG V30 carrier and retailer deals:

Unlocked: (stay tuned)

Verizon: (stay tuned)

AT&T: AT&T has announced plans to carry the LG V30 this fall, though no pricing or availability details were given.

T-Mobile: (stay tuned)

Sprint: Sprint has announced that it would carry the LG V30 Plus in the US, bringing the 128 GB version of LG's just-announced flagship to North America. Pricing and release date are not available yet, unfortunately.

US Cellular: (stay tuned)

Developing! – Stay tuned in the hours, days, and weeks to come as we'll expand this post with carrier specific and region-specific LG V30 pricing and release date information as it hits.



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Amazon encourages developers to create Alexa skills for children

Amazon's Alexa assistant already has a massive number of 'skills' - third-party add-ons that can extend the functionality of Alexa. For example, you can use the Domino's skill to order pizza with just your voice, or the BBC News one to hear recent world events. But now, Amazon is encouraging developers to create skills aimed at children under the age of 13.

Amazon is calling these "Kid Skills," and there are a few differences between them and normal skills.

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Amazon encourages developers to create Alexa skills for children was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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Google is updating its policies for apps with Wear 1.0 support, multi-APK distribution to replace bundled APKs

Android Wear has come a long way in the last three years, but it was the launch of Wear 2.0 that brought the most significant changes. With most of the Wear devices updated to 2.0, Google is adjusting the way it markets apps that target small(er) screens and implementing a new distribution model that removes some of the compromises associated with supporting older Wear devices.

A post to the Android Developers Blog details plans to change the "Enhanced for Android Wear" badge requirements.

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Google is updating its policies for apps with Wear 1.0 support, multi-APK distribution to replace bundled APKs was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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YouTube TV adds 12 more new US cities, brings total to 27

We were pretty happy with YouTube TV when we first checked it out, but one of the service's more glaring problems when it launched was availability, or lack thereof. As such, it comes as welcome news that Google has brought its cord-cutting service to 12 more markets in the US.

See also:
YouTube TV review: can you finally cut your cable?

YouTube TV review: can you finally cut your cable?

April 17, 2017

The new cities include Cleveland, Denver, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Hartford, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and St. Louis. They join the previous YouTube TV markets of  Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Phoenix, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

As a quick refresher, YouTube TV lets you watch live and recorded content in any of the aforementioned cities. So long as you are signed in with your Google account, as well as able to pay at least $35 a month, you are good to go. It currently features 57 channels, though the availability of some will depend on your zip code.

When we first took a look at the service, we thought it was a great start for Google, albeit one that needed some ironing out in a few spots. One of those spots is where you can watch YouTube TV, though it seems that Google takes availability seriously. As such, make sure to check back from time to time as we will continually update this page whenever the service gets wider availability.



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Gboard for Android update will let you add Bitmoji and stickers to chats

Gboard, Google's official mobile keyboard, is rolling out a new version that adds a feature that was previously included in the beta version of the app. The new version will allow users to add stickers and Bitmoji to their chats when they tap on the emoji button.

See also:
Best Android keyboards

Best Android keyboards

April 12, 2017

In order to use these new features, Gboard owners will also have to snag sticker packs from the Google Play Store, along with the Snapchat-owned Bitmoji app. Then, if you want to access these new images when you chat with family or friends, you just tap Gboard's emoji button, and then either the sticker button or the Bitmoji button. After that, you can search through the available stickers or Bitmoji and pick the one that you like the most.

Google has also signed up a number of major pop culture licenses for its sticker packs, including Star Wars, Disney, the NBA, Hello Kitty, Garfield, Power Rangers, and more. Of course, Google will add even more sticker packs for Gboard users in the coming weeks and months. You can search and add new packs from the Google Play Store, or you can simply tap on the "+" button when you're in the sticker tab of Gboard to find new packs directly from the app.

Will you be using stickers and Bitmoji in your Gboard chats? Let us know what you think about this new feature in the comments!



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Nest send out invitations to "big announcement" on September 20


Nest Labs, the home automation company behind the well-known smart thermostat, smoke detector, and other smart products, has just sent out press invitations to a "big announcement" on September 20 in San Francisco. This comes just after having announced the Thermostat E earlier today, which boasts a lower price tag and a cleaner design.

It isn't clear what Nest plans to announce at their press conference — the invitation mentions popcorn and a couch, so maybe some sort of a TV remote or perhaps even a smart microwave?

Read More

Nest send out invitations to "big announcement" on September 20 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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10 best Android TV apps

best Android TV apps
It's been a couple of years since Android TV has come out and it's been slowly maturing as a platform. It has more apps and games available for it than ever before. There could be more hardware available, but we're sure that's coming sooner or later. If you have an Android TV device and you're looking to get the best experience, then check out the best Android TV apps! Also, most Android TV apps have a Chromecast built-in. That means any app with Chromecast support can be used on most Android TV devices!


Amazon Prime Video

Price: Free app / $99.99 per year
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Amazon is fairly ornery when it comes to their streaming services. Amazon Prime Video on Android TV is a no brainer. The Android app doesn't support Chromecast (only Fire TV sticks). Thus, the Android TV app is the only way to get it on an Android-powered TV without some sort of hassle. The selection is decent. Paying the price of admission also unlocks other Prime benefits. The service also includes a variety of specialized channels with additional content. It's not bad for what it is. The main app could really use some Chromecast support, though.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Amazon Prime Video

Google Play Music

Price: Free / $9.99-$14.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Google Play Music is another obvious choice for Android TV apps. It has a rock solid music streaming experience. In fact, it's probably better than the mobile phone version. You can also upload 50,000 of your own songs to the cloud and access them anywhere. That makes this service the easiest way to listen to your locally stored music on your TV. Uploading music and select radio stations are free. The $9.99 per month charge is for on-demand music play. The $14.99 per month charge is for the family plan. For now, Google Play Music subscriptions also include YouTube Red. That's a great one-two punch.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Google Play Music

Hulu

Price: Free / $7.99-$39.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Hulu is slowly growing into one of the better Android TV apps. It has a decent video streaming service. There are just a ton of shows to watch. Additionally, the service allows for live TV for $39.99 per month. It includes a bunch of channels, including local sports channels. Going for the live TV option also includes all of Hulu's in-house streaming content as well. That makes it an enticing option for cable cutters. You can also add HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax for additional fees.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Hulu

MX Player

Price: Free / $5.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
MX Player is one of the most solid video player apps on Android. It retains that title on Android TV as well. It can play pretty much any codec. The interface is simple to use. That makes it great for large, locally stored video collections. It's a bit buggy. However, Android's support for USB storage devices is also not great. Thus, it can be frustrating using an app like this one for stuff like playing videos off of flash drives. We recommend you try the free version before buying it, but we didn't have much trouble playing our videos.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
MX Player

Netflix

Price: Free / $9.99-$11.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Netflix is among the most obvious Android TV apps. It has a huge selection, is binge friendly, and it's still among the cheapest video streaming services out there. The Android TV version looks and feels a lot like the Xbox and PlayStation versions. Thus, veterans of those platforms know what to expect. It also supports 4K video and HDR. However, your TV has to support it. You also have to pay the top tier subscription price. Otherwise, it's rock solid.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Netflix


Pandora Music

Price: Free / $4.99 per month / $9.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Pandora is one of the best music apps on almost every platform. That includes Android TV apps. It's still among the best fire-and-forget-it music radio apps available. They also have a new on-demand service for $9.99 per month. That puts it on par with services like Spotify, Google Play Music, and Apple Music. You could do much worse than this one. That's especially true if you just need some music playing in the background for parties or get-togethers.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Pandora Music

Plex

Price: Free / $4.99 per month / $39.99 per year
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Plex was one of the first Android TV apps. It remains one of the best. Its main purpose is to play videos from your computer or phone to your TV. It also works with other types of files like music, photos, and more. The app also allows streaming from various cloud storage sites like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. It has a variety of apps that add more stuff you can watch. However, you'll need the Plex Pass subscription or a one-time in-app purchase to get them. It's a bit expensive, but it Plex does good work.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Spotify

Price: Free / $9.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Spotify is another one of the obvious Android TV apps. It is a rock solid music streaming service. It also has podcasts and even some video content. Word around the grapevine says that they're experimenting with Hi-Fi music as well. That might sound really good coming out of your home theater set up if you have one. The prices have remained the same for ages. The selections are also far above average. We like Google Play better, but Spotify is just as good.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Spotify

VLC

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
VLC is another one of the better Android TV apps for video playback. It supports pretty much every video codec. It also works for network streams, DVD ISOs, and even most types of audio files. It's probably the best all-around multi-media player for Android TV. Between this and MX Player, local video playback shouldn't be too difficult. The experience can be a little buggy. We're sure the bugs and small issues will be fixed over time. It's completely free and that makes it one of the must-have Android TV apps.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
VLC

YouTube

Price: Free / $9.99 per month
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
YouTube is a bit of a cheap pick for Android TV apps. We admit that. The service has more video than 1,000 people can watch in a lifetime. That includes comedy, tech, music, and even politics if you really want to make yourself angry. You can get an ad-free experience with YouTube Red. The Android TV version of this app has its ups and downs. In some cases, it may even be easier to cast from the app on your phone. It works well enough, though.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
YouTube

15 best Android TV games

July 22, 2016
 

10 best video player apps for Android

July 5, 2016

If we missed any of the best Android TV apps, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!



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