Android Phone Fans |
- Google Offers gets spiffed up new look, features convenient new way to redeem and save offers
- New Google Play Store 4.4 leaked, currently being tested on Android 4.4 KitKat
- Code found on official Android site suggests we might soon get a countdown to Nexus 5 and 4.4 KitKat [UPDATE]
- T-Mobile announces the affordable Samsung Galaxy Light – good modest phone, but is it worth it?
- New Google Glass patent shows Google toying with hand-gestures to like, crop, and share
- Phandroid readers make their cases for seeing Android 4.4 KitKat on October 28th [TEASES]
- Netflix finally makes an Android app worth downloading
- Consumer Reports: Motorola DROID phones beat out iPhone 5S, 5C
- Feedly update brings new widget, faster startup time, smoother scrolling and more
- Verizon Wireless testing same day delivery in Philadelphia
- Android 4.3 heading to T-Mobile HTC One this week, Droid DNA in December
| Google Offers gets spiffed up new look, features convenient new way to redeem and save offers Posted: 16 Oct 2013 04:38 PM PDT
The updates keep a flowin’ out of the Google HQ. This time it’s the Google Offers app receiving some TLC today in the Google Play Store, after making its Android debut back in November of last year. The newly updated app features an all new overhauled UI, adding 99% more cards (and electrolytes) into the mix.
Aside from just a pretty new makeover, the app also features additional functionality as well. Redeeming offers act the same way as a coupon. Find the deal you like, present the barcode to the cashier and you’re on your way. No more buying offers ahead of time. Coupon clippers can even save offers to the new “My Offers” tab for later use. The best part? You no longer need a network connection to redeem them (great for those that lug their Nexus 7 around everywhere). You can also switch between local and offers in other cities, meaning you’re sure to rack up a good amount of digital coupons and savings. Have to admit, I haven’t given the app a spin since it launched and it’s pretty snazzy. Netted myself a 50% offer for Bucca di Beppo. Honey, we’re eating out! [Google Offers on Google Play]
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| New Google Play Store 4.4 leaked, currently being tested on Android 4.4 KitKat Posted: 16 Oct 2013 03:45 PM PDT
A new version of the Google Play Store was just leaked in a handful of screenshots. The images show of a Play Store with a design that falls in line with other recently updated Google applications. By that, we mean the large slide-out navigation menu, populated with many of the options once reserved to the overflow 3-dot menu. While nothing terribly ground breaking, this new Play Store version 4.4 is currently being tested on Android 4.4 KitKat devices, but will be available for all devices all the way back til Froyo when it’s finally available. We should note, this was an early version of the apk and the app is still undergoing final changes. Sorry, folks. No download. It’s possible further UI tweaks are in the works and again, while this is only a small change, it’s nice to see Google finally getting their house in order in time for the big Android 4.4 KitKat release. Now let’s see some Google Voice love, Google. |
| Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:14 PM PDT
Both Google and Kit Kat have been having a good ‘ol time, sitting back, watching the Android blogs hypebeast the heck out of the impending announcement (and release) of Android 4.4 KitKat. We’ve already highlighted some of the best the release date/announcement guesses the internet has to offer in a post earlier this afternoon.
While Android fans everywhere continue racking their brains, we might be able to rest a little easier knowing the announcement likely wont be blindsiding any of us. In fact, digging through the HTML code inside the official Android KitKat page, yielded a JavaScript code for “kitkat.min.js”. Inside that code, it’s seemingly spelled out clear as day: “comingsoon-countdown”. What does it mean? Well, it looks as if the official Android 4.4 KitKat homepage could soon feature some sort of countdown timer, counting down the seconds until the official worldwide reveal. All that’s left now is for Google to plug in a date, then the countdown can officially begin. Because we’ll all know ahead of time when Google plans to officially unveil Android 4.4, it’s extremely unlikely that an announcement will happen out of the blue and without warning (dismissing claims that 4.4 could be announced today, tomorrow, or soon after that). Guess we can still conjecture as to when that will finally happen, but we hope this gives some of you out there a little more peace of mind. We want it just as bad as anyone, and nobody likes being toyed with (you hear that, Kit Kat?).
[Google+ | via PhoneArena] |
| T-Mobile announces the affordable Samsung Galaxy Light – good modest phone, but is it worth it? Posted: 16 Oct 2013 01:01 PM PDT
Affordable phones may not be the most exciting for us technology fans, but we must accept that these are a significant reason why Android has become so popular. Our favorite operating system is the most popular because it is highly accessible. Those looking for an affordable phone on T-Mobile will soon have another option – the Samsung Galaxy Light. This modest device features some pretty nice specs for a budget device: Samsung Galaxy Light specifications
Not bad at all, but we will have to wait a bit to see if the device is worth the cash. Pricing details have not been announced, and the release date is also unknown. All in all it’s a very well-balanced device, though. It has a lackluster display, but Android 4.2.2 and that quad-core processor should help keep it relatively speedy. T-Mobile also didn’t fail to remind us about the two Alcatel phones they announced last months. The Alcatel ONE TOUCH Fierce and ONE TOUCH Evolve are great affordable options, too. You can read more about those in our announcement post. These are available now, so you might want to check those out if you need an affordable phone soon. |
| New Google Glass patent shows Google toying with hand-gestures to like, crop, and share Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:34 PM PDT
We saw Google’s wild and wacky plans for Google Glass back when a patent filing was uncovered a few weeks ago showing us a plethora of wearable Glass prototypes. Where patent filings don’t always lead to a final product, sometimes it’s just fun to take a peek inside the mad minds of the geniuses over at Google.
While functional in its current state, the vision or scope of what Glass could offer in the future is much more exciting. When talking candidly about Glass, I’ve often told friends that one day Glass would likely incorporate gestures for interacting with the OS. When opening a web page, how cool would it be to reach out your hand and simply pinch-to-zoom in thin air, instead of using the clunky Glass touchpad? If this newly discovered patent filing from Google takes off, looks like I could have been right on the money.
The filing shows us future versions of Glass (or possibly even current with a software update) that would be able to detect a user’s hand gestures. For instance, creating an “L” shape with the hand, a user could crop an image inside Glass. Another use case scenario is a heart shape gesture that could “like”, save, or share anything from the real world. Glass could even recognize an item, pulling up extra info, ratings, etc..
We can’t help but think all of this sounds a lot like a super charged Google Goggles — a feature/app many thought would debut with Glass, but apparently the tech just wasn’t there yet. Again, there’s no indication that functionality like gestures will ever make its way into Glass, but it’s clear over at Google, they’re certainly thinking about it. |
| Phandroid readers make their cases for seeing Android 4.4 KitKat on October 28th [TEASES] Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:56 AM PDT In case you haven’t noticed, Kit Kat has been going a bit crazy on Google+. Yesterday, the company posted a photo of a dancing Android-shaped Kit Kat bar on the day that some (definitely not all) thought Google would announce Kit Kat and the Nexus 5. That didn’t happen, and Kit Kat is still posting as many cryptic messages on Google+ as they can.
This time, it was a picture of Kit Kat bars arranged to spell out “This is it.” And, quite literally, that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. There was no #Android, no Android mascot, or anything else to help rabid fanatics everywhere figure out what this meant. That said, we were still curious to hear your thoughts, and posed the question to you on Google+. The responses? Nothing short of hilariously ridiculous. One reader, Richard Colon, was the first to suggest Kit Kat was referring to Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” a 2009 documentary that launched on October 28th. This is where the October 28th train got rolling. Reading further, the silliness really started when user Liam Muller jokingly suggested the following:
So now we have the 16th and the 28th, but Ed Carter suggests we’re all thinking about it wrong: Michael Jackson’s “This is It” tour eventually got cancelled, which could mean Android 4.4 Kit Kat or the Nexus 5 got cancelled. I know. Just bear with me. Richard chimed back in a bit later to remind us that yesterdays “Everybody Dance Now” teaser shares the name of the hit song by 28th Street Crew, which he believes lends more credence to seeing Kit Kat and/or Nexus 5 on the 28th.
Finally, Haaris Edhi decided to drop their 2 cents and let us know that there are “8 letters in “this is it” and 2 sentences, meaning October 28.” We’ve all obviously gone off the deep end here, and perhaps that’s what makes this entire thing genius by Kit Kat and Google. They know how crazy we get over this stuff. They know that one image alone is enough to send the hype meter through the roof, and they know they have us right where they want us — salivating for Android 4.4 Kit Kat just as much as most chocolate lovers salivate for an actual Kit Kat bar. |
| Netflix finally makes an Android app worth downloading Posted: 16 Oct 2013 09:49 AM PDT
Many people have different opinions about Netflix. Whether they think the rollout of new content is too stagnant, that the service is too expensive or that the videos aren’t of acceptable quality will change from person to person. One thing that cannot be denied, however, is that their Android app was awful. I mean, it worked, but it wasn’t a joy to use. It was slow, clunky, and laggy. The developers were a tad lazy in their haste to get this up on Android back in 2011, opting to go with the always-horrendous HTML-based user interface opposed to a native one. Thankfully, all of that is changing with today’s update. The app is much smoother, with Netflix seemingly employing some hardware acceleration to make navigating content a breeze. The app still keeps similar elements of the previous design, unfortunately, which means they still aren’t following Holo guidelines. Still, this is a great first step to what we hope is a much better future. Go ahead and grab the goods in the Google Play Store as soon as possible. [via The Verge] |
| Consumer Reports: Motorola DROID phones beat out iPhone 5S, 5C Posted: 16 Oct 2013 08:55 AM PDT The critique-heavy souls at Consumer Reports have released their latest ratings for some of the world’s latest phones. The iPhone 5S and 5C were major points of interest, of course, with the relatively new devices being one of the hottest buys at retail right now. But are the anticipation and hype surrounding these phones indicative of their positioning on Consumer Reports’ latest list?
Actually, they aren’t. According to Consumer Reports, potential smartphone buyers might be more intrigued by Motorola’s latest offerings, of all people. Specifically, Verizon’s DROID line of phones were given high praise for all day battery life (two days in the case of the DROID MAXX, though reviews state the iPhone 5S lasts all day, as well), a sizable display, and unique features such as Active Notifications and Touchless Controls. I echoed similar sentiments in my review and in a recent editorial. Despite beasts like the HTC One (review), Samsung Galaxy S4 (review) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (review), Motorola’s latest crop of devices have won me over for a few different reasons:
The devices’ biggest strength would appear to be the lack of custom skin. There are some custom bits here and there, but Motorola has left the experience mostly stock on these phones. The DROID devices weren’t the only ones beating — or, at the least, meeting — the iPhones’ level, though. The Samsung Galaxy S4 remains Consumer Reports’ #1 overall phone, while devices like LG Optimus G and HTC One were all good enough to stand toe-to-toe with Apple’s latest and greatest. Apple will sell smartphones regardless, but it’s nice to know that not everyone is willing to give it an automatic win just because it has a bitten piece of fruit on the back. Do you agree with Consumer Reports’ findings? [via iSource] |
| Feedly update brings new widget, faster startup time, smoother scrolling and more Posted: 16 Oct 2013 07:21 AM PDT While Feedly as a backend service has been quite fine for us Google Reader refugees, it’s no secret their official app isn’t the best news reading experience to be had. Many issues plagued the app, including a rather useless widget and inconsistencies with scrolling. Thankfully, both of those things — and more — have been addressed with today’s big update.
It’s Feedly version 17, and the changelog is massive. Here’s what you can expect once you’ve updated the app:
Unfortunately, that fourth point — better fonts and visual design — means custom fonts are no longer supported in Feedly. The app now uses Android’s standard Roboto font, which isn’t the most terrible thing in the world. Such a big release doesn’t come about without some help, though: Feedly actually got help from the Google team with all of this, and it’s something we hope will continue. Feedly is the biggest RSS platform after the death of Reader, after all — it’d be a shame if they weren’t doing everything they could to live up to the lofty expectations of everyone who was affected by that unfortunate event. The update is available right now in the Google Play Store, so get on over there and download it if you aren’t already in love with one of the many third-party Feedly-compatible RSS apps available. |
| Verizon Wireless testing same day delivery in Philadelphia Posted: 16 Oct 2013 06:14 AM PDT It looks like Verizon Wireless wants phone purchasers to get their phones faster. What if you could buy your phone online, and have it delivered on the very same day? That’s what Big Red is testing in Philadelphia, as the carrier has launched a limited pilot program for the service. It’s simple — pay $19.99 by 10am on the day you want the phoe, and you’ll get your device at 7pm that same day.
The service is said to be coming to key areas of New York City, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco in due time. We’re not sure how widespread of a rollout Verizon will attempt, but it’s not something we expect to be available for everyone. It has us thinking, though — why doesn’t Verizon just offer an in-store pickup option? I’d love to be able to order online, and then trot over to the Verizon store whenever the phone is ready to be picked up. Best Buy is the perfect example of this particular service done right. It’s an invaluable tool that I use to make sure I’m in and out with what I need in a jiffy, while not having to wait 1-3 days for it to be shipped. Verizon’s motives are quite interesting, though. In their own words:
Funny, that — I don’t make anywhere near six figures, and I wouldn’t mind having this option at all. Whatever the case may be, if you live in Philadelphia or one of the other aforementioned cities, you’ll want to inquire about this option the next time you’re in the market for a smartphone. [via Verizon Wireless] |
| Android 4.3 heading to T-Mobile HTC One this week, Droid DNA in December Posted: 15 Oct 2013 07:41 PM PDT
Good news, HTC One users on T-Mobile! HTC’s Jason Mackenzie just announced via Twitter that the Android 4.3 update for the HTC One has just been approved by T-Mobile, and you should see the update hitting your devices in the next few days. It was only a few weeks ago that the update hit both the Sprint and AT&T HTC Ones, leaving Verizon, once again, late to the OTA party. Speaking of Verizon, Mackenzie also mentioned the the HTC DROID DNA would be receiving it’s Android 4.3 update in December, so don’t hold your breath. When it comes to their flagship devices, HTC has clearly has the head start on OEMs. ‘Course, that could soon change with Android 4.4 KitKat already looming on the horizon. [Twitter] |
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