Wireless charging has two major disadvantages that stand in its was compared to standard wireless charging: (1) Charging speed and (2) The mobile device needs to be positioned just right for the coils in the phone and charger to work together. In most standard puck-style wireless chargers, there’s nothing physically helping you position your phone correctly to enable the wireless charging. So, you need to fiddle around with the phone position until the phone notifies you it’s charging. This experience kind of ruins all the convenience that comes from using wireless charging. Most people don’t like to use difficult to use things, even if it removes cables from the equation.

A few companies have jumped on a superior design for a wireless charger: The stand. I’ve been using the TYLT VU for over two years and love it. I own three. Today, we review the Choetech Iron Stand Qi wireless charger. The advantage of the stand design is that I never need to hunt for the right phone position on the wireless charger. I set my Nexus 6 down so it’s relatively centered on charging stand and it starts charging. It’s that easy.

I love the way the Choetech Iron Stand looks. It looks better in person than it does on Amazon. The Iron Stand has an aluminum frame that gives it a great look and sturdy feel. It has rubber feet that hold it in place well on different surfaces. It also has a rubber pad for the mobile device to sit on so it’s not sitting directly on aluminum. The charging coils sit in a plastic case behind the stand and are covered by a mirror finish plastic that looks great. The Iron Stand is powered with a 2 Amp adapter and a micro-USB cable that plugs into the right side of the device. 1 Amp is supplied by the wireless charging coils. The stand has bright blue LEDs that light up when the wireless charging is enabled.

The Iron Stand has three coils (as can be viewed in the image to the left) that allows for flexible positioning that works in landscape or portrait mode. Additoinally, the stand makes your phone usable while it’s sitting there charging. It holds your phone at an angle so you can watch videos or easily browse email. It’s a much more convenient position compared to sitting flat on a desk.

We’ve reviewed only one other stand style wireless charger here on Android and Me, the TYLT VU. I will be comparing the Choetech Iron Stand charger with the TYLT VU. I like the Iron Stand over the TYLT VU in almost every aspect. Here’s what I like:

• The looks. The TYLT VU has lots of fun colors, but none of them look very fancy. They have a more sporty silicone look. The Iron Stand is aluminum, built strong, and looks premium. It would look great and professional on any desk.
• The charging footprint. I’ve never had trouble with positioning with the TYLT VU with my Nexus devices, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 doesn’t seem to like the TYLT VU in portrait positioning. The Choetech Iron Stand has no issues with the Galaxy S6 or my Nexus 6 in any position. I think this will be the first wireless charger my wife will actually use because it works with her Galaxy S6 every try.
• The angle. The angle on the Choetech Iron Stand is steeper than the TYLT VU which I think makes it better for use while on the desk. This is probably subjective, The TYLT VU is a tad too shallow for me. When my wife uses the TYLT VU to watch shows on the tablet, I often find her propping up the back with a book or something to increase the angle. I don’t think she’d need to do that with the Iron Stand.
• Micro-USB charging input. The TYLT VU uses a barrel style charging connector to power it. The Iron Stand uses a micro-USB cable. If you’re anything like me, you have plenty of micro-USB chargers and cables laying around and it’s nice to not have to have another charging cable if I don’t need to. The Iron Stand charger using micr0-USB power is convenient.
• The price. The Choetech Iron Stand is only $35.99 on Amazon (at the time of writing this post) compared to $54 for the cheapest TYLT VU color option. This price feels like a steal for how awesome this wireless charger is. Additionally for a limited time, we have an exclusive Amazon coupon code from Choetech, PYNVNA6E, to take an additional $7 off the Iron Stand bringing the price down to $28.99. This offer is good through Friday, Jan 22.

How does the Choetech Iron Stand compare to the TYLT VU with regards to charging speed? Looking at the figure to the right, the charging speeds are basically identical between the two different chargers with my Nexus 6. As a disclaimer, these values are not averages over several different tests, but single tests. So the results may vary on different days or with different devices. With my Nexus 6, the TYLT VU and Iron Stand charged at a rate of about 0.20% per minute when rounded to the nearest hundredth. It’s a clear tie.

The Choetech Iron Stand is a beautiful Qi wireless charger at a great price. It can be found for $35.99 on Amazon and comes with an 18 month warranty. As already stated, we have an exclusive Amazon coupon code for a limited time, PYNVNA6E, to take an additional $7 of the Iron Stand bringing the price down to $28.99. This offer is good through Friday, Jan 22. Without being able to comment on durability or longevity of the device like I can with the TYLT VU, the Choetech Iron Stand has reached #1 on my list of reviewed wireless chargers. It looks great, it works great, and the price is great. I highly recommend it.

What’s your favorite wireless charger? If you don’t have a wireless charging device, what’s your favorite charging accessory? Have any questions about the Choetech Iron Stand? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

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Regardless of how HTC shareholders may have felt about the rumor that the company would be spinning off the VR business, HTC has officially quashed the rumor before it had too much time to build up.

HTC’s official comment on the matter:

Recent media reports in Taiwan, such as by United Evening News, stating that Cher Wang is planning to spin off HTC’s VR operations into an independent entity that will be wholly owned by Wang is incorrect. HTC will continue to develop our VR business to further maximize value for shareholders.Official Press ReleaseHTC

Naturally this doesn’t preclude HTC making this move sometime in the future, but for now HTC is going to keep its split personality as a purveyor of VR and mobile hardware under one roof.

The Vive has been proof positive that HTC is capable of creating innovative hardware in new sectors, but with VR profitability likely still years away the Vive alone is not going to turn around the fortunes of HTC. Wearables and Internet of things remain reasonably unsettled markets that HTC has identified as areas of interest, however the clock is ticking.

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Google seems to be hard at work rolling out and testing features to kick off the new year. This one is again centered around search on mobile and seems to be specific to searches made within the Google app.

You are no doubt accustomed to seeing apps appear with an install button within the Google app when searching for them by name, but Google is now allowing users to install the app directly from the Google app via a simple pop up rather than pulling you out to the Play Store. For images of the new functionality hit the source link below.

We haven’t seen this on our devices yet, but unlike the search options we saw last week, this one seems like it should unquestionably be rolled out to all users in time.

While Google is busy plugging away on updates to the Google app is there anything else you would like to see changed?

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OnePlus is company’s that’s always fought the norm and done its own thing. But being different also caused some issues for customers, particularly in the ways that OnePlus has sold and delivered its products. But OnePlus is now making the process better by offering free standard shipping with any order over $100 USD. The offer also extends to customers ordering from different countries, though of course currency limits are different depending on the country. Check out the currency exchange chart below for the free shipping threshold in different countries:

• CAD: 150
• EUR: 100
• CZK: 2500
• DKK: 700
• HUF: 30000
• PLN: 400
• SEK: 850
• GBP: 60
• HKD: 800

In addition to offering free standard shipping on orders over the threshold, OnePlus is also giving customers a discount on priority shipping if they meet the same threshold. This is great, considering that some may be in serious need of a new phone and can’t afford to wait for the standard shipping times. The change should benefit all OnePlus customers as they go forward in purchasing from the company.

Kudos to you, OnePlus. Keep on keeping on.

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When the Galaxy Note 5 was released, it received wide critical acclaim. Not long after, however, a different story began to sweep through the blogosphere. Some users found out the hard way that if they inserted the device’s signature S Pen in backwards, it could cause serious issues, including getting the S Pen stuck and destroying the S Pen auto detection within the phone. Now, a couple of months after the initial buzz, Samsung has quietly found a solution to the problem that it’s implementing in newly-produced models of the Galaxy Note 5.

The newer models of the Galaxy Note 5 include circuit boards that have a safety addition on the S Pen auto detection sensor. The new sensors have a small off-white tab that allows the S Pen to be safely ejected even if it’s been inserted backwards. The inital circuit boards didn’t have this cap, allowing the auto-detection sensor to simply snap if the S Pen was inserted backwards. You can check out the difference in the photo below.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing which models now have this and which don’t. That being said, Samsung has clearly highlighted the proper way to insert the S Pen in the manual and packaging, so you should simply exercise caution and pay attention when you’re inserting the S Pen. But if you do have a new model and you make the mistake of inserting it backwards, at least you no longer have to fear losing your S Pen.

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Looking for a deal to brighten up your Monday? Today only, Best Buy is offering Google’s Nexus Player for a mere $50, cutting the regular $100 price tag in half. In addition to the low sale price, it also comes with free standard shipping to your home, making it a breeze to purchase. The Nexus Player is hard to come by these days, so to find it for such a low price is a bit astonishing and should also be reason enough for buying it on an impulse.

The Nexus Player is Google’s first set-top box with Android TV, designed to hit off the launch of Android TV. The device is small, simple and round and comes with a remote to control it. It’s simple enough to set up, requiring only an HDMI port, a power outlet and an Internet connection. From there, you can use the Nexus Player to stream movies and TV shows, listen to music, play games and even cast content from your smartphone in the same way that you’d use a Chromecast.

While it may not pack as many bells and whistles as other set-top boxes, the Nexus Player serves its purpose well and is an absolute steal for $50. Follow the source link below to purchase one for yourself.

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Every week we cover new Android apps with Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by Android Gaming on Thursday and Top 10 App Updates on Friday. When Monday rolls around, we look back to see which apps were the most appealing to our audience. Read on for the five most popular Android apps from last week. These apps are ones that are most likely new and haven’t appeared in the top five list more than three times.

1. Trackendar

App info:  This app helps you to track common events, habits and chores. Presents them on a nice monthly view so you can see at a glance what’s been going on and provides reminders so you don’t forget to log what happend each day.

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2. Bodyweight Fitness

App info: Level up your fitness and strength, gain flexibility and learn more about calisthenics. Make a healthy change in your life by becoming more active, aware and motivated.

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3. CastBox

App info: With hundreds of thousands of free podcasts and radio at your fingertips, it’s easy to find and enjoy your next favorite podcast radio on your Android.

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4. Google

App info: Google app for Android: The fastest, easiest way to find what you need on the web and on your device.

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5. The Room Three

App info: The eagerly awaited sequel to the BAFTA award winning ‘The Room’ and ‘The Room Two’ is finally here. Welcome to The Room Three, a physical puzzle game within a beautifully tactile world.

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Note:  To ensure that all apps receive a fair chance to make the list, we will retire any app that has made the list for three consecutive weeks.

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The LG G5 is a hot topic, which should be expected based on the device the rumors that are surrounding it. And if a leaked image supposedly showcasing the redesigned hardware is any indication, there’s certainly quite a bit to look forward to.

That is, unless you like the volume buttons being on the backside of the device. According to the image, which was supplied to Android Authority by Shai Mizrachi, LG has opted to move the volume buttons from the back of the handset, where they have been positioned in the last few G-branded devices, over to the left side edge. There doesn’t appear to be a power button on the right side, though, which has many speculating that that particular button is still positioned on the back cover.

And that’s where the fingerprint reader is said to be as well, in the same spot where we’ve seen it implemented on other devices in the past, including LG’s Nexus 5X. The new G5 is actually thinner than the G4 from last year, with the diagram showing a phone that measures in at 149.4 x 73.9 x 8.2mm (the G4 had a thickness of 9.8mm).

The thinness of the G5 would lend credence to the past rumor that LG has implemented a slide-out design for the replaceable battery in the upcoming flagship, something that this report corroborates as well.

The diagram also seems to point out that the screen will be edge-to-edge, and previous rumors have suggested it will measure in at 5.6 inches and have a QHD resolution.

The LG G5 is certainly sounding like it will be an exciting handset for 2016. The Life’s Good crew is expected to announce the device on February 21 at Mobile World Congress 2016.

Are you looking forward to seeing what the real device looks like and features?

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HTC is a few hours away from releasing the Android Marshmallow update for the HTC One M9 in Canada, but the company is also prepping the update for the HTC One M8 in the UK later this week. HTC UK announced on Twitter that the One M8 will be getting a taste of Android Marshmallow within the next 48 hours. The update for the One M9 is nearly ready as well, with HTC stating that it will “follow shortly.”

With the UK update on its way, we suspect the One M8 and One M9 in mainland Europe will see the update within the next 5 to 10 days. There’s no guarantee, but it looks like HTC will have Android Marshmallow delivered to most unlocked and carrier-branded versions of the HTC One M8 and One M9 before the end of January.

Great news! We’ll be rolling out the Marshmallow update for the HTC One M8 over the next 48 hours. One M9 to follow shortly.

— HTC UK (@HTC_UK) January 18, 2016

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With one billion users across multiple platforms, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in daily usage — even if it technically requires a subscription to use after a set period of time. But apparently that wasn’t working out for the service, so some big changes are coming down the line.

First and foremost, WhatsApp has confirmed that it will be dropping all subscription charges from the service, making it a free-to-use app across all of its platforms. Up until this change, WhatsApp was free for only the first year. After that year was up, it cost $0.99 per year to keep using the service.

According to the official announcement, WhatsApp became aware that many of its users didn’t have access to a credit or debit card to pay for that yearly fee. As a result, they’re changing the model completely.

The switch to the free service will take some weeks, but WhatsApp is currently undergoing the process.

To accommodate this change, WhatsApp is making other key decisions, including allowing businesses and other groups to reach out to users of the messaging service. WhatsApp says that these will only be from groups and businesses that you want to hear from, though, so it will be interesting to see what that means when the changes start rolling out. The company also confirmed that there won’t be any ads within the app.

If you use WhatsApp, what do you think of the changes?

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