It seems Xiaomi is ready to roll out Android Oreo six months after it was unveiled by Google. An official beta was started for the Xiaomi Mi 6 back in December and the first stable Android Oreo-based MIUI 9 ROM for the Mi 6 was released this week. Now it seems is the turn of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 with a global beta ROM being made available for the device.
The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 was the first device released by Xiaomi to get global LTE bands in October 2016. It had relatively high-end specifications for the period as well sporting a Snapdragon 821 SoC, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, a 5.7-inch AMOLED display, and a 22.5-Megapixel rear camera, all powered by a 4070mAh battery.
Much like Samsung has the TouchWiz layer it places on top of the base Android O/S, Xiaomi has what is called MIUI. The Mi Note 2 launched with MIUI 8, which was based on Android Marshmallow. The update sees MIUI 9 brought to the device that is built on top of Android Oreo.
The Global Beta ROM can be flashed via Fastboot with an unlocked bootloader, as the update has been suspended, but the download files still work. It can also be flashed via TWRP, for which you’ll need an unlocked bootloader. The ROM has a version number of MIUI 9 Global Beta 8.2.1, based on Android Oreo, and must be reemphasised that it is a beta release.
Head over to XDA to get the download files if you’re interested in grabbing the latest beta release for your Xiamoi Mi Note 2.
Are you an armchair technology critic, leaving passive criticism in the comments section of new apps and devices? It’s easy to imagine as the consumer that every product should be flawless. And to be upset when that perfect image is not met. It’s much harder to educate ourselves and invest in solutions, instead of echoing negativity. As they say, nothing worth doing is easy. Luckily, Udacity is making it easier to contribute to the solution by becoming an Android developer.
The problem with technology
The greatest threat to humanity is technology.
Unfortunately, in an era of instant gratification, consumer reviews of any app or device can get ugly, and downright nasty. Take the latest version of the Firefox mobile app, for example. Firefox is an open source browser that is maintained by volunteers for the nonprofit organization Mozilla. Here is a recent Google Play review for the release:
Forgotten are the human developers behind the new release, who spent months of their life and expertise developing an app that was meant to be entertaining or helpful to the public. Nobody sets out to create a horrible product on purpose. Nobody intentionally set out to ruin our day. We do that to ourselves.
Still, it can happen to the best of us. We underestimate the work involved in developing the technology we take for granted every day. Frustration overwhelms us, and eclipses our better judgement. Unpredictable reactions stem from a deep seeded fear of the unknown. Not knowing how to fix something we rely on so heavily can be scary, whether we admit it to ourselves or not. Thankfully, there are solutions that exist beyond the anonymous confines of the comments section.
How you can be a part of the solution
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford
If you constantly look at apps and say to yourself, “I could do better than that,” maybe it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. One way to do that is with an education. There many affordable online educational outlets. Like Udacity, for example.
With the Udacity Android Developer Nanodegree program, you’ll learn everything you need to know to become and Android developer. Learn best practices for mobile development, build a portfolio of apps, publish your own app to Google Play. Then you can begin to view life from the other side of the comments section.
How you can benefit from teamwork
Technology can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be.
Of course, there are other educational bundles that are cheap or free for the lone-wolf Android developers out there. However, Udacity offers the unique benefit of peer review. Udacity provides a community of students learning the same thing at the same time. Students use message boards and workspaces like Slack to mentor each other, form think tanks, and improve the quality of their output, together.
Teamwork is a major component in any career field. Especially today, as more jobs are done remotely. Learning to work as part of a development team is critical to landing your dream job. Each Nanodegree program also comes with job placement assistance once you’ve completed the course. Udacity works with a group of hiring partners to provide a unique opportunity to be fast-tracked in the hiring process.
You can’t afford not to keep up
The world is changing fast, and you must understanding it to thrive in it.
If cost is a concern, Udacity has rolling scholarship offers available by program type and global geographical location. The optional monthly tuition structure can also cut the cost of tuition for quick learners, or those who have extra time to devote to their studies. There are also a number of beginner courses available for free.
Most nanodegree programs estimate completion within 2-6 months based on an estimated 10 hours of study per week. The self-paced schedule is ideal for those with full-time jobs or kids, and a financial advantage to anyone who can commit extra time to complete the courses early.
Get started
Every Android developer knew as much (or as little) as you at one point.
If you’re not quite ready to become an Android developer, Udacity also offers a nanodegree in Android Basics, in which you’ll learn basic programming skills. And, for those aspiring lone-wolf Android developers, you’ll leave with enough skills to unlock the full potential of the Android devices you already own. Tools that will allow you utilize some of Android’s open source projects, and knowledge to implement fixes to the issues you find with confidence, rather than empty complaints.
While some Nanodegree programs do have pre-requisite Udacity courses, the Android Basics beginner course requires no previous experience or skills. To find other courses with no prerequisites, visit the course catalogue and search by “beginner”. You may also filter by estimated course length and type.
What are you waiting for?
The world isn’t going to change itself.
If you’re content to leave the doing to someone else while seated comfortably in the peanut gallery, then thank you for taking the time to read this article. You may now return to your regularly scheduled critiquing. Don’t mind the world as it keeps on spinning. When you decide you’re ready to leave the security of that armchair, consider one of Udacity’s many relevant programs. Learn how to be the change you wish to see in your Android.
Have you taken any courses with Udacity, or any other online courses for Android developers? What did you like about them, and what improvements would you like to see? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. Be honest, and please be kind (they’re not mutually exclusive!)
Instagram is one of the most popular apps on the Google Play Store, which many use to share photos across the social network to their followers. The purpose of Instagram could about to expand into voice and video calling according to some hidden code.
Inside the APK for the app, there are some files that have been discovered called “call” and “video_call” suggesting that soon you’ll be able to make voice and video calls directly within the app, similar to WhatsApp.
Instagram declined to comment on the existence of the file references suggesting that these probably shouldn’t have been uncovered.
Introducing voice and video calling would certainly expand the purpose of the app as a service and ensure people spend more time on the app. After all, Snapchat has had video calling for some time, and Facebook’s Messenger app boasts around 400 million users of its audio and video calling.
The references to these files were built into the APK so it could be the company is looking to launch these imminently.
Drop us a comment below – would you use Instagram for voice and video calling, or do you have enough of those already?
Previously available exlusively on the Indian market, the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition is now on sale in the US.
As the name indicates, the Black Edition doesn’t have the subtle silver accents of the “standard” KEYone, so it’s all black. The phone looks exactly the same as the BlackBerry KEYone in Space Black which landed at AT&T on September 1.
So what’s the difference between the Space Black model and the Black Edition, you might be wondering at this point? Well, the latter comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, as opposed to only the 3GB of RAM and 32GB built-in storage of the former.
Fans of all-black smartphones, rejoice!
And now you pick up the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition in the US. Best Buy is selling it for $549.99 (after a $50 price drop), while at Amazon is available for $549.99 and up.
Apart from the superior RAM and memory configuration, the Black Edition’s specs are the same as the standard model’s. So you’ll get a 4.5-inch display with 1080 x 1620 resolution and a QWERTY keyboard living under the display.
The phone is powered by a middle-range Snapdragon 625 and includes a non-removable 3,505 mAh battery under the hood.
As for photography, the device takes advantage of a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and dual-LED dual-tone flash. On the front sits an 8-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.2.
The phone ships with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, and according to the company will get the Android 8.0 Oreo update at some point. The question is when?
Anyway, the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition sold on Amazon and Best Buy is unlocked and compatible with GSM carriers including AT&T and T-Mobile.
BlackBerry also sells the Motion in the States. The phone is available for $449 and comes without the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. It’s offered with a Snapdragon 625 under the hood and 4GB of RAM + 32GB of internal storage.
Post Run Stretch – helps users end your daily workout with a cool-down stretch (5 min)
We should also note that the standard Fitbit Ionic already comes with three workout routines.
In addition to the Adidas-curated workout modes, the new Ionic smartwatch takes advantage of a two-toned breathable swim-ready sports band. The band offers a combination of Ink Blue and Ice Gray, while the watch case is Silver. The good news is that older accessories are also compatible with the new Adidas Edition smartwatch.
What’s more, Fitbit bundled the watch with an exclusive clock face in four colors, but the company hasn’t offered the exact details.
Other than that, the Adidas Edition does not differ from the standard edition. The watch still comes boasting a tri-wavelength heart sensor, GPS, NFC and four+ days of battery life. On top of that, the product is water resistant up to 50 meters and includes a full-color display.
The Fitbit Ionic Adidas Edition will go up for pre-order on March 19 via Fitbit’s official layer for $329.95. Customers will also be able to purchase the wearable through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s and Nordstrom.
Samsung recently took the wraps off the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus. The long-rumored devices are far from revolutionary upgrades but represent a smart iterative update to a great smartphone lineup. The new mechanical aperture camera system sounds extremely interesting and Samsung somehow found a way to stick massive screens in an even smaller body. Last year’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus were two of the best phones of the year, so a small update is probably pretty smart.
One of the biggest points of contention before the devices were launched was the asking price. There were some reports that the larger of the devices could fetch up to $1,000. While annoying, it wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility as the Galaxy Note 8 had asked for the same price late last year.
But, a funny thing happened when Samsung gave us all the details. They were priced… sanely? The Galaxy S8 comes in at $720, where the Plus is another $120 higher at $840. This is still a ton of money, but in terms of cell phone prices, it’s far, far away from the rumored $1,000 asking price.
I was pretty happy. That is until I saw what carrier pricing was.
As I wrote up our article on pricing and availability for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, it became quickly apparent to me that almost no-one was going to pay these prices. Here’s how the pricing at US carriers breakdown:
T-Mobile: Galaxy S9- $720, Galaxy S9 Plus- $840
AT&T: Galaxy S9- $790, Galaxy S9 Plus- $915
Sprint: Galaxy S9- $792, Galaxy S9 Plus- $912
Verizon: Galaxy S9- $800, Galaxy S9 Plus- $930
We can take a couple of things away from these prices. First off, thank you T-Mobile for not price gouging your customers on these beautiful new devices. Whatever you think of T-Mobile, it’s generally pretty good about keeping prices pretty close to MSRP for devices.
Secondly, it looks like the other three carriers had generally the same idea about what they wanted to charge for Samsung’s new device. It’s not good enough that these carriers make boatloads of money off your monthly subscriber and overage fees, they also apparently need to overcharge you for a new device too. Maybe they were hoping that while they charge you a smaller monthly fee while you finance the device (which is a de-facto contract), you won’t mind paying almost $100 more for your device. That’s crap.
For the last couple of years, Samsung has sold its best devices unlocked. Normally, you’d have to wait several months after the carrier stores to pick one up and pay full price, but that’s not the case this year. Not only will a device directly from Samsung be cheaper, but it’ll come carrier unlocked out of the box and without the bloatware apps and restrictions carriers place on the phones they sell. And oh yeah, you can finance your device through Samsung too.
Samsung is also offering a trade-in program too that can net you a pretty penny. Select devices will get you up to $350 off your brand new Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus that will bring the prices down to $369.99 and $489.99 respectively. You can find all the available devices and their trade in values here.
Pre-ordering for the new flagships starts tomorrow, March 2. If you can’t go through Samsung and you don’t want to donate your money to the carriers, Best Buy will offer $100 off on both models for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon variants. (Seriously, can we please get T-Mobile devices in Best Buy stores at some point?!). That deal is for customers who want to pay the price up front or finance, so no restrictions there.
It’s ridiculous that carriers are jacking up the price on the best phone on the market. They don’t need the extra money and they’re already trapping you in a de-facto 24-month contract. Don’t think that’s true? Just pay off all four devices at once when you want to switch carriers.
Samsung should be applauded for keeping prices low, but the carriers deserve all the crap being dished out to them on social media right now. If you can, I’d suggest picking up your new device directly from Samsung.
Janam, an American company known for its rugged mobile computers that can scan barcodes, today announced its latest rugged smartphone, the XT100.
Marketed as an industrial rugged mobile computer, the XT100 is actually a rough Android 6.0.01 Marshmallow-running smartphone designed for users working in demanding environments. It ships with apps such Google Play Store, Maps and Chrome on board.
Janam boasts that the phone withstands repeated drops on concrete from up to 4ft / 1.2 meters. The product is also IP65 rated against water, dust and extreme temperatures, so it can continue to function even in the most harsh conditions.
Specs are not that impressive, which is customary when it comes to these type of smartphones. The phone features a portable 4.3-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and wide-viewing angle.
The Janam XT100 also has a removable 3,000 mAh battery
The product includes a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
Janam has integrated Honeywell N6603 2D barcode scanning technology inside the XT100, as well as NFC and RFID reading capabilities. The mobile computer also offers the services of a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Other specifications include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and a removable and rechargeable 3,000 mAh battery. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack on board and a speaker.
For the time being, pricing specifications for the device are unknown, but Janam says the XT100 has a price advantage over its competitors. We’ll just have to see about that.
Speaking about the competition, Cat Phones recently unveiled the Cat S61, a rugged smartphone coming with a thermal imaging camera.
The phone is expected to go on sale for a whopping $999. Even so, the Cat S61 is way better specced and even runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
Going back to the Janam XT100, the rugged smartphone will go on sale in the States and globally. It will come with a 2-year warranty.
There’s nothing more satisfying than playing another player online and kicking their butt. With a whole host of apps on the Play Store, some of the best apps can get lost in the noise. That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most competitive games on Android available today that will help you satisfy your inner competitive self.
Like feeling that sense of satisfaction winning online, or perhaps you just like a casual multiplayer title? We’ve got some titles you must check out.
Clash Royale
What it is
Clash Royale is a freemium mobile tower rush video game developed and published by Supercell, the same company behind the popular Clash of Games. The game combines elements from collectible card games, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena.
Why we love it
You can duel against real players around the world in real-time to battle to take trophies. There are a whole host of rewards and collectables to give you a competitive advantage.
It’s one of those games that you can just pick up and kill a few minutes.
The design of Clash Royale is intuitive and easy to follow, which means you can focus on perfecting your strategy to defeat your opponent.
Transformers: Forged to Fight is a free-to-play mobile fighting game developed and published by Kabam. The fighting game is a strategy builder set in the Transformer world focused on building and upgrading your units to complete challenges.
Why we love it
Who doesn’t love Transformers? Being able to create your own army and battle other players is brilliant.
All your favorite bots are included in the game and you can even team up with your friends and forge alliances.
You can win based on your strategy, not simply how strong your robots are.
Golf Clash is free to play multiplayer title that pits you against live players from around the world. It is a turn based live game with cartoon-based characters that allows you to progress up the global leaderboards and unlock new equipment.
Why we love it
Pick up and play 1v1 online golf sees you competing on a variety of courses in real-time.
There are unlockable rewards that will give you an advantage for more accurate and powerful clubs that give you something to work towards.
With deep Facebook integration, it’s super-easy to challenge your friends.
Battle Bay is an online battle title developed by the same company that brought you Angry Birds. Go up against real opponents in real-time team battles to conquor the waves. You’ll battle in a multiplayer arena with a ship and weapons of your choice – upgrade to stay ahead of the competition.
Why we love it
With an increased focus on strategy, this app is sure to keep you on your toes and keep you thinking.
The design is excellent and will have you battling enemies and teaming up with your friends quickly.
There are plenty of level ups, rewards, and progress to be made to give you an advantage.
Arena of Valor is an adaptation of Kings of Glory outside of mainland China. It is a multiplayer online battle arena published by Tencent Games with over 80 million daily active players. Come together as a team to put your strategy to the test to see if you’ve got what it takes in this PvP title.
Why we love it
Not your typical multiplayer game as 10 players are matched together for a 10-minute match. It’s real-time, intense, and awesome.
You can team up with your friends to create a unique strategy to give a competitive advantage.
There’s 40 heroes including a variety of Assassins, Tanks, Warriors, and Marksmen to chose from so there’s plenty of variation.
Boom Beach is a title from the same team that brought you Clash of Clans and the above featured Clash Royale so you know it is going to be good if you enjoy those titles. Attack enemy bases in this strategy game that will see your opponent get harder and smarter, with the weaponary and firepower making sure you have your wits about you.
Why we love it
It takes the popular concept of the traditional Supercell titles and offers more variety to keep you engaged.
The game starts off easier to introduce you to the concept of the objective before becoming increasing more difficult.
Multiplayer is included in the title but it not essential and it’s possible to progress the story battling the AI.
Star Wars Commander is a title developed by Disney that sees you placed directly in the middle of the Galatic War. Pick your favorite character and battle your way to victory. Upgrade your base to unlock new weapons to give you the competive edge. Which side will you choose?
Why we love it
Who doesn’t like Star Wars? Being able to choose your own character and do your bit for the Galatic War is every fans dream.
Train your troops, build buildings, and compete in genuine storylines that will help you fee immersed in the content.
You can team up with friends and form alliances to combine forces and battle across the Galaxy.
While there are a ton of apps on the Play Store that offers multiplayer functionality, these are the ones that are well executed and sure to offer a great experience. Do you have any competitive games that you would like to see included in the list? Drop us a comment below with your favorite game.
Shortly after Samsung took the Android Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ out of beta and began rolling it out the masses, it quickly halted the rollout. Samsung then acknowledged issues with the update and promptly fixed them and has since recommenced the rollout.
Samsung has now posted the official changes to its website detailing exactly what the Android Oreo update brings to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
The release notes relate to the Exynos model of the Galaxy S8 (SM-G950F) but you can expect the same feature set to be similar for that of the Snapdragon variant (SM-G950U).
Samsung has introduced some system performance monitoring that is aimed at improving the battery performance by listing currently running apps in the notification panel. In addition, features that use biometrics are only available when you use a secure screen lock type (pattern, PIN, or password). The home screen also gets a contextual menu that is displayed when holding an app. There are also new clock styles for the Lock screen and Always On Display as well as Improved font size, color, and other settings for better Edge panel visibility.
Obviously, these go in hand with the Oreo features that are introduced natively with the latest Android release.
You should begin to see Android Oreo hit your Galaxy S8 and S8+ imminently if you haven’t gotten it already.
Mobile World Congress has been taking place for most of this week. While Samsung has stolen headlines, Google still has a rather large presence at the event thanks to its Android One and Android Go initiative.
The company has published a roundup of all of the different Android One and Android Go devices that were announced. Some of these come from well-known and respected brands, while others come from companies that you have likely never heard of.
Without further adieu, let’s jump into the list.
Android Go
For those who are unaware, Android Go was announced Google I/O 2017. This initiative is intended to provide a more reliable experience for devices that feature 1GB of RAM or less.
Google has recently been updating and releasing Android Go-compatible apps, including Gmail, Assistant, Maps, Chrome, and more. Here are the phones announced at MWC 2018 that will be taking advantage of Android Go.
Alcatel 1X
The 1X from Alcatel marks the first Android Go device from the company, nd includes a design similar to other devices on the market. The 1X features a 5.3-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 960 x 480.
Powering the device is a MediaTek MTK6739 chipset, which is combined with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The front-facing camera comes in at 5MP, while the rear camera features an 8MP sensor which is interpolated to 13MP.
General Mobile GM 8 Go
You may not have heard much about General Mobile, but the company has been in the smartphone market for a few years. Its latest rendition is the GM 8 Go, which features a 5.03-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Powering the GM 8 Go is the MediaTek 6739 chipset, along with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. In the camera department, there is a 5MP selfie camera and a 13MP rear-facing camera sensor
Nokia 1
Nokia made a big splash with its flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco, but the company also had some fun in the Android Go department. The Nokia 1 is an upcoming device which is priced at just $85, and will launch in April.
The display measures in at 4.5-inches with a resolution of 854 x 480. We don’t know specifics on the processor, but Nokia claims the device will come with a MediaTek chipset coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
Huawei
Unlike the other companies on this list, Huawei didn’t actually reveal any devices powered by Android Go. Instead, Google stated the following:
“Huawei has also committed significant resources to supporting Android Oreo (Go edition) smartphones and will be bringing a device to all major emerging markets in the near future.”
LAVA Z50
LAVA is another company you likely have never heard of and that’s thanks to the fact that this company is based in India. The LAVA Z50 was announced at MWC 2018, and offers 1GB of RAM combined with an unknown quad-core processor.
More details regarding the Z50 are scarce, other than the fact that it will launch sometime in March.
Micromax BHARAT GO
The BHARAT GO was initially rumored back in January, and the device has been confirmed as part of the Android Go initiative. Unfortunately, specific details regarding the device have yet to be revealed.
TRANSSION
As is the case with Huawei, TRANSSION did not announce any new devices specifically. Instead, the company confirmed that new Android Go options would be coming to the African market at some point this year.
ZTE Tempo Go
We all know about ZTE and how it strives to provide great budget options. The company is taking steps a bit further with the ZTE Tempo Go.
The device features a 5-inch display, while being powered by the Snapdragon 210 chipset. This has been combined with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, and will be priced at just $79.
Android One
Moving onto Android One, this is a project launched back in 2014 with similar intentions as Android Go. This has been transformed and now Android One offers manufacturers the ability to load near-stock Android on a myriad of devices.
Nokia
Nokia made the biggest splash in the Android One department with three new devices. The Nokia 6, Nokia 7 Plus, and Nokia 8 Sirocco were all announced with Android One in-tow.
All three devices are being released at different price points, while also offering the best of what Android has to offer. The sad part here is the fact that there’s no concrete evidence that any of these will be launching in the US.
BQ is a Spanish based manufacturer who also jumped on the Android One bandwagon at MWC 2018. The company announced both the Aquarius X2 and Aquarius X2 Pro.
While specs were not revealed, BQ confirmed that it is “committed to security and a great Android experience.” We should be learning more about the Aquarius X2 lineup in the coming weeks.
General Mobile
Not to be outdone, General Mobile is unveiling its latest Android One device with the GM8. This marks the fifth Android One smartphone for General Mobile, and perhaps one of the most impressive options.
The GM8 is equipped with a 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Powering the device is the Snapdragon 435 chipset, which has been combined with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
