OnePlus 3T Nougat beta goes live, OnePlus 3 and 3T stable updates roll out tonight

It looks like OnePlus is working down to the wire to release its promised Android 7.0 Nougat stable updates for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T by the end of 2016, at least in some time zones. The company has a Nougat beta update available to download for the 3T right now, and OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei stated via Twitter that the stable over-the-air Nougat update will begin to roll out tonight for both the 3 and 3T phones.

See also:

Android Nougat on the OnePlus 3 is impressive, even in beta

4 weeks ago

The OnePlus 3T beta update is the first, and likely only, OxygenOS 4.0 beta for that phone. The older OnePlus 3 phone has received 10 beta updates over the past several weeks. In his Twitter posts, Pei said the Nougat stable OTA update for the 3 and 3T will be a "gradual" one, so not every owner of those phones will likely get access to it tonight.

2) Android N stable OTA for the OP3 and the OP3T. Gradual rollout will begin later tonight.

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) December 31, 2016

OnePlus promised that those phones would get Nougat before the end of the year. In follow-up posts on Twitter, Pei stated, "Many members of our R&D are not taking any time off to celebrate New Year. But we all feel proud to finally deliver on our promises. Thanks for all the support in 2016. I promise we'll come back stronger in 2017, see you next year!"

Get OxygenOS Open Beta 1 for OnePlus 3T

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Airtel and Vodafone carrier billing goes live on Google Play Store in India

Looks like carrier billing for Airtel and Vodafone is going live in India for Google Play Store. Google had officially announced the partnership at the Google Playtime event in India in October, but didn't share any timeline. In May this year, Google had announced carrier billing with Idea Cellular, although the service wasn't rolled out immediately.

Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) allows you to buy apps, music, books, and movies from the Google Play Store while the cost is reflected in your postpaid mobile bill or taken off your prepaid balance.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the roll-out has been underway since last few days, but I can confirm now that it is working for me. I just set it up, and made the first purchase. You can set up carrier billing under the 'Add a new payment' option. It was seamless, really. To use the integrated billing system, each time you need to make a purchase, simply choose 'Bill my Airtel Account' on the payment method prompt.

Interestingly, Microsoft was the first to enable carrier billing in India. Idea Cellular had enabled carrier billing on Windows Store in December 2014.

Is carrier billing working for you on the Google Play Store? Tell us in the comments, and share which carrier are you on.

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LG posts info on January 2017 Android security updates

While we still have a few more hours until 2016 reaches its end, LG has decided to go ahead and post the patch numbers on Google's January 2017 security updates for Android. LG's website also has information on some patches that are specifically for the company's handsets.

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Google to roll out January's Android security update next week

3 days ago

The website says there will be a total of 73 security patches on the Android side in January, with seven of those updates labeled as "critical". In addition there will be eight more updates that are just for LG's smartphones like the LG V20. While there's no specific info for the Google security updates, other than their identification numbers, there are more details on the eight LG patches. One of them is labeled as "critical" and specifically affects devices that use chips from MediaTek. LG says the patch is to get rid of the MTKLogger application which can log "personal information to storage without user consent" and  "can be started by third-party application without user consent."

Google should start rolling out the Android January 2017 security updates sometime next week. The LG-specific patches will likely follow suit, although their release dates will be influenced by specific carriers who may wait to test the updates on their network.

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Foxconn and Sharp team up to launch $8.8 billion LCD panel factory in China

LCD displays are still going to be around for a long time, at least for smart TVs such as the ones that use Android TV and other operating systems. Today, the massive electronic manufacturing company Foxconn announced a new partnership with Sharp to build and operate a new TV LCD flat-panel factory in China, which will cost $8.8 billion.

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AMOLED displays set to close in on LCD this year

May 2, 2016

Reuters reports that the new factory will help with the expected demand of new flat-screen TVs in Asia. Foxconn said that the LCD factory will make 10.5-generation 8K displays, along with screens for smart TVs and electronic whiteboards. Production is expected to begin in 2019.

This news comes even as other companies are embracing OLED displays for both TV as well as smartphones. However, there's still some life in the LCD market. Panasonic recently announced an LCD IPS display with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It is supposed to have 600 times more contrast compared to normal LCD panels, and those levels are close to those found in OLED displays.

However, other companies seem to want to move towards an OLED future. Earlier this month, it was reported that LG had decided to make some business changes in its display business to focus more on the OLED format. It will be interesting to see how this format battle will move forward in the future.

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Prices leaked for Samsung Galaxy A5 and A7 2017 phones

More info about the upcoming 2017 editions of the Samsung Galaxy A5 and A7 smartphones are coming into focus. The phones, which are expected to be officially announced on January 5, now have prices in Malaysia. The surprising part is they are a bit higher than one might expect from a mid-range phone.

See also:

Confirmed: Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A lineup will be water resistant

3 days ago

The Galaxy A5 will be priced in that country at RM1,699, or about $378, while the Galaxy A7 will have a price point of RM1,899, or about $424. Samsung in Malaysia will throw in a free Level U Pro wireless headphone for people who pre-order the smartphones between January 6th and January 15th.

In addition, firmware for both phones are now available to download on Samsung's servers, and the company's Russian site already has the users manuals for the 2017 A3, A5 and A7  phones ready to download and read. Samsung has already confirmed that the 2017 Galaxy A series will be water resistant and now it has also confirmed they will be dust resistant as well.

Finally, ETNews is reporting that all of the new Galaxy A phones will have a 12MP front facing camera, rather than the standard 5MP camera that's found on many phones, including the 2016 Galaxy A model. All in all, these models seem to be shaping up to be solid, but pricey, mid-range phones. We should get the official word from Samsung on these devices in less than a week.

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ADW Launcher 2 officially launches, premium version on sale for $1.99

One of the most popular third-party Android launchers, ADW Launcher, finally has a full-fledged successor. After a beta testing period that lasted several months, ADW Launcher 2 is ditching the beta tag and is now available to download in the Google Play Store.

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Best Android launcher apps

August 15, 2016

For users of the original version of the app, ADW Launcher 2 has a ton of new features and improvements. Among them is support for the launcher shortcuts found in Android 7.1 Nougat. There's also a new icons effects section, where you can choose your own image filters and compositions. The app also has support for dynamic UI coloring using its wallpaper colors, and there are new ways to change the wallpaper. There are also improvements for adding widgets and shortcuts and lots, lots more. You can check out the very long change log for ADW Launcher 2 in its Google Play Store listing.

While the app is free to download, the premium version of ADW Launcher 2 is normally priced at $3.99 to unlock many more of its features. The good news for you is that the development team has cut the price of the premium version down to just $1.99 for a limited time. There's no word on how long this discount will continue so if you want to jump in and save some money, you should do so quickly.

What is your personal opinion of ADW Launcher 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Get it at Google Play

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Save up to 80% on a bunch of awesome apps on Google Play

In addition to a bunch of games that are currently on sale and tons of discounted movies, albums, books and TV shows on Google Play, we've also come across quite a few great apps that are on sale as well. Check out the list of the most interesting ones down below. Discounts range from 40 to 80 percent, but keep in mind that they won't last forever. So if you find an interesting deal, we advise you to take it while you still can.

• Password Manager SafeInCloud – $2.99, was $4.99
• Memory Booster (Full Version) – $1.49, was $2.99
• All-In-One Toolbox Pro Key – $1.99, was $3.99
• Moon+ Reader Pro – $2.49, was $4.99
• Slide for Reddit Pro – $1.99, was $4.00
• Locus Map Pro – Outdoor GPS – $2.99, was $7.49
• NAVIGON Europe – $39.99, was $59.99
• Tapet (in-app discount) – $1.49, was $3.99
• Solid Explorer File Manager (in-app discount) – $0.99, was $1.99
• Enpass Password Manager (in-app discount) – $4.99, was $9.99
• edjing PRO – Music DJ mixer – $0.99, was $4.99
• Metal Pro – $0.99, was $1.99
• Internet Speed Meter – $1.49, was $2.50
• NRG Player Adblocker – $2.49, was $4.99
• Twomon USB – USB Monitor – $3.99, was $8.99

So, what do you guys think about these deals? Found something you like? Let us know which apps you find most interesting by posting a comment down below. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Don't miss: The most controversial apps and games of 2016

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