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Best rugged Android tablets money can buy

Update: check out our 2017 edition of best rugged tablet list and our best rugged smartphone list

From luxury to commodity to absolute necessity, being able to connect to the web while on the go and carrying your work with you far and wide have taken new meanings in recent years, as conventional PCs lost steam and ultraportable alternatives rapidly gained traction.

Best Rugged Android Tablet

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Panasonic	Panasonic Toughbook 19 Touchscreen PC version Notebook	179.99
Samsung	Galaxy Tab S 10.5-Inch Tablet	138.56
Samsung	Galaxy SM-T360NNGAXAR 8" 1.5GB RAM 16 GB Tablet	116.95
BobjGear	Bobj Rugged Case for Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 Tablet	23.75
Panasonic	Toughpad FZ-A1BDAAZ1M 10.1-Inch 16 GB Tablet	check price

And whereas most smartphone and tablet owners nowadays still fall in the light to moderate user categories in regards to their productivity and range of tasks completed, there are those who take gadgets very seriously, depending on them not to entertain and amuse, but put bread on the table.

These power users are not the same so-called power users that Apple or Samsung usually address with fancy new iPhone, iPad or Galaxy launches. They are real-life, modern John McClanes, who rock Casio Commandos, Kyocera Torques or Cat B15s as “daily drivers”, not because they make them feel manlier, but because a bendable 6 Plus or GNote 4 couldn’t get a through a workday without cracking under pressure.

They’re not heroes, they just like things done a certain way. They work in tough outdoor conditions but never complain. Even in their spare time, they love hanging out in the wild, with nature’s strengths and shortcomings.

They’re not afraid of a splash of water, dust, dirt, extreme temperatures, altitudes or things like radiation or vibration. Some can even take a bullet without blinking. Each and every one of them however need survival tools, and a good starting point are the rugged Android smartphones we recommended a while back.

Next step? A solid yet compact and portable, secure, smooth and powerful ruggedized Android tablet. Yes, we know, Windows has the upper hand for the most part in this grossly overlooked niche. But if you look hard enough, here are some of the best Google-powered options you’ll be able to find:

Fujitsu Stylistic M532 – available at $358 on Amazon

Just so we don’t scare you right off the bat, we’ve decided to start the countdown of the best rugged Android tabs with possibly the world’s cheapest. Obviously, the M532 is thus not the most robust ultraportable money can buy.

On the bright side, it’s fairly thin and light, at 8.6 mm and 560 grams respectively. And given the wasp waist and low price, the 10 incher is no featherweight, withstanding extreme conditions such as high altitude, shocks, vibrations and minimal or maximum temperatures, courtesy of MIL-STD-810G certification.

The Stylistic can also remain whole after being dropped a few times, though it’s best to protect it from violent contacts with hard surfaces. Above all, the M532 is a business-oriented slab, offering a host of security add-ons and data protection methods, and ergo being a better fit for an enterprise environment rather than a construction site or war zone.

Last but not least, the thing runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, packs quad-core power, 1 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage.

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-A1

Starting at $959 with Wi-Fi-only connectivity (shipping fees not included)
Available at $1,200 with Verizon-friendly 4G LTE support

Just so you know, the Android “Terminators” are arranged in no particular order, as they’re simply too different to rank. Clearly, pitting the Toughpad FZ-A1 against the Stylistic M532 would have been comparing apple to oranges.

That said, deciding between the two is pretty easy. Fujitsu’s option is better for enterprise, this thing “dares to go where no tablet has gone before”. Meaning you definitely want to put on a protection helmet while on duty as, say, a contractor, but this baby can handle any and all environments by itself.

Yes, it’s that tough. It even comes with an extended 3-year warranty to show you how durable it is. And Panasonic may not list bullet resistance as one of the slate’s features, but honestly, this is your safest best for a war comrade.

It’s massive, at 2.1 pounds, it can handle repeated drops from dizziness-inducing heights, and it’s of course MIL-STD-810G certified. The carcass is encased in magnesium alloy, the corner guards are made of elastomer, and you get all kinds of hardware encryption methods, the highest degree of password security, root and anti-virus protection.

Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 – available at $1,486 on Amazon

Does $1,500 feel a little too rich for your blood? We get where you’re coming from, and don’t blame you, but believe it or not, the JT-B1 is even stronger than the other Panasonic Toughpad. Aside from complying with all military standards for everything from extreme temperatures to rain and freeze, this compact little 7 incher sports a sealed “all-weather design”.

And the raised bezel increases the LCD impact protection. Translation: you can drop the JT-B1 on its face over and over again, and it won’t crack. The craziest thing is the device’s weight, 1.2 pounds, although the 8-hour battery life is a close second.

Getac Z710 – $1,495

This is the last uber-expensive tab we’re going to list, we promise. And perhaps we’d never have recommended it in the first place, especially as it doesn’t come from a big-name manufacturer, but the Z710 breathes strength through its every pore. Maybe more than the Toughpad rivals.

What we like the most at Getac’s design approach is they knew from the get-go their target audience couldn’t care less about style and elegance. There are no aesthetical bells and whistles here, just a 7-inch tablet small enough to hold in one hand and “built to survive”.

Six-foot drops, extreme temps, solar radiation, you name it. Oh, and the screen is perfectly readable in the most difficult lighting conditions, plus glove-friendly. A barcode scanner is inbuilt for obvious reasons, and 3G connectivity is not an option, it’s standard.

Guaranteed to last you at least three years of constant abuses, the Z710 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and packs 1 GB RAM, as well as 16 GB internal storage.

Xplore RangerX – $1,391

1,400 bucks is still a lot of money, but not only is the RangerX a little cheaper than our previous two recommendations, it’s also larger, at 10 inches, and thus more productive. Needless to stress this can also take a loooot of abuse, specifically repeated drops on every edge, corner, plus directly on its face, including on concrete from heights of up to 4 feet.

Then you have all the extreme conditions that don’t affect the usability of the big guy in the least, which include -4° F to 140° F temperatures, blowing rain, 95% humidity, functional shock, 15,000 feet altitudes, fluid contamination and solar radiation.

As for security options and neat add-ons and features, Xplore Tech equipped this beast with Gigabit Ethernet, CAC and Smart Card Readers, a Kensington lock slot and optional Verizon 4G LTE among others. Just beware of the vague, fishy Amazon listing and maybe go over to Xplore directly for a quote depending on your exact needs.

Motorola ET1 – $1,246

Bet you didn’t know this thing still existed, huh? Well, it has amazingly survived Motorola’s rise and fall, its retreat from the tablet market and successive buyouts from Google and Lenovo. Of course, it’s no longer widely available, but Amazon sells it directly, and the price isn’t so bad… all things considered.

Keep in mind that Moto put Jelly Bean on the 7 incher a while back, so the software at least should be silky smooth. The hardware, not so much, as that dual-core TI OMAP 4 processor is horribly outdated. Not quite as indestructible as some of the above contenders, the ET1 remains a top choice for enterprise users, with its manageability, security and decent durability.

The spec sheet includes a bar code scanner, phenomenal 8 MP rear camera, 1 GB RAM and protection for 4-feet drops, thermal shock, humidity, etc., etc.

Before wrapping up, we’d like to remind you the Android universe is an extremely volatile one, so keep your eyes out for alternatives yet to come. Like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active. Not recommended for the most extreme wild conditions, the $700 KitKat-loaded 8 incher will nevertheless fight water and dust, plus remain operational after dropped from 4-feet high… in theory. It’s your call now, so choose wisely and stay safe.

5 Best Mid Range Phone In 2019

It goes with out saying, smartphones have gotten insanely expensive. Many flagship phones these days are costing upwards of $800, and some even upwards of $1000. The Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone X are just two phones that sit at around $1000, and well over if you choose a larger storage size. That’s not a price point the average consumer can afford outright, so a whole new market for powerful mid-range phones has emerged. You see devices like the Moto X4 and offerings from OnePlus costing nearly half of what big OEMs are asking for these days — and these OEMs have even started offering their own powerful, but cheaper hardware. So, if you still want a good phone, but don’t want to spend almost a grand to get one, there are options available for you. Here are our top mid range phone picks.

Best Mid Range Phone

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Samsung	Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018)	799
Huawei	Huawei Mate 10 Lite	499
Essential Products	Essential Phone	429
HTC	HTC U11 Life	294
Motorola	Moto X (4th Generation)	139.99

Motorola Moto X4

Motorola is making a comeback. Owned by Lenovo, the company is trying to bring the prolific Motorola brand name back with the Moto X4. The Moto X4 has made waves because it’s the first Android One phone available in the United States. It ships with Android 7.0 Nougat, but is upgradeable to Android 8.0 Oreo.

Hardware packs a punch, featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB ROM, and a 3,000mAh battery. It has dual-cameras on the back, with a primary 12-megapixel shooter and a secondary 8-megapixel unit. It takes great photos, too. Not only that, but you get a decently sized 5.2-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display. The phone is snappy, and you could hardly tell a difference between this and a flagship. You can have all of this at an affordable price point of around $400.

Buy it now: Amazon

HTC U11 Life

HTC offers the U11 Life. This is basically a dumbed down version of their U11 flagship smartphone, made more affordable for consumers. You still get decent power with a Snapdragon 630 processor and 3/4GB of RAM. Options for 32/64GB of storage space will give you plenty of room for photos, and you’ll have a great viewing experience with the 5.2-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display. It’s got a 2,600mAh battery, which should last you most of the day, though your mileage may vary. It has a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front camera for detailed selfies. To your surprise, all of this can be had for just $350.

Buy it now: Amazon

Huawei Mate 10 Lite

Huawei is another brand that has become insanely popular in the United States — whether it be with Huawei or their subsidiary, Honor. And now, consumers can purchase the Huawei 10 Lite, a slightly less powerful version of the Mate 10, but with essentially the same great design. It has Huawei’s own CPU — a HiSilicon Kirin 659, 4GB of RAM, and a whole 64GB of internal storage. You get a large 5.9-inch 2,160 x 1,080 display. It has dual cameras on the back — a primary 16-megapixel shooter paired with a 2-megapixel depth camera. A front 13-megapixel is adorned on the front for great selfies.

This phone should last you all day with its 3,340mAh battery. As you can see, it’s got great hardware, and all for just $350. It can be had, on sale, for much less, too.

Buy it now: Amazon

Essential Phone

You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz around the Father of Android’s new phone — the Essential Phone. It’s the hottest new phone that goes back to the Pure Android roots. You can say goodbye to the skins that OEMs put on their phones: what you get here is nothing but clean Android. You get a powerful Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a whole 128GB of internal storage. There’s a great 13-megapixel camera on the back, too. Powering all of this is a large 3,040mAh battery. And the Essential Phone will only set you back around $450.

Buy it now: Amazon

Samsung Galaxy A8+

Want a Samsung Galaxy S8, but with the Galaxy S8 price point? Then you should take a look at Samsung’s own Galaxy A8+. The A8+ has a great 16-megapixel rear camera, a whopping 3,500mAh of battery, and a beautiful 6-inch Super AMOLED display. You get Samsung’s own Exynos processor — the Exynos 5 Octa 7885. Paired with it is 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with up to 256GB of expansion space.

Buy it now: Amazon

Verdict

As you can see, there are a lot of great phones that can be had at mid-range prices. You can say goodbye to having to pay $800 or more for a good phone, as many OEMs and companies are offering slightly less powerful hardware in the same great package. The average consumer isn’t going to be able to notice the difference in hardware either — everything stays fast and efficient.

Best Mid Range Phone

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Samsung	Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018)	799
Huawei	Huawei Mate 10 Lite	499
Essential Products	Essential Phone	429
HTC	HTC U11 Life	294
Motorola	Moto X (4th Generation)	139.99

Top 7 Android smartphones with physical QWERTY keyboards

Phones with QWERTY keyboards aren’t getting much love with the major manufacturers these days, but you can still find some high end phones with a physical keyboard. In this June 2017 update, we’re recommending the Blackberry KEYone as the best QWERTY keyboard smartphone on the market right now.

Product	Brand	Name	Price
	BlackBerry	BlackBerry KEYone GSM Unlocked Android Smartphone (AT&T, T-Mobile) - 4G LTE – 32GB	Buy on Amazon\|$268.96(Price as of 02/20/2019 03:31 ET)

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If you can’t stand using the touch keyboard phones that’s dominating the market, give the KEYone a shot. It’s highly unlike you will find another smartphone with physical keyboard that will beat the Blackberry KEYone, since most manufacturers simply do not make these type of phones anymore. You can find the specs here for this Android phone with QWERTY keyboard.

Blackberry Priv

BlackBerry, a company that was once renowned for their business-oriented smartphones with physical keyboards, has to fight for significance in a world dominated by virtual keyboard typing experience. Just like Clark Kent dressed in casual clothes, the BlackBerry Priv looks deceptively ordinary, perhaps with the exception of the curved display. But it takes just a quick slide to reveal Priv’s 4-row QWERTY keyboard hiding underneath the display.

The keyboard also features an integrated trackpad and several programmable keys for launching apps and changing the position on the screen. You can swipe up across the keyboard to access a full-sized virtual keyboard with special characters and symbols. Clever stuff, indeed.

Also hiding under the 5.4” display with 540 ppi is the powerful Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage space, and Adreno 418. With such high-end specifications, the Priv is a productivity beast with ample power to fuel any multitasking (or gaming—we won’t judge) frenzy.

While the Android operating system looks close to the pure Android experience that you get on Nexus devices, BlackBarry has made a lot of changes under the hood. Privacy and security have been given a special attention, for example, with the BlackBerry DETEK app, which can tell you how secure you are and what improvements you can make.
Pros

4-row QWERTY keyboard
Beautiful curved display
Sharp, vivid camera
Good performance
Increased privacy

Cons

The smartphone is slightly top-heavy

The age of the Q is over. There’s no point denying it, arguing it or sugarcoating it. Flagship physical QWERTY phones are long gone, and they’re not coming back. Sad? Damn straight, as we all remember how we used to be able to send like five texts a minute on a full-size keypad-boasting handheld.

Since phone manufacturers simply aren’t seeing too much demand for Android smartphone with keyboard, they just aren’t releasing too many new variants of these. But if you really need that keyboard, a good work around is to get the latest and greatest smartphone you can find, and get a mini bluetooth keyboard that you can carry around with you and sync with your phone. If that doesn’t work for you, then check out these smartphones with keyboard currently on the market.

Yes, they were bulky, clunky, even ugly, but they got the job done in a way no touchscreen-toting iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S will ever get close to. Whatever “highly intuitive” apps like Swiftkey or Swype evolve into.

It’s also odd though how each and every mobile player (save for BlackBerry, maybe) turned their backs on productivity-centric gadgets all of a sudden, especially when Samsung, LG and Sony are so vocal about the diversity of their product lineups. Cater to the needs of everyone, my arse. Where’s my Galaxy S5Q, my LG G2 Slider and my Xperia Z2 Chat?

Heck, right now, I’d probably settle for a Galaxy S3Q or LG Optimus G Slider. Any semblance of a decent, upper mid-range Android QWERTY phone would be nice. Instead, the seven best physical keyboard devices of March 2014 are these old geezers:

7. LG Mach

Still stuck on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the 15 month-old Mach basically makes the cut here because there are no half-decent alternatives. I mean, I wouldn’t touch this thing with a ten-foot pole nowadays.

Not only is it four software generations behind the times, it’s mostly unavailable stateside and restricted for use on Sprint and Boost Mobile. The latter sells it online for $180 with prepaid plans, whereas if you want Now Network’s version, you’ll need to reach out to some fairly obscure Amazon sellers and cough up $360 (!!!).

Yeah, right, like anyone would be so nuts as to drop that kind of money on a chunky little fellow tipping the scales at 168 grams and packing a 4-inch 800 x 480 pix res touchscreen, dual-core 1.2 GHz CPU, as well as meager 1,700 mAh battery.

6. Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2

Despite its retro (read fugly) design, and overall underwhelming hardware, the Verizon-exclusive Stratosphere 2 is clearly not the worst QWERTY option around. Up for grabs via Amazon and Best Buy free of charge in a contract-tied flavor, the slider is on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, weighing 14 grams less than the Mach.

The juicer is a tad beefier, at 1,800 mAh, but sadly, the Super AMOLED panel is equally as mediocre. The dual-core 1.2 GHz SoC too. Bottom line, the Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2 is obviously not an ideal choice for productivity fanatics.

5. Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G

Though its two months older than the second-gen Stratosphere, the S Relay 4G is superior to its Verizon counterpart primarily in the aesthetics department. Less pronounced curves equals more elegance, not to mention the Relay is slightly slimmer while retaining the 1,800 mAh ticker.

Hardware-wise, the T-Mo-restricted S Relay resembles the Stratosphere 2 greatly, but ups the processing power ante with a 1.5 GHz CPU. On-board software? Android 4.1 Jelly Bean starting April 2013. Price? $205 outright on Amazon.

4. Motorola Droid 4

One of the last remaining Mohicans of a lost era, the Droid 4 has aged rather gracefully, but it has aged nevertheless. Almost harder to score than the LG Mach, Moto’s once mighty slider is $220 with Verizon branding but no pacts via Amazon. Oh, and it’s pre-owned.

Worth the dough? Refurb products are always a gamble, two year-olds especially, yet the Droid still has a few things going for it. Like a decent 4-inch 960 x 540 pixels resolution touchscreen, 16 GB built-in storage, 8 MP rear-facing camera with image stabilization, 1 GB RAM, microSD support and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Downsides? For one thing, the dual-core TI OMAP 4430 is ancient and laggy. Also, the 1,785 mAh battery is pretty tiny, plus non-removable. Finally, have you ever carried around a brick in your trouser pocket? You will if you buy the Droid 4, as it weighs a staggering 179 grams.

3. LG Optimus F3Q

The youngest of the bunch, released but a few weeks ago on T-Mobile, the F3Q looks like a violent blast from the past design-wise, with a funky turquoise blue physical keyboard and an even swankier textured rear cover.

I personally think the blue-black color combo is a bit too much, but hey, kids may dig it, and in the long haul, it could help QWERTY phones become hip again. Available for $0 upfront and $312 full retail price, the device is hardly a powerhouse, with a dual-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 running the hardware show, aided by 1 GB RAM.

The 4 GB on-board storage is cringe worthy, as is the 14 mm waist, yet software upgrades beyond 4.1 Jelly Bean could be on the horizon, and that should count for something. Also, it packs a gargantuan 2,460 mAh battery, capable of holding a single charge for up to 16 hours of talk time and 16 days (!!!) of standby time.

2. LG Enact

Yes, I realize the Enact and Optimus F3Q are in many ways virtually identical. From the design language to the CPU, RAM and battery life. Yet I like to think of Verizon’s Enact as F3Q’s classier brother. Sure, the Big Red fellow is chubby as hell (15.8 mm thickness, 170 grams weight), however it replaces the tacky blue keyboard with a black-and-silver one.

And the rear looks better too, in my humble opinion. Also on 4.1 Jelly Bean and likely to be upgraded before long, the Enact doubles down on storage, and costs a penny with contracts, as well as $400 without a service plan.

1. Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE

Not sure whether we should laugh or cry seeing a mid-2012 phone top a 2014 list. But that’s how behind the market is for QWERTY aficionados. And mind you, the Photon Q was hardly a high-ender when it first saw daylight, back in July 2012.

Up for grabs for free with 24-month Sprint agreements, the big guy weighs in at a massive 170 grams, however it offers the most generous screen real estate of all seven QWERTY world champion title candidates: 4.3 inches.

The resolution is decent, 960 x 540, there’s scratch-resistant glass on top of it, a dual-core 1.5 GHz chip beneath the hood, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB storage, 8 MP primary camera with LED flash, 4G LTE and microSD support. Compared with, say, the Galaxy S5, it’s a featherweight, but like I said, it’s all we got.

At least until the Motorola Droid 5 goes official, if it’s ever to go official. Any thoughts? Maybe some other contenders we unintentionally snubbed? Anyone else out there rooting for a QWERTY revival? Sound off below.

Product	Brand	Name	Price
	BlackBerry	BlackBerry KEYone GSM Unlocked Android Smartphone (AT&T, T-Mobile) - 4G LTE – 32GB	Buy on Amazon\|$268.96(Price as of 02/20/2019 03:31 ET)

Top 10 Android selfie phones with front-facing LED flash cameras

It’s only been a little over a year since the first time we surrendered to the selfie trend, rounding up the Android handhelds with the best secondary cameras in tow back then, and already, we bring you a top ten list revised twice. That’s right, the June roster is also obsolete, as we approach narcissistic smartphone enthusiasts slightly differently, and decide to neglect a front-facing snapper’s megapixel count in favor of a much more relevant tidbit.

Update (July 2017): Samsung Galaxy S8 was announced on March 29, 2017. Galaxy S8 can now considered as the next best selfie phone. It now comes with autofocus and wide angle shots for their front camera, although it appears that it still lacks the front facing LED flash light.

Best Overall Phone 2017 - Galaxy S8

ImgAmazon.com Link	Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
	Samsung	Samsung Galaxy S8	419.99

Best Selfie Phone (March 2017) – Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)

Our second favorite for best selfie phone behind the Galaxy S8 is the Galaxy J7, which comes with front facing LED flash light. Think about it, the undisputed top Android phone currently is the Samsung Galaxy S8, so let’s compare a few specs that’s important for a selfie phone.

S8 does not have a front facing led flash light, while the J7 does.
J7 actually has a slightly better 13 megapixel camera compared to the 12 megapixel for the S8
Slightly bigger battery for the J7, therefore longer battery life
J7 has a sufficient 2GB ram and expandable up to 128 GB of storage with MicroSD card
biggest selling point is the price. The S8 runs in the $700 range while the J7 only runs in the $200 for the unlocked versions.
What else do you need in a selfie phone with front facing led flash light?

Best Selfie Phone 2017 - Galaxy J7

ImgAmazon.com Link	Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
	Samsung	Samsung Galaxy J7 LTE (2016)	371.5

Think about it, when do you typically capture the vast majority of your self-portraits? Definitely not in the morning, given your face often feels like a work in progress after waking up. At your place of business or school? Sure, sometimes, if you’re really bored… or a teacher isn’t looking.

But nine out of ten selfies, according to our unfounded suspicions, are produced at night, while out in town, at a party, or in the club. Needless to highlight the surrounding conditions don’t always seem ideal and flattering, which is why a front-firing LED flash is a must-have.

What does that do exactly? Simple – it illuminates a dark scene by providing a “flash” of artificial light, and makes you glow even in a pitch dark room or outdoor space. Here are therefore ten of the very best Androids available today with this super-convenient feature onboard:

Best Selfie Phones

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Huawei	Honor 7 Octa Core Dual Sim	474
Sony	Sony Xperia XA Ultra	299.99
Samsung	Galaxy J7 Dual Sim	299.97
HTC	Desire EYE 4G LTE GSM	279.01
Samsung	Galaxy J5 SM-J500 GSM	189.99

Sony Xperia XA Ultra – $329.99

Released in July of 2016, the Sony Xperia XA Ultra is the latest and greatest of all selfie phones with front facing LED flash light. The 16 megapixel front facing camera is the same camera as the primary camera on the Samsung Galaxy S6! You know this is a phone made for selfies when Sony decided to feature the optical image stabilization function on the FRONT facing camera, that is almost unheard of. Of course, how can you have a selfie camera without the LED flash light that comes with this phone. Additionally, it has an above average 3GB of RAM to power your multitasking habits. The 2700mAh battery should be more than enough to last you through the day.

Huawei Honor 7 – $483

Bet you weren’t expecting our priciest proposition to come from Huawei of all device manufacturers. Unfortunately, the Amazon tariff isn’t quite in line with Honor 7’s specs on the whole, though the two cameras look positively dreamy, with 20 megapixels and a dual-LED, dual-tone rear flash, as well as an 8 MP sensor and single LED flash around the front.

Yes, we’d certainly love it if the Honor 7 were priced closer to 400 bucks, since it only accommodates 16 gigs of data internally, and sports a Full HD 5.2-inch display.

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition – $399.99

Now that’s what we like to call irresistible bang for buck! The stock Android-running 5.7-inch giant is the perfect sub-$400 phone, what with its Quad HD panel, stereo sound, hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chip, 3 GB RAM, microSD support, Lollipop software goodies, and 3,000 mAh battery with TurboPower charging.

And how can we forget about the wholesome 21 MP dual-LED flash main photographic unit, or the respectable secondary 5 MP LED shooter?

HTC Desire Eye – $380

One of the few devices that manages to retain its place in the spotlight nearly one year after its debut and fend off the invasion of newcomers, this overall mid-range 5.2 incher was always a selfie flagship.

There’s absolutely no performance gap between the rear and front cams, with a total of four (!!!) LED endowments, speedy autofocus either way, and double HDR. And yet the Desire Eye has shaven a cool $35 off its June valuation. Not too shabby!

Sony Xperia C4 – $379

It’s kinda costly for what it brings to the table, and it has stubbornly stayed perfectly still at $379 for many months now. It runs a relatively old Android version too, 5.0 Lollipop, and the octa-core MT6752 SoC is hardly a Snapdragon 810 alternative.

Nonetheless, it’s thin and large, stylish and robust, and above all, equipped with a 5 MP Exmor RS and LED flash-toting selfie cam.

Sony Xperia C5 Ultra – $375

Oh, the irony! As the name suggests, the slightly cheaper C5 Ultra is a jumbo-sized, evolved variant of the C4, bumped up to 6 inches, and a phenomenal pair of identical 13 megapixel cams, featuring everything from Exmor RS sensors to autofocus, wide-angle lenses, superior auto modes, HDR technique, and SteadyShot video optimizations.

As Sony inspiredly puts it, “the main camera is on the front… and the back”, and the former not only lights up your mug, but does so “naturally”, automatically adjusting to the “ideal settings for your lighting conditions.” Translation – “the light’s always perfect.”

Asus ZenFone Selfie – $295

Okay, so the name is tacky, the pink paint job a tad childish, and both the power button and volume rocker positioned awkwardly. But the ZenFone Selfie offers a lot for not that much money, including a 5.5-inch 1,080p screen, octa-core Snapdragon 615 CPU, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and a duo of PixelMaster cameras with 13 MP and dual-LED flash in tow each.

That’s two flash installations on the back, and two on the face, just to be clear.

Samsung Galaxy J7 – $265

It’s odd, but in a Galaxy consisting of tens and tens of stars, the first two specifically targeted at selfie addicts only started shining a couple of months ago. And to be frank, they’re not shining very brightly. The 5 MP LED flash front cam is almost mundane compared to some of its opponents on this inventory, hiding no software tricks up its sleeve, wide angles, or proprietary enhancements of any sort.

It simply beams radiation in need, helping you snap better selfies than the average non-selfie-centric phone. It’s also decidedly meh as far as other specs go, with a 5.5-inch 720p Super AMOLED panel on deck, as well as 1.5 GB RAM, and a 3,000 mAh cell.

Sony Xperia C3 – $235

The mid-2014-unveiled 5.5 incher is getting rather long in the tooth, albeit it’s inexpensive enough to stay in the public’s eye throughout the looming holiday season. It’s considerably cheaper than its C-series follow-ups, the design is clean and straightforward, Android 5.1 is close-by, and the 5 MP secondary cam furnished with a soft LED flash, smile detection, Superior Auto functions, and 25 mm wide-angle lens at 80 degrees.

Samsung Galaxy J5 – $219

The J7’s smaller brother unsurprisingly feels even less remarkable, looks crappy on the outside, and lets you store a measly 8 GB data before you realize you absolutely have to get an external microSD card. On the bright side, the quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor under the hood is 64-bit-enabled, the pre-installed Android 5.1 OS likewise, and the 13 MP autofocus/LED flash rear shooter decent for the sub-$220 price.

The selfie camera? Well, you know, it’s one of those less-than-stellar 5 MP units with the same old LED flash as everyone else.

BLU Selfie – $177

Our affordability champion doesn’t have a lot of cards to play in the high-stakes US mobile poker game, but the ace it’s not afraid to show off whenever it gets the chance should keep it in the tournament long enough to secure a reasonable paycheck.

We mean, of course, the astounding 13 MP LED flash front camera, even if the rear 13 MP dual-LED flash apparatus is itself pretty great. Oh, and you get octa-core power and 2 gigs of memory at the price of a refurb fourth-gen iPod Touch. Yes, we did go there.

Best small Android smartphones available today

Update: Here’s our new list of best small phones in 2018

Product	Brand	Name	Price
	Samsung	Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini G800F 16GB Unlocked Cellphone - International Version (Black)	Buy on Amazon\|$450.49(Price as of 02/20/2019 03:31 ET)

Bigger doesn’t necessarily equal better. It’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it. We mean the phone, you perverted oddballs! You may find it hard to score a half-decent small Android handheld these days, but despite the undeniable mainstream rise of phablets, there’s still demand for devices you can easily slide in and out of your standard-issue trouser pocket.

A compact form factor, proper one-hand maneuverability and sensible design will always go a long way with certain mobile consumers, especially if they’re linked to affordability, a high-res screen, and generally respectable hardware specifications.

Before setting out on a quest to find the best small Android phone in the world prior to the 2015 holiday season, let’s land on a display diagonal range. Can we all agree 4.7 to 5.2-inch handhelds are “normal” nowadays, 5.5 inchers start feeling a bit uncomfortable, and anything beyond 6 inches is excessive, unless your job is to make a dozen slam dunks a few times a week in NBA games?

Good, then we can probably also agree 4 to 4.5 inchers are “small” by today’s high-end standards, yet remain crowd pleasers for those who like to effortlessly manage mobile business with one normally-sized hand. That said, here are the top ten contenders to the title of best small smartphone, ordered as usual from cheapest to costliest:

LG Leon – $78 for MetroPCS; $83 for T-Mobile

It’s perhaps not fair to compare unlocked and carrier-restricted prices, but at the end of the day, CDMA networks like Verizon or Sprint rarely support gadgets not specifically made for them, so the only important thing that’s lacking at the Leon is AT&T compatibility.

Outside of the connectivity spectrum, the elegant, slim-bezeled 4.5 incher also disappoints with 854 x 480 screen resolution, though the quad-core 64-bit Snapdragon 410 CPU isn’t half bad… for a lot less than 100 bucks. Oh, and you get Lollipop goodies pre-installed as well.

Motorola Moto E (second-gen) – $90

Possibly the most appealing sub-$100 proposition, the E2 can be had in US and global GSM configurations, including with 4G LTE speeds, and the 4.5-inch panel is slightly sharper than that of the LG Leon, at 960 x 540 pixels.

Too bad the 2015 Moto E is only around 64 percent screen, massive bezels occupying the rest of the space, and making it a tad cumbersome, with 129.9 x 66.8 mm height/width measurements. On the plus side, the ultra-low-cost Android soldier already runs 5.1 Lollipop, and should be further upgraded to 6.0 Marshmallow sometime next year.

Motorola Moto G (1st generation) – starting at $92

It’s old, not very attractive from a design standpoint, lacks microSD storage expansion possibilities, provides a measly 8 GB ROM in an entry-level variation, and tips the scales at a fairly chunky 143 grams while sizing up at 129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6 mm.

But it’s super-affordable, offers close to stock Android 5.1 user experience, and above all, it sports a beautiful 4.5-inch 720p IPS LCD screen.

Huawei Ascend P7 Mini – $144

Don’t hold your breath for a Marshmallow makeover in the near future, as even Lollipop is yet to land on the China-imported qHD 4.5 incher. Be happy the P7 Mini is phenomenally skinny (7.8 mm and 115 grams), and pretty gifted in the selfie-taking department, thanks to a 5 MP front-facing camera.

Also, the 2,000 mAh battery is decently spacious, all things considered, and the quad-core Snapdragon 400 chip takes good care of your basic web browsing, multimedia and even gaming needs.

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini – $192

The tiny Super AMOLED 4.3 incher has turned two a few months back, which amounts to 50 or 60 in human years, yet a timeless design, hefty 1.5 GB RAM, satisfactory 8 MP LED flash main cam, and appropriate 1,900 mAh cell keep it in the spotlight for fans of pocket-sized gizmos.

The screen borders aren’t exactly unnoticeable, but the diminutive sibling of Samsung’s 2013 flagship measures just 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9 mm, and weighs 107 grams.

Samsung Galaxy A3 – $201

Unusually inexpensive for an all-metal device, especially one manufactured by a profit-hungry company, the A3 falls short of impressive aesthetics, with a mediocre 65 percent screen-to-body ratio, and also settles for a so-so 960 x 540 Super AMOLED 4.5-inch display.

Then again, 1.5 gigs of memory, 16 GB on-board hoarding room, Snapdragon 410 muscle, 8 and 5 MP photographic equipment, and Android 5.0 software all feel like the absolute cream of the $200 crop.

HTC One Mini 2 – $239

Why on earth didn’t HTC renew this aging thing to try to squeeze M9’s magic in a smaller package? Granted, the latest hero and the One M8 the Mini 2 is based on are extremely similar, but a One Mini 3 could have brought SD410 power, 1.5 or even 2 GB RAM, and a refined exterior to the table.

Nonetheless, the 4.5 incher on tap offers a lot for a reasonable price tag, starting with 13 and 5 MP cameras, and of course, a premium aluminum unibody build.

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact – $250

Sony made the sequel, confusingly named Z3 Compact, a bit too large to be considered here, and the Z5 Compact will also go on sale soon with a 4.6-inch display in tow. It’s all for the best however, as it allows us to remember this oldie but goldie 4.3-inch HD slab, capable of great things to this day.

Silky smooth multitasking? The 2 GB RAM have you covered. Overall system speed? There’s a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor inside. Shutterbug satisfaction? And then some, as the 20.7 MP shooter is simply amazing. And let’s not forget 2,300 mAh battery juice, 16 GB local storage, microSD support, as well as water and dust protection.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini – $267

It seems Sammy inexplicably took a page from HTC’s undependable playbook, and decided to skip or greatly delay the Galaxy S6 Mini. Is last year’s Liliputian flagship still worth around 270 clams in this context?

Yes and no, given we very much dig the 4.5-inch 1,280 x 720 AMOLED panel, 1.5 GB RAM, quad-core Exynos SoC, 8 MP LED flash rear cam, microSD card slot, fingerprint sensor, and IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, but we’re not fans of the cheap plasticky construction or Android 4.4 KitKat flavor.

Kyocera DuraForce – $0 down with AT&T financing; $419 outright

This expensive (off-contract), muscular 4.5 incher has a crystal clear target audience – people that constantly drop and damage their phones. By no means a featherweight, at a whopping 200 grams, the DuraForce withstands shocks of different nature, and produces HD images, driven by a Snapdragon 400 chip, and backed for stellar endurance by a colossal 3,100 mAh battery.

Product	Brand	Name	Price
	Samsung	Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini G800F 16GB Unlocked Cellphone - International Version (Black)	Buy on Amazon\|$450.49(Price as of 02/20/2019 03:31 ET)

What to do if you cannot send or receive messages on your Motorola Moto G5 (easy steps)

Deemed as one of the best budget smartphones in 2017, Motorola’s 5-inch octa-core handset, the Moto G5 is packed with much tech along with good performance and jazzed up design. Overall it’s a fantastic device but just like any others not perfect. Evident of this are the number of Moto G5 users raising complaints regarding various issues from battery draining, calling, and texting.

In this post, we will tackle one of the most prevalent problems faced by many owners of the Moto G5 handset and that is with texting. If you too are having troubles sending or receiving texts (SMS) or picture messages (MMS) on the same Motorola phone, then this content might be able to help you out. Read on and find out what causes this problem to occur and what needs to be done in order to fix them.

For smartphone owners who found our site while trying to find a solution, try to see if your phone is one of the devices we support. If it is, then visit the troubleshooting page for that device, browse through it to find issues that are similar with yours and feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. However, if you still need our help after that, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Why can’t you send or receive SMS or MMS messages on your Moto G5?

Texting problems in mobile devices are often attributed to network errors like when using your device in an area that is already out of your network coverage. Another network-related factor that can cause unavailable or inaccessible network is an outage, either due to scheduled maintenance or sudden technical problems affecting network bases, cellular towers, and network systems. Other people who have encountered similar issue with sending or receiving texts or picture messages found out that the problem was due to a busted SIM card. Incorrect configuration of message settings is also a possible factor to blame especially when the problem started to surface right after altering some options and settings on the phone. Software bugs like faulty updates and bad apps installation can also inflict errors to your phone’s messaging functions.

Potential solutions to fix SMS and MMS problems on your Moto G5

As you can see, there’s a lot of things that you need to consider when dealing with messaging problems not only on the Moto G5 but also with other smartphones out there, Android or iOS. To deal with this issue, I have compiled a rundown of possible solutions and applicable workarounds for you to refer to when you need help in the troubleshooting process.

Before you begin, verify and ensure that your device is connected to your cellular network and that it is getting good signal strength. If not, then you’ll need to deal with network issues first. Otherwise, start whenever you’re all set to troubleshoot software problems your Motorola Moto G5.

First solution: Quit and restart your Messaging app.

The Moto G5 comes with pre-installed messaging apps including Hangouts and Messaging app. If you are using Hangouts as your default messaging app and this is the first time you have trouble sending or receiving SMS or MMS messages, then try to quit the app and then re-launch or open it again. Doing so will refresh the app and clears any minor glitches affecting the app’s functions. Here’s how to force close or quit Hangouts app on your Moto G5:

Touch the All Apps icon from the Home screen.
Touch Settings
Scroll down and touch Apps.
Touch to select Hangouts from the list of apps.
Touch Force Stop.
Then touch OK to confirm.

Go back to the Main/Start screen and then try to launch the Hangouts app again. Create a test message and see if you can now send and receive messages.

Second solution: Restart your phone (soft reset).

A simple restart often resolves minor errors and software issues in mobile devices. It’s possible that your messaging app is glitching and this glitch has prevented the app from performing its main functions to send and receive messages. To make sure this isn’t the case, try to restart your device. For starters, here’s how a soft reset or reboot is done on your Moto G5:

Press and hold the Power button.
Touch Power Off option then tap OK.
Wait for about 30 seconds then press and hold down the Power button again until the device powers on.

When it’s booted up, launch your messaging app then try to see if it’s already working.

If the problem persists after the first restart, then give it another shot probably 3-5 times utmost and see if it yields positive results.

Third solution: Clear app cache and data.

Clearing the app cache wipes out temporary files and frees up memory without affecting your personal settings or information but clearing the app data does. Both these clearing methods are helpful when it comes to eliminating bad segments or corrupted files in the app’s memory that might have caused you this problem. Here’s to clear the messaging app cache and data on your Moto G5:

Tap the All Apps icon from the Main screen.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap Apps.
Swipe to the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the Messaging app you are using.
Tap Clear Cache to wipe out temporary files from the app’s memory.
Tap Clear Data to wipe data stored in the app’s memory.

Once you’re done clearing cache and data from the messaging app, restart your phone and then launch the app again to test of you are now able to send and receive messages as intended.

Fourth solution: Check and install software updates.

Software updates also contain bug fixes. If ever the problem you’re dealing with is inflicted by some bugs, then installing an update will likely fix it. To check for over-the-air (OTA) updates on your Moto G5, follow these steps:

Go to the Start/Main screen and then drag the All Apps icon.
Scroll down to and touch Settings.
Select About phone.
Tap System Updates.

If you see an update notification, follow the onscreen instructions to install the software update. Otherwise, your device’s software is up to date.

When the update is successfully installed, reboot your phone then try to see if your messaging app is already working properly.

Other options

Delete suspicious messages. There are messages that embed some malware. The moment you received or open the message, the malware would start to penetrate the messaging system and eventually ruin its functions. If you receive any unusual messages like those from unknown senders with links in them, then that might be the culprit.
Manually configure APN settings. APN settings are configured automatically by default and it’s supposed to work. However, things can go wrong eventually so you may need to configure these settings on your device manually. The APN settings may vary between the type of devices and platforms (OS) they’re running on. To ensure you’re using the correct APN settings for your device, be sure to contact your carrier for further verifications.
Switch to other messaging apps. To determine whether or not the problem is isolated to the current messaging app you’re using, try to switch to a different messaging app. If you can send and receive SMS and MMS using a different app, then it clearly denotes that the previous app is at fault.
Service/repair. If you still cannot send and receive SMS or MMS using any other messaging apps, then it’s likely a more intricate system error or hardware damage. At this point, your last best option is a factory reset (master reset), if not tech service or hardware repair.

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Best quick-charging Android smartphones money can buy

Charging your phone every single night after returning from work, school or a stroll around town in order to be able to start again the next morning without losing track of your Facebook friends, favorite Twitter feeds or Pinterests might well be the most annoying modern-day chore.

It’s not only boring as heck, but you have to actually remember to do it, not to mention keeping all sorts of cables on hand and hugging walls for hours on end. Of course, some devices last longer than others, and you can always use power banks on the go whenever you need a quick, no-plug-in-necessary pick-me-up.

And let’s not forget about wireless charging, which is slowly taking off, although it’s not exactly wireless if the dock must be physically connected to an energy supply for the whole thing to function.

Finally, while it doesn’t solve the underlying problem, i.e. the constant demand for more juice, fast-charging technology at least reduces the time wasted waiting. Like many mobile inventions, this is bound to become truly useful down the line, when you’ll be able to fill up the tank in mere minutes.

But there are already numerous Android phones endowed with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 capabilities or similar functionality, and we give you today the cream of that crop:

LG G4 – starting at $371 on Amazon

Will the G5 make this old-timer look its age at last in a little over a week, with a vastly refined design, considerably beefier processor under the hood, more RAM, a better camera, and smoother UI? You can bet the farm, the house, everything you own on that.

It’ll even invigorate its battery 38 percent faster than the G4, courtesy of Snapdragon 820’s Quick Charge 3.0 support. At the same time, it’ll probably cost twice as much, and you have to wonder if it’s worth the premium. After all, last year’s leather-clad bad boy can still lift its cell capacity from 0 to 60 percent in half an hour. And mind you, we’re talking a relatively large 3,000 mAh battery.

HTC One A9 – $386 and up

If you ever wondered how an Android-running iPhone from a legit OEM might look, this somewhat disappointing upper mid-ranger is your guy. It’s slightly overpriced, we won’t argue otherwise, but it’s compatible with both Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0 standards. The bad news? You need to pay extra for one of those super-fast charger accessories.

The worse news? The A9 packs a tiny 2,150 mAh battery, so no matter how quickly you can liven it up, it’ll still leave you hanging when you might need it most. Say, during a business meeting. So yeah, better not risk it and instead buy the…

ZTE Axon Pro – $400

A costlier ZTE recommended over an affordable HTC? What exactly is the Axon Pro’s secret? Well, it’s got several strong suits, all made public and marketed quite aggressively on US shores of late. Number one, a beautiful 5.5-inch Quad HD display. 2, a somewhat gimmicky but proficient 13 + 2 MP dual rear-facing camera. 3, more RAM than you could ever need on a mobile device (4 gigs). 4, a respectable 3,000 mAh battery. Last but not least, standard fast-charging times: 30 minutes to go from 0 to 60. In a nutshell, plenty of bang for 400 bucks.

Nexus 6P – $450 through Google Store

This stock Android Marshmallow-based phablet is sure an odd duck. For one thing, it comes with a reversible USB Type-C port that isn’t however capable of 3.1 data transmission and charging speeds. Granted, a slew of other phones released in the latter stages of 2015 half-heartedly adopted the new USB technology like that, but only the N6P also lacks Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 support.

Fret not, as it’s gifted with a proprietary equivalent nonetheless, though Google and Huawei refuse to make any pompous claims regarding stamina-inducing times. Even if it takes, say, an hour to reach 50 percent volume, this is a must-buy for Android purists, what with a 3,450 mAh battery, Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB RAM, and 5.7-inch 2K screen on deck.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – $588 and up

Since Sammy was basically forced to fit a homebrewed processor inside its latest wave of high-enders, their rapid charging technology is different from Qualcomm’s too, promising a full tank in a measly 120 minutes, even wirelessly beefed up.

A full 3,000 mAh tank, that is, rated at up to 22 hours of continuous 3G talk time. Add an S Pen into the equation, all-time record low price, and we see no reason why you should hold off for the Galaxy S7. Well, aside from microSD storage expansion maybe.

Motorola Droid Turbo 2 – $624 full retail price at Verizon

As the name suggests, this turbo-charging beast uses its own personal implementation of standard QC technology, squeezing no less than 13 hours of average usage from a massive 3,760 mAh battery after only 15 minutes spent hugging a wall. Such a shame the “shatterproof” 5.4-incher isn’t available on America’s number two, three or four operators. Guess that’s one of the reasons Big Red preserves its market domination.

LG V10 – $620 and up

50 percent in 40 minutes? That’s not so impressive. It’s definitely not record-breaking or trend-setting, but overall, the V10 is. Because it’s also military-approved for shock resistance, including contact with hard surfaces, equipped with a secondary notification display that can be both an energy and life saver, plus two front-facing cameras for… double the selfies?

Clearly, you’re dealing with a one-of-a-kind product, and even if it’s not a rapid-charging champion, it gets that job done too in addition to a bunch of other strenuous jobs.

BlackBerry Priv – $698

Would this particular writer ever consider buying the Priv? No chance. Not at $700, and possibly, not at a penny over $600 either. But that’s because I’m personally not obsessed with security, and my physical QWERTY keyboard love affair ended half a decade ago.

If you’re into those sorts of things though, you know how hard it is to find them elsewhere, especially combined with open-source Android, Google apps, a beautiful curved Quad HD AMOLED panel, and large 3,410 mAh battery capable of providing 60 percent juice after 30 minutes “wasted” hooked up to a power supply.

5 Best Selfie Phone With Front LED Flash Camera Light In 2019

Do you want your smartphone to take great selfies? Then you need to be careful as to what smartphone you buy, as a lot of phones have poor front-facing cameras. They’re often blurry and hard to get any measure of quality out of. Even phones that say they have a higher megapixel count on the front end aren’t necessarily taking quality photos either. As they always say, megapixel increases doesn’t necessarily mean quality increase — just take a look at Apple’s iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy S8 for that to ring true.

Best Selfie Phone

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Samsung	Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro	420
Samsung	SAMSUNG GALAXY A6 (2018)	289.99
Motorola	Motorola Moto G6 Plus	267
Xiaomi	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro	161
Motorola	Moto X (4th Generation)	139.99

For a good selfie, you need not only high quality camera internals for capturing the perfect amount of light, but a good front LED flash as well. Be sure to follow along below, and we’ll show you the best phones you can get that meet this criteria.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

First up on our list is the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro. This phone sports a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. A pixel density of 401ppi means you’re going to get great views for your media viewing, whether that be regular YouTube videos or movies and TV. Most importantly, the J7 Pro has a phenomenal selfie cam.

On the front, you get a whopping 13-megapixel camera that takes in the perfect amount of light to take a quality selfie. It has a great LED flash function as well, which helps you take great selfies in low light scenarios. The camera isn’t necessarily wide-angle, but it can take in a lot of information at once, meaning you can get multiple people in your selfie fairly easily.

Buy it now: Amazon

Motorola Moto G6 Plus

Next up, we have the Motorola Moto G6 Plus. This phone has a great display — it’s sporting a 5.9-inch 2,160 x 1,080. It’s a massive screen that is perfect for all sorts of media consumption — TV, movies, YouTube, you name it. It has a big 3,200mAh battery to keep you powered throughout the entire day. On the rear, you get a dual 12-megapixel camera for taking high quality shots.

Around the front, you have a 8-megapixel camera capable of taking high quality selfies. And of course, you have that LED flash, too.

Buy it now: Amazon

Motorola Moto X4

Next up, we have the Moto X4. With it, you’ll get a 5.2-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display, which still isn’t bad for media consumption. You get a Snapdragon 630 processor backed by 4GB of RAM, so you can actually run some fairly demanding applications with any sort of slow downs. This phone in particular is able to work on Google’s Project Fi network as well, so you can get some pretty cheap monthly phone plans with Google, too.

As for the front selfie camera, you get a massive 16-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture. It has a good pixel size as well, and with LED flash, you’ll be taking all sorts of detailed photos.

Buy it now: Amazon

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Next, we have a fairly unheard of phone here in the US — the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. This phone has a massive 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080. The IPS LCD display will give you true colors for an enjoyable media experience. A Snapdragon 636 processor will keep your breezing through apps pretty smoothly.

It has a great front camera, too. You get a whole 20-megapixels, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro takes in the perfect amount of light for a great photo. It has f/2.2 aperture and a 1um pixel size as well as LED flash.

Buy it now: ebay

Samsung Galaxy A6

On the low end of the scale, you have the Samsung Galaxy A6. This phone has a display size of 5.6-inches with a resolution of only 1,480 x 720. It’s fairly low-end as far as the smartphones go on this list, but for those on a budget, you cannot go wrong with what the A6 has to offer. Even with its low-end package, it’s able to run Android Oreo just fine.

Around the front, you get a massive 16-megapixel selfie camera. There aren’t many frills to it, but it does have an LED flash for taking a great selfie in low light scenarios.

Buy it now: Amazon

Closing

So, which selfie smartphone should you get? If you want a high-end phone as well, you can’t go wrong with what Motorola is offering in the Moto G6 Plus. The Galaxy J7 Pro and Moto X4 aren’t bad options either; however, if you’re on a budget, the Samsung Galaxy A6 will get you through just fine.

Best Selfie Phone

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Samsung	Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro	420
Samsung	SAMSUNG GALAXY A6 (2018)	289.99
Motorola	Motorola Moto G6 Plus	267
Xiaomi	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro	161
Motorola	Moto X (4th Generation)	139.99

Best Bluetooth cell phone headsets available today (Updated for 2019)

Admit it, you don’t often think of accessories whenever in the market for a new smartphone or tablet. But if you’re wise, you remember to save a couple hundred bucks for a decent power bank, nice external speaker and especially a Bluetooth headset.

Best Bluetooth Headsets

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Plantronics	Plantronics Voyager Focus	179.44
Sennheiser Enterprise Solution	Sennheiser Bluetooth Headset	127.9
Jabra	Jabra Stealth Bluetooth Headset	86.9
Samsung	Samsung Level U Pro Bluetooth Wireless In-ear Headphones	54.98
Plantronics	Plantronics Voyager Legend Wireless Bluetooth Headset	49.99

You don’t want to be pulled over and get a ticket just because you “forgot” to tell the wife you’re going fishing with the guys. Besides, talking on the phone while driving with only one hand on the wheel can be extremely dangerous.

Then there are those times when your multitasking abilities are pushed to the limit, and you simply cannot afford to occupy one hand with a device that can niftily sit in your trouser pocket. Finally, while you’re at it, why not grab a stereo headset capable of doubling as a crisp music listening contraption? That way, you’ll save on expensive headphones and kill two birds with one stone.

Bottom line, everybody needs a Bluetooth headset, be it mono, stereo, ultra-cheap and simplistic or slightly pricier and adept at more than one task. And here we have the best options available on Amazon today, ordered from the costliest to the most affordable:

Motorola Moto Hint – $104

We could go on and on about this little guy’s controversial quality-price ratio, but at the end of the day, the equation is simple. If you own a Moto X phone, the Hint is a must-buy. If not, don’t bother. When paired with any other Bluetooth-enabled handheld, it’s “beautifully out of sight”, aka really tiny, but sketchy as far as call quality is concerned.

When used with an X, it’s a lot more than a wireless earbud, delivering notifications directly to your ear, and sending text messages via voice.

Plantronics Voyager Legend – $69.99

The name is fitting, as this long-lasting, ergonomic, retro-looking, water-resistant appliance achieved legendary status and racked up a cool four-star review average from 3,000+ Amazon customers.

Granted, it’s nowhere near as subtle as the Moto Hint, but triple mic tech can separate the user’s voice from 80 dBs of background noise, ensuring the cleanest conversations you’ve ever heard.

Jawbone Era – $69 and up

The masters of low-cost activity trackers ironically charge more for their “smallest, lightest headset” yet. But Era’s design is a winner, its range above-average (33 feet), and battery life respectable (up to 4 hours of talk time).

Obviously, it’s not meant for stereo music playing functions, however what it does it does exquisitely, eliminating background noise courtesy of NoiseAssassin 4.0 technology.

Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 – $59.99

Plantronics again? You betcha, and this time, they have a relatively inexpensive pair of wireless Hi-Fi earbud headphones for you, which you can hook up to literally any Android through thin air. The Go 2 is comfortable, compact, fairly stylish and, above all, a waterproof bluetooth headphone.

It goes without saying you won’t get Beats Studio-matching audio excellence at 60 bucks, yet Go 2’s versatility makes it an uber-smart purchase.

Jawbone Icon HD+ The Nerd – $59.97

No, the name isn’t particularly inspired, but the part Bluetooth headset, part USB audio adapter stands out with killer noise reduction abilities, HD sound, solid battery life you can easily keep tabs on via your phone, plus seven different earbuds guaranteeing perfect placement in your ear.

BlueAnt Q2 – $50.89

It’s perhaps not as resourceful and convenient as the Moto Hint, but the Q2 also relies on voice control for a slew of basic operations. Just wirelessly connect it to your phone, slip it in your ear and, whenever a voice call comes through, you can say the magic words “answer” or “ignore”, and the headset will oblige.

Of course, if you don’t know who’s ringing, voice commands are useless, so that’s where the integrated Text to Speech engine comes in. If the number reaching you is stored in your phonebook, the Q2 shall announce the name before letting you decide if you’re too “busy”. Quite nifty, don’t you think?

LG Tone Pro – $44.89 and up

Here’s another stereo headset that aims to help you not just by diverting calls away from your phone. It’s good for casual audiophiles too, and it can go on for up to 15 hours in continuous use while looking swanky and sophisticated. It’s (almost) the best of both worlds.

Motorola H720 – $39.99

The H720 may strike you as old-fashioned at a first glance (and not in a good way), and it’s certainly not a Moto Hint rival. Still, it provides up to eight hours of uninterrupted conversation, as per the manufacturer’s claims, it boasts noise reduction and echo cancellation, and works with Samsungs, LGs, HTCs and even iPhones, not only Motorolas.

Jabra Clipper – starting at $32.65

Probably the cheapest half-decent Bluetooth stereo headset these days used to cost $150, and that tells you everything you need to know about Clipper’s premium features. This bad boy can automatically switch between calls and music mode, it’s rain and shock-resistant, it alerts you of incoming caller and mobile distance, and even facilitates remote music control.

The accompanying earbuds are, according to a fair share of customer reviews, “dreadful”, but on the bright side, they’re very easy to replace.

Plantronics M50 Bluetooth Headset – $29.99

This is basically the poor man’s Voyager Legend, looking far less glamorous, renouncing water protection and easing up on the advanced noise cancelling technologies. Then again, the low price, 11-hour battery and 33 feet range have helped it cross the 6,000 customer review mark on Amazon and still keep a near-spotless four-star track record.

Mpow Swift – $29.99 and up

Wait a minute, it seems you can actually find an even cheaper pair of stereo headphones than the Jabra Clipper. Alas, the Swift isn’t extremely “complex”, plus it’s a little awkward from an aesthetical standpoint.

It’s ergonomic, comfortable and “stable” nonetheless, delivers an appropriate signal… for its price range, and lasts up to five hours of talk/playing time. Overall, it’s not the best, it’s not the worst product in the world.

Kinivo BTH240 – $24.99

Oh, come on, a 25 bucks set of large, sleek, foldable stereo headphones?!? What’s the catch? Incredibly enough, we can’t find one, other than the BTH240 isn’t waterproof, which isn’t surprising looking at the design.

Call and sound quality is reported as average at worst, the battery runs for a whopping 10 hours even in music playing, and you also get a built-in noise canceling microphone. No wonder 3,350 buyers gave Kinivo’s stellar item a weighted 4.2 star evaluation.

No-name black wireless Bluetooth 4.0 universal headset – $7.94

Forget big industry names like Motorola, LG, Jawbone or Plantronics. Amazon’s number one best seller in Bluetooth cell phone headsets is a product assembled by an obscure Chinese company probably headquartered in Shenzhen.

Worried for the possible shoddy quality of this thing? Then why not buy a couple? Half a dozen. A full dozen. At 8 bucks a pop, you can afford to replace them every other month. Funnily enough, you’re even promised “noise reduction”, “echo cancellation” and the design ain’t as bad as you’d expect. The final choice is entirely yours.

Best Bluetooth Headsets

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Plantronics	Plantronics Voyager Focus	179.44
Sennheiser Enterprise Solution	Sennheiser Bluetooth Headset	127.9
Jabra	Jabra Stealth Bluetooth Headset	86.9
Samsung	Samsung Level U Pro Bluetooth Wireless In-ear Headphones	54.98
Plantronics	Plantronics Voyager Legend Wireless Bluetooth Headset	49.99

5 Best VPN Routers In 2019

Have you noticed a downgrade in your WiFi connection? Are you experiencing security concerns? Looking for ways to access geo-restricted content? Then it might be time for an upgrade. With that in mind, there are lots of great routers out there today that can meet your needs, even ones with built-in VPNs. With the sheer amount available, this can make it very difficult to find the one that works best for you. So, to help you find the one you’re looking for, we’re showing you the 5 best VPN routers.

Best VPN Router

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Roqos	Roqos Core -Ruby- Next Generation, Intrusion Prevention, Parental Controls, Firewall WiFi VPN Router	299
Google	Google Wifi System	239.99
TP-Link	TP-Link AC2300 Wireless WiFi Router	129.99
Linksys	Linksys AC1900 Wi-Fi Wireless Dual-Band+ Router with Gigabit & USB 3.0 Ports	79.99
Motorola	Motorola AC1700 Dual-Band WiFi Gigabit Router with Extended Range	74.99

Motorola AC1700 Dual-Band

The Motorola AC1700 is a great choice for people with large homes. With 4 different fixed antennas, you should have no problem getting great high speed internet on the other end of the household. This router also comes with parental controls, allowing you to set up who can visit what sites (whitelisting and blacklisting). It’s also easy to setup a firewall, keeping all of the internet viruses and malware out of your network. With the guest network capability and the dual- core intel processor in this router, you’ll be able to set what guests can and can’t do as well as being able to run your network very fast and smoothly

Buy it now: Amazon

TP-Link AC2300

The TP-Link delivers up to 2.3GBps, making 4K streaming look like nothing. This router was built with efficiency in mind, so tons of devices can connect to this router at once with no lag spikes. This router comes with TP-Link virus protection, which automatically keeps your devices protected from devious malware or scheming cyber attackers. The TP-Link also has a 2 year warranty and 24/7 free tech support.

Buy it now: Amazon

Google NLS-1304-25

Next up, we have the Google NLS. It has an easy setup, along with the ability to kick your kids or other people off the network through the easy-to-use app. Just one of these devices covers 1,500 sq. ft. A set of three covers a home up to 4,500 sq.ft., and they work together very easily, so if you need even more coverage you can just grab another 3-pack of these routers. Another neat feature is the Network Assist, which makes sure your always on a clear channel to increase your network speeds. To make this thing even easier, it replaces your current router and modem. It also has virus protection and increase your WiFi output.

Buy it now: Amazon

Linksys AC1900

The Linksys AC1900 works well with Amazon’s Alexa, so you can control your WiFi just with your voice. This router has 3 fixed antennas to make sure you get the best coverage through your home. Dual-band speeds up to 1.9GBps allow you to have fast, efficient network speeds so you can play online, and watch movies or videos without any lag spikes! On top of all the cool bells and whistles this router has, there’s also an option to generate guest passwords so you can let all of your friends or co-workers use your WiFi without giving them full, permanent access!

Buy it now: Amazon

Roqos Core Coal

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Roqos Core Coal. It has a great setup, allowing you to decide who or what can and cannot use your WiFi. You can make your WiFi either private or public, keeping you safe from any kinds of malware! This router also has a awesome feature called ad block. It blocks any or all ads that try to pop up on your web browser or online software. This router also allows you to setup scheduled internet shutdowns, so you can easily keep your kids off the internet when they are not supposed to be on. Another great feature is the automatic updating, keeping your system up to date without making you manually start it.

Buy it now: Amazon

Verdict

There are a great amount of routers out there, and sometimes it can be confusing or difficult to choose the right one. There’s a lot of factors, such as having to make sure it’s secure and has all the right specifications. So, we made this list to help you spend less time searching for routers and more time enjoying what they have to offer! If you’re looking for a solid router with built-in VPN software, any of these will do!

Best VPN Router

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Roqos	Roqos Core -Ruby- Next Generation, Intrusion Prevention, Parental Controls, Firewall WiFi VPN Router	299
Google	Google Wifi System	239.99
TP-Link	TP-Link AC2300 Wireless WiFi Router	129.99
Linksys	Linksys AC1900 Wi-Fi Wireless Dual-Band+ Router with Gigabit & USB 3.0 Ports	79.99
Motorola	Motorola AC1700 Dual-Band WiFi Gigabit Router with Extended Range	74.99

10 Best Phones Running Android Oreo 8.0 In 2019

There are a lot of great phones out right now, but we’ve picked out the best ones that currently run on Android Oreo 8.0. Android Oreo is a fantastic Android update that’s complete with new emojis, features, and even different design. If you can’t wait to get Android Oreo, but aren’t sure which phone to pick, we’ve got you covered.

Phones Running Android Oreo 8.0

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Huawei	Huawei P20 Pro	639
Samsung	Galaxy S9	595
OnePlus	OnePlus 6	499.72
Google	Google Pixel 2 XL	335
Motorola	Motorola Moto G6 Plus	267

Galaxy S9

The Galaxy S9 is a sleek phone that screams sophistication. With so many amazing features to utilize on a daily basis, it’s completely worth the price. The camera alone is something to be sought after, and the amount of power behind the phone itself rivals all other popular phones on the market right now. Samsung really made a quality piece in the creation of the Galaxy S9.

As we mentioned, this camera is fantastic. You can say goodbye to the days of travelling and having to lug around your DSLR, because this phone is designed to actually adapt to the human eye, taking pictures that look real and not digital. Whether the sun is beating in full force or you’re sitting under the stars, you can count on the S9’s camera to produce magnificent photos. On top of that, this phone offers edge-to-edge display, which only adds to the immersive experience it already is.

Buy it now: Amazon

OnePlus 6

This awesome phone comes in 3 color options: Mirror Black (shiny), Midnight Black (matte), and Silk White (a pearlized white with rose gold accents, actually to be released on 6/5/2018). It also comes with either 64GB of storage, 128GB, and even 256GB, so you can already tell this thing is a powerhouse, even though it’s extremely slim. In the box, you’ll get the phone of your choice, as well as a Typc C Fast Charging cord and adapter.

As for the camera, you’ll be able to take crystal clear, fast photos with the 16MP and 20MP dual cameras. And while no phone is ready for a dip in the pool, the OnePlus 6 is actually designed with weather protection to keep the inner workings safe against raindrops. It’s also specifically designed to go hand-in-hand with their Bullets Wireless earphones, which will last for an entire 5 hours just after 10 minutes of charging.

Buy it now: OnePlus

Google Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 XL has been wildly popular, and we can see why. With built in stereo-grade speakers and high definition resolution, the image and sound are clear as day, perfect for listening to music, taking fantastic photos, and even just your typical scrolling. One of the awesome sound features is that wherever you are, the Google Pixel 2 XL will detect what song is playing in the background and display the name and artist at the bottom of the screen.

We could tell you just how good the camera is, but the fact that John Legend filmed a music video entirely from the Google Pixel 2 XL’s camera is enough to convey that. And, another thing that’s pretty awesome is that right now, if you buy your Google Pixel 2 XL from Google’s store, you’ll get a Google Home Mini thrown in for free. We’re sold.

Buy it now: Amazon

Motorola Moto G6 Plus

The Moto G6 Plus is a great phone for both those loyal to Motorola and newcomers alike. If you’ve never owned a phone by Motorola before, this is an awesome time to check out one of their best products yet: the Moto G6 Plus. The screen is 5.9 inches, and great for catching up on your favorite show or YouTube channel.

Reinforced Gorilla Glass will protect your Moto G6 Plus from even the roughest drops, and similar to the Galaxy S9, it features edge-to-edge display for an even better experience. And because it includes and is charged with a TurboPower charger, your phone battery will last all day, and can be charged in just a few minutes.

Buy it now: Amazon

Huawei P20 Pro

This phone by Huawei is unlike any other phone you’ve seen before. First of all, you can get it with a gradient finish, either in Twilight (rich purple to cobalt blue), or Pink Gold. The edge-to-edge, Nature Tone display is 6.1 inches. Natural Tone display means that your screen will darken or lighten, depending on the room lighting, just as if you were using paper.

As for the camera, this is the first one of its kind. It’s a Leica Triple Camera, designed to take extremely clear photos that have a professional finish, no matter the lighting situation you’re in. The camera is 40 MP, which blows so many rivaling phone cameras out of the water. On top of that, it has a 5X Hybrid Zoom, so when you zoom in to small details at a distance, you won’t lose high resolution.

Buy it now: Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Coming as our next contender, we have the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. If you want something with a big screen, the Galaxy Note 9 will easily satisfy you. The screen itself comes in at a whopping 6.4-inches in size. And since it’s a Super AMOLED panel, you’ll get deep and rich colors. It’s actually pretty unique because of its massive dual-curved display. The curved edges provide a unique screen perspective, and also add some more capabilities to the smartphone — software features like People Edge, Apps Edge, and more. And, of course, it’s running on the latest version of Android!

Buy it now: Amazon

LG V35 ThinQ

The LG V35 ThinQ is next up on our list, and is one of our favorites because it was designed for those who like to be creative, such as with photo or video taking. The V35 ThinQ supports 4K video recording, giving you crisp and clear quality that you haven’t seen before. Not only that, but one of the unique things about the LG’s V series is all of the manual controls you can mess with within the software — easily adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and more. Not only that, but it ships with Android Oreo out of the box.

Buy it now: Amazon

Essential Phone

Want a luxury phone in your life with bleeding edge Android software? Then Essential Phone will be right up your alley. Crafted out of titanium and ceramic, this phone is supposed to be gorgeous and luxury. On the 5.71-inch display, you get the best screen-to-body ratio on any smartphone with super thin bezels. It’s nearly a full-screen display! On top of that, it brings a stock Android software experience, essentially what Andy Rubin envisioned an Android phone being. If you want a luxury smartphone at a small price, you can’t get any better than the Essential Phone right now. It ships with the latest version of Android on-board.

Buy it now: Amazon

LG G7 ThinQ

Next up, we have LG’s G7 ThinQ. This one is slightly better than the LG V35 ThinQ in our opinion, as the LG G7 is LG’s actual flagship phone for the year. It works flawlessly, and has a lot of bells and whistles that consumers will love. This phone comes with a massive 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Full Vision display. Similar to the Essential Phone, LG worked to give this phone a full-display with little bezel — it’s an experience like no other. You get a pretty stellar dual 16-megapixel camera (two 16MP sensors) that gives you the ability to take wide angle shots. Overall, it’s a premium smartphone on the latest version of Android not worth passing up!

Buy it now: Amazon

Galaxy Note 8

Smartphone pricing is a big deal these days. In late 2018, and now coming into 2019, we’re seeing phones that are breaking that $1000 barrier, and can cost well up to $1500 depending on storage choices. And that’s why you might want to consider something a little older, but just as fast. The Galaxy Note 8 still a phenomenal smartphone, even if the Galaxy Note 9 is here. It still features that large display and a decent size battery — a whole 3,300mAh, actually. Not only that, but Galaxy Note 8 has been upgraded to Android Oreo as well.

Buy it now: Amazon

Verdict

These are all great phones, and we’re excited for you to try them. If you already have one, or are planning on picking one up, we’d love to know your thoughts and feedback on the product in the comments section.

Phones Running Android Oreo 8.0

Brand	ProductAmazon.com Link	Price on Amazon.com
Huawei	Huawei P20 Pro	639
Samsung	Galaxy S9	595
OnePlus	OnePlus 6	499.72
Google	Google Pixel 2 XL	335
Motorola	Motorola Moto G6 Plus	267

How to fix a Motorola Moto E4 that’s not charging or able to charge but very slow [Troubleshooting Guide]

When a smartphone suddenly won’t charge, it may be just experiencing some random software glitches, halting the charging system from carrying out the usual routine. Most charging issues in mobile devices are in fact attributed to software errors and that means they’re fixable by end-users. As long as the charger is working and the device didn’t get wet or fall, there’s always a way to deal with the problem. Highlighted in this context are some recommended workarounds to deal with charging issues on a Motorola Moto E4 smartphone. Read on to find out what to do if your Moto E4 suddenly won’t charge or is charging very slowly.

If your Moto E4 is able to charge but very slowly, then you’re most likely dealing with a software problem. In that case, you can try any of these workarounds.

First workaround: End all background apps then reboot your phone.

Background apps could be the main culprit especially if they crashed or got corrupted. Background apps are comprised of applications you’ve recently opened or used but not closed. They remain running in the background and ready to launch whenever triggered. Unfortunately, any of these background apps can give into random errors and eventually halts other phone functions. To make sure this isn’t what’s causing charging problems on your device, clear all recent apps from your Moto E4 with these steps:

Tap the Recent Apps icon from the Home screen. Doing so will show up a list of recently used or opened apps.
Swipe an app to the left or right to remove the application.

Do the same until all apps are closed. After clearing all background apps, reboot/soft reset your Moto E4 with these steps:

Press the Power button for a few seconds then release when the menu appears.
Select Power off then tap OK. Your phone will then shut down.
After 30 seconds, press the Power button to turn the phone on again.

Alternatively, you can force restart your Moto E4 with these steps:

Press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds.
Release the button when the phone restarts and goes through the boot-up sequence.

A soft reset or reboot dumps errant cache and temporary data thus refresh the internal memory and operating system.

Second workaround: Check battery usage and manage apps.

A device that’s suddenly charging very slowly may have something in it that’s rapidly consuming the battery. In this case, what really happens is that your phone is charging in a normal pace but since something is rapidly draining its power, it appeared to be charging very slowly as it takes longer for the battery to become fully charged. In most cases, rogue apps and services are the main culprits. You can see what subsystem, component, or application is using the most power on your Moto E4 with these steps:

Tap the Apps icon.
Tap Settings.
Then tap Battery.

A new screen containing the details of battery usage will then show up. Check and see which app is consuming the most power of your phone. If you see something unusual with an app’s power consumption, then you need to manage that app. You may have to disable that app temporarily or remove it from your device completely. Should you prefer the latter, then follow these steps to delete/uninstall the errant app from your Moto E4:

Tap the Apps icon.
Tap Play Store.
Tap Menu.
Go to My apps & games.
Locate the app that you want to delete.
Tap to select the app and then tap Uninstall.
If prompted, to OK to confirm app deletion.

Reboot your device when you’re done uninstalling errant applications.

Third workaround: Update phone software to the latest version available.

Updates can sometimes cause problems including battery draining issues in mobile devices. But they’re originally intended to offer benefits including new features, enhanced functionality and security patches to get rid of any existing bugs and malware. Should the charging problem you’re dealing with is attributed to some malware or software bugs, then installing updates will likely deal with it. That said, check for any system software update available for your Moto E4 with these steps:

Tap the Apps menu icon.
Tap Settings.
Tap System.
The tap System Updates.

Installing app updates can also help especially if errant apps are to blame. App updates also offer security patches to clear any bugs and malware that may have caused the app to go rogue. If you haven’t set your device or apps to install available updates automatically, then you can manually check for and install pending updates for your apps. Here’s how:

Tap the Apps icon to view the list of your apps.
Tap Play Store.
Tap Menu.
Tap My apps & games.
A list of apps with pending updates will then appear on the upper part of the screen.
If multiple pending app updates are available, then tap the option to Update All apps simultaneously.
To update individual apps, tap the Update button next to the name of the application.

Once you’re done installing pending updates for your apps, reboot/soft reset your Moto E4 to ensure that all new changes are properly applied and likewise prevent any apps from going rogue.

Fourth workaround: Factory data reset via Android recovery mode (external reset).

If your phone is able to charge up to 50 percent, then you can perform an external reset to clear fatal system errors that might have caused the charging system to act up. This however should only be considered among the last resort because it will wipe everything from the phone including downloaded apps, customizations, downloaded files, and personal data. Should you wish to continue, back up all your important files then follow these steps to carry out an external reset on your Moto E4 and restore its factory defaults:

With your phone powered off, press and hold the Power button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until your phone boots up.
Then press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Recovery Mode.
Press the Power button to confirm recovery mode restart. An Android bot image with a red exclamation mark will then show up.
When you see this image, press the Volume Up button while holding down the Power button.
Then press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight wipe data/factory reset option.
Press the Power button to confirm selection.
Press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Yes — erase all user data option.
Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
Allow your device to complete the reset process and restore the factory default settings.

Your phone will then reboot once the reset is finished. By then you can proceed with the initial setup process. Any software-related problems including slow charging should now be cleared.

If your Moto E4 is not charging at all, then refer to these subsequent charging tips:

Use only the original (OEM) charger/charging equipment. Third-party chargers may not be compatible with your phone’s charging system and therefore won’t work. If possible, use only the charger that comes with your device. If you have a spare OEM charger, then you can try using that to determine if the problem is with the original charger or not.
Charge from the right power source. To ensure your device is getting enough power input, charge it from a power source or wall outlet. Other charging ports may not be able to supply the right amount of power for your device to charge faster. Make sure that the power outlet or source you’re using is working. Try to switch between power sources or wall outlets, if necessary.
Clean the charging port from dust or lint. Dust or lint clogged in the charging port may bar contact from the charger. As a result, the phone may not be able to charge or experience on and off charging. Check the charging port and make sure there’s no dirt or lint stuck in it.
Remove third-party casing phone accessories. Third-party casing or protective case may also cause loss contact between the charging port and the charger especially if it doesn’t fit well with your phone. To make sure this isn’t the cause, try to remove any casing from your device and then charge it again.

Other options

If nothing else works and your Motorola Moto E4 is still not charging or able to charge but very slowly, then you should now consider taking a trip to a service center. There may be some sort of physical or liquid damage on any of your phone components like the battery perhaps, that’s preventing it from charging properly. And should there be any hardware damage, then that would need some repair.

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How to fix Motorola Moto G5 screen flickering problem? [Troubleshooting Guide]

Several factors can cause a phone screen to flicker. It could be a minor or major problem to deal with. And based on what most people have encountered, screen brightness, bad apps, and screen damage appeared to be the common culprits. The problem can be regarded as minor issue if it’s just inflicted by software malfunctions. But if it involves damaged screen components, then that could be tagged as a major issue. In cases like this, a technician’s aid would be necessary.

In this context, I’ll explicate some common instances that could cause screen flickering problem on a particular device that is the Moto G smartphone. Read on and learn how to deal with this problem at home before rushing to a service center for hardware assessment and/or repair.

Dealing with screen flickering problem can be annoying especially if you spend more time on your phone screen. This leaves you no choice but to do something and fix the problem as soon as possible. Assuming that the screen flickering issue transpiring on your Moto G5 is attributed to a software error, the following procedures will likely be able to fix it.

First solution: Boot your device into safe mode.

Booting your device in Safe Mode will help you determine whether or not a third-party app is causing your phone screen to flicker. All third-party apps are bypassed or temporarily disabled in this mode, thus leaving all stock apps to run on your phone. Here’s how to active safe mode on your Moto G5:

Navigate to the Home screen then press and hold the Power key for a few seconds until you see the Power off menu.
After a few seconds, release the Power key then tap and hold the option to Power Off.
Read the Reboot to safe mode message and tap OK to confirm. Your device then powers off and restarts in safe mode.
Swipe the screen to unlock your device. If prompted, enter your screen lock to proceed.

You should then see a Safe Mode watermark at the bottom left corner of the screen. This indicates that safe mode is now enabled. Use your device as you usually do while in safe mode and see if the screen flickering reoccurs.

If the screen flickering problem on your Moto G5 disappears while in safe mode, then it denotes that a third-party app is causing it. And to fix the problem, you need to remove the bad apps from your phone. Follow these steps to uninstall bad apps in safe mode:

Navigate to the Settings menu.
Tap Apps.
Select All Apps in the dropdown menu at the top.
Tap to select the suspected app you want to remove.
Tap Uninstall then OK to confirm.

After the app is uninstalled, restart your Moto G5 and see if that fixes the screen flickering problem. If the problem reoccurs, delete other apps you suspect is causing conflict with your phone’s display function.

Second solution: Wipe cache partition through recovery mode.

Wiping the cache partition can also help especially if the screen flickering problem on your Moto G5 is triggered by corrupted temporary files in the system cache partition. This can yield similar positive results as a factory reset does without losing any critical data and personal information from the phone. Here’s how it’s done:

Power off your device.
Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously until the device powers on.
Press the Volume Down button until the flag next to the Power button reads Recovery Mode.
Press the Power button to restart your device into Recovery Mode. An Android logo with No Command label will then show up on the screen.
While holding down the Power button, press and release the Volume Up button.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe cache partition then press the Power key to confirm selection.
Clearing of the cache partition will then instigate and once it’s finished, the Reboot system now option is highlighted.
Press the Power key to confirm selection.

Your device then reboots automatically. Wait until it boots up completely then see if that fixes the problem.

Third solution: Master reset or factory reset.

A flickering display that is triggered by more intricate software errors may be able to withstand the prior procedures and therefore requires a full system reset. As your last resort, you may opt to proceed with a factory reset on your Moto G5. This however will wipe out all your data and personal information stored on the phone. But on the positive note, it will also clear your phone system from any type of bugs and complex errors that triggered your phone screen to render such a troubled display. Should you wish to proceed, don’t forget to back up all your critical data and then follow these steps:

Tap Settings from Home screen.
Scroll down and tap Backup & reset.
If necessary, enable the option to Back Up My Data to turn Automatic restore Off.
Tap Factory Data Reset.
Then tap Reset Phone to confirm.

Alternatively, you can perform an external reset using the hardware keys especially if the phone’s menu is inaccessible or not that visible. Before you proceed with an external reset, make sure your device has at least 30 percent of battery power left. Again everything will be deleted in this process so creating a backup is still necessary. Once you’re all set, follow these steps:

Power off your device.
Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously until the device powers on.
Press the Volume Down button until the flag next to the Power button reads Recovery Mode.
Press the Power button to restart your device into Recovery Mode. An Android logo with No Command label will then show up on the screen.
While holding down the Power button, press and release the Volume Up button.
Then press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Wipe data/factory reset option.
Press the Power button to confirm selection.
Press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Yes — erase all user data.
Then press the Power button again to confirm selection.

The factory reset will then instigate. When it’s done your phone reboots. By then you may proceed to initial setup.

Seek further assistance

It’s possible that the screen or motherboard has obtained some damage from a previous instance of dropping or liquid exposure. In this case, the screen flickering on your Moto G5 is a vivid symptom of hardware damage. It therefore denotes that service is required. At this juncture, you may set up a date to take your Moto G5 to a nearest service center in your place. Apparently, nothing much more can be done to fix the problem on your end.

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How to unfreeze your frozen Motorola Moto E4 (easy fix)

Freezing problems are actually common to Android devices. In fact, we have so many readers who contacted us about regarding similar problems. Among those who reached out to us are Motorola Moto E4 users who reported that their devices stopped working all of the sudden and is frozen or no longer respond to their commands. We have to address this problem in this post for the benefit of our readers.

Assuming your device hasn’t been dropped on a hard surface or got wet, then this issue is pretty minor and you don’t need a technician to make it respond again. But if the problem actually started after a significant event that could have damaged the hardware, then there’s no point in troubleshooting it because you can only do so much about hardware problems. In such case, I suggest you bring the phone to the shop. On the other hand, if the problem occurred without apparent reason or cause, then continue reading.

How to make your frozen Moto E4 respond again

While this problem may seem like a very serious hardware issue, in reality, it’s not. In fact, based on our experience, it’s just one of the things that could happen if the firmware crashes. You can actually fix it on your own without any help from a technician. With that said, here’s what you should do about it:

First solution: Forced Restart

If you’re familiar with battery pull procedure that we often do to phones with removable batteries when they crash, well, it’s similar to that only that we do this with phones that have non-removable batteries.

Your Moto E4 is hard-wired to do this method if the combination is done correctly. In fact, it’s the only thing that could make your device respond if the problem is indeed a firmware crash. This is how you do it:

Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key simultaneously for 10 seconds or more.

If the combination is performed correctly, your Moto E4 will reboot normally and boots up to the Home screen. You can then continue to use it however, there’s no guarantee the problem would never happen again in the future.

On the other hand, if it doesn’t respond to it, then try doing this:

Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it.
Press and hold the power key while holding down the volume down button.
Keep both keys held down together for 10 seconds or so.

It’s basically the same as the procedure above only that we’re making sure you press and hold the volume down button before the power key because doing it otherwise won’t give you similar result. If your phone is still not respond to this, however, then move on to the next procedure.

Second solution: Try charging your phone and do the Forced Reboot again

Another possibility we have to consider is a drained battery. Of course you can immediately rule this out if your phone is frozen on a screen that still shows a picture. For instance, if you were texting when the phone crashed and the screen is frozen on the screen that shows your text. But then again, if that’s the case then the first solution should have already fixed the problem. So, if your device is stuck on a black screen and won’t respond, then there’s a possibility that the battery got drained plus the fact that the system may have crashed just before the battery runs empty. To rule this out, all you have to do is this…

Plug the charger to a working wall outlet and make sure you’re using the original wired charger.
Using the original power / data cable, connect your device to its charger.
Regardless whether the charging signs are showing or not, allow the phone to be connected to its charger for 10 minutes.
After which, press and hold the Volume Down button and don’t release it.
Then, press and hold the Power key while holding down the Volume Down button.
Keep both keys held down together for 10 seconds or more to simulate battery disconnect.

If the issue occurred due to a drained battery and firmware crash, your Moto E4 should already be booting up by now. But if it still not responding, then it’s time to bring it back to the shop so that a technician can check it for you.

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