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How to use Android Pay before it’s officially released

Dan Bartram
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2

Android Pay may not be making an appearance until September 16th, at least officially, but one video has surfaced showing that actually everything you need to get Android Pay working is already in place and it works just fine.

This guy has published a video showing Android Pay being used at multiple stores:

Despite Android Pay not existing as its own standalone APK just yet, Google Play Services 8.1.03 laid the groundwork for the functionality and the Android Pay activity is just hidden away inside. You can reveal hidden activities using something like Nova Launcher, or even this app which specifically will help you.

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You’ll obviously need the latest version of Google Play Services, which differs depending on what class of device you have:

[alert color=”green”]To figure out the right version of Google Play services for your Android device, go to Settings -> Apps -> Google Play services, and look at the last 3 numbers in the parentheses.

You’ll see something like -XYZ where:

* X defines Android version: 0 for Android = 6.0 after 7 for Android 5.0 8 for Android TV

* Y defines CPU architecture: 1 for armeabi 3 for armeabi-v7a 4 for arm64-v8a 7 for x86

* Z defines DPI: 0 for universal 2 for 160 4 for 240 6 for 320 8 for 480[/alert]

If you’ve found the necessary APK you need to get Android Pay working, then go ahead and download it and sideload it onto your device. Once you’ve done so, simply launch the Android Pay activity from within Google Play Services (using those apps we mentioned above) and there you go; Google will walk you through the rest.

Drop us a comment below if this worked for you and if you’ve had luck paying with your Android Pay registered cards in store.

Via: Phandroid

Moto 360 (2015) vs Huawei Watch: The battle for the most watch-like smartwatch

Josh Noriega
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4

It’s taken a while for the next wave of smartwatches to emerge.  This year’s IFA turned out to be a good point in the year for some of the premier smartwatches to strut their stuff.  If we recall what we’ve seen, one battle that is clearly ensuing is between Motorola and Huawei.  That is, the Moto 360 (2015) and Huawei Watch, respectively.

[row][double_paragraph]DSC02172[/double_paragraph][double_paragraph]DSC02084[/double_paragraph] [/row]

These two smartwatches most aim for a traditional watch design, and even the luxurious kind.  Both OEM’s have customizations that cover cases and bands that we have seen in normal watches for ages.  And both smartwatches run Android Wear, with very similar specs.  So which one comes out on top?

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Huawei Watch

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When Huawei introduced the its Watch earlier this year, you could tell they were hot on Motorola’s heels for a premium smartwatch design.  The similarities run from the circular metal case to the variety of band materials and colors.

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Only, Huawei is on its first attempt, while Motorola is now on its 2nd iteration.  Does that mean that Motorola is ahead?  I’m not sure.

First, Huawei is able to utilize the entire circular watch face for the display.  Motorola chose not to ditch the small flat tire non-screen portion on the bottom of the display, which houses sensors.  Motorola explained that moving it would result in either more bezel or a thicker watch chassis.

So then how do the screen-to-bezel ratios and thicknesses compare?  The Moto 360 has a 71.1% screen-to-bezel ratio while the Huawei Watch is at 80%.  And the Moto 360 has 11.4mm thickness while the Huawei Watch is a hair thinner at 11.3mm.

[row][double_paragraph]DSC02087                                        Huawei Watch[/double_paragraph][double_paragraph]DSC02161                                        Moto 360 (2015)[/double_paragraph] [/row]

It would appear that Huawei has the win here, but we can’t forget that the Moto 360 has wireless charging and an ambient light sensor.  The Huawei Watch charges via pin contacts, similar to LG’s approach.  It comes down to what the consumer prefers.

The Huawei Watch is powered by a Snapdragon 400 SoC, have 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage.  The display is 1.4″ in size (case is 42mm) and uses an AMOLED panel with 400×400 resolution (286 ppi).  The band size is 22mm (lug width of 18mm).  The screen is protected by Sapphire Crystal glass rather than Gorilla Glass.  And the battery capacity is 300mAh.

The watch chassis is stainless steel and comes in silver, black, or gold colors (which can also have a texture on the bezel ring).  For bands, we have metal and leather choices.  There is a unique metal mesh strap, along with the more common metal link.  The bands are easily swappable, via a pin-release switch near the connection of the band to the lugs.

[df-gallery url=”https://www.androidguys.com/gallery/huawei-watch-hands-on/”%5D

Moto 360 (2015)

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Motorola is well known to give consumers choice.  With the Moto 360 sequel, we are given size options.  There is now a smaller variant, which is 42mm, the same size as the Huawei Watch.  Therefore, if you want a larger screen, your only option then becomes the 46mm Moto 360.

The 2015 Moto 360 uses a similar lug system as the Huawei Watch, and the band is easily removable in the same manner.

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The larger Moto 360 uses a 22mm band while the smaller variant uses a 20mm band (there is also a “womens” version, which can don a 16mm band).

To keep the thickness the same on the smaller variant (11.4mm), Motorola made a cut on the battery, 300mAh as opposed 400mAh on the larger model.  Recall that the Huawei Watch has a 300mAh battery.

Most specs are the same between both Moto 360’s and the Huawei Watch:  Snapdragon 400 SoC, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage.  The Moto 360 cases are of course stainless steel and also come in silver, black, or gold colors.  Bands also come in metal links and leather, in different colors.

However, the displays are quite different.  The larger Moto 360 has a 1.56″ screen and 360×330 resolution (233 ppi), while the smaller model has a 1.37″ screen and 360×325 resolution (263 ppi).  Huawei has the upper hand in pixel density.  Also, Motorola went with IPS screen technology and Gorilla Glass 3 for protection.

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Last, but certainly not least, is the price.  The Huawei Watch starts at $350 for the silver watch case and plain black leather band.  Unfortunately, the price steeply increases with the other materials.  For instance, a black case finish and black metal link band is $100 more.  If you want the gold finish and alligator-textured leather or pink metal link band, it’d be $699 or $799, respectively.

The Moto 360 pricing is more forgiving.  The larger variant is $50 more than the smaller one.  The metal link bands add $50 (in any color).  Only the gold case color is $30 more.

Which smartwatch are you most sold on?

iClever foldable, portable, and chargeable Bluetooth keyboard (review)

Austin Hyde
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0

I’ve never used a Bluetooth keyboard until the iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard. Let me tell you that I was impressed. It reminded me allot of typing on my old Asus 10″ Eee PC.

iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard overview

When I first unboxed the iClever keyboard I noticed that the body felt cold. This is because the iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard is encased in aluminum. This gives it a solid and quality feel in the hand. Also in the box was a felt carrying bag for the keyboard. It fits the keyboard perfectly. Unfortunately, it fits a little too perfectly. It fits so snugly that it can be a pain to put it in and take it out of the bag.

The keyboard opens up in a tri-fold configuration. This makes it extremely portable. In fact, you could fit it in your pants pocket if you wanted to.

When it’s open it rests on the two hinges. This can make it a little unstable when you put pressure on the outside of the keyboard. I found that as long as I had the keyboard directly in front of me, it didn’t wobble unless I pressed too hard on the shift keys.

The keys are spaced a little bit from each other, which makes it feel good to type on. My only gripe on the keys is the location of the backspace button. The placement made it too easy to press the “\” instead of the backspace.

iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard setup

Setting up your iClever Bluetooth Foldable Keyboard is as easy as pairing the device. All you need to do to get it into pairing mode is to press the blue Fn key and the Bluetooth icon. From there you search from your device to find the keyboard and viola, you are good to go.

iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard usage

Generally I hate typing anything other than quick messages on my phone. Even with keyboards like Swype and Swift key, I prefer the tactile feedback that you get from a keyboard. In fact, I’m writing this review using the iClever keyboard.

Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer a larger full sized keyboard when I write, but this keyboard makes things a lot easier when I’m on the go. When I’m at work or at home, I leave it out on my desk to easily type responses to texts and emails.

The keyboard is pretty good at conserving power. I’ve been using it for over a week and I’m still going on the same charge that was on it when I took it out of its box. The keyboard will go into a hibernation mode to conserve power when it’s not in use. When you press a key for more than 3 seconds it comes out of hibernation mode and connects back to your device really quickly.

What we liked

  • Portability
  • Battery life
  • Build quality

What could be better

  • More stable design
  • Better placement of the backspace key

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iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard summary

Overall, this is a great Bluetooth keyboard. It’s compact and relatively easy to type on. It has a great build quality to it and the battery life leaves nothing to be desired. If you’re looking for a Bluetooth keyboard, then you could do a lot worse. You can buy the iClever Bluetooth Foldable Keyboard on Amazon for $35 and free shipping for Amazon Prime members.

What do you think? Will you be buying one? Let us know in the comments below.

Madfinger’s latest FPS UNKILLED debuts for Android

Austin Hyde
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0

Madfinger, the studio behind Shadow Gun and the Dead Trigger series, have released a new FPS Zombie shooter, UNKILLED. According to their Google Play description you are Joe, a member of the anti-zombie unit WOLFPACK, a private military organization designed to find, track, and eliminate the zombie menace before it becomes global. The game takes place in New York City at the center of the world’s latest zombie outbreak.

The game seems to focus on a single player experience with over 300 playable missions. There are over 50 weapns to choose from including the LSAT, SAIGA-12K shotgun, and M24 sniper rifle. There are unique enemies and bosses such as Sheriff, Dodger, Minesweeper, Butcher, and more. They also include a friendly NPC to help you survive the onslaught, but the main selling point of the game seems to be the game’s graphics. Here’s an excerpt from their Google Play page.

RIDICULOUSLY, ABSURDLY AWESOME GRAPHICS!
High resolution soft shadows
GPU-simulated particle effects, numbering in the tens of thousands
Textured, reflective surfaces
SpeedTree-powered vegetation rendering
High polygon character models
Post processing effects, for a cinematic “feel”

It currently has a 4 star rating on Google Play with over 10k reviews. What do you think? Will you give it a shot? Let us know in the comments.

[pb-app-box pname=’com.madfingergames.unkilled’ name=’UNKILLED’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]

LG Nexus 5X (2015) shown off in the clearest picture yet

Dan Bartram
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6

The LG-made Nexus 5 2015 model, also known as the Nexus 5X, is no stranger to the camera having been leaked multiple times before, but this time we’re got one of the clearest images we’ve seen so far.

The only detail that seems different about this device is that we have previously seen the LG logo along the bottom of the device below the Nexus logo on the rear of the casing but it would appear that it may have been removed for the final design.

nexus 5x

This is by far the clearest shot we’ve seen of the Nexus 5X and shows the pretruding camera (expected to be 12.7-Megapixel), dual LED flash, and fingerprint sensor on the rear of the device.

The Nexus 5X is expected to have a Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a 2,700mAh non-removable battery, and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.

Likely to be announced around September 29th, the Nexus 5X could only be a few weeks away. What are your thoughts of the Nexus 5X?

Source: AndroidPIT

Google hints at impending Android Pay debut

Austin Hyde
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0

If you open up your Google wallet app today, you’ll see the following announcement.Android Pay

If you click on the learn more link inside of google wallet, you’ll be taken to an FAQ page explaining the transition. Google Wallet will be splitting into two separate apps. Those that already have Google Wallet will be automatically updated to Android Pay and Google wallet will show up as a separate app in play store. All of your loyalty and gift cards that you have stored in your device will automatically be transferred into Android Pay. You can also download them as PDFs using the web interface.

Android Pay will allow you to use your phone’s NFC chip to pay for goods and services in stores. Certain merchants will also automatically apply any rewards/loyalty points to your store’s loyalty card. Android pay will keep your debit/credit card information safe by using a virtual account number in lieu of your actual card number.

You’ll also be able to use Android Pay to keep track of purchases. As soon as you purchase something, you’ll be able to see exactly the when, where, and how much of every transaction. That should make it easier to spot any fraudulent purchases.

Lastly, if you lose your phone, you don’t need to go and cancel all your cards. All you need to do is use Google’s Android Device Manager to instantly lock your device, locate it, or even wipe it clean.

The new Google Wallet will effectively be relegated to a money transfer app, it will also be able to continue to use your Google Wallet card with the Google Wallet app.

This seems to confirm the Verizon wireless leak showing a September 16th launch date for Android Pay.

What do you think? Are you going to use Android Pay? Let us know in the comments.

New leaked renders show Nokia C1 Android phone

Austin Hyde
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1

At one time, Nokia was regarded as the gold standard for mobile phones. They were incredibly reliable and incredibly durable. Don’t believe me? Just google search Nokia memes.

Nokia

Now Nokia is known for making mobile devices for the pretty lackluster Windows mobile platform. But fear not, apparently Nokia is getting back in the game. Late last year our own Jalen Benjamin reported on a blurry leaked concept render of an Android phone called the C1.

The Nokia C1
The Nokia C1 may be Nokia’s next Android smartphone in early 2015.

Nokia was quick to come out and say that it was only a concept. After all, they have a non-compete clause in their partnership with Microsoft after selling them their mobile phone division. That clause expires at the end of the year.

There is also a rumor that they’ll go the route of their Android tablet the N1, which they designed, but had another manufacturer build. Apparently there is a loophole in their contract with Microsoft. They are only forbidden from manufacturing mobile devices.

Yesterday a C1 render was leaked on a Chinese Twitter-like site.

Nokia C1

The device appears to be very thin and the body is very reminiscent of the iPhone 6 and 6+. The screen has minimal bezels and appears to be a unibody construction.

If previous rumors are to be believed then it will debut with a 5″ 720p screen, an 8mp rear facing camera, a 5mp front facing camera, 2GB RAM, and an Intel Atom processor. Of course that would put it right smack dab in the lower mid-range budget smartphone market. That is if rumors are to be believed.

There’s not much more to be gleaned at this point, but here’s to hoping that we’ll see another bullet proof Nokia phone, this time running Android.

What do you think? Do you like the render? Would you consider buying this phone? Let us know in the comments below.

Runtastic launches new Moment watch line

Austin Hyde
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0

Runtastic has long been known for their fitness apps. Now they have a wearable device that can track your steps, active minutes, calories burned and even your sleep. Don’t confuse it for one of the many Android Wear watches that have been recently announced. This watch has an analog face with some modern tracking hardware and Bluetooth.

In order to take full advantage of the watch, you’ll need to download the companion app Runtastic Me from the Google Play store. The app will allow you to do the following:

  • Step tracking: Monitor your daily steps and total distance covered to ensure you’re keeping active, even on the busiest of days.
  • Active minutes: Track your active minutes to try and identify moments in your day when you can sneak in a bit of extra movement during regular daily activities.
  • Calories burned: Monitor your burned calories, utilizing a complex calorie calculation incorporating BMR, AMR, weight, age and gender.
  • Set & achieve goals: Set goals and monitor your progress throughout the day – colored progress bars will give you a sense of how you’re doing
  • Challenge yourself: Compare your daily stats to the previous day, week, month or year to see how your efforts are stacking up and which days could use a boost of activity Draw motivation to up your activity level & reach your goals.
  • Kick off your streak: Start a streak by reaching your daily step goal two days in a row – the more consecutive days, the longer your streak
  • Integration with other Runtastic apps: Runtastic app activity data is integrated into your Me app values to ensure the most accurate and dynamic daily stats are recorded.

The Moment is available in 4 different models.

  • Runtastic Moment Basic: $129
  • Runtastic Moment Classic: $179
  • Runtastic Moment Elite: $179
  • Runtastic Moment Fun: $129
Runtastic Moment Basic Runtastic Moment Classic Runtastic Moment Elite Runtastic Moment Fun
Basic Classic Elite Fun

It would appear that the only differences between the models are in the build materials. Both the Classic and Elite models offer higher quality features while the basic and fun models focus on being inexpensive.

What do you think? Do you have plans to buy one? Let us know in the comments below.

[pb-app-box pname=’com.runtastic.android.me.lite’ name=’Runtastic Me: Daily Tracker’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]

US Cellular announces launch dates and pricing for the 9.7″ Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

Matt Adams
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0

US Cellular has announced that they will be carrying the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, the 9.7″ tablet set to launch this month. If you’re unfamiliar with US Cellular, they’re the 5th biggest carrier in the United States. They’re headquartered in Chicago Illinois and serve 4.76 million people in 426 markets across 23 states.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will come to the carrier on Friday, September 11th in stores and online. US Cellular will offer the Tab for $0 down which will translate to a payment of $27.50 for 24 months. Some quick back-of-the-napkin math puts the total price at $660 plus tax. Customers also have the option to pay off the Tab early if they so choose or pay up front. Qualified customers can add it to their Shared Connect plan for as little as $10 per month.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 front angle

[blockquote author=”Joe Settimi, vice president of marketing for U.S. Cellular”]“As more people turn to their tablet devices for work, entertainment and productivity, we want to make sure that we have the latest devices and a high-quality national network to keep them connected to everything they need,” “The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the perfect device for families, businesses and anyone looking to have a cutting-edge device that is great for both work and play.” [/blockquote]

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will feature a 9.7″ 1536 x 2048 Super AMOLED screen which puts it at 264 ppi. It will launch with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 which is already a version behind the current release with Android 6.0 Marshmallow slated to be released in the next few months. Storage options are 32 GB and 64 GB with a micro SD card slot that can add up to another 128 GB of storage. There will be 3 GB of ram and it will be powered by a Samsung Exynos 5433 quad-core processor.

Source: US Cellular

Alcatel OneTouch introduces two new devices to stay life proof

Matt Adams
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0

If you were looking for a first cell phone for your child, what are the first things you’d want to look for? For me, I’d be looking at things like how easy will it break and how much will it cost. Your kids may be more concerned with how cool it looks and all the cool things they can do with it. Alcatel OneTouch is looking to tap into the concerns of you and your child with the Go Play, its new smartphone and Go Watch, it’s new smartwatch.

The Go Play and Go Watch are waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. That means you can drown your device up to 1 meter, get it dirty and drop it from up to 1.5 meters. The plastic bodies and IP67 rating will help the devices stay working flawlessly for all but the most clumsy of us. We’re not quite talking about being as protective as the Active line from Samsung, but not too bad.

The Go Play smartphone will feature a 5″ 720p display, Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, 1 GB of ram and 8 GB of storage with an expandable micro SD card slot up to 32 GB. The front facing selfie camera checks in at 5 megapixels while the rear main shooter is a respectable 8 megapixels. The 2,500 mAh battery should net  you pretty good battery life since we’re not dealing with a pixel packed display or a high performance, power hungry processor. It will come in 8 cool color combinations so your child can pick exactly what they like.

Alcatel OneTouch Go Play

The Go Watch is unfortunately not running Android Wear. However it will be compatible with both Android and iOS so it will work with most phones on the market (sorry Lumia fans). The watch has a 1.22″, 240×240 display which is slightly smaller and slighty less pixel dense than the popular Moto 360. Alcatel OneTouch says it will have a 2-5 day battery life depending how heavy a user you are and you’ll be able to get alerts like SMS, MMS and calendar notifications. The Go Watch will also have a number of color combinations to choose from, just like the Go Play smartphone.

ALCATEL ONETOUCH GO WATCH (PRNewsFoto/ALCATEL ONETOUCH)

We can’t imagine it will cost much more than the very affordable Idol 3 with these specs but Alcatel OneTouch hasn’t given us their plans for pricing or release dates but we’ll be sure to keep you updated. What do you think of this line of products? Is this something you would consider for your kid? What about buying one as a backup phone if the price is right? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: TalkAndroid

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