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T-Mobile rolls out fix for Galaxy S8 red tint, but it doesn’t work in all cases

Alexandra Arici
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Earlier today T-Mobile started rolling out an OTA update to fix the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ red tint issue on the display.

The update has already reached Galaxy S8 units in South Korea, India and Europe and now is making it to US shores, specifically to T-Mobile customers. It weighs 138MB and brings additional color optimization settings, as well as stability and performance improvements.

The update works by adding a new option in the settings which allows customers to manually adjust the display colors.

However, a quick look at the Reddit thread dedicated to the topic, reveals that some users are still seeing the pesky red tin on their display post-update:

“Looks like after the update I still have a bit of red tint when the phone is angled as well as on the edges.“

Simsonofadown

“Screen still looks terrible and pink when put at a 30 degree angle, edges look better tho :/ gonna see if i can get it replaced.“

Durkester

Even worse, in some cases, the red tint morphed into a blue one:

“I wonder if I just got a bad phone. Update makes my red tint into blue tint.”

Wixul

“Same here – red tint now blue. But I find that it’s not as noticeable and blends more than the red did. Overall, I’m okay with it.“

Nouseforaname222

Still there are users who report the update did its magic as intended. So it looks like Galaxy S8 users will have to play the lottery when it comes to this update. If you too own a T-Mobile Galaxy S8, tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

Acer’s Holo 360 is an odd Android camera that can place calls

Alexandra Arici
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0

When you hear the name Acer your mind naturally conjures up images of cheap notebooks and monitors, but certainly not cameras. But this might soon change.

The Taiwanese device maker which recently hosted an event in New York put on display a pretty bizarre object – it’s called the Holo 360 and yes, it’s a camera that can shoot 360-degree images and video. But that’s not all, the gizmo is powered by Android and in the good tradition of Google’s mobile operating system, it can also make calls.

You can’t really purchase the device for the time being, as the Holo 360 is probably merely a prototype used by the company to gauge possible interest in the product.

We can tell you the Holo 360 comes with a touchscreen display, but also supports Wi-Fi and 4G LTE. We can only share a single image of the device, which reveals it’s quite portable – as it appears to be smaller than your average smartphone. Information about the amount of megapixels onboard has yet to be disclosed.

It’s currently unclear whether the Holo 360 will be able to run Android apps, or if it will be mainly focused on the photography aspect of things. Nevertheless, Acer’s gizmo might find supporters in users who crave a more minimalist Android phone experience devoid of all the distractions provided by apps and notifications.

Acer didn’t mention anything about the commercial availability of the product or its price-tag.

Sony’s Galaxy S8/LG G6 alternative might be on its way

Alexandra Arici
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Taller, narrower smartphones like the Galaxy S8 or LG G6 are rocking today’s smartphone scene. And according to a recent leak coming to us via MobileExpose, Sony is also working on a similar-looking device.

Renders showcasing the yet-unreleased Sony Xperia X Ultra have surfaced online, alongside information about the upcoming handset. The phone is expected to come boasting a 6.45-inch display with a 21:9 screen aspect ratio. In comparison, the Galaxy S8 has an 18:5:9 one and the LG G6 has an 18:9, so the new Xperia will be taller and narrower than both.

It’s suggested the phone should arrive with a Snapdragon 660 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage onboard.

On the imaging front, the handset will take advantage of a 19-megapixel main camera plus a 13-megapixel selfie snapper. Word on the street also indicates the upcoming Xperia X Ultra will also come with a 3,050 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, IP68 rating and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. As it appears in the leaked images, the product will feature dual speakers and will become available with Red and Gray paint jobs.

The report doesn’t reveal anything about launch date or pricing options, but given its specs we do expect the Xperia X Ultra to be cheaper than the Galaxy S8/LG G6.

Blackberry launches online keynote tutorial videos for the KeyOne

AndroidGuys
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There was a time in my life where Blackberry ruled. I loved the brand, I loved the name. I loved the device, the keyboard – I was proud to be associated. Then the mobile tech world moved on – Unfortunately Blackberry did not.

I could go on and on about failed attempts or lack of innovation, but I wont. Admittedly deep down inside I still am bearing a torch for the brand, it was my one first true tech love, and I will go on record here and state that the launch of the Blackberry KeyOne has got me excited again.

With the handset already exclusively available in one Selfridges store in Oxford street, London, and the device looking to roll out later this week across the UK with a expected price tag for the KeyOne of around £499, both excitement and skepticism alike are rising.

To coincide with all this, Blackberry has released a series of short quick informative videos on the how what where and when of the device with only what I can assume is a view to quash any misgivings a potential adopter may have.

Its not rocket science, a lot of the content you will be familiar with if you are comfortable within the Android ecosystem – Blackberry are not re-writing the book with this device.

It does however enable you to get a good look at the device and notably the inclusion of a ” Convenience Key” much like the one I reported to be present on the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. The videos are detailed below – take a look for yourself.

May 31st is the date penned for release in the USA. We are going to be watching this launch carefully from afar. Is this the Blackberry to revive the brand? is the QWERTY going to be the thing we realize we just cant live without again? who knows…..

What are your thoughts about this device? are you going to be getting one?

Please, let us know.

T-Mobile tipped to be prepping an affordable premium smartphone

Alexandra Arici
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0

T-Mobile has been known to shake up the industry and lead other carriers to then react and respond. Well it seems like the Magenta company is on the verge of doing it again.

According to marketing materials that were shared with Android Authority, T-Mobile has some big plans in the pipeline. The carrier wants to revolutionize the way people pay for their device plan each month.

While information on the matter is still pretty hazy, it seems the carrier is gearing up to offer a phone exclusively designed for T-Mobile. The device will come packing features you’d normally expect to find in a flagship device with a price-tag ranging from $600 to $800.

The tweak is, you’ll be able to get it from T-Mobile at a much more affordable price-tag. The handset will be sold under a commitment free plan with a lifetime warranty and free insurance. So if for instance a subscriber breaks the phone or simply wants a new one, the plan will have them covered.

The marketing material at hand seems to suggest the plan and accompanying device(s) could launch in Q3. This means anywhere from July through September.

While the specs of the upcoming device are unknown at this point, we can speculate the phone will run Android and might bring be released with a QHD display, Snapdragon 835 and quite possible a bezeless-design and dual camera setup. If T-Mobile would price such a device affordably enough, would you consider buying your next-flagship from the Magenta carrier?

Samsung’s Marshmallow apps put parental controls on your Galaxy phone

Alexandra Arici
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0

Have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone around the house and you can’t think of any new good spots of where to hiding it from your kid? Samsung comes to the rescue with a parental control app which allows parents to simply limit their children’s onscreen time.

Surely you can always prevent a child from accessing a handset by setting an authentication method that can’t be easily overridden – like a fingerprint. But for those parents who typically allow their little ones to have unhindered access into the phone, Samsung’s new app dubbed Marshmallow (no, it has nothing to do with Android 6.0 Marshmallow) provides a convenient way to restrict access to apps that are age-inappropriate, set a child’s bed time or review the child’s activity throughout the day. Parents can also limit the number of apps the child has access to up to eight.

The app was created with the aim of helping children develop healthy smartphone usage habits based on self-control. Samsung lets youngsters set their own daily usage limits and offers points each time they exceed the allocated time.

Marshmallow works the other way around too – children who don’t follow the rules will lose points. But why would youngsters care about these points? Well the Korean tech giant is wooing children into obedience by allowing them to use these points to acquire gift cards from the app’s gift shop.

The app is currently available for download from the Google Play Store, but before you download it, note Marshmallow is currently compatible with select Galaxy handsets including the Galaxy S6 and higher, Note 4, Note 5 and higher, J3 and higher and A5 or higher.

Fitbit’s first smartwatch leaks, expected to land with $300 price-tag

Alexandra Arici
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1

Fitbit is a household name when it comes to fitness trackers, but the company’s ambitions also include launching a smartwatch. Initially this product should have launched this spring before the arrival of Apple’s next watch, but Fitbit stumbled upon some production hurdles along the way which seem to have delayed the smartwatch until this autumn.

It’s going to be a while until the first Fitbit smartwatch goes live, but in the meantime if you are curious you can check out this batch of leaked images which give us the first glimpse at the unreleased device. Alongside the images, we also get a few interesting tidbits about the internals of the watch.

As you can see from the images, the smartwatch should come with a square display and two case colors. The product is apparently codenamed Higgs and will come riddled with a bunch of sensors including built-in GPS and heart rate monitor. Fitbit’s first intelligent timepiece might also bring support for music streaming services including Pandora and offer the ability to make mobile payments. If you were hoping the watch would support Spotify, then we have some bad news for you – a partnership with the Swedish music streamer was ruled out in earlier development.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of it all is that the smartwatch is said to be able to offer up to four days of battery life on a single charge. Since battery life is a major issues with most smartwatches, the promise of an intelligent timepiece capable of sustaining for days of active use, is at least intriguing.

Fitbit apparently plans to launch the smartwatch alongside a pair of Bluetooth earphones (codenamed Parkside) which judging by the leaked image, look very much like Apple’s BeatsX. The earphones will be available in two color options (Nightfall Blue and Lunar Gray) and will sell for $150 a pop. As for the smartwatch, it should become available for around $300.

We’re not told whether Fitbit’s first smartwatch will launch with Android Wear out of the box or whether the company will put its own custom OS onboard of the wearable. We’ll just have to wait and see.

ZTE roll out the B25 update for the Axon 7

AndroidGuys
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It has been a matter of weeks since we last reported on the ZTE Axon 7 getting updated to Android 7.1.1 and it is no coincidence that back when the device launched we headlined it as being “Outstanding with a few faults“. Needless to say we have since seen a steady flow of updates roll out from ZTE for this device.

We have to respect the Chinese manufacturer for consistently looking to improve the user experience, taking on board feedback and aiming to provide the best usability possible for consumers.

So with all that said, the latest update for ZTE Axon 7 brings us new features and improvements like full support for a larger 256GB microSD. This will allow for a much wider spectrum of app and media installations, saving movies and shows from Netflix to play offline maybe or some hefty audio books or podcast’s for those long journeys.

If like me, you detest having your devices cluttered with unwanted bloatware you will be pleased to know that this latest update will now give you the ability to disable some of the pre-installed apps that come out of the box on the ZTE Axon 7. HORAH

ZTE have also added a new setting that allows users to enable “Night Mode” and some optimizations to the “Do Not Disturb” function. The usual device stability and security enhancements are included and Many miscellaneous performance improvements like fixes for the somewhat problematic Wi-Fi Calling.

The update has already been released in the United States, but it is looking like it will take up to 48 hours until we start to see it appearing on actual ZTE Axon 7 units.

Build B25 is what you need to be looking out for, and with that being said, it most certainly looks like it wont be the last update we see rolling out for the device, and rightly so!

Alxum 96W 10-Port Charge Station (review)

AndroidGuys
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More devices in homes means more batteries that need charging. More charging means more power ports being taken up which can make it difficult for smartphone and tablet users to find a reliable spot to power up when needed. Thankfully manufacturers now offer solutions to charge multiple devices at a time while only using one power plug off the wall. Alxum has jumped into the fray to offer a 96W power “station” to charge up to ten devices at a time with a UL certified 10 port charger.

Unpacking Versatility

Upon opening the package for the Alxum charging station you’ll find the base charging unit, a 12V/8000mA power brick, 11 plastic dividers, 22 divider labels and a welcome packet as well as a mini user guide. All components feel well designed and manufactured to an acceptable level. I was initially surprised at how light the main charging base was, but discovered no issues with the base slipping or shifting around once it was plugged in and on my desk. The divider fins, while fairly thin, feel strong enough to hold even a large sized tablet with no issues. I chose not to use the divider labels, as it’s very easy to see each device independently as it sits and charges in between the divider fins. Overall, Alxum did a fine job of packaging together a capable and easy to use charging unit.

Impressive Impression

Upon first glance at the Alxum 96W Power Station you may think the device is some other type of component–yet overall the look is formal and fitting enough to blend into a desk, office shelf or entertainment stand. Seeing all 10 ports available and ready for action is a little overwhelming at first, but I was glad to see Alxum kept them all in front, where they’re most accessible. The protruding fins on top can be adjusted to fit a multitude of devices and offer a unique look depending on what’s being charged. Likewise, Alxum has decided to create a slotted radiator design atop the device in order to help dissipate heat, and while I applaud the choice, it’s not necessarily sleek nor modern looking. Unfortunately, this specific charger is only available in white as of now but I would have loved to see a second or third color option available such as black or silver.

alxum 10 96w 2.1 charger
Make sure you keep Q-tips handy, as those slots on top may collect dust over time

Bells and Whistles

The Alxum 96W 10 port charging station features full 2.1 amp charging in all 10 ports, at the same time. This is quite impressive for such a small charging slate. I would have loved to see some type of cable management built in but don’t fault Alxum for not integrating one here. The only indicator light on the entire charging base is a power light on the front right of the unit. Individual charging lights for each port may have been beneficial here but could have added to the overall cost of the charger.

Practical Applications

I found that charging multiple devices at the same time caused no issues–not even the slightest heat concern. While users will most likely not be charging more than two or three devices at any time, it’s great to have the option. I found myself searching around the house looking for electronics to charge, just so I could use this charging base. This flexibility was wonderful and I’d imagine that if I was in a small office or business that dealt with a variety of rechargeable electronics, this unit would come in very handy.

Effective Power

Alxum delivers a solid and adaptable, smart charging station at a reasonable price with enough ports to recharge an entire family of devices quickly and safely. It’s evident that Alxum considered many factors when designing this charging station to be a space saver and overall powerhouse. While it’s easy to find charging solutions in almost any store today, few will offer this much versatility and power, perfect for a family or small business.

I was able to charge a Galaxy Tab S, an iPad, a Switch, a Sony Ultra, a battery pack, a few iPhones and an S7 edge… all at the same time!

Alxum is not a household name–at least not as of yet, but I was severely impressed with the capability and build quality of this charging station. With the number of rechargeable devices ever-increasing in households across the world, it makes sense to have a single station to charge all devices. I found that the Alxum 96W power station worked great for charging devices that I didn’t use every day, however it was difficult to use as a charger for my daily driver as I never really wanted to set my phone into the slot and just leave it.

With all things considered, Alxum has delivered a wonderful piece of hardware that has a unique case for use that could benefit families, businesses and multi-user offices. I can recommend this as a perfect solution for anyone that wishes to charge one to ten devices at any given time.  This charger perfectly accomplishes what it has set out to do by offering a quick and safe way to charge a multitude of devices.

Facer “DAILY MIX” has landed!

AndroidGuys
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Way back in 2014 we first excitedly wrote about a new smartwatch app “FACER” hitting the market.

Who would have thought that in 2017 we would again be frantically tapping keys to inform you that the Facer app had triumphantly surpassed the 1 million download mark.

Continual updates – a wealth of faces and animations to choose from – a universal tool that allows you to express your individuality, as you can probably tell, I am a fan.

So imagine my excitement when Little Labs got in touch with us to tell us about a new game-changing feature they have just launched for Facer.

They are calling it “Daily Mix” and it is being penned as “a new fun feature aiming at surfacing great new designs, directly on your Facer watch, every single day”

Sounds cool right? let me explain further.

At the beginning of each day, you triple tap on your Facer ready smartwatch and that will give you access to “Daily Mix”. You then give the display a spin and it will randomly select you a fresh new face for the day ahead. Each day you are allocated 10 free tokens. Each spin equals 1 token and you will receive 10 free tokens per day. It’s like a slot machine for watch faces!

Daily Mix is available right now on all Android Wear 2.0 and Tizen smartwatches supported by Facer. What are you waiting for?!

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