Android Phone Fans |
- Logitech announces Type-S Bluetooth keyboard case for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5
- Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 with QHD Super AMOLED displays
- Watch Samsung’s live ‘Tab Into Color’ 2014 event here [VIDEO]
- Protip: Motorola will replace cracked/damaged Moto X, G, and E screens for FREE, but there’s a catch
- Moto 360 pricing revealed by online retailer
- Google may have confirmed Android 5.0 as next major firmware release
- Facebook Messenger can send 15 second videos in latest beta
- Google Glass to launch internationally at Google IO [Rumor]
- Rovio’s new Angry Birds RPG is now available for Android
- Starbucks alienates most Android phones by siding with PMA wireless charging
- Samsung Galaxy F lays in bed with the Galaxy S5, has much less bezel
- Huawei Ascend Mate 2 Review
- VVVVVV and Super Gravitron finally arrive on Google Play
- Android is about to get a major redesign
- Amazon launches music streaming service for Prime subscribers
| Logitech announces Type-S Bluetooth keyboard case for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 Posted: 12 Jun 2014 05:32 PM PDT Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S “Premier” event has just concluded, but it didn’t take long for 3rd party manufacturers to begin announcing new products built especially for the tabs. Logitech is the first on board the Tab S train, announcing a new Bluetooth keyboard specifically for the Tab S 10.5, dubbed the Logitech Type-S. The keyboard also doubles as a case to help protect your shiny new Tab S 10.5 from injury, even going as far as featuring “water repellant” materials — but don’t go dunking it in the pool or anything. Logitech says the Type-S will officially go on sale later this month for $100, not too long after the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.4 and 8.4 are officially up for pre-order. [Logitech] |
| Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 with QHD Super AMOLED displays Posted: 12 Jun 2014 04:30 PM PDT During their live “Premier” event at Madison Square Garden in New York, Samsung has officially unveiled their new line of Galaxy tablets: the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. As you no doubt already figured out, the numbers designate their respective display sizes, coming in either 10.5-inch or 8.4-inch varieties. Following Samsung’s current Galaxy S5 design language, the tabs feature a perforated faux leather back and will come in either black or white colors choices. Before we go any further, here are the easily digestible specs in bullet list form, straight from the horse’s mouth:
One the software side of things, Samsung mentioned the tabs will feature a child-friendly “Kid mode” and connectivity with your Galaxy S5 that allows you to receive calls directly from the Tab S via a feature they’re calling “SideSync 3.0.” Samsung also announced partnerships with Netflix to bring full HD 1080p video streaming to the Tab S, along with Condé Nast for Vogue, GQ, Glamour, content, as well as National Geographic. Marvel — who will include the Tab S in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron movie — also announced that they’d be giving away a free 3 month subscription to Marvel Unlimited, along with Google Play with their free 90-day trial to Google Play Music All Access and free copy of Gravity for Play Movies & TV. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 WiFi model will be available this July for $500, or $400 for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, with pre-orders beginning June 13th. Samsung also announced accessories like their very own “Book Cover,” and the Logitech Type-S Bluetooth keyboard (pictured above for $99). Our own Kevin Krause is reporting live from the show, so stay tuned for his hands-on to see the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4 in action. |
| Watch Samsung’s live ‘Tab Into Color’ 2014 event here [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Jun 2014 04:01 PM PDT Samsung is about to kick off the the live stream to their “Tab into Color” event and if you’d like to play along, you can watch their entire shindig here. What does Samsung have planned? Well, we have a really good feeling they’re gearing up to announced their new Samsung Galaxy Tab S line ( Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4), complete with quad HD Super AMOLED displays. We can’t believe they haven’t done it up until now, but we should learn all about the new tabs in only a few more minutes. |
| Protip: Motorola will replace cracked/damaged Moto X, G, and E screens for FREE, but there’s a catch Posted: 12 Jun 2014 03:49 PM PDT When HTC announced their “HTC Advantage,” perks offered to owners of the HTC One M8, we figured they were the only OEM on the block offering free replacements of damaged or broken smartphone displays but we were wrong. As it turns out, some folks on the Moto X subreddit are sharing an interesting perk, one that we’re sure not too many people know about (we sure didn’t). Apparently Motorola offers Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E customers a free, 1-time replacement of a cracked/damaged displays (a $175 value), as long as the phone was purchased directly through Motorola’s website. An awesome perk to be sure, it’s one you wont find advertised anywhere on Motorola’s site, but we were able to receive confirmation directly from Motorola that the offer is indeed valid, although it doesn’t extend to models purchased from any other store or retailer. What’s more is the customer service rep we spoke to said the offer would also extend to the upcoming Motorola Moto X+1, again, as long as it’s purchased directly through Motorola. Links for anyone on the fence about buying a phone through Motorola can be found below. Anyone else out there with a busted Moto X, G, or E display can submit their device for free repair/service through Motorola here. |
| Moto 360 pricing revealed by online retailer Posted: 12 Jun 2014 01:55 PM PDT When Motorola took the wraps off their upcoming Moto 360, Android fans everywhere were drooling over the smartwatch’s fashionable design. Since then, we’ve seen the smartwatch appear in a variety of teasers, with a larger than life prototype appearing on the Android Developers page and the Moto 360 even making a brief appearance on Jimmy Fallon. We know Motorola is looking to launch the smartwatch soon, but one detail that’s had everyone guessing (aside from its specs) is the watch’s price. It was yesterday we learned the full specs of LG G Watch — a fellow Android Wear competitor — as well as the price, launching at a sub $200 price point. Today, UK retailer Mobile Fun has it on good authority that the Motorola Moto 360 will launch at £199.99, which roughly translates to about $336.58. It’s tough to say if Motorola will bring that price down to an even $300 in the US, but we’d have to say that pretty much falls in line with what we were expecting from the premium smartwatch. Both the LG G Watch and Motorola Moto 360 will be running Google’s newly announced Android Wear platform for wearables, an extended version of the Android notification panel we all love (and Apple is slowly assimilating). We expect Google will reveal much more about the mini-Android OS during this year’s Google I/O, where they could be handing out LG G Watches to the show’s attendees. |
| Google may have confirmed Android 5.0 as next major firmware release Posted: 12 Jun 2014 12:49 PM PDT While advertising the new World Cup card now available on Google Now, Google may have inadvertently confirmed the number of the next major Android release. The time, which shows 5:00, is typically used by Google to denote the Android version in all of their promos. It’s not uncommon for something like this to “leak” in Google’s screenshots, something we’ve seen in the past from their Google app listings in the Play Store. Now that we could know the version number of the next Android version, still left open for discussion is the type of dessert they’ll use to name it after. Last year Google made a non-money-exchanging-hands kind of deal with Nestle to name Android 4.4 after their KitKat candy bar. It’s possible we could see Google do something similar with the L release (maybe Lemonhead?), or they could go the more generic route with something like lollipop. What do you guys think? [Twitter] |
| Facebook Messenger can send 15 second videos in latest beta Posted: 12 Jun 2014 12:44 PM PDT If you’re an avid user of Facebook Messenger you may be interested to know about a few upcoming features. The beta was recently updated to version 6.0.0.27.0 (the public app is on version 5.0). Most of the updates don’t add much, but this one added two cool new features: videos and “big likes.” It has always been possible to quickly share photos with the built-in camera viewfinder, but now you can also share 15 second videos. Instead of tapping the shutter button you can hold it down to record. This joins the ability to send voice messages, stickers, and of course photos. The other thing that you can send is the “Like” button, which also got updated. Facebook Messenger has an ever-present thumbs-up button so you can quickly like a message. In the latest update you can long press on the thumb and watch it grow. You can send small, medium, or large-sized “likes.” It just depends on how much you like the message you received. To join the Facebook Messenger beta head on over to this Google Group and follow the instructions. |
| Google Glass to launch internationally at Google IO [Rumor] Posted: 12 Jun 2014 11:47 AM PDT Over the past 14 months, Google’s Glass Explorer program has gone from early developer access, to contest winners, to friend referrals, and recently even opening up the purchase of Glass directly from Google without the need for a special invite. Through all of these changes a common criteria existed: be at least 18 years old, have $1,500 readily available, and be a resident of the United States. Thankfully, Google plans to nix at least one of those requirements in the very near future making Glass even easier to obtain. According to sources close to the matter, Google plans to expand the Glass Explorer program internationally, making the announcement at their upcoming Google I/O developer conference June 25 – 26, 2014. We’re told that Glass will launch in at least the UK, however we weren’t able to confirm any additional countries or regions. Chances are, other English speaking countries are included in the launch as well, such as Canada, Australia, etc. Another likely, but unconfirmed Glass launch location is Japan. A previous teardown of the GlassVoice.apk file included with the Glass firmware revealed many telling bits of information such as Japanese Java Locale’s, and even Japanese based voice commands. We weren’t able to confirm pricing for any of the upcoming international launch locations for Glass, but chances are you’ll have fork over your regions equivalent of $1,500 to join Google’s beta program. And if you’re in the UK, you’ll want to stay up to date on the latest driving legislation. Last summer the UK was looking into banning Glass while driving. So, international users, are you ready to join the Glass Explorer program? Let us know in the comments. |
| Rovio’s new Angry Birds RPG is now available for Android Posted: 12 Jun 2014 10:28 AM PDT Rovio’s latest game starring enraged fowl is a fantasy RPG. Angry Birds Epic is available today for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. This game is a drastic change from previous Angry Birds games. There is no more slinging birds or knocking down towers. Epic is a beginner’s entry into the world of role-playing games. Like Angry Birds Go!, this game is free to play, but will cost you if you want to make it easier. Players take a team of birds into battle against the pigs. Each member of the team gets a turn to attack. Characters can level up with armor and weapons as they progress. If you’ve ever played a turn-based game you will feel right at home. The game is well designed and easy to play, but the in-app purchases plague it. Parents don’t want their kids to rack up purchases, and adults don’t want to be constantly bombarded with money grabs. “Freemium” titles make more money for the dev, but many consumers would be happy to pay up front. Now I just feel challenged to beat the game without spending a cent. |
| Starbucks alienates most Android phones by siding with PMA wireless charging Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:42 AM PDT Soon people won’t be the only thing getting charged at Starbucks. The coffee giant is planning to install Powermat wireless charging stations at shops across the US. This is a huge win for the Power Matters Alliance, which is battling the Qi charging standard. Many smartphones have been released with the Qi standard, but the tides could begin to shift. The Powermats at Starbucks will be embedded in tables indicated with small circles. If your device doesn’t have PMA built-in, which most don’t, you can purchase a small dongle that will plug in to your device and allow charging. During trials at Starbucks people typically used the charging for an average of 15 minutes, which is just enough time to give your battery a nice boost. The rollout will begin at Starbucks locations on the west coast at first, but next year they will reach all of the US. What do you think about Starbucks going with PMA? Most devices that have wireless charging today support the Qi standard. In order to use PMA charging devices you nee to buy a case. Do you have a Qi wireless charging device? Whose side are you on in this wireless charging battle? [via verge]
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| Samsung Galaxy F lays in bed with the Galaxy S5, has much less bezel Posted: 12 Jun 2014 08:45 AM PDT The latest Samsung device to be stealing headlines is the Galaxy F, otherwise known as the “Galaxy S5 Prime.” This device is said to be a more premium version of the GS5. The big feature that we’ve seen so far is an alleged metal body. Samsung phones are notoriously plastic-y and cheap feeling. A metal device would be a huge change. Today a new photo of the Galaxy F has leaked. This new photo shows the Galaxy F right next to the Galaxy S5. We can’t see if the back of the device is metal, but what we can see is equally as awesome. The bezels on the Galaxy F appear to be greatly reduced. The overall size of the device is close to the GS5, but the smaller bezels mean the display is slightly larger. The display is expected to be Quad HD like the LG G3. Obviously Samsung is trying to answer LG’s shot with a new device of their own. We only hope current GS5 owners don’t feel too disrespected. [via PhoneArena]
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| Posted: 12 Jun 2014 08:22 AM PDT The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G LTE has a name that is matched in size by its substantial frame, and as such won't be the smartphone for everybody. The phablet brings a compliment of specs that provide plenty of power, but it doesn’t quite achieve on the same level as competing Android flagships. That's alright — there is always a tradeoff. The Ascend Mate 2 looks all the more appealing when you consider its unlocked, off-contract pricing of $299. Read on for our full review. Build & DesignThere's no question the Huawei Ascend Mate 2 is a big phone. The minute you pry the handset from its box you will realize this fact. And you'd expect as much considering the phone boasts a 6.1-inch display. Once you go beyond this immediate conclusion we are left with a handset that is relatively uninspired in terms of design, which is a bit of a shame. The Ascend Mate 2's large size provides plenty of real estate for dreaming up a more intriguing look and feel, but instead we get a generic plastic rectangle that seems a simple (albeit much bigger) rehash any number of smartphones that came before it. The Ascend Mate 2 measures in at 6.34" tall and 3.33" wide. At 0.37" thick, it's not the thinnest smartphone on the market but remains slim all things considered. The phone weighs just a hair over 7 ounces. But you want to know how it feels in the hand, don't you? Quite burdensome, actually. It's hard to imagine being able to use this thing with one hand, and Huawei hasn't made any particular efforts to specialize the design of the device for its larger form factor (e.g. incorporated stylus à la Samsung Galaxy Note). DisplayThe Ascend Mate 2 seems to be a device built around tradeoffs, and the handset's 6.1-inch IPS+ display is perhaps the best example. While it offers plenty of screen real estate with which to take in video, games, the web, and more, it does so with a yawn-inducing 720p resolution. Don't get me wrong: the display doesn't look bad, but it just feels a bit underwhelming compared to the 1080p Super AMOLEDs and Quad HD displays of the world. We noticed that the display on our review unit also reacted curiously when applying liberal pressure. The area below where the finger makes contact with the display would often distort under more generous taps and long-presses. We haven't seen a capacitive touch screen react in that way in quite some time, and such issues carry all the markings of sub-par materials. It's a shame. With a 6.1-inch display, the screen is, almost by default, the defining feature of the handset. When making a device of this size, it is imperative to deliver in this area, even if every other spec on the phone was garbage. And this sentiment reflects back on the Ascend Mate 2 as a whole. It is a device that could have been much more if only Huawei had taken advantage of its form factor. But again, we get it. It's a tradeoff. The display is one of the more expensive components that goes into a smartphone build, and keeping the Ascend Mate 2 priced at $300 off-contract requires skimping in some areas. We just wish it wasn't the display that suffered. HardwareA solid mix of hardware makes the Ascend Mate 2 workman-like, but it lacks some of the flash you might expect from a brand new Android smartphone. It uses Qualcomm's aging Snapdragon 600 chipset to provide quad-core processing at 1.6GHz. Pair that with 2GB of RAM and you get respectable performance , but it's not quite the productivity powerhouse you might expect from a phablet-class device. Nevertheless, the Ascend Mate 2 is well-suited for nearly anything you could throw at it, from 3D gaming to HD video. Just don't expect the smoothest performance at all times. The standard handset ships with 16GB of internal storage, but the phone also sports support for MicroSD cards up to 64GB. Storage is accessed via a removable back plate that provides access to both the card reader and SIM slot. While the handset will be sold unlocked by Huawei, it will only support GSM networks like T-Mobile and AT&T in the United States. Customers of CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint unfortunately will not have the option to use the Ascend Mate 2 on those networks. BatteryWhile many of the Ascend Mate 2's other hardware specs fall just shy of impressive, the battery most certainly does not. A non-removable 4050mAh battery can keep this phone going, quite literally, for days. It has so much excessive battery power that the phone can even be used as a portable charging station for other devices. This might come in handy if you carry a secondary phone or — if you are a glutton for punishment — a tablet in addition to this already large 6.1-inch smartphone. In reality, the feature will likely get the most use showing up your friends. You will offer to charge their dying iPhones and Android devices with the caveat that they must listen to you boast about the impressive battery life of your own phone. But if you are only concerned about keeping your own device powered, Huawei has you covered here. It would not be extraordinary to get two days (or more) of charge out of the Ascend Mate 2 with average use. SoftwareIf the Ascend Mate 2 has a glaring weak spot it is its software. An Android 4.3 build is skinned with Huawei's Emotion UI, an interface that is looking dated in comparison to Google's latest Android guidelines. While manufacturers like LG, HTC, and even Samsung move toward a refined user experience with simple, tasteful design elements, Huawei's take remains squarely rooted in the more bubbly, childish Android of yesteryear. On top of an interface that lacks much visual appeal, Huawei hasn't done much to differentiate the software of their device. They offer a few options like one-hand mode, but even these seem a bit half-baked. One-handed operation only applies to the dial pad, which is nice but ultimately a part of our phones that we interact with less and less. One might expect Huawei to take a page out of Samsung's book and offer a one-hand mode that shrinks the entire interface down to fit on a more manageable portion of the screen. With the Ascend Mate 2 you can expect to always type with two hands. Likewise, Huawei's W.o.W. key is a nice floating toggle with access to quick shortcuts, but half are redundant versions of Android's software navigation keys and there is no option to customize the functionality of this key. It was also mildly annoying that the toggle can only be snapped to the edge of the display rather than placed anywhere the user desires. Huawei failed to cease an opportunity to provide an experience truly unique to the Ascend Mate 2 and its form factor, and the result is a device that feels like a rather pedestrian smartphone in a much larger package. CameraHuawei skimped in many areas on the Ascend Mate 2, but one where they did not was the camera. A 13MP sensor provided by Sony is capable of producing some pretty decent shots, although Huawei hasn't offered much to enhance the photo experience. The camera app is straightforward, providing only a few shooting modes (including shot and sound), but pair the 13MP camera with a more advanced app from the Google Play Store and the Ascend Mate 2 remains surprisingly competitive in this space.     Perhaps more impressive than the 13MP main camera is the 5MP front-facing camera, which seems to have gotten a bit more attention from Huawei. The wide-angle lens makes quick work of selfies and even features a "groufie" mode for taking panoramic group portraits. The Bottom LineYou want a phablet that you can own at a middle-of-the-road price without the hassles of a long-term carrier contract or monthly installment plan? You might consider the Huawei Ascend Mate 2, which is now up for pre-order via GetHuawei.com. It's an ambitious device from a manufacturer looking to make a splash in the US market, but even its makers admit that it won't be for everyone. For us, the Ascend Mate 2 seems a bit hesitant, never pushing the boundaries of what it could really be, instead settling for a device built on compromises of cost versus performance.
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| VVVVVV and Super Gravitron finally arrive on Google Play Posted: 12 Jun 2014 08:11 AM PDT Last month we published a list of the “10 Most Addictive Games for Android.” One of the games in that list was Super Hexagon, the timeless and excruciatingly difficult time killer. The developer of Super Hexagon, Terry Cavanagh, has created several other awesome games. This week he finally released two of them for Android: VVVVVV and Super Gravitron. VVVVVV (that’s 6 V’s) has won numerous awards as an indie game. The game is a 2D puzzle platformer. You control Captain Viridian, who is lost in an alternate dimension in search of missing members of his crew. Instead of jumping you are able to control the direction of gravity. This allows you to flip between floors and ceilings to get around the levels. The game is very difficult, like most of Terry’s games, but it has many checkpoints to help you along. Super Gravitron was originally a minigame at the end of VVVVVV. The goal is to simply avoid flying blocks for as long as you can. Both of these awesome games are available in the Play Store now. VVVVVV is available for $2.99, and Super Gravitron is free. Great games like these don’t come out every day. Go forth and download! |
| Android is about to get a major redesign Posted: 12 Jun 2014 07:31 AM PDT Android design has been rapidly evolving ever since Ice Cream Sandwich was released almost three years ago. What used to be an ugly and unorganized OS is now much cleaner and more focused. Google is never done tinkering with things, and if a new rumor is true it could mean big changes for the way Android and Google apps look. Sources familiar with the situation have revealed information about a new initiative at Google to unify design across its apps and platforms. They are calling it “Quantum Paper,” which sounds more like a Bond film than a software redesign. The goal is to make all Google apps have the same user interface and experience on the web, Android, iOS, and any other platform. This new design can be seen in leaked screenshots of a new Gmail app and the Gmail web version. Quantum Paper is about more than just Google apps. The new design language will be available to developers, and Google will encourage them to integrate the new elements into their own apps. Simply put, Google is trying to unify applications across the internet. It’s a bold venture, but right up Google’s alley. Quantum Paper will start showing up in Google apps first. You can already see some elements in the most recent version of Google+ for Android. What do you think of this new design? Yay or nay? |
| Amazon launches music streaming service for Prime subscribers Posted: 12 Jun 2014 06:28 AM PDT Amazon is launching a music streaming service for Prime subscribers today. This service, simply called Prime Music, is trying to compete with the likes of Spotify. Current Prime subscribers get access to over a million songs for free, others can get access with a free 30-day trial. With so many streaming services available you may be wondering what Prime Music has to offer. Amazon appears to be focused on playlists, like Beats Music is trying to do. There are already a number of curated playlists available to stream. Prime Music doesn’t have a lot of new releases available for free streaming, and songs from Universal Music are not included either. So while you do get access to over a million songs, they may not be the songs you want. Prime Music apps will be coming soon for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac, but for now you can explore the library with the link below. EDIT: The Amazon MP3 app has been updated to “Amazon Music.” Download here. Are you a Prime subscriber? Are you interested in this streaming service? |
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