Nextbit plans battery life boost for Robin in future OS update

Nextbit has revealed its plans to release an OS update for its Robin smartphone in the fourth quarter of 2016 that will offer owners better battery life.

In a community forum post, Nextbit says it wants to improve battery life for smartphones in the same way it helped to increase file storage for the Robin.

Because battery technology has improved slower than other technology, the industry has relied on more efficient processors and larger batteries (What do you think is under all those 5.5″+ screens?) to do their dirty work. These steps do give you more battery life, but the improvement is only incremental. Nextbit will solve this problem a new way – once again offering performance beyond just what the specs say.

We can apply the same intelligence we’ve used for smart storage towards making your battery last significantly longer. In Q4 we will launch a new version of Nextbit OS that gets to know your habits and optimizes functions at the system level to ensure you get the most screen time possible. Just like with smart storage, we can apply this on top of the features Google has implemented in Marshmallow and even on what has been announced for N, compounding the power savings to offer you true peace of mind.

Nextbit recently announced that Robin owners can sign up to participate in a software beta program, to test out new features before they are officially released.

Nextbit Robin

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How we’d change the Nexus 6P

Several months into the life of the Nexus 6P, we’re taking a critical look at the phone.

Each Nexus phone garners extra attention as it they’re Google’s chosen platform for development, and a bastion of light for the Android enthusiasts among us. For some, the Nexus 6P is just yet another phone … but for many of us, it comes with higher expectations, no matter the fact that it’s less expensive than the top-end phones out there.

Just about everyone at Android Central has been using a Nexus 6P since it was launched, bouncing back and forth as work duties bring in fresh phones to try, and with this wealth of time spent with the phone we have a few ideas for how we’d change it to make it just right for us. Read on.

Phil Nickinson

Every time I go back on the Nexus 6P, I ask myself why I ever left. Part of that’s just the job, of course. I don’t have the luxury of using just one phone. But I do have the luxury of having the Nexus 6P to go back to.

When I pick back up the Nexus 6P, I ask myself why I left.

There really are just a couple things that cause me to not mind putting it back down. One is the size. It’s just bigger than I want it to be. I love using it, but I often hate carrying it around.

The other is the camera. I don’t use third-party camera apps because I’m lazy. But the speed at which the Nexus 6P camera launches is, to put it mildly, not great. Once it does fire up it’s a perfectly acceptable camera. But that lag? Not so acceptable.

One thing that absolutely keeps me coming back, however, is that Nexus phones are the only phones I’ve used that have never had an issue connecting to Android Auto. So there’s that.

Jerry Hildenbrand

I’ve been using the Nexus 6P every day since it launched. I had briefly considered switching to the Galaxy S7 edge for my “daily driver” because it’s a really good phone, but then I stopped drinking and put that idea to bed. There’s really no reason for me to switch, because nothing else works as well for me.

For me, there’s really no reason to switch away.

I don’t have kids running around and my dogs are old and don’t do things that are worth taking pictures of any more, so I’m not concerned with the camera taking 500 milliseconds longer than some other phone to load, but it’d be nice if they fixed it for the folks who do care. I used to wish it was smaller, then I gave up because nobody is going to make a phone the size I want (that’s worth using, anyway) until tiny phones become the hot ticket like they used to be.

Really, the only change I want to see is one that isn’t ever going to happen, and that’s a better audio package. I want great music through my headphones without having to carry a separate thing around to make that happen.

I’ll probably switch phones when the next Nexus comes around, and hopefully it will be as good to me as the Nexus 6P has been.

Andrew Martonik

For me, the Nexus 6P is the best overall Nexus phone to date. It’s a simple, well-made, no-frills kind of a phone, which is just what I expect when I pick up a Nexus. It’s all about the software and experience, really, and the hardware mostly gets out of the way. It doesn’t have a funky design or crazy features, it’s just a great phone, and that’s why I appreciate and use it. It’s still a little big for my taste (especially its height), but I can see why that makes it appealing for many — and for as much as I enjoy the idea of using the Nexus 5X, it’s usually the 6P that I come back to when I want a Nexus experience. And what I think many of us forget is how much cheaper it is than many flagships, coming in at just $499.

It isn’t perfect, but I still love using the Nexus 6P.

Now of course the Nexus 6P isn’t all perfect, as you’ll see throughout this article in our various responses. Despite a large battery the Nexus 6P doesn’t exactly have the best battery life out there — and it’s especially disappointing when I’m hitting it hard or traveling. And although the camera can do some really impressive things, it’s often baffling how slow it is to capture and process photos … and that’s before you set it alongside an amazingly fast camera like the Galaxy S7. The screen is just so-so as well, which isn’t anything new for a Nexus but is a bit disappointing considering how great the rest of the hardware is.

Yup, just like any other phone the Nexus 6P does have shortcomings, and depending on how you weigh those it may not be the phone for you. But I still enjoy picking it up regularly despite those few issues, and when I do I’m reminded of how great it is. It’s the phone I use to experience Project Fi, as well as Android N right now, and that puts it in an exclusive group.

Alex Dobie

The arrival of the Android N beta — and more recently, the Android N beta actually becoming usable as a daily driver — have really tempted me to go back to the Nexus 6P full-time. Having not really used it for any length of time since I persevered with it throughout January, I’m once again feeling the pull of Nexus. And on N, the 6P is faster and better than ever.

It’s great to get a look at Android N, but there are still some big flaws.

But then I’m reminded why I moved away from it earlier this year in favor of some of Samsung’s recent devices. The camera’s still painfully slow. (Although if you can live with a slow camera, it can absolutely go toe-to-toe with the GS7 in low light.) The screen, though not at all bad, has aged particularly badly next to the very best of 2016’s high-end phones. And most of all, it’s just too big.

Now, there are big phones, and there are big phones. What make the 6P too large to be manageable, for me, is the bulk around the screen. I’ve quite happily used the Galaxy S6 edge plus — another 5.7-inch phone, but one that’s smaller, lighter and significantly easier on the pocket. I like big phones, but you need to be smart about what you build around that enormous display. I’d opt for a smaller handset overall, even if it meant having to drop down to a 5.5-inch panel.

And Google needs to address the one outstanding software area in which stock Android is just bad — and that’s the speed of the camera. Part of that stems from Nexus phones’ over-reliance on HDR+, but as a regular user I don’t care about that. I just know that my GS7’s taken a dozen or so shots before my 6P’s finished processing its first.

Russell Holly

I pop my SIM card into the Nexus 6P any time I know I’m going out in the evening with friends. The battery is reliable enough that I know it’ll get me through a late night, and the sensor used in this camera combined with Google’s HDR+ tech is still the best I’ve used for capturing a low light still shot.

The Nexus 6P is just too big for me.

My only real complaint about the Nexus 6P is the only reason I put it down and picked up a Galaxy S7 — it’s too damn big for me. I love the way it looks, and the Nexus 6P has always felt nice and solid with just the right amount of heft to it. But I don’t like using this phone with one hand, and that’s generally how I prefer to use phones.

Software has come a LONG way for the Nexus line, but the 6P also started out pretty great which is a nice breath of fresh air compared to previous Nexus releases. The camera is a little on the sluggish side when compared to the top of the line from other phone makers, but the fingerprint sensor is still the best I’ve used and the display is what you expect from something that doesn’t have a Samsung logo on it. I’ve recently switched over to the N Developer Preview, but even before that the software continued to hold up against time.

Despite it not being my personal preference, I wouldn’t ask for a smaller Nexus 6P. Rather, not with existing technology. This phone wouldn’t do well with a sacrifice on battery life, so I’m cool with saying I’m the thing that needs to change in this situation.

Daniel Bader

Tall. So tall.

The Nexus 6P is a great phone. Certainly the best Nexus ever, and one of the best Androids ever. But it’s really tall, and that makes me less likely to pick it up and use it as a daily driver over, say, a Galaxy S7 edge.

Aside from the size, there isn’t much I can complain about.

That said, I used the crap out of the phone when it was released late last year, and loved its incredible performance and surprisingly good camera. Unlike previous Nexus devices running brand new versions of Android, Marshmallow arrived pretty stable for me, and my 6P never experienced the growing pains of its 5X counterpart. Now that it’s running Android N’s latest beta, I’m back using it full-time, and I am even more impressed with the damn thing: it just flies through anything I throw at it, though I still wish its camera was slightly faster. After months with the Galaxy S7 edge, nothing comes close. Except in low light, which — be it Sony’s sensor magic, Google’s HDR+ prowess, or Huawei’s manufacturing chops — it absolutely excels at.

The 6P is a showcase for Google’s latest software, sure, but in a way it’s equally an opportunity for Huawei to prove its worth to an entirely new audience. While I’m not a huge fan of the boxy, generic design, I am of the 6P’s build quality, which is quintessential Huawei — metal, glass, and visible antenna lines.

Aside from the size, there really isn’t much I can complain about when it comes to the Nexus 6P. If I’m picking nits, I’d get that price down a bit — it’s $699 Canadian Dollars, which is, while lower than many flagships, still a lot of money in this market.

Your thoughts

Those are our thoughts on how we’d change the Nexus 6P, but we know lots of you have been using the phone for several months as well. If you’ve been using the latest high-end Nexus, we want to know how you’d change it if you had the chance! Let us know in the comments.

Nexus 6P

• Nexus 6P review
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• Read the latest Nexus 6P news
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BitTorrent Now streams music and video from up-and-coming artists

BitTorrent has launched Now, a new app for Android aimed at making it easier to access music and video from up-and-coming artists. The streaming app offers curated selections from BitTorrent, trending content, search, and more.

Here are the basics of what you can do with BitTorrent Now:

• Experience it now or save it for later: browse and stream curated music and video recommendations from independent artists
• Check out what tracks, artists, and videos are trending within the Now community
• Personalize your experience by signing in with Facebook, Google+, or email to follow your favorite artists to get the scoop on their latest releases
• Explore categories by tag, genre, and more
• Share the awesome stories you’ve discovered with friends
• Uninterrupted listening with background play — listen the way you want to

BitTorrent Now can be found on the Google Play Store right now.

The pocket-sized ASUS ZenBeam E1 will project from your phone, Chromecast and more

If you’re looking for a pocketable projector to use on the go, ASUS has just announced the pint-sized ZenBeam E1. Weighing in at just 307g, the ZenBeam E1 is able to connect to your Android phone, in addition to other sources, via HDMI and MHL.

As for specs, the pocket projector is capable of outputting an 854×480 picture at 150 lumens of brightness. Inside the projector packs a 6,000 mAh battery, which ASUS claims will last up to five hours.

Given the projector’s ability to hook up to not only your Android phone, but also things like the Chromecast and Chromebit, it definitely makes for an interesting option if you’re in need of a screen on the go.

As for when you can get your hands on one, ASUS says the ZenBeam E1 should be available for $249 from major retailers imminently.

Michael Fisher, aka MrMobile, reviews the OnePlus 3

When I first laid eyes on a photo of the OnePlus 3, I was let down. I didn’t like its generic design, its snap-on cases that seemed like afterthoughts, or its higher-than-ever price tag. But then a review unit landed on my doorstep, and I got to use the OnePlus 3 for nine days. While my feelings on its derivative design haven’t changed, I still consider this to be one of the best phones you can buy for $399. Also, it’s a worthy custodian of a brand name that, as Andrew wrote in Android Central’s full review, seems to have finally grown up.

Check out my OnePlus 3 review — my first as MrMobile — above. If you enjoy it, be sure to subscribe at all the links below for much more mobile tech coverage from the final frontier!

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Marshmallow starts rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is currently receiving its update to Marshmallow in the U.S. The update is for both the 8- and 9.7-inch Wi-Fi-only versions of the tablet, and weighs in at over 1GB.

The Marshmallow update brings a number of enhancements and user experience improvements, including Doze, which helps cut down on battery usage. The update should roll out automatically, but you can always check in Settings to grab it manually.

Discuss the update in our forums!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

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8-inch model:

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Which Canadian carrier is the best at pushing Android updates?

Avoid all of these issues by buying a Nexus. But if you don’t want to, here’s some advice.

I get asked this question a lot: Which carrier updates its Android devices the fastest? It’s not an easy one to answer, since there are so many factors. But thanks to data from the carriers themselves, we can finally come to some sort of a consensus on the matter.

If you want the fastest and most transparent updates, bring your service to Telus.

Why Telus?

There are a few reasons to go with Telus if you want the best experience updating your Android phone.

• First, Telus is generally the fastest, especially when it comes to Samsung devices.
• Second, Telus is the most transparent, consistently keeping its easy-to-understand Software Updates page current and relevant.

At the end of the day, these are the two most important factors when deciding which carrier will respect the update process of most carrier-sold Android phones.

It can be argued that Telus is more invested in offering expeditious Android updates because delivering on customer service promises is a core tenet of the provider’s marketing strategy. So too is the reason for a distinct lack of bloatware on said Android devices; I usually ask for a Telus loaner device from a manufacturer because it is the least encumbered with unnecessary apps. Telus is also better at scheduling monthly security updates for its Android devices, something we’ve seen U.S. carriers like Verizon do a better job of in recent months.

If you want the fastest and most transparent updates, bring your service to Telus.

Rogers and Bell have content strategies to push, which usually involves embedding video and commerce apps on their devices. Telus, with no such ties, approaches Android software like it does its entire aesthetic: clean, and simple.

Finally, Telus is usually slower to roll out features like Wi-Fi Calling and VoLTE that may impede the update release schedule of various Android phones. Rogers, for example, twice halted the rollout of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop to the Galaxy S6 last year due to bugs in Samsung’s implementation of Voice Over LTE on the carrier’s network.

What about Bell and Rogers?

Being the three biggest carriers in Canada, priority is usually given to Rogers, Bell, and Telus when OEMs like Samsung and LG deliver big-time updates. As we’ve already explained, Telus is often the first, but not always: Bell and Rogers are generally quite good at staging simultaneous rollouts unless there are specific reasons for such a delay.

For whatever reason, Rogers has struggled to push updates to its growing Galaxy line in recent months, offering its versions of Android 6.0 Marshmallow weeks or months after Bell and Telus. Given that Bell and Telus share a network, updates can be pushed to devices sold by those carriers at the same time, but as with all things, it comes down to priorities.

Give me the data, punk

Sure. Let’s look at the last few months.

Telus isn’t always first, but as the data show, it is usually among the first to receive the updates, and is never solely last.

Why is Canada usually second to the U.S.?

Are you talking about in hockey? Because in that case we’re not. If you’re referring to phone updates, then you’re right.

Canada is a relatively small market in relation to the United States. Manufacturers deal with limited resources internally, and would rather customers buy a new phone than update an existing one. Still, a certain number of them are expected within the lifespan of a handset, and after speaking off the record to representatives of a number of Canadian carriers, it’s clear that the country is pretty low on the priority list — rarely, if ever, will we receive a significant update before the same device in the U.S. Indeed, many of the updates are formatted for American versions of the handset and adapted to fit the slightly modified Canadian SKUs.

Rarely, if ever, will Canada receive a significant update before the same device in the U.S.

The odd time that Rogers or Telus pushes out an update before Verizon or AT&T, it’s usually the result of extended network testing on the part of the U.S. providers, or significant changes to the network code that require additional quality testing. All updates must meet the stringent requirements of both countries’ regulators to ensure that 9-11 and other emergency services are always available and working correctly.

Over the past few years, not only have updates to Android devices become more frequent, but intra-version bug fixes have become more common, if not the norm. Much of this can be chalked up to Google’s own commitment to monthly security updates on its Nexus phones, but some of it must be attributable to a normalization within the carriers of an update culture.

An investment in your future

Android updates aren’t always about flashy new features; they are just as often about important bug fixes that protect you from unforeseen exploits and hackers. Back when the Stagefright exploit was a big concern in the Android community, Telus was not only the first carrier to post important information for its customers to easily digest the information, but it was proactive about releasing fixes for as many older Android devices as it could. It could have done better, but it was comforting to know the issue was earnestly being addressed.

Of course, Telus is still a carrier, and must balance available resources with its desire for customer service. It’s not going to release every update ahead of Rogers and Bell, and will occasionally be last, or be fraught with issues. Indeed, if you want the fastest and most comprehensive update schedule on an Android device, purchase a Nexus 5X or 6P — either from Telus, or directly from the Play Store — which affords you the best of both worlds.

But if it’s an LG G5, a Samsung Galaxy S7, or a BlackBerry Priv you’re after, and want to pursue the road most subsidized, then Telus is your best bet for a comprehensive Android update solution.

How to share a picture from your Android phone to Facebook

How do I share pictures from my Android phone to Facebook?

Maybe you took a trip somewhere exotic, or maybe the kids were doing something extra cute. Whatever your reason, uploading pictures to Facebook is a very popular sharing method. Android and Facebook provide several methods to share your photos — use the Facebook app, use your phone’s photo gallery, or use Facebook from a mobile web page — and we’re here to walk you through it.

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• How to share a picture to Facebook using the Android app
• How to share a picture to Facebook from your photo gallery
• How to share a picture to Facebook using the mobile web page

How to share a picture to Facebook using the Facebook app for Android

Launch the Facebook app from the Home screen or the app drawer.
Log in to Facebook if you’re not already logged in.

Tap Photo.

Tap Allow if your phone prompts you to allow Facebook access to your photos.
Tap one or more photos you’d like to share.

Tap Done when you’re satisfied with the photo(s) you’d like to share.

Tap Public or Friends to choose who to share the photo(s) with.
Type or add any information you find pertinent: your location, tagged friends, emoticons.

Tap Post.

How to share a picture to Facebook from your Android photo gallery

Launch the Photos app from your Home screen or the app drawer.
Tap a photo you’d like to share to Facebook.

Tap the Share button. It looks like < with a dot at each point.

Tap the Facebook button.
Type or add any information you find pertinent: tag friends, add location, add feelings.

Tap Post.

How to share a picture to Facebook using the mobile web page

Launch your browser from the Home screen or app drawer and go to Facebook.com.
Log in to Facebook if you’re not already logged in.
Tap Add Photos.

Tap the Plus button.

Tap Allow if your phone prompts you to allow Chrome to take pictures and record video.
Tap Documents for existing photos, or Camera to take a new photo.

Tap the photo you’d like to share or take a new photo. You can add more than one photo by tapping the Plus button again.

Tap Preview.
Type or add any information you desire: location, feelings, or friend tags.

Tap Post.

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Google Play Movies & TV finally gets Android TV playback right in new update

A much-needed tune-up in Google’s latest Android TV app updates.

It seems odd that the Android TV apps I liked the least were Google’s own.

But nevertheless, it was. Sure, all my purchases are in Google Play Movies & TV and all my subscriptions are in YouTube, but pausing was a two-click job, and seeking with any precision was a nightmare. As someone who does a lot of rewinding and scene-skipping, that made my viewing more complicated, as I’d often overshoot my marks or stop short thanks to the seeking system in place.

No more.

Last week, Google began pushing out an update to its Play Movies & TV app for Android TV. It got rid of the complicated playback controls we had before and replaced them with a simple timeline and an option beneath for captions. Rather than tap back and forth between playback buttons then activate them with Enter/A, your simple tap left and right to seek and tap Enter/A to pause/play.

This makes rewinding just a few seconds a single tap on your remote, in case you just missed the last joke because someone was talking over the movie. It’s great, it’s glorious, and I’ve only got one question now: when is is coming to YouTube?

Yeah, YouTube still has the old controls, with its extra taps and its awkward seeking. YouTube is even worse because there’s one or two carousels below the playback controls as well. I often accidentally switch videos when all I really wanted to do was restart my video. It’s over-complicated. It’s annoying. It needs to change.

The new playback controls from Play Movies & TV will fit in nicely with YouTube, in fact they’re quite similar to the new timeline on the YouTube Android app. The new controls are also more in line with the controls we already know and enjoy in Hulu, Netflix and other streaming apps.

The other change in this update is minor; the Play Movies & TV app got a new banner for your home screen. Hooray! (Or not, if you preferred the old one.)

So what are you thoughts on the update? Any other binge-watchers out there rejoicing over the new controls?

How to print from your Android phone or tablet

How do I print straight from my Android phone or tablet?

As Android technology progresses, so does your ability to get everything done right from your Android phone or tablet. Google has designed a cloud printing app that works with your printer connected either to your wireless network or to your computer via USB. Here’s how to set up Google Cloud Print within Chrome on your computer and how to start printing directly from your Android device.

• How to add your printer to Google Cloud Print
• How to add the Google Cloud Print app to your Android phone or tablet
• How to print from your Android phone or tablet
• Printers compatible with Google Cloud Print

How to add your printer to Google Cloud Print

Launch Chrome on your computer.

Click the menu button in the top right corner. It looks like three horizontal lines.

Click Settings.

Click Show advanced settings.

Scroll down and click Manage under the Google Cloud Print heading.

Click Add printers.

Click the printers you want added to Google Cloud Print.

Click Add printer(s).

How to add the Google Cloud Print app to your Android phone or tablet

Launch Play Store from your Home screen or app drawer.
Tap the search field.

Type cloud print.

Tap the Search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.
Tap Cloud Print by Google Inc.

Tap Install.

How to print from your Android phone or tablet

As long as the Google account you have activated on your computer is the same Google account activated on your phone or tablet, you’ll be able to see your printer. If you don’t know how to add Google accounts to your Android device, check out our guide.

How to print a local file from your Android phone or tablet

Open the file you’d like to print. You can open files stored locally (found in Photos, Gmail, Docs, file manager apps, etc.) or files stored on cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox. In this case, we chose a picture in Photos.
Tap the menu button in the top right of your screen. It looks like three stacked dots.
Tap Print.

Tap the drop-down arrow. It is located near the top of your screen.

Tap the printer you’d like to print from.

Tap the print button. It looks like a printer.

How to print a file from the internet on your Android phone or tablet

Tap the menu button (looks like three stacked dots) when you’re viewing the webpage with the content you want printed. The menu button might look a bit different, depending on your browser.
Tap Print.

Tap the drop-down arrow. It is located near the top of your screen.

Tap the printer you’d like to print from.

Tap the print button. It looks like a printer.

Printers compatible with Google Cloud Print

Most modern printers are compatible with Google Cloud Print. There are some exceptions, so to avoid frustration, Google has created a list of all printers compatible with Google Cloud Print.

Don’t fret quite yet if your printer isn’t compatible with Google Cloud Print. Some manufacturers have created their own apps for printing from their phones and tablets; Epson, Brother, Samsung, and HP are included in this list.

Printing is achieved by downloading the manufacturer’s app off the Play Store, opening the app, choosing a document from your internal phone storage or cloud storage, and printing to your wireless printer. It’s easy, it’s streamlined, and it works great if you only have one printer.

How do you print?

Let us know how you print from your Android phone or tablet in the comments section below.

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• Welcome to the Marshmallow era
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