ANDROID TERRITORY

Those who like to live life on the forefront of technology and run the Chrome Canary build on Android may have noticed an ad-blocking option appear in the settings menu. The Canary channel for Android is an experimental and sometimes unstable version that includes some of the latest features Google are testing that are not yet ready for the prime time. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal suggested that Google may soon include its own native ad-blocker directly inside Chrome for both mobile and desktop and it seems it may be gradually activating for some users. While the feature of an ad-blocker built native into the Chrome browser isn’t official, a few seem to have got it working. As with anything in the Canary builds of Chrome, features can appear and disappear just as quick. Google reinforced the experimental nature and purpose of the Canary channel stating that the ad-blocker specifically was “part of our general approach of running experiments to ...

In smartphones, the term “faster is better” could be a tag line for pretty much anything found on such a device. That definitely includes a phone’s download speeds from cellular towers. Today, Samsung   revealed that its next-generation mobile processors will include a new LTE modem that could achieve download speeds as fast as 1.2 Gbps. In theory, that would allow future Samsung phones to get download speeds that match or exceed fiber Internet landlines. In a press release today, Samsung says its Cat.18 6CA (Carrier aggregation) LTE modem technology will allow it to access up to six LTE bands at once. The current Galaxy S8 models  that have Samsung’s Exynos 9 8895 processor have 5CA LTE support, which means they can “only” connect to five LTE bands at once, with theoretical download speed up to “just” 1.0 Gbps. Of course, these are the top speeds that are possible with this technology; in the real world, the download speeds using these modems are much slower. ...

Whenever I hop over the fence to Android’s yard, one of the more frustrating aspects of Google‘s mobile operating system is the lack of any Bluetooth battery level indicator. Yes, there are third-party solutions like BatON, but they tend to be buggy and work with a limited range of devices. It looks like Google will remedy that problem, however, by baking those indicators into Android itself. As XDA Developers originally reported, the future update will tell you how much battery your connected Bluetooth accessory has. For those with Samsung, LG, and OnePlus phones, this is not a new development – the feature is integrated into their Android skins. However, the update will integrate the feature at the system level, which means folks with stock Android will benefit the most. Keep in mind that the feature is already part of the Bluetooth standard and that Google only needed to integrate it on its end for these battery indicators to pop up. As previously me...

Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy X (Update: July 30, 2017):  The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is nearly upon us, but that doesn’t mean Samsung Galaxy X rumours have dried up. The latest news is that a mysterious Samsung smartphone – model number SM-G888N0 – has been certified by Bluetooth SIG, a certification body for Bluetooth devices. It’s widely speculated that this phone may in fact be the long-rumoured Samsung Galaxy X. Rumours of a mysterious foldable smartphone called the Samsung Galaxy X are circulating. But what is it? Is it even real? When might you be able to buy it? From the latest news and rumours to specs, release date and pricing gossip, our guide reveals all. Samsung Galaxy X Release Date: What is it, and when does it come out? For years, we’ve heard talk of a foldable smartphone being built by Samsung. But the past few weeks has seen these rumours up in frequency. MPU 1 (Desktop / Tablet) The most recent rumours refer to a ...

Rumours of a foldable smartphone – codenamed Samsung Galaxy X – have emerged once again thanks to a new online leak. Samsung has long been tipped to be working on a foldable smartphone, and has even admitted such ambitions  officially . But we’ve still got little idea when such a device would launch for consumers, with most rumours varying wildly. However, a new leak suggests the release of such a phone may be closer than we think. A mysterious Samsung smartphone has passed through Bluetooth SIG, the certification body that regulates Bluetooth device standards. When a handset using Bluetooth is eventually sold, it will need to have been certified by such a body. The device  in question  carries the model number SM-G888N0, which doesn’t correspond to any existing Samsung devices. However, we’ve seen the same model number device certified for Wi-Fi by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which suggests this is a device nearing completion. The model number SM-G88...

In a surprise announcement, Google confirmed that YouTube Red and Google Play Music would both be merging at some point in the future. But what does this mean for you? Two of Google’s biggest services – YouTube Red and Google Plays Music – are set to merge into one at some unspecified point in the future. The announcement was made this week by YouTube’s head of music, Lyor Cohen, although the details were vague. Here’s what you need to know… What are YouTube Red and Google Play Music? YouTube Red  is a paid-for streaming service that’s only available in the USA, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Korea. It provides ad-free streaming for all the videos hosted on YouTube, as well as offline playback, background playback of videos (for music listening) on mobile, and access to ad-free music streaming through Google Play Music. You also get access to YouTube Red Original film and video series. MPU 1 (Desktop / Tablet) Google Play Music  i...

As a fledgling start-up, the process of bringing that first product to the masses is rarely ‘smooth as a baby’s bottom’ and often ‘rough as a badger’s a**e.’ Thus it is proving with the Essential Phone (PH-1), the new smartphone from Android co-founder Andy Rubin, who today admitted the phone is still weeks away from a release. Upon the phone’s unveiling back in May, Rubin promised to get the bezel-less, modular phone to early adopters within 30 days. That was 51 days ago. Now the former Googler has taken to Twitter to plead patience from those hoping to get the first-gen phone in their hands before the summer is out. While not offering a specific timeline Rubin assured pre-order customers the phone will be with them “in a few weeks. “ " We've been working around the clock to get our first device in your hands. See this update from Andy." 4:30 PM - Jul 21, 2017 From Rubin’s statement it appears work on the phone has now been completed and there’s no...

The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has purportedly made an appearance in render form, ahead of its potential release in September. OnLeaks has published images of renders apparently created from CAD information, showing a typically slimline handset with the pop-out S Pen lurking in the bottom right corner. The design seems to offer a curved glass back panel and the same odd placement for the fingerprint sensor next to the camera module, LED flash and HR sensor as seen on the Galaxy S8. Given the reception for the positioning of the sensor on that device was mixed to say the least, we’re not sure how it’ll be received by fans of the series. The good news is, if the renders are to be trusted, we are getting the rumored dual camera while the headphone jack has been retained by Samsung. Recent rumors have suggested the Galaxy Note 8 will be the most expensive phoneSamsung has ever released, starting at 999 Euros. For that outlay folks will get a 6.3...

LG has announced that buyers of its forthcoming V20 modular smartphone will get B&O PLAY headphones bundled with their handset at no extra cost as it looks to take the fight to the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8. Combined with being one of the first non-Nexus devices to get  Android Nougat , LG looks like it’s seriously upping the smartphone stakes as it gets set to unveil its next flagship. News of the latest development in the growing partnership between LG and B&O PLAY was announced by the two companies in a predictably glowing press release. “The collaboration with LG provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase B&O PLAY’s expertise in terms of audio technology, design excellence and user-centred philosophy. With the new LG V series smartphone, users will experience a new premium sound experience that they have never heard before,” said B&O PLAY president Henrik Taudorf Lorensen. MPU 1 (Desktop / Tablet) Juno Cho, president of LG E...