2nd gen Chromecast launch imminent, new design and features in tow
It’s been over 2 years since the original Chromecast debuted (yeah, time flies). And while the little streamer that could is still working fine for the lot of us, that doesn’t mean there aren’t improvements to be had. Allegedly, this is what Google has in store for us soon.
According to a leak spotted by 9to5Google, the 2nd gen Chromecast will be a pretty hefty update, both in design and capability.
While the images don’t have the best quality, we can tell the device will leave behind its dongle appearance for something circular. We also have choices in color now. Both of these factors spark my curiosity. Why is design such a focus for a device that just sits in the background? On my TV, it’s plugged in the back, out of view. Will the new Chromecast serve more of a purpose?
Updates are said to include faster WiFi, faster initiation of content, and new software capabilities (such as content feeds on the Chromecast home screen). The original Chromecast supported 802.11b/g/n, so it would make sense for the newer 802.11ac WiFi standard to be brought on board.
A new feature called “Fast Play” is said to make the Chromecast quicker to follow your commands. It seems that Google recognized the slowness when initiating the Cast connection. Fast Play should bring a quicker response and more seamless experience when selecting to Cast your device.
Another Chromecast extension is said to be “Chromecast Audio”. As can be guessed, this will be for folks who want to utilize their higher quality audio setups. The Chromecast will plug directly into the audio system via auxiliary cord. It is also said that this feature will have multi-room support and the ability to mirror Chrome or Android audio.
The original Chromecast could stream at 1080P. I would hope that the 2nd gen has updated computational power to keep up with the times and play 4K content. We don’t have word on this yet.
Google has an event on Sept. 29th, and it is expected that the new Chromecast will be announced alongside the new Nexus devices. Hopefully Google will continue its aggressive pricing. Are you ready for a new Chromecast or fine with what you have?
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Google will reportedly launch new phones as Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P
There have been plenty of leaks of the new Huawei and LG manufactured Nexus devices and now we seemingly have a solid name to put towards the leaks. According to a source, the new Nexus devices will be called the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
We’ve heard the Nexus 5X before, and it was thought to just be an internal codename, but it would appear that it is actually the final name for the LG Nexus. As for the Huawei variant, which is to be the bigger of the two devices, it will be known as the Nexus 6P.
Pre-release leaks are always to be taken with a pinch of salt, but with an announcement date pegged to be at the end of the month (September 29), we probably won’t have much time to wait until we see the new Nexus devices for sure.
Check out everything we know about the Nexus 5 (2015) thus far and then catch up with everything we know about the Nexus 6 (2015), too.
Source: DroidLife
The post Google will reportedly launch new phones as Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 review: insanely thin, but not much of an upgrade
A year ago, when Samsung debuted its original Galaxy Tab S, we noted how rare it had become to review a high-end tablet that wasn’t from Apple. Well, the situation hasn’t changed much today — in fact, it’s even more unusual to see a premium Android tablet. But of course, Samsung, ever tenacious and emboldened by its Android dominance, isn’t one to give up without a fight. Thus, we have the Galaxy Tab S2 ($499 for the 10-inch model), which does away with last year’s widescreen display in favor of a squarer 4:3 screen. Samsung also refined its tablet design even further, delivering a device that’s thinner and lighter than Apple’s iPad Air 2 (and that’s not the only similarity). But while it’s hard to mess up a good thing, Samsung somehow managed to do just that by severely hampering the Tab S2’s battery life in exchange for an even thinner physique.Slideshow-321007
Hardware
Simplicity. That’s really the most defining characteristic of the Galaxy Tab S2. The dimpled rear case from the last model — which felt to me like Samsung was trying just a bit too hard to me — is gone. Now there’s a smooth, plastic cover (available in black, white and gold), which thankfully gives the tablet a bit more grip. In addition, its new squarer aspect ratio for the 9.7-inch display (there’s also a $399 8-inch model) makes the Tab S2 look better proportioned. We’re more used to seeing letter-sized paper, after all, instead of legal pads (which widescreen tablets always seem to resemble). The closest thing to “bling” on the Tab S2 is its chamfered metal border, which encircles the front of the device.
Frankly, it’s nice to see Samsung tone things down a bit. The Galaxy Tab S2 is perhaps the most subdued device we’ve seen from the Korean electronics giant — it’s basically the complete opposite of the giant, mirror-backed, curve-screened Galaxy S6 Edge+. But the tablet is all the better for it. It’s among the few Samsung devices that I simply like holding. That’s partially due to the soft-touch material used for its back cover, but also because it’s really thin and light, clocking in at 5.6 millimeters thick and 0.87 pound. It beats out the iPad Air 2 in both respects, though you’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference. Impressively, despite being so dainty, the Tab S2 feels just as sturdy as the last model, with very little flex in the case.
Those specs make it a big tablet that feels surprisingly comfortable in your hand. There’s no wrist strain from holding it one-handed, or when watching longer videos. It also makes traveling with the Tab S2 a cinch. I often forgot it was in my messenger bag during my commute — and that’s really Samsung’s big selling point. Sure, you can find plenty of cheap Android tablets these days, but you’ll either have to deal with a smaller screen size or a bit more heft. The Galaxy Tab S2 is for people who are willing to pay a bit more for a premium experience.
Just like many of Samsung’s devices this year, the Tab S2 also includes a fingerprint reader in the home button. For the most part, it serves as a simple way to unlock the tablet securely. Overall, it worked about as well as it did for me on the Galaxy S6 Edge+. It’s easy to set up, and it’s generally accurate when it comes to recognizing your fingerprint (just be sure to keep your paws dry and grime-free).
While the Galaxy Tab S2 feels like the product of a wiser, more experienced Samsung, it’s hard not to notice how closely it resembles the iPad Air 2. Both devices now have 9.7-inch (4 x 3) screens, and both are incredibly thin and light. For a company that’s been accused (and convicted) of stealing ideas from Apple, it’s a shame to see it once again return to that well. Samsung reps told us that the company wanted to avoid fragmentation in the tablet market by changing up its aspect ratio, but really that just meant it wanted to be more like Apple.
Display
Praising Samsung displays just never seems to get old — probably because it’s one thing the company does very, very well. Like its predecessor, the Tab S2 has a stunning Quad HD Super AMOLED display as its centerpiece. It makes everything look great, be it movies, photos or just plain text. Since we’re dealing with a squarer screen this time around, though, you can expect to see plenty of black bars around widescreen video content. That’s something I’ve just gotten used to in my many years of media watching. And despite not being perfectly proportioned for video, I never really felt like I was missing out on anything in the Tab S2 compared to last year’s model.
In fact, video once again felt like the best use for the Tab S2. Its thin-and-light stature made it ideal for lounging in bed and streaming Frasier reruns and catching up on Steven Universe. All those pixels, together with the displays’ high contrast ratio, sharp colors and inky blacks makes HD video look almost 3D-like at times. It’s particularly impressive with 2K video, which suits the Quad HD resolution, or downscaled 4K clips. It’s hard to explain until you see it in person, but the Tab S2 is one example of why there’s more to making a great display than just focusing on resolution. It even looks better than some native 4K displays I’ve seen.
Software
Again, no surprises here. The Tab S2 is running a TouchWiz-skinned version of Android 5.1 Lollipop. As I mentioned in my Galaxy S6 Edge+ review, Samsung has come a long way from its days of cramming Android full of tons of useless apps and half-baked features. There are still plenty of Samsung apps available, like S Translator and the chat app AllTogether, but you’ll have to choose to install them from the Galaxy Apps store. That’s a better option than having your phone stuffed with junky software. And the few preinstalled apps on the Tab S2 are pretty useful, especially Microsoft options like Word, OneDrive and Skype.
There’s really not much to complain about with the Tab S2’s software. The home and lock screens are fairly clean from the get-go, and even though Samsung’s built-in web browser and email apps are kind of weak, it’s easy enough to just replace those shortcuts with Chrome and Gmail (which are installed by default). At this point, I wonder why Samsung even bothers including its own apps when there are so many better alternatives out there. It’s not hard to imagine a future where its partnership with Microsoft eventually leads to bundling an Android version of Edge and Outlook to replace Samsung’s apps. Slideshow-321920
Among the few software changes from last year, the Tab S2 is now slightly better at multitasking. Samsung simplified the process of getting two apps to run side by side (a feature that even Apple is lifting for iOS 9). You can also share text and media between some apps, although in my testing I found that to be hit-or-miss. Developers will still need to include some special code to make their apps compatible with Samsung’s multitasking features, but reps told us even they’re surprised by how quickly developers are jumping aboard.
And while we weren’t able to test out the Tab S2’s new smart TV features, they sure sound intriguing. It can send video wirelessly to modern smart TVs, and you can also pipe in content from newer Samsung smart TVs right to the tablet. Samsung demoed both features for us briefly, but it’s hard to tell if they work as advertised.
Camera
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Just like last year’s model (and all of Samsung’s other recent tablets), the Galaxy Tab S2 packs in an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1MP front-facing shooter. While it won’t outclass the more powerful 16MP cameras on Samsung’s recent batch of phones (which are pretty much the best smartphone cameras outside of the iPhone), the Tab S2 manages to take sharp, colorful pictures fairly quickly. It won’t ever be a primary shooter, but it’s ideal if you’re stuck somewhere with just the tablet and no access to your phone. The Tab S2’s camera isn’t just for taking pictures, either — it can shoot up to QHD video (2,560 x 1,440 resolution), although really you’re better off sticking with the more widely accepted 1080p video. Again, you probably won’t be using the Tab S2 much for video, but it still manages to take some decent-looking footage.
Performance
Aside from the faster Exynos 5433 octa-core processor (consisting of a quad-core 1.9GHz chip and a quad-core 1.3GHz chip), the Tab S2 keeps the same 3GB of RAM as its predecessor. It’s plenty fast — I never had any issues with slowdown while playing videos, juggling several apps or playing games — but it didn’t feel significantly faster than the last model. It also comes with 32GB of storage, which you can expand with SD cards as large as 128GB.
The big issue for Samsung is that the original Tab S was simply too good; any attempt at an upgrade would have to be wildly better to get noticed. But that’s tough when we’ve basically reached a point of diminishing returns with mobile hardware. The chips everyone used last year for high-end devices are still “good enough” for most tasks today.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S | Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 | iPad Air 2 ** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vellamo 2.0 | 4,522 | 1,672 | 2,735 | N/A |
| SunSpider 1.0.2 (ms) | 1,096 | 1,109 | 1,069 | 303 |
| 3DMark IS Unlimited | 11,892 | 12,431 | N/A | 21,659 |
| GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan Offscreen (fps) | 13 | 5.5 | N/A | 32.4/24.6 |
| CF-Bench | 41,341 | 31,695 | 31,567 | N/A |
|
*SunSpider: Lower scores are better. **Not all of our Android benchmarks are cross-compatible with iOS. |
||||
Curiously, the Tab S2 also has a significantly smaller battery than last year’s model — the 9.7-inch version we tested packs in a 5,870mAh cell, compared to 7,900mAh on last year’s device. That’s a real shame, since the long battery life of the original Tab S was one of the things we liked most about it. In our test, which consists of looping an HD video at 50 percent screen brightness, the Tab S2 lasted around seven and a half hours — a steep drop from 12.5 hours on the previous model.
Samsung’s dogged pursuit at building the thinnest and lightest tablet ever was likely the big reason we lost so much battery life. And honestly, I question if it was even worth it. Last year’s model was already impressively thin and light. Is it really worth losing almost half of its productive battery life just for a minor thickness and weight spec win? I can’t imagine anyone would think so, unless you’re a Korean electronics company that desperately wants to one-up your big-name American competitor.
The competition
Let’s face it: You don’t really have many high-end Android tablet options. But what’s truly strange about the Tab S2 is that its greatest competitor in the Android arena is likely the original Tab S (above), which you can find used or refurbished for around $300 online (for the 10-inch model). Its screen is just as gorgeous as the Tab S2’s, and the widescreen format will be better-suited to movie watching. The Tab S is also especially tempting if battery life is important to you (and why wouldn’t it be?).
Amazon’s refreshed Fire HD tablets are also good options at about half the price. They, too, are impressively thin, and there are plenty of more vibrant color options than the Tab S2. But while you’ll get plenty of Amazon content integration in those, remember you won’t get full access to the Google Play app store.
But of course, the iPad Air 2 is what you’ll likely be judging the Tab S2 against when you’re looking for a new tablet. And if you’re eyeing the 8-inch Tab S2, the new iPad Mini 4 is worth considering as well: It offers basically the same specs as last year’s iPad 2, except in a smaller form factor. While the Tab S2 is slightly thinner and lighter, Apple’s tablets win out due to their better battery life (around 12 hours), and stronger library of tablet apps (that’s one area where Android may never catch up with Apple). Honestly, if you’re tempted by Apple’s slates, they’re likely the better choice for you. The Tab S2 is very good at being an Android tablet, but you’ll need to be fully committed to Android to make it worthwhile.
Wrap-up
Leave it to Samsung to ruin one of its best products. The original Tab S had plenty going for it — except few people bought it. That’s one reason Samsung might have chosen to make its new model more iPad-like. But by focusing on the spec race with Apple, instead of what’s actually best for consumers, Samsung ended up sacrificing one of its best features: long runtime. To its credit, Samsung is positioning the Tab S2 as a device that lives in your home, so it might not need a dozen hours of battery life. But really, that just feels like an excuse.
The best iPad stylus
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
We spent 15 hours testing a total of 13 iPad styluses with a graphic designer and independently arrived at the same conclusion: The best iPad stylus for most people is Adonit’s newly redesigned Jot Pro ($30). The Jot Pro’s unique clear plastic tip allows for precise input: It doesn’t block the iPad’s screen like rubber-tipped styluses, so you can see what you’re doing as you draw. It’s also comfortable to hold, and a number of small details, such as a spring-loaded tip that better mimics the feel of pen on paper, make the overall experience a pleasure.
How we decided
A handful of styluses we tested.
You want a stylus with enough weight and glide to move freely but with enough friction to be predictable. The idea is to replicate the feeling of pen on paper. We tested each stylus by navigating a maze, tracing the alphabet, sketching a variety of items, and tapping around a tablet. After our initial assessment, we started all over again, testing the pens in a different order to reduce any chance that our becoming accustomed to a stylus might have skewed the results.
Our pick
The best iPad stylus, Adonit’s Jot Pro, has a clear plastic tip so you can see what you’re drawing or writing
The best stylus for most people and most uses is Adonit’s newest version of the Jot Pro. It’s the best for quick note-taking thanks to its precision tip, which allows for fast and small writing. Instead of the slightly unnatural feeling of a rubber tip on glass, the sensation of using the Jot Pro is akin to stroking a pen on paper. It also feels good in the hand, even after extended use. It’s a beautifully designed stylus that works very, very well.
The tip is spring-loaded for cushioning, which makes it feel a bit more like using a pen on a thick notebook as opposed to a stylus on a rigid screen. It’s also the most accurate of all the styluses we tested, as the line on the screen flows from the tip, and you can actually see the tip during use.
The runner-up
The Jot Mini and Jot Pro, compared.
If our main pick is sold out, if you prefer a slightly shorter stylus, or if you’re willing to give up some frills to save a few dollars, we also really like Adonit’s Jot Mini ($20). The Jot Mini shares a lot of the Jot Pro’s traits, including the disc tip and the clip, though it omits the spring-loaded cushioning and textured grip.
A rubber-tipped option
The Sensu Artist Brush & Stylus with the cover removed.
Some people prefer styluses with rubber tips over the plastic-disc design Adonit uses. For them, we recommend Sensu’s Artist Brush & Stylus. At $40, it’s more expensive than most of the styluses we tested, but it offers an attractive design and writes much better than we expected. One end works well for drawing and writing, while the other has a capacitive paintbrush that artists will love.
A note on the Apple Pencil
Apple announced the Apple Pencil ($100), a stylus that works exclusively with its new iPad Pro. The Apple Pencil supports pressure sensitivity and recognizes the angle at which it’s being held, among a number of other interactions between the hardware and iOS. It charges through a Lightning plug, meaning it can be plugged into the iPad Pro’s port when it’s out of juice. Because the Apple Pencil only works with one version of the iPad, it likely won’t end up being a top pick, but we’ll still be testing it when it’s available in November.
In closing
For most people who sketch or write notes on their iPad, Adonit’s Jot Pro is the best stylus. This elegantly designed writing tool offers the most precise, pen-and-paper-like experience of any stylus we tested. Professional artists love it, and so do casual note-takers.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
Vector’s smartwatch looks like a SkyMall reject, but isn’t
There are plenty of smartwatches, but the majority of them scream, “I’m a smartwatch,” from every pore. Squared-off devices like the ZenWatch and Apple Watch still have a faint whiff of the pocket protector, while rounder units like the Moto 360 and G Watch R have had to bulk up to accommodate their internals. That’s why Vector is such an interesting company: With its new Luna watch (£299, or about $466), it put an emphasis on design and a 30-day battery life over functionality. That may not sound like a smart proposition to some, but this combination of good looks and bare-bones features actually makes a lot of sense.Slideshow-320028
There’s something of the SkyMall catalog that’s hard to shake when you take your first look at the Luna. That’s the round-faced version of its watch, although you can also get a rectangular model called the Meridian, if that’s more your thing. With its wide, brushed chrome case and gen-u-ine leather strap, the Luna looks like the sort of product that’s exclusively sold in the air over international waters. You’d find it sitting beside priapic timepieces with names you’ve never seen before or since, like the “Sweegen Chronograf” and “Tag Hour’s Steeve MacQueen Racer.” There’s a whiff of a “statement” watch with its large, 44mm face and masculine styling that you just wouldn’t get from a similarly priced Casio.
One common complaint about smartwatches is that the technology that’s crammed inside forces them to be on the larger side. I have wrists like tree trunks, so this isn’t a problem for me, but it can certainly be alienating to those with smaller forearms. That’s why I called upon Gadgette Editor-in-Chief Holly Brockwell to try the Luna. She wasn’t deterred by the Vector’s heft and size, saying that it was “surprisingly comfortable” and that “wrist-wise, it fitted fine.” In addition, it’s thin enough that it rarely gets caught under your shirt cuff, making it ideal as a smartwatch you could wear to a formal event without jeers.
Aside from just looking pretty, however, Vector pledged that its smartwatch would last for up to 30 days on a single charge. That’s a compelling alternative to many other devices that demand a return to the wall socket once, twice or even several times each week. I had imagined that my never-ending supply of emails, messages and calls would rinse the Luna’s battery well before the month was out. I received the device on July 28th and it died on August 29th — meaning I got more than 30 days out of this thing with near-constant use. If I have one complaint, it’s that there’s no easy way to see the battery life on the device, but I guess you’re not meant to worry about it, so I didn’t.
It may be running a custom operating system, but nearly all of its cues come from Pebble’s first-generation smartwatch. The up/down navigation, vibrating when you get an email, being able to answer or dismiss calls from your wrist — it’s all the same. There are some neat refinements on that concept, like the fact that you’ll get a small buzz when you receive an email — but it will only display it on the screen if it detects you’ve moved your wrist up to your face. With the pre-release hardware and software, it doesn’t always work perfectly and you need to give it an exaggerated flick of the wrist, but it’s a neat idea, well executed. The display is similarly Pebble-ish, but while that device had a 168 x 144 resolution, the Luna has a more readable 240 x 240.
As well as giving you the opening line of your emails, text messages and call information, the Luna has a variety of functions that are baked in as separate faces. For instance, push the down button and you’ll be able to select a stopwatch, stock ticker, BBC News alerts and an activity tracker, with more coming in the future. Those selections, as well as spare faces, can all be selected via the companion app for your iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. If I’m honest, I don’t care too much for these added features, since I mostly use wearables to a) tell the time; b) see if I need to instantly respond to an email or text message; and c) get physical alerts for certain home-control apps. In which case, the Luna handles all of these tasks and manages to look good while it does it.
I’ve tested a lot of smartwatches, but for regular use almost always find myself backsliding toward the original Pebble or my Polar V800 fitness tracker. Neither of these is particularly pretty and, honestly, they look and feel unashamedly geeky. I’ve never been convinced by the Pebble Steel/Time Steel either, since that square-circle case makes it feel more like a graphing calculator than a sophisticated timepiece. That’s one of the reasons that I’m drawn to the Vector, because it’s got most of the things I need from a smartwatch, but dressed up in a Tom Ford suit. Okay, it’s probably more “Thom Fjørd” than Tom Ford, but the principle remains. If you want a half-decent smartwatch in a stylish and attractive body, check one of these out.
Volkswagen to recall about 500,000 cars over sneaky software
Volkswagen has been told to recall about half a million of its diesel passenger cars. The German automaker ran into trouble with the Obama administration for allegedly installing a sneaky software that’s designed to disguise the cars’ pollutants during Environmental Protection Agency’s stringent emissions testing. The agency caught the violation and went after the carmaker for employing the “defeat device” — a system that’s programmed to know when the car’s being tested so it automatically turns on its full emissions control systems. Post-testing It then goes back to normal mode, where those controls are switched off, during everyday driving circumstances.
According to The New York Times report, the E.P.A believes these cars — Volkswagen and Audi models sold between 2009 and now — emit nitrogen oxide, which contributes to smog and serious respiratory problems, in way higher quantities than the carmaker is letting on. An official investigation is underway. the subsequent call-back send a strong message home to automakers. “Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” Cynthia Giles, the assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance, told the Times. “Working closely with the California Air Resources Board, E.P.A. is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules. E.P.A. will continue to investigate these very serious violations.”
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: The New York Times
Hands-on with the smarter, WiFi-powered Roomba 980
By iRobot’s own admission, the Roomba 980 is its most important consumer product since the launch of its first vacuum bot in 2002. It builds upon the innovative brush-less design of the Roomba 880, but adds a whole load of new gear to make it a better robot. It can actually map your floors and make sure it thoroughly cleans your entire house. And it also marks iRobot’s entry into the smart home arena — the Roomba 980 works with the company’s new “HOME” app, which allows you to control and monitor it from anywhere in the world. But like every new Roomba, it’s pretty pricy at $899. Is it worth it? Slideshow-321938
In the video above, iRobot product manager Shilpi Gupta gives us a good look at how, exactly the Roomba 980 does its magic. The combination of a brush-less design (which means you don’t have to worry about getting hair and gunk out of dirty brushes) and its new smarts makes it the first Roomba you don’t have to actively babysit. I’ve gotten used to clearing the floor and being prepared to leap in to save my Roomba 600-series whenever it gets into a spot of trouble, and I hear similar tales from other Roomba owners.
While it looks similar to past Roombas, the 980 features a small camera on its top and a slightly reworked handle. It’s also significantly heavier than earlier models, owing to all of the new electronics inside it. We’ll have to spend some serious cleaning time with the new Roomba before we can make any final judgements, but at this point it’s certainly tempting.
Deal: Mpow 4-port USB wall charger only $21.99!
I don’t know about you, but I am tired untangling my way through cables and power bricks every single time I need to charge my devices. Thankfully, there are great accessories out there that will help us keep our charging tools in order.
One of them is the Mpow 4-port USB wall charger, and the AA Deals Store is letting it go for a very good price. The Mpow 4-port USB wall charger is only $21.99, which happens to be a 26% discount over its retail price.
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But what is this Mpow charger all about? Well, it’s pretty much a power brick… with 4 USB charging ports! This means it can charge a bunch of your devices using a single outlet and keeping all your cables in a single place. It provides 36 watts (overall), so you can charge anything from smart devices to smartphones and tablets. In addition, each port can juice up your gadgets at a maximum of 2.4A, which makes this a pretty quick charging experience.
It’s simple, resourceful and affordable. And you can go get it straight from the AA Deals Store!
Samsung updates S Health compatibility to work with any smartphone running Android 4.4 or higher
Samsung’s fitness app S Health is now available to download on any Android smartphone running Android 4.4 and up. Samsung earlier launched S Health on the Play Store as an exclusive application for select Galaxy smartphones.
Samsung tries to keep its applications exclusive to its own devices, making today’s update surprising that the company has expanded compatibility to encompass any Android device running Android 4.4 or higher. Interestingly, Samsung has been opening up much of its exclusivity to other devices, most recently the Gear S2.
S Health offers the usual bevy of fitness related features–fitness goals, an activity tracker, caloric intake, graphs and charts detailing progression, and so on. You can even track oxygen saturation when used in conjunction with hardware sensors, but of course, this may not work on some devices if those sensors aren’t there on your specific Android unit.
If you’re interested in taking S Health for a spin, just hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: Samsung updates S Health compatibility to work with any smartphone running Android 4.4 or higher
Google’s upcoming smartphones from LG and Huawei will be the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P
Google’s upcoming smartphones will be dubbed the LG Nexus 5X and the Huawei Nexus 6P, according to a source close to Droid-Life. Past leaks have indicated that the smartphone provided by LG will be called the Nexus 5X, but now we know the option from Huawei will be the Nexus 6P.
Past rumors have indicated that both devices will feature some very premium specifications, and a more recent leak has shown that we could see these devices become official before the end of September. And that could turn out to be true, with Google scheduling an event in San Francisco for September 29.
As we get closer to an official unveiling, more and more leaks will no doubt begin to surface. While they may have some credibility, it’s always good to take things like this with a grain of salt until we hear the official word from Google.
source: Droid-Life
Come comment on this article: Google’s upcoming smartphones from LG and Huawei will be the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P
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