The Android News Thread

Galaxy S9 rumored to feature a modular design

Many companies have tried to embrace modular design for their smartphones. They enable customers to enhance the functionality of their smartphones by purchasing additional modules that perform a specific function.

We’ve seen modules for enhancing camera capabilities and the sound experience from other manufacturers. Samsung hasn’t done something like this as yet but if a new rumor is to be believed, the company might be considering a modular design for the Galaxy S9.

Its implementation of the modular design is said to be similar to Motorola’s Moto Z line. If that’s true, the Galaxy S9 will have magnetic pins at the back which will be used to attach external modules easily.

Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone also uses a similar modular design. It relies on magnetic pins for external modules, one of them being a 360-degree camera. The modules not only enhance functionality but they also generate more revenues for the company.

It’s still far too early to be sure of anything as far as the Galaxy S9 is concerned. We’re bound to hear a lot more rumors about this handset before it’s due next year. Samsung is said to be mulling the modular design idea right now and hasn’t approved it as yet so it may or may not make the cut.
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Source: https://www.sammobile.com/2017/08/21/galaxy-s9-rumored-feature-modular-design/
 
@evleaks: Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will debut on October 5th with Snapdragon 836 in tow

In an FCC filing for the Pixel 2 from about a week ago, the "8998" in the baseband revealed that power would come from either a Snapdragon 835 or the updated, as-of-yet unreleased 836. Evan has now confirmed that both Pixel 2 devices will sport the newer processor, making this the second time that the XL model has been simply a larger version of the standard Pixel.

The original Pixel was unveiled on October 4th; the Pixel 2 will make its debut one day later on October 5th. That'll make the first Pixel almost a year old on the dot when its successor comes out, which is somewhat rare to see these days.

We already know a bunch about the Pixel 2's specs - it'll have 4GB of RAM, dual front-facing speakers, an always-on display, a squeezable frame. A 4.97" 1080p display will be present on the smaller model, and a 5.99" 1440p panel will be on the XL. We'll have to wait until October 5th to get the full scoop, unless something major leaks in the 43 days in between.
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Source: http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...xl-will-debut-october-5th-snapdragon-836-tow/
 
Samsung will announce a new Gear S smartwatch at IFA 2017

The Samsung Gear S smartwatch lineup will get a new addition next week, according to one Samsung executive.

Following the big unveiling of the Galaxy Note 8, DJ Koh, Samsung’s President of Mobile, spoke with CNBC and confirmed that his company will have an announcement to make during the IFA trade show next week in Berlin, Germany. The focus will be on a wearable, as Koh confirmed the newest member of the Gear S wearables lineup will be unveiled.

Unfortunately, Koh wasn’t able to go into any real detail about the upcoming smartwatch. He did tease a bit of what the wearable might feature, though, suggesting that health features might be a big push for the wearables industry as a whole. It seems like a safe bet Samsung will continue to focus on health-related features for the new wearable.

As of now, we’ll have to wait until next week to see Samsung’s newest smartwatch. What are you hoping the new wearable bring to the table?
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http://androidandme.com/2017/08/news/samsung-announce-new-gear-s-smartwatch-ifa-2017/
 
New Gear IconX earbuds are more comfortable, can launch Bixby

new-gear-iconx-1.jpg

Samsung launched its Gear IconX activity tracking wireless earbuds last year. Samsung claimed that these cord-free lightweight earbuds provide a perfect fit with three different sizes of eartips and wingtips. We mentioned in our Gear IconX review that we love how they fit and feel in the ears, even though they weren’t fully ready for prime time.

Samsung today announced its new Gear IconX cord-free earbuds. Not much has changed. The design has been slightly updated to make the earbuds more ergonomic and lightweight. Samsung says that they’re more secure and comfortable to use.

The new Gear IconX measures 18.9 x 21.8 x 22.8 mm and weigh just 8 grams per earbud. There’s 4GB of internal storage. They connect via Bluetooth v4.2. The 82mAh battery promises a talk time of up to 4 hours and music playback time of up to 7 hours, quite a lot higher than the original IconX.

The bundled charging case has a 340mAh battery and it provides one extra charge on the go. The Gear IconX is compatible with any Android device running version 4.4 and up.

Like its predecessor, the new Gear IconX has an accelerometer and a heart-rate monitor for activity tracking. The data is synced with Samsung’s S Health platform. It’s capable of tracking distance, speed, duration, heart rate, and calories burned.

The Gear IconX turns on automatically when it’s placed in the ears. Users can control the music via the built-in capacitive touch controls. There’s also a Voice Guide feature on the Gear IconX which provides instant voice feedback on workout progress.

Unsurprisingly, they are also capable of launching Bixby when paired with a supported device like the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8. Samsung is going to start selling the new Gear IconX soon in black, gray and pink colors.

The new Gear IconX will cost 229.99 euro and will be released by November this year.
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Source: https://www.sammobile.com/2017/08/3...arbuds-are-more-comfortable-can-launch-bixby/
 
www.androidpolice.com

Android's iconic dessert names are going away, starting with Android 10

www.androidpolice.com www.androidpolice.com

The last dessert to grace the name of a version of Google's Android operating system will officially be Pie. At a meeting in the Android team's new office in Mountain View last month, we sat down with some of the Googlers responsible for handling Android's biggest rebrand since, well, Android.

Desserts have been a part of Android from (almost) the beginning. Android 1.0, a version of the software nobody ever really used, was internally known as Astroid, but every release that followed carried a desert. In total, Android had 14 (official) dessert-themed releases: Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6), Eclair (2.0-1), Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.0-2), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), Jelly Bean (4.1-3), KitKat (4.4), Lollipop (5.0-1), Marshmallow (6.0), Nougat (7.0-1), Oreo (8.0-1), to today's Android 9 Pie. With Android 10, that comes to an end. And that brings us to the other news: Android Q's official name is simply Android 10, which makes sense Google basically told us that it was in the last beta.
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