Android Circuit: Galaxy Note 6 Attacks iPhone 7, Sonys Premium Selfie, Nokia Android Smartphone
Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit includes the Galaxy Note 6 challenging the iPhone 7 Pro, Nokia’s return with Android, the developer releases of Android N and Wear 2.0, Lenovo revealing the 2016 edition of the Moto G, Sony’s super selfie camera, Apple Pay arriving in the UK, and Google risking an Nandroid McNandroidyface moment.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
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Galaxy Note 6 Challenges Apple iPhone 7
Samsung’s release of the Galaxy S7 family was timed to maximise a number of factors, including first quarter sales, market share, and to counter the release of the iPhone SE. Now the retail release date of August 15th for the Note 6 suggests a similar strategy for the phablet device – except this time it could take down the presumptively titled iPhone 7:
The early release (compared to previous years) of the Galaxy S7 saw Samsung post strong financial figures during calendar Q1. Galaxy S7 sales will continue to keep Q2 numbers healthy, but just as they tail off in Q3 the Note 6 is going to arrive to lift the numbers again. That’s not a trick that Samsung can pull again next year, but it allows the positive ‘turnaround’ story to be continued through the second half of 2016 as the fortunes of the Mobile Division improve.
Most importantly, the early release date allows the momentum to build behind the sales, the marketing, and the reviews of the Galaxy Note 6 ahead of the launch of the presumptively titled iPhone 7 during September. The expectation is that Apple will release the iPhone 7 as a mid-range device, and the iPhone 7 Pro as its third phablet. The latter will be drawn into direct comparison with the Note 6, and as it stands Apple is adding very little to the hardware to help it stand out.
Android N Goes On Display
Google’s I/O conference has given developers and manufacturers a lot of new toys and ideas to play with. From always-listening voice-powered assistants and home integration, to new messaging and video apps, there was a sense of focus and practicality to this year’s offerings. Chris Burns has summed up the main stories from the event for SlashGear.
The big news was Android N. The beta of the seventh major version of Android can be downloaded now for the Pixel C tablets and recent Nexus releases, but be aware these are developer releases and may have some serious gaps or errors. Do not use them in ‘mission critical’ devices just to be cool. Instead look at what’s on offer with Sam Byford’s eight highlights from Android N:
Google claims performance increases in various directions with just about every version of Android, and this one’s no different. N is adopting a new graphics API called Vulkan, which is also starting to see use in PC gaming and should help deliver more efficient visual performance on phones and tablets.Read the rest of the new features on The Verge.
Android N also has a new JIT compiler, which Google says will improve battery life and result in apps that can be 50 percent smaller while installing 75 percent faster.
Updating The Wrist
Google also introduced Android Wear 2.0 as a developer preview (more on its Android Developers blog). While the smartwatch revolution hasn’t really broken out of the geekerati, Android Wear is targeted at any wearable device, not just those on the wrist. Ars Technica has taken a hands-on look at the new code:
Wear 2.0 is still notification-focused, but it delivers them in a way that’s less disruptive to your newly useful, complication-equipped watch face.In all of this, I’m still waiting on a Nexus Watch for Google’s definitive statement on what it believes a smartwatch should be.
You still swipe up on your watch face to start flipping through your notifications, but Wear is less obnoxious about telling you when you have notifications waiting for you. When you’ve got new notifications and you raise the watch to look at it, you’ll see a small bug at the bottom of the screen that shows you the icon of the app that generated the notification. For communications apps, you’ll also see a photo for the contact that generated the notification. This bug won’t show up if you have older notifications on the watch, so if you’re just trying to look at your watch face for quick information, your notifications won’t get in the way.
What could have been the Nokia X2, A Finnish Android smartphone from 2012 (Image, Microsoft PR)
The Nokia name is to return to the smartphone world following this week’s announcement that it would licence the brand and intellectual property to a new company that will partner with a subsidiary of Foxconn. I’ve taken a look at some of the options open to the company for its portfolio, including the potential return of an old favourite:
Much of Nokia’s value is in the nostalgia for the name, when phones would run for months on a single charge, the best game in the world was Snake, and you could hammer in nails with the screen. That’s the sort of phone that the new Nokia needs to bring back to the market. Forget your iPhones, put aside the Galaxy handsets, the new dream team can bring back the Nokia 3310. The original sold over 126 million so there’s clearly a demand. A super small handset, rugged construction, that runs Android, could be the ‘typical Nokia handset’ the market is in need of.
Lenovo Offers Three New Moto G Devices
Lenovo has announced three new Moto G models. Retaining the branding of Motorola’s popular budget devices, two of the 2016 variants (the Moto G and the Moto G4) sport relatively large 1080p 5.5 inch screens, a SnapDragon 617 chipset, and a 3000 mAh battery. The G4 is clearly the premium device, with a 16 megapixel camera with improved optics (as opposed to the 5 megapixel of the Moto G) and a fast charge adaptor which can deliver six hours of charge in fifteen minutes. Cam Bunton has more:
This camera, according to Lenovo, has been highly-rated by DxOmark, and comes alongside a camera app complete with Pro-mode, HDR and the usual Motorola interface. In comparison, the regular Moto G has a 13MP camera on the back with 1080p video capture.The third model is the Moto G Play, with a smaller batter (2800 mAh), slower chipset (SnapDragon 410), and smaller screen (a 5 inch screen with 720p resolution). Given the Moto G’s reputation, this is the handset which could have a big impact in the market.
The G4 Plus is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner on the front, which the regular Moto G4 doesn’t have. Lenovo claims this fingerprint can recognize a finger, and unlock the phone in less than 750milliseconds. It’s slightly slower than the 600millisecond claim of the Nexus 6P, but you’re unlikely to notice in real life use.
The Moto G4 Plus will be available in three variants: 2GB RAM/16GB storage, 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The Moto G4 has 2GB RAM and either 16GB or 32GB storage. All of them are expandable via MicroSD card.
Moto G (2014) 4G LTE version (image: Motorola Brazil)
Sony has also revealed a new premium styled smartphone. Its Xperia XA Ultra is targeting the selfie generation with a 16 megapixel optically stabilised forward facing camera, a MediaTek chipset, and a 1080p screen. 9to5Google’s Edoardo Maggio looks at the other features:
The back camera is Sony’s signature Exmor RS’ 21.5MP shooter, with features like quick launch and hybrid autofocus to help it out. A 64 bit, octa-core MediaTek MT6755 powers the device alongside Android Marshmallow, while memories include an expandable 16GB of flash storage and 3GB of RAM.Android Smartphone, Sir? That’ll Do Nicely
The Xperia XA Ultra will be available in White, Graphite Black and Lime Gold starting this July, with prices yet to be finalized.
Google Pay (the contactless payment system at the heart of Android) is being turned on in the UK, in part due to the size of the market, but also with the UK’a familiarity with contactless payment through bank cards… and Apple Pay. Rory Cellan-Jones reports for the BBC:
For now, just as with Apple Pay, most retailers will only allow payments up to £30 using your phone. The promise is that a software upgrade to payment terminals will allow higher amounts, although you will then need to use your unlock method to authorise the transaction. Given that Apple last year listed a number of retailers that would be accepting higher payments, and only a handful have so far done that, I would be surprised if there is rapid progress on this front.And Finally…
At launch, many Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards will work with the app, although Barclays customers will not be able to use Android Pay. That is because the bank is going it alone, making contactless payments available through its own mobile banking app.
The debate over what the ‘N’ could stand for in Android N is taking a turn towards the risky, with Google opening up a mini-site to take public suggestions on the latest flavor of the mobile operating system:
#NameAndroidN - We’re trying to decide what to name the next version of Android. Got any good ideas that start with the letter N?If Google’s not careful, its going to end up with its own Nandroidy McNandroidyface.
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!
Source: Forbes Tech
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