Friday, August 26, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
2016 Nexus Devices Rumored to Have 2 of Each Partition [feedly]
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2016 Nexus Devices Rumored to Have 2 of Each Partition
// xda-developers
Popular XDA Recognized Developer and well known HTC leaker, LlabTooFeR, just revealed some interesting information about the upcoming Nexus smartphones from HTC. If true, then both Sailfish as well as Marlin will have two of each partition (e.g. system_a & system_b). It's believed this setup is required in order to apply Android 7.0's new seamless updates in the background.
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Thursday, August 18, 2016
Android Nougat will be coming to a Nexus device near you next week [feedly]
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Android Nougat will be coming to a Nexus device near you next week
// Android Phone Fans
According to a leaked software schedule from Telus, Google will be releasing Android 7.0 Nougat to Nexus devices on August 22nd.
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Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 official with iris scanner, improved S Pen, and more [feedly]
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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 official with iris scanner, improved S Pen, and more
// Android and Me
After being the subject of a multitude of leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is now officially official.
While the Galaxy Note 7 may look similar to the Galaxy Note 5, there are a few subtle tweaks that make it a very different handset. First up is the display, which is a 5.7-inch 2560×1440 Super AMOLED screen like on the Note 5, but the Note 7's display features dual curved edges. The addition of these curved edges means that the Note 7 gets the Edge UX software features found on the S7 edge. The Note 7's screen is also covered by Corning's new Gorilla Glass 5.
Above that display is an iris scanner. This iris scanner gives the Note 7 added security, letting you use it to unlock your phone, authenticate Samsung Pay purchases, and authenticate other apps that support Samsung Pass.
Finally, the bottom of the Note 7 is home to a reversible USB Type-C port. This is notable because the Note 7 is the first Samsung smartphone to offer USB Type-C. Because the Note 7 has USB Type-C, Samsung today also announced a new version of the Gear VR that supports the Note 7 and its USB Type-C port as well as the other Galaxy S6, S7, and Note 5 flagships that use microUSB. The new Gear VR will launch on August 19 alongside the Note 7.
The rest of the Note 7's feature set is about what you'd expect from a Samsung flagship in 2016. It's got a Snapdragon 820 processor in the U.S., China, and Japan, while all other regions will get a Note 7 outfitted with an octa-core Exynos 8 Octa 8890 chipset. Also included is 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a microSD slot, and a 3500mAh battery that supports fast charging over both wired and wireless methods. Rounding out the hardware features is a Dual Pixel 12-megapixel rear camera with OIS and a 5-megapixel front camera. All of those features are wrapped in a body that's IP68-rated for water resistance.
Since this is a Note device, you're also getting an S Pen. This S Pen features a smaller 0.7mm tip and improved pressure sensitivity, and like the Note 7 itself, the S Pen is also IP68-rated for water resistance.
Finally, the Note 7 runs Android 6.0.1 beneath Samsung's custom user interface. That custom UI includes several software features, including Always On Display and Samsung Knox. There are several S Pen features, too, like the ability to quickly create GIFs using Smart Select and new Air Command features, including Magnify and Translate.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be sold in Black Onyx, Blue Coral, Silver Titanium, and Gold Platinum color options, though the gold model doesn't appear to be coming to the U.S., at least not initially. Samsung will launch the Note 7 on August 19.
In the U.S., the Note 7 will be available from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular. The big four will kick off pre-orders on August 3, while U.S. Cellular will start on August 4. No matter which carrier you buy from, you'll be able to choose either a free Gear Fit 2 or 256GB microSD card to go with your new phone. Additionally, T-Mobile subscribers will have the option of getting a free year of Netflix instead of the other two gifts.
Here's what the Note 7's U.S. carrier pricing looks like:
AT&T: 30 payments of $29.34 with AT&T Next or 24 payments of $36.67 with AT&T Next Every Year. Buyers can get $695 in monthly bill credits to put toward a second Note 7.Sprint: No pricing announced as of this post.Verizon: $36 per month for 24 months.T-Mobile: $69.99 down and 24 payments of $32.50.U.S. Cellular: 30 monthly payments of $27.80. Also offering 20 and 24 monthly payment options.
So now that it's official, what do you think of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7?
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New Nexus phones tipped to have fingerprint reader gesture for opening notification shade [feedly]
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New Nexus phones tipped to have fingerprint reader gesture for opening notification shade
// Android and Me
The 2016 Nexus leaks continue to flow tonight with a new report regarding a software feature that may be included with both phones.
According to the folks at Android Police, Google is planning to give its new Nexuses a swipe gesture that'll let you quickly access your notification shade. This gesture will be performed with a swipe down on the fingerprint reader, which is expected to be included on the back of the phone. For a look at what the new Nexus phones may look like, check out these leaked renders.
Today's leak also appears to include a toggle so that you can disable this swipe gesture if you don't want it.
This could end up being a pretty nifty feature if it is included with Google's 2016 Nexus phones. While pulling down your notification shade may not take a ton of effort, some folks have to really stretch their thumbs to reach up to the top of their phone's screen and pull the shade down with one hand. This fingerprint reader gesture will make accessing the notification shade easier, as you'll just have to place your finger on the back of the phone, which probably isn't too far from where it normally rests when you're holding the device.
Also of note is that today's leak includes those refreshed on-screen navigation buttons that we first saw in June, though the blue and green dots on the sides of the home button appear to have glitched. Additionally, the tip shows a device with a blue back, which is said to be the Electric Blue version of the new Nexuses that we've previously heard about.
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