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Friday, October 2, 2015

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: October 2, 2015

Holy sh*t, what a week. Not only did we get two new Nexus phones, but Google introduced two new Chromecast devices, a new tablet, told us when Marshmallow is coming, and announced a Google Music family plan. But even if you look outside that stuff, we reviewed the OnePlus 2 and Moto 360 (2nd gen), watched LG unveil a new flagship phone that isn’t a Nexus, and shook our fist at Experian for exposing our personal information.

Talk about action packed. Talk about awesome. Be sure to catch up because there was a lot you may have missed. 

Anyone still alive in the DL Football Eliminator?

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: October 2, 2015 is a post from: Droid Life



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Friday App Sales: Hitman GO, LIMBO, True Skate, and More

With this latest list of apps and games available at a discounted price on Google Play, there’s no way you will be bored over the weekend. There a few hugely popular titles up at a discounted price, such as LIMBO, Hitman GO, and True Skate, plus even a few lesser known titles that I can vouch for such as God of Blades, Back to Bed, and Machinarium.

Other titles include a couple from the Final Fantasy franchise, ProShot (a camera app), Grim Legends, Epic War TD 2, and Age of Pirates RPG Elite.

Check out the full list below and find something you like. 

Friday App Sales

Go support those developers!

Friday App Sales: Hitman GO, LIMBO, True Skate, and More is a post from: Droid Life



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Samsung Gear S2 Unboxing!

The Samsung Gear S2 is now available at select retailers here in the US with a starting price of $299. To say that this is the first Samsung smartwatch to be taken seriously and worth at least considering, is probably an understatement. It features a beautiful round AMOLED display, solid specs, a clean minimal design, and works with all Android phones. It could also be a much needed alternate to Android Wear.

With that in mind, we went ahead and put together a quick unboxing of a Gear S2 to kick off the review process. Smartwatches are supposedly the next big thing, so we understand that a number of you are probably interested in what this particular watch has to offer. 

After only spending a minimal amount of time with a Gear S2 on wrist this morning, I can offer up the following. It feels amazing on wrist (much better than I remember from my initial hands-on time), especially at this 42mm size. The screen is pretty damn gorgeous, I’m really liking the rotating bezel, the amount of customizations that can be done with watch faces are super fun, and the overall design is already growing on me.

In the video below, you’ll get the basic unboxing with specs rundown and some on-wrist looks. Since there is way more to show that an unboxing video isn’t made for, stay tuned for that. We’ll show off the UI, watch face setup, how it works with other Android devices, etc. This might actually be more enjoyable than I thought.

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samsung gear s2 unboxing

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Samsung Gear S2 Unboxing! is a post from: Droid Life



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The Droid Life Show: Episode 95

This afternoon, Episode 95 of the Droid Life Show shall take place, and boy, do we have a lot to talk about. It was Nexus week, meaning we will go over our thoughts on all of Google’s new offerings, and Kellen will provide his opinion on each device (since he spent some good time with them).

We’ll also cover the announcement of LG’s new V10 smartphone, Kellen will go over his final take on the Moto 360 (2nd Gen), we will share our thoughts on the Gear S2 that we have in-house, and we will announce the start of a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to afford TAG’s upcoming Android Wear smartwatch.

We will kick the show off live at 1:00PM Pacific (4:00PM Eastern). We have a live video embedded below, along with an IRC chat, so you can kick it with us during the show. 

If you miss us live, feel free to subscribe to us by following one of the links below. 

Subscribe | iTunes | Stitcher| Show Page

The Droid Life Show: Episode 95 is a post from: Droid Life



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Motorola to Shut Down Moto Migrate and Moto Assist for Marshmallow Users

To cut down on redundancy, Motorola announced today that with the future update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, owners will no longer see Moto Assist, Moto Migrate, and Chrome extension support through Motorola Connect.

The reason stated for these removals is quite simple. With the launch of Marshmallow, features that Motorola offered with these applications are now built in natively to Android, meaning that their existence is no longer required. Instead of working against Android, Motorola will opt to work with it, removing their software from devices following the update. 

The release of a new Android version is a great time to take a fresh look at our signature Moto Enhancements to ensure we’re complementing Android (not competing with it). Android 6.0 Marshmallow includes some great new features similar to things we’ve developed in the past. For example, you’ll find an option for ‘Do not disturb’ under the ‘Sound and notification’ settings to make sure you’re not interrupted during meetings or while sleeping. That’s similar to Moto Assist, so we’re removing Moto Assist as part of the upgrade to M.

Additionally, Motorola states that Android M enhances support for the backing up of user data, which duplicates most of what Moto Migrate provides. Instead of doubling down on the same feature, Motorola will simply remove the feature for those running Marshmallow.

For Motorola Connect users, the Chrome extension found will also be retired.

To learn more about these changes, read Motorola’s blog.
Via: Motorola

Motorola to Shut Down Moto Migrate and Moto Assist for Marshmallow Users is a post from: Droid Life



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Verizon and AT&T Moto X (2nd Gen) Apparently Won’t Get Android 6.0 Updates

Motorola just posted a list of its phones that will receive an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The list includes no real surprises, but a number of you noticed that in the mention of the Moto X (2nd gen), Motorola only listed the Pure Edition and no carrier variants. We originally just assumed that they left the carrier models off the list because they are working with carriers to decide what to do there, but according to Motorola’s forums manager, the decision has already been made. The decision isn’t a good one either. 

Matt, the Motorola forums manager, said today that the AT&T and Verizon variants of the Moto X (2nd gen) will not receive the update to Android 6.0. Let me say that again – a flagship phone that is barely 1 year old, is not getting the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

I actually don’t even know what to say at this point. Is Motorola really cutting off support for this phone after a single year?

moto x 2nd gen marshmallow

I hope, for Motorola’s sake, that Matt is jumping the gun here with this statement and that the carrier version from AT&T and Verizon have not actually been cut off.

We’ve reached out to Motorola for confirmation and will update this post when/if we hear back.

Via:  Motorola
Cheers @atheisttacos!

Verizon and AT&T Moto X (2nd Gen) Apparently Won’t Get Android 6.0 Updates is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto 360 (2nd Gen) Review

The original Moto 360 was the best smartwatch released in 2014. It had the looks of a modern yet traditional timepiece, along with the feature set of the current vision of a smartwatch, all at a price that wasn’t insulting to consumers understanding that it was a first gen product. Sure, it had its faults, but in the end, when you are talking about a fashion accessory that also has smarts, it’s all about aesthetics – and the Moto 360 was king by a mile.

With the release of the Moto 360 (2nd gen), Motorola had a lot to live up to, but they also had a chance to improve upon last year’s best watch. We all know that this year’s watch needed a major bump in processor to help in performance, so Moto took care of that. They also introduced size options, because not everyone wants to lug around a tank on their wrist. They even tweaked the design a bit, making it more classic looking than ever, while offering even more custom options through their Moto Maker software. Overall, the new 360 is upgraded in all of the right places.

So is it still king? Let’s find out in our Moto 360 (2nd gen) review. 


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Design


Last year, the Moto 360 was the best looking smartwatch month after month, even as new watches were introduced with round displays from other manufacturers. Other watch makers just couldn’t get it right. They all put together bulky, obnoxious round watches, that were supposedly premium and more watch-like than anything before them. The problem was, they didn’t realize that creating a case that is shaped like a traditional timepiece doesn’t make for a good looking timepiece if it’s enormous, cheap-looking, and unwearable.

This year, the new Moto 360 (2nd gen) actually has some design competition in the form of the Huawei Watch and Samsung Gear S2 line. These watches are slim, modern yet classic, round, and right around the same price point, while offering better specs and features in some areas. This year isn’t going to be a cake walk for Motorola.

What improvements did they make, you ask? Motorola kept the same round shape with minimal bezel and stainless steel, but this time added traditional watch lugs, moved the crown position, and is offering two case options. You can now buy the 360 in 42mm or 46mm sizes, which is great news for those of us with smaller wrists. You can also easily swap watch bands, thanks to those lugs making band pins more accessible. And finally, the crown has been moved to 2-o’clock, to help out in the comfort department.

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This watch lays nicely on your wrist, even at 46mm, partly because of the lugs gently wrapping. The body is fairly thin, has a decent amount of weight to it, letting you know that it isn’t just cheap plastic, and generally looks like a real watch, not a piece of technology. And that’s a big deal to me. I like watches as a fashion item, so the fact that this watch looks first like a classic watch, then doubles as a smart device, is very important.

Let’s also keep in mind that Motorola is offering up more customization choices through Moto Maker than I can keep track of, various colors, bezel textures, and watch bands. I’ll get deeper into that in a minute, but the fact that you can customize a watch is pretty damn cool.

In the end, the Moto 360 is still right there in terms of the best looking smartwatch. I’m still undecided between this and the Huawei Watch for the king of looks, but that’s good news for you. Should you choose either, you will end up with a beautiful timepiece that doubles as a smartwatch.

Customization


Motorola is bringing it all this year with Moto Maker and the new Moto 360. There are dozens of combinations when ordering one, which means there is a pretty good chance that you will have a watch that no one else you know has. There are two case sizes (42mm or 46mm), four bezel colors (silver, gold, black, and rose gold) with optional knurling or micro cut, four case colors, and eight band choices. Some of the options are specific to the watch case, but overall, we’re talking almost endless possibilities.

And keep in mind that Motorola is even offering a women’s 42mm model with specially made and designed options, like rose gold and various bands.

Our review unit is a 46mm with a gold bezel (knurling too), gold case, and a cognac Horween leather strap. It’s a sharp looking watch, if not a bit over the top. I’d personally choose the 42mm version if I were buying one, but that’s part of the beauty here – you get to choose what you want in a watch.

With the Huawei Watch or Gear S2, you get what Huawei and Samsung have decided you want to have. With the Moto 360, you get to choose the watch that fits your style on another level.

moto maker

Battery Life


Enough on the looks, let’s talk battery life for a minute. As many of you know, the original Moto 360 was about the worst in terms of battery life. After some tweaks, Motorola was able to squeak out about a day’s worth of battery life, but it certainly never came close to being one of the best in this category. With the new Moto 360 (2nd gen), that has changed dramatically.

Thanks to the addition of lugs, Motorola was able to up the battery size in the 46mm case to 400mAh and almost match last year’s battery size (320mAh) in the smaller 42mm case at 300mAh. Not only that, but with the introduction of a proper and modern Snapdragon 400 processor, battery life is quite good.

moto 360 review

In my first few days of testing, I was actively tracking battery life, but eventually stopped because it just wasn’t an issue. Initially, I was using “always-on” mode, since that’s the most aesthetically pleasing and preferred mode, as it lets your watch screen remain on to help it keep that traditional watch look. In the first three days with “always-on” mode on, I never once came close to killing the watch in a single day. Well, day 2 I did drop to 22% at 8PM, but that because I had to factory reset the watch mid-way through the day to connect to a new phone. If you have ever factory reset an Android Wear device, you know how much battery that can eat up, since the process takes up to 30 minutes to complete and sync to a phone. Otherwise, with “always-on” mode enabled, I saw numbers of 51% and 36% remaining in the early AM hours the following day.

After testing “always-on” mode, I then switched it off for a few to see how much longer the battery would last. In the first couple of days, I was going to bed at night with 70% still on the watch. That’s kind of nuts. Motorola says it should last up to two days and I actually believe that it will, depending on your usage level.

I think it’s safe to say that there aren’t battery concerns at all with the new Moto 360. In fact, it may be one of (if not) the best in the business now.

Performance


Along with poor battery life in last year’s Moto 360, there is no denying that it was also about the worst performing Android Wear watch. Motorola used an ancient TI OMAP processor in the watch which was evident from day 1. The watch often struggling with simple swipes as it aged, and never really provided that smooth experience we saw on other watches powered by Qualcomm’s chipsets. This year, Motorola gave in and is using the Snapdragon 400 found in most other Android Wear devices.

Because of that move, the watch flies around the operating system, responds quickly to touches, shows improved battery life, and overall, is a pleasant experience all-around. There aren’t hiccups or stutters or lag anymore, Moto 360 fans.

Specs


Because I haven’t mentioned them all yet, let’s do that now. The specs for the Moto 360 (2nd gen) are quite good. You are looking at 1.56-inch (46mm) and 1.37-inch (42mm) LCD displays, 400mAh (46mm) and 300mAh (42mm) batteries, 4GB storage, 512MB RAM, wireless charging (dock included), Bluetooth 4.0, IP67 dust and water resistance, heart rate monitor, dual mics, and a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor.

The specs here aren’t exactly brand new or pushing the envelope, but they are good enough to power a wearable on your wrist. You will see other smartwatch makers toss in things like LTE, more RAM, insane resolutions on displays, and giant batteries over the next year. I’m not sure anyone needs any of that, unless they don’t mind wearing tanks on their wrists.

Software


Android Wear as a wearable platform has really grown over the last year. At one time, it was a notification pusher and not much else. nNw, it can quickly load apps, direct you to your favorite contacts, let you interact with watch faces, is quicker with voice actions, has ambient modes in apps, can connect to WiFi (so you can leave your phone behind), has theater modes and more notification settings, and is a much better health tracker than ever before.

We have taken you on tours of the latest Android Wear updates a handful of times, so to catch up, be sure to watch this video.

I think the takeaway is that Android Wear has become a polished watch OS that is slowly evolving as Google figures out scenarios where it can do more. It’s not overwhelming like Apple’s watch OS, because Google wants it to be simple. A watch OS isn’t supposed to be distracting or confusing or dominate your time – it’s supposed to make your life simpler. I don’t know that Android Wear has fully figured that all out yet, but it’s getting there faster than everyone else.

As for specifics to the new 360, Motorola is really pushing their Moto Body experience, which is their take on a fitness platform. The Moto Body suite is like Google Fit or Jawbone’s platform or what you would get with Samsung’s S Health. It’s decent, but far from the best. Motorola seems committed to it, though, so expect it to get better over time.

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Availability, Price, and Value


The Moto 360 (2nd gen) is available now should you decide you want to buy one. It’s available at Motorola’s site with Moto Maker customizations and at places like Best Buy. Customizing through Moto Maker will take a bit to finish, so you won’t have your watch for at least a couple of weeks if you go that route. If you decide you want one today, most Best Buy’s have them available.

If we look at price and value, the Moto 360 is probably the easiest and best choice. Competitors like the Huawei Watch have choices, like silver, black, or gold models, but as you choose anything but the base silver model, the price goes up dramatically and quickly. With Motorola, you can get an all-gold 46mm watch with a gold band for $450. If you went with the all-gold Huawei Watch (which isn’t even available yet), you are looking at an $800 price tag.

So the bottom line is that the new Moto 360 offers you customization that no one else can at a pretty reasonable price. It’s easily the best value.

Video


Unboxing

vs. Moto 360 (1st gen)

Original tour

Final Thoughts


I’m still trying to figure out if I need a smartwatch in my life, but there is no question that the new Moto 360 (2nd gen) would be in strong consideration as the watch for me. Not only can I customize it to my liking, but it looks fantastic. This smartwatch looks like a watch. Sure, it’s smart and does that whole Android Wear thing as well, which is great. But it looks fantastic first, and that’s important when you are talking about a fashion accessory.

Should you consider the Moto 360 (2nd gen)? If you are looking into buying a smartwatch, then absolutely. This and the Huawei Watch should both be put on your wrist before making that decision, though. Watches fit each person differently, but if this one fits nicely, go for it. You won’t be disappointed.

Moto 360 (2nd Gen) Review is a post from: Droid Life



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Motorola Details Which Phones to Receive Marshmallow Update

When Lollipop was released by Google last year, it seemed many OEMs were in a race to deliver the good to customers as quickly as possible. As we all saw, Lollipop was absolutely riddled with bugs and performance issues, leaving a few Android users wishing they still had Kit Kat. This year, the same thing is happening, but each OEM has stated that they will not send out any OTA updates until they know the OS is stable and ready for consumers.

Motorola has now posted its official list of devices that as of this morning, should see the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. As no surprise, most of Motorola’s newer lineup will see the update, including the Moto X Pure Edition, Moto G (2nd Gen, 3rd Gen, and LTE 2nd Gen), and DROID Turbo

Unlike HTC, who said they are shooting to have updates out by year’s end, Motorola is taking a more cautious approach. According to the company’s blog where the announcement was posted, “We have high standards, so we’ll work fast but we won’t push the upgrades out until we know they’re ready. Look for more news on timing in the coming weeks.”

While new versions of Android are always exciting, it seems that with more features, we encounter more problems. Since most OEMs bake in their own software goods and features, it takes quite a bit of time for all of the kinks to be worked out between each update. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope Marshmallow in the early days is a better experience than early builds of Lollipop were.

Once timelines are posted for devices, we will keep you informed.

Phones to receive Android 6.0 “Marshmallow” update:

  • 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Play
  • 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
  • DROID Turbo
  • 2014 Moto MAXX
  • 2014 Moto Turbo
  • Nexus 6
Via: Motorola

Motorola Details Which Phones to Receive Marshmallow Update is a post from: Droid Life



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HBO Now, Showtime, and CBS All Access Apps Arrive for Android TV

As posted to the official Android blog yesterday, the HBO Now, Showtime, and CBS All Access applications are now available for owners of an Android TV. Whether Android TV is baked directly into your HDTV or you own a set-top box powered by the living room OS, you can access this content via the Google Play app.  

HBO Now, for those who don’t know, is HBO’s subscription service that requires no cable provider account. If not giving Comcast or Time Warner any money is high on your priority list, it is a good service to have.

Other apps to recently gain support for Android TV are Disney Movies Anywhere, EPIX, WWE Network, and plenty more. For a big list of premium apps available on Android TV, look here on Google Play.

Play Links: HBO Now | Showtime | CBS All Access

Via: Android

HBO Now, Showtime, and CBS All Access Apps Arrive for Android TV is a post from: Droid Life



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Samsung Gear S2 Now Available for Purchase

Samsung’s new round smartwatches, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, are now available for purchase online. With a starting price of $299 for the S2 and $349 for the S2 Classic, you can own what is almost guaranteed to be Samsung’s best smartwatch to date.

We have yet to review the Gear S2 (we will shortly, don’t know worry), but after spending some quality time with it when Samsung fully unveiled it, it was obvious that this device would do as good of a smartwatch job on your wrist as any smartwatch. Sure, it runs Samsung’s Tizen instead of Android Wear, so there is going to be a new watch OS to learn. However, it’s a full watch experience like you see on the Apple Watch, instead of the glanceable-info approach you get with Android Wear. It also has NFC, so if you own a Samsung phone with Samsung Pay, you will soon be able to use it to make mobile payments.

Links:  Amazon | Best Buy | Samsung

As for the rest of the story, you have the Gear S2, which is the version pictured above. It’s the cheaper ($299) of the two, and carriers a much more minimalistic and modern design, whereas the Gear S2 Classic ($349) is doing its best to emulate a traditional watch.

Both have rotating bezels for navigating their UIs, round AMOLED displays, and battery life that should last for a couple of days on a single charge.

We’ll have more later today, including an unboxing and some new first impressions.

Note:  Macy’s is also selling each, but has jacked up the price by $50 on each, which is ridiculous. Do not buy from them.

Samsung Gear S2 Now Available for Purchase is a post from: Droid Life



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