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These are the best discounts and promos you can get from wireless carriers

AndroidGuys
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Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? Or, are you brand new to these sort of things? Actually, scratch that, it doesn’t matter. We want to help you out either way.

To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from the various wireless providers. 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. Don’t be the guy who says, “I didn’t know I could get more for my money.” Or, worse, you don’t want to be the one who could have kept some of that money in his wallet.

We have no idea how long some of these deal will last. Sure, some are ongoing in a semi-permanent manner, but others could disappear overnight.

verizon_trade_in

Verizon

att_s7_deal

AT&T

hp-mq-note7-dsk-1240x600-pre-order-netflix

T-Mobile

sprint_deals_s7

Sprint

Other Carriers

Polar announces its first Sports Watch powered by Android Wear

AndroidGuys
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If you’re a fitness fanatic then you definitely know who Polar is. It is a company that helps athletes monitor their fitness goals through its wearables and has been doing it longer than anyone else in the industry.

Polar just announced that it will be releasing its first Android Wear powered smartwatch this year. While other companies have made fitness trackers and smartwatches, Polar is definitely aiming for the fitness crowd with this one and it makes sense.

polar

Smartwatches have not replaced our smartphones like we hoped for, but they still offer limited features that can help improve our lives, especially when it comes to fitness tracking and monitoring. Who better to make a fitness smartwatch other than Polar? Polar is releasing the all new M600 later this year. It will use proprietary optical heart rate monitoring which is one of the most reliable ways to track it. The watch will also be able to track your movements using GPS, and will monitor all of your fitness activities where it will be displayed through Polar’s app for Android Wear.

Because the M600 uses Android Wear, you will still get notifications, updates, ability to install apps, just like other smartwatches.

“Polar created the first heart rate monitor, the first activity tracker and now we’re the first true sports wearables company to announce a smartwatch truly made for sports. Powered by Android Wear, Polar M600 offers our customers countless opportunities to customize their smartwatch and still rely on the unique Polar sports wearable experience that is at its core.” –  Marco Suvilaakso, Chief Strategy Officer at Polar

Specs:

  • OS – Android Wear
  • Processor – Mediatek MT2601 dual core processor
  • 4GB internal storage plus 512MB RAM
  • 1.3″ Gorilla Glass 3 display
  • Battery – 500mAh
  • IPX8 water resistance – suitable for swimming
  • Price – $329.95
  • Colors – Charcoal Black, Powder White

If you’re a fitness buff this smartwatch is made just for you. Learn more at Polar.

The post Polar announces its first Sports Watch powered by Android Wear appeared first on SmarterWatching.

Source: SmarterWatching

Ting data now only $10 per gigabyte after first

AndroidGuys
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Wireless service provider Ting today dropped the price of its data to a mere $10 per gigabyte, making plans more affordable for its customers. Specifically, this is the cost of data after the first gigabyte.

At just $10 a gig beyond the first, Ting’s pay-for-what-you-use approach is the best choice for most American cell phone users. – Michael Goldstein, VP of Sales and Marketing for Ting

Starting today, it’s cheaper than ever for current and potential subscribers to sign up for Ting. Nearly every rate plan is getting a slight shakeup which benefits the user. Here are the affected plans and their respective pricing.

  • Medium (Up to 500 MB): Was $12 Now $10
  • Large: (Up to 1 GB)Was $19 Now $16
  • XL: (Up to 2 GB)Was $29 Now $20
  • XL+: Was $15/GB Now $10/GB

For those who already have Ting, the new plans are more aligned with how the rest of the wireless industry sets plans. By adopting the new setup, it is easier for potential customers to make comparisons with other carriers.

Ting is a no-contract service provider who supports devices that run on Sprint (CDMA), AT&T (GSM), T-Mobile (GSM) and Verizon’s (CDMA) cellular networks. The carrier offers phones from a variety of hardware makers (Samsung, Alcatel, BLU, HTC, Huawei
Kyocera, LG, and Motorola) but also has a Bring-Your-Own-Device policy, too.

6 new things in the Note 7 and reasons you may want to upgrade

Josh Noriega
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No one can deny that the new Note 7 looks a bit too much like the S7 Edge from earlier in the year. They’re 0.2” apart in display size and both have dual curved edges, about all the same specs, and the same build. A big differentiating factor is of course the stylus, but we could argue that it’s more of a novelty feature.

Has Samsung pulled a fast one on us? Well, not completely. While there aren’t many, some worthy additions are in fact present. You just have peek closer. Let’s run through them.

1. Iris scanner

The most standout new feature in the Note 7 is definitely its biometric reading ability, from the addition of an iris scanner on the front of the phone.

Some may argue that the fingerprint reader already gave us a way to quickly unlock our phones or skip through passwords. But there’s just something really cool and futuristic about having the phone perform a retinal scan for access. Plus there’s the convenience of not having to shift your grip to touch the fingerprint spot. With iris, just look at your phone (which you’re already doing) and you’re in.

2. USB Type-C port

Type-C is the new USB standard and everyone is jumping in this year. For some reason, Samsung didn’t get the memo on the Galaxy S7, but it’s finally caught up on the Note 7.

The most glaring benefit of Type-C is that the port is symmetric, so you can plug in the charger without looking to make sure that the correct side is up. The USB 3.1 support also means quicker data transfers and more power output (including being able to use your phone to charge another device).

3. Gorilla Glass 5

There’s a new Gorilla Glass panel in town, and its release lined up nicely with the timeframe of the Note 7. Corning’s biggest focus on Gorilla Glass 5 was durability against drops. The company claims that the new panel is likely to indure a 1.6 meter (or roughly shoulder-height) drop onto “hard, rough surfaces” without turning into the dreadful series of spiderweb cracks.

4. 64GB is standard

In a move that seems to throw a bone to the Note’s legacy power users, Samsung’s base storage has been doubled to 64GB on the Note 7. It was a pleasant and generous surprise.

While the Galaxy S7 also had microSD expansion, it was iffy on adoptable storage (in which the OS treats the separate storages as one bucket). We’re not sure the Note 7’s stance on the matter, but the fact that its internal storage is plentiful should alleviate the concern for many folks.

5. HDR video

One of the Note 7’s important features that could easily slip by is high dynamic range (HDR) playback. HDR capability is the new wave in televisions today, and the Note 7 has become the first mobile device to sport it. This technology targets image quality, by producing better colors and wider contrasts (bright whites and deep blacks).

The catch is that the content needs to support it for you to see the benefit. Fortunately, Amazon is already on it. The company has already announced that Amazon Prime will provide HDR video streaming for the Note 7. That doesn’t cover everything, but at least you’ll be future proof.

6. New software

The Note 7 is certainly not without some new software features. Samsung tends to throw tricks into TouchWiz, just for the sake of it, but the ones on the Note 7 may actually be worthwhile for a lot of users. The standout feature is the ability to create a gif from a snap from any video that’s playing.

You can also use that fancy S-PEN to highlight text for a quick translation to a different language, magnify any content on the fly, or pin notes to the Always-On display. These nice additions give the stylus more purpose, but then again, you shouldn’t need it to do these things.

Final Thoughts

Are these updates enough to make you salivate over the Note 7 and want to chuck your current Samsung phone? Probably not for Galaxy S7 users, but if you have an S6 or Note 5, keep in mind that you’ll get water resistance, microSD expansion, a much bigger battery, and an improved camera on top of that. Let us know where you stand in the comments below!

These are the 4 great phones we’re most excited about for the last half of 2016

Jason Botha
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Believe it or not, we have already passed the halfway mark of 2016 and are well on our way to reaching the end of the year.  In terms of Android, we’ve seen big steps taken by manufacturers to further push smartphones to their limits. What we’ve seen so far could be considered impressive.

Some notable, albeit possibly disappointing, devices that have featured prominently so far in 2016, include the:

  • Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
  • Nexus 6P
  • HTC 10
  • OnePlus 3
  • LG G5

I think it’s safe to say that we had a great first half in 2016 (regarding phones at least!).

But enough talking, let’s cut to the chase: Here’s what phones we’re looking forward to this half of 2016.

Samsung Galaxy Note7

The Galaxy Note 5 successor was unveiled on the 1st of August at a much-anticipated event in New York City.

IMG_20160802_112055

We saw Samsung unveil what the offspring of the S7 and Note5 would look like. The Note7 offers an Iris scanner, improved S-Pen and the typical bump in specs.

It arrives with a very similar design to the Galaxy S7 edge, offering a curved glass front and rear. The Note 7, however, adds a few tricks to the party. It has a slightly larger, squarer build that flaunts a 5.7-inch Quad HD display while still being comparatively compact.

This is one of its largest launches yet, and while we weren’t exactly awed at what we saw,  it was by no mean a disappointment.

The Note7 is available for pre-order now with shipping varying by carriers and respective retailers.

IMG_20160802_120448

Why are we excited about it?

The Note line has been a prominent part of Sammy’s mobile lineup since its launch, along with the S-series. It defines who Samsung is while asserting its dominance in the mobile industry. It’s on the list of legendary devices that have made a name of themselves yearly, and that droves of people show interest in.

It’s possibly the most known mobile range out there.

LG V20

LG has confirmed that they have been working on and will be releasing a successor to the LG V10. It’s rumoured to have a smaller 5.5″ screen and no secondary display, along with a respectable 4,000mAh battery.

LG V10 with UX 4.0+ user interface
LG V10 with UX 4.0+ user interface

The V10 is a significant design in LG’s mobile range: it replaced the struggling Flex range and offered a unique design found no where else. The secondary ticker display was a useful gimmick that made the large size a bit unwieldy, while the hardcore design featuring metal edges and an industrial back cover was quite attractive.

As Josh Noriega said in our review, “The V10 is not a perfect phone. Samsung’s S-AMOLED screen is superior technology. I’m not convinced on LG’s rear button and fingerprint scanner placements (at least for a phone this size). And although the UX software is fast and functional, I’m just not feeling why it needs to be there.”

Why are we excited about it?

The LG V10 had a lot of potential. But it also had a lot of problems like poor battery life and, as mentioned, an almost unmanageable size. We wanted more of the V10.

The V20 is obviously the way in which LG can deliver the V10 in a better package. It’s an opportunity to make up for the lacklustre G5 sales, while showing us that it is no fool in making phones. In fact, we recently wrote about how LG can outshine the Note7 in terms of sales if it’s a successful phone.

If LG does the job right, it could certainly make the V20 a contender for phone of the year.

Shut-up-and-take-my-money
If the V20 turns out to be good

2016 Nexus

Although the logical name for the Nexus 6P’s successor would be Nexus 7, it turns out that the name is already taken by the Nexus 7, a four year-old tablet released by Google in 2012.

While we’re not sure what it may be called, that’s certainly not going to prevent us on speculating about why we’re looking forward to one of the hottest annual phones.

The gold Huawei Nexus 6P
The gold Huawei Nexus 6P

The phones in the Nexus range are a critical part of the Android ecosystem as they are one of the very few devices that comes with pure stock Android. They showcase what Android really is and are much appreciated by the majority of the community.

Why are we excited about it?

Well, it’s a Nexus, first of all. On top of that, Google will release its Android Nougat on it, and with Nexus, you always get the software updates first and directly from Google. Not only will we be able play around with cool features, but we’ll also get a glimpse of where Android is moving. I mean, you could just read about it, but it’s a lot more fun when you actually have it in your hand, if you know what I mean.

2016 Moto X Play and Moto X Pure

We were impressed when seemingly-dead Motorola Lenovo unveiled two competitive Android phones, the Moto X Play and Moto X Pure Edition. With stock Android, superb pricing and a reasonable spec sheet, they came back to life in the market. Our reviews about them pays homage to the fact that we quite liked them.

Moto-X-Pure-Edition-MotoMaker-Style

In the Moto Z series, Lenovo did not want to prove that they can cram the best specs into the thinnest phone. They did not go all-out to try beat the competition. Instead, they stuck to what they knew worked. The result was an affordable Android device that worked without a hitch.

Why are we excited about it?

We want Lenovo to deliver another flawless device that doesn’t try to be the best. We don’t care much if it has a Snapdragon 621 and 3GB of RAM, as long as it’s affordable and offers a stock Android experience, especially for the less demanding users.

That’s not saying we don’t want to see a high-tier device coming from Lenovo, but we believe that the X series fills in a gap that many manufacturers neglect, and would love to see it continue to do so.

Moto-X-Pure-Marshmallow

That’s our list of phones we’re exciting about this half of 2016. We hope to see something that no one expected: the phone industry has gotten a bit dull and predictable over the past year or two.

What phones are you excited for?

Rumor Roundup: Iris scanners on more phones, LG V20’s debut date, and a OnePlus 3 Mini?

Matt Adams
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Welcome back to another edition of Rumor Roundup! Today we have some leaks regarding iris scanners, when exactly when we’ll get our first official look at the hotly anticipated LG V20, and a possible smaller OnePlus 3. Let’s dive right in!

Iris scanners for the masses

Samsung hopes to bring its newest stand-out feature to its mid-tier lineup according to quotes from an executive, according to Sammobile. The new iris scanner was heavily featured in promotional material and was first new feature discussed at the Note 7 press conference on Monday. Now, we’re hearing from DJ Koh, Samsung’s Mobile Chief about bringing the scanners to other phones in Samsung’s lineup once the costs become controllable.

02_Galaxy Note7_blue

“Through continued cost cutting, iris scanning can trickle down to mid-end models.There is a view that Android is weak in security compared to its competitor and we want to expand software security that can overcome this image.”

Don’t expect to see any cheaper Samsung phones use this feature for at least another year or so. Samsung isn’t dumb enough to cut off its nose off to spite its face by adding the biggest selling feature of its current flagship device to much cheaper devices. Why spend $800 on a phone when you can get the same features on a phone for less than half the price, right? Still, this is exciting news to those who are interested in having a secure phone.

The V20’s debut

Recently, we’ve written a lot about the LG V20. We loved last year’s V10 so it makes sense that we’d be excited about the follow-up this year. The V10 had a major focus on multimedia which made it stand out from the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. We’re hoping to see that same commitment to a great camera, a high-end DAC, and lots of storage.

And, we won’t have to wait long to find out if the hype is for good reason. LG sent out invites indicating that we’ll be seeing the LG V20 in the flesh on September 6 at an event in San Fransisco. Will the V20 take on the Note 7 this year or will it fall flat like the LG G5 did earlier this year? We’ll have all the coverage for you on the day of the event.

lg v20 event

OnePlus 3 Mini

OnePlus fans have been clamoring for a smaller flagship since last year when a OnePlus 2 Mini was rumored. That turned out to be the OnePlus X, but this year may actually bring a OnePlus 3 Mini with the same flagship specs as the OnePlus 3.

A GFXBench listing indicating that a 4.6″ OnePlus device with a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 16MP camera, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage are starting to surface. But, would it sell enough to justify the newer device? The OnePlus 2 sold around 1.5 million devices in a year and that was without a true mini version. Would the OnePlus 3 Mini compliment it’s bigger brother or just eat into its sales?

oneplus 3 mini specs

We hope that OnePlus does take the plunge and release a smaller flagship for those who enjoy easier to handle phones, but we remain skeptical.

That wraps up our Rumor Roundup for today! What are you most excited for, a more cost-efficient Samsung phone with an iris scanner, the LG V20 being debuted, or a OnePlus 3 mini? Let us know down in the comments.

Check out these 7 phablets that cost half the price of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Matt Adams
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is no doubt an amazing phone. We’re eagerly awaiting our review unit to arrive so we can bring you our thoughts on the device after some first-hand usage. But, what truly sticks out to me is the price tag. Verizon Wireless pegs the MSRP of the Note 7 at $864! That’s a crazy amount of money for a phone.

While our cellular devices are becoming ever more important to us, to the point of addiction in some cases, there is a case to be made to save that dough and pick up something almost as good for half the price. Cheap phones are getting really good these days and here are some of our choices that are half the price of the Note 7.

OnePlus 3

Pice: $399

OnePlus 3

OnePlus has been around for a few years now and has consistently put out impressive phones. 2016 has seen the start-up release its third flagship device, the OnePlus 3 (review here).

The OP3 matches the Note 7 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 64GB of onboard storage and bests it with 6GB of RAM. You’ll find a 16MP camera on the rear of the phone and a downward firing speaker on the bottom of the phone. A capacitive home button and user programmable back and recent apps buttons dot the front of the phone just under the 5.5″ 1080p display.

Coming in at only $399, we think the OnePlus 3 is one of the best values in mobile phones today.

Pros: More RAM, DASH charging, Aluminum build, programmable buttons, Stock Android based ROM, unlocked

Cons: Only a 1080p display, no expandable storage or water resistance

Website: OnePlus.net

Huawei Nexus 6P

Price: $399 (32GB)

nexus_6p

The current high-end Nexus device was released almost a year ago but still holds up well when placed next to the flagships of 2016. It has an older processor than the Note 7 (Snapdragon 810 vs. 820), and less RAM (3GB vs 4GB) but runs as well as, or better than, newer Samsung devices due to TouchWiz lag that still persists in the Galaxy lineup.

The 6P (review here) has the same size (5.7″), resolution (2560 x 1440p), and technology (AMOLED) display as the Note 7, but the Note 7 will definitely win out on the quality and top-end brightness. Both devices feature fingerprint readers, Nexus on the back and Note in the home button, and 12MP cameras.

Pros: Stock Android, fast software updates, unlocked

Cons: No expandable storage or water resistance, older processor

Website: Play Store, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo

Huawei Honor 5X

Price: $199

honor 5x

Coming in at about 25% of the Galaxy Note 7’s price, the Honor 5X offers some excellent value for a new phablet. The device has a 5.5″, 1080p display, a 13MP camera, and 3GB of RAM. The base storage of 16GB isn’t ideal, but when you’re buying a phone with a low price, you can afford to pick up a 256GB microSD card and still spend less than half as much as you would on a Note 7.

Pros: Latest version of Android, expandable storage, fingerprint sensor

Cons: Slower processor, no water resistance, heavy skin

Website: Honor, Amazon, B&H Photo

Motorola Moto G (4th Gen)

Price: $229

moto g 4th gen

The Moto G 4th Generation, or Moto G4 as some are calling it, is another in the lineup of great, cost-efficient phones from Motorolla. The G4 can be purchased on Amazon for as low as $180 with ads that appear on the lock screen (these can be removed with this method). Even if you purchase the phone at full price, you’re still saving about $600 if you choose it over a Note 7. The Moto G is headlined by a 5.5″ display, 32GB of storage, Snapdragon 617 processor, and the latest version of Android. Not only does it have the latest version of Android, it’s a close to stock version as well with Motorola’s excellent additions baked in.

Pros: Latest version of Android, expandable storage, fast charging, big battery

Cons: Only 2 GB of RAM, slower processor, no water resistance

Website: Motorola, Amazon

Letv Max

Price: $399

Letv Max

The Letv Max comes in at about half the Note 7’s cost and has some nice specs for the price. Headlined by a Snapdragon 810 processor, 64GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM, this phone should have no trouble flying through tasks and pushing graphics intensive games. The standout feature of the Letv Max has to be the huge 6.33″ 2560 x 1440p display. That is truly bordering on tablet size, but if you want to be productive with your device, a huge screen will definitely help.

Pros: Huge display, fast processor, lots of RAM and storage, unlocked, aluminum body

Cons: Last year’s fast processor, huge display, software updates are an unknown

Website: Amazon

Meizu Pro 5

Price: $399

Meizu Pro 5

Meizu, like Letv, may not be the most popular brand here in the United States, but it does make some quality phones. The Pro 5 has a powerful processor in the Exynos 7420, a screen to match the Note 7’s size at 5.7″, along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The aluminum body phone features a hardware home button with a fingerprint sensor and large 3000mAh battery. The main camera is 20MP with a 5MP shooter on the front for your selfies.

Pros: Large display, fast processor, lots of RAM and storage, unlocked, aluminum body, fingerprint scanner, good camera

Cons: Lower resolution display than the Note 7, software updates are an unknown

Website: Meizu, Amazon, Gearbest

ZTE Axon 7

Price: $399

zte axon 7

The ZTE Axon 7, much like the OnePlus 3 is looked at as one of the new “super phones” at the $400 price range. ZTE decided to put flagship level specs in the Axon 7 for about half the price of the Galaxy Note 7. Headlining the show is the same Snapdragon 820 processor you can find in the Note 7, as well as 4GB of RAM, 64GB of base storage, and a 3250mAh battery. The 5.5″ display is the same 2560 x 1440p resolution and AMOLED technology as the Note 7 and the front facing speakers are being lauded as some of the best on phones today.

Pros: Fast processor, lots of RAM and storage, unlocked, aluminum body, fingerprint scanner, good camera, front facing speakers

Cons: Heavy skin (MIUI), smaller display than the Note 7 (5.5″ vs. 5.7″), no water resistance

Website: ZTE, Amazon, eBay, B&H Photo, Newegg

Verizon customers can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Note7 now

AndroidGuys
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The Galaxy Note7 made waves yesterday with the official introduction by Samsung. Historically the Note line has paved the way for other devices to follow with its large QHD display, integrated stylus, and top of the line features not yet integrated into current smartphones. The Note7 is the first major smartphone to use iris-scanning technology which will use your eyes instead of fingerprints. As secure as fingerprint readers are, they are far from fool-proof.

IMG_20160802_115836

The Note7 will also include IP68 water resistance with the design being one of the best, similar to its little sibling, the S7 edge. If you like your photos, you will not find a better camera than what is found on the Note and S line. With dual-pixel technology and a large aperture, this camera is definitely going to be amongst the best.

Additional specs:

  • 5.7” Quad HD sAMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 5
  • 12 megapixel rear camera with dual-pixel technology; 5 megapixel front camera
  • 64GB internal memory, expandable to 256GB with microSD card
  • Long-lasting 3,500 mAh battery
  • Android Marshmallow 6.0.1
  • USB 3.1 connection (Type C)
  • Fast wired and wireless charging

Luckily for Verizon customers, you can start pre-ordering the all new Galaxy Note7 now with delivery guaranteed by August 19th. It won’t come cheap with a retail price of $864, but you can pay for it in installments at $36 per month for 24 months. If you want to wait to see it in store, the Note7 will arrive on August 19th. And for a limited time, you can also get a free Samsung Gear Fit 2 or 256GB microSd card with the purchase of the Note7.

Think you’re going to upgrade? Let us know in the comments section below.

Get the all new Samsung Galaxy Note7 at Verizon today.

Three tablet optimization tips for modern bloggers (PROMOTED)

Guest Blogger
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When we think of “mobile optimization,” many of us naturally think of a crowded room full of users tapping away at their smartphones.

However, modern bloggers and designers should take the booming tablet market into consideration when it comes to optimizing their sites. Tablets already represent a huge chunk of the mobile marketplace and are expected to grow to 1.43 billion users by 2018, so ask yourself: what is your site doing to appeal to such users?

If your answer is “nothing,” fear not. While there is a difference between optimizing for smartphones and tablets, thankfully you can easily tweak your site’s design for mobile users without changing too much.

These small touches, however, can have a big impact on your readership. In his in-depth guide to starting a blog, marketing guru Neil Patel notes that need give your audience exactly what they want. Given today’s massive mobile audience, consider how your blog can give tablet users what they want by making some simple adjustments to your site.

Bigger is Better

When it comes to tablets, size matters in regard to readability and functionality. Consider increasing the size of headers and buttons on your blog, ensuing that readers on tablets can easily navigate your website without becoming frustrated. For example…

  • Small buttons can lead to users either accidentally tapping onto the wrong section of your site or leave them unable to find what they’re looking for altogether
  • Small fonts could cause readers to skip over a post or potentially miss a call-to-action
  • At first glance, tablet users could get a bad taste in their mouths by seeing your site isn’t optimized for mobile, essentially causing them to bounce

Readability should be a top priority for mobile optimization; therefore, make sure your site’s content and navigation are coming in loud and clear for your visitors via tablet.

Decide Your Design

The explosion of responsible design for WordPress has given bloggers a myriad of options to build a sleek, eye-catching site.

Regarding mobile devices, however, the debate of infinite scrolling versus pagination rears its head. Both have become cornerstones of modern web design; however, they have their inherent advantages and disadvantages for tablet users.

For example, infinite scrolling feels extremely natural for tablet users who can simply browse a site without stopping. Conversely, such a design can be frustrating if you’re trying to scroll back to a specific page without some sort of sitemap.

Meanwhile, pagination gives users more control of the sites they browse as they can easily navigate and understand where they’re going and where they’ve been. Such design is more “traditional,” however, and perhaps less intuitive on tablets versus an infinite scrolling site.

In the end, choosing a design really depends on the focus of your site. Look around at other influencers in your space to see what they’re doing if you can’t come to a consensus on your own.

No More Tedious Typing

Perhaps the subtlest yet sensible way to optimize your site for tablets is to turn off autocorrect on your site’s form fields. While this may seem like an incredibly simple tip, consider the fact that tablet users are incredibly hungry when it comes to browsing and buying products online. Turning off autocorrect allows them to enter their email or contact information without being constantly interrupted.

Tablet users aren’t so different from traditional web or mobile users; however, the growing presence of tablets emphasizes the need for modern bloggers to adapt. By optimizing your site for readers on tablets, you can ensure your site looks good to all readers, regardless of whether or not they’re on-the-go.

 

Rumor Roundup: New Nexus fingerprint functionality, specs leak for the LG V20 and Moto Z Play

Matt Adams
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Welcome back to another Rumor Roundup! Yesterday was exciting, wasn’t it? We saw Samsung unpack the Galaxy Note 7 and Instagram declare war on Snapchat with some new functionality. Today could be even better! We have some exciting rumors surround the new functionality we’ll be seeing the next Nexus devices and how the LG V20 and Moto Z Play will stack up against the specs of other devices on the market. Let’s get to it!

New Nexus fingerprint scanner details

I’m a huge, huge Nexus fan so this leak is particularly exciting for me. AndroidPolice has received a tip that in the next Nexus devices we’ll be seeing some all new features using the fingerprint scanner!

The new HTC made Nexii (codenamed Marlin and Sailfish) will reportedly have fingerprint scanners on the rear of the phone just like the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X from 2015 and you’ll be able to use that scanner to open up the notification shade just by swiping down on it. You can see in the below animation how it works. We’ve seen features like this in Huawei phones before so while this isn’t earth-shattering in originality, it will be welcomed by those of us who struggle to reach the top of our phones.

nexus fingerprint swipe

The LG V20’s specs leak

If the Note 7 isn’t exactly your speed, or you don’t feel like paying $800+ for a phone, the LG V20 might be the most exciting Android phone yet to debut this year. The hype levels of our writers here at AndroidGuys are off the charts because we know if LG can build on a pretty solid V10 from last year, it will have a winner on its hands.

v20 leaked specs

According to the Korean website Sedaily (via PhoneArena) we’re getting our first look at some specs for the V20. LG will use a 5.5″, 1920 x 1080p display, which would be a drop from the 5.7″ 2560 x 1440p display in the V10. The device will carry 3 or 4GB of RAM and come in 32 and 64GB variants with expandable storage all the way up to 256GB. The main camera will be bumped up to a 20MP shooter with the front-facing camera sitting at 8MP. The phone will also feature the Snapdragon 820 SoC and a 4,000mAh battery.

Now, some of these specs don’t exactly make sense to us, but we’ll have to see how they pan out when the phone is released in September. A downgrade in screen size, resolution, and base storage doesn’t sound much like an upgrade over last year’s model, but LG has proven over and over again that it’s not afraid to try new things with its devices, so maybe it is cutting some costs to be able to drop the asking price. We’ll know for sure in about a month.

The Moto Z Play gets certified

Motorola has already released one of the most compelling phones of the year so far in the Moto Z Force (review here) and now we’re getting a peak at its sibling, the Moto Z Play. The Z Play recently passed through TENAA, China’s regulatory administration so we know the launch is imminent.

The Moto Z Play will have a 5.5″ AMOLED display at 1920 x 1080p, a fingerprint scanner, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage (expandable), and will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, which will be clocked at 2GHz. The new Moto will also run Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 out of the box and support dual sim cards.

One of the most intriguing things in the leak is the battery size (3510mAh). With a battery that large, and a lower resolution display and less power hungry processor than most flagships, this could truly be a battery life champ.

The rear camera will be a 16MP shooter with a 5MP front-facing camera. We’ll see the return of LED flash on the back as well.  The device will feature the same pogo pins that can be found on the back of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force so Moto Mods will likely work for the Moto Z Play as well. No release date information has leaked yet so we don’t know exactly when we’ll see it in the flesh, but it shouldn’t be too far away since it’s going through the certification process now.

That wraps up our list for today. Let us know down in the comments what excited you the most, the new Nexus fingerprint scanner functionality, the LG V20 or the Moto Z Play.

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