he newest version of Google Maps for Android offers one of the most robust mapping experiences I've seen. Long a staple in every Android user's app drawer, the app has gone even further this week, with the additions of personalized mapping experiences, recommendations, more Zagat integration, and more. Further, all that Google Maps has to offer has been packaged in a cleaner, more minimal interface that's optimized to your screen, whether you're using the app on a tablet or a smartphone.

But as good as the new Google Maps app is, it's important to note that the added improvements did come at a cost, as a few important features have been changed and altogether removed. For instance, some users will be disappointed to see missing map layers from versions past, and an offline caching feature that has been notably downgraded. Still, with its handful of imperfections in tow, its hard to argue that there's anything better for your mapping needs than Google's default mapping application.

Map basics
The new Android app breaks the map out of the box and covers your whole mobile screen with map data, with the only interface elements being a floating search box up top, a button to pinpoint your current location on bottom, and a slide-out menu on the left. As a whole, Google Maps is cleaner than ever and runs more smoothly as well.

When viewing a location, Google Maps lets you activate add-on layers for traffic, transit lines, satellite images, and bicycle routes, all of which are useful. However, dedicated Maps users will notice that a few layers are now missing, including those for Terrain, Wikipedia, Latitude, and My Maps. I find the missing My Maps layer to be particularly upsetting because I often create detailed maps of destinations to which I am traveling, but now I can no longer overlay them in my mobile app.

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The One Action has another twist: it's a very rare US phone with a Samsung Exynos processor. Not even Samsung phones in the US have Samsung Exynos processors! The Exynos 9609 processor in here appears to benchmark similarly to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 in the Google Pixel 3a. In this case, it just seemed to be a processor Motorola could afford with performance it liked.

The other specs are respectably midrange: 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage with a MicroSD card, a 21:9, 6.3-inch 1080p LCD screen, 3500mAh battery, slow Cat 6 LTE (which would work on all four US networks except Sprint), and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.

Confusingly given the phone's name, the One Action won't run Google's Android One OS. Motorola said the phone will run Android One outside the US, but not on the US model because Motorola doesn't want to adhere to Google's monthly security update policy. Android One isn't a "strong purchase driver" for the phone, and Motorola will continue to offer a very Google-y Android experience, including updates to Android Q and R, Motorola reps said.

"We've decided to test how Motorola One Action performs without Android One and re-invest taking into consideration our consumer's needs. We will continue our strategic partnership with Google to deliver a clean Android experience and reinforce Google's helpful innovations such as Assistant, Lens, Photos, and Digital Wellbeing," Motorola said.

The One Action will come to the US unlocked in October. Motorola didn't announce a price, but it costs $287 in Europe.

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The only real giveaways that it's a gaming notebook are its red keyboard backlighting and touchpad border. I wish Acer would have switched to blues as it has started doing on its Predator laptop lineup, though. The red-and-black combo is overused in the gaming-notebook world, especially among budget models.

The Nitro 7's metal construction gives it a vault-like rigidity that should stand up reasonable roughhousing; I could barely budge the palm rest or twist the chassis with force I wouldn't normally apply. The gotcha is that all that metal adds up to a 5.5-pound carry weight, or almost a pound more than I'd like to lift in a notebook sporting a 15.6-inch screen. At least it's reasonably thin, at 0.9 inch, and the 14.3-by-10.2-inch chassis is trim enough thanks to a thin-bezel display. The Razer Blade 15 Base Model is lighter and smaller in every direction, but you'll have to spend several hundred bucks more to get it.

The other quibble I have with the Nitro 7's design beyond the heft is that the fit and finish lack polish. On my tester, I see noticeable gaps along the front edge where the pieces fit together, and the corners of the chassis and the lid are too pointy.

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