HTC offering $100 Google Play credit with One M9 purchase
Limited time promotion runs through the end of August
HTC is, for a limited time, offering new One M9 customers a $100 credit for purchase of the smartphone. Available today and running through August 31, eligible buyers will receive $100 credit for the Google Play Store. The credit, as many of you know, can be used for games, apps, movies, music, and much more.
According to HTC, the program works for both the unlocked version as well as carrier-branded models, too. The process isn’t all that involved and really only requires filling out a form and sending a copy of your receipt.
- Buy the HTC One® M9 by 8/31/15.
- Go to HTCGooglePlaypromo.com to redeem your $100 credit by 9/30/15.
- Keep your receipt handy as you follow the on-screen steps.
- Provide your contact information, a copy of the receipt and the IMEI number (found under your device information on the receipt or the barcode on the device’s box).
The post HTC offering $100 Google Play credit with One M9 purchase appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android Pay may be launching on Aug. 26th
If you’ve been itching to put Google Wallet to rest and move on to newer days with Android Pay, the debut may be only a couple days away. Supporting restaurants and retailers need to prep for the new system, and we may have just got a tip from one of their largest, McDonalds.
Allegedly, employees at a McDonalds location received a notice saying payments with Android Pay will begun on August 26th.
Interestingly, the notice also mentioned that Samsung Pay acceptance has already begun. But we know that this isn’t correct, because Samsung stated that the U.S. rollout of the Samsung Pay isn’t until September 28th. So I would take this information with a grain of salt.
To recap, Android Pay was announced 3 months ago at Google I/O, and we haven’t heard much about it since then. But it wasn’t unreasonable to expect it to launch with Android Marshmallow and the new Nexus (and new fingerprint support). Android Pay is expected to launch with support from 700,000 store locations.
Aug. 26th is only two days away, so we’ll know soon. Are you looking forward to getting underway with Android Pay?
Source: Android Police
The post Android Pay may be launching on Aug. 26th appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Oppo R7 Plus announced for North America
Oppo today revealed its 6-inch smartphone, the R7 Plus, is available for customers living in North America. Powered by Android 5.1 Lollipop with Oppo’s ColorOS, the handset is packs a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with 3GB RAM.
The 6-inch display is a big one to be sure, however it’s 1920 x 1080 is lower than what other high-end, large devices typically offer. On the other hand, this helps to keep costs down.
In terms of camera’s the Oppo R7 Plus offers a rear 13-megapixel Sony sensor with f/2.2 aperture while the front is an 8-megapixel shooter.
Storage is pegged at 32GB with microSD expansion card slot adding room for music, media, and other files. The battery, listed at 4100mAh, should be more than enough to get most users into a second day.
The Oppo R7 Plus supports the HSPA+ networks of both AT&T and T-Mobile; there is no LTE support, however. Pricing is listed at $470, though it does appear to be out of stock at this time.
The post Oppo R7 Plus announced for North America appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Oppo’s new R5s is still super-slim, but now with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage
When Chinese OEM Oppo unveiled the R5 last year, it turned more than a few heads, in no small part because of the super slim profile it packs- just 4.85mm thick! The device also received a relatively good review when we examined it under the proverbial microscope early last December. In said breakdown, we felt the R5 was a great phone overall, but was hurt by poor battery life, a sub-par camera experience, and software bugs.
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Oppo is now preparing to release a follow-up to last year’s darling device, called fittingly, the R5s. The main changes consist of a bump in RAM from 2GB to 3GB, and a bump in storage from 16GB to 32GB. Everything else, it seems, remains unchanged. This includes the 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, the 13-megapixel rear Sony camera sensor/5-megapixel front camera, and a 2,000mAh battery.
Rounding out the specs we have ColorOS 2.0 which is still based on Android 4.4 KitKat, Fast Charge technology, and 4G LTE support. The device will be available exclusively in a Grey color scheme, and retail for $220 when it lands on August 25th.
While the price of the device is quite nice, the potential shortcomings are seemingly of equal concern: Android 4.4 on the verge of the release of Android 6.0 is a bit of an issue, as is the fact that Oppo has not included a larger battery, nor has it done away with the USB headphone adapter requirement.
What are your thoughts on the potential of this product? Does Oppo have a success story in store or are the key pieces of the product a disappointment? Leave us a comment below!
MIUI 7 beta now available for Xiaomi handsets
Last week, Xiaomi announced its latest MIUI 7 Android operating system for its growing range of smartphones. Today, the beta builds for a selection of Xiaomi handsets have gone live for willing testers to download.
The beta software is not available for every handset. You will only find a download available if you own a Redmi 1S, Redmi 2, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4i, Redmi Note 3G or Redmi Note 4G. Updates to the beta builds should be appearing every couple of weeks, according to Xiaomi, as the company patches up any issues ahead of a full release.
The MIUI 7 update comes with a selection of new features, including a heavy focus on customizable themes, processor and battery optimizations, and a new system wide data compression system to help save on your mobile data allowance. There are also a selection of features targeted specifically at Indian consumers, such as the Visual IVR system that works with over 50 companies in the country.
Don’t miss: Xiaomi announces MIUI 7: here’s what’s new
If you want to download the MIUI 7 beta, you can find the ROM files here and official instructions over at this link. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to “opt-in” to a simple download, so you will want to be comfortable with flashing ROMs before going ahead.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the new OS in the comments below.
OPPO R7 Plus review
The OPPO R7 has proven to be a solid mid-range smartphone with very few sacrifices and a price point that can’t be easily beat. It has been a couple months since we reviewed that phone, and now we find ourselves holding its larger brother, the OPPO R7 Plus.
As you can expect, the Plus version is definitely larger, but what else can the handset bring to the table? I have been playing around with the OPPO R7 Plus long enough and am ready to tell you all about it, so let’s get this review started.
Design
The OPPO R7 had a great design, so it only makes sense that the Plus iteration follows the same course. In terms of aesthetics, the OPPO R7 Plus does pretty much look like a larger R7. The metallic body curves around the sides, where you can find chamfered edges extending along the entire perimeter of the device.
Metal phones are no joke, and the OPPO R7 Plus feels great. One thing is for sure, though, this is definitely one large smartphone. It helps that it’s only 7.8 mm thick, but one-handing it will still be complicated for most users. This is no big deal for those who prefer larger smartphones, but one can become uneasy when handling it, especially considering the phone’s smooth finish makes it feel rather slippery.
Buttons are conveniently placed on the left and right of the device, making shuffling less of a problem. You can find the 3.5 mm headset jack up top and the microUSB port on the bottom. On the front you have your usual set-up: there’s a screen, a front-facing cameras, an LED notification light, the ambient system and the proximity sensor. Turn the phone around and you will find the main camera, a fingerprint reader and a single speaker.
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Display
We know the OPPO R7 Plus has a large screen, but that is only part of the viewing experience. There are many factors that can make or break a display. We must keep in mind this is an affordable phone, though, so we can’t expect it to do miracles.
The OPPO R7 Plus display is good, but it’s nothing to really write home about. For starters, the 6-inch Super AMOLED panel only has a 1080p resolution. At 6 inches you can start noticing some pixels, but the 367 ppi pixel density is still pretty good. You won’t have trouble reading texts or enjoying your media.
Because this phone does sport a Super AMOLED panel, you will enjoy the deep blacks and vibrant colors these screens are so known for. The display does also have good viewing angles and brightness, making it a pleasure to view in direct sunlight.
Performance
The internals in the OPPO R7 Plus are identical to those in the smaller iteration. The device sports a Snapdragon 615 processor and 3 GB of RAM. This chipset has proven to be a success with other handsets, and we see no exception here. This little guy runs great, especially once you start noticing the ColorOS optimizations, which make boot times and app launching faster.
I experienced no hiccups during my time with this handset, and that is saying much for a $480 gadget. I played games and used the phone for all my daily purposes, so it’s not like I went easy on it either. And event though ColorOS can be a bit heavy, everything was smooth sailing.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering – the phone doesn’t overheat. Sure, it gets warm after long gaming periods, but that is to be expected.
Hardware
Other hardware includes the typical technology: WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, LTE, etc. One downside many of you won’t be fond of is that the phone only comes with 32 GB. There are no other options, but OPPO did make up for that by adding microSD card support.
If we move to the back and take a look at that single speaker, you will find the sound is nothing extraordinary. It gets the job done, but that’s about it. I am also not a fan of the speaker placement (it’s on the back). We found it very easy to muffle the sound, whether you are holding the phone or laying it flat on a table.
There’s another interesting piece of hardware back there, though. One that you will probably enjoy more. That fingerprint scanner is convenient, as well as very reliable. This scanner is as fast and accurate as those in the Galaxy S6, HTC One M9+ or even the iPhone. Seeing fingerprint readers on the back of devices is no longer rare, and I happen to be a fan of putting them on the back of handsets, as that is where one’s index finger naturally rests.
Battery life
For many of us, this is the most important factor. We want to know smartphones can keep up with our busy days. Thankfully, the OPPO R7 Plus has a gigantic 4100 mAh battery. The phone usually surpasses the 5-hour screen on time, even if I am playing games and streaming video. In fact, the phone usually lasted me a whole day and a good part of the second. It was hard to kill it in one day, to be honest.
And if you do run out of battery, the OPPO R7 Plus sports VOOC rapid charging. This is specially good in this over-sized phone, which would usually take a long time to charge.
Camera
The camera is another very important factor, and OPPO is not skimping out on this department. The R7 Plus comes with a 13 MP main shooter featuring an f/2.2 aperture and Schneider-Kreuznach optics, as well as laser auto-focus and an LED flash. On the front we have an 8 MP camera, which should also make you look great in video calls and selfies.
But hey, those are just numbers. How well does the camera actually perform? It really does. Images in normal light are sharp and offer plenty of detail. In addition, color accuracy is outstanding, dynamic range is decent and shooting speeds are quite snappy.
Once you move to a darker environment, things change. You will notice shutters getting slower, but ultimately results are actually quite great (all things considered). This is mostly because of OPPO’s RGBW sensor, which adds a white pixel to to the usual RGB set-up. This is said to increase light sensitivity by 32% and reduce noise by 78%.
In terms of software, you will find a very simple camera interface. You can easily swipe your way between shooting modes. You can also tap on an icon to reveal functions like beautify, ultra HD, slow shutter, live filters, GIFS, HDR and Panorama.
Camera samples
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Software
In terms of software, we are looking at Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, with OPPO’s ColorOS on top. If you are looking for the difference between the R7 and R7 plus, this is pretty much the biggest one. The smaller device was launched with Android 4.4 KitKat. You won’t be able to tell the difference very well, though, as ColorOS hides every aesthetic element you can find in either of these Android versions.
The UI looks very similar to what you find in other Chinese smartphones. There is no app drawer, and your home screens house every app in your phone. If you can get past that, you will find ColorOS is actually quite simple, sleek and pleasant. The icons, transparencies and colors happen to look rather good.
In addition, you can enjoy features like double tapping to wake, drawing an “O” in the screen to launch the camera and even set your very own gestures. These features may seem gimmicky, but they can actually be quite helpful if you take the time to set them up.
Price and conclusion
The OPPO R7 Plus find itself in a tight spot, because it’s not really a high-end handset, but it’s also not at the same level as most other mid-range devices. This is something the price also corroborates, as the phone is expected to launch at about $480. You can pay about $300 for many other affordable smartphones, but with those you happen to make much more sacrifices.
Sure, the device is no steal, but we believe the price is justifiable. This thing is made of metal, has insane battery life and ample screen real estate. Not to mention performance is still great. For these reasons, we’re giving the excellent OPPO R7 Plus our Editors’ Choice award.
Deal: Charge up to 4 devices at once with the Twist World Charging Station for only $34.99
If you’re big on traveling and you happen to own more than, say, two mobile devices, you’d know lugging around international power converters and chargers can be quite the hassle. So if you’re looking to cut back on the amount of clutter that’s normally associated with charging your mobile devices, we’d suggest giving this new charging station a try. Right now, you can pick up the Twist World Charging Station from the AA Deals Store for only $34.99!
The Twist World Charging Station does away with the need to carry around multiple charging converters when you’re on the road. This central hub includes four Micro USB slots, which makes it easy for you to charge multiple devices worry-free. It features a universal AC power outlet that will work in over 150 different countries, and even comes with built-in fuse protection to ensure your devices charge safely.
If you’re interested, you can purchase the Twist World Charging Station from the Android Authority Deals Store for only $34.99, which is 27% off the suggested retail price! Head to the deal link below for more information.
Apple Partners With Popular YouTubers for Possible Upcoming Ad Campaign
At VidCon this year, Apple was reportedly in talks with a few popular YouTube channels, suggesting the possibility of an advertising campaign collaboration between the Cupertino-based company and YouTubers like Louis Cole and Wong Fu Productions. Similar to Apple’s experimentation with advertising the iPhone 5c on Tumblr, a move to partner with well-known YouTubers with subscribers numbering in the millions could help attract a younger-skewing audience for Apple.
Specifically, Louis’ channel “FunForLouis” has just north of 1.5 million subscribers, while Wong Fu Productions has about 2.5 million. Louis made his partnership with Apple known in a video posted in early August, detailing a meeting at Apple HQ in San Francisco, which was instigated earlier in the summer at VidCon, the yearly conference for YouTube creators in Anaheim. Louis remains understandably silent on the specifics of the meeting in the San Francisco vlog, but does confirm he and Apple will be collaborating on something together in the future.
“Well guys, that was an exciting, but very long meeting. We ended up going for some food and drinks and stuff in a bar, but turns out I’m going to be doing some stuff with Apple. They don’t work with many people, but we’re going to be doing some stuff together, which is exciting. I can’t tell you more than that.”
Wong Fu Production‘s potential connection with Apple comes from a report out of Ad Week, suggesting that the sketch comedy channel was “paired” with Apple at VidCon in a sort of speed-date set up by the conference. Far less of an official meeting between the two as Louis Cole had, there’s still the potential that Wong Fu could see a similar partnership with the company as Louis’ channel. The style of videos differ drastically between Louis and Wong Fu, with the former presenting a detailed travelogue of his various adventures around the world, and the latter publishing straight-forward comedic skit and parody videos.
Although their styles don’t mesh together, Apple could be creating a new ad campaign, possibly for the upcoming “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus,” that centers on creatives from YouTube using the company’s new products as the main tools for shooting, editing, and publishing content for their channel. Even though FunForLouis and Wong Fu Productions aren’t even close to the most popular channels on the site (the top 100 range in descending order from 38 million to 6 million subscribers), if Apple keeps partnering up with distinctive channels, it could create an interesting, idiosyncratic ad campaign.
Apple Stops Signing iOS 8.4
Apple has stopped signing iOS 8.4 for compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models, meaning that users can no longer upgrade or downgrade to that version using iTunes. Apple is now signing iOS 8.4.1 and later only.
iPhone, iPad or iPod touch users that have jailbroken their device on iOS 8.4 should refrain from updating to iOS 8.4.1, as the latest software update breaks the iOS 8.4 untethered jailbreak released in June by Chinese hacking team TaiG.
Chinese team Pangu demonstrated an iOS 8.4.1 untethered jailbreak (via iPhoneHacks) at the HackPwn2015 security conference last week, but the method has not been publicly released. With the public release of iOS 9 expected in less than a month, it is possible the team may hold off on exposing an exploit to Apple for a minor software update.
‘Star Fox Zero’ swoops onto Wii U on November 20
Nintendo Wii U owners, mark your calendars. The Japanese console maker will be launching Star Fox Zero, the next space adventure from Shigeru Miyamoto, on November 20th in the US and Europe. It’s one of the biggest titles headed to Nintendo’s home console this fall, alongside Super Mario Maker, JRPG Xenoblade Chronicles X and the adorable Yoshi’s Woolly World. Of the three, Star Fox Zero is arguably the most anticipated. It’s been over a decade since Star Fox: Assault graced the Gamecube, but with the 3DS port of Star Fox 64, as well as the crew’s appearances in Super Smash Bros., the series has stayed fresh in people’s minds. Can Miyamoto and PlatinumGames deliver with the anthropomorphic space animals again? We’ll be able to find out in just a few months.
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Source:
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Tags: foxmccloud, miyamoto, nintendo, NintendoWiiU, shigeru-miyamoto, starfox, starfoxzero, wiiu
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