Android Authority this week – August 30, 2015
This late summer is hotter than anticipated, and we couldn’t be happier. The week before IFA brought us sneak peeks at smartwatches coming from Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and LG. We’ve spotted the “Moto X Play for USA” a.k.a. the Droid Maxx 2. More details leaked out about the Huawei- and LG-made Nexus. The BlackBerry Venice revealed itself from all angles. We’ve got a glimpse of the Xperia Z5. And “Pengate” flared up, before predictably fading away into the annals of ridiculous tech scandals.
Inside AA HQ
Tickets have been reserved, accommodation has been arranged, meetings have been scheduled. IFA 2015 is coming and Android Authority will be all over it! This year, we’re sending a bigger team to Berlin, even though Samsung, the usual star of the show, decided to jump the gun.
Even without a new Note, there’s a lot of hot stuff to look forward to next week, from Sony’s latest Xperia(s), to a bevy of Android Wear smartwatches, and Huawei’s new Mate flagship. Josh Vergara, Lanh Nguyen, and Nirave Gondhia will be there, accompanied by yours truly. The show starts on Thursday, but all the good stuff will probably be announced the day before. Stay tuned!
Our reviews of some of the most anticipated phones of this year are progressing nicely. We’ve already brought you our look at the OnePlus 2, and our Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus reviews, from Josh and Lanh, are coming very soon!
This week, we have an extra giveaway for our loyal readers! We’ve teamed up with Huawei to give out three Honor 7’s. And don’t forget about our beloved Sunday Giveaway: today, we’re giving away an Oppo R7 Plus (and a selfie stick!). Good luck!
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- Feature: Marshmallow is awesome, but it’s not perfect. Here are some ways it could be better
- Opinion: The S6 Edge Plus does not impress Matt – see the reasons here
- Review: Flagship killer or not, the OnePlus 2 is one exciting phone. Read our review
- Review: Affordable phones don’t have to feel cheap, and the Honor 7 is the latest example
- Opinion: The time of the $700 flagship seems to be coming to an end, but don’t count it out yet
- Roundup: School is coming, and these apps will help you stay on top of it
- Roundup: Know your ZOPO from your VIVO: 10 other Chinese brands you need to know about
Top news of the week
Smartwatches are coming
- Motorola, LG, ASUS and Huawei reportedly introducing new Android Wear watches at IFA
- (Update 2: two new photos!) Moto 360 (2nd gen) spotted in the wild
- Samsung Gear S2 hits the FCC suggesting two models, a standard and classic
- Huawei Watch up for pre-order: pricey, coming soon, potentially with iOS support
- Samsung executive teases Gear S2 smartwatch
Droid Maxx reborn
Next Nexus news
- (Update: some specs) Huawei Nexus leaks again in hands-on pictures
- LG’s Nexus 5 (2015) could be available from September 29, claims Korean website
- These could be the specifications for the new LG Nexus 5
BB Venice leaks some more
- BlackBerry Venice will come with BB10 features
- Exposed: The BlackBerry Venice caught from all angles
Don’t stick it backwards
- PSA: Reverse insertion of the S-Pen will break the Galaxy Note 5’s stylus detection sensor
- Pengate blues? Video shows how to safely get the Note 5 S Pen out
Xperia Z5 press images
Sound off
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Happy Sunday!
Motorola updates Camera and Gallery apps: move albums to SD, scan QR codes and more
Are you rocking an older Motorola phone? You may have notice some significant improvements hitting your device. Said manufacturer has just pushed out updates to a couple of their main applications. Namely, the Motorola Camera and Gallery apps, which now come with a set of added features that will definitely make some of you happier campers.
Aside from the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, Moto has included an active viewfinder to its Camera app. What does this even mean? In short: users will now have the ability to read QR and bar codes directly from the camera’s viewfinder, without having to take a picture or download any separate services to decipher these intricate designs. Not all phones will get this new functionality, though. This feature is only available for the 2nd-gen Moto X, Moto X Pro, DROID Turbo and Moto Maxx/Turbo on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Furthermore, those grabbing the Motorola Gallery update now have the ability to better organize their video clips and photos into albums. These can then be stored into SD cards, offloading some weight from that precious internal storage, which can often be so limited.
Aren’t you glad manufacturers have begun publishing their system apps directly to the Google Play Store? If it was all done the old-fashioned way, users would have to wait until their next system software update to get all these nifty features.
If you haven’t gotten your update, just head over to the Google Play Store and grab it. It should be there! How many of you have been testing these enhancements? How are the new capabilities treating you?
Download Motorola Camera from the Google Play Store
Download Motorola Gallery from the Google Play Store
Fancy the default Moto X Style wallpaper? You can get it here now
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The Moto X Style is a pretty exciting device – boasting solid specifications and an attractive pricing, Motorola‘s latest flagship looks like a contender for best device of 2015, if not biggest surprise of the year. While an official release for the device is still some time away – Motorola has refused to specify anything more specific than “September” – you can enjoy a piece of it today as we have the default Moto X Style wallpaper available for download. You can check it out below in all its abstract glory:
Our website has actually downsized the image a little bit, so if you’re keen on getting the full-sized, 2160×1920 wallpaper, you can download it here:
Default Moto X Style wallpaper download
What do you think about the Moto X Style wallpaper? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TalkAndroid
The post Fancy the default Moto X Style wallpaper? You can get it here now appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Motorola silently stops selling the Moto 360, possibly hinting a successor is coming soon
Looking to purchase the Moto 360 from Motorola’s site? You’ll have to look elsewhere since Motorola has silently halted sales of its smartwatch.
The product page for the Moto 360 on the company’s site is no longer redirects to Moto Maker for online ordering. Instead, clicking “Build yours” button leads to the Motorola Support page.
And take a look at the image below. Motorola removed a link from the Wearables section going to the Moto 360’s product page; therefore, the only way to reach that aforementioned location is by going directly to its link.
Next week, companies from around the world will head to Berlin for IFA 2015. Is Motorola preparing to launch a new smartwatch at the trade show for the world to see? A new Moto 360 would likely be joined by a slew of other Android Wear devices. We will know more in the coming days.
Come comment on this article: Motorola silently stops selling the Moto 360, possibly hinting a successor is coming soon
US Cellular offering the Moto G (3rd Gen) for $130
US Cellular is the latest wireless provider to carry the third generation Motorola Moto G smartphone. Available immediately, customers can pick the device up for a mere $130 without contract. Alternatively, the handset runs a mere penny if you agree to a two-year service contract.
Running Android Lollipop, the Moto G features a 5-inch qHD display and comes with 8GB internal storage. Power comes from the 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM while external storage is available via a microSD expansion card slot.
In terms of cameras, the Moto G offers a 13-megapixel rear shooter capable of 1080p HD video; a front-facing 5-megapixel sensor is ready for your selfies and video chat.
Be sure to read our review of the Moto G!
Purchase the Moto G from US Cellular
The post US Cellular offering the Moto G (3rd Gen) for $130 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
You can download the default Moto X Style wallpaper here!
If you’re eagerly awaiting the release of the Moto X Style, we have something to whet your appetite. Thanks to a system dump published online earlier today, we were able to extract the official wallpaper that will come pre-loaded on the handset — so now you can download and set it as the background on your current device to tide you over.
Hit the break for the full-sized image.
Come comment on this article: You can download the default Moto X Style wallpaper here!
U.S. Cellular is now selling the Moto G (2015)
Another carrier in the United States started selling the best mid-range device on the market. The Moto G (2015) can be purchased through U.S. Cellular in three different ways. Customers can choose to pay for the device monthly, sign a two-year contract, or pay outright on a prepaid account.
- Installment pricing: $8.99 per month for twenty months
- Two-year contract: $0.99
- Prepaid: $129
U.S. Cellular customers that want to pay the full retail price for Motorola’s affordable stud will have to put forward $179. So, yes, the model sold by the carrier features 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage.
Adding the Moto G (2015) to its lineup means that U.S. Cellular has a trio of Motorola devices including the Moto E (2015) and Moto X (2014).
Source: U.S. Cellular
Come comment on this article: U.S. Cellular is now selling the Moto G (2015)
Motorola Moto G 2015 now available from U.S. Cellular for just $130
If you’re a U.S. Cellular customer and have been looking to get your hands on the new hotness from Motorola, your wait is finally over. You can now buy the Motorola Moto G 2015 from U.S. Cellular for just $129.99 up front or $8.99 per month for 20 months. If you’re alright with signing a two-year agreement with the carrier, the phone will only cost you $0.01.
As a refresher, the new Moto G features a 5.0-inch 720p LCD display, a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, a 13MP rear-facing camera, a 5MP front facer and a non-removable 2470mAh battery. U.S. Cellular is selling the lower end option, so this model comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. If that doesn’t seem to be enough memory for you, though, the Moto G features a microSD card slot for expandable memory up to 32GB.
The latest from Motorola
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One of the best parts about purchasing a new Moto device is the ability to customize it with Moto Maker, but unfortunately you don’t have that ability with this model. The carrier is only offering this device in Black. However, you still have the option of purchasing a replacement shell directly from Motorola, which will run you an additional $14.99.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Moto G 2015 on U.S. Cellular, head to the link attached below.
New Moto 360 leak compares upcoming second-generation model to its predecessor
The second-generation Moto 360 smartwatch will be announced on September 2nd, at the IFA in Berlin. After Motorola posted a video on Twitter revealing the new device form factor, a new leak shows us the device next to its predecessor, giving us an idea of its smaller size.
The leaked picture comes from HellomotoHK’s Facebook page, and shows us the supposedly new Moto 360 next to its larger predecessor. There has been rumors that the new device will come in two sizes, which might help Motorola make the watch more appealing to more customers, as the first generation Moto 360 was quite large. The two variants, known to be the Moto 360S and 360L are still yet-to-be announced, and more leaks will most likely show up before the official announcement next Wednesday.
Source: HellomotoHK (Facebook)
Via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: New Moto 360 leak compares upcoming second-generation model to its predecessor
Both sizes of the new Moto 360 get snapped
All signs are saying that our long wait for the new Moto 360 is almost over. We should be hearing all about it next week at IFA. But just in case knowing that fact is still not enough, we have a couple photo leaks today that should help ease the pain.
To recall, past leaks have pointed at two variants of the new Moto 360, a large (Moto 360L) and a small (Moto 360S). We have a snapshot of both today.
Beginning with the 360L, the size is very reminiscent of the original Moto 360. There are a few details to note. First, you can tell the “flat tire” non-screen area is still present on the bottom. There is a new band attachment mechanism, via lugs that come out of the circular chassis. It can be assumed that this change will allow users to switch out the bands more easily. Lastly, the power button has moved, up to a 2-o’clock position. We don’t know if this was due to design requirements or if Moto figured this was a better spot for it.
Next up, we have a shot of the 360S, right next to the original 360 for a good size comparison.
The size is much more watch-like (personally, I’ve always felt the original 360 was a tad too large). We also see similar design language with the 360L, which adds credibility.
It is reasonable to expect that the 360S will be inferior spec-wise to the 360L, due to space restriction. Leaks have suggested a 270mAh battery in the 360S and a 375mAh battery in the 360L.
It’s not much longer until we know the whole deal! Do you like the small/large approach that Motorola is taking?
Sources: Imgur | HelloMotoHK
The post Both sizes of the new Moto 360 get snapped appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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