Griffin says that the Survivor All-Terrain can protect the Galaxy S6 from drops, dust, sand, rain, impacts, and vibrations. This case also apparently exceeds the US Department of Defense’s MIL-STD-810G standards.
I say: Holy crap, is this ever a crazy large and rugged case. It consists of three pieces: a rubber base that cradles the Galaxy S6, a clear plastic face that snaps on to the base, and a holster with a clip to attach the case to a belt or strap.
The base features rubbery flexible portions with diamonds of harder plastic for reinforcement. At the bottom, there are tabs that you can pull out to get to the headphone and power ports.
Overall, this case is completely rugged and a complete overkill unless you’re on an underwater construction site—or Jason Bourne’s stunt double.
Although Samsung have consolidated their smartphone line up over recent months, there is still room in their range for the high-end devices such as the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4, together with the inexpensive handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy J1. And whilst the entry level devices are perhaps the least exciting amongst a given manufacturer’s range, one important point to remember is that today’s budget handset buyers could be looking at a mid-range device or perhaps even a high-end model in the coming months or years. In the case of smartphones, the rule of thumb to apply is that the higher the retail price, the greater the profit margin for the business: the most customers who plumb for the Galaxy S6, the higher Samsung’s profit. And with this in mind, today’s news is the rumor that Samsung is preparing a follow-up device for the Galaxy J1. Indeed, the new device has been tentatively called the Samsung Galaxy J1 Pop.
For Samsung, the lower end models of the range have been somewhat lacking for the business and have hurt how well the Galaxy range sells in developing parts of the world. Samsung’s lower end handsets have tended to be more expensive and lower featured than the equivalent models from even similar businesses, let alone the local manufacturers (which tend to be less expensive than imported devices). Samsung have proven that they are able to adapt their custom TouchWiz interface to run on low-end hardware but perhaps have been too busy working on the high-end devices rather than the inexpensive models.
To recap what is on offer with the Galaxy J1, this is based around a dual core Spectrum processor equipped with 512 MB of RAM (although the LTE version came with 768 MB), a 4.3-inch WVGA screen, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. The device ran Android 4.4.4 KitKat, under Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface on the top. At this juncture, we’re not sure what specification Samsung will provide the J1 Pop with, but if it is a little newer, it could be expected that it would be based around Android 5.0 Lollipop. It may also benefit from additional memory and perhaps a higher performance processor too.
David SteeleStaff Writer
I grew up with 8-bit computers and my first PDA was a Philips Velo 500 in the late 1990s, moving through almost all of the Palm handheld devices ever sold. I’ve found my home with Android and I love my technology grounded in the real world. I currently tote the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 7. You’ll also see me carrying my much-battered Samsung Chromebook.
As Google prepare for this week and the onslaught of android announcements that are going to come from this year’s I/O event, the ramifications of last year’s event are still pretty much being felt. Last year, was a big year for Android with a number of new platforms coming through. One of those newer platforms was Android TV and saw the inclusion of android on home entertainment systems. Although, it was not until later in the year when the first proper Android TV device landed in the market, the Nexus Player.
The Nexus Player was the first real consumer available device that allowed users to get up close and personal with Android TV. Since then, other devices are starting to become available, although their rolling out is going slowly so far. That said, most of them will come in at the same or a higher price point than the Nexus Player. As such, the Nexus Player remains a great deal for those who want to get Android TV in their living room. Well, it now looks as though Google have dropped the price of the Nexus Player in the Google Store. As such, those interested can now pick up the Nexus Player for only $ 79 directly from Google. That works out to be $ 20 off of the normal price of the device. Not to mention, Google is also offering free shipping on the device. Therefore, $ 79 is all you are paying, all-in to try Android TV.
It is likely that this week’s Google event will see the next step in Android TV’s evolution being announced or at least an update on what to expect from Android TV. Whether that means there will be any newer devices being announced is yet to be seen. However, with Google dropping the price just before the event, it could lead to some interesting speculation on Android TV. Not to mention, it is not clear as to whether this is a permanent price drop or just a temperate one for now. Either way, if you are interesting in picking up the Nexus Player at the reduced cost of $ 79 from Google, then you can by clicking the source link below.
John AnonAssistant Editor
I’ve been an avid Android user since 2011 and have never looked back. Started with Android with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and stuck with the Galaxy range until recently started using a OnePlus One. With an obsession for open-source I am constantly flashing (in the good way), changing ROM’s and generally looking to improve the Android experience.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Google Store Drops The Price Of The Nexus Player To $ 79
Google may be tackling a couple of the longstanding annoyances of smartphones in Android M.
According to Android Police, Google wants to make major headway with better battery life and RAM usage. All signs point to a developer preview of Android M being announced at Google I/O and made available shortly after (as was the case with Lollipop last year), so we could find out more about this soon. While the Android M preview will be a rough build, we should get an idea of the key features and other optimizations that Google is working on.
There aren’t a ton of details about the rumor, only that Google may be turning an eye toward Google Play Services, looking for methods to optimize this key app that powers most of the APIs and tools behind Android and third-party apps. Location checkins and other background features that eat up RAM are also said to be in Google’s sights.
Why this matters: Better battery life is something that seems to elude every smartphone release, with the only marginal improvements coming from larger batteries. Google took a shot at this in the past with Project Volta, but it didn’t turn out to have as significant an impact as we hoped. If Android M can show improvement in this area, and find ways to scale back RAM usage, that would certainly be welcome.
While all the current talks firmly surrounds Google and what will be unveiled at this year’s I/O event, the last month has seen one of this year’s big headline grabbing manufacturers, OnePlus, also consistently making some waves. This all began a few weeks back when the company hinted that they would be unveiling a new product soon. At the time, it was not clear as to whether this was the highly rumored OnePlus 2, the also rumored OnePlus Lite or just another accessory or random device like the DR-1. The OnePlus 2 will be the device that everyone is eager to see, however, it has long been reported that this will not be available until Q3 of this year. As such, it seemed unlikely that it would be the OnePlus 2.
That said, as well as the hints at a new product, the last month have also seen a number of benchmarking reports coming through which very much seem to suggest they were for the OnePlus 2. That is, based on the specs listed in the benchmarks. This has reignited the idea that OnePlus might be gearing up to at least unveil the OnePlus 2 soon, maybe with a view to maintaining a Q3 release. As the company has also recently sent out invites to a May 28th event in China, which is due to see the release of HydrogenOS. It was figured this might be the time when OnePlus will unveil this possible new product.
Well, interestingly, OnePlus have today sent out a tweet suggesting that something will be happening on June 1st. Although the details are very limited in the tweet, the message does come with the statement “We’re always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry. And we think it’s time for change.” As such, it does seem unlikely that this would be for a low-end accessory or something at the smaller end of the market. Of course, whether this is the actual OnePlus 2 unveiling still remains very much unknown. Although, with June rapidly approaching and Google I/O keeping everyone busy until then, it will not be long before we see what OnePlus have in stock and how they plan to “shake up” the industry.
John AnonAssistant Editor
I’ve been an avid Android user since 2011 and have never looked back. Started with Android with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and stuck with the Galaxy range until recently started using a OnePlus One. With an obsession for open-source I am constantly flashing (in the good way), changing ROM’s and generally looking to improve the Android experience.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: OnePlus To “Shake Up” The Industry June 1st
The new Google Photos app will make it easier to help you find those vacation pictures you took in Paris.
A leaked build from Android Police reveals an app that uses Google’s image recognition capabilities to help you quickly search for pictures. It can automatically recognize and group images by person, or recognize “landscapes” or “pets”, for instance. There are also more editing capabilities, a revamped interface, and more privacy features.
Android Police
Google Photos also adds some spiffy animation to selecting images.
As previous rumors implied, the new Google Photos app makes a clean break from Google+. It will serve as the new default photo gallery and backup solution for Android devices.
Android Police
The story behind the story: Android Police has a pretty good track record with such leaks and teardowns, so we’re pretty confident this is the real thing. From the looks of all the leaked images there could be lots to like about this new app. If all goes well we should get to try it ourselves if Google unveils it this week at its I/O developer conference.
A new ‘Assistant’ and better privacy controls
Other screenshots reveal that Google’s “Auto-awesome” feature is morphing into the Assistant.
Whereas Auto-awesome would automatically pull together several images into one for a motion effect, the Assistant appears to give you more control. You can create a movie, album, story, or a collage with a group of images.
Android Police
Google Photos will do image sorting for you, recognizing objects and grouping them together.
Another major new feature is in how the app recognizes photos. You can search for a city, type of animal, or even a person and Google will use its image-recognition capabilities to try and find the right photo. Android Police found it was rather effective, making it significantly easier to look for specific pictures without the need to dig through different albums.
Choosing one or multiple images for sharing also gets a makeover, using a Lollipop-style menu for sharing photos, videos, or links to them. Google Photos also gives you the option to strip out any location metadata if you’d rather not share that.
Google’s latest I/O event is literally here. It is only a matter of hours now until the event takes place and all that Google has in store for everyone over the next twelve months will be revealed. That said, even with the event at our doorstep and waiting to begin, that has not stopped the speculation and rumors continuing. Only this morning came the news that analysts are predicting that the rumored Android Pay which is now expected to be announced at the event, will be a big headline aspect of the event and likely to make real impact on the android world.
Well, another highly rumored aspect of this year’s event is the latest evolution of the android operating system, which comes in the form of the next updated version, currently known as Android M. As soon as the schedule for this year’s I/O event became live, it was immediately noticed that Android M was referenced in a brief description of one of the workshops around Android for Work. This also immediately resulted in massive speculation that Google will unveil Android M at this year’s event. Almost as immediately as the speculation took effect, the page detailing the Android M reference was pulled again. Since then, the rumors around what M will introduced have been continuing. If there was any doubt as to whether Google would unveil M this week, it seems the most concrete confirmation has now come from Google’s VP of Engineering, Hiroshi Lockheimer, in an interview given to Fast Company (source link below).
During the interview, Lockheimer all but confirmed that the release of Android M is likely to take place over the next few days. In fact, Lockheimer confirmation came by noting how the general industry seems to now expect the yearly release of an android update “So we’ve landed with sort of a yearly cadence of big releases, so, for instance, one year we release J, the next year we release K, and then the year after that L, and then this year we’ll launch M”. Lockheimer then goes on to pretty much confirm Android N will likely land next year “and so you can predict what will happen next year.” In fact, Lockheimer even noted that this this yearly update has its benefits, by offering the industry a form of predictability about android “As we’ve grown as a platform, we realize that to some extent predictability is important for the whole industry: developers, manufacturers, operators, and consumers, frankly.” In addition to confirming the likelihood of Android M being released, Lockheimer also talked about how the various forms of android that are being released for different devices should not be thought of as different, but instead, they should be thought of more holistically, more of “acommon platform“. You can read the full details of the interview by clicking the source link below.
John AnonAssistant Editor
I’ve been an avid Android user since 2011 and have never looked back. Started with Android with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and stuck with the Galaxy range until recently started using a OnePlus One. With an obsession for open-source I am constantly flashing (in the good way), changing ROM’s and generally looking to improve the Android experience.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Google’s Lockheimer Confirms Android M Coming This Year
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = Android, Coming, Confirms, Google’s, Lockheimer, This, Year
Very recently, huge video game publisher Square Enix had announced that they would be taking a very heavy focus to mobile gaming moving forward, meaning that they’ll likely be bringing more mobile based titles to market in the future than they have before. This may not come as a shock to some as Square Enix has long been publishing games onto Android and iOS, but mostly with ports of older games peppered with a few new titles here and there. One of those new games which was announced as having a soft launch more than a month ago, and has now been officially released for the global market is Lara Croft: Relic Run.
As of today the game has just gone live globally, and as the name suggests you play as the ever popular Lara Croft from the well-known Tomb Raider franchise, who is on a mission to find her lost archeologist friend in Cambodia. The gameplay is endless runner to the very core, with a few exciting additions to the game to make it feel more like a Tomb Raider title, like some of Lara’s parkour movements, tapping to shoot enemies as you run, and riding on ATV’s at certain points in the game. You can even swap out your weaponry or upgrade to new outfits with their own unique attributes, and of course there are the presence of in-app purchases for gems or extra gold coins (which is what you collect during a run to buy new items or upgrades) although the game doesn’t seem to be pushy and continually hit you with requests to buy or grab deals on IAP’s.
Lara Croft: Relic Run is tied into Google Play Games so there are achievements and leaderboards to give the game some extra replay value. It also holds other exciting elements like boss fights, which are likely longer sessions during a run where you’ll face off against a stronger enemy with more health which you can attack using whatever weapon you have equipped. Visually, the game looks pretty good, and it plays really well. Throwing in the exciting Tomb Raider elements like finding relics and a tad bit of gunplay, this could be a popular title for Square Enix and a decent first step towards the mobile-focused approach they announced a couple of weeks ago. Now Square Enix just needs to launch Final Fantasy VII G Bike for the RPG fans, another endless runner game based on one of their popular franchises which has already been released in Japan on both Android and iOS.
Justin DiazContributing Editor
Justin loves craft beer, food, video games(of all kinds and platforms), and generally anything technological, and has been a fan of Android since the T-mobile G1. Game of Thrones is one of his vices, and you can usually find him playing a match of League of Legends or some other game during parts of his free time. He currently uses a Sony Xperia Z3 as his daily driver which he is deeply fond of.
Bluetooth speakers are big business these days. In fact, the market for Bluetooth and connected speakers seems to be continually increasing on a weekly basis. That said, the other aspect of Bluetooth speakers which seems to be increasing is their price. The more they become available the more expensive they seem to become. If however, you are in the market for a decent Bluetooth speaker at a decent price then luckily Amazon currently have a deal on the Jabra Solemate Bluetooth Speaker.
The Jabra Solemate comes equipped with two acoustic tweeters along with a subwoofer and allows for addition features like call answering and speakerphone as well as the more standard music playback. The Jabra Solemate is stated to offer up to eight hours of music playing and forty days of general standby time on a single charge. The Jabra Solemate is currently available on Amazon in a number of colors, although it is only the black version which is part of the latest deal and sees the Solemate available for only $ 59.99. This item is fulfilled by Amazon and as such can also be purchased and shipped via Prime for those who have an account. if you are after a decent priced and decent Bluetooth speaker then you can grab your Jabra Solemate for $ 59.99 by clicking the link below.
Jabra SOLEMATE Bluetooth Speaker – $ 59.99
John AnonAssistant Editor
I’ve been an avid Android user since 2011 and have never looked back. Started with Android with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and stuck with the Galaxy range until recently started using a OnePlus One. With an obsession for open-source I am constantly flashing (in the good way), changing ROM’s and generally looking to improve the Android experience.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Jabra Solemate Black Bluetooth Speaker Only $ 59.99 On Amazon
Earlier today, Sony confirmed rumors that the Xperia Z4 was to be known as the Xperia Z3+ outside of Japan, as it officially announced the Xperia Z3+ for the rest of the world. Just like the Xperia Z4 launched in Japan, the Xperia Z3+ is basically an iterative upgrade over the original Xperia Z3. For all intents and purposes they look the same, carry many of the same key features and offer a similar experience. There’s one key upgrade over the Xperia Z3, which opted for a Snapdragon 801 instead of the more powerful Snapdragon 805 and that’s the octa-core Snapdragon 810. At the heart of the Xperia Z3+ is Qualcomm’s latest processor and that brings with it QuickCharge 2.0 and in the case of Sony’s latest Xperia Z device, some very speedy charging, indeed.
That is, if you have the Sony UCH10 charger, though. As Sony has also announced a new charger for the Xperia Z3+ that will offer users 5.5 hours from just 10 minutes of charge. Curiously though, Xperia-Blog is reporting that this all only applies to the single SIM variant of the Xperia Z3+, that being the E6553. Still, that’s an impressive claim to make, and even more so is the claim that from 45 minutes of charging, your device will be full and apparently able to achieve a two-day battery life. Filling a smartphone’s battery of any size in just 45 minutes is impressive enough, but the Xperia Z3+ has a sizable 2,930 mAh battery which is nothing to be sniffed at.
QuickCharge has become a staple feature of devices that use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and for a lot of users interested enough to care, it’s a reason to steer clear of devices from NVIDIA or MediaTek. Speaking of the latter however, the Chinese firm has recently unveiled a similar solution to quickly charge devices and with many Chinese manufacturers and even Sony themselves, turning to MediaTek devices in lower-end devices it’ll be interesting to see just how big a difference QuickCharge will have in the future as processors become more efficient. As of right now, the UCH10 charger from Sony appears to be only available in a two-pin variant, but we’re sure it’ll be available in the UK as well.
Tom DawsonEditor-in-Chief
For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, growing up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles has fed into an addiction to everything that beeps. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I love watching the platform grow. As an avid reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android, Google and mobile technology as a whole.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Sony’s Xperia Z3+ to Last 5.5 Hours from 10 Minute Charge
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = Charge, from, Hours, Last, Minute, Sony’s, Xperia
It took a couple months longer than the iPhone version, but Twitter’s Periscope’s live video streaming app is now available for Android.
The free app lets people record video from phones or tablets, and stream it live to their followers or to the public. Viewers can then comment or “heart” the broadcast in real-time. The app also lets users save their broadcasts for up to 24 hours, so anyone who just missed the live stream can still catch a replay.
Periscope’s Android app is similar to the iPhone version, which arrived in late March, but with one big difference: As Engadget notes, users have more granular control over notifications, so they can opt out of alerts for friends’ broadcasts, shared broadcasts, and new followers.
The Android app will also throw up a notification when users leave the app in the middle of a broadcast, so they can easily jump back in. And it seems Periscope has embraced Google’s Material Design language as well, giving it a slightly different visual flavor than the iOS version.
The story behind the story: Periscope’s Android release comes roughly one month after live streaming rival Meerkat launched its own Android app. Twitter has previously tried to stunt Meerkat’s growth by cutting off the video service’s access to Twitter contact lists; the new app wipes out one competitive advantage that Meerkat had been enjoying. (Meerkat’s new strategy involves integrating with address books and optionally posting to Facebook.)
Source = greenbot
Tags = Android, Live, Periscope's, streaming, Takes, Twitter, Video
T-Mobile is pulling out all of the stops when it comes to releasing the new LG G4, which promises to be a great seller for LG…and as well as T-Mobile, if they have their way. The new LG G4 will not be available in the brick and mortar stores until Wednesday June 3, but starting tomorrow, Wednesday May 27, you can order online – a whole week before you can walk into a store and purchase the device. This hot new smartphone will cost you $ 0 down and $ 24.99 x 24 months or $ 599.76 and T-Mobile promises to ship your LG G4 before they go on sale in the stores…this means you could be the first ones on T-Mobile’s network to be sporting the new device.
But wait, there’s more! As if you needed an extra incentive, anybody that buys the LG G4 from T-Mobile beginning on Wednesday, June 27, is eligible for a FREE 128GB microSD card for their new device! T-Mobile has partnered with LG to provide a free 128GB memory card, while supplies last. This offer will expire on June 21 2015, while the supplies last and must be redeemed online, in which you will receive your card via the mail in 4-6 weeks. Of course, there is a limit to one per person and per household. The LG G4 comes with a base of only 32GB of built-in flash memory…not too bad, but if you like to store your music and pictures on your device, this 128GB of extra storage will come in very handy.
The LG G4 hands you a powerful camera, both main and front-facing – a great 16MP sensor with a wide aperture of f/1.8, LG’s Laser Autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)+ and an LED Flash, as well as a professional Manual Mode, allowing complete manual adjustments for serious photographers that like to manipulate the controls themselves. A huge 8MP FFC for social selfies and video chatting is also on board. The LG G4 certainly begs you to take photos and the 128GB memory card will store those and any videos you decide to keep.
T-Mobile has also partnered with LG to participate in the new hands-on look as part of the LG G4 Preview Tour that will make stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Seattle over the next week. Check out the details on T-Mobile’s website.
Cory McNuttSenior Staff Writer
I am Pittsburgh born and raised except for a 21-year detour through the VA/DC area. I have loved technology and gadgets my entire life, especially mobile devices. I have loved all things Android since I purchased my Motorola Bionic on the day it was release. I now sport a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 that you would have to pry out of my cold, dead hands! I love the excitement each day of what new Android devices will be released, and then I get write about those devices…does life get any better?
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: LG G4 Available Online at T-Mobile May 27
You can never have too much of a good thing, and for Google, the Nexus lineup is very much a good thing. The latest scuttlebutt about Google’s plans say there will be two new Nexus smartphones released 2015: a normal-sized phone from LG, and a phablet by Huawei.
The LG version will be a 5.2-inch handset currently codenamed Angler, while Huawei’s is a 5.7-inch slab dubbed Bullhead, according to Android Police, which has a terrific track record when it comes to leaks. Both devices are expected to show up in October.
One thing that won’t be coming this year, the Android-focused site says, is a new Nexus tablet. Meaning anyone looking for a Nexus slate will have to stick with the Nexus 9 for now—unless we get a surprise at this week’s Google I/O event.
Rumored specs for the two new smartphones are pretty thin. There’s no word on resolution or storage capacity for either device. As far as processors go, LG’s phone is expected to pack the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, while the Huawei phone should get the Snapdragon 810. The only other rumored specs to speak of are the batteries, which Android Police expects to be a 2700mAh for the Angler and 3500mAh for the Bullhead.
The story behind the story: One question that can’t yet be answered is how much these devices will cost. The last Nexus device, the Nexus 6, parted from tradition by being rather expensive, while previous devices were meant to be reasonably priced. LG’s last Nexus device was the Nexus 5, a $ 350 device.
Two phones, two possibilities
The idea of producing two Nexus devices seems odd and conflicts with the whole point of the Nexus line. Until now it was all about offering one solid, flagship devices that shows off plain vanilla Android. No overlays, no gimmicks, just Android.
Having two phones would add a level of complexity we haven’t yet seen in Nexus land—though it makes sense in a world now split between phablet lovers and phablet haters.
Android Police even suggests the two phones will meet different needs. It calls the LG phone the “The 2015 Nexus 5 everyone as been begging for,” while Huawei’s is “is more or less a 2015 Nexus 6, but with a slightly more manageable form factor.”
That suggests both phones would be available worldwide.
Another possibility, however, is that these are two Nexus phones for two different parts of the world.
Huawei has had a tough time cracking the U.S. market thanks to political troubles and a general indifference from American smartphone shoppers. To date, the four major carriers do not carry a Huawei phone. Last June, Huawei resorted to selling phones directly to U.S. consumers.
A partnership with Google and prime promotional space on the Google Store could be Huawei’s next attempt to break into the U.S. market. But it’s just as likely Huawei will sell its Nexus wares anywhere but here.
It’ll be a few months until we know for sure. In the meantime let’s keep those Nexus rumors coming.
If you thought Samsung is a big name in the West, then you’ve only a small idea of how big the Samsung Group truly is in South Korea. We keep hearing of different divisions of Samsung’s creating better processors, faster RAM, more impressive displays and so on, but these are all in the consumer electronics field. In South Korea, Samsung is everywhere. As is often the case with massive corporations like Samsung, with lots of divisions entrenched in many different industries, there’s been some interesting chatter surrounding who is to take the reins from Lee Kun-hee who has been less and less active due to illness. It’s all but set that Jay Y. Lee, Kun-hee’s son will take over as Chairman of the Samsung Group, and with these latest moves in South Korea, it seems likely that the succession will take place sooner, rather than later.
Cheil Industries, often referred to as the Group’s de facto holiday company recently offered up $ 8 Billion in new shares to purchase Samsung C&T, a construction firm that owns 4.06% share in Samsung Electronics. This all gets a little confusing, but as analysts see it, this latest move would solidify Jay Y. Lee’s succession to Chairman of the Samsung Group. According to Reuters, shares in both companies rose by as much as 15% following the shake up. Essentially, this is a move to consolidate assets and control in Samsung Electronics, as that 4.06% share is the third largest in the company following South Korea’s National Pension Service and Samsung Life Insurance.
Jay Y. Lee is currently Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, the driving force behind the Samsung Group, and is also the largest shareholder, however the deal to purchase Samsung C&T might not be as easy as the Samsung Group would hope. Some shareholders are warning that the deal undervalues Samsung C&T, and this could lead to some tensions. After a big launch like the Galaxy S6, after a poor year of sales in the mobile market from 2014, it’s no surprise that things are changing throughout the Samsung Group. Whether or not this deal goes ahead, and Jay Y. Lee becomes one step closer to controlling the Samsung Group remains to be seen, but it is clear that things are changing for the corporation at home.
Tom DawsonEditor-in-Chief
For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, growing up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles has fed into an addiction to everything that beeps. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I love watching the platform grow. As an avid reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android, Google and mobile technology as a whole.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Jay Y. Lee’s Inheritance of Samsung Group Moves Forward
Microsoft is rolling out a red carpet for iPhone and Android users, giving them a standalone version of Windows Phone’s Cortana digital assistant and some help syncing their data to Windows PCs.
Cortana will be an installable app for iPhones and Android devices. While it won’t have the same deep operating system hooks as the Windows Phone version—don’t expect to conjure the virtual assistant with hardware buttons, for instance—it’ll otherwise support all the same Internet queries and actions. For instance, users will be able to set reminders through Cortana on Windows 10, and get notified on iPhone or Android.
Further reading: Ask Cortana anything: Sassy answers to 59 burning questions
In Windows 10, Microsoft will also do a better job teaching users to sync their data from iPhones and Android devices. A new Phone Companion app will act as a sort of educational tool for existing Microsoft products, pointing users to the mobile app versions of Cortana, OneDrive, Skype, and Office.
For example, the app will teach users how to set up camera backups in OneDrive, so that smartphone photos will automatically save to the cloud and sync to the Photos app in Windows 10. Similarly, iOS and Android users will be able to stream any music stored in OneDrive through the Xbox Music app, starting as a beta feature in late June or July. (Windows and Windows Phone users already have this capability.)
The Phone Companion app will launch alongside Windows 10, which is scheduled to arrive this summer. Cortana will arrive on Android at the end of June, and on the iPhone “later this year.”
Why this matters: Cortana’s arrival on iOS and Android has always felt inevitable. Microsoft had made it an open secret months ago, and it fits squarely within the company’s strategy of offering its online services across all platforms. The question is whether people will actually feel compelled to use Cortana—along with other services like OneDrive and Xbox Music—when there’s no shortage of other options. All Microsoft can really do is make sure people are aware of what it has to offer, which may explain why it’s announcing Cortana and its Phone Companion app in the same breath.
This story, “Cortana comes to iOS and Android as Microsoft builds a bridge to Windows 10″ was originally published by PCWorld.
Source = greenbot
Tags = Android, bridge, builds, Comes, Cortana, Microsoft, Windows
What’s in a name? In the case of the Google Nexus device range, it conjures up images of a pure installation of Google Android on reasonably modern, powerful hardware receiving software update at or close to the front of the queue. We’ve covered a number of stories regarding the Google Nexus project recently including how some customers feel aggrieved that their device is not receiving updates in a timely fashion, through to rumors that we will be seeing a pair of Nexus smartphones in 2015, one built by LG and the other built by Huawei. However, we’ve not touched upon the idea of a Nexus tablet and there may be a very good reason for this: there are no plans.
The first Google Nexus tablet was the Nexus 7, released in the summer of 2012 and manufactured by ASUS. The 2012 Nexus 7 packed a Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, a quad plus companion core processor designed to switch across to a special low power application processor when the device was not working so hard in Nvidia’s early big.LITTLE concept. It had a 7.0-inch, 720p resolution display, 1 GB of RAM and a chocie of 8, 16 and 32 GB models. The 32 GB model had an optional 3G modem. It was followed by the Samsung-built Nexus 10, which introduced a new ultra high definition screen, QHD, a new ARM Cortex-A15 processor, 2 GB of RAM and a chocie of 16 GB or 32 GB capacities. A couple of years later and smartphones have inherited the 1,440 by 2,560 pixel resolution display! In 2013, Google together with ASUS released an improved and updated Nexus 7 based around a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 7.0-inch 1080p screen, 2 GB of memory. The 8 GB version had been dropped and the data enabled device now had LTE included. In 2014, working in conjunction with HTC, released the Nexus 9, which saw the Nexus tablet line move back to Nvidia for the K1-64 processor, one of the first 64-bit processors to see service in an Android tablet. The Nexus 9 has a 4:3 aspect ratio, ultra high definition screen, 2 GB of RAM and a choice of 16 or 32 GB capacities, again the 32 GB model has an optional LTE radio. The rumor that Android Police has picked up on is that the Nexus 9 will remain the flagship (the only) Nexus tablet for the time being.
I do need to remind readers that this remains a rumor at this time. And there may be a number of reasons as to why Google could have decided not to release a new tablet into the market. Perhaps it is because the sales of the Nexus 9 have been somewhat less than hoped for, or perhaps it is because they are hedging their bets and will take a view later in the year. It might be that the Nexus 9 was designed to be their headline tablet for eighteen months rather than the more established twelve month product cycle? Whatever the reasons behind this rumor, as soon as we learn anything else we will let you know.
David SteeleStaff Writer
I grew up with 8-bit computers and my first PDA was a Philips Velo 500 in the late 1990s, moving through almost all of the Palm handheld devices ever sold. I’ve found my home with Android and I love my technology grounded in the real world. I currently tote the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 7. You’ll also see me carrying my much-battered Samsung Chromebook.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Rumor: Google Not Working On A 2015 Nexus Tablet
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = 2015, Google, Nexus, Rumor, tablet, Working
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is a pretty decent tablet. Sure it’s not the Galaxy Tab S, but it is under $ 200, and that’s with 4G LTE connectivity. This is the 8-inch Galaxy Tab 4 and it will work on AT&T as well as T-Mobile. Which makes this a pretty good deal, actually. It has a 720p display and a Snapdragon 400 inside. There’s also 16GB of storage along with a microSD card slot.
Pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8-inch 4G LTE for just $ 180 from eBay!
Alexander MaxhamAssistant Editor
Alex has been an Android user since the Motorola Droid back in 2010. He’s been a huge Android fan ever since using many of the most popular flagships. He’s currently rocking a Nexus 6 and Moto X.
Ever since Microsoft appointed Satya Nadella as their new CEO back in February 2014, we’ve seen Microsoft rapidly shift to a company very much invested in supporting all platforms with their services, not just Windows and Windows Phone. We’ve seen more Android apps launch than ever before and Microsoft Office, one of the company’s most popular products is finally available on both Android and iOS. Another popular product of theirs has been Cortana, the Siri competitor that extracts information from everyday, natural language to keep you on top of your game. It’s essentially a mix between Google Now and Siri, but in a lot of head-to-head tests it bests Apple’s Siri, and gives Google Now a run for its money. A valuable asset for Microsoft to have, they’re now bringing it to Android and iOS, and in their latest video, Microsoft have officially confirmed as much.
Windows 10 is launching later this year, and Microsoft is getting everything setup for those that will be launching a computer or tablet with the new operating system in a series of videos on YouTube. One of the videos, entitled “Phone Companion App for Windows 10″ goes through Windows 10’s ability to sync your Microsoft data – such as Skype, OneNote, OneDrive and Office – to whichever smartphone you have, be it Windows Phone, iOS or an Android device like the Galaxy S6. A lot of the video is focused on the program for Windows 10 itself, but there’s a brief explanation on just how Cortana will work on Android. It’ll be launched as an app, and you can talk to it just as you would on a Windows 10 computer. The Phone Companion app will then sync all of your tasks and such together, keeping Cortana’s hard work all neat and organized.
With Google Now already on Android, it seems a little strange to bring Cortana to Android, but Microsoft have chosen the right path to do this. There are many of us that use Windows with a laptop or PC and many of Microsoft’s services are popular with Android users, as such, using Cortana as a way to keep the two worlds linked sounds like a good idea. Windows 10 will be launching this Summer, and presumably so too, will Cortana on Android.
Tom DawsonEditor-in-Chief
For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, growing up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles has fed into an addiction to everything that beeps. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I love watching the platform grow. As an avid reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android, Google and mobile technology as a whole.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Microsoft Officially Introduces Cortana for Android
With each day that passes, Google’s annual I/O event draws closer and the numerous announcements the Search giant will be making will be revealed. Even at this late stage of the game, what Google will definitely announce remains largely unknown. That said, there are a number of things which Google are expected to announce or at least refer to during the event. One of those which does seem extremely likely to be making an appearance is Android Pay. This is seen by many as Google’s main attempt to dislodge Apple Pay in the market.
It is no secret that Google Wallet has not been as successful as Google would have hoped for. Part of the reason for this is attributed to the lower levels of adoption that was seen with the platform. Well, in contract, Android Pay looks to be in an immediately much stronger position with Google reported to have already secured the backing of carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon. Not to mention, there are also a number of manufacturers and retailers believed to be on board too.
Well, it seems Merrill Lynch analysts believe that Android Pay not only will be announced at this year’s event but also should make significant impact, with being one of the more prominent announcements to come from the event. Not to mention, an announcement which will inevitably affect how android users pay for both in-app and in-store goods and services. According to Merrill Lynch’s Justin Post “We expect Android Pay to be able to power in-app and in-store mobile payments capabilities for Android based devices..” As well as Android Pay being one of the more dominant news stories and one of the main attractions from this year’s event, Merrill Lynch also highlight that Android’s new operating system update, Android M, is also likely to feature distinct integration with Android Pay. As such, with so many significant announcements due to come from Google during the event, Merrill Lynch currently suggest a buy rating on Google stock. With only a couple of days left until the event, there is not much time to go before all that Google has in store for Android Pay, Android M and everything else Android will be unveiled.
John AnonAssistant Editor
I’ve been an avid Android user since 2011 and have never looked back. Started with Android with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and stuck with the Galaxy range until recently started using a OnePlus One. With an obsession for open-source I am constantly flashing (in the good way), changing ROM’s and generally looking to improve the Android experience.
Sony’s new flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z4, will be called the Xperia Z3+ when it goes on sale outside Japan in June. The phone has a sleeker design, faster processor and better front camera than the Z3 it replaces.
Like the Z4, the Xperia Z3+ was announced with little fanfare compared to events organized by competitors Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. The low-key launch on Tuesday doesn’t necessarily reflect badly on the product, but raises the question of how committed Sony is to its struggling smartphone unit.
The Z3+ and Z4 are both available with 32GB of integrated storage. The only difference between them is that the Z4 is also available in a 64GB version. Both models have the option to add another 128GB using their microSD card slots.
Sony didn’t have a good explanation for why the phone has a different name outside Japan, but the given that it is very much an incremental update over the Z3, the new name makes sense.
The Z3+ looks almost identical to the Z3. Like its predecessor, it has a full HD 5.2-inch screen, 3GB of RAM, and a waterproof and dustproof case. The resolution of the rear camera, 20.7-megapixels, is unchanged compared to the Z3, but Sony promises better images from the Z3+ (and Z4) thanks to better software for the “auto” mode, which seeks to improve images where the smartphone takes care of all the settings.
In the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, that camera wasn’t able to compete with the cameras on Samsung’s Galaxy S6 or LG’s G4 in a recent test conducted by PC Advisor. The Sony smartphones’ lack of optical imaging stabilization is a drawback.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor powers the Xperia Z3+, instead of the Snapdragon 801 in the Z3. The only other aspect of the Z3+ and Z4 that has received a significant upgrade is the front camera, which has a resolution of 5 megapixels instead of the Z3’s 2 megapixels. The move to better front cameras started last year, and has only accelerated in the last five months: Sony’s latest mid-range models, the Xperia C4 and the Xperia M4 Aqua, also have 5-megapixel cameras on the front.
The Z3+ is a fraction lighter and thinner than the Z3, at 144 grams and 6.8 millimeters. One area where the “plus” might be a minus is battery size: The Z3+ has a capacity of 2,900mAh compared to its predecessor’s 3,100mAh. Neither battery is removable.
The overall size of the Xperia Z3+ is a close match to the Galaxy S6, which has 5.1-inch screen. Samsung and Sony have gone for lightweight designs that still feel sturdy, although the Galaxy S6 is even lighter at 138 grams. It measures 143.4mm x 70.5mm compared to 146.3mm x 71.9mm. The S6 is also 6.8 millimeters thick, excluding the protruding camera on the back. Considering the battery in the S6 has a capacity of 2,550mAh, Sony seems to have found the better balance between a slim design and battery capacity—although Samsung did find space in the Galaxy S6 to support wireless charging.
So where does all this leave Sony’s smartphone division? Pretty much in the same place as it was before the company announced the Z4 in April. It hard to see why millions of consumers would wake up one morning and realize they want a high-end smartphone from Sony instead of one from Apple or Samsung. There is no doubt Sony makes good smartphones, but not enough people want to buy them. If the company wants to change its fortunes, it needs to pool all its assets and do something that stands out more.
The Xiaomi Mi 4i is a smartphone with an overheating problem. In a recent statement on Facebook, Xiaomi’s Hugh Barra wrote, “We’ve heard from some Mi 4i users that their devices can get warm under more strenuous conditions such as complex 3D gaming for extended periods of time. To address these concerns, we’ve optimized our thermal control algorithms to better regulate the temperature. The new thermal controls adjust frequency, voltage and the number of cores in use depending on the chipset temperature.”
The Mi 4i is based around a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, which is a mid-range Qualcomm System-on-Chip (SoC) in a similar vein to the Snapdragon 810, only somewhat watered down. The 615 contains eight application processor cores; there’s a quad core, 1.1 GHz, ARM Cortex-A53 processor for the lightweight processor tasks paired up with a quad core, 1.7 GHz, ARM Cortex-A57 processor for the heavy lifting. This chipset is paired up with 2 GB of RAM, a 5.0-inch, 1080p resolution display and a 13MP rear camera.
Unfortunately, the Mi 4i does appear to have something of a heat issue and Xiaomi originally released a software update, taking the device to v6.5.4.0, designed to rectify this. Unfortunately, the update perhaps caused more issues than it solved! Following the update to v6.5.4.0, customers reported data connection instability, significantly reduced battery life and issues with the camera. Xiaomi suspended the update to v6.5.4.0 and have now replaced this with v6.5.4.5, which should solve both the original overheating issues and the newly introduced problems.
The changelist for v6.5.4.5 includes references to reducing internal temperatures, as Hugh said, plus out bug fixes including a resolution for poor speaker quality when the device volume is set low and a fix for some earphones not being recognized by the device. Other fixes include solving the problem whereby the Mi 4i would not make a call with one SIM card installed into a dual SIM design. There were also problems with application names and images not matching up in the Android Lollipop task switcher view.
It’s never a good thing when a device suffers from problems but encouraging when a manufacturer releases an update… but somewhat frustrating when the update causes more issues! However, Xiaomi have responded quickly to customer complaints and let’s hope that the replacement fix does indeed solve the device overheating, speaker, earphone and other faults in the Mi 4i.
David SteeleStaff Writer
I grew up with 8-bit computers and my first PDA was a Philips Velo 500 in the late 1990s, moving through almost all of the Palm handheld devices ever sold. I’ve found my home with Android and I love my technology grounded in the real world. I currently tote the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 7. You’ll also see me carrying my much-battered Samsung Chromebook.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Xiaomi Rolling Out New Update To Fix Mi 4i Issues
Google is one of the biggest companies in the world. This search giant dabbles in pretty much everything, from searching the internet and offering e-mail services, all the way to developing its mobile operating system, self-driving cars and robotics. Google is actually one of the most wanted employers in the world, and getting an internship with this Mountain View giant can be a really tedious process. Speaking of the internship, we have an interesting story to share with you, courtesy of Business Insider.
The source has shared an interesting story about Rohan Shah, who is currently a software engineer at Google. Mr. Shah is 22 years old and was offered the internship at the search giant before his senior year of college at the University of Illinois a couple of years back. Rohan Shah was actually offered an internship by Qualcomm prior to Google, but he really wanted to try his luck at Google, and that’s what he did before accepting Qualcomm’s offer. How hard is it to become a Google Intern? Well, this San Francisco-based company accepts only 1,500 interns, and over 40,000 of them apply every year.
Mr. Shah was accepted by Google in the Spring of 2013 and became one of the company’s interns. He said that the interview was a really slow and tedious process, he actually had an interview with around five different teams before he was accepted. After his internship kicked off, Mr. Shah was immediately impressed, by pretty much everything. In case you don’t know, Google actually covers the cost of housing and commute, and interns actually get roommates while they’re at Google. Rohan was assigned three roommates, all of them foreigners, two from Argentina and one from Ukraine.
“Just in the first week you feel like you’ve been an employee for a year. You get acclimated with the company very quickly, my first day was amazing,” said Rohan, who was actually paid about $ 6,100 per month ($ 80,000 per year) while he was an intern. So, what do Google interns do all day? Is it all fun and games? Of course not, Shah said that interns have to work a lot, but they also participate in a number of team building activities; trips to museums, movies, biking, hiking, various trips, etc. He participated in various projects with his group, and learned a lot while interning there… Google actually puts a lot of faith in its interns, gives them a lot of responsibility.
“One thing that really surprised me working at Google was that every single employee is extremely creative and extremely active. There’s a very clear divide between work and life. Google engineers are very well-balanced. I have evidence that people really are the best thing at Google,” said Shah, and added that he even met Sergey Brin while he was bowling with his friends on campus. Speaking of bowling and extracurricular activities, the Googleplex actually has over 20 cafes, multiple gyms, a wellness center… and a lot more perks.
Rohan Shah has actually attended Qualcomm’s internship right after Google’s, and said the following: “Both internships helped me develop basic software engineering skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise learned from school projects (how to code search efficiently, how to unit test properly, how to use version control systems, etc.)”. That’s more or less it, as previously mentioned, Rohan Shah is currently employed at Google, working as a software engineer.
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Android Primetime: Rohan Shah’s Google Internship Story
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = Android, Google, Internship, Primetime, Rohan, Shah’s, Story
So, everyone remembers how just a little while ago, Comcast pulled out from buying Time Warner right? Well now it appears that Charter is looking to purchase their competitor, Time Warner Cable, and they’ve agreed to acquire the company for $ 56.7 billion. Right now, Comcast is number one, followed by Time Warner and Charter. So if Charter buys Time Warner, they would become a pretty big competitor to Comcast. Which I’m sure Comcast wouldn’t be too happy about.
After announcing this acquisition this morning, it’s important to remember that Charter is also still in the process of acquiring Bright House Networks, which is a smaller competitor to Charter. With those two acquisitions under Charter’s belt. They would grow their customer base to about 24 million, that’s four times what they have before the acquisitions, and still just shy of Comcast’s 27 million.
“With our larger reach, we will be able to accelerate the deployment of faster Internet speeds, state-of-the-art video experiences, and fully–featured voice products, at highly competitive prices,” Charter’s chief executive, Thomas Rutledge, said on Tuesday. “The scale of New Charter positions us to deliver a communications future that will unleash the full power of the two-way, interactive cable network.”
$ 56.7 billion is a lot of cash, and actually, it’s more than what Comcast was offering for Time Warner Cable. Which the FCC wasn’t going to approve, and Comcast stepped away from buying their largest competitor. It’ll be interesting to see if the FCC and DOJ allow Time Warner Cable to be bought up by Charter. While Charter is a much smaller company – even smaller than Time Warner Cable – it might get approved, but we’ll see in the coming months.
Competition in broadband and the cable sector has really picked up in recent years. And that’s due in part because users are streaming more TV and movies than watching them through their cable box. Thus, keeping the cable box out of the house. I’m sure I’m not the only one that doesn’t have cable or satellite. This has made companies like Comcast, Charter, Time Warner Cable and even AT&T, work to figure out ways to make money and grow, while the cable industry is shrinking. Which is probably why we’ve seen so many acquisitions lately.
Alexander MaxhamAssistant Editor
Alex has been an Android user since the Motorola Droid back in 2010. He’s been a huge Android fan ever since using many of the most popular flagships. He’s currently rocking a Nexus 6 and Moto X.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: AH Tech Talk: Charter Attempts to buy Time Warner for $ 57B
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = $57B, Attempts, Charter, Talk, Tech, Time, Warner
Google I/O is like Disneyland for Android users. It’s so fun and so chaotic. It’s the one time a year you can don a silly alien-eared Android cap and your weirdest Android t-shirts while simultaneously sitting in on sessions hosted by the engineers who work on your favorite technology. And even if you can’t enjoy Google I/O in person, Google makes makes the keynote and many of the sessions available online so you can still be a part of the experience.
We all know that with every I/O keynote, Google has a few surprises up its sleeve. Here are some of the announcements we expect from the company onstage at its annual developer’s conference, and a few suggestions for what we really hope to see.
Android M
We had a fleeting bit of confirmation that Android M would make its debut at Google I/O when a session description made mention of it, but that was quickly pulled once Google realized we had all caught on. Still, we can expect Google to debut Android M during the keynote, as evidenced by some of the sessions already posted. Besides, Google always announces the new version of Android at its big summer conference.
Google will likely detail some of the platform’s marquee features, like better security and privacy policy changes, for instance. There are also rumblings that Android M will include native fingerprint security abilities, so developers can universally take advantage of phones and tablets with fingerprint readers. There’s also Android Pay, which Sundar Pichai hinted at earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, and which we’ve been waiting for since Google purchased SoftCard. Let’s hope it gets wider adoption, and gathers more attention, than Google Wallet.
Google will also most certainly reprise its strategy from last year: seed a beta version of the Android source code to developers long before its official launch in the fall. Hopefully, something will be done to ensure that Android M rolls out more quickly to the vast majority of Android users, because it has taken way too long for Lollipop to hit most phones and tablets.
Games in your living room
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Google is making a huge play for your living room—and not just for streaming content. The Chromecast is great (and we may hear of its sequel at Google I/O), but it seems Google has even bigger plans for Android TV, which aims to bring its vast library of Android-powered games and apps to your living room.
Google’s serious about this, too. It’s introduced features that gamers actually care about, like preorders for applications (read: games) and new multiplayer features. There’s even A/B testing abilities coming soon to help developers determine how best to sell apps in the Google Play Store. The idea seems to be to transform the Android platform into more of a premium, cross-platform gaming experience rather than a reductive one—like the OUYA console, for instance.
Mark Hachman
Nvidia’s Shield tablet is surely to make an appearance at Google I/O.
There’s no doubt we’ll hear more about this during the keynote—and Nvidia’s Shield Android TV console, too, which might really help in this particular initiative. The Android-powered gaming machine was announced back in February with 16 gigs of storage, and a 500GB version made a brief cameo on Amazon recently. It’s due for release any moment now; we’re secretly hoping that it’s the gadget Google plans to dole out to developers this year to inspire them to make more powerful mobile games.
If Google really wants you to play games on Android TV powered devices in the living room, it’ll need to step up its game. Tablet-quality games on the big screen isn’t going to generate enough buzz to sell millions of $ 100-300 set-top boxes. They need bigger, fancier AAA games, and the powerful hardware of the Shield Android TV is a great tip of the spear to make that happen.
Project Ara and Tango
You likely won’t hear much about Project Ara, but you’ll hear a ton about Project Tango.
Google holds a separate developers conference for Project Ara because the technology is so new and experimental. We may not see much of an update on it at I/O—I don’t recall that we did last year, either—though there will likely be some heavy developer recruitment at the conference to help build up Google’s future-facing modular smartphone. As the modular phones approach their initial release, the likelihood of hearing something substantial about it at Google I/O increases.
Project Tango is a different story. Last year, Google offered a Sandbox for developers to come play with its 3D-mapping tablet. Johnny Lee, technical program lead for the project, was seen hanging around on the show floor, giving demos to anyone eager to try it out. Shortly after the conference, there was news that we’d see a consumer-ready version of the product from LG, though it’s nowhere to be found.
So what’s going on with Project Tango? Hopefully Google will reveal a little something during the keynote. The company will definitely tell us something at the Project Tango panel on Friday, May 29. I’ll be there to report on it.
Virtual reality
Hopefully Google will announce more durable material for Google Cardboard.
With all this talk of gaming and immersive virtual worlds, Google’s bound to make some announcements regarding its Cardboard platform. It’s affordable, it’s accessible, and all you need is a cardboard contraption to see the future. Just don’t expect too much; Google just hired a new boss for its VR division and it seems too early for the company to have something really big to announce at Google I/O.
Google may well be working on an Android-based platform specifically for VR, and might even announce such a thing at the conference, but it’s almost certainly too early for details. Still, it’d be nice to see more games and content announced that work with Cardboard.
Android Auto
Google’s putting so much into Android Auto, there’s no doubt we’ll hear more about it at the developer’s conference.
Android Auto is alive and buggy—you can read all about my first drive with it here. I’m still working on the full review, which we’ll post after the developer’s conference.
You might be wondering why I’m spending so much time with Android Auto, and that’s because I can tell Google is really committed to it—something that was quite apparent when I had my demo in Mountain View a few weeks ago.
Back in December, Ars Technica reported that Android M was actually going to bring with it some new, more immersive infotainment features when used as the operating system for car infotainment systems. Maybe Google will talk about those during the keynote, or maybe it’ll announce some new automobile partnerships.
Or maybe it won’t. Maybe it will focus all its efforts at this year’s developers conference to recruit more apps for Android Auto. That’d be nice, considering how limited the app selection is now.
Android Wear
Florence Ion
Android Wear is going to keep growing, and growing, and growing.
It’s been quite a year for Android Wear. After numerous device launches and a few significant software updates, Android Wear has really matured.
But it still has quite a journey ahead of it. For example, we’re anxious to find out whether or not Google will launch iOS compatibility for the platform. There’s been so much hinting about that particular feature that it almost seems like a sure bet. Can you imagine what that will do to iOS users? Think of all the choice they’ll have!
We’re also hoping that Motorola plans to add to Android Wear’s device arsenal by using Google I/O to reveal its next-generation Moto 360. The watch has gotten so cheap online, it’s bound to see a successor any day now.
An Internet of Things platform
The Internet of Things is becoming more than just a buzzworthy catchphrase to place in headlines. It’s now a veritable platform of its own (that’s what our sister site, TechHive, is all about!) and Google wants a piece of the pie. The Information reported that Google will announce more details for its Internet of Things software, code-named “Brillo,” at Google I/O:
Google is likely to release the software under the Android brand, as the group developing the software is linked to the company’s Android unit. The lower memory requirements for devices running the new software would mark a sharp drop from the latest versions of Android, which are primarily aimed at mobile phones with at least 512 megabytes of memory.
If you’ve been following closely, you’ll realize that it all makes so much sense. Google’s been heading this direction for a long time. Last year, it came out with a bang announcing Android on everything—in your car, in your living room, on your phone, and on your wrist. Now it’s time for phase two, which includes connecting the things you didn’t even realize could be connected: Your toaster. Your fridge. Your thermostat. Your lights.
This isn’t the first time Google’s tried to insert itself into your home, either. Android @Home was supposed to inspire that kind of synergetic connectivity within your abode, but it failed to take off.
I’ve personally been waiting for this to take flight since Google bought Nest last year. I can’t wait to see what they’ve decided to do with it.
Goodbye Google+
Derek Walter
Google+ may be going bye-bye.
It’s not like you didn’t see this coming. We haven’t heard much about Google+ since Vic Gundotra left last year, and now there’s some hearsay that Google’s is ditching Google+ in favor of a standalone photo service—kind of like what Picasa used to be, except with a bit more of a social networking element to it. However, that social network will embrace Twitter and Facebook rather than be exclusively tied to Google+.
The rumor makes sense, given the incredible recent overhaul of Snapseed and recent acquisition of Odysee, but it’ll be interesting to see what Google plans to do with Google+ after all this time.
What else do you want to see?
Did you notice that I conspicuously left Google Glass of this year’s list? I don’t believe that Google will do much with Glass this year at I/O. It’s been missing for some time now, and before Google can do anything with it again, it’ll need more development time. Google’s hard at work turning Glass into a real consumer platform, but it can’t make the mistake it made the first time around—over-promising a revolution, and only delivering a compromised developer platform that doesn’t live up to the hype. Google Glass will be back, but probably at its own event.
Besides that, is there anything else you want to see come out of Google I/O? Leave us a comment, and remember that even if you’re not attending, you can watch along with PCWorld and Greenbot, or at Google’s official portal for the event. Either way, stay tuned, because there’s going to be a lot more coming to an Android device near you.
Next week is Google I/O, one of – if not the biggest – the biggest events of the year for an Android developer and while last year introduced us to all sorts of new things like Android 5.0 Lollipop and of course, Android Wear. This year, we’re expecting Google to reinforce these new technologies now that almost half of all Android devices are running Android Lollipop now. It seems that Android Wear is about to get a big boost in terms of development soon, as developers are very much looking forward to working with Google’s new “Games in Motion” initiative for Android Wear.
Games in Motion was announced earlier this month, and essentially brings your Android Wear smartwatch even closer to your smartphone, allowing movements detected by your watch to be translated into a game, not entirely unlike the Nintendo Wii. The main idea of Games in Motion is to get people moving, whether or not that’s solely through exercise or through a mix of doing a little exercise while at home playing a game, it’s basically a way of bringing data into a fully-fledged Android app on the phone. The outline from Google for Games in Motion was pretty vague, and while it detailed a number of APIs that are included in Games in Motion, we’re sure to hear some more next week during Google I/O.
Needless to say, it seems like Android developers are already pretty excited for what’s to come next week during Google I/O, as FierceDeveloper is reporting, many have been expressing their excitement on Twitter. It seems that there’s some buzz surrounding Google’s latest announcement to shore up Android Wear, and next week could be the week that we see some examples of how Games in Motion could be used on stage during Thursday’s keynote. Either way, this is yet another sign that Google is keen to get involved in the fitness movement that tech companies like Apple and Samsung have been steadily surrounding over the last few years. Google Fit has only just taken off, but with things like Games in Motion on their way the future looks bright for the next generation of fitness apps on Android.
Tom DawsonEditor-in-Chief
For years now I’ve had a heavy interest in technology, growing up with 8-bit computers and gaming consoles has fed into an addiction to everything that beeps. Android saved me from the boredom of iOS years ago and I love watching the platform grow. As an avid reader and writer nothing pleases me more than to write about the exciting world of Android, Google and mobile technology as a whole.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Android Developers Excited for Wear’s Games in Motion
Letv is a rather well-known company in China, but not for making smartphones, or anything of the sort. Letv is a video streaming site which is highly popular in China, but the company has decided to enter the smartphone scene recently, and they did it in style. This China-based company has announced three devices last month, two flagships and a mid-range handset. All three of these devices actually look similar to one another, but the difference is in their size and internals. The X600 is a mid-range smartphone, while One Pro (X900) and Letv Max are high-end offerings by this company.
That being said, the Letv One Pro (X900) and Letv Max have been certified by TENAA (China’s equivalent to FCC) and are expected to launch in China soon. The Letv One Pro offers metal build, thin bezels and sleek look overall, not to mention its top-of-the-line specs. This handset features a 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) display along with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core processor powers this handset along with an Adreno 430 GPU. Sony’s 20.7-megapixel OIS camera is located on the back of this handset and flanked by a dual-LED, dual tone flash. The 4-megapixel UltraPixel (2um pixel size) snapper is located up front, and a 3,140mAh battery is also a part of this package. This is a dual-SIM handset and it offers 4G LTE connectivity. Android 5.0 Lollipop will come pre-installed on this handset with Letv’s LeUI on top of it.
The Letv Max, on the other hand, features a 6.33-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) panel by Sharp along with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of internal storage. This device is powered by The Snapdragon 810 as well, and it ships with the same camera sensors as the One Pro. This device also offers 4G LTE connectivity and ships sporting two SIM card slots. Android 5.0 Lollipop also comes pre-installed here with Letv’s custom UI on top of Google’s OS. The Letv Max also offers the rear-facing fingerprint scanner, and is made out of metal. There you have it, both of Letv’s flagships will launch in China soon, stay tuned.
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Letv’s Flaghips Get Certified By TENAA In China
On the surprise of many of us, Sony has announced their Xperia Z4 flagship last month without actually hyping it up prior to launching it. Not only that, but the device was launched in Japan only, which seemed rather strange at the time. We were waiting for this Japan-based smartphone OEM to release some additional info regarding the international availability of this handset, and that has just happened, read on.
Sony has released an official statement confirming the recent rumors regarding their new flagship. The recently announced Xperia Z4 will be called Xperia Z3+ everywhere else but in Japan. Sony has also confirmed that they’ll launch that handset globally next month, in June. We’re looking at an identical device Sony launched in Japan, but sporting a different name. The Xperia Z3+ will feature a 5.2-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) Triluminos display along with 3GB of RAM and 32 of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card). This handset is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core processor along with an Adreno 430 GPU for graphics.
The 20.7-megapixel snapper (Exmor RS, CMOS sensor) is available on the back of this handset, and a 5.1-megapixel shooter (Exmor R, CMOS sensor, 25mm wide-angle lens) is located on the front side of this device. The Xperia Z3+ is IPX5/IPX8 certified, which makes it water and dust resistant. The 2,930mAh battery is also a part of this package, and the handset will ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop pre-installed with Sony’s custom UI installed on top of it. The Xperia Z3+ measures 146 x 72 x 6.9mm, weighs 144 grams and also comes with a cap-less USB port which is water resistant. Another thing worth mentioning is that Sony’s DSEE HX audio technology and LDAC codec are also a part of this package.
The Xperia Z3+ will be available in Black, Copper, White and Aqua Green color options, and as mentioned before, it will be available worldwide starting June 2015. In case you’d like to check out this handset’s design, there are a number of images available in the gallery down below, and you can also check out Sony’s promo video which is embedded below this article.
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Xperia Z4 Announced As Xperia Z3+ For The Global Market
As most of you know, Sony Mobile hasn’t been doing all that well as smartphone sales profit goes. This Japan-based company has been having issues turning a profit for quite some time now, and they even decided to leave Chinese smartphone market altogether a while back. Sony is quite active in India though, the company is constantly pushing their devices to that market, mainly the company’s mid-range offerings. Sony has launched the Xperia M4 Aqua Dual in India today, and now they’ve announced yet another handset for the Indian market.
The company has announced that the Xperia C4 Dual mid-ranger, also called the ‘selfie phone’, will be available in the country starting mid-June. The Xperia C4 Dual sports a 5.5-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card). This handset is powered by MediaTek’s MT6752 octa-core SoC running at 1.7GHz which ship with a Mali 760 MP2 GPU for graphics. The 13-megapixel snapper is located on the back of this device (Exmor RS sensor), and an LED flash is also available next to the camera. The front-facing 5-megapixel snapper is available here for your selfies and video calls, and we’re looking at Sony’s Exmor R sensor here (25mm wide-angle lens), which offers 1080p video recording. The 2,600mAh battery is also a part of this package, and this handset ships with two SIM card slots. 4G LTE connectivity (Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 28, 40) is also available here, while the handset measures 150.3 x 77.4 x 7.9mm and weighs 147 grams. Android 5.0 Lollipop comes pre-installed on this handset with Sony’s custom UI installed on top of it.
The Sony Xperia C4 Dual will be available in Black, White and Mint color options in mid-June, when the device will be available for purchase in India. Sony still didn’t say how much this handset will cost, we’ll let you know as soon as they do (probably next month prior to launch). There are quite a few images in the gallery down below, if you’d like to check those out, and you can also take a look at the YouTube embedded video down below (official Xperia C4 Dual promo video).
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Xperia C4 Dual Announced In India, Available Next Month
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = Announced, Available, Dual, India, Month, Next, Xperia
ZTE has been rather active when it comes to smartphone launches in the last couple of months. This China-based OEM has announced three devices as part of their flagship Nubia Z9 line, the Nubia Z9, Z9 Max and Z9 Mini. These three devices are significantly different from one another, the Nubia Z9 is the most powerful out of the bunch, the Nubia Z9 Max is also a high-end offering, and a Nubia Z9 Mini can be considered a mid-range smartphone. The company has also announced the budget Q519T handset recently, and it seems like more smartphone will follow shortly.
A new ZTE-branded device surfaced online, showing its sleek design and dual camera setup on the back. This handset also has rounded corners and very thin side bezels, which makes it look really interesting. Anyhow, there are a couple of images in the gallery down below if you’d like to check out the handset yourselves. The device features both the volume rocker and the power button on the right, while its SIM tray is located on the left. You’ll be able to charge this device by utilizing the microUSB port which is located on the bottom of this handset. The three capacitive buttons setup is present here as well, below the display, as is on other ZTE-branded devices. The circular capacitive button acts as a home key, while there are also two dot capacitive buttons on the sides. It seems like this handset is made out of plastic, but we can’t confirm that considering our presumption is based on the provided images.
Unfortunately, the images are the only piece of information that leaked when it comes to this handset. We don’t know what will it be called, when will it launch nor what will its specs look like. Considering the fact that ZTE already launched a couple of premium offerings, this will hardly be the company’s flagship or anything of the sort. It is possible, however, that ZTE plans to announce yet another mid or high-end devices, we’ll see. Either way, stay tuned, we’ll make sure to report back as soon as we stumble upon some additional details regarding this mysterious handset.
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Mysterious ZTE Handset Pops Up, Thin Bezels In Tow
Sony hasn’t released that many smartphones this year, but they did unveil the Xperia Z4 flagship in Japan, and have also announced a couple of additional devices, like the Xperia M4 Aqua which was announced during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) back in March. This is a mid-range smartphone which offers solid specs, and as its name states, it’s water and dust proof. We’ve talked about this device at length back in March when it was announced, and if you’d like to check out our hands-on coverage, click here.
That being said, Sony has just launched the Xperia M4 Aqua Dual in India. This handset features a 5-inch 720p (1280 x 720) display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB via microSD card). Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 64-bit octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz fuels this handset along with an Adreno 405 GPU for graphics. The 13-megapixel camera (Exmor RS sensor) is located on the back of this device, and flanked by an LED flash. The 5-megapixel snapper is available up front, and this handset ships with a 2,400mAh battery on the inside. The Xperia M4 Aqua also ships with IP65 and IP68 certification, which means it’s water and dust proof. This is a dual-SIM handset which offers 4G LTE connectivity. The Android 5.0 Lollipop comes pre-installed on the Xperia M4 Aqua with Sony’s custom UI on top of Google’s operating system. This handset measures 145.5 x 72.59 x 7.3mm and weighs 135 grams.
There you have it folks, the M4 Aqua is now available in India. The device comes in Black, White and Coral color options, and it’s priced at Rs. 24,990 ($ 392) in India. You can purchase this mid-ranger starting today if you’d like. The Xperia M4 Aqua might not be for everyone, but those of you who like water and dust proof phones, this might be the ideal solution. The device might be a bit more expensive than some other phones in that same spec range, but very few phones are water and dust proof these days, so if you’re in a market for such a device… Xperia M4 Aqua might be worth taking a look at.
Kristijan LucicAssistant Editor
I’ve always been interested in technology but when I got my first Android phone years ago I was hooked. Mobile technology has been my first priority ever since. I’m currently using the LG G3 phablet, even though I’m prone to using Nexus devices, but I sold my Nexus 5 smartphone and the Nexus 6 is just too big (and pricey) for me. Other than technology I also enjoy football, movies and TV shows along with socializing with my friends and family.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual Launched In India For $ 392
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = $392, Aqua, Dual, India, launched, Sony, Xperia
Android Police 
Android Police 
T-Mobile is pulling out all of the stops when it comes to releasing the new LG G4, which promises to be a great seller for LG…and as well as T-Mobile, if they have their way. The new LG G4 will not be available in the brick and mortar stores until Wednesday June 3, but starting tomorrow, Wednesday May 27, you can order online – a whole week before you can walk into a store and purchase the device. This hot new smartphone will cost you $ 0 down and $ 24.99 x 24 months or $ 599.76 and T-Mobile promises to ship your LG G4 before they go on sale in the stores…this means you could be the first ones on T-Mobile’s network to be sporting the new device.
Mark Hachman
Florence Ion
Derek Walter
