Monday, April 1, 2019

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Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Back Angle

Over at the official Samsung Mobile Security website, the company just updated its schedule of which of its Android smartphones and tablets will receive monthly security updates, which ones will receive quarterly updates, and which ones will receive “regular” updates. The brand new lineup of Samsung Galaxy S10 devices is now on the monthly list, as first spotted by Android Police.

That means, ostensibly, that Samsung Galaxy S10 device owners can expect at least one security update every month. However, today is April Fool’s Day.

Assuming this isn’t just a prank, bro, this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard Samsung commit to monthly security updates for some of its devices and then not follow through on that promise. For example, almost every U.S. variant of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus was stuck on the February 2018 security patch for over three months.

Editor's Pick

Even when Samsung does deliver on a monthly security update promise, it is often for specific devices in specific locations, with many of the U.S. variants getting the updates later. Samsung points to some of these issues being carrier-related, though.

For what it’s worth, the Samsung Galaxy S10 family did receive the most recent March 2019 security patch. So Samsung is starting off OK.

In related news, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge have been demoted to the quarterly update schedule (the Galaxy S7 Active is still getting monthly updates, though). Many of Samsung’s new tablets — including the just-released Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 — are also on the quarterly updates list.

Time will tell if U.S. Galaxy S10 owners will get the timely updates Samsung promises.

NEXT: Are Android updates getting faster? Let’s look at the data

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One of the great things about the Android market is the diversity of features, prices, and even software. There are a ton of Android phones out there, but what’s the best in 2019?

Related: Refurbished phone guide | Best Android tablets | Best Android watches

Spec sheets and feature lists aren’t always enough to get an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best — the Android phones of 2019 you can’t go wrong with. We picked based on a combination of internal testing and subjective reviewing. Phones are judged by four main criteria: the best overall, best camerabest battery, and best value. Without further delay, here are the best Android phones!

Best Android phones update:April 2019
This month, we removed the Huawei P20 Pro from our list and added the Huawei P30 Pro to our upcoming phones list. We also added a giveaway! Head to the bottom of the article for details on how to enter.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick overview of the best Android phones for each category:

  • The best Android phones overall: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10e, Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Huawei Mate 20 Pro
  • The best camera phones: Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 9
  • Android phones with the best battery life: Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
  • The best value Android phones: OnePlus 6T, Honor View 20
  • Upcoming Android phones: LG G8 ThinQ, LG V50 ThinQ, Sony Xperia 1, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Huawei P30 and P30 Pro

Wondering why each of these Android phones came out on top in each of their respective categories? Read on to find out why we chose these Android phones for our list.


Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10e

Samsung’s Galaxy S line reaches near perfection with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. There’s little this phone can’t do. Featuring the Snapdragon 855 (or the Exynos 9820, depending on market), up to a massive 12GB of RAM, and a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel with the new Infinity-O punch hole, this is an attractive powerhouse. Its high-performance ethos continues on to the rest of the components including storage, which goes as high as 1TB, and a 4,100mAh battery that’s more than capable of making it through the day.

The only weak link is the camera. The new camera package isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold a candle to devices like the Pixel 3 or even Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 9. Still, if you can look past that, the rest of the phone is amazing and there are few other phones out that that come close to offering this much under the hood.

If you don’t need a giant phone and still want a similar Galaxy S10 experience, you should absolutely check out the Samsung Galaxy S10e. It’s smaller, cheaper, and has a better fingerprint sensor!

What makes it “the best”

  • The S10 Plus is one of the best Android phones overall thanks to a great mix of features, performance, and beautiful design.
  • It’s also one of the best phones for battery life with its massive 4,100mAh battery that’s able to keep on going. 

Why you should buy

  • It has high-end hardware, a long-lasting battery, and a rich feature set.
  • It has the best display you can get on any smartphone.

Why you should pass

  • It’s expensive.
  • The camera isn’t quite as impressive as some of the other options on this list.

Learn more

Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL

While they may not rival the Galaxy S10 in terms of specs, the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL improve on the very aspect that made the Pixel 2 so great — the camera. They still sport the same single rear cameras as the Pixel 2, but there are a ton of camera software improvements here. Top Shot mode will take multiple pictures of your subject and recommend the best one. Night Sight also brings next-level low-light photography thanks to computational photography. Finally, there’s a mode called Motion Auto Focus that lets the Pixel 3 focus on a subject in a video, no matter how much they move around.

They both have 18:9 screens (well, 18.5:9 for the XL), yet they still look very different from one another. The Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch Full HD+ screen that makes it look like a smaller Pixel 2 XL, while the Pixel 3 XL has a big ol’ notch at the top of its screen. Both phones also come with Qi wireless charging support, no headphone jack (womp womp), and still manage to squeeze in front-facing speakers.

The Pixel 3 could be considered the Android iPhone. But is there anything wrong with that?

What makes it “the best”

  • One of the best Android phones overall thanks to snappy and responsive stock software, paired with the very best Android camera.
  • One of the best Android camera phones thanks to a combination of great camera software and a quality camera sensor. That’s even more impressive considering its one of the few single-camera setups left on the market. 

Why you should get it

  • It takes great photos in all lighting conditions.
  • Speedy software updates come straight from Google.

Any reasons to pass?

  • They’re both pricey.
  • Neither phone has a headphone jack.

Learn more

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the best phones you can buy. It packs a big 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display that shows off video and image content to the highest degree. It’s got a fast processor inside (either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or the Samsung Exynos 9810). It has plenty of memory (6GB or 8GB of RAM) and tons of onboard storage (128GB or 512GB).

The Note 9’s dual rear camera takes excellent pictures. The embedded S Pen has added functionality this time, including remote control support. Even the Note 9’s battery gets an upgrade to 4,000mAh, which means you can work longer on a single charge. It may be expensive, but if you want one of the best all-around Android phones, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is hard to beat.

What makes it “the best”

  • One of the best Android phones overall thanks to a big screen, solid hardware and performance, and the included S-Pen for even more features.
  • One of the best Android camera phones thanks to its excellent rear cameras that take great photos.

Why you should buy

Why you should pass

  • It’s expensive.

Learn more

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones you can currently buy, period. You get a curved 6.39-inch OLED notched display, Huawei’s fastest current processor, the Kirin 980 SOC, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You also get a 3D depth sensing 24MP front-facing camera, along with three rear cameras, a 4,200mAh battery with a fast 40W charging rate, and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Oh, and this phone is pretty.

What makes it “the best”

  • One of the best Android phones overall thanks to powerful hardware, solid cameras, and a fast charging battery.
  • One of the best Android phones for battery life thanks to its big 4,200mAh battery which should last over a full day for heavy users and over two days for lighter users.

Why you should get it

  • It has some powerful hardware and an AI-driven processor.
  • The fast-charging battery also lasts a long time on a single charge.

Any reasons to pass?

  • It’s expensive.
  • If you live in the U.S., you’ll have to import one.
  • Huawei’s software UI is not the best.

Read more

OnePlus 6T

What if you could get nearly every feature you’d expect from a high-end flagship phone, but without having to shell out $1,000? You can, thanks to the OnePlus 6T. You get a fast processor — the Snapdragon 845 — plenty of RAM, lots of storage, and a large 6.41-inch Super AMOLED display with a small waterdrop notch.

You even get something not all smartphones have: an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The 3,700mAh battery lasts over a day, and it’s backed up by the company’s fast charging technology, which will fully charge it up in less than 90 minutes. All that and it starts at just $549.

What makes it “the best”

  • One of the best value Android phones thanks to a reasonably low price tag while still featuring specs and a premium body that normally are found on high-end flagship phones that cost around $1,000.

Why you should get it

Any reasons to pass?

  • Cameras are not the best.
  • No headphone jack, which is a step backwards from the OnePlus 6.

Learn more

Honor View 20

The Honor View 20 has a lot of the same hardware specs as the more expensive Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The Honor View 20 has a Kirin 980 processor inside, and you can get it with 6 or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. This phone’s 4,000mAh battery will last you around two full days on a single charge. You also get a 40MP main rear camera combined with a 3D ToF sensor and a front-facing 25MP camera with a punch-hole design. The Honor View 20 is also much cheaper than the Mate 20 Pro, though still a bit steep.

What makes it “the best”

  • One of the best value Android phones thanks to hardware that is on a par with the Mate 20 Pro for far less money.

Why you should get it

  • Some of the same hardware as the Mate 20 Pro for a lower price.
  • Punch-hole front-facing camera is arguably nicer looking than a notch.

Any reasons to pass?

  • Still might be too pricey for many people.
  • Hard to find support in the U.S.

Read more

Upcoming Android phones

That’s the best so far, but there are certainly several other handsets on the way that might be worth checking out. Here’s our list of upcoming handsets to keep an eye out for.

LG G8 ThinQ

The LG G8 ThinQ is the company’s smaller flagship for 2019, but it will have some cool security features when it comes out later in 2019. LG included 3D facial recognition, and what the company calls Hand ID for using your hand’s vein patterns to unlock the phone. It even uses hand gestures over the screen to access calls, shortcuts, and more.

LG V50 ThinQ 5G

The LG V50 ThinQ 5G will be the company’s first 5G phone when it launches later this year. It’s also likely to be one of the first standalone 5G phones to come to market, if not the very first — if you are lucky enough to live in an area where the cell networks will support it.

Sony Xperia 1

Sony wants to get people re-interested in its Xperia phones with this latest release, due out later in 2019. The Xperia 1 has a 6.5-inch screen with a tall 21:9 aspect ratio. It’ll also be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G display

Even if you don’t live in a 5G network area, you might want to get the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G when it launches later this year. It will have a truly huge 6.7-inch display, tons of RAM, and an even bigger battery than the S10 Plus. Just be prepared for a very large price tag.

Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro

The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro might actually take the Google Pixel 3’s photography crown this year. We’ll have to withhold judgement until our full review is out, but it’s looking promising!


That’s it for our list of the best Android phones you can buy, but it’s only a fraction of what’s out there. If you’re a gamer you might want to consider a gaming phone. Budget shoppers will want to check out our guide to the best cheap Android phones. Want to know what your carrier is offering? Check out our guides to the best Verizon phonesbest AT&T phones, best Sprint, and best T-Mobile Android phones.

Now it’s time for you to speak up! Cast your vote below for what you think is the best Android phone, and enter this month’s giveaway for your chance to win the top-voted phone throughout the month of April. Good luck!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Best Android phones (April 2019) international giveaway!

That’s all, folks. What are your thoughts? Be sure to leave a comment below if you feel strongly about any one of these phones?



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Google Pixel 2 blue camera finger scanner

If you pay a visit to the Google Store, you’ll find something missing: the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL. As first spotted by Android Police, Google appears to no longer be selling its two 2017 devices.

The Google Pixel 2 product listing page was originally located here; a visit to that page now forwards you to the page for the Google Pixel 3, sending a not-so-subtle signal that you should probably buy that one instead.

This update to the Google Store isn’t all too surprising. In a matter of months, the Google Pixel 2 will be two years old and we’ll likely have a Google Pixel 4 on the way as well as the so-called Google Pixel 3 a and Google Pixel 3a XL.

Editor's Pick

However, that does mean that we can expect the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to drop in price across the board. If Google is no longer selling the devices, it’s a good bet that the company is no longer making the devices, either. As such, you can expect lots of online stores to start doing fire sales of their last remaining product.

We’ve already seen some heavy discounts for the Pixel 2 XL, like this one from Best Buy which gets you a brand new device for only $400. Expect more to come!

The Pixel 2 still has one of the best cameras available today, and the device will continue to receive security patches and Android updates for the foreseeable future. It also is currently one of only a handful of devices that can run the first beta of Android Q, and likely will be able to run betas of Android R in 2020.

Click below to grab a Pixel 2 for yourself, and stay tuned for more discounts on the device.

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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Clash Royale update

Welcome to our Clash Royale update hub! We’ll be collecting all the official balance changes and updates for Clash Royale as they’re released by the Finnish giant Supercell.

If you’re a hardcore Clasher, be sure to bookmark this page to stay up-to-date on the latest buffs, nerfs, new game modes, and new cards for Clash Royale. Below you’ll find the most recent update, followed by a list of new cards from this season. Previous Clash Royale updates can be found at the end of the page.

Cycle your way through some of our other Clash Royale content:


Clash Royale update: The latest


Clash Royale update: April update overview

Release date: April 1, 2019

The April Clash Royale update is here, and it’s no April Fools joke! Witch is getting a huge buff that puts here more in line with her melee peer Nightwitch. She will now spawn three skeletons upon defeat. Expect witch to make a lot more appearances in your matches.

A few other cards received minor nerfs, including the popular Flying Machine and Bandit troops. Goblin Hut was buffed as a response to the surging use of Lava Hound, although it’s not clear whether or not that will have the intended effect.

Clash Royale April update patch notes

Buffs

  • Witch now spawns three skeletons upon death.
  • Giant Skeleton first attack improved to .3 seconds (down from .5 seconds).
  • Giant Skeleton mass increased to 18.
    • Now matches Giant and Golem.
  • Goblin Hut spawn speed improved to 4.5 seconds (down from 4.75 seconds).
    • Now spawns one extra Goblin over time.

Nerfs

  • Flying Machine hit speed reduced to 1 second (down from 1.1 seconds).
  • Ram Rider’s Bola now slows 85% (no longer immobilizes).
  • Bandit Hitpoints reduced by 4%.

Clash Royale: New cards

One of the secrets to Clash Royale’s success is the constant updates, changes, and new cards. A single new card can open up tons of great deck possibilities, and add some longevity to the title released way back in 2016. The most recently added cards and their subsequent buffs/nerfs from each Clash Royale update are listed below.

Wall Breakers new card Clash Royale

Wall Breakers

A daring duo of dangerous dive bombers — nothing warms a Wall Breaker’s cold and undead heart like blowing up buildings.

Release date: February 26, 2019

  • 3-elixir Epic available in Spooky Town or higher.
  • Like their Clash of Clans counterpart, runs at buildings and explodes.
  • Spawns two Wall Breakers, which can be split.
  • Explosion does area damage, and will damage nearby troops.
  • Very fast move speed but low hitpoints.

Wall Breakers buffs

  • (4/4) Hit speed reduced to 1.2 seconds (down from 1.5).

Ram Rider Clash Royale new card Supercell

Ram Rider

Her bola snares enemy troops while Ram heads for the nearest building! Rams and Hogs don’t mingle at parties…

Release date: December 25, 2018

  • 5-elixir Legendary available in Hog Mountain or higher.
  • Like the Hog Rider, Ram Rider can jump over the river.
  • Ram Rider charges like the Battle Ram, but does not explode upon impact.
  • The Rider has an independent ranged attack that hits air and ground units.
  • Rider’s bola attacks deal minimal damage but snare enemies for 2 seconds.
  • Rider’s snaring bola can be chained to perma-snare large troops.
  • Unlike Goblin Giant, Ram Rider does not spawn any units upon death.

Electro Dragon new card clash royale Supercell

Electro Dragon

Spits out bolts of electricity hitting up to three targets. Suffers from middle child syndrome to boot.

Release date: November 9, 2018

  • 5-elixir epic available in Electro Valley and higher
  • Like the Electro Wizard, shoots lightning that stuns and chains to 3 targets
  • Unlike the Electro Wizard, hitting only one target does not increase damage
  • Not as tanky as the other dragon troops
  • Can chain to awaken the King Tower if not careful

Electro Dragon nerfs

  • (12/3) Electro Dragon hit points reduced 5%.
  • (12/3) Electro Dragon first attack comes out slower.

Goblin Giant new card clash royale Supercell

Goblin Giant

This jolly green Goblin Giant stomps towards enemy buildings. He carries two Spear Goblins everywhere he goes. It’s a weird but functional arrangement.

Release date: September 5, 2018

  • 6-elixir epic available in the Jungle Arena and higher
  • Like the classic giant, targets only buildings
  • Moves faster than giant (medium vs slow)
  • Much lower hp than the other giants, but good at solo pushing
  • Two Spear Goblins strapped to his back target other cards independently
  • Upon death, the spear goblins jump out of his backpack and continue fighting

Goblin Giant buffs

  • (10/1) Hitpoints +6%
  • (1/7) Hitpoints +3%
  • (1/7) Spear Goblin range increased

Royal Recruits new card clash royale Supercell

Royal Recruits

Deploys a line of recruits armed with spears, shield and wooden buckets. They dream of ponies and one day wearing metal buckets.

Release date: August 7, 2018

  • 7-elixir common available in the Royal Arena and higher.
  • Spawns a line of 6 troops horizontally across the arena.
  • Medium damage and hitpoints, but have a shield.
  • Great for defending both lanes at once against strong cards.
  • Can be split unevenly between the lanes 4-2 or 2-4 by adjusting the deployment point.

Royal Recruits buffs

  • (9/3) Damage increased by 12%
  • (9/3) Can now be split unevenly between lanes.
  • (12/3) Elixir cost reduced from 8 to 7.

Royal Recruits nerfs

  • (Pre-release) Elixir cost increased from 6 to 8.
  • (12/3) Hit speed reduced from 1.3 to 1.2.

Royal Hogs Giant snowball new cards clash royale Supercell

Royal Hogs

The King’s personal pets are loose! They love to chomp on apples and towers alike — who let the hogs out?

Release date: June 20, 2018

  • 5-elixir rare available in Hog Mountain and higher.
  • Spawns 4 helmet-wearing hogs that attack only buildings.
  • Like the Hog Rider, the Royal Hogs can jump over the river.
  • Move quickly, but don’t do as much damage as the Hog Rider.
  • Moderate hitpoints.

Royal Hog buffs

  • (8/6) Delay before initial attack reduced.

Royal Hog nerfs

  • (11/5) Damage reduced by 6%.
  • (11/5) Weight decreased, meaning they can no longer push around most units.
  • (9/3) Hit speed reduced from 1.2 seconds to 1.1 seconds.

Giant Snowball

It’s HUGE! Once it began rolling down Frozen Peak, there was no stopping it. Enemies hit are knocked back and slowed down.

Release date: June 20, 2018

  • 2-elixir common available in the Frozen Peak and higher.
  • Damages and knocks back ground and air targets within its radius, like the Fireball.
  • Knocked back enemies attacks have their attacks reset.
    • Can be used to change troop targets.
  • Enemies hit are also briefly slowed.

Giant Snowball buffs

  • (10/1) Damage increased by 10%.
  • (10/1) Slow duration increased from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.
  • (12/3) Damage increased by 14% to match Zap spell.

Rascals new card clash royale Supercell

Rascals

Spawns a mischievous trio of Rascals. The boy takes the lead, while the girls pelt enemies from behind… with slingshots full of Double Trouble Gum.

Release date: May 25, 2018

  • 5-elixir common available in the Jungle Arena and higher.
  • Spawns 3 troops: one Rascal Boy and two Rascal Girls.
    • Rascal Boy is a large unit with moderate hp and damage.
    • Rascal Girl is a ranged unit with low hitpoints and moderate damage.

Rascals nerfs

  • (7/2) Rascal Boy hitpoints reduced by 5.3%.
  • (7/2) Rascal Girl initial attack delay increased.
  • (4/4) Units spawn one at a time with a .15 second delay, starting with Rascal Girls.

Clash Royale update history


Clash Royale update: March update overview

Release date: March 4, 2019

After introducing a number of new features in the February update, the Clash Royale March update mostly consists of minor tweaks and balance changes. The only major change relates to one of Clash Royale’s oldest troops: Barbarians.

The base Barbarian card now spawns five troops with slightly reduced hitpoints. This should boost their use and win rates, while having the side effect of nerfing other cards that spawn Barbarians, like the Barbarian Barrel, Barb Hut, and Battle Ram.

With yet another card that spawns five troops in the game, Supercell has also revisited how these troops spawn. Several swarm cards now feature a delayed spawn time, changing the way they interact with splashing troops. The same change was made to Minion Horde last year.

Clash Royale March update patch notes

Barbarian update

  • Barbarian hitpoints decreased by 13%.
  • Barbarian card now spawns 5 Barbarians (up from 4).
  • Hitpoint change affects all other Barbarian spawning cards:
    • Barbarian Barrel.
    • Barbarian Hut.
    • Battle Ram.

Buffs

  • Wall Breakers hit speed decreased to 1.2 (down from 1.5).
  • Bomb Tower now explodes on death, dealing 2x are damage.
  • X-bow hitpoints increased 4%.

Nerfs

  • Several cards now spawn troops one at a time, .15 seconds apart:
    • Barbarians.
    • Bats.
    • Goblin Gang.
    • Rascals.

Clash Royale Update: February Balance Update Overview

Released: February 4, 2019

Just a few weeks after the January balance update, yet another Clash Royale update is on the books. This time, Freeze and Three Musketeers are the targets. Freeze has had it’s duration reduced a full second, and 3M now cost a full elixir bar.

Those two changes alone will have a major impact on the meta, but the February Clash Royale update features a few minor changes as well. Cannon Cart, Knight, and Musketeer received small buffs, and the Clone spell now works slightly differently.

Clash Royale February Balance Update Patch Notes

Buffs:

  • Musketeer damage increased 3 percent.
  • Cannon Cart hit speed increased to 1.2 (up from 1.3).
  • Knight hitpoints increased 2.5 percent.

Nerfs:

  • Three Musketeers elixir cost increased to 10 (up from 9).
  • Freeze damage decreased 6 percent.
  • Freeze duration decreased to 4.0 seconds (down from 5).
  • Dart Goblin attack speed decreased to .7 (down from .65).

Other:

  • Clone spell now spawns troops behind cloned troops (instead of to the side).

Clash Royale update: January update overview

Release date: January 27, 2019

It hasn’t been long since the January balance update, but this new Clash Royale update adds all kinds of new content. Most notably, there’s a brand new arena called Spooky Town that’s been slipped in between Electro Valley and the Legendary Arena. It’s filled with, well, spooky ghosts and ghoulies.

The January update also features two new game modes, one of which is focused on the Lunar New Year. In honor of the Year of the Pig, Royal Hogs spawn non-stop and run down a lane in this intense limited time game mode. Plus, the first new Clash Royale card since last year’s Ram Rider was announced, but don’t expect to field that one until February.

Clash Royale January update patch notes

New arena – Spooky Town

  • Spooky Town has been added at 3,600 trophies.
  • Legendary Arena moved up to 4,000 trophies.
  • Rewards from chests above 4,000 trophies have been increased.

New card – Wall Breakers

  • Wall Breakers will be released some time in February.
  • The suicidal skeletons work just like they do in Clash of Clans.
  • Two Wall Breakers spawn and run quickly toward a turret.

New game mode – Year of the Hogs

  • New limited time 1v1 game mode to celebrate the Lunar New Year
  • Royale Hogs spawn behind each players’ Princess towers
  • As the time runs down, more Royal Hogs spawn at a time.

New game mode – Mini Collection

  • Select your deck from a list of 40 cards.

Improvements

  • When trading, you may now select up to four cards to trade away.
  • Trading partners select one of the four cards to accept the trade.
  • Private tournaments now have an option for ‘Max Losses’.
  • Private tournaments are now automatically shared in Clan chat.
  • Clan recommendations now show up to five clans containing players from your friends list.

Balance

  • Several card unlocks have been moved to different arenas to accommodate Spooky Town.
  • Depending on your trophy count, you may have new cards unlocked.
  • Unlocked cards will not be lost, regardless of trophy count.

Clash Royale Update: January balance update overview

Released: January 7, 2019

The first Clash Royale update of the new year rolls brings with it a host of small changes as well as a big one that could breathe new life into one of the game’s least popular cards. Heal has been reduced to just 1 elixir, making it a strong choice in a number of cycle decks.

Magic Archer may also see an increase in use, as his first attack nerf is being partially rolled back. Barbarian Barrel is going the other way, with half of the deploy time buff being rolled back. The only big nerfs to come through are to the Barbarian Hut and Battle Ram, but they should remain strong choices in this meta.

Clash Royale January balance update patch notes

Heal rework

  • Costs 1 elixir (down from 3).
  • Duration 2.0 seconds (down from 2.5).
  • Healing per second reduced 63%.

Buffs

  • Magic Archer first attack faster (not a full reversion of nerf).
  • Goblin Giant hitpoints increased 3%.
  • Goblin Giant’s Spear Goblins have increased range.
  • Sparky range increased to 5 (from 4.5, now higher than Electro Wizard).
  • Valkyrie hit speed improved to 1.5 (from 1.6)

Nerfs

  • Golem’s Golemite pushback reduced.
  • Freeze deals 65% less damage to turrets (in line with other spells).
  • Battle Ram charge damage reduced 11%.
  • Barbarian Hut hitpoints reduced 7%.
  • Barbarian Barrel deploy time slower (not a full reversion of buff).

Clash Royale Update: December Update overview

Release date: December 5, 2018

It’s been three months since the last major update to Clash Royale, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It finally brings new content for players who have stuck with the game throughout the years in the form of star levels and a revamped tournament system. It’s so big that it was broken into two parts (watch part two here).

That’s not all that this Clash Royale update brings. Later this month a new limited time game mode will come out to celebrate the release of Supercell’s latest game, Brawl Stars. The 1v1 Heist mode will even allow you to play two of the characters from Brawl Stars as troop cards.

Clash Royale December Update patch notes

New Features

Heist Mode

  • 1v1 arena with no king or princess towers.
  • The first to open the enemy safe wins.
  • Two characters from Brawl Stars make a guest appearance.
  • Bo replaces the Magic Archer and Shelly replaces the Hunter.

Star Levels

  • Star levels unlock new cosmetics for max level cards.
  • Most cosmetic changes turn cards to gold.
  • Star level one unlocks a deploy effect and card border.
  • Star level two unlocks cosmetic changes to the model itself.
  • Star level three unlocks further cosmetic changes.
  • To unlock Star levels, you need Star points.
  • After hitting King level 13, all card upgrades and donations accumulate Star points.
  • Star points will be rewarded retroactivity for current level 13 players.

Tournament Rework

  • New global tournaments where any player from around the world can enter.
  • New tournament reward system with a tournament leaderboard.
  • Winning games moves you up the leaderboard, unlocking unique rewards.
  • At the end of the tournament, you may unlock all rewards with gems.
  • The first tournament will go live shorty after the update drops.

Other Changes

Mega Lightning Chests

  • Mega Lightning Chests replace Super Magical Chests.
  • They offer the same rewards, but with 8 strikes.
  • This increases the chance of legendary cards significantly.

Miscellaneous

  • Name changes can be purchased with gems (increasing by 500 each time, up to 10,000 gems).
  • Both players now need a trade token to trade.
  • Trade tokens now appear more than twice as often.
  • Emotes can now be purchased with gems.
  • Clan request timers can now be sped up.
  • Clan bounties now offer greater rewards, including free gems.
  • Clan search has been improved.
  • 2v2 partners can be added as friends after a match.
  • Special event challenges can now be continued with gems, eliminating losses but keeping wins.

Clash Royale update: 12/3 Balance Update overview

Release date: December 12, 2018

The first balance update after the Clash Royale League World Finals is upon us, and it addresses many of the major concerns players voiced prior to the final showdown in Tokyo. The Electro Dragon might not have played as big a role in the Finals as expected, but nevertheless it’s found its way onto the nerf list alongside the heavily abused Barbarian Barrel.

This update also breathes new life into the Royal Recruits, reducing their elixir cost in exchange for a slower hit speed. The Freeze spell has also been reworked to level out its power as you level it up. It now has a fixed freeze time and deals area damage over time, similar to the Poison spell. Finally, the Elixir Collector no longer appears in starting hands, so players can’t gain an early advantage via sheer luck.

Clash Royale 12/3 Balance Update patch notes

Buffs

  • Tesla tower’s first attack now comes out faster.
  • Royal Recruits elixir cost reduced from 8 to 7.
  • Giant Snowball damage increased by 14%, now matches Zap damage.
  • Archer damage increased 2.5%.
  • Ice Wizard damage increased 10%.

Nerfs

  • Electro Dragon hit points reduced 5%.
  • Electro Dragon first attack comes out slower.
  • Royal Recruits hit speed reduced from 1.2 to 1.3.
  • Archer hit points reduced 1%.
  • Barbarian Barrel damage reduced 5%
  • Ice Wizard hit points reduced 11%.

Miscellaneous

  • Freeze spell now has a fixed duration of five seconds.
  • Freeze spell now deals minor Area Damage.
  • Elixir Collector no longer appears in opening hand

That’s it for our Clash Royale update hub. Be sure to bookmark this article, as we’ll update it over the next few weeks and months with the latest releases. 



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Happy Friday! Here’s your daily tech digest, by way of the DGiT Daily newsletter, for Monday, April 1, 2019!

1. Yes, April Fools’ is here

We have an April Fools’ Day 2019 round-up for all the major tech gags, in one place (AA).

Google Maps Snake.


2. We asked, you told us: Most prefer the Galaxy S10 Plus over the Huawei P30 Pro (AA).


3. Is the Huawei P30 Pro camera worth the hype? See for yourself (AA).


4. Google launches email scheduling in Gmail, finally (Google Blog)


5. Microsoft unveils new Surface Book 2 model with Intel’s latest quad-core processor (The Verge).


6. iFixit teardown: Apple’s AirPods 2 are “still disappointingly disposable” and its tiny battery will fail before long.


7. No fooling: Reddit’s r/games goes silent for one day to call out hate (Ars Technica).


8. No AI in humor: R2-D2 walks into a bar, doesn’t get the joke. (And AI never will get jokes, apparently!) (AP).


9. How Ketchup became the great equalizer and changed food (Saturday Evening Post)


10. Productivity isn’t about time management. It’s about attention management (NY Times).


11. DeepMind readies first commercial product for detecting eye disease (FT).


12. What are some recent scientific breakthroughs/discoveries that aren’t getting enough attention? (r/askreddit)


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Email scheduling in Gmail on smartphones. Google Blog

  • Google has celebrated Gmail’s 15th anniversary by bringing email scheduling to the platform.
  • Smart Compose is also making its way to Android and iOS, after being a Pixel-exclusive feature.
  • Google confirmed that Smart Compose is now available in four new languages as well.

Believe it or not, but Gmail was first announced 15 years ago on April 1, 2004. It was pretty revolutionary for the time thanks to its massive 1GB storage limit for each user.

Now, Google has marked the 15th anniversary of its email service by announcing that email scheduling is coming to the platform. You simply need to open a draft or create a new message, then tap the three dot menu > Schedule send on your smartphone. From here, you can choose several suggested times or customize your own sending time (as seen in the featured image). So if you don’t want to interrupt someone’s weekend or want to pretend you’re hard at work at 2AM, this seems like a handy addition.

Smart compose in Gmail for Android.

The company has also confirmed that Smart Compose is now available in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Furthermore, it’s coming to Android phones at large as well as iOS, having been a Pixel-exclusive feature at first.

Google also revealed another Smart Compose-related tweak, as it said that the feature will now personalize suggestions. An example given by the Mountain View company is if you prefer to say “Ahoy” in your greetings, instead of “hello” or “hi,” you can set that up. Additionally, Gmail will now suggest a subject line based on the email you’re writing.

Editor's Pick

These changes come a few days after Google announced that its AMP tech is coming to Gmail. This so-called dynamic emails feature will allow users to conduct complex tasks within an email rather than visiting a website, such as filling out forms and responding to events.

The features also come a day before Google is apparently due to shut down its Inbox app. Users have reportedly received notifications from the search giant, warning them that Inbox will close on April 2, and directing them to use Gmail instead.

NEXT: Here are Google’s April Fool’s Day gags — From Google Tulip to spoon-bending in Gboard



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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G

Update, April 1, 2019, 09:20 ET: Samsung has now confirmed the release of the Galaxy S10 5G in South Korea on April 5. Samsung announced the release in a blog post earlier today, stating the device would launch in three colors: Majestic Black, Royal Gold, Crown Silver.

The news follows from Yonhap News speculation last week that suggested Samsung would make the phone available in South Korea this Friday. Sadly, Samsung had little to say about wider availability in its press release, only that the phone would “expand to additional markets” after hitting Korea in a few days.

Previous coverage, March 21. 2019, 06:40 ET: The Samsung Galaxy S10 series is arguably the firm’s best flagship range in recent years, delivering loads of features and plenty of cameras. The manufacturer also has the Galaxy S10 5G waiting in the wings, but we haven’t received a release date anywhere until now.

According to Yonhap News (via SamMobile), the Galaxy S10 5G will officially launch in South Korea on April 5. Samsung won’t be running a pre-order program for the device, however, which is tipped to retail for 1.5 million won (~$1,329).

The Korean firm is tossing in a few extras for consumers who register the phone between April 5 and 16. These extras include a pair of Galaxy Buds, a “wireless charging package,” and a 50 percent discount on screen replacements. The latter is valid for a year, but it’s unclear whether this discount is only for one screen repair or for several within the time-frame.

Editor's Pick

News of the Korean launch comes as the country’s carriers put the finishing touches on their 5G networks. But Verizon has also announced that its 5G service will launch on April 11. And with the carrier confirmed as the exclusive U.S. home of the Galaxy S10 5G until the summer, I’d expect Samsung’s phone to hit the country sooner rather than later. We’ve contacted the manufacturer’s representatives for clarity on a U.S. release date and will update the article accordingly.

The 5G variant isn’t merely a Galaxy S10 Plus with next-generation cellular connectivity. Instead, the new phone offers two 3D cameras (one on front and one on the back), a larger display, and a bigger battery (4,500mAh versus the Plus’s 4,100mAh pack). We’ll be reviewing the device once it’s available.

NEXT: Energizer P18K Pop hits IndieGogo — Who wants an 18,000mAh phone for $550?



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