Google is rolling out Nearby Share, its file-sharing AirDrop clone for Android 6.0+

Last year, we learned that Google was preparing a new file-sharing service for Android. This file-sharing service was originally called “Fast Share” during early iterations, but Google eventually rebranded it to “Nearby Share” during the course of development. We got an early glimpse at Nearby Share in January, and in late June, Google started testing the service with a handful of users on the latest Google Play Services beta release. Today, Google has announced that they are finally rolling out Nearby Share to millions of Android smartphones running Android 6.0 and above.

For those unaware, Android has never had a simple, fast, and unified way to share files between devices. Until Android 10, most Android devices did have access to Android Beam, a file-sharing service that required users to tap their phones together to initiate a handshake over NFC followed by a file transfer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. Android Beam is, however, deprecated, clunkier, and slower than AirDrop, the file-sharing service on iOS that’s been around for years and is used by millions of iPhone and iPad users. AirDrop lets you quickly share files with any fellow iPhone or iPad users that are nearby. There are file-sharing services on Android that are arguably as simple and fast as AirDrop, but they all either require users to either download a third-party app or own a device from a specific smartphone manufacturer. Google is uniquely equipped to roll out a simple, fast, and unified file-sharing service thanks to its control over Google Play Services, which is installed on the vast majority of Android devices sold outside of China regardless of the manufacturer. That’s exactly what Nearby Share is—a simple, fast, and unified file-sharing service for Android.

With Nearby Share, Android users can quickly share files to nearby users with the tap of a button. After tapping the “share” button in an app, users can share file(s) by selecting the “Nearby Share” option. Nearby users will then get a notification that someone wants to share content with them. Users will always have the option to “accept” or “decline” the file, so files are never transferred without explicit confirmation. After tapping “accept”, the file(s) are transferred using the best available communication protocol: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer WiFi. Thus, files can be shared even when the sender and recipient devices are both fully offline.

Google designed Nearby Share with privacy in mind. You can send and receive files anonymously, for example. You can also choose which contacts (all, some, or none) are able to immediately see you when you turn on Nearby Share.

Perhaps the best part of Nearby Share is that Google is making it cross-platform. While we don’t know about iOS compatibility, Google confirmed they’re working to expand the feature to additional platforms. The company confirmed that Nearby Share will work with Chromebooks in the coming months. In fact, it’s already available on Chrome OS if you enable a few feature flags. More general OS support, such as Windows, will be available via Google Chrome.

Starting today, select Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 6.0 or later will start getting Nearby Share. Since this feature is baked into Google Play Services, it’ll eventually become available for more Android smartphones. Check out this support page for more information on how the feature works.

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The Razer Kishi mobile gaming controller is now available in a special “Designed for Xbox” edition

Back at CES, Razer announced the Kishi, an extending game controller for smartphones. The Kishi is what’s called a “telescopic” gaming controller, meaning it extends to mount smartphones of various sizes. Unlike many other gaming controllers, the Razer Kishi is not wireless. Rather, it connects to your phone’s charging port. Because of this, Razer made two versions of the Kishi: One for Android devices with a USB-C port and one for iOS devices with a Lightning port. Now, Razer is unveiling a new version of the Kishi controller for Android devices. Like the standard version, this new one connects to your Android’s USB-C port. However, Razer says its new controller has been “Designed for Xbox” in preparation for the launch of Microsoft xCloud and Xbox Game Pass later this year.

The new “Designed for Xbox” edition of the Razer Kishi is nearly identical to the standard Kishi controller for Android phones. They both have 4 face buttons, 2 joysticks, a directional pad, 4 shoulder buttons, a passthrough USB-C port for charging, and a USB-C connector to connect to your smartphone. What differentiates the “Designed for Xbox” edition controller is the addition of an Xbox Nexus, View, and Menu buttons. These buttons have been mapped to send the same inputs as the corresponding buttons on a regular Xbox controller. That means this controller can fully mimic an Xbox controller’s inputs when playing Xbox games through Microsoft’s xCloud cloud gaming service.

Left: Razer Kishi “Designed for Xbox” edition. Right: Standard model.

The new Razer Kishi “Designed for Xbox” edition controller is available on Razer.com, Microsoft.com, Amazon, and other retailers starting today in the U.S. and Europe for a retail price of $99.99/€109.99. That’s $20/€20 more expensive than the standard model, but Razer is also throwing in a 14-day free trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to compensate. Razer says that Microsoft xCloud will launch with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15th, and when it does, it’ll require a compatible controller to play on Android. You can opt for an Xbox controller and a phone grip, but Razer believes its Kishi is the best choice for Xbox game streaming on Android.

When I reviewed the standard Kishi for XDA, I found it to be an excellent controller for Android phones when playing games through emulators or cloud gaming services. However, I was disappointed in its size constraints. While you can remove the rubber inserts to free up some space for slightly larger phones to fit, the Kishi still won’t support every large smartphone out there. Furthermore, because the Kishi requires a center-mounted USB-Type C port, some rare devices like the ASUS ROG Phone 3 won’t fit. Based on the leaked dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, it seems that the upcoming phone should just barely fit, but only if you remove the rubber inserts as previously mentioned. Current rumors suggest the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be optimized for Microsoft xCloud and Xbox Game Pass, so it would be a shame if the device can’t fit in the Kishi. We’ll know for sure once the phone’s specs are confirmed tomorrow, though.

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PowerA’s new MOGA XP5-X+ Bluetooth gaming controller may be bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Game streaming has yet to reach peak popularity, but we certainly see it picking up steam in the past months. Users now have more options than ever in the form of Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce, Microsoft Project xCloud, and even Sony PS4 Remote Play if you count that within the same segments. All of these solutions envisage playing games on your smartphone usually with the aid of a gaming controller. To capitalize on this, Microsoft expanded its Designed for Xbox accessories program to cover mobile gaming last year. Now, PowerA, known for its various gaming accessories, is launching its new MOGA XP5-X Plus Bluetooth controller for mobile and cloud gaming. What makes this accessory interesting is the current speculation that this might just come bundled with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series in some regions.

The new MOGA XP5-X Plus Bluetooth controller offers smartphone users the option to enjoy cloud gaming on their phone with the comfort of a controller. This game controller is Licensed for Xbox, ensuring compatibility with the ecosystem. The controller itself appears to have an ergonomic design and the familiarity of an Xbox controller. It also comes with two additional buttons, situated on the grip and intended to be accessed by your ring fingers that you can map for greater competitiveness. The phone clip has dual locking points, so you can adjust your phone as per your convenience. Perhaps the most interesting feature is that the controller also has a 3,000 mAh battery that can also be leveraged as a power bank to charge your smartphone, which will definitely come in handy during a gaming session. This controller is also officially licensed and is backed by a two-year limited warranty.

The MOGA XP5-X Plus Bluetooth Controller will be available for purchase in September 2020 for $69.99. Our interest in the controller comes from current rumors and leaks. According to Ishan Agarwal, the MOGA XP5-X Plus game controller will be bundled as a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 pre-order gift in select countries. Further, these regions will also get a free subscription for Xbox Game Pass for three months, according to the leak.

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The AUKEY Omnia 100W is the Ideal Charger for all of your Charging Needs

Looking for a high-quality charger to replace your army of cables that you have lying around? The AUKEY Omnia 100W is designed to be your replacement for all of your charging cables. With a 100W power delivery, this charger has the ability to charge any laptop or phone at its max speed. It’s the charger that will be able to replace all of your other chargers.

Get the AUKEY Omnia 100W USB C Charger on Amazon.

Use Code XDA1PAD5 to get it for $45.99 $36.79 [Click here]

The AUKEY Omnia 100W focuses on size and power. It’s only 32mm thick, which makes it 50% smaller than the 16″ MacBook Pro charger, while still being able to charge it at full speed. It’s a great solution for laptops that can take a charge via USB C. While it’s powerful enough to charge any laptop, you can also use it for your android phone, iPhone, iPad, Nintendo Switch, and just about any USB C powered device. This charger premiered at CES 2020 and was launched with a line of different products from AUKEY. This particular charger has more of a focus on laptops and devices with larger batteries.

Fast charging speeds allow you to charge your MacBook Pro in just 1.8 hours. The advanced GaN power chip dramatically improves charging efficiency to over 90% while keeping the internal components cool. With the 100W PD, combined with the cooling technology, the AUKEY Omnia charger is the last charger you’ll ever need.

• 100w power delivery
• Charges all of your devices
• Travel-ready
• USB C
• Safe and reliable
• Laptop focused
• Dimensions: 57 x 57 x 32mm / 2.24” x 2.24” x 1.26”

Get the AUKEY Omnia 100W charger for a safer and more convenient charging solution. It’s available on Amazon for $36.79 [use code XDA1PAD5].

Get the AUKEY Omnia 100W on Amazon

We thank AUKEY for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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ASUS ROG Phone 3 now supports the Google Phone app and playing HDR video in Netflix

The ASUS ROG Phone smartphones have been a thing for a while and they have often been regarded as the undisputed king of high-spec, overkill, gaming smartphones, and the ASUS ROG Phone 3 was recently launched along that formula. With an eye-watering 144Hz display (that can even be turned up to 160Hz if that’s somehow not enough for you), a beefy Snapdragon 865 Plus processor and very generous amounts of RAM and storage, it’s also the undisputed king of ridiculous specifications. This phone is able to handle almost everything you throw at it fairly easily. And for those of you who have purchased this device, you will be glad to know that the phone is getting a few improvements.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 XDA Forums

ASUS ROG Phone 3 XDA Review: The King of Gaming Smartphones is back

First off, Google Phone app support. The ASUS ROG Phone 3’s UI is pretty close to stock Android, but not quite stock Android, as the device uses its own suite of apps for some solutions. But if you want an experience that’s even closer to stock Android, now you can: you can now go ahead and download Google Phone, Google’s dialer that’s used on Pixel smartphones as well as in other Android phones that brings several features such as a clean UI, Call Screen for avoiding unwanted calls, spam protection, and much more.

Secondly, but not least important at all, is HDR video support for Netflix. As you may or may not know, in order to play HDR series and movies on Netflix your device needs to be manually approved by Netflix on their end, else, you’ll only get regular streaming. As of yet, you couldn’t stream HDR video on Netflix while using the ASUS ROG Phone 3 despite having a display capable of outputting that, but that’s changing now. The ASUS ROG Phone 3 now can playback Netflix at FHD HDR 10. So that’s pretty good news if you want higher quality for your movies and other content.

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Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime with MediaTek Helio G80 launches in India for ₹9,999 (~$133)

Xiaomi’s base number series represents a tight value package aimed at the entry-level and budget segments. Over the years, Xiaomi has been consistently raising the bar with the very definition of entry-level. While there have been smaller price increases over the years, these still retained excellent value as Xiaomi matches it well with spec bumps. The consequent price gap in the entry-level allows Xiaomi to introduce other models in the form of “A” and “C” sub-series. Now, Xiaomi has released the new Xiaomi 9 Prime in India, which on the face of it, looks to be a rebrand of the globally launched Redmi 9.

Xiaomi Redmi 9 XDA Forums

Xiaomi Redmi 9 Specifications

Specifications	Xiaomi Redmi 9
Dimensions & Weight	163.32 × 77.01 × 9.1 mm 198g
Display	6.53-inch LCD 2340 x 1080 19.5:9 400 nits Gorilla Glass 3
SoC	MediaTek Helio G80 12nm 2x ARM Cortex A-75 6x ARM Cortex A-55 Mali-G52 GPU
RAM	4GB LPDDR4X
Storage	64GB 128GB Dedicated microSD slot
Battery	5,020mAh Supports Quick Charge 3.0 (18W) 10W charger included
Rear Camera	13MP primary camera, f/2.2 8MP wide-angle camera, f/2.2 5MP macro camera, f/2.4 2MP depth sensor
Front Camera	8MP, f/2.0
Android Version	Android 10 with MIUI 11

---

The Redmi 9 Prime in India bears very large similarities with the Redmi 9, but we’ll know this for sure once we get access to MIUI builds from the devices. So far, the spec sheet looks the same, but knowing Xiaomi and its confusing rebranding habits, we wouldn’t be surprised if a few minor differences existed.

What bears mentioning on the Redmi 9 Prime in India is that the pricing on the product is slightly higher than expected from the number series. Nonetheless, it does feel justified, as you get a solid package that could have easily been branded under the Redmi Note series. We don’t know yet if a vanilla Redmi 9 would launch in India, so there is still space below the Redmi 9 Prime that Xiaomi can capitalize on. We already know that the Redmi 9C is coming to India as the POCO C3, and there is a Redmi 9A also present globally. So if you have tight budget constraints, there is still a glimmer of hope left.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime will be available in India in four different colors: Space Blue, Mint Green, Matte Black, and Sunrise Flare. Xiaomi is raising the base storage and RAM, so the base 4GB + 64GB variant will cost you ₹9,999 (~$133) while the 4GB + 128GB variant will cost ₹11,999 (~$160).

Buy the Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime from mi.com

You can buy the Redmi 9 Prime in a special early access sale on August 6 on mi.com, Amazon India, Mi Homes, and Mi Studios. General availability is expected from August 17, 2020, across these channels.

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Best Pixel 4a Deals: How to pre-order Google’s new budget beast

After months of delays due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google’s new Pixel 4a smartphone has finally been announced. The new mid-range Android phone packs a similar feature set to the Pixel 4 including its excellent camera and clean Android experience, but at a significantly lower price. While the Pixel 4 starts at $799, the Pixel 4a retails for less than half that at $349 and will launch on August 20th.

You can pre-order the Google Pixel 4a right now from a few different retailers including Amazon, Google’s own store, and Best Buy. You don’t have a lot of choice around size, storage, or color as there’s only one option available: the Just Black model that comes equipped with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Nonetheless, Amazon lets you bundle a case with your new phone to give you a little choice between options.

Unlike previous devices – including the Pixel 3a series last year – there’s no XL model. However, Google has announced the Pixel 4a 5G, which will launch later this year and will likely come with a display larger than the 5.81-inch OLED panel on the Pixel 4a. There’s also a more-than-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor, the excellent 12.2MP dual-pixel rear camera from the Pixel 4, and a 3,140mAh battery. Given the battery problems that plagued the regular Pixel 4, the larger battery in the Pixel 4a should result in all-day battery life.

Despite a few compromises compared to its more expensive siblings, the Pixel 4a is easily one of the best Pixel devices ever made and the best value-for-money smartphone you can buy right now.

Pixel 4a price and release date in the US

Google’s new smartphone is launching in the US on August 20th, with the phone only sold for $349, and a phone bundled with a case retailing for $389. Although it was just announced, there are already offers available that can reduce the price to only $249.

Google Pixel 4a | $349 at Amazon

Amazon launched pre-orders early, and if you act quickly, you can still secure one for the release day of August 20th. They also have three bundled case options available as well.

View at Amazon

Google Pixel 4a | From $249 at Best Buy

If you're planning to buy a Pixel 4a and also want to join Sprint, look no further than this deal. Best Buy is offering the Pixel 4a for $349 unlocked, but you can get it for $249 with a new Sprint activation or $299 if you upgrade on Sprint or activate on T-Mobile and Verizon when you buy it. An absolute steal.

From $249 with activation at Best Buy

Google Pixel 4a | $349 at Google Store

Google's own online store is also offering the Pixel 4a, with a tasty 0% finance offer bringing the cost down to just $14.54 per month! You can also sign up for Fi at the same time, as well as pick up the full range of compatible accessories.

$349 at Google Store

Pixel 4a price and release date in the UK

While you can get the Pixel 4a from August 20th in the US, you’ll have to wait until October 1st to get your hands on it in the UK. It will be priced at £349, including 20% VAT, and pre-orders will open on September 10th, although you can join the official waitlist right now.

Google Pixel 4a | £349 at Google Store UK

Although you can't pre-order the Pixel 4a in the UK yet, you canjoin the official waitlist ahead of pre-orders opening on September 10, 2020.

£349 at Google Store UK – Join the Waitlist

Are you planning to buy the Pixel 4a? Found a better deal? Let us know in the comments below!

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