Android 7.0 Nougat update begins its LG G5 rollout on Sprint

If you own an LG G5 on Sprint's network, get ready for a big download. Online reports indicate that the Android 7.0 Nougat update for this smartphone has started rolling out on the network. It appears Sprint is the first U.S. carrier to begin offering this update for the LG G5.

See also:

LG G5 vs LG V10

May 23, 2016

LG first announced that it had started the Nougat update for the G5 earlier this month in South Korea. According to a Reddit post today, the Sprint update has a file size of 1,275.4 MB, so you will likely need a Wi-FI connection to get a smooth and fast download. The kernel version number is 3.18.31 and the software version number is LS992ZV8. Besides the stock Nougat features, this update also includes LG's own built-in DPI changer, with 544, 640, and 720 options. It also includes the November Google security update.

As usual with these kinds of over-the-air updates, Sprint LG G5 owners could see Nougat available to download immediately or it could take a few days for it to roll out to their device. However, it's still great that owners of the LG G5 on Sprint can now grab the Nougat update, and it's likely that the other major U.S. carriers will follow suit in the next few weeks.

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Google wants to show you how crowded a store is ahead of Black Friday

 

This week is one of the most anticipated, and also one of the most dreaded, times of the year for shoppers. Black Friday used to be just one day, but retailers are now offering huge discounts on certain items all this week. That means crowded shopping centers and stores, and long delays at registers. Today, Google announced some new additions to its Search app that should make life a little easier for shoppers who want to go to their favorite store at the best possible time.

See also: The best Black Friday deals of 2016

Previously, the Google Search and Map apps showed the estimated popular times for restaurants or stores, but with today's update, those search results will now display real time numbers on how crowded they are. That hopefully means you can choose to avoid going to that location at that time and wait until it isn't quite as busy.

Another new addition for Google Search is an estimate of how how long people usually stay at a shop, restaurant or other location. This is also ideal, especially if you don't want to wait a while to eat at your favorite steak house, burger joint or nightclub.

Finally, there are some businesses that close certain sections before the entire store closes up, like pharmacies at department stores or service sections at auto dealerships. Google Search can now display the specific opening and closing times of those kinds of departments alongside the main hours. Will these new features be helpful for you, especially for this coming Black Friday week? Let us know in the comments.

 

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A ‘glossy black’ Samsung Galaxy S7 might be coming soon

Samsung may add yet another color choice in the near future for people who want to get its flagship Galaxy S7 smartphone. A new report claims that the phone will be available in a 'glossy black' color option sometime in early December.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 review
• Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review

The report comes from the South Korea-based site The Investor, citing unnamed sources. As you may know, Samsung already sells the Galaxy S7 in a Black Onyx color option, but this new glossy black color is rumored to better compete with the Jet Black iPhone 7 that launched earlier this year.

This move certainly makes sense on Samsung's part. The company is trying to boost sales of the nine-month old Galaxy S7, in part to make of for the lost sales of the recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Plus, launching a new color variant isn't anything we haven't seen before; earlier this month the company announced a new Blue Coral option for the Galaxy S7 Edge, which is now on sale at all four major US carriers.

If the new Galaxy S7 color option is similar to the Jet Black iPhone 7, do you think you'll buy one? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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LeEco and Coolpad could collaborate again to launch a ‘Cool’ smartphone

Coolpad and LeEco are collaborating again after the launch of their first joint smartphone, the Cool1 Dual, in August this year. The two companies partnered after Jia Yueting, CEO of LeEco, took over as Coolpad's Chairman in August. The upcoming smartphone could reportedly be called just 'Cool' and recently passed through China's certification website TENAA.

According to a TENAA listing spotted by GizmoChina, 'Cool' sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display powered by a 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 with 4GB and 6GB RAM options, and multiple storage variants – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The device will be powered by a 4000mAh battery. The Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow smartphone will come with a dual rear camera setup packing in a 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front shooter.

With looks similar to the Le Pro 3, the Cool smartphone will be available in several color options like gold, white, silver, blue, and black. No other details are known at the moment, although since the device has been certified, it could be launched soon enough.

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Deal: Get £70 off Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones at Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse is trying hard to get your attention before the holiday shopping season gets in full swing. The company started offering a free VR Goji headset with any pay monthly smartphone purchase a couple of days ago. Now, the retailer is taking it up a notch with its »Black Tag Event«. It's currently offering a discount in the amount of 70 pounds for Google's Pixel smartphones, which launched about a month ago. The smaller of the two – Pixel — will set you back 529.99 pounds, while the Pixel XL can be yours for 649.99 pounds.

See also:

Google Pixel XL review: a Pixel's perspective

4 weeks ago

Do note that the offer is only valid for the 32GB version of the devices. So if you want to get your hands on the 128GB model, you'll, unfortunately, have to pay full price – £699.99 (Pixel) and £819.99 (Pixel XL).

This is currently the best deal for Google's Pixel smartphones we've seen in the UK. As always, the deal won't last forever, so if you're interested in getting it, head over to Carphone Warehouse's official website by clicking the button below. You can choose between the Quite Black or Very Silver color options, while the Really Blue version still remains a US exclusive.

Are you thinking of getting this deal? Will you be opting for the Pixel or Pixel XL? Let us know.

Get the Pixel deal Get the Pixel XL deal

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Sony’s Xperia X Nougat Concept updated with security patches and more

Owners of Sony's Xperia X smartphone in Europe who are also signed up for the "Concept for Android" program can download the first update for the software since it first rolled out a couple of weeks ago for Android 7.0 Nougat. The program offers Xperia X owner a chance to get some hands-on preview time with upcoming features before they are made available for all owners of the smartphone.

See also:

How to activate the Xperia XZ & X Compact fingerprint scanners in the US

October 6, 2016

In this case, the build number for this update is build number 38.1.A.0.342 (NBD91K4). It includes the latest November Android security updates from Google, along with adding X-Reality support in the Album app, and also includes new versions of Sony's Xperia Home and Xperia Transfer apps. As you might expect, there are also some bug fixes in this Nougat-based release, including a new version of the fingerprint driver and bug fixes for the camera and FM Radio features.

Additionally, there's a known issue with the updated Xperia Home app and icon packs, and users should remove those packs from the Home settings before they download the latest Concept update. If you want to be on the cutting edge of software for the Xperia X, and you live in Europe, you can get these "Concept for Android" updates by downloading the Sony Concept Installer app right now from the Google Play Store.

Get it at Google Play

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Are you buying the OnePlus 3T? [Poll of the Week]

Last week's poll summary: Out of over 1,700 total votes, 38.9% of our readers said they've been very happy with Google Home thus far. 20.4% of our readers say that they like the idea of Google Home, though it's just too limited right now. 18.6% say that they think Google Home is great, but they have no plans to buy one.

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OnePlus' new flagship is finally here, and it's one heck of a phone. While the new OnePlus 3T shares a lot in common with its predecessor, the OnePlus 3, there are plenty of improvements under the hood that could potentially make this one of the best values of the year.

The 3T is basically a snappier, longer lasting version of the OnePlus 3

The 3T is basically a snappier, longer lasting version of the OnePlus 3, and that's thanks to the upgraded processor and battery size. Under the hood, you'll find Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.35GHz, backed by 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM. It also sports a non-removable 3,400mAh battery, which is a 13-percent increase from the OnePlus 3's 3,000mAh unit. Of course, the 3T also supports OnePlus' Dash Charge technology, which the company says will get you enough power for the day with just 30 minutes on the charger. The last major improvement can be found with the front-facing camera sensor. The 3T sports a 16MP Samsung 3P8SP front-facing sensor, with a pixel size of 1.0μm and an f/2.0 aperture. This should help low-light selfie quality quite a bit.

• OnePlus 3T review
• OnePlus 3T pricing and availability

With that said, we want to know – are you buying the OnePlus 3T, or are you passing on OnePlus' new flagship? Be sure to cast your vote in the poll below, and if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

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