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Monday, January 4, 2016

Report: Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge to Feature SD Card Slots, Water Resistance, More

According to a new report out of Venture Beat, this year’s flagships from Samsung, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, should include a couple of features that were missing from the S6 and S6 Edge, features that were always a part of the long-standing draw to the Korean company’s phones. Yes, I’m talking about micro SD slots and water resistance. That’s not all, though, if the sources for this report know their stuff, we may have almost all of the major specs for these two phones.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge should both include micro SD slots with support up to 200GB cards, along with IP67 dust and water resistance. At IP67, we should have fully dustproof devices that are capable of being submerged in water. So, with expandable storage and a little toughness, are you ready for the S7 and S7 Edge?

Before you answer that, let’s talk about the rest of this report. According to VB sources, we should see a flat-front design on the regular S7 with a 5.1-inch display, while the S7 Edge will have the dual-curved design and a slightly larger canvas at 5.5-inches. Previous reports have suggested a similar setup.

In the battery department, we may see huge bumps to 3,000mAh for the regular S7 and 3,600mAh for the S7 Edge. After the incredibly disappointing batteries in last year’s S6 and S6 Edge, this is huge news. While they likely won’t be removable, those should be plenty juiceful for most users. And keep in mind that Fast Charging and Fast Wireless Charge will likely also be on board.

As for processors, Venture Beat sources suggest Samsung will use an in-house Exynos 8 Octa 8890 for some models, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 in certain markets. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if the 820 shows up in the North American units. The phones should also feature 4GB RAM, along with 32GB and 64GB internal storage options.

Finally, the camera is said to be a 12MP sensor this year, which is down in resolution from the 16MP camera used in last year’s phones. That isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, especially if this report is correct in stating that it should feature an f/1.7 lens. Hello, low-light shots.

Excited? This are starting to sound like solid upgrades, even if they do keep similar designs.

Via:  Venture Beat

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Archos Announces Affordable Lineup of Cobalt and Power Devices

Archos announced four new devices this week, two in a “Cobalt” lineup and two in a “Power” lineup. The whole lineup is set to be quite affordable, while still offering decent specifications for everyday usage. Each device will launch with Android 5.1 “Lollipop,” as well as microSD support.

The Archos Cobalt 50 features a 5″ HD display, 1GB of RAM, MT6535P ARM processor, and 8MP rear-facing camera. Even though those specs likely won’t blow you away, the $99 price tag may have a few folks picking it up. Next in the Cobalt line is the Archos 55. It features a 5.5″ HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 13MP rear-facing camera, and 2,700mAh battery. It is priced at $139. Both Cobalt devices are set to launch in April.

The 40 Power features a 4″ WVGA display, SC7731C processor, 512MB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera, and 1,900mAh battery. Priced at just $49, the 40 Power launches in May. Last up is the 50 Power, featuring a MTK6735 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4,000mAh battery, and 4G LTE Connectivity. The 50 Power launches in May, priced at $119.

Check the full spec sheet and press release below.

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ARCHOS Unveils Cobalt and Power Smartphones at CES 2016 

Selection of colorful and extended battery smartphones on display at Westgate Las Vegas Resort, Suite 1910 from January 6th to 9th

Las Vegas – January 4, 2016 – ARCHOS unveils two new smartphone ranges at CES Las Vegas 2016, the colorful Cobalt and long lasting Power.  ARCHOS’ newest selection of smartphones will be on display during CES Las Vegas 2016 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort, Suite 1910 from January 6th to 9th.

“Our Cobalt and Power range of smartphones address two issues in the smartphone industry, the lack of customization and the absence of long-life smartphones,” says Loic Poirer, CEO of ARCHOS.  “Our Cobalt and Power lineup combines smooth performance, superior components and impressive affordability.”

Superior battery life

Equipped with enough battery power to last up to two days under regular usage conditions, ARCHOS’ Power smartphones feature quad-core processors and are available in two sizes, the 4-inch ARCHOS 40 Power and the 5-inch ARCHOS 50 Power.

A pocket mobile powerhouse, the ARCHOS 40 Power is ideal for on-the-go light users with 8 GB of internal storage and 1,900mAh of battery.  The ARCHOS 50 Power is 4G/LTE compatible, has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, and highlights an ultra-large 4,000mAh battery with an IPS HD display and 13MP camera.

The ARCHOS 40 Power and ARCHOS 50 Power will be available in May for $49 and $119 respectively.

ARCHOS’ Cobalt smartphones comes in a variety of colors to add a splash of originality.  The Cobalt lineup comes with IPS HD display, are 4G/LTE compatible, are powered by quad-core processors, and are available in two sizes, the 5-inch ARCHOS 50 Cobalt and the 5.5-inch ARCHOS 55 Plus Cobalt.

The ARCHOS 50 Cobalt comes with 1GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, and an 8MP front camera, while the ARCHOS 55 Plus Cobalt is powered by 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a 13MP camera.

Both Cobalt smartphones comes with an expandable internal MicroSB card storage and will be available in April for $99 and $139 respectively.

For more information about ARCHOS’ entire selection of Connected Devices, Smartphones and Tablets, visit us atwww.archos.com or contact us through Facebook or Twitter.

Archos Announces Affordable Lineup of Cobalt and Power Devices is a post from: Droid Life



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January Android 6.0.1 Security Patch Factory Images Available for Nexus Devices

To kick off CES week, though this isn’t related to CES at all, Google has posted the January security update for its Nexus line-up as factory images of Android 6.0.1. This is still 6.0.1, but there are a variety of build numbers out there depending on the device. 

For the Nexus 6P, 5X, we have MMB29P. The Nexus 6 and Nexus Player have build MMB29T. The Nexus 9 LTE and WiFi, and Nexus 5 have MMB29S. Finally, the Nexus 7 (2013) is MMB29O.

For instructions on how to flash factory images, hit up this post.

If you want the full breakdown on what was patched, check out this post from Google, which is this month’s Nexus security bulletin.

Factory Images | Binaries

January Android 6.0.1 Security Patch Factory Images Available for Nexus Devices is a post from: Droid Life



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Sunday, January 3, 2016

CES 2016 is This Week!

Unless you are a PR professional, media member, work in the tech sector, or are a complete electronics nut, you may not have realized that it not only is 2016, but CES is this week.

What is CES, you ask? Only the biggest waste of a week electronics show in Las Vegas (probably the world) you’ll find on a re-occuring yearly basis during the first couple of weeks of each January. It’s a big deal – or at least was at one point to us in the mobile media. In the big scheme of things (outside of mobile), should you care about washers and dryers and new TVs and tech in automobiles and VR and drones and wearables and a whole bunch of other literal junk, CES still means a lot. In fact, this conference grows every year and brings in more than 170,000 people. 

As I just mentioned, CES typically runs during the second (sometimes first) week of January each year as a way to kick off the year in electronics. Many of the biggest electronics companies in the world arrive upon Las Vegas to show off what they plan to sell at some point during the next 12 months. Samsung, LG, Huawei, Sony, Ford, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Lenovo, and a whole bunch of other companies are all a part of this thing. See, it’s a big deal.

The show runs from Wednesday through Saturday this year, but really kicks off for us on Tuesday, when we (the media) attend official Press Day at CES. It’s basically a day-long showcase from all the big dogs for 45 minutes at a time. We often live blog many of these 45 minute long pressers, then rush off to the next one, wait in line for an hour before getting into the next. It’s hell. I do not wish this day upon anyone.

But after Tuesday, the show floor opens and the 170,000+ people all ascend upon massive multi-million dollar booths from all of the companies I just named, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, to get our hands on the goods. Outside of the big guys, we have the little guys who are trying to make it as well that also want our attention. They buy booth space at CES because they actually could make it out of this conference, assuming their product is legit. Meetings are setup. One-on-ones are avoided. Half-naked “booth babes” are hired to attract the creepers in attendance to off-brand oddity products. And everyone has some form of a zombie-turning virus for your body to feast upon.

Tim and I will be there for the 80th year in a row I think. Actually, it’ll be the 6th. For us, CES just isn’t what it used to be in terms of news because all of the mobile focus has moved on to MWC in Barcelona at the end of February or to stand-alone press conferences. I honestly couldn’t tell you of a phone we expect to see at this show. This will be the least mobile-focused CES ever. At least that’s my prediction.

So, with that in mind, Tim and I will be there cruising around Vegas, looking for a story or two. What I’m trying to say is – don’t get overly excited for CES if you are a mobile or Android enthusiast. That’s not me being a grumpy journo, either. It’s just not a conference for us anymore, unfortunately. There will still be cool stuff all over the place that we may gush about here and there, it just won’t have anything to do with Android.

We’ll be there all week, though! We actually travel tomorrow (Monday) and are in attendance until Friday. If things are a bit slow tomorrow, you now know why. We promise, we’ll do our best to make it up to you.

Wish us luck.

CES 2016 is This Week! is a post from: Droid Life



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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Deal: Score Big Savings on Aukey Charging Accessories With These Coupon Codes

For a limited time, you can grab a supply of Aukey charging accessories through Amazon at a highly discounted price, thanks to a few coupon codes. At the discounted pricing, Aukey has a 5-port USB charger, regularly priced at $30, available for only $19 with the use of the coupon.

Other accessories include a 10,000mAh external battery pack for only $20, and a turbo wall charger for $6.50. As you will find out, each accessory is compatible with Quick Charge 2.0, making them exceptionally valuable if you have a device capable of quick charging. 

For the 5-port charger, use code HR8OMICZ. For the 10,000mAh external battery charger, use code AIF2TWAM. Lastly, for the turbo wall charger, use code V4R8BK3J.

Amazon Links: 5-Port Charger | 10,000mAh Battery | Turbo Wall Charger

Deal: Score Big Savings on Aukey Charging Accessories With These Coupon Codes is a post from: Droid Life



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Square Enix Bringing Final Fantasy IX to Android in 2016

Announced this morning, Square Enix is making Final Fantasy IX available on PC, iOS and Android smartphones. While the official release date for the US is currently unknown, Square Enix claims it is “coming soon” on their website, which is fantastic news for fans of the Final Fantasy franchise.

Much like past releases for modern gamers, Square Enix will likely change and update a few features, claiming, “high-definition graphics, newly added achievements, auto-save, high speed mode, and several game boosting features.”

As soon as we learn the release date or it pops up on Google Play, we will let you know.

For now, watch the trailer below and get pumped.

Via: Square Enix | Kotaku

Square Enix Bringing Final Fantasy IX to Android in 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



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User Receives Test Build Update for Huawei Watch, Brings Speaker Support

It appears that soon, once testing is complete, Huawei will send out an update to owners of the Huawei Watch, bringing with it full audio speaker support. According to one user on reddit, his Huawei Watch, which is apparently enrolled in a special user test group, received an update to Android Wear build 1.4.0, running on Android 6.0.1. Once updated, he confirmed that the device’s speaker is now fully functional, as well as the ability to place and receive phone calls.

This added ability is no shocker, as Google announced support for speakers and phone calls back in mid November. However, the one Android Wear smartwatch that was scheduled to launch which offered these features, the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, was canceled.

The redditor notes that users can choose ringtones for incoming calls, enable text-to-speech (which they found quite annoying), and will continue digging to see if there are any more hidden goodies inside of the update.

We have no idea as to when this update will roll out to all Huawei Watch owners, but if it is in testing already, then we must be close.

Via: reddit

User Receives Test Build Update for Huawei Watch, Brings Speaker Support is a post from: Droid Life



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