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mardi 19 mai 2015

Upcoming ZenFone 2 Review Thoughts, Questions For You!

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When I first covered the ZenFone 2’s unveiling event, I was surprised to see such a compelling package for what seemed like such an affordable price. This, in addition to some reasons I will explain in short, led me to purchase the device, but not for myself (the phone will go to a lucky family member back in my country that I have yet to pick), and more so for XDA.

 

 

In this editorial I want to shine a light upon my background as a smartphone user, and why I chose to make this purchase (myself) when I will not be owning the device after the reviewing period.

 

Many of you have caught glimpses of my background through my articles or social media. I am from Argentina, which is a developing country at the southernmost corner of South America. Growing up in said country was not a cakewalk: in 2001, we had a peak in our financial crisis, a very own “Great Depression” that led the country to a default on foreign debt, massive unemployment growth, and a crippled economy that would soon pave the way to unimaginable inflation rates. This is hardly the ideal context for a kid to develop an affinity for expensive technology, but starting with a cheap Gameboy I began exploring this world of hardware and software. Sadly, it never got cheaper…

Despite being a developing market, Argentina has not been a target for the increasing trend of cheap offerings that certain OEMs are focusing on. In fact, devices like the Moto G cost several times more than they do in other countries, and several times more than they should. On the XDA office chat, I’ve shocked people by sharing images of phones at my country’s stores, with some flagships like the G3 going for close to U$S 1,500. In Argentina, most people buy Samsung devices – the low end kind with a billion words in their name. It is rare to see an expensive flagship there, particularly since many arrive late (or never) and import taxes are quite high and strict. Some phones like iPhones are seen as the ultimate coveted good.

To afford my devices in Argentina, I had to make smart use of discounts and promotions to bring down the price as much as possible. That netted me some rather good flagship phones like the S3 and the Note 3, but most people are not so lucky – in fact, I do not have a single friend in my country with a flagship from 2012 and onward. This is why I put a lot of attention to budget or affordable phones like the Moto G, which I swiftly recommend to people there. When I saw the ZenFone 2, I thought that this would be the perfect phone for people in my country. But it would also be a good chance to try to show what we at the XDA office think reviews should be all about, which is why I am investing on this device to help put our vision out there.

In the office chat, we constantly discuss about other sites’ reviews and their pros and cons, but what we mostly disagree with them on is methodology. In this sense, I want to make some things clear: the focus of the ZenFone 2 review (and the kind of reviews that we will aim for after that) will be on objective results. The review will also have an editorial and subjective section, but other than that, we intend for the meat of the review to be about the performance of the phone in comparison to other alternatives, in key areas for power users. This is particularly exciting because this phone holds in itself quite a few important developments in Android hardware: a 64-bit processor from ever-growing Intel and 4GB of RAM… and we expect that these are going to become very important (or at the very least, widespread) in the following months or years. It also touches on my personal interest for affordable technology, but I guarantee that I will compartmentalize that aspect from objective criticism, and from empiric testing as well.

 

We still don’t know where this review will take us. The device will arrive to me in a couple of days after which I will go forward with the methodology discussed within our team, which we want to let you in on. I want to emphasize the fact that any virtue that might come out of this methodology is a result of endless hours discussing Android within the XDA Portal Team office and learning from the great people at our forums.  I also want to mention that this phone came from my own wallet, as an investment for our XDA vision, a cure to my personal curiosity and inspired by my country and our Android community – which is strongly international, and many people here know the struggle of funding this hobby in countries like mine.  I am now anxiously awaiting my Amazon order to arrive. I hope that we can create a review that you will all enjoy. We all do. Last year I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be where I am today, analyzing technology with such an amazing group of people for such an amazing community… In many ways, this is a dream come true – and you, our readers, are the reason it is possible. So thank you, and know that we all value XDA more than we can say.

 

We also want you to be a part of this review, so we ask you this:

 

What do you want to know about the ZenFone 2? What do you want to see from our review? Let us know, we want to answer you!

The post Upcoming ZenFone 2 Review Thoughts, Questions For You! appeared first on xda-developers.



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Xperia Z1 Compact Available for $329.99

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The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is still a decent choice for those of you looking for a smaller phone with good hardware specs and continuous firmware support. Sony has lowered the price of its phone from $549.99 to $329.99 so head over to the Sony store website to check it out!

The post Xperia Z1 Compact Available for $329.99 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Change Battery Saver Warning Color – XDA Xposed Tuesday

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With all the tasks we ask of our smartphones, sometimes there isn’t enough battery to get through the day. That’s alright because Lollipop has a battery saver mode. When you are on that mode the notification bars change to orange. What if you want a different color?

In this episode of XDA Xposed Tuesday, XDA TV Producer TK reviews an Xposed Module that enables you to change the battery saver warning color. XDA Forum Member TheFragen created the module Remove Battery Saver Warning Color module. TK shows off the module and gives his thoughts, so check out this Xposed Tuesday video.


Be sure to check out other great XDA TV Videos:

The post Change Battery Saver Warning Color – XDA Xposed Tuesday appeared first on xda-developers.



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Kernel Adiutor Updated to 0.9.4.2 With Major Features

Kernel Adiutor

Kernel Adiutor is an application by XDA Recognized Developer Grarak to manage your kernel parameters. Its latest update brings thermal, thunderplug and thundercharge controls, as well as backup/flash options. Make sure to check it out!

The post Kernel Adiutor Updated to 0.9.4.2 With Major Features appeared first on xda-developers.



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Play Midnight For Google Play Music

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This Chrome extension styles Google Play Music to more eye-friendly, darker colors. The latest update also features Material Design on top of the dark layouts, with more accent choices and even a Firefox add-on coming soon!

The post Play Midnight For Google Play Music appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Maps v9.9 APK

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The latest version of Google Maps has brought the map application on par with the design guidelines followed in other Google apps by adding support for the translucent status bar. You need to be on Lollipop to see the new cosmetic changes in action.

The post Google Maps v9.9 APK appeared first on xda-developers.



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Recovery Mode Available for a Range of Unlocked Xperias

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Sony expanded its recovery program to include more devices. From now on users of unlocked Xperia Z1, Z1 Compact, Z Ultra, T2 Ultra, T3, M2 and E3 devices can use the modified bootloader to “add” the recovery partition. Definitely a nice move by Sony. More info in the announcement.

The post Recovery Mode Available for a Range of Unlocked Xperias appeared first on xda-developers.



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TWRP on OnePlus One to Support Qualcomm Encryption

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TeamWin member and XDA Senior Recognized Developer Dees_Troy announced on his Google+ page that TWRP for OnePlus One now supports Qualcomm encryption, which offers a better performance than the AOSP one. Upcoming builds of TWRP will have the support of the new encryption method, so be on the look out.

The post TWRP on OnePlus One to Support Qualcomm Encryption appeared first on xda-developers.



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QKSMS is One Year Old; Premium Codes Available for Free

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Today the QKSMS application is celebrating its birthday! To celebrate that event, the developer offers the premium version of the app, QKSMS+ for free. Head over to the Reddit thread to learn more about QKSMS and acquire the promo code.

The post QKSMS is One Year Old; Premium Codes Available for Free appeared first on xda-developers.



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lundi 18 mai 2015

Synaptics Touchscreen Fix For OnePlus One Drains Battery

OnePlus-One

Ever since the launch of the OnePlus One, users have been reporting touchscreen issues on the flagship killer which seriously hinder normal usage of the phone. The issue was profound enough to push several buyers of the OnePlus One to RMA their phone and not look back.

OnePlus recently did acknowledge that the touchscreen issues continue to haunt their users. Quoting Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus:

“Although percentage-wise the number of touchscreen cases is very small, we understand that our user base is very vocal. We take your feedback seriously and have been putting the One through a battery of tests and determined that there are different issues at play, some software and some hardware. We have, and will continue, to stand behind our products and honor warranty.”

 

Post this, OnePlus worked closely with Synaptics to issue a “final firmware fix” to hopefully iron out the issue for all. This firmware fix was merged by the CM team on May 15th 2015, and as with nightlies, made its appearance in the May 15th build. Users on our CM12.1 Nightly Discussion thread confirmed that the fix, for once, actually worked:

 

“It’s deffo the jgcaap boot image that’s losing root.
Fished back stock 14/05 boot image and got root back
However it’s taken 5 times as long to enter this text.
Definitely not placebo with the fw
Interesting
I can live without root for a night”
fards, XDA Recognized Developer

 

“i can confirm, the boot.img massivly improved typing for me, seems like the issue is gone! Will have an eye on that, i hope it will stay that way thanks!

edit:
failed to say that this is very interesting, my device is very warm and still functioning very good.”
nucky thomson, XDA Senior Member

 

“Can someone confirm if it registers 2 touches on the same horizontal line?
After flashing boot.img

Found the answer myself https://youtu.be/HswC-_uAtgo
🙌
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app”
vacenzo, XDA Member

 

“Today’s build totally fixed all my touch problems. This phone feels new. No more ghost swipes, works hot or cold, typing messages doesn’t take forever and a day. I’m blown away.”
mattardz, XDA Member

 

And many more. With the sheer number of users mentioning the update to having fixed their issues in the forums and elsewhere on the internet, this was definitely not a placebo effect.

All is well that ends well. But this did not end here. Along with improved touch responsiveness, users began reporting a sudden battery drain on the 15th May nightlies.

“On the flip side I think there are new issues that were introduced with the new modem and/or blobs. I notice that com.android.development is the leading battery drainer per GSam. In the regular battery info, it shows the settings gear with no title. No keep awake time from it. Maybe it’s just represented differently but I’m not seeing the 8-10mA drain in BatteryMonitorWidget I was seeing earlier. It’s reaching deep sleep fine, but the power draw seems a bit higher, like 30-50mA drain.”
tiny4579, XDA Recognized Developer

 

“Initial testing indicates it might be the touchscreen firmware itself causing the initial drain. More testing is needed to be certain, but I tried this and was still seeing the increased drain, even on the previous nightly and firmware with the new touchscreen drivers.

Edit: Further testing only confirms it.”
http://ift.tt/1Pun06n
tiny4579, XDA Recognized Developer

 

“My android system (replaced by some random icon) has huge amount of CPU time too.”
Emama, XDA Senior Member

 

As it would turn out, the touchscreen fixes actually lead to the increased battery consumption, even during deep sleep. This led to CM reverting the firmware:

Revert “synaptics: Update firmware to 14001227″

* Causing 30mA sleep current. Revert until new version is ready.

 

Of course, the very definition of nightlies is that they contain software which has not been thoroughly tested, and is meant to give users access to the bleeding edge features which are still in a beta state. The fact that a commit was reverted between nightlies is a common occurrence, and is not a big deal as such nightlies are not intended for use of the common user who cannot troubleshoot his problems. The revert message does indicate that a new firmware is being worked on, which should fix all issues without hopefully creating others.

If you are amongst those that are experiencing touchscreen issues which were fixed in the firmware fix, you can try the fix mentioned:

“If you want a workaround, try disabling the double tap to wake and the proximity check and gestures. It seems it doesn’t play nicely with the new drivers.”

Saw this posted here: http://ift.tt/1PumWUi
tiny4579, XDA Recognized Developer

 

If you would still like to have the latest CM changes but would prefer having the touchscreen firmware too, XDA Recognized Developer tiny4579 has posted an unofficial build which includes other recent changes up to May 17th 2015 along with the updated touchscreen firmware. The dev recommends disabling double tap to wake to avoid battery drain.

We do hope there is a final fix in order to end all touchscreen woes plaguing OnePlus One users. It would certainly be a shame to end such a promising smartphone on a bad note. After all, they don’t want us to settle.

The post Synaptics Touchscreen Fix For OnePlus One Drains Battery appeared first on xda-developers.



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Hehui To Supply HTC With AMOLED Panels

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Chinese display maker Hehui Optoelectronics is reportedly working to provide options for OLED displays at competitive prices to ease out the AMOLED market from Samsung Display’s dominant clutches. These AMOLED panels will be reportedly used for HTC handsets to be released in the second half of 2015.

 

The post Hehui To Supply HTC With AMOLED Panels appeared first on xda-developers.



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ZTE Teases The Nubia Z9 For Indian Launch Tomorrow

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Taking to Twitter, ZTE has teased us with the Amazon.in page of what will be its flagship, the Nubia Z9. The company is expected to launch its bezel-less flagship in the Indian market tomorrow, with Amazon.in reported to be the exclusive online retailer. Indian market price for the Z9 variants is unknown at this point.

The post ZTE Teases The Nubia Z9 For Indian Launch Tomorrow appeared first on xda-developers.



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Demo Video Of Xposed On Samsung Lollipop ROMs

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The XDA Community has done it again. This time, it’s XDA Senior Member darkera13 who has provided us a demo “proof-of-concept” video of the Xposed Installer and Gravitybox module working on a Samsung lollipop-based TW ROM. There are no download links available yet, but the dev has promised a how-to guide soon.

The post Demo Video Of Xposed On Samsung Lollipop ROMs appeared first on xda-developers.



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Oppo Releases ColorOS V2.1.0i Beta For Find 7 & 7a

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After months of testing, Oppo has released the Lollipop based ColorOS V2.1.0i Beta for the Oppo Find 7 and Find 7a. The team has had to resort to completely wiping all phone partitions using a PC tool to accommodate a larger system partition, so it is advised to backup and read thoroughly before proceeding.

The post Oppo Releases ColorOS V2.1.0i Beta For Find 7 & 7a appeared first on xda-developers.



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Colorful Xperia CM12 Theme

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Colorful Xperia is a wondrously done theme that combines the best aspects of Google’s Material Design and Sony’s Honami interface to style all the system apps, and is compatible with all devices running CM12.

The post Colorful Xperia CM12 Theme appeared first on xda-developers.



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Meizu Launches M1 Note In India, Open Sale From May 20th

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Meizu has added its own bet in the Indian market in the form of the M1 Note. The phone features a 5.5″ FHD display, 64-bit 1.7GHz Octa-core Mediatek MT6752 processor, 2GB RAM and Flyme 4.0 on top of Android 4.4. Pricing has not been revealed for the May 20th Amazon.in Open Sale, but can be around Rs. 9,999 ($150).

The post Meizu Launches M1 Note In India, Open Sale From May 20th appeared first on xda-developers.



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S6 Avengers Cases and Moleskine Notebooks Overview

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Samsung and Marvel have collaborated wonderfully to spice up the S6 and S6 Edge – check out this overview that details some of the results of the team-up, including Avengers-inspired cases and accompanying moleskine notebooks that contain sketches for Samsung’s product placement in the Age of Ultron movie.

The post S6 Avengers Cases and Moleskine Notebooks Overview appeared first on xda-developers.



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Cyanogen To Hold Meet and Greet in Belfast

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If you’re in the vicinity of Belfast, or just need an excuse to travel there, Cyanogen, Inc. is holding a Meet and Greet in partnership with DroidHorizon on June 19th. The event is of the social variety, with beer, food, music and techies – what more could you ask for?

The post Cyanogen To Hold Meet and Greet in Belfast appeared first on xda-developers.



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[THEME] Sense 7 Default

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HTC Sense is one of the nicest looking UI’s available for Android. Check out this theme made by XDA Forum Member sargat to make your ROM with CyanogenMod Theme Engine look like Sense 7.

The post [THEME] Sense 7 Default appeared first on xda-developers.



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OnePlus Touchscreen Issues Fixed, Android Wear 5.1.1- XDA TV

Jordan

Android Wear 5.1.1 is rolling out! That and much more news is covered by Jordan when he reviews all the important stories from this weekend. Included in this weekend’s news is the announcement of a resolution to the OnePlus touchscreen issues and be sure to check out the article talking about MediaTek taking Qualcomms place in Flagship devices. That’s not all that’s covered in today’s video!

Jordan talks about the other videos released earlier this week on XDA TV. XDA TV Producer TK released an Xposed Tuesday video covering theXposed Framework Alpha for Android Lollipop 5.1. Then Jordan reviewed the YU Yureka. Also, TK showed you how to tweak your kernel. Finally, if you missed it be sure to check out Jordan’s Review of the Nvidia SHIELD Tablet. Pull up a chair and check out this video.


Be sure to check out other great XDA TV Videos

Check out Jordan’s YouTube Channel and Jordan’s Gaming YouTube Channel

The post OnePlus Touchscreen Issues Fixed, Android Wear 5.1.1- XDA TV appeared first on xda-developers.



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dimanche 17 mai 2015

Do You Manually Toggle WiFi On and Off?

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Most of us are usually close to a WiFi source throughout the day but leaving WiFi toggled on may drain some battery life on your device. Some forum members like to use automation apps like Tasker to schedule when the WiFi should be turned on and off, while others either do it manually, or just leave WiFi on throughout the day. Which category do you fall into? Do you toggle WiFi on and off? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Do You Manually Toggle WiFi On and Off? appeared first on xda-developers.



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Sunday Debate: Hardcore Gaming on Android?

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Smartphone gaming is not regular gaming – for most gamers, the kind of games on Android are behind and under the more traditional videogames of consoles and personal computers. There are many phone games that bridge the gap, however, be through graphics, story, gameplay or the more holistic result. But as a whole, smartphones are geared towards simpler and more casual games – which is not entirely a bad thing, as people do enjoy these kind of titles.

 

However, power users face a dilemma: they buy these expensive and powerful phones that are capable of great-looking 3D graphics and immersive experiences, but as of now there aren’t many titles that fit those standards. People still play mobile games seriously – at the XDA office, we love playing The Witcher: Battle Arena during breaks on slow days. Mobile games don’t have to be equal to console titles, but we still love full-featured releases such as KOTOR and other old classics.

 

Our debate for the day has little to do with the Android OS itself: we want to discuss whether gaming companies’ incursion into mobile gaming is better for both mobile platforms and the companies themselves. Many are already jumping into the Android wagon. So we ask you: Could the future see mobile platforms become hubs of hardcore gaming? Do you think gaming companies jumping into Android is good for all parties? Would/do their mobile projects diminish or dilute the quality of older classics and newer gems? Do you think “serious” gaming is possible with mobile hardware now, or in the future?

 

The Hardware

 

Mobile hardware is, at this point, powerful enough for all sorts of brilliant experiences. Phone graphics have gone a long way, and the fact that you are carrying the device with you virtually all day is a great benefit to those on the go. Moreover, the high-resolution display and the powerful GPUs capable of outputting content in said resolutions are benefits that previous handheld consoles could never accomplish. Current handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita still don’t come close to the most powerful exponents in the Android space. The fact that you can put those pixels on a screen via OTG, Chromecast or other screen mirroring services and soon USB Type-C is something that puts mobile platforms in a privileged spot over traditional gaming consoles. Finally, video game streaming services like that of Nvidia can render the hardware gap obsolete.

 

The main problems with mobile hardware are not bound to the processor or screen, however. Battery life, for example, is already a serious concern for those that do not do phone gaming. Moreover, heat and throttling are also concerns that would prevent long and sustained sessions. But the biggest issue many people find right now is the touchscreen controls. Luckily, bluetooth controllers are easy to find, and we assume that if serious gaming becomes mainstream on Android, we wouldn’t have issues with them in hand. But the platform is inherently flawed at providing seamless controls for many genres without additional input. Finally, VR is also growing in the mobile space, and this combined with serious gaming can make for very amazing experiences – on the go!

The Companies

 

Many companies do release full-featured games on Android, but as it stands, they don’t develop them for the platform. What we see are typically new ports from old gems, such as the previously mentioned KOTOR, or Stranger’s Wrath, Grim Fandango, and more. Many genres do not work at all on the platform due to the controls, and developing a serious game takes serious time and money that might not be compensated through app sales. After all, most users are not used to paying over $5 for an app, much less the traditional $40 and up that handheld/home console and PC games go for. But the sheer volume of users could pay off with intelligent pricing or (sadly) alternative pricing models. Nintendo already made it clear that they want to release some of their IPs on smartphones, and Konami and Square Enix are also turning their focus to mobile platforms.

 

Would it benefit these big companies to dilute the value of their fan-acclaimed IPs with mobile games? If Nintendo released a Candy Crush clone based around Zelda, many fans (myself included) would hate them for it. But releasing a fleshed out Zelda is, at the same time, something that we might not see Nintendo do for a while on mobile. Such a game could drastically underperform due to the different playing and buying habits of mobile gamers, and if these kind of games fail, they can dilute the value of an IP for good. We also do not want to see our favorite gaming companies succumb to Freemium and IAP spam models. What we do know, however, is that the future of mobile gaming looks terrifically more promising than its present state, so it could be good to start betting on the space early on.

 

Debating

 

Mobile hardware is still evolving at fast rates, and with our high-resolution screens and upcoming VR boom, our phones could finally expand into and conquer home entertainment territory. At the same time, the physical limitations of current smartphones (touchscreens, heat, battery) don’t make many experiences as rewarding as a traditional gaming platform does. The companies in the game could greatly benefit from such a development, but we don’t know if their models would be beneficial for us users. Finally, a change of focus like this could also redirect time, money and energy from these companies’ console and PC developments, lowering and diluting the quality of the IPs we know and love.

 

  • Will hardcore gaming become a thing on Android? Why or why not?
  • Do you think it would be beneficial to users and companies?
  • What do you predict the outcomes would be?

The post Sunday Debate: Hardcore Gaming on Android? appeared first on xda-developers.



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XDA Recap: This Week In Android (May 10 – 16)

XDA News Roundup

Another week, another recap. The Sunday tradition marches on this week with a fresh no-nonsense look at big-picture news, but first, a note on global events. The nation of Nepal is no stranger to devastating earthquakes, and much of the country has suffered yet another blow at the hand of plate tectonics. As a public service, Google is making all VoIP calls to Nepal free through its Google Voice, Hangouts Dialer, and Google Talk properties. If you know someone in the region, please do not hesitate to reach out. At XDA, our hearts go out to those affected by this tragedy, and we wish the best for all involved. And now, back to the world of Android.

Here in the digital XDA newsroom, we spend our days pouring over an average of 2,500 news items and forum threads every 24 hours. Only the most timely and interesting bits survive the editing process, but the portal’s front page still sees weekly counts in excess of 100 posts. This is a glut of content to absorb, especially if following the news cycle isn’t your full-time job. However, the tech world is vast, and the information must flow. With this in mind, let’s dive into a slimmed-down version of this week’s news that’s the perfect size for easy Sunday morning consumption!

Notable Links

This Week in XDA TV

XDA covers more than just news, and nowhere is that more apparent than Jordan Keyes’ weekly posts to XDA TV. Here’s the latest round of ROM updates and phone tweaks mixed with a dose of current events; enjoy!

Full annotations for this video can be found in the main XDA TV post from Friday. For more from the TV team, Monday’s recap of last weekend features Cyanogen’s support of the OnePlus One in India, and a slew of other news. However, if you’re already two deep into these YouTube videos, you might as well settle in with some popcorn and fire up the complete archive (found here).

For all the news and only the news, read on.

Lollipop 5.1: More Phones & More Xposed Modules

The latest Lollipop is hitting the HTC One M7 (Google Play Edition) and Nexus 9 now, with the Moto X (2013) set to follow “in a few weeks.” On the Samsung front, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are on track for a June upgrade that will bring much needed RAW camera capture and a handful of other tweaks.

These are only a few of the more popular handsets, and other device upgrades will likely be inbound in the coming weeks. For the latest on the phone in your pocket, be sure to subscribe to its development page on the XDA Forums – your first stop for device specific news.

Upgrades bring new features, fixes, and polish, but what about the down-sides? The Xposed Framework won’t be supporting 5.1 for some time, but the newest unofficial Alpha is playing nice with more modules than ever before. This week, GravityBox and is on the list. Check out the Xposed Tuesday video (at right) for more on how to get up and running with the latest build!

For the full scoop, here’s the accompanying feature article.

The World of Wear

The global roll out of LG’s stylish Watch Urbane continues this week, with news of an imminent release in India for Rs. 35k or less. The wearable features roughly the same internals as the earlier G Watch R, but is the first watch to run Android Wear 5.1.1 with its wifi connectivity. Early reports showed that channels 12 and 13 were disabled due to a bug, but this behavior should be fixed in an upcoming patch.

Other smartwatches are finally beginning to see the new OS version as well, starting with the original Asus Zenwatch. Wear 5.1.1 brings a new launcher, wrist gestures to scroll through cards, emoji drawing, persistent apps, wifi connectivity (where supported by hardware), and several other tweaks.

On the smartwatch horizon, the new Zenwatch is now slated for a June 2-6 debut at the Computex Taipei trade show, with a third quarter release to follow. Motorola also appears to be readying their next wearable for release, as a probable Moto 360 successor was spotted during certification at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Could this mean an unveiling at Google I/O like last year’s model?

Verizon Buys AOL

verizon-logo-bigPerhaps the biggest story of the week was Verizon’s acquisition of AOL. Remember AOL – the service provider that still sends free branded frisbees installation CDs in the mail? These days, AOL is known in the industry for its advertising patents and technology, as well as its continued media streaming prowess (yes, really). The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg offer fascinating insight into how these factors are likely the driving force behind the buyout, and both are well worth the read.

In the journalism sphere, the more immediately visible implications are for TechCrunch, Engadget and Huffington Post, all of which are being swept up in the sale. As expected, the publications are already making ardent statements of their commitment to unbiased journalism. As fellow journalists, we at XDA feel for their predicament, and wish them the best of luck.

Future Phones

Yu

Yureka, the affordable powerhouse from the newest Chinese upstart, gets a substantial bug-fix update to correct battery and heating issues, and enhance security. Read more! This one has been on the market for a while, and you can watch our new video review here, but the big news from this India-focused brand is where Yu is going next.

saturn-ring-yuphoria -colorsYureka’s newest sibling is the beefier budget Yuphoria. For the Rs. 6999 price tag, you will see a 5” 720p IPS display covered by Gorilla Glass 3, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB ROM (with microSD supported up to 64GB), Qualcomm’s 64-bit 1.2 GHz Quad core Snapdragon 410, an 8MP rear camera (f/2.2) and 5MP selfie cam (f/2.0, 86 degree wide angle), all powered by 2230mAh and Qualcomm QuickCharge 1.0 (yes, the older but still capable fist charting tech). Check out our Yureka feature for the full rundown on YU’s latest CyanogenOS toting smartphone, the new Rs 999 Yu Fit wearable, and tricorder-like Health Yu monitor for Rs. 4999. The Health Yu is perhaps the most innovative of the bunch, packing a slew of sensors to track ECG, Skin Temperature, Blood Oxygen Saturation, Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood Pressure, and more from any smartphone.

Asus

While we’re on the subject of India, Asus just announced an exclusive Zenfone 2 variant for the sub-continent that packs a whopping 4GB of system RAM. For more, check out the Flipkart listing here.

Oppo

Reported specs are still largely rumor at this point, but Oppo’s new R7 and R7 Plus are now confirmed by way of official renders. The R7 is believed to pack a 6” display and your choice of Snapdragon 615 or MediaTek MT 6752, both with 3GB RAM, 16GB ROM, and 13MP camera. Stepping up in size, the R7 Plus is thought to trade capacitive buttons for counterparts on a much larger 6” screen. A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and what appears to be laser autofucus are also onboard, with a larger 32GB storage capacity. Read the full story here!

Sony

The Sony Xperia A4, an apparently re-skinned Z3c, was revealed for NTT Docomo in Japan this week with the lack of fanfare now typical of Sony events. On board, you will find a 4.6” 720p display, Snapdragon 801, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 20.7MP rear camera (f/2.0), 2.2MP front-facing camera, and 2600mAh battery. The handset will be available starting in June, though pricing and the rest of Sony’s lineup for Docomo are yet to be announced. Read more!

Also from Sony, the new Z4 Tablet is shown off in a promotional video

Sharp

Keeping with the NTT Docomo theme, Sharp’s upcoming Aquos Zeta is outed in a new device listing from the Japanese carrier. Bezels are slightly more noticeable than on the earlier Aquos Crystal, but the device line remains a powerful mid-range contender set to release in “late May.”

Samsung

There will be a new Galaxy Tab, the S2. The (unintentional) confirmation unfortunately gives no indication of what we can expect, so stay tuned for more in the weeks to come.

HTC

According to Upleaks, HTC is investigating the low-end tablet market for a possible second quarter release. Again, no specifics have been outed just yet.

Motorola

Future phones from Motorola may feature QHD displays. This is hardly surprising given last year’s QHD Motorola Nexus 6, but the news further confirms the industry’s trend toward dense displays. Check out the Reddit discussion of this one for the internet’s dissection of specs from three upcoming Motorola phones.

Android One

Gooogle’s low-cost, high-caliber phone initiative is now expanding to Turkey.

The Rest

This week has been relatively slow on the non-device news front, perhaps owing to Google saving up reveals for I/O at the end of this month. Therefore, the usual Developers’ Corner is being (temporarily) replaced by a catch-all category of new and notable announcements. Let’s get started!

Gear SDK Goes Live

Samsung Gear SDKSamsung’s round smartwatches are nearing release, and developers who signed up for SDK access can now get their hands on everything needed to start pumping out apps. Hit up Samsung’s page to download your copy, or register for access.

Android Ads are Profitable

Coinciding with news that European carriers are looking for ways to block Google advertising, we have learned that Android developers make more money from ads than their iOS counterparts. This is a story that will need close scrutiny, and we are only at the beginning.

Chrome for Android AMA

Chrome android AMAThe dev team behind Android’s Chrome browser showed up on Reddit this week for a two hour Ask Me Anything session resulting in 137 distinct developer replies. Feel free to rummage through all 1238 comments, but we wrote a tidy recap of the interesting bits here for your browsing pleasure. Highlights include the fact that Android Chrome will never see extensions, enhanced tab syncing is in the works, and JavaScript API access for payments, share intents, etc are coming soon.

Amazon Disables The Instant Video APK For Non-Sony Android TV Devices

In a bizarre twist, Amazon seems to be disabling their streaming service on smart TVs not built by Sony. If this is what selling Fire TV sticks has come to, count this writer out. You can follow the full story back on the XDA Forums where it broke, and be sure to click “subscribe” for continuing updates.

Google Glass

The team behind Glass is looking for new members, perhaps with an eye towards an entire family of new products. We will likely hear more about this story during I/O later this month, but will they be able to top the skydiving entrance in 2012?

 

That is it for this week, but we will be back next Sunday for another round of recaps. After all, the news never sleeps, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your own rest to stay informed!

The post XDA Recap: This Week In Android (May 10 – 16) appeared first on xda-developers.



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New Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge Colors Set to Launch

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Samsung’s latest will become available in even more color options, now including Blue Topaz and Emerald Green. Both look just as stunning as the rest, but these ones are a little flashier than the traditional models. If you were thinking of buying an S6, you might want to hold off until you see these in person.

The post New Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge Colors Set to Launch appeared first on xda-developers.



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HTC One ME9 to Unveil in June; Specs and Price Revealed

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India is an important market to most OEMs. We often see many devices designed exclusively for Indian users. HTC is set to launch the One ME9, which is a cheaper, MediaTek-based alternative to its flagship HTC One M9 in India. Learn more about the specs by reading this article.

The post HTC One ME9 to Unveil in June; Specs and Price Revealed appeared first on xda-developers.



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The Elephone P7000 Scores 41,000 AnTuTu Points

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The Elephone P7000 has just entered the market and it seems that this Chinese device can become a really good choice for many users. This MT6752 scored an incredible 41,000 points in AnTuTu benchmark, which is a really close score to other, much more expensive, flagships.

The post The Elephone P7000 Scores 41,000 AnTuTu Points appeared first on xda-developers.



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Refurbished 64GB OnePlus One Available for Just Rs.16,999

OnePlus-One

Ever since the release, the OnePlus One has become a really successful device. Good specs and a considerably low price made this device a choice for many. If you live in India and are looking for a nice promo, check out this page where you can get a refurbished 64GB bacon for just Rs.16,999.

The post Refurbished 64GB OnePlus One Available for Just Rs.16,999 appeared first on xda-developers.



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YouTube v10.19.53 APK Download

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YouTube has been updated to version 10.19.53 which brings with it an always-present Cast button, changes some privacy icons as the app continues to move away from Holo, and hints at an upcoming audio-only offline download mode.

The post YouTube v10.19.53 APK Download appeared first on xda-developers.



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samedi 16 mai 2015

Sony Lavender Leak

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In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a couple of new devices presented by Sony. However, the Japanese OEM may launch another new phone shortly, as @Upleaks presented the mysterious “Lavender” device with super thin bezels and the MediaTek MT6752 64Bit 1.7GHz Octa-Core Processor.

The post Sony Lavender Leak appeared first on xda-developers.



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MediaTek Helio X20 vs Snapdragon 810 Heat Test

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 was the subject of a lot analyses that showed its tendency to overheat. This article shows how the Qualcomm unit compares to its main rival, the MediaTek Helio X20 in terms of heat management. The results are very interesting. Read it to learn more.

The post MediaTek Helio X20 vs Snapdragon 810 Heat Test appeared first on xda-developers.



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Learn How to Easily Spot a Fake Samsung Galaxy S6

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Samsung’s flagships tend to be runaway successes almost every year, with their high profile leading to a number of fakes and clones surfacing in the market. If you’re looking to pick up an S6, check out this excellent video that helps you easily identify a fake, and this discussion around spotting a fake.

The post Learn How to Easily Spot a Fake Samsung Galaxy S6 appeared first on xda-developers.



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GravityBox for Xposed Updated to Support Android 5.1

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GravityBox, one of the most popular Xposed modules for device tweaking, has been updated to support Android 5.1. The developer behind the module has stated that this version requires the super alpha Xposed Framework for 5.1, and will result in a bootloop if any other version is used.

The post GravityBox for Xposed Updated to Support Android 5.1 appeared first on xda-developers.



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ColorOS V2.1.0i Beta Update Preview

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Oppo’s Product Manager, Ricky, has teased us with another video preview of the upcoming ColorOS update. The update is labelled as V2.1.0i Beta, and features a redesign which is brighter and flatter than previous releases. The video also showcases the speed improvements made with a quick side-by-side comparison.

The post ColorOS V2.1.0i Beta Update Preview appeared first on xda-developers.



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XDA Picks: Best Apps of the Week (May 8 – 15)

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Apps are at the front and center of any smartphone experience, and with over a million apps on the Google Play Store and new apps being submitted to our forums every day, staying up to date on the latest apps and games can be a hassle. At XDA we don’t discriminate apps – if it’s interesting, innovative, original or useful, we mention them. The XDA Portal Team loves apps too, and here are our top picks for this week.

 

Google I/O App – Get Hyped! [FREE]

io2015Google I/O 2015 is coming on May 28, and there is no better way (other than XDA, of course) to follow the developments and stay up-to-date than this official I/O app by Google. As per tradition, the companion app allows you to visit the schedule, follow news, sync the events to your calendar and, of course, access the livestreams for when the events actually go live. If you are as excited as we are for Google I/O, this is an app you must have. Don’t forget to check out our coverage when the time arrives, and we will also have a related surprise around that time!

Battery Shutdown Manager – Shutdown Countdown [XPOSED/BETA]

shutdownThis is a module by XDA Recognized Developer & Contributor tonyp that adds an original and useful function for the battery conscious of you: once your battery is about to deplete, your phone will display a timer informing you of just how many seconds you have left until it turns off. It is situational and you shouldn’t be having deep discharges frequently anyway, but it is nonetheless a neat concept, and it deserves some extra exposure. It is in beta right now, so check the thread for compatibility (it currently supports Android 4.2 to 5.0, and should run properly on ROMs close to AOSP).

Hyperlapse Mobile – Amazing Time Lapse Videos! [BETA]

hyperMicrosoft has had a turbulent history in the Android app space, and I’ve personally had quarrels with some of their offerings. Hyperlapse is, however, the culmination of years of research that now allow for brilliant time lapse video to any Android phone. The app captures video from your camera, processes it and then outputs a smooth time lapse that is bound to surprise you  The technology behind Hyperlapse is rather impressive, and despite this being a beta, it us already capable of putting out some very stunning results. If you love shooting interesting videos or you are curious, you should definitely check this one out.

Bleep – A New Private Messenger [FREE]

bleepBleep is a privacy-focused messenger app by the people behind BitTorrent. The app has some interesting features such as Whisper mode, where names are hidden and messages get deleted after they are read. Messages also don’t go through a central server in the cloud, so there are no saved copies of sent content. The app has end-to-end encryption that changes keys for every message, and you don’t need to provide any details to sign up. There is no message sync as these are unique to the registered device. Finally, there are also encrypted voice calls.

Flip Flop – Not Flappy [FREE}

flipflipFlip Flop is an extremely simplistic, minimal and addictive game that has you flipping and flopping Androids until they break. This is a bare-bones game, so don’t expect anything more than passive casual gaming to enjoy during a toilet run or when relaxing. The graphics are minimal and pleasant, the game’s playable whenever with just one finger and it is polished to the point where we could mistake this for an Android easter egg game. There are various character colors and, of course, custom hats, and the game has Play Games Leader board support as so that you can compete with the rest of the world.

Notable Updates:

  • Google Fit now estimates distances and calories burned, and it also features an improved fitness history in the form of an organized timeline. The update also comes with a new widget and Android Wear watchface.
  • WhatsApp was updated to bring more material design in the caller UI, and the new version also got rid of outdated HOLO iconography.
  • NovaLauncher hit 4.0 stable with Material Design, bundled wallpapers, new icons, and some extra customization. The app also now supports Android for Work on Lollipop.
  • Google Play Music’s desktop web client also got a Material face-lift, which puts it much closer to the Android experience for better consistency. There are some slight UI navigation changes, but nothing you won’t easily get used to.

That is it for this week. We hope that you might have found some of these apps as interesting, useful or entertaining as we did. Whether you are a student, a developer, a designer or a gamer, Android has you covered. We will try to reflect that each week with a variety of picks to spark your interest, and If you see (or publish!) any new apps that you think are worthy of a feature, be sure to send us a tip and we’ll give it a look. Until next time!

The post XDA Picks: Best Apps of the Week (May 8 – 15) appeared first on xda-developers.



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Material Design Theme for Galaxy S6

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Samsung’s revamped TouchWiz that ships with the Galaxy S6 may be better than the previous versions, but it doesn’t do justice to Material Design, and this theme for by XDA Member cambunch aims to remedy just that.

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Samsung Clear View Case Scratches S6 Edge Screen

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Several forum members are reporting issues with the official Samsung Clear View Case, where they claim that the case is scratching the screen of the Galaxy S6 Edge. This is surprising considering that the S6 Edge costs upwards of $800, sports top-of-the-line Gorilla Glass 4 and the accessory used is officially sold by Samsung.

The post Samsung Clear View Case Scratches S6 Edge Screen appeared first on xda-developers.



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