Remember those StyleSwap covers for the OnePlus One that leaked out earlier this year? Well it looks like we finally be getting close to seeing them actually launch.

The official @OnePlus Twitter account today posted an image of a wood background with the words “Knock on Wood 7.22” emblazoned upon it. The caption attached to the photos says “Wood you like to know more? 7.22.”

OnePlus originally teased its StyleSwap rear covers way back in March, so it’s exciting to see that they may finally be available soon. Some of the StyleSwap panels that are said to be in the works include Silk, Sandstone, Kevlar, Denim and Bamboo. There’s no word on how much these covers might cost, but hey, July 22 is only 12 days away.

If you already have a OnePlus One or plan to get one, will you be getting a StyleSwap cover to add a touch of personality to your device?

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The LG G Vista has leaked out again, this time with a new image and some specs. The G Vista looks to be coming with a 5.7-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 3200mAh battery and Android 4.4.2 KitKat. From those specs, we can conclude that this is intended as a mid-range device, and not a rival to the G3.

Prior leaks have said that the G Vista would be a toned-down version of the G Pro 2, intended as a mid-range LG device on Verizon. The specs certainly scream that, with only a 720p resolution. Pricing and availability are still unknowns, but the date on the phone is August 7, a likely release date for the G Vista.

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Verizon has put the LG G3 up for pre-order through its website. As one of the three major flagships for 2014, the G3 has been widely anticipated. US carriers have taken their sweet time releasing it, but it’s finally arriving. Verizon is selling the LG G3 for just $99 on a two-year contract, a surprisingly fair price for a new flagship. If you prefer the Verizon Edge route, then you can get it for $29.99 per month. And, of course, it’s also available without a contract for $599.99.

A few weeks ago, we reviewed the G3 and found ourselves very impressed. As a specs refresher, the LG G3 comes with a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage and microSD card slot, 13-megapixel camera, and of course, that beautiful 5.5-inch 2560×1440 display.

The device ships out on July 17, but you can pre-order at the source link below. The device is available in black and white, though both versions feature not only a Verizon logo on the rear, but also one in the top right corner of the front panel. A poor style choice, but Verizon is generally the gaudiest carrier in displaying its logos.

If you pre-order, let us know!

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Lenovo has worked hard to gain a good reputation in the world of PCs. Recently, the company decided to venture into the wild world of mobile technology. It’s had a few missteps so far, but practice makes perfect and Lenovo has continued to try. Its latest effort is the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+, an upgrade of last year’s Yoga Tablet 10 HD.

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve been using the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ and rounding up our thoughts on it. Per our usual review style, we’ve given you several reviews about specific aspects of the device, and now it’s time to sum it all up in a single review.

Read on for our full review of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+.

1. Hardware

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ is marketed as a mid-range device, and its hardware that reflects that. The Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ features a 10.1-inch 1920×1080 IPS display, 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage plus microSD card slot, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera, 9000mAh battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and stereo speakers.

Overall, the hardware is average. You won’t find anything too special here.

2. Design and Build Quality

This is where the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ stands out. The tablet features an interesting design with a cylindrical battery and kickstand. The combo sounds like an odd concept, but the ergonomics are well thought out. When holding the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ in portrait orientation, the center of gravity sits in your palm to allow for more comfort and less strain on your delicate finger muscles.

With the kickstand out, you can either set the tablet in a slightly tilted mode for typing or stand it up for optimal viewing. I found myself frequently making use of the viewing position because it’s perfect for watching videos. Not having to hold the device increased my happiness by allowing my hands to be free and able to perform other tasks (like writing this review) while still sating my Netflix addiction.

The build quality is good for a mid-range tablet. Lenovo trimmed the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ with an aluminum border and a swath of cheaper, lighter plastic to cover the majority of the back. The combo works well and feels pretty solid, though the plastic has a bit of flex. Overall, props to Lenovo for thinking through the ergonomics of a tablet and making a device that’s exceptionally functional.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ design and hardware: flawed potential

3. Display

With Lenovo hyping the display as a major upgrade to the original Yoga Tablet 10 HD, we were hoping for more than we received. While the boost to 1080p is nice, the display still isn’t great. Edges appear jaggy, perhaps moreso than other displays of the same resolution. Colors are a bit off as well, with things just not appearing to pop. Text, in particular, was hard to read.

For occasional video watching, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+’s display works, but we were left unimpressed with it. Perhaps next time around, Lenovo will get the display right.

4. Software

Abysmal. I’m not altogether feeling like going into the deets again, but rest assured, Lenovo’s added software is a mess. Next time, Lenovo should just stick to stock Android and simply work to keep the device up to date. And launching with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean? Not a wise move.

For more software info, check out the link below.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ software: a not-so-hot mess

5. Performance

We’ve used Snapdragon 400 devices before, and were pretty happy with how they performed. Unfortunately, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+’s processor just couldn’t keep up with its large 1080p screen, and most everything was choppy and sluggish. Streaming content hummed along, but anything requiring use of the touchscreen and scrolling was on the slow side. Animations also stuttered a lot, making the device much less pleasurable to use. With a bit more power, Lenovo’s tablet would have been much nicer.

Check out the benchmarks below if you’re interested.

Benchmarks

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ performance: benchmarks vs reality

6. Camera

Simply put, it’s a tablet camera. If you really need to use it, it should get the job done, but don’t expect great results. The rear camera isn’t bad for a tablet, as we’ve seen much worse. The front-facing cam will make sure that you don’t win selfie of the year, but it works just fine for video calls and the like.

7. Battery

This is one area where the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ really shines. Its battery is immense at 9000mAh, and it shows in battery life. With light usage and max brightness, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ made it through a full five days. Screen-on time is anywhere from six to seven hours, making it great for those who don’t like having to frequently charge.

Overall, two thumbs up on the battery for Lenovo.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+: for those who don’t like charging

The Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ is a mixed bag. If you’re looking for ergonomic hardware and great battery life, then you won’t find much better. But if performance and software are your main interests, go with something else. It was a bit unfortunate to see a design with so much potential get marred by some poor spec and software choices. For $370, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ can’t do it all, but we do wish that it would have done some things a bit better.

Perhaps next time around, Lenovo should focus on making its tablet high-end rather than creating a mid-range tablet that simply isn’t enjoyable.

If you are looking to purchase, Lenovo has the 16GB model listed on Amazon for just $350.

Gallery

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New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play Store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We’ve shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and propel them to new heights. Our weekly Fresh Meat column highlights new apps with fewer than 100,000 installs. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy.

Commandr for Google Now

Description: Google Now Just Got Better. Now you can use Google Now to control your flashlight, toggle settings, control music playback and much more! Google Now Just Got Personal. Add your own custom commands through Tasker to make sure your device fits your lifestyle.

fuseMe By Acision

Description: ‘fuseMe by Acision’ brings the best features from top free chat apps into one single secure place so you can connect with friends and family through voice and video calls, photo share, video share, text chats, location, voice notes and more – from one app! 

Baby Time: Android Wear Lock

Description: An Android Wear app to prevent rugrats from accidentally SMSing China or ordering you a Lyft car when you’re holding them. 

MathKit

Description: MathKit is math formula reference application which contains hundreds of formulas from different areas of mathematics. The application consists of formulas from: Basic Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus (Standard Derivatives and Integrals)

Wear Aware

Description: Wear Aware acts like a leash between your phone and your Android Wear watch. It is awesome when you are walking away from your phone or your phone is walking away from you!

Radical.FM

Description: Radical.FM is the world’s most accurate personal radio service, built on one of the most comprehensive music libraries available. “If Pandora and Spotify had a baby… it would be Radical.FM.” – The Radio Agency

Motorola Connect

Description: Motorola Connect allows you to see text messages and calls coming into your Connect enabled phone on your computer’s Chrome browser. You can read and respond to texts using your keyboard and even know who’s calling before deciding if you should reach for your phone.

Theftie

Description: Theftie: lock, locate, track, rescue data on your lost phone, stolen phone or misplaced Android, and take a thief’s selfie when suspects. A great feature of Theftie is its ability to send your data to your Google Drive in case you lost your phone.

BraveNewCoin

Description: Brave New Coin provides in-depth market information for a variety of cryptocurrencies including weighted-average price index, market capitalisation and volumes traded from most international exchanges.

Tour de France Live – 2014

Description: All information and results of the Tour de France 2014. Live information for all stages. The 2014 Tour de France will be the 101st edition of the Tour de France. The 2014 Tour de France starts in Leeds on Saturday, July 5, and finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 27.

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If you haven’t heard yet, the TSA recently started cracking down on people bringing discharged electronics on board some international flights. For the safety of everyone, devices that cannot be turned on will not be allowed onto these flights, so you’ll have to make sure all of your mobile devices have a bit of juice left in them. However, it doesn’t end there.

The UK Department for Transport has announced that, just like the US, they will stop allowing uncharged devices onto aircraft.

In line with the US advice, passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft. Passengers flying into or out of the UK are therefore advised to make sure electronic devices being carried in their hand luggage are charged before they travel.UK Department for Transport

Details are scarce, like which flights will be affected, but it looks like this new action will be a common thing. Whether it’s effective or even necessary is up for debate (and it looks like a lot of people think it’s ridiculous). Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the issue.

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Google is updating a lot of its apps lately and adding Android Wear support now that two of the smartwatches have launched. Most apps simply mirror existing functionality at this time and show some extra data on your wrist. However, Google Camera has been updated with some Android Wear functionality that may be a bit more useful.

When you open the freshly updated Google Camera app, a card will show up on your Android Wear device that allows you to control the shutter remotely. So you can prop up your phone somewhere, get into a group photo and activate the shutter with a timer from your wrist. Though it won’t be useful very often, it’s still a nifty feature.

Another little change in Google Camera is the slightly updated panorama interface. The dots you have to line up are now much bigger, making them easier to see. Otherwise, the functionality is the same. Grab the update from the Play Store, though it might take a while to roll out to everyone, so be patient.

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Chromecast has been a very useful device for many of us. I use mine nearly every day, when it’s feeling kind enough to work without hanging, and absolutely love it. But there is a feature missing that it seems quite a few people want: screen mirroring.

Luckily, the latest update to the Chromecast app makes it possible to mirror the entire display of your phone to your Chromecast! The update brings the app up to version 1.7 and brings this beta feature to people with a compatible device. Recent devices from LG, HTC, Samsung and Google itself are currently supported, and more are expected to come later on

It’s nice to finally get this feature, though we’ll have to wait a few days for it to roll out to everyone (I still haven’t gotten the update). Will you be using this feature, and what for? Leave a comment!

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Following its debut at MWC earlier this year, the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet will finally hit the shelves of a U.S. carrier later this month.

Verizon today announced that it will begin taking pre-orders for the Xperia Z2 Tablet tomorrow, June 10, with an in-store launch scheduled for July 17. Pricing will be set at $499.99 with a two-year contract or $599.99 commitment-free. Those that pre-order the Xperia Z2 Tablet from Verizon will receive a Sony Digital Noise Canceling Headset MDRNC31EM for free.

The Verizon-flavored Xperia Z2 Tablet is largely similar to the Wi-Fi model that debut earlier this year. It’s got a 10.1-inch 1080p display, 8.1-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras, 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and a 6000mAh battery. Its body is also IP55 and IP58 rated for resistance to dust and water. Rounding out the Xperia Z2 Tablet’s spec list is compatibility with Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

It’s been several years since Sony and Verizon teamed up to launch a device in the U.S., so it’s nice to see those two coming together once again. And while the Xperia Z2 Tablet isn’t the newest Android slate on the block, it’s still a pretty respectable piece of kit, especially with its super-thin 0.25-inch (6.35mm) thick body.

Are any of you thinking about picking up the Verizon Xperia Z2 Tablet?

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LG’s rumored G3 Mini could be dubbed the G3S, according to a new leak from @evleaks. Reports of a G3 Mini have been floating around for a few weeks, but we have yet to see one become official. This new leak suggests that the name could the LG G3S and that the phone will feature a dual-SIM card slot. With dual-SIM support, the G3S is likely intended for countries where dual-SIM support is important, such as India and China.

Not much else is known about the device, but the picture to the right shows us a smaller version of the full-sized LG G3. Like most mini phones, the G3S will probably feature reduced specs and a lower price tag, making it popular in developing markets. Though we wouldn’t say no to more manufacturers taking a leaf out of Sony’s book and creating mini phones with the same specs as their larger counterparts.

Are you a fan of mini phones? Let us know in the comments!

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