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This week in Android: Only the best of 2018
August 06, 2025
It’s the end of 2018 — well, almost anyway — and we’re taking a look back over the year that was. Our resident app expert, Joe Hindy, is breaking down thevery best apps of 2018and thevery best games of 2018. Who knew some many awesome new apps hit the Play Store this year? Plus, while we saw some great phones this year, we also saw afew that may have gone a bit unrecognized.
Speaking of underrated phones, ourfull review of the HUAWEI Mate 20is in and it’s still pretty impressive, even when compared to theMate 20 Pro. This gorgeous phone boasts atriple camera setup and even has a headphone jack. That’s not easy to come by these days, and we appreciate it. Still, with impressive specifications under the hood, this is a mighty capable phone on its own.
We also take a look at thefuture of messaging,the future of 5G, andthe future of OnePlus. We’re very futuristic.
Here are your top stories for the week
2:20 –The Android Authority year-end survey: Help us become better!
It’s the end of the year, and we want to know how you liked us. What was great? What was not? What can we do better? We’re listening!
3:30 –15 best Android apps released in 2018!
2018 was a great year for new apps. Joe Hindy breaks down all the best apps that came out this year, including new browsers and VPNs — you name it!
20:10 –15 best Android games released in 2018!
In addition to the best apps of the year, we also have the best new games released in 2018. Looking for some great time wasters? Look no further!
28:50 –The most underrated smartphones of 2018
We saw some great phones come out this year, but there were also some phones that flew under the radar.
35:10 –Lenovo Z5 Pro GT has outrageous 12GB of RAM, Snapdragon 855, sliding back
Lenovo took to Weibo this week to announce one of the first Snapdragon 855 phone with 12 GB of holy moly!
40:50 –HUAWEI Mate 20 review: Packing premium performance for a high price
Our HUAWEI Mate 20 review is in and speaking of underrated phones, this phone was greatly underrated because of itslarger sibling.
Meanwhile, here are some stories we couldn’t cover on the podcast
What is RCS messaging and why is it important?
A new messaging protocol is on the horizon, but naturally it won’t be completely smooth sailing to get there.
HUAWEI poised to spend billions to fix its bad security reputation
HUAWEI really wants tofix its reputation as a security threat, so it’s going to throw money at the problem.
5G smartphones from LG, Samsung could launch in February, retail in March
In 2019, we get all the 5Gs and LG andSamsunglook to be among the very first to use the connection.
Oura Ring 2 review: The early adopter catches the worm
This health tracking ring is one of thebest sleep trackerswe’ve ever used, and that’s just the beginning.
Google ‘Dragonfly’ Chinese search engine allegedly shelved for now
Google was making a search engine for China before itsemployees kinda freaked out about it. They’re not making one any more.
HONOR 10 Lite hands-on: The budget selfie king?
Honor’s latest offering sports an impressive 24MP selfie camera, but unfortunately, that’s where the impressive part stops.
There’s something very fishy about this alleged OnePlus phone leak
In a new leak fromOnePlus, we see some new hardware including a larger camera sensor on the back. But where did this photo come from?
Who wants to win a Google Pixel 3?
This week, we’re giving away a brand newGoogle Pixel 3.Enter this week’s Sunday giveawayfor your chance to win!
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