APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 04/01/16

Friday, April 1, 2016

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: April 1, 2016

Now that the LG G5 is available for purchase, we are finding ourselves in this sort of in-between time for smartphone launches and news. That doesn’t mean things have slowed, of course, only that we get to breathe a bit between now and the launch of the HTC 10 and the kickoff of Google I/O, both of which are only a short few weeks away.

Over the last week, we unboxed the G5, saw the death of the Google Wallet Card, learned even more about the HTC 10, and confirmed with Verizon that more fees are on the way. We also just wrapped up episode 105 of the DL Show.

Be sure to catch up!

Don’t be fooled.

Deal: ExoMount Touch Air Vent Car Mount for $17, Free Shipping

Thanks to the ExoMount Air Vent on sale in the DL Deals Store, you won’t need to store your precious smartphone in your car’s cup holder anymore. Priced at only $17, down from its usual price of $25, this car mount makes setting up your device extremely simple with only one touch needed to get the job done.

And thanks to 360˚ rotation and swivel, the mount should allow for nearly any viewing angle, no matter the model of vehicle. Inside the mount, non-slip rubber grips will ensure your phone does not go flying whenever you have to hit the brakes, too. The mount is also good for the office. If you attach a thick credit card, you can use the mount on your desk, making it a 2-for-1 accessory.

If this car mount is of interest to you, grab it by following the link down below.

Features

Mount your phone to your air vent w/ just 1 touch
View your phone in any orientation w/ 360˚ rotation & swivel
Keep your phone stable w/ non-slip rubber grip
Use w/ smartphones, MP3 players & more
Pop in a thick card to use it as a phone stand on your desk

Deal Link

Verizon is Raising Unlimited Data Prices by $20 on May 15 for Some

On November 15 of last year, Verizon raised unlimited data plan pricing by $20, from $29.99 to $49.99. According to sources of ours, that was only “phase 1” of Big Red’s plan to price unlimited data users out of their plans and features and into a tiered option. We still have two more phases to go, with the next starting next month.

“Phase 2” will kick off on May 15 as a similar $20 increase to what we saw in November for lines that are out of contract that weren’t affected by the initial November 15 price increase. The specific details are that Verizon is “increasing the price of other data features with unlimited allowances $20 per month for lines that are out of contract.” Think unlimited hotspot or an older legacy plan that weren’t hit the first time around.

Keep in mind that this isn’t an additional $20 on top of the $20 you saw for your data plan in November; at least that is our understanding. In other words, your unlimited data plan isn’t going up $40 since November, just that initial $20.

Why the change? Because there is an increased demand for data these days, largely driven by video streaming and application use, according to Verizon. Verizon does think that the price is still a great value, even at a $20 increase from what many of you have been paying for years.

Verizon will begin telling customers the news on their next billing cycle beginning April 1 (today). But again, the price increase won’t go into effect until May 15, or on your next billing cycle following that date.

Also, a “phase 3” is in the works, so expect another change of some sort in the future.

We are also aware that today is April Fools’ Day. This is not an April Fools’ prank, as Verizon has notified their employees of the change and told them to brace for “objections from customers.”

We reached out to Verizon for comment and clarification and they said, “This fee isn’t new – we announced it in November. As you may imagine, it takes time to apply it to all accounts currently on unlimited data plans.”

The Droid Life: Episode 105 – LG G5 Day!

On this return episode of the Droid Life Show, we’ll recap the latest on the LG G5, since we have had one in house for a couple of weeks now and it is also in stores. After that, we will share our mostly-final thoughts on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, now that our reviews have been posted. Finally, we’ll wrap up with any other hot Android topics from the past couple of weeks.

Join us at 1:30PM Pacific (4:30PM Eastern) for the fun.

If you miss us live, feel free to subscribe to us by following one of the links below. We have a video embed as well and will be chatting it up over at the YouTube page for the show. You can find it here.

Subscribe | iTunes | Stitcher | Show Page

Saygus V2 was Supposed to Have Shipped by Yesterday…

Guys, I have failed you. I had already forgotten about the Saygus V2 and the fact that it was supposed to ship by March 31, at the latest, and missed out on the latest round of excuses and random circuit board chatter that came across Twitter yesterday from the company. Thankfully, Android Police saw one of our favorite crowdfunded disasters continue to unfold at the last minute and has reminded us to get back to talking about it with an update!

First things first, though, and that’s that we told you this thing would never ship by the end of Q1. Saygus even said in January that Q1 was what they “think” is accurate, which isn’t exactly a fist-pounding-the-desk definitive answer. These guys have no idea what they are doing, still, a year and a half later.

So here’s the news! In a series of tweets yesterday, Saygus has informed us that they have completed work on circuit boards (not the phone, just circuit boards), did something with an SMT (whatever the f*ck that is), have not finished final software testing or sent anything to the FCC for certification or approval, and will be providing weekly updates going forward (don’t bet on that either).

They did manage to party it up at MWC, though, so that’s good. It wouldn’t be Saygus if they weren’t wasting time at trade shows, showing off a phone that was supposed to ship a year ago, and partying.

Oh, we got these photos too!

Oooooooh…

Ahhhhh…

Mmmhmmmm…

Chocolate…

In probably the most telling tweet of all, Saygus apologized for the delays, because they “didn’t anticipate any.” Think about that statement for a second. This is a company who was supposed to ship a phone last March, delayed it, changed shipping dates to May before delaying again, and then disappeared for six months because of delay after delay after delay, until showing up at CES to tell people about their delays, only to again announce yesterday, that they are delayed. But Saygus has the balls to say they “didn’t anticipate any” delays. They invented the f*cking word!

I give up.

Remember what we said, backing a crowdfunded smartphone is a terrible idea.

LG G5 Now Available at Your Favorite US Carriers

It’s LG G5 day! I know that doesn’t ring as loudly as it did on Galaxy S7 day, but the G5 is still a big phone, a big deal, and worth your consideration now that it is available for purchase and in stores. We’ve unboxed one, done a non-unboxing and tour, compared it to the S7, and given you our seven favorite features. We have actually talked a lot about it leading up until today.

So if you have seen enough and are ready to purchase the G5 before our review is up (which should arrive next week), you will find all of the links below to your US carrier of choice.

Carrier Links:

AT&T LG G5 (silver, titan, gold, or pink) – starting at $22.97/month or $688.99 at full retail
Verizon LG G5 (silver or titan) – starting at $26.00/month or $624.00 at full retail
T-Mobile LG G5 (silver or gold) – starting at $26.25/month or $629.99 at full retail
Sprint LG G5 (silver, titan, gold, or pink) – starting at $24.00/month or $576.00 at full retail
US Cellular LG G5 (silver, titan, gold, or pink) – starting at $26.50/month or $584.99 at full retail

Promos:

All of the carriers are offering some form of a freebie when you buy the LG G5, with specific carriers doubling down with extra goodies. Each carrier is at the very least, participating in LG’s free battery and battery charging cradle promotion. AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular are only doing that promo. T-Mobile, on the other hand, is also giving away a free LG 360 CAMERA. Verizon, if you pre-ordered, is doing the same, but only if you pre-ordered.

You can redeem promo offers here.

LG Publishes Silly Jason Statham Commercial for G5

The latest commercial from LG will leave you completely exhausted of Jason Statham, as the action flick actor appears roughly 1,000 times in the TV spot for the now-available G5. There is old lady Statham, little baby Statham, stuntman Statham, waiter Statham, bank robber Statham, and oh so many more.

During the commercial, we see the G5’s modular design going to good use, and even the G5’s “friends” tag along for the ride. There are cameos from the 360 VR headset, as well as the wannabe BB-8 LG Rolling Ball pet toy.

Watch it, enjoy it, and remember that Statham will likely kill you with his pinky finger if you speak ill of it.

Did you pick up your LG G5 today?

APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps

Sponsors

Friday, April 1, 2016

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: April 1, 2016

Related Stories

Deal: ExoMount Touch Air Vent Car Mount for $17, Free Shipping

Related Stories

Verizon is Raising Unlimited Data Prices by $20 on May 15 for Some

Related Stories

The Droid Life: Episode 105 – LG G5 Day!

Related Stories

Saygus V2 was Supposed to Have Shipped by Yesterday…

Related Stories

LG G5 Now Available at Your Favorite US Carriers

Related Stories

LG Publishes Silly Jason Statham Commercial for G5

Related Stories

Related Articles

Samsung Galaxy S4 Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials

Topic Panda