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The original Fenix was one of the most popular Twitter clients on Android, but the developer ran into issues with Twitter's token limit. That was fixed eventually, but the developer had moved on to a complete rewrite of the app. Fenix 2 launched as a preview app back in May, and now it's finished. You can buy the new Fenix right now for $1.99 in the Play Store.
There's an Apple event happening at this moment, during which the company will probably brag about how unified its iOS user base it. Google chose right now to update the platform versions in the developer dashboard. Android is, well, not entirely unified, but that's nothing new. Nougat is still gaining this month, Marshmallow is on the decline, and there's no sign of Oreo yet.
Humble Bundle is one of the best ways to pump up your mobile game catalog without breaking the bank. In fact, today you have a chance to get all the games in the current bundle for free. The "Made in France" bundle is now halfway through its run, so we're giving away 10 free codes for the whole bundle.
Android 8.0 has started to roll out to Nexus and Pixel devices, but not everyone is happy with the update. The update has a bug that seems to cause the phone to disable mobile data prematurely on some carriers. There's already an extensive thread on the Google product forums, and a Googler has replied to say a fix is in the works.
Asus was launching ZenFone 3 variants in the US as recently as a few months ago, but it also started pushing the first ZenFone 4 phones over the summer in select markets. Starting today, the ZenFone 4 series is rolling out in the US and Canada, but it's starting with the ZenFone 4 Max 5.5". This is hardly the most impressive device in the lineup, but it has a gigantic battery.You can order a ZenFone 4 Max this very day, and maybe that's something you'd want to do if battery life is your primary concern. This phone has a modest 5.5-inch 720p display and a Snapdragon 430 SoC, but the battery is 5,000mAh. It'll probably run for days without a charge. Asus pushes the idea that you should charge other devices with this phone, but it sounds like it has a microUSB port. So, a clunky OTG cable is needed. There is also a dual camera setup with a 13MP main camera and 5MP wide-angle camera.[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/_j2QTpjejbw[/EMBED_YT]The ZenFone 4 Max costs $199.99 ($299.99 in Canada) and is on sale at various retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Newegg, and on Asus' own store. Amazon has it in stock and offers Prime shipping, but most other retailers are still showing pre-order status. The other members of the ZenFone 4 family, including the ZenFone Max 5.2”, ZenFone 4, and ZenFone 4 Pro will show up closer to the end of the year.
A few smartphones and tablets have launched with support for HDR video, but the Google Pixel and Pixel XL were not among them. Google enabled HDR playback in YouTube recently and apparently didn't like that its own phones were going to be left out of the fun. We were surprised to see the Pixels show up on the supported list, so we asked Google what was going on. It turns out the Pixels are doing YouTube HDR in software.
Google partnered with electronics repair chain uBreakiFix when the Pixel launched last year to provide same-day repairs for basic issues like cracked screens. Now, Google and uBreakiFix are looking to relieve at least a little stress for Pixel owners in the Houston area who have been hit by Hurricane Harvey. If you live in Houston and have a broken Pixel, uBreakiFix will fix it for free.
Anyone who reads Android Police probably has a good idea who Andy Rubin is—he founded Android before it was acquired by Google, and was in charge of the platform for a number of years. After leaving Google, he dabbled in a few ventures, as very wealthy people are wont to do. Eventually, Rubin started Essential, a company that has now launched its first Android smartphone. The hype train got started earlier this year when Rubin posted an image of the phone showing off its impossibly small bezels, but they hid the unusual cutout in the teaser.
Google Assistant is always getting smarter and learning new tricks, but it doesn't usually need big user-facing updates to make it happen. You will, however, need to get your hands a little dirty for a new Assistant update if you're using any smart home devices. Google is sending out an email to Assistant users to let them know smart home gadgets will need to be relinked after the latest update.
Chinese tech firm LeEco exploded into the US market last year with a number of compelling deals on powerful smartphones. But things haven't gone as planned for the company. As its operation back in China faltered, the future of its US expansion has become unclear. It's more unclear than ever now that the LeEco US website is gone. According to the message left in place of the website, the company is busy "upgrading the system."
We've been talking about Facer since the early days of Android Wear; even before third-party watch faces were officially supported. The app has gone through some big changes over the years, and today it's getting one of its largest updates ever. Facer 4.0 adds content from a number of traditional watchmakers, along with a revamped website, wrist selfies (yes, really), and a system to detect copyright infringement. Okay, you're probably not going to be happy about that last one.
HTC produced the very first Android phone in 2008, and it went on to become one of the most prominent makers of Android devices as the platform grew. However, it's been years since the Taiwanese company had a hit. As financial losses continue to mount, there are new rumors that Google is nearing a deal to acquire HTC's smartphone division.
Another school year is about to kick off, and Spotify has a new promotion to save college students some money. Eligible individuals can now get Spotify Premium for just $4.99 per month, and they'll throw in a Hulu subscription. Yep, both services for five bucks. If you already have the Spotify student deal, you get Hulu automatically. It's hard to argue with that.
A lot of us have Google Drive repositories that are quite large, and that's especially true for enterprise customers. Cloud storage isn't as appealing when you need to sync all those files to your computer to get anything done, and that's why Google announced File Stream earlier this year. It was only for early adopters at the time, but now it's about to roll out to all G Suite users.
Most people are happy to use the Gmail app on Android, but some swear by Nine Email. This enterprise-focused email client has been on Android for ages, but it's been updated consistently with new features and user interfaces as Android has evolved. Today, v4.0.0 is live in the Play Store with a massive list of changes and improvements. Most prominently, it finally works with regular Gmail accounts.
The Essential Phone doesn't use the same old materials we've seen on other high-end smartphones. Rather than an aluminum frame, this phone is made from titanium. Instead of the same old glass panel on the back, Essential opted for ceramic. Are these materials actually any more durable? YouTube channel JerryRigEverything scratches, scrapes, and bends to figure that out. The results: pretty good.
Plex used to just be a way to manage your local video collection, but that changed a few months ago when support for live TV was launched. At the time, only certain platforms were supported, but now live TV is expanding to Fire TV and the web. For the Fire TV, you also get support for live TV DVR functionality.
Huawei's Mate 9 was an excellent smartphone, and it was one you could actually buy in the US. We don't know where the Mate 10 is going to be on sale when it launches, but we have a pretty good idea what it'll look like now thanks to a leak from OnLeaks and CompareRaja. The render shows something very similar to several other recent Huawei phones, but hey, there's still a headphone jack.
Google's Tango platform has been in development for years, but it relies upon special hardware modules that only two phones have shipped with so far. That's why Google recently announced ARCore, a way to get augmented reality apps on more Android phones. The first preview app for ARCore is now available, but it won't work on all phones.
Chromebooks are mostly clustered toward the bottom of the market, and that often means the materials are unimpressive, features are lacking, and the build quality is mediocre. Acer has announced an updated version of its 15-inch Chromebook at IFA 2017 and it's none of that. This device has been slimmed down compared to the last Acer CB15, it has better battery life (up to 12 hours), and it's gained an aluminum frame. You're still not going to get the best hardware out there, but this Chromebook could be just what some people want.