Author: Clinton

As is often the case with new phones, the question is always “how can I get that wallpaper?”.  The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are no exception to this question and now you can get it.  Thanks to some engineering folks who have extracted it from the phone’s ROM, you can now download it and put it on your current device.

The wallpaper measures 2154 x 2560 so you can use it on your current Android phone or tablet and likely on most laptops without much pixelization.  I have added to below the break for those interested and you can download it along with hundreds of other wallpapers on the Wallpaper page here on the site.

Amid reports of replacement units catching fire, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have all stopped selling the Samsung Galaxy Note7.  The carriers are all offering their customers either refunds or the option to select another phone from their lineup.  The news comes at the same time as reports have surfaced that Samsung themselves are “adjusting” the production of the Note7 with some suggested it has been stopped outright.

While it may not be clear what Samsung will do with the Note7, what is clear is that the device and to a lesser extent Samsung themselves are tainted and have lost an amount of trust with consumers.

For those who have the ClintonFitch.com app installed, there is an update coming your way.  I pushed version 6.0.4 to the Play Store earlier today which has several improvements and fixes in it.  Most notably from a visual perspective, the menu is a lot cleaner and a bit easier to navigate than in the previous build.  I’ve also updated the API level of the app which means it will no longer work on devices running anything lower than Android KitKat at this point.  Based on statistics I don’t think this will impact anyone with the app installed, but be aware if you are on an older device.

Asus has opened up pre-orders on the new ZenFone 3 Deluxe on their website.  The 5.5″ phone with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is $399 and it is unlocked.  That means it will work with any GSM carrier here in the United States.  According to the website, the phone will start shipping on October 12, 2017.  The ZenFone 3 Deluxe is just one of a series of phone that Asus announced late this summer and is certainly one of the more affordable with a lot of bang for your buck.  It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor running at 2 GHz, it has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of Storage which can be expanded up to an additional 2TB thanks to the Micro SD slot.  The ZF3 is also a dual-SIM phone and it has a 5.5″ display that renders Full HD and is protected by Gorilla Glass 4.

AT&T has begun pre-orders of the LG flagship Android phone, the LG V20.  The 5.7″ phone that is powered by the Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM will start out at an eye watering $829 putting it higher than the Google Pixel XL and nearly as much as the iPhone 7 Plus.  If you do place a pre-order, it will be shipping out to you at the end of this month and you aren’t actually charged until the phone ships so you do have some time to think about it.

Fortunately AT&T is offering a few promotions to help ease the cost pain.  First, you can pay out the phone interest free for 30 months.  That will cost you $27.67 per month.  If you opt for the 24 month plan, which will allow you to trade the phone in come October 2017, that plan is $34.59 per month.

[Update 2] – T-Mobile and Verizon are now allowing customers to return their replacement Galaxy Note7’s.  That makes all four major carriers in the US.

[Update] – AT&T now allowing customers to return their replacement Galaxy Note7’s too

Sprint has taken a big forward step in the sage with the Galaxy Note7 from Samsung.  While they and other carriers have been offering replacement devices or returns, Sprint has now gone a step further and told their Note7 customers they can replace it with any device.  This change comes after what appears to have been an updated replacement Note7 catching fire on a Southwest Airlines flight this week.  While the FAA and Consumer Product Safety Commission investigate, Recode has talked to Sprint and they are replacing devices out of customer desires for safety.

“If a Sprint customer with a replacement Note 7 has any concerns regarding their device, we will exchange it for any other device at any Sprint retail store during the investigation window,” the Sprint representative said.

This comes after T-Mobile started selling the updated Note7 in their stores and online this week (Wednesday ironically).