Nexus 6P gets performance boosting update

After updating the Nexus 5X, Google has now released an update for the flagship Nexus 6P.

Like the Nexus 5X update, the 6P update focuses primarily on improving the performance for background and foreground tasks. Google also fixed the 'until next alarm' bug, and there are some carrier-specific updates as well.

Overall, nothing major, but if you ever experienced some performance hiccups on your Nexus 6P or any other minor bugs you can expect to see some improvements.

Samsung already rolling out an 'urgent' update to Galaxy S7 edge

Samsung's newest flagships - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - are yet to officially go on sale, but that hasn't stopped the South Korean company from issuing updates to them. Specifically, the edge variant is currently getting an update which has been categorized as 'urgent' by Samsung.

There are not much details available about what exactly the update in question includes, except that it is for the Edge screen and is aimed at preventing errors from occurring.

It's a small update, weighing in at 3.32MB, but given that it's marked 'urgent,' you should install it as soon as you get the notification. In case the update hasn't hit your device, you can manually check for it by heading to your handset's Settings menu.

Samsung Galaxy S7 landing on Cricket next week

AT&T's prepaid subsidiary Cricket has announced that it will start carrying the Samsung Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone next week. Carrying a $649.99 price tag, the device will be available both in-stores and online beginning March 18.

Those purchasing a Galaxy S7 unit from Cricket between March 18 and April 1 will also get a free Samsung Gear VR headset as well as a 6-game bundle - worth $150. The carrier says the promo will only be available till supplies last.

In case you aren't already aware, the Big Four US carriers have already started shipping Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders. Officially however, the flagships are set to go on sale in 60 countries starting tomorrow.

Samsung says Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders stronger-than-expected

In line with reports earlier this month, Samsung has revealed that pre-orders for its newest flagship smartphones - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - have been stronger than what the company was expecting. The revelation was made by the South Korean firm's mobile chief Koh Dong-jin.

Sadly, there was no word on exactly how many Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders Samsung has received, as well as what was the South Korean company's initial sales target for the devices. Dong-jin, however, did say that they are expecting the new flagships will help reverse Samsung's fortunes in China.

Both the S7 and S7 edge are set to officially go on sale starting tomorrow (March 11) - they will be available in 60 countries in the first wave of their global launch.

Turns out, Verizon WILL support Samsung Pay on the Galaxy S7 and S7edge

Well, we don’t know where it started from, but someone with a review device or an early shipment of the Galaxy S7 has reported that the Verizon’s Galaxy S7 is not compatible with Samsung Pay on the Play Store. It simply wasn’t allowing them to download it.

After reaching out to Verizon, Android Central was able to receive confirmation that Samsung Pay is, in fact, coming to the Verizon S7. The app was simply not available because it was still undergoing testing before flicking the switch and releasing the app. The Samsung Pay app is up on the Play Store now and downloadable by the Verizon S7.

Verizon executive, Jeffery Nelson, tweeted regarding this issue to clear the air once and for all.

The Samsung Pay app will be ready for users when they get their new Galaxy S7’s on Verizon when the ACTUAL launch of the phone comes around on March 11.

Amazon UK accepting pre-orders for LG G5, release date: April 8 for £529

The LG G5 has shown up on a major online retailer, Amazon UK has the LG G5 listed for pre-order in either Rose Gold or Titan Grey. Both units are 32GB variants and sold unlocked or SIM-free and can be pre-ordered for £529 (roughly $750).

This morning, there were early reports that the LG G5 is set to be launched on April 8 in Canada, the same day as Amazon UK lists as the G5’s release date upon preorder. It could be that LG is planning for a worldwide release of the G5 on the same day.

There is still a long time to go before the launch of the device, but if you become too impatient you can check out our hands-on of the LG G5 at MWC.

LG V10 is getting Android 6.0 Marshmallow in Turkey and South Korea

We already knew that the LG V10 would eventually be graced by an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and today it's finally started rolling out. The big caveat here is that the update is so far only out in two countries - Turkey and South Korea.

So it could be a while before the Marshmallow goodies make their way to V10 units sold elsewhere, especially if LG is using these two markets to test that everything is going fine with the release. However, the good news for V10 owners across the world is that the software is finalized, and now only regional and carrier variations need to be added. So conceivably this will roll out internationally in a few weeks at most.

In Turkey, the software iteration that's making its way to devices over-the-air is V20b, with the download coming in at 846MB. Perhaps rather oddly, this is Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and not 6.0.1.

As you'd expect, the new release comes with everything that Google packed into Marshmallow, including the revamped permissions system, Doze Mode for better standby battery life, Direct Share, as well as improvements to Do Not Disturb mode (including that new name). LG's done a bit of tweaking of its own on top of that, making the brightness slider visible while you adjust it, introducing new Knock Code settings, and renaming LG Bridge to LG AirDrive.

Google offers developers 25% off the Pixel C tablet

To complement the release of the first developer preview for Android N, which happened mere hours ago, Google has revealed a promotional offer for those who'd like to pick up one of its Pixel C tablets.

The search giant says this deal is only meant for developers to take advantage of, but we can't see why you couldn't try to even if you're just a consumer. What you get is 25% off the price of the tablet.

That means the 32GB model will be yours for just $375, which is $125 less than its normal price. On the other hand, the price reduction for the 64GB tablet is even bigger - $150, in fact (you can grab it for $450, compared to the usual asking price of $600). The deal sadly does not apply to the Pixel C's keyboard, which you still have to purchase separately for $150.

If you want in on this, head on over to this page and enter your email address. You should then receive a promo code via email, which you can enter into the Google Store upon checkout, after you've added the desired Pixel C to your cart. The limit is one tablet per person, and the offer is only valid in the US.

Android N Developer Preview is out with multi-window mode built-in

Today Google has released the first Developer Preview of the upcoming Android N release. And yes, this is just called "N" for now, expect the official desert name to be outed alongside its final build many months from now.

It's a surprise, this, because Google has so far introduced developer previews of its new Android versions at the annual I/O conference, which generally takes place in May. This time, however, the search giant is giving developers a taste of a build that's even earlier in the development cycle than usual, which means it should have more time to incorporate feedback into the final thing. It will also let Google "hand off the final N release to device makers this summer, so they can get their hands on the latest version of Android earlier than ever".

What's new

The big new headline feature in Android N, at least so far, is the addition of a multi-window mode. Or call it split-screen multitasking if you want, it's the same thing. This will be incorporated by developers into their apps by using a new manifest attribute. Once engaged, multi-window mode will look like you can see in the screenshots below. Notice that it's not limited to tablets, but will also work on phones, and even TVs - where you'll even get a picture-in-picture mode.

Next up, in Android N you are able to reply to incoming stuff directly from the notification. This uses the same API as Android Wear, so any app that works with Wear will work with it without the need for any code changes at all.

While we're on the subject of notifications, the new release also lets developers group notifications from the same app together. The bundled notification can be expanded into individual ones by tapping a newly-introduced expansion button or by using a two-finger gesture.

Doze Mode was put into Marshmallow in order to enhance standby battery life. But while that only works when your device has been stationary for a while, the new revamped Doze Mode in Android N also sometimes kicks in when the screen is off and the device isn't stationary. Project Svelte has also been worked on some more - it's an effort to reduce the operating system's memory use so it can be more usable on low-end hardware.

And in a bit of news that will surely only concern actual developers, Java 8 language features have now come to Android, and you can use them through the Jack compiler.

Download

Google has already posted factory images for the Android N Developer Preview on its dedicated website. These are available for the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9,Nexus Player, and Pixel C. The company stresses that this initial release is only intended for developers to fiddle with, and not for daily use or consumers.

It is however making it easier than ever before to test it. Later today a special page will allow you to sign up for the new Android Beta Program. And once you've done that you'll get this Developer Preview build, along with all the others that are coming in the future as over-the-air updates. So you won't have to flash those factory images to take a peek at Android N.

Google says that it will invite consumers in to have a look the new Android version once it gets closer to a final product.

Goldgenie already has a 24-karat gold-plated Samsung Galaxy S7 on offer

Nothing speaks status more than a golden phone right? If you share this opinion then you have surely heard of Goldgenie - the company enjoying the plentiful financial support of millionaire James Caan. Now, as Samsung is preparing for the first wave of mass shipments of its latest flagship duo, Goldgenie has already gotten its hands on the devices and is offering them with a golden exterior.

Currently, there is only one modification of the S7 family on offer, complete with a sparkly golden dust effect on its curved back. The 24-karat gold also extends to the frame and buttons, even the camera and flash frames, leaving only the front it its original black color and Gorilla Glass finish for protection. The design is quite reminiscent of the Galaxy S6 edgeStardust model, also currently on offer at Goldgenie, but we hardly think it's wise to splurge for a full gold treatment and not get the latest tech at hand.
Goldgenie is offering the service with the purchase of a new Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, or your own unit, if you have somehow managed to already get one. The former options come with 64GB of storage and will set you back GBP 2,097.00 for the S7 and GBP 2,297.00 for its edgy sibling.

T-Mobile officially announces its Buy One, Get One free deal for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

The Buy One, Get One free (BOGO) deal that was leaked two days ago has now become official at T-Mobile for both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge. The offer will become available online tomorrow, and will stay so "for a limited time", according to the carrier.

Here's how it works. You grab an S7 or S7 edge with an installment plan, and you get a second one for free after a rebate card. You do have to add a line for the free phone, however. You also receive the Samsung Gear VR headset for free as well as a full year of free Netflix if you purchase before March 18.

The 32GB Galaxy S7 will cost $669.99 upfront, or $0 down followed by 24 monthly installments of $28. It will be out in Black Onyx and Gold Platinum. The 32GB Galaxy S7 edge will be priced at $779.99 upfront, or $59.99 down and then 24 monthly payments of $30. For this model you'll be able to choose between Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, and Gold Platinum.

HTC to make Nexus devices for the next three years

It is no secret that HTC is struggling big time on the Android market. But, while other major players like Samsung and LG are focusing on increasingly more impressive handset offers to wow fans, HTC might have decided to adopt a more business approach in the face of an alleged long-term partnership with Google.

Some yet unconfirmed information was spotted on Chinese social network Weibo, claiming that HTC has struck a partnership with Google to manufacture Nexus devices for the next three years. This comes along with a hint that two new Nexus handsets are already planned for this year, one with a 5-inch display and the other a 5.5-inch one.

If this story holds water then HTC might have just secured its future on the mobile market for quite some time. Nexus fans can also be fairly sure of the well-being of their beloved brand, as HTC does have a history of doing it justice.

The Nexus One was quite impressive when in came out and the same goes for the Nexus 9 tablet, which offered superb performance, an early taste of Android 5.0 and also stunning looks with aluminum edging.