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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Galaxy S7 System Uses Up 8GB Out of the Box, but You can Move Apps to SD

Remember that big stink that was made about Samsung not allowing for Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s Adoptable Storage feature? Well, this is right here is why people threw a bit of a fit. Out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy S7 uses up 8GB of the phone’s 32GB for system apps and TouchWiz and whatever else Samsung has pre-loaded. That’s a quarter of all of your internal storage, to put it another way. That’s…not good. 

As you can see from the image above, before I even completed setup on my Galaxy S7 (we unboxed it here!), I was down to around half of my 32GB storage available. In actuality, the image shows that I’ve used under 16GB total, but I’m still installing apps and have already jumped past the halfway mark and now have around 15GB left to use. If I were a typical smartphone owner who keeps a phone for two years, 15GB isn’t leaving me much space to install apps to.

People were complaining about the lack of adoptable storage, because they assumed that heavy app-installers would quickly run out of space to install more apps. If you look at my situation, that could easily happen. However, after digging around in the storage settings of the Galaxy S7, I noticed that Samsung is still allowing you to move apps to SD cards, just like they have done in the past. Take a look.

galaxy s7 apps to sd galaxy s7 apps to sd-2 galaxy s7 apps to sd-3

I ran through this process with a number of apps that I installed through Google Play that weren’t system apps. From games to airline apps to Google Analytics – they all let me move them to my 200GB SD. If I ripped the SD card out, it took away all of those apps and said they were tied to the SD card. That’s somewhat surprising, since the Moto X Pure Edition doesn’t allow you to do that. See for yourself here.

galaxy s7 apps to sd-2 galaxy s7 apps to sd

So, Samsung may be using up 8GB of space for system apps and services, but they are still letting you move apps to an SD card to free up space on the internal partition. That’s a good sign, especially since you can put in up to 200GB SD cards in the S7 or S7 Edge. And now might be a good time to buy this 200GB SanDisk microSD from Amazon.

Feeling better about the storage situation?

Galaxy S7 System Uses Up 8GB Out of the Box, but You can Move Apps to SD is a post from: Droid Life



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Samsung Galaxy S7 Unboxing!

To kick off what we are expecting to be one heck of a 2016 smartphone season, we have the Samsung Galaxy S7 in house and in-hand, ready for us to attack it. We’ll be doing everything we can to this device to hopefully help all of us (yes, we’re always on the hunt for our next smartphone too) decide if this, its edge-filled brother, the LG G5, or something else, will be our next smartphone. 

As a quick recap, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge arrive officially on March 11, but you can pre-order them today from all of the major carriers. If you do choose to pre-order, there is a good chance that your phone will arrive well before March 11. Just ask some of our readers.

For the next several weeks, we’ll dive into the phone’s specs, software, performance, battery life, how it compares to the other flagships available today, and again, help you decide if it should be your next phone. If you want a recap of the specs, you’ll find that here. If you want to see our initial impressions of the phone during the launch party, you can see those here.

Alright, are you ready to get into this? This is our Galaxy S7 unboxing.

galaxy s7 unboxing

galaxy s7 unboxing

galaxy s7 unboxing galaxy s7 unboxing

galaxy s7 unboxing

galaxy s7 unboxing

Samsung Galaxy S7 Unboxing! is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto G (2nd Gen) Getting Marshmallow Update Right Now in US

The last time we spoke specifically about the Moto G (2nd Gen), it was when Motorola announced back in October that a Marshmallow update would eventually be made available for the device. Now, in March of 2016, the time has come for owners of the Moto G (2nd Gen) in the US to install the update. 

In the changelog listed on Motorola’s website, the company details the many changes that users should expect to see. These changes include App Standby, comprehensive App Permissions, Adoptable Storage via microSD cards, enhanced notification settings, Google’s Now on Tap, edited volume controls, and more.

In addition to changes for the Android OS in general, Moto is also baking in changes and even removing services on their end. This includes enhancements for Moto Assist, the removal of Motorola Migrate, as well as the removal of Motorola Alert. If you wish to continue using Motorola Alert after the update is applied, you can download it from Google Play.

The update is rolling out now, so be on the lookout for a notification to install it.

Via: Motorola
Cheers John, Joshua, and everyone else!

Moto G (2nd Gen) Getting Marshmallow Update Right Now in US is a post from: Droid Life



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DEALS: Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge for $399, LG Watch Urbane for $179

Since I appear to have been moments late on sharing that Jaybird Bluebuds X deal from earlier, here are three other solid deals worth considering today. You can grab last year’s Galaxy S6 (SM-G920F) or Galaxy S6 Edge (SM-G925V) with 32GB storage for as little as $399, or the LG Watch Urbane for just $179, all from eBay.

The Galaxy S6 that’s on sale is an international unlocked GSM unit, so it will work without a hiccup on T-Mobile or AT&T. The S6 Edge is Verizon’s version, so you should stick with using it on Verizon’s network if you care about an LTE connection. Otherwise, you could get some connectivity on AT&T without LTE. The Watch Urbane is the Watch Urbane, an LG watch that is mostly ugly, but should perform well still and would be a good first Android Wear device at this price (here is our review).

All three deals include free shipping. 

eBay Links:

DEALS: Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge for $399, LG Watch Urbane for $179 is a post from: Droid Life



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Marshmallow Update Hitting Huawei Watch Today

After a bit of waiting on the part of owners, Huawei is shipping out the Android Wear 1.4 update, labeled as MEC23L (Marshmallow), to the Huawei Watch. This update will bring speaker functionality, as well as the ability to place and receive phone calls while the device is synced to your smartphone via Bluetooth. 

Additional features inside of the update are new wrist gestures, plus added support for additional messaging applications when using your voice to dictate messages. All of the info you need on what to expect can be read here.

This update has been in testing since late December, but as we creep into March, no doubt many owners have been eager for their devices to receive it. According to Huawei’s community forum, the update is set to begin rolling out via OTA today, so if you own this smartwatch, be on the lookout for the update later today, or sometime this week.

Let us know if you receive it, and in the meantime, check out our hands-on with the Marshmallow update below.

Via: Huawei

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Marshmallow Update Hitting Huawei Watch Today is a post from: Droid Life



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DEAL: Jaybird Original Bluebuds X Just $72 at Amazon Today (Updated: Gone)

Jaybird’s Bluebuds X, arguably one of the most popular sets of sport Bluetooth headphones of all time, are currently available on Amazon through a lightning deal for just $72. These headphones originally retailed for around $170, but have dropped a lot in price in recent years as new models have been introduced.

This is the original pair of X headphones from Jaybird that have since been replaced by the X2 and soon-to-be-released X3. They still offer pretty incredible sound quality for sport Bluetooth buds, 8 hours of play time, controls over your phone, and a bunch of adjustable pieces to help you get the best fit.

As a long-time user of Jaybird X products, I’d highly recommend considering this deal if you are in the market for some of the best Bluetooth headphones money can buy at a reasonably low price, even if these are the original model that have been replaced. I’ve used the X and X2, and will likely upgrade again to the X3 once they come out. The quality and sound with this line is unmatched, in my opinion.

UPDATE:  Ugh, it looks like they already sold out at $72. I refreshed just before posting and thought it was at 22% claimed. Sorry, folks.

Amazon Link

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DEAL: Jaybird Original Bluebuds X Just $72 at Amazon Today (Updated: Gone) is a post from: Droid Life



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Google I/O 2016 Site Goes Live, Registration Lottery Begins March 8

Ready for Google I/O 2016 at its new location in Mountain View? Google has opened up the 2016 site with information about the festivities, including when you can register and how much it will cost you.

As far as registration goes, Google is once again doing a lottery of sorts. On March 8 at 9AM PST, they will open registration that closes on March 10 at 5PM PST. During that time, you’ll need to sign in with your Google account and complete a required registration application. In previous years, you needed a credit card to do so, but Google hasn’t mentioned that this time, as far as I can tell. 

On March 10, once the registration period closes, Google will randomly select applicants and notify them via email.

So how much will I/O cost you? General admission tickets are $900 and academic tickets are $300.

The updated I/O 2016 site doesn’t dive into how the event will work on May 18-20, now that the keynote is taking place at the Shoreline Amphitheater, but Google is now referring to this as a “developer festival.” That could be fun.

More info at the Google I/O site.

Google I/O 2016 Site Goes Live, Registration Lottery Begins March 8 is a post from: Droid Life



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