We've compiled a top 10 list of our favorite iOS apps to hit the App Store in December 2017. The apps highlighted in this video include PinDrive, RAW Power, Sonic Runners Adventure, Who's In, GoToStage, Snowboarding Party: Aspen, Powder Project, Spire Music Recorder, Snakes and Daily Random Facts. Which app is your favorite?
OnePlus really didn't waste any time fulfilling its promise of bringing the 5T's Face Unlock feature to the original 5. The smartphone maker has rolled out an OxygenOS beta that lets OnePlus 5 owners sign in with a quick glimpse at their phone, just like those with newer handsets. This isn't a stable release, so you probably don't want to install this if you can't afford to deal with glitches, but it beats waiting weeks into 2018 to give the feature a try.
Via: Android Police
Source: OnePlus
We've compiled a top 10 list of our favorite Android apps to hit the Play Store in December 2017. The apps highlighted in this video include Taskful, Fluctuate, Icy Ropes, Mercury Icon Pack, Crypto Coins Watcher, CopyClip, Words With Friends 2, VectoRise Wallpapers, KISS Launcher and Orbia. Which app is your favorite?
HQ Trivia recently said that it'd make its Android app available to everyone by January 1st, and it looks like they just squeaked in under that deadline.
HQ Trivia is now available in the Play Store. The app is listed as "(Unreleased)", and so you may encounter a bug or two while using it, but now anyone with a device running Android 5.1 or higher can get the app.
Players of HQ Trivia can take part in a live trivia game show every day at 9:00 pm EST and weekdays at 3:00 pm EST. You're asked 12 trivia questions, but if you get one wrong, you're eliminated from that game. Get all 12 questions right and you'll win a piece of that game's real money prize, which is split between everyone that got all 12 questions correct. The prize amount varies with each game.
During its first months of availability on iOS, HQ Trivia became an extremely popular app. It typically has hundreds of thousands of people playing each game, and that number will likely grow now that it's available on Android. To give HQ Trivia a try for yourself, hit the Google Play Store link below.
Intermedia Labs' live trivia game HQ has launched a little earlier than expected -- and just in time to mark the end of the year, too. Anyone willing and able to download an early access app can see whether or not the formerly iOS-only title lives up to its reputation. You won't have long to wait before you can give it a shot. HQ is holding a special New Year's Eve game at 11PM Eastern, and there's a chance to win as much as $18,000 if your knowledge is up to snuff.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Google Play
Earlier this month, HQ Trivia announced that the app would finally be available for Android users, allowing them to pre-register to download it. The app is now available in the Google Play Store’s Early Access section.
The game launched this past fall on iOS. The Android app is still in beta, and the product page notes that the app is potentially unstable. Recode reported earlier this month that the company is working to raise money from venture capitalists for a potential $100 million valuation. The addition of an Android app will likely help boost its user base.
Created by Vine co-founders Rus Yusupov and fellow co-founder Colin Kroll, the game is a live trivia contest that has become extremely popular in recent months. Players...
It’s never easy to leave a job that has been good to you, even when you know it needs to be done. When I first started writing at PhoneDog in 2012, I had no idea what to expect. I had been a ghostwriter for a couple of years but had never consistently written for any one publication. I was excited because I loved mobile technology, but I was nervous because I didn’t know if I’d be able to convey that passion well enough into words. To be honest, sometimes I feel like I did; other times I go back and read some of the things I wrote and want to die.
Aside from the actual role of contributing editor, I loved working for PhoneDog because of the people. If I ever had a question or needed help, somebody was always around. The writers and managers at PhoneDog, past and present, are some of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. They’ve worked with me through some trying times in my life, so it truly is a tough decision to leave.
With that being said, it is time for me to move on. Although I’m as surprised as anybody that I’ve been here for over 5 years (time flies), I always knew that PhoneDog was a temporary thing for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to write about phones forever. Fortunately, within the past 5 years, I figured out what I wanted to do for a career and have been going to school to pursue a degree in the medical field. I’ve also developed a passion for volunteering.
I take away a lot from my time with PhoneDog, both positive and negative. It might seem like an easy job to write about phones all the time, especially if you’re passionate about the subject, but over the years it has become increasingly difficult to develop fresh opinions about mobile technology. I used to be able to write two articles a day, 5 days a week; lately, I’m lucky if I can write even one. Even then, I often feel like I’m grasping at straws. Then again, struggling with article ideas might be a side effect of having too much on my plate otherwise with another job, school, and a family to take care of.
On the plus side, I’ve developed a lot of good traits from the job. I’ve learned how to better multitask, manage my time, and work independently. I’ve had to develop a thicker skin and realize that I’m not always right and that it’s okay to make mistakes and own up to them. I’m pretty sure that’s all just a part of growing up, but I also think that writing for PhoneDog has helped with those aspects as well.
I want to thank the readers for reading my articles, whether you liked them or not. I appreciated the feedback I received, much of which put things into perspective for me and helped me become a better writer. I hope you’ll continue to support the content creators of this site as they are good people and put a lot of work into their content, whether it’s in written or video form.
Finally, I’d like to leave some parting nuggets wisdom:
I hope you all have a happy new year full of tons of cool tech, good times, and happy feelings!
Telegram has been busy parrying government attempts to collect user data over the past year, but it hasn't forgotten its users. It's ushering in 2018 with a handful of offerings you'll likely find helpful if it's your chat app of choice, starting with the ability to support multiple accounts on Android. The latest version of Telegram for the platform supports up to three accounts with different phone numbers. You can quickly switch between them on the side menu, but you'll get notifications for all of them regardless of which one's active.
Source: Telegram
In the smartphone market news cycle, we couldn't close out 2017 without some kind of controversy now could we? Considering we closed out 2016 with exploding phones, we had a high bar to reach! I don't think we quite got there, at least not in terms of pure spectacle, but the impact was certainly pretty similar. Just before we said goodbye to the year, we're talking about Lithium-Ion batteries, throttling phones, and companies communicating to customers.
All of that thanks to Apple, too, which is pretty crazy by itself.
The company had a pretty shaky end of the year, but I imagine it will be just fine moving forward. Apple is already offering cheaper battery replacements for older iPhones, and it'll update iOS to be a bit more detailed in its battery information. All of that's well and good, and it will probably be enough to pull Apple out of whatever cloud it currently finds itself in.
But of course, there are questions about what happens next. After all, we all know that Li-Ion batteries are basically the default at this point. We use them because we have to. A worthwhile alternative hasn't been discovered just yet, so companies have to make bigger phones to stick bigger batteries in there, and make software tweaks to avoid taxing the juice too much.
Apple's idea wasn't a bad one. After all, you need the battery to use your phone. And even though Android manufacturers don't do the same thing, as long as they communicated the effort I don't think they'd be tarred and feathered for doing it. At least, I can hope that would be the case. Those same manufacturers (and Android in general) would probably let customers choose which to prioritize, though.
One idea, as stipulated by my fellow editor, was to bring back swappable batteries. In that piece, Anna writes up that Apple should probably be the company that uses replaceable batteries, and that's probably not a bad idea. But it's Apple we're talking about here so that probably won't happen. And while the other major companies out there have all primarily switched to non-replaceable batteries, I wonder if it would be impossible for some of them to go back to how things were.
I don't want to go back to plastic phones, though. The level of design quality that companies like Samsung, LG, HTC, and others have reached is something I don't want to get rid of, and if that would be the element to get traded out for replaceable batteries, I'd live with those encased pieces of technology.
We'll be stuck with Li-Ion batteries for a while longer. Just as we have been for years. And I've been thinking about Apple's reasoning for throttling older phones: Batteries get weaker and can't handle the same level of processes years later. Which is definitely true.
So I can't help but be curious, is this an issue for you at all? As my fellow editor noted in that aforementioned write-up, she admits that she doesn't keep phones long enough to see any major degradation of the battery. I can safely say that I'm the same way, even if I typically wait a bit longer to pick up a new phone than her these days.
What is the longest you've ever owned a phone and used it as your daily driver? Have you owned one long enough that you noticed steep declines in battery life on a regular basis? How did you alleviate the issue for you back then? Let me know!
"There’s something fascinating about miniature-sized versions of everyday objects. Even as a kid, I just loved tiny versions of things, evidenced by my once neighborhood-famous Kitchen Littles collection and boxed display of miniature trinkets that hung on my bedroom wall. As a Kansas City native, I was also fortunate enough to live near the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (which has recently been renovated and is still a very cool attraction, if you get the chance). I come by it honestly. So, you can probably imagine the spark of excitement that ignited when I came across this Kickstarter for the Zanco Tiny T1, the world’s smallest functional phone.
Actually, I first experienced déjà vu when I was reading about it. You see, back in the day, there was another small cell phone making headlines that caught my eye as well: the Pantech C300. Unfortunately, that tiny phone was an AT&T (ahem, Cingular) exclusive and I didn’t use Cingular, so I was only able to admire it’s small, cute form from afar.
Not anymore, though. The Zanco Tiny T1 gives a girl with broken dreams hope again. Well, sort of.
The difference between the Zanco Tiny T1 and the Pantech C300 is that while the C300 was small and fully functional, it wasn’t so tiny that it was necessarily uncomfortable to use. As a flip phone, it doubled in size when in use. The Zanco Tiny T1, on the other hand, is a candybar style device – what you see is all that you’re going to get, which is a device that is “smaller than your thumb, lighter than a coin, and ridiculously cute”. Agreed.
Although it seems like the Tiny T1’s only purpose is to serve as a conversational piece or a gag gift, it actually can serve a higher purpose such as a backup phone, a phone for when you’re out exercising and a large smartphone isn’t as convenient to carry around, or a phone for when you’re out and you don’t want to risk losing your daily driver that likely cost hundreds of dollars. Of course, this is all dependent on whether your carrier still uses 2G networks or not, because that’s all the Tiny T1 can use (which makes sense, as all you can do is make calls and – surprisingly – text).
Unfortunately, such a cute device doesn’t come cheap, at least not as cheap as you might expect something that’s about the same size as a flash drive to cost. Early backers can back the Tiny T1 for £35, which equals about $47 in US currency, which includes a device once it launches. Whether the minuscule device, which lasts up to 3 hours of talk time and 3 days on standby, is worth that much is up to you; I’m probably just going to stick with the Nokia 3310, which costs about $13 more but can arguably do more (and still manages to serve as a decent conversational piece, albeit not as eye-catching as the Tiny T1).
I’d still consider the Tiny T1 worth a gander, considering how adorable it is and can fit virtually anywhere.
Readers, what are your thoughts on this unusual cell phone? Do you think you’ll be picking one up for yourself?
The biggest story about apps in 2017 was, well, stories. Snapchat still deserves the credit for coming up with the concept, and Instagram shamelessly ripped it off back in 2016, but this year, everyone got on board. WhatsApp added stories (and then later made them less prominent after users complained). Facebook added stories (and tried to guilt users into using them with digital ghosts of friends.) Medium — a largely text based app — added stories! YouTube added stories! It’s stories all the way down as far as the eye can see.
Of course, there’s a very good reason for all this — stories are popular, and popular places on the internet are ripe for that sweet advertising money.
Aside from stories, though, the past year saw Instagram’s...
It's a busy weekend for oppressive governments trying to suppress digital communication. Iran has blocked mobile access to at least Telegram and Instagram as it tries to thwart protests that started over economic concerns (particularly inflation), but have extended into broader resistance to the government and clerical rule. Officials claim the censorship is meant to "maintain peace," but the argument doesn't hold water. Telegram founder Pavel Durov noted that his company refused to shut down "peacefully protesting channels," and Instagram is primarily being used to document protests -- Iran clearly doesn't want to reveal the extent of the demonstrations.
Via: Washington Post, CNN
Source: Pavel Durov (Twitter), Al Arabiya
If 2016 was the year that streaming music became a necessity, 2017 is the year streaming music showed its clout. This couldn’t have been showcased any more clearly than at the Grammys, where Chance the Rapper won best new artist, best rap album, and best rap performance — an honor only made possible because nomination rules changed, allowing for streaming-only albums to be eligible for nomination. In his acceptance speech, Chance gave a shout out to SoundCloud.
Streaming music consumption continues to ramp up, not slow down. Mid-way through the year, the RIAA (the Recording Industry Association of America) released statistics on the US music industry, and during the first half of 2017, revenues from streaming services accounted for 62...
Authoritarian leaders are fond of severing communications in a bid to hold on to power, and that tradition sadly isn't going away. The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has ordered telecoms to cut internet and SMS access ahead of planned mass protests against President Joseph Kabila, whose administration has continuously delayed elections to replace him. Telecom minister Emery Okundji told Reuters that it was a response to "violence that is being prepared," but people aren't buying that argument. Officials had already banned demonstrations, and the country has history of cutting communications and blocking social network access in a bid to quash dissent.
Source: Reuters
Google talked about wireless Android Auto back in spring 2016, but there hasn't exactly been widespread adoption. You still have to assume that you'll need a USB cable when you hit the road. That's about to change: JVCKenwood has casually teased plans to unveil a high-end head end unit with "wireless connectivity for Android Auto" at CES in January. It's keeping most details close to the vest, as you might expect before the big show, but it will pack Apple CarPlay support and a 720p screen.
Source: JVCKenwood
There are 43 states that currently treat texting while driving as a primary offense, but Florida isn't one of them -- you have to break another law before texting enters the picture. However, less-than-attentive commuters might not get away with it for much longer. The state legislature is about to consider a bill that would make texting a primary offense. In other words, officers could finally pull drivers over without waiting until they speed or otherwise put other road-goers at risk.
Source: Associated Press
Apple was only poised to offer discounted iPhone battery replacements to Americans in late January, but they're already here. The company has issued a statement announcing that the $29 replacements are available today (December 30th) in the US for affected users with an iPhone 6 or later, whether or not they have an active AppleCare warranty. It didn't explain the move beyond saying that it "expected to need more time to be ready," but it was "happy" to provide the lower prices "right away." It warned that there might be initial shortages of batteries for some models.
Source: TechCrunch
This time last year, one of the most anticipated events coming to mobile was the return of our beloved Nokia devices, free from the grasps of Microsoft who nearly ran its reputation into the ground and into the arms of HMD Global, a company comprised of former Nokia executives. But just because a company makes “a comeback” doesn’t mean that it will return to its former glory days without question; just look at BlackBerry or HTC, for that matter. Point is, it doesn’t always work.
And it still might not work out for Nokia, despite HMD Global going all in during its first year back with a solid five-phone lineup, with three more purportedly on the way in early 2018. The company is ambitious, to say the least.
So far, I think it’s working out well. The lineup is solid and includes devices of all types, from the low-end Nokia 2 to the high-end Nokia 8, with mid-range options like the Nokia 3, 5, and 6, filling in the middle. The prices also reflect the “something for everybody” idea the company appears to be going for, with the Nokia 2 costing a mere $99. Even the Nokia 8 can be purchased for less than $500 – far cheaper than many flagships in 2017 cost, some of which top an astonishing $1,000 after taxes.
The momentum is there. The prices are good. You even get “Pure Android”, which is something not many manufacturers use, but it will be interesting to see if that momentum will be enough to keep the Nokia brand going through 2018 and beyond.
I think the reveal of the Nokia 9 will be a telling sign of what’s to come. There are two things I think the 9 will need to truly compete with top-tier flagships: a bezel-less display and a headphone jack (along with the typically expected flagship specs, that is). Bezel-less displays quickly became a hot commodity throughout 2017, but the feature was still so new that I believe consumers were willing to overlook devices that still had larger bezels, simply because they’re still used to having phones look like that. Next year, however, I’m not as confident such a decision would hold up well next to an extensive lineup of bezel-less devices.
Removal of the headphone jack has alarmingly become more commonplace over the past year as well. It’s weird because to me it seems like simply including one would make for an easy selling point. No special connections, no dongles, no problem, right? Apparently, it’s not as cut-and-dry as that, though, and rumors state that the Nokia 9 may very well be missing the headphone jack. And maybe it’s just the people I hang around with, but I don’t know a single person that has been legitimately happy that the headphone jack is going the way of the Dodo.
On the other hand, even if the 9 somehow turns out to be a total flop, all is not lost for a Nokia success story. I’m still impressed with what that the Nokia 2 offers for $99 (it even has Android Oreo), and their mid-range devices are pretty great for a good price as well. A company does not need to have a wildly popular flagship to succeed in the mobile industry (see: Moto). In fact, I would say that mid-range options would suit most people’s needs more often than not. I could easily see Nokia becoming a common household name again on the low to mid-range end of things, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them succeed in the flagship range as well.
I hope for the best for Nokia, and they have had a solid start to their resurgence in mobile. I am still disappointed things didn’t work out for the brand on Windows Phone, because the Nokia Lumia devices were basically the only reason I ever wanted to check it out. Android is a much more competitive platform, but I think the Nokia brand still has enough spark left to make an impression over the coming years.
Readers, what are your opinions on Nokia’s return to mobile this year? Do you think the brand will see continued success in the new year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Apple said earlier this week that it would offer discounted battery replacements for older iPhones that had their processors slowed, and that the cheaper replacements would begin in late January 2018. Turns out that they're going to be available even earlier than that.
Apple is offering $29 iPhone battery replacements starting today, December 30th. "We expected to need more time to be ready," Apple said to TechCrunch, "but we are happy to offer our customers the lower pricing right away. Initial supplies of some replacement batteries may be limited."
These cheaper battery replacements are available to customers with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced. The offer is available worldwide through December 2018.
These battery replacements typically cost $79, so this is a pretty good deal for anyone with a qualifying device. If you've got an iPhone 6 or later and you feel like your phone has been getting slow lately, you may want to visit an Apple Store and see if you can get a fresh battery put into your device.
You no longer need an Android phone if you want to join in Xbox party chats when you're away from your console -- Microsoft has introduced party chat to the beta Xbox app for iOS. If you've been accepted into the program (you have to sign up first), you can keep up with your teammates' voice conversations from your iPhone or iPad while you're racing home to join them in a multiplayer match.
Via: OnMSFT, Windows Central
Source: Xbox App Beta signup
In many ways, the world in 2016 was defined by its mistakes. Companies let products languish, and when they did release updates, they often made questionable design choices. And of course, one of Samsung's most important phones literally went up in smoke. This year was a different story though. Some previous offenders learned their lesson while others set themselves up for success down the road. Not that everything was rosy. There were plenty of errors along the way, including glitchy products and misguided strategies. With that in mind, let's look at the hits and misses of 2017 -- and more importantly, consider how they'll affect what happens in 2018.
We've already seen the Nokia 8 get its Oreo update, and we know that the Nokia 6's update is close. Now we've got more details on another Nokia phone's Oreo update.
The Nokia 2 will be updated to Android 8.1. That's been confirmed by Juho Sarvikas, HMD Global's Chief Product Officer, who recently explained on Twitter that the update will include many of the memory management improvements used for Android Go.
Hi! It will receive Android Oreo. 1GB RAM devices will be supported on 8.1 release where many of the Android Go memory management improvements will be integrated. Nokia 2 performance will only get better over time!
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 28, 2017
There's no telling exactly when this update will be released, as Android 8.1 was only recently released to Google's Nexus and Pixel phones. Still, this is exciting news for Nokia 2 owners. The Nokia 2 is very much an entry level device, and sometimes those phones don't get much in the way of significant software updates after they launch. That won't be the case with the Nokia 2, though.
All things considered, Apple was having a pretty good year for the majority of 2017. It launched a new iPad at the beginning of the year, launched iOS 11 without any major issues, and welcomed the iPhone X into the fold. The company earned plenty of flak for the notch on their newest flagship smartphone, sure, but it weathered that storm and apparently everyone is okay with it now.
But then things started to snowball.
It started with an issue in iOS, which saw autocorrect doing some crazy things when someone would type in the letter "I". And then there was another autocorrect issue, where those who typed in "it" would see their word changed to "IT." There were other issues, too, including a major security flaw with HomeKit devices. Apple was so pressed to get fixes out that it ultimately released iOS 11.2 on a Saturday, a big change from routine.
And then there was macOS's big security flaw, where it was discovered that someone could gain administrator access to a Mac without actually needing to input a password. That was a big one, to say the least, and while Apple was quick to patch it, the security flaw never should have existed in the first place.
So then we get to December and here we are with Apple managing to prove conspiracy theorists right, years later. Apple has already admitted (and apologized, kind of) that it implemented a feature in its iPhones last year that will throttle the processor in the device based on battery degradation. So as the battery life decreases, the iPhone will try to avoid random shutdowns and overtaxing the processor by throttling performance.
(Apple is also getting backlash for its flagship retail store in Chicago, Illinois, because it's all downhill for the company before the end of 2017.)
I don't want to pile on here, but I am going to say that I can understand where Apple is coming from -- at least based on what they've said up to this point. They aren't trying to force obsolescence so customers upgrade sooner -- they're actually trying to make it so people can use their iPhones longer.
But if someone is angry about this situation, and, honestly, if they don't want to believe Apple's stance on this because of the way they handled it, I don't think that's too crazy. You basically have to choose whether or not this is something to be mad at Apple for, and either way you land is the right spot.
As my fellow editor put it, saving the battery by throttling performance isn't necessarily a bad thing -- but Apple needed to be open and honest about it. Right now they're backpedaling and forced to make changes to the way they handle battery replacements. They're even adding battery information into iOS (after they took out at-a-glance battery information on Macs, which is funny). They've had to make these drastic changes because they got caught, and because they chose not to communicate with its customer base.
So, I'm curious. If you are an iPhone owner, how do you feel about Apple right now? Are you mad, and considering switching? Or is this just another thing you'll ignore because it ultimately didn't bother you, or affect you? If you aren't an iPhone owner, are you happy your chosen company (probably) doesn't slow down your phone as the battery degrades? Let me know!
Hot on the heels of Verizon's Moto Z2 Force receiving its Oreo update, another carrier version of the Motorola flagship is getting Android 8.0.
The T-Mobile version of the Moto Z2 Force is now being updated to Android Oreo. T-Mo hasn't officially updated its Moto Z2 Force support page with info on the update quite yet, but users on the Reddit, XDA, and T-Mo forums have all received the over the air (OTA) update.
As for what's included, T-Mobile Moto Z2 Force owners can expect Oreo goodies like picture-in-picture, which will let you watch video while performing tasks in other apps. Also included are the December 1, 2017 Android security patches.
The update is version OCX27 and weighs in at 937.5MB.
If you've got a T-Mobile Moto Z2 Force, keep an eye out for your Android Oreo update in the coming days!
Apple may have apologized for the confusion surrounding its intentional slow down of older iPhones to balance battery life and performance, but that doesn't change the fact that it's happening. If your iPhone is out of warranty and you don't want to have Apple replace it, then perhaps iFixit can help. Starting today, the company has reduced its DIY battery install kits to $29 or less to match Apple's price.
Source: iFixit
When news broke out yesterday of Apple’s decision to reduce out-of-warranty battery replacements by $50, making the $79 fee a more palatable $29, I felt pretty okay with it. There was some backlash about the battery replacement not being completely free, which is understandable, but if we’re being completely honest, a $29 battery replacement is actually quite kind of Apple, relatively speaking. In that regard, I don’t think there’s too much of a reason to be upset.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any reason to be upset. Every comment section on any website reporting this news was filled with a lot of backlash, much of which was warranted. Backlash about the batteries not being free, backlash about which phones qualify for the $29 replacement (iPhone 6 and above), and backlash about Apple probably making money off a problem that they themselves created. The one point that really got me was that this “fix”, however cheap or expensive you might consider it, comes a little too late for many. People have already upgraded their slow iPhones to something else at this point, and those phones are likely long gone when they could have been saved.
I like iOS. I like the iPhone. But I am not happy with Apple right now, and I wasn’t even directly affected. If I still owned my iPhone 6 and found out mere weeks or months after upgrading that the only thing I needed to make it perform normally again was a $30 battery replacement (or heck, even a $79 battery) as opposed to a however many hundreds of dollars it costs to upgrade to something else, I would be pretty upset.
I tend to upgrade my phone every 6 months because phones are kind of my hobby. I enjoy seeing what different phones have to offer, so something like this doesn’t really affect me. I never keep a phone long enough to know what a true slowdown is. But most people aren’t like me and would prefer to hang onto their investments for as long as possible, and considering iPhones are some of the most expensive phones out there, it’s easy to understand why so many people are upset.
Any other time, a $29 battery replacement would be nice. But it’s only available for less than a year (late January 2018 to December 2018) and it’s only available for certain iPhone models. Even those who already upgraded to something newer like an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or X likely won’t be able to take advantage of this, which seems like it might pose a problem in the future when people’s iPhones slow down and they remember this incident again.
I get the need for the update for older iPhones. At the end of the day, preserving the battery – the very thing that makes the phone operate – is more important than preserving the speed. But if a battery replacement was all it took to restore the performance to normal, then people should have had the information and the option to do that before the release of new iPhones. It just doesn’t seem like the best solution they could have come up with.
For those who want to preserve their older-than-iPhone 6 devices and were left out of this offer, iFixit has reduced the price of their do-it-yourself battery replacement kits for iPhones as old as the 4S, with prices ranging from $24.99 to $29.99. Of course, this takes a little bit of handiwork on one’s part as oppose to Apple’s professional installation, but it’s an option (and likely worth the investment if the alternative is to upgrade to a new phone).
Just in time for the new season of Black Mirror, another report of a company using smartphones to listen in on users has surfaced. The New York Times reported this week that a number of apps are using software produced by a startup called Alphonso and it uses a smartphone's microphone to listen for particular audio signals in TV shows, advertisements and movies. In many cases, Alphonso then has Shazam identify what those audio snippets are and all of the collected data can then be sold to advertisers who can use it to better target their ads.
Via: New York Times
For anyone who has been using smartphones for many years now, you may have used a variety of different platforms in that time. There was a stretch there where we almost had an embarrassment of riches, as far as options were concerned. Windows Phone, iOS, Android, and webOS were all readily available, and, in each case, there was at least one phone worth using to enjoy those mobile operating systems.
It's honestly a little sad to see that we've had our options whittled down to just Android and iOS at this point.
I think it's possible that Microsoft just decides to jump back into the mobile space in 2018 (or later) and launches a Surface Phone, naysayers ignored. While it might not be likely --the company has a pretty solid thing going for it right now with apps and services that hold no platform allegiance-- I wouldn't completely count them out. So maybe we get Windows 10 Mobile back on store shelves in the near future.
What we probably won't get is webOS, though, and I'll tell you right here and now that I'd be willing to throw money at that phone (as long as it was a high-end flagship device worth it, of course). There are moments where I'll be using my Android phone or my iPhone and I'll just wish I could go back to using the Palm Pre 2, or just webOS in general.
Using the iPhone X hasn't alleviated that wish, either. Yes, iOS is now very similar to webOS, but it's still a very Apple implementation. There's no . . . flair to it, I guess. Gestures are great, but webOS had that wave launcher for quick app access. That was legitimately pretty awesome. Swiping up and pausing for a moment on the iPhone X just brings up the standard multitasking window we've seen for a little while now.
Still, using gestures to get around on the iPhone X does harken back to webOS and it is cool. But I would very much like to see a webOS comeback, to be perfectly frank. Not just because I want webOS back, either. But because I think we should have more than two primary options for mobile operating systems. Android, even with its custom user interfaces and manufacturer-specific features, is still Android when it's all said and done. And iOS is, well, always iOS.
The return of webOS would shake things up, and it would get even more interesting if Windows 10 Mobile scrambled its way back onto the stage, too. So I guess maybe I want a webOS and Windows 10 Mobile comeback, both platforms seeing plenty of developer support (this is still the hardest part to achieve, and probably why these futures won't happen) and some fantastic hardware that adopts the design cues of this year and beyond.
It's all a pipe dream, though. Good thing Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, Huawei, and so many other companies are putting out some great hardware and software, because, all things considered, we probably are still living in a time where our smartphones riches are overflowing -- even if there are only two mobile operating systems to choose from these days.
What do you think? Would you like to see webOS and/or Windows 10 Mobile make a big comeback in the years ahead? Do you have any fond memories of using either platform? Let me know!
One day after HTC and Motorola said that they don't slow down phones with old batteries like Apple does, LG and Samsung have chimed in on the matter as well.
LG and Samsung have said that they also do not slow down phones with aging batteries. LG said that it "never will" do that, while Samsung offered a lengthier statement explaining that it ensures extended battery life using "multi-layer security measures".
Here are the statements that both companies sent to Phone Arena:
LG
"Never have, never will! We care what our customers think."Samsung
"Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile's top priority. We ensure extended battery life of Samsung mobile devices through multi-layer safety measures, which include software algorithms that govern the battery charging current and charging duration. We do not reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycles of the phone."
Owners of HTC, Motorola, LG, and Samsung devices are likely pleased to hear that their companies don't alter the performance of their phones as the batteries inside them age. We still haven't heard from big names like Google and Sony, but now that more companies have come forward on the matter, maybe that'll change soon.
Apple has been under fire recently over the revelation that the company was intentionally slowing down older phones in order to balance performance and battery life. Now, LG and Samsung have both clarified to Phonearena that neither company engages in this kind of practice. HTC and Motorola made similar statements yesterday.
Source: Phonearena
Japan gets a lot of natural disasters. Combine the threat of earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons (however mild), and it's easy to see why the Japanese government offers alerts across TV, radio and your mobile phone. Those smartphone alerts were usually baked in by carriers, which means if you had an unlocked phone, or a phone that's running on one of several MVNO phone carriers, you would miss out on the potentially lifesaving heads-up.
Via: Android Police
Source: TCA (Japanese)
Has any other company had a more batshit year than Uber? In lieu of a traditional report card, I briefly considered just copying and pasting text from the Book of Revelation into this article. That’s how bad it was.
Let’s recap: Uber CEO Travis Kalanick joins President Trump’s business council, and faces an immediate backlash; Uber is accused of undermining a taxi driver protest at JFK airport; the #DeleteUber hashtag goes viral; Susan Fowler speaks her mind; Waymo files its lawsuit; a self-driving Uber runs a red light; a self-driving Uber crashes; Travis Kalanick is caught on camera being a jerk; we learn about Uber executives visiting a South Korean escort bar; Apple threatens to remove Uber from the App Store; “Greyball;” “Hell;”...
For anyone who has been watching the evolution of Android over the years, it's honestly impressive to see how far the platform has come, and how much has changed since its inception, right? The same can be said for iOS, sure, but I think Apple's own efforts are a lot more minimal in comparison. (Not including the dropping of skeuomorphism, though. Whoo, can't believe we lived with that for so long.)
When Android first landed on the scene, there was just as much conversation going on about the software as there was the hardware. But not necessarily for the same reasons that we hear today. After all, that first handset, the T-Mobile G1, was a pretty wild device. That slide out screen that revealed a physical keyboard. The face buttons in general.
Android had a lot going on, and it didn't necessarily feel like it was ready for prime time.
Even looking at images of the T-Mobile G1 now, especially the software running on it, makes me feel old. Everything about Android has evolved and grown up in all the right ways. There's no denying the fact that the place Google's mobile operating system holds in the smartphone market is well-deserved, as far as I'm concerned.
The biggest changes come from the manufacturers, though. We've seen some pretty wild custom skins and experiences over the years. If you're an Android user I'm sure you have your favorite(s). I know I do. The original Sense UI will always be one of my favorites, just because I can still remember using those widgets that let me interact directly with the content. That's a pretty easy thing these days, but that's one of the features that made me love Android and HTC's Sense UI.
And then stock Android really showed its prowess, because we kept seeing custom UIs fail to withstand the test of time. Whether they got slower and less responsive, or they just couldn't be updated in any meaningful measure of time, the stock experience really stood on its own and became coveted and sought after.
But that was then. While I believe stock Android is still the best option in general terms, I can't argue that the proprietary user interface experience is much better overall. Samsung has a built-in feature for its phones that lets you choose audio sources, similar to how iOS lets you -- and this is one feature that I genuinely love. That's just one example. This is one thing I want stock Android to eventually feature as well.
It's not just Samsung that has seen its software get better over the years, following a long stretch where it just wasn't that great. LG, HTC, Motorola, and basically all the other Android manufacturers have fallen into slumps at one point or another. Some have made a comeback while others are still trying to dig their way out of the holes they made.
And we can't forget the "near-stock" experiences from manufacturers like Motorola. The companies that try to provide its customer base with the stock Android version, but offers just enough new tweaks and features in there to count it as its own. Motorola probably has the best vision for this.
In some of those cases I can see why stock Android would be far ahead of the pack, but I think where custom software stands out, the lead isn't that great. If there is one at all. So, I'm curious. Are you still a fan of stock Android, so much so that you prefer that version of the mobile OS over any other? What is it about stock Android that you like more than the other options? Or have you adopted a custom UI from a manufacturer as your favorite? If so, which one? Let me know!
Two patent applications published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office give us a peek into what kind of mobile device charging options Apple may be giving us in the future. As VentureBeat reports, the two applications were both filed in June though neither have been approved yet.
Via: Patently Apple
It's time for OnePlus 5T owners to update.
OnePlus has announced a software update for the OnePlus 5T. This update is OxygenOS 4.7.6 and includes stability improvements to the Camera app, better Wi-Fi display, the December 2017 Android security patches, and more.
Here's everything in this OxygenOS 4.7.6 update according to OnePlus:
Camera
System
As with all of OnePlus's software updates, the OxygenOS 4.7.6 update is an incremental one. That means that it's now hitting a small number of devices, with a broader rollout happening in the coming days. If you've got a OnePlus 5T, keep an eye out for it.
We haven't heard much about Google's Pixel C lately, but that's changing today, and it's not for the good.
Google has quietly pulled the Pixel C from its online store. The 32GB model was actually taken off the Google Store awhile ago, but today the 64GB model was yanked, too. Now the link to its product page will redirect you to a page that highlights the Google Pixelbook.
The Pixel C originally made its debut in September 2015 as $499 tablet that ran vanilla Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Its spec list includes a 10.2-inch 2560x1800 display, quad-core NVIDIA X1 processor, 3GB of RAM, stereo speakers, an 8-megapixel camera, and a USB Type-C port. Google also offered an add-on keyboard for the Pixel C to help users get work done.
Back when it launched, the Pixel C served as an example of what a premium Android tablet could be. Android tablets have never seemed to gain significant traction with consumers, though, and that includes the Pixel C. Now Google appears to be placing all of its tablet efforts behind the Pixelbook, which is a Chrome OS-powered convertible laptop that can become a tablet-style device if you fold its keyboard.
The good news for anyone that bought a Pixel C while it was still available is that it was recently updated to Android 8.1, the latest version of Google's mobile OS. So while it's not available from purchase from Google any longer, at least it's still getting significant software updates.
Did you ever use the Pixel C?
Password manager LastPass has an extra layer of protection for its Authenticator app, in the form of a fingerprint and/or PIN that ostensibly keeps people out of your passwords if they find your phone unlocked. Last week, a developer posted that he'd been able to bypass this security feature on the Android version of the app. As of right now, though, LastPass users can download an update to the app that fixes the issue and adds a one-time code when the fingerprint/PIN feature is first enabled.
Source: LastPass
Following last week's controversy with Apple admitting that it slowed the performance of older phones with aging batteries, the company today published a new letter that further explains its actions and details the new steps that it's going to take.
Apple explains that in iOS 10.2.1, it released an update that "improves power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns" on the iPhone iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE. This update dynamically manages the max performance of some device components when necessary to make sure that your phone doesn't randomly power down. Apple says that these changes may experience long app launch times and other performance reductions in some cases.
The response to iOS 10.2.1 was positive, says Apple, so it extended the same feature to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 11.2.
However, Apple says that it began getting reports from some customers this fall about slower performance in some situations. Originally this was thought to be due to the normal performance impact of upgrading to a new OS and minor bugs in the initial release that've since been squashed. Apple now says that another contributor to these slowed down experiences is the continued aging of batteries in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s models.
As a result of this continued aging and in an effort to address customer concerns, Apple is reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement. From late January 2018 to December 2018, anyone with an iPhone 6 or later can get a battery replaced for $29, down from the normal price of $79.
Apple will also release a new software update in early 2018 that'll give users more insight into the health of their iPhone's battery. This will help users to determine if their battery's health is affecting performance.
Apple has been in hot water for the last few weeks after the company admitted that it sometimes reduced processor speeds on iPhones with aging batteries as a way to balance performance and battery life. Today, the company is apologizing for not being more transparent with its customers and released more details on how exactly iOS manages battery and performance.
For starters, the company says that "we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades." That's been perhaps the biggest point of contention among unhappy owners who feel that Apple has reduced their phone's performance as a way to drive more sales.
Source: Apple
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ just got one step closer to release.
Two Samsung devices that are thought to be the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have appeared in the FCC's database. The devices carry the model numbers SM-G960F and SM-G965F.
Unfortunately, there are no details about either phone to be found in the FCC's listings. Samsung has requested that many parts of the FCC entries for these phones remain confidential, which is something that companies typically do when they want to keep their high-profile smartphones a secret before their official announcement.
The fact that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ have earned FCC approval doesn't guarantee that they'll be released soon, but it does mean that they've cleared another hurdle on their way to a release. Rumors have suggested that Samsung will introduce its new flagship phones in February and launch them in March.
In terms of features, it's rumored that the S9 and S9+ will have designs similar to the S8 and S8+, but with a rear fingerprint reader that's located below the rear camera rather than to its right. The S9 may have 4GB of RAM and a single rear camera setup while the S9+ features 6GB and a dual rear camera setup. Also rumored for these upcoming flagships is 64GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and AKG stereo speakers.
Are you looking forward to the Galaxy S9 and S9+?
For now, at least, Google is out of the Android tablet game. The search giant has pulled the Pixel C from its official store, redirecting product page visitors to the Pixelbook. The company hasn't explicitly outlined its reasons, but it told Engadget in a statement (available below) that it was "common" to stop selling a product after it has been "out for a few years" -- and that's true for the Pixel C, which hit the scene in late 2015. Instead, it suggests that you get a Pixelbook if you're looking for a "versatile device."
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Store
The ongoing battle between Amazon and Google got a new chapter today.
The YouTube app on Amazon Fire TV devices has been deactivated today, days before the date that Google had planned on pulling it. Now when Fire TV users open the YouTube app, they're greeted by a message that gives them links to YouTube.com using the Fire TV's new Silk and Firefox browsers.
Neither Google nor Amazon have commented on this news, so it's unclear if Google decided to pull YouTube from the Fire TV early or if Amazon was the one that deactivated the app.
This story began back in September when Google pulled YouTube from the Amazon Echo Show, saying that Amazon's implementation violated Google's terms of service and created a broken user experience. Amazon then made a workaround and got YouTube back on the Echo Show, but Google pulled it again shortly thereafter, saying that it was pulling YouTube because Amazon didn't sell Google products like the Chromecast and Google Home. Google also said that it'd pull YouTube from Amazon's Fire TV devices on January 1, 2018.
More recently, it looked like Google and Amazon's battle may be coming to an end. Amazon began selling Google Chromecast devices and Google said that it was in "productive discussions" with Amazon regarding YouTube on the Echo Show and Fire TV. Now it looks like those discussions may not be as productive as we thought, because the YouTube app on Fire TV devices is no more.
It's kind of crazy that this fight between Google and Amazon is still going on. The battle hurts consumers of both companies, preventing YouTube fans from accessing the service on Amazon's hardware. Hopefully Google and Amazon can settle things soon and get YouTube back on Amazon's hardware.
One of the biggest shortcomings of Chrome OS, and a drawback to using a mobile and web-first operating system, is applications that don’t act like desktop software should. Google is working to remedy this, according to 9to5Google, with an upcoming update to Chrome OS that should make Android apps run smoothly in the background. Currently, these apps — part of Google’s broader push to unify certain aspects of Android and Chrome — will pause if you switch away from them, creating some issues for people who like to heavily multitask on desktop.
ChromeUnboxed first noticed the feature, called Android Parallel Tasks, within Chrome OS 64, which is currently only available on Google’s beta channel. We can expect the feature to make its way to...
Earlier this month, Apple admitted to slowing older iPhone models in order to prevent phones with older batteries from suddenly shutting down. Now, Reuters reports that the company may face a legal battle in France over the practice. A French organization called HOP, which in French stands for Stop Planned Obsolescence, filed legal complaints against Apple in Paris this week. It also filed complaints against Epson for similar reasons.
Via: Reuters
