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Friday, October 23, 2015

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: October 23, 2015

Another week in the books, and if you are a fan of Google and Nexus devices, it was a good week. On Monday, we posted up camera reviews and unboxing videos for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, as well as answered a ton of your questions live during a special Nexus Edition of The Droid Life Show.

On top of Nexus news, Verizon began teasing the upcoming DROID devices on social media, Google announced YouTube Red (an ad-free version of YouTube), we learned that the Galaxy S7 may come as early as January 19, and the BlackBerry Priv is now up for pre-order priced at $699.

Here are the stories from this week you should not miss. 

Have a great weekend, folks!

 

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: October 23, 2015 is a post from: Droid Life



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HTC Pushes Launch of Grip Fitness Tracker to Early Next Year

Remember that fitness tracking wearable HTC partnered with Under Armour to produce, called the HTC Grip? Well, it was announced back on March 1, with its release scheduled for Spring of 2015. As the year pushed on, Grip never came to fruition, but then in July, the device received Bluetooth certification, sparking the idea that we must be pretty close to a launch. A few days after certification, HTC said we should expect it later, near the tail end of 2015. Well, now it’s nearly November, and there has been zero word from HTC on the device’s whereabouts, until now. Dun dun dun. 

According to a statement from HTC delivered to Phandroid, both UA and HTC have decided to hold off on an individual launch of Grip (without specifically mentioning Grip), and instead, will develop and launch a, “fully integrated digital ecosystem of products early next year.” Because, yeah, that will go much more smoothly for all parties involved.

Here is the complete statement from HTC.

As we continue to develop the Connected Fitness platform and elevate our product offerings, Under Armour and HTC have decided to launch a fully integrated digital ecosystem of products early next year. This global launch will provide the tools needed to help athletes of all levels track, manage and improve their health and fitness. Our teams have done a remarkable job bringing these products to life and we’re excited to share them with the public soon.

In my opinion, it’s likely a safe bet that no one here has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Grip. There is already a market completely saturated with fitness and health trackers, meaning Grip will probably just get lost in the mix upon arrival.

Via: Phandroid

HTC Pushes Launch of Grip Fitness Tracker to Early Next Year is a post from: Droid Life



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Some Cool Things Motorola and Verizon are Doing With DROID Turbo 2 and MAXX 2

Next week, at a press event in New York, Verizon and Motorola are expected to announce the new DROID Turbo 2 and DROID MAXX 2. Plenty of information has leaked about each over the past few months, information that shows not only a new flagship DROID (Turbo 2), but another, more affordable DROID (MAXX 2) that will focus on battery life. To add to the ongoing story that will soon be official, we have new details from sources of ours that tell of phones that won’t just be about “DROID” and specs. These phones have additional programs that Verizon and Motorola hope will help them stand out. 

First, as we told you last week, the DROID Turbo 2 will be a part of Motorola’s Moto Maker program. If you buy a Turbo 2, you will be able to fully customize it, just like you can with the Moto X Pure Edition. Options will include soft touch plastic, leather, and ballistic nylon. But that’s not all. Motorola and Verizon are introducing a new program called “Design Refresh” that will allow you to “refresh” your phone with a new design once in a two year period.

Design Refresh, as far as we know, is an add-on that you purchase along with the Turbo 2 and is not free. Interested customers will have to decide to buy it before the end of this year if they want to participate. But the idea is that they can refresh the design on their phone once. I would imagine that customers will have to send back their original Turbo 2 for a new one, but still, a phone refresh is a cool concept, assuming the program isn’t over priced to begin with.

Second, outside of the customization, Motorola and Verizon are really going to play up this “Shatterproof” thing that has been referenced a handful of times already, including in this teaser from Big Red.

The Turbo 2 will have a shatterproof display. I know that sounds like an insane promise, but Motorola and Verizon seem to be serious about this idea. The Turbo 2 will come with a 4-year guarantee that it won’t “crack or shatter.” Motorola is calling this new technology ShatterShield.

The MAXX 2 will also have a special screen program, though it’s not in the realm of ShatterShield. Motorola is doing a screen assurance program that will give you one free certified replacement within 2 years of purchase.

Finally, Motorola says that the Turbo 2 is the world’s fastest charging smartphone in that it can grab 13 hours of power in just 15 minutes.

We’ll be in New York City next week for the event. Stay tuned for our coverage as all of these details become final.

Some Cool Things Motorola and Verizon are Doing With DROID Turbo 2 and MAXX 2 is a post from: Droid Life



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Friday App Sales: Monument Valley, Broken Age, Incredipede, and More

If you have zero plans for this weekend, and you already know you don’t, then why not pick up a few new games or apps to keep you busy? On Google Play, there is a solid list of apps on sale currently, with a few major titles thrown in to get you excited.

Priced at just $1.99, you can finally play Monument Valley, which is easily one of the top mobile games ever produced. And with that purchase, you get access to the newer levels as well, which is a bonus. It may not be the most difficult game, but it is extremely visually appealing. In addition, you can pick up Worms 3, Incredipede, as well as R.B.I. Baseball 15 to help celebrate the arrival of the World Series.

Check the list down below and see if anything interests you. 

Friday App Sales

Go support those developers!

Friday App Sales: Monument Valley, Broken Age, Incredipede, and More is a post from: Droid Life



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New Emoji are Coming to Android…New Emoji are Coming to Android!

The emoji game on Android is weak. The folks over on iOS tell us often, though sometimes indirectly when they post cute little emoji-fied messages that we can’t even see. Really, it’s hard out here for an emoji enthusiast on Android.

But fret not, Android friends, newly appointed senior VP of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, has heard your feedback and promises to make the Android emoji state better.  

In a Tweet sent last night, Lockheimer confirmed that Google is working on new emoji, probably in part thanks to the new emoji released by Apple this week that includes the oft-requested taco emoji. Yes, the taco emoji may be coming to Android.

Of course, we have no idea when these new emoji will arrive, so don’t go out and start an Android emoji countdown or hold your breath or take a shot every time a new emoji-less day goes by. You could be counting a while, dead from lack of air, or insanely drunk.

Via:  Engadget

New Emoji are Coming to Android…New Emoji are Coming to Android! is a post from: Droid Life



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Early Google Play Music Subscribers Get to Keep $7.99 Price With YouTube Red, Receive Free Month

Wondering what would happen to that $7.99 Google Play Music price you locked into in the early days, now that YouTube Red is about to launch? According to emails being sent to subscribers who have hung onto the $7.99 price, nothing is changing at all. In fact, Google is going to give you a free month of service, just because. 

As a recap, Google announced YouTube Red earlier in the week. They also announced YouTube Music. The services together, combine to make a paid, ad-free experience on YouTube, similar to YouTube Music Key, which is actually transforming into YouTube Red. YouTube Red will cost new subscribers $9.99 per month. Thankfully, if you are a Google Play Music subscriber, you get YouTube Red at no extra cost. Same thing goes for YouTube Red subscribers – you get a Google Play Music subscription at no extra cost.

And that’s the subject here. Some of us were wondering if we would still get to keep that $7.99 Play Music subscription. As you can see in the email below, which discusses the end of YouTube Music Key (now known as YouTube Red), we do indeed get to keep it. Google is also giving subscribers the next month free before continuing on with the regularly scheduled $7.99 price.

Good news, right?

music key promo free

Cheers Ryan!

Early Google Play Music Subscribers Get to Keep $7.99 Price With YouTube Red, Receive Free Month is a post from: Droid Life



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Blackberry Priv Goes Back Up for Pre-Order, This Time at $699

The Blackberry Priv, after a brief appearance on a pre-order page two days ago, is back up for pre-order! We think officially this time too.

The Blackberry site that previously listed the phone is live once again and this time wit ha $50 discount. The original listing showed a $749 price, but we are now looking at $699 in the US. That’s still insanely expensive, but maybe that’s the price we have to pay for a physical throwback keyboard and a unified inbox. 

As a reminder, this is an unlocked model that is up for pre-order and only works on T-Mobile and AT&T. This phone will not work on Verizon or Sprint, which Blackberry makes clear. If you are on Verizon and interested, stay tuned, as we are likely to see specific carrier models arrive in the coming weeks or months.

Blackberry says these pre-orders “will be shipped after the release date of 11/6/2015.” At least, that’s what our pre-order confirmation says.

To get a recap on the full hardware setup, hit up our list of official Blackberry Priv specs.

Blackberry Pre-Order Link

ShopBlackBerry_Online_Store_-_Order_Being_Processed

Cheers Tony!

Blackberry Priv Goes Back Up for Pre-Order, This Time at $699 is a post from: Droid Life



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Credit Cards Being Charged for Nexus 6P Orders, Should be Time for Shipment

On October 15, Google began charging credit cards for pre-orders placed on one of their new phones, the Nexus 5X. Four days later, on October 19, Google announced that those early Nexus 5X orders were to begin shipping. And sure enough, they did. Last night, pre-orders for the Nexus 6P, the other Nexus phone with a mysterious launch date, made it through to the credit card charging stage and are showing as “Processing” in many cases. I think it’s safe to say that shipment is imminent. 

So if we look at the Nexus 5X’s timeline, we essentially went from Thursday credit card processing to Monday shipments. If we go by last night’s wave of credit card charges, we could once again be looking at a Thursday to Monday timeline. Nothing is set in stone there, but Google wouldn’t be charging cards if it wasn’t preparing to ship items – that’s how this whole deal works.

Keep an eye out for charges and then feel free to cruise into the Google Store to check on your order status. Let us know if anything ships!

Cheers Damian, Daniel, Taylor, Hasnain, Kenneth, Jon, and everyone else!

Credit Cards Being Charged for Nexus 6P Orders, Should be Time for Shipment is a post from: Droid Life



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