Android Phone Fans

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• Apple looking to buy Beats for a whopping $3.2 billion
• My Paid Apps now shows you how much you’ve spent on apps through the years
• What in the world is the Moto G Cinema?
• Sprint begins rolling out Sense 6 update for the HTC One Max
• The 4 best Android anti-virus apps
• Sprint will soon begin throttling heavy data users in congested areas
• Mysterious new Google “Flounder” device pops up in bug reports — new Nexus tablet?
• Swarovski Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear Fit collection literally hurts my eyes
• LG G3 leaked in gold color option, mystery rear sensor explained
• LG’s first Quad HD phone isn’t the LG G3 — it’s KDDI Japan’s Isai FL
• Get your easily digested news with the new Yahoo News Digest app for Android [VIDEO]
• Samsung shuffles design team around; dimple-backed Galaxy S5 to blame?
• Amazon update finally brings single sign-on to other Android devices
• LG G3′s 5.5-inch QHD 2K display is officially confirmed
• Moto X+1 makes an appearance on Motorola’s site carrying -$400 price tag [LOL]

Apple looking to buy Beats for a whopping $3.2 billion Posted: 08 May 2014 04:51 PM PDT In case you haven’t been paying attention, Apple’s got a lot of money to throw around. So much that they’re now reportedly in talks with Beat to acquire the company for a whopping $3.2 billion. This information was detailed in a report of the Financial Times who, along with Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal, says the deal could be announced as early as next week. We’ve heard: “Apple sucks,” and Beats follows close behind gunning for top honors in companies that overcharge for their sub-par products. So what will Apple gain from the deal? Aside from a hip new brand image (that is the only reason people buy Beats headphones, right?), pretty much everything Beats related. While it’s still early to say whether or not the Apple iPhone 6 will come with Beats Audio inside, Apple does get Beats streaming music property, as well as their hardware (headphones, speakers) as part of the deal. Most of you have been around long enough to remember HTC buying up 51% of Beats stock back in 2011 for $300 million, only to sell those shares back to Beats a little over a year later for $265 million. If you ask us, sounds like Apple could be overpaying. [The Verge]

My Paid Apps now shows you how much you’ve spent on apps through the years Posted: 08 May 2014 03:43 PM PDT It was earlier this year we told you guys about My Paid Apps, an app that displayed all the paid apps you’ve managed to accumulate on your Android devices through the years. We’ve always found it odd the regular Google Play Store app never had a dedicated section for past purchases, but I digress. Today, My Paid Apps is receiving an update on Google Play that not only introduces a new, easier to use UI, but also adds a few new filter options as well. Previously you could only sort by name, date, and price. Now it’s possible to view all purchases, only apps, apps installed, in-app purchases, movies and TV, music, or devices. Pretty handy for keeping tabs on your growing app habit — just don’t show the wife. You can grab the update via the Play Store link below. Download on Google Play: My Paid Apps

What in the world is the Moto G Cinema? Posted: 08 May 2014 02:26 PM PDT Our friend @evleaks tweeted a very mysterious image today: a screengrab taken from Motorola’s site listing a “Moto G Cinema.” Really, there isn’t much to go on. In fact, we aren’t sure if this is a new phone or simply a software feature. Tough to say, but our best guess is this is another Moto G variant (like the Moto G “Forte” for Mexico). What do you guys think? [Twitter]

Sprint begins rolling out Sense 6 update for the HTC One Max Posted: 08 May 2014 01:48 PM PDT Good news arriving for HTC One Max owners on Sprint. The HTC phablet is now receiving it’s update to Sense 6 — HTC’s latest version of their custom UX. Custom ROM developer and frequent leaker (wait- that didn’t sound right) LlabTooFeR confirmed the update on his Twitter account this afternoon after tweeting the changelog as it appeared on the One Max. Weighing in at 537.07MB, software build 3.02.651.5 is a hefty update, one that will introduce all the new Sense 6 features found in the recently launched HTC One M8, only sans the new Motion Gestures options. That Extreme Power Saving Mode should come in handy, however. So check your device for the update right now, and if you’re in Europe, expect Sense 6 to arrive on your HTC One Maxes in the very near future. To follow HTC’s Sense 6 progress for the One Max on Verizon — as well as the HTC One and HTC One Mini — check out their official update page here. [via Twitter]

The 4 best Android anti-virus apps Posted: 08 May 2014 01:38 PM PDT Android security is a controversial topic. We’re not talking about “how-to-find-my-stolen-phone” security, this is “holy-crap-my-phone-is-going-to-get-a-virus” security. Most people understand that Android is not any more vulnerable to malware than other internet-connected devices. Still, there are many people who think they need anti-virus on their phone like they have on their PC. Earlier this week we wrote about why that isn’t necessary, but if you still don’t believe us we have some options for you. Like we said, these apps really aren’t necessary if you use a little common sense. With so many scammy “security” apps in the Play Store we thought it would be a good idea to point out some of the best legit apps. These apps do what they say, don’t cost you any money, and will give you an extra layer of security to make you feel a little safer. CM Security With nearly 3 million reviews CM Security has an almost flawless 5-star rating in the Google Play Store. In the AV-TEST performed earlier this year, CM Security scored a 100% virus detection rate. The app is blazing fast, lightweight, and most importantly, secure. CM uses local and cloud engines powered by 200 million users. This app has everything that we look for: great ratings, tons of users, proven results, and it’s completely free. 360 Security 360 Security has a 4.25-star rating with over 1.5 million reviews, plus it has been recommended a whopping 6 million times on Google. This is another security app that takes the lightweight approach. It’s well designed and simple to use. It checks for malware, vulnerabilities, and even cleans up trash. Over 450 million users trust 360 Security to protect their Android device. With a free price tag we’re not surprised. Avast! Mobile Security If you’ve ever owned a Windows PC you’ve likely heard of Avast. With over a million reviews and over 7 million recommendations it’s safe to say people like the Android version too. Avast has a virus scanner, virus removal, app management, and you can even use firewalls if you’re rooted. The app will also protect you against WiFi-based attacks. Like it’s PC counterpart, this app is completely free to use, but can be upgraded for a cost. Lookout Security & Antivirus One of the oldest security apps available for Android is Lookout. This app offers continuous over-the-air protection from malware, adware, and spyware. Android users have relied on these constant scans for years. Like many of the apps in this list, Lookout can also protect your phone from physical threats like theft. The app is completely free to download, but can be upgraded with an in-app purchase. *** A great resource for finding quality security apps is the Android section at av-test.org. They test hundreds of anti-virus and security apps every couple of months. The five apps that we listed scored well on the av-test, but also needed to have great reviews, attractive design, and ease of use. If you have a personal favorite that isn’t on our list let us know in the comments below. Android anti-virus apps can be a controversial topic, but with our combined knowledge we can find the best (and worst) apps in this category.

Sprint will soon begin throttling heavy data users in congested areas Posted: 08 May 2014 01:20 PM PDT For many, it was Sprint’s saving grace: “unlimited” data free from the shackles of caps and throttling that have become the norm with their rivals. It seems all good things must come to an end, as the folks at FierceWireless are now reporting that Sprint — as well as its subsidiaries like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile — will soon begin throttling users on its network. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Apparently this will only affect the top 5% of users on its network, and while an exact number of bits wasn’t provided, Sprint did confirm that those exceeding around 5GB+ of data per month could be targeted. Sprint also mentions that throttling will only occur in some of their more congested markets, a way to free up and spread out some of that bandwidth to its other customers as part of the carrier’s “prioritization management” plan. Sprint has already begun sending out SMS messages to their worst offenders, notifying them to slow things down before they begin restricting data speeds. We expect to soon find a few more asterisks and fine print added to signage in the coming weeks. “Truly unlimited data… mostly.”

Mysterious new Google “Flounder” device pops up in bug reports — new Nexus tablet? Posted: 08 May 2014 12:03 PM PDT A new device by Google that seems to be in testing around the Mountain View campus, you say? How exciting! A recent Chromium bug report has tipped us off to the existence of an unknown Google device. The report references “google/volantis/flounder” as the device’s build fingerprint, which lets us know that its codename is Flounder. If you know how Nexus codenames work, you’d know that the Google team has been exceptionally fond of fish and other water-bound creatures in the past. One variant of the Nexus 7 was codenamed Grouper and the Nexus 5 was codenamed Hammerhead in case you didn’t know. The bug report doesn’t really give us much more meaningful information than that, though we imagine this could be the forthcoming Nexus 7 refresh or Nexus 8 introduction that is expected to go down at Google I/O this summer. There’s still no telling what we’re in store for when it comes to that, so we’ll just have to wait until more Googlers get a lot more careless and start leaking out more information (intentionally or otherwise).

Swarovski Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear Fit collection literally hurts my eyes Posted: 08 May 2014 09:52 AM PDT I’ve never been one to oppose beautiful stone-studded phones for those who can afford them. Swarovski crystals and rocks aren’t diamonds, mind you, but they still do add a very stunning look if used right. I’m sorry to say that Samsung most certainly hasn’t used it right for the Swarovski Collection of Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear Fit devices. The former has its case completely covered in rocky materials that have been “enhanced” to give it that crystalized look. It’s cluttered, ugly and nonsensical. It doesn’t look much better than those knock-off back covers you can buy from the mall kiosk. And I imagine it doesn’t feel too great in the hand, as well. The hookup for the Gear Fit is a bit more tolerable — these come in the form of charms that can be attached to the wrist strap. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like an adolescent with $10 to spend at the mall whenever I look at these. Perhaps you feel differently, and if you do then by all means share your thoughts in the comments section below. Interested in getting one? Samsung says they go on sale in Korea starting today, with availability extending to the United Kingdom shortly afterward. [via Samsung Tomorrow]

LG G3 leaked in gold color option, mystery rear sensor explained Posted: 08 May 2014 09:18 AM PDT LG might be looking to follow the golden trend as of late, as a gold variant of their upcoming flagship has just been outed in newly-leaked photos. The photos don’t show us much that we didn’t already see from the countless other leaks available — it has rear facing buttons. It has a glorious edge-to-edge display (which is most likely coming in 2560 x 1440 flavor). It still has that mysterious rear-facing sensor. And it’s gold. Not actual gold, mind you, but you probably already figured that. Circling back to that rear sensor, the source suggests it’s actually not a fingerprint scanner or infrared blaster as many would think. It’s said to be some sort of assist beam to help the camera focus in low-light situations. It’s something that’s definitely needed on these devices, as their sensors alone aren’t often up to the task of taking the best shots in those situations. The photos also show the new style LG’s going with for the chassis, which is either plastic made to look like brushed aluminum or actual brushed aluminum. We’ll know for sure by the time LG reveals it May 27th. In the meantime, get up close and personal with the newly-leaked photos above and below. [via GSMArena]

LG’s first Quad HD phone isn’t the LG G3 — it’s KDDI Japan’s Isai FL Posted: 08 May 2014 07:18 AM PDT Yesterday, LG officially confirmed that their Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display entered mass production, and that it would be featured on a flagship smartphone of theirs slated for the first half of the year. We naturally assume that’s the LG G3, natch. It turns out that the LG G3 won’t be LG’s first phone out of the starting gate with the high resolution display, though. KDDI in Japan has announced the Isai FL, which is an LG-built flagship specifically for the carrier. It stretches out to about 5.5 inches, which comes out to be 538ppi. The Isai FL might have a makeup similar to the LG G3 under the hood (that’s if the LG G3 rumors are to be believed). It’s coming in with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video and a 3,000mAh battery. Also under the hood of the Isai FL is 32GB of internal storage, a microSDXC card slot for cards up to 128GB, a 1.3MP front camera, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi AC, NFC and more. Of special noteworthy mention is that the device is billed with an IR blaster, and it features that same mysterious back sensor that the LG G3 does in its leaked shots. We wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where that infrared goodness is coming from on both the Isai FL and the LG G3. Design wise, KDDI’s phone does have rear facing volume buttons, but they’ve either elected to keep the power button in a more traditional spot or remove it altogether in favor of LG KnockOn (double tap to wake). It’s a phone most of us will never see, but it’s nice to get a preview of sorts of what the LG G3 might offer when it’s unveiled later this month. [KDDI via Engadget]

Get your easily digested news with the new Yahoo News Digest app for Android [VIDEO] Posted: 08 May 2014 06:40 AM PDT Yahoo has announced that their super clean, easy and refreshing news app — Yahoo News Digest — has now made its way over to Android. The app features a simple, clean and smooth user interface and gives you quick access to the world’s top stories of the day and night. It also features a widget which keeps track of what you’ve read inside or outside of the app. What makes Yahoo News Digest different? Each story is accompanied by information from Wikipedia, related articles, maps of the story’s origin, videos, photos and more, and is all laid out in a way that’s — you guessed it — easy to digest. The app is split up into four categories depending on where you are or what’s important to you. Canadian, American and United Kingdom editions focus on news relevant to those countries and will be delivered to you at 8am and 6pm everyday, while the international edition delivers around-the-clock world news. If you don’t fancy getting your news from one source, using something like Flipboard, or having to subscribe to more than one publication to get all the news you need then it’s worth giving Yahoo’s offering a shot. Find it for free over at Google Play.

Samsung shuffles design team around; dimple-backed Galaxy S5 to blame? Posted: 08 May 2014 05:46 AM PDT Samsung seems to be doing a bit of executive shuffling over at headquarters. Reuters reports that head of mobile design team — Chang Dong-hoon — has offered his resignation of the position to underling vice president of mobile design Lee Min-hyouk. Immediately, we wonder why. Samsung obviously didn’t indulge our curiosity, but the feeling around the water cooler is that the lukewarm (and borderline hostile) reaction to the design of the Samsung Galaxy S5 had something to do with it. Main criticisms shared by most were that its dimpled faux leather backing felt and looked cheap, and that the phone’s overall design is uninspired. Rob Jackson wrote in his Samsung Galaxy S5 review that he felt this was a step in the right direction, even if that step wasn’t very big. Sure, it’s just a phone, but people like devices they carry around all day to look as well as they work. The original Galaxy Gear was also no spring chicken, and while the new Tizen-based gear products have improved in that area they aren’t the most attractive smart watches on the market. Challenging the theory that Chang Dong-hoon was pressured to resign due to design shortcomings is the fact that he is putting more focus on his role as head of Samsung’s design strategy team. Samsung says the team is responsible for the design direction for all of their products and businesses — that means mobile, too. Also challenging that theory is the fact that his replacement, Lee Min-Hyouk, was largely responsible for designing the Galaxy S line in its early years, a feat which has earned him the nickname of Midas. Lee likely had just as much influence over the design of the line now as he did back then, so it’s tough to imagine that this move was anything more than a bit of corporate shakeup to cut down on redundancy. Of course, we’ll never know the true reasoning unless we’re able to wiggle our way into a Samsung board meeting or two, so we’re left to our imagination and speculation. Let us know what you think of the Samsung Galaxy S5′s design in the comments below, and be sure to stop by this thread at AndroidForums.com where people are making a strong case for the Galaxy S5′s craftsmanship and design and drop an opinion of your own.

Amazon update finally brings single sign-on to other Android devices Posted: 08 May 2014 05:01 AM PDT The official Amazon app — the one where you do all your online mobile shopping with if you don’t fancy the mobile web — has gotten a quick, but useful update. The main change that has our interest is single sign-on. That means you will no longer have to sign into Amazon’s apps on an individual basis. Simply sign on once with the base Amazon app, and you’ll be signed in for Kindle, Amazon MP3, the Amazon Appstore and more. This was a feature previously only available for Kindle Fire users so it’s nice to see them roll it out to everyone else in Android land. Other changes in this update include a new icon. It’s fresh. It’s new. It’s cool. And it’s sad that the app itself still looks like it was designed for the original T-Mobile G1 back in 2008. That aside, it’s nice to see single sign-in for those who frequent Amazon’s services. Now let’s hope they get on the ball about bringing proper Amazon Instant Video support to all but iOS and Kindle Fire owners. [Google Play Download Link]

LG G3′s 5.5-inch QHD 2K display is officially confirmed Posted: 07 May 2014 06:49 PM PDT The oft rumored 2K display said to come bundled inside the upcoming LG G3 has been perhaps the industries worst kept secret. The subject of countless leaks, LG is finally coming clean, confirming that the 5.5-inch QHD LCD display will take center stage in their upcoming flagship debuting later this year. "The new Quad HD LCD panel will be unveiled with the forthcoming LG's flagship smartphone to be launched in the first half of the year." Given LG already announced their QHD displays back in August of last year, you may be asking yourself exactly what is the news here? Well, LG is just letting the world know that the displays have been certified by NEMKO, a testing and certification organization based in Norway — and will going into mass production shortly. Also, they’ve managed to shrink the bezels down by .5mm from when they were detailed last year, measuring in at only 1.2mm thick, and carrying a tiny 1.15mm bezel. LG’s new QHD panels will carry a pin sharp 2560×1440 resolution and once again, you can expect them to debut in the still unofficial LG G3. Sounds delicious. [Press Release]

Moto X+1 makes an appearance on Motorola’s site carrying -$400 price tag [LOL] Posted: 07 May 2014 06:02 PM PDT Will you look at that. The Motorola Moto X+1 has just made an appearance on Motorola’s site, although we can’t be sure how long the page will be up. Really, there’s not much to look at although possibly confirming the obvious — the phone will be available on AT&T. As this isn’t an official landing page, don’t pay much attention to that -$400 pricing. We’re pretty sure Motorola wont be paying you to take the phone off their hands. As one of the more hotly anticipated Android handsets of the year, we can’t wait to see what Motorola has been cooking when the phone officially comes out of the oven later this year. For now, daydream. [Motorola via Reddit]

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