Android

Earlier this year at its Unpacked event, Samsung previewed its Galaxy Note Edge phablet with a special, curved part of the display that wraps around the right side. We’ve already given you our early hands-on and first impressions of the latest Samsung Galaxy Note variant, and today the reviews are starting to surface. So what’s the verdict on this unique take on a phablet? Check out our roundup below:
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Lollipop is here and the Nvidia Shield Tablet will be among the first group of non-Nexus devices to make the jump to Android 5.0. Today, the company announced that its gaming slate will receive the software push on November 18th, along with a few other improvements to its in-house applications.

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Samsung has announced Flow, providing seamless transfer of content, work in progress and phone calls between different Samsung devices.

People today use multiple devices in their daily activities: phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, TVs, and more. But the way we work is still device-centric. We still use one application, within one device, with data that is tied to that application and device.

Samsung Flow is a platform that enables developers to create seamless transitions across devices, so that people can change devices in the midst of an activity and continue right from where they left off.

Flow is compatible with anything that works with Android’s Share feature: if content can be shared with other apps, Flow can be used to to hand it off to other devices … 
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Samsung has announced its own location-based alerts system, designed to allow businesses to send alerts to your smartphone. These highly-localized messages could range from offers on products in the section of the store you are in, to directions to your seat in a stadium or theater.

Called Proximity, the service is based on Bluetooth LE beacons and will work in a similar fashion to Apple’s iBeacon service already in use in stores like Macy’s, American Eagle, The Bay, Lord & Taylor and Walmart – along with such diverse locations as MLB stadiums and airports … 
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Following the announcement that Android Lollipop will soon be distributed to Nexus devices as an over-the-air update, Google has gone ahead and posted factory images for the Nexus 5, 7 and 10 this afternoon. If you’re wondering how to install an Android Lollipop factory image on a Nexus device, it’s as simple as following a few step-by-step instructions.

And while most people just let Google handle restoring their data, you might want to keep things that Google doesn’t back up (like your SMS messages and the like). Fortunately, keeping your data intact while flashing a factory image is fairly easy. Read on for the full guide.

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Just a short while after announcing the Android 5.0 Lollipop over-the-air update for Nexus devices, Google has now posted the factory images for the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013 WiFi-only models), and Nexus 10.

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It’s definitely one of the most highly anticipated software updates that Android has ever seen. Today, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update—that was first previewed earlier this year at Google I/O—has begun rolling out OTA to Nexus devices everywhere. “Dessert is served,” Google says. We haven’t heard reports of any devices actually having access to the update quite yet, but with this tweet from the Android team, one can expect updates to start appearing very soon.

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It’s hard to believe that the Nexus 6 is the Nexus 5’s successor. There’s a huge difference between these two devices in almost every department, but this year you’ll pay for those changes. Today we’re comparing the Motorola-made Google Nexus 6 to the LG-made Nexus 5.

The Nexus 5 was a steal of a deal when it was first released. In fact it’s still a great device. For the money, it’s hard to find a comparable device with the same software experience. The Nexus 5 is loaded up with Android 5.0 Lollipop (update is coming soon) and even after being outdated by better specifications and other smartphones on the market, it still runs like a boss.

With the Nexus 6, you’re getting the latest and greatest that this industry has to offer. It’s also running Android 5.0 Lollipop and overall will offer the same exact software interface and features as its predecessor. With both of these devices, you’re getting a pure Android experience, just as Google intended it to be. Does the Nexus 6 bring enough to the table to justify the difference in price? Well, let’s get right into the comparison and find out…

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It’s not always the easiest task to compare an Android device with one running iOS. Most people choose one platform or another as a personal preference or an investment into the ecosystem that provides what they need. Today we’re comparing the Motorola-made Google Nexus 6 to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. There are benefits to each side, but which one is right for you?

We’re going to be comparing the design, specifications, features, and camera performance between these two flagship phablets. If you’re looking for more, check out our Nexus 6 review and 9to5Mac’s iPhone 6 Plus review. There may not be a clear winner at the end of the day, but I’ll leave that discussion for the comments section below…

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At this point, it’s very clear that Google’s Nexus 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 are the two hottest Android phablets on the market. These two monster-sized smartphones are both great in many ways, but what makes them so different? In this article, we’re going to be comparing the Nexus 6 to the Galaxy Note 4. This comparison won’t get too in-depth with every single feature from each device, but it’s nice to know how these two stack up against each other.

We’ll be taking a brief look at features, specifications, design, and camera performance in this comparison and hopefully give you a good idea of what each device has to offer. Also, be sure to check out our full review of the Galaxy Note 4 and Nexus 6 for more details on each device. These two Android smartphones are complete opposites in terms of features and design, but which one is right for you? Let’s go ahead and find out…

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Demand for Nexus devices has always been crazy, but this year Google took it a step further in every department and created somewhat of a super-smartphone. Most of what makes the Nexus 6 so great stems from its pure Android experience. Essentially, you’re experiencing this mobile OS exactly as it was crafted and straight from the source.

Because of Android’s openness, many smartphone makers dilute Android with their own custom skins. This is mostly great for consumers as skins add features that help create the core concepts of devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note line, but there’s almost always a tradeoff. You’re sacrificing overall speed and fluidity thanks to the resources being consumed.

Google’s Nexus lineup is a series of devices without all of the added bulk. This is the cleanest Android experience you can find. While it may not be as feature-rich when compared to other devices and their skins, it might be the best Android experience you can get…

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Xiaomi, the Chinese Android manufacturer which heavily bases its product designs and marketing on Apple products, is to invest $1B in the Chinese YouTube equivalent, Youku.

Xiaomi has long been aware of the importance of an integrated hardware-and-services offering, initially selling its smartphones at cost-price in order to build market share, relying on its app store to generate profits. A tie-in with a video service makes similar sense – smartphones and tablets providing an audience for video content, and video content driving demand for devices on which to view it – but the move is likely to be primarily driven by Xiaomi’s move into the smart TV market …  
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pRCAsb-isM]

Samsung’s latest sustainability report published earlier this year was a bit of a snooze. It’s full of fascinating diversity stats like the number of female employees and info on how the company has failed to correct violations at its manufacturing facilities. In case you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Samsung has decided to cherry-pick some of the positive stats and make a rap video out of it.

The video really speaks for itself: “Here we go once again, Samsung to the rescue… Put wings to your dreams.”

While Samsung’s report included mostly positive stats related to its workforce, the report also showed a number of violations from independent inspections at supplier and manufacturing partners that ranged from lack of necessary safety equipment to workers exceeding legally allowed overtime hours.

Enjoy.

The latest monthly build of CyanogenMod 11 is now available to download for several Android devices, ranging from the HTC One (M8) and HTC Evo 4G LTE to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. CyanogenMod 11 M12 download links should be added for other smartphones and tablets over the coming days.
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While official Android Lollipop factory images for the all-new Nexus 9 and Nexus Player were made available earlier this month, users with other Nexus and Google Play Edition devices are still waiting on Google to seed the update. In the meantime, Nexus 7 (2012) owners are in luck, as an Android Lollipop factory image for the tablet has leaked ahead of its official release.
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Last week, Motorola began rolling out a soak test for Android 5.0 Lollipop to users of the Moto X Pure Edition, and today it appears Motorola is continuing its soak testing with the second generation Moto G. Several users have reported receiving the update already and Motorola has also published the full release notes on its website (via Android Police).

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As we told you about earlier today, Phandroid seems to have gotten their hands on some unreleased Google software, and the leaks started with a new Material Design overhaul for the Android Wear companion app. This afternoon, we’ve now had a chance to peek at some of the more interesting ins and outs of the upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop overhaul for the Android Wear OS, and with it is coming the long awaited watch face API, new brightness and accessibility features, and more.

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While Sprint and AT&T have come out today saying that both of their Nexus 6 launches will be happening tomorrow, November 12th, T-Mobile has today announced that they’re pushing their launch back a week to November 19th to give customers the “best experience possible.”

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