Save $150 on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and get started on your fitness journey

As you may have heard, the first Samsung Unpacked of the year is coming up very soon, and it will include information on the Samsung Galaxy S21 and more. But for frugal shoppers, new technology unveils mean something else entirely… big savings on what is now “outdated” gear! Most Samsung products are on the bleeding edge of technology, so year-old tech is still better than current tech for other companies. One item that’s on a deep discount now that it’s 2021? The Galaxy Watch Active 2.

There are more than a few reasons to get the Galaxy Watch Active 2 now, as well. It’s the start of the new year, which means that many have their New Year’s resolutions in mind. Many people have health and fitness in mind for the new year in the best of times, but even more for 2021, as most of us spent a lot of last year cooped up. The Active 2 is perfect for tracking your health, with readings for your heart rate, automatically tracking exercises, and more. The Active 2’s battery also lasts more than a day on a single charge. Track your health all day, then charge it up at night!

Also, even though I have the Galaxy Fit 2, I find the Samsung Health app very helpful. The app tracks everything you’d need to know about your health, whether it comes from the Active 2 or you are entering it manually, and it does so easily. I had a lot of trouble finding one app to do everything health-related that I wanted it to do, and Samsung Health comes very, very close to having everything I need. Coupled with a smartwatch like the Galaxy Watch Active 2, the app does a great job tracking what you need to know for healthier habits.

Right now, on Amazon, the 44mm model of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is $150 off, which brings the total down to $250. You can also sign up for a payment plan and pay $50 over five months! No Prime Rewards card is needed.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm)

Looking to track your health this year? The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a great option. Save $150 on this smartwatch and get healthy in 2021!

Buy at Amazon

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The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and N100 land in the US for $299/$179

OnePlus, which is gearing up for their first 2021 flagship release, recently wandered into all-new territory with the launch of the OnePlus Nord lineup. First, it was an incursion into the mid-range scene with the widely praised OnePlus Nord, and then the company also dipped their toes into the budget smartphone market with the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the OnePlus Nord N100. Confusing names aside, these phones bring some of the features that made newer OnePlus devices so great, such as the software, at a lower price point.

There was one problem with the release of these two phones back in October: They weren’t made available in North America. While we’re still not getting the higher-end OnePlus Nord in North America (bummer), both the Nord N10 5G and the Nord N100 are getting a U.S. and Canada release at long last. These are OnePlus’ entries in the lower mid-range/budget range of the smartphone spectrum, and while unapologetically lackluster in terms of specs, they’re still solid entries at their respective price points. They do away with a lot of signature OnePlus features, such as the alert slider and the AMOLED display, but what you’re getting is not bad at all for the price.

Let’s do a brief recap on the specs. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G, as you may have guessed by the name, comes with support for 5G connectivity thanks to the Snapdragon 690 chipset that powers it, so it’s the cheapest 5G device in OnePlus’s lineup so far. You’re also getting a 64MP quad-camera, up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, a 1080p LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 4,300 mAh battery. So it’s a pretty respectable entry, albeit one that’s unusual for OnePlus. It’s, for the most part, your average low-mid-range.

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G

Then, the OnePlus Nord N100 lowers the bar even more: The camera gets a downgrade to a triple 13MP setup, the SoC gets a downgrade to the 4G-only Snapdragon 460, the display gets a downgrade to a 720p panel (although it still manages to support a 90Hz refresh rate), and you only get up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is a configuration we haven’t seen in a OnePlus device since the OnePlus 2. The battery gets a bump up to 5,000 mAh, though, and given the low-end specs this phone is carrying, it’s probably going to last pretty long on a single charge.

The OnePlus Nord N100

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G will be available for $299 USD in the U.S. and $389 CAD in Canada, while the cheaper OnePlus Nord N100 will only set you back $179 USD in the U.S. and $239 CAD in Canada. This makes for an excellent value proposition given the current prices of other low-mid-range phones in these markets. Furthermore, in the U.S., these devices will be available exclusively through T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile, meaning these are the first OnePlus phones to be available for prepaid customers.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Forums ||| OnePlus Nord N100 Forums

Are you planning to get either of these phones?

Specification	OnePlus Nord N10 5G	OnePlus Nord N100
Display	6.49-inch with 90Hz refresh rate	6.52-inch
SoC	Snapdragon 690	Snapdragon 460
RAM & Storage	6GB of RAM 128GB of storage (microSD expandable to 512GB)	4GB of RAM 64GB of storage
Battery & Charging	4,300mAh Warp Charge 30T	5,000mAh
Rear Camera(s)	64MP main lens 8MP ultra-wide 2MP macro 2MP monochrome	13MP main lens 2MP bokeh 2MP macro
Front Camera(s)	16MP	8MP
Port(s)	USB-C 3.5mm audio jack	USB-C 3.5mm audio jack
Software	Oxygen OS 10.5	Oxygen OS 10.5
Other Features	Rear fingerprint sensor	Rear fingerprint sensor

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Tell Google Assistant to “Eat a 5 Star” and watch it do… nothing

Ever since its debut in 2016, the Google Assistant has helped millions of people around the world complete a myriad of tasks using simple voice commands. Over the years, the number of supported voice commands has grown to an extent that the Assistant can now help you with everything from setting the alarm to tracking a shipment. But while a vast majority of the supported commands are designed to help you get stuff done, the Assistant does support a few fun commands that aim to keep you entertained.  But even these fun commands ensure that the Google Assistant is doing something useful, at least to a certain degree. However, a new command launched in partnership with Cadbury India completely goes against this theme and makes the Assistant completely useless, intentionally.

This command, which has been around for a few weeks now, activates the Google Assistant’s “Do Nothing mode,” which converts the Assistant from a helpful companion to one that wants you to chill for a bit. You can activate this new mode on your phone by saying, “OK Google, Eat a 5 star”. Then, as you can see in the attached screenshot, all subsequent commands generate responses that are far from being useful.

According to the official listing, the Google Assistant’s Do Nothing mode is designed to prevent the Assistant from doing anything productive. It states: “While the Google Assistant helps you become more PRODUCTIVE, with the 5 Star Do Nothing Mode it gives you more PERSPECTIVE. It will act like a chilled-out friend who is always by your side, motivating you to take it easy, and just do nothing.”

A promotional video from the chocolate manufacturer further highlights some of the commands you can try while using the Do Nothing mode and the kind of responses you may receive from the Google Assistant. The video also highlights that the feature supports Hindi queries. I tested it on my device and, while getting it to work for the first time was a bit iffy, once the mode was enabled, the Google Assistant did come up with a bunch of cheeky replies. Since this is a regional command, you’ll have to ensure that the Assistant language is set to English (India) for it to work as intended. The intention is uselessness and humor, in line with the marketing and promotion around the chocolate bar, so keep your expectations aligned.

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The Google Podcasts website now shows your “latest episodes” subscription feed

Over the last year, Google made some major changes to the Google Podcasts web experience in an attempt to get it at par with the service’s Android app. The Google Podcasts website first received a proper homepage back in February last year, which only showed users suggestions and trending shows. A few months down the line, the homepage received new categories, personalized suggestions, and a “Your subscriptions” carousel. However, the Google Podcasts website still lacks a couple of crucial features that are available on the Android app.

Thankfully, Google hasn’t slowed down its efforts to improve the web experience. The company is now rolling out a “Latest episodes” feed to the Google Podcasts website that lets you quickly browse through new episodes from your subscriptions.

According to a recent report from 9to5Google, the new “Latest episodes” subscription feed in the web client is identical to the one that appears within the Home tab on the Google Podcasts Android app. As you can see in the attached screenshot, the homepage now shows the new latest episodes feed right underneath the “Your subscriptions” carousel. The feed lists down all the latest episodes from your subscriptions, with the listing featuring the show art, publish time, title, and a brief show description. Each listing also features a play button underneath the description that notes the duration of the episode.

While it isn’t clear when this change rolled out, the report claims that it’s available widely. You should see the new Latest episodes subscription feed right on the homepage, instead of the Explore page, when you open Google Podcasts on the web. It’s worth noting that the change comes just weeks after Google rolled out another new feature in the Google Podcasts app on Android, which lets you subscribe to RSS feeds for private shows.

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Unofficial LineageOS 17.1 brings Android 10 to the Honor 5X

The smartphone industry is known for being fast-paced, with new devices coming out one after the other. With all the rapid releases and the shiny new hardware, people often forget that devices that have already been launched do not necessarily become unusable just because their successors have been released. Regarding the obvious lack of official software updates in the long run, we are constantly impressed by some of the feats pulled off by third-party developers in our forums. While Android 11 is the latest Android dessert, Android 10 is still a new thing for some legacy devices. The latest device that joined the Android 10 family is Honor 5X, which has just received an unofficial port of LineageOS 17.1.

Honor 5X XDA Forums

For users of the Honor 5x (code-name: “kiwi”) who are still using this humble device from 2016, there is absolutely no chance that Huawei/Honor will bring over Android 10 to this phone that was launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop and upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The software in this phone predates the Project Treble times by several years, so you can’t just flash a GSI on it. Your best bet for trying out new releases would be to unlock the bootloader, flash a compatible custom recovery and load up a custom ROM. Luckily, thanks to the efforts of XDA Senior Member BadDaemon, the Honor 5X community can have a taste of Android 10 on their smartphones in the form of LineageOS 17.1.

A custom ROM is a great way to breathe new life into an Android smartphone, especially ones as old as the Honor 5X. Often it is the case that a custom ROM runs better than the stock ROM on your phone can, so it’s at the very least worth giving a try. Visit the thread linked below for the download link and instructions on how to flash the unofficial LineageOS 17.1 build for the device.

Download unofficial LineageOS 17.1 for the Honor 5X

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OnePlus Nord gets its first OxygenOS Open Beta with Android 11 and more

It looks like the OnePlus software team is having a productive holiday season, as they just released the first Open Beta build of Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 for the OnePlus Nord. It was yesterday when the company shared its Android 11 update roadmap that included the OnePlus Nord and the OnePlus 7/7T series, promising that an OxygenOS Open Beta for the OnePlus Nord would go live this week. Keeping to its word, the Chinese OEM today announced the first public Android 11 beta for the OnePlus Nord.

OnePlus Nord XDA Forums

Here is the stated changelog for the Android 11 Open Beta 1 update for the OnePlus Nord:

• System
  • Update to Android 11 version
  • Fresh new UI visual design brings you a more comfortable experience with various optimizations of details
  • Optimize the stability of some third-party applications and improve user experience
• Ambient Display
  • Newly added Insight clock style, a joint creation with Parsons School of Design. It will change according to the phone usage data ( To set: Settings > Customization > Clock Style)
  • Added Canvas feature that can automatically draw a wireframe picture based on a lock screen photo on your phone（Path：Settings-Customization-Wallpaper-Canvas-Choose photo preview and it can be generated automatically）
  • Newly added 10 new clock styles ( To set: Settings > Customization > Clock Style)
• Dark Mode
  • Added the shortcut key for Dark Mode, pull down the quick setting to enable.
  • Supporting automatically turn on feature & customize time range. path: Settings – Display – Dark Mode – Turn on automatically – Automatically enable from sunset to sunrise / Custom time range
• Shelf
  • Newly shelf interface design, the interface is clearer
  • Added weather widget, animation effect smarter
• Gallery
  • Supporting Story function, automatically form weekly videos with photos and video in storage
  • Optimize the loading speed of the gallery, and the image preview is faster

Since this is the inaugural Open Beta build for the OnePlus Nord, the company has posted full-sized update packages on the announcement thread. You can grab the region-specific flashable ZIP file and use the Local upgrade method to switch from the stable branch to Open Beta (and vice-versa). Although your personal data shouldn’t be affected during upgrading to the Open Beta build, reverting back to the stable channel of OxygenOS will lead to a wipe, so do perform a backup beforehand.

Download: OxygenOS Open Beta 1 based on Android 11 for the OnePlus Nord

The Android 11 Open Beta release is nearly 3GB in size so make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network before downloading it. OnePlus also recommends you have at least 30% of battery left and 3GB of storage available on your device before you proceed to install the software update.

Open Beta 1 for the OnePlus Nord:

• Global
• India

Rollback packages for shifting from Open Beta to Stable branch:

• Global
• India

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the tip!

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These are the best Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals right now in January 2021

Samsung’s second-generation foldable phone has been available to buy for a while now and as we said in our Galaxy Z Fold 2 review, it’s pretty great! The Galaxy Z Fold 2 brings several improvements including a new hinge that can be stopped at any angle, a wider front screen, a pinhole camera instead of that awful notch, and far more. There are also optimizations thanks to close partnerships with Google, where Duo and YouTube display controls on half the screen and video on the other half, and Microsoft, where you can work on a Powerpoint and Excel sheet side-by-side from within the Office app.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a $1,999 MSRP in the US. Although fairly expensive, it’s only priced at $20 more than the price of the original Galaxy Z Fold, despite the vast range of improvements it brings. For what we at XDA think was the best overall smartphone of 2020, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is worth the price of admission. We have collected all relevant information on the best Galaxy Z Fold 2 deals below!

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Best Unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals in the US

In the US, you can pick up your Z Fold 2 with a unique hinge from the Samsung Store, or save a little money at Best Buy.

Samsung

Samsung is doing things differently with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, allowing you to customize it and truly make it your own. You have a choice of hinge colors so you can get creative with the style of your phone. If you place a pre-order, you can get up to $1,000 credit when you trade-in the Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Z Flip, or up to $650 with other devices.

Galaxy Z Fold 2

Forget the rest of the deals – if you want to save a bundle on your unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 2 and have a recent phone, Samsung's trade-in offer is the best. You can get up to $650 credit and if you have the original Z Flip or Galaxy Fold, you can save $1,000 on your new Galaxy Z Fold 2!

Trade-in at Samsung and save

Best Buy

Depending on what you’re looking for, you can get some Galaxy Z Fold 2 deals at Best Buy. For an unlocked phone, you’ll save $50 if you activate today, but you need to cough up the remaining amount upfront. If you need a payment plan, you can sign up for a Verizon carrier phone for a 24-month payment plan, or AT&T for a 30-month payment plan.

Galaxy Z Fold 2

If you want to save on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and don't have a trade-in, Best Buy will give you a small discount for activating at time of sale. Best Buy is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 2 either unlocked or with Verizon and AT&T, in both Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze.

See all the options at Best Buy!

Amazon

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is available again on Amazon! You can buy the phone now and have it at your door in two days with Prime shipping. While Amazon isn’t offering any sort of discount at this time, the ease of ordering through Amazon might be enough to entice those that don’t have a phone to trade-in.

Galaxy Z Fold 2

Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2 at Amazon, for a hassle-free time! While Amazon doesn't have a deal for the foldable right now, if you don't have a good trade-in value on your phone, the convenience may be worth it.

Buy at Amazon

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Best Carrier Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals in the US

Of course, some major carriers are also selling the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Here are the best deals for each of them:

Verizon

Get your Galaxy Z Fold 2 on Verizon! On Verizon’s standard device payment program, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will cost you $83.33 per month over 24 months ($1999 retail price). They also have no last then 10 promos available for the device, which is… a lot. Here are the highlights:

• Buy one Galaxy Z Fold 2, get another for $1,000 off (one must be a new line)
  • Alternatively, it’s buy one, get one $500 off with Select Unlimited plans
• Get up to $550 in trade-in value with a new line, or $440 trade-in value with an upgrade.
• Get a free year of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now

Galaxy Z Fold 2

Get the full power of Verizon's 5G mmWave network with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Verizon has a range of promotions available, including big discounts and free goodies.

See the Deals at Verizon

AT&T

Have a phone to trade-in? You can save up to $700 on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, as long as you are going for an Unlimited plan! Additionally, you can save 50% on the Galaxy Buds Live when purchasing your new Samsung phone. Just add the Galaxy Buds Live to your cart, and the discount will pop up at checkout!

Galaxy Z Fold 2

If you're on AT&T and want the Galaxy Z Fold 2, it's available for just $66.67 per month on a new 30-month payment plan. You can also save 50% on Galaxy Buds Live!

$66.67/month at AT&T

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Whether you’re deciding to enter the foldable phone market with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 or a returning foldable veteran, it’s always great to save on such a high-end purchase. More money saved on the phone means more funds available for cases and skins, after all!

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