APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 02/22/16

Monday, February 22, 2016

Google is Making Another New Android Messaging Client That Should Become the Standard

Ever heard of RCS? It stands for Rich Communications Services and is the future of messaging on mobile. AT&T and T-Mobile are already using RCS for their own messaging services, but Google and a bunch of global carriers announced today that they are going to work together to make a standard RCS client on Android. Yes, that means Google is making another messaging app for Android.

With RCS, you get features like “group chat, high-res photo sharing, read receipts, and more,” which really just means that old school, feature-less SMS text messaging will be put to bed, finally.

Google, along with América Móvil, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Globe Telecom, KPN, Millicom, MTN, Orange, PLAY, Smart Communications, Sprint, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, Telstra, TIM, Turkcell, VimpelCom, Vodafone, the GSMA, have announced an agreement that will make RCS adoption more important today than ever and that they plan to accelerate the availability of it using a universal client.

Google will build the Android RCS client, which will allow for a “consistent and interoperable messaging experience between all Android devices and across all operators worldwide, as well as ease interoperability testing between networks and significantly reduce time to market.”

The announcement didn’t include a specific time frame, but it sounds like it’ll happen sooner than later.

Via: GSMA | The Verge

Vulkan APIs on Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Means Better, Longer Gaming Sessions

Thanks to the inclusion of the Vulkan APIs, which we have discussed previously when it was first announced Google intended to bring them to Android, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will bring a much better gaming experience than any smartphone previously.

To sum it up, Vulkan is a next-generation graphics API. It grants app developers more explicit control over scene rendering, providing direct control over GPU acceleration for maximized performance. Vulkan’s specific role is the handling of 3D graphics, then distributing the workload over among multiple CPUs. With a firm control over the graphics, your CPU intensive games can be played not only better, but for longer.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the first smartphones to offer this currently, but Samsung did not stop there. Pre-installed on the devices is an app called Game Launcher. Instead of opening a game via the app icon as you normally would, open up Game Launcher, choose whether you want to block specific app notifications or enable Game Tools, and then open your game via the selection inside of Game Launcher.

When enabled, Game Launcher brings specific tools to your disposal, such as the ability to record gameplay, lock the Recent and Back keys to keep you from accidentally backing out of the game and losing your place, take screenshots, scores and rankings, and more. Users can also specify power-saving options.

The below video gives a great overview of what Game Launcher does on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

If you don’t plan on picking up a Galaxy S7, don’t worry, Vulkan will likely be making its way to many more smartphones hitting the market this year.

Via: Samsung

Samsung Gear S2 Classic Verizon and AT&T Pre-Order Starts Tomorrow, Priced at $399

Those looking to pick up the Gear S2 Classic from Samsung can pre-order the smartwatch through Verizon or AT&T starting tomorrow, February 23. On Verizon, the Gear S2 Classic can be purchased outright for $399, or on a 2-year agreement for $349.99. Customers can add the watch to their existing Verizon plan for an extra $5 a month.

Through AT&T, pricing on an installment plan is set at $17.50 a month, with no off-contract pricing information currently available.

Both carriers will have the Stainless Steel and Black Leather option available to customers, and there is no word on whether either carrier intends to offer the Rose Gold model.

When tomorrow comes, will you be picking one up?

Via: Verizon | AT&T

Video: Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5

After taking quick looks at both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, we had some time today to throw down the 2-year old Galaxy S5 and 1-year old Galaxy S6 next to the new S7 to see what has changed. We didn’t go incredibly in depth, but this should give you an idea as to how far we have come in just two short years.

For the most part, Samsung is saying that the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the combination of years worth of experience building phones and listening to customers. With these new phones, they are putting it all together, which means not only beautiful design, but features upon features upon features.

With the S5, Samsung had SD card storage and water resistance in a phone that wasn’t ever going to win a design award. With the S6, we didn’t see the SD card slot or water resistance, but we got what was arguably the best looking phone from any manufacturer in some time. Now with the S7, we have all of those put together into the ultimate premium smartphone.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE

Hey Look, the Galaxy S7 Edge Sitting in a Watery Fountain

What’s that, you wanted water resistance in the next Galaxy? Samsung has given it to you at an IP68 rating for both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

At IP68, the phones are dust tight and can be fully immersed in water for a short amount of time. That means you can drop them in a shallow pool, bath tub, or toilet, and even wash them off under a faucet if they were to get filthy. That’s certainly a big change from last year’s S6 line-up to this year’s S7 line-up.

To show all of that off, we tossed an S7 Edge into a fountain during a hands-on meeting today with Samsung…just because. Well, because phones working in a puddle of water look neat.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge First Look and Tour

The Galaxy S7 Edge is now official from Samsung, and we have a first look and tour video for you to watch. At a separate press event in San Francisco, a Samsung rep gave us an overview of all of the new features and functionality of the device, then let us have our way with the device for an hour. Our first impressions are what you might have guessed — this phone is awesome.

Featuring a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED QHD display and rear-facing 12MP Dual Pixel camera, as well as added features like IP68 water resistance and microSD support, Samsung claims that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are the “ultimate” Galaxy devices. Additional specs can be read on this post.

The phone runs Android 6.0.1 at launch with a recolored version of TouchWiz on top. When swiping through the device, snapping photos and playing with different apps, the performance from the Snapdragon 820 processor seems stellar. Our hope is that performance stays this way. Another concern from last year’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is battery life. The Galaxy S7 Edge features a 3,600 mAh battery, larger than the Galaxy S6 Edge’s 2,600 mAh, so that issue is likely addressed.

Watch the first look video below, then share your thoughts in the comments.

Note: Check out our Galaxy S7 first look here.

Samsung Galaxy S7 First Look and Tour!

Yesterday, we sat back and watched as Samsung unveiled its new flagships, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. We wrote up the specs, shared official intro videos, and told you when and where you can buy each. Today, we spent some time with each and boy, do we have some videos to share.

Up first, we have a first look and tour of the regular Galaxy S7. As you know, this is the smaller of the two devices that only differs in its display size/edging (5.1-inch vs. 5.5-inch) and battery capacity (3000mAh vs. 3600mAh). Otherwise, you still get the Quad HD Super AMOLED display, 4GB RAM, 12MP Dual Pixel camera, IP68 water resistance, microSD card slot, and Android 6.0.1.

I’ll just say this about this phone – if you were a fan of the Galaxy S6, you are going to love every ounce of this phone. It feels better in hand, thanks to its backside rounding, but should also give you piece of mind about things like battery life, storage, and if you were to drop it in a toilet. Samsung basically took everything that was missing from the S6 and tossed it into the S7. This might not look like a major upgrade, but once you start talking about the changes, you realize that it is.

In the video below, I was able to take the black model for a spin. I think you’ll be pleased to know that it is indeed a pure black, not a faux black that was actually dark blue, like last year’s model. It really is a stunner.

I can’t wait for review units.

Marshmallow Update Rolling Out to NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV

As teased during CES in January, NVIDIA is rolling out Marshmallow to owners of the SHIELD Android TV starting today. Inside, Marshmallow includes the ability to turn an SD card into encrypted internal storage for additional apps and games on the set-top box, as well as enhanced Home screen customization options.

While Marshmallow itself brings many changes, NVIDIA worked in quite the changelog from their end. Once updated, users will have the added benefit of the Vulkan API for high-efficiency access to SHIELD’s graphics hardware, improved color support for YUV 4:2:0 video playback, an option to set 1080p 60Hz resolution on Ultra HDTVs, and you can now access the power menu on the Home screen by holding the Back button.

For those purchasing a SHIELD after this update rolls out to all units, setting up your box will be insanely simple. Instead of typing in account info and passwords on SHIELD, all you need to say is, “Ok Google, set up my device,” from your smartphone. At that time, your account info will automatically be beamed directly to your new Android TV. Fancy, right?

The update is rolling out right now, so when you get home after work tonight, grab it.

Via: NVIDIA

Poll: Buying the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or LG G5?

In the market for a new smartphone in 2016? If so, you might be facing a relatively tough decision, as both Samsung and LG announced quite the lineup of devices at MWC this year. From LG, the G5 is the company’s first dive into an all-metal unibody design, featuring an always-on 5.3″ QHD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, USB Type-C, modular design, and expandable storage with support up to 2TB.

On the Samsung side, the Galaxy S7 features a 5.1″ Super AMOLED QHD display with an always-on feature, also powered by the Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. Samsung added in expandable storage with support up to 200GB, enhanced its rear-facing camera sensor with an aperture of f/1.7, plopped in a larger 3,000 mAh battery, and even added in IP68 water and dust resistance. The Galaxy S7 Edge received all of the same upgrades, but now features a 5.5″ QHD display.

Like I said, your smartphone purchase decision may not be too easy this year.

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

SanDisk Intros 3x Faster UHS-II MicroSD Cards, USB Type-C Flash Drive

This morning, SanDisk, maker of all things flash storage, announced a couple of new products that should outfit your next flagship smartphone quite nicely. For one, they are introducing a new Extreme Pro microSD card with 128GB and 64GB options that can produce transfer speeds at up to 3X current cards. On the other hand, they are also introducing a USB Type-C ready flash drive at 128GB.

With the new Extreme Pro UHS-II microSD cards, SanDisk says it can deliver transfer speeds of up to 275MB/s. Most UHS-I cards currently do 90MB/s for comparison’s sake. So yeah, that’s pretty fast.

SanDisk will release the new Extreme Pro in Q2 of this year with pricing at $179.99 (64GB) and $299 (128GB).

If your phone doesn’t have a microSD slot (Nexus owners!), but you have a modern phone with a USB Type-C port and would like to expand its storage, this new flash drive from SanDisk is for you.

It features USB 3.1 performance of up to 150MB/s and a retractable tip.

The new USB Type-C flash drive will come in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB flavors, with prices of $19.99, $29.99, $49.99 and $79.99, respectively. It’s actually available now at Amazon if you are interested.

Via: SanDisk [2]

Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 for Android Features In-App Camera That Shoots DNG

Lightroom 2.0 for Android is now available for download on Google Play. Inside, Adobe has implemented an in-app camera with the ability to capture images in DNG raw format, usable only if your smartphone is capable of shooting in raw. If it is, then users can easily edit photos once snapped inside of the app, as well as choose from existing presets created by the Lightroom team.

Additionally, new tools have been added, such as a Dehaze tool that adjusts the level of haze and fog in images, plus an enhancement to Split Toning. To provide a more complete control over the tonality and contrast inside of an image, a Point mode for the Curve tool has also been added.

The changelog is quite lengthy, so give it a quick look below, then follow the Google Play link to grab the update.

What’s New

An in-app camera, supporting the capture of images in DNG raw format
Shoot-through presets, also available within the in-app camera, enabling previewing and capturing images with a series of built-in presets providing non-destructive editing
Dehaze tool to adjust haze and fog in an image
Split Toning enhancement, enabling the addition of a color cast to the highlights and shadows of an image, creating a uniquely stylized color image or replicating the look and feel of a traditional toned black and white image
Target Adjustment Tool functionality in the Color/B&W editing tool, providing direct, on-image editing controls
Point mode in Curve tool providing complete control over the tonality and contrast of an image
Enhanced sharing with one-tap access to Adobe Premiere Clip for crafting video stories.

Play Link

Via: Adobe

Verizon 5G Field Testing has Begun

To kick off the week of MWC, Verizon announced this morning that they have begun pretty serious field tests for 5G, the next evolution in wireless connectivity. With 5G, as we have mentioned in the past, the goal is to push wireless connections that can handle multiple gigabits per second speeds and insanely low single-millisecond latency. Verizon also hopes that 5G will be able to handle “exponentially more connected devices” at a time.

As of today, Verizon has been working with partners like Ericsson, Intel, Nokia, Samsung Electronics America, and Qualcomm on early field tests. They are using Verizon’s network backbone to test in both outdoor and indoor environments, which includes both residential and commercial buildings.

In the video above, you’ll see some of those environments and how these partners are testing. From home internet connections with multiple 4K videos streaming on multiple TVs, to mobile internet at gigabit speeds, to business offices carrying strong signals while processing heavy loads, 5G sure looks fun.

So when will we move beyond just field testing? It’s going to be a while, but Verizon did say they hope to start implementing 5G technologies in 2017.

APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps

Sponsors

Monday, February 22, 2016

Google is Making Another New Android Messaging Client That Should Become the Standard

Via: GSMA | The Verge

Related Stories

Vulkan APIs on Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Means Better, Longer Gaming Sessions

Via: Samsung

Related Stories

Samsung Gear S2 Classic Verizon and AT&T Pre-Order Starts Tomorrow, Priced at $399

Via: Verizon | AT&T

Related Stories

Video: Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE

Related Stories

Hey Look, the Galaxy S7 Edge Sitting in a Watery Fountain

Related Stories

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge First Look and Tour

Related Stories

Samsung Galaxy S7 First Look and Tour!

Related Stories

Marshmallow Update Rolling Out to NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV

Via: NVIDIA

Related Stories

Poll: Buying the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or LG G5?

Related Stories

SanDisk Intros 3x Faster UHS-II MicroSD Cards, USB Type-C Flash Drive

Via: SanDisk [2]

Related Stories

Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 for Android Features In-App Camera That Shoots DNG

Via: Adobe

Related Stories

Verizon 5G Field Testing has Begun

Via: Verizon

Related Stories

Related Articles

Samsung Galaxy S4 Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials

Topic Panda