T-Mobile puts LG G3 up for pre-order, will cost you $599

The LG G3 is a great device with some serious specs, including a brilliant 5.5-inch 2560×1440 display. A lot of people are anxiously waiting for it to come out in the US, and it’s not far out. T-Mobile is now offering a pre-order on the smartphone in preparation for the July 16 launch date.

The device will set you back about $599 on T-Mobile, but that can be split up to $25 a month for 24 months if paying it all at once is a little too daunting. The other specs of the device are a Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera with optical image stabilization and laser focus and a hefty 3,000 mAh battery.

If you’re interested in the device, read our LG G3 review for more info before making the decision. Then hit the source link to get pre-ordering! Is this your next Android device?

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Motorola rumored to release Moto 360 at Moto X+1 unveiling

Motorola is a bit later than the others in bringing an Android Wear smartwatch to the world, but seeing the general response towards the Moto 360 leaves me with no doubt in my mind that it’s the most anticipated Android Wear device that’s been announced. It’ll definitely be worth the wait, so long as Android Wear in general lives up to the hype.

However, a new rumor claims that the Moto 360 will be released during the announcement of the Moto X+1, which will be during the “end of the summer.” So we should see it around August. The rumor also states that the watch will be sold through Moto Maker and will feature either a black or steel-colored body and a choice of wrist strap. And in usual Motorola fashion, more wrist straps will be available as time goes on.

If this rumor ends up true, the Moto 360 isn’t too far out. Since the folks from Google I/O are still waiting for their Moto 360 as well, we’re all excited to find out the release date. And of course I’m excited for the Moto X+1 to be unveiled. Will you be picking up a Moto 360, or will you get impatient and get an LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live?

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Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV won’t be getting manufacturer skins

Android skins have been a very important and controversial part of Android almost since its inception. Back when Android was young, it was an undeniably bad operating system. Sure, enthusiasts loved it, but it was terrible for general use. Manufacturer skins managed to change that, starting with HTC Sense UI. Sense really showed us how beautiful and powerful Android could be.

Now skins are far less necessary on devices. Stock Android is sexy and functional. Still, custom overlays serve their purpose in that they both differentiate different brands and add functionality Google hasn’t added itself. Skins are still a very important part of the Android market.

However, things will be different for the new variations of Android. Introduced at Google I/O, Android Wear, Android TV and Android Auto all serve their own purposes with purpose-built user interfaces. And with these products, Google won’t be allowing manufacturers to slap custom user interfaces on the software. It’ll have to stay stock, though branding and custom apps and services will still be allowed.

Since these products will be focused on bringing a specific experience with very specific purposes, it’s good to see Google putting its foot down. While I’m sure manufacturers could come up with something amazing, maybe a stock experience on your TV will be perfectly fine. What do you think of Google’s decision? Leave a comment!

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 gets Galaxy S5 features via update in UK

Samsung has a new flagship out, but older devices haven’t been left behind. In fact, Samsung is now adding some Galaxy S5 features to the older Galaxy Note 3. In the UK, the Galaxy Note 3 is beginning to get an update featuring both Download Booster and KNOX 2.0, both first seen on the Galaxy S5.

Download Booster is a very useful feature that utilizes both your WiFi and cellular connection to download files much faster than usual. KNOX 2.0, on the other hand, isn’t such good news. It’s great for business security, but if you plan to modify your phone, it may be a pain in the butt to circumvent (though rooting with TowelRoot should leave it alone).

If you’re a UK resident with a Galaxy Note 3 device, you may see the update soon (though rollouts like these tend to be slow). Head to settings and check for updates! If you’re from the US, you’ll probably have to wait. Plus, many carriers have taken Download Booster out of the Galaxy S5, so we may not see it on the Note 3 at all.

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Blackphone now shipping to the tune of $630

Security concerns are at some of the highest levels in history thanks to things like the NSA’s surveillance. Out of that, the security-centric Blackphone was born. Blackphone is a decent Android smartphone that’s all about privacy. After the Blackphone was announced, the initial inventory sold out quite quickly. Now the phone is shipping out to those first adopters.

Priced at $630, the Blackphone’s specs include a 4.7-inch HD IPS display, 2GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4i processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB storage with a microSD card slot, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera and Android 4.4 KitKat. The security features are what really make it stand out, and the Blackphone comes with subscriptions to several security services. Voice calls, video calls and texts conducted on the Blackphone are all encrypted, and web browsing goes through Disconnect search to keep it hidden from web monitoring. Features like Wi-Fi are also secured by not allowing access to things that could allow location tracking of Blackphone users. In short, it’s the perfect phone to keep your information private.

What do you think of the Blackphone? Are its security features a good thing?

Show Press Release

GENEVA, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — SGP Technologies SA, the Switzerland-based joint venture of Silent Circle and Geeksphone behind Blackphone, today announced that Blackphone handsets have started shipping to the device’s first pre-order customers. SGP Technologies formally launched Blackphone earlier this year at Mobile World Congress (MWC). There is overwhelming demand for the phone’s focus on user privacy and the unmatched array of integrated features for private communications, browsing, and cloud storage that make Blackphone a category-defining leader in privacy phones. Most recently, MIT Technology Review recognized Blackphone on its prestigious list of the “10 Breakthrough Technologies” of 2014. In addition, Blackphone has won two other awards since its media launch: “The 10 Best Products at MWC 2014″ and 2014 Red Herring Europe Top 100 Winner.

“We are excited to achieve this key milestone on schedule and ship a remarkable device to customers that is the result of an unprecedented combination of privacy and mobile innovations and visionaries,” said Toby Weir-Jones, CEO of SGP Technologies. “Blackphone’s arrival puts mobile privacy directly in the hands of professionals and consumers everywhere. In a world where devices and apps increasingly offer features only in return for users’ personal or sensitive information, the pent-up demand for Blackphone shows there is strong, international demand for our brand’s devices and services that stand apart by placing privacy before all else.”

Blackphone is the world’s first smartphone built from the ground up to maximize user privacy. Blackphone’s security-enhanced operating system, PrivatOS, built on Android™ KitKat, provides users protection and control over security issues without the usual compromises. The unique advantages include:

Private communications: Blackphone features private encrypted voice and video calls and text messaging with attachments via Silent Circle’s, Silent Phone and Silent Text apps created by Phil Zimmermann and Jon Callas, giving users the freedom to communicate securely anywhere they find cellular or Wi-Fi connections.
Wi-Fi security: The included Kismet Smarter Wi-Fi Manager prevents Wi-Fi hotspots from capturing Blackphone users’ wireless connection history and other information that could be used to track users’ locations or patterns of activity and information about sensitive office or home networks.
Security Center: Gives owners complete control over application permissions, allowing immediate changes without rebooting or reinstalling.
Remote wipe and protect: A powerful remote wipe tool gives Blackphone owners further peace of mind in having the ability to control their phone’s data from anywhere in the world.
Anonymous Web browsing and VPN: Disconnect Search is the default search provider for Blackphone, offering private browsing protection from invasive Web monitoring by hiding users’ IP address, browser cookies and personal information. Blackphone also features Disconnect’s Secure Wireless app, which is a smart VPN designed to prevent eavesdropping over Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
Private cloud storage: Blackphone owners can access files in SpiderOak’s private encrypted cloud service right from their mobile device, knowing only they have the means to decrypt and access their private files.
Blackphone’s initial inventory sold out quickly in the months following Mobile World Congress and SGP Technologies will re-open the Blackphone Web store at http://ift.tt/1fhzA0x on July 14 to begin accepting new orders. Customers in certain countries will be able to order Blackphone handsets through the device’s carrier partners, such as KPN N.V..

For more information on Blackphone’s availability, feature-set and technical specifications, please visit http://ift.tt/1anmSMT or follow @Blackphone_ch on Twitter.

About SGP Technologies SA
SGP Technologies is the manufacturer of Blackphone, the best privacy oriented Android phone for personal and enterprise use. Formed as a joint between the internationally recognized secure communications provider, Silent Circle, and award-winning Spanish mobile device manufacturer, Geeksphone, SGP Technologies is based in Geneva, Switzerland, with major operations in Madrid and Washington, DC and staff in San Francisco, and cities throughout Europe, East Asia, and North America. For more information on Blackphone, please visit http://ift.tt/1anmSMT.

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Large Android tablets are nearing extinction

Over the past few years, we’ve seen tablets take off in a way that nobody expected. The invention that used to be known as “the giant smartphone” has evolved into a breed of devices that millions of people use everyday. Perhaps, though, the size of tablets is something that’s changing. While they used to cover a range of sizes, tablets seem to finally be settling on the sweet spot for what people want.

When Android tablets first began to gain traction, a slew of models hit the market. There were a few small tablets in the mix, but the vast majority were 10-inch monsters that worked to set a standard for what a tablet was. The tablets were big and heavy — believe me, I owned one for a while — but they excelled at productivity and were great for watching media.

As time went on, smaller tablets began to enter the scene in a more prominent way. A mixture of sizes was available on the market, but many consumers began to opt for the smaller versions that offered more portability while retaining almost all of the features of their larger counterparts. These smaller tablets allowed for more ease of use and an on-the-go factor that the larger tablets struggled with.

Several years since the inception of Android tablets, we’ve seen the market shift dramatically away from larger tablets. The most common devices on the market are 7-inch tablets such as the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. Larger 10-inch tablets have struggled to keep up due simply to their size. Of course, portability isn’t the only hindrance to a 10-inch tablet.

If you’ve ever owned a 10-inch tablet, then you know the hassle of finding apps that look proper on the display. Most apps simply aren’t configured for that large screen. Sure, they work, but they don’t look nice. Tablet-optimized apps have become more common, but they’re still a rare breed. Apps well-suited to the 10-inch form factor are even more rare, with most apps simply scaling up to account for the additional size.

10-inch tablets remain on the market, but not in the prevalence that they used to. And in most cases, 10-inch tablets have a smaller counterpart to accompany them. The fact of the matter is, 10-inch tablets just don’t have the popularity that they used to. The market has moved towards smaller, more portable tablets that feel more like what a tablet should be. Indeed, when talking about a 10-inch tablet to the everyday folks, many ask, “Why not just use a laptop if it’s going to be that big?”

That’s the truth of it. The additional screen size is fantastic for watching movies and TV shows, there’s no denying that. But 10-inch tablets have few tasks that they can perform better than their smaller counterparts, and yet can’t complete many of the tasks that a laptop of similar size can. The point I’m getting at is that a laptop can do much more than a 10-inch tablet while maintaining a similar size. With the continued recession of 10-inch tablets on the market, it appears that many are thinking that way and that large Android tablets could be nearing extinction.

Perhaps I’m wrong. The market for large tablets could be bigger and more demanding than I know. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you also think that large tablets are on their way out? Or are they here to stay? Drop a comment down below!

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Samsung launches four new budget phones

Samsung’s launching a slew of entry-level devices this morning. All of the models are running the same software, which happens to be Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Samsung’s TouchWiz Essence skin. If you’re wondering what TouchWiz Essence is, it’s really just a version of TouchWiz for low-end phones that can’t handle the full version. The specs vary a bit between devices, so we’ll run over each one.

The Galaxy Core II is the first of the pack, sporting a 4.5-inch WVGA display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 4GB storage supplemented by a microSD card slot, 5-megapixel camera, front-facing camera and a 2,000mAh battery. One of the interesting things about the Core II is that it actually has lower specs than its predecessor, leading us to guess that it’ll be even cheaper.

Next up is the Galaxy Ace 4, which brings in a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB storage with a microSD card slot, 5-megapixel camera, front-facing camera, 1,800mAh battery and 4G LTE. There will also be a 3G version with a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM and a 1,500mAh battery.

Galaxy Star 2

The final two are essentially the same device with different network compatibility. The Galaxy Young 2 and Galaxy Star 2 both feature a 3.5-inch WVGA display, single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB storage with microSD card slot, 3-megapixel camera on the Galaxy Young 2 and 2-megapixel camera on the Galaxy Star 2 and a 1,300mAh battery.

Samsung didn’t give specifics on pricing but says that they’ll be “affordable.” The devices will likely be targeted at emerging markets, but we don’t foresee them performing well in comparison to devices like the Moto G and Moto E that pack a lot more bang for your buck.

What do you think of the phones?

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Chinese LG G3 Beat could be G3 Mini

With recent flagship Android phones growing so large, nearly all of them have been accompanied a mini brother. The LG G3 could be the latest to follow this trend with a new LG device in China entitled the G3 Beat. The G3 Beat is pretty much a shrunken-down G3 with some changed specs. The biggest change comes in the screen, which takes a major hit in the resolution, getting bumped down to 720p on a 5-inch display. Coming from the G3 with its QHD 5.5-inch display, we’d have hoped that this would at least be 1080p.

The rest of the G3 Beat’s specs include a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera with laser auto-focus, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 2,450mAh battery, Android 4.4.2 KitKat and dual-SIM connectivity. The G3 Beat is set to hit China next month for a US dollar equivalent of about $400. No further availability was detailed, but we could the G3 Beat easily becoming the mini variant of the G3.

What do you think of the G3 Beat?

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