There are currently only two Android Wear watches available for purchase, but HTC has been reportedly planning to throw its hat into the ring too. There’s a new render of what may be HTC’s Android Wear watch from @evleaks, and it’s another square.
It seems like it’s hard to find a non-Nexus device that uses anything close to stock Android. Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Asus, Acer – everywhere you look there are customizations to a greater or lesser extent. Even Motorola, formerly Google’s own subsidiary, uses a custom launcher. Chinese manufacturer ZTE is looking to break that trend, however. The company is planning to launch new smartphones that use the Google Now Launcher (AKA the Google Experience Launcher) by default.
Tasker is right up there with our lord Matias Duarte in the amount of love it gets from the Android community. There’s really no other way to get anywhere close to the same kind of automation running on your device. The new v4.4 update adds even more functionality to this already robust app. Heck, you almost don’t have to touch the phone anymore. That doesn’t really sound as fun, though.
They counter the rumors by saying that they have been doing this a lot longer than Apple has, with 41 years of experience using sapphire in everything from computer components to watch faces. And now they’re planning to beat Apple to the punch in smartphone displays.
They’re calling it the “Sapphire Shield,” and if you know anything about sapphire you’d know that it’s supposed to be virtually indestructible. Coins and keys wouldn’t be able to make scratches and dents, and it would come out looking like a champ if it were dropped flat on its face onto a slab of concrete. Sapphire is said to be used as transparent armor for many military vehicles, and if it’s good enough for a soldier it should be more than good enough for your smartphone.
The problem with sapphire is that it’s expensive — a lot more expensive than tempered glass like Corning’s Gorilla Glass being used in so many smartphones. It was only last year that sapphire displays were going for $20 to $30 a pop, whereas Gorilla Glass can be had for under $3 per unit. Kyocera says they have found a way to make sapphire-based displays affordable, though, and that we’ll be hearing something very soon from their camp.
As much as we make fun of Kyocera’s phones for being underwhelming and uninspiring, one thing we can say they’ve always done well is durable smartphones. This is a natural step forward for them, and hopefully it can be used as a barometer for other OEMs to get in line and compete — we sure wouldn’t mind a future with fully indestructible displays.
Sony is beginning the rollout of a new firmware update for its current flagship, the Xperia Z2. The software (version number 17.1.2.A.0.314) doesn’t bump the underlying version of Android, which was already based on KitKat. Instead, Sony is cleaning up the rough edges.
Here’s the changelog for the 17.1.2.A.0.314 firmware.
Enhanced voice call quality
Improved touch function and performance
Charging improved when battery is low
Overall performance and stability improved
And all of our latest bug fixes and improvements
As Sony is fond of pointing out, software updates happen at different times in different regions, so you might not be getting an update just yet.
Verizon and Motorola appear to be testing out new firmware for their version of the Moto X as soak test invites are going out to the adventurous folks not afraid to sign up for these things. As usual we don’t get any idea what to expect, though we wouldn’t expect them to roll out new firmware without also jumping to a new version of Android.
You obviously won’t be expecting Android L, but Android 4.4.3 or 4.4.4 are still on the table for this phone. The latter is already confirmed to be headed to Verizon’s DROID phones so we wouldn’t be surprised if the Moto X is in line for a similar upgrade.
In either case we wouldn’t expect many sweeping changes as this is likely a bug fixing and stability improvement upgrade. As unexciting as it may be, though, we’ll be keeping an eye on it. Be sure to check your email to see if you’ve been invited (and if you aren’t signed up to test Motorola firmware, head here to figure out how you can get in on all the fun).
Google Maps users (that should be just about everyone) will find a nice update rolling out now in the Google Play Store. Version 8.2 brings a host of new features, the biggest being the ability to execute voice commands from inside the app. This can be done by clicking on the new microphone icon in the search bar, used to execute commands like “navigate to” or “show traffic.” What’s more is you’ll find another microphone while in navigation mode (towards the bottom left).
While that sounds extremely useful, the number of voice actions are pretty limited at the moment and require users to experiment with what works. Basic commands like asking Maps to show routes or give a route overview works fine. Even display traffic or show the time left until you reach your destination. The main problem we found is that, unlike Google Search hotword detection, you’ll need to physically touch the microphone icon to engage voice controls — they’re not done purely by voice.
There’s also elevation info for bicyclists to help avoid unnecessary uphill climbs when necessary. Routes will not only show elevations but the distance of the elevation changes as well. This makes it easy for cyclists to pick the easiest route based on their current elevation (see above image).
As usual, you can either wait for the new Maps to become available on your device in the coming days, or download our 3rd party link down below. Safe travels!
Amazon and AT&T are busy gearing up for the release the Amazon Kindle Fire Phone next week, but before then, they gotta get the word out. The phone’s first commercial has been uploaded to YouTube and features 2 young children (acting like adults) bragging to nearby adults about their new Kindle Fire Phones.
It’s cute, but doesn’t show off any of the phones unique hardware features — like Firefly which scans over 100 million products, movies, songs, books and more — choosing instead to focus on media content and Amazon’s free 1-year subscription to Amazon Prime. A nice value, but one we don’t imagine will help move units from store shelves.
The phone will be available next Friday, July 25th at your local AT&T store, or through Amazon here. Check out the new video down below.
There are currently only two Android Wear watches available for purchase, but HTC has been reportedly planning to throw its hat into the ring too. There’s a new render of what may be HTC’s Android Wear watch from @evleaks, and it’s another square.
