Articles about Android

If there is one thing that you can expect from a smartphone in the ZenFone Max series it is a seriously large battery. The latest model, the ZenFone 4 Max, is no different, packing a 5,000mAh battery. But it does also have a feature that you might not expect: a dual camera setup.

The ZenFone 4 Max is a pretty interesting proposition in its segment, thanks to its up-to-date internals and massive battery, but the dual camera setup makes it stand out from the crowd. After all, only a handful of devices have one, and they're typically flagships.

Continue reading →

Motorola, which has been aggressively marketing its snap-on phone accessories as its uniquely identifying attribute in the crowded smartphone market, is working on a 360-degree camera that will work with any device that supports other so-called "Moto Mods."

The new accessory was unveiled at a press event in Ghana (because where else?), though it came with scant few other details.

Continue reading →

The disaster that was the Samsung Galaxy Note7 has been well-documented. After battery defects caused the handset to catch fire,  the phone was remotely crippled by Samsung and a recall issued. Now the South Korean company is ready to relaunch the device.

This is not to say that Galaxy Note7 lives on. Rather the smartphone is relaunching as the Galaxy Note Fan Edition (or Galaxy Note FE), using refurbished parts cannibalized from returned Note7s. Bixby is on board, and there have been some hardware changes to ensure history does not repeat itself.

Continue reading →

Modern takes on Maslow's hierarchy of needs (jokingly) refer to a wireless internet connection as being a necessity. While Wi-Fi may not be -- in the strictest sense of the word -- necessary, it's certainly true that it has become the prey that we now hunt for.

To make the search a little easier, Facebook is now rolling out its Find Wi-Fi tool globally. What previously started as a small-scale test is now available around the world for Android and iPhone users, so anyone looking to minimize data usage will be able to find an easy way online.

Continue reading →

Comcast's Xfinity cable service is used by many people in America. Not only does it offer television, home telephone, and internet, but cellular service too -- Xfinity Mobile. No, Comcast hasn't rolled out its own network, it is using Verizon's towers plus its own Wi-Fi hotspots to create a comprehensive nationwide offering.

Xfinity Mobile has a new smartphone by LG that is quite interesting. Called "X Charge," the Android device has a massive 4500mAh battery, meaning it should offer all-day usage. It has a respectable 5.5-inch display and is running the Nougat operating system. Best of all, it is very affordable.

Continue reading →

Some people don't like advertisements, but I do. They are a great way to learn about new products while also helping to pay for "free" content. People think I am crazy when I say this, but many times I don't bother fast-forwarding commercials when watching my DVR. Heck, in 2017, there is so much great content that is subsidized by ads, such as news articles, YouTube videos, and of course, both television and radio. If it weren't for advertisements, you would probably be "nickle-and-dimed" at every turn.

A great example of advertisements helping consumers is Amazon's 'Prime Exclusive Phones' program. The consumer gets a discount on the smartphone by agreeing to see ads on the device's lock screen. It is not forced on the buyer -- they get to choose if it is worth it to them. It actually empowers the consumer. Today, Amazon is introducing five more handsets into the scheme from Motorola, Alcatel, and for the first time, Nokia.

Continue reading →

As a tool to backup your photos and videos to the cloud, Google Photos should give you a fair degree of control over how and when you want the backups to be performed. However, a new update to the popular app on Android manages to do quite the opposite, removing a very useful feature -- which is sure to frustrate some users.

Google Photos has dropped the backup while charging option from the settings menu, forcing users to either perform backups manually or accept that backups can happen anytime their smartphone or tablet is connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network.

Continue reading →

Just one day after the launch of the long-awaited OnePlus 5, accusations of cheating in benchmarks started to creep out -- just as they did with the OnePlus 3T. Now another minor controversy has hit the brand new handset: it turns out that while it is strongly suggested that the OnePlus 5 has lossless 2x optical zoom, that is not actually the case.

OnePlus' marketing certainly pitched the dual camera as offering instant 2x zoom, and many people assumed that the arrangement was the same as with the dual camera iPhone 7 Plus which does offer 2x optical zoom. But the focal length of the OnePlus' two cameras is such that it needs a little digital help to boost the zoom to 2x -- and that raises the question of whether it is actually lossless.

Continue reading →

The Galaxy Note brand is alive and well, as Samsung will be officially unveiling the new, hopefully non-exploding addition to the premium large-size smartphone line near the end of August.

That report comes from Reuters, which cited "a person familiar with the matter," as saying the official reveal will happen at a typical New York City Samsung event later this summer.

Continue reading →

At the start of the year it was discovered that the OnePlus 3T was cheating in benchmarks, artificially boosting performance when testing tools were detected. The OnePlus 5 was only officially launched yesterday but the same accusation is already being leveled at the latest version of the flagship killer.

As with the OnePlus 3T, the benchmark trickery of the OnePlus 5 was discovered in tests carried out by XDA Developers. The site says that its review unit "manipulates benchmarks to maximize scores" and issues a stark warning in an article entitled: "Do NOT Trust OnePlus 5 Benchmarks in Reviews -- How our Review Unit is Grossly Cheating at Benchmarks."

Continue reading →

If you like iOS, you buy an iPhone -- easy enough. If you prefer Android, well, picking a smartphone can be quite the confusing affair. Even if you select a phone you like at first, it is quite possible that the manufacturer could abandon it from an update perspective. In other words, you could end up with a vulnerable phone which, quite frankly, can be dangerous to use. This can happen even with well-known companies, such as Samsung and LG. Frustrating, right?

Of course, you can always opt for Google's own Pixel phones, as they are sure to get updates for a couple of years. What if you don't want to go that route? Well, there are two upcoming flagship smartphones that should be well supported both by the manufacturers and Android hacking communities. The phones to which I am referring are the OnePlus 5 and the Essential Phone. These devices are the "it" smartphones of the moment, and choosing between them won't be easy. So, which one will you be buying?

Continue reading →

Three years in the making, the OnePlus 5 -- the company's "most complete and competitive product yet" -- is now official. OnePlus says it's all down to the details, and the company has made endless minor adjustments, and over 100 prototypes to settle on a final design. The handset is just 7.25mm thick, and the overall layout of the phone is all but identical to the OnePlus 3 and 3T -- and yes, there is a headphone jack.

The phone is available in Midnight Black and Slate Gray and the specs are in line with the leaks and rumors we've heard over recent weeks. OnePlus is keen that we don’t focus entirely on specs, but with the inclusion of up to 8GB of RAM, they're hard to ignore -- and it's central to the "smooth experience" the phone offers.

Continue reading →

Late last year Mozilla launched a private browser for iOS called Firefox Focus. Now the browser arrives on Android bringing the same privacy-focused internet experience to users of Google's mobile operating system.

When Mozilla talks about being privacy-focused, it does not just mean using Private Browsing. Firefox Focus is a completely separate browser which blocks trackers, analytics and ads, and also wipes your browsing history with a single tap. As well as improving privacy, Focus also speeds up web browsing and reduces data usage.

Continue reading →

One fun aspect of Android is that there are many different device designs. Unlike the iPhone which is largely uniform in style, there are countless smartphones running Google's mobile operating system with different sizes, shapes, colors, user interfaces, etc. Heck, you can still get an Android phone with a physical keyboard!

One manufacturer that is often pushing the envelope on design is HTC. Its newest smartphone, the U11, is absolutely gorgeous from an appearance perspective, but it has a very unique aspect too -- it is squeezable. Yes, you can squeeze the frame to interact with the phone. Unfortunately, one of the most lovely colors for the phone, called "Solar Red," was not available to consumers in the USA. This is changing, thankfully, as HTC is bringing the sought-after color to America.

Continue reading →

It feels as though we've been waiting a long time for the arrival of the OnePlus 5, but the big day is finally upon us -- the smartphone launches tomorrow. There have been a huge number of leaks about the latest version of the flagship killer, teasing us with little glimpses of what to expect. But now a TV ad has aired in India that reveals everything.

Shown during the India vs Pakistan cricket final, the ad gave an unfettered view of the OnePlus 5 to millions of people. This is the first official render we've seen of the phone... and it’s looking good. As the ad was shown in India, it makes reference to June 22; the Indian launch date is two days later than other parts of the world.

Continue reading →