All the Galaxy Note 7 pre-order offers from EU carriers and retailers

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 7 is certainly shaping up to be a popular handset, at least based on the pre-order numbers from Asia and Northern America. Now eager customers can begin placing their pre-orders in Europe as well.

Not all of the continent's carriers have their pre-order pages live yet, so we'll update this post over the next week or so. Even so, here are the current Galaxy Note 7 pre-order prices and launch details from the top European carriers and retailers.

UK

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is set to arrive in the UK on September 2nd, so there's still plenty of time to get your pre-order in. Nearly all of the major carriers have announced their pre-order packages, and a free Gear VR headset is included as a bonus from all of these retailers too.

Carphone Warehouse

The UK's biggest high-street smartphone retailer has the Galaxy Note 7 available on a range of tariffs and data combinations. The Carphone Warehouse's color options are either Black or Blue. I'll list the most attractively priced ones here, but feel free to check out the pre-order page for plenty of other options.

• Vodafone – £59 upfront, £42 per month for 24 months. 6GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.
• EE – £48 upfront, £60 per month for 24 months. 5GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.
• Vodafone – £9 upfront, £58 per month for 24 months. 30GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.

Buy from Carphone Warehouse

Vodafone

If you really want to get your hands on the Galaxy Note 7 as fast as possible, then check out Vodafone, as the carrier is promising to ship out pre-orders placed before August 28th three days before the official UK launch. Again, there are plenty of data options to chose from, but here are Vodafone's suggested options for either one or two year contracts.

• £20 upfront, £62 per month for 24 months. 24GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.
• £250 upfront, £67 per month for 12 months. 12GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.

If you sign up to one of Vodafone's contracts you'll also receive 4GB of free roaming data, plus a choice of free access to Sky Sports Mobile TV, Spotify Premium or a NOW TV Entertainment Pass.

Buy from Vodafone UK

O2

Just like Vodafone, O2 is also promising to ship its pre-orders out a little early. Order by August 26th and O2 will send your new Note 7 to you by August 30th. O2 is also one of the few places where you can just buy the handset outright.

• £10 upfront, £50 per month for 24 months. 1GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts
• £10 upfront, £62 per month for 24 months. 20GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts
• £777.99 pay as you go

Buy from O2 UK

Three UK

If you're looking for slightly lower monthly costs, then Three UK has a selection of higher upfront cost plans that might entice. To sweeten the deal, Three UK is also offering a free £50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up to a new contract.

• £149 upfront, £40 per month for 24 months. 8GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.
• £99 upfront, £46 per month for 24 months. 12GB data, unlimited minutes, and texts, plus hotspots.
• £99 upfront, £56 per month for 24 months. Unlimited data, minutes, and texts, plus hotspots.

Buy from Three UK See also: Has Samsung perfected design with the Galaxy Note 7?182

Germany

O2 and T-Mobile haven't gotten around to announcing their pre-order prices for the Note 7 just yet, but there are some offers available from Vodafone and a small selection of major retailers.

Vodafone

Vodafone Germany is offering the familiar Gear VR headset bundle if you pre-order before September 1st. The Galaxy Note 7 can be bought in either Silver or Black color options and will be available in stores on September 2nd.

• €180 upfront, €57 per month for 24 months. 6GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.
• €180 upfront, €82 per month for 24 months. 20GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts.

Buy from Vodafone.de

MediaMarkt / Saturn

MediaMarkt and Saturn will both ship the Galaxy Note 7 in either Black, Blue, or Silver to consumers on September 2nd. You'll have to sort out your own carrier, but these hardware retailers are a good option for those who don't want to tie themselves into a multi-year contract.

• €849 up front, no contract

Buy from MediaMarkt

Buy from Saturn

France

Major carriers Orange and SFR haven't listed pre-order prices for the Note 7 yet, but you can register interest to receive an email as soon as orders go live. The phone is listed as costing €860 over at Orange, and I imagine that contract options will appear soon.

Bouygues

Bouygues will begin selling the Galaxy Note 7 on the 29th August, making it one of the first carriers to ship out pre-orders. The carrier has a range of contracts available and the option to buy the phone outright. There's a free Gear VR headset up for grabs with all pre-orders too.

• €250 upfront, €97 per month for 24 months. 40GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts
• €400 upfront, €42 per month for 24 months. 5GB data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts
• €860 pay as you go

Buy from Bouygues

FNAC

If you're looking for a carrier-free option, FNAC is offering the Black, Blue, and Silver models for €859 each, complete with the free Gear VR headset. FNAC will begin shipping out orders on September 2nd.

• €859 upfront, no contract

Buy from FNAC

Amazon

Amazon pre-orders haven't gone live across Europe yet, but you can order the handset from the retail giant in France. The price is set at €859, matching the costs offered by other pay up front options in the country. The shipping date is scheduled for September 2nd.

• €859 upfront, no contract

Buy from Amazon.fr

• 
  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Nex...
• 
  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs App...
• 
  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Gal...
• 
  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Color ...

Italy

Few of Italy's major carriers are offering pre-orders just yet, but you can already place an order with TIM. The phone is also available to order from a couple of electronics retailers too.

TIM

TIM isn't offering any contract deals yet, but you will get a free TIMcard with your purchase. TIM is also offering 22GB of free 4G internet for 30 days with your new purchase. If you order your handset before September 1st, you'll get a free Gear VR headset too.

• €880 upfront

Buy from TIM

Euronics / Samsung

€879 is the price to beat for an unlocked Galaxy Note 7 in Italy, and both Euronics and Samsung's own Italian websites are offering the phone for this price, with the Gear VR bonus. Both retailers offer the Black, Blue, and Silver color options at this price, but buying directly from Samsung seems like the batter offer as delivery is free and the phone is expected to ship on August 30th rather than some unspecified time in September.

• €879 upfront, no contract

Buy from Euronics

Buy from Samsung

Spain

Unfortunately neither Orange, Vodafone, nor Movistar have posted pre-order details for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in Spain yet, so we are stuck ordering with large upfront costs from the county's electronics retailers.

FNAC / El Corte Ingles

Again, it seems that hardware retailers are offering pre-orders a little faster than carriers these days. FNAC and El Corte Ingles both have the Blue and Black color options available to pre-order for €859. September 2nd is again the expected delivery date from these European retailers and you'll get your free Gear VR headset too.

• €859 upfront, no contract

Buy from FNAC

Buy from El Corte Ingles

We will be keeping an eye out for additional pre-order offers from carriers across Europe in the coming weeks. If you've spotted any other national deals for the Note 7, let us know in the comments below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2aXyg9j
via IFTTT

Best USB-C Car Chargers

While USB Type-C charging may not be commonly adapted to every smartphone, slowly and surely, it's becoming a standard. Flagship phones like the HTC 10, Nexus 6P, and LG G5 are all sporting this new kind of connection, and that trend doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.

See also: Best USB-C cables

Odds are that you've found yourself a shiny new phone with a USB Type-C charging port. While that can initially be exciting, there are some downsides to upgrading. Everything you use with your phone that takes a micro USB connection must now be replaced with one that takes USB Type-C, or you can get an adapter. Either way, it's not a fun process. One item that you may want to replace right off the bat is your car charger. Keeping your phone up and running while on the go is pretty much a must-have necessity, so we've put together a helpful list of the best USB Type-C car chargers you can get right now.

5. Tronsmart Type-C car charger

If you're looking for sheer power, Tronsmart has got you covered. For $25.00, you can get a type-c car charger comes built in with a type-c cable; you won't need to get yourself a whole new cord. Better yet, it also sports a micro USB port, which is nice if you have multiple devices or if you drive with friends. The charger also supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge for 2.0 and 3.0 devices, so don't expect to have to plug in your phone for very long. Then to pull it all together there's industry-grade materials and top notch circuitry to prevent things like overheating and overcharging.

Buy now on Amazon

4. Vinsic Type-C car charger

If you're looking for a quick and cheap solution, then the $12.90 Vinsic type-c car charger is right up your alley. The charger comes with a type-c and type-a port respectively, which will allow you to charge not only your new phone, but also a Macbook or a Chromebook Pixel. It doesn't come with Quick Charge, but it is designed to maximize charging speed, and comes with an LED light that indicates if your device is charged or not.

Buy now on Amazon

3. Charged 4-Port car charger

If you want the most for your money, this is the charger that I'd recommend. For $14.99, just a mere two dollars more than the Vinsic, you can get a car charger that charges just about anything you can think of, including iPhones, Android flagships, and more. One port is used for Qualcomm 3.0 and 2.0, two ports are both USB at 2.4 amps, and the last port is type-c at 3 amps. Anything you plug in will charge fairly quickly, with a good charge being distributed. Then if for some reason you end up dissatisfied with the charger, it comes with a 100% money back guarantee.

Buy now on Amazon

2. Maxboost Type-C car charger

If 4 ports is a bit unnecessary for you, then the Maxboost might be the way to go. For the same price as the Charged, the Maxboost supports a built in type-c cable, as well as a Quick Charge USB port at top that's only compatible with 2.0 devices. The blue ring that sits around the device is fixed with an LED that lights up at night, so you'll be able to plug in during the night. Overall it's a simple product, and works well for what it is.

Buy now on Amazon

1. Blitzwolf Type-C car charger

The Blitzwolf goes along with the Vinsic, and is one of the cheapest solutions to getting a type-c car charger. Sported with a built in type-c charger and a USB port, you're only getting the necessities with the Blitzwolf. While it has a Smart Charge technology inside, which prevents overheating and overcharging, it does not support Quick Charge. The charger also comes with 30 day money back guarantee and an 18 month warranty. The Blitzwolf will also only set you back a mere $12.99.

Buy now on Amazon

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2bCz0WR
via IFTTT

This ridiculous real life Pokeball remote might actually take off

We're hitting that time folks: a month an half after Pokemon Go became the only thing worth thinking about or doing in the world, the first bizarre products trying to tap into the hype are emerging. But I'm not just talking about silly external battery packs with a Pokemon decal on them. Some entrepreneurs are going all out in the race to attach themselves to the money-printing machine that is Pokemon Go, and this latest one is so ridiculous and silly it might actually take off.

See also: Pokemon Go CP: Which Pokemon is the very best?4

A real-life Pokeball

The team over at GamerReality have designed and build a real life Pokeball that serves as a remote control for Pokemon Go. Part Nintendo Wii controller, part tennis ball, this kinetic controller takes the on-screen Pokeball throwing gesture and brings it into the real world.

The 'Official Trainer Ball' (something tells me the complete absence of the term 'Pokemon Go' in the campaign means Niantic hasn't approved anything at all, but hey, 'best steaks in town') is now on Kickstarter looking to raise $25,000. With this real-life Pokeball, instead of using a virtual swiping motion, you can "catch Pokemon the way they were meant to be caught" – which I have to admit is a pretty catchy tagline.

How it works

According to GamerReality, "it boils down to using the same technology that powers SnapChat's face detection. If you add that with the data we get from the accelerometer, plus a two way detection from Bluetooth, we can create actions in the game based on the Trainer Ball's pinpoint location from the camera."

The Trainer Ball is made of a soft rubber so it's apparently safe to throw around and it pairs with your phone via Bluetooth. Accelerometers track your arm motion and work in tandem with the camera so you can either throw the ball as described above, or just make the throwing gesture without actually letting it go. This is obviously a better approach when in crowded public spaces or near water hazards and so on.

It's also a battery pack

Perhaps the most logical part of this so-ridiculous-it-might-actually-work project is that the Pokeball contains an external battery pack too. As everybody knows, Pokemon Go is a double-edged sword when it comes to batteries. On the downside it sucks battery juice like nobody's business, but on the positive side, its worldwide popularity means we should see OEMs finally putting bigger batteries in phones. The Trainer Ball aims to charge your phone 2-3 times.

The Kickstarter campaign has 44 days to go, ending on September 29 and has already raised $1,600. Pledges start at $1 and $35 will get you an early bird Official Trainer Ball, which should ship in December if everything goes to plan. A second wave of early bird shipments is planned for $45 backers shipping in February 2017. The regular price will be $55.

CHECK IT OUT ON KICKSTARTER

Thoughts? Might this actually take off?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2buMkIR
via IFTTT

Google Hangouts to hang around, focus on business users

Could Google's new one-to-one video calling app Duo and its soon-to-arrive text-based messaging app Allo become the "Hangouts killers?" Duo's current roll out on Android and iOS and Allo's expected arrival has raised questions over the survival of Hangouts, which was launched more than three years ago.

According to a report on Engadget, Hangouts will still be around, though Google will now focus the product on its business users. That's pretty much in line with Google's recent comment to Business Insider, when a company spokesperson had said that the company was "continuing to invest in Hangouts and it will remain a standalone product."

After its attempt to become a social giant like Facebook and Twitter failed to take off, Google has been gradually disentangling parts of itself from Google+. The latest casualty is Hangouts On Air, which will be transitioning over to YouTube Live and will appear in the Live Streaming Events area of the YouTube creator studio instead of inside Google+, starting September 12.

While Allo and Duo are all set to become Google's main consumer chat players, Hangouts will still be around. There are a few good reasons why Google won't be replacing Hangouts with Duo and Allo anytime soon. For one, both are mobile-only apps with no desktop equivalent and don't require a Google account, as they work with your phone number. On the other hand, Hangouts works on the desktop and is integrated into Gmail and Docs.

There are also differences in what you can do with Hangouts and Duo or Allo. Hangouts allows you to do video calls with multiple participants, while only one-to-one video calling is possible with Duo. So Hangouts will continue to exist and Google will now focus the product on the enterprise crowd, according to Google's VP of communication products, Nick Fox.

Speaking to Engadget, Fox said, "Because Hangouts is built on a Google account, because it's deeply integrated with Google apps, the Apps suite [things like Drive, Docs, etc.], Gmail, Calendar and so on, it's seen much more success in the enterprise. It will increasingly focus on that kind of group collaboration enterprise productivity space."

The launch of Duo and Allo, and continued support for Hangouts means that Google has finally given up trying to have one app do everything. Google has also realized, a little late though, that users will be turning mainly towards Android and iOS to broadcast their text- and video-based thoughts and feelings.

"We've historically tried to do a lot in a single app, but the reality is that are pretty different types of communication," Fox said. "We see them differently, and we think we'll be able to build the best experiences by building focused experiences that do what they're intended to do really, really well."

With all of that said, though, consumers are sure to end up being confused with the different messaging platforms available from Google, which is yet to figure out how it can move them smoothly from Hangouts to Allo and Duo.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2bBSH0U
via IFTTT

CyanogenMod rolls out a new stable snapshot build of CM 13

The day has come for anyone interested in flashing CyanogenMod but who's not interested in the messy business of release candidate builds or nightlies. The latest stable snapshot build of CM 13 (ZNH5Y) is now rolling out for the core group of supported devices, bringing things up to Android 6.0.1 r61. There's a huge amount of stuff to cover, so read on for the highlights.

See also: Understanding the differences between CyanogenMod, Cyanogen OS & Cyanogen, Inc.45

There's a new (black) boot animation screen and the new build contains the August security patch (patching two of the four Quadrooter vulnerabilities in the process – the only two the CM team had access to). Wi-Fi hotspots will automatically turn off after being inactive for a while and there's new notification light controls for Profiles and DND/Priority Mode.

You can restrict apps to only use data over Wi-Fi (or cellular) or block internet access entirely. A new Bluetooth device battery icon appears in the status bar so you can keep an eye on paired device power levels and the lock screen wallpaper picker is back. There's also additional support for lock screen weather and there's now a lock screen blur effect (that you can disable) and support for live lock screens.

A bunch of other features including more translations, LiveDisplay support, the addition of Snap Camera and Gello Browser (device dependent), Cyanogen Apps support (not for x86 architectures yet), security fixes and additional CM SDK APIs are all included. The full changelog and list of supported devices are available on the CyanogenMod blog. If you're running the ZNH0E build of CM 13 you can dirty flash the new build on top without reseting things.

Will you be flashing CM 13? What's your favorite custom ROM right now?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2aWbY77
via IFTTT

Google-branded smartphones to be launched in September

India's fondness for Android seems to have made Google sit up and pay attention to the growth potential in a market where 97% of all smartphones run on its operating system. New reports have surfaced claiming that Google is getting ready to launch smartphones under its own brand name instead of the Nexus brand across selected markets, which includes India.

Apparently, two Google-branded smartphones are on their way, one with a 5-inch display and 32 GB of internal storage, and the other with a 5.5-inch display and 128 GB of on-board storage. Both the devices will arrive with Android 7.0 Nougat in September, and will be positioned as high-end or premium models.

While there's not much to go by in terms of their specs, the little information that is available seems to match the leaked specifications of the two upcoming Nexus smartphones, Sailfish and Marlin, said to be manufactured by HTC for Google. In fact, two HTC Nexus devices have just been spotted stopping by at the US FCC. If the new reports are to be believed, then the Google-branded smartphones are actually just Sailfish and Marlin without the Nexus moniker, and will also be manufactured by HTC.

Google's attempt to position the two branded devices as premium smartphones is being seen as an attempt to take on the iPhone. The Google-branded devices will reportedly feature a new mechanism to transfer data from the iPhone in order to simplify the on-boarding process for new users.

It remains to be seen if Google succeeds in taking on the iPhone with its own brand of smartphones in the budget-conscious Indian smartphone market, where Apple's expensive and premium devices have been losing share. In fact, the new Google-branded devices could actually end up hurting Samsung more by eating into its India sales, which have already been affected by feature-rich and attractively-priced Chinese handsets.

All these are only rumors at the time, and there's no word yet on the pricing and markets where Google will offer its own brand of smartphones. We'll be keeping our ear to the ground for this one and update you as soon as we hear something new.

Are you excited over the rumors about Google-branded smartphones and would you buy one? Hit the comments below to let us know!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2b0f9wY
via IFTTT

Video calling app Duo is finally arriving today on Android and iOS

One half of the dynamic, um, duo of chat apps that Google introduced at I/O is finally here. Almost.

In a blog post, Google announced that one-to-one video calling app Duo would become available on Android and iOS starting today. The post was published late in the evening (Pacific time), so the app should be rolling out right now.

Currently the Play Store Google Duo listing only gives us the option to pre-register for the app. It's very likely that Google is rolling Duo out gradually, to avoid virtual traffic jams and iron out any unexpected issues that can arise with a brand new service.

Google highlighted the simplicity of Duo, an app that lacks the bells and whistles of Skype or even Google's own Hangouts. "Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are," said the company.

It sounds like Google wants to remove any friction that could potentially prevent users from using video calling – the Mountain View company cited research stating that half of all users never make a video call.

To be as accessible as possible, Duo doesn't need a separate account. You can start using it with just your phone number, just like WhatsApp.

Simple as it may be, Duo is not completely barebones. One of its coolest features is Knock Knock, which basically lets you see the person who's calling before picking up. You also get end-to-end encryption, which aligns Google with Facebook and Apple when it comes to protecting user privacy.

Very importantly, Duo works on Android and iOS, which will put it on collision course with Apple's very popular FaceTime.

We'll keep an eye on the Google Duo Play Store page and update you as soon as the app becomes available.

Download Duo from the Play Store Download Duo from the Apple App Store

No word yet on Allo, the text chat app that Google introduced alongside Duo. It can't be too far behind though.

Anyone here who's got Duo yet? Let us know!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2aXSbaU
via IFTTT