Samsung Galaxy S7 users facing many issues following Android Nougat update

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 11, 2017       

Android users desperate for the latest version of Android Nougat operating system are having a torrid time. Samsung Galaxy S7 users are facing tons of issues after upgrading to Android Nougat and users have taken to Verizon Wireless support page to discuss the same. 

If you haven't updated your Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge to Android 7.0 Nougat, you might be better off skipping Nougat for a few days/weeks after reading the list of issues below.



Samsung Galaxy S7 users running Android 7.0 Nougat are reportedly facing Camera issues like underperformance, crashes, and unresponsive settings. This, however can be fixed by resetting camera app or restoring factory settings. Other major issues includes No Option to Rotate Screen, Trouble enabling WiFi, Notification alerts not working as intended for various apps, Bootloop, LED Notification not working, Distorted sound coming out of the speaker, drastic battery life drops.

Samsung support staff is now aware of this issue. So, hope it gets fixed at the earliest. 

Via: Mobileinternist | Source: Verizon Wireless Forum

Here Are Google's Best Tips for Creative Flower Photography from Pixel Phones

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 10, 2017       

Spring is here! The time has finally come to get outside and enjoy some long awaited sunshine. As the flowers start to emerge from the soil, we all get ready to capture the spring flower and starts sharing photos of flowers on social media.

Flower photography is probably the most explored area of amateur photography, but the results for many people are never in touch with what they saw. So, Google has gathered a few tips to help
you to take and share the prettiest photos of different flowers with the help of your Pixel Smartphone.

Lighting is key. Check your exposure to ensure you're giving your plants and flowers the right amount of light to see the details. On Pixel, you can easily brighten or darken your shot to get the perfect amount of exposure. Tap the camera, the slide your finger up or down to adjust the exposure depending on the lighting conditions.

Consider your frame. Take note of the surrounding area (is it worthy of the ‘gram?). If it’s not, zoom in. If it is, capture a wider angle that shows the full view. On Pixel, you can use a compositional tool to help frame your shot. Look for the grid in the top right of the camera—your arrangement should be at the center of the grid. We recommend 3 x 3 as a ratio for flowers.

That Lens Blur, tho. This Pixel feature will make your photos look professional. Start by clicking on the menu bar at the top left; you’ll see the Lens Blur option second from the bottom. Click on it, take your photo and slowly raise your phone to capture the perfect lens blur. After you snap a photo you can also edit the placement and degree of lens blur. This is a great for up-close shots!

Grab a friend. Have him or her pose with your flowers to bring them to life and add depth to the photo.

Take as many as you want! With Pixel, you get unlimited high-quality storage with Google Photos for free, so you can try out as many shots as you need without worrying about filling up your phone with dud buds.


Find ‘em later. Just type “flowers” into the search bar in Google Photos for a bouquet of photos just waiting to be shared.

Source: Google Blog

Google Reportedly Investing Close to $1 Billion to Develop OLED Display Panels With LG

 By Unknown on April 10, 2017       

According to new reports emerging online, Google is investing an amount that is close to $1 billion to develop OLED panels. And as expected, Google is in talks with the South Korean vendor, LG to produce the OLED display panels. 

Google is making this decision especially after looking at the availability of the Pixel phones. The Pixel and Pixel XL were the best phones of 2016, but getting a hand on one of them was difficult as the phones were already out of stock. 



The report also cites that Google struggled for the OLED panels to integrate them in the Pixels, but couldn't find a reliable source. Also, LG is one of the pioneers in the OLED panel display technology, not for integrating them on their phones, but for selling them to other phones. 

That said, Google is already looking for the next generation Pixel phones and if this rumor is believed to be true and if LG accepts the deal, we don't have to face any availability issues with the upcoming Pixel 2 flagship phone. 

Google Nexus 6 Spotted on Google Git Running Android O Preview

 By Unknown on April 10, 2017       

Google's Nexus 6 has been done and dusted. It's been three years since Motorola and Google launched the Nexus 6 and the search giant has already stopped providing software updates to the phone. 

However, it now appears like the phone will receive Android O update. According to the Google Git, Google is testing the phone with the latest Android O Preview, which means that the search giant still has plans to release the update to the phone. 



Google has a knack of testing upcoming Android versions in older phones to test the compatibility. If we're not wrong, the company is continuing the same with Nexus 6 as well. 

That said, Google recently released the Android 7.1.1 update for Nexus 6 owners, concluding it as the last OS update to the phone. Since then, Google did not release the Android 7.1.2 update as well to Nexus 6. 

OnePlus 5 Tipped to Come With 8GB RAM, Snapdragon 835 and Dual Rear Cameras

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 10, 2017       

According to a new leak, skipping the OnePlus 4 (Because Chinese belief that the number 4 is bad luck), the OnePlus 5 will be the next flagship phone from OnePlus, which will be released in the second half of the year.

The OnePlus 5, going by the leaks will come powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM, which is twice the amount found in today's flagship models. The OnePlus 5 will get a 1440 x 2560 resolution screen and rumored to feature the bezel-less display.



As per the leak, the OnePlus 5 will boast dual rear camera along with an impressive front-facing snapper for selfies and video calls. In addition, OnePlus is widely expected to make the phone water and dust resistant to compete with the rivals such as Galaxy S8 and LG G6. The device is rumored to be priced under $500.

All said and done, these are just tipped specifications, and none of them are officially confirmed by the company. We will update you in there's any info related to OnePlus 5. 

Source: PCPOP | Image Concept: Muhsin M.

Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Will be Backed by a Smaller 3200mAh Battery Cell

 By Unknown on April 08, 2017       

There were some rumors online saying that Samsung will release the Galaxy Note 7 again to market with a smaller battery. Also, Samsung confirmed the same news a couple of weeks ago as they have to follow some regulatory rules of the Korean government and planning to release the phone sometime later this year. 

All these days, speculations were rife about the battery capacity of the phone, but now, a new leak coming from Vietnam confirms that the phone will come with a smaller 3200mAh battery. Moreover, the phone bear a different model of SM-935, and that might be the exclusive to Vietnam market. 



As per earlier reports, Samsung will release the phone between June and July in some growing markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, etc. Also, the phone will costs just five percent less than the original Galaxy Note 7. 

For the uninitiated, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 7 back in August 2016, but the phone soon started exploding due to some manufacturing and battery defects, which ultimately led Samsung to abandon the phone. 

OnePlus' Silence Over Nougat Update for OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X is Making Users Furious

 By Unknown on April 08, 2017       

If there's ever a Chinese vendor who is providing timely updates to their phones right now, it is OnePlus. The company started 2017 by updating their popular OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T to Android Nougat, but the company is looking at only the latest phones and has left their two good phones, the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X. 

OnePlus, back in January said that the OnePlus 2 will receive Android Nougat, but there's no update till date and users of these phones are going crazy regarding the update.

In OnePlus forums, users have created various thread raising their voice towards the update. The OnePlus 2 surely has the hardware inside it to run the latest OS. However, the OnePlus X's hardware is outdated, and the company earlier said that the OnePlus X can not handle graphics of Android Nougat. 

If you notice, the official Lineage OS builds for both the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X are available. So, OnePlus should consider this and release the update at the earliest for both the phones. 

March Android security patch now rolling out to the Moto G4 Plus in Brazil

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 08, 2017       

The Moto G4 Plus smartphones in Brazil are now receiving latest March, 2017 Android security patch. This software patch contains Google’s critical security updates for the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.

Along with the March, 2017 Security patch, the update also contains Bug fixes and Stability improvements. The  update comes with build no. NPJS 25.93-14.4. It reportedly improves battery life of the Smartphone. The official OTA software for the Moto G4 Plus is up, and you can go flash it up.



Motorola has already updated the Moto G4 along with the Moto G4 Plus to Android 7.0 Nougat. While this update would have been more exciting if it had brought Nougat 7.1.1, which is already available for Google's Pixel and Nexus devices.

Got the latest March Security update on your Moto G4 Plus? Let us know in comments section below!



Screenshots:

Source: XDA | Via: Droidholic

LineageOS gets new update, adds new Gallery App and Quick Settings tiles

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 08, 2017       

LineageOS is the latest sensation among custom rom lovers and developers. We already know that the Lineage OS is a continuation of what CyanogenMod was, the LineageOS 14.1 is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and has same build number system as CyanogenMod's.

Lineage OS is still in formation phase and the community developers are working actively to add new features to this project.
Now, the community has added some interesting new features to the custom rom including a new gallery app, more reliable LineageOS updater, new floating button in the Recorder app, and new Quick Settings tiles.



The new gallery application adds easier navigation between timeline, albums and videos, it also enables fullscreen video playback. The new floating button in the Recorder app allows you to choose when to begin a screen recording. Pressing record will create a floating view, from which you can begin the recording.



In addition to, the LineageOS now supports 15 new devices: Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, AT&T LG G3, Verizon LG G3, ZUK Z1, International Samsung Galaxy S4, Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4, International LG G5, T-Mobile LG V20, LeEco Le 2, YU Yuphoria, YU Yureka, Lenovo Vibe K5/K5 Plus, GSM LTE Samsung Galaxy Note II, SK Telecom Samsung Galaxy Note II, and Korea Samsung Galaxy Note II.



via: AndroidPolice | Source: Lineage

Samsung Galaxy S8+ 6GB of RAM Variant to Hit More Markets by the End of this Year

 By Unknown on April 07, 2017       

Samsung recently announced the premium variant of Galaxy S8+ with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage in South Korea. However, the company did not reveal whether this variant will make it to other markets or not, but a new rumor says that it will be sold in other markets as well. 

According to Yonhap News Agency, Samsung will bring the premium variant of the S8+ to other markets as well, but the South Korean giant will first look at the product sales of the base versions. Surely, the phone will sell like hot cakes in most of the countries, even after bearing steep price tags.

If the sales go on correctly, Samsung will bring the premium variant to markets such as the US, India, and other emerging markets. The 6GB of RAM Galaxy S8+ costs almost $1020 in South Korea, but the high price tag is due in large part of the Samsung DeX. 

However, the report further suggests that the premium variant will come only by the end of this year and by that time, most of the flagship phones from the likes of Apple and Google will be launched. So, Samsung should bring it to other countries at the earliest. Both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will go on sale in the US from April 21. 

Several Google Pixel and Pixel XL Users are Not Experiencing Random Shutdowns After the Android 7.1.2 Update

 By Unknown on April 07, 2017       

Just a few days ago, Google rolled out the stable build of Android 7.1.2 Nougat update for Google Pixel and Nexus users. The update has been rolling out gradually and fixed mostly bugs, rather than new features. And now, some owners of Google Pixel and Pixel XL claim that the update has fixed the annoying shutdown bug.

Some months ago, users of Pixel and Pixel XL complained that their phones are shutting down even with the 35 percent of juice left. Several users were annoyed with the issue, and Google remained silent over this saga. 



However, it now looks like the latest update has fixed the most annoying problem, but it is worth noticing that Google did not mention anything about this in the update changelog. 

In the same update, Google fixed the issues related to Bluetooth connectivity and included the April security patch fixes as well.

SOURCE

Bad News for YouTube Starters as Creators Will Get Money Only After Reaching 10,000 Views

 By Unknown on April 07, 2017       

In what could be a potential blow to new vloggers who are entering into YouTube just now, the company won't be serving ads to new channels which have less than 10,000 views. The YouTube Content Creator program was launched in 2007, which allows users to monetize a video by placing ads to earn revenue. 

The reason for the company to make this change is the rise of content duplication. Yes, several people are uploading videos of others original video and earning revenue through it. So, with this move, every user needs 10,000 views to be part of the Content Creator program. 

That said, customers who earned the revenue till Thursday will receive their payment even if their views are below 10,000. For new customers, this new rule will be applicable. 

Also, YouTube will specifically verify the account which reaches 10,000 views and then approves their application to be part of YouTube Content Creator program. 

Moto E3 Power gets new update with February 2017 Security patch

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 07, 2017       

Motorola has already ditched the Moto E3 Power from the list of devices getting Official Android 7.0 Nougat. However, The Moto E3 Power is now getting new software update though the OTA (Over-The-Air) with latest Security Patch, bug fixes and Stability improvement.

If you install the latest update, your new software version should be changed to XT1706_S141_170329_ROW, and it should be noted that the update weighs over 58MB. Additionally, the update also ships with a wide variety of performance tweaks with February 2017 security patches. 



If you haven't got the notification of this new software update yet, Just go to Software updates menu in Settings, and It will automatically start downloading the latest update. The update will take around 20-30 minutes to get Installed on your device.

The Moto E3 and E3 Power launched in late 2016, the E3 comes with 1GB of RAM and a 2,800mAH battery, the E3 Power doubles the RAM and increases the battery capacity to 3,500mAH. The Moto E3 Power is the first Motorola phone since 2013 to come with a MediaTek processor. It's a quad core MT6735P chip paired with 2GB of RAM and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

If you have received the update, let us know how it's running for you in the comments below.

WhatsApp to Integrate UPI Based Payment System into the App Itself

 By Unknown on April 06, 2017       

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is looking to enter into the digital payments segment by integrating a UPI-based P2P money transfer system for easy transfer of money claims some reports. 

WhatsApp, earlier this year suggested that the company is looking into the digital payments system in India to help people bail out the cash crunch situations. WhatsApp will partner with certain banks to roll out the service initially.

It was also reported that the instant messaging platform was ready to roll out the services, but the change in RBI guidelines last month forced the company to change its plans and to work on a new business model. 

If WhatsApp ever enters the digital payments segment, it will surely change how the sector currently in India. 

Twitter Announces Twitter Lite, Designed for Slow & Spotty Internet connections

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 06, 2017       

Slow Internet? Twitter announced today data-friendly Twitter Lite to the mobile web for Slow and Spotty Internet connections. The Lite version reduce your data usage by up to 70%, loads quickly, and take up less space.

The Twitter Lite is a new mobile web experience which can be accessed via mobile.twitter.com. It minimizes data usage, loads quickly on slower connections, is resilient on unreliable mobile networks, and takes up less than 1MB on your device. 



Twitter Lite allows users access timeline, Tweets, Direct Messages, trends, profiles, media uploads, notifications, and more. You could also save Twitter Lite to your home screen as a shortcut, and receive push notifications and alerts via Chrome.

In addition, you can also enable data saver mode, which further reduces the amount of mobile data used. This mode will show you previews of images and videos before letting you decide which to fully load. Twitter says this can save data usage up to 70%.



Via: Twitter

Android O to Come With Support for Self Destructing Notifications Feature

 By Unknown on April 06, 2017       

A little two weeks ago, Google released the first Developer Preview of Android O to developers. The next iteration of Android is expected to come with some new features such as notification channels, advanced doze mode, etc. We have already listed the completely new features of the Android O here. 

Speaking about the notifications channel feature, Google will allow users to customize what they want to see in the notification shade. For example, you can limit the OS to display a notification when a screenshot is captured.



And now, Google announces a new feature to the developers called 'notification timeout,' which essentially allows developers to push a self-destructive notification. For instance, in India, we love shopping, and there are numerous portals to shop from, and the major one is Myntra. These days, Myntra run several discount offers, and they push notifications for the same now and then. 

Myntra pushes a notification, and you open the app after few hours due to your busy schedule, and by the time you open the app, the offer is long gone. With this self-destructive notification feature, developers can choose a certain time for killing the notifications, and after that time, notifications will be destroyed automatically. 



Nevertheless, this feature will be very much useful for the developers out there. 

Breaking: Reliance Withdraws JIO's 3 months Summer Surprise Offer

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 06, 2017       

This is something breaking news coming in for Reliance JIO customers, Reliance has announced to withdraw the 3 month complimentary offer AKA "Summer Surprise offer".

What was Reliance JIO Summer Surprise offer? 

Customers who could not enroll for JIO PRIME by 31st March for whatever reason can still do so by paying Rs 99 along with their first purchase of Jio’s Rs 303 and other plans till 15th April. The service has been extended due to the overwhelming response from the customers.



The users opted for JIO Prime prior to 15 April using Jio's Rs 303 plan or of any higher value will get services for the initial three months on a complimentary basis. The regular tariff plan (monthly basis) will be applicable from July, once the complimentary service ends. 

The above offer is no longer valid as of now and will be soon discontinued over next few days. So if you haven't registered for Reliance JIO Prime membership, do it right away! 



According to reports, TRAI has advised JIO to withdraw the 3 months complimentary benefits of JIO Summer Surprise. JIO is in the process of fully complying with TRAI's advice, and will be withdrawing the 3 months complimentary offer as soon as operationally feasible, over the next few days.  

However, the customers who have already subscribed to JIO SUMMER SURPRISE offer prior to its discontinuation will remain eligible for the offer.

The Successor of Motorola Moto Z Will be Called as Moto Z2: Rumor

 By Unknown on April 06, 2017       

Motorola's take on the modular smartphones paid off with the Moto Z series of phones. However, rumors were rife about the next generation Moto Z smartphones. Now, the famous tipster, Evan Blass revealed that the upcoming Moto Z (2017) will be called as Moto Z2. 

Blass posted an image with the logo of the device and that shows the phone as Moto Z2, which is kind of interesting as everyone expected it to be Moto Z (2017). There are no details regarding the specifications of the phone, though. 



For now, it is said that the Moto Z2 will come with Snapdragon 835 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM. The phone was reportedly showcased at the Sprint booth in Barcelona last month at the MWC 2017 event. 

So, like, this is happening. pic.twitter.com/mwyEPAbCXq

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 5, 2017

Sprint used the phone to tease the gigabit speeds offered by the Snapdragon 835 chip. Also, the phone retains the same rear design language, but expected to come with an entire new design from the front, which will be in-line with the recently announced Moto G5 series. 

Google Home 2 to Come With Integrated Mesh Wi-Fi Router: Report

 By Unknown on April 05, 2017       

The Google Home was released just over a little six months ago and if the recent reports are believed to be true, Google is already working on the successor to Google Home, which for now is said to include mesh Wi-Fi router. 

Google is considering this move because of the fact that it will respond to the queries asked by the users more faster with enhanced connectivity. This move will also make a complete home connected product. 



For the uninitiated, Google already has a Wi-Fi router, which is already selling the US. So, essentially, Google is planning to integrate both the products into one. Also, the product will be tad expensive that the current Google Home and Router. 

The report also cites that Google initially planned a speaker with Wi-Fi support to respond the Google Assistant queries, but later on, changed its plan and manufactured the Google Home with only speaker support that responds to your voice commands via Wi-Fi.

Source (Requires Paid Subscription)

OnePlus 3 and 3T Users: Gear Up for Experiencing More Oxygen OS Features in Coming Days

 By Unknown on April 05, 2017       

If you ask me: Which new brand's smartphone gets regular software updates? The immediate answer from me will be 'OnePlus'. Ever since the OnePlus 3T release, the Chinese vendor is betting big on the software updates department. The OnePlus 3 and 3T users received Oxygen OS 4.0 update based on Android Nougat on January 1, 2017. 

After that, OnePlus has updated both the OnePlus 3 and 3T for nearly five times fixing most of the bugs and adding new features. Recently, OnePlus announced the OxygenOS Open Beta 4 for both the OnePlus 3 and 3T users, and the surprise was the addition of new features. 

If you look at the changelog closely, OnePlus has added a new feature: Secure Box, which locks your files, photos, and other media files by setting a PIN code or pattern, same as what Samsung  is offering with the Samsung KNOX. The company has also introduced Quick Pay to help the people from demonetization. A special DND mode while gaming will help most of the users out there. 

All said, the Oxygen OS will soon become a feature rich OS, which was once known for its stockish Android UI.