You’ve probably already seen all the leaked pictures and know every last details of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ from the dozens of stories we’ve shared with you over the past month or two, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sit back and enjoy the LIVE Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event with us. We’ll be sharing hands-on videos and our first impressions of the two new devices later today, stay tuned!
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With Q3 earning projections expected to be the worst in the company’s history, HTC is kicking off an internal realignment that will allow the company to focus on “profitable key areas of premium smartphones, virtual reality and connected lifestyle products.” While this means that HTC Vive and HTC’s upcoming wearables line are still on track, more than 2,000 of HTC’s employees will soon be looking for new jobs. HTC has not disclosed where the majority of the job cuts will be coming from, but we imagine front-line manufacturing positions will be the first to go as sales of HTC smartphone continue to drop.
While cutting 15 percent of its job force is a dramatic first step to get HTC back on track, the company will need to deliver a truly amazing flagship smartphone in 2016 if it wants to be taken seriously as a premium smartphone manufacturer. Cher Wang appears optimistic about HTC’s future, stating “this strategic realignment of our business will ensure that each product group has the right focus, the right resources and the right expertise.”
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It looks like Sprint is preparing for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+. The two devices are going to be announced tomorrow, August 13, at Unpacked, so stay tuned for all the details on the devices! But once they do launch, Sprint will have some incentives for you to buy one.
If you bring in a working smartphone, Sprint will take $200 off the price of one of these new devices. A $200 discount really isn’t bad. And if you sign a new two-year contract, you’ll get a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, too.
The deal ends on August 27th, so between tomorrow and the 27th we’ll see the two devices launch in the United States. Maybe Samsung is planning to launch the next devices right after the event, which would be awesome. Will you be getting one? Leave a comment!
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New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We’ve shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and propel them to new heights. Our weekly Fresh Meat column highlights new apps with fewer than 100,000 installs. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy.
Description: Microsoft Translator helps you break the language barrier whenever you’re traveling or have a need to translate anything in your daily life. Quickly translate phrases on your Android Wear device, or use the companion phone app when it’s more convenient.
Description: Bestie provides you with the most impressive selfie experience. Just tap with your fingers to start the journey of beauty and enjoy best selfie every time!
Description: Tattoo design inspired Clock for Gear Fit. 10 beautiful, bright and elegant themes. 12 and 24 – hour digital time.
Description: Landmarker turns your orientation into an interface, revealing key destinations around you. Click each result locate on Google Maps.
Description: Choose from four watch faces for Android Wear: “Retro Controller”, “Retro Phone”, “Retro Camera” and “Retro Typewriter”. Add some fun illustrations to your Android Wear watch! All designs created by VA work on circular and square watches.
Description: Time Mesh is a motion based Android watchface. If you are calm, time moves in an orderly fashion. If not, ripples will propagate through your perception of time.
Description: Distort time and space by recording your surroundings through a collection of transformative filters. Each filter can be pinched or panned to alter your perception.
Description: Fun your friends with windows Blue Screen Of Death Watch Watch Face. Clean and fast watchface for everyday use.
Description: Lip Swap is an experiment that lets you switch parts of your face with other parts of your face. Talk through your eyes and look through your mouth. Create hilarious videos to share with friends.
Description: Dreamify transforms your photos into otherworldly masterpieces. Using Google’s Deep Dream, Dreamify puts you in control: select from a dozen presets, or toggle the algorithm parameters to innovate on your own.
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If you’re looking for a new low to mid-range smartphone on Verizon, you may be in luck. Verizon has just announced the availability of two new HTC smartphones on its network in the coming weeks, aimed squarely at the budget crowd.
The HTC Desire 526 features a 4.7-inch qHD display, a 1.1GHz Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with a microSD slot, an 8MP camera, and a 2000 mAh battery. It’s aimed at the lower end, but it does have 4G LTE connectivity, which is nice. It will be $120 full retail or $5 a month for 24 months and will be available on the 13th.
The HTC Desire 626 is a bit nicer, with a 5-inch 720p display, the same processor and RAM as the 526, 16GB of storage with a microSD slot, an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, and a 2000 mAh battery. It will be available in the coming weeks, but no price has been given.
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HTC RE, HTC’s quirky little camera accessory, is once again on sale at Best Buy. Instead of the regular $199 price tag, it’s significantly discounted to $99.99 right now. You have your choice of white, blue, and orange, all of which are on sale.
The HTC RE is a camera accessory with a 16MP sensor that relies on your smartphone to function as a viewfinder. You can take both photos and videos, including slow motion and time lapse videos. It’s neat, and significantly cheaper than a GoPro (though it serves a different purpose).
If you’re interested, hit the source link and pick one up!
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Motorola’s new phones have been garnering plenty of attention, and with good reason. All of its new models are fantastic and are hotly anticipated. Now, it looks like we may have a release date for the Moto X Style, or the Moto X Pure Edition if you’re located within the US. A tweet sent out by Motorola’s account announced the release date as September 3, with no caveats as to where it would be released.
The only fishy part is that Motorola has since deleted the tweet. Perhaps it didn’t mean to announce so soon, but it also could have been a mishap with the date on the company’s part. For now, use September 3 as a tentative release date for the Moto X Style / Pure Edition. If it does launch, pricing will start at $399.99 off-contract, with the option to customize the phone’s appearance and storage size.
We’ll keep you posted on more updates regarding the release date.
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Google has had its Chrome Experiments up for some time now, showing off experimental apps for the browser. Now, the company has opted to launch a brand new site, this one focused on the future of apps for not only Android, but also Android Wear.
With Android Experiments, Google is aiming to showcase applications that use forward-thinking technology, interfaces and aesthetics. The applications that are showcased on the site, of which there are nearly 20, are all open source, too, so developers can find out what makes them function and use those same ideas to build something else. The apps range from options for Android tablets, like IOIO Plotter, to experimental watch faces for Android Wear.
For developers that feel their apps should be showcased on the site, Google is now accepting submissions.
Google did tell TechCrunch that while these experimental apps won’t be given a dedicated collection in the Google Play Store, the apps can be searched through the digital storefront, and downloaded from there, too. Check out one of the apps, IOIO Plotter, below.
Do you try out experimental Android apps?
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When shopping for a new phone, processor, screen size, battery life and camera quality are typically the most important specs to consider, but there are many who would argue that wireless charging should make the list as well. There are a handful of competing wireless charging standards, but Qi is currently leading the charge. Most flagship smartphones in 2015 come with Qi compatibility or are built so that users can add Qi charging to the device by purchasing a replaceable back panel or adding in a Qi wireless receiver module.
Wireless charging is currently slower than using the microUSB plug to charge your phone. That being said, we find that it’s a lot more convenient to set your phone down on a wireless charging pad and have the phone charge automatically rather than remembering to plug it in every time you sit down at your desk, get in the car or get into bed at night. But what if you don’t want another “thing” on your desk? Fortunately, there are hundreds of Qi wireless chargers on the market, and many of them come with unique features that make them a lot more useful than a standalone charger.
If your phone does not have Qi wireless charging, we recommend checking out this post to learn how you can add wireless charging to any Android phone for roughly $10. Alternatively, you can read our must-have Quick Charge accessories post if you’re looking for the quickest way to charge your smartphone or tablet.
Back in the day when Nokia was still a smartphone maker, the company made Qi wireless charging a standard feature for its flagship phones. In an effort to make the standard more appealing for consumers, Nokia partnered with JBL to release a Bluetooth speaker with Qi integration. The Nokia MD-100W JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker was originally priced at $300 when it went on sale a few years back, but you can now pick one up for as little as $65.
Don’t let the above image deceive you, the Samsung SE370 is an incredible display for your desktop computer. But it also doubles as Qi wireless charging stand for your smartphone. Available in 23.6 and 27-inch variants, the Samsung SE370 may the first of many new desktop displays to incorporate wireless charging solutions to help declutter your desk.
The perfect desk setup is never complete without a lamp. While there are thousands of desk lamp options, the Arrella Phantom LED lamp offers adjustable lighting, integrated Qi wireless charging and an additional USB port to keep your tablet or secondary smartphone topped off at all times.
Let’s be honest: You probably haven’t had an alarm clock on your night stand since you purchased your first cell phone back in 2001. Fortunately, the NEOpine is a lot more than just an alarm clock. In addition to a digital clock and thermometer, the NEOpine is a Bluetooth speaker (with NFC integration for easy pairing) with Qi wireless charging built in to its top to charge your phone overnight without the hassle of pesky USB cables.
With more and more smartphone markers opting to build phones without removable batteries, external power banks are the new must-have accessory for power users. Any old power bank could charge your phone with a USB cable, but the Qifull Qt80 also comes with Qi wireless charging so that you can ditch the cable when you’re sitting at your desk or at the coffee shop.
The Vinsic Qi Wireless Charger may look like your standard Qi charger, but like the Qifull Qt80, it incorporates an internal battery pack to keep you charged up while on the go. The wedge design may be a bit awkward to carry around in your bag, but that’s a small price to pay for the 10,400mAh battery that stores enough power to keep your phone charged for 3-4 days.
If you own a car, there’s a good chance that you own a car charger for you phone. There are quite a few chargers that mount your phone on your dashboard so that it can be used for navigation, but you’re looking for a distraction-free charging solution that keeps your phone safe, you should definitely check out the Forrader C3 Qi wireless charger Car Cup Holder.
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Project Fi is one of Google’s latest experiments that turns the company into an MVNO. Currently, the only phone available through Fi is Google’s own Nexus 6. The program has had its perks, but Google is adding another one that’s quite significant. If you purchased your Nexus 6 through Project Fi, the company is offering a one-time $100 replacement within one year of purchase in case you damage your phone in some way.
While Google may not be offering a free replacement, $100 is a very reasonable price to replace a phone that, say, has a cracked screen or fell into some water. The best part is that you’re not required to pay any sort of monthly insurance fee to get the benefit. It simply comes with the fact that you’re a Project Fi user who purchased your Nexus 6 through the program.
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