Android Phone Fans |
- Moto X sees $100 discount for 48 hours, sale starts tonight at midnight
- OnePlus shows us how long it took rival OEMs to release devices after announcing
- HTC One M8, M7, and other Google Play editions receive Android 4.4.3 as HTC posts kernel source
- Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E now receiving Android 4.4.3
- Moto 360 prototype looks flippin’ huge compared to the LG G Watch
- Moto Stream is like a tiny Nexus Q with sharper angles, much cheaper price tag [VIDEO]
- How to create your own version of Android with Xposed
- Leaked LG G Watch boot animation gives possible glimpse at redesigned Android logo
- Verizon bringing amber gold and glamour red HTC One M8 June 5th
- Instagram 6.0 puts on its big-boy pants, introduces all new photo editing tools
- WatchESPN, MLS, Crunhyroll and Google+ Photos come to Chromecast
- HTC suffers down month in May
- Sony officially announces the Xperia T3
- Report: LG G3 outselling Samsung Galaxy S5 3-to-1 in South Korea
- Here’s the plastic-clad HTC One E8
| Moto X sees $100 discount for 48 hours, sale starts tonight at midnight Posted: 03 Jun 2014 06:08 PM PDT The Motorola Moto X is about to be the subject of yet another sale. Starting tomorrow, we’ll see the phone marked down a hefty $100 for a full 2 days. The deal is only good for the 32GB model (we’re assuming all carrier models including the unlocked T-Mobile variant), which will bring the grand total to about $300 for a brand spankin’ new 2013 flagship. The sale kicks off at 12AM (ET) tonight, so you might want to stay up late if you have your heart set on picking one up. Those on the fence can check out our in-depth review of the Moto X here. We’ve also supplied a quick link to the Moto X on Motomaker below. [Motorola Moto X on Motomaker | Motorola Moto X Developer Edition] |
| OnePlus shows us how long it took rival OEMs to release devices after announcing Posted: 03 Jun 2014 03:41 PM PDT It’s tough to wait. We get it. Especially when someone shows you something you absolutely must get your hands on as soon as possible. That’s the feeling many had after much hype beasting, new startup OnePlus officially unveiled the high-end, yet affordable, OnePlus One. More like an early preview, things quickly turned sour for fans failing to nab one of OnePlus’ early invites. To help address complaints that OnePlus is dragging their feet when it comes to getting the One to market, the company’s PR team is once again performing a little damage control. In a chart thrown together by OnePlus, they break down the exact amount of days it took for a few popular Android devices to become available after they had been announced. The results? With the exception of the HTC One M8 which technically became available the same day it was announced, it’s really nothing too different from what we’re seeing with the OnePlus One announced a little over 30 days ago. Check it out for yourself. As a new, relatively small company looking to make some noise in a crowded market, OnePlus is doing what they thought was a smart move: show off their new flagship device and quickly allow some eager fans the chance to buy the phone early, before it was available for a general release. Sounded like a great idea to us. Think about it. We all know Google launches their Nexus devices at the end of the year, but what if Google gave some lucky Android fans the chance to buy and test drive the Nexus 6 early? Would you be down? How this backfired on OnePlus is anyone’s guess. In any case, OnePlus is simply urging fans to be patient and reminding those looking to buy the One that they’ll have their chance come later this month and without much difficulty. Honestly, it feels like only yesterday the OnePlus One was officially unveiled. |
| HTC One M8, M7, and other Google Play editions receive Android 4.4.3 as HTC posts kernel source Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:26 PM PDT By now you know Android 4.4.3 is rolling out to a variety of “stock” Android devices. We already told you about the update hitting Motorola devices (X, G, and E) and have received reports of the update arriving for the both the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition, and HTC One (M7). Without wasting any time, HTC is now posting the kernel source for, not only the HTC One (M7), but the HTC One M8 as well. This means the M8 should be joining the party any minute now (along with other GPe devices). You can find links to the source code via the link below. Update: The Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition is also receiving Android 4.4.3. It’s like Christmas in June! [HTCDev] |
| Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E now receiving Android 4.4.3 Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:11 PM PDT Heads up, Motorola has just announced via their official blog that they’ve begun preparations to begin rolling out Android 4.4.3 to their smartphone lineup this week. The update is set to hit the T-Mobile Motorola Moto X (we’re assuming they mean unlocked model), as well as unlocked models of the Moto G (US online or Brazil retail) and Moto E (US and Canada). What’s interesting is Motorola says the Moto E is still eligible for the next major firmware upgrade, leaving us to assume after that it could be the last one. Here’s what you can look forward to once the over-the-air update hits your device: Motorola’s Android 4.4.3 update
Motorola also mentions the update will bring new UI changes as well, along with overall stability fixes, added security, and improvements to Motorola’s power profiles. Sit tight, as the rollout begins today. Anyone got their Android 4.4.3 OTA yet? |
| Moto 360 prototype looks flippin’ huge compared to the LG G Watch Posted: 03 Jun 2014 01:32 PM PDT In a piece titled “An Android Wear Design Story,” the folks at the official Android Developers blog are giving us a nice little behind the scenes look at developing for the upcoming LG G Watch and Motorola Moto 360. Well that’s all good and dandy, the focus online is quickly turning to a prototype of the Moto 360 that’s gaining attention. While showing off the differences in layouts between the G Watch and Moto 360 — one with a square UI, and the other with a circular one — we’re treated to a nice comparison of each device, not only as it sits on the wrist, but in comparison to one another. The result is a surprising, “Holy damn, that Moto 360 is one big ass smartwatch!” Now keep in mind these are only prototype devices. It’s possible Motorola has shrunken down the Moto 360 considerably in the time between this prototype and the upcoming retail version. We just don’t want you getting your hopes up. After seeing this hefty Moto 360 XL, has this screwed up anyone’s opinion of the smartwatch? |
| Moto Stream is like a tiny Nexus Q with sharper angles, much cheaper price tag [VIDEO] Posted: 03 Jun 2014 01:02 PM PDT Motorola has just introduced their newest accessory for your Android (or iOS) devices. It’s called the Moto Stream and it looks to take your aging speaker system out of the dark ages and into the era of wires-free social audio streaming. Essentially a tiny Bluetooth receiver that hooks into your speaker system’s aux input, the Moto Stream manages to hide a few tricks up its sleeve. Namely, the ability to connect to 5 Bluetooth devices simultaneously via NFC, as well as hold that connection from up to 300 feet away. Connected devices show up as colored indicators on the Moto Streams face, giving us a retro vibe. For the most part, it’s a lot like Google’s long forgotten Nexus Q, minus all the curves, video streaming, or steep $300 price tag. Speaking of pricing, the Moto Stream will only set you back a fairly reasonable $50. And while it’s true you find comparable products for a little cheaper on Amazon (even some with aptX), none will look quite as stylish or feature all the same tricks as the Moto Stream. Check out Motorola’s trailer for the Moto Stream as well as a link directly from Motorola’s store should you be sold on buying one.
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| How to create your own version of Android with Xposed Posted: 03 Jun 2014 12:40 PM PDT Just over two months ago I made the switch to Android. At first I told myself I wasn’t going to get into the rooting and modding. For a while I succeeded at keeping my phone completely stock, but eventually the bug bit me. First I downloaded a few launchers, then some icon packs, and before long I found myself rooting my device. The reason I decided to take the plunge was an extremely cool tool called Xposed. What is it?Xposed allows you to customize things all the way down to the system level without the need of a custom ROM. It uses “modules,” which are essentially plug-ins or extensions, to add features directly to Android. The best part about Xposed is how easy it is to use. The things that you can do with Xposed used to require serious know-how and tinkering skill. Now with just a few taps you can create your own personalized version of Android (and still get OTA updates). Let’s get started! Install XposedFirst of all, in order to use Xposed you need to root your phone. Almost every Android device has a different way of gaining root access. If you need to root your phone head on over to Android Forums, locate your device forum, and check out the “All Things Root” sub-forum. Come back to this guide when you’re done!
Now you are ready to download some modules and start customizing your Android device! Download ModulesDeveloper support for Xposed is very good. There are hundreds of modules to choose from in the Xposed Installer app. Open the app that you just installed and go to the “Download” section. Here you will find a list of modules. Most modules will work on any device unless they say otherwise. To download a module and get it working follow these steps:
Some modules will add a feature with no configuration required. Others will come with an app that allows you to set it up and adjust settings. After rebooting your device you can open the companion app and fiddle with it until you have everything set up the way you want. Another reboot will most likely be required before the changes take effect. Now that you know how to download modules, which ones should you try? Here are some of our favorites. 5 Xposed Modules To TryLet apps choose UI theme with Tinted Status Bar Every time I share a screenshot or make a video I get asked the same question: how did you make your phone look like that?! What they are referring to is the colored status and nav bars on my Nexus 5. This is done with a module called “Tinted Status Bar,” and it’s the original reason why I rooted my phone. This module will automatically change the status and nav bar colors to match the app you’re currently using. It’s also possible to manually change the colors for every app. You can see a few examples in the screenshots above. Use apps in floating windows with XHaloFloatingWindows One of the most popular custom ROMs available today is Paranoid Android. It has an awesome feature called “Halo” that puts apps in floating windows. XHaloFloatingWindows is an Xposed module that brings the same feature to any ROM. This module is especially useful on Android devices with large screens, like the Note series or tablets. Download location-restricted apps with MoDaCo Toolkit MoDaCo Toolkit is a module that can do a bunch of things, but the most useful is the location-restriction removal. Once installed you will be able to do things like make Amazon MP3 behave like you live in the U.S., and download apps from the Play Store that aren’t available in your region. Other things you can do with the Toolkit include the ability to rotate all apps in all directions, and some special tweaks for HTC One users. Tweak everything with GravityBox Our last recommended module is for KitKat AOSP devices. GravityBox is full of tweaks for almost every area of your phone. Add QuickSettings tiles, lockscreen shortcuts, status bar and navigation bar tweaks, power settings, hardware key settings, and much more. It’s a catch-all for practically anything you would want to customize. This module should only be used with vanilla Android 4.4 ROMs. Control app permissions with XPrivacy Have you ever downloaded an app and thought “why does it need this permission?” Or have you ever wished you could just disable on specific permission? With XPrivacy you get complete control over all of your app permissions. You can sort apps by what permissions they require and spoof permissions you don’t want. For example, if you don’t want an app to know your location, XPrivacy will give it a fake one. It can also give an empty list if the app asks for your contacts. This is a very handy module for the paranoid user.
*** Xposed is one of the best reasons to root your Android device. If you love customizing your device this is an easy way to make some powerful changes. Are you using Xposed? What modules do you use? Have we convinced you to give it a try? |
| Leaked LG G Watch boot animation gives possible glimpse at redesigned Android logo Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:58 AM PDT Android branding could soon be subject to a bit of a face lift if this purported LG G Watch boot animation is to be believed. The file — which was apparently pulled from a G Watch and is now flashable thanks to the handy souls at XDA — features a calming sunset that transforms into an eclipsed moon, and then eventually breaks down into a swirl of Google’s typical Blue, Green, Red and Yellow color scheme. Near the end of the animation the colors draw out the word “Android” in some rather stylish font. We’re not sure if Google will make this the new permanent logo, but we sure are hoping so. It’s not that we don’t have a sentimental connection to the original that can currently be found on some recent handsets, it’s just that… well, it’s ugly. It’s dated. It looks like it was designed by logo company that missed the web 2.0 ship. It’s time to retire it, and dammit I wouldn’t be mad if this is what Google would use to do just that. [via Reddit] |
| Verizon bringing amber gold and glamour red HTC One M8 June 5th Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT Verizon has revealed two new color options for folks who don’t like the current crop of styles for the HTC One M8. Their signature red will be sported proudly in the Glamor Red version, while those more into gold will be happy to know that they’ll have their own Amber Gold option, as well. Beyond fresh coats of paint these are the same HTC One M8 devices we reviewed back in April, so read up on it if you’re looking to get one and want to know if it’s worth its skin. If so, you can look forward to seeing these on Big Red’s store shelves June 5th (Verizon’s offering $100 off its $199.99 two-year contract price for a limited time to celebrate Father’s Day). [via Verizon] |
| Instagram 6.0 puts on its big-boy pants, introduces all new photo editing tools Posted: 03 Jun 2014 10:54 AM PDT I’ve been a big proponent of Instagram ever since the service first launched. A social network centered around using photos to share your daily life, it was a great way to get a peek into your friends and families lives visually. There’s no question when Instagram first launched, its main draw was that it was easy for the casual smartphone user to make their photos look great using simple filters, or other light edits. But that’s where the photo editing stopped. New photo editing tools!Today, Instagram is announcing their all new version 6.0, and it’s as big of an update as they come. Typically, photo perfectionist would go into the photo editing app of their choice (Snapseed, VSCO Came, etc.) and make edits, save those edits, then upload that photo to Instagram. No anymore. With Instagram 6.0′s new photo editing tools, users can now make basic edits to their photographs, adjusting the warmth, brightness, contrast, or saturation of their images before they apply filters. What’s more is the photo filters can now be adjusted on their own, giving users the ability to adjust the intensity for a more subdued filter. There’s still more work to be doneThese new options are much welcomed for sure. But there’s still more work to be done. Despite 1080p smartphones becoming the norm nowadays (and quad HD fast approaching), Instagram still only displays photos in a lower resolution. While this may sound perfect for iOS devices, the world has since moved on from sub-720p. I mean, this is a photo app after all. It’s 2014. Would it kill Instagram to up the resolution even a little bit for full HD devices? Click image for full view Also, you may have noticed that no matter how amazing your 15 gigapixel Android camera is, photos you’ve uploaded end up looking like they’ve been snapped with a potato. Turns out the Android version of the app compresses images to a hideous, pixel-ie mess, a problem we should note is not present in the iOS version. The result? Your friends and family gloating over how much better the photos they’ve taken with their iPhone 4 look compared to your Galaxy S5. We’re not sure entirely sure why the favoritism, but even with countless updates, Instagram has failed to do a damn thing about this issue for years now. Until they do something about this — and it’s possible Instagram 6.0 could have fixed this issue — no amount of photo editing or filters will help your Android photos look like anything more than 16-bit. We’re anxiously awaiting Instagram 6.0 to hit the Google Play Store. You can update as soon as it goes live via the link below.
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| WatchESPN, MLS, Crunhyroll and Google+ Photos come to Chromecast Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:31 AM PDT Chromecast users have a few new apps to sink their teeth into starting today. This update is more for sports fans than anyone else, though folks who like to share photos on the big screen and watch anime will find nice functionality, as well. For sports, Google is getting us ready for World Cup season as we now have access to WatchESPN and Major League Soccer (that last one being important if you need to get psyched up ahead of time). It’ll also be good for basketball fans tuning into the NBA Finals. If you happen to want to share some of your Google+ photos with your family and friends on the big screen, you’ll now be able to do that with a simple tap of the cast button inside the photos portion of the app. Finally, anime addicts are treated to Crunchyroll’s catalog of shows (which consists of 25,000 videos and 12,000 hours of otaku goodness). Links to all these apps can be found straight ahead, or just jump into the Google Play app on your phone and update them to get the new functionality. Happy casting! [WatchESPN, MLS, Crunchyroll, Google+ via Google] |
| Posted: 03 Jun 2014 08:23 AM PDT The HTC One M8 is tasked with helping dig HTC out of the deep hole they’ve gotten themselves into, but it doesn’t seem to be doing quite as well as HTC would hope. The company posted their early unaudited results for the month of May, and they’re down not just month-over-month, but year-over-year, as well. They saw a decrease of about 4.6% from April to May, which can be explained a couple of different ways. For starters, the HTC One M8 launched in April and the surge of sales helped HTC spike to an increase of about 36% over March. When you consider that number it was still a pretty good month for HTC, though we’re sure they would have liked to keep the increases rolling. More alarming are the year-over-year numbers, where HTC lost about NT$7 billion (around $233 million). That is a drop of nearly 30%. HTC expects to meet their Q2 expectations despite those numbers, though they’ll need to get moving if they want to keep the revenue rolling in. They’ve already made a few different moves to make that happen, including today’s revelation of a more affordable version of the HTC One M8. It’s clad in plastic and comes with internals that are slightly toned down, and that should result in a cheaper price tag for those who can’t quite hit the high-end budget HTC’s targeting. They’ve also committed to more consistent mid-range and entry-level devices, many of which have already been released in select markets. HTC will also need to bounce back from a terrible marketing campaign that cost them billions of dollars and gained them little to no traction or mind share. Robert Downey Jr was cool in Iron Man, but he’s not quite good enough to sell a mobile phone, apparently. We’re obviously rooting for the company to do well because it would be a shame to see one less major competitor in the market. [via HTC] |
| Sony officially announces the Xperia T3 Posted: 03 Jun 2014 05:56 AM PDT Sony has another mid-range phone to sell you if you didn’t already jump on the billions of other phones they’ve released in the past year. It’s the Sony Xperia T3, a 5.3-inch HD smartphone housing a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, an 8 megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable to 32GB), NFC. Bluetooth 4.0, a 2,500 mAh battery and more. It’ll come with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, delivering some of Sony’s latest software features such as Battery STAMINA, Sony Music and Video Unlimited, and camera-centric features like Timeshift Burst, Social Live and Portrait Retouch. But even with all that, Sony’s main advertising point will be its stylish, sleek and slim looks — like they do for pretty much all their smartphones. This should come in at a pocket-friendly price point by the end of July, though no exact pricing or availability details have been given just yet. Take a look at it in the YouTube promo above. [via Sony] |
| Report: LG G3 outselling Samsung Galaxy S5 3-to-1 in South Korea Posted: 03 Jun 2014 05:22 AM PDT Some early sales numbers of have eeked out of Korean publication ETNews suggesting LG’s G3 is off to a very nice start. According to information they claim to have, the LG G3 is selling between 25,000 and 30,000 units per day since its launch on May 28th. The first takeaway alone was impressive — this was twice as fast as the LG G2 was selling when it first launched. But even more staggering is the publication’s claims that the LG G3 is outselling the Samsung Galaxy S5 3-to-1 in the same launch period. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is said to have sold 7,000 to 8,000 per day in its launch. Our early thoughts have us wondering if this is simply an anomaly or something more. Has LG finally crafted a phone that people can get excited for and get behind? Or is this a one-off result in their home turf? The former scenario certainly is plausible with LG being one of the first OEMs to mass produce a flagship smartphone with a Quad HD display inside — throw that fact into a couple of marketing bulletins and it could heavily sway public opinion. Couple that with improved build quality, cutting edge internals and new features, and we’d say that’s a fine recipe for success. It’s needless to say that LG still has a lot of work to do if they want to catch the Samsung Galaxy S5, which has already launched in over 100 countries around the world. And there’s no telling if LG will enjoy the same success in other regions as they have at home. One thing’s for sure, though — they’re probably feeling real nice right now, and they’ll want to make sure the momentum continues to roll as they look to launch in even more markets starting later this month. In the meantime, satiate your appetite for this treat by watching our hands-on video right here. [via PhoneArena] |
| Here’s the plastic-clad HTC One E8 Posted: 03 Jun 2014 05:03 AM PDT We’d heard HTC would be launching an alternate version of the HTC One M8 that housed a plastic chassis instead of the smooth metal we know and love. We thought it’d come to market as the HTC One M8 Ace, but unless this is an entirely different phone then the name has changed — this is the HTC One E8. It’s plastic — polycarbonate plastic, to be exact — and it packs a lot of the same power that the HTC One M8 does. It has a 5-inch 1080p HD display, front-facing BoomSound speakers, a Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2,600mAh battery and more. What it doesn’t have in common with the HTC One M8 is an UltraPixel camera or depth sensor. Instead, you get a lone 13 megapixel sensor with a lone LED flash (which is joined by a 5 megapixel kit on the front). You’re also only getting 16GB of internal storage. You’ll also get all the software features you’re probably familiar with in Android 4.4.2 and Sense 6 — namely, HTC Motion Launch, BlinkFeed and all of that other good stuff. HTC tells us it should be arriving in select markets in the early parts of this month, but we’ll have to wait a tad longer to get exact availability details. This could be a very nice alternative to the HTC One M8 if it comes in at the right price, so fingers crossed that there’s some real cash-saving incentive to go with this instead of just picking up the superior HTC One M8. [via HTC] |
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