Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition makes another appearance on official Android page, this time running Android Lollipop

Okay, this is getting ridiculous already. After showing up on Google’s official Android page back during Google I/O (where the page received a nice facelift), the Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition is showing up yet again on the site. This time it’s joined by the newly announced Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 and the rest of the Google Play edition crew (only the Moto G Google Play edition and HTC One M8 Google Play edition remain).

Did someone forget to tell Google that the phone never actually became available? If you can’t tell by our tone, we’re a little annoyed that someone keeps toying with our emotions like this. While the Samsung Galaxy S5 wasn’t quite the right fit for this blogger (TouchWiz is terrible), a Google Play edition would be a home run as far as 5-inch Androids are concerned. Maybe the phone is still incoming?

[Android.com]

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Nexus 5’s shiny new homepage suggests it could stick around as a smaller, cheaper Nexus option

As we lay in the aftermath of today’s big announcements (Android 5.0 Lollipop, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9), I think we can now officially call it in: we aren’t going to see a Nexus 5 refresh for 2014. This may come as the biggest let down for those that felt Google’s new gargantuan-sized Nexus 6 phablet was simply too unwieldy, but as we all saw today, Google didn’t surprise the world with a brand new Nexus 5.

Earlier today we told you guys about the Nexus 5 (along with the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10) showing as “out of inventory” in the Google Play Store, suggesting that the Nexus 6 would soon replace the smaller handset. But is that really the case? Let us now divert your attention to the newly remodeled Google Nexus homepage showcasing — not only the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player — but the Nexus 5 as well. The question you should ask is why would Google go through the trouble of creating a completely new homepage for a device that’s supposed to now be “obsolete?” Simple. Because it’s not.

Although Google hasn’t actually come out and said anything, it seems as if they will continue offering the Nexus 5 in the Google Play Store as a smaller, low priced Nexus option which makes perfect sense. In the event they wanted to refresh some of the device’s specs, offering up a 64GB model or simply dropping the price another $50 would be alright by us given how well the Nexus 5 has aged the past year. What do you guys think?

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[Not Weekend Poll] The Nexus Trio: Which Of Them Are You Buying?

Alright, we had a triple-Nexus drop this morning (or afternoon/evening depending on your geographic location), and undoubtedly some of you are planning on buying some of these Nexus things. I know I am absolutely buying a Nexus 6. I am not sure I'll love it, but it does have most of the things I want in a phone. A Nexus 9, or Nexus Player? Not so much, for me.

But this is about you: which of the new Nexuses are you planning on buying?

[Not Weekend Poll] The Nexus Trio: Which Of Them Are You Buying? was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Android Lollipop features “Factory Reset Protection” to stop thieves from wiping stolen phones

Security and device encryption are hot topics lately, and Google is staying ahead of the game by building a ton of useful new features into the latest version of Android. We already know that Lollipop will feature device encryption by default, but it looks like Google is taking an extra step towards making sure that a stolen phone can’t be wiped and re-used.

This new feature is called “Factory Reset Protection,” and it essentially prevents a thief from performing a factory reset on a stolen device. By default, Android will ask for a password before wiping itself, which will probably be the phone’s main Google account password. Couple this feature with Android remote lock feature and you can almost guarantee that a stolen phone won’t do anyone any good.

The only drawback here is waiting for devices to see an update to Lollipop, which, as we all know, can take some time depending on the phone, manufacturer, and carrier. But it’s still good to see Google implementing new security features that will eventually make their way to user devices.

source: The Verge

Come comment on this article: Android Lollipop features “Factory Reset Protection” to stop thieves from wiping stolen phones

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition May Have Just Popped Up Again On The Android Website

There were rumors earlier this year of a Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5, but nothing happened at Google I/O, and there's been hardly a peep since. SamMobile noticed something interesting in an image on the Android site, though. There's a Galaxy S5 running stock Android 5.0 in one of the images. How very suspicious.

The GS5 is tucked away in a banner image, cropped here for your convenience.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition May Have Just Popped Up Again On The Android Website was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Mysterious Homescreen Icon In Android 5.0 Is Actually Google’s New “Messenger” App For SMS / MMS

Google has announced its Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 devices earlier today and along with those devices a new version of company’s operating system, Android 5.0. Lollipop. Ever since the Nexus 6 render leaked a few days ago people have been wondering about a new icon that was shown on its homescreen that they haven’t seen before, I did as well. Many people actually started panicking that this app will replace Hangouts or something to that extent, but that was unfounded considering Hangouts is a huge brand at this point and I don’t know what would need to happen in order for Google to shut it down. Anyhow, It turns out this is a new “Messenger” app from Google which will handle SMS and MMS messages on Android in Android 5.0.

“Messenger and Hangouts offer users choice, each have their own benefits. Hangouts work great for cross platform (web, iOS, Android) and cross medium communications (video, voice, messaging, SMS). Messenger will be specially designed to be a quick and easy way to send and receive SMS and MMS messages on Android; more to come (The Nexus 6 will come with both apps).” said Google spokesperson. So, to sum up, Hangouts is staying put and Messenger is the new kid in town. It seems like Google’s SMS integration with Hangouts didn’t go as well as they planned so they had to offer a separate app for that. I can see why, this is a more clean way of doing it without creating additional confusion by integrating it with Hangouts, I’ve personally always used SMS and MMS separate from Hangouts as well and regular consumers have probably gotten used to a separate app so this confused them a whole lot.

This app really doesn’t do anything besides SMS and MMS, at least for now. There’s a chance Google has some additional plans for it, who knows, but I guess we’ll find out soon as there’s always the possibility that Google might unveil it separately, even if it’s a very small possibility. Do you use Hangouts as your SMS and MMS app or do you rely on a separate app for that? Do you think Google intends to use this “Messenger” app for something other than SMS and MMS?

The post Mysterious Homescreen Icon In Android 5.0 Is Actually Google’s New “Messenger” App For SMS / MMS appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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App Annie Reports The Google Play Store Has Surpassed Apple’s App Store Downloads By 60%

You may or may not have heard of App Annie before, and if its the latter, then App Annie is a business intelligence and analytics company that tracks data and usage of apps and other digital goods. In our line of work, we typically only hear about App Annie when it comes to data revolving around numbers and percentages of app downloads between Google with the Play Store, and the Apple with the App store, as well as other app stores from other platforms. In one of the latest App Annie reports, they point out that the Google and the Play Store downloads have surpassed that of Apple’s downloads by a margin of 60%.

Google may have seen quite a bit more in growth when it comes to overall number of downloads, which App Annie reports are the numbers from Q3 of this year, but in contrast, Apple saw more revenue overall for app downloads with a margin of almost the same as the Play Store’s for total number of downloaded apps, reaching nearly 60% more revenue than the Play Store. The same thing that is likely playing a major role in the growth of the Play Store’s overall download numbers, is also likely the reason Apple and the App Store had made 60% app revenues than the Play Store, which is expansion into emerging markets. While there is no way to know for sure just yet, what we’ll likely see in the coming year as Google expands even more into emerging markets with Android One, markets where people tend to spend less on paid apps, is the Play Store’s app download numbers grow even more, but it’s also possible that we’ll see the same thing happen when it comes to app revenues.

This might be a surprise to some, but according to App Annie, games take the cake for most of Google’s revenues related to app downloads for Q3 in the U.S. and South Korea, where games made up nearly all of the Google Play revenue growth. App Annie also reports that emerging markets like Indonesia, Brazil, and India saw steady growth over the past couple of years, and that will probably only continue.

The post App Annie Reports The Google Play Store Has Surpassed Apple’s App Store Downloads By 60% appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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T-Mobile’s Nexus 6 And 9 Pre-Registration Page Is Now Live

Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9 were announced by Google a few hours ago and of course a ton of content followed. A ton of carriers announced they are going to carry one or both of these devices. All four biggest US carriers will offer the Nexus 6 along with the US Cellular and T-Mobile has already set up a pre-registration page, not only for the Nexus 6, but the Nexus 9 as well. Keep in mind this is not a pre-order page by any means though, this is only a way for T-Mobile to notify you when the device is available for pre-order. All you have to do is enter your name and address and you’re good to go, you can of course fill in some additional info if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. If you intend on picking up a Nexus 6 or 9 from T-Mobile this is a great way to be notified in time when they’re available for pre-order.

Google didn’t make a big deal out of announcing these devices today, the company didn’t hold an event or anything of the sort. They did have lots to show though, Motorola-made Nexus 6 is a beast of a device and it’s rather huge one too. A 5.9-inch display on a Nexus phone seems insane, though we did see lots of leaks lately which suggested Google will introduce such a huge smartphone, or should I say phablet. I personally was hoping for a second, smaller device, considering phablets aren’t really my thing. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but I’m sure there are tons of you who will jump at an opportunity to get this monstrous phablet. If you told me about half a year ago Google will introduce a 5.9-inch phablet in October, I would have probably laughed, but things change I guess. Anyhow, as far as specs go, Nexus 6 features a 5.9-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) display along with 3GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of non-expandable storage. Qualcomm’s beastly Snapdragon 805 chips is powering this thing along with an Adreno 420 GPU which comes with it. A 13-megapixel camera flanked by dual-LED flash can be found on the back of this device while there’s a 2-megapixel shooter up front. A Non-removable 3220mAh battery is inside of this thing making sure you don’t run out of juice in the middle of the day and the device, of course, ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The Nexus 9 is also a great piece of hardware and something that actually suits my needs. Metal and soft-plastic materials are a perfect combination and they create a rather nice looking piece of hardware, though it won’t appeal to everyone due to its industrial look. NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 64-bit dual-core chip is here to power this device along with a 192-core GPU. 2GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of non-expandable storage are included as well. 8-megapixel rear-facing camera is here as well along with an LED flash while there’s a 1.6-megapixel camera on the front. You can check out full specs on our specifications page. Will you be getting either one of these bad boys?

The post T-Mobile’s Nexus 6 And 9 Pre-Registration Page Is Now Live appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Canadian Carrier TELUS To Offer Both Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 Later This Year

As we announced earlier here at Android Headlines, Google’s newest smartphone and tablet, the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 respectively, have been officially announced today with pre-orders for both devices to begin in Canada in the coming weeks. The Nexus 6 features a 5.96 inch QHD 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB of RAM and a 13 MP front facing camera. The Nexus 9 tablet has an 8.9 inch 2048 x 1536 IPS LCD display, a 64-bit dual core Tegra K1 processor and an 8 MP main camera. In terms of storage, the Nexus 9 will come with either 16 GB or 32 GB of available internal storage. While no official word has come from Google yet in terms of Canadian pricing for the HTC manufactured Nexus 9 tablet, it has been revealed that the Motorola-made Nexus 6 smartphone will cost $749 for the 32 GB model and $799 for the 64 GB variant when purchased directly from Google Play.

Until now there has been no word from Canadian wireless carriers as to when people can pick up these devices from them but, according to information we have received, TELUS will definitely be offering both the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 a little later this year. TELUS, Canada’s third largest wireless company, has revealed no other details in terms of specific dates or pricing but have said this information will be released soon. Canada’s other big carriers, namely Bell and Rogers, will surely not be far behind with their own announcements.

This news should come as a relief to the many Canadian fans of the Nexus line as Google has certainly veered away from the more reasonable pricing of past devices. Some people may not want to spend the premium price to buy these devices unlocked from Google Play, or may be a little annoyed at the $100 mark up from U.S. pricing, so a contract with a carrier will be a lot easier to handle. There are rumors that in the U.S. the Nexus 6 will go for around $50 on contract so here’s hoping that Canadians will be offered a similar price. What do you think Canadian Nexus lovers? Will you be taking advantage of the plans offered by TELUS in order to get these devices?

The post Canadian Carrier TELUS To Offer Both Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 Later This Year appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Forget The Nexus 6! Meet The Nexus 6 Box

Right! So much is happening it’s time for a quick midday (PST time) recap. Today was Nexus day and if you don’t know what that means then I guess you are an Apple user, as everyone knows Nexus day is Android day. And so far today has not been a disappointment. Google have announced the release of the Google Nexus 6 smartphone and the Google Nexus 9 Tablet. Not to forget that Google have also unveiled Android L aka Android Lollipop.

So what about the Nexus 6! Well, it comes with some kind of processor, a bit of RAM, a camera (two I think), some memory, something else (yawning) yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, enough about the device. We can now bring you breaking and very important news about the Nexus 6 BOX. Yes folks, the day is now culminating in what looks to be the first images of the Nexus 6 box and it is beautiful. We all know that once the box is opened the excitement is gone and all you are left with is the device so savor this moment. What’s the specs I hear you ask? Well, at the moment they are still rather sketchy with no conformation on size or weight. However, what we do know is the box is white comes with rather jazzy red streaks along each side and contains an embossed number 6 on the front. Once the box is opened the inside reveals a white plastic outlay tray with a contrasting red inlay. Of course the phone…the Nexus thingy is also included.

The breaking and exclusive video of the new box was provided by a T-Mobile employee. ‘Des’ as he is known is a self-proclaimed ‘Tech Evangelist’ and so it is probably likely T-Mobile gave him the go-ahead to post the video. So there you go, the Nexus 6 box has now been unboxed (sort of) and we can see from the images that this a step away from the more traditional Nexus boxes we have seen in the past. It is worth remembering there have been no official confirmation from Google on the box and so it cannot be said for sure that this is it. Although, I’m pretty willing to bet that it will be. What do you think? Is it a step-forward from last year’s box? Were you expecting more? Let us know your thoughts.

The post Forget The Nexus 6! Meet The Nexus 6 Box appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Wednesday Poll: Are You Buying a Nexus 9?

Google revealed three new Nexus devices today, one of which we have already asked if you plan to buy. That would be the Nexus 6, Google’s new flagship phone. But what about today’s newly unveiled tablet, the HTC-made Nexus 9 ? Are you planning to buy one when they go up for pre-order on October 17?

As a recap, the Nexus 9 runs a 2.3GHz dual-core 64-bit Tegra K1 processor and sports an 8.9-inch (2048×1536) display, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera, 16GB or 32GB of storage, and 6,700mAh battery. It also comes in three colors (black, tan, and white), is wrapped in a soft grip coating and has brushed metal sides. This a premium tablet.

But a “premium” tablet typically carries a premium price tag, a fact that the Nexus 9 sticks to. For a 16GB model, you are looking at a price of $399. If you want 32GB of storage, you are looking at $479 for the WiFi-only model or $599 for the LTE-ready version.

So, are you buying a Nexus 9? If you are, which color?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Lookout Releases Enterprise Security App Into The Play Store To Show That It's Ready For Business

Since the beginning, Lookout has been a consumer-focused company. Now, after having snagged millions of paying subscribers and deals with many carriers spread across various parts of the globe, it's ready to get down to business. Big business, so to speak. The company is pushing its offerings towards enterprise clients, the kind of customers with plenty of employees all managing potentially confidential information on their mobile devices. It's trying to entice them with the promise of a security solution that works and a user experience that won't tick people off.

Lookout Releases Enterprise Security App Into The Play Store To Show That It's Ready For Business was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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