Android

769 'Android' stories August 2010 - August 2015

Ahead of new iPhones, Samsung announces Galaxy Note 5 & S6 Edge+, Samsung Pay launch, Gear S2

Stephen Hall Aug 13 2015 - 8:55 am PT

Ahead of the new iPhones currently rumored to be announced on September 9th, Samsung has today announced the latest in its Galaxy line of smartphones. The Korean company introduced the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, as well as a larger S6 Edge called — yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful — the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. The company also detailed the launch of its Samsung Pay mobile payments platform.
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Google announces major restructuring with new parent company ‘Alphabet’, Sundar Pichai named CEO of Google subsidiary

Mike Beasley Aug 10 2015 - 3:13 pm PT

4 Comments

Google has announced a major restructuring of the entire organization, starting with the creation of an all-new company called Alphabet, Inc., which will now serve as the parent company of Google and all of its previous projects.

The Google brand will be “slimmed down” and focus on web products like Search and Gmail, with SVP of Android/Chrome/Google Apps Sundar Pichai serving as CEO. Other endeavours like health research, will belong to other companies that will be broken out of Google.

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HBO Now for iOS gains Chromecast support, more in latest update

Stephen Hall Aug 6 2015 - 9:15 am PT

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HBO Now debuted earlier this year exclusively on Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, but lately it has been making its way to competing platforms. Android handsets and tablets as well as some of Amazon’s Fire-branded devices got HBO Now access a few weeks ago, but now the service is coming to Chromecast via an update to the HBO Now app.

The latest version of HBO Now for iOS was released today, numbered 1.2, and features more than just Chromecast support. You’ll find that you can also now receive push notifications — assumably for new episodes of your favorite shows and the like — as well as the usual bug fixes and performance improvements.

Here’s the full change log:

What’s New in Version 1.2.0

• Push Notifications
• Chromecast Support
• Performance Improvements

You can grab HBO Now on the App Store for free, and an HBO Now subscription is going to run you $14.99 per month after a 30-day free trial.

Apple job listing teases additional ‘exciting’ new apps for Android, suggests going beyond Apple Music & Move

Mark Gurman Aug 5 2015 - 11:05 am PT

11 Comments

Apple’s first pair of applications for Android, Apple Music and Move to iOS, may be the start of Apple opening up even further to Google’s mobile platform. According to a new job listing on Apple’s website, the Cupertino-based company is “looking for engineers to help [Apple] bring exciting new mobile products to the Android platform.” The presence of the word “new” seems to indicate that Apple’s plans go beyond the already announced Apple Music and Move to iOS apps…

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Judge dismisses lawsuit over iMessage bug that caused undelivered texts to Android switchers

Zac Hall Aug 5 2015 - 9:38 am PT

9 Comments

U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh today decided to stop a group lawsuit against Apple over undelivered text messages caused by an iMessage bug, Bloomberg reports. The issue drew a lot of attention last year when the bug with Apple’s messaging system caused former iPhone users that switched to Android to discover text messages were not being properly delivered to their phone number. In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Koh explained that while Apple’s iMessage system may have resulted in lost text messages, their was inadequate evidence that the group faced a “contractual breach or interference” from iMessage…
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iPhone 6 vs OnePlus 2: Hands-on comparison [Video]

Dom Esposito Jul 29 2015 - 10:11 am PT

32 Comments

Today we’re comparing Apples to Oranges. Well not really, but instead Apple’s iPhone 6 to OnePlus’s new flagship killer on the block. Question is, does the OnePlus 2 bring enough to the table in order to take on one of the most popular smartphones on the planet?

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IDC: Apple snatches 3% of smartphone users from Samsung

Stephen Hall Jul 23 2015 - 9:44 am PT

7 Comments

IDC has just released its smartphone market share data for Q2 2015, and at least one thing is clear: Samsung is still struggling, and Apple is still doing really well. The Korean company’s smartphone market share dropped from 24.8% to 21.7% year-over-year, a 3.1 percentage point drop. Conveniently, while other manufacturers made gains as well, Apple’s numbers are up about the same number — 2.4 percentage points year-over-year to 14.1%…
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Microsoft’s $99 Universal Foldable Keyboard for iPhone, iPad, & other devices now available

Jordan Kahn Jul 14 2015 - 7:21 am PT

7 Comments

Microsoft’s new Universal Foldable Keyboard, first unveiled earlier this year, is now available to purchase online and through Microsoft stores. The super portable Bluetooth keyboard folds in half when not in use and allows users to connect to two mobile devices at once including iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows devices.

Microsoft notes that the keyboard has full-size keys, a spill-resistant, water-repellent keyboard and outer material, and a built-in rechargeable battery that will get you around three months of use on a charge. There’s also an “OS” button for switching between connected devices. Here’s a closer look at the keyboard:

The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard is available for $100 on Amazon, and it’s also available through Microsoft retail stores and online.

Microsoft made a new video for today’s launch to show off some of the keyboard’s features and its compact, 5mm thin design:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/zNrop5Mwv0g]

BBC iPlayer Radio app for iOS and Android gets offline listening at last

Cam Bunton Jul 14 2015 - 3:30 am PT

4 Comments

The BBC announced in a blog post this morning that mobile downloads are coming to its iPlayer Radio app just in time for the BBC Proms. For the first time – using the iPlayer Radio app – customers will be able to download radio shows (and the Proms) to listen offline and keep them for up to 30 days. To make use of this new service, all you need to do is ensure you have the latest version of the BBC iPlayer Radio smartphone or tablet app for iOS, Android or Kindle.

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Instagram rolling out support for high-res images on iOS and Android

Stephen Hall Jul 6 2015 - 12:28 pm PT

6 Comments

Instagram has announced today that it is rolling out support for higher resolution 1080 x 1080 pixel images. This doubles the previous upload resolution of 640 x 640 pixels, and you’ll probably notice very soon that the photos in your stream are looking a bit crisper.
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You can now use any Android app on your Mac w/ BlueStacks App Player

Jordan Kahn Jul 1 2015 - 6:18 am PT

6 Comments

BlueStacks, a free desktop Android emulator that lets users play any mobile game or app on the big screen with a mouse and keyboard, has mostly been limited to PC users until today. But Mac users are about to get access to the software that the company says already has around 90 million users on Windows.
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Former RIM CEO admits iPhone killed the BlackBerry

Zac Hall Jun 10 2015 - 8:36 am PT

12 Comments

After passing “the baton to new leadership” three and a half years ago, ex-Research In Motion chief executive Jim Balsillie has publicly admitted in a new interview what everyone already knows: the iPhone was devastating to the company’s BlackBerry smartphone business. The Associated Press reports Balsillie’s comments came during a Q&A session with the authors of the recently released “Losing the Signal. The Spectacular Rise and Fall of BlackBerry” book (Amazon/iBooks):
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Apple shows off new ‘Move to iOS’ app to make it easier to switch from Android

Chance Miller Jun 8 2015 - 12:47 pm PT

10 Comments

As part of iOS 9, Apple today has announced a new app called Move to iOS that makes the transition from Android to iPhone more seamless for the user. While the app went unannounced during the WWDC keynote, it is listed on the iOS 9 feature page on Apple’s website.

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Latest comScore data shows Apple increase lead as top OEM, iOS gain on Android for top platform

Chance Miller Jun 5 2015 - 3:19 pm PT

8 Comments

comScore today has released its latest data regarding smartphone market share. The analytics firm says that 188.6 million people owned a smartphone during a three-month period ending in April. That equates to 76.9 percent of the mobile market being made up of smartphones at this point. Apple, according to the data, further strengthened its lead. The company saw a 1.8 percent increase in market share this time around, going from 41.3 percent in January to 43.1 percent in April.

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How to watch Apple’s WWDC keynote livestream on Windows and Android

Benjamin Mayo Jun 2 2015 - 5:23 am PT

5 Comments

As announced last night, Apple will live stream its WWDC keynote at 10 AM PST on June 8th, next Monday, where it will announce iOS 9 and OS X 10.11. The apple.com/live site confirms that the official website stream is limited to Macs, iPhones, iPads and Apple TV. However, it is possible to watch the keynote using Windows or even Android devices by using VLC, a free video player that can read Apple’s livestream data and show the video in its player …

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Facebook Messenger’s free video calling now available worldwide

Jordan Kahn May 20 2015 - 8:27 am PT

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After adding support for a new cross-platform video chat service through its Facebook Messenger mobile apps, Facebook has now announced that the feature is rolling out to all worldwide.

The feature first launched back in April for users on iOS and Android in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. Today, Facebook said the feature is now rolled out globally “with the exception of a few countries” that it’s still working on:

Quick update on video calling in Messenger: we’re happy to share we’ve now rolled out the capability globally, with the exception of a few countries we’re still working on improving quality for.

You can check out the new Facebook Messenger video calling feature through the latest versions of the iOS and Android apps.

Updates to Google Docs & Slides let you insert & quickly edit images on iOS

Jordan Kahn May 13 2015 - 11:18 am PT

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Google is today rolling out updates to its Google Docs and Slides mobile apps bringing the ability to insert images directly from the app on both phones and tablets.

With the update, iPhone and iPad users will be able to access their camera roll or snap a new photo to insert directly into a document or Slides presentation.

In addition, the update includes quicker access to make basic edits in Slides by allowing users to enter crop mode by double tapping any image in a presentation.

Google notes that both of the new features will work in offline mode.

The updated Docs and Slides apps should be hitting the App Store today.

Report: Phablet market quadrupled in Q1 with iPhone 6 Plus grabbing 44% of the market

Jordan Kahn May 6 2015 - 8:25 am PT

13 Comments

So-called phablets just about quadrupled their marketshare during Q1 of this year thanks largely due to Apple’s first product in the category, the iPhone 6 Plus.

The data comes from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech and shows the phablet market grew to 21% in the first quarter this year, up from just 6% last year. The growth is mostly due to the iPhone 6 Plus, which grabbed 44% of the market during Q1.
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Report: Android switchers drive iPhone growth across EU in Q1, Apple grows to 26% share in China

Jordan Kahn May 6 2015 - 7:07 am PT

5 Comments

New data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that smartphone users ditching Android devices in recent months helped drive iOS growth across the EU. The data tracked the EU’s biggest markets in 1Q15— Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain— and shows iOS grew 1.8 percentage points from last year to 20.3% market share this year. That includes around 32.4% of new Apple customers switching from an Android device, according to the report, while Android lost 3.1 percentage points during the quarter:
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Motorola slashes price of Moto 360 in wake of Apple Watch launch

Stephen Hall Apr 14 2015 - 7:09 am PT

7 Comments

Motorola’s Moto 360 is generally considered the flagship of the Android Wear devices, and over the last several days, many outlets across the web have deeply discounted the device—including Google itself. Normally priced at $250+, various cuts have seen the watch drop to as low as $165 from the official Google Store, and to $179 from third-party stores like Best Buy and Amazon.
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comScore: Apple still smartphone OEM leader with 41.7% market share

Stephen Hall Apr 10 2015 - 1:29 pm PT

3 Comments

ComScore has released its latest report today, detailing the market share of the major smartphone OEMs and their platforms. Unsurprisingly, Apple is still leading in terms of handsets shipped with 41.7% of smartphones shipped, while Android is still leading the mobile operating system market with 52.8% of the market.
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Report claims Google nearing Android Wear for iOS release, shows off FaceTime notification on LG Watch

Jordan Kahn Apr 9 2015 - 11:31 am PT

6 Comments

Adding to recent reports that Google is working on iOS support for Android Wear devices, today The Verge reports that the company is “close to finishing the final technical details” on the companion app for iOS. The report cites sources close to the development of the project and also includes the image above showing a FaceTime notification on the LG G Watch R. More from the report:

In its current state of development, Android Wear works along with a companion app on the iPhone and supports basic functions like notifications — as you can see in the photo below. As it does on Android, on the iPhone Android Wear also supports Google Now’s ambient information cards, voice search, and other voice actions. It should also support some more advanced features with Google’s own iOS apps, like replying to Gmail messages.

A previous report noted that Google was developing Android Wear support for iOS and could debut the project as soon as its I/O developer conference in May.

Today’s report brings up the possibility that Google might have a bit of trouble getting through the App Store’s approval process. At the very least it could run into guidelines that prevent it from bringing over all of the features it offers on Android devices to iOS. Pebble and other smart watches have companion apps, but like them Google will be limited to working within the iOS and App Store guidelines, unlike on Android.

Apple launches in-store Android trade-in program to boost iPhone sales

Mark Gurman Mar 30 2015 - 7:04 am PT

8 Comments

In line with our report from earlier this month, Apple today launched its first trade-in program for non-iPhones in its Apple Retail Stores. The program allows users of select Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry phones to bring in their devices and receive credit toward the immediate purchase of a new iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus (but not an Apple Watch). Apple first launched its standard iPhone Reuse and Recycle trade-in program in 2013, and the company expanded the feature to the iPad last year. Apple made today’s announcement on the individual retail store pages, indicating that the program is so far now available in the U.S., France, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Italy, and multiple retail sources say that the program has indeed gone live today. A version of the iPhone trade-in program that does not support non-iPhones is launching this week in China.

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Chinese smartphone company wins bad taste of decade award, compares Apple to Nazis

Ben Lovejoy Mar 27 2015 - 5:42 am PT

6 Comments

Rival tech companies haven’t been shy when it comes to Apple attack ads, but one Chinese company has definitely crossed the line in a promotion for its forthcoming Android smartphone. LeTV has posted to Weibo a poster likening Apple to Nazis, a red Apple armband replacing the Nazi logo.

The underlying message is supposed to compare the claimed freedom of the Android platform with the carefully controlled iOS one, but it’s hard to imagine a more offensive way to try to communicate it.

The image appeared on the verified Weibo account of billionaire CEO of LeTV, Jia Yueting, and was first spotted by The Verge.

Update: Jia Yueting has since apologized, telling us: “I am deeply sorry for publishing the animation ad on Weibo on Friday. In hindsight, it was a misstep and I have amended it. It was insensitive and wrong to try to use such an image in a lighthearted way.”