The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was one of the highlight devices of 2014 and in spite of the device only becoming available in the second half of last year, the Note 4 has already seen some interesting and noteworthy price drops. If you have been holding out for the Note 4 until the price was right, then now might be the time. A deal on eBay means you can currently pick up the Galaxy Note 4 for only $ 399.99. This is a manufacturer refurbished unit but does come with 32GB internal storage as well as all the specs which make this such a great device. This is a great price on a great device. Not to mention, you can currently choose between both the black and white colored options. If you are interesting in knowing more or picking a Galaxy Note 4 up for only $ 399.99 then hit the link below.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – $ 399.99
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: Deal: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Only $ 399.99 On eBay
The excitement caused by the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is still lingering around months after the new dual flagships launched in April. Word this morning is that Samsung will sell about 45 million of the devices by the end of this year and, of course, sales will continue the first few months into the following year. T-Mobile’s announcement this morning will help move those sales along as it is giving away a FREE memory upgrade, which has to be one of the hottest deals to start off the summer. New and existing T-Mobile customers are eligible to take advantage of the free memory upgrade.
Although T-Mobile could always extend the promotion, for now it is running from Wednesday, June 24 through Saturday, June 27. You can pick up a 64GB Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge for the price of a 32GB model – that is an $ 80 savings with $ 0 down. You can even “GO BIG” and pick up a 128GB model at the price of a 64GB model, and save yourself $ 100…all for just $ 99 down. This great deal is available online or in the store starting Wednesday, so act fast as it will be here and gone before your know it.
As you know, Samsung made some major design changes with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, one of which was the removal of the microSD Card slot to add cheap additional internal memory. Samsung used their new UFS 2.0 Flash memory, which is much faster than the older eMMC design – USF 2.0 has speeds up to 725MB per second while the best eMMC 5.1 can only reach peak read speeds of 250MG per second and write speeds of 125MB per second. UFS 2.0 also allows simultaneous reading and writing, which makes for a smooth and quick experience. Samsung did not believe that the microSD cards could ‘keep up’ with this speed and it would create a bottleneck in the flow speed of the information. So Samsung decided to go the iPhone route and offer only a non-expandable memory option of 32GB, 64GB or 128GB – after all, it has worked for them all of these years with no real complaints. However, Samsung buyers were used to the idea of expandable memory, so they were not too happy about the decision…at least T-Mobile’s free upgrade offer can help soften the blow.
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?
As someone who coordinates her outfits with accessories every day, I appreciate Android Wear’s variety. I can choose from a multitude of different watches to match my style, and I can swap out watch faces as easily as I change clothes.
Google announced 17 new downloadable watch faces Monday, adding to the more than 1,500 already available in the Google Play Store. The fresh arrivals include Hello Kitty and Moomin, and fashionable designs from the likes of Lulu Frost, Cynthia Rowley and Bang & Olufsen. There’s even a special Gundam Wing one for old-school anime lovers.
Before you pick your next watch face out from Google’s Play collection, preview them here! Tell us your favorites—and the ones you’d still like to see—in the comments.
Earlier this year, Sony announced the Xperia Z4 Tablet, and while in many ways it was an evolution from the Xperia Z2 tablet it also bought with it a Quad HD display and a thickness that’s frankly a little ridiculous to think can be achieved. At long last, we have our hands on one, and while I’ll be working on a review to share with you all in due course, I wanted to share some first impressions.
Getting the Z4 Tablet out of the box and setting it up is perfectly easy enough, and setup is nice and hassle free. After spending just five minutes with it, you start to question just how on earth Sony managed to get this thing so damn thin. To put things in perspective, the tablet is so thin, that the headphone jack looks like it’s bulging out. Never have I seen a 3.5mm headphone jack look so massive. It’s thin, but the Xperia Z4 Tablet feels good in the hand, and it feels well made and solid, there’s a little flex to it – which is a good thing, if it didn’t, it would shatter at first fall – but I am worried about long-term durability, but then there are good case options becoming available. The soft-touch back looks good and gives a sufficient amount of grip, and the speakers sound pretty good, too.
So far so good, then. Turning to the keyboard and you can immediately tell that Sony didn’t think of this as an afterthought. The tablet fits in the dock’s mouth securely, but not too tightly, and you can close and open the pair as if it were a laptop. The keyboard – which I’m using right now – works well and while the keys are quite close together, you get used to things quite quickly. One thing I always question with these Bluetooth keyboards for Android is whether or not we need the F key row, two shifts and two alt keys. Sure, the two shift key thing sounds crazy, but if designers omitted things we hardly use or need we’d end up with more room for QWERTY fun. If you’ve ever used a Chromebook keyboard you’ll know what I mean. The inclusion of the trackpad here is a master stroke, and instantly makes the keyboard and the tablet much more usable. It can take a while to wakeup and scrolling is pretty difficult, but I am still getting used to things.
I’m coming from spending all my time with the Nexus 9 as my own tablet, and after some time you start to see how poor a choice 16:10 is for Android. This is not Sony’s fault though, as they needed to go widescreen for a decent keyboard, and I’m glad they did, but ultimately Google need to do better with their tablet software. Super-wide search bars and tiny home keys in the center of a display just aren’t great experiences, but at least this makes for an excellent movie watching machine, as the display is crisp and accurate in color reproduction, too. Typing on this without the keyboard is surprisingly easy as well, so there’s that to take into consideration, but I forgot how little attention Google pays to Android on tablets.
Sony have made some tweaks to Android as well. When the keyboard is attached, there’s a sort of quasi Start bar setup with a mini taskbar which reminds me of Windows 7, complete with popup previews and all. This is a great addition, and once I am more used to it, I am sure this will be one of the better experiences I’ve had while trying to get things done on Android.
I’m still getting used to things, and I want to experience this to its fullest before giving a final verdict, but so far I am mightily impressed. Of course, for the massive price tag Sony is asking for here, you would expect as much. The price has already become a sticking point, and after some time living with Sony’s latest, diverse tablet experience, I’ll hopefully be able to say whether or not it’s worth the asking price.
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 Xperia Z4 Tablet – First Impressions
Leaked photos of the next Moto G show a future version with small upticks in features compared to the 2014 Moto G, which is our favorite budget phone. The new version is expected to ship sometime in the third quarter of this year.
LTE capability is the biggest upgrade from the 2014 Moto G. According to 9to5Google, the device will have a Snapdragon 410 processor, compared to the current version’s Snapdragon 400. The 5-inch screen size is unchanged from the current model, as are the 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage with microSD expansion capabilities. The cameras improve slightly, to a 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front.
9to5Google
Motorola is clearly playing it safe with the next Moto G.
The leaked pictures show a device with Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), which is the latest version of Android. Motorola is typically one of the more proactive companies when it comes to timely updates of Google’s OS.
While the overall build and specs stick pretty close to the current model, one interesting picture shows some type of vertical strip on the back of the phone, with the signature Motorola logo carved into a buttonhole.
9to5Google
The design of the Moto G’s backside looks similar to LG’s smartphones.
Unlike the similar feature in the LG G4, however, there’s no volume or power functionality built into this spot, at least not in the model shown.
Why this matters: If these leaked photos are reliable, the next Moto G could be a comfortable step up from the current model—neither groundbreaking nor disappointing. It’s an inexpensive phone that sticks pretty close to stock Android, so it’s a great option as a first smartphone or initial journey into the ecosystem. Sometimes such a leak is the first of many, so we’ll keep you posted about further reveals.
Source = greenbot
Tags = Changes, hint, Leaked, Moto, NextGen, Photos, small, Support
Arithmetis is a game that aims to turn simple arithmetic into a challenging puzzle game. The aim of the game is to complete equations by placing the numbers as well as their operations in a grid, when you successfully create an equation it disappears from the grid and you’re awarded a certain amount of points. You can place equations diagonally as well as straight, and you can have two equations cross paths as long as they’re correct. There are 10 levels in Arithmetis and the goal is to of course complete all 10 levels, but as the numbers steadily get larger, and with no do-overs on removing tiles (unless you have the coins to do so) it’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.
Those interested in Arithmetis can download the game from the Play Store. When users first start playing, there’s a simple, yet informative animated demo on how to play the game.
Arithmetis allows users to place equations diagonally as well, which might help you repair damage while playing.
Getting started is pretty simple, the only thing that players need to be aware of is that you can’t remove tiles unless you have the coins to do so. Here, I’ve managed to progress a level and we can see that I’ve been awarded some points for this as well.
Over time, you might end up facing issues where you’ve chosen the wrong approach for your equations, for instance here I don’t have anything else to do, but place parts of the equation hoping that some numbers appear to helpe me out of my mess. It does sometimes feel like the game stacks things against you, but it is designed to be challenging.
After a number of attempts, starting over again a number of times, I did manage to get into the higher levels.
Having spent quite a bit of time playing Artihmetis, I can say that it’s a game that has a lot on offer, and it’s damn good fun. I don’t like Math, I won’t say otherwise, but the difficulty of Arithmetis is such that it feels like climbing Everest in a way. You often get stuck at a certain point, and then struggle to further climb upwards. I haven’t even come close to reaching that Level 10 summit, but I hope to do just that over time, and I’m sure that I will over time. Plus, this is a decent way of keeping our brains nice and sharp, keeping your brain active helps to keep you on your toes, and rather than Arithmetis pretending to be the next Brain Training, it’s just a good game.
Ratings
Speed (4/5) – The pacing here allows people to take things as they like, and the fact that there are only 10 levels lends this to “sessions” of gameplay, rather than endless sessions of monotony like other popular titles.
Features (4/5) – There’s a good selection of gameplay on offer here, and it’s a lot of fun, especially if you have decent Math skills.
Theme (4/5) – With a colorful look and feel, Arithmetis is a subtle, yet good-looking game.
Overall (4/5) – A solid, entertaining title, Arithmetis has a lot to offer players, and while it can be difficult, it is rewarding as well.
Pros
Works well on smartphones as well as tablets to offer a good experience to all players.
10 levels offers players a goal to reach over time, and makes it rewarding when you finally get there.
Good for keeping people’s brains in top form without making them feel like they’ve gone to classes or playing a brain training game.
Difficult without being entirely unforgiving.
Cons
Coins can be used to remove tiles, but it seems very difficult to get those coins.
Information of upcoming numbers could be helpful for less experienced players.
Arithmetis is a lot of fun and while it might only appeal to those good with numbers, you don’t need to have oodles of Math skills to draw from, as much of the equations are very simple. It presents itself as more of a logic game, and for those looking for bite-sized gaming sessions whenever and wherever they want to play.
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: Sponsored Game Review: Arithmetis
The Taiwanese multinational manufacturer of smartphones and tablets – HTC has made it to the notorious columns of the news. The company has been accused of implementing 3 work shifts a day in its factories, in an attempt to cut costs and make more profit. The Taiwanese media reports that the workers had been working under 2 shifts and had an option of a regular 8 hour shift. There was also a system of an extra 4 hours devotion to the company, which would consequently lead to an extra pay. Now, with this idea of implementation of a 3 shift work system, the workers have been disappointed.
HTC has seen many ups and downs. The company’s history in context with the financial profits and the relationship which it had with its employees has been quite debatable. The company which has around 20,000 employees has witnessed loss in the previous few years. A September 2013 media report confirmed that HTC’s share of the global smartphone market is less than 3 percent. In July 2013, HTC released finalized second quarter financial results, and with it a warning that it may slip into an operating loss during the third quarter. The company met its revenue target but profits fell by around 80% year on year. In September 2013, HTC America had cut 20% of its employees to ‘streamline and optimize’ the company. Jason Mackenzie, the President of HTC America, had said during that point in time in a letter to employees that those affected by the layoffs will be treated with respect and the company will provide them with resources necessary to continue their careers elsewhere.
The company has now chosen a different path. HTC is ‘trying’ not to lay off people this time by introducing this 3 shift scheme. The company prefers to lay off the officials instead, and spare the employees. The workers have expressed their contempt with the new scheme, although HTC denies the accusations. According to Taiwan regulations, two hours for overtime is calculated at 1.33 times salary. After two hours it is 1.66 times salary. The three shifts will offer no overtime pay, a lot of economic pressure will lead to employees automatically leaving.
The issue of working time and wages are of paramount significance and are crucial. There is a need to ensure that profit is made, without causing any harm to the employees’ psyche. There have been innumerable instances when the employees have even come down to commit suicide when they were rendered jobless or were over-pressurized. The 3 shift scheme may be good or bad, but it is definitely better than strategies which lead to catastrophes like the Foxconn suicide which led to the death of 14 people in China.
Vidur SethiStaff Writer
Brought up in New Delhi, India, I have been a tech nerd my whole life. From making robot autos in school to perusing Machiavelli in college, books and innovation have been a steady part of my life. I continue attempting new innovation, buying new phones and devices to keep myself intrigued and upgraded. I have emerged as a convert from IPhone 5s to Nexus and currently use a Nexus 5. My addiction for Android has increased ever since and I have written passionately about the same prior to my coming on the Android Headlines ship.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: HTC Accused For Introduction Of 3 Shifts To Cut Costs
Android TV as an industry, has somewhat come to life in recent weeks and months. What appeared to be a stagnating platform, has seen a surge in activity with a number of new devices and upgrades/updates landing. In terms of the new hardware, standalone options like the Razer Forge TV and the NVIDIA SHIELD have come to market, while in terms of built-in options, sets running on Android TV and offering 4K resolution displays have become available from Sharp.
That said, at CES at the start of this year, Sony unveiled a number of built-in options that would also be coming running on Android TV. These were also 4K resolution displays but what seemed to set these apart from the Sharp and Toshiba options was the thinnest of the Sony offerings. The Sony X900C and X910C sets were specifically coined as some of the thinnest TVs available, let alone Android TV based ones and touted as being thinner than a smartphone with a depth of less than 0.2-inches. Well, following on from the unveiling of the wide range of Sony Android TV sets which were due to hit the market, back in April, Sony released pricing and availability details for much of their sets. This was for virtually all sets excluding the X900c and X910C. In terms of these, Sony simply stated that they would be available sometime in the summer with no firm details on pricing.
Following on from this last point, Sony have now confirmed both the pricing and time-frame of availability for the ultra-thin, Ultra HD X900C and X910C. In terms of the X900C, this unit will be available in both 55-inch and 65-inch options. The 55-inch version will cost $ 2,499 and the 65-inch version will come in at $ 3,999. Moving to the larger X910C variant, this is a 75-inch set and will cost consumers $ 5,499. Both the X900C sets have now officially began their pre-sale period (started yesterday) and are available to pre-order until their full and general release which is now scheduled for next month. Pre-orders can be made directly from Sony (in-store and online) as well as from Amazon and Best Buy online. While the X910C is listed as being available in the summer. Those interested in the X900C units, can pre-order either via the links below.
Sony 55-Inch 4K Smart LED TV
Sony 65-Inch 4K Smart LED TV
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: Sony Ultra-Thin 4K Android TV Sets Now Available To Pre-Order
While it might have taken them quite some time, Google definitely understood that customization was going to be a big factor when it came to smartwatches. As we saw with the Pebble, people love to express themselves with different watch faces and for a long time it was one of the best places for customization. Android Wear devices sport full-color displays however, and there’s more room for different designs. Just as they did when the Android 5.0.2 update hit before the end of last year, Google is introducing a new collection of Android Wear watch faces from fashion brands and different characters from all over the world, including some fun additions.
All of these watch faces are available from the source link below, and they come from 17 or so different brands and fashion names. Including the likes of MUJI, Cynthia Rowley, Bang & Olufsen, Kevin Tong and more. There are also fun additions from characters like the Moomins, the RX-78-2 Gundam makes an appearance as does Hello Kitty, Angry Birds and the humble Rubik’s Cube. There’s a good selection of watch faces here from colorful, digital affairs to more elegant, traditional watch faces that would look good on the new Watch Urbane or Moto 360. Those interested can take a look at the full gamut in the gallery below, and try them out for themselves in the Play Store collection at the source link.
Watch faces have become a big part of Android Wear, as many of us were suspecting, and with the arrival of the Watch Face API last December, it’s nice and easy to get a decent watch face without any issues. There are now over 1,500 watch faces available for Android Wear in the Play Store, and with the Moto 360 joining the Android 5.1.1 club recently, it looks like a good year for Android Wear. Along with a rumored release of a new Moto 360 this summer and the Huawei Watch finally launching in the Fall, fans of choice will have more options than ever before 2015 comes to an end. Take a look at the faces in the gallery below and see which one’s your new favorite.
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: Collection of Android Wear Watch Faces to the Play Store
If you’re not too keen on spending north of $ 500 on a new smartphone, but still want high-end specs, check out the LG G3. It was unveiled last year, but still has arguably high-end specs with it’s Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM. Not to mention the removable 3,000mAh battery inside. Right now eBay daily deals has it on sale for just $ 349, which is a pretty good deal for an unlocked D850. You can grab it from the link below.
LG G3 D850 Unlocked – $ 349.99
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.
Sony works quite close with Google and AOSP. They’ve released AOSP builds for many of their flagships in the past, and now they have released the Android M Developer Preview for select devices. So what devices are supported? Well quite a few actually, including:
Now it’s important to remember that this is AOSP, and it will not have Sony’s skin on top. Which also means the camera won’t have all the extra features that Sony has backed into it. Actually the camera could be pretty bad. As a lot of Sony’s software for their camera is proprietary, and is not open sourced, like AOSP is. Obviously Android M is not daily driver material just yet. Seeing as it is a developer preview.
From Sony’s Developer Blog:
“With Google’s Android M Developer Preview, it’s worth noting that there are a variety of system changes and some API behavioural changes. This includes a new permission system, where users can directly manage app permissions at runtime. To take into account these changes, you may want to test your apps prior to the M release to ensure compatibility.”
Make sure you read Sony’s guide for flashing this ROM onto your Xperia smartphone before attempting to do so. If you damage your device in any way, Android Headlines is not responsible. So we strongly urge you to read over the guide first, and if you feel comfortable continuing on, then go ahead. Also make sure you download the appropriate binaries so that everything will be working. You can find those links in Sony’s Developer Blog post which is located in the source links down below.
It’s definitely great to see Sony putting out an Android M developer preview for many of their devices, especially since developers have all kinds of devices. Hopefully this will help developers and get their apps ready for Android M when it launches in the fall.
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: Android M Developer Preview Out for Select Xperia Devices
Intel is giving Android users a free way to control their PCs from a smartphone or tablet.
The free Remote Keyboard app popped up in the Google Play Store late last week. While the app is designed for Intel’s Compute Stick and NUC miniature PCs, we’ve confirmed that it works with other Intel-based machines running Windows 7 or higher.
The app is easy enough to set up. Just download it from the Google Play Store, then install the free host software on your PC. The mobile app automatically detects the host computer, and you can complete the pairing process by scanning a QR code on the computer screen with your phone’s camera. Similar to other smartphone remotes, Intel’s app uses Wi-Fi to communicate between the phone and the PC.
Why this matters: While Intel is hardly the first company to offer remote mouse software for smartphones and tablets, other apps such as Unified Remote and Mobile Mouse either cost money or are ad-supported. Intel’s solution isn’t as full-featured, but it could be all you need for remotely controlling a PC in your living room or during a presentation.
A bare-bones app that just works
Once paired, the app provides a full keyboard (including arrow keys and a Windows button), along with a trackpad that supports multi-touch gestures such as two-finger scrolling. There’s also a scroll bar on the side of the screen if you’d rather scroll with just a thumb. In a thoughtful touch, the keyboard slides out of the way while using the trackpad in landscape mode, then pops in again when you take your fingers off the screen.
Setting up the connection is easy: Just point your phone’s camera at the computer screen.
Overall, it works pretty well, though the cursor seems too sensitive by default. While you can dial down cursor speed through the general mouse settings in Windows, this also affects any physical mouses you’re using, so it’s not ideal. Another nitpick: The app takes a few moments to reconnect any time you leave the app or turn off the screen.
If you’ve tried other remote mouse apps, you might miss some of their luxuries while using Intel’s version. There are no shortcut buttons for opening programs or managing windows, and no media control buttons either. And because the keyboard is built into the app, you can’t use your phone’s voice dictation capabilities. Intel’s app does just a couple things, but does them well and doesn’t cost a dime.
For Apple users, Intel’s documentation says an iOS version is coming soon.
This story, “Intel’s free remote app lets you control your PC with your Android phone” was originally published by PCWorld.
Altice, the Luxembourg based multinational telecoms company, founded and headed by the French billionaire Patrick Drahi has made a big move. Drahi, the CEO of Altice has offered a bid to buy Bouygues Telecom for about €10 billion. Bouygues S.A. founded by Francis Bouygues is an industrial group that specializes in construction, real estate development, media and telecommunications. It is Listed on Euronext Paris exchange, a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index, Bouygues had over approximately 130,000 employees in 80 countries, generating €32.7 billion in revenue. The merging proposal has been made by Drahi to create a carrier to win a competitive lead over Orange which is the longest standing market leader. The Shares in Bouygues have already shown a trajectory of 13% in early trading in Paris, ever since the offer has been made.
Xavier Niel, the CEO of Iliad S.A. (again a French provider of telecommunication services) offered for a merge with Bouygues a year ago and was refused. Martin Bouygues, has said repeatedly in the recent months whilst all the informal discussions regarding this bid. Bouygues, who lost a bidding war for SFR to Drahi last year has called the offer uninvited and, for now no negotiations are seen coming. However, what Drahi is offering Bouygues can be seen in a different light altogether, because money matters! Finance analyst believe that the worth of Bouygues is between 5 and 6.5 billion euros, making Drahi’s 10 billion euro bid a munificent one for a company that has been facing losses since Iliad’s assault on the mobile market. Its even higher than the joint bid offered by Orange and Iliad last year, which was turned down.
The advantages of this merge are of paramount significance for Numericable SFR. Buying Bouygues will lead to massive cost savings by cutting and rationalizing stores. It has the capacity to potentially calm a brutal price war that has begun in France since 2012 after the Low cost operator Iliad’s ILD entered the mobile market. The deal would vault SFR ahead of Orange in terms of subscribers.
This merging deal is similar to what AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have seen in the US. The French Economy Minister, Emanuel Macron has opposed the merger owing to the fact the deal will take Europe’s third-largest telecoms market from four to three players. “The consequences of consolidation are negative in these respects, as several recent cases in Europe have proven. The time isn’t right for opportunistic mergers that could benefit some but aren’t in the public interest,” said Mr. Macron. The French Government has thus already signaled its opposition to this proposal which will have an impact on the investments in communications, infrastructure and employment. Moreover, the state’s preparation to auction off 4G mobile spectrum this summer and its hope of counting on raising at least 2.5 billion euros that has already been earmarked for the military budget, will consequently suffer if the deal is made. It will result in one less bidder for the 700 megahertz spectrum, lowering the proceeds for the state.
Drahi, who has returned his focus back to Europe after Altice agreed to acquire control of U.S. cable provider Suddenlink Communications in a deal valued at more than $ 9 billion in May, has a vision to expand his empire, stretching it out from France, Israel and Portugal to the Caribbean. Bouygues said its board would meet on Tuesday to discuss the bid.
Vidur SethiStaff Writer
Brought up in New Delhi, India, I have been a tech nerd my whole life. From making robot autos in school to perusing Machiavelli in college, books and innovation have been a steady part of my life. I continue attempting new innovation, buying new phones and devices to keep myself intrigued and upgraded. I have emerged as a convert from IPhone 5s to Nexus and currently use a Nexus 5. My addiction for Android has increased ever since and I have written passionately about the same prior to my coming on the Android Headlines ship.
Author Archive Page | Latest Post: A Dig At The Bidding Discourse between Altice and Bouygue
Fingerprint authentication will become a lot more common on smartphones of all prices as sensors get cheaper—and Google’s integration of the technology in the next version of Android will make it much easier for app developers and service providers to make use of them.
Today, fingerprint sensors are mainly available on high-end models from Apple and Samsung Electronics. But that is about to change, according to sensor manufacturers Synaptics and Fingerprint Cards.
Fingerprint Cards has seen a growing interest in its technology from smartphone manufacturers in recent months, as well as a strong increase in orders. As a result, the company has raised its revenue estimate for the year from about 1.5 billion Swedish kronor ($ 185 million) to 2.2 billion Swedish kronor.
“This market is really starting to take off,” said Jörgen Lantto, CEO at Fingerprint Cards, who anticipates that half of all smartphones sold next year will have the feature.
Fingerprint Cards sensors are already used in the Ascend Mate 7 from Huawei Technologies and Oppo’s R7 Plus, which was launched in May. Synaptics, which makes the sensor in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, is equally sure that smartphones with fingerprint sensors will become more popular.
“The market is hot, and the adoption rate across a broader range of products will grow faster now,” said Anthony Gioeli, vice president of marketing for Synaptics biometrics business unit.
Google adding native support for fingerprint sensors in Android M is a major reason why the technology has started to take off on a larger scale. The native support will make it easier for smartphone manufacturers to integrate fingerprint sensors in their devices. It will also make life easier for developers, who can use Android APIs to integrate fingerprint recognition in their apps instead proprietary ones developed by the sensor makers, Lantto said.
Fingerprint sensor components from Swedish vendor Fingerprint Cards.
Developments on the hardware side are also lowering the bar for fingerprint recognition. Prices have come down by about 25 percent in the last year, and they will continue to drop as volumes increase, Gioeli said. It’s already possible to build a $ 150 smartphone with fingerprint recognition, according to Lantto.
The launch of the iPhone 5s with Touch ID proved to be a blessing and a curse, at least a short-term one. On the plus side, it helped increased awareness. But many competing smartphone vendors wanted a touch sensor, just like Apple had gotten from its 2012 acquisition of AuthenTec, instead of the swipe sensors Fingerprint Cards and Synaptics had developed. It took six to nine months to regroup, Lantto said.
Beyond Apple and Samsung, many Chinese vendors have been adding fingerprint sensors to their smartphones. Huawei will certainly offer it in more future models, according to a spokesman at the company. Using fingerprints as opposed to PINs or patterns has proved ideal for heavy smartphone users, he said. Fingerprint Cards has recently added Yulong and Gionee to its list of customers.
Many of the more established vendors, such as LG Electronics and Sony, are still on the fence. HTC recently launched the One M9+ for the Chinese market.
Mobile payments will likely help fuel the availability of fingerprint recognition on more devices.
If Google wants its upcoming Android Pay service to take off, it needs to convince more vendors to integrate the technology. Allowing Google to offer the same functionality as Apple Pay. Just adding fingerprint recognition to this year’s Nexus smartphones won’t be enough. The same goes for Samsung. If the company wants Samsung Pay to be successful, more devices than the Galaxy S and Note products have to equipped with the technology.
Source = greenbot
Tags = Fingerprint, More, Sensors, Smartphones, their
After getting the Lollipop update recently, T-Mobile and Samsung are now rolling out Android 5.1.1 for the Galaxy S5. T-Mobile has not yet announced the update, but it shouldn’t be long before it is made official – they are also in Bellevue, Wash., so they may not be awake yet. We had heard that Samsung might be omitting the RAW support for the camera from Android 5.1.1, even though we had heard previously it’d be in the Android 5.1.1 update. However it appears to be in the Samsung Galaxy S6 update which rolled out recently. The Galaxy S5 should also get RAW support, but we are not 100% positive on that happening just yet. As we have yet to see a changelog from T-Mobile or Samsung.
The update is going to be a staged one, as usual. So you should see the update in a few days if you don’t have it already. We are not sure how big the update is, but it shouldn’t be too large, considering you’re going from Android 5.0 to 5.1.1. But it’s still a good idea to be on WiFi. Often times the OTA will download faster on WiFi than on 4G LTE. If you don’t want to wait for the update to hit your device, you can always plug in your Galaxy S5 to your laptop and check Kies for the update. It’s normally there instantly. While Kies isn’t our favorite software, it does work for those that are impatient. Which is likely all of us, actually. We always want our OTA’s faster, right?
T-Mobile appears to have beaten every other carrier in the world in getting the Android 5.1.1 update, even the unlocked models. As this is the first Galaxy S5 model in the world to get the official Android 5.1.1 update from Samsung. Let’s hope that no show stopping bugs pop up and force the two companies to pull the update. There should be RAW support for the camera, and we should also see some other bug fixes. As soon as the changelog is available, we’ll be sure to add it to this post.
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: Samsung Galaxy S5 on T-Mobile Getting Android 5.1.1 Now
This past weekend, Alcatel OneTouch announced a new partnership that’s mostly exclusive to Canada. After announcing that their newest flagship, the Idol 3, would be available in Canada later this month on Bell, TELUS, and Videotron. The company announced a new partnership with Toronto FC, which is their football team (for those of us in the US, that is read as “soccer”). On the surface, that doesn’t seem that great. I mean we’ve seen other “smaller” OEM’s try partnering with a local sports team before. One that comes to mind is ZTE, who is the official smartphone of the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets.
The main reason for Alcatel OneTouch doing this partnership is branding. The company hasn’t really done anything to promote their brand before, until the Idol 3 came out just a few months ago – in the US. Stateside, the company launched the #LiveUnlocked campaign which has done extremely well. It coincides with them launching the Idol 3 exclusively unlocked, and priced at $ 249. Alcatel OneTouch is now taking a different approach in our neighbors’ country, Canada. Toronto FC has a huge following. And we got a chance to check that out on Saturday night as they took on New York FC at BMO Field. Attendance was over 30,000 for that game. With the highlights being brought to you by Alcatel OneTouch, as well exclusive social media promotions and much more. The company is really looking to get the word out about the Idol 3 and their upcoming products.
It may be a silly idea to most people, but it’s something different. But then again, it can’t be as bad as Samsung taking over Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow airport, and naming it “Terminal Samsung” for a limited time. Alcatel OneTouch’s name is all over the stadium in ads and promotional material. Which means when a customer walks into a Bell, TELUS or Videotron store, they are going to recognize the Idol 3. And the company is hoping that will lead to more sales. In just a few short years they’ve gone from being the 15 OEM in North America, to the 5th largest in North America. Behind Samsung and Apple obviously, with LG and ZTE making up the rest of the top 5 in North America. That’s quite a jump, especially for a company that has yet to use a Snapdragon 800-series in a smartphone, to date.
We’ve been told by the company to expect big things this fall. And we cannot wait. We’ve loved the Idol 3, and think it’s one of the best, if not the best phone under $ 300 right now. We’ll be attending IFA, where Alcatel OneTouch may have some surprising announcements for us. We definitely can’t wait! By the way, Alcatel if you’re reading this, we still want the 4.7-inch version of the Idol 3 we were shown at Mobile World Congress.
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: Alcatel’s OneTouch Partnership with Toronto FC is Important
Source : androidheadlines
Tags = Alcatel’s, Important, OneTouch, Partnership, Toronto
There’s plenty of great deals on new Android hardware as well as accessories. Let’s check out some of today’s big ones.
Smartphones
Tablets
Accessories
Other Tech
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: Android Deals – June 22nd, 2015: Aukey, Samsung, Acer and More!
Ulefone is a China-based smartphone OEM which released quite a few phones thus far. The company’s latest device, the Ulefone Be Touch 2, is a very solid device. This smartphone is actually the company’s new flagship, and it does offer a really nice set of specs, while it doesn’t cost all that much. The company has officially announced this device earlier this month, and the device is available for pre-order for $ 229.99 via Chinese resellers at the moment. In case you’re interested though, check out the special promotion that we’re currently running on our site, you can get a rather serious discount when purchasing this thing.
That being said, we have some new info regarding this handset. Ulefone plans to release third-party ROMs for the Ulefone Be Touch 2 in the future. The company usually pre-loads stock Android, and then adds some of their own stuff on there, like various gestures for example. Well, ti seems like they’re planning to release a set of ROMs for the device in the future. The company has actually conducted a survey on their official Facebook account in order to see which ROM is the most desired one by their consumers, and it seems like CyanogenMod and MIUI came on top, and were followed by EMUI and Flyme. It seems like Ulefone plans to release the most desired ROM first, and then see what happens next, but the plan is to release as many of them as possible.
Ulefone’s CEO, Jason Liu, gave a statement regarding all this, but keep in mind that this is a rough translation: “Different people want different things, some want to use regular stock Android, others would prefer third-party ROMs. We’ll try to give our customers what they want, make something inspiring and enjoyable to use”. The Ulefone Be Touch 2 sports a 5.5-inch FullHD display, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable internal storage. The device is powered by MediaTek’s MT6752 64-bit octa-core SoC, and it also ships with a 3,050mAh battery. The 13 and 5-megapixel cameras are also a part of this package, and same can be said about 4G LTE connectivity, and the fingerprint scanner which doubles as a home button.
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: Ulefone To Release Third-Party ROMs For Be Touch 2
With more and more manufacturers opting for a non-removable battery in their smartphones, it’s not too surprising that external battery packs have become more and more popular. Being able to charge your device without being tied to a wall outlet, is a pretty big deal. And Innori’s 15,000mAh battery pack is also a big deal. That is about 5x the size of most batteries these days. And is currently on sale for just $ 29.99.
Innori 15000mAh Battery Pack – $ 29.99
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.
I did not like the Asus ZenFone 2 at first. It looks chunky and feels cheap, and the user interface reminds me of all the annoying ways companies take advantage of Android’s open nature.
But after some time with it, the ZenFone 2 eventually grew on me. I used its Themes app to customize the interface. I took some pretty neat low-light photos of my cat wistfully looking out the window. I played through many levels of Peggle Blast before I ran out of lives. It wasn’t so bad after all.
I haven’t used a budget phone in a while—not since I took the Moto E out for a spin back in February. I did not expect that the ZenFone 2 would grow on me as much as it did, but in the end it won me over. Its hardware is powerful enough to do almost everything a flagship phone could do, and its camera abilities are capable enough for posting to Instagram. After a period of time, however, I started to experience some of the limitations of Asus’s inexpensive device. For everything it does as well as a pricier, high-end device, there’s still bits of the ZenFone 2 that come out and remind you that it’s still just a middle-of-the-road kind of Android phone.
Priced at $ 200 (unlocked and off contract) for the version with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, or $ 300 for the 4GB/64GB version (reviewed here), the price is definitely right on Asus’ latest.
An underwhelming design
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Ta-da! It’s a phone. Just a phone. Nothing extraordinary to see here.
Brushed metal is nice, but you need more than that to pass off a phone as premium-looking. The Asus ZenFone 2 is a solid, study smartphone, but compared to comparably-priced devices from the likes of Huawei and Xiaomi, it’s so…PC looking. It’s like Asus took some of the materials its used for its cheaper laptops and pasted it onto an Android device.
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It looks more interesting from the backside, though the button configuration drove me bonkers.
What’s up with this rear-facing button trend that’s taking over the market lately? Asus hopped on that bandwagon, too, but while it works wonders for LG, it doesn’t work too well in Asus’s implementation. The volume rocker on the back is too thin to press comfortably without cradling the phone with the other hand, and the power button on top is awkward to hit.
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Underneath the backside cover is a bunch of ports and things, but no removable battery.
The ZenFone 2’s back panel is removable. It features dual SIM card slots and a MicroSD slot. The battery is tightly nestled underneath the slots, so it isn’t removable. At least you can tack on a neat Asus-made folio case or other backings to customize the phone to your liking.
A capable 1080p display
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The ZenFone 2 has a nice looking 1080p display.
Let’s get back to what I like about the ZenFone 2. Its 5.5-inch screen reminds me of why I prefer bigger phones. The 1080p display has great viewing angles for watching videos and reading ebooks, though you can tell that it has its quirks. The colors may not be as saturated as Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays, for example, and the blacks are simply not black enough—you can tell where the display ends and the bezel begins. If you decide you want more vibrant colors, however, you can use the ZenFone 2’s built-in color calibrator to play around with the display’s color settings. At the very least, the ZenFone 2’s display doesn’t look cheap.
As fast as last year’s flagships
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What is the ZenFone 2 cabable of? Let’s find out.
The ZenFone 2 comes in two configurations: a 2GB of RAM version with a quad-core 1.8GHz processor (and Intel Atom Z3560), and a 4GB of RAM version with a quad-core 2.3GHz processor (Intel Atom Z3580). I’m in possession of the latter, so that’s the one we benchmarked.
Any mid-range device should be capable of running memory-intensive applications without crashing on you. The ZenFone 2’s processor is mostly good for it—I say “mostly” because while it performed on par with last year’s Samsung Galaxy S5 in our benchmark tests, it also threw several minor tantrums along the way. As soon as I tacked on a theme with the built-in Themes app, the interface became a little sluggish. Apps would hiccup here and there, and Peggle Blast took a while to load when it’s usually up and running in just a few seconds on other devices.
Jason Cross
In our 3D benchmarks, the ZenFone 2 performed on par with last year’s Samsung Galaxy S5.
Jason Cross
This is an inexpensive device, and while its 64-bit processor does wonders for its graphics capabilities, it still performs on par with other phones in its class for day-to-day operations.
Jason Cross
Overall, performance is better than last year’s phones, so it’s not like the ZenFone 2 is a dud.
Of course, once an application did load all the way, the ZenFone 2’s processor pulled through: Peggle Blast was smooth during gameplay, photos and videos were quick to edit within Instagram, and Hulu streamed beautifully through Wi-Fi while I laid out in the backyard. There are moments when the phones feels like it’s just another mid-range device that’s over promised on performance, but once that Atom processor gets its bearings, it’s nice a speedy. I’m curious to see what this phone performs like after a few months of daily usage.
Battery that could be better
Asus equipped the ZenFone 2 with non-removable 3000mAh battery pack—that’s as big as the battery in LG’s G4 flagship, and bigger than the battery pack that’s packed into both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9.
I constantly forget to charge phones when I’m reviewing them. It’s a bad habit, because I’m usually juggling a few phones at a time. However, I was pleased to see that even with my forgetful nature, the ZenFone 2 was holding on for dear life with at least 10 percent battery life every time. I’d leave it in my bag over night and into the next afternoon and it’d still be kicking and syncing notifications. I used it to play games and peruse Twitter while watching TV and was surprised at how little power it ate up.
Jason Cross
The ZenFone 2 is on par with battery life in last year’s flagships too, though that’s not necessarily a good sign.
The PCMark battery testing suite said otherwise. The ZenFone 2 performs as well with battery life as the Galaxy S5, but that’s not the best thing in this case. However, it’s worth considering that other inexpensive devices don’t use up as much power because they’re not as powerful. It’s worth pointing out that Intel’s mobile CPUs aren’t known for battery efficiency, either.
A slow camera with low-light abilities
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The ZenFone 2’s camera capabilities were only so-so.
I’m a bit perplexed by the ZenFone 2’s 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. It’s pretty good at taking photos, both in the lab and outside in the real world. The color composition is on point when the lighting situation is agreeable and I was pleased that it lived up to its low-light promises. However, the shutter speed on the camera is excruciatingly slow at times, and the phone constantly had issues focusing on the subject ahead. The ZenFone 2 is slow to snap shots when the flash is in use too.
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With plenty of light, the ZenFone 2 takes passable photos for sharing online and with friends.
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Very low light will result in a really dark, gritty-looking photo. The flash kind of drowns out the color, too.
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When you switch over the low light mode, the photo resolution dumps down to 3-megapixels and the app takes this intensely long exposure, which eventually produces this (with a little help from the flash).
Oddly, the ZenFone 2 defaults to shooting photos at 10-megapixels in a cropped 16:9 aspect ratio, though the sensor is capable of 13 megapixels at a 4:3 aspect ratio. I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t shoot at full resolution by default. Also, there’s no optical image stabilization, so even the slightest shake of the hand could ruin that low-light shot you were hoping to take.
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I begged Gabriella to hold still for this shot because the shutter took so long.
Regardless of its kinks, the ZenFone 2 takes passable photography compared to a majority of other inexpensive phones out there. Its low-light capabilities will come in handy in many situations, but don’t solely rely on this phone to capture the most essential moments of your life.
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My colleague and I took a selfie with the beautify mode on. It also thinned out my face and brightened my eyes a bit, though I was squinting so that didn’t work.
The ZenFone 2’s 5-megapixel front-facing camera is also worth talking about it. It works well for snapping a headshot and its instant-beautification features actually work rather nicely. I did manage to do some extreme post-processing with the camera’s built-in editing software, though, which made me look like an alien. We had some fun with that feature here around the office.
Hello I am an alien.
There’s also a GIF animation feature that records up to 50 frames. You can edit the animation speed before saving it, and then share it to social networks.
So many modes, including a Manual mode, which is hardly as capable as what the LG G4 offers.
As far as camera interfaces go, the ZenFone 2 could be worse. There’s an overwhelming number of built-in features available to use, but I’d prefer that the extra camera modes were optional to download.
Just a little bit of Lollipop
I really liked the fact that I could tack on whatever icon pack I wanted on the ZenFone 2. It made its version of Lollipop much more palatable.
Kudos to Asus for not completely abandoning Google’s idea of what an Android interface should look like. However, be prepared to spend some time disabling bloatware.
I actually deleted some apps before snapping this screenshot. The number of apps that come preloaded with this phone is not okay.
The ZenFone 2 comes with a bunch of software pre-installed. Only some of it is useful—like the Amazon Kindle and Zinio apps, which you might have installed yourself anyway—while the other apps will drive you bonkers. The whole point of Android is that it’s a blank canvas for which the user can customize to her liking. Leave it that way—please!
I love, love, love the Themes app on the ZenFone 2. Quite easily my favorite part of the interface.
Despite the bloatware, the best part about the ZenFone 2’s user interface is its Themes application. I’m so excited about this. I invested in dozens of icon packs when Beautiful Icon Styler was alive and well in the Google Play Store, but now that the app is no longer compatible with Lollipop, I have no way of easily skinning my icons without installing a separate launcher. Asus lets you customize the heck out of the interface with your favorite icon packs, though. In the screenshot above, I’m using the Cryten icon pack. It’s awesome! I love looking at a Home screen with colors and icons that match my mood for the day. It’s one of the perks of being an Android user.
Should you buy this phone?
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This phone is pg, ngl.
As I mentioned earlier, there are two versions of this phone: a $ 200 variant with 2GB of RAM and a $ 300 variant with 4GB of RAM. My experience with the 4GB variant was relatively positive—enough that I feel like the ZenFone 2 is worth its $ 300 price tag right off the lot. It’s an unlocked phone with dual SIMs and a memory expansion slot, in addition to 64GB of storage. It supports a large library of LTE bands around the world, so you’re covered almost anywhere you go with the ZenFone 2 in tow. And you can swap out those back covers and personalize the phone the way you see fit.
As far as mid-range phones go, the Moto G still succeeds for its fantastic front-facing stereo speakers and clean near-stock Android interface, but if you’re looking for something a little more powerful with a slightly better camera, the ZenFone 2 is worth considering.
The excitement caused by the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is still lingering around months after the new dual flagships launched in April. Word this morning is that Samsung will sell about 45 million of the devices by the end of this year and, of course, sales will continue the first few months into the following year. T-Mobile’s announcement this morning will help move those sales along as it is giving away a FREE memory upgrade, which has to be one of the hottest deals to start off the summer. New and existing T-Mobile customers are eligible to take advantage of the free memory upgrade.
Earlier this year, Sony announced the Xperia Z4 Tablet, and while in many ways it was an evolution from the Xperia Z2 tablet it also bought with it a Quad HD display and a thickness that’s frankly a little ridiculous to think can be achieved. At long last, we have our hands on one, and while I’ll be working on a review to share with you all in due course, I wanted to share some first impressions.
So far so good, then. Turning to the keyboard and you can immediately tell that Sony didn’t think of this as an afterthought. The tablet fits in the dock’s mouth securely, but not too tightly, and you can close and open the pair as if it were a laptop. The keyboard – which I’m using right now – works well and while the keys are quite close together, you get used to things quite quickly. One thing I always question with these Bluetooth keyboards for Android is whether or not we need the F key row, two shifts and two alt keys. Sure, the two shift key thing sounds crazy, but if designers omitted things we hardly use or need we’d end up with more room for QWERTY fun. If you’ve ever used a Chromebook keyboard you’ll know what I mean. The inclusion of the trackpad here is a master stroke, and instantly makes the keyboard and the tablet much more usable. It can take a while to wakeup and scrolling is pretty difficult, but I am still getting used to things.
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Jason Cross
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