The Android News Thread

Makes sense. If phones are getting thinner and thinner, then why not have a compact clamshell phone that folds up into a 6inch phablet?
And with new stretchable screen technology its just a matter of time before the screen on the inside will be one big stretched out screen.
 
Samsung reportedly developing 11K smartphone display with 2250 ppi

According to a new report Samsung is working with 12 other companies to develop an 11K smartphone display with very high resolution and a staggering 2250 pixels per inch, to put things in perspective the best displays right now don’t have ppi above 600. Development is said to have started on June 1 with Samsung Display leading the pack. The Galaxy S6‘s 5.1-inch display has 1440×2560 pixel resolution and 577 ppi, an 11K display would be almost quadruple of that.
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Source: SamMobile
 
Google Maps makes it possible to send directions from PC to Android

It happens to me all the time. I am sitting in my desk minding my business and suddenly I need to find directions to a location. I use Google Maps to find them on my computer and then decide to head out the door. I can’t do much with my Google Maps desktop search, so I have to search the location all over again, using my Android device.
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This improvement is part of the latest Android update to Google Maps, which happens to be version 9.11.0. If you have the update, all you need to do is go to Google Maps on your browser and search for your destination as you normally would.

Once Google Maps locates your destination, the information window will include a “Send to device” option right below the address and hours. Click on it and a list of your devices will show up. Select your device of choice and you will get a notification with the option to navigate or get directions.
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Sauce: AndroidAuthority
 
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Pushbullet is rolling out the first big feature addition since the announcement of the pro plan, and it seems rather cool. Remote Files lets you connect to any of your Pushbullet devices and download files from anywhere at any time. Everyone can use the feature, but pro users get more functionality.

This is essentially the reverse of file pushing, which is how Pushbullet has always worked before. You'd have to send a file from one device to another. Now you can use a computer (Windows app only right now) or Android device to browse the files on your other devices and request they push a file over to you. According to the devs, if you've got the native Pushbullet app installed on something, all your files are accessible with Remote Files.
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Source: AndroidPolice
 
An Early Look At Android N's Redesigned Notification Shade And Quick Settings Panel

Google changed the style of Android's notification shade and quick settings with the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop, and based on an early version of Android N we've seen, it's changing things up again. The look of Android N's notification shade is being altered, but it's more than cosmetic. Notifications will include more info, and quick settings are finally creeping in. The full quick settings UI is getting a new paginated style, and editing tiles will be easier.

Notifications
The Android N images in this post are mockups based on what we've seen—sorry, we can't post the actual screenshots. The first thing you'll notice is the notifications are full-width, and the separation between items is less distinct. Each item in the list also includes a line with the app that produced the notification. That information is available in the current notification UI, but you have to long-press to see it. Notifications also appear to be able to display some limited color text elements. App icons are smaller and less obvious as well. See below for a comparison of the old vs. new UI.

2016-03-01 08_26_58-[Exclusive] An Early Look At Android N's Redesigned Notification Shade And Q.png

Quick Settings

When you open the quick settings panel, you get a really cool sliding animation as the compressed bar of toggles move down to the full QS. Like the notifications, it's full-width now. The expandable WiFi and Bluetooth icons aren't visible in the version we've seen either. There's an edit button here, indicating that Google is bringing the UI tuner options into the main quick settings. Hopefully that means the feature will be a little more fleshed out.

There appears to be pagination of the quick settings now as well, so you can put less frequently used toggles on the next page. See below for a comparison between the old and new UI.

2016-03-01 08_28_45-[Exclusive] An Early Look At Android N's Redesigned Notification Shade And Q.png
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Source: Android Police
 
Well now, so much for those who prefer "Stock Android" :p

It's Time To Let The Phrase "Stock Android" Die (Opinion)

Sundar Pichai made a series of statements at recode's Code Conference yesterday that seem to have the internet aflutter. Pichai claimed that Google would be adding more software features to future Nexus devices, specifically: "You’ll see us hopefully add more features on top of Android on Nexus phones... There’s a lot of software innovation to be had."

Some have taken this to mean that "stock Android" on Nexus phones is no more. That Google will begin to differentiate just like its partners, with proprietary features and software, and that this marks a move away from a "purer" interpretation of Android. This makes sense until you actually think about it, because Nexus phones haven't run "stock" Android in years, and it's time for us to have a conversation about what that word even means, let alone the idea that Google's interpretation of Android is somehow "purer."

For starters, all of the following applications that ship on Nexus phones today are closed-source.
- Dialer
- Email (Gmail)
- Launcher (GNL)
- Camera (Google Camera)
- Messenger (and Hangouts)
- Gallery (Google Photos)
- Browser (Google Chrome is closed source, even if Chromium is not)
- Clock
- Maps
- Search and voice control
These apps are responsible core smartphone functions and services, and Google holds absolutely all of the keys to every single app in that list. Without those apps and services, your Nexus phone would suck. These are all proprietary Google products, built by Google, but with one key caveat: many of them are available to Google's various Android partners, and so have become conflated with a "stock" or "pure" interpretation of the Android OS.

The term "stock" in regard to Android originally referred to an experience that closely emulated the Android Open Source Project. And, in the early days, even from an end user perspective, AOSP Android was pretty close to the Android you got on a Google Nexus phone like the Nexus One or Nexus S, just minus the Gapps package which added a few of the above items. At the time, though, those apps were pretty much limited to existing Google services and products that had been brought to Android and were around well before it. The dialer, launcher, email client, SMS app, gallery app, clock, and even the browser were all part of AOSP at one point or another as completely open source applications. Most of them still are, too - it's just that they stopped getting updated in large part since Google implemented closed-source replacements for them.

So, a "stock" Android experience actually really doesn't exist out in the market anymore, and unless you're loading a custom ROM of some kind, you'll probably never see it again, anyway. What does exist is Google's Android. And that's what we really need to start calling it. By saying Nexus phones have "stock" or "pure" Android, we're essentially rewriting history in a way Google would very much be amenable to (Android is totally open, and Nexus phones run an open Android), but that isn't especially faithful to the reality of Android's present state. Certainly, Google defines "stock" Android in a technical sense through its changes to AOSP and continues to do so, but a good part of the end user experience is now influenced by apps and services that have nothing to do with AOSP or Android's openness at all. They're just Google products and services - they don't define Android any more than Samsung S Voice or HTC Sense do. They're just add-ons.
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Source: AndroidPolice
 
Vivendi Succeeds In Hostile Takeover Of Mobile Game Publisher Gameloft

Earlier this year we reported that Vivendi, a media mega-corporation headquartered in Paris, was attempting to take control of prolific mobile developer and publisher Gameloft. It appears that they've succeeded: today the company announced that it has purchased a 61.71% share of Gameloft's public stock, giving it more than half of the voting rights for the corporation. The company offered 8 euro per share to existing shareholders in February in a conventional hostile takeover attempt.

Vivendi has interests in almost every major arm of the media, including television, movies, telecommunications, and online properties like DailyMotion. Vivendi was a former powerhouse in the video game market as well, as they owned Activision-Blizzard, publishers of such mega-franchises as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. Activision-Blizzard bought a majority of its own shares from its parent company and became independent in 2013. In addition to the successful takeover of Gameloft, Vivendi has made strong indications that it wishes to take over Ubisoft as well - the corporation already owns almost a fifth of the smaller company's public stock. Ubisoft is one of the largest publishers on the planet with control of franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, and like Gameloft, it's headquartered in France.
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Source: Android Police
 
Samsung could unveil its first foldable phone at MWC 2017 – Bloomberg

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Samsung is in the final stages of developing commercial devices with foldable screens, Bloomberg reports.

Citing persons with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg says Samsung is currently working on two devices that feature folding displays.

One of the two devices folds in half like a cosmetic compact, claim the sources. While the report doesn’t provide more details, we can speculate that this device could look and work like a flip phone, perhaps similar to the Galaxy W (2016).

The other device will reportedly unfold from a 5-inch form factor into an 8-inch one.
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Full article: Android Authority
 
Samsung reveals the names of devices that will receive Android 7.0 updates

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Tab A with S Pen, Galaxy Tab S2 (LTE unlocked), Galaxy A3, and the Galaxy A8 would receive Android 7.0 updates before the first half of 2017. The company also showcased new features and UI design that are a part of the new update. However, Samsung could release Nougat for even more devices in the second half of 2017.
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Full Article: Sammobile
 
Chrome Beta now has the address bar at the bottom of the page

We’ve always been so used to having the address bar of our browsers at the top of the page, whether you’re on your mobile device or on your desktop. But for those who are using Chrome on their smartphone or tablet, you might want to brace yourself for an upcoming new change. In fact, it’s on the beta version already. When you update Chrome Beta, you will now find your address bar at the bottom of your browser by default.


It still basically looks the same, with the number of tabs open after the address bar and the three dots to bring you to the other menu items after that. This time however, you will find it at the bottom of the page. There are also new actions you can do, like half swipe up on the address bar to get to your website shortcuts. If you do a full wipe up, it will bring you a page where you can find link to stories you might be interested in.

Both of the swipe actions will also bring you a bottom menu for Home, Downloads, Bookmarks, and History. If you don’t want this new default address bar at the bottom, you can still opt out of it since you’re on the Chrome Beta version anyway. Go to chrome://flags then search for Chrome Home and then switch it from Default to Disabled.
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Source: https://androidcommunity.com/chrome-beta-now-has-the-address-bar-at-the-bottom-of-the-page-20170819/
 
How to enable and use Instant Apps on Android

Instant Apps are a neat idea: instead of downloading an app from the Play Store that takes time, resources and, in many countries, expensive mobile data, it allows Android users running Marshmallow and above (and soon Lollipop, too) to "try before you buy." Since rolling out to all developers earlier this year, Google says that 500 million Android devices have access to the innovative feature, but Instant Apps doesn't work out of the box, at least not yet — it needs to be enabled.

If your phone runs Android 6.0, you can go to your phone's settings to enable it. Here's how to do it.

How to enable Android Instant Apps

1. From your home screen swipe down on the notification shade.
2. Tap on Settings (the cog icon).
3. Scroll down and tap on Google.

4. Tap on Instant Apps.
5. Toggle feature On.
6. Confirm you agree to the terms by tapping, Yes, I'm in.

That's it! Once you're done enabling Instant Apps, you can then search for a compatible app and begin using it. Right now, there are over 50 apps compatible with Instant Apps, including Jet, Onefootball, Citymapper, Realtor, Jet, Vimeo, dotloop, NYTimes Crosswords and many more
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How to access an Instant App

It's possible to access an Instant App from any URL, including search, social media, messaging, and other deep links. The easiest way is just to search for an app from Google. In this example, we're looking to get directions somewhere in New York using Citymapper.

1. Go to a Google search page.
2. Enter your search term, such as Citymapper.
3. Tap on the first result.
4. Use the app, or if you want the whole experience, tap on Get the app to download it from the Play Store.
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Source: https://www.androidcentral.com/instant-apps
 
Android 8.0 to be called Android Oreo, suggests leaker Evan Blass

Android 8.0 is set to be launched later today at a livestream event from New York City starting at 2:40 PM. Thanks to four Developer Previews, we already know much of what the software will offer in terms of functionality, but an aspect of Android O that has remained elusive is its final name.

Since Android 1.5 Cupcake, Google has used alphabetically ordered “sweet” themed names for its Android versions, the three most recent being Lollipop, Marshmallow, and Nougat. While several names have already been teased by Google and its employees, Oreo has long since been a favorite, and leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) has also tweeted several times to add weight to this.
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http://www.androidauthority.com/android-8-0-name-evan-blass-794736/
 
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