18.1% of Android devices are now running Lollipop
Google usually list the Android distribution numbers, but decided to skip July’s. However, now it’s August and Google has updated them again. Lollipop is now installed on 18.1% of Android devices which is up from 12.4% in June.
KitKat has also moved up a little from 39.2% to 39.3%. Jelly Bean on the other hand has declined from 37.4% to now 33.6%.
Of course we can’t forget about the much older versions of Android. Ice Cream Sandwich is at 4.1% while Gingerbread has move down to 4.6% from 5.6%. Finally, aging Froyo is still installed on 0.3% of devices.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: 18.1% of Android devices are now running Lollipop
TPU case for the LG Nexus 5 2015 shows up in leaked photos
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Last week, we had what was allegedly the case for the LG Nexus 5 2015 leak out, but that only showed us the silhouette of the device. However, thanks to Steve Hemmerstoffer of @onleaks, we’re getting a look at a physical version of the case today, and the two leaks line up extremely well. As in the original leak, today’s images show a case that bears two circular holes and one rectangular hole in the back – there are various theories about what this configuration represents, including a 3D camera with dual camera sensors or perhaps a fingerprint sensor. I personally like the 3D camera idea, simply because the two circular holes appear to be about the same size – of course, the hole could just be used to display the branding of the device a la the Nexus 6.
What has also been noticed from these leaked images is the general shape of the LG Nexus 5 2015 – from the inside of the TPU case, the Nexus 5 looks like it will be quite rectanglar and quite thick. We’re assuming aesthetics isn’t necessarily the first thing in mind when it comes to designing a Nexus, so hopefully this means more on the inside, perhaps a larger battery. Whatever the case, we probably won’t know anything for sure until Google announces the device in late October/early November.
What do you think about the case for the LG Nexus 5 2015? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post TPU case for the LG Nexus 5 2015 shows up in leaked photos appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
The 2015 Nexus is our last hope for the perfect Android phone
As we head into the last half of 2015, we have to look back and say that the slew of Android phones that have been released thus far have simply failed to impress. We have seen slight improvements when we needed drastic redesigns. So far, the best Android phone of 2015 just is not good enough.
We only have a few Android phones left to be released this year. Samsung will debut their new phablets in August, Google will unveil the new Nexus phones, and Sony may release the Z5 (or whatever it is going to be called). Unfortunately, only one of these companies has what it takes to release a phone that provides the features everyone wants.
The Competition
Rumors are that Samsung is going to show off its new Note 5 along withe the S6 Edge+. While Samsung’s Note line has normally been targeted towards power users, it appears that many favorite features may be disappearing from the Note 5.
It has been rumored that the Note 5 may not come with a replaceable battery or expandable storage which are two features that long-term Note users have come to know and love. If the S6 Edge+ is merely a larger version of the S6 Edge, it is also not likely to include these features either.
Sony disappointed many fans earlier this year when they released the Z4, or Z3+, or Z3v, or whatever you want call it. Many were expecting a drastic redesign but instead got a Z3 with upgraded internals. Even worse than that, the Z3+ is prone to overheating which makes it difficult to use for a long period of time. Unless Sony decides to bring a major change to their Android phones, I am afraid the Z5 will suffer a similar fate.
The 2015 Nexus Phones
With this in mind, the phone (or phones) that has the ability to become the best phone of 2015 is the new Nexus. So far, rumors are suggesting that there will be two different Nexus phones this year with different screen sizes.
One will be a smaller Nexus made by LG that is said to be reminiscent of the beloved Nexus 5. The other will the a larger phablet that is to be manufactured by Huawei and appeal to the lovers of the Nexus 6. This is already promising because it appeals to users who prefer large screen phones and small screen phones.
Android M Features
Android M gives hope that the 2015 Nexus phones will also include features that are slowly going away. Android M comes with native support for microSD cards which means that the Nexus phones may come with expandable storage for the first time ever.
Also, LG and Huawei have included expandable storage in their flagships this year which will hopefully translate into their Nexus devices, too. Unless Google plans on increasing the base storage of their Nexus line, I feel that microSD support is the only option to allow users more storage while also keeping prices lower.
Android M also has native support for fingerprint identification, which means that the 2015 Nexus phones may come with fingerprint scanners also for the first time. With Android Pay also debuting with Android M, it gives Google more of an incentive to include this feature in their Nexus phones to make mobile payments easier and more secure.
Since Nexus phones were originally built for developers, I believe that Google will include a fingerprint scanner to demonstrate how Android M handles fingerprint identification and how it works with mobile payments.
Improvements on the Past
The Nexus 6 debuted with a 2K screen, and I believe that Google will continue with this decision. With the larger screen on the rumored Huawei Nexus, a 2K display would make for a wonderful viewing experience. However, the smaller screen on the LG Nexus probably does not need 2K resolution and should be kept at 1080p for the sake of battery life. The screens on recent flagships from LG and Huawei are gorgeous, and I believe we can expect to see a great screen on the 2015 Nexuses.
Battery life is another feature that I think Google will prioritize with its 2015 Nexus phones. Google has consistently tried to improve battery life throughout Android iterations, and Android M is supposed to be the most battery efficient of all.
Also, battery life has been one of the biggest complaints with past Nexus devices. Android M has seemed to improve on past complaints about Android, and I am confident that Google is aiming to fix complaints that users have been expressing.
There is no solid evidence to suggest improved battery life on the 2015 Nexus phones, but Google’s continued attempts to improve on Android’s weaknesses make me confident that these Nexus devices will have the best battery life yet.
One of the other big complaints of past Nexus devices has been the lackluster camera performance. I fully expect the 2015 Nexus phones to ship with cameras than can hold their own against players like Samsung. I doubt they will ship with best in class cameras, but they should have cameras that can compete and take high quality photos.
Just like with battery performance, Google is really focusing on fine tuning Android, and I feel like this will continue into fine tuning the Nexus devices. Plus, the LG put work into creating a great camera in the G4 which gives me hope that they will not skimp on the camera if LG is actually manufacturing a 2015 Nexus.
New Technology
Google is a big supporter of the USB Type-C standard, which was made prevalent when they released the Chromebook Pixel 2 with a Type-C charger. I believe that Google will put this new technology in their 2015 Nexus phones in an attempt to futureproof their devices.
While this will mean no Quick Charge compatibility, I also believe that both devices will come with the ability to charge wirelessly. Since the Nexus 6 came with wireless charging compatibility, I see no reason for Google to go backwards in their charging technology.
Old Prices
Finally, I believe the 2015 Nexus phones will come at affordable prices. Looking back at LG’s Nexus history, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 were both high end phones that hit the market at super affordable prices. If LG does build one of the Nexus phones this year, I see no reason why they would not deliever it at a competitive price.
Huawei is also know for delivering devices with fantastic specs at low prices, and it makes sense for them to continue that trend if they build a Nexus phone this year. Google got some backlash for pricing the Nexus 6 so much higher than previous Nexus devices, and I believe that they will attempt to make the 2015 Nexuses more affordable.
Android phones have been around for over 7 years now, and in that time we should have gotten these basic problems solved and features added. We should not have to worry about our phones lasting a whole day or becoming buggy and full of lag after several months of use. It is 2015, and we have still not seen a phone that ticks every box on consumers’ checklists.
It will not be known if the features rumored, or hoped for, in this article are actual fact until the phones are officially announced. However, these are the features I believe Google can and needs to put in its 2015 Nexuses to take the smartphone crown this year. While we may still not see the “perfect” phone, the new Nexuses are our best and last hope for 2015.
The post The 2015 Nexus is our last hope for the perfect Android phone appeared first on AndroidGuys.
How to switch from iOS to Android and keep all your stuff
Switching to a phone within the same ecosystem is a breeze, thanks to cloud synchronization and format compatibility, but what happens when you want to get a new handset that runs on a different operating system? A very common case is when people are trying to switch from iOS to Android.
This can become a convoluted process, so we thought we should give you some good tips. In this tutorial we will show you the best ways to transfer all your data from an iPhone to an Android device. Let’s jump right into the goods.
How to transfer contacts
This process’ simplicity will highly depend on your previous practices for syncing contacts. Are you synchronizing your contacts to your Gmail account? If so, getting your contacts on your brand new Android smartphone is a breeze! All you have to do is enter your Google account. All your saved numbers will be automatically downloaded.
If you don’t synchronize your contacts to Gmail, however, you will have to work a little harder. The easiest way would probably be to use iCloud to get a .CVF file and then import that to your Android phone (or Google Contacts).
- On your iPhone, go to your Settings app and select “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”.
- Go to Settings > iCloud and turn on “Contacts”.
- Your contacts will upload to Apple’s cloud services shortly.
- Now use a browser to go to iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID.
- Select “Contacts” and then click on the gear icon in the lower-left corner.
- Click on “Select all”.
- Click on the gear again and select “Export vCard…”.
- When the .CVF file downloads, you can either import that file to your Google Contacts or straight to your phone.
- If you want to use Google Contacts, just go to contacts.google.com and click on “Import” and then “Go to old contacts”. Click on the “More” button and select “Import”. Select the file and you are done.
- To import the .CVF file directly to your new smartphone, just get the file into your phone using any methods such as transferring via a microSD card or by hooking up your phone to your PC. Once the file is on your device, you simply open your Phone app and tap on the menu button. There should be an option to “Import/export”. Select the file and be on your way.
How to transfer calendar
Just as it was with Contacts, your calendar can also be synced to your Google account, but that will only be convenient if you did it from the beginning. You don’t want to manually change all your calendar entries, so we will show you how to transfer all your calendar events in a batch. Oh, and we will use iCloud once again.
- Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and select “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”.
- Select “Add Account” and log into your iCloud account.
- Allow your iPhone to sync your local calendar files to iCloud.
- Use a browser to access iCloud.com and login with your iCloud account.
- Click the Calendar icon to open the Calendar interface.
- On the left pane, click the “Share Calendar” button beside the calendar that you want to export.
- In the popup balloon, tick “Public Calendar”. Copy the sharing URL that appears below it.
- On a new web browser tab or window, paste the copied URL.
- Change “
webcal"in the URL to “http"and press the Enter key to open the address. - Your Web browser will download a file with random characters as a file name. This file is actually a copy of your iCloud Calendar entries.
- Save the file to a convenient folder on your computer. For convenience, you may rename the file and add the
icsextension (e.g., calendar.ics). - Open and login to Google Calendar on your Web browser.
- On the left pane of the Google Calendar interface, click the menu arrow at the right of “Other Calendars”.
- Select “Import Calendar”.
- Select the exported calendar file that you downloaded from iCloud. You can also choose the destination Google calendar (if you have more than one) in the same dialog.
- Click the “Import” button to upload the file. Once importing is finished, you should be able to see the imported entries in the Google Calendar web interface. The new entries will also be synced to your Android device.
Transferring your photos
Oh, all those precious photos. It would be horrible to lose them in the process of switching to Android, right? You could probably do things the old way and manually transfer files… like a caveman. Or you can just take advantage of the awesome cloud storage services we now have access to.
You could just back up your photos to Drive, Drobbox or your service of choice, but I happen to prefer using Google’s new Photos app. This new service allows you to upload unlimited high quality images and sync them across smartphones. And yes, it’s available for both Android and iOS.
- Download the iOS Google Photos app.
- During set-up, the app will ask if you want to backup your photos. Go ahead and turn the feature on.
- Your photos will begin uploading. This will use a substantial amount of data, so be sure to connect to a WiFi network.
- When all images are uploaded to Google Photos, pull out your Android phone and download the Photos app from the Google Play Store.
- Go through the set-up process. Your images will be there.
Of course, you can also do it manually by using a PC.
- Connect your iPhone to your PC via USB cable. Do the same for your Android phone.
- On your Windows PC, open “My Computer”.
- You should be able to see two new drives or entries under “Portable Devices”. One is for your iPhone storage (usually labeled “Apple iPhone” or “Edgar’s iPhone” or something similar) and the other is for your Android. If you don’t see them, try installing the phone drivers.
- Open the iPhone’s storage in a new window.
- Open your Android’s storage in a new window.
- On the window for your iPhone’s storage, locate the folder named “DCIM”. You will find your photo folders inside the that folder.
- Simply select the photos that you want to transfer. Then, drag them from the iPhone images folder and drop them onto your Android images folder.
How to transfer music
You can always just transfer your music the old fashion way, as well – by manually moving files from phone to phone. It’s probably easier to simply upload your tunes to Google Play Music, though. Of course, this is given that you have all your music on your computer. We will assume you are using iTunes, for obvious reasons. Make sure to go to iTunes and download any music you may have purchased from your phone and isn’t saved locally.
After doing that, just use Google Music Manager to upload all your music to Google Play Music. This will sync across all Android devices, but the only main issue is that if the file is not downloaded, you will use up data while playing it. Make sure to pin or download songs you want to hear offline.
- Download Google Music Manager to your PC.
- Install the program and run it.
- During set-up, there will be an option to “Upload songs to Google Play”.
- Select “iTunes” and finish the initial set-up.
- Sit back and let the program upload all your songs to Google Play Music.
You will have to struggle with some things
Moving to a new platform can be a bit tiring and complicated. We gave you some tools that will make your experience much smoother, but know there are some things you simply can’t avoid. For one, you will need to manually find all your apps and install them. There’s no way to transfer applications from iOS to Android.
In addition, you should upload any documents and odd files to your cloud storage service of choice. You can easily download these from your Android phone using the official app.
All set? Happy transferring! Also, we know everyone has a different way of doing things. What other methods for transferring all your goodies do you use? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Epic App Battles of Android: Google Play Music vs. Tidal
Today’s Epic App Battles of Android has two of round 1’s champions going head to head. The winner will go on to the final round and have one last chance at the title of Best Music Streaming App.
In the blue corner, we have Google Play Music, launched in 2011, with over 500m downloads and a user rating of 3.9.
In the red corner, we have TIDAL, Jay-Z’s premium service launched in 2015, with over 500,000 downloads and a user rating of 3.5.
Who will come out on top in this Epic App Battle of Android?
Round 1: App design
Google Play Music uses Android’s material design. And that is completely logical because it’s Google after all. That, of course, makes for a very familiar interface that doesn’t require you to fiddle to find your way around. When you first open the app, you’ll be greeted by the same interface found on their web portal. This makes it very easy to transition from the app to the web portal and vice versa. The color scheme is very light and clean. Personally I like the darker color scheme of Tidal a little better. It would be nice if Google would give you the option to select a color scheme based on your own tastes.
When you first open the app you are greeted by some automatically generated playlists. This is a feature that they brought in from their Songza acquisition last year. Songza’s streaming service, of course, still exists. In fact, it went head to head with Spotify last week. Even though it lost the battle, its automatic playlist feature is pretty cool and it really helps Google Play find you some music that you want to listen to quickly.
Right below the playlists are the recently listened to stations. This is handy if you have a station that you really liked.
Rating: 8.9
Tidal uses a darker color scheme of black and gray. This makes for a high-end feel in the app. The colors contrast very nicely together and it’s much easier to look at in the dark than Google Play Music’s interface. They use some of the elements found in Google’s material design, but they keep their own distinct flavor in the app.
Unfortunately, Tidal’s interface is not as easy to use as Google’s is. I found music that I wanted to listen within moments of opening up the app. I suppose that if I was more into modern hip-hop, then I might have had an easier time finding something to listen to in Tidal. But, I’m a 90’s child and grew up listening to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Tupac, Warren G, Stone Temple Pilots, etc… Needless to say, I had to do some hunting and pecking to find something to listen to. It’s not even that difficult, it just takes longer.
I would think that as I listened to music, that the app would learn my tastes in music, but that just wasn’t the case. No matter how long I listened, it seemed bent one suggesting whatever it felt like.
One area that Tidal really needs help in is making the app more intuitive. When I first started using the app I thought that they didn’t have the ability to create a radio station around a particular track. Almost every streaming music service since Pandora has included this and I had no clue how to do in in Tidal. I ended up accidentally swiping down on the now playing screen thinking that it would work like Google Play and minimize the now playing screen. Instead, it ended up bringing down another menu, giving me the option to create a radio station around the track as well as some other options.
Rating: 8.0
| Round 1: App Design | Score /10 |
|---|---|
| Google Play Music | 8.9 |
| Tidal | 8.0 |
Round 2: Features
Google Play Music comes to the table with some pretty strong features. As I mentioned in its Epic App Battles of Android with Amazon, one of it’s strongest features is its enormous catalog. I was able to find the most obscure music that I knew of. I even found a relatively unknown Salvadoran band called R.E.D.D.. They are very well known in El Salvador, but not so much in the rest of the world. Every song and every artist I looked for, I found. To me, that is a huge benefit of a streaming music app.
Another nice feature of the paid version was that when you listen to a song that has a music video on Youtube, there will be the option to watch the music video. This is more of a novelty than anything, as I usually listen to music while I am otherwise occupied with another task. This makes it difficult to enjoy this feature. It’s more of a cool feature to show your friends. Also, the video doesn’t open up in the native Youtube app, where you could cast it to your TV. It instead opens in a player within the app. To be fair, you can still open the video in the Youtube app, but it’s not intuitive. Tidal also features music videos, but they are separated from the music.
Chromecast support is another feature that you’ll find on Google Play. If you want to play your music on your television, you can with the Chromecast. Technically if you have Youtube on your TV or other streaming device, you can open the video in the Youtube app and cast the music video to other non-Chromcast devices. Tidal does not give you that option.
One of the best features of Google Play is that you can upload 50,000 songs from your own music library. You don’t need to subscribe to the premium service to enjoy this feature either.
What we like about Google Play Music
- Music Catalog
- Chromecast support
- Explicit music filter
What could be better
- UI theming
- Cheaper price
Rating: 9.1
Tidal’s biggest feature is that it offers HiFi, lossless audio quality with 1411/kbps. Google only offers 320/kbps streaming. Now before, you start saying that you can’t tell the difference, let me tell you that it is noticeable. Just like the difference between 720p and 4k is not as noticeable on a smaller screen, the difference between Google Play and Tidal’s audio quality does not make itself as apparent until you listen to it on a higher quality speaker system.
Another factor that can make a difference is if you are using Bluetooth to stream the audio or using a wired audio connection. The A2DP Bluetooth audio streaming profile limits the maximum available bit rate to 512 kbps. However, the bit rate is largely determined by the codecs supported by both the streaming and the receiving device. The SBC codec is only able to transmit at 328/kbps and the aptX at 352/kbps. So if you’re streaming via Bluetooth, then the advantage of HiFi streaming that Tidal offers is effectively negated by the limitations of the hardware.
HiFi streaming isn’t their only ace in the hole. They like Google have a large library of over 30 million songs. However, Google seems to have a slight edge here. I was unable to find Salvadoran band R.E.D.D. in Tidal’s catalog, but just about everything else I searched for, I found.
One disappointment I had in searching for Artists or songs in Tidal was the lack of search suggestions. If you misspell something it won’t try to correct you or even offer suggestions. It’s just blank. This is especially inconvenient for bands with unique spellings of their band names.
Realistically, both apps offer a comparable set of features and both bring some their own unique features to the table as well.
What we like about Tidal
- Music Catalog
- HiFi music streaming
What could be better
- Search suggestions
- Cheaper price
Rating: 9.0
| Round 2: Features | Score /10 |
|---|---|
| Google Play Music | 9.1 |
| Tidal | 9.0 |
Round 3: Price
Google Play Music has both paid and free versions. The free version is essentially Songza with Google’s UI. You get unlimited ad-supported music streaming with 6 skips per hour. Chromecast support is included.
The paid subscription will give you offline play, unlimited skips, and no ads. You can watch music videos for many of the songs, as well as play specific songs and albums. It costs $9.99 per month and you get a free 30 day trial.
Rating: 7.0
Tidal has no free streaming what so ever. They do have a 30 day trial and 2 pricing tiers. Their standard tier will cost you $9.99/month. However, this will not get you Tidal’s HiFi streaming. You’ll need to pay an additional $10/month for the privelege of listening to your music in HiFi.
Tidal does offer a 50% discount to students enrolled at a U.S. accredited higher education institution such as a college or university, which makes Tidal much more affordable. Unfortunately the majority of the population will be unable to qualify for the discount.
Tidal also offers family discounts. While the original account is charged the original pricing. Each additional account is given a 50% discount per line.
Google Play Music does not offer any discount pricing.
Rating: 7.6
| Round 3: Pricing | Score /10 |
|---|---|
| Google Play Music | 7.0 |
| Tidal | 7.6 |
Summary
This was a pretty close battle. Google won the app design category hands down for their easy to use interface and ease of finding something to listen to.
Both Google and Tidal came to the table with some pretty strong features. Google’s slightly larger music catalog, explicit search filter, and 50,000 song uploads on the free tier slightly edged out Tidal’s HiFi music streaming.
Tidal won in the pricing category, because while Google offers a free tier, Tidal has discounts.
In the end, Google wins this Epic App Battles of Android and advances to the next round.
Rating: 7.6
| Final Score | Score /10 |
|---|---|
| Google Play Music | 25.0 |
| Tidal | 24.6 |
What do you think? Do you agree with our scores? Who do you think won? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Epic App Battles of Android: Google Play Music vs. Tidal appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android Authority this week – August 2, 2015
Android fans, this week brought us not one, but two excellent smartphones selling for just $400, the OnePlus 2 and the Moto X Style. In other top news, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus leaked extensively, details and images of Sony’s next smartphones surfaced, and Google rebooted Android One with the new Lava Pixel V1.
Inside AA HQ
It’s clear from the events of this week that the next battleground for smartphone domination is the $400 price range. While phones like the Axon, Zenfone 2, and even the OnePlus 2 are important, when Motorola entered the fray with its own no-compromise flagship phone, the game has changed for good. It will be very interesting to see how Samsung, LG, or HTC react to this paradigm shift over the next months.
We have a new team member! Krystal has published her first review on Thursday and the reactions have been very positive. Yes, AA finally has a woman in the team, but we’re happy to see that you guys like Krystal’s tech knowledge and video editing skills. Let Krystal’s AA video be the first of many.
This week’s giveaway is a beautifully slim Oppo R7. Head over here to get your ticket and good luck!
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- Review: It’s a brand new phone hitting the US, and it’s affordable: but is the Axon worth your money/
- Comparison: Has the Moto X Style stolen OnePlus 2’s thunder?
- Comparison: Moto X Style, OnePlus 2, or Axon: which is the better value for money?
- Review: Krystal takes a look at the Meizu MX 5
- Feature: Should you buy the OnePlus 2? Nirave weighs in
- Feature: Go down the memory lane, with Rob, as he looks at smartphone performance over the years
Top news of the week
OnePlus 2 is here
- OnePlus 2 officially announced: everything you need to know
- OnePlus 2 hands-on and first impressions
- OnePlus 2 vs OnePlus One – the battle of the “flagship killers”
- OnePlus 2 vs the competition: by the numbers
- OnePlus 2 StyleSwap cover hands-on comparison, availability and more
- OnePlus 2 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 quick look
Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
- It’s official – Samsung Unpacked 2015 is taking place this August 13th
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 leaked in much clearer set of photos
- The Galaxy S6 Edge+ might have 4GB of RAM… does it need it?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 leaked images show front, software and stylus release method
- Report: Samsung to promote the S6 Edge Plus ahead of the Note 5
- Galaxy Note 5 major specs and press image revealed by @evleaks
Xperia M5 and C5 leak
- Xperia C5 Ultra will have bezel-free display
- Sony teases new phone to launch on August 3rd
- Sony Xperia M5 and C5 Ultra leak in high-res photos ahead of official announcement
New Android One
Moto X Style and Play
- Moto G (3rd Gen) hands-on and first impressions
- Moto G (3rd gen) announced: everything you need to know
- Moto X Style hands-on and first impressions
- Moto X Style announced: 5.7-inch Quad HD, Snapdragon 808 and a whole lot of style
- Moto X Style vs Play: what’s the difference?
- Moto X Play announced: great specs, budget-friendly pricing
Sound off
We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:
Happy Sunday!
10 best new Android apps and games from July 2015
Summer time is usually a slow time for technology. People are outside enjoying the sunshine while developers and OEMs are preparing for the autumn and winter. Even so, there were still a number of awesome new Android apps and games released this month so let’s check out the best new Android apps and games from July 2015.
Angry Birds 2
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Rovio released Angry Birds 2 this month and has decided that this one would be the actual sequel to the original game. As such there are some game play improvements and concepts that help freshen up the stale franchise such as multi-stage levels and even boss battles. We know that Angry Birds is kind of old and tired, but it’s still a decent time waster that’s free to download and good for kids.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boxer Calendar
[Price: Free]
Boxer Calendar is a new calendar app out of the same developers who released Boxer Email. The calendar app itself is fairly simple with multiple viewing options, Material Design, theming and customization options, widgets, and support for Google and Exchange Calendars. It’s main feature is the ability to send your availability quickly to just about anyone although this does require using Boxer Email. It’s free but do beware of the release day bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
[Price: $2.99]
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 marks the second release of the franchise this year. This one kind of goes back to the origin story as you must keep watch over a bedroom while checking the closet, two hallways, and of course the bed behind you. Despite being a very simple game, it’s manages to be quite difficult and it does leave you a bit on edge. It’s a shock value game with a cheap price tag and a high entertainment value if you like scary things.
Get it now on Google Play!
Forsaken World Mobile
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Forsaken World Mobile is an MMORPG that has you going on quests, duking it out with bad guys, and finding hidden treasures. The game play is simple to use and involves either manual movements or tap-to-move while you have a range of stuff to do. It’s an easy game to play with a lot of quests to do. There is also a mount system, decent graphics, and online multiplayer options. It’s a strong option if you’re into MMORPGs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Kodi
[Price: Free]
Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, left beta this last month and is now a standalone release on the Google Play Store. For those who don’t know, Kodi is a full-fledged media center application that allows you to play all of your media as well as install third party plugins for additional functionality. There are some bugs here and there, but for the most part it works very well although smaller devices may not get the best experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
Microsoft Hyperlapse
[Price: Free]
Microsoft Hyperlapse has received a lot of press over the last month thanks to its somewhat unique functionality. This app takes a lot of images in rapid succession and then stitches them together to create a time lapse video. There are other apps that can do this, but this one does better than most and it is a fun little tool to have in the ole app drawer. It’s also totally free with no in-app purchases
Get it now on Google Play!
Tossup
[Price: Free]
Microsoft had a busy month because on top of Hyperlapse, they also released Tossup from their Garage project. This nifty little app helps you communicate with people quickly and efficiently to help set up things like meetings, take a quick yes or no vote, and ask opinions. It suffered from some release day bugs but most of them appear to have been sorted out. It’s not overly powerful, but definitely useful for quick info.
Get it now on Google Play!
Star Wars
[Price: Free]
Disney released an official Star Wars application this last month. It’s most likely in preparation for the upcoming Star Wars movie. The app is meant to act as a hub for all things Star Wars and includes news, updates, and event announcements. The app also comes with a ton of extra stuff for Star Wars fans, including themes, weather, animated GIFs, and a lot more. If you like Star Wars, give this a shot. It is totally free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Vainglory
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Vainglory is a MOBA that was released on Android this last month. It features a variety of heroes which allows for a variety of tactics along with online multiplayer, practice mode, and more. The graphics are pretty decent and the controls are easy enough to get the hang of. The developers have also promised new content and heroes to come on a regular basis which will be nice if they pull through. It’s free to play and actually really good.
Get it now on Google Play!
WiFiMapper
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is WiFiMapper. This is an application that helps you find WiFi hotspots for you to connect to. This is great for those who don’t have home web or are looking for internet on the go. It’s crowd sourced which allows you to add new hotspots as you find them if you so choose. You can also measure how well each one does so you can find the best ones to connect to. It’s had to some release day bugs but it’s otherwise a very useful application.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great new Android apps and games released in July 2015, tell us about them in the comments below! Also don’t forget to sign up for our Android Apps Weekly newsletter to catch the latest Android apps and games news!
Subscribe to Apps Weekly Newsletter
The latest apps, games and Google play news in your inbox once a week.
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
ICYMI: Internet aircraft, Uber retiree drivers and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Facebook just built an aircraft that can stay aloft over areas without internet, beaming it down for free. Uber is announcing a partnership with AARP in an effort to get more part-time drivers from the retiree crowd. (We helpfully provided a CDC stat about fatal car accidents because we love you.) And NASA engineers are designing drones to explore areas of planets that rovers can’t get to.
From the cutting room floor: We were all set to walk you through making this ejector bed but the ‘Uber teaming with AARP’ story won out. But for those of you who never want to get up in the morning (*raises hand, plops back onto pillow*); news you can use.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under:
Misc, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Wireless, Science, Internet, Google, Facebook
Tags: AARP, aircraft, drones, engadget daily show, engadget video, engineers, Ex, Facebook, free internet, Google, icymi, In Case You Missed It, internet, Internet.org, NASA, old drivers, Project Loon, retirees, ride sharing, robots, Russia, Uber, video, Vladimir Putin
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your headlines for this week:
- First up this week, Google is introducing two new ways for developers to beta test apps. The first is an open beta where all you need is the link while the other allows users to sign up using their email addresses. Prepare for far more betas to hit the Play Store in the future.
- Last November, Microsoft released the Visual Studio Emulator for Android. The only problem with it was that developers had to use Visual Studio to develop apps. Now developers can use Android Studio or Eclipse and still use the Visual Studio Emulator and life was good again.
- In one of the bigger headlines this week, Google announced that they’ll be eliminating the need to sign into Google+ to comment on YouTube. This, paired with the news that Google+ will be removed from other services, has kick started yet another round of rumormill nonsense about Google+ shutting down. It’s probably not.
- Bethesda announced Fallout Shelter back at E3 earlier this year and said it was coming to Android but not specifically when. We now have an official release date which is August 13th. That’s two weeks folks, so get your thumbs ready!
- Microsoft is developing an Android launcher called Arrow Launcher. It’s in private beta right now but you can find the download here. It’s a little light on customization features but an overall strong effort that actually feels like something for Android. We expect it to do quite well.
For even more Android apps and games news, updates, and releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There you’ll find all the content we didn’t have time for here. If you’re so inclined you can also sign up using your email address and have this info sent straight to your email every single Friday!
Subscribe to Apps Weekly Newsletter
The latest apps, games and Google play news in your inbox once a week.
In addition we do now have a Twitch channel! We usually stream on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays at 5PM EST. However, this week I have to send back my Nvidia Shield Tablet thanks to that recall so I won’t have my streaming device. Still, you should go subscribe and then you’ll be ready when we get back online!
Angry Birds 2
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Rovio has released the actual sequel to the original Angry Birds game this last week. It’s called Angry Birds 2 and it actually does improve on the original Angry Birds experience. It comes with multi-stage levels, spells, and even boss levels which is sure to bring some much needed freshness to the aging franchise. There is also a multiplayer experience with tournaments that you can compete in. It’s kid friendly and free to play.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boxer Calendar
[Price: Free]
Boxer Calendar is a new calendar application that comes from the same people who brought us Boxer Email. It has quite a few features to choose from including theming and customization, various calendar views, Material Design, and support for Exchange and Google Calendar. The unique feature is the ability to send your availability to other people at a moment’s notice to help plan events and get togethers. There are some release day bugs do keep an eye out for that.
Get it now on Google Play!
A Day in the Woods
[Price: $4.99]
A Day in the Woods is a hybrid puzzle game and board game with fairly decent graphics for its genre. The premise is simple, you must guide the girl to Grandma’s house while avoiding all the things that don’t want you to get there. You actually play as a wisp that controls the field which can be customized by unlocking various things. There are also 60 levels, seasonal backdrops, and the game has no in-app purchases. It’s a fun little title and it’s worth checking out.
Get it now on Google Play!
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
[Price: $2.99]
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 was released on the Google Play Store this week and marks the second FNAF release this year. This one takes place in a bedroom where you must check the bed behind you, the closet, and two doors in order to keep the creepy bad guys at bay. The game is rather short, but very challenging and we even streamed this one on Twitch. It’s only a few bucks and there no in-app purchases. If you like shock, you’ll probably like this.
Get it now on Google Play!
3DMark
[Price: Free]
Virtually everyone who has heard of benchmarks know about 3DMark. It’s the benchmark software all the pros use and now it’s on Android. This will push your device to its limits to see just how good it is for gaming and it also compares it to other Android, iOS, and Windows devices. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases and no advertising which means most of you have already left to go download and now I’m wasting my breath.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps and games news, let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading and watching, we’ll see you next week!
Google Translate “instant visual translation” updated with 20 new languages
The Google Translate app has the ability to translate text through your device’s camera in real-time, even without an internet connection, but until now there were only seven languages available. English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish were the first languages to be integrated into the live translation feature of the app and on Wednesday the Google Translate team introduced a new update that includes 20 new languages, including Fillipino, Dutch, Polish and Romanian. For the full list of new languages head over to the official blog post.
Along with new languages, the Translate team also introduced software improvements that increase the speed at which text is translated, making the app much more convenient to use. Voice conversation mode was also drastically improved with the new update. This mode allows two people speaking different languages to converse verbally with the Google Translate app acting as a translator, listening to what one person says and speaking the translated text to the second person. With this new update the feature becomes more reliable with slower network speeds, which is a great improvement for those who are traveling in areas where they don’t know the native language.
As for how instant translations work offline, each instant translation language needs a small ~2 mb download. To learn how their translation works with such small downloads head over to this Google research blog post.
The post Google Translate “instant visual translation” updated with 20 new languages appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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