Google’s Nexus 6 finally gets priced in the UK: £499 for 32GB, £549 for 64GB
It’s been almost a month since Google officially unveiled the Nexus 6, but UK fans have been left in the dark over a price and a release date. Today, we can tick one of those off the list. In preparation for its local launch, the search giant has finally updated the Play Store to show how much the Motorola-made Nexus phone will cost. You’ll need to pay £499 to get your hands on the 32GB model or £549 is the 64GB variant is more your style. Google is staying quiet on when the Nexus 6 will actually go on sale, but with Vodafone and other resellers recently announcing they will stock the device, we bet that a release is just around the corner.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Play
Verizon Buyer’s Guide for Android (November 2014)
In the hunt for a new smartphone from Verizon? Regardless of whether you’re buying your first Android or upgrading for the fourth time there’s something for everyone. And, as you might suspect, Big Red has plenty to choose from. In fact, counting variations, there are roughly two dozen models to choose from today.
As the lone carrier to offer the Droid series, Verizon transitioned the family away from other hardware makers into an exclusive relationship with Motorola. Beyond that, you’ll also find some devices that are exclusive to the nation’s largest wireless provider.
Defining high-end
Today’s top Androids feature big, gorgeous displays, fantastic high-resolution cameras, and lots of memory. Toss in some quad-core and octa-core processors and some killer high capacity batteries and you’ve got mobile devices that would rival your computer from just a few years back.
As 2014 draws to a close and we look at the hardware from late model Androids it’s not uncommon to find screens hovering at 5-inches or larger. Thanks to ever-shrinking bezels we have phones with massive displays that also happen to fit comfortably in our hand. And, they’re not only big, but they’re sharp, too. Resolutions across the the top models are 1080p and higher. For what it’s worth, we’re starting to get our first glimpses of 2K and Ultra HD screens. It can be argued that average users cannot discern much beyond 720p/1080p on such a small device.
If you’re not coming to the table with at least a quad-core processor and 2GB RAM then you’re not going to sit at the big boy’s table. Most of the bleeding edge stuff you’ll find today comes with 3GB memory and chipsets of around 2.3GHz – 2.7GHz.
Storage capacities, for the most part, haven’t moved forward quite as quickly as other areas. You’ll still routinely find 16GB and 32GB models in most models though some are creeping into the 64GB space. Given that many handsets offer external storage via microSD cards it should matter little where you start out – especially if cost is a factor.
Another important factor in determining a smartphone purchase is the version of Android. Typically, it’s a simple case of “the newer the phone, the newer the operating system”. Today’s most recent phones are powered by Android 4.4.4 KitKat but anything running at least 4.4 should suffice for the average person. You will still find an occasional straggler, though, running something older.
Flagships & Exclusives
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Launched in October, this is Samsung’s annual plus-sized experience. Thanks to the release time-frame, these are typically a step-up from the Galaxy S series of smartphones. Standout specs include 32GB storage, a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, 3GB RAM, an S Pen stylus, and a 3220mAh battery. Verizon | Best Buy
- Samsung Galaxy S5: Released in spring 2014, it’s the most popular series of Android models to date. Hardware includes a 5.1-inch display, 16-megapixel camera, 16GB storage, and a 2800mAh battery. Verizon | Best Buy
- LG G3: LG’s increasingly popular family of phones, this one is unique in that it features rear button configuration under the camera. Verizon | Best Buy
- Motorola Moto X (2014): Motorola’s now annual flagship model, the Moto X is significant for its stripped down Android experience. Slightly bigger than last year’s model, this one has been very well received in the space. Verizon | Best Buy
- Sony Xperia Z3v: The first Sony smartphone for Big Red, it’s sleek, sexy, and waterproof. Featuring a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the handset also boasts a stellar 20.7-megapixel rear camera, and 3200mAh battery Verizon
- Motorola Droid Turbo: The first Droid from Verizon in over a year, it’s big and beautiful with a lean Android 4.4 KitKat experience. Standout features include turbo charging (8 hrs juice in 15 minutes) and a Quad HD display. Verizon | Best Buy
- HTC One M8: Perhaps the oldest model in this list, HTC’s flagship handset received very high marks for its build quality and toned-down custom UI. Often cheaper than others in the group, it’s still plenty of bang for the buck. Verizon | Best Buy
Mid-range
While not always the case, the mid-range Android is typically made up of last year’s top models. This is not to suggest, however, that there’s not a one-off model or variation that sneaks in every once in a while. Specs, as you can imagine, are often a step below. Processors, cameras, and batteries are sometimes the key difference though many of them also feature a screen resolution of 720p or 1080p. What follows what could be considered some of Verizon’s middle-of-the-pack handsets.
- LG G2: One of LG’s breakout devices over the last few years, the smartphone was the first to employ the rear button setup. Killer hardware and a refined UI make this one hard to resist even a year later. Verizon | Best Buy
- Samsung Galaxy S4: Quite possibly one of the most popular handsets ever, this Samsung features a 5-inch 1080p display, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 2600mAh battery. Verizon | Best Buy
- Droid Maxx: Centered around its all-day battery life, the Droid Maxx is one big and powerful device. As often is the case with these signature Motorola handsets, this one features Kevlar coating and a splashproof screen. Verizon | Best Buy
- Droid Mini: Still powerful enough for the typical smartphone user, this Droid is smaller in hand. At 4.3-inches it might feel diminutive by today’s standards, however it gets the job done. Verizon | Best Buy
- HTC Desire 612: As a budgeted approach to the flagship One M8, you’ll find slightly less powerful hardware and a plastic housing. The 4.7-inch qHD display looks sharp and shows off the modern approach to HTC’s Sense UI. Verizon
- HTC One Remix: Also an offshoot of the One M8, this HTC packs a 4.5-inch screen and eschews Ultrapixels in favor of 13-megapixels. The front-facing 5-megapixel shooter is a selfie-lover’s dream. Verizon | Best Buy
- LG G Vista: A twist on the flagship G3, the G Vista boasts a massive 5.7-inch HD display and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Toss in a 3200mAh battery and a quad-core CPU and you’ve got an excellent option for plus-sized smartphone lovers. Verizon | Best Buy
Entry-level
- LG Lucid 3: Employing the more traditional button configuration, LG’s phone comes with a 4.7-inch qHD display, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and 1.2GHz quad-core chipset. Still present are some of LG’s custom software enhancements. Verizon | Best Buy
- Kyocera Brigadier: The most, if only, rugged Android in Verizon’s lineup today, the Brigadier can withstand water, dirt, drops, and even tough weather conditions. Strong enough to get the job done, you’ll get a 4.5-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camera, too. Verizon | Best Buy
- Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: A smaller take on the 2013 flagship model, the S4 Mini has a very pocketable 4.3-inch display, an 8-megapixel rear shooter, and plenty of Samsung software features. Verizon
- Droid Razr M: Thanks to a 4.3-inch, nearly edge-to-edge screen, this Droid simply feels great in hand. Kevlar coating and a scratch resistant glass make this one tough phone. Specs, including software, are a step behind the others listed here. Verizon | Best Buy
The post Verizon Buyer’s Guide for Android (November 2014) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android 5.0 Lollipop shows up on a Moto X 2014
Motorola made a small splash last year when their update to Android 4.4. KitKat reached the Motorola Moto X even before Google could get the system update out to their own Nexus 4 smartphone. Motorola appears to be on track to duplicating that feat, or at least coming very close, after a copy of Android 5.0 Lollipop was found running on a Moto X 2014.
Confirmation that Motorola has a copy of Android Lollipop already up and running on the Moto X 2014 comes from an anonymous source who supplied screenshots to try to verify the truth of the claim. Sources have redacted information that would reveal the carrier, baseband or kernel information. However, Lollipop build was apparently generated just last week.
Some of the screenshots also reveal some of the tweaks Motorola, or possibly the carrier, made to Lollipop for the Moto X 2014. One thing users will notice is that the device still uses some old icons for the mobile connection instead of the new, solid icons. When the settings shade is pulled down, users will notice that options are available to cast the screen to a Chromecast and a toggle switch has been added for a flashlight function.
Google decided to add in some features to Lollipop that appear to be based off of some Motorola features including a new Ambient Display function and some voice-activated actions. For the Moto X 2014, it appears Motorola has decided to slide in their own software to handle these functions, which may not be a bad thing.
Finally, it looks like the upgrade to Android Lollipop will give camera users a new feature that has been missing from Moto X devices. A new shutter timer has been added to the camera app giving users the opportunity to set a delay of 3 or 10 seconds.
Of course no information about a release date was obtained from the anonymous source, so keep watching for more updates and to see whether Motorola can get the update out before anyone else.
source: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: Android 5.0 Lollipop shows up on a Moto X 2014
Motorola announces Moto MAXX for select markets.
On the Motorola blog Motorola announced the new Moto MAXX for select markets. With a quick overview of the specification the MAXX appears to be a Droid Turbo for markets outside the U.S. The MAXX comes with a 5.2 Quad HD display, 21 megapixel camera, multiple day battery life, 64GB memory, and a turbo charger. Motorola MAXX will be available today for Brazil and Mexico in mid November. The MAXX will come to other Latin American countries later this year. The cost for the Motorola MAXX is r$2.199,00 or about $872.07 U.S. For more information and detailed specifications follow the link to the announcement or the Motorola Brazil link.
Motorola Blog , Motorola Brazil
The post Motorola announces Moto MAXX for select markets. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Motorola Moto Maxx Official, Headed to Brazil and Mexico First
The newest Motorola device to grace the globe has been announced today via the Motorola Blog. As expected, the Moto Maxx is the Droid Turbo minus all the Verizon and Droid branding.
Users can expect to find the same great 5.2-inch Quad-HD 2560×1440 screen, Quad-Core Qualcomm 805 processor at 2.7 Ghz, 3 GB of RAM, 21MP camera, 64GB internal storage and fast charging ability for the massive 3,900 mAh battery. The Moto Maxx incorporates the stock Android experience with the same custom software found on the Moto X 2014.
The new Moto Maxx will make its first international appearance in Brazil starting today and will find its way to Mexico later this month. Motorola makes mention that other Latin American locales will be coming soon. If you are in Brazil, head to Motorola.com now to take a look at this beast of a device.
Source: Motorola Blog
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Motorola Moto Maxx Official, Headed to Brazil and Mexico First appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Motorola customizes a Moto X for Heidi Klum to match her extravagant Halloween costume
Halloween has come and gone again for another year with plenty of crazy and awesome costumes circulating the Internet in its aftermath. One of the craziest costumes from the day definitely has to be Heidi Klum’s butterfly costume which looked equal parts accurate, elegant and kinda freaky. But what you might not have known about that outfit is that Motorola chimed in and customized a Moto X for Heidi Klum that matched her extravagant costume, a nice ploy to market its Moto Maker and its ability to customize its appearance however you want. Here’s another closer shot of the customized device:
The 2014 Moto X is of course one of Motorola’s many devices that it has announced in the last month which includes the Moto G, Moto X, Moto 360, Motorola DROID Turbo and of course the Motorola-manufactured Nexus 6. For now though, the Moto X represents Motorola’s own flagship device and much like its predecessor, proves that Motorola is very much on the ball in this fast paced world of smartphones.
What do you think of this customized Moto X for Heidi Klum? Even better, what did you think of Klum’s costume? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Motorola Blog
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Motorola customizes a Moto X for Heidi Klum to match her extravagant Halloween costume appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Nexus 6 will be back in stock tomorrow and every Wednesday thereafter
If you’re looking to order a Nexus 6 from Google Play, tomorrow might be your lucky day. In order to make it so that you don’t have to constantly go to the site, Google announced that they will be getting more devices in tomorrow and every Wednesday thereafter. Unfortunately we don’t know how many they will have or even what time they will become available.
They also made it a point to mention that the Nexus 6 will be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular later this month. It’s interesting that Verizon is absent from that list.
source: Google Play
Come comment on this article: Nexus 6 will be back in stock tomorrow and every Wednesday thereafter
Google Nexus 6 in India soon? Flipkart puts up a preemptive listing
The Google Nexus 6 has been available to pre-order for almost a week now, but only in the US, so the question on everyone else’s lips is when will the device become available globally. We’ve had assurances that pre-orders in the UK and Australia are going to “start in November” but that’s almost too painfully vague, and doesn’t exactly help our friends in other parts of the world. Well, it looks like at least one retailer in India is getting ready which could hail the start of availability of the Nexus 6 in India. Popular Indian online retailer, Flipkart, today posted up the above listing for the elusive Google device, but whether or not this is just a really preemptive listing or Flipkart knows something that we don’t remains to be determined.
The Nexus 6 has been getting generally good reviews with everyone who’s managed to get their hands on one. Despite its huge size, it is said to be quite good to hold and a surprising highlight appears to be its great (but not perfect) camera which makes previous Nexus cameras look a bit disappointing. At this point, most people are just wanting to pre-order the device, but it appears Motorola and Google are going through the same supply teething issues that are suffered with the availability of every Nexus smartphone. We’re not sure what pricing is going to be like in India, but judging by the price in other regions, it isn’t going to be cheap.
What do you think about availability of the Nexus 6 in India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: FoneArena via TalkAndroid
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Google Nexus 6 in India soon? Flipkart puts up a preemptive listing appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Verizon launches its own Motorola DROID Turbo Employee Edition
Another version of the DROID Turbo has arrived. The problem is that you cannot have it. Unless, of course, you are a Verizon employee. The carrier launched an Employee Edition of the device. The only change to the Motorola device is that there is a a red trim on the black exterior. And below the DROID logo is the Employee Edition label.
The DROID Turbo Employee Edition is available in-store only for $99 with a contract or $499 without. Employees can also choose the Edge program to pay $20.83 per month. The only storage option is 64GB. Considering that, pricing is impressive.
Source: Verizon
Come comment on this article: Verizon launches its own Motorola DROID Turbo Employee Edition
AT&T offers the Moto 360 for $199 with the purchase of a Moto X (2014)
If you’re in the market for a Moto 360 and you also need a new phone, AT&T might have a deal for you. AT&T will start carrying the Moto 360 on November 7 for the normal retail price of $249. However, if you buy a Moto X 2014, you can grab the Moto 360 for $199, a $50 discount.
AT&T says the deal is for a “limited time,” but didn’t specify an end date. So don’t fall asleep at the wheel on this one.
You can also check out our reviews of both the Moto 360 and Moto X.
Come comment on this article: AT&T offers the Moto 360 for $199 with the purchase of a Moto X (2014)
AIVAnet 