It hasn’t been all that long since the first images of what was being called the DROID MAXX 2‘s backplate began circulating, but now the phone’s back, and this time it’s showing off a bit more.

In the new images, we get to see the familiar backplate we saw yesterday, with the DROID and Verizon Wireless branding near the bottom edge for the world to see. There are also some Verizon-specific apps, including Verizon Messages and Voicemail, practically sealing the deal that this is indeed a Verizon phone.

According to information gleaned from the CPU-Z app, the DROID MAXX 2 will boast a 5.46-inch display with a resolution of 1920×1080, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor under the hood. There’s a 21-megapixel camera on the back, with 2GB of RAM inside and a battery measured in at 3630mAh. The model number is listed as XT1565 (lux_verizon).

Interestingly enough, this model appears to only boast 8GB of storage (with almost 6GB available to the user), while the Moto X Play — which this device is clearly based on — offers two variants, one with 16GB and the other with 32GB of built-in storage. While this leak doesn’t seem to confirm whether or not the microSD card slot in the Moto X Play will make the jump over to the DROID MAXX 2, with only 8GB of built-in storage, one would hope it would.

What do you think of the DROID MAXX 2 so far?

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Android Wear is a great OS for smartwatches, but it’s had a struggle getting the right blend of hardware to come alongside it. There’s hope that the situation could soon change with a new report from CNET claiming that a new batch of Android Wear devices is set to launch at IFA. Included in the group will be offerings from Motorola, LG, Huawei and ASUS, all of which should come out swinging with their best smartwatches.

The past year’s line-up of Android Wear smartwatches has been a bit disappointing. Motorola stood out with the Moto 360, but the device still had its own flaws, which caused it to not soar as high as it should have. Many of the other devices were largely forgettable, contributing to poor sales of Android Wear devices. With this second launch, though, we’re hoping to see a stronger, more concerted effort to lift Android Wear off of the ground.

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While we’re all excited to see progress for Project Ara, there isn’t much news lately. The latest bit of news doesn’t exactly relate to the hardware itself, but is the new logo for the project. It’s a very simple black background with ARA written vertically, with each letter facing a different direction. Interesting and simple, but it could use a bit more pizzazz.

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more from the Project Ara Twitter, as it’s been pretty active recently. The whole deal with magnets no longer being used due to failing the drop test was apparently a joke, as the engineers just found a better method for attaching the modules, so we can expect some good stuff. Go hit the source link and follow them!

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If you’ve been interested in picking up a new phone with T-Mobile, now is the best time to do it. The carrier is now hosting its back to school sale, which will last the next two days, and it has some pretty significant savings on devices ranging from high-end to budget. Basically, every kind of smartphone user will be satisfied.

• Get $80 off the Samsung Galaxy S6 plus a free 3.1A T-Mobile car charger with code DEAL80OFF
• Get $50 off the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with code NOTE4DEAL
• Get $80 off the Samsung Galaxy S5 with code DEAL80OFF
• Get $36 off the Kyocera Hydro WAVE with code DEAL36
• Get $48 off the Certified Pre-Owned ZTE ZMAX with code CPO48DEAL
• Get the Samsung GALAXY CORE Prime for $99.99 with a free 3.1A T-Mobile car charger with code DEAL40
• Get the LG Leon LTE for $49.99 with code LEON50OFF
• Get $90 off the LG G Stylo (to $199.99) with code BIGDEAL

All these codes come with free shipping as well! If you’re interested in any of these deals, head to the T-Mobile site or give them a call, as the telesales will accept the sales codes as well. Will you be picking up a phone during this two-day sale?

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Verizon is getting a bunch of great devices thanks to the DROID brand, apparently including ones that Motorola won’t even bring to the US itself. The Moto X Play was announced alongside the Moto X Pure and new Moto G, but it was said it will not be coming to the United States. That’s a shame, because it’s a fantastic budget option that has some beefy specs.

But thanks to HelloMotoHK, we get to see the backplate of the Motorola DROID MAXX 2. And aside from the DROID logo, it looks identical to the international Moto X Play, including the pattern on the back. Even the same white color is used.

If you’re a Verizon user that was interested in the Moto X Play, it looks like you’re in luck. The rest of us can remain disappointed. But it’s definitely interesting that Motorola doesn’t want to bring the device to the US while Verizon does. I guess Verizon has more sense than Motorola for once.

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While the BlackBerry-branded Venice has been making the rounds as of late, it’s apparently not the only BlackBerry device to be installed with Google’s mobile operating system.

According to a new video published by Dudu Rocha Tec., there’s a BlackBerry Passport out there in the wild that’s running Android. And, to be specific, it’s an Android Lollipop build that looks relatively untouched by proprietary software. It’s pretty clear in the video that the Passport in question is a prototype unit, thanks to all the blurring of the owner’s information, but it’s working well enough in the video.

The keyboard trackpad works, too, which would help any future Passport-with-Android owners scroll through pages easily enough.

Whether or not BlackBerry will ever launch a Passport with Android installed is anyone’s guess at this point, but considering how much attention the Venice has been getting lately, it doesn’t seem completely impossible.

The question is: Would you buy a Passport running Android?

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Better late than never, right? While Microsoft had initially been aiming for a late June launch, and then announced Cortana would be making an appearance in beta form for Android sometime by the end of July, both of those launch windows were missed.

But now Microsoft is back, and it’s actually bringing with it an official beta launch. Cortana for Android is officially available via the Play Store right now, and it’s a free install for anyone that wants to give it a go. With Cortana, users will be able to replace Google Now as the digital personal assistant available by long-pressing the Android home button on their device, which should be good for easy integration and access to Microsoft’s creation.

There are some noteworthy changes, though. First, Cortana for Android won’t boast the “Hey, Cortana” feature like it does on Windows devices. However, the beta should work mostly the same as the Windows version, with Android users able to access the digital notebook that Cortana uses to keep track of likes, interests and other important pieces of information.

Cortana for Android is available right now. Who’s going to give it a shot?

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There are a lot of factors to consider when buying a new phone, but free money is always a great incentive to give a phone a second look, even if it’s not as new as some of the other devices on the market. HTC has just announced a new promotion that will give you $100 in Google Play credit when you buy the HTC One M9 from the company’s website. The offer is only available in the US and will run through October 31 of this year. One hundred dollars in Google Play credit may not sound like much, but that’s enough to buy nearly 50 paid games or apps or rent three dozen movies.

For those who aren’t aware, the HTC One M9 also comes with Uh Oh Protection, which allows you to replace your damaged phone one time within the first 12 months,  no questions asked. Uh Oh Protection also awards those who baby their phones by giving them $100 off the purchase of their next HTC One if they do not use the Uh Oh Protection plan. Add that to the $100 Google Play credit and the HTC One M9 is practically a steal.

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Oppo, a manufacturer known for creating extreme performance devices, has just released its latest affordable yet premium model. The Oppo R5s is the successor to last year’s R5 and it brings in powerful specs for a low price. Oppo has packed it with a 5.2-inch 1080p AMOLED display, octa-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, LTE, 2000mAh battery and Oppo’s ColorOS 2.0, which is based on Android 4.4 KitKat.

All of that comes packed into a slim 4.85mm body that looks svelte and sleek. This year, only one color option of a dark grey will be available. Oppo is launching the R5s across Europe at the affordable price of €199, or about $230 USD. For those looking to score quality specs at an affordable price, the Oppo R5s looks to be a very good option, provided you’re comfortable using Oppo’s custom software. Orders are now open and full availability begins tomorrow, August 25.

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Nexus phones are always subject to a whole host of leaks, and with a rumor of two Nexus phones coming this year, that means double the leaks. This latest leak is claiming to show us Huawei’s 5.7-inch Nexus variant, which has been reported multiple other times. The photos show the front and back of the device as well as the device in a simple case, so let’s dive right in and talk about what we’re seeing.

The back of the device is silver, possibly made of metal, and has both a Huawei and Nexus logo, with the latter taking prominence. There’s also a circular cutout with a slight indentation which seems to have only one logical explanation of being a fingerprint scanner. There’s a rather protruding camera hump at the top, as well, not dissimilar to classic Android phones like the DROID line. Within that, we can see a camera lens and a dual LED flash.

The front is barebones, with speakers at the top and bottom and front-facing camera. The case doesn’t reveal anything new, but does show us that there’s still a cutout for that circular spot on the rear of the phone, further indicating that it’s a fingerprint scanner.

The photos leaked from a Google+ user in China who says he got them “from a friend.” Huawei is based in China and manufactures its devices there, so the story checks out in that regard. In any case, take the photos with a grain of salt, as we have yet to get any official confirmation on the next Nexus devices.

We’ll keep you up to speed on any more rumors and developments surrounding these new Nexus devices.

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