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This week in Android: Budget phones abound!
August 04, 2025
This week, Motorola announced atrio of budget phoneswhich run the gamut frompretty, to beefy, to svelte. Additionally, Nokiareturns to the shores of the U.S.with anew offering on Cricket Wireless. This phone won’t blow you away in terms of specs, but our reviewer really likes what this phone has to offer. We also have anew modular phone with a rugged streakfrom DOOGEE.
Also, we took thetop 50 projects that Google has cancelledover the years and ranked them. FromiGoogle, toGoogle Reader, and of course including theNexus line, Google has given us — and taken away — some great products over the years. It’s an extensive list, but well worth the read.
Finally, weconfirm a myth we all suspected,we comparethe two wearables in an epic showdown, andHUAWEI stumbles against the U.S. Government… again.
Here are your top stories for the week
1:30 –Motorola Moto G7 series hands-on: A fine family
We go hands-on with a trio of new Moto budget phones. Motorola is attacking the space with some stylish looks and a 5,000mAh battery.
12:40 –Nokia 3.1 Plus review: A return to form for a beloved brand
Not to be outdone, Nokia is back in the U.S. throughCricket Wireless. Nokia really resonates with consumers, and this phone tugs at all the right heart strings.
22:10 –1080p vs 1440p: How much does 1440p really affect battery life?
There is an ongoing debate about 1080p vs 1440p and the battery life that comes with it. Finally, our testing labs have numbers to back up the speculation.
31:40 –Fitbit Versa vs Apple Watch Series 4: Which smartwatch is right for you?
Chief wearables nerd, Jimmy Westenberg, compares two of the more popular wearables on the market today. Which one is right for you?
38:25 –We ranked 50 failed Google products from best to worst
Google does love to work on things and then kick them to the curb. But what were the best projects that have shuffled off their mortal coil?
Meanwhile, here are some stories we couldn’t cover on the podcast
DOOGEE S90 review: The James Bond phone?
Mods aren’t just for Moto any more. The last of our budget phones, DOOGEE has a new rugged phone that you can expand with modules like a night-view camera, or extra battery.
Renders of very tall Sony Xperia XA3 show tiny chin, but huge forehead
Sony seems to have forgotten one half on the phone when designing its latest near-bezel-less phone. But at least it forgot the correct half.
Read this detailed description of an FBI sting on HUAWEI during CES 2019
If you were on the fence about whether HUAWEI was a “good company” or not, this FBI sting might plant you firmly on one side of the fence.
HUAWEI MateBook 13 review: A beautiful, premium laptop targeting Apple’s MacBook Air
In case you want to give HUAWEI a second (or third, or fourth) chance, maybe you can try out its latest laptop!
40MP shootout: HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro vs Nokia Lumia 1020
It was only a matter of time before we put the OG 40MP camera up against the latest 40MP camera from HUAWEIl. Does the Lumia 1020 still have it?
Who wants to win an HONOR View 20?
This week, we’re giving away a brand newHONOR View 20.Enter this week’s Sunday giveawayfor your chance to win!
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