Google and Fiat Chrysler announce new Android-based infotainment system

This post was originally published on our sister site Charged.io.

CES 2017 will be packed with automotive announcements, from new electric vehicles launches, to autonomous technologies, and connected driving developments.

Ahead of the show's official opening on Thursday, Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) just announced an interesting new smart infotainment system based on Android.

The new Uconnect system features an 8.4-inch touchscreen and runs Android. As far as we can tell, its "regular" Android, not Android Auto, the lighter solution Google develops specifically for cars. It's not clear why Google is now pushing Android over Android Auto, but according to the press release announcing the system, the new Uconnect heralds "next-generation connected car systems enabled by the power of an open platform and ecosystem of Android."

If you're familiar with FCA's Uconnect UI, you'll feel right at home using the new system: "With Android, we are able to maintain our unique and intuitive Uconnect user interface, all while integrating our easy-to-use systems with Android's features and ecosystem of applications," said Chris Barman, Head of Electrical Engineering at FCA.

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It seems that Android – Nougat, to be precise – serves as the underlying platform, with FCA supplying the "skin," similar to how smartphone makers customize the appearance of their Android implementations.

"Google is committed to building Android as a turn-key automotive platform that integrates deeply with the vehicle in a safe and seamless way," said Patrick Brady, Director of Android Engineering at Google. Again, no mention of Android Auto.

The system will be compatible with Android apps, including Google's Assistant and Maps, as well as third-party apps like Pandora, Spotify and Pocket Casts. It's worth noting that the new Android-powered infotainment system is a concept that may or may not arrive to production models. We'll make sure to check it out at CES later this week and we'll bring you all the details.

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Honor to announce “epic” new smartphone at CES 2017

Honor will unveil a new smartphone tomorrow (January 3) at 2:30 PM PST, the company has announced. Honor made the revelation in a tweet on December 30 promising something "epic", though specific details regarding the device haven't been confirmed.

Honor has made a series of tweets regarding the new product, featuring lines like, "R U brave enough to expect more?", "A phone has never been so scrumptious" and "Fiercely unlocked." Honor also published a photo taken with the handset, which likely features a dual-camera setup to fit Honor's"double or nothing" slogan, in Vegas yesterday.

Hustle and bustle in Vegas. Taken with #NewHonor smartphone! See you on Jan 3rd at #CES2017. Keep your eyes open! http://pic.twitter.com/inuUHQYxe1

— Honor (@Honorglobal) December 29, 2016

Despite the cryptic tweets, Honor may simply use the CES platform to announce the US release of one of its current smartphones. The Honor 5X was launched in the US at CES 2016 several months after it first appeared in China — the latest Honor X handset, the Honor 6X (pictured at the top of the page) was released in China last October but hasn't made its way stateside yet. Similarly, there's also a chance Honor could announce the US launch of the Honor Magic, a concept phone recently released in China.

R U brave enough to expect more? We are launching #newHonorphone on 3rd Jan. Truly made #forthebrave. Be ready. #DoubleOrNothing #Hello2017 http://pic.twitter.com/bPzNdjSZ8B

— Honor USA (@Honor_USA) December 31, 2016

CES 2017 is one of the biggest consumer electronics trade shows in the world, held yearly in Las Vegas, Nevada. Doors open for the press this year from January 3 and we'll be there to scoop up all the details. Check out our dedicated CES 2017 page for more information.

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Asus to launch a Snapdragon 835 powered smartphone at CES

The Consumer Electronics Show will kick off in a few days in Las Vegas. As every year, we expect to see quite a few new smartphones announced by different manufacturers. One of these will definitely be Asus, which is already teasing the launch of a new phone on Twitter.

According to the company's latest tweet, Asus will take the wraps off a very interesting new Zenfone device that will be powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset. The device will be announced during the company's Zennovation event, which is scheduled to kick off on January 4.

In addition to the mentioned chipset, the device just might sport a dual-camera setup. Asus posted an image on Twitter about two weeks ago which clearly shows that the company plans to announce a smartphone with this feature at its Zennovation event.

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Unfortunately, no other information regarding the upcoming smartphone is currently known. But based on the chipset and the rumored dual-camera setup, we can safely say that the device in question will be high-end and aimed at demanding Android users.

The official announcement of the smartphone is only a few days away, so we won't have to wait much longer to see exactly what Asus has in store for us. All we can do for now is hope that it will come with a few additional new features and a relatively low price tag.

What do you think about the Asus Zenfone series of smartphones? Let us know your opinion down below.

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OnePlus 2 update fixes network drop problem

OnePlus has released an update for the OnePlus 2 which addresses a network reception problem which arrived with the previous build. The issue arose in OxygenOS version 3.5.5, which began rolling out on December 22, and would reportedly cut out network signal several times per minute.

The new update, OxygenOS 3.5.6, was announced in the OnePlus forums on Friday, December 30 and is said to correct the problem. No other improvements were specified in the post.

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OnePlus says the rollout will occur in stages, so if you haven't been notified of the update already, look out for it in the coming weeks. Additionally, OnePlus asked for patience regarding the IMEI loss issue affecting some users. "We are still drafting a plan to resolve this," said OnePlus' Tony L in the forum post.

Has the network drop issue now been resolved for your handset? Let us know in the comments.

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Deal: Get the ZTE Axon 7 Mini for $199.99 ($100 off) at Newegg and Best Buy

The ZTE Axon 7 Mini, the smaller version of ZTE's flagship smartphone, is on sale. You can now get the device for $199.99 over at Newegg and Best Buy, which is $100 off its normal retail price. It can be yours in either Platinum Gray or Ion Gold. However, the Platinum Gray color option is only on sale at Newegg while the Ion Gold version of the device is on sale exclusively at Best Buy.

Now don't let the name fool you. The ZTE Axon 7 Mini is not really a small device, although it is more compact when compared with its bigger brother — ZTE Axon 7. It features a 5.2-inch AMOLED 1080p display and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 617 chipset. The device comes with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a 16 MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture, an 8 MP selfie snapper, and a 2705 mAh battery.

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It also has a metal body, a fingerprint scanner on the back and two speakers on the front, and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with ZTE's custom user interface on top.

If you're interested in getting the ZTE Axon 7 Mini for $199.99, head over to Newegg's or Amazon's website by clicking a button below. We don't know how long these two deals will last for, so we advise you to move fast if you want to secure the $100 discount.

Buy the ZTE Axon 7 Mini from Best Buy Buy the ZTE Axon 7 Mini from Newegg

Would you consider getting the ZTE Axon 7 Mini? Which color would you rather opt for, the Platinum Gray or Ion Gold?

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Samsung to reveal the cause of the Note 7 fires by mid-January

Samsung has been trying hard to figure out what exactly caused the Note 7 to catch on fire. Initially, the company thought that the battery was to blame. After the first recall of the devices, Samsung found a new battery supplier and restarted the Note 7 sales. But unfortunately, that didn't fix the problem.

After Samsung finally killed off its phablet, the company announced it would start an investigation in order to find the real reason behind the Note 7 fiasco. According to a report from JoongAng Ilbo, the tech giant has now concluded the investigation as it has identified the issue that caused the Note 7 devices to explode. Samsung has not shared the results of the investigation with the public yet but will do so by mid-January.

According to sources cited by the Korea Herald, Samsung has enlisted the help of US-based Underwriter Laboratories, a leading safety science company. A separate investigation is being run by the state-owned Korea Testing Laboratory.

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This is obviously great news for Samsung. By finding exactly what went wrong with the Note 7, it can make sure that it won't make the same mistake again. The announcement will also hopefully assuage Samsung's investors, who have rightfully been very critical of the company.

The exact date as to when Samsung will announce the results of its investigation is currently not known. But as already mentioned, sources claim that Samsung will release an official statement on the topic in a few weeks time.

Are you happy to hear that Samsung has identified the issue that caused the Note 7 to explode? Let us know by posting a comment down below.

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Samsung announces Galaxy A (2017) series with 3D glass, water-resistance and more

Samsung has announced the Galaxy A 2017 series in a press release today. The new lineup consists of three handsets: the 4.7-inch Galaxy A3, the 5.2-inch Galaxy A5 and the 5.7-inch Galaxy A7, coming to "global markets" following a release in Russia in early January.

The Galaxy A (2017) devices house a metal frame with a 3D glass rear like found on Samsung's recent flagships (see the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and Note 5), IP68 certification for dust and water resistance and USB Type-C connectivity. The phones are launching in Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud color variants; check out the individual specs below.

Galaxy A7 (2017)

Network: LTE Cat.6

Display: 5.7-inch FHD Super AMOLED

Processor: 1.9 GHz, octa-core

OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

Camera: 16 MP (F1.9) rear, 16 MP (F1.9) front

Additional features: MST technology (Samsung Pay), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM support, IP68 certification

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC, eSE)

Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall, Fingerprint scanner, Barometer

Memory: 3 GB RAM + 32 GB Storage, MicroSD slot (up to 256 GB)

Dimensions: 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm

Battery: 3,600 mAh, fast-charging

Galaxy A5 (2017)

Network: LTE Cat.6

Display: 5.2-inch FHD Super AMOLED

Processor: 1.9 GHz, octa-core

OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

Camera: 16 MP rear, 16 MP front

Additional features: MST technology (Samsung Pay), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM support, IP68 certification

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC, eSE)

Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall, Fingerprint scanner, Barometer

Memory: 3 GB RAM + 32 GB Storage, MicroSD slot (up to 256 GB)

Dimensions: 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm

Battery: 3,000 mAh, fast charging

Galaxy A3 (2017)

Network: LTE Cat.6

Display: 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED

Processor: 1.6 GHz, octa-core

OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

Camera: 13 MP (F1.9) rear, 8 MP (F1.9) front

Additional features: MST Technology (Samsung Pay) Option, Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM support, IP68 certification

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC)

Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall, Fingerprint Scanner, Barometer

Memory: 2 GB RAM + 16 GB Storage, MicroSD slot (up to 256 GB)

Dimensions: 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9 mm

Battery: 2,350 mAh

Samsung hasn't confirmed the pricing yet, but a recent rumor suggests the Galaxy A5 would cost the equivalent of around $378 and the Galaxy A7 would cost around $424.

What do you think of Samsung's new Galaxy A series? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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