I’m a writer for 9to5Google with a background in IT and Android development. While I have a soft spot for stock Android, I’m typically juggling two to three devices at once running both Android and iOS. My previous work can be seen on Phandroid, Android Central, and AndroidMeter. Email me at justin@jaduino.com. Tips are always welcome.
This year Samsung went with a slightly different design for the two brand new Galaxy flagship smartphones which removed almost everything from the front of the display. This allowed them to go with an almost bezel-less look, increased screen sizes, and also keep the phone’s physical size relatively close to last year’s models. But besides looks alone, what’s the difference between the standard Galaxy S8 and the larger S8+?
Bixby, announced today alongside the Samsung Galaxy S8, is a mobile assistant that is deeply integrated into the smartphone’s camera (among other components) to help users visually search their surroundings. According to an announcement from Pinterest, Bixby will also be able to use the company’s visual discovery features to help identify items and provide fun project ideas…
If you thought this morning’s Samsung Galaxy S8 unveiling was exciting, then we have a surprise for you. Not only did Des from T-mobile unbox Samsung’s latest flagship underwater, he did so while being surrounded by sharks!
In this day and age, our smartphones hardly leave our side and the only time we often set them down is when we sit down at our desktop computer. With how powerful our phones are these days, why not just use them as our main computer so that we don’t have to switch from system to system? Well, with the DeX, Samsung hopes to make this dream a reality by using the Galaxy S8 as a desktop…
With this morning’s official announcement of the Galaxy S8, we finally got our first look at Samsung’s brand new smart assistant called Bixby. This isn’t just a refreshed S Voice, though, as Bixby is capable (according to Samsung) of doing everything you could do if you picked up the Galaxy S8…
Today we saw the addition of a dozen new smart home integrations that work with the Google Assistant and Google Home. The new compatible products come from companies such as Logitech, August, TP-Link, and many others. Are you going to be using any of these new integrations?
One of the lesser-known features found in Google+ was the ability to share your exact location with people in your circles. Now, with the wider rollout of the new location sharing feature coming to Google Maps, this functionality has been removed from the social network.
Each year we see design trends in the smartphone market. In the past, this meant changing to more premium materials such as glass and metal or adding a fingerprint sensor. This year, it appears that every company is attempting to make a near “bezel-less” smartphones. Are you a fan of this design change?
Update 4/19/17: It looks like this feature is now rolling out more widely.
Yesterday we got our first look at a Play Store design tweak currently rolling out to some that changes the look of search results. In addition to that change, it appears that Google is now slowly rolling out a design update that looks similar to what we saw in a leaked “dogfood” version of the Play Store last month…
Earlier this week, Fossil announced a new Android Wear watch built in collaboration with Cory Richards, a famous National Geographic photographer. Now, Fossil has two more Wear 2.0 devices to show off and they are the Q Venture and Q Explorist…
Update: We’ve now had a second day of Android Wear 2.0 watch announcements. The below poll now includes the new smartwatches. These include the Hugo Boss Touch, the Diesel On, the Tommy Hilfiger T24/7You, the Fossil Q Venture and Q Explorist, and lastly the Movado Connect.
Today essentially turned into smartwatch announcement day as we had four different Android Wear devices see announcements from three different companies. All of these watches have almost identical specs, so it is mainly their design that sets them apart. If you were to purchase one of these smartwatches, which would it be?
With Android, Google has pretty much nailed down a yearly release schedule. First, the company announces the upcoming version and releases a developer preview sometime near March. Then, it reveals more information about the update at I/O in the summer, and finally releases the stable build in the fall near October. Is this too small of a turnaround time for major Android updates?
Getting a group of people together can be difficult. Not only do you have to set a time and place to meet, but you also have to also make sure everyone knows how to get there. Thankfully, Google is trying to make that process easier for you by adding a feature to Google Maps that allows you to share your real-time location and trip progress with friends and family…
Back in January, when Huawei announced that the Mate 9 would be making its way to the U.S., the company also announced that the smartphone would be receiving the Amazon Alexa smart assistant in a future update. Well, Huawei will be pushing out that update today but, unfortunately, Alexa will only work within one app…
Today marked a big day for Android users as Google officially unveiled Android O. While we still don’t know what tasty treat “O” will stand for yet, we have now seen a wide-range of new features that will come with the update (many that we heard rumors previously about) and improve the mobile operating system.
Were there any features that you wish had been added but weren’t introduced in Android O?
Just like last year, Google decided to announce the upcoming version of Android well before the company’s developer conference this summer. Plus, just like last year, Google is giving developers (and anyone else with a compatible Pixel and Nexus device) the opportunity to test out a pre-beta build of Android O months before its official release.
If you have the Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, or Pixel C, there’s a build of Android O available for you to install prior to the update’s official unveiling later this year. Be aware however, that this is a very early build of the OS and is riddled with bugs, glitches, and overall performance jankiness. If that doesn’t sway you, though, keep reading…
Google is all about incorporating all of its different services into a single app, and that is what the company has done with the search app. Now, either when you swipe over to Google Now or launch the Google app, you will see a list of icons below the search bar. Tap on the arrow button on the right side of these to open an app drawer full of different web services…
Today Google pushed out the second public beta of Android 7.1.2 to Nexus and Pixel devices. For the most part, this update brought with it performance improvements, but the Pixel C got a refreshed look and feel as well as the addition of a new grid-style multitasking menu. Do you like the look of the new menu and think it should be the default on tablets?
Nintendo has finally announced that Super Mario Run will arrive on the Play Store on March 23. This has been a long time coming for Android users, since Nintendo released the game on iOS back in December. Previously, Nintendo confirmed that Super Mario Run would arrive on the Play Store in March without giving specifics…
Between Hiroshi Lockheimer’s constant teasing of Oreos and today’s round of rumors, it would appear that Google is getting closer and closer to taking the wraps off of the upcoming Android O. Which of today’s rumored features are you most excited to see?
The internet was in an uproar today after finding out that Google had added a “Beauty and the Beast” segment to the “My Day” feature found within Assistant on the Google Home and Pixel. Although Google claims that this stunt wasn’t actually an advertisement, the negative public opinion was enough for the Beauty and the Beast piece to get removed.
Do you think Google should have ads read by the Assistant?
Currently, YouTube allows any channel to livestream from a desktop, but requires they have at least 10 thousand subscribers before they can do so from mobile. According to several users online, it would appear that YouTube is now allowing some channels with fewer subscribers to go live on mobile devices…
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Today, it was reported that Google is currently working on a third phone alongside the two-second generation Pixel devices. While not much is known about this codenamed “taimen” device, we have heard that it will be even larger than the updated Pixel XL. If you were to purchase one of these phones, which size would you choose?
In today’s world, we have so many different entertainment options to choose from when we want to watch something on TV. The stress of deciding on what to binge watch is only made worse when trying to decide how you will watch it. Google has two great offerings that allow you easily stream almost anything out there: the Chromecast and Android TV. Which do you think is better?