Well, this teaser just went live on a Sunday (Thanks, Samsung!). The Galaxy S7 will be here February 21 in Barcelona. Or the “Next Galaxy.”
Everyone see the 7?
Samsung Makes It Official, Galaxy S7 is Coming February 21 is a post from: Droid Life
You can tell that we are getting closer and closer to MWC, because the leaks are springing from every surface of the internet. This week, we got our first look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, LG G5 (in a dummy box), and heard full specs for the HTC One M10. Outside of the leak fun, we also got Hangouts 7.0, saw prices drop for the Nexus 5X and 6P, and watched T-Mobile make a whole bunch of tweaks to services.
The week was packed, but it’ll only get busier over the coming weeks. Be sure to catch-up now so that you can keep up as we hit the end of February, where everything will be really nuts.
Can’t wait to watch the Pro Bowl this weekend…err, what?
Don’t Miss These Android Stories: January 29, 2016 is a post from: Droid Life
On March 1, customers participating in T-Mobile’s JUMP! upgrade program that currently costs $10 per month will either see a $2 dollar increase per month or a $1 reduction. According to letters being sent to JUMP! participants, T-Mobile is making the adjustments after they “evaluated” their Premium Handset Protection that is included in the JUMP! monthly fee.
Going forward, T-Mobile will rank phones on a 1-5 tier level. That tier level will determine how much your monthly JUMP! price will be. For example, if you own a tier 1, 2, or 3 phone, your JUMP! price will be $9 per month. If you own a tier 4 or 5 phone, your JUMP! price will be $12 per month.
T-Mobile is determining tier level based on the device value and how much the deductible for it would be. Tier 1 phones have deductibles in the $20 range, whereas tier 5 phones are at $175. Phones like the Galaxy Note 5 and iPhone 6s are tier 5.
You can see a copy of the letter below.
Along with the changes to JUMP! pricing, Premium Handset Protection (PHP) will change similarly. Currently, PHP runs $8 for everyone, but the price of it will change to $7 per month for tier 1-3 phones and jump to $10 per month for tier 4 and 5 phones.
Again, this all goes live on March 1.
T-Mobile JUMP! Prices Increase for Some on March 1, Drop for Others is a post from: Droid Life
Hi there, pretty pictures. We haven’t yet met, but I do believe you are the yet-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge?
Leaker @evleaks just posted the image you are seeing below without comment other than a link to an article he had previously written that details Samsung’s new phones. While he isn’t saying it directly, we have to assume that these are press renders of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Below, we have what should be the regular Galaxy S7 on the left, followed by the Galaxy S7 Edge on the right. Yes, they are different sizes. At one point, we were operating under rumors that there may be three phones: the regular S7, an S7 Edge the size of the regular S6, and then a bigger S7 Edge+. Within the last week, those rumors cooled and we are now expecting just two phones called the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Make sense?
So what are we seeing? It should be obvious that the overall design language here is almost identical to last year’s S6 and S6 Edge+. The only real differences standing out to me at the moment, are potentially slightly less bezel in the new models, a bigger front facing camera, and a more rectangular home button. The color also appears to be black, rather than the deep blue we saw last year.
We should also point out that the date of Sunday, February 21 is on the lock screen of both. That’s significant because that is press day at MWC, where we expect Samsung to unveil each.
This isn’t to scale, but here is a comparison of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ to these renders from @evleaks. S6 on the left and S7 on the right.
Thoughts?
Our First Look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge? is a post from: Droid Life
In our last episode of “This icon pack is hot,” I made an off-handed comment about the world not needing anymore Material Design inspired icon packs. For the most part, I still stand by that comment, because seriously, there are so many icon packs that are some variation of Google’s icons, only they differ by offering a tweaked color scheme or palette or vibe. Where we need to see Material Design put to use is in packs like the one we are featuring day.
This is Material Cards.
With Material Cards, you get an icon set that is technically in “beta.” I don’t know what that means, other than it only has 640 icons instead of the few thousand you see from others.
The overall look takes in some Material Design cues with its color scheme and attempts at creating subtle depth through shadows. The icons are also very minimal and will remind you of their true Google-inspired counterparts. They remain unique, though, because of their squatty rectangular shape. With Material Cards, it’s as if you are looking at Google’s own icon ideas, only they have been pressed into card form. It’s a fresh take on Material icons, but should also satisfy those of us who like to see icons all of the same shape.
The pack also includes a set of wallpapers that are unique in their own right. Most are flattened, Material takes on the backs of popular phones. You’ll find wallpapers for the Nexus 6P, that actually look like a flattened Nexus 6P. The same goes for the OnePlus 2, G4, Moto X Pure Edition, and V10.
Play Link ($0.99)
This Icon Pack is Hot: Material Cards is a post from: Droid Life
You would think that after being in this industry for almost 7 years now, that seeing accessories like 128GB microSD cards drop to $33 wouldn’t amaze me so much, but it still does when you consider how quickly everything moves.
At the beginning of 2014, SanDisk introduced one of the first 128GB microSD cards to the world. It was insanely expensive out of the gate, so expensive that we called a price drop to $120 a “deal.” Today, companies like Silicon Power are selling class 10, UHS-1 128GB cards for $32.99 with Prime shipping. That’s so nuts. You can even grab their 64GB cards for under $15.
In that two years, we saw companies ditch SD card slots and then adopt them and then ditch them and then adopt them again. This year, we’re pretty sure is an adoption year again, with Samsung (reportedly) bringing them back, plus LG will likely keep theirs as well. Now would be the time to stock up on storage, assuming you plan to pick-up one of these new flagships out of Korea.
DEAL: 128GB MicroSD Cards are as Cheap as $33 These Days is a post from: Droid Life
Security is an important topic in today’s mobile heavy world. It’s starting to feel as if we are almost always under some form of attack from this or that spyware or virus or backdoor. Well, security companies are certainly trying to make us believe that, especially those who have attached their livelihood to Android. This isn’t me completely dismissing potential threats on Android, it’s just that most of these “67% of Android users at risk!” types of headline-grabbing reports almost always contain a big asterisk that involves some form of, “This doesn’t concern you if you install everything through Google Play.” In other words, if you own a legitimate Android phone that has Google services and aren’t installing pirated apps through scary-as-hell 3rd party app stores, you are fine.
But look, security threats can be real. After all, when you become this widely distributed as an “open” platform through so many different manufacturers and channels, you do sort of open yourself up to security issues. Even Google has started issuing monthly security patches to make sure Android is as up-to-date as is possible and some manufacturers have even joined their crusade.
With that in mind, I’d like to see where you all stand on Android security. Is this something you are at all concerned about? Are you installing some form of a security app (like an anti-virus app) on your devices? Do you understand that sticking to Google Play protects you almost all of the time?
Below, you’ll find a short poll, but I’d really like to hear thoughts in general on Android security in the comments.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Question of the Day: Do You Worry About Android Security? is a post from: Droid Life
Waaaaay back in October, we featured an app called Backdrops, a wallpaper app with a Material Design focus that was pushing out daily ‘papers, collections, the ability to share your own with the app’s community, and an incredibly clean appearance. It’s a really nice wallpaper app.
This week, the team behind it released a big update that introduces Google sign-in, so you can now sync your favorites across all of your devices. This is one of those features that multi-device owners will surely appreciate. While unrelated in content form, this was my reason for switching to ParcelTrack for package tracking. Device sync is a big deal, especially as many of us migrate from device to device, whether that’s between personal devices only or work and personal.
To celebrate this big update, Backdrops reached out to offer the DL crew 50 promo codes for their Pro version. The Pro price was at one time $1.99, so we’re here to save you a couple of bucks.
To enter for a chance to win, all you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter widget instructions below, which is basically going to tell you to leave a comment about Backdrops. So you have two steps here. You need to enter information into Rafflecopter, because this is how we’ll choose our winners. Then, after doing so, jump below and leave a comment about Backdrops and why you are interested in it. If you don’t do the Rafflecopter portion and instead just leave a comment, you won’t be entered. I apologize if that sounds difficult, but the widget makes it really easy for us to pick winners.
We’ll choose our winners later today at 2PM Pacific.
Ready? Go!
GIVEAWAY: We Have 50 Promo Codes for Backdrops Pro Up for Grabs! is a post from: Droid Life
For a solid year, I was attached to AfterShip for all of my package tracking needs. Recently, after reaching out to its development team and hearing the developer tell me they had no plans to add account syncing between multiple devices, I gave up on it and went looking for a better option. You see, I change devices all of the time, often within a day. I can’t have a single phone doing all of my package tracking – I need syncing.
Earlier this week, I ran through a handful of options and even paid for many of their pro versions to get the full experience. Only one seems to be worth paying for and that app is ParcelTrack. This app, at least in my first few days with it, is awesome.
For one, ParcelTrack is feature packed with options like quick swipe gestures on entries for archiving or deleting, pull-to-refresh, auto carrier detection and auto detection when your clipboard has a copied tracking number, a delivery forecast, barcode scanning, a widget, and support with many of the major shipping carriers, including all of the big dogs in the US.
What makes this my app of choice is its other features, like synchronization between multiple devices, push notifications that aren’t incredibly late, a dedicated email address that you can forward tracking emails to, and a super slick and clean UI.
ParcelTrack does feature a premium set of features, many of which I just named. In order to unlock them all, it’ll cost you $1.99, but only on a single device. Their Google Play listing will tell you which ones are a part of that package. If you don’t need them, you can use it completely free.
Package tracking freaks, you need to check this one out if you haven’t already.
ParcelTrack is My New Favorite Package Tracker on Android is a post from: Droid Life
Earlier today, a keyboard was dropped off in our inbox that has us pretty excited about a potential change away from the stock Google Keyboard. The keyboard is called Chrooma and it’s basically a form of the Google Keyboard we always wanted or at least kept hoping Google would build. In other words, it has a couple of features we wish Google would implement, along with a couple of really cool ideas that give your typing experience a boost of color.
If you are looking for flashy slideout menus and predictive emoji and themes and all of that jazz, similar to what you would find in Swiftkey, you won’t get that here. What you get with Chrooma is a very similar experience to the Google Keyboard. As someone who has found comfort in Google’s keyboard over all others, this is right up my alley.
Chrooma stands out to me because not only do I get that Google Keyboard experience that I like so much, but I also get a couple of really important settings to play with. For one, I can add a number row! Because that takes up a massive amount of screen real estate, Chrooma also built a scale, where you can drop down the size of your keyboard in 10% increments.
Where Chrooma really shines, though, is in its adaptive color management. Confused by that idea? Let me attempt to explain. Chrooma is using this smart color system, where it matches up the color of the keyboard to whatever app you are using. For example, in Hangouts, you get a green keyboard that matches up to the color of Hangouts. In Gmail, it’s shows up as red. In Keep, it’s yellow. Make sense? And it does this all automatically as you jump between each without a hiccup.
If you don’t like the adaptive color changing, that’s OK too. You can set a custom color for each app that you use or turn off the adaptive coloring altogether and go back to one of the standard Material Light or Dark themes.
Need another couple of reasons to try Chrooma? Night Mode and a palette style. In Night Mode, Chrooma recognizes “low illumination” and then adjusts the color of the keyboard to a darker shade so as to not blind you at night. With palette styling, Chrooma lays out a palette of colors on your keyboard, in case you need separation between lines and don’t want to look at so many solid colors all day. You can see both in action below.
How does it type, you are probably wondering? As I mentioned earlier, the whole experience reminds a lot of the Google keyboard, from the way it types out letters, gestures words, and looks. I’ve just begun testing it, but so far am pretty impressed.
Play Link ($1.49)
Chrooma Keyboard is Like a Colorful, Feature-Filled Version of the Google Keyboard is a post from: Droid Life
For anyone using a SHIELD device, including a SHIELD Android TV or SHIELD Tablet, the holiday deals don’t appear to be over quite yet. Today, NVIDIA announced the SHIELD Winter Game Sale, available on both Google Play, as well as GeForce NOW.
To sum it up, select LEGO titles are 75% off through GeForce NOW (Marvel Super Heroes, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings), and on Google Play, you can save 50% on Hotline Miami titles, Titan Souls, OlliOlli, and Luftrausers.
The sale is live right now, ending January 31.
Here’s the complete list of what is currently on sale.
NVIDIA Hosting SHIELD Winter Game Sale, Save Up to 75% Off Select Games is a post from: Droid Life
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Motorola is handing out discounts on some of its most popular products. From today through February 16, you can buy the Moto G, Moto 360 (2nd gen), or Jonathan Adler designed Moto X Pure Edition and either receive freebies or discounts.
The three deals are as follows:
You can shop all of the deals at Motorola’s online shop.
Moto Valentine’s Deals: Free Leather Watch Bands, Moto G Shells, and Discounts on Adler Designed Moto X is a post from: Droid Life
Reports of G Pay, LG’s mobile payments solution, surfaced in October of last year, but according to the latest intel, we could see the launch take place at MWC next month. G Pay will materialize into what LG is calling the White Card, a mobile credit card-sized payment tool. If you have ever heard of Coin, this is essentially what White Card will be. With it, users will securely load up all of their banking payment info, and then use White Card to pay at any merchant via a swipe, or even withdrawal money from ATMs.
Using a liquid crystal display, users will scroll through which payment form they would like to use at any given retailer. If you have a rewards card at a certain store, you can upload it and use that form of payment. White Card is reported to launch with support for credit card, debit cards, loyalty cards, and more.
When not in use, users can simply lock White Card, and given its size matching that of a regular credit card, the device can be stored inside of a wallet or purse.
As for US availability, not much is known. At this time, LG appears to be targeting consumers in South Korea, gaining card partners in that specific region. With announcement and launch reported to take place at MWC, we should know all of the details relatively soon.
If LG’s White Card makes it to the US, is this something you could see yourself using? Having personally attempted to use Coin, I can tell you that these platforms are often a complete pain in the rear, rather than a convenience. My fingers are crossed that LG has been able to solve many of the bugs associated with this type of payment solution.
LG G Pay “White Card” Could be a Credit Card Like Coin is a post from: Droid Life
Today, Verizon announced a new discount program that gives discounts on wireless service and accessory purchases to active, former, and retired members of the military.
According to Verizon, members of the military are eligible to receive a 15% discount on a postpaid monthly wireless service (so, not prepaid), plus there is no “minimum plan requirement.” Verizon says that they plan to automatically apply this discount to more than 100,000 eligible accounts that they have identified as current and former military men and women.
If these men and women also want to pick-up accessories for their Verizon products, there will be 25% discounts on “select” chargers, cases, and extended batteries, along with a 12% discount on some calling features, like International Travel to Mexico and Canada, HUM by Verizon, and Tech Coach.
To find out how you can get signed-up for the discounts, head over to this Verizon page.
Verizon Introduces 15% Service Discount to Military Members is a post from: Droid Life
Back in December, Swiftkey Beta received an update that included access to the new emoji introduced in Android 6.0.1. Today, the stable or “market” channel of Swiftkey received the update with access to them as well.
What else is in the update? Nothing that we know of. Swiftkey may have fixed some bugs, but this update is really all about emoji access.
What’s that, you aren’t seeing the middle finger emoji in the title, the new poop emoji, or champagne or burritos or flags? Yeah, well, that’s because you probably aren’t on Android 6.0.1. In order to see and use the new emoji, you have to be on a phone that is running Android 6.0.1. Since there are all of five phones that I can think of that are on the newest build, you can probably move along now.
🦄🦀
Swiftkey Update Brings Android 6.0.1’s New Emoji, Like This One 🖕 is a post from: Droid Life
According to the latest report, HTC will release its most advanced smartphone in 2016, claimed by one source who has spent time with a prototype. Stated by the source, the One M10 features a 5.1″ QHD display, which is reported to look like the AMOLED variety, and will also feature a 12 UltraPixel camera with assisted laser focus on its backside.
At 12 UltraPixels, users should not only have larger pixels to capture more light in low-light settings, but the resolution of photos will be greater, meaning added detail for all shots you take. Previously, HTC’s UltraPixel did not make a great first impression, as the 4MP resolution was not great enough to stand it up against the best of Samsung or LG. This change should help tackle that issue.
As for software, the One M10 is said to ship running Android 6.0.1, with Sense 8.0 UI on top. To go along with software enhancements, HTC is placing a fingerprint home button on the bottom frontside, just as we saw with the One A9. This matches previous reports stating that the One M10’s design would be taking a few design cues from the A9.
Internally, the report goes on to claim most of the same we have already heard or expected; the One M10 will have a Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, possible microSD slot for expandable storage, and 32GB of onboard storage.
One missing feature, which will surely upset those hardcore HTC fans, is the lack of BoomSound speakers. For years, the audio was a highlight on One devices, but in 2016, HTC appears to be moving away from delivering heavy bass tones from dual front-facing speakers. This choice is probably attributed to HTC’s desire to create a slimmer, shorter device. And possibly, it could mean we shouldn’t expect a HTC “black bar” on the frontside.
The source claims that HTC will indeed not be showing off the One M10 at MWC next month, and instead, will hold a separate event later this year.
Are these specs painting the picture of a device you might want to own?
HTC One M10 Reported to Feature QHD AMOLED Display, 12 UltraPixel Camera With Laser Focus is a post from: Droid Life
Bringing them big questions today, eh? Yes, yes, we are.
In all semi-seriousness, it’s time to talk about it (again). I can’t remember the last time (or if ever) we talked about this subject, but I’d love to hear some specific (or general) thoughts on why you have chosen Android as your mobile operating system. This isn’t meant to be a “Down with Apple!” post; we’re genuinely curious in 2016 why you continue to stick with Android.
While Android has evolved over the years, iOS has as well, even adopting plenty of early Android features that once made this the easy operating system of choice for many of us. Is it about control, still? Is it the “openness” to everything (like apps talking to each other and a file manager)? Is it about choice? Is it because you just flat out love HTC or Samsung or Motorola or LG? Is it because you need the best Google app experiences (sans Hangouts of course)? Or maybe, you really just do despise all that is Apple?
Let’s hear it.
Question of the Day: Why Android? is a post from: Droid Life
So, here we have a fun little quote that we can run a couple of ways with. Lenovo chief Yuanqing Yang said in an interview to the Wall Street Journal that he still thinks that there is room for growth for smartphones in emerging markets, but that he also intends to leverage his Motorola ownership to penetrate the smartphone market in the US. He said that his company will release a phone this July to the US that will be “more innovative, more attractive.”
Oooh, a phone that is more innovative and more attractive. On one hand, because of the context surrounding it, that quote almost seems to be in reference to his previous comments about emerging-market growth. Obviously, the US is not an emerging market, but we have certainly seen a push for the types of phones typically introduced in emerging markets, being released in the US. Take the Moto G for example, or ASUS and BLU phones. Is Yang saying that they have a “more innovative, more attractive” lower-end phone for the US that will arrive in July?
Probably not.
He’s probably referencing the Moto line, which is their only flagship phone line going forward. So if he is talking about the Moto line and a phone that is coming out in July, what could be “more innovative, more attractive” than what is already on the market? Or that they have done previously? Well, they could use a fingerprint reader for one. Maybe they have more Moto app features lined up? An even better camera than what they put in this past year’s Moto X?
As for being more attractive, that’s all a matter of taste and opinion, but the Moto X line of phones has been one of the better looking for years now. Is Yang hinting at a new design language? Are we talking an even broader range of material choices in Moto Maker?
Look at that. A tiny, 4-word quote just got me to write over 300 words.
You tell us, what would you like to see in a “more innovative, more attractive” Moto phone for 2016?
Motorola’s Next Phone Arrives in July, Will be “More Innovative, More Attractive” is a post from: Droid Life
Yahoo Mail isn’t the only Yahoo app to get a big update today. The Yahoo app is also getting a sizable update that is aimed at helping you “find, consume, and engage around the news, content and video you care about.” The update also wants to make it easier for you to join in on conversations surrounding news items and follow the latest in developer stories.
A bulk of these changes seem to be happening in Yahoo for the web, where you’ll be able to read multiple articles without having to open a bunch of individual tabs. You’ll see editors’ picks, relevant content, related stories by clicking a heart icon, and be able to click through to read more. It’s one of those situations where the more you read, the more tailored to you the experience becomes.
As for the conversation piece to all of this, Yahoo has made comments surface directly in-line, so it’s easier than ever to share your trolling thoughts with the world. Because, you know, we all asked for opinions about the Earth being flat to be shared even easier.
Grab the update today, Yahoo news fans.
Yahoo App Also Gets Update, Aims to Make Finding News Easier is a post from: Droid Life
An update for Yahoo Mail hit Google Play this morning, bringing an Inbox-like feature that will allow users to more quickly organize their email inbox. Upon loading it up, users will see the added ability to add custom actions for swiping gestures, such as archive, delete, move to, and others. This update goes hand-in-hand with a previous update that brought the swiping actions.
These custom actions make organization a breeze, given you no longer need to dive into each email to send them to their correct folder or place. If it’s trash, give it a swipe to the right. If you want to mark an email as read, give it a swipe to the left. All actions are customizable, so it’s left to the user what you would like Yahoo Mail to do.
In addition to swiping actions, newly expandable notifications from Yahoo Mail will also show customizable options, such as giving an email a star or immediately archiving it. Again, these actions are completely changeable depending on what you need them to perform.
If you rock Yahoo Mail, go grab the update.
You Can Now Customize Swipe Actions in Yahoo Mail, Use Actionable Notifications is a post from: Droid Life
Another Google app bites the dust. My Tracks, Google’s outdoor mapping and tracking app that has somewhere between 10M and 50M installs, is shutting down on April 30, so that Google can focus their mapping efforts elsewhere.
As you can imagine, this news hasn’t been taken well by My Tracks users. For an outdoor tracking app, it used to be one of the best, since it was able to track accurately without destroying your battery. In recent months, reviews haven’t been kind to My Tracks, likely because Google had dropped support. Today’s news only sort of reinforces that thought.
Here is the statement from Google on why it will be shut down:
After April 30, 2016, My Tracks will no longer be available. We apologize for the inconvenience this might cause My Tracks users. We’ve made the tough decision to invest our efforts into other, more wide-reaching, mapping projects. Below are some resources to help you manage or export your data and find other apps to continue tracking your activities.
If you were a My Tracks users and want to export your data, Google has a couple of options for you that can be found at the source link below.
Google is also providing applications that could be good alternatives, like Google Fit, Strava, Endomondo, Map My Run, Map My Hike, GPS Logger for Android, and GPX Viewer.
RIP, My Tracks.
RIP: Google My Tracks is Shutting Down April 30 is a post from: Droid Life
T-Mobile announced that a handful of new services have joined their Binge On video streaming program, this morning, but in doing so, also attempted to provide more of the same narrative as they did during the embarrassing, combative outburst CEO John Legere paraded around earlier in the month in support of it. This time, though, they want you to know that their customers think it’s the greatest thing ever. Of course, that’s never been our problem with Binge On, but Legere refuses to acknowledge that and address any of the real concerns people have with it.
Outside of the customer survey information, they are also giving customers easier ways to turn Binge On on or off.
The new services joining Binge On are Amazon Video, Fox News, Univision NOW, and WWE Network. You’ll notice that YouTube is still not a part of the fun. Like with the rest of the partnered Binge On video services, you can now watch video from all four of those services without the streams counting against your data bucket. Of course, the video will be throttled to 480p.
As for the news surrounding T-Mobile’s customers showing support, this is what T-Mobile is sharing from a survey they took of Binge On users:
So people are consuming more video than ever now that they have Binge On. Except, wasn’t John Legere worried about people not knowing about Binge On, and so that’s why they turned it on for all customers (including those on unlimited plans) by default, making it an opt-out service? Ugh, I don’t want to go down that road again. You guys know how I feel about Binge On and the way it was implemented.
All of that aside, T-Mobile is making it easier than ever to turn on or off. To do so via dialer, you “Just dial #BNG# (#264#) and hit send to check your settings, #BOF# (#263#) to turn it off and #BON# (#266#) to turn on Binge On.” If the dialer trick doesn’t seem to be working, T-Mobile has also added a shortcut to Binge On settings in your plan details box on the opening page of your My T-Mobile account. They also updated their My T-Mobile app to make it easier.
Tell us – are you watching more video than ever because of Binge On?
T-Mobile Adds New Services to Binge On, Makes It Easier to Turn Off is a post from: Droid Life
We have been spreading reasons why you should buy the top Android smartphones on the market, but starting today, we are shifting our focusing to smartwatches and will kick things off with the Moto 360 Sport. Released earlier this month, the Moto 360 Sport is Motorola’s hybrid device, created to meld both fitness tracking and smartwatch functionality into a usable, easy to understand device.
Having recently reviewed it, I came away very impressed with its ability to track my fitness routines, while also giving me the info I need that comes directly from my smartphone. This includes email alerts, Hangouts notifications, as well as Google Maps info when I am busy driving myself around town. The Moto 360 Sport is the first true attempt at combining everything you need from a fitness tracker and baking it into an Android Wear smartwatch, so again, if you have not yet checked it out, read our full review.
If you already went through the review, or just don’t have time, here are three reasons why the Moto 360 Sport is a good buy for you.
From the first watch face you see when booting up the Moto 360 Sport, you can tell this thing was meant to be your fitness companion. On this watch face, which is the one I used primarily during the time of my review, you can quickly access information on your steps taken, calories burned, and heart activity. Looking to the photo above, you will see a “Start” button. When pressed, you can begin a quick workout, and the watch will begin taking its measurements of calories burned, GPS data, and steps. All of this same functionality can be opened up through an app, in case using this watch face does not suit you.
Once a workout is complete, you can head into the Moto Body application that can be downloaded onto any Android device via Google Play. Inside, you can analyze all of the data the watch recorded, including the route via GPS, calories, heart activity, etc.
In addition, the watch will start you off with “daily goals.” These goals are by no means for Olympic athletes, but perfect for your everyday Joe Schmo. To start, the daily goal for steps is set at 10,000, which seems to be rather common on fitness trackers. For healthy heart activity, the watch wants users to complete a solid hour of activity, just to make sure you get that blood circulating well throughout the body. When you reach these goals, a little vibration will go off, alerting you to a successful day of activity. At this point, you can then binge on nachos and beer.
For a more detailed breakdown on the fitness side of this smartwatch, read our complete review.
First introduced on the Moto 360 Sport, the AnyLight Hybrid display allows users to view their smartwatch in virtually any setting, and this was confirmed by myself after spending a few weeks with the device, even taking it with me to Las Vegas for CES. Whether it is direct sunlight or dimly lit rooms, the Moto 360 Sport offers one of the best smartwatch viewing experiences I have had.
The technology is two panels – one regular LCD that you will find in other smartwatches, in addition to a special front-lit reflective display. When combined, this panel allows real contrast to be seen by the eye, even when you are out on a run during a sunny day. If you compared this to a regular Moto 360, the difference would be almost immediate, as the Moto 360, as with other Android Wear watches, do not fair too favorably in direct lighting.
In my review, I claimed that I wish every Android Wear smartwatch featured this type of display, as there is something about it that is pleasing to the eyes. Maybe its the lack of glare or the lack of blinding brightness needed when outdoors, but AnyLight Hybrid kicks major butt.
Given that if you intend on purchasing this device, you will probably be using it for outdoor and physical activities. I have worn every Android Wear watch to my knowledge, and if I was ranking them on comfort alone, the Moto 360 Sport would easily be in my top three, alongside the Moto 360 (1st Gen) and Huawei Watch. However, none of these other watches are made with complete fitness in mind, so when it comes to the gym, you only have one real option in the realm of Android Wear.
The silicone band on this watch offers great stretch, which I found to be the true reason for its comfort. After a few wears and you find the perfect fit, the device’s bands almost mold onto the wrist, allowing for that perfect fit every time. The same can be said for genuine leather bands, and to see that from silicone, it is promising.
In my review, I note that these bands can be especially sticky, never ceasing to pick up dog hair and random dust particles. To counter this, I find myself wiping my watch down every now and then, which will likely be common if you tend to be sweating on it at the gym. Remember, folks, always wipe down your equipment, including your smartwatch. And don’t worry, this thing is sweat, water, and dust resistant.
If any of these reasons have made you a believer, the Moto 360 Sport is priced at $299 on Motorola’s website.
3 Reasons the Moto 360 Sport is Worth Buying is a post from: Droid Life
Here’s a crazy good deal for those of you on the hunt for a car charger with Quick Charge 2.0 support. Choetech is currently selling their 2-port car charger for just $5.99 with coupon code. The unit typically retails for $13.99, so you are looking at a solid $8 discount to just a few bucks.
While it is 2-port, only 1 of the ports is QC 2.0 equipped. The other port is an adaptive fast charger that should still get the job done fairly quickly.
To get the deal, use code “725N2G9D” at checkout. Amazon Prime shipping is included.
DEAL: This Quick Charge 2.0 Car Charger is Just $5.99 is a post from: Droid Life
Ummm, so, apparently you guys really like cases. What do you say we give away a bunch of the cases we have lying around the Droid Life offices to those that are in need of one? I just counted out a box full and I’m coming up with at least 80 that you need to take off my hands. Seriously, you can see them all in the image above.
Right now, I have a pile of cases lying in my office for phones like the Galaxy S6 and Edge (+ too), Note 5 and 4, LG G3 and G4, Nexus 6 and 5, and HTC One M9. I even have a couple of random cases, like an Incipio battery pack case for the original Moto X, an Alto leather case for the iPhone 6, and car charger/shell combo fo the Blackberry Priv.
The cases you’ll find in this giveaway are from your favorite case brands too, like Spigen and Ringke, but you’ll find some official Nexus cases as well. Some have been briefly reviewed or fondled for a few minutes, but most are brand new and have never been out of the box. I hope if you win one and it has been touched by a finger or two, you won’t mind. After all, it’s a free case.
So what do you say? Who wants a free case?
In order to get one, we are going to try and keep this dead simple. Below, you’ll find a link to a Google Form (survey) that you will need to fill out. The survey will ask which phone you own (so we can get you the correct case) and what your shipping info is. It will also require you to login with a Google account. You can only submit a response once that way, so make sure you submit one for the correct phone.
Because we have so many cases to giveaway, this is the most efficient way for us to do this. If you don’t feel comfortable filling out this private survey whose results only I have access to, I fully understand. If you don’t feel like submitting a response with a Google account, I also understand. But that’s how this is going down, because again, we want this to be simple in the end, so that we can easily choose winners and get them shipped out.
Obviously, we have 80 or so cases, but there could be more than 80 entries. Not everyone will win. If you win, you’ll know because you’ll receive a case in the mail. If you receive nothing, then you didn’t win. We’ll do our best to mail all cases out within the next week.
Once the survey and giveaway are over with (meaning we sent all cases out), I’m deleting the survey responses. I have no need for your addresses other than to giveaway some cases that are taking up space in my office.
All good? Click the link below and fill out the simple survey in order to enter for a chance to win.
DL MEGA CASE GIVEAWAY: We’ve Got 80 Cases That You Need to Take Off Our Hands is a post from: Droid Life
App updates are rolling out, allowing users of Google Slides, Sheets, and Docs to add comments while on mobile devices. Previously, commenting was exclusive to desktop folk, but now, anyone who is a part of a file can chip in their two cents, regardless of what device they are using.
To add a comment, hit the drop down menu in any file, and you will see a comment button under “Insert.” Tap that button, then you are all set to make any comments you need.
Google thought it would be cute to share a story about how impactful comments from mobile can be, so view the company’s promo video below, highlighting a zucchini chocolate cake.
Play Links: Docs | Sheets | Slides
Mobile Comments Arrive for Google Docs, Slides and Sheets is a post from: Droid Life
T-Mobile prepaid plans have always been a heck of a value, but within the past couple of days, they made them even better. We’re talking about the addition of more data, yet no price hikes to go with them. For a couple of the plans, the added high-speed data is significant.
Their prices are staying the same at $40, $50, and $60 levels, but the data is going up to 3GB, 5GB, and 10GB, respectively. Previously, the $40 plan had 1GB, the $50 plan had 3GB, and the $60 plan had 5GB. So you can see that each is gaining a lot with little else changing. Don’t forget that each also includes unlimited talk and text, plus these plans get access to music unlimited and “Data Maximizer,” which are weird terms for T-Mobile’s Music Freedom and Binge On.
You can checkout the new T-Mobile prepaid plans here.
T-Mobile Prepaid Plans Upgraded With More Data, No Price Hike is a post from: Droid Life
Smartphones can be quite the investment, so of course, folks want to protect them. There are hundreds of different cases for your smartphone on the market, so how is one supposed to choose the right option? Should they choose one that doesn’t make the device too bulky? Is added bulk okay as long as it protects your device from all of the elements of life?
We at DL, as we have probably said many times before, do not use cases on our phones. We want to enjoy the look and feel of our phones, which is usually hidden by any case we would choose. Options such as a Toast cover can take your metal and glass phone and turn it into something you would find on the forest moon of Endor. Others, like TPU cases, can be bulky and simply feel cheap at times. Of course, there are also premium thin cases (like the ones from Spigen), heavy duty protective options, and skins that you can apply directly to your phone for low level protection.
With all of that being said, the question of the day is, do you use a case on your smartphone? And if so, which case are you using and why? Is protecting your device more important that admiring its looks on a daily basis? Or maybe you just like the way a particular case looks?
Share your take on cases below.
Question: Do You Use a Case on Your Phone? What Kind? is a post from: Droid Life
Google made the slightest of tweaks to the Google Play store reviews section this week that will make it easier for you to tell the developer that someone has said something you appreciate about their app, but a little harder for you to tell a developer that a review is nothing but spam.
As you can see in the image above, we now have a little “thumbs up” icon next to a mini action overflow (read: menu) button. As you run through reviews of an app and you see one or two or ten that you find helpful, a little tap on that “thumbs up” button will go a long way, likely in how reviews show in the app’s listing. If you see reviews that you consider to be spam, well, that’s where you will find the flag as “Spam” option tucked inside that little menu.
It’s a small change, but it does away with the thumbs up/down button and makes it easier to share which reviews you find useful.
Google Play Reviews Get “Thumbs Up” Button for Quick Positive Feedback is a post from: Droid Life
Starting today, T-Mobile Simple Choice customers can upgrade their lines, thanks to a buy one, get one half-off promotion. For a limited time, customers can purchase any of the high-end smartphones that T-Mobile sells, then receive half-off of a smartphone of equal or lesser value, from the same manufacturer. For example, if you purchase a Galaxy S6, you get a second Galaxy S6 for 50% off. The same goes for the iPhone, Galaxy Note 5, LG G4, among others.
To pay for these devices, they will be financed through your plan, leaving you with monthly charges to your bill. However, while the first device will be the usual price of around $25, the second device will only cost as low as $12.08 per month. For a Galaxy S6 32GB, that’s a savings of nearly $290 over 24 months for qualified buyers.
Additionally, to take advantage of this promo, no trade-ins are required, and as part of the promotion, families and businesses can get up to six smartphones at half price.
If interested, follow the T-Mo link below.
T-Mobile Hosting BOGO Half-Off Smartphone Event is a post from: Droid Life
With less than a month to go before Samsung unveils the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge at MWC in Barcelona, new details are surfacing almost daily. Take today for example, where the phone under model number SM-G930A showed up at benchmarking site Geekbench with a couple of scores and a handful of specs we were curious about.
As a reminder, SM-G930 has long been referred to as the model number for the Galaxy S7. Once you start attaching letters to the end, that’s when you get specific carry or regional models. In this situation, the “A” stands for AT&T. The Verizon version will be SM-G930V, Sprint will be SM-G930P, and T-Mobile will more than likely be SM-G930T. While we’re on the subject, the Galaxy S7 Edge will fall under SM-G935 generally speaking, with end letters, again, pointing to specific carrier or regional models.
Back to the benchmark – we are seeing the AT&T version that appears to be running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. We know that from this benchmark because the processor is listed as a Qualcomm chipset that is quad-core. We can also see the motherboard listed as “MSM8996.” If you have been following the Snapdragon 820 saga, then you will know that MSM8996 is indeed the part number for the 820 and that this is Qualcomm’s first custom, 64-bit quad-core chip.
We don’t know if all of the US carrier variants will use the Snapdragon 820, but it would be surprising. In the past, we have seen Samsung use Exynos chipsets in international markets, yet use Qualcomm processors here in the US. They didn’t last year, but that’s because they skipped Qualcomm altogether.
As for other info from this benchmark, we are seeing listings for 4GB RAM and Android 6.0.1.
Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy?
AT&T Galaxy S7 Shows Up at Geekbench With Snapdragon 820, 4GB RAM, Android 6.0.1 is a post from: Droid Life
