Articles about Android

Rarely does a phone -- or even a company -- generate quite as much interest as the OnePlus 5. The upcoming flagship killer is hotly anticipated, and the mood among the almost cult-like following is reaching a fever pitch.

Of course, OnePlus is doing nothing to calm things down, having embarked on an advertising campaign that involves teasing its customers until they can take no more. The latest move finds the company tweeting an image of the OnePlus 5, while a separate leak gives a glimpse at the packaging complete with the tagline "Dual Camera. Clearer Photos."

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Minecraft developer Mojang has just announced the release of the latest update to its block-stacking, world-building smash hit video game. The "Discovery" update brings the Pocket Edition and Windows 10 editions of the game from version 1.0.9 to 1.1.0.

First announced in March, the update includes a new world, called Woodland Mansions, to explore. It also adds a smattering of new achievements, and ultra exciting glazed terracotta blocks (to say nothing of the concrete and concrete powder). And that's just the beginning.

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If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there's a hell of a lot of flattery going on in the world of chat and messaging apps. Such is the level of feature borrowing and design inspiration that we're entering a phase of unbridled homogeneity. This isn’t enough to put off Microsoft, of course, and today the company lifts the lid on its latest -- and arguably most radical -- redesign of Skype.

Coming first to Android -- as is becoming increasingly common for Microsoft these days -- the Skype redesign boasts a fresh new look that makes it clear from the start that things are going to be different around here. While Skype is well known for its voice and video calling capabilities, now the focus switches rather more toward messaging; as Microsoft puts it: "chatting is front and center."

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On top of the official software releases, OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 users also have access to beta versions of OxygenOS. The builds, which are labeled "Open Beta," typically add new features and improvements to the Android distribution, but may also cause some issues -- something that's to be expected, given their nature.

The latest Open Beta build, which was just released, bears the 17/8 version number and comes with a number of new features, improvements, optimizations and changes to OxygenOS. Here's what you should be looking forward to.

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Nearly two weeks after introducing the iPhone app, Microsoft officially announces the availability of Planner on Android. The tool was released a year ago to help teams using Office 365 better manage and collaborate on projects.

Microsoft says that Planner is available to Office 365 subscribers on the Business Essentials, Business Premium, Enterprise E1 to E5 and Education plans.

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The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 was slightly marred by the absence of the promised virtual assistant, Bixby. We may now be in June, but it looks like it's still going to be a few weeks until Samsung's assistant arrives in the US. The problem? It's having trouble understanding English syntax and grammar.

So far Bixby has emerged with Korean support, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the English-language version is still weeks away from completion. The news comes from "people familiar with the matter," but Samsung has responded to the claims, adding weight to their veracity.

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OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has just let a little more slip about the upcoming OnePlus 5. According to a Weibo post by the company founder, the OnePlus 5 will be "the thinnest flagship phone" when it launches later this summer. Importantly, Lau says that the thinness does not mean compromises have been made.

There have been all manner of leaks and rumors about the latest version of the so-called "flagship killer," but this comes straight from the horse's mouth. OnePlus has started a teaser campaign for the smartphone, inviting social media users to guess which of two photographs was shot on the OnePlus 5. While thin on detail, the latest teaser from the CEO is one of some limited pieces of information to be announced by the company itself.

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OnePlus has been great when it comes to supporting the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3. The company has released a ton of software updates for the two flagships, including an upgrade to Android 7 Nougat. But it will not be long before Google takes the wraps off Android O, so what can users expect?

First of all, we do not know exactly when Android O will be introduced, but it is likely that Google will stick to a late-summer/early-fall release schedule. But the good news is that OnePlus will update the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 to Android O.

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If you have automatic updates enabled on your Android phone, your index fingers and your brain may have hit a moment of panic and confusion as you realized everything was rejiggered from top to bottom, literally.

Par for the course with Google, you will now have to get used to a new interface, different placement of on-screen buttons, and more confusing navigation streams to get to the menu you want. That is, until you get used to it all, at which point you'll appreciate that they were all actual improvements after all.

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Taking a leaf out of Facebook's, er, book, Twitter has introduced a new filtering system for Direct Messages. Now if you receive a DM from someone you don’t follow, it will be channeled to a new Requests folder rather than appearing in your Inbox.

The new system gives you a chance to review messages from unknown senders before you decide whether to continue the conversation. It's a simple system that's very similar to Facebook Message Requests, and it's in the process of rolling out at the moment.

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Smartphones have come a long way since Apple introduced the first iPhone, but there are people who believe that all the advancements that we've seen in recent years are not enough. Andy Rubin, who created Android, is one of them, which is why he has come up with an interesting new design for his new company's first smartphone.

It's called the Essential Phone and it has everything you could want in a flagship smartphone today in a package that comes in at just under $700. But is it all that different to the typical flagship?

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When it comes to Android flagships, specs matter. Consumers love to compare the processors, displays, RAM, storage and other important features when assessing the platform's high-end devices, which is why manufacturers cannot afford to fall behind their competitors.

LG has ignored this, as for the past couple of years it has released flagships with outdated processors. The G6, for instance, ships with last year's Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, even though there's the Snapdragon 835 available. And, judging by the sales figures, consumers have penalized the company. However, that practice will end with its next flagship.

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Millions of Android devices could have been affected by a new auto-clicking adware program found in apps developed by a Korean company.

Uncovered last week by security company Check Point malicious apps included a series of casual cooking and fashion games under the 'Judy' brand.

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We still don't even know when the OnePlus 5 will be released, but the company is already in full-on marketing mode for the next version of its flagship killer. We've only just seen a sample photo from the OnePlus 5, and now keen photographers are being offered the opportunity to get their hands on the smartphone early.

This is not an early buying option for snap-happy Android fans, but a competition which will ultimately see ten people getting their hands on a OnePlus 5 for free.

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The Honor 8 Pro is the latest premium smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer, best known as an offshoot of tech titan Huawei.

The company has grown hugely in the past few years as it looks to offer customers an alternative to the typical Apple or Samsung handsets, offering powerful hardware at a more affordable price.

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