fantastic – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Sat, 09 Aug 2025 14:22:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.8 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 fantastic – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 These 2 Dirt Cheap Dividend Stocks Just Reported Fantastic Earnings — Here's Why You Should Take a Closer Look https://earlybirdsinvest.com/these-2-dirt-cheap-dividend-stocks-just-reported-fantastic-earnings-heres-why-you-should-take-a-closer-look/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/these-2-dirt-cheap-dividend-stocks-just-reported-fantastic-earnings-heres-why-you-should-take-a-closer-look/#respond Sat, 09 Aug 2025 14:22:54 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/these-2-dirt-cheap-dividend-stocks-just-reported-fantastic-earnings-heres-why-you-should-take-a-closer-look/ Not all stocks are expensive. These look like bargains and are firing on all cylinders.

Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, aren’t exactly known for issuing surprising earnings results, but several top-notch REITs have reported stronger-than-expected occupancy, investment activity, and rent growth.

Some of the REITs that have pleasantly surprised investors also happen to be trading for relatively cheap valuations, a breath of fresh air at a time when much of the stock market is at or near all-time highs. Here are two that could be worth a closer look for long-term investors right now.

A person looking at a laptop with a surprised expression.

Image source: Getty Images.

No signs of weak consumer spending here

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (SKT -0.99%) is the only pure-play outlet mall REIT in the market, with a portfolio of about 40 outlet properties, primarily located along coastal and tourist-heavy areas.

In the second quarter, Tanger reported stellar 9.4% year-over-year growth in funds from operations (FFO), and all of the major portfolio metrics looked strong. Tanger’s portfolio occupancy was 96.6% at the end of the second quarter, an 80-basis-point sequential increase. And if you were worried about the health of the American consumer, it isn’t apparent in Tanger’s numbers — the average tenant had $465 per square foot in sales over the past 12 months, $27 more than a year ago.

Impressively, Tanger’s spreads on new and renewal leases was 12% during the second quarter, meaning that when a tenant renews their lease or a new tenant moves in, Tanger is making 12% more than it was previously.

In all, this was a fantastic quarter and Tanger raised its full-year FFO guidance on the strength of its results. But even now, Tanger trades for about 14 times FFO and has a 3.7% dividend yield that is nicely covered by its cash flow.

A rock-solid monthly dividend stock

Realty Income (O 0.69%) has a portfolio of more than 15,000 single-tenant properties, most of which are retail in nature. But it’s a different type of retail than Tanger owns. Realty Income chooses tenants that sell non-discretionary products, are service-based, or that are deeply discount-oriented. Their tenants sign long-term lease agreements that require them to cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance — all Realty Income has to do is get a quality tenant in place and enjoy years of growing income.

Realty Income’s results were solid all around. But perhaps the biggest surprise is that Realty Income is still finding plenty of attractive ways to put money to work, despite the unfavorable interest environment. In the second quarter alone, Realty Income invested $1.2 billion in properties at an average initial yield of 7.2%, and meanwhile it issued about $1.3 billion in new debt at an average interest rate of about 3.6%.

In fact, Realty Income raised its full-year investment guidance to $5 billion (previously $4 billion) and increased its full-year FFO guidance midpoint. Shares now trade for just 13.4 times expected FFO, and Realty Income pays a 5.7% dividend yield in monthly installments.

Why they’re worth a look now

Both of these REITs are firing on all cylinders, with solid occupancy, leasing activity, and tenant performance. And both are trading for surprisingly low valuations.

One big reason is that we’re still in a relatively high interest rate environment, and this is a negative catalyst for REITs. Higher interest rates mean that it costs more to raise growth capital, and they also put pressure on commercial real estate values. But as rates (hopefully) trend lower over the next couple of years, it could produce a positive tailwind for these two excellent businesses. I own both in my portfolio (Realty Income is one of my largest investments), and both look extremely attractive from a long-term perspective right now.

Matt Frankel has positions in Realty Income and Tanger. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends Tanger. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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I took my ‘first steps’ into Google’s Comic-Con Rewards Lab with four fantastic experiences https://earlybirdsinvest.com/i-took-my-first-steps-into-googles-comic-con-rewards-lab-with-four-fantastic-experiences/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/i-took-my-first-steps-into-googles-comic-con-rewards-lab-with-four-fantastic-experiences/#respond Sat, 26 Jul 2025 20:52:19 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/i-took-my-first-steps-into-googles-comic-con-rewards-lab-with-four-fantastic-experiences/

San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing, and Google is back with another fun experience for attendees. Last year, the company had a whole Ferris wheel setup, but this time around, the experience is much more immersive, thanks to a collaboration with Monopoly Go! and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which hits theaters on July 25.

Visitors will be able to take their first steps into the Google Play Rewards Lab, with unique experiences related to each of the members of the Fantastic Four. However, Google also has some rewards for members who aren’t able to experience the Rewards Lab in person.

Taking your first steps

Multiple pods and walkways at Google's San Diego Comic-Con Rewards Lab

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Google Play Rewards Lab was all about letting you experience what it’s like to be a member of the Fantastic Four. You step onto a conveyor belt that leads you into each of the four pods with four very different experiences.

The first experience was inside the Stretch pod, after Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic. Here, you get to play a game where you try to catch Play Store rewards points utilizing touch pads to control Mister Fantastic’s stretched arms. The goal is to score a certain number of points within a given time.

The second pod is perhaps my favorite, and it’s the Force Field pod. Here, you can hone your inner Sue Storm, aka The Invisible Woman, who is able to create and manipulate force fields.

This pod won’t let you turn invisible, but it will let you manipulate a display of cascading lights with your hands. The lights change colors and move in response to your hands, allowing you to create a variety of figures and images.

The third pod is the Strength pod, which is probably my second favorite area. Here, you can have your own Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, moment and clobber the floor with your feet. You can team up with a few other people to stomp on the digital display on the floor from four different corners of the room, which will crumble beneath your feet to reveal a rather cool (and somewhat disorienting) display.

There are several levels to complete, which means smashing through a few surfaces. Once you smash through enough of the floor, you’ll be rewarded with a special honor for saving the day.

Finally, the last pod was the Fire pod for the fiery Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch. Here, you can “flame on” and become the Human Torch by shooting a video of yourself flying in the air. Your video will be inserted into a clip from the new film, which you can then preview and even send to yourself to share with your friends or on social media.

You can see my video below:

Video of me flying into the air and becoming the Human Torch

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

You can stop by the Rewards Lab outside the San Diego Convention Center starting July 24, and you’ll even get prioritized entry and other rewards if you’re a Google Play Points member.

Perks for everyone

Rewards booth at Google's San Diego Comic-Con Rewards Lab

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

If you’re unable to attend San Diego Comic-Con for the full experience, don’t worry, because Google is offering everyone a chance to get in on some rewards. Thanks to the collaboration with Monopoly Go!, players can grab a limited-edition Fantastic Four in-game rewards in the form of an exclusive The Thing Tea Emoji for U.S. players. This can be added to their showrooms, and users can also use it to react to other players.

Furthermore, Google is letting Play Points members redeem their points for other exclusives, such as a Fantastic Four Fan Pack, an enamel The Thing pin, a signed comic book, and even a Citizen watch.

Google’s Four Days of Fantastic Rewards is available from July 24 to 27, while the exclusive in-game Monopoly Go! reward will be available until August 4, which you can redeem over on the Play Store.

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Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Two fantastic choices https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nubia-z70-ultra-vs-oneplus-13-two-fantastic-choices/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nubia-z70-ultra-vs-oneplus-13-two-fantastic-choices/#respond Fri, 14 Mar 2025 08:46:10 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nubia-z70-ultra-vs-oneplus-13-two-fantastic-choices/

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Design

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

You won’t find two devices that look as different; the Z70 Ultra has a blocky design and feels like a brick, and although OnePlus also switched to flat sides this year, the OnePlus 13 includes beveled edges and rounded corners, and it is significantly easier to hold and use. Both devices have huge batteries, but the OnePlus 13 is lighter by 18g, and it is noticeable when using both phones next to one another.

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

I like the design of the OnePlus 13 quite a bit, and the blue model in particular with the vegan leather texture is terrific. It has a soft texture and doesn’t pick up any smudges, and it makes using the phone that much more enjoyable. The polished sides contrast the blue really well, and the in-hand feel is excellent. The camera island also looks cleaner this year, and the overall design is cohesive.

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

With the Z70 Ultra, it’s clear that Nubia wanted to make a statement. The phone isn’t as comfortable to hold thanks to the flat sides, and it is heavy at 228g. The camera island at the back is ginormous, but I will say this — it has a better design than last year, and doesn’t look quite as cluttered.

Both devices get IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, and there isn’t any issue using the phones at the pool or in the shower. Nubia added a dedicated camera shutter button on the right of the Z70 Ultra, and the left side has a slider that’s akin to the alert slider on the OnePlus 13. Of these two devices, there’s no question that I like the design of the OnePlus 13 better; it just feels elegant and has a better in-hand feel.

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Display

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

The Z70 Ultra has a 6.85-inch AMOLED panel with 144Hz refresh, with the OnePlus 13 getting a 6.82-inch panel with the usual 120Hz refresh. Although the Z70 Ultra has a marginally bigger panel, the OnePlus 13 has higher resolution, and it gets brighter in regular use. I also like the colors on the OnePlus 13 a little better than the Z70 Ultra, and the phone has better customizability when it comes to adjusting the color balance.

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

But the biggest advantage with the Z70 Ultra is that there’s no visible selfie camera cutout. Nubia uses an under-screen camera module, and the result is that you get an immersive panel that’s ideally suited to consume multimedia and game. It is a big enough differentiator that I’d suggest getting the device if you don’t like the camera cutout that’s standard on every other phone today.

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

Other than that, there isn’t much to talk about. Both phones have decent stereo sound and do a good job with HDR content, and there aren’t any issues with content playback as such. Although the OnePlus 13 technically has a better AMOLED panel, I’m giving this one to the Z70 Ultra because of its uniqueness.

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Hardware

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

There really isn’t much to differentiate either phone with the hardware. Both devices use the same Qualcomm silicon, and they do an amazing job in daily use as well as gaming. The Z70 Ultra gets noticeably hotter — it is the hottest phone I tested in 2025 — and it is evident during extended gaming sessions. That said, there are absolutely no issues with throttling, and although it isn’t billed as one, it doubles as a terrific gaming phone.

The only limitation with the OnePlus 13 is that it doesn’t allow high refresh gaming. OxygenOS 15 still enforces a 60fps setting, and while you get three games that technically go up to 120fps, it isn’t enough. There is noticeable throttling after the 30-minute mark, but it doesn’t affect visuals too much.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Category

Nubia Z70 Ultra

OnePlus 13

Display

6.88-inch 144Hz AMOLED (2688×1216), HDR10, 2000 nits max, no visible cutouts

6.82-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED (3168×1440), HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1,600 nits (HBM), 4,500 nits (HDR), Ceramic Guard

OS

Nubia AIOS based on Android 15, three platform updates

OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, four platform updates

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Elite, Adreno 830, 3nm

Snapdragon 8 Elite, Adreno 830, 3nm

RAM

12GB/16GB

12GB/16GB/24GB

Storage

256GB/512GB UFS 4.0

256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0

Rear camera 1

50MP f/1.6 – 4.0 main camera, OIS

50MP f/1.6 main camera, OIS

Rear camera 2

64MP f/2.5 telephoto, 2.7x optical zoom, OIS

50MP f/2.6 telephoto, 3x optical zoom, OIS

Rear camera 3

50MP f/2.0 wide-angle lens

50MP f/2.0 wide-angle lens

Front camera

16MP f/2.4

32MP f/2.4

Ingress protection

IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance

IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G bands, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, AptX HD, AptX Lossless

Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G bands, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, BeaconLink, eSIM, AptX HD

Security

In-screen optical sensor

In-screen ultrasonic sensor

Audio

USB-C, stereo sound

USB-C, stereo sound

Battery

6150mAh silicon-carbon battery, 80W USB PD charging,

6000mAh silicon-carbon battery, 100W charging, 50W wireless charging, 50W USB PD charging

Dimensions

164.3 x 77.1 x 8.6mm, 228g

162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5mm, 210g

Colors

Starry Night, Black, Gold

Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, Arctic Dawn

Both devices have base models that come with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and have similar connectivity. There’s also high-res audio codecs as standard, and I like the vibration motor on the OnePlus 13; it has exquisite feedback, and you can easily tell the difference when using the keyboard and navigating the interface.

Things are equitable with the battery as well; the Z70 Ultra has a massive 6150mAh battery, and I only needed to charge the device every day and a half on average. The OnePlus 13 has a 6000mAh battery, and it only lasts a day and a half. Both devices use silicon batteries and have fast charging tech, taking under 50 minutes to fully charge.

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Cameras

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

I’m not going to talk too much about the cameras as the OnePlus 13 has an outsized lead in this regard. The Z70 Ultra takes good photos, but the image quality isn’t as consistent as the OnePlus 13, and the auxiliary lenses don’t measure up. It’s still a good choice if you need usable cameras and don’t intend to take too many photos and videos, but if camera quality is a key consideration, you should get the OnePlus 13.

The Z70 Ultra has good camera modules, with a 50MP main lens alongside a 64MP tele with 2.7x optical zoom, and a 50MP wide-angle. I’ll give Nubia this; it did a much better job with the cameras this year, and while the Z70 Ultra may not be on the same level as the OnePlus 13, it does a good job in its own right.

Coming to the OnePlus 13, the device manages to take outstanding photos and videos. Hasselblad’s color tuning delivers vibrant photos without too much saturation, and it handles low-light scenarios incredibly well. There isn’t much to fault with the cameras, and the only thing I’ll point out is that the device sits one tier below the Find X8 Pro and Vivo X200 Pro — these two phones are something else entirely.

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Software

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

I’m conflicted when it comes to the software on these phones. The Z70 Ultra has a cleaner interface that’s similar to vanilla Android, and there’s no bloatware whatsoever. The interface is fluid as well, and only ASUS’s Zenfone 12 Ultra has better fluidity. However, the overall polish isn’t quite as good as what you get with other mainstream devices, and Nubia needs to add a little bit of customizability to the interface to make it stand out.

The OnePlus 13 has overt styling, and while OxygenOS 15 has a cleaner design, it somehow ends up looking like iOS. That’s down to the split notification pane and changes to the visual design, and while the phone has standout fluidity and extensive customization, I don’t like using it as much. That said, it doesn’t have any of the bugs that plagued the interface in previous years.

OxygenOS 15 also has better utilities that leverage machine learning, and the image editing tools do a good job. Ultimately, both software skins have their own plus points; I like the clean and uncluttered design of the Z70 Ultra, and the OnePlus 13 has tons of extra features that you’ll actually end up using.

When it comes to updates, however, the OnePlus 13 has a clear advantage. The phone will get four guaranteed Android OS platform updates alongside five years of security updates, whereas the Z70 Ultra will get three platform updates and four years of security updates. Nubia isn’t quick to roll out updates either, so there will be a wait before the phone switches over to Android 16.

Nubia Z70 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: Which should you buy?

Nubia Z70 Ultra next to OnePlus 13 against a colorful background

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

The base 12GB/256GB model of the Nubia Z70 Ultra can be bought for as low as $699 as of writing, and that is a fantastic deal when you consider the caliber of the hardware you’re getting. The design is a bit unwieldy, and the device is heavier than most other 2025 phones. That said, you get a massive battery that lasts a day and a half, the hardware is outstanding, and thanks to the unique AMOLED panel without a cutout, gaming and streaming content is immersive.

The biggest issue with the Z70 Ultra is that the cameras aren’t anywhere as good as traditional flagships. While the main camera is decent enough, the resultant shots don’t have the same detail, and you miss out on the versatility that defines the best Android phones. Similarly, the software lacks refinement, and while you get a clean interface without any bloat, there isn’t much in the way of customizability. If that isn’t an issue and you need the latest hardware without paying too much cash, the Z70 Ultra gets my recommendation.

The OnePlus 13 is the costlier choice by a lot, with the 12GB/256GB model coming in at $899. But you also get terrific cameras, a better design, brighter AMOLED panel, and the same great internal hardware. The software isn’t as clean, but you get extensive customizability, and more software updates. The cameras hold their own against the best that Google and Samsung have to offer, and that alone makes the OnePlus 13 a standout choice. You’ll need to pay more, but you’re also getting a better overall device.

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