Android World

Motorola and Verizon have announced not one, but two new Android smartphones that will be arriving on the carrier’s network in short order. The two phones, the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 may have unimaginative names, but that won’t stop them from taking pride of place in Verizon stores.

The two new phones will be available this coming Thursday and bring with them unique features in order to differentiate themselves from one another. Both Verizon and Motorola clearly expect both to be popular, though, following their announcement earlier today.

Let’s take a look at both phones in isolation.

Droid Turbo 2

Droid Turbo 2

Verizon’s new flagship, the Droid Turbo 2 features supposedly shatterproof screen technology as well as a Snapdragon 810 CPU. That screen is actually a WQHD 5.4-inch AMOLED affair that should give users something nice to look at, even if the phone’s body is a little underwhelming. If you’ve seen one Motorola Droid phone, you’ve really seen them all.

Those looking to get a Droid Turbo 2 will be able to for either $26 per month (32GB) or $30 per month (64GB) on Verizon’s 24-month payment plan, which translates to a starting price of $624 off contract.

One of the Droid Turbo 2’s standout features is its two-day battery life, at least that’s what is being claimed.

If announcements made during Apple’s fourth quarter earnings call are to be believed, then it seems that the company’s modern iPhones are seriously starting to resonate with those who have previously preferred other platforms. Apple CEO Tim Cook used the spotlight during the company’s recent earnings call to announce that the company had witnessed the highest number of people switching to iPhone from Android ever recorded. Great news for a company that places a lot of emphasis on the benefit of hardware and software working together.

During Q4 of 2015, Apple reported that it managed to shift an astonishing 48 million iPhone units off physical and digital shelves. Cook has announced that an impressive 30% of those individuals purchasing an iPhone during the same quarter were making the move from an Android-based smartphone across to the iOS based smartphone. Apple started measuring switching rates approximately three years ago, with Cook stating that the measured 30% “is a huge number”, and that the Cupertino-based company is “very proud of it”, and rightly so.

The elevated number of individuals switching from an Android smartphone to iPhone has also put Cook and Apple in a buoyant mood regarding future sales of iPhone in 2016. It’s believed that the rate of those switching from Android to iOS will continue to increase, meaning sales of the company’s smartphone are expected to get off to a flying start for 2016. There’s also the fact that there are a lot of people waiting until the turn of the year to actually upgrade their smartphones, which should also elevate sales of Apple’s current flagship iPhone 6s models.

Apple CEO Tim Cook clearly believes that a lot of Android switchers have been encouraged and convinced to do so by Apple’s decision to introduce larger-screened devices, starting with the introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year. The 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays on those devices – which has continued with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models – allows iPhone to better compete with the “phablets” of the Android world that have proven to be extremely popular with smartphone fans all over the world.

There’s also the fact that Apple has also set up a trade-in program that is essentially an extremely intelligent marketing tactic to tempt Android users over to the world of iOS. Those currently using an Android device can trade the smartphone in for Apple gift cards, which in turn can be used toward the cost of an iPhone. With tactics like that, it seems those conversions will keep on coming.

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Samsung Electronics has today officially introduced the world to the rumored Galaxy View, a device that the company says will “deliver an unprecedented mobile entertainment experience by streaming video and media content on the largest Android mobile device available on the market”. In short, the South Korean company has built a whopping 18.4-inch tablet that it hopes will appeal to consumers around the globe who are passionate about consuming content from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

JK Shin, who operates as the current CEO and Head of Samsung’s IT & Mobile Business, has said that his company is “committed to creating new possibilities and bringing our consumers the best mobile experience”. It’s difficult to imagine that the best possible mobile experience can be offered on a device that barely falls under the “mobile” category, but it does seem like a fairly impressive piece of kit if you can look past the sheer astronomical size of this Samsung creation.

Anyone looking to purchase the new Galaxy View will receive a device that’s equipped with a huge 18.4-inch Full HD display which has been heavily optimized for media consumption. Samsung’s also marketing the fact that the View and underlying interface has been specifically designed with media consumption in mind. Something that is evident thanks to the dedicated Home screen for video that shows off content from a number of locations in one handy, easy-to-access place on the device.

That huge display, and any media that is attempted to be streamed on it, is backed by a 1.6GHz Octa-core processor, and accompanied by 2GB of RAM. Samsung is also claiming that media consumers can expect to enjoy approximately 8 hours of battery life thanks to the integrated 5,700mAh battery pack. The 32 or 64GB storage options are supplemented by the inclusion of a microSD card slot that allows users to dramatically expand the storage capacity of the Galaxy View. There’s also the inclusion of a 2.1MP front-facing camera which should suffice for video calling purposes.

The tablet comes with its own “versatile 2-way stand” which gives you that perfect angle to watch videos for around 8 hours as suggested by Samsung, given the 5,700mAh battery packed inside the Galaxy View.

LTE versions of the tablet will require a Nano SIM, and the machine itself comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop pre-installed, which also features the aforementioned custom user interface that should hopefully appeal to those looking for that perfect device to consume media on while on the move. There’s no word from Samsung on availability or pricing just yet, but we’ll be sure to update you when it becomes available.

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Google Play APK 5.10.30 Update: You can now download the latest version 5.10.30 of Google Play Store APK which brings with it a bunch of changes and bug fixes that users have been facing for quite a while. This release also includes more Material Design, Details Page, updated look for What’s New, Wearable sensors/activity data, Enterprise apps support, fingerprint readers support, Uninstall Manager, among other things. The download link below has been updated with latest version.

The all new Google Play Store carries more elements of Material Design compared to initial releases of Android Lollipop. Apps like Google Play Newsstand, Gmail, Google+ are all now updated with additional Material Design elements.

You will also notice that the app icon for the new Play Store carrier the new, flatter look, keeping itself in line with Material Design’s aesthetics.

Apart from the design language, things have changed under the hood as well. Fire up the app and you will instantly recognize the subtle changes in animations for say, when accessing the slide-out drawer menu, along with changes in the iconography.

The What’s New section has been moved to the top and is now visibly highlighted in green, allowing for it to be prominently visible in each application listing.

Even the Widget Suggestion icons for the home screen have changed, maintaining the flat, paper like design, as was expected. Google went to the extent of changing the notification icon for the status bar as well, after all, it is this attention to detail that ultimately counts.

Version 5.10.30 of Play Store should start rolling out to users over the course of the next few days, but, we can’t be entirely sure, and it may take longer. Regardless, if you do not want to wait for that update to hit your device, you can download the APK of this new version of Google Play Store from the link at the foot of this post, side-load it, and give it a run.

This version of Play Store is now also ready for Android 6.0 Marshmallow or ROM ports based on the 6.0 images.

If you happen to have tried the new Play Store and are running it on your device, do share your thoughts and opinions on the changes and any other improvements that we may have missed.

Download Google Play Store APK version 5.10.30 from here. (tip: To download from Mega on your Android device directly without downloading the Mega app, simply request the Mega download page to be opened in desktop mode in your web browser and then you should be able to download it directly without the app.)

Make sure to check out our Android Apps gallery to explore more apps for your Android device.

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Google has today sought to give its Twitch competitor, YouTube Gaming, a shot in the arm by launching a new feature for its Google Play Games Android app that allows gamers to record their in-game action and then upload it to YouTube. YouTube Gaming is the part of YouTube dedicated to live streaming of games as well as pre-recorded video, and giving Android users the ability to get their own content into the service quickly and easily may be a master stroke.

While the updated Google Play Games app cannot yet stream game video to YouTube as it happens live, that feature will apparently be added at a later date. In its current incarnation, though, the new feature does allow for gamers to record video of their gaming exploits along with audio from the microphone and video captured by the device’s front-facing camera – perfect if a user wants to appear on-screen during the recording. The app also has tools for editing of the video before it is finally pushed to YouTube’s servers, though users shouldn’t expect an abundance of editing features here. The finished product will result in either a 480p or 720p video, which should be plenty in most cases.

Google’s leveraging of the Android platform to give YouTube Gaming a boost should come as little surprise and can only benefit gamers who want to get video of their gaming onto YouTube, especially once the ability to live stream content gets added into the mix. Apple added a similar feature called “ReplayKit” to iOS 9 this past September, allowing users to record their in-game video, but the integration with YouTube should see Android’s implementation gather more traction and quicker than over on iOS.

The updated Google Play Games app is currently being pushed to users in the United States and the UK, with Google saying that those in other countries will be able to try the updated app out in due course.

Head on over the Google Play Store via the link provided below to check if you’ve received the update.

(Download: Google Play Games for Android on the Play Store)

(Source: Google)

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Nintendo may be one of the most immediately recognizable names in the world of video gaming, but the Japan-based company has so far managed to evade the allure of entering into the world of mobile gaming; that is, until now. As part of an internal strategy meeting with investors of the company, Nintendo unveiled its plans to finally release a game intended for mobile devices as early as March 2016. The game, which will be called Miitomo, will be the first of five titles launched before March 2017 under the Nintendo brand.

As is generally the case with mobile games released by large brands, Miitomo will be offered as an entirely free-of-charge download with a plethora of free-to-play content. Nintendo’s monetization of the product will be addressed by an array of “attractive add-ons”, which essentially equates to a myriad of content that can be acquired as an in-app purchase.

One of the core value propositions of the game for gamers is that they will be able to create their own avatar characters, which will be known as “Miis”, which in turn can communicate within the game with other Mii characters around the world.

One of the interesting things about the characters is that Miis will be able to communicate with other Miis without letting a particular user becoming aware of the initiation. This appears to all be part of an initiative and a unique selling point that Nintendo has, designed to “encourage people who are hesitant to talk to share things about themselves”. We’re not exactly sure how that little feature will work, or how gamers will feel about it in practice, but it’s undeniably a unique aspect to a game that will need to find its own feet on the various app stores.

Nintendo had originally planned to release Miitomo before the end of 2015. That launch has now been delayed until March 2016 to afford the Japanese company some time to try and actually explain and promote what Miitomo is to users around the world while working tirelessly on the other four titles which the company plans to release as paid-downloads.

Nintendo undoubtedly has a cult following of fans who will immediately embrace this release, but it clearly fears that those who aren’t particularly au fait with how the company works, won’t understand what it’s trying to be achieved with Miitomo.

With five games in the pipeline, and a new membership service called Nintendo Account that connects PC, Nintendo and smartphone users together, it seems that the company is heavily invested in taking the mobile gaming world by storm.

(Via: WSJ, Source: Nintendo)

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It takes a lot of ambition and financial backing to try and disrupt the big players in the smartphone market. But that’s exactly what Chinese-based startup OnePlus has been trying to do since its inception approximately 22 months ago. After introducing its secondF major smartphone offering in the OnePlus 2 back in July of this year, the company is making headlines again with the introduction of the OnePlus X, a $249 smartphone.

The company’s OnePlus 2 handset managed to cause a lot of excitement with those Android-loving consumers who wanted to stray away from the “norm” of owning a device manufactured by one of the more established names in the industry. The handset had plenty of top-of-the-specs to offer and at a price much lower than other flagship phones out there. The OnePlus X however, really isn’t going to compete with its flagship brother for supremacy, but it does come with its own charms.

OnePlus has taken a small amount of design inspiration from the devices that have been launched by manufacturers over the last twelve months. The glass and metal design gives the X a premium look and feel, which in all honesty transcends its price-tag, at least visually.

The device comes equipped with a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display protected by the extremely robust Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The internal Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor is accompanied by ample 3GB of RAM, which is 1GB less than the OnePlus 2, but still enough to serve up formidable performance against other mid-range Android handsets. All that need for power will be supported by a 2525mAh battery.

Consumers will be able to purchase the OnePlus X with 16GB of internal flash memory, with the option to expand up to an additional 128GB through the microSD card slot support. There’s also a 13-megapixel rear shooter with ISOCELL sensor with f/2.2 aperture, and full HD video recording that is capable of shooting slow motion video at 120 frames-per-second.

The front-facing camera comes in at 8MP and should produce some remarkable selfies. Oh and it also packs an FM receiver for the radio lovers. In terms of the underlying operating system, the OnePlus X is powered by OxygenOS, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

OnePlus has also announced a new range of cases for the X phone. According to the company, these cases have been crafted from “real Rosewood, Black Apricot, Bamboo, Karbon, and Sandstone.” OnePlus is also throwing a silicone case in the mix as well, available in black, blue, red, and white colors. Silicone cases will cost $14.99 while the more finely crafted cases will set you back $24.99.

OnePlus has dubbed the metal clad phone as “Onyx” and will be launching it into European markets on November 5th priced at EUR269 (GBP199). United States consumers can expect to be able to purchase the handset from November 19th for USD249. Onyx can be purchased via the usual invite method from oneplus.net.

Apple has officially released a new mobile app that not only assists consumers with managing its Beats Pill+ speakers, but also gives the company its second presence on the Google Play Store. As part of Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats Music & Beats Electronics, the company also acquired all of the products associated with that company. The Beats Pill+ speaker however was the first speaker product released after the acquisition and is designed by Apple. The latest app from the company assists users in getting the most out of the new hardware.

The Beats Pill+ application is notable in the fact that it allows users who own the Beats Pill+ speaker to get the most out of the product by unlocking features and sharing the musical responsibilities with friends. Also notable is the fact that it represents Apple’s growing presence on the Google Play Store for Android devices, following in the path initially laid out by the release of the company’s Move to iOS app that assists Android owners in migrating across to the iOS ecosystem.

Those who download the new app, and subsequently pair it with a Beats Pill+ speaker, will be able to access a slew of features from within the app. The musical content can be amplified to an even greater level with the introduction of a second Beats Pill+ speaker, or even purpose the two units to function as a stereo setup. The application is built with a sleek and easy-to-use interface that should make it extremely easy for owners to get the most out of the hardware. There’s also a handy little feature within that app that lets owners immediately see the real-time power levels of the connected Beats Pill+ speaker.

The interface of the app shows a nice visual of the sleek speaker, as well as buttons that navigate to the Amplify, Stereo, and DJ sections of the application. There’s also the aforementioned battery indicator located just below the speaker visual.

The ability to use the Beats Pill+ speakers as left and right speakers, or adjust the volume of the playing tracks is great, but it’s the smaller intricacies that stand out. Having a black or white UI based on the connected speaker color, being able to immediately change the name of the speaker, or letting the app randomly generate a name if your mind is blank; it’s small additions like these that add to an accomplished and polished cross-platform app.

(Download: Beats Pill+ for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on the iOS App Store)
(Download: Beats Pill+ for Android devices on the Google Play Store).

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The trend to rush any new flagship smartphone that has just hit the market into an array of tests to check how easy it is to bend, destroy or damage, is not going away anytime soon. When Apple launched the iPhone 5, there was uproar relating to how easy it was to cause damage and scratch the anodized finish of the handset. There was also a scandal surrounding Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus when it became apparent that it was relatively easy to bend. Now, it appears to be time to move away from Apple and focus on Google/Huawei’s new Nexus 6P, which seems to inherit problems from both of those Apple smartphone introductions.

No smartphone is ever going to be indestructible and able to withstand heavy impacts or blunt force trauma. As companies attempt to progress their technology and make devices thinner and lighter, there will inevitably be trade-off in structural stability. If you’re in the market for a new Android smartphone, and the recent introduction of the Huawei Nexus 6P has caught your eye, then you’re probably going to want to watch this new video which shows just how easy it is to bend and scratch the new hardware. However, we do have some reservations with the methodology and will explain why.

Apple may have had a lot of negative press after the “scratchgate” and “bendgate” scandals that befell the iPhone 5 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, but the Cupertino-based company has corrected its mistakes with the latest iPhone 6s. But you’d also think that other competing companies would take heed and be keen not to repeat the mistakes that have already been made by the likes of Apple. This video however, seems to suggest that the Nexus 6P suffers from the issues that affected both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The video itself takes the new Huawei device on a journey of self-discovery to see just how well it can withstand overheating, bending, and scratching. After all, with smartphones placed in our pockets amongst coins, keys and other sharp objects, these are the main problems that can occur. Unfortunately for Huawei and Google, and possibly more so for those planning on purchasing the device, the hardware didn’t do too well on all three counts. This display appeared easy to scratch with an object measuring higher than 6 on Mohs scale of hardness. It was also extremely easy to introduce a huge crack in the display after those scratches appeared. The screen also developed a white spot pretty quickly when put to the flame test.

As for the bend test, the relative ease at which the device actually bends as shown in the video is a little misleading. The display had already been scratched and cracked, which in turn causes a huge vulnerability in the structure of the device, making it a lot easier to bend. In our opinion, the only concrete discovery here is the relatively ease with which the anodized chassis can be scratched.

We aren’t exactly sure that Huawei will be too happy with the video, but what about you? Does it put you off moving across to the Nexus 6P? Check out the video below and let us know in the comments section below.

Google has today launched a new Who’s Down mobile app, making it easier for people to see whether their friends are up for hanging out. The app, which requires an invite in order to use and is currently available for both iOS and Android, makes it possible for people to tell their friends whether they are free to hang out or not without ever having to type a word.

Using Who’s Down is a case of a user being present with the Who’s Down For question, with the end of that sentence being made up from a selection of popular choices or a custom entry. That question is then sent out to a user’s friends. Their friends’ phones then respond based on a switch that determines if they are up for hanging out or not, instantly presenting a list of available friends to the user who sent out the invite.

The idea is to cut down on the number of messages being passed around to find out something relatively simple – who’s around and wants to hang out? There is a built-in chat option, though, most likely to help chalk out plans in further detail.

One of Google’s more strange apps, Who’s Down goes up against apps such as Swarm, a location-based app that was spun out of Foursquare a while ago. Making it easier for friends to meet up for events or get-togethers is exactly what Swarm was intending to do, and now Google’s Who’s Down may have stolen its thunder. We’re still not sure about its longevity, however, and the invite system is no fun for anyone. Asking for an invite is a case of downloading and launching the mobile app itself or heading over to the Who’s Down website and requesting one, but we’d rather the whole process just didn’t exist.

Call us old fashioned, but we’re ready for apps with invitation systems to go away. Just let us download your apps and try them, folks. If your servers aren’t ready, then don’t launch!

If you’d rather not waste time downloading the Android or iOS app, head on over to the official website at whosdown.com to request an invite.

(Download: Who’s Down for Android on the Play Store)

(Download: Who’s Down for iOS on the App Store)

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