Androidifying

Fashion brand Diesel just unveiled a new smartwatch at IFA 2018: the Diesel Full Guard 2.5. This new Diesel smartwatch does it all: heart rate tracking, GPS tracking, NFC payments, and more. However, the chipset on this new Diesel smartwatch is over two-years-old at this point, making it hard to recommend. At  IFA 2018  the Fossil Group is showcasing several new members to its family. Earlier we had a look at the new Skagen Falster 2. Now we have a  new Wear OS smartwatch reveal from Italian fashion brand Diesel: the Diesel Full Guard 2.5. As you can see from our hands-on images, the new Diesel smartwatch is enormous. Diesel’s design aesthetic usually has a chunky look to it, so the look of the Full Guard 2.5 will likely appeal to those who already love the brand’s clothes. Editor's Pick Best smartwatches (July 2018) Smartwatches are still a very new thing to a lot of people, and for good reason. You don't absolutely need one to get through the day, and some

Skagen has announced a new Falster smartwatch at IFA 2018 . The Falster 2 comes with a heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, and NFC for payments. Basically, it fixes all our complaints with the original Skagen Falster. When Skagen launched the original Falster smartwatch at CES earlier this year, I was enamored, then torn. It was, in my opinion, the prettiest Wear OS watch on the market, but it came with some huge caveats: no NFC for on-the-go payments, no built-in GPS, and no heart rate sensor. To make up for those omissions, Skagen announced the Falster 2 at IFA 2018 , and it pretty much fixes everything we disliked about the original watch.  That’s right — the Falster 2 comes with all the things mentioned above: an NFC chip for use with Google Pay , built-in GPS , and a heart rate sensor . It’s swim-proof, too, so you can jump in the pool or take a shower without ruining it. It’s a much more powerful watch than the original, and it’s finally up there with most other Wear OS

Motorola The Motorola One series has been announced, offering Android One and dual-camera technology. Motorola says you can expect an update to Android Pie “soon” after launch. The Motorola One and One Power have finally been announced, coming a few months after we first got wind of the series. And as the name implies, the new phones are part of the Android One program . The two phones share virtually identical designs, including a wide notch, slight chin, a dual camera setup on the back, and rear fingerprint scanner . But the difference between the phones largely comes down to the specifications. The Motorola One. Buy the standard Motorola One and you’ll be getting a Snapdragon 625 chipset and 5.99-inch HD+ display (19:9). Opt for the Motorola One Power and you’ll get a more capable Snapdragon 636 processor and a slightly larger, 6.2-inch full HD+ display (19:9). Unfortunately, the announcement post doesn’t delve into more details. But it notes that the Motorola One

ZTE is premiering “ 5G Device Solutions” aimed to help bring next-generation networks to smartphones at  IFA 2018 in Berlin this week. The company’s cutting-edge technology includes multi-antenna arrays, architecture changes for the latest standards, and even dedicated heat dissipation structures to cope with the extra power consumption. All of this is very much required to tackle the design challenges of  phones transitioning to 5G . However, there’s a notable detail hidden away in all this — ZTE doesn’t expect to ship its first 5G smartphone until the second half of 2019. It had previously been ambitious enough to suggest a 5G phone launch later this year, later pushing that back to an early 2019 estimate . Given that the company has these 5G Device Solutions at the show, why the holdup? ZTE's 5G phone has been pushed back from the turn of 2019 to much later in the year ZTE hasn’t given a reason for the delay, but the newly unveiled device solutions actually hint at the

The Google Play Store now has a “try now” button for games, right next to the “buy” or “install” button. The feature uses technology from mobile studio AppOnBoard, and has already been implemented in a few titles. AppOnBoard is offering a 30-day free trial to developers wanting the feature in their games. Instant Apps have been available on the Google Play Store for a while now, allowing users to access apps without downloading them. Now, Google has taken things further with a “try now” button (located next to the “install” or “buy” buttons) for games in the Play Store. According to Venturebeat (h/t: XDA-Developers ), hitting the button launches a demo that requires no installation. This demo can be up to 10MB in size, and seamlessly prompts users to download or purchase the full product once it’s over. The technology, which is actually the brain-child of mobile company AppOnBoard, has already been implemented in games like Cookie Jam Blast. It also works with unrelease

A more in-depth article originally appeared on our sister site,  SoundGuys.com At IFA in Berlin, Qualcomm unveiled its latest Bluetooth audio codec for smartphones and headphones: aptX Adaptive. This isn’t the 24-bit/96kHz codec from Qualcomm that some have been clamoring for, but don’t be disheartened. aptX Adaptive sets out to solve a number of the biggest issues in the Bluetooth audio space and could be the codec we’ve been waiting for if it works as well as promised. Headphone jacks are quickly disappearing from many smartphones , so handsets and headphones are in need of a codec that works well not just for high-quality music, but increasingly for voice calls, video, and gaming too. aptX Adaptive steps in to support all of these use cases, along with ensuring a consistent connection even in crowded radio environments. What’s new with aptX Adaptive As the name suggests, aptX Adaptive is an adjustable codec. Rather than being set at a locked bitrate like aptX Classic , Low Lat

Welcome to our Android 8.0 Oreo update tracker . Following its public release in August 2017, Oreo is steadily finding its way to more and more Android smartphones. Google has been working to reduce fragmentation and ensure that more devices receive the latest Android version in a timely fashion. It’s still a work in progress though; the Android 8.0 Oreo update is still far from widespread, as the Android version distribution figures show . You’re probably wondering “When will my phone get Oreo?” This tracker will help with that question. We’re collecting all the information we can find on the rollout of Android 8, including past OTAs and upcoming releases. Without further ado, here’s what we know so far about the Android 8.0 Oreo update. Android 9 Pie is here! Check out our Android Pie update tracker What’s new in Android 8.0 Oreo? We have all the features here Android Wear update tracker Got Oreo? Before we start As with older versions, the update to Android 8.0 Oreo ha