Articles by Joe Maring

A near-perfect balance of quality, features, and price.

When I sit down to write a review for a gadget here at AC, it’s usually for a new pair of headphones/earbuds, a smartwatch, or a new Android phone. Today’s a little different, however. Some time ago, Hisense reached out and asked if I wanted to take a look at its new H8G Quantum Series television. I’m not the biggest TV buff by any means, but I figured it’d at least be a good excuse to re-familiarize myself with Android TV.

After having the 65-inch variant of the H8G Quantum in my living room for a few weeks, I’ve come to realize a couple of things — 1) Android TV has gotten a lot better since I last used it, and 2) Hisense has crafted a seriously excellent TV at an extremely competitive price.

This isn’t the cheapest or the best-looking television you can buy, but if you’re looking for a near-perfect mix of picture quality, features, and cost, the H8G Quantum Series should be at the top of your short-list.

Checks all th…

Android’s best deal

Google Pixel 3a

$370 at Amazon

Pros

Fantastic camera
OLED display looks great
Performance is fast and fluid
Clean, up-to-date software
Has a 3.5mm headphone jack

Cons

64GB is the only storage option
Guaranteed updates stop in May 2022

The Pixel 3a wowed us back in May 2019 when it was released, and all this time later, it continues to be one of the best Android deals around. Just about everything about the Pixel 3a is as strong as ever, including its excellent camera, colorful display, and smooth performance. Oh, and it’s also the only phone here with a headphone jack.

The phone for everyone

iPhone SE (2020)

From $400 at Best Buy

Pros

Insanely fast performance
Reliable camera
Wireless charging
Multiple storage options
Backed by years of software updates

Cons

Screen may be too small for some people
Camera lacks a night mode

Believe it or not, we live in a world where Apple has created a phone that’s a better value that almost all of…

It’s a part of “normal restructuring” for the company.

What you need to know

Some OnePlus offices in Europe have been laid off by up to 80%.
The layoffs have occurred in the UK, France, and Germany.
These are part of “strategic restructuring.”

Not too long ago, OnePlus found itself in headlines for launching its new OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro devices. The company is making waves yet again, but this time for a much different reason. According to a report from Engadget, the phone manufacturer has gone ahead with substantial layoffs across various offices in Europe.

Per the report:

According to sources close to the matter, many regional offices — namely UK, France and Germany — have been downsized by as much as 80 percent, leaving skeletal teams of around three people in some countries. Last summer, the teams in Spain and Italy went through the same phase, before being completely laid off eventually. This was followed by a large turnover of UK staff soon afterward.

OnePlus conf…

We’ve got slim pickings this time around.

Development of Android 11 continues, with Developer Preview 3 being the latest and greatest build of the OS so far.

Launched on April 23, DP3 is a relatively minor update compared to past previews. It focuses mostly on behind-the-scenes fixes, but that’s not to say there aren’t any user-facing changes.

After digging through Developer Preview 3 looking for anything new and noteworthy, here are all of the changes you should be aware of.

More control over Back gesture
New screenshot UI
Big redesign for Recents page
Undo gesture for recent apps
Wireless debugging

New sensitivity controls for Back gesture

Android 10 introduced Google’s fully gestural navigation system, and ever since then, the company’s been continuing to refine things to make it as seamless as possible.

Developer Preview 3 for Android 11 allows for further customization of the Back gesture, now allowing you to adjust the sensitivity for both the left and right edges of…

Google’s cranking Android up to 11.

Last year’s Android 10 update was a big shift for the operating system. Not only did we get the long-awaited dark mode and important changes to app permissions, Android 10 also marked Google’s departure from dessert names and ushered in a new Android logo/brand.

Android 10 was a year of growth and maturity for the operating system, and those same principles are being carried over to Android 11. We’re still a few months out from the final build being available for everyone, but with a developer preview now out in the wild, we have a good idea of where Google wants to take Android in 2020.

Ready to learn all about what Android 11 is packing? Here’s everything you need to know!

Developer Preview 3 is out
Tons of messaging improvements
Permissions keep getting better
We have a built-in screen recorder
Adapting Android to different displays
5G is a big focus
You can flash it right now
The final build is coming in Q3
The Pixel 4 is first-in-line f…

Who’s ready for another round of behind-the-scenes fixes?

What you need to know

Android 11 Developer Preview 3 is rolling out now.
This is a very minor update, focusing mainly on bug fixes and other improvements.
Once again, Google doesn’t intend for this to be used on daily drivers.

Android 11 is one step closer to its final form. On April 23, Google announced Android 11 Developer Preview 3, which is the final developer-focused launch before the public beta is opened up in May.

Being the final preview for developers, DP3 doesn’t have a lot of user-facing changes or features that are particularly noteworthy. That said, there are a few things worth talking about.

One of the main additions in DP3 is an update to app exit reasons. Apps get closed or exited out for a bunch of different reasons, and with the exit reasons API, developers can get more details on recent exits from an app and why they happened. This preview updates the API based on developer feedback, which should make…

Now more than ever, it’s important to practice good hygiene and to combat germs as effectively as possible. One of the best tools for this job is a package of Lysol/Clorox wipes, but thanks to ongoing fears over the Coronavirus, cleaning products like these disinfectant wipes are becoming more and more difficult to find.

Target: In-store shopping
Amazon: Select options available
Walmart: Limited online
Walgreens: Check your local store
Office Depot: Buy in bulk

Amazon is often the go-to retailer for cleaning products, but right now, it’s not the best place to look. Stock is basically nonexistent at this point, with bottles of Lysol selling for over $200 and Clorox going as far as to pull its advertising from Amazon as a result of the temporary outages.

Thankfully, you aren’t completely out of luck. If you’re out of Lysol wipes and need to buy more, you have a few different options worth considering. We don’t recommend buying more than you need as to not further contribute to…

Here’s what a $1,000 Motorola phone looks like.

It’s been a long time since I was genuinely excited about a new Motorola phone. The company’s Moto G and Motorola One handsets have done an excellent job of providing quality Android experiences at low price points, but as with any budget smartphone, they aren’t designed to be overly interesting or jaw-dropping.

The last time I felt that sort of excitement was for the 2nd-gen Moto X. I think a lot of people would agree that it was the last real “flagship” from the company, with subsequent devices since then focusing on low price points or gimmicky modular attachments.

It’s now 2020, though, and Motorola is ready to release another device that it thinks is worthy of its grand re-entrance into the Android flagship market. It’s called the Motorola Edge+, and I had a chance to go hands-on with it back in February at Motorola’s headquarters in Chicago.

The Edge+ is a phone unlike anything else we’ve seen from the company in recent year…

Is the Edge+ too rich for your blood? Check this out.

What you need to know

Alongside the flagship Motorola Edge+, Motorola has also announced the regular Edge.
The Motorola Edge is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 chipset.
It’s launching this summer, but pricing is currently unknown.

The Motorola Edge+ is an exciting gadget. It’s the first flagship Android phone Motorola’s released in years, and it aims to wow shoppers with a 90Hz curved display, impressive cameras, and the fastest 5G speeds currently available on a smartphone. However, it’s not the only new phone Motorola has to show off.

Alongside the flagship Edge+, Motorola also unveiled the regular Motorola Edge. It’s more impressive than your typical Moto G phone but not as high-end as the Edge+, making it a “budget flagship” similar to something like the OnePlus 8 or Galaxy S10 Lite.

This is the exact same display you’ll find on the Motorola Edge+.

One of the biggest draws to the Edge+ is its display, and surp…

More utility

Zoom

Free, $20/month at Zoom

Pros

Free plan is good for personal use
Group calls up to 300 people
Record and share meetings
In-call text chat
Lots of tools for business/enterprise use

Cons

Many features limited to paid versions
Not as plug-and-play as Duo

Zoom has quickly become the de facto service for professional video calling, and for good reason. This is one of the most robust video chatting platforms, offering features like in-call text chats, the ability to record and share Zoom calls, and support for group calls up to 300 people. You can use Zoom for personal use, but it’s better-suited for businesspeople.

Personal chats

Google Duo

Free at Google Duo

Pros

Completely free to use
Super high-quality calls
Record and send messages to people
Voice calling
Tight integration with Google Home devices

Cons

Group calls limited to 12 people
Can’t invite additional people to existing group call

If Zoom is the best video calling service for pr…