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14,537 'Android' stories May 2011 - December 2015
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Breaking news for Android. Get the latest on apps, carriers, devices, and more!

Android is Google’s mobile operating system, launched in September 2008, although its history technically began with the release of the Android alpha in November 2007. To this day, Android powers the majority of the world’s smartphones and comes in several different flavors across many phone makers.

Table of contents

What is Android?

Android Inc.

Android, before it was Android, was a company called Android Inc. That company was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2003 by a crew of four: Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The company and its project was acquired by Google in 2005 for a sum of more than $50 million, although the exact number is unknown. The company’s founders joined Google as part of the deal.

In its infancy, Android was an operating system built not for touch screen smartphones like the iPhone, but rather BlackBerry-like devices with physical keyboards. It’s well documented that after Apple shocked the world with the iPhone, ahead of its nearest competition by at least a couple years, Google and Android Inc. had to go back to the drawing board to build something competitive.

Adoption by third-party makers

It didn’t take long after the launch of the iPhone for various manufacturers to enter the market with their alternatives — and Google’s Android immediately became the obvious platform of choice for just about everyone except Microsoft. HTC was the first manufacturer on board, and introduced the T-Mobile G1 running Android in September 2008. Soon after, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile jumped on board to form the Open Handset Alliance.

Android makers across the world

Iconic Android handsets

There have been thousands of Android phones released since Android’s inception, but some have been more important to the platform’s history than others. There was the original T-Mobile G1, as mentioned, but there was also the HTC One Google Play Edition, Moto G, Samsung Galaxy S4, and others. Some of the most iconic Android handsets include:

  • HTC G1
  • HTC Nexus One
  • Samsung Galaxy S, S2, S3, S4, and their successors
  • HTC Incredible S
  • Samsung Nexus S
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Nokia 8
  • BlackBerry KeyOne
  • Google Pixel and its successors

In more modern times, there are several Android smartphones makers that popped up across various niches and in several international markets. Huawei is a dominant Android maker in China and many European markets, while Samsung is by far the most popular maker in the United States by far — effectively creating a duopoly with Apple. Today, there are dozens of major device makers contributing to the Android ecosystem.

Full list of Android OEMs

History of major Android versions

Android has seen countless software revisions over the course of its life, but in modern times the OS usually sees a major release on an annual cadence. In the earlier days, Google famously gave its major software releases dessert-themed codenames, but retired that practice in 2019 with the release of Android 10.

VersionNameReleaseDevices
2.3GingerbreadFebruary 9, 2011Nexus S
4.0Ice Cream SandwichOctober 19, 2011Galaxy Nexus
4.1Jelly BeanJuly 9, 2012Nexus 7
4.2Jelly BeanNovember 13, 2012Nexus 4, 10
4.3Jelly BeanJuly 24, 2013Nexus 7 (2013)
4.4KitKatOctober 31, 2013Nexus 5
5.0LollipopNovember 3, 2014Nexus 6, 9
5.1LollipopMarch 9, 2015Android One
6.0MarshmallowOctober 5, 2015Nexus 5X, 6P
7.0NougatAugust 22, 2016Nexus 5X, 6P
7.1NougatOctober 4, 2016Pixel, Pixel XL
8.0OreoAugust 21, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
8.1OreoDecember 5, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
9PieAugust 6, 2018Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL
1010September 3, 2019Pixel 3, 3a
1111September 8, 2020Pixel 4

List of major Android OS platforms

While Android proper is certainly the most widespread of Google’s Android operating systems, the company has also launched many offshoots of the main OS over the years. There’s Android Auto, Android Wear (now Wear OS), Android TV (now rebranded to Google TV), as well as versions of Android built for tablets and Android Things (now defunct).

Nexus Studio Event: how Google’s 5X and 6P were created and more

Avatar for Abner Li Dec 14 2015 - 10:39 am PT
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[Ed. Note: This is a rewrite of the original post which was the result of a miscommunication between editor and writer on coverage of an excellent Reddit writeup of an event. Apologies for the mistake]

Last week, Google hosted a Nexus Studio event open to the public in New York City. For three days, many teams that helped build the latest generation of Nexus phones were on hand giving talks and answering questions about the Nexus 5X and 6P. These included representatives from the Nexus industrial design, hardware, and engineering teams, Nexus software product managers, and the Android UX design team, among many others.

One Reddit user wrote up a very detailed post about all the things he learned from the “super friendly and surprisingly open” Google employees on hand. Below is a summary of the interesting information gleamed from numerous talks…


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Leaked roadmap suggests which (and likely when) HTC phones will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 14 2015 - 9:27 am PT
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With Android Marshmallow having been announced more than two months ago, and released on new devices last month, now’s the time when Android owners start getting anxious about when they might see the latest version on their devices.

Most manufacturers have already announced that they will be rolling out Android 6.0. Some, like Motorola, have already started pushing it to customers while HTC was the first to launch a non-Nexus device with Android Marshmallow pre-loaded out of the box. For those with existing HTC phones, that won’t come as any comfort at all, but what might is a roadmap leaked by LlabTooFeR which shows which HTC phones are getting a taste of Marshmallow, and when the manufacturer has planned to push the updates…


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Galaxy A9 specs leaked, powerful mid-ranger likely to feature huge 4000mAh battery, Snapdragon 620 chip, 1080p screen, more

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 14 2015 - 4:24 am PT
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Just a couple of weeks ago, Samsung officially unveiled its A-series lineup for the next year. The Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 feature respectable specifications and will be sold at prices well below those of the more high end Galaxy S series while retaining the premium metal chassis. But the A-series doesn’t end there. Samsung’s official Weibo account revealed details of yet another Alpha device: The Galaxy A9.

As you’d expect, the A9 is bigger than any of the others. With its 6-inch, full HD AMOLED display, the A9 is easily the biggest of the bunch, perhaps bordering on ‘too big’. The leak also reveals a 13MP camera on the back and 8MP front snapper, as well as a huge 4,000mAh battery. While not in the same territoriy as the behemoth 10,000mAh battery in the Oukitel K10000, it should still be easily enough to get most users through two days on a full charge.

SamMobile also pointed in the direction of another leak featuring more of the internal specifications. Those include a Snapdragon 620 processor clocked at 1.8GHz and paired with 3GB, alongside 32GB internal storage. Like the the other A-series phones, it also has a fingerprint sensor and Samsung Pay support. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, although an update to Marshmallow is expected. Samsung is likely to announce the new Galaxy A9 a little later this month. If all that pre-release info wasn’t enough, there’s a video showing off the A9 and A7 side-by-side.

[protected-iframe id=”8398502804bc60327893ca3329433aa9-22427743-89100566″ info=”http://player.youku.com/embed/XMTQxMDM4NDQ5Mg==” width=”1000″ height=”500″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]

Google to soon begin selling Nexus 6P via Best Buy, offer the gold variant in the United States

Avatar for Stephen Hall Dec 14 2015 - 3:32 am PT
4 Comments

Before the Nexus 6P launched, it seemed — thanks to some early render leaks — that four different colors of the phone were going to be available for consumers. Come the Nexus event in September, only three colors (Aluminium, Graphite, or Frost) were available in most regions, with only Japan announced to be getting access to the last “Special Edition” gold variant. According to people familiar with the matter, the company is planning to soon begin selling the Nexus 6P via Best Buy, and finally launch the gold variant in the United States after only just recently making it available to Japanese customers through cellular carrier SoftBank…


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WSJ: Samsung Galaxy S7 to feature 3D Touch, fast-charging Type C, maybe retina scanner too

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 14 2015 - 3:13 am PT
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galaxy s6

Samsung is widely expected to announce its next series of flagships at some point during the first quarter of next year. Early rumors have suggested that it’ll launch early, before the usual MWC launch cycle, while others expect it will be the big announcement at MWC. Either way, the Galaxy S7 will be announced before the end of February. If information obtained by the Wall Street Journal is anything to go by, we could have a device which, once again, leads the market in terms of features and performance…


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Huawei’s Honor brand to enter the US at CES 2016, likely with the Honor 5X

Avatar for Stephen Hall Dec 12 2015 - 8:04 pm PT
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We told you a few days ago that Honor, a brand of primarily low-end smartphones owned by Huawei, sent out invites for an event early next year at CES. The wording in that invite was very vague, mentioning only new “creative and smart technology,” but now we have more of an idea what the company has planned. As we previously speculated, it appears Honor is planning to officially enter the United States market…

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Honor’s 2nd anniversary festival is in full swing, and we’re in China to check it out [Gallery]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Dec 12 2015 - 3:22 pm PT
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Honor, Huawei’s sub-brand of lower-tier smartphones popular in developing countries, invited us out to Shenzhen, China to check out the company’s 2nd anniversary festival. It kicked off yesterday morning, filled with tons of carnival games and shows that encompass “bravery,” several sponsored booths from Honor‘s partners in China, huge stuffed Huawei mascots walking around, Chinese pop music from half a dozen artists, and more. It’s been fun to say the least…
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Yahoo Mail’s Android app finally gains Gmail support

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 11 2015 - 7:04 am PT
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With Mailbox now decommissioned, the third party Android email app scene is a little more bleak than it was before. One company hoping to bring us a little joy is Yahoo. It recently updated its Yahoo Mail app to version 5.1.0 which (among other things) now includes support for Gmail. With it being an Android app, you’d assume that it should have Gmail compatibility from the outset. But apparently, Yahoo didn’t see it that way.

Gmail support is added to the pre-existing list of providers, including Outlook, AOL and Yahoo mail accounts. What’s more, you can search your inbox and archive messages just as you would with any good Google-supporting email client. Along with the ability to connect with Gmail accounts, version 5.1.0 also brings the option to select all messages in any individual folder for mass-deleting and moving. They’ve also made it easier to access different accounts and settings.

Here’s the change log posted to the Yahoo Mail Play Store page:

5.1.0:
– Connect Gmail mailboxes to read, organize, search and respond to your Gmail messages within the Yahoo Mail app
– Select all messages in a specific folder on your device – just tap on the select all icon in the upper-left corner when moving or deleting multiple messages
Interface improvements for account switching, settings, touch targets, and message list readability
– TalkBack accessibility improvements
– Performance enhancements
As always, the app update is free to new and existing users and is available on the Play Store now.
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The strangely hypnotic video of Android versions over the years

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 11 2015 - 5:35 am PT
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You wouldn’t think the shifting installed bases of different Android versions would make for the most enthralling of videos, but there’s something oddly fascinating about this timelapse video created by animator Victor Bohush (via TNW).

His greatest hits also include similar videos for desktop browser shares (watch Chrome kill Internet Explorer) and Windows versions.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIvZ6mD5wjE]

Oukitel’s latest smartphone has a humongous 10,000mAh battery, lasts 15 days and costs just $239

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 11 2015 - 5:30 am PT
1 Comment

In this day and age, if an Android smartphone can get you to the end of a second day on a single charge with mixed use, we’ll rave about how incredible the battery is. Normally, that means having a battery with at least 3,000mAh of juice. Now, there’s a Chinese manufacturer with a phone that it says will last up to 15 days because it has an enormous 10,000mAh battery.

While we doubt the 15-day usage claim, given our experience with many Android devices, the Oukitel K10000’s battery should be able to manage at least 5 days quite comfortably. I haven’t had a phone last that long since my BlackBerry Bold in 2010, and even then, that was with 3G switched off. Whatever the actual usage statistics, it’ll blow almost every other flagship out of the water, including ASUS’ 5,000mAh ZenFone Max.

Of course, with great power comes great thickness. Although even in that regard, it’s not terribly bulky. It measures in at 9mm thick, 77mm wide, 143mm tall and weighs 184grams.

Size isn’t the only downside of having such a high-capacity battery. It also takes considerable time to fully charge. Even with its Quick-Charge support, the huge battery takes 3.5 hours to go from 0-100. Still, it’s worth remembering that even if you only charge it to 20%, that’s still almost a day’s worth of power. It can also reverse-charge other products, and claims to be able to charge up three iPhone 6s Plus units and still have 10% power left.

Other specs aren’t quite as mind-blowing, but decent nonetheless. It has a 5.5-inch 720p display, 64-bit quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage (expandable to 32GB). There’s also a 13MP camera on the back with HDR, panorama and an anti-shake feature as well as a 5MP camera on the front. It also has a bunch of the usual software tweaks added to the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS interface, like the ability to launch apps by ‘writing’ a letter on the lock screen, or a three-finger swipe down for taking screenshots.

If you want to snag one, you can pre-order from GearBest for $239. It’s worth noting that its network support is a little limited. Its product page lists support for 800/1800/2100/2600 MHz 4G LTE bands and 1900/2100MHz WCDMA 3G bands. Before you order expecting super-fast cellular speeds, be sure to check with your carrier which network bands need support.

BLU Life One X is official, 5.2-inch full HD $99 Moto G competitor with octa-core MediaTek chip

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 11 2015 - 2:57 am PT
6 Comments

As low-end smartphones go, few are as popular on Amazon as BLU’s unlocked budget-friendly Android phones. If it already had a reputation for offering great bang for your buck, it will only get stronger with the newest device in its lineup. The BLU Life One X has just been launched, it costs under $100 (for a limited time) and comes with a full HD 1080p display…


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Exclusive Star Wars edition DROID Turbo 2 models will be available from Moto Maker [Update: They’re here]

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 2:20 pm PT
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Update: You can order the Star Wars editions of the DROID Turbo 2 from Verizon’s Motor Maker page from today.

With the upcoming premiere of the first Star Wars movie since the 90’s abominations we can’t mention by name, every brand on the planet is seemingly teaming up with Disney to produce their own Star Wars themed merchandise. Whether it’s LEGO, lampshades or mineral water, you can now get it with Star Wars branding all over it. Episode VII is launching in theaters next week, and Verizon and Motorola are the latest companies to jump on the bandwagon…


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Google Wallet gains ability to send money to any contact using just a phone number

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 1:30 pm PT
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While Google has shifted its focus to Android Pay for contactless payments, Google Wallet has needed to reinvent itself somewhat as a peer-to-peer payment system. With the latest update, it’s become a whole lot easier to send money to your friends, family and contacts.

From today, the updated app on both iOS and Android will let you send money to anyone on your contact list, even if you don’t have their email address. You can send money to them using their phone number, and it’s secure and fast.


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Yahoo’s new Video Guide app offers universal search across streaming services

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Dec 10 2015 - 9:36 am PT
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Yahoo today released a new “Yahoo Video Guide” app for mobile devices that acts as one central location for users to find content from across a long list of competitive video services and networks.

The app allows users to search from one place and then offers links to buy or start streaming the content in other apps like Amazon, Netflix, HBO GO, and many others. So you’ll still need to be a subscriber, have the app downloaded, and or purchase the content once the Yahoo Video Guide app redirects you.

And while you can just search for something you’re looking for, the app also has a Mood Picker feature that lets users pick a from GIFs to search through curated lists. 

Yahoo of course has its own Yahoo Screen app for mobile devices, but it also links to content on iTunes, Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix, HBO GO, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, Xfinity, YouTube, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Comedy Central, Disney, Food Network, and others. In total it says it’s promoting over 30 video services through the new Video Guide app.

The Yahoo Video Guide Android app is available to download for free in the US. 

Huawei to open smartphone factory in Egypt to serve African/Arabian markets

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 8:29 am PT
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Huawei is set to open its first smartphone market in Egypt according to a report from Daily News Egypt. Hala Aranda, the company’s regional Senior Manager of Public Relations and Government Affairs Department stated that they are currently in negotiations with the Ministry of Investment. Although a final agreement hasn’t been reached yet, the country’s government has promised to be a ‘strategic partner’ in getting the project(s) up and running in the Suez Canal Area…


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PSA: 2nd Gen Moto G is now just $99 on Amazon

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 7:37 am PT
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With the ramp up to Christmas well and truly underway, retailers will spend the next couple of weeks offering discounts on some great products. Even though Black Friday weekend has come and gone, there are still some noteworthy discounts out there. On Amazon, right now, you can pick up the 2nd generation Moto G for just $99, unlocked. That’s a discount of $80 on the original $179 price-point. Incidentally, that’s the same price it’s being sold for at Motorola and Best Buy currently.

As specs go, it’s a respectable smartphone, especially given the outlay. It has a 5-inch 720p display, 2070mAh battery, quad-core processor and runs an almost-stock version of Android. What’s more, Motorola has committed to bringing Android 6.0 Marshmallow to it at some point over the next few weeks.

At this price, I can’t imagine anyone will regret buying it. For the past few years, the Moto G has set the standard for other budget smartphones to follow. That’s why the most recent model, the 3rd gen Moto G, made it on to my list of 2015’s best budget smartphones.

Pebble

Pebble bringing new timeline to old watches this month, Android beta test open now

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 6:16 am PT
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When Pebble announced its new Pebble Time watches and (later on) the Pebble Time Round, it also released a brand new operating system for its popular wearable. This new Timeline was a drastic departure from its original user interface. Sadly, it was a UI only available to those with the new Time models, although the company did promise that the new OS would make its way to older devices too.


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SwiftKey launches Symbols, an AI-powered tool to help non-verbal people communicate through images

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 5:11 am PT
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SwiftKey is no stranger to releasing innovative communication products. In fact, its original keyboard for Android (at time of launch) was arguably the smartest and best virtual keyboard for word prediction and customization. The app it launched this week has potential to be even more innovative, even if only a small percentage of people actually use it. SwiftKey Symbols has been designed to help people on the Autistic Spectrum, particularly non-verbal people, to communicate using images to build phrases…


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ASUS and LG mock Apple’s ‘bumpy’ iPhone battery case

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 4:07 am PT
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Earlier this week, Apple launched its very first official battery case for the iPhone 6/6s. It’d be an understatement to say that it got some attention on social media, mostly from people who couldn’t believe the design-focused company released something so hideous. In fact, you’ll be hard pushed to find someone who has something good to say about the way the case looks.

Not to miss a good marketing opportunity, ASUS and LG were among those mocking the battery case and using it to sell the benefits of its own products. ASUS was keen to point out that, even with the battery case attached, the iPhone 6 is still no match for the ZenFone Max. ASUS claims its 5000mAh battery-powered smartphone can handle 2 hours more video playback, 2 hour more internet use and 12 hours more talk time than a case-equipped iPhone.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ASUS/status/674561517639958529 align=’center’]

Meanwhile, LG took a slightly different line with the V10, ribbing the Apple case’s ‘bumpy’ design. Incidentally, LG’s V10 has a 3,000mAh battery which you can fast-charge up to 50% in just 40mins. :

[tweet https://twitter.com/LGJordan/status/674631588894806016 align=’center’]

It’s no surprise to see the companies exploiting a weakness in Apple’s armor to fuel their own marketing efforts, and the Cupertino-based company could certainly have tried to make it a little harder. Right now, the humped battery case is an easy target.

One thing no company has mocked is perhaps the one thing that has impressed all of us: iOS integration. When an iPhone has a Smart Battery Case attached, it displays both the phone and case’s battery levels in the notification drawer’s ‘Today’ view. What’s more, it charges the iPhone automatically and charges via Lightning cable. Those are some convenient features, for sure. Whether or not you’d want a ‘bumpy’ case in your hand to gain those features is another matter entirely.

Chrome to Phone app marked deprecated, will be disabled in March 2016

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 2:34 am PT
3 Comments

Historically, Chrome to Phone has been one of the most useful apps and extensions to be launched by Google. Using it, Android users could send links from web pages direct to their Android phone from the Chrome browser. It made its official entry in 2010 with the aim to bridge the gap between desktop and mobile. Earlier this year, Google announced that it would be discontinuing the extension.

As spotted by Android Police — to add the final nail to the coffin — the company has marked the Android app as [DEPRECATED] on the Play Store, and intends to shut it down by March 2016.

Chrome to Phone was launched in 2010 to help bridge your desktop and phone experience by making it easy to send Web links to your phone. Over the years, Google’s core products have evolved to be more integrated across different form factors. As of today, Chrome to Phone is deprecated. The app will continue to work until Mar 31st 2016 after which it will no longer work.

If you’re still using the service, there are several alternatives. One of which — of course — is Google’s very own Chrome tab-sync which synchronizes tabs across all of your devices with Chrome installed (assuming you’re signed in to all with the same account). Another third party option is Pushbullet which lets you sync notifications from Android to desktop, send SMS messages, share links and even remotely access files.

Walmart continues to resist Android Pay, announces its own Walmart Pay service

Avatar for Chance Miller Dec 9 2015 - 9:54 pm PT
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Since the launch of Android Pay, retail giant Walmart has refused to accept the mobile payment option, saying instead that it only matters that consumers have a payment option that is widely accepted. Today, however, Walmart has announced its own mobile payment solution called Walmart Pay that is compatible with both iOS and Android.


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