On the lighter side, we were asked about this year’s World Series, how an Android newcomer can best get acquainted, and if we can expect Moto to drop modularity with LG’s exit from the module space.
All of that and more await you down below.
Reminder: K is Kellen, T is Tim.
With the rise of competitive mid-range phones, does it now make more sense to buy a mid-range phone every year than a flagship phone every 2 years?
K: Yeah, maybe, assuming you are the type that needs fresh tech at all times. Phones, at least in the past, didn’t used to age well, so about a year in, it wasn’t surprising to see performance take a hit. Getting a new mid-ranger could be a good idea to cure that issue, assuming you pick the right ones. But in reality, you almost don’t need to go mid-range anymore. $300-$400 are now as good as some flagships. If you drop to the $200 range, you really do get into a realm of phones that may not satisfy you (for example: they all have terrible cameras).
T: Thanks to companies like OnePlus and ZTE, it seems we’re continually having to redefine what “mid-range” means. When these companies launch phones with crazy-good specs at super reasonable prices, it makes me think that other companies like HTC and Moto aren’t doing enough to justify their higher pricing for flagships. That being said, now is a good time to love mid-range devices. Ar the $400 range, there’s no reason you can’t jump from phone to phone every year, especially if you are on a carrier plan (pre-paid, etc.) that allows for the instant switching of devices via a SIM swap. To sum up my answer, yes, buying mid-range devices makes sense with regard to how quickly you can find yourself upgrading.
Which phones are contenders for Phone of the Year?
K: At this point, it’s Pixel for me. It would have been Note 7, but yeah. I’d also throw the Galaxy S7 Edge in there, though, because it really is still a great phone. Other than that, I don’t know that anyone else even makes the short list, unfortunately.
T: Galaxy Note 7 was the bomb, it would have easily snagged my vote for Phone of the Year. Too bad it was a literal bomb. Moving past that, I would be crazy not to vote for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. They are everything the Note 7 was, basically, minus the S Pen and Iris scanner. While I’d love to vote for the Pixel, it’s missing a few things that in my eyes, don’t justify its higher pricing.
Do you think the next round of Moto phones will include modularity, or does LG’s abandonment of the concept spell an industry-wide abandonment?
K: I think Moto sticks with it for another cycle. They clearly invested heavily in that platform and making universal mods. They can make similar phones, at least in shape next year, and those mods from this year keep working. They can also hopefully continue working on useful mod ideas instead of having to re-do the design. LG failed because their design failed. Motorola has the right idea, they just need to make mods useful.
T: Unlike LG’s implementation, Moto did modularity right. You click them on, snap them off. It’s painless and extremely straightforward. Compared to LG’s idea of modularity, Moto blew the G5 out of the water with Moto Mods. Because of this undeniable fact, I don’t see them ditching modularity already, unless their sales haven’t come close to expectations. Making Moto Mods was a very long and expensive investment, and you have to assume their parent company, Lenovo, would be willing to see if the bet pays off in the longterm.
Got any tips for someone coming back to Android after a couple of years away?
K: If your budget isn’t huge, you have so many good options at the $400ish range. Skip Allo and Duo. The Note 7 blew up, bet you didn’t know that. People over here are doing this modular thing, but no one has gotten it right yet. If you like stuff and things, the V20 and its ridiculously sized self are out. Android is actually super polished now as an OS. You may not recognize stock Android anymore because of how clean and powerful it is. Also, updates are still something we complain about all of the time.
T: First off, welcome back, we’ve missed you. Assuming you already have a new device, download Google Now Launcher, get yourself a hot wallpaper pack, then get ready for the jankiest experience of your life. Just kidding, but seriously. In fact, I have a question for you: What made you come back to Android? Was it the fragmentation and poor software update experience? Do yourself a favor and get out while you can!
Cubbies or Indians?
K: Go Indians.
T: As a Giants fan, I’m torn. Chicago deserves a championship, but Cleveland is also pretty deserving. I mean, they’ve both been awful for so long. I guess my true hope is that the world ends before the World Series is over, meaning neither team will win.
Other than “competing with itself,” are there any reasons why the Pixel and Nexus program can’t coexist?
K: They are basically treating Pixel like Nexus. Sure the prices are throwing people off because Verizon is involved, but the prices of Nexus used to spike whenever Google teamed up with Big Red too. Also, the software situation still seems to be the same to me so far. In other words, I don’t know why they both need to exist, unless anyone thinks Google really needs to work with LG or Samsung or Huawei to brand their phone. I don’t see a reason for that to be a thing any longer.
T: This is a valid point. You’ve got your consumer-facing line of polished devices, then a less expensive brand aimed at the developers and tinkerers. It makes sense. But remember, this is Google we’re talking about. Pixel could be dead in two years and we’ll be onto something else. They just don’t seem to think things through to the 5-year point.
What do you think Google needs to do for the Pixel brand to be truly successful?
K: Keep promoting the shit out of it like they are doing now. They have an opening now with Samsung’s Note 7 debacle. Plus, they made really great phones. They do need to focus on unique hardware, though, for next year and getting the phone on more carriers. Otherwise, keep doing what they are doing, which means not only promoting, but adding in new useful software features too.
T: They’ve got the marketing part down, no argument there. However, I’d argue that carrier exclusivity hurts a bit. While the phone can be purchased unlocked with no problems, many don’t want to go that route – it’s easier to just go into AT&T and get a phone on-contract rather than buying outright. Once and if the Pixel is no longer a Verizon exclusive, we can talk about the Pixel becoming a real success story.
Are digital assistants, like Siri and Google Assistant, legit selling points?
K: If they weren’t, you wouldn’t see them promoted so heavily. People still talk about Siri all of the time, even though I hear most people complaining about her lack of features. But people want to use assistants like this, so that they can touch their phones less. I’ve actually used Assistant quite a bit on Pixel and am excited about its future.
T: I’ve been using the Pixel for a week. How many times have I used Assistant? I don’t know, but I promise I can count the number on two hands. For me, Assistant is great, but it hasn’t changed the way I use my smartphone. When I want to Google something, I still use the search bar. Now, if you want to talk about Google Home, I can see Assistant and digital assistants in general being much more valuable in the sense that you don’t use your hands to interact with those devices at all. That is where Assistant, Siri, and Alexa shine.
Is the Nexus 6P worth buying still?
K: Depends on how long you want to keep it. If you think it’ll last 2 years, I wouldn’t buy one. If you only plan to own it until the next wave of flagships arrive or next year’s Pixel phones, then yeah, it’s probably still worth it.
T: You can grab a Nexus 6P on Amazon for the same $500 price as when it first went on sale the last I checked. That seems like a somewhat decent price, but really, there might be better options so long as you don’t mind running a custom skin. Check out a OnePlus 3, Axon 7, Honor 8, or something else maybe. For $400, you can buy something produced this year, and not last year’s discounted Google flagship. Don’t get me wrong, the 6P is great and you can run Nougat today, but there are other options out there. If you don’t mind spending that $500, you can even find a Galaxy S7 for around that price on eBay, providing you with an awesome camera and water resistant experience. Again, this is the beauty of Android – so many options!
Does Samsung need to do anything to re-gain your trust in its devices?
K: Nah, I’m sure they’ll fix the issue. The S8 and Note 8 will likely be bomb-free because Samsung’s brand can’t afford to take 2 years worth of hits like they just took with the Note 7.
T: For me, no. I’m not one to hold a grudge. It’s not like they meant to hurt anybody. Mistakes do happen. However, if I was a victim of the Note 7 and my property was damaged, you better believe I would harp on it every single chance I got and I would never purchase their technology again.
Check out our previous Q&A Sessions here.
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Droid Life Q&A Sessions: Volume 43 Answers is a post from: Droid Life
Droid Life Q&A Sessions: Volume 43 Answers
This post originally appeared on our sister site, VRSource.Google’s biggest push yet into the virtual reality market, the Daydream View smartphone headset, is now confirmed for a November 10th launch in five countries. The company previously said the headset would be available sometime this month but now we have a specific date.See also: Google Daydream – everything you need to knowPre-orders for the Daydream View are already live at the Google Store and Verizon Wireless. On November 10, the following countries, carriers and retailers will officially begin selling the headset:United States: Verizon, Best Buy; $79 (USD)Canada: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Best Buy; $99 (CAD)United Kingdom: EE, Carphone Warehouse; £69 (GBP)Germany: Deutsche Telekom; €69 (EUR)Australia: Telstra, JB Hi-Fi; $119 (AUD)The Daydream View currently works only with Google’s own Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, but other Android devices are supposed to add support for the headset in the future.In its blog post, Google also pointed out a number of VR apps and games that will work with the Daydream View. Not only can Daydream View owners watch the full library of movies and TV shows on Hulu through the headset, there will be two exclusive VR shows just for Daydream owners. One will be a news program called “The Big Picture: News in Virtual Reality”, while the other will be the VR comedy show “Virtually Mike and Nora”.Some of Google’s own apps, such as YouTube and Street View, will be optimized for the Daydream View. Other apps that will work with the headset include games like CCP’s space shooter Gunjack 2 and EA’s racing game Need for Speed: No Limits VR.Of course, the number of people who will be getting the Daydream View will be highly limited at first, but Google could sell a lot more of the headset in the future as more smartphones add support for it. Are you interested in getting the Daydream View?Pre-order from the Google Store
Pixel owners, get ready for VR redemption. Google announced today that its Daydream View unit, which many of you likely get for free from pre-ordering Pixel phones, arrives November 10.
Xiaomi’s latest smartphone, the Mi Note 2, reportedly sold out 50 seconds after it launched earlier today in China. The new phablet, which features a curved display similar to the Galaxy Note 7, was available through a flash sale on Xiaomi’s official website for those who had pre-registered to buy the device. This would make the Mi Note 2 one of the fastest Xiaomi phones to sell out ever.While such a fast sell out is no mean feat, it’s true that Xiaomi’s phones regularly sell out quickly, as it forms part of Xiaomi’s hunger-marketing sales strategy. Essentially, Xiaomi always aims to supply less than what the market wants and the (simplified) result is decreased inventory and shipping costs, and increased demand. 
See also: Xiaomi testing phones on US wireless networks, could launch in 201729We caught our first glimpse of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 at its Beijing launch event on October 25. The handset features a 5.7-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 821 processor and 4 or 6 GB or RAM. We had the chance to go hands-on with the Mi Note 2 later and our initial impressions were positive.This was Xiaomi’s first flash sale for the Mi Note 2, with the second expected to occur on November 8. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s Mi MIX – which also grabbed headlines at Xiaomi’s recent launch event thanks to its eye-catching near bezel-less design – will go on sale on November 4. It’s possible that it will sell out equally fast.Is the Mi Note 2 on your radar? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Meizu is one of those Chinese manufacturers worth keeping an eye on. The company is best known for offering well-built devices with an excellent price–performance ratio, following the same basic recipe that made several other Chinese OEMs into household names. Meizu is already quite successful on its home turf but so far hasn’t been able to make a real impact in North America or in Europe. 
See also: Best Chinese Android phones67The latest device to try to change that is called the Meizu M5. Recently unveiled in China, the M5 is targeted at budget conscious consumers looking for a decent mid-range device. It features a 5.2-inch 1,280 x 720 pixel display covered in 2.5D glass and is powered by a Mediatek MT6750 octa-core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz.You’ll have the option of choosing between two versions of the device, one with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage and the other with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Thankfully, there’s also a microSD slot present, which also doubles as a second SIM slot.
The Meizu M5 has a 13 MP camera at the back with phase detection autofocus and a dual LED flash, while the front-facing selfie camera has a 5 MP sensor. The M5 also comes with an mTouch 2.1 fingerprint reader that unlocks the device in just 0.2 seconds, a non-removable 3,070 mAh battery, and Alibaba’s Yun OS 5.1 (based on the Android Open Source Project) with Meizu’s FlyMe user interface on top.The M5, available in Matte Black, Mint Green, Blue, Champagne Gold, and White, is already available in China for ¥699 (2 GB/16 GB) and ¥899 (3 GB/32 GB), which converts to around $103 and $132 dollars respectively. When the Meizu M5 comes to western markets, it will run on Android but likely also carry a higher price tag than in its native China.What do you think of the Meizu M5? Do you think Meizu will crack Western markets?Up next: Meizu M3 Note review
Sony has been promising to bring its Android 7.0 Nougat beta program to the Xperia X Performance for a little while now, and it finally looks as if the program is about to kick off in full. Those who registered for the beta program are beginning to receive emails confirming that the first Nougat pre-release is about to go live.It seems that updates will be available for participants sometime within the next 24 to 48 hours. As for what to expect, Sony’s previous Xperia beta programs have maintained a reasonably stock experience, and Sony’s UI skin is one of the lightest ones around. So, we’re likely looking at a similarly slick experience with mostly just the core new Nougat features to show off.
The company has previously kicked out some more experimental features as part of its Concept for Android beta branch, but we shouldn’t expect any of that here. This is just a bug checking and reporting exercise for the core Nougat update that will hopefully begin hitting Sony’s devices before the end of the year. 
See also: Sony Xperia X Performance review – is it worth $700?92Given that the X Performance and XZ were tipped to receive Nougat in October, there’s definitely now a delay in Sony’s schedule. The company has confirmed that these two will be the first handsets to update to Nougat, followed by the Xperia X and X Compact. Older flagships from the Z5 series, along with the Z3+ and Z4 Tablet are expected to see the upgrade sometime next year.Sony says that it will send out additional details and update instructions to participants once the scheme is up and running. So, keep an eye out for those emails.
Android Nougat 7.1, the newest version of Google’s operating system, comes with a bunch of nifty features that improve the user experience and offer a bit of fun. Some of these features are quite advanced, like the Google Assistant, while others are a lot simpler in nature. But despite their simplicity, they get the job done. Saving time by minimizing the number of taps one has to do to finish a certain task is still something most users will embrace with open arms.A feature that falls into this category is App Shortcuts. And how does it work? Just long press an app icon and shortcuts for different tasks will pop-up. The feature is simple, easy to use, and quite efficient.It’s already available on quite a few apps including the popular Evernote and Pocket Casts. And with the latest update, the feature found its way to the somewhat popular Hangouts.In version 14 of Hangouts, now rolling out through the Play Store, Google’s messaging app offers three app shortcuts, which are pretty self-explanatory – Voice Call, Video Call, and Chat. If you are a heavy user, they will make your life just a tad bit easier. But in case you have multiple Google accounts, you will probably be annoyed by the fact that when pressing a shortcut an account has to be selected every time.Note that you will need to be on Android 7.1, with Google Now launcher or Nova Launcher beta in order to use the app shortcuts.The update also brings a minor reshuffling of the options in the overflow menu in conversation view.Unlike Google Messenger, Hangouts doesn’t use App Shortcuts to give you quick access to recent contacts. Another feature that we wish we would’ve seen in this update is support for Android 7.1’s image keyboard, but hopefully, Google will sort this out soon. And when that happens, we’ll be sure to let you know.Download from the Play Store