Batteries. They power all of our portable electronics and are of the utmost importance. Naturally, we all crave a powerful battery to keep our devices going. Tablets require even larger batteries to keep them going thanks to their big, beautiful screens. Generally, we don’t like to charge our tablet everyday. And while the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ has some flaws, we’re pleased to let you know that it has zero problems when it comes to the battery. In fact, it even excels.

The Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ packs in a cylindrical 9,000mAh battery. The cylinder design allows for a bigger battery, giving the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ an estimated 18 hours of battery life. I’ll say this: I got nowhere near 18 hours of battery life. I got far over that. With light usage and max brightness, I was able to keep the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ running for five days.

Five. Whole. Days.

The Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ has better battery life than any mobile device I’ve ever tested. Even with the screen on full brightness, it’s pretty easy to get six, maybe even seven hours of battery life. In short, you’re going to get some of the best battery life out there. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t often have access to a charger, or just doesn’t like to charge their device very often. the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ is the right tablet for you.

Naturally, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ takes a fair amount of time to charge, but that’s to be expected with such a large battery. The device gets warm while charging, but not uncomfortably so, and it certainly isn’t a problem.

Frankly, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ is the tablet to get if your only concern is battery life. It has flaws in other areas, but in battery alone, we can give the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ two thumbs up. It keeps you going for days, quite literally, and allows you to get the most out of your device before having to set it down to charge. On battery alone, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ takes the cake.

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The LG G3 is only a couple of weeks away from making its official debut in the U.S. As many mobile tech lovers know, though, even a couple of weeks can feel like an eternity when you’re excited for a new piece of hardware. Luckily for us, the rumor mill is here to make the wait a bit easier.

The Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile versions of the LG G3 have leaked out in a set of renders ahead of their launches. The AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile G3s look fairly similar to the international variant, with AT&T and T-Mobile opting to include their branding on the unit’s backside. Verizon took things a step further by slapping its logo on the G3’s face as well.

There’s nothing terribly surprising that’s revealed in this latest LG G3 leak, as we’ve seen before that Verizon can get a bit logo-happy when it comes to its hardware. Still, it’s nice to get a peek at what all four models will look like ahead of their U.S. launches, especially for those of us that plan to pick one up.

The LG G3 is slated to launch at T-Mobile on July 16 and Sprint on July 18. Rumors have suggested that Verizon will launch its version smack dab in the middle of those two dates on July 17. Are you thinking about buying the LG G3? To get prepared, or to help make up your mind, be sure to read our LG G3 review right here!

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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.

Google Sheets – Version 1.3.251

What’s new in this version:

• Open, edit, and save Microsoft Excel files.
• View charts, insert formulas, and use find/replace.

Google Docs – Version 1.3.251

What’s new in this version:

• Open, edit, and save Microsoft Word documents

Glassboard – Version 2.7.0

What’s new in this version:

• Added pull to refresh to board feeds.
• Updated default font sizes.
• Removed notification bar along bottom.
• Rounded user avatars in board timelines.
• Always show the notifications icon in the action bar.

Vine – Version 2.1.0

What’s new in this version:

• Loop counts! It’s a view counter for your videos, counting each loop that your Vine video plays both in the app and on the web. Where to find it: just look in the top right of each video, and you’ll watch in real time the number grows!
• A new, cleaner feed design. Re-designed to be more streamlined, offering you bigger and more beautiful videos.
• We’ve also redesigned the Activity section to include new account milestones and more concise notifications.
  

30 Day Abs Core Challenge – Version 1.4.5

What’s new in this version:

• Added Exercise Techniques

Fenix for Twitter – Version 1.3.2

What’s new in this version:

• It’s now possible to tweet multiple images (up to 4). While composing a tweet, you can remove an attached image with a long press.
• You can now choose from which account to retweet (by long pressing the retweet button)
• Fixed duplicate retweets with real time updates
• Fixed favoriting / retweeting from a user profile screen

Nova Launcher – Version 3.0.2

What’s new in this version:

• “L” Folder Preview (Nova Settings – Folder – Folder Preview – Line
• “L” App Drawer Icon (Long-press app drawer – Edit – Tap Icon – All white icon under “Built-in”
• “L” App Animation (Nova Settings – Look and Feel – App Animation – Slide Up)

Audible for Android – Version 1.5.7

What’s new in this version:

TripAdvisor Hotels Flights – Version 9.0.1

What’s new in this version:

• Offline Support
• Member profiles now show photos and badges.
• Now you can find and reserve tables at thousands of restaurants worldwide.
• Now you can tap and hold the back button to speed back to the home screen.

IFTTT – Version 8.1.1

What’s new in this version:

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The list of devices that will receive Android L grows!

OnePlus confirmed today that the OnePlus One will receive an update to Android L. The company didn’t say much about what will be included in the update, but it did promise that Android L will be pushed to the One “within three months” of the final build’s release.

The OnePlus One is a a fairly new flagship smartphone, so it’s not a shock to learn that it’ll be upgraded to the next major version of Android. It’s always good to get confirmation straight from the horse’s OEM’s mouth, though. And while the OnePlus One may still be somewhat difficult to come by, those of you that are waiting to purchase one can at least rest easy knowing that once you finally get a unit, you’ll be able to move to Android L.

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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.

Blek

Description: The goal is simple: shape a line that collects all colored circles avoiding black holes on its route. There are no specific moves that you need to master. To every level countless solutions exist, from delightfully simple to exceptionally deep and complex, yet always elegant.

LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum

Description: Before you download this experience, please consider that this app contains social media links to connect with others and in-app purchases that cost real money. Also please be noted that you must download the free instant messenger app LINE in order to log in to LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum.

The Ministry of Silly Walks

Description: Your assignment as a member of this venerable organisation is to showcase your increasingly frantic promenading as far as you possibly can. As you and your stiff upper lip travel through the streets of London take care to avoid obstacles and pesky pigeons. Bank coins and collect power ups to help take your walk to new heights of silliness.

Disney Bola Soccer

Description: Do you have what it takes to WIN? Play solo or against your friends in this ultimate soccer adrenaline rush and prove that you’re the champ! LEAD YOUR DREAM TEAM from the slum to win the global championship.

Eliss Infinity

Description: Eliss is an award winning and critically praised game, with innovative multitouch gameplay, a stylish and fluid procedural design, dynamic sounds, and a superb soundtrack. It’s a fast-paced puzzle/action game that will push your limits as a player.

99 Bricks Wizard Academy

Description: 99 Bricks Wizard Academy is a fun and magical physics builder. Can you build the highest tower? Explore a magical world and learn powerful spells to improve your building skills. Do you have what it takes to become the wizard of legends?

Wartune: Hall of Heroes

Description: Are you ready for an amazing role-playing game experience? WARTUNE: HALL OF HEROES is now on mobile! Join millions of players together to share victory with friends! Adventurers, face your destiny in the HALL OF HEROES! The world of WARTUNE awaits!

KIM KARDASHIAN: HOLLYWOOD

Description: Join KIM KARDASHIAN on a red carpet adventure in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood! Create your own aspiring celebrity and rise to fame and fortune!

Star Nomad: RPG RTS Sandbox

Description: Star Nomad is a top-down Role Playing Strategy Sandbox. It was created as a tribute to classic sandbox spacesims of old such as Wing Commander: Privateer 1 & 2, Escape Velocity and Freelancer. 

INDY 500 Arcade Racing

Description: Feeling the Nostalgia of playing Real Arcade Racing games ? Don’t look further… INDY 500® Arcade Racing does bring back the fun of the retro Arcade atmosphere whilst using today’s latest technology. In cooperation with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, We are proud to introduce (exclusive for Android worldwide), the official INDY 500® track and 33 meticulously-detailed open-wheel INDY cars.

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Eagerly awaiting the public launch of the first Android Wear hardware? If so, I’ve got some good news for you, friend.

Our own Brooks ordered an LG G Watch when it hit the Play Store’s virtual shelves last week, and today he received an alert that it had left the warehouse and was on its way to him. The LG G Watch’s product page says that any new orders will ship in one to two business days.

It’s great to see that Google is pushing the first batch of Android Wear hardware out so quickly after Google I/O. After all, no one likes to wait months for new goodies to be released. And with a new Android Wear update and a multitude of Android Wear-friendly apps, the LG G Watch buyers that are receiving these shipping notifications will have plenty to do when their wristwear arrives.

Did any of you order an LG G Watch? If you did, have you gotten a shipping notification?

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Android Wear smartwatches haven’t been released to the public yet, but they’re already getting a new software update. Both the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live are receiving an update that brings them to build KMV78V. This update didn’t come with a changelog, nor does it have any noticeable changes.

Most likely, this update is to bring the G Watch and Gear Live to the latest version of Android Wear that’s ready for consumers. The devices starting to ship from the Play Store, so everything needs to be ready for common folk to get them on their wrists. We’re excited, and our own Brooks has purchased an LG G Watch that should arrive soon. Did you order an Android Wear device? Leave a comment!

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With mobile devices coming from every direction, we need a way to test them and see how they stack up to one another. Out of this need, benchmarks were born, providing us with a rough way to keep track of the devices that we hold so dear. Obviously day-to-day performance is what really matters, so that’ll be covered as well. For now, though, enjoy our benchmark results from the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+.

Benchmarks

As you can see, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ performs at about the level we’d expect from a device with a Snapdragon 400 processor. You shouldn’t consider this a gaming or high productivity tablet, but rather a device for light web browsing, Netflix streaming and maybe some reading. Of course, benchmarks aren’t everything, so let’s take a look at how the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ performs in day-to-day use.

Reality

In reality, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ feels pretty low-end when it comes to performance. Even for a device with a Snapdragon 400 processor, it feels slow. Nearly every task that involves using the touchscreen stutters. Every animation is choppy and lacks any sort of polish to make it seem pleasant. The device just isn’t pleasurable to use.

Web browsing is okay. Scrolling stutters a bit, but that’s to be expected. Websites load at a decent rate and for light stuff, it works pretty well. Video streaming is another area where the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ didn’t face issues. Loading and streaming video took about the same time as any higher-end device on the market, and I didn’t encounter dropped frames or buffering as on some lower-end devices. For mild things like those, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ works well.

For nearly everything else, however, the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ doesn’t provide a nice experience. The stutters and lag just make the device feel shabby in comparison to other devices on the market. One device that particularly comes to mind is the Nexus 7 (2013). A year into its life, the Nexus 7 (2013) still outpaces the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ in every aspect of performance. The comparison makes the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ feel even more behind the times and just not ready to compete in the market.

In short, if you’re looking for a performance tablet, then the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ isn’t right for you. It’ll perform basic tasks, but don’t expect smooth, fluid animations and the power to play good 3D games.

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Normally, quarterly earnings reports are rather dry. But for HTC, a company that has long struggled with making money, quarterly reports are pretty important. Today HTC’s Q2 earnings are out, and the company has shown its first profit in a year, pulling in NT$2.26 billion ($75 million). That’s a thin sliver of the NT$65 billion ($2.17 billion) in revenue, but any profit is good profit for HTC.

Interestingly enough, the revenue is actually less than HTC generated in sales last year, but since the company’s measures to trim down unnecessary costs, the net profit is higher. Unfortunately, this is probably the peak of profit for HTC in 2014. The HTC One (M8), HTC’s highly-praised flagship, led the company to this point, but through the rest of the year sales will decline as the phone ages. Unless HTC has a major launch prepared for the fall, it appears that we’ll probably see the same pattern of a Q2 peak and slow decline afterwards.

What do you think could bring HTC back to year-round profitability?

Show Press Release

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Anyone that bought the LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live may have a few more days before they’re wearing their new toy on their wrist, but right now you can prepare for your wearable’s arrival by downloading one app.

The official Android Wear app is now available in the Google Play Store. The app helps you to pair your Android device to your new wearable and, once paired, lets you control your voice action preferences, adjust your notification settings and configure your devices.

Obviously there’s not a lot that you can do with the Android Wear app right now, but if you did order a G Watch or Gear Live, you may want to download this app anyway. After all, doing it now means that you’ll spend less time setting the wearable up once it finally escapes from its cardboard home and migrates onto your wrist.

Have you purchased an Android Wear device?

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