In a recent Gram Magazine interview with the European head of product marketing for Niantic, Anne Beuttenmüller revealed that Pokémon GO is finally going to get a player-versus-player mechanic, and we should expect to see this new content before the year is out. Few details were provided, so it's anyone's guess as to how it will all work.
Read More[Update: Teasers] Niantic bringing PvP to 'Pokémon GO' by year's end was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Bethesda has announced that The Elder Scrolls: Blades will now be released in early 2019. Back in June our own Corbin Davenport went hands-on with the title on the show floor of E3, which is where Todd Howard had teased the original release date of fall 2018. With the current kerfuffle surrounding Bethesda's Fallout 76, it would appear that it's probably not in the best interest of the company to publish a free-to-play game that takes advantage of the fan-favorite Elder Scrolls license, potentially explaining this unexpected delay.
Read MoreBethesda delays The Elder Scrolls: Blades until early 2019 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.
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We love dissecting APKs here on Android Police — our own Cody spends his entire day going through all of Google's apps looking for the tiniest of changes that could hint at an upcoming feature, so we appreciate a lot the work others do when they look at apps that we don't have the time/manpower to. Take Jane Manchun Wong, for example. She's been leaking Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram features for a while, and her latest dip into Spotify has yielded a lot of interesting discoveries.
Read MoreSpotify tests letting you import local songs on Android, a tabbed Library view, and other improvements was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Yesterday, Plex announced some huge additions and changes to the music side of your media server. These were so important/awesome that I had to get this out to you in case you hadn't seen it yet. Among many things, Plex has added a deep integration with Tidal, some massive mobile player overhauls, an improved shuffle system, discoverability options, and more.
Of course, Plex is most excited about the partnership with music streaming service Tidal.
Read MorePlex adds new Tidal integration, artist radio stations, and more options to discover new music was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Stories. Historically, we've loved reading them and telling them, but the word has evolved a lot in the past years to encompass moments shared throughout the day. Snapchat, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, they all have their version of Stories, and now YouTube has officially launched its own.
YouTube began toying with the idea when it rolled out Reels to the Community tab, but it wasn't until a few months ago that we started seeing Stories from select channels popping up in the app.
Read MoreYouTube Stories are live for all channels with 10K+ subscribers was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
A couple days ago, the Moto G7 Play leaked. While most of the info was standard, we were disappointed to see that Motorola had shrunk the battery to 2820mAh from 4000mAh. At the time, it seemed like a needless change that detracted from the quality of the phone. But the FCC has now leaked the Moto G7 Power, a mid-range variant that features a whopping 5000mAh battery. What it lacks in specs it’ll make up for in battery life.
While the FCC filing didn’t reveal everything, it did reveal the rear of the phone and XDA Developers has solid intel about the specs. The Moto G7 Power is set to be powered by a Snapdragon 632 processor with an Adreno 506 GPU. There will be reportedly be versions with 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage, though it’s unclear how RAM and storage will be paired in each variant. The rear camera is a 12-megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 aperture, while the front camera sports an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Additionally, it’ll be running Android 9.0 Pie but will not be an Android One device.
The display size isn’t set in stone, but is believe to be around 6.22-inches. Four color options of Blush, Indigo, Silver, and Black will be offered.
The Moto G7 Power will be part of the Moto G7 line. It will be accompanied by the Moto G7, Moto G7 Play, and Moto G7 Plus. A release date is not yet known, but we’ll keep you updated as more details become available.
Obviously, we prefer Android here at Android Police, but there are a handful of features from iOS that we historically envy, like iMessage, the platform's expanded app selection, and the performance of Apple's SoCs. But one more minor feature from Safari that Android converts may have missed could be coming to Android. As spotted by the folks at Chrome Story, gesture-based history navigation may be coming to Chrome (i.e., swipe to go back/forward).
Read MoreGestures for page forward/back may be coming to Chrome for Android was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Earlier this week, OnePlus announced that it was teaming up with performance automobile manufacturer McLaren for a special edition OnePlus 6T. The company teased the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition with a tweet and the mantra, “Salute to Speed.” We took that to mean that the device would feature some amped-up specs, and according to a report from mysmartprice, that’s exactly what’s happening.
The report states that OnePlus will be equipping the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition with 10GB RAM and 256GB storage. While the 256GB storage option is available on other OnePlus 6T variants, the 10GB RAM is a first for OnePlus. In addition to the boosted RAM, we expect OnePlus and McLaren to create custom color (possibly orange) and design elements for this limited edition smartphone.
The OnePlus 6T is expected to launch on December 12 at an event in Mumbai, India. Firm pricing details aren’t yet known, but we expect the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition to feature a hefty price tag well above those of its siblings.
What would it take to make you buy a OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition?
Google has released a new ad for the new Night Sight feature on the Pixel 3, condemning the smartphone flash (and rightfully so!). The flash is tempting to use for the average person but it almost always ruins photos. It also annoys those around you.
The ad shows off how bad photos with flash are, and of course it’s exaggerated, but it also demonstrates why Night Sight is so great. Using some fancy software and handheld long exposures, the feature can get you a blur-free nighttime photo without a tripo.
Google’s ads are often endearing for fans of the company. We tech nerds see this ad and know exactly what the company is trying to convey, because we already know what Night Sight is! But if someone didn’t know what the feature was, I can’t imagine the ad would be too clear. Nonetheless, it’s a fun video so give it a watch!
We were pretty impressed with how the Pixel 2's portrait mode worked, and Google's deep dive into the technical details was easily one of my favorite reads of last year. The company must have recognized what a hit it was, as a new explanation for the differences behind the Pixel 3's depth-sensing tech was just published. As always nowadays, a big chunk of the changes are due to the magic of neural networks, but Google also has a "Frankenphone" 5-Pixel case to thank for the Pixel 3's Portrait progress.
Read MoreGoogle used this ridiculous 5-phone case to fine-tune the Pixel 3's portrait mode was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Android Auto is getting even easier to use. Google is updating the system with new features to make it even faster to find music and check messages. In regard to the media features, Android Auto has improved the layout of the media section so that content is front and center. Large album art is visible so you can easily find and select what you want to listen to. Additionally, the voice search has been improved so you can ask Google to play a specific artist, playlist, or genre with a simple voice search.
Messaging is also becoming easier. Now when your vehicle is stopped, Android Auto will show you a short preview of the message. It should be noted that this is optional and users will need to enable it in Settings. In addition to previews, Android Auto is also gaining support for MMS and RCS messages. While these add a number of capabilities, perhaps most important for Android Auto users is the support for group messaging.
The new media features are currently available for Google Play Books, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, and Spotify, with more supported apps coming soon. The messaging features are currently available for Messages, Hangouts, and WhatsApp, with more supported apps on the way.
Do you use Android Auto? How do you like it?
OnePlus is known for its commitment to quality and recognizes that, sometimes, an outside company will have more expertise than it does. The audio on the OnePlus 6T is one of those instances, as OnePlus has announced that it’s partnered with Swedish firm Dirac Research to deliver powerful digital audio technology to the OnePlus 6T.
The speaker on the OnePlus 6T features Dirac Power Sound, which is a digital adjustment to deliver clearer sound with richer bass. More importantly, OnePlus is utilizing Dirac HD Sound to improve the listening experience through headphone, including the OnePlus Bullets headphones. What is Dirac HD Sound? Dirac states that it “measures and corrects the impulse and frequency response of headphones.”
The announcement comes as the OnePlus 6T is the first OnePlus phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack. With customers only having access to the USB-C port, the company is hoping to assure users that they can still get high quality sound.
Additionally, Dirac mentioned that these improvements have been available on other OnePlus devices, but weren’t ever announced.
What are your thoughts on this tuning? Does it outweigh the loss of the 3.5mm headphone jack?
Show Press Release“The OnePlus 6T is widely viewed as one of the market’s top smartphones, and for good reason,” stated Erik Rudolphi, Dirac’s General Manager of Mobile. “From its all-new OxygenOS to its AMOLED edge-to-edge display, Snapdragon processor, extended battery life, and so much more, OnePlus’ new flagship is simply best-in-class in every respect. As OnePlus considers mobile audio, we’re again honored to be trusted to help deliver a listening experience that’s as premium as the device’s other features.”
The OnePlus 6T represents the latest chapter in a three-year relationship that began with the launch of the OnePlus 2 and most recently included the highly-acclaimed OnePlus 6. Key to this sustained success is close collaboration between the companies’ engineering departments, which integrate premium hardware and advanced software to consistently create a new calibre of mobile listening experience.
The OnePlus 6T features a high-performance micro-speaker that’s optimized by Dirac Power Sound – a breakthrough digital audio solution that further elevates system performance by delivering clearer, more natural sound with richer details and tighter, more powerful bass.
The OnePlus 6T is also the latest smartphone to ditch the traditional 3.5mm headphone port in favor of the new USB-C standard, allowing owners to use the latest and greatest headphones designed specifically for USB-C audio delivery.
Dirac and OnePlus also worked closely to ensure the OnePlus Bullet earphones produce a listening experience as refined as the smartphone’s embedded speaker. To elevate the already impressive performance of OnePlus earphone hardware, the company leveraged Dirac HD Sound, a powerful headphone-based digital audio optimization solution that measures and corrects the impulse and frequency response of headphones to improve sound quality and enable the implementation of OnePlus-branded sound characters.
“Our continued collaboration with Dirac is a testament to our collective success in redefining the mobile audio experience,” stated a senior OnePlus representative. “As OnePlus 6T customers benefit from our new OxygenOS, a vibrant edge-to-edge screen, integration of a best-in-class fingerprint scanner and inclusion of the latest USB standard, the Dirac-optimized audio experience continues to stand out as a key component of the best-in-class user experience for which we tirelessly strive.”
The OnePlus 6T, the company’s most advanced smartphone to date, features a 6.41-inch, 2340×1080 Full Optic AMOLED 19.5:9 edge-to-edge display; Snapdragon 845 CPU; upgraded dual 16MP and 20MP cameras; and up to 256GB storage and 8GB memory. The OnePlus 6T is available in Midnight Black, Mirror Black, and Thunder Purple color options.
For more information on Dirac Research, visit www.dirac.com. For hi-res photography, click here.
About Dirac:
Dirac is a world-renowned audio technology company on a mission to invent the future of sound. Dirac’s team of engineers and scientists deliver optimized sound solutions for mobile, automotive, residential and commercial environments through inspired innovation and a keen sense of evolving market trends and demands. Dirac’s digital sound optimization technologies have been adopted by some of the most respected and recognizable electronics manufacturers spanning the globe, achieving dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac Research maintains its headquarters in Sweden and has representatives in Japan, USA, Korea, Germany and China. For more information, visit www.dirac.com.
[Bonus Round] Z.O.N.A Shadow of Lemansk, Eat All The Things, Throne Quest RPG, Spectrum Break, Faraway 4: Ancient Escape, Terminator: Survival, and Mech Battle was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
YouTube Premium (previously called YouTube Red) is the only (legal) way to watch YouTube Originals. Sure, the service gets you ad-free video viewing, background play, and a subscription to Google Play Music, but YouTube had to push the service with a bigger incentive.
That came to be YouTube Originals, TV show-like series from various huge creators that required the subscription to view. Many of them are quite good too! However, YouTube likely saw that Originals aren’t why most people are paying for the service. Just going ad-free is great as it is. Plus there are a lot more views to gain from making the shows free.
Thus the company has decided to make all YouTube Originals free with ads by 2020. We don’t know if there will be strategies like release delays to keep people coming to YouTube Premium, but the company will continue bankrolling productions for Originals.
I don’t think this will hurt YouTube Premium subscriptions in the least, but it will allow a lot more people to view the great content that’s currently hidden behind a paywall.
Your keyboard probably spends more time up on your screen than most apps, so it's only natural that developers have sought to make it more useful. For example, Gboard has search and translation integration. SwiftKey is still playing catch up when it comes to service integration, but it's taking a big step today with Bing search. Why Bing? Because Microsoft owns SwiftKey.
If you're getting a bit of déjà vu, you're not completely off-base.
Read MoreSwiftKey Keyboard gets Bing search integration was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
In case you missed the APK Teardown yesterday, Google has made several new features official in Android Auto today. The message preview and new media UI from the teardown are on the docket, but Google also made some tweaks to media search and group messaging in the car. As always, Google says it has worked to add more convenience features without sacrificing safety. I've been using the updated Android Auto for the last week, and while it's a minor update, there are a few nice additions.
Read MoreGoogle rolls out new media and messaging features to Android Auto was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
A new update for Google Photos is rolling out, and this one is taking aim at making backups possible in regions where data connections are generally slow and expensive. A new Express backup mode is in the works that automatically downscales images and video for more timely and less costly transmission to the cloud. There will also be a new setting that allows users to set daily limits on how much data to spend on performing backups.
Read MoreGoogle Photos v4.6 prepares new Express backup and daily data caps for slow and limited connections [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
The Google Assistant is always learning new ways to help. This week, Google is adding a few new to the mix.
First up, the ability to create better lists and takes notes with the digital assistant. That means you can create a gift list if you need to while you’re out and about just by saying, “Create a gift list”. You can also ask things like, “What’s on my to-do list?” and “Show me my last note”. Google says it will also be adding support for Todoist, Bring!, Google Keep, and Any.do in the future.
Have a Smart Display? Then Google Assistant will help you start a sing-along session with your family as long as you have Google Play Music subscription. You can now find and learn lyrics and sing together. Just say, “Hey Google, play ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ on Google Play Music”. This is available starting today with select songs.
The next one is reading aloud, including titles like “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”. This is from Google Play Books, and Google is adding four new titles over the coming weeks: “The Lion King”, “Mulan”, “Frozen”, and “Aladdin”. The service includes over 50 titles, with more on the way. That includes titles from Nickelodeon “Albert: The Little Tree With Big Dreams”, and Dora the Explorer’s, “The Little Christmas Tree”.
You’ll be able to call Santa, too, just by saying, “Hey Google, Call Santa”. This is part of a musical concert, apparently, so you’ll have to help the big guy rehearse his song.
Here are the major bullet points for new additions to smart displays:
- Broadcast Replies: When you’re out grabbing groceries to prepare for your holiday feast, the Google Assistant can help you easily connect with family at home by using broadcast to check if anything else needs to be picked up. Starting next week, you can also reply back from a smart speaker or Smart Display to your phone or other Home devices.
- Sharing photos: Google Photos is another feature on Smart Displays that can show you past holiday memories with family and friends. Now, we’re making it easier to share photos with people on your contact list when you land on a photo that you like by saying “Hey Google, share this photo with April.” You can also quickly hide a photo from your ambient screen or favorite a photo to be enjoyed again at a later time.
- Touch Alarms in Quick Settings: We added a quick way to set an alarm on your Smart Display — just swipe up from the home screen and tap the new timer button.
Which of these new features are you looking forward to?
Nokia launched the X7 in China last month with some decent specs. You got a 6.18-inch FDH display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, 4GB of RAM, dual 12MP and 13MP cameras on the rear, a 20MP front camera, and a 3,500mAh battery for only around $245 USD.
Now the device is reportedly launching around the world, rebranded as the Nokia 8.1. The specs stay the same and it’ll be launching with Android 9 Pie on December 5 in Dubai.
The device may also be announced alongside the Nokia 9, though this isn’t confirmed. If the price remains low, this will be a great budget device with clean stock Android and Nokia’s solid update schedule.
Spotify recently blessed most of the Arab world with its service, giving poor souls like me an option to officially subscribe without having to jump through hoops for an account in another country. If you live in India, you probably know the struggle much more than I do, but good news is coming your way. A report from Variety says that Spotify might launch in India in the next six months.
Read MoreReport: Spotify might launch in India within six months was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap of new game releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we’re playing, but this column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions for next week’s post.
Description: Brain Marmelade is a 2D platformer/ adventure game with hand draw creepy art style and a unique combat system. This games follows the “Dump One” in his dangerous quest to find the GLORIUS Brain Marmelade.
Description: Qbik is a beautifully designed pixel-art puzzle game. Enter the world of Qbik and explore a square land full of brainteasers, puzzles, and riddles – traverse all 63 levels and discover the origin story of this square little fella!
Description: Transport freight with original trucks by Kenworth and Mack in a huge open world across the United States. Hire drivers, purchase new trucks and expand your business to become the nation’s most successful hauler.
Description: Lovecraft Quest is a original сomics style game inspired by the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft – a recognized master of the horror genre. You have to avoid traps, solve puzzles and react very fast fleeing from Lovecraftian horrors which fill the labyrinth of the Temple of Nameless Cults.
Description: Dillo Rush – Rolling In The Jungle is a runner style game where you are in control of a friendly armadillo that seeks to cross the “most dangerous” jungle of Latin America in search of his beloved girl. Roll and jump in 15 exciting and challenging stages in a totally 3D environment!
Description: Do you think you’re a genius? Play Humbug and find out! It’s the hardest and cutest puzzle game around! Humbug features awesome bugs, beautiful graphics, simple controls and many hours of mind-bending gameplay! You’ll meet spiders, snails, grasshoppers and more! Jump, fly and bounce your way to victory!
Description: SEGA presents the BEST new RPG of 2018! Download the ultimate SEGA battle today! Collect legendary heroes from your favorite SEGA games. Build an all-star team in this mash-up of epic proportions. Upgrade your heroes and match gems to unleash their signature attacks in action-packed battles!
Description: HYBRID WAR IS THE LASERTAG OF THE FUTURE. We replaced inconvenient range trips with Augmented Reality. Instead of a heavy suit with sensors, we made free barcodes that capture damage from all types of weapons and are fastened to any clothes. Banal and expensive blasters, we replaced the smartphone with a huge selection of weapons for every taste.
Description: Kolumno, as other puzzle games, requires intelligence, planning, and patience, but the challenge doesn’t stop there. It will also test your reflexes with puzzles that will require you to use special abilities such as: stopping mid-air, falling faster, making smaller or breaking the rings that make up the columns.
Description: Duggee wants you to join his Squirrel Club! The Squirrel Club app enables fans to create their own squirrels and become part of Duggee’s club! There’s lots of fun to be had customising your own squirrel. Will you be a penguin, a monkey or a rabbit? What eyes and smile will you choose? And would you like a hat?
