Cam Bunton, Editor at 9to5Google – Cam has been passionate about tech since his dad bought the family’s first Commodore AMIGA back in the late 80’s. He’s been in the tech industry (writing and making videos) since 2010, and joined 9to5Google as the resident video producer and product reviewer in 2015. He sometimes writes news and reviews for 9to5Mac too.
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Samsung has announced that it will show off five experimental projects from its C-Labs group during the Samsung Developer Conference at Moscone West Center from April 27th to 28th in San Francisco. Among them is LiCon, an app that can recognize various IoT devices using a camera and download remote controls for them, plus a few other weird and wonderful gadgets.
After a few weeks testing the software with a select group of beta participants, BlackBerry is finally rolling out the Android Marshmallow update for the PRIV from today. It comes with all the usual Marshmallow features, as well as some performance improvements and a handful of additional features for BlackBerry’s custom UI, keyboard and apps.
Last year, ZTE surprised us a little when it launched its Axon smartphone series. The Axon Pro, in particular, punched above its price point with a spec list that could make any tech fan’s eyes water (with tears of joy, naturally). It was one of the first devices to come with 4GB RAM, it had a QHD screen and was powered by the Snapdragon 810 processor. This year, it seems ZTE is going to refresh the range with a more premium look.
Following their unveiling at MWC earlier this year, we finally have an expected release date and price for both the Xperia X and Xperia XA from Sony. Both devices have been made available to pre-order on Amazon and, as you’d expect from Sony, both seem a little pricey compared to other similarly specced smartphones…
In an announcement which could deal a further blow to Qualcomm’s slowing processor business, Xiaomi is seemingly about to reveal plans to build its own CPUs in-house. In a report published by Korea Times, it’s claimed that the major Chinese smartphone maker will use the industry-standard ARM license technology to make its own ‘Rifle’-branded SoCs.
For the past couple of years, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has been one synonymous with releasing premium-looking well-specced devices at an affordable price. This year, it appears the company is looking to step up its game. A TENAA listing for the upcoming Honor V8 suggests the company is about to launch something of a flagship killer…
Xiaomi has announced on the popular Chinese social network, Weibo, that it will be launching its next big flagship phablet on May 10th. The unveiling event will take place at the Beijing National Convention Center, and tickets will go on sale for existing Xiaomi handset owners through the Xiaomi app store from Wednesday, April 27 at 10am. There will be 900 tickets available in total, costing just 199 Yuan ($30 USD) each.
Earlier this week we brought you news that Google engineer, Benson Leung suggested quite strongly that the LG G5 and HTC 10 (and any other device using Quick-Charge technology and a Type-C connector) was technically not compliant with USB Type-C specification. Because of the way Quick-Charge 2.0 and 3.0 delivers the charge, it restricts some of USB Type-C’s functions by taking up the data lines.
While we’re yet to hear any kind of response from LG or HTC, Qualcomm has (sort of) answered the criticism by half suggesting it’s up to manufacturers to choose how they implement the technology, and that there have been no complaints so far from customers.
Microsoft and Google have reached an agreement to stop complaining about each other to regulators. Speaking to Re/code, the companies have said they will attempt to work out any issues between themselves in the future, before getting regulators involved.
Samsung has joined forces with The Weather Channel to launch a brand new weather app, designed specifically for the latest Galaxy handsets. The Weather Channel for Samsung has a whole host of really useful features and metrics, and will be available on the Galaxy Apps store for Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 5.
It seems all the big hardware makers these days are looking to launch their own mobile payment solutions. Handset manufacturers like Apple and Samsung have already done so, while LG is working on something. Now it looks like Xiaomi, one of China’s biggest smartphone makers, is set to follow suit.
Way back in December, Motorola launched a limited edition series of Moto X Pure phones in partnership with renowned designer, Jonathan Adler. They had all the same great specs and features of the regular 32GB Moto X Pure, except they had an awesome unique design on the back.
The only issue was Motorola opted to sell them at a premium. Now, that premium has gone, and you can pick one up for $175 less than the original price.
Months after first showing it off, Alcatel finally made its budget water and dust resistant GO Play smartphone available to buy unlocked in the US in March. We unboxed it when it first came out (video below), and have been using it off and on since then, and finally gathered our thoughts on the sub $200 durable device.
In summary, the IP67 certification is a welcome feature, and certainly gives peace of mind if you’re buying for your kids, but you can find better performing phones with less durability for the same price (or a little more).
You may remember the name Benson Leung from when the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X launched at the end of 2015. At the time, he set out to review as many Type C chargers and adapters available on Amazon to separate the true Type C compliant accessories from the non-compliant, helping buyers avoid purchasing products that might damage their new Nexus phone (or Pixel C).
Following his most recent review (via AP), the Google engineer has pointed to a previous Type C spec explainer to suggest that both the HTC 10 and LG G5 are out of spec.
After weeks of rumors, the LG G5 SE is real and — as the recent case leak suggested — it’s virtually identical to the regular LG G5. LG’s official Russian site has published a product information page revealing everything about the LG G5’s slightly underpowered sibling, and there don’t seem to be too many corners cut.
If 2015 taught us anything, it’s that there’s a huge opportunity in the smartphone market for high-spec, affordable mid-range phones. Companies like OnePlus, Xiaomi and Huawei have all churned out some fantastic devices at competitive prices. Remarkably, one of the fastest growing Chinese companies is Oppo, and they sent us their newest smartphone, the F1 Plus.
As previously rumored, in a press release published today, the EU has filed yet another antitrust movement against Google. This time it centers on Android, the company’s wildly successful mobile operating system, which the EU thinks is in breach of the continent’s antitrust rules. In short, the European Commission thinks Google is using Android to deliberately restrict other mobile operating systems, browsers and search engines.
Earlier this month, Huawei took the wraps off its first premium dual-camera equipped flagship, the P9. If a teaser which leaked to Weibo holds any weight, the company is about to introduce similar technology to its sub-brand, Honor’s next phone.
Android is widely considered by many to be the least secure of all mobile operating systems, but in recent years, Google has made serious efforts to change that perception. In its second annual security report, the company has revealed some mind-boggling numbers.
Google-backed Magic Leap has uploaded a fresh demo of its head-mounted VR (technically AR) on YouTube, and gives us hope that Microsoft’s HoloLens won’t have the augmented reality market all to itself.
Update: The new app also lets users share reports with anyone.
Google’s Analytics app has finally been updated to bring it up to date with the all-important Marshmallow-ified version of the Material Design ethos introduced originally with Android Lollipop. That means the top status bar blends in to the color scheme of the app which is now (mostly) bright orange.
I guess it’s fair to say that either the Analytics Android app hasn’t been a big priority, or that it’s used so infrequently that no one noticed the update hadn’t landed sooner, or both. Regardless, version 3.0 for Android is being rolled out, and has the new design and a new logo to go with it.
A video has been published on YouTube showing what the uploader claims is a prototype of the fourth generation Moto G. Its design is practically identical to leaks we’ve seen already, and it seems to be much bigger than the current generation budget Motorola smartphone.
With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung created one of the best Android smartphone cameras we’ve used. At least, if you ignore the likes of the Panasonic CM-1 which is more a camera powered by Android than a smartphone. Low-light performance is great, and images come out sharp and full of color. But, if a recent rumor is anything to go by, its future smartphones will make the S7 look like a cheapy disposable camera by comparison.
Verizon has announced that it will be the first carrier to offer the HTC 10 up for pre-sale from April 29. Although it hasn’t announced specific plans or pricing, the latest premium unibody flagship will be available from ‘Big Red’ next week. What’s more, VZW will be hosting in-store previews from that day, letting customers and media get their hands on the device.
