Alcatel OneTouch is hoping lighting will strike twice with the compact 4.7-inch display version of their highly-rated budget unlocked Idol 3 5.5. Announced at Mobile World Congress back in March, the US and Canada will finally be able to get their hands on the Idol 3 4.7. Just like its bigger brother, the Idol 3 4.7 will boast dual front-facing JBL speakers and is fully functional upside down. Similar to other compact versions of phones, though, the Idol 3 4.7 is missing a few cores, pixels, and RAM.

One of my biggest beefs with the Idol 3 5.5 was its slippery back (easily fixable with a skin or case). In combination with the large display and size, it made gripping the slippery device difficult. Dropping the display down almost a full inch might make this phone much easier to handle. I think smaller phones are  a breath of fresh air these days, and with its price tag of $179.99, this is definitely a device for budget-conscious users out there to keep on their radar.

Here are the specs released for the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7:

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7 will be launching this Friday, August 14th in the US and Canada. It will be available for $179.99 unlocked from alcatelonetouch.us (USA) and alcatelonetouch.ca (Canada) as well as Amazon.

How do you feel about Alcatel OneTouch’s new compact offering? I’m excited to get my hands on Idol 3 4.7 and see if it can live up to the hype the 5.5 brought. Keep your eyes out for a full review of this device. Let us know if you have any questions or anything you want covered in a review when we get the device. Fill us in on your thoughts by commenting below.

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At this point, it seems that just about every part of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has been leaked. But what about the box that the phone comes in? Now that has leaked, too.

Images that allegedly show the Galaxy Note 5’s packaging have been posted online. The shots, which were originally posted to Facebook but have since been deleted, show a white box labeled with the Note 5’s name, its storage capacity, and some of its specs. The box says that the Note 5 will offer an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (likely more in other versions), 16-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras, a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, and wireless charging.

As for what’s inside the box, some more hands-on images of the Note 5 have leaked as well. Posted to Reddit, they offer more clear looks of the Note 5 in its glass and metal glory, as well as some images of the Galaxy S6 edge+ too. They don’t really reveal much new info about either phone, but they’re nice to look at.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5, along with the S6 edge+ and a mysterious third device, are expected to debut on August 13. It’s on that date that we’ll finally get clear looks as Samsung’s next big things, full spec rundowns, and some honest-to-goodness hands-on time with the phones. And while the Note 5’s rumored lack of a microSD slot and removable battery may be a turn-off for some, it’s probably best to save any judgments until after August 13 rolls around.

Via: Pocketnow
Sources: Hooror (Facebook), Reddit

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The Stagefright exploit has had quite an effect on Android, causing several device makers to commit to monthly security updates. For many phones, that took effect this week, with companies like Google and Samsung pushing out updates to patch the exploit. Now Motorola has revealed its plans for patching Stagefright.

A new Motorola support page explains that the company became aware of the Stagefright exploit in late June, and since then Moto has been working to patch and protect its devices. The new Moto X Style/Pure Edition and Moto X Play will come with the Stagefright patch pre-installed, as will most Moto G (3rd Gen.) units. Motorola acknowledges that some early Moto G (3rd Gen.) shipments went out without the Stagefright patch, but the the firm promises that an update will be pushed to those devices “soon.”

As for other phones in Motorola’s lineup, Moto says that it’s going to start giving its Stagefright patch to carrier partners on August 10. From there, it’ll work with the carriers to get the updates out as quickly as possible. Here are the devices that Motorola will be issuing Stagefright patches to:

• Moto X Style (patched from launch)
• Moto X Play (patched from launch)
• Moto X (1st Gen, 2nd Gen)
• Moto X Pro
• Moto Maxx/Turbo
• Moto G (1st Gen, 2nd Gen, 3rd Gen)
• Moto G with 4G LTE (1st Gen, 2nd Gen)
• Moto E (1st Gen, 2nd Gen)
• Moto E with 4G LTE (2nd Gen)
• DROID Turbo
• DROID Ultra/Mini/Maxx

August 10 is only a few days away, but it’s unclear how long Motorola’s Stagefright updates will be in carrier testing limbo. We’ve already seen several updates issued for carrier-branded Samsung devices, though, so here’s to hoping that the Motorola updates start to appear next week. Until then, Motorola’s got details on how to disable auto-downloading of MMS messages for several popular messaging apps.

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There’s some big news today involving Twitter, and for once, it’s good!

Joaquim Vergès, developer of Twitter app Falcon Pro and other Android apps, has announced that he’s joining Twitter as part of the Android core UI group. Vergès explains that he’s gotten tired of all of the limitations that Twitter places on third-party developers, adding that he wants to “make a killer official app with full API and a modern UI.”

Guys, big news. It’s finally official. I’m joining the @Twitter Android core UI team!

— Joaquim Vergès (@joenrv) August 7, 2015

As for Falcon Pro, Vergès says that the app will stay with him. It sounds like he plans to continue working on it, too, explaining that “it’ll be a great place to try new experiments without the slowness of a big company.”

Vergès has done great work on Android, with Falcon Pro being one of the best Twitter apps available on the platform. However, Twitter’s harsh restrictions have had ill effects on Vergès and other developers, including limiting the number of user tokens that an app can have. What makes those restrictions worse is that Twitter’s official app is inferior to third-party offerings. With Vergès joining the Twitter team, though, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens with it in the future. And what’s more, Falcon Pro will stick around as a place for Vergès to experiment with, so it’s probably worth keeping it installed if you’ve already got it.

Sources: @joenrv (1), (2), (3)

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Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.

Moto – Version 3.0.0

What’s new in this version:

• It learns your home and work locations, and you can save any place and it will act appropriately there.
• Tell your phone to keep quiet, vibrate or talk to you depending on where you are or what you’re doing.
• When choosing to silence your phone, you can set exceptions such as when a favorite calls.

Link Bubble – Version 1.5.0

What’s new in this version:

• Support for drop down element
• Added ability to color the toolbar with a site’s theme / favicon color (Settings -> Color toolbar)
• Added “domain redirects” Customization, Allowing you to define domains Which, When loaded, will Always Be Referred to your fallback browser
• Updated appearance for material design
• Use Lollipop themed snack bar promptly
• Translation Support for 6 new languages

AirDroid – Version 3.1.4

What’s new in this version:

• Fixed the exploit did Attackers in the same network can upload files to your device without authentication in some way.
• Fixed a bug That Prevents uploading folder with more than 100 files successfully in AirDroid Web.

HBO Now – Version 1.1.0

What’s new in this version:

• Push Notifications
• Chromecast Support
• Performance Improvements

Runtastic – Version 6.0.0

What’s new in this version:

• NEW Running Leaderboard Because we all need a little friendly competition. Challenge your friends on the new Running leaderboard.
• Find & add friends now so Directly in your app and start sharing your Runtastic accomplishments.
• Enjoy our new Real Voice Coach for at improved performance and personal trainer-like encouragement.
• New Story Run: The Tetra III Dome Run

Google Slides – Version 1.2.312

What’s new in this version:

• Change and apply layouts
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

OneNote – Version 15.1.4229

What’s new in this version:

• Simply start taking a note and start dictating; we’ll transcribe everything you say and save it into your Quick Notes.
• Get access to all you recent notes by using the app on the watch device. It’s that simple.

Watch Food Network – Version 2.0.0

What’s new in this version:

BBC News – Version 3.2.0

What’s new in this version:

• Android Wear support

Amazon Cloud Drive – Version 1.1.0

What’s new in this version:

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The Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 will soon be upon us and thus it’s a given that leaks are going to be heating up. We’ve seen an abundance of both devices already, and the latest comes from @evleaks and reveals a keyboard cover for the Galaxy S6 edge+. Hardware keyboards are hard to come by in Android devices these days — they’re basically extinct — and while most seem at peace with that evolution, there are always those that come out of the woodwork when we post even the vaguest rumor of a hardware keyboard and wax poetic about what a wonderful and superior experience they offer. Well it looks like the Galaxy S6 edge+ keyboard cover could finally give you the opportunity to own a modern smartphone whilst also enjoying the pleasures of a hardware keyboard. Naturally, you will have to pay a bit for this luxury, as it is going to add some length to the bottom of the device, but you do get the standard Android buttons at the bottom along with pretty full device protection from the look of things. While I think it will cause some people physical pain to see a device that looks as nice as a Galaxy S6 edge+ saddled with what seems like a rather unfortunate-looking keyboard and case combo, I have no doubt there are physical keyboard diehards that will fly to its defense. So are you still out there keyboard lovers and if so has Samsung appeased you with this compromise?

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Over the last few years, the mobile industry has been making some major changes to the way that those in the U.S. get their hands on smartphones and other devices. While two-year contracts and phone subsidies aren’t completely gone just yet, it all seems inevitable at this point. And Verizon Wireless is now driving that point home.

The wireless carrier has just confirmed that some major changes are coming to its plan lineup on Thursday, August 13. First and foremost, the rate plans are changing in a big way, getting more simplified along the way. They will now be known simply as Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large. The Small plan will offer 1GB of data per month for $30 per month, the Medium with 3GB of data for $45 per month, while the Large will boast 6GB of data for $60 per month, and, finally, the X-Large plan will offer 12GB of data for $80 per month.

A $15 per gigabyte fee will hit any subscriber that goes over their monthly allotment.

On top of that initial charge, Big Red will charge a monthly access fee of $20 per smartphone, $10 per tablet or dongle, and $5 per wearable. Finally, subscribers will have to tack on the monthly payment of their smartphone, tablet, dongle, and/or wearable, too.

Why? Because Verizon Wireless is ditching two-year contracts completely beginning August 13. The carrier is moving away from the option altogether, going all-in with monthly payments. Verizon is also ditching its “Edge” branding in this big shuffle.

Current Verizon subscribers won’t have to change their plan to the new one by default, but if they want a new phone, or to change their plan to cut some costs, these new offerings will be the only ones available beginning August 13. And, if someone does switch to the new plans, the new phone must be purchased with monthly payments, as those yearly contract options won’t be available.

What do you think of these changes?

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Earlier in the week, Samsung said that some of its lineup would begin receiving monthly, security-focused updates following the release of patches for the Stagefright exploit. Soon after, Google confirmed the same news for its Nexus-branded devices.

Now with the focus on Android and security, another major manufacturer within the Android Army has announced that it, too, will officially support monthly updates that will focus primarily on security. LG released a statement to the folks at WIRED, saying that it will release security-focused updates every month that carriers will be able to push to their subscribers quickly enough:

LG will be providing security updates on a monthly basis which carriers will then be able to make available to customers immediately. We believe these important steps will demonstrate to LG customers that security is our highest priority.

There’s no doubt that security is a huge focal point right now, not even just for Android devices, as smartphones become more ubiquitous and carry more of our personal data. It’s good to see so many manufacturers promising these types of updates, even if it still remains to be seen whether or not the carriers actually work with them to release these updates in a timely (or even monthly) fashion. Fingers crossed, right?

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At today’s event in India, ASUS announced that it’s launching four new phones for the Indian market. With four phones to cover, we’ll dive right in with the ASUS ZenFone Max, an enormous smartphone with an enormous battery. The ZenFone Max is packed with a 5.5-inch display, Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus, 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a whopping 5000mAh battery to keep you powered through the day and night.

Next up is the ASUS ZenFone Laser, which quite clearly focuses on the laser autofocus of the device. The ZenFone Laser packs a 13-megapixel with laser autofocus, f/2.0 aperture and dual-tone LED flash. It brings in some options for other features such as three different display size choices of 5-inch, 5.5-inch and 6-inch, with a resolution of up to 1080p and Gorilla Glass 4 covering on all three displays. Performance-wise, you can choose from a range starting with the Snapdragon 410 processor and 2GB of RAM up to the octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and 3GB of RAM.

ASUS Zenfone Laser & Zenfone Selfie

The third device is the ZenFone Selfie, which is the 5.5-inch version of the ZenFone Laser with a Snapdragon 615 processor and the addition of a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with wide angle lens and an f/2.2 aperture.

The final phone is the ZenFone 2 Deluxe. The ZenFone 2 Deluxe is the highest-specced ZenFone 2 with a new multifaceted polygonal back cover that looks ridiculously good. In terms of specs, you’ll find a 5.5-inch 1080p display, quad-core 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage plus microSD card slot, 13-megapixel rear camera and a 3000mAh battery with fast charging.

The phones will be coming to India soon, but specifics weren’t given. Pricing hasn’t been revealed for the ZenFone Max, but the ZenFone Laser will range from 9,999 Rupees ($160 USD) to 17,999 Rupees ($280 USD) depending on the configuration. The ZenFone Selfie will sell for 15,999 Rupees ($250 USD) and the ZenFone 2 Deluxe will be very competitively priced at 14,999 Rupees ($240 USD).

ASUS Zenfone Max

Via: Engadget (1), (2)

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Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap of new game releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we’re playing, but this column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions for next week’s post.

Clandestine: Anomaly

Description: In Clandestine: Anomaly your mobile device becomes super-charged with alien software, allowing you to see a hidden conflict all around you, and quickly build and deploy colossal structures to launch attacks and defend your neighborhood.

Trulon – The Shadow Engine

Description:  Enter a world of steampunk and magic by experiencing the debut title of the Trulon series. Trulon – The Shadow Engine is an adventure RPG with a unique card combat system.

Drop Hunt

Description: Drop Hunt is a game where you are tasked with moving colored droplets into their corresponding jar. You will have to solve eighty puzzle levels that are spread across four different locations to restore the elixir and save the daughter.

Shibuya Grandmaster

Description:  Featuring a stunningly simple and award-winning mechanic, Shibuya Grandmaster is a fast-paced arcade game of depth and old-school challenge that will have you honing your skills for years.

Barmark

Description: Barmark is a point n’ click exploration game, where you can alter the game’s environment in order to achieve harmony and personal perfection. There are no goals, no points and no death. Barmark let’s you be in control of your own experience.

Cosmonautica

Description: Cosmonautica combines elements of space trading and crew simulation to create a unique experience. Only if you take good care of your crew you will be able to succeed.

4×4 Jam HD

Description: 4×4 JAM HD is the most unique all-terrain Off-Road Racing extravaganza you’ve ever seen. Dash through the river, jump over your opponents, roll down a steep hill – there are no limits and no boundaries in 4×4 JAM HD!

Faming Simulator 2016

Description: Farming Simulator 16 allows you to manage your own realistic farm in extraordinary detail. Plant, grow, harvest, and sell five different crops, raise cows and sheep, and sell timber at your own pace.

Tales of Illyria:Destinies RPG

Description: Rise as the hero of your own story as you struggle to survive in a world where demons and dysentery could plague your every step. Choose your name, appearance, gender and one of six kingdom origins. 

Shooting Stars!

Description:  Shooting Stars is a refreshing colorful and funny take on the classic arcade shoot’em up, bullet hell, shmup, space invader like, whatever you want to call it – but finally, with evil aliens disguised as superstars, cats and rainbow lazers.

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