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It's official. Valve has finally announced the launch date for the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck is an upcoming handheld PC gaming system created by Valve. It runs on Linux (Arch, by the way) and utilizes a custom AMD APU. As you can imagine, it's a hot item. Valve took reservations for orders when it announced the handheld in 2021. Well, today, Valve has confirmed it will start emailing invites to reservation holders on February 25th, which is coincidentally the Steam Deck's release date. Orders will start shipping on the 28th, which means we're a month away from the first batch going out, and more batches will roll out weekly.
There's a new The Lord of the Rings game on the Play Store, and it takes place in the movie universe
IAPs are back on the menu, boys
At this point, you'd think free-to-play developers like NetEase would have run out of brands to slap on top of the typical free-to-play genres we're all familiar with, and then a new disappointing announcement comes rolling in. It would appear that NetEase is working on a licensed The Lord of the Rings game, which just popped up on the Play Store for pre-registration. It's called The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, and even though neither the Play Store trailer nor the screenshots show a lick of gameplay, we already know this title will land as a typical free-to-play kingdom builder.
Northgard is heading to Android next month, pre-register today for 30% off
Expect this popular strategy game to arrive on Android on August 24th for $8.99
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Playdigious has just revealed that it's bringing Shiro Games' hit real-time strategy game Northgard to Android and iOS sometime soon. While details are light, the publisher has released a new teaser trailer in celebration of this event.
My Time At Portia is going mobile, and you can pre-register right now
This popular farming sim is coming to Android and iOS on August 4
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If you're a big fan of games like Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons, and Animal Crossing, then the upcoming release for My Time at Portia should pique your interest. It's a farming simulation game at its core, but it also offers a host of life sim features, plus a few RPG mechanics, and it all takes place in a 3D open world. The game will arrive on Android and iOS this summer, but so far, there isn't a specific date.
Google accidentally outs possible Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) launch date in blog post
Mistake by Google France points to another October release
After struggling for years to contain the many Pixel leaks, Google now does things a little differently by showing us glimpses of its products ahead of their full unveiling. Even so, it doesn't appear to have been part of the plan to reveal the pre-order date for its upcoming Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) so soon. Someone at Google France seemingly didn't get the memo.
Probable Pixel 4a shipping date leaked by German carrier
Internal documents from Vodafone Germany suggest availability in late May
We've already heard almost everything there is to hear about the Pixel 4a except for a rather important detail: When exactly will it be available for purchase? While we've assumed that Google planned on introducing the phone during its (now canceled) I/O conference in May, we've got some more evidence that it's indeed launching next month: German Caschys Blog got to see some internal Vodafone Germany documents stating the phone will be available through the carrier starting May 22.
In recent years, OnePlus has always launched its regular series around May/June and its improved T lineup around October/November. It looks like the company wants to switch things up a bit this time around, as TechRadar cites a source claiming OnePlus intends to present its next flagship mid-April this year.
Google's Pixel 4 and 4 XL are anticipated to be revealed in just a few days, not that there's too much left for the company to show us. Leaks for the upcoming pair of phones have been rampant, and there probably aren't many mysteries left. With all these details floating around, we've assembled the info we have right now into a list that's easy to parse in a convenient question-and-answer format.
It's been a long road for Misfit's Vapor smartwatch. After being announced at CES in January, it was revealed that it would run Android Wear 2.0 in March, which instantly made it one of the most attractive sub-$200 watches on the platform, then we discovered that the GPS would only be "connected GPS". Meanwhile the shipping date was pushed from late summer to October and that's where we're at now. Misfit just announced that the Vapor will be available on October 31st, honoring its own deadline by a hair.
Are you excited about the LG G5? Well... if you've been reading Android Police for the past 24 hours, then you've likely forgotten about this year's MWC flagships because it's all about Android N (#N4LYFE) and the Galaxy S7 and LG G5 will only ship with Marshmallow. Who remembers Marshmallow now? Oh you do? Right on, let's back to the G5 then.
Have you opened Google Wallet lately? Yeah, neither have I. But those users who have are seeing a not-so-subtle hint from Google that the service's successor, Android Pay, is almost here. Open the latest version of Wallet and you'll see a banner for Android Pay, which appears to be a server-side push (since there's no corresponding update to the APK). The link goes to a web-based FAQ about Android Pay, mostly outlining the transition from Wallet.
Yota's unconventional hardware design has gained the company a lot of press, but following the Mobile World Congress debut of the YotaPhone 2, we've heard nary a peep for the better part of a year. That changed today in a Moscow presentation: the second-gen phone with a built-in e-ink screen on the rear of the case will go on sale in 20 European countries later in December, presumably including Russia. The price will be 33,000 Rubles, approximately $610 or 495 Euro, though taxes and fees may push it higher in some places.
US Cellular's Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Goes On Sale Tomorrow Online, September 19th In Stores For $149.99
US Cellular's Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Goes On Sale Tomorrow Online
Are you the kind of hulking man-monster than accidentally crushes tiny conventional smartphones in your Bunyan-like grasp? Alternately, do you always carry a purse (you too, ladies) and prefer a phone with as big a screen as possible? And are you a current or prospective US Cellular customer? Well then, prepare to have your day made. The leviathan Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 goes on sale for US Cellular tomorrow for $149.99 on-contract after an instant rebate.
Are you stoked for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3? It's one of the most official unannounced products around, and information surrounding the massive handset continues to leak. It looks like we may now be able to pin down a launch date for the device, which Samsung is set to unveil early next month at its "Unpacked" event on September 4th. If the leak posted over at Engadget is to be trusted, the device should ship on September 16th, just a couple weeks after it's revealed.
We were told that Motorola's new flagship would be coming soon, and we have not been disappointed. According to a press release issued this morning, the Moto X will be available at AT&T retailers and in the online store on August 23rd. Customers can order a customized model from the Moto Maker website, or use special kiosks in stores to begin the color and text selection process.
After a last-minute delay for NVIDIA's risky SHIELD gaming device, the company has just sent out an email to those who pre-ordered it. The delayed launch date is next Wednesday, July 31st, just barely making the company's revised commitment to a July launch. Pre-order hardware will be shipped out to customers on Wednesday, and NVIDIA's retail partners will have at least some units that day as well, at the new $299 price tag.
NVIDIA doesn't want to take any chances with its first portable gaming product. After receiving feedback from prospective customers when the initial $349 price for SHIELD was revealed, the MSRP has been lowered to 9 - a big deal for cash-scrapped gamers and hardware junkies alike. Those who have already pre-ordered the hardware will be charged the new price (with whatever funding source they specified) when it ships. NVIDIA has also officially set next Thursday, June 27th as the launch date for SHIELD.
Sprint Officially Confirms That The EVO 4G LTE Launch Is Delayed Due To US Customs, Provides Pre-Order Cancellation Options
Sprint Officially Confirms That The EVO 4G LTE Launch Is Delayed Due To US Customs
We reported last night that, due to an ITC order on an Apple patent infringement claim, at least some of HTC's One X and EVO 4G LTE smartphones had been halted at shipping ports by US Customs.
Want to hear more about the EVO 4G LTE? Good! Because we have a release date for you! And if you don't like that one, we have another one. According to Wirefly's pre-order FAQ page, this slick beast will be unleashed on May 18th. Sprint's own pre-order confirmations seem to lend some credence to this idea, stating that pre-order will begin to ship as early as May 15th.
It's always strange to see a company directly comment on rumors about its own products, but Samsung doesn't seem to take issue with it, as a statement they made to The Verge late last night confirms.