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There were rumors earlier this year of a Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5, but nothing happened at Google I/O, and there's been hardly a peep since. SamMobile noticed something interesting in an image on the Android site, though. There's a Galaxy S5 running stock Android 5.0 in one of the images. How very suspicious.
Google's Building 44 is the home of the Android team, and its lawn is the home of the iconic Android statues. Each version gets a place on the lawn, and the newly announced lollipop is no different. Although, this time it's a less abstract take on the mascot—the bugdroid is holding a giant lollipop.
As with the Nexus 5, Google is going to sell two versions of the new flagship device. There will be one Nexus 6 SKU for the Americas and another for the rest of the globe. Each will have the LTE bands that work for carriers in that region, with the usual overlapping on 3G and 2G. There are a ton of bands too.
Developers won't have to put up with that junky "preview" SDK much longer. In just two days (October 17th) the final Android 5.0 SDK will be available for download in the SDK manager.
We've been speculating and making wild guesses for months about what the new version of Android would be called, but now we know. It's Android 5.0 Lollipop. There was a time when many thought 5.0 was going to be Key Lime Pie, but that certainly didn't happen. How far we've come.
Google made a change to Androidify's Play Store listing the other day, but did not roll out the new version. Well, now it's happening. Androidify v2.0 is rolling out, and there's an APK below for those of you who don't want to wait. The app has been completely revamped and comes with a bunch of new sharing tools. There's even a chance your Android character could be used in a Google commercial or on a billboard.
Motorola Solutions (Not Mobility) Set To Unveil A Rugged Android Device For Business On October 21st
When we talk about Motorola, we usually mean Motorola Mobility. That's the company that makes phones, while Motorola Solutions is a telecom and equipment maker. They were both spun off from the classic Motorola Inc., but now we have reason to talk about Motorola Solutions. This entity will be announcing an Android device on October 21st. Neat.
Android Wear is naturally more limited than regular builds of Android, but some of the omissions just don't make sense. No battery monitor, Google? Really? Well, there's finally an app that fills in some of the gaps, and it's called Wear Battery Monitor. That's a descriptive, if predictable name.
There's an update to Chrome Beta (v39) rolling out in the Play Store, and it brings at least one notable feature—Reader Mode. You can probably guess what it is from the name. It strips out all the superfluous stuff on a page, leaving you with just the content. If you want it without waiting, we've got a download for you.
Chrome got you down in the dumps? Why not try Firefox? It's like Chrome, but developed by the fine people at Mozilla, who also make... um... okay, the point is Mozilla makes Firefox, and it's a good browser. Now it's even better with v33 rolling out to the stable version with support for casting to Chromecast or Roku, better private data management, and more.
Machinarium has been around for a few years on virtually every platform, but now we're finally getting something new (to Android) from Amanita Design. Botanicula shares a gameplay and art style with Machinarium, but it's a completely new adventure about five tree-dwelling friends who must save the last seed from their home tree, which has become infested with nasty parasites.
Our friends over at Android Central have apparently gotten their hands on some marketing materials for the upcoming Droid Turbo for Verizon. They confirm much of the information that was already leaked, and also add a few new tidbits for you to chew on. As expected, this phone is packing some crazy hardware.
It feels like Android L and the Nexus 6 are set to drop at any moment—you can almost sense the #NexusWarriors gathering at the fringes of the internet, ready to storm all the comment sections everywhere and tell you how great the Nexus 6 is. And maybe it will be, but for now all we have is a taste of what's to come with a leaked copy of Google's new Android ads with the slogan "Be Together, Not The Same." It includes a cameo by what appears to be the Nexus 6 running Android L. Also, I'm pretty sure the phone is rendered to scale with the people in this ad.
Until now only those in a few areas of California and New York have been able to take advantage of Google Shopping Express, but that's changing now. As was previously rumored, Shopping Express is expanding to new cities and it's bringing a new name and pricing structure along with it. Google Shopping Express is now simply Google Express, and it requires a paid membership or per-delivery charge.
We're in a bit of a lull for Android Wear devices. All three launch watches have been released and the second wave is still on the way. You may be wondering, have the app developers slowed down? Hell no, and how dare you ask such a leading question in your head just how? It's okay, though. We forgive you. As penance, read the following zillion words about all the new apps for Android Wear from the last few weeks.
T-Mobile will continue to go it alone in the wilds of the US wireless industry after French telecom Iliad has announced it is dropping plans to buy the carrier from parent company Deutsche Telekom. Iliad's leadership had imposed a deadline of mid-October to decide whether to increase its previously rejected offer of $15 billion for a 56.6% stake in the Uncarrier. That's not happening, so the dream is dead.
Another week is just getting underway, but do not despair as you head off to the office for another stint of backbreaking labor. You can always unwind with some apps on your phone, that lovely little slab of plastic and glass that has given you oh so many hours of entertainment. It's all right there at your fingertips, and now you can get a little more stuff for your phone for less money. Yes, sales. We have them.
T-Mobile's Sony Xperia Z3 Is Official—Available Online October 15th And In Stores October 29th
Sony's latest and greatest has been expected on T-Mobile for a few weeks, but now it's official. The Xperia Z3 will be available from T-Mobile on October 29th in stores. However, there's an online-only pre-sale kicking off on October 15th, meaning you can get the phone shipped before it's in stores.
The Moto 360 isn't a perfect device, but it's still probably the king of Android Wear smart watches for the time being. One of the cool things about the 360 is the smarter way it makes use of ambient mode (not the ambient light sensor, that's different). The screen will stay on so you can see it without the full wrist-flip gesture, but you can make use of ambient mode to save power when you're not wearing the watch—just lay it face down.
The Moto X is out, and it's one of the best phones Motorola or anyone has ever made. Last year the Moto X was announced in tandem with the new Droids, but this year we're still waiting. It can't be long, though. The @DroidLanding Twitter account has just posted a teaser for the Droid Turbo, and it's red. Update: It looks like Verizon pulled the Tweet, but it's too late. WE ALREADY SAW IT, VERIZON. Pic embedded below.