Topic: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread

[NWR_insanolord]

No. A phone like that wouldn't last 30 days either, unless you're nothing doing anything that refreshes the screen.

For reference, my Pebble watch, which uses an e-ink screen, lasts 4-5 days at best between charges.

[shingi_70]

All the new Motorola devices are out.

The Moto X is getting really good reveiews up their with the 5S and its at a pretty nice price point compared to the last model.

The 360 is getting ravaged since its not even an actual 360 and its become pretty obvious that Android Wear wasn't made for rounded screens and it hasn't got over the battery issue.

[shingi_70]

So we should be getting the Nexus Line refresh alongside Android L either next month or in November. The list is looking like.


A refreshed Nexus 5
A refreshed Nexus 7
A Nexus 9 replacing the 10


I wonder if were going to see a Nexus Watch to go along With Android Wear 2.0.


Also i'm wondering if by next year are we going to see Android Wear expand from being a notification platform and become more inline with the apple watch getting NFC for payments and more complex apps.

[shingi_70]

Android One the low end pure google version of Android is launching today.

Addressing key barriers—hardware, software and connectivity
There are three big reasons why it’s hard for people in countries such as India, Indonesia or the Philippines to get their hands on a high-quality smartphone. First, is the hardware itself. Even entry-level smartphones still remain out of reach for many (bear in mind that in some of these countries the average monthly income is around $250). Second, many people in these markets do not have access to the latest Android software and popular applications. Finally, even where 3G and 4G networks are available, not enough people have phones that can support data and the plans can be expensive.

Android One aims to help tackle these challenges. By working closely with phone and silicon chip makers to share reference designs and select components, we’re making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable. They have lots of processing power, so you can get information quickly. They have high-quality front- and rear-facing cameras. And for all those pictures, along with your apps and videos, Android One phones will have expandable storage. We also added features that people in India will find particularly useful, like dual SIM cards, a replaceable battery and built-in FM radio.

To help ensure a consistent experience, Android One devices will receive the latest versions of Android directly from Google. So you’ll get all the latest features, up-to-date security patches, and peace of mind knowing your stuff is always backed up. It also means Android One devices will be some of the first to be updated to the Android L release later this year. For our hardware partners, they’ll be able to create customized experiences and differentiate their devices without having to change the core software.

In an effort to reduce data costs, if you have an Airtel SIM card, you’ll get these software updates for free for the first six months. As part of this same Airtel offer, you’ll also be able to download up to 200MB per month worth of your favorite apps (that’s about 50 apps overall) from Google Play—all without counting toward your mobile data usage.

[Plugabugz]

I've never understood how dual-sims never caught on outside of Africa and Asia.

[BranDonk Kong]

Google's Nexus Player announced! Want!

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/15/google-nexus-player/?ncid=rss_truncated

[Plugabugz]

The Nexus 6 was announced, and it's just way too big. I also expect a severe amount of price gouging in UK and Europe if its $650.

I'll stick with my 5.

I doubt the Nexus Player will even come here.

[shingi_70]

Looks like google just out priced me on the nexus line. If I stickm with android next year I'll be getting a moto x and a Samsung tablet I guess. (Bleh)

My 4 has been pretty much eol'd and for whatever reason the nexus 5 and 7 didn't get a spec update making them sort of useless for some of the features of L.

Might look into what's coming up next year for windows and if the lumia 1020 and the RT tablets will get the 10 upgrade.

[BranDonk Kong]

Yeah I'm kind of shocked at the Nexus 6 price - though it is absolutely a beast and compared to other phones is still a bargain. I'd have to see one in person, but knowing that it's on Verizon may potentially make me angry for getting the One M8. Maybe one will show up on Craig's List.

[shingi_70]

I was really hoping the price was a misnomer, but it seems gone are the days where the nexus 4/5 are $350/$399 and the nexus 7 is $199. Personally I think this will bite google in the ass since what moved the nexus and pure google to prominence was good specs for a reasonable price point.  At the prices the new devices are, I might as well just jump ship to the apple or windows eco-system.

With the 5 being the new small device Google relly should have gave it a update specs wise to take advantage of everything. The new stuff looks good but I was hoping I could get a nice spec'd device off of contract and do pay as you go.

Really hope 10 can get the Windows eco-system going since they tend to have decent prices and don't mind putting out a reasonably sized flagship phone. All I really need to jump ship is a better comixology app, an official pocket app, and a good podcast client.

[shingi_70]

So the Play Store just got updated with all the new gear and the nexus 7 just got delisted and now an end of life product.


The New prices.


Nexus 9 16GB -$399.99 (black, sand, white)
Nexus 9 32GB- $479.99(black, sand, white)
Nexus 9 LTE  - $599.99 (black only)
Nexus 9 keyboard Foilo- $129.99
Nexus 9 cover- $39.99


Nexus 6 32GB -$649.99 (blue, white)
Nexus 6 64GB- $699.99 (blue, white)


Nexus 5 16GB- $349.99 (black, white, red)
Nexus 5 32GB- $399.99 (black, white, red)


Nexus Player- $99.99
Nexus Player gamepad- $39.99
Its sort of Asanine that the phone has more memory than the tablet.


Overall I like the new devices but i'm dismayed at being priced out of the nexus program for the time being and how big the six is when th five isn't getting a hardware refresh. Seems like google got really greedy with the nexus 4/5/7 becoming popular so they decided to spin the nexus into a true high end brand.


I'll probably cut my losses and get a nexus 4 and wait next year to see if the nexus 5 gets a refresh of some sort.

[ShyGuy]

So I got a Moto G. I'm told it's barebone interface is similar to the Nexus. I found it too barebones and installed Nova Launcher.

[Shorty McNostril]

Lollipop images are up:

http://www.androidauthority.com/android-5-0-factory-images-566622/

OTA has begun for Nexus devices:

http://www.androidauthority.com/lollipop-nexus-rollout-begins-566620/

[shingi_70]

Google is so slow when it comes OTAing everything. Seems like most of the google apps have been given the material design makeover for me, only holdouts are Youtube, Google Calendar, and Maps.




Youtube's Music service is called Music Key.

You didn’t just watch [/size]"All About That Bass"[/color][/size] 200+ million times on YouTube. You watched Meghan Trainor perform it live for the [/color][/size]first time ever[/color][/size] and later with [/color][/size]Jimmy Fallon and The Roots[/color][/size]. You used the song in tens of thousands of your videos, like [/color][/size]covering it[/color][/size] with an upright bass. Your views helped put the song at the top of the[/color][/size]Billboard Hot 100[/color][/size] for weeks. And that’s all just for one song.[/color][/size]You've watched, shared, remixed, invented, parodied and whatevered your favorite songs, making YouTube the ultimate place for artists and fans to connect. To celebrate all that music and unlock new ways to enjoy, we’re making it easier to find new music on YouTube and rock out to old favorites. Plus, we’re starting the launch of a new subscription service that lets you watch and listen to music without ads, in the background or offline.A new home just for musicStarting today, you’ll see a new home just for music on your YouTube app for Android, iOS and on YouTube.com that shows your favorite music videos, recommended music playlists based on what you’re into and playlists of trending music across YouTube. You can find a playlist to perfectly fit your mood, whether that’s a morning motivators playlist or Boyce Avenue YouTube Mix. Check out the newest songs from channels you subscribe to, like FKA twigs or Childish Gambino. Or quickly find the songs you’ve played over and over and over again.


Full albums in high quality audio that are easy on your bandwidthIf a song exists in this world, you can probably find it on YouTube. But until today you couldn’t easily find and play full albums. In the coming days, you'll be able to see an artist’s discography on YouTube, and play a full album with both their official music videos and high-quality songs our music partners added to YouTube.



You’ve asked us for ways to listen to music without ads, to keep playing music videos even if you lock the screen or start using another app, and to play music even if you’re not connected to the Internet. That’s why today we're introducing YouTube Music Key beta, a monthly subscription service starting with the promotional price of $7.99/month (discounted from $9.99/month) that will give you all that—ads-free music, background play and offline viewing. It will also include a subscription to Google Play Music, with 30+ million songs, expert-curated playlists, and in the coming days, the ability to watch many YouTube official music videos right from the app.Thanks to your music videos, remixes, covers, and more, you’ve made YouTube the biggest music service on the planet. To turn YouTube into your perfect music service, we’re launching YouTube Music Key as a beta with our biggest music fans first, and then we’ll bring YouTube Music Key to the whole world together. So, if you see an invite in your app or email, try it out for six months for free.[/size][/color]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMQxeb5ERps[/youtube]


Really confusing that they have two separate services yet one of the services gives you access to both.

[Ceric]

Sort of wish they had taken the Amazon prime model.

You buy Music Key for music streaming but, you also get an ad free Youtube experience.

[pokepal148]

So Plume (a twitter app) last month decided to roll out an update for material design and let me tell you, It's fucking horrible.

They somehow took everything you could do with the app before and made it twice as complicated.

Here's what it looked like before


And here's how it looks now



Now notice that little bar on the top of the before thing, you could actually swipe it over to scroll over to whatever you need. Now you can't because... well... OFFICIAL GOOGLE SPONSORED Material Design biatches!!!!! You also can't while viewing your timeline glance to the side to see how many mentions you have. Why? I don't know. Oh and that light blue post button is hideous.

Oh but at least I can find some other third party app that doesn't do this **** and...

**** YOU TWITTER

The plan is to 1-star it on Google Play and then find an apk for the last update made before they shoved this material design BS down our throats.

Oh and I see Youtube got an update. Apparently it's a new interface because obviously the old one was **** despite me never having any problems with it. Oh and the reviews seem to suggest that this interface is also ****.

Why do I have this feeling that maybe these new interfaces based on Material design are a step back from Holo or maybe were not the best idea.

[BranDonk Kong]

I didn't like material design at first, and I typically give any app I create the Holo theme, but looking at them side by side, Holo looks dated.

[pokepal148]

The design itself I can mostly live with as long as it doesn't force changes in how you interact with the app. It should basically be a skin.

[shingi_70]

Man I updated my Nexus 4 too Lollipop and I sort of regret it. While a lot of the design is cool, it completely borked google now for me, my battery drain is worse, and everything espially voice and contacts has a few seconds of lag.

Also the L material Desgin looks really nice and has sort of lost its luster to me. It's also too fun and casual. Wih IOS8 and the leak of the new Metro for win10 they both have a lot of modern design ticks but their is still this air of coolness in the design of their apps.


Android Wear just got the 5.0 update and now has a ton of cool looking watchfaces similar to what apple showed for the iwatch.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I remember someone sharing an off market android app market, and I can't remember who or where.

anyone remember what that was called? I need a wifi tether app that works for my phone ASAP.
and my phone is rooted if that matters.

thanks.


edit: nevermind.
after a little more thorough google search, I found a list that pointed me at F-Droid.
I believe that was the one that was suggested.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Ok, I still need a Wifi Tether app that works....

nothing works on my phone. GS3 on 4.4.2 rooted

I didn't want to have to flash back to Cyanogenmod just yet, because Verizon may be giving me a replacement phone since i no longer get 4G for some reason. So I stock reset and upgraded, then rooted. Trying to keep stock just incase I need to send the phone back in, don't want to go through all the trouble of setting everything back up only to undo it all again.

[BranDonk Kong]

Just use the built in tethering. Phone companies are not allowed to charge you for tethering anymore.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I asked a Verizon tech and they said it comes free with a different plan, but I'm not Fucking with my grand fathered unlimited plan not am I paying extra.

So maybe I should Val back and ask someone else.
Where is a link stating that they can longer charge for it?

[BranDonk Kong]

Didn't know you were still grandfathered in. Congratulations. No one is allowed to charge for tethering on tiered plans (per the FCC), been that way for a couple of years - but unlimited plans still can (well, your old plan can). I'm seriously considering switching to T-Mobile - unlimited everything on 2 lines is $100. I don't tether often, but you can share tether up to 5GB on their unlimited plan, every other plan is 100% of your data. Also with T-Mobile music streaming does not count towards your data (on any plan).

[BlackNMild2k1]

After this weekend I'm just gonna flash back to cyanogen if they aren't sending me a new phone, and then problem solved.

But if you run across a good deal on a new phone, let me know.