Android News
News: Nokia 8 Seems to Be the First Non-Google Phone to Get Android 8.1
Ever since Microsoft sold Nokia to HMD, they've hit the ground running with a new lease on life. Quick updates have become their hallmark, with even their lower-end phones getting Android Oreo in a timely fashion. The same holds true for their current flagship, the Nokia 8, which by our count is now the first phone outside of Pixel or Nexus devices to get Android 8.1.
News: Here Are All the New Emojis in the Galaxy S8 Oreo Update
New emojis are coming with the Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung Experience 9.0 has been updated to Emoji 5.0, adding 239 brand new emojis when you take into account gender and skin tone variants. While there are minor changes across the board, we wanted to focus on the newly created emojis so you'll know what's available to you.
News: ZTE Axon 9 Specs, Pricing, Release Date & Rumors
UPDATE April 4, 2019: We had high hopes for the ZTE Axon 9, but it won't be releasing in the United States. If you're in another area of the world, you can look into the ZTE Axon 9 Pro, but we cannot recommend this device to American readers due to carrier incompatibility. Below, we've saved the early rumored information on the Axon 9 for posterity.
News: Amazon Will Finally Disable Lock Screen Ads on Their Discounted Phones
Amazon has had a long-standing partnership with its consumers regarding special offers. Amazon sells these Prime Exclusive Phones with lock screen ads and Amazon apps in exchange for discounts on the phones. You also need to be an Amazon Prime Member, leading us to historically believe that these "special offers" weren't really all that special. That is, until today.
News: Galaxy S9 & S9+ Will Support T-Mobile's New 600 MHz LTE Band — Rural Users Rejoice
In 2017, after purchasing a majority of the 600 MHz frequency, T-Mobile began a massive rollout of the new LTE Bands across the US. However, there are currently only two devices that support the frequency, also known as LTE Band 71. Thanks to a recent FCC listing, we've learned this number will double when the Galaxy S9 and S9+ debut next month.
News: 14 Cool New Features in Android Oreo for the OnePlus 5T
When OnePlus announced the 5T, many were disappointed that it wasn't shipping with Android Oreo. To curb some of this disappointment, OnePlus quickly introduced an open beta for both the 5 and 5T and promised that each would receive the official version by Q1 2018. Well today, OnePlus has met this promise and pushed the OTA out for the official stable version of Android Oreo.
News: Almost a Year Later, Android Oreo Is Still on Less Than 1% of Phones
The first developer preview build of Android P (Android 9.0) is right around the corner, but less than 1% of Android phones are running Oreo. The fragmentation on Android (the number of devices on different versions of the operating system) is staggering, and a problem that has plagued the operating system since it first debuted in 2008 — despite Google's best efforts to fix it.
News: This Is How Much the Galaxy S9 Will Cost in the US
Although expected to be only a modest upgrade over the S8, we can't help but be excited about the Galaxy S9's unveiling late next month. Among the many rumors and questions we're looking to see addressed, one of the biggest queries we have is, of course, with the price tag. We might not have to wait a month for the goods, however, thanks to a new pricing announcement out of South Korea.
News: Galaxy S9 Tipped to Have 'Intelligent Scan' Facial Unlocking — Iris & Face Recognition Combined
Over the past few days, we've learned a lot about Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones. In addition to a full list of hardware specs, we have complete renders direct from renowned leaker Evan Blass. Of course, Samsung always has a few surprises up their sleeve, and today, we have some new information about the facial unlock method arriving on the S8.
News: Google Clips Should Be Built into the Camera on Pixel Phones
Google's new AI-powered camera, Google Clips, seems to be targeted at parents of young children in its current form, but the idea itself has unique potential. Just set it up somewhere, then you'll never miss a moment trying to capture the moment — you'll have a robot photographer taking care of that stuff for you.
News: How the RED Hydrogen One's 4V 'Holographic' Display Works
RED has apparrantly been blowing minds with the revolutionary technology inside its upcoming Hydrogen One. Like the Razer Phone in late 2017, most of the cool tech lives inside its screen — which, also like the Razer Phone, is unlike any other on the market today. RED, too, is poised to make some major waves in the coming months, as its phone should be arriving in stores this summer.
Rumor Roundup: Latest News & Leaks on the RED Hydrogen One — Holographic Display, Dual SIM & More
For the unaware, RED is a company that specializes in high-end cameras and other recording devices. RED's cameras are used to shoot some of Hollywood's biggest films and TV shows. Their modular designs make them ideal for the user who does a lot of mixing and matching — and has a wallet to back their work up (their WEAPON 8K VV starts at $79,500).
Bye, Notch: Samsung's Developing a Way to Embed the Selfie Camera in the Screen
While 2017 saw the rise of "bezel-less" smartphones, none truly lived up to the name. Samsung shrank its bezels significantly, while Apple went with the infamous "notch." However, Samsung seems on the verge of kicking bezels out the door with a new patent application that embeds the front camera into the display.
News: 4 Cool New Features in Oreo Beta 2 for the OnePlus 5T
OnePlus is on track to deliver Android 8.0 Oreo to its flagship users by Q1 2018. Open Beta 1 was released for the 5T in late December, and we just received Open Beta 2. But this update isn't just tweaks and bug fixes, OnePlus has included a few new features to enhance the Android experience.
News: Galaxy S9 Announcement, Preorder & Release Dates
Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ are two fantastic devices. That's why we're so excited about the upcoming S9 and S9+. With dual cameras, super slo-mo, dual aperture, and even smaller bezels, the S9 looks to be a device worth picking up day-one. Thankfully, we now officially know when that day is.
News: Google's Next Pixel Phone Might Not Have Speakers
Speakers have been an integral part of smartphones since the beginning. Razer's concept Project Linda even uses the speakers from the Razer Phone to power the faux laptop's audio system. But what if Google's next Pixel phone didn't even have speakers? What if it didn't need them in the first place?
News: Samsung's 2018 Phones Will Have Working FM Tuners in the US
While most smartphones have the ability to receive FM signals via a tuner, mobile carriers prevent users from taking advantage of this hardware — probably in an effort to get their customers to spend more money on data.
News: 'Kinda Blue' Pixel 2 Now Available on the Google Store
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL launched in 2017 with three colors: Clearly White, Just Black, and Kinda Blue. For those who wanted to stand out from the crowd a bit, Kinda Blue was the clear choice. Verizon, however, had other plans in mind, and Kinda Blue became exclusive to the carrier. That is, until now.
News: BlackBerry Motion Is Coming to the US with All-Screen Design & Security Focus
BlackBerry's focus on secure software and their new partnership with manufacturer TCL are two of the biggest factors in their recent resurgence. Last year, the company announced two new devices — the KEYone and the BlackBerry Motion. The KEYone has been available for a while, but after months of waiting, BlackBerry announced the Motion will hit US shores in a few days.
News: Razer Phone Update Will Add Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound & HDR for Netflix
The Razer Phone has already been crowned the best gaming phone on the market today, and it might need to make room on the mantle for another trophy: the best phone for Netflix. Its Quad HD 120 Hz display makes it a great option to binge Black Mirror on, but the Razer Phone didn't exactly stand out from the rest of the pack until now.
News: The Best Battery Life $229 Can Buy: ASUS ZenFone Max Plus Is Coming to the US
Not many smartphones are announced at CES these days — instead, you'll mostly see other types of electronics like Energeous's WattUp and Li-Fi. However, ASUS decided to share some good news for their US customers, and it comes in the form of a new phone with some interesting specs and a budget-friendly price tag.
News: Limited Edition Red-Colored Honor 7X Coming to the US Just Before Valentine's Day
Huawei recently announced the Honor 7X, a mid-tier smartphone aimed at budget-conscious consumers. Spearheaded by the Kirin 659 SoC, it offers great performance at a price point where speed is normally an afterthought. Today, Huawei is making this $199 phone even more attractive by announcing a new limited edition color.
News: New Galaxy Note 8 Android Oreo Build Leaked
Excitement is building for the official Android Oreo release on the Galaxy Note 8. We detailed a leaked Oreo build for the Galaxy S8 and made a short tutorial on how to install it on your device. Now, there's a newer Oreo build available for the Galaxy Note 8 as well. Both of these builds appear to be closer to the official release candidate than the official beta updates on the Galaxy S8.
News: Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update Leaked — Here's What's New
It's been nearly two months since Samsung kicked off the official Galaxy S8 beta program for Android Oreo. The Korean manufacturer recently announced that the beta is ending on January 15, so it's time to move on to the official build. Today, an official (non-beta) build of Oreo for the S8 has leaked.
News: Official Android Oreo Update Already Hit Some Galaxy Note 8s
As the Samsung world anxiously awaits an official Android Oreo update, some Galaxy Note 8 users are waking up to find their devices have jumped the line. Are you one of them?
News: Always-Updated List of Phones That Will Get Android Oreo
| Updated February 11, 2019 with new phones. When will my phone get Android Oreo? That's a question still being asked by many, even this late in 2018. Most OEMs have answered this question in one way or another, either releasing a stable OTA or confirming their device won't be receiving the update. We consolidated all these responses, and here's where we stand.
News: Samsung Patents a 3D Touch System for Its Newest Galaxy Phone
Ever since Apple launched 3D Touch in 2015, we've wondered when the feature would come to Android in earnest. While Android has supported pressure sensitive displays since Nougat and a few fringe manufacturers have taken advantage of it, none of the big OEMs have thrown their hats in the ring — that is, until now.
News: Sony's Leaked Xperia Phones Are the Ugliest We've Seen in 2018 So Far
Okay, yes, 2018 has only just begun — but it's not our fault that Sony dropped some of the ugliest new phones on us since ... their last ugly phone in 2017. According to Evan Blass (@evleaks on Twitter), Sony will be "refreshing" their low- to mid-range phones (Xperia XA1, XA Ultra, and L) by debuting the Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2 at CES next week.
News: The OnePlus 5T's New Sandstone White Color Already Sold Out in the US
The OnePlus 5T is a great device. However, for those of us in the States, we're pretty limited when it comes to OnePlus color choices. While we can pick one of two different spec models, both come in the same Midnight Black. Thankfully, OnePlus has just changed that, releasing a brand new color to our region — but it just sold out.
News: Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge Receive December Security Patch & Update on AT&T
Samsung's 2016 line of smartphones has a new update, at least for the devices on AT&T. The update brings the Galaxy S7 to version G930AUCS4BQL1 and the Galaxy S7 Edge to version G935AUCS4BQL1. Here's what's on the table.
News: 4 Reasons the OnePlus 5T Is the Best Phone for Rooting & Modding in 2018
Rooting has a long and storied history in the Android community. As OEMs push out more refined software, the need to root has diminished — still, the number of incredible things you can do with a rooted phone is enough to tempt many enthusiasts. Luckily, some manufacturers are still putting out root-friendly devices.
News: HQ Trivia Now Available to Download on Android
Attention Android users — the famously iPhone-only HQ Trivia is here! If you've been waiting for the worldwide sensation to come to your smartphone, now's your chance to dive into the excitement.
News: Some Users Say Note 8 Batteries Won't Charge After Hitting 0%
As awesome as the 2017 Galaxy lineup may be, few can forget the monstrous disaster that was the Note 7's exploding battery. Needless to say, the last thing Samsung wanted was another news story about a problem with the Note 8's battery. Unfortunately, that's exactly where we find ourselves today.
News: 100+ Apps Android Users Need on Their Phones in 2018
Whether you're new to Android or you just haven't kept up on the app scene lately, we hand-picked over one hundred essential apps that are all designed to improve your experience. From custom launchers and icon packs to weather apps and file explorers, there's something for everyone in this list.
News: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Gets Update from T-Mobile, Includes December Security Patch
T-Mobile has just pushed out a new update to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, bringing the build number to N950USQU2BQLA. Here's what to expect.
News: New December Security Updates Arrive for the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ & Note 5
If you own the Galaxy S8, S8+, or Note 5, be on the lookout for a new security update. These Samsung devices are the latest to receive the December security update to patch issues from both Samsung and Android.
News: Galaxy Note 8 & Galaxy S8 Don't Support Project Treble on Oreo
The Oreo beta updates for the S8 and Note 8 have been avilable for some time now. If you're interested in running Oreo on your Galaxy Note 8, you can check out our guide on how to do so. As we dig deeper into the updates, one question on the minds of Galaxy fans is whether or not the Oreo update will support Project Treble. Today, it appears we have an answer.
News: Essential Releases Oreo Beta 2 Update
Back in November, Essential opened the Android Oreo Beta Program for all users of their PH-1 flagship. We even wrote up a full guide on how to install the beta, if you're interested. They followed the Oreo beta with a Reddit AMA, where they mentioned the second beta software would arrive very soon. That update has just gone live, so you can grab it right now in a few easy steps.
Rumor Roundup: Everything You Need to Know About the Sony Xperia XZ2
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium brought 4K HDR to a Sony flagship along with some competitive internals, while the Xz1 brought some powerful specs in a more midrange, traditional form factor. While it only makes sense to be excited about what's coming next, Sony has yet to show us the XZ2. For now, we need to stick to the rumor mill. Thankfully, the rumor mill is a fun place to be.
News: The Differences Between the Galaxy S8 & Galaxy Note 8 Oreo Updates
Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 have Oreo beta software available in the wild at this point. We devoted a number of articles to covering what's new in Oreo and went into detail about the bugs and hiccups on both the S8 and the Note 8. Still, many people are left wondering — what's the difference between the Oreo builds on these two phones?