Deal: Snag the Nextbit Robin right now for just $145 at Amazon

One of the best smartphones you can buy, the Nextbit Robin, is now an even bigger bargain than before. Amazon is currently selling the Android-based smartphone for the price of just $144.99. This is the lowest price we have seen yet for a new version of the Robin and is over $100 below its normal cost.

See also:

Nextbit claims they will radically improve battery life… somehow

June 23, 2016

Just a quick reminder: the Nextbit Robin has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor inside, along with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage (with 100GB more in cloud storage), a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing camera and a 2,680mAh battery.

The Amazon discount is for both the Mint and Midnight color versions of the Nextbit Robin. The listing also shows that you can still get the phone delivered to you before Christmas, in case you want to buy it for yourself or get one for a family member, friend or work colleague. There's no indication of how long this discount will last, but we will be it won't be available for very long.

Nextbit is currently in the middle of its Android 7.0 Nougat closed beta testing for the Robin. It should not be much longer before the latest version of the OS will be released publicly for the smartphone.

Get it at Amazon

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h7mkro
via IFTTT

Redmi Note 3 global version gets Marshmallow update

Xiaomi finally started rolling out Android Marshmallow to the Redmi Note 3 a couple of weeks ago, but to many users' dismay, this only applied to those in India. Though it makes sense to focus on the area where the phone has sold the hottest, global customers have been waiting patiently for the Marshmallow-y goodness after being stuck on Lollipop since its release in March of this year. Now, in the form of a ginormous 1.3GB update, global users can finally get their taste of the revamped OS.

The update brings a variety of new MIUI improvements and feature enhancements, as well as many of the Marshmallow-specific features not present in Lollipop. The beta version of this software has been available for testing almost since the release of the device itself. The company had originally planned to push out the full stable build a lot sooner than it has, but it was unfortunately delayed quite a bit, and now other MIUI devices are expected to get Nougat in the coming months.

Has this phone been delayed to obsolescence? Would you still use it even though it is a full OS release behind? Let us know in the comments below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h7f3YH
via IFTTT

T-Mobile will reveal yet another “Un-Carrier” promotion on Jan. 5 at CES 2017

T-Mobile has posted a teaser for a big announcement it plans to make at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Jan. 5. The reveal is part of the wireless provider's "Un-Carrier" marketing campaign that it has been pushing for the last few years.

See also:

Best T-Mobile Android phones

6 days ago

The teaser came in the form of a YouTube clip, with T-Mobile's brash CEO John Legere getting accosted by various folks asking him, "What's Next?" He assures us at the end of the clip that we will love what the company has in store less than three weeks from now.

T-Mobile has been extremely aggressive in launching new features and promotions in the past few years in its bid to take away subscribers from the other three major U.S. wireless carriers (Sprint, AT&T and Verizon). Some of those efforts have been controversial, such as its Binge On feature that offers customers ways to access various streaming services without affecting their cellular data allotments. In the beginning, some customers did notice that videos from all services were streamed at a lower resolution quality when Binge On was enabled.

More recently, T-Mobile got hit with criticism with its revamped "unlimited" plans. Many people didn't like that the carrier put in Binge On's 480p video streaming restrictions with the new plan unless you pay $25 extra a month.

What do you think T-Mobile's latest "Un-Carrier" promotion or feature will be when it is revealed on Jan. 5? Feel free to speculate in the comments.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hENM0l
via IFTTT

HTC is teasing something “big” that will be revealed on Jan. 12

HTC might not have the same clout it once did, but the company continues in its attempts to turn all that around. Today HTC began teasing its latest efforts to reinvigorate the brand by sending out teasers to media outlets today that state that it will be revealing something "big" on Thursday, Jan. 12.

The teasers come with an image, shown above, that simply shows a "for U" against a purple background, along with the HTC logo and reveal date. There's no other real hints on what will be revealed on Jan. 12, nor any indication on where it will take place, although the date puts it outside the time period for the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that will be held in Las Vegas during the first week of January.

Since we basically have no idea what HTC has up it sleeve, we can feel free to speculate on what the company will be showing in less than four weeks from now.

See also:

7 problems with the HTC 10 and how to fix them

2 weeks ago

HTC X10

One possible new reveal could be the X10, the successor to the mid-range HTC One X9 that was first revealed in February 2016. There have already been some rumors that the X10 will have a 5.5-inch 1080p display with an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera. Naturally, none of this has been confirmed, but it's certainly reasonable to assume that the company could announce a new handset early in 2017.

However, the company also just launched a new smartphone, the HTC 10 evo (known as the HTC Bolt in the US, where it is being sold exclusively by Sprint). It's possible that it may not be ready to launch yet another major handset so soon. If you make that assumption, it's possible that the company's big reveal  in a few weeks is for something other than a smartphone.

New Under Armour device

HTC's partnership with the sports-themed clothing and accessories company could be part of this Jan. 12 reveal. It's possible that the company could launch some new fitness wearable at that time. In October, images leaked onto the Internet that showed what appeared to be an unannounced HTC-made smartwatch with a Under Armour logo on the back. There's no word on if this is indeed a real device in the works or an old prototype for a product that has since been cancelled.

HTC's partnership with Under Armour has so far been less than overwhelming. During CES in January 2016, the company revealed its UA Health Box devices, which included a fitness tracker, a connected scale and a heart-rate strap. The next evolution of that partnership could include a full-fledged smartwatch, possibly running Android Wear 2.0. That would certainly be very exciting news.

New HTC Vive VR device

The company's first Vive PC VR headset launched earlier in 2016, and it's possible that the reveal on Jan. 12 could be related to the company's next moves in the virtual reality space. It's possible that HTC could announce a smartphone-based VR headset for its devices, similar to the Samsung Gear VR. We might could get some info on the next generation version of the Vive headset, or possibly some new controllers for the current version. HTC has indicated that it sees VR as the next big consumer electronics trend, and a product reveal in early January could center on new virtual reality products.

What do you think the company has in store for its big Jan. 12 reveal? New smartphones? New wearables? New VR products? Maybe a combination of two or more? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h8NAaH
via IFTTT

AT&T introduces Call Protect service to help customers avoid nuisance calls

 

AT&T has launched a new scheme which aims to give its HD Voice customers more control over the calls made to their phones.

AT&T Call Protect introduces several protective features including "automatic fraud blocking", which is said to reduce the chances of customers becoming the victim of scams. AT&T says it can prevent malicious calls at the network stage before they reach a person's phone.

"Suspected spam call warnings," meanwhile, can be used to highlight potentially harmful calls on the incoming call screen: allowing customers to choose whether or not they answer.

"Nuisance calls are an industry-wide problem that unfortunately affect many people," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of Device and Network Services Marketing at AT&T. "AT&T Call Protect, along with others, will help put customers more in control of the calls they receive."

See also:

Best AT&T Android phones (December 2016)

20 hours ago

There are several limitations on the features however, including the possibility that AT&T will inadvertently block wanted calls, though AT&T said the specific fraud blocking settings can be adjusted.

The free Call Protect service, as well as additional features like temporary call blocking, can be accessed by downloading the Call Protect mobile companion app.

For the full terms and conditions, visit AT&T's call protect page, and visit www.att.com/fraud if you suspect you've already been targeted by such calls.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hWu51z
via IFTTT

Android Nougat update: when will you get it?

Google gave itself a couple of months head start on getting Nougat ready by releasing the first beta release on March 9. But it also gave app developers and manufacturers an even earlier look at what to expect from Android 7.0 Nougat and additional time to get the update ball rolling.

When Android 7.0 landed in its final form on August 22, it was actually slightly ahead of schedule. But that now leaves us with the question: when will Nougat hit our devices? The answer to this varies wildly depending on the OEM in question, so head to your OEM section below for our estimated arrival date.

Latest Android Nougat news

December 20 marked what should be the last Nougat beta update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in the Galaxy Beta Program. Samsung previously stated the program would run until mid-December, with Android 7.1.1. coming out after the beta program wraps up.

On December 16, the Sony Xperia X and X Compact got their official Nougat update, following the X Performance and XA which received it in late November.

The official rollout of Android 7.1.1 update for Nexus devices was December 6, with the December 5 security patch included.

On November 25, the HTC 10 (unlocked version) became the second major flagship to receive the Nougat update. The unlocked HTC One M9 followed a little while later.

On November 22, the second and final Android 7.1 Nougat developer preview rolled out for the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Pixel C and Nexus 9. There was nothing really new in the builds other than "near-final system behaviors and UI". The public release of Android 7.1 Nougat is due in early December.

As always, you can find factory images and over-the-air (OTA) images on the Android Developers blog:

• Android 7.1 Developer Preview factory images
• Android 7.1 Developer Preview OTA images

If you've never flashed a factory image, you can follow our guide here.

See also:

Android Nougat: all the features you need to know

October 21, 2016

On November 20, the Sprint LG G5 became the first major flagship to receive the official update to Android 7.0 Nougat.

On October 19, the first developer preview of Android 7.1 Nougat went out for the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Pixel C, after being teased on the Android Developer's blog in early October.

Android 7.0 Nougat formally arrived on August 22nd. The first official version of Nougat didn't bring anything notably different from the final Android 7.0 developer preview, although a ton of bugs were squashed in order to bring the most stable experience possible.

Nexus Nougat update situation

While the new Google Pixel phones ran Android 7.1 out of the box – along with several Pixel-only features – Android 7.1 arrived to supported devices in its final version on December 6. Strangely, the Nexus devices in the Nougat beta program had to wait an additional two weeks to receive the final Android 7.1.1. update.

The phones to receive the Android 7.1 update included the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel C and supported Android One devices. Developer preview builds of Android 7.1 began rolling out on October 19 with the final preview arriving on November 22.

As always, the beta program is the easiest method for getting the latest and greatest Android version as quickly as possible via OTA, but you can also flash the factory images if you're not in the beta program (see links above).

On August 22, Android 7.0 OTAs began for the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel C and General Mobile 4G (Android One). The Nexus 5 did not join in on the fun, though that's of little surprise considering Google's usual device update support patterns. The factory images can be found here.

Android 7.0 update: when will I get it?

Samsung Android 7.0 update

Even though Samsung isn't exactly speedy when it comes to rolling out Android updates, there's at least some good news where the Samsung Android 7.0 update is concerned: the fourth Nougat beta rolled out to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on December 20 for those enrolled in the Galaxy Beta Program. Samsung previously said the program would run until mid-December, after which it would officially roll out Android 7.1.1.

Looking back, the first Galaxy beta Nougat firmware arrived for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on November 9 for U.S., UK and South Korean participants, and now it's up to its fourth iteration. When the final release will arrive we can't yet say but Samsung has said the program will run until mid-December.

For reference, there was a five-month timeframe between the Android 6.0 launch on September 29, 2015 and the first U.S. update to Marshmallow with the Verizon Galaxy Note 5 on March 3, 2016. Using that as a benchmark, other Galaxy owners could easily be waiting until some time in January 2017 for the first Samsung Android 7.0 update.

Following the Note 7 recall, however, Samsung might try to get Nougat out for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge before the end of the year with the Note 5, Galaxy Tab S2, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ after them. The Note 5 and Tab S2 update is currently underway and an S6 running Nougat appeared on GFXBench recently.

The Galaxy S8 will arrive in early 2017 running at least Android 7.0 and maybe even Android 7.1 out of the box.

Best case scenario: 5 months after Android 7.0 launch (January 2017)

LG Android 7.0 update

With Android Nougat, LG took just 78 days to update its first device to Android 7.0 (the South Korean LG G5 on November 8) – the fastest of all OEMs. In the U.S., the Sprint LG G5 got Nougat on November 20, making the LG G5 the first major U.S. flagship to receive the official Android Nougat update as well.

LG was pretty good with its update speed for Marshmallow too, with less than two months separating the release of Android 6.0 and the first LG handset to receive it (the Sprint LG G4 on December 21, 2015).

In fact, LG was the first OEM to get a carrier-based Marshmallow update out after Google. The LG V10 eventually got the update internationally in early March 2016, after the LG G3 and LG G Stylo already had Marshmallow in the U.S..

Of course, the LG V20 had the honor of being the first phone to arrive with Android 7.0 out of the box, beating even the Nexus range to the punch (much to the irritation of Nexus owners everywhere).

Best case scenario: 2 months after Android 7.0 release (November 2016) – CONFIRMED

Sony Android 7.0 update

This year, certain Sony Xperia owners were treated to an Android N preview build just as they were last year with Android M. Sony's Nougat Concept rolled out on November 1 for the Xperia X Performance. Then, on November 21, the Xperia X assumed the top spot for future Sony Concept builds, and received the latest beta from Sony on that date.

A week later on November 29, Sony began rolling out the official Android 7.0 Nougat update to its Xperia X Performance. The following day, Nougat started hitting the Xperia XZ. The Xperia X and X Compact then followed suit on December 16.

Based on the Xperia Z5 series, Z4 Tablet and Xperia Z3+ all getting the Marshmallow update five months after Google first pushed it out, we didn't expect any Xperias to see Nougat until mid-January 2017 at the earliest. Sony has really upped its game in this regard, taking 99 days to roll out the latest update, and has even set its sights on being the first Android manufacturer (outside of Google) to deliver Android 7.1.1.

Other handsets Sony has confirmed for the Android 7.0 update include the Xperia X, XA Ultra, X Compact, Z5, Z5 Compact, Z5 Premium, Z3+ and Z4 Tablet also.

Best case scenario: 5 months after Android 7.0 release (January 2017) – EARLY

Motorola Android 7.0 update

For a little while it looked like Motorola had toppled LG as the first OEM to get a new Android version out, but reports of an October 21 release for the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus in India turned out not to be the case.

Moto owners had to wait almost another whole month to see the first official Nougat update, with the Verizon Moto Z and Moto Z Force getting the update on November 18. Motorola ultimately took 88 days to get Nougat out for its first devices.

Since then, Nougat appears to be rolling out again for the Moto G4 and G4 Plus in parts of India but it's not yet known if this is the official OTA or simply another soak test.

Looking at Moto's past efforts, the Moto X Style got Marshmallow first, on November 12, 2015 and the Moto X Pure Edition got the first U.S. Moto update to Marshmallow on December 7, 2015. Marshmallow arrived from Google on October 5, 2015, but most Moto devices had to wait at least two months to get Marshmallow.

Lenovo has confirmed a list of devices confirmed to get Android Nougat and we know the new near-stock Moto devices will receive both the Android N and Android O releases.

Best case scenario: 2 months after Android 7.0 arrives (October 2016) – DELAYED

HTC Android 7.0 update

Right on schedule, unlocked versions of the HTC 10 began receiving the Nougat update on November 25. HTC developer @LlabTooFeR had previously claimed the HTC Nougat update was scheduled for late-November and later posted screenshots of Nougat on the HTC 10, claiming it was stable and almost ready. Seems he was right. The unlocked HTC One M9 then followed on December 5.

As you may recall, HTC did pretty well with its first update to Marshmallow too. The unlocked Developer Edition HTC One M9 and all variants of the HTC One A9 got the Marshmallow update in December 2015. The HTC 10 arrived in April running Android Marshmallow out of the box and will be the first HTC device to receive Nougat.

HTC's next flagship, presumably the HTC 11, should arrive with Android 7.0 at launch (if not Android 7.1). HTC has already confirmed several devices (10, M9, A9) to be on the update train and T-Mobile has the HTC 10 and HTC One M9 on its own update list.

Best case scenario: 3 months after Android 7.0 unveiling (November 2016) – CONFIRMED

Huawei Android 7.0 update

The Huawei Mate 9 arrived recently running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Huawei pulled the same "latest version" rabbit out of its hat with the Mate 8 in November 2015, which ran Marshmallow out of the box just weeks after Google released it.

Meanwhile, a beta preview of Nougat for the Huawei P9 appeared as far back as July, a whole month before Google officially released it for Nexus devices. Update news for the P9 has been suspiciously quiet ever since though, even if the P9 series along with the Nova and Nova Plus are likely to be the first Huawei phones to get updated (as opposed to arriving with Nougat). At the very least, Huawei announced which phones will get Nougat, just not when.

As far as honor devices are concerned, last year, the honor 7 Enhanced Edition arrived on December 14, 2015 with Android Marshmallow on board and the honor 5X and honor 7 followed with the Marshmallow update at the end of February. The honor 8 has a Nougat beta available, but we've no information on when the official update will arrive.

Best case scenario: Mate 9 running Android 7.0 at launch – CONFIRMED, honor updates in January 2017

OnePlus Android 7.0 update

OnePlus made good on its promised to have a Nougat "community build" for the OnePlus 3 out by the end of November and has already launched the second beta build, following community feedback. Both the OnePlus 3 and newer OnePlus 3T are due for the official OnePlus Nougat update before the year's end.

OnePlus has also confirmed that the OnePlus 3 will get every Android update the OnePlus 3T gets, effectively adding an extra six months to its support shelf life.

OnePlus isn't exactly renowned for its software updates, seriously dropping the ball on the OnePlus 2 and taking forever to deliver Marshmallow to the OnePlus X. With those updates coming June 5 and September 28 respectively, that equates to a full 245 days and 360 days after Google first made Marshmallow available on October 5, 2015.

Nevertheless, OnePlus has promised to get its update game in shape and has combined its software teams to streamline Android updates from here on out. Even if the Nougat update arrives on the last day of 2016, OnePlus will have shaved more than 100 days off its Marshmallow effort.

Best case scenario: 4 months after Google (December 2017)

Xiaomi Android 7.0 update

Xiaomi had a pretty bad case of the hiccups when it came to the Marshmallow update, so it may not be entirely representative to base assumptions about the Xiaomi Android 7.0 update based on its most recent update performance.

As you may remember, despite announcing Marshmallow was in the final stages of testing back in December 2015, it wasn't until early April that the Mi 4, Mi 3 and Mi Note finally got Android 6.0. The global version of the Redmi Note 3 only just got Marshmallow officially in mid-December, 2016.

Perhaps learning from this mistake, Xiaomi hasn't made any Nougat promises this time around, but began looking for Mi 5 Nougat beta testers on November 18. With a Nougat beta just starting, it will likely be a few months before we see the Xiaomi Nougat update rolling out.

In the worst case scenario, Xiaomi suffers similar problems with Android 7.0 and users won't see it until six months after Google releases it. In the best case scenario, Xiaomi has a successful public beta and has the update out in December 2016 or January 2017. But no matter when the update comes, we'll likely see a Xiaomi device launch with Nougat out of the box first.

Best case scenario: 4-5 months after Google (December 2016/January 2017)

Android One Android 7.0 update

Android One devices occupy a particular sweet spot when it comes to Android updates. Because they run stock Android, Google handles firmware updates, meaning the Android One Android 7.1 update arrived at the same time as it did for Nexus devices with both OTA and flashable factory image options.

OTAs will likely take at least a few weeks or more to reach all Android One devices getting the upgrade, and as always, the factory images will be right around the corner. Note that not all Android One devices made the initial rollout alongside Nexus devices, though.

When do you expect your manufacturer and carrier to get Android 7.0 into your hands?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1pkBKtN
via IFTTT

Prisma update drops “square format” restriction, adds location-based feed

Photo effects app Prisma's latest update introduces a new location-based feed and brings an end to one of its most frequently complained about features: the square box format restriction. The update was announced today in a press release, and is rolling out now, though the support for other image formats is only available on iOS currently.

Prisma's new feed lets users share their artworks from within the app, however, they can only be viewed by people nearby (on their own feed). Every time a picture receives a 'like,' it widens the physical area in which the photo can be seen on others' feeds.

"Theoretically, a user can post a picture, get likes and watch his or her post spread and cover the whole world," wrote Prisma, in a statement.

Accompanying the removal of the previous format restrictions is a full-screen camera mode and an increase in the overall resolution of the images – now said to be double what it was previously. Prisma said the "free aspect ratio and a full-screen camera is only for iOS so far," which suggests the format change could come to Android at some point in the future.

• Download Prisma for free here

What do you think of the latest Prisma update? Let us know in the comments.

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