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Android code change hints at ‘Ultra Low power mode’ for Google Pixel phones

Pixel 4 battery power

Without a doubt, the biggest complaint shared by reviewers of the base Google Pixel 4 was its subpar battery life. Those looking to radically cut back on their Pixel’s battery usage may have reason to celebrate, as new evidence hints at a new “Ultra Low power mode” coming to Pixel phones and possibly Android devices in general.


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Here’s every Pixel 3 & 3 XL codename mention in AOSP: crosshatch, albacore, and blueline

Substantial leaks for the third-generation Made by Google devices emerged later than usual this year, with concrete rumors first surfacing at the end of May. In the coming months, there will be more and more rumors with one good source of news coming directly from Google’s Android Open Source Project.


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One developer has managed to install AOSP KitKat on Google Glass

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While the previous version of Google Glass is dead and dying, it is still an Android device. And that means it’s hackable, mod-able, and will probably be tinkered with for years to come. Similar to how other aging devices still have developer support, Reddit user jtxdriggers has managed to install 4.4 KitKat on Glass.


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Here are some of the new Android emoji, and how they compare to iOS 9.1 [Gallery]

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A couple of days ago we told you that Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android at Google, announced on Twitter that new emoji recently approved from Unicode 7.0 and 8.0 are soon coming to Nexus devices (specifically, it looks like they should be rolling out starting sometime next week). If you’ve been wondering what these new emoji are going to look like, you’ve come to the right place…

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Google puts two more stock Android apps on the Play Store: Phone & Contacts

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Update 2: And they’re back!

Update: Uh oh. Looks like they have disappeared from the Play Store.

Google has slowly been moving many of its in-house built stock apps to the Play Store for quite some time now, and today two more apps were added to that list. Starting now, you’ll be able to download and update both the stock Dialer app and the Google Contacts app via their Play Store listings…
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Hacked Android Marshmallow build now available for Nexus S, here’s how to install it

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Several old Nexus devices just don’t support Android 6.0 Marshmallow (and many never will), and that has left some owners of older phones feeling left out. But now, owners of the 2010 (yep, 5 years old) Nexus S might be glad to hear that one developer has managed to put together a build of Marshmallow for the phone. It’s definitely at your own risk, but you can now install this hacky unofficial build of Marshmallow with a little know-how, and here’s how to do it…
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Google’s default Clock app gets new ‘more neutral’ color scheme

It wasn’t that long ago that Google opened up its Clock app to be downloaded on just about any Android device, and now a very minor update released today has refreshed the app’s color scheme. While the previous version sported a pink-and-blue look that was reminiscent of cotton candy, the app now looks a lot more like a patriotic red, white, and blue.

Those who weren’t avid users of the previous version might not notice the difference, because in the grand scheme of things it’s definitely not a huge change. But if you were a fan of the light-hearted and unique colors of the app, you might be disappointed that Google has now gone with something more “neutral” in version 4.0.2. The update also packs a few bug fixes.

You can get the latest version of the Clock app over at APKMirror right now, or you should see it rolling out via the Play Store any minute now.

Artem Russakovskii: code tags are ‘no indication’ 2012 Nexus devices will get Android M

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Update: Previous version of this story said the original post was from yesterday, when it was actually from June 11th. The story made its way to the /r/Android subreddit yesterday.

Last night a story bubbled up in the Android community that led many to believe that older Nexus devices – specifically the Nexus 4, 7, and 10 – would be receiving official updates to Android M, Google’s upcoming major release of Android. Artem Russakovskii from Android Police, however, has come out on Google+ to say that the evidence presented shows no indication that these devices will be updated.


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Sony makes Android M developer preview available on select Xperia devices

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Google only ever makes its Android developer preview versions available on its own Nexus devices – these devices are designed partly with developer modification and testing in mind, after all. But Sony has gone ahead and done the necessary legwork to make the preview version of Android M work on those of its devices in its Open Device program, and even has a handy guide on how to install it.

Ensuring a device can run the M Developer preview without too many issues, device manufacturers have to include in the software support (drivers) for all the hardware – the chipset, connectivity radios, etc. Over on Sony’s Open Device page is a list of devices in the program along with two downloads to get M running, the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) – Android M itself – as well as software to get the hardware working properly on M. Only a couple of its smartphones and tablets are currently supported right now.

Huawei Watch faces significant delays in China due to block on Google services

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We recently reported that the launch of Huawei’s first smartwatch, simply called Huawei Watch, was expected to be delayed until September or October in China and perhaps abroad as well. A new story out from the WSJ speaking with Yang Yong of Huawei, however, has the launch in China pushed back as far as early 2016. The smartwatch is still expected to launch in the US and Europe in the coming months.


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All of Sony’s Qualcomm-based 2014 Xperia devices now support KitKat AOSP

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In a developer blog post this morning, Sony announced that developers can now build custom versions of Android for all 2014 Xperia devices with a Qualcomm processor. This is made possible through Google’s AOSP (Android Open Source Project), a project dedicated to keeping Android open and giving developers the power to build their own custom ROMs.


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Google scrapped the Nexus 6’s fingerprint scanner just a few months before it launched

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Many details surrounding the Nexus 6 were leaked in the months leading up to the smartphone’s launch in late October, although one oft-rumored tech specification that proved to be absent was a fingerprint scanner akin to Touch ID on the iPhone. The initial reports calling for a fingerprint scanner weren’t necessarily wrong, however, based on new evidence uncovered in Android’s open source code.

Ars Technica reports that Google was prepared to include fingerprint scanner support for both the Nexus 6 and Android Lollipop, although a commit message filed through Android Open Source Project (AOSP) in late August called for removal of that support on “Shamu,” the internal codename for what ultimately became the Nexus 6. The commit simply read “shamu: remove fingerprint support.”


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Android Lollipop unofficially ported to Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and Xperia Z

Android Lollipop Nexus

While the wait continues for Google to release Android Lollipop as an over-the-air software update and post official factory images of the latest operating system version, a number of developers over at XDA-Developers have taken it upon themselves to take the Lollipop source code and create builds for the Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and other devices.
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