However unconventional the OnePlus reservation system may be, it appears to be working for them yet again as they have crossed two million reservations for the OnePlus 2 in less than two weeks.

Flagship killer or not, that’s a very respectable number, but it has to be taken with a grain of salt given that there is no guarantee how many of those tossing their hat in the ring for an invite are going to actually follow through when their time comes. That’s particularly true if OnePlus can’t deliver the phones at a considerably faster pace than last year as we head into the release of the Moto X Style and potentially multiple Nexus devices aimed at a very similar demographic as the OnePlus 2.

While the OnePlus 2 compromises sit well with some, they strip away one of the most highly touted features of the last year (quick charging), some features that appear ready to finally explode this year (NFC based payments) and the promise of USB Type-C falls short with the lack of support for faster charging and data transfer.

This upper mid-range class of devices seems to be hitting a sweet spot for a lot of consumers that are not willing to shell out several hundred dollars for a smartphone, but still crave something more than what the true budget devices have to offer and in that spirit I’m glad to see OnePlus experiencing success again as it will continue to put the pressure on others to deliver similar value to consumers.

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Google’s Chromecast is a great little invention and its popularity has done nothing but grow. More and more apps continue to support the handy little device and Google has put out a blog post announcing some new apps that support Chromecast. The most notable app of the bunch is HBO Now, HBO’s available subscription streaming service that doesn’t also require a subscription to HBO’s cable service. For Chromecast users, watching Game of Thrones just got a little bit easier.

Other new apps include a couple games in the form of FitFlap and PhraseBlitz, as well as a mixed bag of others. Pixlr, the popular photo editing app, now includes support for editing on the big screen as well as viewing your photos. Watch Food Network and Watch Travel Channel add a slew of new shows available to cast onto our TV, and for children and the nostalgic among us, Pokemon TV now includes Chromecast support.

That’s all for now, but more apps are constantly being updated to include Chromecast support, so keep watch over your favorites.

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The glory days of HTC are long gone and the company is continuing to struggle. Amid prolonged financial instability, the company has faced decreased sales even with its flagship smartphone, the HTC One M9. Now the company is cutting back even further, with plans to cut jobs “across the board.” The company is also planning to discontinue certain models of devices in order to place more focus on its high-end division, where it feels it has a fighting chance.

The cuts will reportedly continue into the first quarter of next year, but analysts are predicting that the company will continue to struggle for at least the next four quarters. HTC stocks, sales and profits have tumbled in 2015, likely due to an unenthusiastic response to HTC’s flagship One M9. HTC has been a major player since the early days of Android and we’re rooting for the company as it works to get back on track. It would be a shame to see it collapse.

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Rumors of there being more than one Nexus-branded smartphone in any given year are not all that surprising anymore, so when stories surfaced that LG and Huawei had been tapped to create a Nexus smartphone for 2015, the echo chamber took over.

Since then, rumored specifications for the Huawei Nexus have managed to find their way online (and they certainly sound impressive enough), and even more talks about what a Huawei Nexus might look like and feature. That train continues rolling as a new video has been published by Steve Hemmerstoffer (@onleaks) that reportedly features the Huawei “Angler,” which is reportedly the codename for the upcoming Nexus smartphone.

The video is short, but there’s enough there to catch someone’s attention at least. We can see a relatively large circular camera, as well as a pill-shaped flash next to it. Below the camera a shape that could indicate a fingerprint reader is also clearly visible. If the video is any indication, then the power/lock button is on the side of the handset, too.

Any other details that might be floating around out there aren’t revealed by the photo, but at least for now it’s a pretty straightforward look at the back of the device that could very well be (one of) the next Nexus-branded smartphone. Based on what you see here, and with rumors that it could boast a 5.7-inch display, is the Huawei Nexus something you hope comes to life?

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How about some nice smartphone deals to help you over the Wednesday hump? The first deal we’ve got for you today is for the HTC One M9, which is an AT&T-branded model, but comes unlocked and manufacturer refurbished. The phone comes with 32GB of storage and costs $379.99. It’s worth noting that because this One M9 is unlocked, it’ll work on non-AT&T GSM carriers, but T-Mobile users will only get HSPA on the refarmed 1900MHz network. LTE should work fine.

If you’d prefer a phone that’s slightly larger, you can get a refurbished and unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 4 for $369.99. Like the One M9, this is the AT&T-branded version. Also like the One M9, this model will work on non-AT&T carriers, but T-Mo customers will only get HSPA on the 1900MHz airwaves.

The Galaxy Note 4 is going to be replaced as Samsung’s flagship Android phablet in a about a week, but the Note 4 has a high-end spec list that includes a 2560×1440 display and 16-megapixel camera. It’s also got a microSD slot and removable battery, two features that the Note 5 is expected to lack. So if you’re in the hunt for a new phablet and demand a microSD slot or removable battery, this Note 4 deal may be one to jump on.

Sources: eBay: HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy Note 4

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It’s Wednesday, and that means that it’s time for Google to update some of its Android apps. This time around, its Google Keep and Google Slides that are getting updates.

First up, Google Keep’s update will let you easily copy one of your notes to Google Docs. Simply select the note that you want to copy, hit the overflow menu, and tap “Copy to Docs.” BAM. You’ve got your Google Keep note in Google Docs.

The second update is for Google Slides. The app’s latest version will let you share your Slides presentations to video Hangouts calls, letting you conduct presentations from your phone or tablet. The app will automatically list your meetings, show you who’s on the call before starting the presentation, advance slides, view speaker notes, and use the built-in timer.

Both of these updates are now rolling out in the Play Store, so keep an eye out for ‘em in the coming hours and days.

Via: Droid-Life
Sources: Google Keep, Google Slides

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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.

Disneyland

Description: Download the official app for the Disneyland® Resort! Enhance your next visit with an enchanting mobile experience. 

WWE Network

Description: With WWE Network you get instant and unlimited access to: All WWE pay-per-views LIVE – including WrestleMania, 24/7 scheduled and live programming, Groundbreaking original series, reality shows, and documentaries.

Stagelight

Description: Stagelight is packed full of music creation tools, step-by-step lessons, and an in-app store to suit every musical genre.

Focus

Description: Focus is an incredible new kind of gallery, perfectly tuned for speed, efficiency, and ease of use.

Genius

Description: Genius is the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics and crowdsourced musical knowledge. Find annotated lyrics for all your favorite songs, or browse what’s hot on Genius. Explore a world of knowledge, crowdsourced from millions of obsessed fans – the Genius community.

Weather 360 + widgets & clocks

Description: Weather 360 is the most beautiful, Material design Android weather forecast application and widget which offers weather forecast, analog clock and digital clock widgets, smart battery tracker and weather widget.

Yahoo Livetext

Description: Welcome to Livetext for Android, the most natural way to have REAL conversations. It’s live video texting, without sound. You will feel like your friends are right there with you.

The Garden for Cardboard

Description: The Garden is your own personal sculpture garden. A place to relax and enjoy fine art. In this Roman Antiquity edition, five real sculptures from ancient Rome decorate The Garden. Each sculpture is a highly-detailed 3D scan that can be inspected in a close-up viewer mode.

Polarr Photo Editor

Description: From high precision color tools to advanced clarity and dehaze filters, Polarr brings professional photo editing tools to your mobile device!

 Mobile TV

Description: Watch TV while away from home: Digital TV brings the broadcast TV experience to the mobile device, with the additional support of the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and Ginga, for user interactivity.

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August 5 has been a busy day for security updates. Earlier in the day, AT&T, Sprint and Alcatel confirmed their own plans for patching up several different devices that could fall victim to the Stagefright exploit. Then it was announced that the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 will be getting their own software updates for the same issue.

Now Google has officially announced that its Nexus program will begin receiving monthly updates specifically built for security in an attempt to make sure that the devices are safe and secure on a regular basis. Google, while updating its devices directly as usual, will also be notifying its manufacturing partners of the updates as they happen too.

Google, for its part, noted in its official announcement that Nexus devices already received regular and security-focused updates much faster than other Android-based devices, but this new program will ensure that they receive these types of updates even faster:

“Nexus devices have always been among the first Android devices to receive platform and security updates. From this week on, Nexus devices will receive regular OTA updates each month focused on security, in addition to the usual platform updates.”

With this new program, previous programs won’t disappear. Specifically, Google will still be supporting Nexus devices with platform upgrades for up to 2 years, and security patches will still be issued to devices for up to 3 years.

Just recently, Samsung announced its own plans for monthly security updates to its devices.

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In the wake of the Stagefright security flaw, Samsung has decided to go ahead and create a new Android security update process that promises faster fixes and fast tracked updates for major bugs. While details are still scant, it appears that Samsung will be sending out a regular over-the-air security update once a month for its devices, thus ensuring consistent protection. For major bugs, the company will likely fast track an immediate update.

It’s good to see Samsung taking security seriously. The company has a strong reputation with Samsung Knox, its enterprise security system, and it looks to be bringing security to the forefront for consumer devices as well. With any luck, we’ll see other companies follow suit and place a larger focus on security.

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Plenty of big phones are in the works, and Sony has a couple up its sleeve. The Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact are set to be the newest additions to Sony’s flagship line. A couple of days ago, a photo began circulating that showed the phones next to an iPhone, with all of the phones displaying their capabilities with a fingerprint scanner, with the Xperia devices hosting theirs inside of the power button.

Now, a second picture has come from ViziLeaks that shows the two phones from a side view, stacked on top of each other. The Xperia Z5 Compact is predictably shorter, but also appears to be slightly thicker than its full-size brother. We can also see a camera button, volume rocker and side power button, which reportedly contains the fingerprint scanner. Both devices are reportedly set to be announced at IFA 2015, so it won’t be long before we hear official word on them. Keep it locked on the site for more coverage of rumors and leaks.

Source: @ViziLeaks (1), (2)

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