The Latest Android News

[Poke]

Android 6.0 rollout announced and factory images live for Nexus 5, 6, 7, 9, and Nexus Player

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Andr...ve-for-Nexus-5-6-7-9-and-Nexus-Player_id74409

 

[Poke]

Alleged Galaxy S7 Exynos chipset clocks record benchmarks, power saving modes revealed

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Alle...enchmarks-power-saving-modes-revealed_id74442

Samsung is hard at work optimizing the performance of its Exynos 8890, codenamed M1 Mongoose chipset that will likely make a cameo in the Galaxy S7, which in turn is rumored for release in February, a month earlier than this year, just as the Note5 got released earlier than usual.

 

[Poke]

Samsung patents a trapezoid phone, with flexible display sloping over the bottom edge

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sams...-display-sloping-over-the-bottom-edge_id74441

Samsung is on the offensive with its YOUM brand of flexible AMOLED displays that use plastic, instead of glass substrates, so that they can curve and bend without breaking, while still displaying whatever you want them to show.

 

[Poke]

Rumored roadmap reveals that Exynos chipsets will feature Samsung's own GPU in 2017 or 2018?

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Rumo...ture-Samsungs-own-GPU-in-2017-or-2018_id74455

A rumored roadmap reportedly shows that Samsung will be using its own GPU on Exynos chipsets in 2017 or 2018. But before that happens, Samsung is supposed to employ Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) for its Exynos chipsets. With this architecture, the CPU and GPU are located on the same bus, allowing them to share the same tasks and memory. The bottom line is that a handset employing an HSA chip should run faster and offer improved graphics.

 

[Poke]

Samsung Galaxy S7 latest: Three versions with three different processors

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sams...sions-with-three-different-processors_id74491

It's been just a few weeks since Samsung officially announced the all-new Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 and already, we're looking ahead to what's next with the Galaxy S7. With the company apparently on the up financially after a period of downturn, the next flagship would seem an appropriate moment to take the mobile market by storm. From what we've heard so far, there's reason to be excited, with a magnesium alloy unibody design just one of the many treats found in the melting pot of rumors. Now, we're hearing that there may be three different variants of the Galaxy S7; two running separate versions of Sammy's Exynos chips, and a further edition rocking the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.

 

[Poke]

Chinese hackers may have stolen the technology behind Samsung Pay

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/7/9470675/samsung-pay-china-hackers-trade-secret-theft

When LoopPay was acquired by Samsung in February, it looked like a quick way to build a payments system from scratch — but Samsung may have been buying more than it realized. According to a new report from The New York Times, LoopPay's internal networks were breached by a China-based hacker group as early as March. Crucially, the attack does not appear to have breached the system that handles payments, so there's no reason to believe user data is at risk. Instead, LoopPay executives believe the attackers were after the technology that powers the payment system, which transmits payment information with an encrypted magnetic signal sent from a coil built into the phone itself.

 

[Poke]

Pepsi might be making an Android phone

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/12/9507165/pepsi-p1-android-phone-china

f I told you that there was a new Android phone with a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, 2GB of RAM, a 1.7GHz processor, a 3,000 mAh battery, and a 13-megapixel camera, would any of that information turn your head? Possibly. But what if it only cost $200, and it was being sold by Pepsi?

 

[Poke]

How To Copy: HTC's iPhone clone could be the One I've been waiting for

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/13/9518175/htc-aero-one-a9-iphone-clone-smartphone

Of all the phone manufacturers in all the vast and diverse lands of Android, HTC was the last company I expected to see producing an iPhone clone. Like Nokia (the original one, not the hollowed-out husk that remains today), HTC has been a long-time innovator in smartphone design and engineering. Its habit is to lead, not follow. And yet, just over a week from now, HTC will unveil its next hero phone, expected to be called the Aero, and well… it looks like an iPhone.

 

[Poke]

HTC One A9 rumor round-up: specs, price, release date

http://www.phonearena.com/news/HTC-One-A9-rumor-round-up-specs-price-release-date_id74674


It was some time in July when we started hearing about a mysterious new HTC handset named the Aero. Later on, rumors started reaffirming that it will be known as the HTC One A9, and various reports about its specs and placement in the smartphone hierarchy started popping up. A faux launch-date was whispered about – September 29th – but, as we all can pretty much confirm – an HTC One A9 has not been launched yet. Now, a new event is right around the corner – HTC is prepping to reveal something on the 20th of October and the rumor mill believes that this is when the world will see the A9 for the first time.

 

[Poke]

LG announces its first Android 6.0 Marshmallow update

http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-announces-its-first-android-60-marshmallow-update

LG tonight announced that its customers in Poland would again be the first recipients of a major update to the Android OS, with owners of the LG G4 to get Android 6.0 Marshmallow starting next week.

Europe, Asia and the Americas will follow, LG said in its news release.

 

[Poke]

HTC's media event starts at noon EDT tomorrow; catch the live stream here

It's today.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/HTCs...T-tomorrow-catch-the-live-stream-here_id74877

HTC will be holding a media event tomorrow, at which time the HTC One A9 is expected to be unveiled. It has been a long journey for the One A9, and there is a sense that the company could be poised to disappoint tomorrow. At the end of the story, you will find a link to the website where HTC is live streaming the event, which begins at noon EDT in the U.S.

 

[Poke]

HTC CEO says the One A9 will be a good alternative to Apple's iPhones


http://www.phonearena.com/news/HTC-...a-good-alternative-to-Apples-iPhones_id74879\

HTC is getting ready to unveil a brand new smartphone during an event held tomorrow in New York City. The new handset is expected to be called HTC One A9, and we've already had the chance to see it - thanks to the fact that, last week, Orange France inadvertently posted high-res renders that revealed its final design (check out the slideshow below).

 

[Poke]

The Samsung Galaxy S7 could sport a 20MP camera sensor, be even thinner

http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-...-a-20MP-camera-sensor-be-even-thinner_id74905

We've been hearing all sorts of rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S7 lately, and quite a few of them have been dealing with the handset's camera setup. It is said that "dual camera" is the new buzzword at Samsung, with the company supposedly having four concepts in development and planned for adoption in the first half of 2016.

In related news, Samsung just boasted about a new 20MP camera sensor it has developed, and the Galaxy S7 seems like the best and most logical choice to showcase it, seeing that all the company's current flagship smartphones are now out. The 20MP sensor measures 1/2.6" and has 1.0 micron-sized pixels, while boasting reduced power draw, thanks to being made on a 28nm process (coming all the way down from 65nm as seen in Samsung's 16MP 1.2 micron sensor used in its recent Galaxy phones).

 

[Poke]

HTC One A9 is official — aluminum body, fingerprint security and Marshmallow out of the box

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-o...-fingerprint-security-and-marshmallow-out-box

At its live-streamed virtual launch event today, HTC has announced the latest member of its premium HTC One family, the A9. The HTC One A9 brings balanced mid-level specs to an aluminum-bodied smartphone running the latest version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow. Other notables include a front-mounted fingerprint reader and a 13-megapixel camera camera with OIS (optical image stabilization).

 

[Poke]

Here's the HTC One A9 next to an iPhone 6s

http://www.androidcentral.com/heres-htc-one-a9-next-iphone-6s

Ask HTC and it'll tell you the A9 is an amalgam of many of its previous designs. The subtle brushed texture present on the back of the device can be traced back to the M8, while the polished sides mirror those of the M9. HTC's being doing plastic antenna lines in metal phones since the M7. And the raised, centrally-placed rear camera? Kinda reminiscent of the China-centric One E9 from earlier in the year.

 

[Poke]

Samsung Pay is now available on all major US carriers

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/21/samsung-pay-major-us-carriers/

Samsung has opened the floodgates to its mobile payment solution in the US. The company announced today that Samsung Pay now works with all major US carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular and, despite some drama, Verizon. In order to take advantage of this feature, which is Samsung's answer to Apple Pay, you'll of course need to have a compatible smartphone -- like the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ or Galaxy Note 5. Samsung Pay first became available Stateside in beta on September 28th, but as of today anyone on one of the big networks can start using it. To do so, download the app from Google Play, enter your debit/credit card information and you'll be set.

 

[Poke]

Motorola DROID Turbo 2 info sheet leaks revealing 48 hour battery life, microSD slot and more

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Moto...ur-battery-life-microSD-slot-and-more_id75016

An info sheet leaked from Verizon gives away some more information about the unannounced Motorola DROID Turbo 2, which is expected to be unveiled next Tuesday, October 27th. The sheet confirms that the phone will feature a shatterproof screen, and like the original model, the DROID Turbo 2 will give users up to 48 hours of battery life between charges.

 

[Poke]

Android Pay to eventually overtake Apple Pay?

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Android-Pay-to-eventually-overtake-Apple-Pay_id74998

Mobile payment services got a shot in the arm from Apple Pay. Such services seemed stuck, destined to be a tool that no one used until Apple Pay changed things. Apple's advertising, the popularity of the iPhone in the U.S., and consumer's desire to make checking out at the store a quick and easy experience, combined to make Apple Pay the early leader in mobile payments.

But a report by Digitimes says that Android's 75% global market share will eventually make shops and banks more interested in offering Android Pay than Apple Pay. Apple's global share is 20%. In addition, Apple Pay is found only on the newer iPhone models and Apple Watch. Any Android phone with NFC enabled will work with Android Pay after a simple software update. Lastly, Google has said that it won't take a fee from the use of Android Pay, while Apple collects a percentage of each transaction that uses Apple Pay. That difference alone could lead many retailers to join Android's camp instead of going with Apple.

 

[Poke]

Samsung Pay is adding 14 more banks, will soon support gift cards

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/27/9621464/samsung-pay-support-more-banks-gift-card-discover

A week after finally picking up support from Verizon, Samsung has announced an expansion of Samsung Pay, its mobile payments solution. Samsung has signed on 14 new banks for Samsung Pay: Chase, PNC Bank, TD Bank, SunTrust, Fifth Third Bank, First Hawaiian, Key Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, Virginia Credit Union, Associated Bank, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, and People’s United Bank will all support the service "in the coming months" according to Samsung.

 

[Poke]

Samsung Galaxy View: First look

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-view-first-look

It's not just smartphones that are getting bigger. As Android handsets push past the 5.5-inch mark -- for many, eliminating the need for tablets in smaller form factors -- tablets themselves are becoming ever larger. In recent months we've seen Apple unveil the iPad Pro, Google pushing the heavy-duty Pixel C as an extension of its Nexus tablet series, and Microsoft continuing to blur the line between laptop and tablet with the Surface 4 and Surface Book. So it's only fitting that Samsung, one of the original players in the Android tablet game, is also prepping a big-screened slate.