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This is a review on the performance, specs, and features of the Samsung Galaxy A6 from Metro by T-Mobile. Factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy A6 retail price is $359.99.  But if you want to get it on subsidy, you can also get it locked from any carrier and have our factory unlock service for Samsung Galaxy A6, so you can still enjoy the flexibility of an unlocked phone. 

Unlocking Samsung Galaxy A6: Quick Overview

Battery size: 3000mAh                                             ROM/RAM: 32GB/3GB

Screen Size: 5.6” AMOLED  720 x 1480                Cameras: 16MP front/16MP back

What to like. This mid-range Samsung has Fingerprint Scan and Facial Recognition for security. It also runs with a 3GB RAM so it’s fast and can handle moderate to heavy apps. It has a nice aluminum casing and semi-matte finish that gives it a premium look.

Finally, it packs a 3000mAh battery that’s enough to last you more than a day of regular usage.  

What not to like. For the same price, the LG Q7 Plus has arguably a better screen resolution than the Galaxy A6. The main camera doesn’t have PDAF which may result in slightly slower autofocus compared to phones within the same price range.  

The processor could also be improved, but compared to other Samsung phones, you will most likely not notice that it’s inferior when it comes to speed and performance.

More importantly, for a much lesser price, the LG Q7 Plus is IP68 Water and Dust Resistant, while the Samsung Galaxy A6 is not.

Both are offered through Metro by T-Mobile.

Got a phone from Metro that you want to carrier unlock? We can help you permanently unlock it with the MetroPCS Device Unlock App!

Samsung Galaxy A6 Build And Design

Metallic Build. The Samsung Galaxy A6 is beautiful, it doesn’t exactly look like the S9 when it comes to design, but it has an aluminum casing that gives it a luxurious look. Since it’s an all-metal phone, Samsung created a small non-metallic loop at the upper and lower back to put the antennas neatly.

Bezel-less display. It’s not the first Samsung budget/mid-range phone to have a bezel-less display and Home button, but it’s so refreshing to see a less bulky, more modern design on a Samsung slate phone.

Non-ergonomic Design. The fingerprint scanner is situated on the same box as the camera, which makes it a little bit awkward to reach. It may not as bad as it seems since the phone is relatively small (only 5.6 inches screen size) and fits the average hand size.

Samsung Galaxy A6: Hardware, Specs, and Features

No USB-C. No fast-charging. Since 2018, it’s almost as if the USB-C has become an industry standard for every smartphone manufacturer, and so it’s a bummer that the Galaxy A6 didn’t come with a USB-C port for fast charging. Instead, it is using a Micro USB, which is somewhat backward for a newly-released, mid-range priced phone.

On the brighter side, you can still have your phone back from 0% up to 100% within 2 hours and 15 minutes of charging.

Low light, high-resolution camera. Budget Samsung phones most often have low megapixels cameras, but they’re also known for having good sensors. And the Galaxy A6’s cameras surely don’t disappoint.

Other phones may have higher megapixels but they are not good at taking pictures in low light. The Samsung Galaxy A6, on the other hand, has the best of both worlds. It can capture great images even in at night or in low light settings.

Overall Impression on MetroPCS Samsung Galaxy A6

So is the Samsung Galaxy A6 a good phone? Well, it can be for an avid Samsung user, but compared to other brands, it’s clearly not the best bang for the buck. There are other brands of mid-range phones out there that offer more for the same price, like the LG Q7 Plus.

Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy A6 does not have anything particularly stand out in the mid-range phone arena. Looking at the trend and changes between many budgets and mid-range phones over the years, it seems that Samsung is not interested in winning the budget and mid-range phone market.

In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy A6 does not particularly stand out from its competition but it shows signs of huge improvements from its predecessors. And with the home button gone, we’re confident that Samsung is actively making changes, slowly stamping its brand name in the mid-range phone market to dominate it.

It is not the budget version of Samsung Galaxy S9 when it comes to the features, but with its much ‘modern’ bezel-less design, it certainly has the premium Samsung-branded vibe that you would otherwise only get with the brand’s flagship devices.

Hey, we unlock phones from Metro! If you want to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of an unlocked phone, we’re here to help! Go to MetroPCS Mobile Device Unlock App for more information.

Samsung Galaxy J2 is one of Samsung’s newest budget phone and it has taken a remarkable change of design; for the first time in Samsung’s budget phone category, they had removed the physical home button, which means you will be using only the navigation bar on the screen.

Why Samsung removed the button we’re not entirely sure spacewise, because the space that houses the now non- existent home button is still there but it was replaced by the brand name. We’re thinking it’s for ergonomic purposes since people who are used to the home button might need some adjusting before getting used to it. It could also be because it is rather redundant to have the physical home button when it’s on the screen itself.

The Samsung Galaxy J2 doesn’t look much on the outside, it doesn’t have aluminum casing or glass back cover but that’s also one of the reasons why it’s so affordable.

Hey, do you want a quick and easy way to sim unlock your Samsung Galaxy J2 from MetroPCS? Click here. 

Samsung Galaxy J2 Build and Design

Samsung Galaxy J2’s build and design is on par with the rest of the Android phones in the budget department. We compared it to 3 other budget phones that retails for the same price (LG Aristo 3, Alcatel A30 Fierce, Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime Silver) from Metro by T-Mobile (previously called MetroPCS) and there seems to be no significant difference among them (comparison shown in the table below).

The J2, however, is considerably heavy for its height, weighing 5.8 oz at just 6 inches long. It has 5 inches of screen display on a Corning Gorilla Glass, with a 540 x 960 resolution on a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s a bummer that it has a lower resolution compared to the LG Aristo 3 which has a 720 x 1280 resolution on the same screen size for almost the same price.

To sum it up, it doesn’t have a stand out appearance and only has the standard look of most Samsung budget and mid-range phones.

Do you want to permanently unlock your phone with the Device Unlock App? Let us help you.

Samsung Galaxy J2 Hardware, Specs, and Features

The Samsung Galaxy J2 again doesn’t have an ‘edge’ above other budget phones of the same price, aside from bearing the brand name you trust. Nonetheless, its specs don’t really disappoint; it has a huge battery, a good processor, and solid cameras.

It has 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP main camera with LED Flash. However, these cameras don’t have instant focus or PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) and that means it might not be that great for selfies as it is for still images. Compared to Alcatel A30 Fierce, it has lower camera specs, because the American brand features a 13MP rear-facing auto-focus camera that has an LED flash and a 5MP front-facing wide-angle camera with LED flash as well.

If you’re about taking great selfie photos with a huge group, the Alcatel A30 Fierce has a better chance of nailing it than the Samsung Galaxy J2.

On the other hand, the battery is quite large but still not as huge as the Alcatel A30 fierce, which has a 3000mAh battery size. The Galaxy J2 only has a 2600mAh but still could last you a day of use.

The security features of the Galaxy J2 are not as impressive as the rest in the budget phone department. It doesn’t have fingerprint sensors like Alcatel A30 Fierce or Face Unlock which is present in LG Aristo 3.

Guidelines and steps on how to perform permanent unlock with MetroPCS device unlock app.

Is Samsung Galaxy J2 Worth Upgrading To?

If you value trust for the brand, Samsung Galaxy J2 is not bad for the price, although it could have had better specs to keep up with its competitors. It’s not the best Samsung budget phone we’ve seen so far, but we think that losing the home button is one of the remarkable changes the brand has adapted for all its budget phones.

Without the home button, the phone is still intuitively easy to use, that is, of course, if you’ve been a long time Android user.

If there was anything significant that we wanted Samsung could have changed, that is adding a fingerprint sensor. Undeniably, that’s something that makes every budget Samsung phone look and feel so out of date.

Alcatel 3T 8 is TCL’s newest budget tablet, it’s 8.24 inches tall and can be bought outright for $150 through T-Mobile. It has built-in features that make it great for the whole family’s entertainment, especially the kids.

It has CloserTV app, Eye Care Mode (blue light reduction/eye protection), and built-in parental control called Kids Mode. The Kids Mode feature has a parental control panel that allows you to limit the usage time and choose only the apps your children can use.

The Eye Care Mode is exclusive to Alcatel and it’s especially helpful in relieving visual fatigue coming from the blue light due to long hours of screen time. It offers optimized brightness and tonality both in daylight and at night.

The best thing about this tablet is that it supports T-Mobile 600mHz network, which means it can get better reception even when you’re indoors or in an enclosed area. Now you can enjoy fast 4G LTE speeds that reach even when you’re inside your home!

Unlock your Alcatel phone with us! Click here. 

Alcatel 3T Specs and Features

Alcatel 3T 8 comes with the latest Android operating system, Android 8.1.0 Oreo. It has a vibrant 8-inches display, super-fast 4G LTE capability and 5 MP front and rear cameras.

It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM, expandable up to 128GB microSD card and runs on a 1.5GHz Quad-Core processor. With just 2GB of RAM, you cannot expect this tablet to multi-task and run several apps at the same time in the background without experiencing lags. Due to the limited RAM, use of heavy gaming apps and social media apps may not be as seamless as compared to that of using your mid-range smartphones.

Quick tip: the best way to optimize the speed of your tablet or smartphone is to close all the apps running on the background. With the android Oreo operating system, you can do this by simply tapping on the burger (three horizontal lines) icon located at either the bottom right or left portion of the display screen.

By tapping on the burger button, you will see all the apps that are running on the background and you can close all the remaining apps you do not wish to use. Doing this will optimize your device’s speed again and will help you avoid unnecessary lag.

Want to know how to use the T-Mobile Mobile Device Unlock app? Here’s a quick how-to guide! 

Moreover, the Alcatel 3T 8 comes with a gargantuan 4080mAh battery with a standby time of up to 400 hours in the 4G network. Despite its huge battery size, it won’t last you a day of video streaming because the average usage time for LTE video streaming is only 6.7 hours. If you’re video streaming via Wi-Fi, it will last you a little longer, which is approximately 8.35 hours.

Alcatel 3T Build and Design

This family-friendly tablet is offered only in one color, which is metallic black. It has a considerably ergonomic 10.37oz of weight and comes with an Asahi glass. It is comfortably slim just like your regular smartphone, but it doesn’t have the most stylish look.

It doesn’t look remarkably amazing on a first look, but with bezels on all 4 sides of the display, you’ll have ample room to hold it comfortably without accidentally touching the screen.

Want to change carrier? Unlock your T-Mobile phone with us and save money! 

Alcatel 3T 8 vs Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 8” vs Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

In the table below, we compared the tech specs of Alcatel 3T 8” to two of the Android tablets within its price range. Though the Alcatel tablet doesn’t particularly stand out or have a “wow” factor, it’s clear that its manufacturer chose to make up with the lack of luster by being in the middle; offering features that some brands don’t and by serving a specific target market: parents with kids.

Lenovo’s tablet clearly has the “wow” factor because of its cool features: rotatable camera, versatile design, Dolby Atmos speakers, and a really huge battery size which is a power bank at the same time.

Samsung’s tablet, on the other hand, doesn’t come out with a spectacular design like that of Lenovo Yoga, but it makes up for having a better camera and video recording quality.

Alcatel 3T 8” definitely has competitive key features, and for the price, it’s definitely worth it. For a simple source of entertainment for your children, it really is wonderful to have on the go to keep your children entertained safely while they’re on the internet.

Alcatel 1X Evolve was recently launched and it is offered through Metro by T-Mobile (MetroPCS was recently rebranded).

It is the second edition of Alcatel 1X which was released a few months ago and sold unlocked through retail stores and Amazon. Unlike the Alcatel 1X, the Alcatel 1X Evolve won’t be using the Android Go Edition operating system.

The Android Go is an optimized operating system created for budget phones with less than 1GB of RAM.

Phones with 1GB (or less) RAM would normally lag with heavy usage from social media or gaming apps. But with an Android Go operating system, the phone can use lite versions of apps that were customized for the Android Go OS, like Facebook Lite, Gmail Go, Google Maps Go, etc.

Nonetheless, the Alcatel 1X Evolve’s speed and performance is not at all bad. It’s still sporting 2GB of RAM which we think is fair enough for a phone with a sub $100 price tag.

At a glance, Alcatel 1X Evolve is a basic phone that offers basic features and use. It has a premium-looking suede finish, but it’s only offered in color Blue with its current carrier.

Related: How to use the MetroPCS device unlock app.

Alcatel 1X Evolve Build and Design

This budget phone only retails at $109 when you buy it outright from Metro, and for the price, it’s well worth it.

It has the typical 2016 look; fingerprint sensors at the back below the rear camera, a premium suede finish, and a boxy but not too bulky frame. It is arguably light and not too heavy to hold comfortably with one hand.

It has bezels on all 4 sides of the screen, but it has a 5.3 inches full view display in an 18:9 aspect ratio. It has a blue suede finish on a durable 2D Dragontrail™ Glass.

Alcatel assures their users that the phone can withstand scrapes and scratches because of it’s durable Dragontrail glass cover.

The fingerprint sensor which is conveniently located at the back also serves other purposes apart from unlocking the phone. You can assign other fingerprints to quickly launch your most used or important apps.

The phone has a sizable battery which is 2460mAh and can have 14 hours of talk time (based on a 3G network).

Want to use your Alcatel 1X Evolve with another carrier? Unlockbase can help you!

Alcatel 1X Evolve Performance and Camera

This budget beauty is fast, considering its price tag. As mentioned, it is running on Android Oreo on a Quad-core processor with up-to 1.1GHz in speed.

The camera is the usual so-so cameras you get from budget phones. The rear camera is 8MP and the front camera is 5MP.

And yes, it comes with camera features but they are not as great as your $300 mid-range phones.

Alcatel 1X Evolve vs Other Budget Phones

Alcatel 1X Evolve is the third Go Alcatel variant to be released within this year; the other two variants were Alcatel 1X and Alcatel 1, the latter was released in Russia.

But among the three, the 1X Evolve has the best and most sophisticated features.

On the other hand, compared to its other budget phone competition, the 1X Evolve does not particularly possess a feature that makes it stand out; if there is, it would be its glass back and body frame which is way better than the plasticky finish Motorola E5 play and ZTE Avid 4 has.

Related: How to resolve basic errors on your mobile device unlock app. 

Conclusion

The Alcatel 1X Evolve definitely changed the way we’ll look at budget phones again. We thought the Alcatel 7 is the best budget Alcatel yet, but it turns out we can get almost the same features with Alcatel 1X Evolve for almost half the price. With budget phones like this, midrange and flagship phone manufacturers are going to have a good run for their money.

The Sony Xperia XZ3 is the last flagship phone in the XZ series released this year.

Unlike its predecessors, this flagship phone comes with an impressively bigger 6in screen display. What makes this phone a beast is that it’s the first ever Sony Xperia phone to have an HDR OLED display, making images as crisp as watching them in a Sony Bravia TV.

Related: How to sim unlock your Sony Xperia phone for use with another carrier.

Sony Xperia XZ3 at a glance

The phone looks like your typical 2018 Samsung; its screen had the iconic curves at the edge. Unlike most Android phones this year, this one thankfully doesn’t have a notch.

A notch would have ruined its beautiful display.

Going by the book, the Sony Xperia XZ3 came out with the latest Android operating system, customized into the Sony graphic user interface. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with 64 GB internal memory supported by 4 GB RAM.

It has a 19MP rear camera with a motion eye technology that can also record in 4K HDR. At the front, there is a 13.2MP camera, which we think is a total letdown, since it can do so much better for selfies.

We provide unlock codes for Sony phones! Find your model here.

Sony Xperia XZ3’s Build and Design vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9

In its borderless slim appearance, Xperia XZ3 came in with four different color variations you can choose from; Black, White Silver, Forest Green, and Bordeaux Red.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Sony Xperia XZ3 have aluminum frames and curved glass panels in the front and back. Both are also IP68 water and dust resistant. As mentioned earlier, the Xperia XZ3 has a cunning resemblance to Samsung Galaxy phones.

The XZ3 stands 6.2 inches with bezels at the top and bottom leaving 6 inches for the screen display, but Note 9 is still a bit taller. But the XZ3’s size is more ergonomic to hold than that of Note 9, which are too large to hold.

And since the XZ3’s screen is HDR OLED, it’s arguably better than Note 9, which has Super AMOLED. It has a slightly bigger pixel density, which means it has high contrast ratios and deep blacks.

However, Note 9 has a bigger display and slightly smaller bezels than that of the XZ3.

Related: How to sim unlock your Sony Xperia phone for use with another carrier.

Sony Xperia XZ3 vs iPhone Xs Max vs Huawei Mate 20

Sony Xperia XZ3 Camera

Motion eye system is still in-use and the predictive capture in this phone that gives you the opportunity to capture 4 photos before clicking the capture button has been showcased to its predecessors already.

Just like the Note 9, the XZ3 has slow-motion recording, but the latter has higher resolution. The XZ3 can record in 1080p at 960fps while the Note 9 can record 720p at 960fps. However, recording on Note 9 is way easier because it has motion detection.

The Sony XZ3 also has a bigger front camera 13MP with f/1.9 on portrait mode, while the Note 9 has 8MP with f/1.7 selfie focus.

Sony Xperia XZ3 Performance

The processor of this smartphone is the Snapdragon 845. Having a faster processor means conserving energy since it cannot take so much time in optimizing a command.

The XZ3 has 4GB of RAM, while the Note 9 has 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. We think this is what a $100 price difference is worth.

Nonetheless, the XZ3 is compatible with wireless charging and comes out of the box with Android Pie, the latest Android operating system.

The biometrics of this phone is still in fingerprints. We are still waiting if Sony has a plan to follow Apple through their Face ID, Samsung’s Iris Scanner or they’ll be able to develop a much safer and convenient way to secure phones in the near future.

Related: Here’s why you should unlock your phone with UnlockBase!

Unlock Sony Xperia XZ3 – Conclusion

Sony Xperia XZ3’s display is definitely way ahead than that of Samsung Galaxy’s Note 9. It’s arguably better than Note 9 in so many aspects, and we think that with the Xperia XZ3, this is Sony’s golden year for smartphones.

After the release of Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra, Sony released another phone for the mid-range market, the Xperia XA2 Plus.

Just like many of Sony’s flagship phones, the Xperia XA2 Plus is designed for entertainment. It has a huge screen, a conventional design, and a huge battery capacity. It is built with a 6 inches aluminum and glass body, and had two different sets of memory capacity and RAM; 32GB with 4GB RAM and 64GH with 6GB RAM. You can get in 4 different colors; silver, black, gold, and green.

What makes this phone stand out in the upper midrange arena is its 23MP rear camera. If you’re greatly inclined to photography and filmmaking, you definitely need to check this phone out.

Related: How to sim unlock your Sony Xperia phone for use with another carrier.

Sony Xperia XA2 Plus’ Build and Design

This high- level tiered phone is crafted with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with metallic finishing. The edges are done with diamond cuts bringing an elegant curve that is ergonomic to your hands.

Its total height is 6.2 inches, but only 6 inches of it was spent to the 1080 x 2160 resolution full HD display screen. It’s not bezel-less and it a small chin at the top and at the bottom of the screen.

Thus, although the bezel is thinner than Xperia AX2 and Xperia Ultra, it can never be compared with other Android phones that already achieved the bezel-less look e.i. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone Xr.

Located at the top of this phone is the audio port for 3.5 mm headphones that enhance by DSEE and High- Resolution Audio technology. In addition, the LDAC that heightened the wireless music streaming is available on this phone too.

Sim and micro-SD slots are located at the upper left side of the phone. Located at the other side are the camera key, power button, and the volume adjuster.

The battery capacity of this phone is in 3580 mAh, however, the processor of this phone is still in Qualcomm Snapdragon 630. The performance is expected to be slower than Xperia XZ2 and shorter battery life.

Nonetheless, it’s one of the few mid-range phones that have a huge battery and the operating system is justified by its price.

It doesn’t have dual rear cameras but having a 23MP single rear camera compensates what it lacks. You won’t see this from mid-range phones coming from other manufacturers.

Even the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 only has a 12MP rear camera at the back, and it’s a flagship at that.

Having an 8MP front camera is not that bad, too. You still have a bokeh effect and other common camera features other phones of the same price range have.

The security feature of this phone is fingerprint scanning. It is located at the back along with the camera.

The touch system of the pre-installed keyboard to this phone is very smooth and there’s no delay. Other phones may pause if you’re typing too fast; there are none in this phone.

Related: Want to unlock your Sony Xperia? Click here!

Xperia XA vs. Xperia XA Ultra vs. Xperia XA Plus

The purpose of this table is to show the improvement (if there is) in Sony’s Xperia XA2 Plus.

Related: Here’s why you should unlock your phone with UnlockBase!

Sony’s XA2 series offered mid-ranger phones that really stand out in performing their daily tasks in serving you.

XA2 Plus is the upgraded version of the regular XA2. It has bigger RAM and internal memory more than its predecessor and the capacity to accommodate external memory has enlarged too.

On the flip side, after the release of XA2, XA2 Ultra is launched having the same specs with XA2 except for its front camera having the amount of mp twice as compared to XA2 and XA2 Plus.

Despite that, the XA2 Plus has a bigger RAM capacity. If you’re looking for speed, this is your best bet.

The Xperia XA2 Ultra is priced almost the same as the Xperia XA2 Plus, the latter doesn’t have lesser specs, it’s just a matter of deciding what you are able to compromise.

You really can’t have it all.

Around the first quarter of this year, Sony offers another flagship phone to the market, the Sony Xperia XZ2.

It is your typical 2018 phone; it comes with a huge Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen display powered by the latest processor octa-core unit Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

To video vampires out there, this Android phone is supported by Sony’s Bravia TV; giving you an experience of a movie theatre within the size of your palm.

Related: How to sim unlock your Sony Xperia phone for use with another carrier.

SONY Xperia XZ2’s build and design

Xperia XZ2 released a refreshing pocket-friendly and palm-fit design with gentle curves at the back, trashing the brick-like structure of the older models of Sony.

The outer hard parts of this flagship phone are toughened by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5, the strongest glass available today. It’s accentuated with an Aluminum metal that contributed to earning its rating—IP68 dust- and water- resistance.

It’s 6 inches tall, with 5.7 inches of screen display.

The only caveat is that it is not coated with the anti-fingerprint coating. It should be cleaned regularly to keep its shiny look. It is still with IPS LED which is energy saving.

This is finished with four different color coatings—liquid black, liquid silver, deep green, and ash pink.

This phone has two variations, one has a single Nano sim and 4GB of RAM (H8216), and the other model has a Dual Nano sim with 6GB RAM (H8296). 

In addition, the external memory is expandable up to 400GB. It is best for storing numerous videos, movies, music videos, and other entertainment kinds of stuff.

The battery capacity of this phone is a whopping 3180mAh. The energy consumption is lesser due to its faster Snapdragon 845 processor, the latest in Qualcomm technology.

Its powerful processor makes your battery last longer than your normal usage.

Related: Want to unlock your Sony Xperia? Click here!

Sony Xperia XZ2 Features

And if convenience is a major concern, Sony Xperia XZ2 has wireless charging capability. Its battery is refilled using a dock, and the hassle of using coiling wires is now gone.

In this phone, Sony sticks to fingerprint biometrics, which is not a bad move, since Face ID security is still shrouded with a lot of security and usability issues.

This flagship phone carries a 19 MP rear camera with their latest technology called Motion Eye, bringing photos and video experience into HDR. It is also draped with new photo features that will really boost your creativity.

Our favorite is their 3D capturing. You can now scan a 3D photo in 360˚ and share it.

On the other side of the leaf, its 5MP front camera is such a letdown, too low for the likings of selfie addicts.

Headphone jacks are out for this model. This is replaced by Sony’s LDAC technology, a wireless/Bluetooth headphone. But if you’re insistent in using headphones, a USB Type- C to 3.5mm Audio Jack adapter is included in the packaging.

Sony Xperia XZ2 vs Huawei Mate 20 vs. iPhone XR

This is the specs of Sony Xperia XZ2 versus the other flagship phones of two known brands circulating the market.

Related: Here’s why you should unlock your phone with UnlockBase!

These three flagship phones offer HDR features in their camera. However, if you are into taking selfies, this might not be the best phone for you.

The output of its front camera is bad and looks cheap. Really bad, like taking a picture with a lot of mosquitos in it. Definitely not for your Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter stories. A big thumbs down.

On the other hand, if you’re engrossed in watching TV, movies, videos, and other forms of visual displays, Sony Xperia XZ2 is the better choice.

Still, choosing a phone will depend on your personal preference as a buyer.

The holiday season is here and surely there will be a lot of gatherings and parties everywhere. You are ready, but what about your phone? If you are looking for the best phone to bring to every party this holiday season, try checking the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 out!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is accompanied by a powerful S pen that is now connected to Bluetooth for easier control in capturing photos, doing presentations, and watching videos. It is with a 6.3 inches screen display lighted with Super AMOLED technology. It comes with 256 GB internal memory expandable up to 512 GB.

Related: Everything you need to know about how to unlock a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s Build and Design

Decades back, the term phablet was born, and it is used to describe phones with a screen size between that of a regular smartphone and a tablet. It gained a negative reputation for being too big for hands to hold and for not being pocket-friendly.

Samsung, being one of the pioneering manufacturers of phablets, did not disappoint the world by releasing the Galaxy Note series, which we know are truly remarkable when it comes to design and build quality. And this year, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 made its debut.

Just like it’s predecessors, the outer parts of Galaxy Note 9 is made with glass and accented with aluminum; it has smooth curves at its edges really identical to the former Galaxy Note 8. Its outer appearance is polished with three different colors— Ocean Black, Midnight Blue, and Metallic Copper.

Its height is 6.4 inches- having an almost bezel-less Super AMOLED  screen display.

The processor of this device is the Google Android version 8.1 Oreo. It’s a total bummer because Android Pie was already released before its debut, and that could have added more features and security.

The sim slots of this are in dual nano sim or it could be a hybrid (one nano sim and one micro SD card).

The S pen in Note 9 is now connected via Bluetooth, and it has added functions, too. It can control the camera, pause videos, and much more. It is located at the base of the phone together with the 3.0 mm headphone jack and a USB type- C cable port.

In the back is its dual camera; having 12 mp for the main camera is not bad but still lacking compared to humungous models of other smartphone manufacturers. Its front camera is only in 8MP, which is also a big thumbs down.

We expected the price of this device to be justified by its camera’s finesse. You can get a better camera with other flagship phones for the same price.

The internal storage of this phone is in 256 GB and can be increased up to 512 GB, making it perfect for storing pictures, videos, and files for keeps from this holiday season.

Related: Want to know your Samsung phone’s unlock code? Click here!

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Huawei Mate 20 vs. iPhone Xs Max

Below are the specs of Galaxy Note 9 versus the other two flagships phones from other Mobile manufacturers.

This phablet rivals the iPhone Xs Max in terms of price but if you’ll look into the specs and features between the two, major differences can be seen.  

Note 9 and Xs Max have main cameras both in 12 mp. However, Note 9’s front camera is 8MP while the Xs Max only has 7MP. That’s a slight difference in numbers but a huge difference in picture quality.

On the other hand, besides being a little bit cheaper compared to the two, Huawei’s Mate 20 leave a huge gap in the camera aspects, having 24 mp in its front camera, but having only a 12MP main camera.

The only edge the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has it its improved S-pen.

Conclusion

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, is one of the most powerful phones out in the market today. You’ll never go wrong with an 8GB RAM in any day.  Whether you use this phablet for work or for just having fun, this phablet could be the perfect gift to yourself for this year’s holiday season.

If you’re having second thoughts about Samsung or the rest of the flagships, you must really take a look at LG V Series’ newest release, the LG V40 ThinQ. It comes with five (5) cameras that will definitely turn your camera experience around.

No, it’s not just hype; its 3 smart rear cameras will give you 3 different options in capturing a picture.

It has a huge 6.4” QHD OLED FullVision Display with a notch, and it’s powered by an Octacore unit Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with 64GB internal memory, built-in battery, and of course, the crowd favorite, a headphone jack.

Related: Is your device supported by the “Device Unlock” APP? Check here!

LG V40 ThinQ’s Build And Design

LG V40 ThinQ’s look came in four different colors—Platinum Grey, Aurora black, Moroccan blue, and Carmine red.

Standing 6.4 inches tall, this smartphone is comparably lightweight, weighing only 5.96 oz (169 g) following the standard weight for LG V series.

The screen is almost bezel-less except for a notch at the top. Trying to copy the iPhone X’s design may not be such a bad thing after all. As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery.

This smartphone uses Plastic OLED (P-OLED) instead of AMOLED which is the glass version of OLED. However, there are known issues of burn-ins in other models using P-OLED. We hope this will not happen in this flagship phone.

Its main feature is its 5 cameras: 2 in front and 3 at the back. We’re used to seeing dual lenses for wide angle shots, but LG chose to have a third rear camera solely meant for taking zoomed in portrait shots of your subject.

There are three (3) lenses located at the back of the phone—- 45˚ Telephoto Zoom Camera in 12 megapixels, 107˚ Wide Angle Camera in 16 megapixels and 78˚ Standard Camera in 12 megapixels.

They added a feature that allows you to take photos using the rear cameras at the same time and it is quite handy if you want to have the perfect angle for your pictures.

The two remaining lenses are located at the front—-Wide in 5 megapixels and Standard in 8 megapixels. They are perfect for selfie shots.

Also, the Cine Shot feature makes photos livelier and will surely be loved by Instagram users and aspiring filmmakers. This revolution in taking pictures is happening, thanks to LG.

Not only that, it is rated with IP68 water and dust resistance, so you can take on more pictures with your adventures.

And yes, LG V40 ThinQ is keeping the headphone jack- it’s not a common sight on most flagship phones nowadays, even on the iPhone Xs Max. LG is surely dominating the audiophile niche.

Related: How to use the “Device Unlock” APP from T-Mobile

LG V40 ThinQ vs iPhone XS MAX vs Huawei Mate 20

In the table are the features of the three newest released smartphones by their companies.

The pricing difference between these expensive phones is not too big. It all goes down in each phone’s specs and features.

If you love taking pictures and making videos, LG’s V40 ThinQ is your bestie. The upgrades they’ve done in this field really blew up other smartphone manufacturers. They have greater and clearer resolutions compared to iPhone Xs Max and Huawei Mate 20.

LG V40 ThinQ also has power and processor advantage, it’s a phone with a ginormous 6GB RAM and spacious 64GB Internal Memory.

In terms of outer appearances, the matte coating effect of LG V40 ThinQ is such a letdown. It looks so plain and cheap looking compared to the other two.

Moreover, if you already own V35 upgrading to V40 is not really advisable.

Yes, LG V40 ThinQ has new features that are not available to V35 but if you’re not into selfies or video making, you might not enjoy the fact that this phone costs around $920 when bought outright.

If you are looking for a budget phone with a good camera, advanced security features, fast processor, and the latest operating system, then you should definitely check out the Samsung J7 Star from T- Mobile.

The Samsung J7 Star (SM-J737T) is one of the few budget phones that came with a Facial Recognition feature. The phone retails at $250 on T-Mobile, and if you don’t buy it outright, you can also get it for $10 per month for 24 months with $10 down payment.

You will pay the remaining device balance if you cancel before the contract ends.

Do note that it comes locked with T- Mobile, so if you want it unlocked (for use with another carrier), you can definitely use UnlockBase’s service for Device Unlock App Permanent Unlock.

On the outside the phone looks nothing spectacular; it is available only on color blue just as the Samsung J3 Star is only available on color pink. We are assuming this phone was meant for the masculine market because it has a bigger battery than the J3 Star, which is more likely for gaming purposes.

Let’s first discover its overall features to help you decide whether the Samsung J7 Star could be your next phone.

Having Trouble With The Device Unlock App? Here’s A Complete Guide

Samsung J7 Star vs Other Budget Phones

Below is a table that compares the key features of Samsung J7 Star to that of other budget phones that are also available through the T-Mobile network.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Star Design And Build Quality

The J7 Star is a minimalistic looking phone; it could be because of the price or it could be just because they’re trying to keep it consistent with the J3 Star. It has more of a “2016-ish” design compared to the LG Stylo 4, which adopted a more 2018-like design.

The latter also has a bigger screen size, 6.2 in compared to 5.5 in on the Samsung Galaxy J7 star. The LG Stylo 4 also has a better 1080p resolution compared to the 720p resolution on the J7 star. This means that the visual experience with the Stylo 4 is going to be better than that of the J7 Star.

On the front, there is a 13MP camera, which makes it a winner in that department. Selfies with the J7 Star are definitely better than the Stylo 4.

There’s also a 13MP camera at the back with a f/1.7 aperture (a low f-stop means wider aperture and more light comes in). With a better aperture, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Star will have better low light photos compared to the Moto E5 Plus and Stylo 4.

It has a scratch-resistant screen and a handy Home button below the screen

How To Set Up Face Recognition On Samsung Galaxy J7 Star

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Star, unfortunately, doesn’t have any Fingerprint reader, so the only way to secure your phone is to setup a password/pin/pattern or to setup the Face Recognition feature.

But no worries, it’s fairly easy. Just like most Samsung phones, here’s how to get it done.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on Lock Screen and Security.
3. Tap Face Recognition.
4. Tap Continue.
5. Set Up A Secure Screen Lock (Pattern, Pin, Password).
6. Tap Continue.
7. Re-enter Your Screen Lock Security Key.
8. Tap Confirm.
9. Read Disclaimer. Hit OK.
10. Tap Continue.
11. Follow Screen Prompts To Setup Face Recognition.
12. Tap Continue.
13. Tap Turn On (Face Unlock).
14. Tap Done.

Congratulations! You’ve setup your Face Recognition security successfully! If you ever have problems opening up your phone using the Face Recognition feature, you can always use your screen lock security key (password, pin, or pattern) to unlock your phone.

How To Unlock Samsung J7 Star For Any GSM Network

As mentioned in the earlier part of this article, the Samsung J7 Star from T-Mobile can only be unlocked using the Device Unlock App. This helpful app will be the only way to get your phone Temporarily or Permanently unlocked for use with any GSM network, and it will be granted as long as you qualify with T-Mobile’s unlock policies.

If you otherwise don’t, you can always use our services to get your phone permanently unlocked! To do it now, simply go to our T-Mobile Device Unlock App service page! Should you have any questions we’re always here, 24/7 to help you out!