APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 05/23/16

Monday, May 23, 2016

Twitter is Testing an Automatic Night Mode UI

Apparently in the very early stages of testing, Twitter is working to bring an automatic Night Mode to the official Android application. Available only to a select number of alpha testers, the app’s UI will automatically change to a darker appearance, which should be easier on the eyes at night time. As it is right now, the standard white UI is the only option available to users of the Twitter app. Once available for all, the UI should consist primarily of a dark blue background with white text.

Not only is Twitter testing a Night Mode, but different button placements, too. According to testers and reported by 9to5 Google, Twitter is also experimenting with hamburger slide-out menus, overflow buttons, as well as floating action buttons (FAB) for the composing of new tweets.

As previously mentioned, this testing is happening among a small group of people. Anyone hoping to take part will need the alpha version of Twitter. Sign-ups for that are available here, however, acceptance rate is very low. Beta sign-ups are also available here, with acceptance rate sitting at 100%.

Night Mode all the things.

Via: 9to5 Google | +Taylor Wimberly

AT&T GoPhone Prepaid Plans are Getting Another Data Increase Without a Price Hike

AT&T is about to increase the data buckets on its GoPhone plans later this week, according to sources of ours. This move comes on the heels of a data increase back in January, but also helps bring the plans in line with Verizon, who seems to be taking prepaid quite seriously these days.

Starting May 25, the $45 plan will jump from 2GB of data per month to 3GB per month, and the $60 plan will rise from 5GB per month to 6GB per month. No price increase will accompany these changes, plus the $5 autopay or “auto refill” credit will still be available on the $60 plan.

Talk about a solid value here from AT&T. Think about the fact that we first started talking about GoPhone back in 2013, just as it was getting access to LTE with only 1GB of high-speed data. Since that time, AT&T has lowered the price to $60, tossed in a $5 credit for autopay, and managed to raise the data limit all the way up to 6GB of high-speed data per month. Oh, and if you don’t use that 6GB, AT&T will roll that data over to the next month for use within the next billing cycle.

We’ve reached out to AT&T for confirmation and will update this post.

The Droid Life Show: Episode 110 – Damn, Google I/O

Since we ran out of time last week, thanks to travel schedules and all that, it’s time to recap Google I/O 2016 on the DL Show. After a weekend off, we’ve had time to fully digest all that Google announced, which should mean more well-rounded thoughts, or something, right? Hah, don’t give us that much credit.

On this episode, we will indeed be diving into the biggest announcements from the event, though. That means Google Home, Assistant, Daydream, Allo, Android Wear 2.0, N, and all of the ATAP madness will get some air time. We’ll try not to make this a 3-hour episode, but you just never know.

Join us at 1:00PM Pacific (4:00PM 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 | Google Play | iTunes | Stitcher | Show Page

Droid Life Q&A Sessions: Volume 40

Google I/O is now past us, but the excitement of what’s to come still lingers. As you will have noticed, Google didn’t actually release anything last week, but announced a ton of potentially sweet products that will hit the market in the summer and fall seasons. There is an upgraded Google app experience (Google Assistant), Google Home, plenty of Android N stuff to be excited about, plus the Allo and Duo apps.

With I/O done, we now have other things to look forward to, such as Moto’s (Lenovo) upcoming flagship for 2016, the Galaxy Note 6 from Samsung, as well as the OnePlus 3. There’s a whole lot to discuss!

The Q&A Sessions are your opportunity to ask the DL staff whatever you might like pertaining to Android, or anything else that might on your mind? Want to know if we ever plan on using Allo? Will Google Home immediately replace our Amazon Echo tubes? Have we completely surrendered to the hype of virtual reality? There’s a lot to be asked.

This Friday, we will go through your questions and do our best to answer as many as we can.

To see all of our previous Q&A’s, check them out here.

Video: Android Wear 2.0 First Look and Tour!

During Google I/O last week, Google showed off Android Wear 2.0, the biggest update the platform has ever seen. They told us to expect it later this year on consumer devices, but did push out a developer preview to the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane LTE for those interested in getting their apps ready ahead of time. It’s also available for those of us who live on the bleeding, buggy edge of all things Android. Yep, that means we flashed 2.0 to a Huawei Watch to take it for a spin.

In this build, in case you missed last week’s coverage, we get new ways to navigate Android Wear including an emphasis on using the physical button on the side of a watch as a back button instead of the swipe we are all used to. Swipes from the home screen also work differently and now launch you into the watch face chooser when done from side-to-side. The UI for notifications is no longer a card style and is instead a more fluid Material Design layout with full-screen pages. There are new ways to interact, like with a keyboard, as well.

Have a look!

And Then Motorola Registered a Trademark for Moto Z

Last week, just as Google I/O was kicking off, a report surfaced suggesting that Motorola was moving on from the Moto X line of phones and instead introducing a new Moto Z line. Only adding to that idea, Motorola appears to have filed for a trademark on the day that report arrived for the name “MOTO Z.”

You can see a screenshot of the registration below, along with the owner being “Motorola Trademark Holdings.” No other details are included, other than a note about this being a trademark for “Mobile phones, smartphones and accessories therefor, namely battery chargers and adapters.”

While this doesn’t confirm a Moto Z, it certainly helps that story. Also, keep in mind that trademark filings in the past have led us to all sorts of product names ahead of time.

Via: USPTO

Cheers Justin!

Pebble is Teasing Something, Announcement Set for Tomorrow at 7AM Pacific

Pebble has a fancy countdown happening on its website, stating that we are all “in for a treat.” The countdown will end tomorrow morning (5/24) at 7am Pacific (10am Eastern). Below the countdown, folks can register to be notified of what’s happening once it takes place. Given this is Pebble, we expect the company to be announcing some sort of new smartwatch device or maybe a fitness wearable, but this is really the first we are hearing about it.

The last smartwatch Pebble released was the Pebble Round, which was announced last year in September. The Round was then made available for purchase in November. We have not heard much from the Pebble camp since then, so a new device for 2016 is very possible.

Our only hope is that a new Pebble watch doesn’t have so much bezel.

Do you have any thoughts on what is going to happen? Do you care?

AT&T to Offer Only Two Next Payment Plans, Instead of Four, Starting June 9

Beginning June 9, consumers and businesses with AT&T can lower their monthly payments, thanks to changes the carrier is making on its Next program. Once June 9 rolls around, AT&T will only offer two different Next plans, down from the current offering of four plans. These two plans are the straightforward AT&T Next plan and the AT&T Next Every Year plan.

The way both plans work is relatively simple. On AT&T Next, customers can upgrade their smartphone every 2-year cycle, based on a 30-month financing program. On a 30-month program, instead of 24-month, your device payments will become cheaper, which AT&T (and probably consumers) sees as a good thing. For AT&T Next Every Year, customers can upgrade their smartphone every year, with a 24-month financing program. While your payments will be slightly higher each month (due to the shorter financing program), the idea that you can upgrade each year when a sweet new phone is released seems like a good benefit for the added price.

Additionally, AT&T is introducing two new ways for customers to lower their monthly bills. There is a device trade-in program, as well as a down payment option. For trade-ins, AT&T will accept your current smartphone and apply its redemption value towards the price of your new phone. Once done, you will be paying for the remainder of the price, not the complete retail price. As for a down payment, it simply means you can put any money down at the time of purchase towards your total price owed, which would lead to lower monthly payments.

Again, these changes take effect on June 9, 2016.

Via: AT&T

DEAL: Jaybird X2 Drops to $99 at Amazon ($80 Off), Probably Because the Freedom Just Launched

The Jaybird X2 sport headphones are some of our favorites around these parts. Not only do they sound great for a Bluetooth pair of headphones, but they look snazzy, fit well, and last for a week’s worth of workouts. They are, at least for me personally, my go-to headphones for workouts and have been since the day they launched.

With that in mind, and if you are in the market for a new pair of top-tier Bluetooth headphones, you may want to cruise over to Amazon today. As of right now, the Jaybird X2 in white has been discounted by $80 to $99. There are others that are $70, $60, and $50 off as well.

My guess is that they are being discounted because Jaybird just launched their new Freedom headphones this morning. While the Freedom look promising and should be a solid option, at $99, the X2 are just too good of a deal to pass on.

Amazon Link

Cheers Bobby!

OnePlus 3 Launch Will Take Place in VR, Grab Your Free Headset Now!

OnePlus is gearing up to announce their new phone, the OnePlus 3. In doing so, they are once again going to stream the launch event in VR, just as they did last year, only this time they are “upping the ante.” Instead of handing out free Cardboard units to bring you all the VR experience, they are going all out with Gear VR-like headsets made in partnership with AntVR.

They are calling this the Loop VR Headset, because it will help them host a launch event that OnePlus says takes place in the future, at their space headquarters called “The Loop.” As you can see from the image above, this is a full-blown plastic headset that straps to your head while holding your phone.

At this time, we do not know when the OnePlus 3 will be unveiled, but if OnePlus is announcing this new VR launch today, it could be very soon. Last year, they announced the VR launch in late June and then announced the phone in late July. Are we a month away from the OnePlus 3?

As for the VR headsets, OnePlus is once again giving 30,000 of them away. You are reading that correctly. OnePlus said they are “upping the ante” and certainly seems to be doing that by giving away these new Loop VR Headsets that most definitely cost more than cardboard to assemble. If you want one, they are handing them out this very minute.

Grab your free headset here.

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Monday, May 23, 2016

Twitter is Testing an Automatic Night Mode UI

Via: 9to5 Google | +Taylor Wimberly

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And Then Motorola Registered a Trademark for Moto Z

Via: USPTO

Cheers Justin!

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Pebble is Teasing Something, Announcement Set for Tomorrow at 7AM Pacific

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AT&T to Offer Only Two Next Payment Plans, Instead of Four, Starting June 9

Via: AT&T

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DEAL: Jaybird X2 Drops to $99 at Amazon ($80 Off), Probably Because the Freedom Just Launched

Cheers Bobby!

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Via: OnePlus

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