Androidifying

Update, July 31, 2018 (09:22AM EST):  The Lenovo Smart Display launched late last week, but it was only available at Lenovo.com . Now, the Google Assistant-powered smart display has made its way to select retailers — but it’s hard to get your hands on. Best Buy has a listing for both the 10-inch and 8-inch models of the Lenovo Smart Display. The 10-inch model even comes with a free $20 gift card. However, both items are currently out-of-stock, with new units projected to arrive in about two weeks. B&H Photo  has the smart displays listed too, but also lists them as out-of-stock. The company expects availability over a month from now. We also know that Costco has the Lenovo Smart Display for sale, even selling the 10-inch model for $50 off. However, you need a Costco membership to purchase the items. As of right now, it looks like your best bet is still to buy directly from Lenovo . But if you can wait a bit, grab that Best Buy deal and get your free $20 gift card. pre-ord

A leaked press render supposedly depicting the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Samsung has published its second-quarter 2018 earnings figures. The report touches on Galaxy S9 sales, folding phones, and the company’s midrange lineup. Samsung says the S9 faced tough competition and it intends to release the Galaxy Note 9 early to give it a better chance. Samsung has released its Q2 2018 earnings results , confirming speculation regarding several of its flagship phone developments. The company touched on sluggish Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus sales, and the upcoming release of the  Galaxy Note 9 , in the report released earlier today. Speculation that Samsung’s Galaxy S9 was under-performing arrived earlier in July , where its flagship was said to be lagging behind the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 in terms of sales. In the earnings report, Samsung attributed part of the “slow sales” to the “stagnant high-end smartphone market” — something which we’ve talked about before . Editor's

Google has produced some guidelines to help manufacturers develop notched smartphones. The company has also given app creators Android SDK tools to help them develop for notches of various sizes and locations. The guidelines appear in the Android P Dev Preview 5 and are expected to be part of the final version of the software. Google has rolled out guidelines to help OEMs and app creators develop for smartphones with display notches. Google discussed the new principles, which arrive as part of the Android P Developer Preview 5 (Beta 4), in a blog post published yesterday. Editor's Pick End of the notch? Upcoming Huawei phone will reportedly have a display hole instead Huawei is reportedly planning to release a phone with a notch-like hole in the display panel that would house the front-facing camera. According to ETNews, the device would have a 6.39-inch LCD display and Huawei is … Display notches allow Android OEMs to optimize their display area by housing

A Xiaomi phone has appeared on China’s telecoms authority website, bearing a strong resemblance to the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The phone seems to lack facial recognition sensors and is available in a variety of RAM/storage configurations. This could be a more affordable Mi 8 Explorer Edition or a special version of the Mi Note 4. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition stands out from most flagships thanks to its transparent back  — even if the underlying circuitry isn’t the real deal . Now, another transparent Xiaomi phone has appeared on China’s TENAA website , and it raises several questions. At first glance, it’s identical to the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, sporting an unnamed 2.8Ghz processor, the same rear cover, a dual-camera setup with at least one 12MP shooter, and a 20MP selfie camera. The battery is a 2,900mAh pack compared to the Mi 8 Explorer’s 3,000mAh cell, but TENAA could very well be reporting the minimum capacity. So far, so very Explorer Edition… Other similar featur

WhatsApp Blog WhatsApp group calls are now rolling out to all, following a test run with a small group of users. The feature was first announced at Facebook’s F8 conference in May. Group audio and video calls are limited to four users, so it’s not a Skype replacement just yet. Facebook originally announced group audio and video calls for WhatsApp back at the F8 conference, before opening it to a subset of users . It looks like the feature is now ready for prime-time as the messaging platform has announced availability for all users. According to a post on the WhatsApp Blog , the feature started its rollout yesterday (July 30). Sit tight if you haven’t received the functionality just yet, it should appear soon. Do note that group calls have a four-member limit, so you can’t conduct a large-scale meeting via this route. It’s far from a Slack or Skype call replacement right now, but it could be handy for small groups of family and friends. To get started, initiate a call o

Google has released a new Chromebook ad that throws shade at Windows and macOS. The ad compares Chrome OS to its rivals by showing an increasing number of issues that occur on the other systems. The ad also demonstrates that Chrome OS is much more than just a web browser inside a computer. For many years, Chrome OS has been known as the browser-based operating system that runs on cheap hardware that people buy for their kids. While many still might think Chromebooks are only good for browsing the web, Google really wants to change the narrative. As you can see in Google’s latest ad, the search giant starts off by poking fun at Windows and macOS. The video highlights several notable pain points found in rival operating systems, including error messages, virus threats, software crashes and lag. The advertisement follows up this criticism by showcasing what’s possible on Chromebooks such as running ( Android ) apps, editing photos, writing on the display (where applicable),

Alcatel has temporarily stopped selling the Alcatel U50 in Canada over radiation concerns. The phone failed to meet Canadian radiation regulations, although it is still considered safe. Alcatel is working on a software update to fix the issue. Alcatel has temporarily stopped selling the Alcatel U50 in Canada after it failed to meet government-set wireless radio frequency energy exposure limits. These are limits that aim to regulate the amount of radiation devices can emit. The Alcatel U50 is a budget device that was first released in late 2017  and sold by Bell, Telus and Freedom Mobile. Despite failing to comply with government regulations, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada confirmed to MobileSyrup (via Android Headlines ) that the phone is still safe to use. They explained that the government limits have a “50-fold safety margin below the threshold for adverse health effects,” and that the U50 fell well within these margins. Editor&#