Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit includes the latest leaks of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, the Samsung Galaxy S6 winning ‘Smartphone Of The Year’, a review of the Moto X Play, details on Samsung’s payment plan for Galaxy handsets, the world’s most expensive Android smartphone, the launch of the Pebble Time Round, Google’s updates to the Clock and Gmail apps, and how Starbucks is changing how you order coffee.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a
few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and
you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
The
New Nexus Names Leak Out
Ahead of Google’s expected announcement on
Monday, leaks around the packaging and devices have revealed the names of the
2015 versions of the five-inch and six-inch screened devices. Android Police
looks at the new details.
Oddly, one of the last things we knew
about the new LG and Huawei Nexus phones were their actual names. A rumor last
week suggested that LG’s 5.2-inch follow-up to the 2013 Nexus 5 would be called
the Nexus 5X, and that Huawei’s 5.7-inch flagship would go by Nexus 6P. Android
Police can now confirm the rumors with these exclusive images of the retail
packaging for both phones.
Forbes Tech will keep you up to date with
the details from the event next week.
Samsung
Galaxy S6 Edge Named Best Smartphone Of 2015
UK technology magazine T3 hosted its
prestigious gadget awards for 2015 this week, and the flagship award of ‘Best
Smartphone of The Year’ has been won by Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge:
Samsung came back with a bang back in
March and showed us the Galaxy S6 Edge. Almost the same phone as the Galaxy S6
– one that features a cracking processor and some amazing other features – but
with curved screens on both the edges.
Before then we’d not seen anything like it
and it truly blew us out of the water. That screen is something else and it’s
still one of the best handsets on the market when it comes to camera and pure
power.
Personally I think the curved edge hasn’t
been used to create enough of a new experience, it’s just a nice gimmick.
That’s not stopped the Edge becoming the hot handset of the summer.
Moto
X Play Software Stands Out
Nirave Gondhia has spent the last two
weeks with Motorola’s Moto X Play, the mid-range variant of Moto family’s 2015
handsets. There are some compromises in the hardware, but Motorola’s
implementation of Android one of his high points:
While design certainly isn’t Motorola’s
strongest suit, the company can point to its software as a crowning example of
how you should make a smartphone. As we’ve seen from Motorola in previous
years, the Moto X Play adopts the mantra that “less is more”.
The handset has an almost stock-like
interface with a few key additions that make the handset a Motorola. Like other
devices in the range, it comes with the Moto App, which acts as a central home
from which to control the various smart features that Motorola have built into
the handset. As with the new Moto G, you can set particular shortcuts to
quickly access the front or rear cameras using motion control but one (very
welcome) change is the quick flick to launch the torch is nowhere to be seen.
Samsung’s
Upgrade Program For Galaxy Buyers
Forbes’ Aaron Tilley looks at Samsung’s
latest scheme to help consumers purchase an unlocked Galaxy smartphone outside
of a carrier’s two-year contract. A lease program will allow a handset to be
purchased with payments spread over a number of months (likely twenty-four
months). Initially only available in the US, it all sounds rather familiar…
The South Korean electronics giant is
planning to launch a program for leasing its Galaxy phones in the U.S. market,
similar to the one Apple announced just weeks ago, according to an industry
executive with knowledge of Samsung’s plans. Samsung may be launching this
leasing program in the next several months, although that timeline may
accelerate, the executive said.
Is
This The World’s Most Expensive Android Smartphone?
I wonder if Vertu has a payments plan? The
latest Android smartphone from the exclusive luxury retailer - the Vertu New
Signature Touch - comes with a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, the SnapDragon 810
chipset, 64 GB of on-board storage, 4 GB of RAM, and a 3160 mAh battery.
Edgar Cervantes looks at the rest of the
deal on Android Authority:
This phone is for those with eccentric
taste, something Vertu hasn’t forgotten. It is made with fine leather and grade
5 titanium. The Vertu New Signature Touch also comes in 8 versions: Jet Calf,
Garnet Calf, Grape Lizard, Pure Jet Lizard, Jet Alligator, Pure Navy Alligator,
Clous de Paris Alligator and Pure Jet Red Gold.
These all feature their own personalized
engraving. Not to mention those new elegant cases, which come in two unique
designs and multiple colors/materials. One is simply a holster, while the other
is a wallet case with credit card slots. If you are wondering where the nanoSIM
and microSD cards go, they are hidden behind the “dramatic gull-wings” on the
back plate.
And the price? If you have to ask it’s
probably too much, but don’t expect much change out of $10,000.
Pebble
Launches Its First Round Smartwatch
Smartwatch start-up Pebble is doing it’s
best to be seen as the natural competitor to the Apple Watch, and while Android
Wear’s updates are feeling a bit hit and miss, the Palo Alto based company has
released the third design of the year. Compatible with Android and iOS, the
obvious feature of the Pebble Time Round is highlighted in the name, but Pebble
has done more than just create a circular watch face… it’s also focused on a
more feminine smartwatch, which means a much smaller and thinner design. From
the blog post launching the watch:
At 7.5mm thin and weighing just 28 grams,
Pebble Time Round is the thinnest and lightest smartwatch in the world.
With a variety of available band sizes,
watch finishes, and band options, Pebble Time Round suits more people than
ever. Start with a band size 20mm or 14mm that fits you best. Pick a finish to
match your style: Black, Silver, or a special-edition Rose Gold exclusively for
the 14mm band size.
Polish off Pebble Time Round’s look with
bespoke watchfaces in the Pebble appstore or with a selection of quick-change
bands in genuine leather (metal band options come later this year).
The big sacrifice in all of this is
battery life… it’s down to around two days. We’ll have a review of the Pebble
Time Steel as it approaches retail release in November, but pre-orders are open
now at GetPebble.com.
A
Better Way To Tell The Time
One of the advantages Google has with
Android is the ability to update the stock applications ‘over the air’ without
requiring an OS update. The recent changes to the Clock app use the same
mechanism to update as a third-party app in the Play Store. That means it’s
worth paying attention to the update of the clock on Android, not just because
of what it does, but how it does it. With a big focus on wearables and Android
Wear, the clock app on Android becomes an ever more important part of the
Android equation. Stephen Hall highlights the code changes:
Besides the ability to gradually increase
volume for alarms and timers, the update also brings the ability to choose your
favorite timer ringtone, dismiss alarms within the Clock app “preemptively,”
and control your timers from a system notification. On the Android Wear side,
you’ll get easier alarm management and new interactive notifications.
Gmail
Gets Updated As Well
Google has also updated the Gmail app on
Android (along with changes to the desktop/browser interface) to help manage
unwanted incoming mail. This includes the ability to block senders which will
automatically push their mails into your spam folder so it is never seen. The
Android app also brings over the ‘Unsubscribe’ button from the desktop to help
manage the deluge of newsletters and digests. Amit Chowdhry looks at the
details:
Gmail is also adding an ”unsubscribe”
feature to its Android app so you can remove yourself from annoying mailing
lists with a couple taps. To unsubscribe from a mailing list using the Gmail
Android app, simply go to the email and tap on the “More” button. At the top
right corner, you will see a button that says “Unsubscribe.”
And Finally…
If you need to save thirty seconds from
your daily run to Starbucks for coffee, then the coffee company’s updated
Android app may be able to help. After this week’s update, users can pre-order
their favourite drink and have it ready for collection. Engadget’s Daniel
Cooper:
Starbucks has tweaked its Android app to
bake-in both ordering and payments straight from your phone, saving you the
drama of having to explain your arcane coffee needs to another human. The
feature was originally tested last December in Portland, and was added to the
iOS version of the app back in July. The app will work in the US, Canada and in
the UK, although the mobile ordering will only work in stores that the company
owns there’s a big venti question mark over if it’ll work in other locations.
Android Circuit’ will round-up the news
from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me
so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister
column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you
have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in
touch!
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