Android Phone Fans |
- MIUI introduces new ROM built for tablets, beta available for Nexus 7 (2013)
- LG Lucid 3 outed in new leak, Verizon branding aplenty
- Are these sketches our first look at the OnePlus One design?
- Android 101: Shortcuts are the best Android feature you aren’t using
| MIUI introduces new ROM built for tablets, beta available for Nexus 7 (2013) Posted: 15 Mar 2014 02:22 PM PDT
It was back in September of last year that the folks at Xiaomi introduced the (now sold out) Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone. During the event, they managed to throw everyone for a curve ball when they introduced their new 47-inch smart TV in lieu of a tablet. In an age where just about every Android OEM makes a tablet, it was a bit puzzling to find them glossing over the bigger form factor, especially given their custom Android UI (also known as MIUI) wasn’t well suited for tablets.
Today, it looks like they’re finally covering their bases (at least somewhat) after introducing an all new version of MIUI fully optimized for tablets. This new version MIUI features new apps, animations, and UI elements — all built from the ground up to take advantage of the the extra screen real estate on tablets. While this still leaves out official Xiaomi-made tablet hardware, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun mentions in his blog that OEMs now have the option to ship their own hardware with MIUI pre-loaded, a first for the custom ROM. The ROM is currently in open beta where it can be downloaded and installed on the Nexus 7 2013 (WiFi-only). Anyone thinking about giving this a spin? |
| LG Lucid 3 outed in new leak, Verizon branding aplenty Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:28 PM PDT
When LG unveiled their next generation mid-range devices at this year’s Mobile World Congress (namely, their F-Series), we had little doubt they’d end up in some form or another on US shores. Verizon is no stranger to LG and their handsets, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find leaked images of the upcoming LG Lucid 3 as uncovered by @evleaks. Carrying a tweaked (read: more rounded) G-series-esque design — along with Verizon’s No word specs or launch date, but the LG Lucid 3 to squeeze comfortably in the affordable pricing bracket when released later this year. We’ll keep you posted. |
| Are these sketches our first look at the OnePlus One design? Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:54 AM PDT
The folks at BGR may have given us our first glimpse at the upcoming OnePlus One. A device that, up until now, has been shrouded in mystery, the only thing we really know about the phone are a few key specs the OnePlus team has revealed on their Google+ hype-page. Here’s what we know so far… Official OnePlus One specs (so far)
Okay, so it’s not an actual picture of the device in the wild, just a few sketches drawn up by the design team. Still unclear is how far along the design was in these sketches, and if the final retail version will look similar or drastically different. If you look carefully, you’ll notice some notes jotted down hinting at an aluminum unibody design, and a power button along the side (ala Sony Xperia Z2). Where the recently leaked Oppo Find 7 may have left some feeling underwhelmed in terms of overall design (we’ll admit, it does look a bit generic), it’s clear that the OnePlus team will be placing a big emphasis on the looks of their new smartphone (as well as specs). First impressions are important, after all. The OnePlus One will be officially unveiled on March 17th, but because the OnePlus fellas are on the other side of the globe (in the future), we should see it as early as the 16th. Anyone think this new smartphone can possibly live up to the hype? |
| Android 101: Shortcuts are the best Android feature you aren’t using Posted: 15 Mar 2014 08:35 AM PDT
While there are plenty of great features to be found in Android, one area we feel the OS truly outshines the competition is in its launcher (aka home screen). While there are a variety of 3rd party replacements that can be found in the Google Play Store, it’s safe to say that most feature many of the same core elements — desktop, icons, widgets, and shortcuts. If you’re an Android newbie, we’re sure you’ve already figured out how to move around and set up icons on your homescreen. That’s the easy part. Maybe you’ve even played around with a few widgets here and there. In this Android 101, we wanted to educate you on one of your Android device’s most underused (but effective) features: shortcuts. What are shortcuts?
Much different from the “shortcuts” found on your Windows desktop, shortcuts on Android are handled a bit differently. Instead of being synonymous with a regular app icon, shortcuts can be used to perform very specific functions within an app, saving time by avoiding having to first open an app and dive around into menus. You know, like a shortcut. But not all shortcuts are created equal, and vary widely according to the app that that offers them. For instance, you might find that after installing Vine, you now have access to a shortcut that will directly open the app to the record a video function. Useful if you want to quickly capture an exciting moment. Direct dial is another extremely useful shortcut that can be found on every Android device (it’s baked into the OS). As the name suggests, this allows you to directly dial a contact simply by tapping on the shortcut — no need to fumble around inside your dialer searching for a contact. Easy peasy. Setting up shortcuts
Setting up shortcuts is easy and, for the most part, varies little between Android devices. There’s usually 2 ways you can access your shortcuts list, either by jumping in your app drawer where they’ll be mixed in with your widgets (messy) — or the easier way, executed by long pressing on an empty area of your homescreen, then selecting the “shortcuts” option. There, you’ll be presented with a list of available shortcuts to choose from (see above image). If you have a good amount of apps installed on your device, expect to find a long list to scroll through. Because shortcuts are alphabetized by name of their function and not by the app they represent, you may really have to dig around to find the one you’d like to use. Once selected, the shortcut will appear on your homescreen and in some cases, it will look almost identical to the app icon it belongs to (only with a name describing its function). There you can move it around on your homescreen just like an icon. Or you could even… Shortcuts in folders
Because shortcuts are represented in the same as icons, they can also be grouped together in folders on your homescreen (just like your icons). Combine shortcuts with folders, and you have a custom homescreen that is optimized for speed and utility. We recommend creating a “calling folder” filled with direct dialing shortcuts to your favorite contacts. Or a Gmail folder, filled with shortcuts to your specific Gmail labels. Have a few favorite websites you visit on the daily? Make a folder filled with bookmark shortcuts. The choice is yours. For more advanced users, there are even 3rd party homescreen replacements that will give you the ability to customize app icons with gestures. For instance, tapping on the icon will open the app — or swiping on the icon will reveal a folder where you can stash a handful of quick shortcuts. Nifty. Shortcuts are meant to be used |
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