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Top Chinese Android OEMs that shouldn’t be ignored in 2017

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The US smartphone market is a highly competitive battle ground, with top players the industry constantly striving to attract more customers than the competition. But in recent years, Chinese smartphones have started drawing more and more attention upon themselves, while household names like LG and HTC are fading quietly into the background.

Products made in China are often viewed with untrusting eyes and suspicions that the low-price tags might be indicative of low quality are always of concern. But as we have seen lately, companies like Huawei and Xiaomi have demonstrated they are able to produce solid, premium smartphones and still sell them for affordable price-tags.

say-hi-to-android-robot

Some Chinese phone makers have been skittish of US, but slowly some have started migrating stateside. Most of these companies have seen enough growth in Asian markets to be able to venture out into the larger word, safely.

And here’s our list of what we believe to be the most promising Chinese Android OEMs which will probably manage to make a statement in the US market next year. Or so we think.

Xiaomi

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Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra has hinted numerous times the company will eventually bring its products to the States officially. However, Xiaomi acknowledged the US market is highly competitive, so the company does not want to risk entering it until it’s highly sure it can survive in it. Despite being nicknamed Apple’s China, Xiaomi always preferred to play it safe.

Now, for the first time ever, Xiaomi has announced it will be making an appearance at CES 2017 in Las Vegas and bring with it a few products. Even if we’re not sure a smartphone will be included.

Recently, the company released the beautiful Mi Note 2 phablet which is a bit reminiscent of the Samsung Note7 design and the visually stunning edge-to-edge Mi MIX. While the phones are available for purchase from third-party retailers like Geekbuying, it would be nice if you could buy such products directly from Xiaomi itself. Hopefully it will happen soon.

Huawei

huawei-mate-9-front

Huawei is riding the wave on the international market. The company is already the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer, but in two years Huawei wants to challenge Apple’s position. While Huawei is quite popular in Asia and Europe, its presence on the US market has been quite limited.

For starters, the company is yet to offer its latest flagship phone, the stunning, Leica-sensor equipped Mate9 into the States. Huawei might have a hard time penetrating the US, since the company has been involved in few patent conflicts with one of America’s largest carriers, T-Mobile among other things. Carrier support is very important for any company hoping to make it on the US market, and so far Huawei has been denied that. At the moment, the company is selling most of its products via Amazon and that’s where the Mate9 will probably land on January 6 (according to rumors).

Huawei is quite an innovative company that deserve a spot in the US market. Just look at their latest smartphone, the Honor Magic – a deliciously curvaceous handset blessed with an interesting set of AI capabilities. Now wouldn’t it be nice if this phone sold in the US as well? Who knows, maybe in 2017?

Oppo

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Oppo is virtually a non-name in the US, but in China the company has managed to outsell Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi in China in Q3 of 2016 to become the number one smartphone maker in China.

Well according to recent rumors, Oppo is expected to make an official entry on the US market as soon as the year’s end. The company has been selling Blu-ray players in the country so far, but when it comes to smartphones the company will probably lead with its line-up of high-end camera phones.

The device maker has just unveiled new version of the Oppo R9s in red, which will go on sale in China on Christmas Eve. The nifty phone can be brought for approximately $400 and we’re looking forward to be able to purchase it here in States, as well.

ZTE

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ZTE has been stationed in the US for a while, offering unlocked devices like the Axon 7 which we reviewed and liked quite a lot. The company also has a deal with US no-contract carrier, Cricket Wireless, but also with T-Mobile , so it’s doing much better than Huawei in this department.

ZTE also benefits from an active online community and has been trying to innovate the smartphone sector with Projects which invite fans to develop ideas for possible products (like the adhesive back, eye-tracking phone). The company is also considering a device aimed to fill the void left by the Google Nexus.

But ZTE has had its fair share of setbacks. Earlier this year, the company was accused of sending US technology intel to countries like Iran. The Commerce Department even hit the company with trade sanctions, which was eventually lifted a few weeks later.

Assuming ZTE can rid itself of these suspicions once and for all, the company seems to have a promising future here in the US.

UMi

umi_z_03

UMi is the most obscure name on the list, but the company is slowly but surely attracting attention upon itself. The device maker offers the phones for really low rates and we’re yet to see a model that exceeds $300.

Anyway UMi is currently selling in the country via third-party retailers, but come 2017 things might change. The company just unveiled the world’s first Helio P20 + 6GB of RAM smartphone which is available for $199 a pop, but has plenty of models in the pipeline scheduled for 2017. Like the UMi Z flagship with Helio X27 CPU which recently leaked.

It remains to be seen if the obscure handset maker is ready to officially debut in the US in 2017, but it certainly looks like the company is striving in that direction.

Epilogue:

While companies like LG, HTC or Samsung are leaking money through their smartphone divisions, Chinese OEMs seem to be the thriving. So 2017 might be indeed the year when we’re no longer going to get excited about LG’s new phones announcement at CES, but will be more interested in what companies like Xiaomi or Oppo have to offer.

AT&T’s new Call Protect service will shield you from fraudulent calls

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AT&T unveiled a new service this week, called AT&T Call Protect which aims to shield users from the threat of spam calls. The system is capable of identifying specific fraudulent numbers and will either put them through with a warningor block them directly.

AT&T explains the new “automatic fraud blocking” feature is meant to reduce the chances of customers falling victims to scams. The carrier goes on to explain the service is efficient because can prevent these malicious calls at a network level before they can even reach a person’s phone.

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Sure, users can whitelist specific numbers to make sure important calls get through, but they’ll need to download a separate app called Call Protect in order to do so.

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The new feature is now available on iOS and Android and can be activated via the MyAT&T system. AT&T offers the service to all wireless customers who have HD Voice on their smartphones and are interested in having more control over their calls.

Nuisance calls are an industry-wide problem that unfortunately affect many people. We’ve listened to our customers and know they want a network that provides tools to proactively assist in blocking nuisance calls. AT&T Call Protect, along with others, will help put customers more in control of the calls they receive.

AT&T senior VP Jeff Bradely

While users have been allowed to manually black list a number for quite some time now, AT&T’s new service allows the carrier to create a larger data base of untrustworthy phone numbers. Users can contribute too.

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The Report Spam Calls allows subscribers to report spam and fraud calls by category to AT&T, so the carrier can continue to improve the service and make it as spam-call proof as possible.

RCA is making a comeback, announces new TVs, phones, and more

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Remember when your living room had a 150lb 24″ television? It almost seemed like a right of passage to carry that thing to the curb when you bought your first flat screen TV. For many of us, that bulky, outdated TV was made by RCA. It was one of the most popular electronics companies in the 90’s before losing ground to competitors. Recently it’s put out some budget tablets, but not much to speak of.

But, now the company is attempting a comeback. Today we got word that RCA will be showing off a whole host of new products at CES 2017 in three weeks. Could these new lineups lead to a resurgence for RCA? Here are the details on the new products. If you see anything you’re interested in, tell us down in the comments.

Televisions

TVs are what RCA is most closely associated with, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that RCA is actually licensing out its name to Curtis to make televisions. Curtis, a Canadian electronics company will control the US territory and produce televisions to market with RCA’s name. Here are the details.

  1. RCA 4K 55″ UHD LED Curve TV (Model Number:RLED5537-UHD) MSRP $999.00)
    ultra-high definition 4K viewing experience which immerses the viewer in what they’re watching. It boasts LED backlighting with energy-efficient illumination for sharper
    contrasts and vibrant colors
  2. RCA 4K UHD 55″ TV (Model Number: 4K2K RLED5536-UHD) MSRP $499.99 – ultra-high definition, 4K viewing experience complete with LED backlighting with energy-efficient
    illumination
  3. RCA 4K 43” SMART LED TV MSRP $399.99 – ultra-high definition, 4K viewing experience featuring the Opera TV Store with apps for internet TV, Movies, Music, and more, including Netflix, Facebook, Twitter and more.

As you can see, RCA/Curtis aren’t even bothering new 1080p sets, which probably the best course of action. The price tags seem extremely competitive to what is currently being offered on the market right now. The story will be how well these sets are made and how they’re able to stand up to repeated use. Most TVs nowadays are cheaper to replace than fix, but avoiding that situation altogether is worth some extra coin at the starting gate.

Phones

RCA seems intent on joining the rest of the fray with its own Android devices. It’ll be competing in the $100 – $200 price range, so no flagships here. This is what the new lineup will look like.

  1. RCA Q1 (MSRP: $199.99 -16GB, $139.99 -8GB) – an unlocked 5.0” HD, dual SIM smartphone, featuring 4G LTE and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Available in White or Black, and offering with 16GB or 8GB Internal Memory. Exclusive to Amazon.
  2. RCA G1 (MSRP: $139.99) – an unlocked, 5.5” HD, dual sim smartphone, equipping with quad core, 2400 mAh all-day battery, and 8.0 MP rear-facing camera. Exclusive to Amazon.
  3. RCA M1: (MSRP: $69.99) – an unlocked smartphone that’s perfect for seniors, kids and customers who want phones for travel or temporary use. Available in Black or White and featuring 4GB storage, expandable to 32GB via Micro SD card, and 5.0 MP rear-facing camera. Exclusive to Amazon.
  4. 6″ LTE 4G Android (MSRP $129.99) – an unlocked quad-core, Dual-SIM smartphone featuring 4G LTE and dual camera. No contract required. Available in Black or Gold.
  5. 5” Waterproof Rugged Dual SIM Mobile Phone (MSRP $99.99) – Shock resistant and waterproof. Dual-SIM smartphone features 4G LTE and dual camera. No contract required.

So…. RCA is trying, at least. None of these options look super appealing based on the information we have right now when you can go grab a Blu R1HD for $60 or a Moto G Play for $99. We’ll have to see what these devices look like and what compelling software options they’ll offer. No word if they’ll run a near stock version of Android or not, but at least we’ll have some cheap options for your kid’s or parent’s first smartphone.

Tablets

RCA is probably best known for its tablets in 2016, and it’ll be releasing a few more in 2017. Most notable of the two is a 2-in-1 convertible running Android. Here are the details.

  1. RCA 12.2″ Android 2-in-1 (model number RCT6K23W24DK1) – MSRP $249.99 – an Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) tablet complete with Folio case. It boasts a quad-core, dual
    camera and HD screen.
  2. RCA 12.2” Windows 2-in-1 (Model number: W122AP45DK1) MSRP $449.99 – a Windows 10 2-in-1 PC with a detachable keyboard provides the power of a laptop, with the ease and freedom of a tablet including ample storage, Intel Pentium Processor, up to 10 hours battery life, USB ports, and dual-facing cameras.

So, these look like two flavors of the same device, one with Android and one with Windows. It’s a bit disappointing to see Android 6.0 instead of 7.0, especially by the time these are released to the public, but at least it isn’t an older version, I suppose. The Android tablet market is starved for compelling options right now, so hopefully can carve out a niche there.

RCA will also be debuting some new appliances like a retro fridge or a microwave, nothing revolutionary from the sounds of it. We hope this is the first step towards the resurgence of a once-proud American company, but that remains to be seen. If RCA can offer some compelling options in the budget smartphone area, maybe that will lead to some higher end devices too. We’ll be covering CES so we’ll be sure to bring you more as we see it.

stayZen is a zen-style game that may actually calm you (review)

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Lots of Android games want to wow you with crazy, hair-raising action, speed, and wild graphics. Their mission is to pull you in with the promise of a frenetic pace, testing your reflexes and concentration in the face of unrelenting distractions.

screenshot_20161207-220356stayZen is an Android game that tries to go in another direction. This is a game that is trying to be a bit of a meditation app. Or it could be a meditation app masking itself as a bit of gaming fun. It comes from Canadian developer PeaceOut Games. It is suitable for all ages; though young kids may have trouble keeping the game going, while even tweens may not appreciate the purposeful speed of this title.
If you’re curious by just what I mean, keep reading to see what this game/app is all about.

Setup

Install and setup is very straightforward. Simply download from the Play Store and fire it up. Once in the title screen, you have a couple of choices. “Levels” shows you the level map with all the different worlds & levels you’re in for. “Options” lets you choose some gameplay preferences such as music on/off, player avatar, and both gravity & enzo strength (more on these in a minute).
Otherwise you just press “Start” and you’re in.

Gameplay

screenshot_20161207-220532As I stated before, stayZen gameplay feels like a mix of game and zen-practice app. The idea of the game is to move your avatar (which starts as a Japanese-style painted circle but can be changed as you progress through the game) along a predetermined path on your screen to a unopened lotus blossom. Upon reaching your goal, your blossom blooms into a flower. Your main antagonist here is simple gravity; your avatar will always be pulled downward, and it’s your job to fight gravity while not veering off your line.

You move your stayZen avatar by ‘painting’ it along the path by repeatedly making small swipes in the direction you want your avatar to go. While going in a straight left-to-right line, you need to swipe up and to the right to counter gravity and to move your avatar closer to your goal. This swiping is your ‘enzo’. So as stated before, you can (slightly) adjust both the gravity and enzo strength in the game to change things up.

screenshot_20161207-220434The idea behind this game is not to blast through the levels as fast as you can or to acquire as many power-ups/coins/avatars as possible; rather, it’s to find a “zone” in which you are painting your avatar safely along its path. Slowly is just fine here; you won’t find any points or timers here.
After finishing a level, you are simply treated with a philosophical quote from various public figures….everybody from Gandhi himself to Mia Hamm (seriously!).

As you can imagine, the paths start as rather easy in the early levels, but quickly increase in difficulty. In addition, the game will add obstacles that you have to steer around (such as scorpions) and other path variations that turn it into more of a platformer.

Graphics & Music

15284824_1800281063584226_3616929330942987222_nGraphics in this game are very high-quality, with the backgrounds getting a nice vellum or scroll paper treatment. Most items shown in the game are simple black silhouettes, adding to the sunset-esque quality of the game lighting.

Music is also very well done, in the form of a soothing flute playing continuously throughout your experience. The only jarring moment comes when your avatar becomes separated from your path; a jarring gong indicates that your round is over along with your avatar free-falling off the bottom of your device’s screen.

Conclusion

stayZen is a rather soothing variation on a platform game, to the point where you could use this title as a game or as a relaxation app. I have to say, I rather enjoyed playing through the levels. The combination of the relaxing visuals, music, and “painting” gameplay mechanic did tend to settle me while playing.

If pressed, I would say the main critique I would have is that the level variation could start to happen a bit earlier than it currently does. It takes several levels to start to see some truly different levels (at least for my preference). But then again, that is probably exactly as the developer intended the game to be to allow for a deeper and longer engagement in the zen-like quality of the presentation before testing you with more varied and difficult levels.

As a bonus, the developer has just recently updated the game,with smoother gameplay and controls, which shows a good commitment to the title for the foreseeable future. In the end, I do highly recommend this game, and feel that you can’t go wrong with giving it a try. Download here and see if you feel the same.

HTC teases something big is coming for “U” on January 12, maybe a smartwatch

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CES 2017 is scheduled to be taking place between 5 and 8 January, so we expect top players in the industry to unveil new products during the said dates. However, HTC seems to be saving itself for later.

The company has just teased a major announcement coming January 12, 2017. HTC dropped dropped an elusive teaser in our mail box saying that “Something big is coming from HTC…For U.”

That’s all the company is apparently willing to share at this point. That and an image showcasing a huge U letter on a blue background. So what could it be?

purported-render-of-htc-11

We can only speculate at this point. The blue background makes us thinks of an ocean and HTC’s upcoming flagship has actually been dubbed “Ocean” by the rumor mill.

The HTC 11 is rumored to arrive with a 5.5-inch display and a FHD resolution, a Snapdragon 835 chipset and 8GB of RAM combined with 256GB of internal storage. But given that the HTC 10 was launched in April this year, it seems a little bit too soon for HTC to unleash its next-gen flagship, but who can say?

halfbeak

But the oceany blue background could also refer to something else – fish! HTC’s first Android Wear smartwatch has been rumored forever, but in October images showcasing the company’s Halfbeak smartwatch (a type of fish) prototype surfaced.

htc-halfbeak-display

Not much was revealed about the purported wearable, but we did get to see the leaked prototype featured a circular display in the vein of Moto 360.

Another theory might be that HTC will unveil the X10 model, the one which leaked earlier this week. The phone will be a powerful yet affordable device expected to make a debut with a 5.5-inch display, FHD resolution, a Helio P10 chipset and 3GB of RAM. Given that the previous HTC One X9 was launched in early January 2016, it’s quite possible we are right.

htc-x10

Don’t forget we’re just speculating here. Truth is we have no idea what HTC will be unveiling on January 12, but we’re certainly eager to know more about the company’s new product(s).

This week’s best prices on phones and gear from T-Mobile

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Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? We want to help you out either way.

To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from T-Mobile. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below.

What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out. It might not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good collection of what’s currently offered through T-Mobile.

Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.

T-Mobile Deals

Prepaid

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Accessories

T-Mobile to offer the LG K10 (2017) as the K20 Plus

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CES 2017 is coming up in a few weeks and all the big names in the industry are going to be present at the event showing off their latest and greatest products. LG included.

Even if the company’s smartphone sales have been faltering for a while now, the Taiwanese device maker seems to be unfazed by the setbacks. Actually LG is expected to come to CES 2017 in Las Vegas and unveil not one smartphone, but six new devices.

ces-2017

Most of these handsets will carry middle-range specs, like the LG K10 2017, the successor of this year’s LG K10.

According to @evleaks, the phone will be picked up by T-Mobile, but the carrier will be selling it under a different naming scheme. Granted, the LG K10 2017 isn’t exactly creative, so the Magenta company will put the phone on sale as the K20 Plus.

Previous rumors will have us believe the K20 Plus is going to make it out into the world with a 5.3-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution and 2.5D glass (which indicates the phone is slightly curved) on the front and back. The phone will have a fingerprint reader and a 5MP wide-angle front-facing camera onboard. Hopefully the phone will launch with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

lg-k10-back

As you can see the phone is not exactly super impressive when it comes to specs, so we expect that T-Mobile will price it quite affordably. The current K10 is currently available for $175 a pop.

T-Mobile Logo

The phone which was unveiled in January 2016 comes equipped with a 5.3-inch display with 720p and a Snapdragon 410 processor under the bonnet. LG also offers between 1GB and 2GB of RAM (depending on model) and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot to 32GB). The phone features 8MP/8MP camera combo and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box.

The K20 Plus seems to be offering an incremental update over last year’s model and should be priced in similar fashion.

BLUBOO to release first Android smartphone with dual front and rear cameras

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As you’ve no doubt picked up over the last year or so, phones with a dual-camera setup are getting more and more common these days; quite many manufacturers are working on models with this technology.

It seem as if the latest BLUBOO dual camera phone, the BLUBOO Dual, is doing well in the market and, so far, the customer feedback is positive. As such, that stuff has motivated BLUBOO to beef up its dual camera lineup. Yes, we’re talking about doubling down on the double camera setup.

The second, or next, phone in the BLUBOO Dual camera lineup figures to retain the same dual rear camera setup as the previous Dual model. In other words, two cameras working in close collaboration, allowing you to get pictures with professional level, almost DSLR-like effect. And, from what we understand, the device will also be equipped with dual front-facing cameras. If it proves to be true, it would be quite heartening for selfie lovers. Moreover, the phone appears to feature a true edge-less design, which surely would take the visual enjoyment to a new level aside from enhanced beauty.

Currently, other details about the BLUBOO phone remains unclear. Aside from the rumors, all we have to go on right now is the accompanying image. Please stay tuned for further reports.

In case you are interested, you can find more details about the Bluboo Dual model at BLUBOO’s website. Also, you can still get a BLUBOO Dual for only $129.99 in BLUBOO’s official AliExpress store. Other licensed online stores will have it for about $150 once the pre-sales end in the coming week.

How an Android parental control app can help you give a better smartphone experience to your kid

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Kids start asking for a personal tablet or a smartphone before they enter their teen years. As they start making plans about how they are going to use their cool gadget, parents worry about the different online risks they have thus far been avoiding. A personal device means the kids would be able to use them the way they want; they often expect the parents to respect their privacy as well.

Kids are entitled to a degree of privacy and freedom, but they also need to mature, too. The online world, for various reasons, can hold dangers that kids don’t always understand. Parents’ concerns are real and they should be worried about teens exchanging sexual photos, talking to complete strangers online, or becoming a target of cyber-bullying. Worse, parents might fear their child being the one bullying others or ruining their health after repeated all night gaming and extreme device use.

So what should parents do? They can prolong the inevitable of giving them smart devices but they cannot completely ignore it. Neither is it advised to. Kids are growing up in a smart age and they need to be acquainted with it. Keeping that in mind it is advised to let the kids use such devices but actively make the experience safe for them.

How do you make it safe?

You can make smartphones safe for them by using a protective measure like an Android parental control app. Before handing them their personal gadget, sit with them and have a talk. Tell them the dangers and tell them your plan about dealing with the dangers. If you tell them why and how, they are more likely to cooperate with you or understand when the various scenarios present themselves.

familytime

FamilyTime figures to be a solid parental control app for Android devices. It doesn’t work like traditional spyware apps and technology and doesn’t hide itself from children. On top of that, it provides multiple parenting facilities under a single roof. Check the details:

  • Screen time limits
  • Mobile apps management
  • Text message and Contacts monitoring
  • Contacts mirroring and Watchlist contact alert
  • Web history monitoring
  • Location history
  • Location reporting through Geofencing
  • SOS and pick-me-up alert

Blocked app alerts

With these features, you can easily keep an eye on your kids’ cell phone and online activities and restrict extreme behavior with the app blocker and screen time limits. It keeps you updated with your kids’ whereabouts and plans and you can also catch sexting, suspicious contacts, or other risky activities before they get out of hand.

Smart technology is good for kids just so long as we expose them to the benefits and educate them on how to avoid the perils. Know the troubles, talk about them with your kids, and use an Android parental control app for added protection. It will not only make the whole experience safe for them but also give them a digital role model to follow that will cause them to have a responsible attitude throughout their lives.

Note: This is a guest contributed post and/or sponsored content; AndroidGuys does not endorse the material nor does it claim responsibility for the external links beyond the time of publish.

Pokémon Go developer tipped to be working on Ingress wearable

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Pokémon Go Plus wearable launched back and September and stocks were depleted in a few seconds. The device allows users to catch Pokémons without having to open the mobile app in order to do so.

Cued by all the success, it looks like the studio behind Pokémon Go is looking to expand even more into wearables. According to a new report coming out of 9to5Mac, Niantic is working on wearable built specifically to interact with its games.

pokemon-go-plus

Sources familiar with the matter claim that Niantic is working closely with the company behind the Nex Band to produce an Ingress-branded smart band sometimes next month. We’re even treated with an image of this purported product.

The Nex + Ingress Band is supposedly the reason why Niantic has postponed or even canceled the development of the Apple Watch version of Pokémon Go.

According to the sources the Nex + Ingress Band will feature five touch sensitive displays (separate?!) with multi-color LEDs for customization and icons. The device is expected to offer a long battery life of up to 4 days and fitness tracking feats. An Ingress-oriented model will be launched first, but surely a Pokémon Go version will follow soon enough.

modular-nex-band

What do we know about Niantic’s partner, Nex? Earlier this year, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign designed to gather funds for the Nex Band, which mysteriously disappeared. Nex’s website seems to be functional still and teasing a “Evolution”. Passersby are invited to join the Waitlist, but that’s about all the information we are given.

The Nex Band was built on a pretty interesting concept. The wearable was supposed to allow users to add charms of “Mods” – each adding a new set of features. The wrist-bound device supported five different modifications including offering the ability to track fitness or sending coded messages to other NEX users.

more-nex-band

We can see there’s an obvious resemblance between the Nex Band and the purported Nex + Ingress Band. Anyway, according to the leaked image the upcoming Niantic wearable will come with five collective Mods including Enlightened, Niantic, Anomaly Medal, Map Location and Resistance.

If the story turns out to be true, more details about the upcoming wrist-bound device are likely to surface in the upcoming weeks, so keep checking back with us.