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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Lollipop Updates for Moto X (1st Gen) May Come in Couple of Weeks, If All Goes Well

American owners of the Moto X (1st Gen) may now start getting a bit excited. According to Motorola employee David Schuster, who posts quite often on the Motorola update process on Google+, if all goes well with an upcoming soak test (slated to release later this week), a full rollout of Lollipop should start up the following week. 

As posted by Schuster, “We have addressed an issue we found in a previous soak test and should start full soak testing in the US and Brazil for retail later this week. If all goes well, full deployment can happen the following week.”

Of course, carriers play a big role in this process for owners of the device. Schuster touches on this with, “We are in a number of the carrier labs now so we don’t anticipate issues in getting the upgrades deployed.”

So, it appears Moto X (1st Gen) owners have a reason to be happy. It’s coming, folks.

Via: +David Schuster
Cheers Tony and Albert!

Lollipop Updates for Moto X (1st Gen) May Come in Couple of Weeks, If All Goes Well is a post from: Droid Life



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Motorola CMO: Company to “Bring It” With Regard to Moto X (3rd Gen) Camera

With zero offense meant to Motorola, given that the company is known for making fantastic hardware as a whole, the cameras found in its flagship devices, notably the Moto X (1st Gen and 2nd Gen), have been rather unpleasant to use during most shooting circumstances. Even though Motorola has worked hard to update its camera software via firmware updates and camera app updates, the shooters just aren’t all that good when compared to other offerings on the market. 

On Twitter yesterday, Motorola’s CMO Adrienne Hayes, says the company is working hard to change that this year, stating, “We know we need to improve here and are definitely going to ‘bring it.'”

When asked if Motorola would work to bring an advanced manual camera mode to the next flagship, plus improve on imaging as a whole, Hayes replied with, “We absolutely can and we absolutely will this year.”

It always seems easy to tell people what they want to hear, especially on social media, but until we see results with the release of a rumored Moto X (3rd Gen) that features a seriously improved camera, Samsung and LG have little in terms of competition when it comes to mobile photography in the Android hardware ecosystem.

If you did not buy a Moto X (2nd Gen) from last year due to reviews claiming the camera was not that good, would a better camera tempt you in considering this year’s model?

Share your thoughts on Motorola’s camera situation below.

Via: @purplehayez [2]
Cheers Nick!

Motorola CMO: Company to “Bring It” With Regard to Moto X (3rd Gen) Camera is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto X (3rd Gen) Rumors and Leaks are Floating About, Here is a Quick Recap

Now that flagships from Samsung, HTC, and LG are available or purchase, it’s time we look at what’s coming from Motorola, since they tend to introduce new Moto X phones around the end of August. With the purchase of Motorola by Lenovo now complete, this year should be especially interesting for the Chicago-based smartphone maker, if anything, to see how Lenovo treats one of its new outlet’s product launches.

Rumors have begun to emerge within recent weeks, though you should take all of it in stride, as Motorola leaks in recent years have rarely been accurate. With that said, it’s time to start acknowledging some of this stuff, so that we can hopefully start to piece it all together over the next few months as we close in on the release of the Moto X (3rd Gen)

First, model number XT1542 is one to keep an eye on. The number has popped in supposed benchmark screenshots, along with references to a 5.2-inch QHD display (2560×1440), 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 4GB RAM, and a Snapdragon 810 processor (with Adreno 430 GPU).

Those numbers, of course, differ from the set of numbers that popped up over on reddit a month or so ago. Then, we saw numbers of XT1578, XT1585, and XT192A.

Additional rumors suggest that there may actually be two Motorola devices, one with a 5.2-inch display and another with a 5.7-inch QHD display, though that information is completely unconfirmed.

Finally, a rumor floating about today is attempting to suggest that the images below represent a phone that will be outfitted with a fingerprint sensor. See that missing square space in the middle of the phone? I guess that could be for a fingerprint sensor. Then again, Motorola COO Rick Osterloh told CNET in March that he wasn’t a fan of fingerprint sensors. If the guy in charge of making Motorola’s next phone isn’t a fan of fingerprint sensor, then I kind of doubt that this phone’s empty square box is for a fingerprint sensor. Just saying.

moto x 3rd gen

And that’s it for now. We know that Motorola will have a phone for us towards the end of this summer, in order to keep with their yearly Moto X schedule. Other than that, again, take all of this as rumor and speculation, not fact.

If you know anything, be sure to drop us a line.

Via:  G for Games | GSM Arena | My Drivers | CNET

Moto X (3rd Gen) Rumors and Leaks are Floating About, Here is a Quick Recap is a post from: Droid Life



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Reminder: One Day Left to Enter the “Choose Your Own Premium Android” Giveaway

As a friendly reminder, you now have one day left to enter the Choose Your Own Premium Android giveaway on the DL Deals Store. If you win, you get to choose between either a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, LG G4, or Huawei P8. Each device features pinnacle specifications for a smartphone, and would easily make any recipient quite happy. 

Entering is quite easy. All you need to do is login to the Deals store with a valid email address or your Facebook account. Once logged in, click “Enter,” then you are all done. To gain more entries, which will increase your odds ever so slightly in winning, you can choose to share the giveaway on Twitter or Google+, or even follow us on Twitter or Google+. The choice is up to you.

If you want a chance at winning a flagship device of your choice, follow that link below.

Enter Here

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This Icon Pack is Hot: Slou

I know that we have been quiet on the hot icon pack front, but I think we are going to make up for it with today’s feature, Slou. This is hands-down, one of the most complete, unique, and purchase-worthy icon packs I have seen in months. 

As you can tell from the images in this post, Slou is as far removed from stock colors and shapes as you will get. It’s sharp, boxy, has borders, and a color palette that is dark, yet refreshing. It’s that combination of uniqueness in shape color and detail that make this such a good pack. Well that, and the fact that there are over 3,000 icons to choose from, 20 wallpapers, and support for all of your favorite launchers.

Slou is subtle at times, because of the tone of its colors and vintage aura, yet somehow manages to stand out with some depth through its borders, shape, and icon identifiers. Many icons have multiple alternatives and color choices, there is icon masking for the random icon you have that isn’t in the pack, and the whole thing sees weekly/biweekly updates.

Seriously, this icon pack is hot (and 50% off).

Play Link ($0.99)

slou1 slou2 slou3

This Icon Pack is Hot: Slou is a post from: Droid Life



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3 Android Games Worth Owning: DOOM 3: BFG Edition, Does Not Commute, and Sunburn!

There are a lot of new app and game titles on Google Play, and just in case you may have missed a few of the good ones, we enjoy listing them in these posts so you all stay up to date on the hotness.

In this post, we highlight three of my latest favorite games available on Google Play, those being DOOM 3: BFG Edition, Sunburn!, and Does Not Commute.

Check out these 3 Android games that are worth owning. 


DOOM 3: BFG Edition

In partnership with NVIDIA, as to highlight it on the Android TV platform and SHIELD set-top box, id software’s classic FPS games DOOM, DOOM II, and Doom 3 are available on Google Play as the Doom 3: BFG Edition, bringing all of that monster-killing action you loved years ago to your HDTV. The game plays stunningly on SHIELD, with smooth controls, plus the same gore you grew up with.

To play, you will need a compatible device, and as of right now, that is just the SHIELD box, or a SHIELD Tablet and SHIELD Controller from NVIDIA. Not everyone may be interested in investing in Android TV box, and that’s just fine. But, if you thought the platform didn’t offer anything exciting, think again.

The DOOM 3: BFG Edition is priced at $9.99 on Google Play, complete with the 3 complete DOOM titles inside.

Play Link ($9.99)


Sunburn!

Sunburn!, one of the latest games from Noodlecake Studios, has been loaded up on all of my devices since its release. Taking place in Space, you are commander of a mission-gone-wrong, as your crew is trapped in space with nothing left to do, but die.

Your goal is get to your crew members, then gracefully jettison you and your mates into a neighboring Sun. As missions go on, the act of getting to your crew grows harder, given the number of asteroids in your way, orbiting planets, and more. And of course, your fuel is constantly getting low as you fly around getting to your friends.

Sunburn! is priced at just $2.99, and there are no IAPs.

Play Link


Does Not Commute

Mediocre, the makers of the all-time great Granny Smith, recently released Does Not Commute onto Google Play. In the game, you control various drivers going about their days, maneuvering all of them to make sure they don’t crash into each other.

As you progress through the chapters, the amount of vehicles you must keep from colliding into each other grows quite high, making it a seriously challenging game for those with little patience and bad memory.

The game is free to download, but does feature an IAP to allow for saving within a given level.

Play Link


If you happen to know of any games we should feature, feel free to send them in.

3 Android Games Worth Owning: DOOM 3: BFG Edition, Does Not Commute, and Sunburn! is a post from: Droid Life



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Deal: LG G Watch (Refurbished) for $50 on eBay

The LG G Watch may be one of the original Android Wear devices, meaning it’s old, plain looking, and probably no where near your best option for a smartwatch, but at $50, you might want to think about it. Since smartwatches are one of those items that no one has been able to convince us is a necessity in life, these are the times that actually make sense for purchasing one. What better way to test out a new product that you may or may not need than when it has been discounted to pennies?

Over at eBay, a listing for a “manufacturer refurbished” G Watch is live, but maybe not for long. At $49.99, with free shipping, this little guy will likely sell out in a hurry. If interested, hit that link below.

Our LG G Watch review.

eBay Link 

Cheers Cameron and Daistaar!

Deal: LG G Watch (Refurbished) for $50 on eBay is a post from: Droid Life



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AT&T LG G4 Receiving Surprise Update, Some Say Its Auto-Updating Without Permission

The AT&T LG G4 is receiving its first update this week as software version H81010E. The update appears to be pretty minor at just 26MB and with only one change noted by AT&T, which is “AT&T Address Book enhancements.” The odd thing about this update is the fact that a number of users are complaining that the update is installing without their permission. 

Users at both reddit and XDA are claiming that their phones are rebooting and installing new software, though few saw a pop-up or information about it. I took a look at AT&T’s instructions for applying the update and they do actually make it sound like this is all happening automatically, which is not OK. They do mention that there should be some sort of notification about the update, but that your phone will automatically restart once it has finished downloading without a need for approval.

Here is the official info about the update:

  • Android Version: 5.1
  • Software Version: H81010e
  • Baseband Version: MPSS.BO.2.5.c3-00070-M8992FAAAANAZM-1.19025.1
  • Kernel Version: 3.10.49
  • Build#: LMY47D
  • File Size: 26.5MB

Anyone else receive this update? If so, did it happen automatically or were you prompted to with information about it?

Via:  AT&T
Cheers Jeff!

AT&T LG G4 Receiving Surprise Update, Some Say Its Auto-Updating Without Permission is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Play’s “Family” Category is Live for Apps, Movies, and Books

During Google I/O, Google announced a new “Family” category for Google Play that would help parents direct their kids to content suited best for them. These new family sections, which are now live on the web version of Google Play (or are just now being highlighted), feature filters for age and interests, but Google also plans to push through a better ratings system and feature special pages for top kiddie characters, like Peppa Pig. 

You will see filters like “Ages 5 & Under,” or Brain Games or Pretend Play in the apps section. Searches from within the Family categories are supposed to limit themselves to within the Family categories, but a search for “Predator” in the family movies section gave me quite a bit of content not suited for the little ones.

Most of the stuff that Google promised at Google I/O hasn’t arrived just yet. Give it a couple of weeks and we should have the full family rollout, along with family sections in the Google Play app.

If you are a parent looking for more information on how Google Play identifies and filters family content, check out their Parent Guide.

Play Links:  Family Apps & Games | Family Movies & TV | Children’s Books

google play family1

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This is What Trip Bundles Look Like in Google’s Inbox

During Google I/O, Google pushed an update to Inbox that introduced the always-useful “undo send” button. While “undo send” stole headlines because it is a feature that you will all one day appreciate, another new feature was overlooked by many that may be equally important for those who travel frequently. That feature is called Trip Bundles, and Google took a minute yesterday during WWDC to talk in greater depth about what it is and how it can work for you. 

With Trip Bundles, Google tries to intelligently bundle together any information in your inbox that is related to an upcoming trip. This could be flight, car rental, restaurant, and/or hotel information. You likely receive multiple emails related to each one, so in a Trip Bundle, you’ll find that information bundled together with overviews of each, so that you can quickly pull important information from it.

In a bundle, as you can see from this bundle (below) that was created for my trip to San Francisco for Google I/O, Google presents to you a card with a list of all of the reservations you have related to your trip. For me, it has my flight to and from San Francisco, plus hotel and dinner reservation info. I can tap on each item to see an expanded view. In the flight card, I get departure time, terminal and gate info, how long the flight will last, and even my confirmation number. It will even update automatically if I receive a notification that the flight has changed or is delayed. That way, as I check in to my flight or make my way through security, I know exactly what I need to know at all times without having to dig through my inbox.

inbox trip bundles

Below the overview card, you will see all “related emails” listed in case you still need to find a specific email. Inbox is also smart enough to know to show you the most up-to-date info as it rolls in.

Trip Bundles can be accessed in the slideout menu under “Trips.”

Via:  Gmail Blog

This is What Trip Bundles Look Like in Google’s Inbox is a post from: Droid Life



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Snapchat Brings Ability to Switch From Front and Rear-Facing Camera While Shooting

An update rolling out to the Snapchat application is bringing a bit more camera functionality. After the update, users can do a simple double-tap on their screen to flip back and forth from the front and back-facing camera while shooting a video. This should help really create a great scene for your selfies or whatever it is you shoot on Snapchat. 

In addition to the new shooting ability, Snapchat has added in a login verification method. When you attempt to login to your account via a new phone, Snapchat will send out an SMS verification code to make it is really you trying to access your goods.

If you still happen to use Snapchat, go grab the update.

What’s New

  • Double tap the screen while recording a Snap to switch between the selfie and rear-facing cameras!
  • Login Verification — when you log in to Snapchat on a new device, we can send you a SMS code to make sure it’s you! Turn on this feature in Settings.
  • Battery filters — add a little something to your Snaps when you’re all juiced up or low on battery

Play Link

Snapchat Brings Ability to Switch From Front and Rear-Facing Camera While Shooting is a post from: Droid Life



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T-Mobile Re-Approves Lollipop Update for LG G3, Will Roll Out Shortly

Back in early April, T-Mobile began rolling out a Lollipop update for the LG G3. Sadly, the update must have sucked, because T-Mobile quickly pulled it from servers, not allowing anymore users to update to it. Now, in almost mid-June, Lollipop is officially back, according to T-Mo’s Des Smith. 

In T-Mo’s software center website, the G3 was listed as under “T-Mobile Testing,” and now, the update has been approved to roll out. Des does not specifically mention when, but just says it will be “available soon” and “stay tuned.” Much transparency.

G3 owners, keep your eyes peeled for it.

Des_on_Twitter___T-Mobile_Software_Update__The__LGG3_Lollipop_Update_was_approved_yesterday___should_be_available_soon___statytuned_

Via: @askdes

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Deal: Motorola Slashes Nexus 6 by $150 for Limited Time

Google, Amazon, and Best Buy all recently dropped the Nexus 6 by $150 to $499. We don’t know if that price drop is temporary or not, but Motorola seems to be on board with the deal. From today through June 23, you can buy the Nexus 6 in 32GB or 64GB at $150 off. You can even finance the discounted phone for 12 months if you don’t want to pay for it all up front.

The Nexus 6 may be a whale, but it’s a whale that is controlled by Google. In other words, you can never go wrong with a Nexus. Here is our Nexus 6 review from a few months back.

Motorola Link

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Machinima Launches App to Bring Fans and Content Creators Together

Machinima, an online entertainment network with content creators covering a wide variety of topics, released an official application onto Android and iOS this morning, hoping to bring the creators and superfans together in a meaningful way. 

The app is based on creating a community between Machinima’s partners and the fans of their network. Content creators will upload stuff, such as photos and videos, and fans can follow their favorites, “Like” photos, or even award people with what appears to be a “Bacon +1.”

From the app’s feature list, it looks like the fan base will have most of the hard work, as it is up to them to make the community worthwhile. Fans can create memes, GIFs, and videos to share among themselves, hopefully sparking a bit of viral entertainment inside of the app for others to enjoy.

If you are a superfan of the Machinima network, go check it out.

Play Link

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Deal: LG G4’s $70 Leather Backs are BOGO Right Now

Picked up an LG G4 in plastic, but want to experience the world of leather on a smartphone? Or maybe you bought a leather version, but want a different leather color for those special occasions? Whatever the reason, a newly launched deal by LG for leather back covers is here for you to pounce on. 

From today until June 30, LG G4 leather back covers are buy one, get one free (BOGO). The covers run $69.99 individually, so two for $69.99 seems like a decent deal. Free shipping is included.

They currently list blue, orange, pink, red, and yellow leather options. Some are only on pre-order status at the moment, so you may not receive your order until later in the month, depending on the colors you choose.

LG Link

lg g4 leather cover deal

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Apple’s iOS 9 Feature Announcements – Raising the Bar or Playing Catch-Up?

Apple’s WWDC keynote yesterday morning included loads of announcements involving the new versions of OS X, iOS, and the Apple Watch’s watchOS. Over the last couple of years as Apple has updated its platforms, you tend to see Android enthusiasts giggle and roll their eyes at the features Apple shows off, because Apple talks about everything they make as if it were truly revolutionary or something no one else in the tech space had done before.

With the unveiling of iOS 9, we witnessed the same song and dance, except Apple seems to be a lot more self-aware these days. They make fun of themselves more than ever, while also trying to improve their products without all the excessive ego and grandstanding as if they were first. And don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of ego, it just seems to have toned down within the last year. Or maybe it’s because Phil Schiller didn’t take the stage yesterday. Whatever it is, Apple has become somewhat less obnoxious.

All of that aside, Apple did talk through a bunch of new features for iOS 9. Some of it was new. Plenty of it was stuff you have seen before. So let’s talk about it and see if any of it matters to you and I, the Android user. 


Screen Shot 2015-06-08 at 4.02.14 PM

Apple’s new “News” app

It’s a news app. How excited can anyone really be over a news app?

Apple’s tries to be unique in that the app supposedly looks great and shows you immersive stories from top news sources, based on topics you are most interested in. The more you read, the more it tries to learn from you and give you better suggestions for reading. It has been fine-tuned for either phone or tablet, includes photo galleries and videos, and is interactive.

Look, there are lots of news apps out there, especially on Android. Go try Google’s Play Newsstand app and tell me it isn’t one of the most fluid and gorgeous apps you have ever used. It also has been optimized for phones or tablets (or any screen), uses incredible transitions, allows you to customize the news you get, subscribe to individual sources, and read through your magazine subscriptions.

Flipboard is also still a thing. So yeah, good news apps are easy to come by. Apple’s might be good, but news apps aren’t exactly an area that anyone was asking to be fixed.

apple notes

The new Notes app

The new Apple Notes app has been given a new lease on life with new features like, photos in notes, checklists, and URLs in notes. Wait, seriously? This app had none of that previously? Those seem like super standard note-taking features in 2010, let alone 2015. The app does finally sync everywhere, thanks to iCloud integration, lets you doodle in white spaces, and can be launched from new places through the Share button for quick notes.

It’s a note taking app. Like the News app, there are dozens of good ones like it. Google’s Keep, which is kind of a lousy app compared to Evernote or Wunderlist, does just about everything Apple announced today, outside of the doodling.

maps transit apple

Transit directions in Apple Maps

Holy sh*t, transit directions today? Google introduced this in 2011. TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN. It’s 2015. And I know that Apple Maps has had a more-than-rocky start, but damn. I guess, at least they have them now! …for those few people who use Apple Maps…

Oh, they also included nearby recommendations or places you may want to shop or eat. Google gave us this in Google Maps a year ago.

apple wallet

Apple introduced Apple Wallet today, which as far as I can tell, is just a re-brand of Passbook. The new stuff here is the fact that you can add Kohl’s Charge and JCPenney credit cards, along with reward cards for Dunkin’ Donuts, DD perks, Walgreen’s Balance Rewards, and MyPanera. They are also adding a double-click option to launch Apple Pay when at the lock screen for quicker payments.

Google Wallet does most of that stuff, but at this point, we are getting down to companies working individually with either Apple or Google to gain support in their wallet apps. Google is behind here, obviously. Also, if you want to pay for something with Google Wallet, you can just tap the phone to the terminal and it’ll quickly open Wallet.

apple car play

CarPlay’s big update

CarPlay is getting a substantial update that most importantly, allows you to connect to your car and launch CarPlay without a cable. Cables be damned! That’s huge news from a convenience standpoint, except that Apple would only say that the feature is coming in “future cars.” Also, CarPlay will play audio messages in the voices of the people who sent them, let you use your car’s knobs to control it, and allow apps developed by car manufacturers to run within it.

All of that could come to Android Auto at some point down the road, but as of now, Apple has the leg up here.

ipad multi-tasking

Multi-tasking on iPad!

Apple is bringing multi-tasking to the iPad through a suite of new features. The first is called Slide Over, and while Apple is careful to not reveal too much about it, it basically sounds like a way to slide over an app through a notification to quickly interact with before sliding back away. With Split View, you get as the name suggests, a split view with two apps running at the same time. Finally, there is a Picture-in-Picture mode that lets you watch a video on top of whatever you are currently working on. You can drag the movie window around, resize it, pause or play, and eventually stop it.

Multi-tasking has been around on Android for years through custom skins from Samsung and LG. Google, though, has yet to implement a multi-tasking feature of any sort. The Android M preview has it baked in, behind-the-scenes, in barely working form that Google won’t even acknowledge, so it’s tough to give Google credit for getting there first. But again, Samsung phones (like my Galaxy S6) can do multiple apps at a time or picture-in-picture with no issues.

So multi-tasking isn’t new, but we are still waiting for Google to get with the program and create their version or at least make it stable enough to use on stock Android.

Screen Shot 2015-06-09 at 7.01.52 AM

Improved iPad Keyboard

Apple improved the keyboard on iPad in iOS 9 to include a shortcut bar with user-specified shortcuts to tools (like bold, italics, underline, copy, paste, etc.), added a two-finger gesture that turns the keyboard into a massive trackpad, and included keyboard shortcut support for wireless keyboards.

I’m all for improved keyboards, especially since the Google Keyboard on tablets is pretty lousy. If there is one thing that keeps me from using a tablet regularly, it’s the typing experience. As for that gesture trackpad move, I could actually see this coming in handy when trying to select text, especially if the keyboard can instantly recognize the gesture. This could be one of those little things that makes a huge difference.

The Google Keyboard is by far my favorite phone keyboard, but again, it could probably learn a thing or two from Apple when it comes to tablets.

Screen Shot 2015-06-09 at 7.06.37 AM

Siri, smarter than ever

Siri, in iOS 9, is now aware of what you are doing and where you are, so it can serve you relevant information when you need it. Think of Google Now, except Apple will tell you that you haven’t sold your privacy soul to have this feature.

First, you have a more powerful Spotlight search that is powered by Siri. As you search for contacts, stocks, sports, vacation spots, or attempt to calculate something, you should get better results. For those who know Spotlight and search in its current state, you probably know how worthless it is. So yeah, this is an improvement.

Second, Siri and search attempt to help you automatically as you progress through a day. It could be by showing you shortcuts to contacts you are about to meet with, apps you use at this time every day, nearby places to eat/drink/shop, or news based on your location.

Finally, Siri is attempting to take on Google Now and Now on Tap by being contextually aware of what you are doing. When you are creating an email or message or calendar invite, iOS 9 tries to suggest people that you would typically include. Those suggestions could be based off of something as specific as the subject line of an email. If you get an email with a flight or restaurant reservation, iOS 9 can automatically create an event on your calendar. iOS 9 also now recommends when you should leave for appointments, can pull up caller ID for unknown callers if it sees the number in an email, and will let you set reminders for something as specific as the info in a text message, by saying something like, “Remind about this later.”

Game changing stuff? It’s pretty big and probably the biggest announcement of yesterday for iOS 9. Google Now does a lot of this stuff now, as does Gmail and Google Calendar. Google Now on Tap will do the rest in Android M. Apple still has a lot of catching up to do with Google in terms of the AI-contextual-aware-we-know-you-better-than-you department, but this is a major step forward for them.

apple features

Other stuff

Apple also announced improvements to battery life (up to an hour longer on your iPhone), performance improvements, and new security measures, like 2-factor authentication.

Google improves these with each release, just like every software company should do with new versions of their apps or firmware.

Bottom line

If anything, WWDC and Google I/O are reminders that the smartphone world is quite mature. No longer are new versions of mobile operating systems guaranteed to be the big jumps that we once saw. Each company is now targeting problem areas and crossing off features here or there that they have yet to implement but are well aware of. There are few differences in what Google and Apple are doing these days, it seems. They squash bugs, improve this or that (usually security, battery life, and performance), and hopefully introduce the next big thing every other year, like Google Now on Tap or the new Siri.

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