Articles by Hayato Huseman

We’re nearing the end of 2020 and what better way to ring in a new year than with a new phone? Not everybody can or needs to drop over a thousand dollars on one of the best Samsung phones, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve something nice. That’s where the Galaxy A71 5G comes in. For just $600, it offers incredibly compelling specs, performance, and cameras.

That’s already a great price, but now, Samsung and Amazon are running a sale that knocks 26% off the Galaxy A71, bringing it down to an irresistible $450.

Incredible value

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G

$450 at Samsung
$450 at Amazon

A great phone at a price that’s hard to beat

The Galaxy A71 has powerful specs and an impressive 64MP camera, along with incredible battery life and 25W fast charging, all for a fraction of the price of flagship offerings. It also has a massive 6.7-inch display that’s fantastic for watching movies and gaming.

The Galaxy A71 5G takes a lot of design inspiration from Samsung’s higher-r5t6end Ga…

Portable, versatile, and great-sounding. Every podcaster needs one.

It’s hard to imagine a more iconic microphone than the Shure SM7B. The legendary cardioid mic was famously used on Michael Jackson’s album Thriller and has since been used on countless other records as well as for voiceover and podcasting work. It’s an unbelievably versatile mic, with an instantly recognizable sound signature that works equally well for vocals, guitar amps, brass instruments, and even drums.

That’s why I was so excited when Shure announced the MV7, a sort of miniature SM7B with a particular focus on podcasting and on-the-fly adjustments. As a fairly regular voice on the Android Central Podcast (and a musician who occasionally works up the courage to post vocal performances on social media), it seemed like a perfect fit for my workflow, offering a versatile recording experience without some of the difficulties of using the SM7B.

In my three weeks with the Shure MV7, it’s lived up to every bit of th…

Bidding farewell to a decade-old monolith of the mobile space.

As much as it pains me to say it, it’s looking more and more likely that the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be the last of its kind, as rumors continue to flood in of Samsung killing off the Note line entirely. It makes sense when you think about it; the differences between the best Samsung phones have been few and far between for years, and with rumors that the S21 Ultra will support the S Pen as an optional accessory, there’s not much room left in Samsung’s lineup to justify the series.

The original Galaxy Note was a paradigm-shifting device.

But the logic of it doesn’t make the news any easier to take. The Galaxy Note series served as a launching point for large form factor smartphones as a whole. One of the first phones to be dubbed the now-defunct portmanteau “phablet,” the original Galaxy Note was one of my first Android phones, preceded only by the Galaxy S II (which I promptly put up on Craigslist as soon as the…

Dramatic promo material confirms the official naming scheme and a stunning redesign.

What you need to know

Noted leaker Max Weinbach posted purportedly official promotional videos from Samsung of the upcoming Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to Twitter.
These videos confirm the hardware we’ve seen in prior leaks, including the revised camera housing designs.
The S21 and S21+ seem to have flat displays, while the S21 Ultra’s glass is curved like previous Samsung flagships.

As we rapidly approach the expected January launch date of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S21 models, it’s only fitting that the leaks are getting more and more detailed. The latest news comes from noted leaker and Android Police writer Max Weinbach, who tweeted a series of promotional videos that reportedly come directly from Samsung, showing off various angles of each new model.

pic.twitter.com/pjkT7krNLv— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) December 8, 2020

These videos confirm the redesigns we’ve se…

Mint Mobile is a prepaid carrier operating on T-Mobile’s network that sells its plans in multi-month bundles so you can save money. You can buy three, six, or 12 months at a time. Plans come in 3GB, 8GB, 12GB, or even unlimited and even include 5G. Should you decide to try out Mint Mobile, porting your number from another carrier is a fairly simple and painless process.

Products used in this guide

Unlimited calls, texts, and 3GB: Mint Mobile ($45 for three months at Mint Mobile)
Unlocked with LTE and 5G: Samsung Galaxy S20 5G ($790 at Amazon)

Bring your number to Mint

Before starting the porting process, it’s important to note that your phone number must remain active on your previous carrier throughout the process. If you cancel your old service before moving to Mint, you likely won’t be able to recover your phone number — at least, not without going through a much more tedious process.

Once you’ve decided on a plan and received your Mint Mobile SIM card, starting the porti…

Everyone wants the latest and greatest phone, but what if you can get one of last year’s best Android phones at an aggressively discounted price? If you act fast, you can grab the 128GB Galaxy S10+ for just $550, nearly half the price of its successor.

Part of what makes the S10+ such a good deal in 2020 is Samsung’s commitment to updating its phones for a minimum of three years. That includes major platform updates along with security patches, and the S10+ is currently running on Android 10 with the One UI 2 overlay.

The S10+’s specs are nothing to balk at, even today. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor, backed by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. What really impresses, though, is its display; the 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel may not have the 120Hz refresh rate of subsequent Samsung flagships, but it still offers incredible color reproduction and great viewing angles.

At its current discounted price, the closest competition to the Galaxy S10+ within Samsung’s l…

Finding the best Bluetooth speaker is a surefire way to ensure that you can play your favorite music when you’re swimming in the pool or out on a camping trip with friends. Bluetooth speakers are compatible with practically every mobile device around and will make sure that as long as your phone, tablet, or laptop is around, your music will be loud! There are so many options available that it can be difficult to choose the best option for your needs. Thankfully, we’ve done the research and have identified what we feel are the best Bluetooth speakers for a variety of use cases. Hopefully, your Bluetooth speaker is on this list! If not, it’s time to buy one!

Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2020 at a glance

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 — Best Overall: Balances sound, portability, and durability
JBL Charge 4 — Upgrade pick: Better sound and battery life
Anker Soundcore 2 — Best Battery Life: Rated for full 24 hours of battery life
Ultimate Ears Boom 3 — Best Mid-Sized Bluetooth speaker…

LIFX makes some of the best smart light bulbs around, and offers a great app for controlling them, but turning on the lights and changing their colors is even easier with Google Assistant. Once connected, you’ll be able to use your voice to control your LIFX lights from your phone or Google Home — and don’t worry, setup is quick and easy.

Our top recommendations

The best bulb: LIFX 1100 Lumen A19 ($60 at Amazon)
Cheap smart speaker: Nest Mini ($30 at Best Buy)

How to set up a new LIFX bulb

Before you can connect your smart bulb to the Google Home app, you’ll need to associate it with your LIFX account through the LIFX app. Thankfully, it’s a relatively simple process.

Open the LIFX app, and tap the Plus button in the lower-right corner.
Tap New Device, then tap New Light.
Tap Next on the initial setup screen.
Select your LIFX bulb from the list.

If it doesn’t appear, you may need to force it into pairing mode by turning the light off and back on five times in rapid succes…

Big Red may charge an arm and a leg for its service, but the best Verizon phones don’t all have to be unattainably expensive. Whether you’re after the top-of-the-line Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or you’d rather save some money and pick up something like the Moto G Power, there are plenty of great options for one of the nation’s top-rated carriers.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G

Staff Pick

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is Samsung’s ultimate mobile experience, cramming powerful specs and a 6.9-inch 120Hz display into a modern design. It also has an enormously capable camera system that features a 108MP main sensor and up to 50X zoom with the periscope-style telephoto camera. You also get a massive 4500mAh battery and 5G support, along with the multifunctional S Pen stylus.

$54.16/mo at Verizon

Best compact phone

Google Pixel 5

If you value clean software and timely updates above all else, there’s no better choice than a Pixel. Of course, the Pixel 4a also takes incr…

If you’ve been looking to spend some of your time in quarantine learning how to play a new instrument, or want to pick up some cables or plugins for your existing setup, Black Friday is one of the best times of the year, with plenty of huge discounts on guitars, amps, and accessories. Sweetwater boasts the largest on-site inventory of any music shop in America, and a lot of that inventory is currently seeing huge discounts.

Here are some of the best deals we’ve found on guitars, recording devices, and guitar pedals in Sweetwater’s online selection.

Black Friday Sweetwater deals

D’Angelico Premiere Mini DC XT | $200 off at Sweetwater

D’Angelico is a New York-based guitar company with fantastic guitars at affordable prices. The Mini DC XT is a 335-style double-cutaway guitar with Seymour Duncan pickups, a sunburst flamed maple laminated top and a comfortable C-shaped neck for comfortable playing.

$700 at Sweetwater

Breedlove Oregon Concertina CE | $500 off at Sweetwater

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