Cam Bunton

• Android
• LG V10
• LG
• LG G4
• Mobile Payments

LG announces mobile payment service to compete with Apple, Google and Samsung

Cam Bunton Nov 19 2015 - 3:45 am PT

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The mobile payments industry is getting more crowded by the month. Early this morning, LG confirmed on its Facebook page that it will be entering the market with LG Pay, and has signed up a couple of Korean partners to do so. The company has joined forces with Shinhan Card and KB Kookmin Card in its home country, but didn’t say when the service is going live, or when it’ll expand to international markets.

The service will work on most LG phones, new or old. Although the company has been light on detail, we’re assuming that means those with built in NFC. Although, conceivably, it could be like Samsung Pay in that it works with both contactless NFC card readers as well as traditional Magstrip ones. Like Samsung and Apple, the service will only work on its own devices and isn’t cross-platform or cross-manufacturer.

Although we’re not surprised that LG has decided to follow in the example of Sammy, it’s still bemusing that any Android OEM should seek to release their own payment system when Android Pay is already here and will eventually work on most devices as long as they have an NFC antenna.

We’re skeptical of LG’s chances of success in a crowded market, but you can be sure that — in the future — LG’s mobile payment app will become yet another piece of bloatware to add to an already bursting collection of unnecessary duplicate apps and services.

• Android
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• smartphones
• rumors
• accessories

Samsung Keyboard Cover reportedly among accessories planned for Galaxy S7

Cam Bunton Nov 18 2015 - 5:58 am PT

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When Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 5 at the end of this summer, we stared on — not in disbelief but rather ‘they’ve done it again’ – as the company launched a flimsy-looking plastic keyboard cover to clamp to the front of its pristine glass smartphone. And it seems the company may do it at least one more time when the Galaxy S7 and its dual-curved sibling launches next year.

According to information received by SamMobile, Samsung is going to bring out a keyboard cover for the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge, along with a few more bespoke cases and accessories. Joining the keyboard cover is the usual S View Cover, a ‘Glitter Cover’ and a ‘Clear Cover’. This may come as good news to those of you who like Samsung’s market leading hardware, but miss the clickety-clack of real keys under your thumbs as you pound out messages and tweets on your smartphone.

No details have been given on pricing, but each version of each accessory has its own SKU beginning with EF or EJ. I am curious to see how Samsung will design the keys and layout. With the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge likely to be smaller than the Note 5, that gives less room to cram in four rows of keys, meaning they’ll be smaller and harder to use. If Samsung can release a keyboard that’s both small, and sensibly design, I’ll be impressed.

• Android
• Apps and Updates
• YouTube
• apps
• YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids finally launches internationally, app now available in Australia, UK, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland

Cam Bunton Nov 18 2015 - 2:43 am PT

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Having launched in the US back in February, YouTube’s child-friendly video service is making its way across the globe from today. YouTube Kids is now available in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The app is free to download on iOS and Android and offers customers a curated YouTube experience with content aimed specifically at children.

In the UK, content will include the likes of Wallace & Gromit, Morph, The Magic Roundabout and Teletubbies among many others. Featured content will differ depending on your region, but the service is essentially the same in all available markets. Since it’s free, the app is supported by ads, but only advertisements suitable for children are shown in the YouTube Kids app. As reported by The Guardian:

“We only show ads that are approved as family-friendly – for example, we don’t show any food and beverage ads – and all ads undergo a rigorous review process for compliance with our policies,” a YouTube spokesperson told the Guardian.

“All ads are clearly labeled and include ad intros. Ads don’t include any click-throughs to websites or product purchase flows.”

Now, parents outside the US will be able to let their kids watch ‘The wheels on the bus’ without worrying they’ll end up following through links and watching something slightly dubious content. On the negative side, undoubtedly, I’ll now have to watch more loom band how-to videos with my 6 year-old.

The app is available to download from the Play Store now, and is compatible with any Android device running version 4.1 or later.

• Apps & Updates
• Android
• Google
• Apps and Updates
• Google Play
• smartphones

Google drops minimum premium app and IAP price in 17 countries

Cam Bunton Nov 17 2015 - 9:31 am PT

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Google has announced today that — following a successful trial in India — it will allow developers in 17 more countries to charge a lower price for its premium apps and in-app purchases. This news comes a couple of weeks after the company raised the maximum price, now giving developers much more flexibility in what they can charge customers, and hopefully enabling them to reach more customers.

The full list of countries this reaches, and the minimum prices:

• Brazil: R$ 0.99 (was R$2.50)
• Chile: CLP $200.00 (was CLP $500.00)
• Colombia: COP$ 800.00 (was COP$ 2000.00)
• Hungary: Ft 125.00 (was Ft 225.00)
• Indonesia: Rp 3,000.00 (was Rp 12,000.00)
• Malaysia: RM 1.00 (was RM 3.50)
• Mexico: MXN$ 5.00 (was MXN$ 9.90)
• Philippines: ₱15.00 (was ₱43.00)
• Poland: zł1.79 (was zł2.99)
• Peru: S/. 0.99 (was S/. 3.00)
• Russia: руб 15.00 (was руб 2.00)
• Saudi Arabia:﷼ 0.99 (was 2.00﷼)
• South Africa: R3.99 (was R10.00)
• Thailand: ฿10.00 (was ฿32.00)
• Turkey: ₺0.59 (was ₺2.00)
• Ukraine: ₴5.00 (was ₴8.00)
• Vietnam: ₫6,000 (was ₫21,000.00)

If you’re a developer in one of these countries, you can lower the prices of your app by going to the Google Play Developer Console and clicking “Pricing and Distribution” or “In-app Products” for your apps.

• Android
• Samsung
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• smartphones
• videos

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 now ships with warning not to insert S-Pen the wrong way

Cam Bunton Nov 17 2015 - 7:58 am PT

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A recently published YouTube unboxing video reveals that Samsung has begun shipping its Galaxy Note 5 handsets with a warning label, telling users not to insert the proprietary stylus in the wrong way. It may seem like pointing out the obvious, but Sammy has very real reasons for warning users.

When the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launched earlier this fall, it was discovered that the device didn’t like having the S-Pen stylus inserted in to its silo the incorrect way. It’s not a fault as such, since inserting it the wrong way is user error, but the fact that this error would break the smartphone wasn’t as forgivable.

Thanks to the S-Pen’s new clickable top — and the catches which hold the stylus in place when stowed — the top would catch on the inner ‘hooks’ and either get stuck, or break them. We detailed exactly what happens in an in-depth post back when the issue first came to light.

Samsung did halfheartedly address the issue in a statement back when the problem was at its most prominent, and did so by pointing people to the user guide which shows the correct insertion of the S-Pen. Clearly though, the issues haven’t stopped since then, and Sammy wants to make it as clear as possible to Note 5 buyers that the stylus only fits in one way.

• Google
• Google Chrome
• HDMI
• Chromebit
• ASUS Chromebit

ASUS Chromebit officially launched, $85 Chrome desktop on-a-stick available soon

Cam Bunton Nov 17 2015 - 2:23 am PT

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Having previously announced the Chromebit in March, today, ASUS and Google are officially launching the HDMI stick-based Chrome OS computer. The little stick essentially turns any HDMI-equipped screen or monitor in to a basic Chrome OS desktop and costs just $85…

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• Android
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• OnePlus 2
• OnePlus One
• update

OnePlus 2 and OnePlus One will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in Q1 2016

Cam Bunton Nov 16 2015 - 4:59 am PT

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We’re all eager to discover when our smartphones of choice will finally receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update – and for OnePlus smartphone owners, it’ll mean waiting until the beginning of next year.

OnePlus announced on its forums this morning that it will be rolling out Marshmallow-based builds of Cyanogen OS for the OnePlus One and Oxygen OS for the OnePlus 2 at some point in Q1 2016.

With the OnePlus 2, the manufacturer will be switching its proprietary fingerprint sensor firmware out in favor of the standard Marshmallow ones when it rolls the Android 6.0-based software in early 2016.

The OnePlus 2 will also be updated in Q1, and the update will include the new standard Marshmallow API for the fingerprint sensor. We’ve heard requests for us creating an API for the current fingerprint implementation in OxygenOS, but have decided against this since we’re switching over to the standard Android M implementation soon.

Although the company has built a version of Oxygen OS for the OnePlus One, the company is rightly focussing on rolling out the officially-supported Cyanogen OS update first. As for the latest phone, the OnePlus X, there are plans to push Marshmallow ‘as soon as possible’, we don’t have any specific timeframe from the manufacturer.

• Android
• Samsung
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• smartphones
• AT&T

Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge allegedly already in testing at AT&T

Cam Bunton Nov 16 2015 - 2:55 am PT

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Over recent weeks and months we’ve read numerous reports regarding the Galaxy S7 and its dual-curve sibling. Most recently, the rumors have suggested the device will see an earlier-than-normal release, perhaps indicating that Samsung will unveil its next hot flagship before MWC in Barcelona. Some speculate we might even see an announcement as soon as January. A tweet from well-known leakster, Evan Blass, does nothing to discredit those rumors:

[tweet https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/665279918633295872 align=’center’]

Blass believes that with testing already happening at AT&T, we could see the phones land in the early part of Q1 2016. In other words: Between the beginning of January and mid-February. While the tweet alone doesn’t confirm anything, it certainly adds credibility to those previous launch timeframe rumors.

In recent years, Samsung has used MWC in Barcelona as the platform to announce the Galaxy S lineup. But it hasn’t always been that way. With MWC scheduled for 22-25 February in 2016, and big press events normally occurring before the conference officially kicks off, Samsung could once again use the Barcelona event to show off its next flagship phones. If it did, it would certainly (just about) fit in with Evan’s early-to-mid Q1 launch timeframe. Or Sammy could do what it did with the Galaxy Note 5 launch and decide to steal a march on a major conference by announcing its devices at a separate event beforehand.

It’s been reported in the past that Samsung will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor in the Galaxy S7 (at least in some markets). The powerful quad-core chips has just been officially outed by Qualcomm, and looks like it’ll be next year’s processor to beat. Saying that, it’ll be interesting to see how it compares performance-wise with Samsung’s own recently-announced Exynos 8890. If rumors are to be believed, the Snapdragon models will go for sale in China and the US, while the Exynos-equipped phones will be sold in Europe and other international markets.

• Android
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Deals
• smartphones
• Samsung Galaxy

Deal: Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 5 available for $550

Cam Bunton Nov 13 2015 - 3:23 am PT

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The holiday shopping season is so close to kicking off, you can almost feel it. Those of you looking to snag a top flagship Android smartphone at a discounted price should look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. It’s undoubtedly one of this year’s best phones, and comes with a bunch of market-leading features and specifications. Up until now though, you could only get one by coughing up close to $800.

A retailer on eBay is currently offering the high-end phablet for just $550 with the option to spread payments over six months. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 on sale from experienced seller, Breed, comes in brand new condition in the official Samsung retail packaging and is carrier unlocked. It has 32GB built-in storage and is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile’s LTE network, with support for bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 26.

As a reminder, the Note 5 packs in a Quad HD resolution 5.7-inch display, a fantastic 16MP camera on the back and 4GB RAM inside paired with a powerful octa-core Exynos processor. It’s powered by a 3,000mAh battery, and is compatible with fast-charging technologies through wireless and traditional plug-in charging methods.

If you want to take advantage of the deal, head on over to the eBay page and snag one, before the ‘limited quantity’ is depleted and none are left. At time of writing, more than 240 have been sold, and we don’t know how many are left.