Google Pixel and Pixel XL sales offer discounts of more than $200

There have been several rumors about Google’s new Pixel phones floating around lately, but if you need a phone right now, you can score some solid deals on the existing Pixel handsets.

First up, Woot is selling refurbished units of the Google Pixel for $399.99. These phones are unlocked and are available in Quite Black. This deal will only last for the next three hours or until the phones are sold out, which appears to have already happened with the refurbished Pixel XL.

Verizon is also offering deals on the Pixel and Pixel XL, and what’s interesting is that the discounts are only available if you buy at full retail price. The 32GB Pixel is $420 and the 128GB model is $520, while the 32GB Pixel XL is $540 and the 128GB version is $640. These are discounts of $229.99 off the phones’ normal prices.

These phones are brand new and the discounts apply to both the Quite Black and Very Silver versions of the phones.

While the Google Pixel and Pixel XL aren’t the newest phones around, they’re still solid devices with one of the best smartphone cameras on the market. Plus, since they’re Pixel phones, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be one of the first to get new Android OS updates.

If you take advantage of any of these deals, be sure to let us know!

Via: Android Central
Sources: Woot, Verizon Google Pixel, Verizon Google Pixel XL

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Android and Me 9:56 AM No comments

Google Play Store gifting $1 credit to some users

If you haven’t hopped into the Google Play Store on your web browser or your phone today, you may want to check in to see if you’ve been rewarded with a gift.

Many users have have been gifted a $1 Google Play Store credit today. To get it, you’ll just have to visit the Play Store either via the browser or from the app itself on your Android device. Once you do, you may see a card that reads “A gift for you!” and offers a $1 credit. The card is pictured at the top of this post.

If you do see the card, you’ll just need to tap or click on it to get the $1 credit applied to your account. As the card reads, though, it will only be available for a limited time, and the credit will expire on September 14, 2017.

A buck may not be a lot to throw around in the Play Store, but it should be enough to grab an app you might’ve had your eye on or maybe even a movie rental.

Did you get the promotion?

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Android and Me 6:06 AM No comments

Blu once again implicated in sending data to China

Last year it was found that a few Blu devices were sending your private data to Chinese servers. The spyware software was from Shanghai Adups Technology, which was receiving all the data being sent away. The company called it a mistake and quickly fixed these exploits.

However, other devices are still sending personal data like cellular location, browsing history, call logs, IMEI, and more to the company. The “command and control” channel being used can also take screenshots, install apps, and even wipe the device without user permission.

Blu devices like the Grand M were found with this behavior, but it isn’t limited to one company. The Cubot X16S was found to be doing similar things, and many devices with a MediaTek chipset have the exploit that allows for this. Though MediaTek claims that the issue was fixed, there are still vulnerable devices on the market

It says a lot about a company that, when faced with controversy, fixed the issue on a few devices and continued stealing data in a more sneaky fashion on other undiscovered devices. If you’re using a budget device under $300 with a MediaTek chipset, you may be getting your data stolen. Hit the source link for more info on the discovery.

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Android and Me 6:06 AM No comments

Post-apocalyptic survival RPG 'NEO Scavenger' just snuck onto the Play Store

Popular PC survival roguelike NEO Scavenger has just been released onto the Play Store, and you can try it out for free for an unlimited amount of time. While the demo has limited some features, you can unlock the full version for $9.99 through the game's only in-app purchase. So if you are looking for a new roguelike that allows you to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, NEO Scavenger may just be what you are looking for.

Read More

Post-apocalyptic survival RPG 'NEO Scavenger' just snuck onto the Play Store was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 4:58 AM No comments

Huawei hyping the upcoming Mate 10 against iPhone, dropping very low-end devices

Huawei should release the upcoming Mate 10 around the time of the release of the next iPhone, but chief of Huawei’s consumer division Richard Yu is taking the time to talk up the device as being better than what Apple has in store.

“We will have an even more powerful product. The Mate 10, which has much longer battery life with a full-screen display, quicker changing speed, better photographing capability and many other features that will help us compete with Apple.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Huawei has in store for its next flagship, but what it doesn’t have in store are more devices on the very low-end. With profit margins being exceedingly low, the company doesn’t see them as worth the time. Huawei is also focusing more on developed markets.

It’s great to see another competitor emerge in the North American market, albiet slowly. With the company growing and shooting for 140 to 150 million shipments this year, we’ll see more cool stuff being announced.

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Android and Me 4:41 AM No comments

Moto GamePad coming late August, Verizon exclusive

Motorola’s latest Moto Mod finally has a price and release date. The Moto GamePad turns your Motorola device into a gaming phone, giving it a full controller on its sides.  You get a similar layout to most controllers these days, including two analog sticks. It also features a 1,035mAh battery to extend play time.

The GamePad Mod is a Verizon exclusive, so you’ll have to buy it on Verizon’s site or in-store. It’ll start shipping August 25 and costs $79.99, which isn’t so bad for such a device. Unlike Bluetooth controllers, you won’t get input lag with this.

If you’re interested in pre-ordering the GamePad Moto Mod, hit the source link. Let us know what you think of Motorola’s first compelling mod in quite a while!

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Android and Me 3:56 AM No comments

Huawei Mate 9 and Honor 6X both get permanent price drop

The Huawei Mate 9 is Huawei’s high-end device with a massive 5.9-inch display and a Leica-branded dual camera setup. Our review spoke very favorably about the device and now it’s getting to be an even better deal. The price has dropped permanently from $599.99 to $499.99. For $500, you’ll be getting a fantastic camera, fantastic battery life, and a quick and enjoyable device.

The Honor 6X is a budget device with an original price of $250. With the amount of features and good specs you get, it was easily worth the price. With the new price of $199.99, it may be one of the best budget phones currently on the market. If you’re looking for a cheap phone that doesn’t feel cheap, give this one a chance.

You can currently get both devices cheaper through Amazon as part of a deal, but it’s good to see two solid devices get price drops to stay competitive. Check out our reviews and pick them up if you’re interested!

Source: Best Buy: Huawei Mate 9, Best Buy: Honor 6X

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Android and Me 3:56 AM No comments

LG Mobile reports a loss this quarter as sales of G6 don’t meet expecations

LG seems to be having trouble with selling king of the crop smartphones. The company released its financial results for Q2 2017, and despite the mobile communications arm seeing $2.39 billion USD in revenue, it took a loss of $117 million. This is around the same as the results last year.

The company claims that the challenging quarter was due to lower than expected premium smartphone sales and increased component costs. This hints at the LG G6 not selling as well as the company had liked. Interestingly, North American sales grew by 13% over last year, so the company is doing better in that market.

LG has done better to prove itself in the current smartphone market, so we expect sales to go up if it can keep the innovative devices coming. The company agrees, expecting better sales in the second half of 2017 with new phone announcements coming soon.

This news comes after HTC reported a big spike in revenue after the release of the U11, which really goes to show that the smaller players in the game are pushing hard for a comeback.

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Android and Me 2:46 AM No comments