Review: Motorola Moto E4

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The new Motorola Moto E4 is a bit of a nostalgia job. It is reminiscent of the first generation Moto X, a device that brought a lot of innovation, customization and laid the foundation for what Motorola has become as an Android OEM that can successfully differentiate itself in this super saturated market.

At 5-inches, the Moto E4 is sized just right for many users, it comes clad in durable and splash-resistant plastics. It has a removeable battery (a sizeable one at that), and it reflects a utilitarian yet uncompromising handset that's budget-focused but thoughtful nonetheless.

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Motorola Moto Z2 Play and JBL SoundBoost2 coming to Canada in July for $800

Motorola's Moto Z2 Play, which is their current Canadian flagship that can take the Moto Mods accessories, will be available in early July for $800  together with the JBL SoundBoost2 in-box (normally priced as $114.99 CAD option), and will be at Freedom Mobile, Bell Mobility, SaskTel Mobility and BellMTS. Moto TurboPower Pack will also be available in early July for $99.99 at Bell Mobility and Staples. Moto GamePad, a Moto Mod that turns the smartphone into a will be available later this summer. 

Some specs on the Moto Z2 Play, it is sized between last year's wafer-thin Moto Z and the larger Moto Z Play. It has a headphone jack, a redesigned and multifunctional fingerprint reader, which doubles as a trackpad. It is powered by SnapDragon 626 octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, has a 5.5-inch HD display, 12-megapixel camera with f/1.7 aperture and dual autofocus pixels. Stay tuned for a full review right here.

GarageBand for macOS gets new features, TouchBar support

Apple released an update to GarageBand for macOS, the most popular music creation and editing applications for consumers. GarageBand 10.2 is a significant update that comes with a modern design, new features and content, and usability improvements, including:

-- Expanded support for the MacBook Pro Touch Bar:

-- Navigation view lets users quickly move around their project by dragging across a visual overview of the arrangement

-- Performance view turns the Touch Bar into a simple one-octave musical keyboard or drum pads for playing and recording software instruments

-- Addition of 3 new Drummers that play percussion in the styles of Pop, Songwriter, and Latin

-- New Drummer loops, a new type of Apple Loop, which can be added to your song and then customized with performance controls

-- The ability to remotely add new tracks to your project using GarageBand on your iPhone or iPad

--  A new modern design that improves legibility in brighter working conditions and has a flatter overall look, consistent with the latest macOS designs.

The GarageBand 10.2 update is available to existing users for free.

Essential Phone coming exclusively to TELUS in Canada

Anyone interested in the Essential Phone, which is Android creator Andy Rubin's first news flagship smartphone, will be happy to know that the device is coming to Canada exclusively through TELUS. Pricing and availability are still being determined but Canadians can pre-register at telus.com/essential to be the first to know when pre-orders will be open late July. The Essential Phone will be available in store and online later this summer.

Rather plain looking and blocky, the Essential Phone is crafted from titanium, offers expansion with a 360' camera and has a unique edge-to-edge display as well as premium smartphone features.