Android News

The release of the original Qualcomm Snapdragon 400-series chips was a revelation for midrange smartphones. No more did they have to feel so obviously underpowered and lacking in features. Devices like the Moto G used the Snapdragon 400 to great effect, offering an almost unbelievably inexpensive device with solid performance. …

Google’s Nexus phones were usually priced low as a way to promote the Android brand and give developers something cool to play around with. However, the Pixel and Pixel XL signified a change in direction. Google wants to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple, and the Pixel was …

For as long as we’ve had benchmarks, we’ve had companies willing to cheat on those benchmarks to make themselves look good. It’s a never-ending cycle to identify what companies do and how they do it, and we don’t often get a clear window into the process. XDA-Developers managed to get …

When Netflix added support for content downloading late last year, it was hailed as a long-overdue move for the popular VOD service. Having now used the option while traveling on several occasions, I can confirm that while it can be buggy — I’ve had to restart downloads multiple times and playback …

Andy Rubin’s Android startup, Essential, announced its first phone earlier this month. No details on carrier partnerships were available at the time, but Essential promised to provide more information ahead of the launch. Now, the company has announced Sprint, and only Sprint, will be the carrier partner for the Essential Phone. …

Android has a reputation for poor security, but that’s a result of past failings. Most security flaws you hear about now affect old builds of the OS, or require clever social engineering to get the user to weaken device security. The versions of Android being released now are vastly more …

Andy Rubin is famous for founding Android, which was later acquired by Google and turned into the largest computing platform on Earth. He left Google several years ago to look for new challenges, and now he’s arrived back in the Android ecosystem with a startup known as Essential. The company …

Andy Rubin, the founder of Android, has unveiled his first phone — and it’s set to make a real impact at the very top of the industry. The stunning Essential Phone PH-1, first reported by The Verge, is made of a combination of titanium and ceramic for extra durability. Any Rubin …

Most of the time, when mobile companies offer you a deal, it comes with a mountain of strings attached. In this case, Samsung and T-Mobile are teaming up to offer customers an option that’s refreshingly free of gotchas. Here’s how the deal works: You buy two new Galaxy S8 phones, …

Google launched the first beta for Android O yesterday, with a bevy of improvements and changes baked into the operating system. Like Apple, Google’s OS launches go through their own cadence, with some operating systems delivering visible eye candy and visual enhancements, while other versions focus more on improving things …