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How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Note 9
How To Download And Install 'Fortnite: Battle Royale' On Android
Report: 3.3-Inch Palm Smartphone Heading to Verizon

How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Posted: 10 Aug 2018 07:10 AM PDT

If you want a big, powerful Android phone that can run Fortnite exclusively for a while, you can reserve your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 right now from a variety of retailers.

The phone will officially release on August 24th. No matter your carrier, you can redeem preorder bonuses through the Samsung Shop app, so long as you preorder before 8/23. This will include either a set of AKG noise-canceling headphones ($299 value) or 15,000 V-bucks ($150 value), which is Fortnite's in-game currency. You can also buy both of them for $99. You have until September 13th to upload your proof of preorder purchase through the Samsung Shop app to claim the goodies.

You can buy the Note 9 through Samsung's website or the Samsung Shop app either unlocked or through a carrier.

Samsung offers up to $450 toward the purchase of a Note 9 if you trade in your current smartphone. Of course, the credit you'll receive depends on the phone you're looking to trade in. It ranges from $200 for the LG V30 to $450 for iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, or Google Pixel 2 XL.

Pricing:

$999 for 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM
$1,249 for 512GB ROM with 8GB of RAM

Preorders for the Note 9 are now open at Verizon. Unlike other carriers, if you buy two Note 9s at Verizon, it will pay you back for one of them over the course of 24 monthly payments.

Pricing:

128GB model is $999, or $42 per month for 24 months
512GB option is $1,249, or $52 per month for 24 months

If you get your service through AT&T, you can preorder now. Unless you're buying the phone at full price, which you can do, it's most affordable for AT&T Next customers, the carrier's program that lets you upgrade your phone every year.

Pricing:

128GB model is $33 per month for one year with Next, otherwise $41 per month for 24 months
512GB model is $42 per month for one year with Next, otherwise $52 per month for 24 months

Preorders for the Note 9 at T-Mobile are active. If you have a recent Samsung device that you're willing to trade in, T-Mobile will take as much as $500 off the cost of the Note 9. Paid back as billing credits over a 24-month period, this is a good deal if you want to swap your phone for the latest Note.

Pricing:

128GB model is $999 outright, or $30 per month after $279.99 down at purchase
512GB model is $1,249, or $30 per month if you put $529 down

Preordering through US Cellular will earn you $150 off, paid back in a monthly credit on your statements, but only if you're a new customer.

Pricing:

$999 for the 128GB model, or $33 per month for 30 months

If Sprint is your carrier, you can preorder the Note 9. You can purchase the 128GB Note 9 model for $999 or lease through Sprint's Flex program for $21 per month over 18 billing cycles. Unlike the other carriers, Sprint doesn't offer the higher-end option with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

For new members who activate their service with Xfinity Mobile and port their number over, a $300 prepaid card is waiting for you. Both models are available for purchase here for $999 and $1,249.

Preorders for the Note 9 are open for B&H Photo, as well, and its promo is quite good if you're buying the unlocked version. Not only does it come with the usual preorder items, B&H is also tossing in a bunch of other stuff for no extra cost, like the Samsung Qi Wireless Charger Duo and a DeX pad dock.

Best Buy's preorder offer will save up to $200 off the total price of the Note 9 when you purchase it through Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint, though you won't see the savings up front. It will pay you back in monthly installments through your carrier.

If you're after an unlocked Note 9, you can save up to $450 toward the purchase if you trade in an iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus. It'll be less if your phone isn't as current.

Preordering the Note 9 at Sam's Club will get you a $200 Sam's Club gift card if you're activating a 2-year contract with a carrier.

The 128GB version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will also be available at Amazon, Costco, Straight Talk Wireless, Target, and Walmart. Just keep in mind: if you pick it up at launch, you won't be eligible for the preorder special mentioned above.

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How To Download And Install 'Fortnite: Battle Royale' On Android

Posted: 10 Aug 2018 06:41 AM PDT

Fortnite.Credit: Epic Games

Fortnite: Battle Royale is coming to Android. iOS users have been playing a touch-enabled mobile version of the popular battle royale title for months, but Android users have been working with only "summer" as a release date for a long time. Well, it's summer, and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney just announced the launch of the Fortnite: Battle Royale beta on Samsung phones at an event held by the handset manufacturer today. If you want to sign-up for access to the beta, here are the instructions. Once you've got an invite, however, things aren't as simple as you might think. Read on for how to download and install it.

Fortnite: Battle Royale will not be available on the Google Play store, where most Android users get most of their apps. Android is an open platform, and the storefront is not a requirement, unlike with iOS and the Apple App store. The Google Play store, like most digital storefronts, takes a 30% cut of all developer revenue that runs through it. That might work for a small shop that can't publicize, host or operate its game or app on its own, but Epic is betting that it's own technical operation and the name recognition behind Fortnite will be enough to allow it to strike out on its own.

To start with, it's a closed beta and exclusive to Samsung phones for right now, with more devices being added to soon. You'll still be able to download it if you're not signed up for the beta, but you won't be able to sign in and play unless you got the email from Epic confirming access to the beta. But I've had a test device and run through the install process, so here's how it works.

To start, you need to go to Fortnite.com and click "Play Free Now." If you're doing this on an Android device, you'll be taken to the appropriate page. You'll have the choice to download the Fortnite from either Samsung or Epic Games, so pick one of them.

After you download, go to open it. If you haven't already enabled side-loading on your device, it will ask you to do so. That means it will take you to a settings menu where you can give the phone permission to enable apps downloaded through chrome. If you want to run Fortnite, you'll need to give it access.

Note: be careful about this, and don't go downloading a ton of other apps unless you know what you're doing with all of this. If you have kids, be extra careful and maybe disable that permission at the end of this process.

After that, you'll be able to open the Fortnite app. It will download some more data to get ready to play, and after that it will be just like Fortnite on any other device. If you have permission to log into the beta, just enter your Epic ID and get playing.

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Report: 3.3-Inch Palm Smartphone Heading to Verizon

Posted: 10 Aug 2018 05:48 AM PDT

New smartphones in 2018 all follow a similar (and expected) design. They have a large touchscreen display, curved edge rectangular case, run Android or iOS, include an all-day battery, and may or may not have a notch and a headphone jack. A new Palm-branded smartphone seems to break most of those rules.

As Android Police reports, shots of a new Palm smartphone have been leaked along with its codename "Pepito." You may remember the last Palm phone we got was way back in 2011 when the Pre 3 launched. To say this new Palm phone is a little strange considering its 2018 is an understatement.

According to Android Police's source, the Pepito handset will sport a 3.3-inch 720p display powered by a Snapdragon 435 processor, 3GB of RAM, and offers 32GB of storage. That's a bit of a mismatch of performance and size, especially when you learn that this tiny phone relies on an 800mAh battery.

Considering the spec and the size, this can't be anything other than a budget handset. It will run Android, meaning it has access to Google Play and any apps that can function of a very small 720p display (imagine scrolling Twitter on this thing!) and it is going to launch in the US. Apparently Verizon has decided to offer it for sale.

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Rather than being the smartphone in your pocket, this strikes me as an add-on device Verizon can sell alongside another, much more capable device. For example, you may want to pick up a Galaxy Note 9, but then don't want to worry about it being stolen or damaged if you go out for the evening with friends. That's when Pepito could take over, allowing you to leave the Note 9 safe at home while having access to your contacts and apps on a tiny phone you can easily replace if lost, stolen, or damaged.

There's no details on price or launch date, but expect Verizon to start talking about it soon and why exactly they think consumers will want to buy it. A cheap buddy smartphone is my best guess, but marketing it as a device for kids isn't out of the question.

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