Android Match

Home » All posts

ASUS ZenFone 4 set to debut on August 19

It’s almost time for ASUS to unveil a brand new smartphone in the ZenFone lineup.

Today ASUS sent out invitations for an event which will take place the Philippines. The company doesn’t beat around the bush too much in the invite putting the ZenFone 4 name down at the bottom just to make sure they get the point across. We can also see two giant circles near the middle with the tagline “Time to be more than ONE” at the top, which is a pretty clear indication we’ll see a dual rear camera setup on the ZenFone 4.

We’ve already seen a ZenFone 4 Max launch in Russia earlier this year, so it’s possible that ASUS is planning on simply relaunching that handset in other markets with a different name. The ZenFone 4 Max includes a pair of cameras on the back and it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (or Snapdragon 425) processor under the hood, depending on variant.

Will ASUS update the ZenFone 4 in some way compared to the ZenFone 4 Max? We don’t have long to wait to find out.

Android Match

Android and Me 2:41 AM No comments

LG V30 Release Date for North America Leaked

We already know LG is going to unveil its next-gen flagship, the V30 a day before IFA 2017 kick starts in Berlin. The date for the grand event is scheduled for August 31.

But when will we be able to purchase the phone? According to Android Authority which managed to get a hold of an internal document showcasing LG’s upcoming plans for the premium handset codenamed “Joan”, the phone will go on sale on September 15 in South Korea.

Shortly afterward, pre-orders for the handset will open up in the US on September 17. The gadget will finally hit the shelves on September 28.

Which means that if we’re lucky, we might get to see the LG V30 land in Canada by the end of autumn. It’s just a speculation at this point, as nothing has yet been confirmed, but we’ll keep you posted.

In case you don’t remember, the LG V30 is poised to arrive with a spacious 6-inch OLED display sans a secondary display on top this time around. The phone should arrive with an elongated body and really slim bezels pretty much like the LG G6 before it. It’s probably also going to include a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. An additional version with 6GB of RAM might also be made available.

The post LG V30 Release Date for North America Leaked appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

Android Match

Android in Canada Blog 2:04 AM No comments

HTC aiming to update U11 to support Bluetooth 5.0

The HTC U11 is one of the best flagships from this year, and it looks like HTC is aiming to bring another feature to the its device.

HTC has submitted necessary documents to the Federal Communications Commission in the United States to say that they plan on updating the U11 to support Bluetooth 5.0. According to HTC, the intent is to “enable bluetooth 5.0 by software without any hardware change.”

Bluetooth 5.0 will improve transfer speeds on the U11, offer better connectivity range, and much more. One of the best features tied to Bluetooth 5.0 is the ability to send audio from the source to two sets of Bluetooth devices, including headphones and speakers, at the same time.

Unfortunately, while HTC is going through the process of updating the U11 to support Bluetooth 5.0, there’s no word on when the update will officially land on the handset. We hope it’s soon.

Do you own a U11? Looking forward to this update?

Android Match

Android and Me 1:46 AM No comments

Android may soon show remaining Bluetooth battery life

Wireless headphones have improved a great deal over the years, which is a good thing considering so many companies have ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack or are reportedly planning on doing so.

Now Android may be getting a new feature that could help users identify how much battery life is remaining in their Bluetooth wireless headphones. The folks over at XDA Developers have discovered that the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) has added support for “[retrieving] battery level information of [a] remote device.”

This hasn’t made it to final release just yet, but when it does, it will make it easy for users to quickly ascertain how much battery life is remaining in the Bluetooth headphones that are connected to their device. It doesn’t just mean support for Bluetooth headphones, either, as Bluetooth speakers and other accessories that run on battery power will be supported, too.

Unfortunately there’s no telling on when this feature will see the light of day for the public. There’s no set timeframe between a feature that’s part of the AOSP and rolling out in a final, public release of the mobile operating system.

Some manufacturers have already built support for this feature into their phones, including OnePlus, Samsung, and LG. So while it might not be a completely brand new feature on Android, it would still be good for the Android platform as a whole to support the feature in the stock build.

How would you like to see Google implement this feature? Notifications, as part of the status bar, or some other way?

Android Match

Android and Me 1:46 AM No comments

Top 5 most popular Android apps from last week Loopsie, OnePlus Weather

Every week we cover new Android apps with Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by Android Gaming on Thursday and Top 10 App Updates on Friday. When Monday rolls around, we look back to see which apps were the most appealing to our audience. Read on for the five most popular Android apps from last week. These apps are ones that are most likely new and haven’t appeared in the top five list more than three times.

1. Action Launcher: Pixel Edition

App info: Action Launcher is the definitive Material Design launcher, featuring of the look and feel of Pixel Launcher, then adding a wealth of color, customizations and unique features so you can quickly and easily make your home screen shine!

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

2. OnePlus Launcher

App info: The OnePlus Launcher was designed to offer: Speed, stability, and customizability. This launcher enables you to easily tailor your home-screen to your needs.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

3. Trusted Contacts

App info: Trusted Contacts is a personal safety app that opens a direct line of sharing between you and your loved ones.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

4. OnePlus Weather

App info: Track the weather with hourly and weekly forecasts from AccuWeather. Get the latest on AQI, Wind, Body Temp, Humidity, Visibility, UV levels, and Pressure.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

5. Loopsie

App info: LOOPSIE IS THE FIRST FREE APP THAT LETS YOU CREATE STUNNING CINEMAGRAPHS (*) ON THE GO. No tripod or professional tools needed. Just a bit of creativity and your photos will come to life! Cinemagraphs are a mix between a picture and a video. They look like magic photos. (And with Loopsie, you are the wizard!)

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Note: To ensure that all apps receive a fair chance to make the list, we will retire any app that has made the list for three consecutive weeks.

Android Match

Android and Me 1:46 AM No comments

Minecraft PE 'Better Together Update' enters beta, will have cross-play with Xbox and Nintendo Switch

One of the major problems with Minecraft is the number of different editions, with varying level of multiplayer cross-play. This stems from different code bases - the console versions are based on the original Java game, while Pocket/Windows 10 Edition use the same C++ code base. But the upcoming Minecraft PE 1.2 update, nicknamed the 'Better Together Update,' aims to address this.

The main new feature in this update is cross-play with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch players.

Minecraft PE 'Better Together Update' enters beta, will have cross-play with Xbox and Nintendo Switch was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Android Match

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 1:25 AM No comments

HTC U11 Might Soon Get Upgraded to the Bluetooth 5.0 Standard

Good news for those of you are holding on to an HTC U11. The phone currently uses Bluetooth 4.2, but in a short while, the flagship might get updated to the new Bluetooth 5.0 standard.

Currently, the only phones equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 are the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. But according to a recently uncovered FCC filing, HTC is working towards enabling “Bluetooth 5.0 by software update without any hardware change”.

We don’t know when the update is going to hit the HTC U11 on the North American continent but we hope it’s going to be soon. US units are probably going to be getting the new piece of software first, followed by Canadians ones.

The benefits of having Bluetooth 5.0 on your phone include longer connectivity ranger, higher transmission bandwidth, and lower power usage.

Recently HTC unveiled a Solar Red version of the U11 which sold like hotcakes. The phone is currently Out of Stock on the Canadian website. However, those of you who want to grab the phone can still do so in Brilliant Black, Sapphire Blue or Amazing Silver for the price of $899 CAD.

The phone is water resistant and comes with a squeezable frame which lets you do things like launch the camera app when you squeeze the phone.

[Ausdroid]

The post HTC U11 Might Soon Get Upgraded to the Bluetooth 5.0 Standard appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

Android Match

Android in Canada Blog 1:04 AM No comments

Ex-Google executive Vic Gundotra believes Android photography is lagging behind iPhone

It’s safe to say that the quality of the cameras in our smartphones has increased greatly over the years. One of the primary focal points of the Google Pixel is its camera, which has been touted as one of the best smartphone cameras, if not the best, on the market.

But former Google executive Vic Gundotra, who worked as the Senior Vice President of Social at Google and left the company three years ago, believes that Android doesn’t really stack up against Apple’s iPhone. He recently made the comment over on his Facebook page, and he outlines why he believes Google and Android are lagging behind Apple and the iPhone.

Gundotra says that it is Android’s open source nature that inherently means it lags behind the competition, saying that it has to be “neutral to all parties.” He goes on to add that Samsung phones have too many different options when it comes to taking a photo, highlighting the stock camera app from the manufacturer, and then pointing out Android camera app, or the inclusion of Google Photos on Samsung phones when the device already includes its own built-in photo gallery.

Gundotra goes on to say that while Samsung may innovate with a better camera, the company then has to “convince Google” to surface that improvement to other applications via APIs, saying it can “take YEARS” for that to come to fruition. Gundotra adds that the greatest innovations aren’t happening on the hardware level, but rather software, and says that Google was leading in this department years ago, “Google has fallen back.”

Finally, the former Google exec says that Apple doesn’t suffer from these same constraints and that if it wants to update its camera software, it can do so without having to wait any prolonged period of time. He points to Apple’s Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus as one example.

And then there’s this quote, which owners of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 or Google’s Pixel/Pixel XL might take exception to: