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HTC X10 with Helio P10 chipset, 3GB of RAM leaks out

Alexandra Arici
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0

HTC’s mobile division continues to struggle a great deal. Even so here at AndroidGuys we really appreciated the HTC 10 and we’re excited to see what the HTC 11 will bring along.

In recent days, HTC has also unveiled the Bolt model which is a Sprint exclusive and an altered version of the HTC 10. According to recent stats, the phone hasn’t made a grand impression on customers, not yet at least.

Soon to be previous-gen HTC One X9

The company continues to deny rumors it plans to sell its mobile division, saying it is working on new models. Today a new piece of information has popped into the rumor mill. It seems HTC is not only focusing on working on its next-gen flagship, but also has plans for a middle-range device.

According to information coming out of Chinese website My Drivers, the HTC One X9 will soon be replaced by the HTC X10. The phone is said to arrive with a 5.5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution.

The upcoming X10 will tap into the power of a MediaTek Helio P10 SoC clocked at 2GHz and working in combination with 3GB of RAM and unknown storage (hopefully 32GB). We’re also told the phone might feature a main 13MP camera. It’s not sure yet, but the phone should make it out with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Expect it to cost approximately $288 and to be unveiled next month.

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HTC 11 concept

As for the company’s next premium phone, the HTC 11 is rumored to come boasting a 5.5-inch display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution and a brand new Snapdragon 835 chipset. The HTC 11 might be among the first to arrive with 8GB of RAM, to be offered in combination with a hefty 256GB of internal storage.

Other specs include a dual camera setup featuring 12MP sensors plus an 8MP front facing camera, a 3,700 mAh battery and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

More Galaxy Note7 units remain in use than LG V20s, research firm says

Alexandra Arici
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0

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 disaster was one of the year’s most controversial stories in tech. As you may as well known, the phablet was recalled from the market about two months ago and Samsung has been actively trying to pursue customers to return the remaining units.

But despite Samsung’s efforts, it seems that there are still a lot of Note7 phablets that are currently still in use. Actually according to research firm Apteligent, there are more Note7 units in circulation than there are LG V20s.

galaxy-note7-in-the-wild

Samsung has recently announced it is working hand in hand with the top 4 US carriers in order to send out an update which will eliminate the Galaxy Note7’s ability to charge. T-Mobile will be the first to start rolling out such an update on December 27, while the other carriers will unleash the kill switch come January.

However, it’s quite clear that a lot of Note7 owners aren’t willing to renounce the phablet, event at this late stage. Just look on Reddit, there are dedicated subreddits where people are actively discussing how to ditch the disabling update.

lg_v20_colors

In other countries like the UK, Samsung has been a bit more permissive sending out an update that limits the Galaxy Note7 charging to 30%, thus still letting owners use the device somewhat. So the Apteligent report doesn’t come as a big shock after all.

How does Apteligent get its intel? Well their reports are generated as devices “check in” with the company’s analytics, meaning you’ll need to have an active, working smartphone in order to be taken into account by Apteligent’s statistics.

While Apteligent’s chart is bad news for Samsung, it’s certainly a lot worse for LG. As you can see from the graph, it seems the V20 is barely holding on to dear life.

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Despite earlier reports by LG which claimed the company sold 200k V20 units in just 10 days after launch, Aptelgent’s stats beg to differ.

The V20 was actually the first non-Pixel device to make it out into the world with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, but that didn’t seem to matter to consumers too much. The V20 features a nice sheet of specs, but maybe the premium price-tag is what deterred users from it. Although we can’t say the same about the Google Pixel or the Note7.

motorola-moto-z-droid

Other handsets present in the charts are the Moto Z, which seems to have lost momentum in recent weeks. Motorola is certainly focused on the Moto Z family, as the company pledged to launch up to 12 new Moto Mods next year. If Motorola keeps its promise, we might see the Moto Z rise in popularity once again.

Interestingly enough, the only phone which seems to be doing great is the Sony Xperia XZ, even better than the Google Pixel, OnePlus 3T and HTC Bolt. It’s no secret that Sony’s mobile division has been struggling to maintain afloat for quite a while now, but according to the Apteligent’s stats there might be hope for the company after all.

Facebook Messenger now lets you group video chat with up to 50 people

Alexandra Arici
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1

Not spending the holidays with your family this year? Facebook has just made it easier for you to stay in touch via a new feature that debuted in its popular Messenger app.

Similar to Skype, Facebook is now allowing users to host Group Video Chats in Messenger. All you need to do is open a group conversation or create a new one and then tap on the video icon located on the upper right part of the screen to start the video chat. All friends and family members will receive a notification alerting them a new video chat session has begun.

facebook-group-chats

The update is being rolled out across the world, for iOS and Android users alike. A group video chat can accommodate up to 50 participants, but only up to six people can see each other at one time. The remaining 44 can listen in and respond by using texts, stickers, emojis and GIFs.

The new feature will be available in the desktop version of the app too. Don’t worry if you don’t see it just yet, it might take a few hours before everyone gets it.

facebook-messenger-logo

Recently Facebook updated the Messenger app by adding a bunch of new, powerful camera effects that enable to users to have the time of their lives while chatting. Also, Facebook fans have been given access to a dozen new games via Messenger. Now users can play games like Words with Friends: Frenzy, Pac-Mac, Space Invaders, Galaga and more against friends and family members.

Facebook Messenger boasts a user base of more than 1 billion active monthly users with 10% of all worldwide Voice over call being made through the app. With the addition of the new group video chat feature, more people are bound to take up the Messenger app. Competing services like Skype, Google and Kik also offer this functionality.

Getting the most out of your GBoard update [How-To]

AndroidGuys
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5

Last week Google released the GBoard update as an apk for users to try on their android devices. On Saturday, Google released the official update through the Play Store. Since Google has given us this early Christmas present we figured a little How-To was in order to showcase some of the great features of this app.

Prerequisites:

Fortunately, There is not too much to do here. Simply make sure that GBoard is installed through the Play Store.

Insert Links:

In case you did not read either of the linked articles above, one of the nicest things about Gboard is that it gives you the ability to insert links and directions directly from the keyboard.

  1. With they keyboard open, tap on the “G” in the upper left hand corner
  2. In the search bar, type whatever you are wanting to search for
  3. Simply tap the page you would like to send and watch the link appear in your text box
  4. Tap send in your app to share the web page.

Insert GIF’s:

Not only can you insert links, but in certain applications you can also insert GIF’s.

  1. With the keyboard open, tap on the smiley face next to the space bar
  2. Tap the GIF button at the bottom of the screen
  3. search for the GIF you want by taping the search button in the upper left
  4. tap on the GIF you want to insert into the chat

If you have not already, give Gboard a try. Let us know how you like to use these new features in the comments below.

A month after spyware scandal, the BLU R1 HD returns to Amazon for $50

Alexandra Arici
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0

US-based cheap smartphone BLU maker came into the spotlight lately, after it was revealed that some of its smartphones housed a spyware that sent users’ private information to China.

Following the discovery, class action lawsuit firm, Rosen Legal started inviting BLU customers to file legal action against the smartphone company. BLU played the innocence card, explaining it had no idea its handsets were “infested”.

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But the scandal hit BLU hard and the company was forced to remove one of its most popular products, the BLU R1 HD off virtual Amazon shelves.

Since then BLU has done everything to remove the prying software from the BLU R1 HDand other devices. And now, surprise-surprise just one month after the scandal the R1 HD is once again back with Amazon selling for $50.

The phone features a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and runs on the power of  MediaTek 6735M quad-core processor plus 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. This is the standard version. For those who want more, there’s a 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage if you’re willing to pay $60 for the Prime Exclusive model.

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Other specs include an 8MP/5MP camera combo, 4G LTE and a microSD card slot for memory expansion.

As you can see the phone offers a dignified set of specs, but another reason why BLU was able to sell the phone so cheap is the “Amazon Exclusive” lock screen. Basically if you buy the BLU R1 HD you should expect to see lots and lots of Amazon ads.

more-blu-r1-hd

Amazon does sell an add-free version, but you’ll have to pay $50 extra if you want it.

Now the question rises, will be customers able to trust BLU products again? Probably. Once one of Amazon’s most popular devices, the BLU R1 HD will probably do just fine, given that no additional spyware talk has surfaced in the last month. The super attractive price-tag will probably continue to attract lots and lots of customers.

Check out these discounts and deals on phones at AT&T

AndroidGuys
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0

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 AT&T. 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 AT&T.

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

samsung-galaxy-s7

AT&T Deals

Prepaid

Accessories

Samsung Gear S3 and Gear S2 users can now use Spotify on their smartwatch

Alexandra Arici
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1

Smartwatches are slowly becoming irrelevant, but companies like Samsung continue to believe in their appeal. To be fair Samsung’s last Gear S3 smartwatch sparked some interest with users still willing to give wearables a chance.

Smartwatches can deliver notifications and count daily steps, but a lot of owners like to use it to play their favorite songs, while they go out for a run in the park.

samsung-gear-s3-and-s2

Well as of this week, the popular music streaming service Spotify has landed on the Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S3.

However, you should know the app doesn’t offer offline mode for Spotify Premium subscribers. Even so, you can listen over Wi-Fi or LTE and if you’re signed for a Premium account you can pick specific songs to listen too. By contrast, if you’re a free user you can only stream Playlists on shuffle mode.

spotify-on-gear-s3-and-gear-s2

The app makes use of the rotating bezel to allow users to skip through the playlist. Once a song starts playing, smartwatch owners can press the back button in order to browse other music, while the current song is minimized at the bottom of the screen.

spotify-on-gear-s3

In order to install Spotify on your Gear S2 or Gear S3, just bring up the Gear Manager app on your smartphone and open the Galaxy Apps Store and search for Spotify. If the app is not there it means Samsung has yet to make it available in your country.

The Gear S2 smartwatch recently received a big update which bestowed a lot of Gear S3 specific features. With Spotify on board, the two wearables now offer extended functionality.

Nokia P flagship with Snapdragon 835, 6GB of RAM, 23MP camera leaks

Alexandra Arici
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0

It’s a pretty well known fact that 2017 will mark Nokia’s return to the world of smartphones. HMD, the Finnish company that currently holds the right over Nokia’s logo has already unveiled the first new Nokia device – the Nokia 150 feature phone.

But HMD is also planning to lunch new Nokia smartphones in the near future. Recently we’ve told you there’s a possibility the first new Nokia handsets to make it out next year might turn out to be priced really affordably. These budget-friendly phones should make a debut during the MWC 2017 expo in Barcelona.

nokia-upcoming-phones

However, if the rumor mill is correct, HMD also has some premium phones in the pipeline, scheduled to make an appearance sometime in 2017.

Well this week we bring you some new information about the upcoming Nokia high-end devices. According to a report coming out of Weibo (via KKJ), HMD is working on a premium Nokia smartphone dubbed the Nokia P.

leaked-nokia-phones

The flagship will apparently be powered by a new Snapdragon 835 processor and bundle 6GB of RAM and a 23MP camera with Zeiss lens. Previous rumors would have us believe, the Nokia P might come in 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch flavors and feature IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

nokia-android-phones-profile-white

The phone(s) should launch with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, unless they will be unveiled towards the end of 2017, in which case they might have Android O onboard.

The current report contains a couple of images showcasing a prototype phone with a metal back, which is in league with what we previously knew.

Motorola’s announces Moto Mods hackathon winners

Alexandra Arici
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0

Motorola’s Moto Z lineup is a pretty special crop. These smartphones are known for their Moto Mods, accessories that that can be snapped onto the device via magnets and add extra functionalities.

It seems like Motorola is really counting on Mods to attract more customers towards the Moto Z family, as the company pledged to launch 12 new Mods next year. Motorola also partnered up with Indiegogo and teased a few potential upcoming Mods to give users a taste of what’s to come.

moto-car-mount

But did you know Motorola also organizes a “hackathon”?  This is an event hosted by the company during which indie developers are invited to put together concepts for new Moto Mods.

This is exactly what happened last weekend in New York, where Motorola held its first “Mod the Future” hackathon. Out of all the experimental and concept Mods presented during the event, Motorola selected three which might eventually be turned into real products.

competition-time

The three winning concepts include an Advanced Audio Mod featuring a digital-to-analog converter for high-definition audio ports, a Sidepad which physical gaming buttons and the so-called Bella, a beauty “assistant” which uses real-time data retrieved from your skin and the environment to deliver beauty tips. The sensors inside Bella are capable of measuring UV evels, air quality and skin elasticity levels.

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Motorola showered the winners with prizes, like $5,000 in cash, a Moto Z and a Moto Mods Development Kit.

Motorola currently sells Mods capable of extending battery life, add speakers or a projector and extend the camera’s capabilities. Actually Sports Illustrated used the Moto Z and the Hassleblad mod to shoot the magazine cover for the December Issue.

hasselblad-moto

For those interested in developing for Motorola, the good news is the company is hosting another hackathon in San Francisco next month between January 21 and 22. The same prizes will be awarded this time around, also.

LeEco and Coolpad team up for Cool S1 with Snapdragon 821, 6GB of RAM

Alexandra Arici
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0

LeEco is one of those Chinese device makers that are trying to break into the US market. The company, which is known for its galloping expansion has launch a few “disruptive”  smartphones in the States, hoping to provide an affordable alternative to top phones.

Well, LeEco is also busy unveiling phones in its home country, China. This time the company did so in collaboration with Coolpad – a smaller device maker which is in charge of assembling the LeEco’s products, as well as its own.

coolpad-s1-launches-in-china

So LeEco and Coolpad have joined forces once again to unveil the next-gen “Cool” smartphone, the third in the lineup after the Cool1 Dual and Cool Charger 1C.

Introducing, the Cool S1 – a flagship phone featuring a metal body and a fingerprint sensor located on the back.

coolpad-cool-s1-back-view

The device arrives with a 5.5-inch display with FHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and takes advantage of a Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.35GHz. Customers can choose between two storage versions, either the 4GB of RAM plus 64GB of storage or the heftier 6GB of RAM plus 128GB storage.

In the photography department, the Cool S1 boasts the advanced power of 16MP main camera with PDAF (Phase detection auto focus), 4K recording and dual-LED flash. For selfies there’s an 8MP front-facing one.

coolpad-cool-s1-side-view

Another highlight are the two front-facing speakers with Harman’s Clari-Fi audio enhancing technology.

The Cool S1 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box and who knows maybe an Android 7.0 Nougat update will come at some point. Connectivity options include 4G, dual SIM support, Bluetooth, OTG and USB Type-C.

Everything is powered by a pretty hefty 4,070 mAh battery which should ensure the phone is capable of delivering quite a decent battery life.

coolpad-cool-s1

LeEco and Coolpad are selling the Cool S1 in three configurations. The first one with 4GB of RAM + 64GB of internal storage is priced at approx. $359, the 6GB of RAM + 64GB of internal storage features a $388 price-tag, while the 6GB of RAM + 128GB of storage can be yours for $460.

For the time being the Cool S1 is available only in China and we don’t know whether the phone will launch on the global market as well.

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