Articles by Derrek Lee

Apparently, people really want the OnePlus Watch.

What you need to know

The OnePlus Watch reportedly sold out within a minute after going live.
Reviews of the smartwatch haven’t been kind, criticizing the software experience.
The watch retails for $159, but a $20 voucher is still available.

Reviews of OnePlus’ first smartwatch are in, and boy, are they harsh. Reviewers have largely ripped apart the device, criticizing its seeming lack of software polish while praising some of its hardware. Our own Harish Jonnalagadda complains in his OnePlus Watch review that the device offers limited support for notifications, no third-party app support, and no always-on display, the latter of which is kind of the point of having a watch. Yet, despite the bad reviews, it seems the watch is still coveted by many, as it apparently sold out within a minute of going on sale.

If you take a look on the OnePlus website, you’ll see that the watch is currently out of stock. Whether that’s due to low in…

Google Assistant is becoming more useful thanks to Duplex.

What you need to know

Google is announcing several new features for Google Assistant.
Google Duplex will automatically fill out your payment info when ordering online from select restaurants.
Nest also brings Find My Phone to the iPhone and adds a few updates to Routines.

Google I/O 2021 is just around the corner, and updates to Google Assistant are among the things we can expect from the annual developer conference. Today, Google decided to take the wraps off several new features that it’s bringing to Assistant and the best Android phones, including one powered by Google Duplex.

First, Google has announced that it’s expanding its Find My Phone feature on Nest devices to now include iPhones. All it requires is for iPhone owners to opt-in to receive alerts from the Google Home app that will help locate their device by giving it a ring.

Google is also announcing the global launch of Sunrise and Sunset Routines. Based o…

U.S. carriers are apparently still committed to RCS.

What you need to know

U.S. carriers have reportedly ended their joint CCMI.
The initiative was supposed to result in the launch of a cross-carrier RCS app.
T-Mobile has arguably been the largest proponent of Google’s RCS efforts.

RCS isn’t dead, but the joint effort to make it more widespread in the U.S. has reportedly been killed off. According to a report from Light Reading, the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) is no more after failing to produce anything meaningful in the past year.

CCMI was the joint effort by T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T to get RCS off the ground with a messaging app that would work seamlessly between the different networks. The initiative was formed in what seemed like opposition to Google’s efforts to push RCS on Android with one of the best text messaging apps. The carriers planned to produce something in 2020, but as we can see, it never materialized.

The folks over at Light Reading spok…

A new Galaxy is on the way.

What you need to know

Samsung has sent out invitations for an upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.
It’s unclear what the company is expected to announce, but the invite suggests it’s something powerful.
The event is scheduled for April 28 and will be live-streamed on Samsung’s website.

Samsung has just sent out invitations for a Galaxy Unpacked event to occur later this month. This would make it the third Galaxy Unpacked event in four months, although there’s not much to go on here. Samsung’s biggest announcements for the first half of the year seem to be behind it, but it’s always fun to speculate.

As it stands, successors to the best foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 aren’t expected until later this year, possibly in August, with rumors indicating that the company could launch a mysterious dual-hinge smartphone. Samsung already launched its mixed-bag Galaxy Chromebook back at CES.

The most likely suspect would be a new PC, namely the Gal…

Google Chrome might be alone in its quest to replace third-party cookies.

What you need to know

Third-party web browsers are speaking out against Google’s FLoC technology.
The Chromium-based browsers and search engines dispute Google’s claim that FLoC protects user privacy.
FLoC is currently being tested in the Chromium browser engine.

Google has been touting its new FLoC technology for some time, explaining how it can help preserve user privacy while giving advertisers similar results to third-party cookies. The technology, which is meant to eventually replace third-party cookies, is currently being tested in Google Chrome, but not everyone is happy about it. Advertisers initially pushed back on the technology, but now some of the best Chrome desktop alternatives that are speaking out against it.

In a series of statements, Brave, Vivaldi, and DuckDuckGo are all voicing their concerns over Google’s FLoC technology, which groups users into “cohorts” based on similar browsing his…

Buying a OnePlus 9 is not exactly as simple as it seems.

The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro have been among the most highly anticipated smartphones of 2021, and for a good reason. Both devices offer great OLED displays, fast charging, and upgraded cameras thanks to Hasselblad and the company’s own pledge to better photography. Both these smartphones offer incredible value and can be found at a few different retailers.

Unfortunately, buying a OnePlus 9 or 9 Pro isn’t exactly as cut and dry as one may think, and there are a few things to consider when purchasing these smartphones. For instance, 5G on these phones is only compatible with T-Mobile and Verizon, so AT&T customers are seemingly out of luck. Additionally, some retailers have limited colorways, and you won’t find that fantastic Pine Green color everywhere.

Note: OnePlus has delayed the launch of the base 8GB/128GB OnePlus 9 Pro model, so you’ll be limited to the more expensive 12GB/256GB model until it becomes available.
…

The Galaxy S21 FE is expected later this summer.

What you need to know

Renders of the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE have been leaked.
The renders show a similar design to the Galaxy S21 with a few slight changes.
No specs have been revealed, but it’s expected to rival many “affordable” flagships.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphones have only been out for a few months, but it’s already time to start thinking about what’s coming next. A few weeks ago, launch details of the Galaxy S21 FE were leaked, pointing to an earlier release in August. This weekend, we got the first images of what the “affordable” flagship will look like, and it’s more or less what we expected.

The renders, provided by prolific leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer aka @OnLeaks, show a design very similar to the current batch of Galaxy S21 devices. It will reportedly feature a 6.4″ display, putting it between the vanilla S21 and the S21+. On the back is a triple camera setup that also takes design cues from Samsung’s current f…

Google touts Lyra benefits for billions, not just on Duo.

What you need to know

Google has announced that it’s expanding its Lyra codec to third-party developers.
Lyra is a low-bandwidth audio codec that improves audio for slower internet speeds.
Expanding Lyra could improve communication apps globally, particularly for developing countries.

Google announced its new Lyra audio codec in February, which it would start using within Google Duo. The codec allows for higher quality audio at lower bandwidths, meaning it’s ideal for slower network speeds. On Friday, Google announced that it’s expanding this new codec to third-party developers, opening Lyra to a world of possibilities.

As part of our efforts to make the best codecs universally available, we are open sourcing Lyra, allowing other developers to power their communications apps and take Lyra in powerful new directions.

As a refresher, Lyra features an encoder to capture audio, which it compresses and then decodes using…

Give Mint Mobile’s prepaid service a try for just a week.

What you need to know

Mint Mobile is launching a limited-time free trial to let interested parties test out the network.
The trial lasts for a week and includes a limited amount of data, calls, and texts.
Users can port their phone number after the trial ends if they decide to keep the service.

Mint Mobile is one of the best MVNO carriers in the U.S., thanks to its use of T-Mobile’s awesome 5G network. The Ryan Reynolds-owned prepaid carrier also offers some of the best value with its affordable plans that can be had for as little as $15. And now, anyone interested in Mint Mobile can get a taste of that value with its new limited-time free trial.

As part of the trial, Mint Mobile will send you a free SIM card that’s good for seven days and will come with 250MB of high-speed data, 250 calling minutes, and 250 texts. It sounds a bit like the early days of mobile phone plans, but keep in mind that going over the data won’t …

A Google Pixel Watch could finally bring us a true Wear OS smartwatch.

What you need to know

The first renders of a rumored Google Pixel Watch have leaked.
The images show a watch case with a round design, slim bezels, and a single crown.
The Pixel Watch could launch at the upcoming Google I/O alongside the rumored Pixel Buds A.

Google has done much of the software work for Wear OS, but there hasn’t been any hardware from the company. After years of rumors about Google launching its own Wear OS smartwatch to complement its Pixel smartphones, it appears we may actually be getting one. Well-known leaker Jon Prosser recently unveiled a series of renders that are purported to be the new Google Pixel Watch, known internally as “Rohan,” and it looks like it could be one of the best Android smartwatches to release this year.

You can see from the images that the Pixel Watch sports a round case with a single rotating crown. It doesn’t look all that different from the LG Wat…