Articles by Jeramy Johnson

Probably not what you expected, is it?

What you need to know

Earlier this week, we asked AC readers which era of Samsung Galaxy phones was their favorite.
More than half of the respondents chose recent models from the S8 to the S21.
The older the Galaxy S phone, the less love it received in the poll.

Just a few days ago, the iconic Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones celebrated its 12th birthday. That’s right, the crown of the Android world is now officially a tween! In honor of this occasion, we thought it would be fun to ask our readers which version of the Galaxy S was their favorite. Because there are so many variants, we decided to simplify things a bit by grouping them into distinct design eras.

The top vote-getters in our poll were the Galaxy S8/S9 era with nearly 29%, followed closely by the most recent devices — the Galaxy S10/S20/S21 — with approximately 28% of the votes. Coming close behind was my personal favorite era with the Galaxy S6 and S7, getting around…

Which Galaxy S phone do you think is out of this world?

Today, June 29, 2021, marks the 14-year anniversary of when the original Apple iPhone first went on sale. That day was obviously a watershed moment in mobile tech, something no one can deny at this point. Still, just as important for the wider smartphone world, June 29th also marks the 12-year anniversary of the launch of the first Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Samsung is a huge company that has had a massive impact and influence on the Android software and hardware community, and the Galaxy series, in particular, was the primary driver of that influence.

Twelve years is a long time to iterate on a smartphone line, and we’ve seen at least six different design generations during that period. From the squared-off, iPhone 4 like frame of the Galaxy S2 to the beautiful curves of the Galaxy S3. From the ground-breaking Nexus devices to the rather unattractive bandage back of the Galaxy S5.

Personally, I started to take notice of th…

Windows users, we see you.

What you need to know

We polled AC readers about which desktop operating system they preferred, and Microsoft’s Windows platform was the runaway winner.
Linux came in a distant second, followed even further behind by macOS and then Chrome OS.
These results came hot on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement that Windows 11 will support Android apps.

Even though we like to talk primarily about mobile operating systems on this site (our name is Android Central, after all), we recognize that just about everyone uses a desktop computer of some sort on a daily basis. Here at AC, our team of writers and editors work from a mix of Macs, Windows PCs, Linux machines, and Chromebooks, and we generally are comfortable with our personal choice of devices and software. What we weren’t sure of, however, was exactly which desktop operating systems our readers preferred to use.

Last week Microsoft unveiled the latest version of its desktop operating system, Windows 11,…

This beautiful budget phone is both future-proofed and future-hampered.

I’ve loved OnePlus phones since the OG OnePlus One was released back in 2014. The idea of the plucky startup enthusiast brand (contrived as it may have been) was immediately appealing, as was the value proposition of getting really good hardware (with some acceptable drawbacks) paired with clean, beautiful software at an affordable price. It’s a legacy that OnePlus has managed to hold on to and develop over the years, even as its prices pushed higher and higher with each upgrade cycle.

Even though the company’s flagship devices like the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have received critical acclaim over the past couple of years, opposing forces have been trying to pull the company back downmarket. Some of that comes from longtime fans who miss the days of its value devices, but much of it comes from the company’s leadership. The real area for smartphone growth right now is at the entry-level and mid-tier. With the exit of …

A small group of European companies is trying to make the process of using mobile technology fairer and more sustainable.

Reading about the topic of sustainability in tech is often as interesting as the idea of recycling itself; nominally, you know it’s good for you (and the earth), but you often just want to chuck that can in the garbage and be done with it. Although we’ve made an effort to talk about environmental issues in the smartphone space, with our annual Earth Day coverage and occasional reviews of devices like the Fairphone 3 and Teracube 2e,

Of course, that’s not to say that the companies and products we cover aren’t making important strides towards greater sustainability. For example, tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung have all introduced more recycled components into their products and packaging and are even making big efforts to reduce their organization’s carbon footprints and energy consumption.

As impressive as these moves are, they’re primarily…

Prime Day victory stories are great, but we want to hear about the deals that got away.

Amazon’s annual Prime Day event is always an exciting experience with tons of opportunities for customers to save money on their favorite products and services, and this year was certainly no different. We saw literally thousands of deals come and go over the two-day period — some of those offers were amazing, some were not so great, and some were just plain bad.

Despite frantically covering all of the best deals that we could find and passing them along to you, our dear readers, the Android Central team was able to pick up some really useful items for themselves. These included big-ticket items like noise-canceling headphones and fancy 4K TVs, as well as more practical pick-ups like wall chargers and Raspberry Pi accessories.

You can’t always get what you want — even on Prime day.

However, just as interesting as the deals we scored were the deals we missed out on. I know my colleague …

Now that Prime Day is coming to a close, it’s time to make some tough calls when narrowing down your smart wearable purchase options. For the past two days, we’ve been tracking the best Android smartwatch Prime Day deals, and we’ve also been following the best fitness tracker deals as well. But what if you can’t decide which type of wearable you want on your wrist? Well, here are a few pros and cons of each type of device to help you make your decision.

You might want a smartwatch if:

You want to be able to triage and respond to notifications and messages easily.
You need built-in GPS or LTE for exercises and emergencies.
You want a more traditional looking device that can be customized to suit your outfit or mood.
You need a larger display to read from.

You might want a fitness tracker if:

You want some basic smart capabilities but aren’t comfortable with complexity.
You have smaller wrists or prefer a smaller device on your wrist.
You have a tighter budget.
You want longer bat…

The Android Central team has gone over hundreds, if not thousands, of Amazon Prime Day deals over the past two days, and we have shared many of our top recommendations and deals with you. Given all that work, you might be wondering which deals we’re actually buying for ourselves or our loved ones once all is said and done. Well, I’m glad you asked!

I took a poll of my colleagues this afternoon to see which items they’ve already purchased, which they’ve bookmarked to buy before the day is over, and which deals they wished they would’ve/could’ve clicked that buy button on this Prime Day, and the results are rather interesting. As you can see, we were all over the place with devices and prices, from $20 smart speakers, to $100 Wi-Fi routers, to $1,000 smart TVs. But, perhaps the most interesting of all was our first and cheapest pick — a Raspberry Pi accessory.

Android Central’s favorite Prime Day deals

Jerry Hildenbrand, Senior Editor

There’s nothing sweeter than Raspberry Pi.
…

Many of us are excited about Amazon Prime Day because we want to get good deals on items that we really want or really need, but there are also plenty of shoppers looking out for bargains for their family or loved ones. One of the most popular categories we’ve been monitoring for deals this Prime Day is smartwatches, but most of those devices have been geared toward adults, not children.

If you’re on the lookout for one of the best fitness trackers for your child, do not miss this deal on the Fitbit Ace 2. Everyone knows Fitbit’s stellar reputation for making excellent trackers and smartwatches, but many don’t realize that it has also made fitness bands for kids for several years. The Ace 2 is not the newest kids’ Fitbit (the company released the Ace 3 earlier this year), but it’s still one of the best you can buy, and now it’s more than half off.

Fitbit Ace 2 | $40 off at Amazon

The Fitbit Ace 2 has been a family favorite for a few years now, and it’s still among our top tracke…

Some of the most popular and best-loved Echo smart speakers are also some of the smallest. Like its sibling, the Echo Dot, the Echo Show 5 may be small in stature, but it packs a mighty punch for usability and functionality in the home. It’s already one of the cheapest Echo devices, but of course, it’s being discounted even further for Prime Day 2021. Indeed, one of the best Amazon device deals available right now is this bundle on the original Echo Show 5 paired with a convenient adjustable stand.

You like saving money, right? How about paying half as much as the regular retail price? Well, that’s what’s on offer with this Prime Day deal.

Amazon Echo Show 5 Charcoal (1st Gen) with Adjustable Stand | $50 off at Amazon

The Echo Show 5 (1st Gen) is a super-handy device to have in your home. Whether you use it on your bedside table or in your office next to your computer screen, you’ll benefit from seeing visual information and responses to your Alexa queries. With this adjustable …