Canadian carrier Rogers says Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to get Android 5.1 in June

While we like to get our word on software updates from official sources, getting it from a carrier is the next best thing. Rogers — a leading Canadian carrier — is claiming that the upgrade to Android 5.1 for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be on tap this July.

An exact date wasn’t given, and these expectations are always subject to change so perhaps it’s not worth getting excited just yet. We also know that even if the date is accurate, the same may not be true for other carriers and regions.

That said, the Galaxy S6 isn’t really in dire need of an immediate upgrade to Android 5.1 — that is, unless that update brings the memory leak fix we’ve been waiting for Samsung to deliver. Most people are happy enough on the current build of Android 5.0, and if Samsung can fix some of the current issues folks are having (such as this one) with a quick maintenance patch or two ahead of the next major revision we’ll be just as happy.

[via MobileSyrup]

Huawei sends out invites for June 2nd event in New York

Huawei is gearing up to announce a new handset and unlike the recently launched Huawei P8, this one is bound for the US. The Chinese manufacturer has just sent out invites to a June 2nd event in New York City and although it doesn’t reveal much, you can see some sort of smartphone press render peeking out from behind the invite.

With the tag line “See what we’re unlocking next,” it only makes sense that this could be an unlocked version of the P8 with US carrier bands. We’ll keep you posted as we bring you the latest from the event.

LG G4 could launch on June 2nd according to an official (now deleted) tweet

LG and T-Mobile are teaming up to take the recently announced — but still unavailable stateside — LG G4 on a tour bus, hitting up multiple cities across the good ‘ol US of A. This cross country tour even has its own dedicated Twitter account run by T-Mobile (@G4Preview) which basically announces where they’re headed next, and tweets out photos of lucky G4 winners.

While neither LG or T-Mobile are willing to provide a launch date, the aforementioned G4 Preview Tour Twitter account may have revealed its expected launch date. In response to an inquiry from one Twitter user, the T-Mobile account said that the LG G4 will be in stores Tuesday, June 2nd.

The tweet has since been deleted, and it’s interesting that the response was to someone asking about AT&T availability — not T-Mobile. Although all major US carriers have committed to offering the LG G4 on the network when it does launch, nobody is offering up any details outside of preregistering for the device.

[9to5Google]

Verizon LG G4 up for pre-order tomorrow, arrives in-store June 4th – LG G Pad X8.3 available tomorrow as well

If you’re on Verizon and can’t wait to get your hands on the LG G4, you can get a head start tomorrow, May 28th. That’s when pre-orders for the Verizon version will officially kick off (T-Mobile’s has already begun shipping) and yes, it’ll come with all those goodies we told you about. What are those exactly? Well, LG’s promo — which is only available until June 21st — throws in a free spare battery, charging cradle, and micro SD card.

For those that don’t feel like pre-ordering, you’ll be able to pick one up at your local Verizon store on June 4th for 0 or .91 a month for 2 years with Verizon Edge. Verizon customers also get exclusive access to the “Ceramic White” version of the phone with that snazzy 3D pattern in the back if the leather option isn’t doing it for ya. If white isn’t your style, there’s still all the other colors like Metallic Gray and Genuine Black Leather.

 

In other semi-related news, the LG G Pad X8.3 also goes on sale tomorrow. It’s a pretty well-equipped tablet with a 8.3-inch full HD display, 16GB of internal storage, micro SD card slot, 8/2MP cameras, and a 4,800mAh battery for 0.

[Verizon]

Official: Sprint gets the LG G4 June 5th, pre-sale starts today with 3 free goodies

Sprint has announced that they will be getting the LG G4 June 5th. The carrier is among the first to offer up solid availability. They’ll have a few different options for upgrading depending on what works best for you:

• Sprint Lease: LG G4 will be available through Sprint Lease for down at signing and per month. (Note that Sprint will always own the device and there will be no option to keep it if you end service).


• At the conclusion of the lease period, customers in good standing have several options, including returning the LG G4 and leasing another device or purchasing it.


• Sprint Easy Pay^SM: Well-qualified buyers can purchase LG G4 with down (plus tax), no finance fees and 24 easy monthly payments of (SRP: 0; excluding taxes; service plan required).


• Purchase LG G4 for $ 9.99 with a two-year agreement.


• Purchase LG G4 for 9.99 without a contract.

You can pre-order as soon as today, and doing so will net you some goodies, including a 32GB microSD card, a spare 3,000mAh battery and a charging cradle. You should also check out our LG G4 review if you’re still on the fence, but here’s a quick spoiler: you definitely couldn’t go wrong making this your smartphone of choice for 2015.

[via Sprint]

Android Lollipop running on 12.4% of devices according to official numbers for June 2015

With Android M becoming official last week — and available now as a Developer Preview — you may have lost sight of the most recent Android firmware version yet to hit your device: Android 5.0 Lollipop. It’s been more than 7 months since Lollipop was released, and you’d think with that with that length of time under OEM’s belts a modest number of Android devices are running the most recent firmware. Well, not so much. Anyone curious to chart Lollipop’s progress across the Android globe need look no further than Google’s newly updated Platform Version numbers for the month of June.

According to the updated numbers, only 11.6% of active Android devices (those that have recently accessed the Google Play Store) are running Android 5.0, followed by Android 5.1 at .8%. That brings the grand total of devices running Lollipop up to 12.4% (up from last month’s 9.7%). It’s not a terrible number, especially considering all of this year’s flagships are running Lollipop in some capacity. Of course, it’s 5.1 — which significantly polished up Lollipop from a usability standpoint — that Android fans are really looking forward to (at least until Android M launches at the end of the year).

There’s a bunch of other numbers you’re likely not to give a hoot about. Not unless you’re a developer looking to support older versions of Android in your apps. We always look at these Platform Distribution numbers as more of an Android report card which really isn’t so bad considering all the varying amount of hardware and carrier meddling that goes into issuing software updates on our smartphones. With the LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 picking up steam, we should see these numbers jump drastically in the coming months.

OnePlus is announcing something on June 1st, could be the OnePlus Two

Last year, the original OnePlus One was made official back in April. Here we are at the tail-end of May and suffice to say, we’re probably a little overdue for a One followup. Now, OnePlus never committed to a yearly release schedule for their devices, so it’s not like they’re actually “late.”

But with OEMs like Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony already playing their hands for this year, OnePlus has to do something and quick. If we had to give them credit for anything, it’d be keeping their cards so close to their chest. After several mini announcements this year (like OxygenOS) we may finally have a date for actual new hardware.

OnePlus is once again teasing an event on their Google+ page, but this time it looks like it could actually be the OnePlus One followup we’ve been waiting for and not some new portable battery charger or anything like that. The startup posted a photo of the original One being erased along with the tag line “we think it’s time for a change.” If we were betting men, we’d say a OnePlus Two is almost certain. Of course, this is OnePlus we’re talking about here, so we wont get our hopes up lets we find ourselves blindsided by a new OnePlus color or denim battery cover.

Like in previous years, 2015’s flagships all have a little something they’re missing. The Galaxy S6 has some of the worst battery life we’ve experienced on a handset, the G4 is simply too big to use comfortably with one hand, the One M9 has a terrible camera that only performs in the best lighting conditions. If OnePlus was smart, they’d carefully consider all of these weaknesses when building their new phone. With rumors that there could be 2 OnePlus handsets this year — a smaller sized phone and larger sized phablet — we hope they can surprise us.

 

 

Motorola’s Father’s Day deal takes $100 off the Moto 360 through June 9th

Motorola’s celebrating Dads with a nice deal on the Moto 360. They’re letting it go for 0 less than retail, which takes it down to 9.99. This is the price for a new model, too, so you don’t have to be worried that someone else owned it.

This is no doubt a good excuse for the company to move some inventory to make room for a new smart watch. Your Dad (or, just you) might not care about having the latest greatest. If so — have at it!

But if you’re wondering whether something better will be along the way, we’re here to tell you there’s almost a 100% chance Motorola has a new smart watch coming this summer. If you decide you still want to take the plunge you can place an order right here.

Nest’s first camera has been leaked ahead of June 17th event

Our sources have been telling us that Nest will be making their own-branded camera following their acquisition of Dropcam, and that they’ll tie all their products together with a new multi-functional app. That information seems to have been spot on, if this leak is to be trusted.

What we’re getting is a very Dropcam-esque camera, except more slim and sleek than prior models. The camera will have a suction and swiveling base for flexible placement, and there’s a clean nest logo placed firmly beneath the lens. We also learn that the camera will use Bluetooth and QR codes for easy pairing (its recent FCC appearance confirms Bluetooth), as well as the ability to support 1080p video streams.

We’re also getting a first look at the new Nest app, which will no doubt allow you to control your Thermostat, Protect and Camera from one convenient location. The app doesn’t appear to show any hints of  between Nest’s products, but there’s a chance we could  be in for a surprise come June 17th (the day the announcement is scheduled to go down).

20+ Best Android Apps from June 2015

Previous months

The first month of summer is already coming to a close. Can you believe it? In the past month there was tons of Android news, but also new Android apps. If you’re busy enjoying the summer weather you may have missed a few of the best apps that launched this month. We have compiled a list of the biggest and best apps to launch in June. Grab a lemonade and check it out. You might find a few new apps to try.

Adobe Photoshop Mix

Adobe launched a slew of new apps for Android this month. Photoshop Mix is a slimmed down version of Photoshop for mobile devices. It’s basically just another photo editor app with filters and cool effects, but a little more hardcore. [Download]

Adobe Brush CC

Adobe Brush CC allows you to create brushes that can be used in Photoshop or Illustrator. You can create brushes from scratch, or by taking photos of objects. The brushes automatically sync to the Creative Cloud. [Download]

Adobe Color CC

Adobe Color CC is a color picker app that allows you to get colors from photos and sync them back to the Creative Cloud. If there is a color in the real world that you love you can easily bring it into the digital world. [Download]

Adobe Shape CC

Adobe Shape CC lets you create vector drawings from the photos stored on your phone. The vector graphics can then be used in Photoshop and Illustrator. [Download]

Amazon Cloud Drive

It took a while, but Amazon finally brought a dedicated Cloud Drive app to Android. With this app you can easily access all of the photos, videos, and files you have stored in your Amazon account. It also comes with a free 3-month trial. [Download]

CloudPlayer by doubleTwist

Everyone has some sort of cloud storage account these days, and a lot of us also have some sort of streaming music subscription. What if you could combine the two? CloudPlayer allows you to play music from your Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive accounts. It has offline playback, Chromecast support, and lossless audio. [Download]

Colbr

In a few months, Stephen Colbert will finally take over The Late Show on CBS. They’ve already started ramping up the promotion for the show, which includes the new Colbr app. You can use the app to watch videos and listen to podcasts. [Download]

Facebook Moments

Don’t you hate it when someone else used their phone to take photos and then never shares them with you? The Facebook Moments app is the solution (unless you already just upload all your photos to Facebook like a normal person). The app groups photos by event and person so you can quickly share them. [Download]

Fanly

If you’re a die-hard sports fan you’re always on the look-out for more news about your teams. With Fanly you can read all the news in one place. Stories from over 2,000 sources are aggregated into the Fanly app. There’s also social feeds and video highlights [Download]

Google Clock

Google’s never-ending quest to bring stock apps into the Play Store continues with the Clock. This is the same Clock app you can find on Nexus devices, but now Google can easily update it. It includes alarms, timers, stopwatch, and a world clock. [Download]

HeadsOff

In Android Lollipop, Google made a major change by introducing “Heads-Up” notifications. Many Android fans were upset by this change. HeadsOff is an app that disables the new Heads-Up notifications and restores the old ticker text in the status bar. [Download]

Inputting+

Touchscreen input has come a long way, but there is still a lot more to be improved. Inputting+ aims to fix that by adding shortcuts for undo, redo, and find & replace on touchscreen keyboards. When you’re typing a bubble will pop up with the shortcuts. [Download]

Kitchen Stories

Kitchen Stories offers aspiring and seasoned chefs alike the opportunity to hone their cooking skills and discover delicious new recipes and cooking inspiration. The recipes are easy to make and come with beautiful pictures, step-by-step photo instructions, and how-to videos. [Download]

Kodi Media Center

Kodi (formerly XBMC) is a popular open-source media player that works on nearly every platform, now including Android. The app is a hub for your local media and streaming media from many services. It’s highly customizable and easy to use on TVs. [Download]

Medium

Medium is an up-and-coming publishing platform. The app offers a simple editor to write your own stories, and a modern and clean interface for reading other stories. If you’re looking for a nice place to host your own blog, Medium is a good option. [Download]

Portal

Portal, from the makers of Pushbullet, isn’t super exciting or some new concept, but it is simple, and it is fast. It works by transferring files over your local WiFi network, so you don’t have to deal with shoddy connection and server speeds. [Download]

Pounce

Pounce is a shopping app that lets you snap a photo of any item and then instantly identify it, find it at a favorite store, and buy it. It’s a lot like the “Firefly” feature on the Amazone Fire Phone, but you don’t have to buy a crappy phone to use it. [Download]

Redub

Editing videos on mobile is still something that not many apps have perfected. Redub attempts to fix the problem by keeping it simple, but removing the limits that other “simple” video editors impose. You can edit your own videos with filters and effects, or remix publicly available videos. [Download]

Shoot

Shoot makes it easy to send a big batch of photos or a large video directly from your Android device to your friends. It doesn’t matter what device they use or which network they are on as long as they can scan a QR code. Just select all that you want to send and a QR code is generated for you to share. [Download]

Siz

Sometimes you just don’t have time to watch a full video. You just want the best part, and in a GIF. Siz creates a strip of GIFs made with the highlights of videos. No more wasted time looking randomly for the interesting parts of the video. [Download]

Ticklr

Ticklr is a lot like the aforementioned HeadsOff app. It disables the new Heads-Up notifications and restores the old ticker text for notifications. It adds custom colors and settings for individual apps. [Download]

Tindog

You know what dogs really need? Tindr. You never thought about that? Well, someone else did. Tindog is like Tindr, but for dogs to make new friends. You can chat with other dog owners and set up play dates. It’s a little bit insane, but also kinda cool. [Download]

Touchless Chat

Touchless Chat will allow you to send hands-free messages in many messaging apps including SMS, Hangouts, Whatsapp, Facebook Messager and more. It extends the functionality of the built-in Google Now voice actions. [Download]

Vessel

Vessel is a subscription service that aims to compete with YouTube. For a month you get access to the entire library of content, which includes many YouTubers and celebrities. You can watch the content before it appears on YouTube. [Download]

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What was your favorite app from June? Did we miss any great apps from the last 30 days? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Deal: Grab the super discreet Moto Hint Bluetooth headset for $99.99 through June 30th

Ever thought 0 for the Moto Hint was a bit too pricey? Well, now’s your chance to buy one on the cheap. Motorola has the mini Bluetooth headset going for .99 through their online store. The catch is that the deal only lasts through June 30th.

The headset equips you with a micrphone and earpiece for both speaking to your family and friends over the phone, as well as issuing voice commands without having to lift a finger. What’s cooler about the headset is that it ships with a charging bay that actually has a battery of its own, so if the headset dies in the middle of the day you can get more juice by dropping it into the portable charger.

The Moto Hint looks like something you’d find in an advanced crime film. It slots into your ear with a profile so thin that some people might mistake you for a crazy person talking to yourself. If you don’t mind being “that guy” then be sure to buy one before it’s too late.

25 Best Android Games from June 2015

June is officially over, which means it’s time to take a look back at what goodies it brought. The summer months are usually a hot time for new games. June was no exception. We saw a bunch of awesome new games launch last month. If you were busy swimming and grilling you probably missed a few. We have a list of the best games to launch in June. Download a few of these to pass the time while you’re traveling on vacation or when the AC goes out.

Best Apps from June / Previous Best Games of the Month

Age of Explorers

Age of Explorers, by the History Channel, takes you back to the time when sailors took to the seas to discover new lands and map the globe. Experience this exciting era in world history and learn about these brave explorers and the incredible journeys that shaped today’s world. [Download]

Angry Birds Fight!

Rovio is back again, this time with the 11th Angry Birds title designed to suck the pennies out of your wallet. Angry Birds Fight! is not really a fighting game per se, with gameplay more closely mirroring those match-3/RPG games that are all the rage these days. Think more Puzzle Quest than Candy Crush. [Download]

BRAWL

If you’ve ever played Bomberman you’ll like BRAWL. It has the same sort of idea, but it’s set in a much more brutal universe. Step into the darkness of The Emporium with 8 unique characters, each with a rich backstory and a surprising plot-twist. [Download]

Brickies

Brickies is a fresh take on the classic breakout game, with fast-paced levels that will leave you thirsty for more action. Use the paddles to launch the ball and unleash a variety of power-ups upon the brickies, but don’t worry if you miss the ball. [Download]

Chronology

Chronology is an episodic puzzle platform adventure starring The Inventor and The Snail. You can try “Part I” with 3 chapters for free right now.”Part II” is available in the game as an in-app purchase, with additional parts following later. [Download]

Dragon Quest VI

Dragon Quest VI features a rich storyline that leads you through a multitude of captivating worlds as you gather allies and battle fierce monsters on a quest to defeat evil forces. DQVI has updated graphics and more than 15 character classes to choose from. [Download]

Edge Of Oblivion: Alpha Squadron 2

If you loved played the old Rogue Squadron games back in the day (who didn’t?), you’ll love this game. In Edge Of Oblivion: Alpha Squadron 2, you get the chance to jump into the cockpit of a powerful starfighter and join the galaxy’s most daring pilots as they face off against the evil Hadian Empire. [Download]

Feed Me Oil 2

In Feed Me Oil 2 the goal is to channel oil into the gaping jaws of surreal living worlds. You have to guide gallons of the stuff around a series of mind-bending mechanical designs using new and improved physics. [Download]

Final Fantasy Tactics

The classic PlayStation title Final Fantasy Tactics is now officially available on Android. War of the Lions features cell-shaded cut scenes along with new characters and jobs that weren’t in the PS One original. If you haven’t fired this up since the PS One days, now’s a great time to revisit. [Download]

FireWhip

In FireWhipe you control a whip that is on fire (thank you Captain Obvious). The goal is to spin the whip to kill the enemies, but if you spin too much you’ll burn out parts of your whip. If you spin out to full length you can crack the whip for more damage. [Download]

Geometry Wars 3

Everyone has played Geometry Wars, or something similar, at some time in their life. The next chapter in the award-winning Geometry Wars franchise has stunning, console-quality graphics as you battle through waves of enemies in this frenetic arcade shooter. [Download]

Green Ninja: Year of the Frog

In this unique King Fu action puzzler you’re a frog who is on the menu. It’s your job to escape the clutches of evil ninjas and smash your way through tons of levels. The game has easy small puzzles that eventually lead up to brain-melting challenges. [Download]

Guncat

In Guncat you are a cat with a gun (these literal titles make it easy). Grab the weapon, take down all pesky birds and boost your score until ammo runs out. Be sure to shoot down birds carrying ammo boxes or buy better guns in order to extend shooting experience. [Download]

Heroes and Castles 2

Heroes and Castles 2 is a 3rd person action-RPG, strategy, and castle defense mash-up. Choose from one of three powerful races, customize your hero, summon a massive army to fight beside you in battle, defend your castle, conquer lands, and ultimately destroy the enemy stronghold. [Download]

Into the Circle

This game is like Shuffleboard or Curling on steroids. Shoot the ball in the right direction with the right amount of force. Aiming from one circle to the other and achieve a “Perfect.” The goal is to see how many “Perfects” you can get before the game is over. [Download]

Lifeline

Lifeline is a playable, branching story of survival against all odds. You will help the character, Taylor, make life or death decisions, and face the consequences together. The game plays out in real-time. As Taylor works to stay alive, notifications deliver new messages throughout your day. [Download]

Nambers

Here’s a simple game that will give your brain a workout as you advance to the more difficult levels. Select adjacent cells with the same number and scroll them left and right to change their values. Complete levels by creating the target pattern. [Download]

Outside World

Outside World is a game that hopes to grow up and be Monument Valley. You navigate Krysten through the familiar 3D/retro landscape to find a way home. Your friendly ghost companion, Jaynie, will help you along the way. [Download]

Radical Rappelling

From the creators of Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride comes a new game for adrenaline junkies. You’re rappelling down the side of a mountain to collect coins and stay alive as long as you can. It’s a lot like the aforementioned Jetpack Joyride, which is a good thing. [Download]

RBI Baseball 15

The legendary Major League Baseball franchise returns to the diamond just a few months into the season. You get  over 1,000 MLB Players with detailed attributes based on hundreds of millions of data points from the MLB.com database and authentic ballparks with unique characteristics. [Download]

Sonic Runners

Sonic Runners is yet another one of those endless runner titles and has a sort of “retro” cell-shaded look to it. The game initially launched in some regions as a first test run, but in June it was finally available globally. [Download]

TransPlan

TransPlan is all about getting a payload from point A to point B with only a few simple tools and the laws of physics. Create ramps and catapults, watch objects tumble and fall, and someway, somehow reach the destination. [Download]

Vainglory

Outplay real opponents in this deep, uncompromising real-time multiplayer online battle arena game. Fight with lightning-fast controls using powerful heroes. Destroy the enemy Vain crystal and claim glory. [Download]

Xenowerk

Xenowerk is a top-down action shooter challenging your combat skills in an underground science lab. Descend deeper into the abyss and explore the tarnished levels. Armed with a flashlight as your main guidance, you’ll never know what’s lurking in the dark. [Download]

You Must Build a Boat

Like the title suggests, in this game you have to build a boat, which also includes gathering a crew. Once you have your boat you can create matches to unlock weapons and spells. Match as fast as you can to keep running. [Download]

***

Did we miss any other great games from June? Which game is your favorite from this list? Let us know below!