LG’s latest V-series smartphone is upon us. The LG V40 ThinQ is the fourth generation of the South Korean company’s end-of-year phablets, and like its predecessors, it’s packed with goodies. While the V40 ThinQ includes typical flagship components like a Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and high-resolution OLED display — as we’ve seen on many of the best Android smartphones of 2018 — it also has a handful of features stashed away that you won’t find on just any Android handset.

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Security and privacy on the Internet are major concerns these days. We keep a lot of personal information on our phones and computers after all. If privacy is important to you, we really recommend using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). It’s a term you have likely heard in the context of privacy, and maybe even geolocation. But what is a VPN, and what can it do for you?

Today marks the anniversary of Microsoft buying Nokia’s phone unit in 2013, in a deal valued at €5.4 billion (over $7 billion) at the time. It was a major moment in mobile history, as Nokia was a pioneer in the industry and the acquisition gave Microsoft access to a ton of related patents and expertise. Unfortunately, history shows us that the two companies failed to make a dent in Android and iOS over the long run.

TL;DR The Discord app for Android now lets you see what your friends are playing. Your currently played Android game will also be displayed as a status message. The feature is available for version 7.9.9 of the Android app. Whether it’s Steam, Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, most gaming services allow you to see what your friends are playing. Discord also allows you to do this on PC, but the functionality was missing from the Android app.

The Google Pixel 3a is a compelling mid-range handset in its own right. Starting at just $399 compared to the $799 Pixel 3 and packing many of the features you get in its premium sibling, the addition of Google’s photography expertise is the cherry on top of an already well-iced cake. So perhaps the deciding question when picking between these two phones, besides price, is which takes better photos? Google Pixel 3a XL camera review: Category leader

The whole ‘does an Android smartphone need expandable storage’ debate has been raging for many years and it has been a real roller-coaster of a ride. One year Samsung’s flagships have microSD card slots, the next year they don’t, then support is back again. Up and down, up and down. Google never seems to want to include microSD card support in its Nexus line, but the individual OEMs who manufacture the Nexus devices do include support on other handsets they make!

However, Google took mercy on us and at least gave us the ability to turn off YouTube autoplay. Additionally, you may not know that you can also turn off YouTube autoplay when you’re watching videos, so another video doesn’t start to play when your current video is over. Here’s how to turn off YouTube autoplay for both situations. How to turn off YouTube autoplay even if you’re watching a video Step 1: Open up the YouTube app.

Updated, August 18, 2020 (12:30 PM ET): We now have the LG Velvet price and release info as it pertains to Verizon. Big Red will be charging $100 more for the Velvet as compared to other carriers, but its variant will access both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G signals. It also has an exclusive colorway (Aurora Red) and a slightly different name: the LG Velvet 5G UW. The LG Velvet price at Verizon will be $699 if paid in full or $29.

I hope you had some fun changing up the text-to-speech output settings on your Android device with last week’s Android customization article. That was pretty simple stuff, and while this week is also really easy, our new project can be a little intimidating to those that are not comfortable with a screwdriver. If your 2012 Nexus 7 is not charging, and you think it is the USB port that’s dead, or your headphones have stopped working and you think it is the headphone jack, let’s replace them.

Realme GT 5GThe Realme GT is all about design, refinement, and everyday usability. Gripes like the lack of an IP rating and bloatware hold it back from true excellence, but it covers all the essentials and builds on it with excellent imaging from its main camera, good control over thermal output, and performance that can match premium flagships. Table of contents After staving off Xiaomi’s stranglehold on the mid-range smartphone segment, Realme has been consistently aiming upwards.