Articles by Nicholas Sutrich

What you need to know

The TCL 20 Pro 5G debuts NXTVISION 2.0 tech on a gorgeous AMOLED display with 4 cameras for $500.
The TCL 20S and 20SE bring great designs and competitive specs for $250 or less.
The TCL 20 series is launching with Android 11 today in the U.S. unlocked on Amazon, with the promise of updates to Android 12 and beyond.

Poised to be big competition for Google’s affordable Pixels, the TCL 20 series is coming stateside after launching in other markets back in April. The TCL 10 series has been sitting atop the best cheap phones list for a while now, and some killer Prime Day sales (that are still happening) only solidified that claim. The TCL 20 series aims to take everything that was good about the TCL 10 Pro and 10L and turn them up a notch, starting with the designs.

The TCL 20 Pro 5G is the star of the lineup, sporting two gorgeous colors and a gorgeous new design. Curved glass makes the giant 6.67-inch screen a bit more reachable, and that Full HD+ AMOLED dis…

Windows is a platform we don’t talk a whole lot about on Android Central, but it’s freshly relevant to us again thanks to Windows 11. That’s because, thanks to a technology partnership between Intel and Microsoft, PC users will be able to run Android apps in Windows 11. Of course, running Android apps in Windows was possible via third-party software in the past — Bluestacks is the most popular resource here and can be used on Windows 10 — but having the functionality built right into the operating system is a more preferable route.

But how does it work, why would you want to use it, and what are the limitations of this new technology? We aim to answer those questions and more right here.

How do Android apps work on Windows 11?

Existing ways of getting Android apps and games to run in Windows, like Bluestacks, work on an emulation level similar to console emulators. Emulators like Bluestacks run a virtual version of an Android device on your computer, represented through an a…

The display that moves with you wherever you go.

What you need to know

TCL NXTWEAR G is a smart display disguised as a pair of sunglasses that creates a private 140-inch display for the wearer.
TCL’s Wearable Display connects to your phone, laptop, or other supported device via USB Type-C cable and doesn’t need to be charged.
These glasses go on sale in Australia in July, followed by a wider release sometime later this year with a targeted price point of $599 Euros (or thereabouts, depending on the market).

The smart glasses market feels a bit random right now, but TCL is hoping its wearable glasses finally act as an anchor in the space. While some smart glasses, like the Razer Anzu or Fauna Audio focus on delivering music or hands-free calls to a fairly traditional-looking set of spectacles, TCL is going for a completely different angle — one that it hopes will catch the attention of travelers and commuters alike as we get back to moving about the cabin.

While the product na…

By now, it’s likely you’ve seen the best deals that Prime Day has to offer. Whether you’ve picked out the best Prime Day smartphone deals or took advantage of Prime Day smartwatch deals, you’re probably looking for ways to better utilize those gadgets and bring a little technological unity to your life. These surprising smart home deals will help you round out that cart and add a little IQ to your favorite room.

Somewhere along the lines, you probably ordered something from Amazon that came bundled with a free Echo Dot. Amazon gave those things away like candy (and still does from time to time), but the new 4th gen Echo Dot is another story. These things just came out and, yet, here we are on Prime Day and they’re not just half off, but also bundled with a free Sengled smart LED bulb. At $25, that’s a deal we can’t refuse!

Echo Dot (4th Gen) with Sengled LED bulb | $40 off at Amazon

It’s already amazing enough that the brand new 4th gen Echo Dot is half off for Prime Day, but th…

The Galaxy S21 might be Samsung’s latest phone, but thanks to this Prime Day deal, you can safely skip this year’s flagships in favor of the best premium value flagship Samsung has ever produced. Other Prime Day smartphone deals might feature steeper discounts, but this is still the best value Prime Day smartphone deal we’ve yet seen.

In fact, when you look at the spec sheet, you’d be hard-pressed to find too many substantial differences between the Galaxy S20 FE and the Galaxy S21, despite the $100 price difference in this year’s Prime Day sales. That Galaxy S21 Prime Day deal is certainly tempting, but if you don’t absolutely need the latest processor, you’re better off saving the money and picking up the Galaxy S20 FE instead. It’s called Fan Edition for a reason, after all!

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | $200 off at Amazon

The Galaxy S20 FE sheds the price without shedding the specs. It was a surprising release from Samsung that made everyone reconsider what a premium flagship phon…

Don’t feel like waiting for Prime Day to get an excellent smartphone deal? TCL didn’t either, so they’ve already put their phones on deep discount in anticipation of the big day! These phones are more than 30% off, which already makes them some of the best Prime Day smartphone deals we’ve yet seen. Both the TCL 10 Pro and TCL 10L are on sale, and it’s hard to go wrong with either phone if you’re looking for something new without spending a ton.

When we reviewed it last year, the TCL 10 Pro felt nothing like a sub-$500 phone. The attractive glass and metal frame feels like a high-quality flagship phone should, and there’s no annoying camera hump on the back, either. It even performs more like a flagship than the price would make you think thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor inside.

Additionally, it’s got two features that flagship phones don’t normally ship with anymore: a 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster up top. The large 6.47-inch AMOLED display up front features s…

Finally bringing everything together under one roof.

Google Workspace is the answer to the question that Google users have had for years: why can’t this company just get its act together? While we’ve dealt with Google killing off services that we’ve loved for years, the company is now attempting to right the wrongs of the past with a single, cohesive interface for all your favorite Google productivity apps. So whether you’re using one of the best Android phones or your laptop, Google Workspace is designed to help you get things done with fewer clicks.

It all starts with Gmail, which acts as the new hub for accessing your favorite Google services. Those services can still be accessed via their existing URLs or apps, but Google has redesigned Gmail’s interface to better fit everything in one convenient interface. Google announced many of these features separately, including bringing separate services like Maps into Workspace, upgrading Docs with smart canvas technology behind the sce…

I’m ready for the shock and awe of an upgrade without the shocking price.

Alright, so Prime Day 2021 is just around the corner, taking place between June 21 and June 22. That’s a Monday and a Tuesday if you were wondering, and the day right after Father’s Day. As a dad myself, I’m gearing up to spend some of that cold hard cash on a smokin’ new Samsung Galaxy S21. I might even grab a Galaxy S21 Ultra if the best Prime Day smartphone deals are good enough!

These phones were definitely a bit too rich for my blood when they first launched back in January — in fact, some of their thunder was probably stolen by the fact that the Galaxy S20 FE is still such a great phone — but these new deals have me hoping that I’ll be switching back to Samsung once again.

Getting a killer deal

Last year, Samsung’s phones were hundreds of dollars cheaper during Prime Day.

Prime Day is all about getting a killer deal, and there’s no reason to think that Amazon won’t be offering some amazing …

More games than you can shake a motion-tracked controller at.

It may not officially be Summer just yet, but E3 2021 is already bringing the heat with tons of new VR games coming for the Oculus Quest 2 and PSVR platforms. The annual Upload VR Showcase debuted several new games, including some new PC VR games that could make their way to the PSVR 2 when it releases in the next year or so. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too much and, instead, enjoy this huge showcase and all the new VR games this year will bring! You can find the show in its entirety at the video below, as well as a collection of every VR game announced at E3 2021 below that!

Fracked

PSVR, Summer 2021

Developer nDreams’ latest VR title, Fracked, feels like the polar opposite of their previous game, Phantom: Covert Ops. While Phantom had players sitting in a kayak the entire time, going to stealth route, Fracked sees players running, skiing, jumping, and parkouring through a snowy landscape, shooting an…

BigBox joins the big boys.

What you need to know

Facebook has entered an agreement to acquire Population: One developer BigBox VR.
As with previous Oculus Studios acquisitions, Population: One will continue to be developed for all platforms.
Facebook says that BigBox VR will have access to additional resources to aid with the development of Population: One and future titles.

After an incredibly successful launch and two seasons’ worth of content under their belts, BigBox VR looks to have even greater plans for the future of Population: One, as it has just been acquired by Facebook and will join Oculus Studios. This move further strengthens Facebook’s first-party VR development houses, all uniting under the Oculus Studios banner, as BigBox VR joins the ranks of the developers of Onward, Asgard’s Wrath’s Sanzaru Games, Lone Echo developers Ready at Dawn.

As with previous acquisitions, Facebook specifically states that Population: One will continue to be developed for all platform…