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Lenovo's Chinese phone releases are not usually big international news, but this time was different. The company's teasers seemed to promise an all-screen design without a notch. That would certainly be refreshing in this day and age. However, the Z5 has been announced, and it looks like every other phone unveiled in the last six months. There's a notch, a glass back, and a chin.
Google Lens is available on most Android phones in some fashion, but now there's another way to access Google's computer vision platform. There's a new standalone Lens app in the Play Store. There aren't any new features in the app—it just opens a viewfinder with Lens to identify objects in the real world... maybe. You know, it's Lens.
Despite the name, Cosmic Watch isn't just some watch face app. It certainly does tell you the time, but it's much more than that. This app models the solar system and the night sky, helping you to explore the wonders of the cosmos. It just got a big v2.0 update that adds real-time sky views as well as various new display options and data on all the planets of the solar system.
Asphalt is one of the most popular racing franchises on mobile devices, and Gameloft is preparing to release a new installment. Asphalt 9: Legends will drop on Android soon with tons of licensed cars, flashy graphics, and (inevitably) more in-app purchases than you can shake a gear shifter at.
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Google has been doing an impressive job of pretending Android tablets don't exist for the last few years, and now it's done pretending. Google has updated the Android website to remove the tablet section entirely. You can now use that site to learn all about Android on Phones, Wear, TV, Auto, and Enterprise. That's it. RIP Android tablets.
Samsung launched the obscenely expensive Galaxy Tab S3 last spring with Android 7.0 Nougat, and it's been on Nougat until just recently. The Oreo OTA started hitting devices in the UK several weeks back, and now it's time for the US market. If you hit the update menu right now, you'll find an OTA waiting.
Facebook introduced a feature called Trending in 2014, and you can probably guess what it did even if you never touch Facebook. Yes, it shows trending news stories. Facebook is done with Trending, though. The company says it's killing that feature next week in order to focus on other news features.
With a smartphone in your pocket, you can access the sum of human knowledge in mere moments. However, you can also access some really sketchy stuff out there that you probably don't want your kids absorbing. Microsoft is offering new tools to parents with an expansion of its family group features on Android. You can now access family controls in the Microsoft Launcher and Edge browser for Android.
Google originally debuted Lens in Google Photos for select devices, but it didn't get much use there. Now, it's appearing in Google Assistant on most phones, and a few devices are slated to get Lens integration in the camera app. Sony has followed through, adding Google Lens to the camera app on its Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact phones.
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Xiaomi announced some new phones today, which I'm sure will sell in huge numbers (just not in the US). Among the new devices was the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition. This phone is like the regular M8 except it has a transparent glass back that shows off suspiciously pretty internal components. Really, there's a little Snapdragon logo on what purports to be the SoC. This could all be smoke and mirrors.
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Face unlock is all the rage these days now that Apple has invented it for the iPhone X. Of course, face unlock has existed on Android for years—it just wasn't very good. Some device makers are returning to the concept, among them OnePlus. The OnePlus 5T and new OnePlus 6 have face unlock, but it's not as secure as other security options. In fact, one owner has shown that a printed photo is enough to bypass OnePlus' face unlock.
Consumer virtual reality started picking up steam a few years ago, but both desktop and mobile VR required a separate device to power the experience—either a PC or a smartphone. We're starting to see the first standalone VR headsets now with the Oculus Go and Lenovo Mirage. These headsets have Qualcomm chips, but they're the same ones used in phones. Qualcomm has just announced a new design purpose-built for VR and AR applications. It's called the Snapdragon XR1, and it'll launch later this year.
Plex is already adept at cataloging and streaming your media collection, but the platform has also branched out a bit with content like live TV and news. Now, Plex is getting support for podcasts in the v7.0 update. That's not all—this update also includes a customizable home screen, easier navigation, and more.
Back at CES, lock maker Schlage said it was on track to add support for Google Assistant to its popular Sense Smart Deadbolt. The company didn't have a firm timeline for the release but said it would be in the first quarter of the year. Well, that clearly didn't happen. It is happening today, though. Schlage says Google Assistant is now supported on the Sense Smart Deadbolt, but some functions are still limited to the app.The lock itself (around 0 on Amazon) uses Bluetooth to connect to nearby devices, but that won't work with Google Assistant. You need the separate Schlage Sense WiFi hub (another ) to connect the lock to your network. At that point, you can add Schlage Sense to your Assistant devices and configure it for voice commands.Schlage says you can lock the door ("OK Google, lock my door") and check the status ("OK Google, is my door locked?"). That's it, though. You cannot unlock the device by voice, which is a common security limitation for doors and locks with Assistant or Alexa integration. There's an official app from Schlage with lock/unlock, scheduling, and more.
Nest started by making thermostats, but following a Google acquisition and some reshuffling, it makes plenty of other smart home products. Having devoured Dropcam, Nest is one of the leaders in home security cameras with products like the Nest Cam and smarter Cam IQ. It had a "regular" outdoor camera previously, but now you can get an outdoor version of the IQ. The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor packs a 4K image sensor, a wide field-of-view, facial recognition, and incredibly sharp video. It's also one of the most robust outdoor cameras when it comes to tolerating cold weather.
HTC is going out on a limb with the U12+, which starts at $800 and won't be sold through carriers. You would expect to get all the bells and whistles when you spend that much on a phone, but HTC is cheaping out on the accessories. This phone lacks a headphone jack as so many others do lately. However, the U12+ won't come with an adapter for your 3.5mm headphones, either.
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are due later this year, but there haven't been any leaks yet. While there still aren't any leaks of the actual phones, a new image depicts what appear to be screen protectors for the upcoming Pixel phones. The XL is notch city, but both covers have some odd cutouts for sensors and/or cameras.
One of the nice things about Google's phones has always been that you could unlock the bootloaders to flash ROMs or official system images. However, Verizon isn't cool with that, so Pixels sold by the carrier don't support bootloader unlocking. Or do they? An XDA poster has discovered a method for unlocking the bootloader on first-gen Verizon Pixels, and it's not even very complicated.
Samsung's latest smartphones are quite nice, but they're also painfully expensive. Even when you split up the payments monthly, a $1,000 phone can put a dent in your bank account. Best Buy has a tempting deal today that'll knock $300 off the total cost of the Note 8, Galaxy S9, or Galaxy S9+ as long as you activate it on an installment plan.
A lot of cars come with Android Auto these days, but you may actually get more features if you have an older car and add in an aftermarket head unit. Pioneer has launched two new AV receivers with Android Auto support. They aren't cheap, but that's par for the course.