Sponsors

Friday, January 15, 2016

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: January 15, 2016

With CES behind us, we now look forward to February and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Rumors and reports are already spreading like a wildfire, claiming that LG will go head-to-head against Samsung with the G5, and Samsung will be there showing off three (count ’em 1, 2, 3) Galaxy smartphones for the market.

On top of MWC rumors, we took time to post our complete Moto 360 Sport review, Google announced dates for the 2016 Google I/O conference, we learned that HTC Vive could cost a whopping $1500 at launch, and Sony decided that the US doesn’t need fingerprint readers on Xperia devices.

If you don’t have time for reading all of this news, catch up using our podcast. 

Luke Skywalker is Rey’s father.

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: January 15, 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1lfSM9j
Posted by at No comments:

Poll: Which Android OEM are You Most Excited for in 2016?

2016 is heating up to be a big year for many Android OEMs, and with the apparent success of the Nexus 6P, we have yet another manufacturer being praised by US consumers, that OEM being Huawei. We already know Samsung (Galaxy S7), LG (G5), and HTC (One M10) are cooking up their 2016 flagship devices for launch pretty soon, with Motorola and Huawei possibly to follow along soon after.

With that said, we will be keeping our eye on Motorola, as Lenovo’s true plans were recently misreported, and some thought that the company was doing away with their best-selling smartphone. Thankfully, that’s not the case. HTC is also an OEM to keep track of, as basically, they desperately need a winner in 2016.

So, let us know which Android OEM you are most excited about in 2016, then share your reason why down in the comments.

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

Poll: Which Android OEM are You Most Excited for in 2016? is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1Nc1P1B
Posted by at No comments:

Friday App Sales: Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown II, More

Not planning on watching football this weekend? Don’t feel like building that stupid IKEA coffee table you paid $149 for? Don’t worry, there are apps and games available on Google Play to take up your precious time.

For a limited time, and at a discounted price, you can pick up a few Metal Slug titles for just $0.99 a piece, or grab The Secret of Grisly Manor for $0.99. If a fighter is something you want, you can grab Samurai Shodown II for $0.99, or a few King of Fighters titles at $0.99 a pop.

Check the full list below. 

Friday App Sales

Go support them developers.

Friday App Sales: Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown II, More is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1JP9F6u
Posted by at No comments:

DEAL: 2-Pack of SanDisk 128GB MicroSD Cards for $89

Rumors are pointing towards the Galaxy S7 having a microSD slot, so if you are planning to make it your next phone (even though you know nothing official about it), it’s time to stock up on expandable storage. Today, in a deal running over at eBay, you can pick-up a 2-pack of SanDisk 128GB microSD cards for just $89.99.

These cards, by themselves, used to carry price tags of $100 or more. In recent weeks, we have seen the everyday price come down, with the current individual card price at Amazon hovering right around the $50 mark. Should you take this deal because you plan on loading up a couple of phones with expandable storage, you are saving $10 or so. Oh, free shipping is included. 

eBay Link

DEAL: 2-Pack of SanDisk 128GB MicroSD Cards for $89 is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1J7g5Od
Posted by at No comments:

OK, Then: No Fingerprint Sensors for Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact in the US

Yesterday, Sony announced that its current flagships, the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact, would be coming to the US on February 7. We assumed that these unlocked GSM versions of the phones they released elsewhere months ago were exactly the same as when originally introduced. Boy were we wrong. According to The Verge, who received a clarification later yesterday afternoon from Sony, each phone will be missing fingerprint sensors. 

Why would Sony do that, you ask? They aren’t saying. Our educated guess is that the removal is because the fingerprint sensors aren’t any good. My wife, in fact, has been using the Xperia Z5 Compact for a couple of months now and has stopped using the fingerprint sensor because it misfires more than it unlocks her phone in a timely manner. She’s basically given up on it and instead relies on a pattern or Android’s Smart Lock.

So, come February 7, you can pay $499 (Z5 Compact) or $599 (Z5) for Sony’s current flagships, months later than the rest of the world got them, sans a very important feature.

Via:  The Verge

OK, Then: No Fingerprint Sensors for Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact in the US is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1WeZx94
Posted by at No comments:

Android Pay Rewards “Tap 10” Could Land You a Free Chromecast, Songs on Google Play Music

Google launched a new promo this morning for Android Pay that could land you a bunch of free stuff, including songs on Google Play Music and a Chromecast.

The promo is called “Tap 10” and involves paying for items with Android Pay, hence the “Tap” portion of the name. The idea is pretty simple – the more you tap and pay, the more free stuff you get. If you tap and pay once, you get to pick a free song from Google Play music. At your 2nd tap, you get another. Same thing at your 6th tap. If you continue to tap and pay for the next month and hit the 10 mark, Google will give you a free Chromecast. Yes, a free Chromecast dongle.

The Chromecast will be redeemed via promo code on the Google Store, in case you were wondering.

The promo is open now and runs through February 29, so you have some time to put in that Android Pay work. The rest of the terms and conditions can be found here.

On a side note, we aren’t yet seeing this promo in our Android Pay app. I’d imagine this is a part of the update that is rolling out this week, so if you get it, feel free to open Android Pay and see. If you don’t normally use Android Pay and are now considering it just to receive a free Chromecast, you might want to wait until you see the promo show up in the Android Pay app. According to a reader who sent us the info, the Android Pay Rewards is showing up as a card in your list of cards that when tapped, brings up the UI you can see in the screenshots below with details on the promotion.

Now, get to tapping!

android pay free chromecast android pay free chromecast-3 android pay free chromecast-2

Cheers Jonny D and Jeff!

Android Pay Rewards “Tap 10” Could Land You a Free Chromecast, Songs on Google Play Music is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1ZAZc5Y
Posted by at No comments:

LG Ready to Take on Samsung, Likely to Launch G5 at MWC Against Galaxy S7

According to an LG execute who spoke this morning, the company is ready to take Samsung on head-to-head in 2016. Last year, the LG G4 launch was, “delayed months after release,” of Samsung’s Galaxy S6, in attempt to not be outshone if launched side by side. At this year’s MWC, we will likely see Samsung unveil the Galaxy S7 (and possibly additional variants), right alongside the LG G5. 

There has been no shortage in leaks and rumors for devices from both companies, but if the reports are true, LG may have a true competitor to Samsung’s top shelf Galaxy lineup. The latest reports claim that the LG G5 will feature an all-metal design, Snapdragon 820 processor, and will meld the best qualities of the G4 and V10 together, creating some type of super smartphone. Of course, you know Samsung will also be presenting a good smartphone, with the Galaxy S7 rumored to feature water resistance, microSD slot, a camera with an insane aperture of f/1.7, and Snapdragon 820 processor as well.

Over the past few years, companies have been smart to not stack device launches on top of each other, which can lead to disappointing sales if one is clearly better than the other. However, if LG feels as though they can take Samsung down a peg or two, and eat into the Galaxy S7 sales, this should be an exciting MWC.

The LG press event is already scheduled for the day before MWC in Barcelona (Feb. 21), so mark that calendar.

Via: Korea Times

LG Ready to Take on Samsung, Likely to Launch G5 at MWC Against Galaxy S7 is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1SS8y8g
Posted by at No comments:

Android Developers Can Now Issues Promo Codes for Paid Apps or In-App Purchases

Have you ever wondered why you never saw developers hand out special promo codes for their paid apps through giveaways on Twitter or sites like this one? That’s because up until yesterday, they couldn’t. That has all changed now, though. In a message posted to developer consoles, Google is informing Android developers that they can now hand out promo codes for paid apps or in-app purchases on Google Play. 

At this time, Google seems to be limiting the number that can be used per quarter, so don’t expect a developer to run a 24-hour code that is free for thousands upon thousands of people to use. Instead, Google is limiting the number of promo codes to 500 per quarter.

That number seems to be a pretty hard cap too. Developers get 500 total per quarter, which could be a combination of promo codes for paid apps and in-app codes. For example, a developer could hand out 250 paid app codes and another 250 in-app purchase codes. Or that could be 100 promo codes for five different in-app products and nothing else.

As for you and I, nothing changes on our end except for the fact that we can now redeem promo codes for apps or in-app purchases within Google Play. That’s awesome! To redeem one, you’ll do so from within the seem “Redeem” box you would a Google Play credit code.

Developers can find more details about how to set up promotions and use promo codes through their developer console or at this link.

Android Developers Can Now Issues Promo Codes for Paid Apps or In-App Purchases is a post from: Droid Life



from Droid Life http://ift.tt/1J6ZAli
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Related Articles

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...