Nexus 5 no longer available for sale as the Play Store’s devices page is removed

And just like that, our old friend, the Nexus 5, is now no longer available for sale on the Google Play Store. Earlier today, Google launched their new online store front (the aptly named “Google Store”) where they’ll now be selling all of their hardware. That means that every piece of hardware previously listed on the Play Store (play.google.com/store/devices) now redirects to the new Google Store, even the Play Store’s old Devices page.

As one of our readers discovered, the Nexus 5 is now listed as no longer available for purchase on this all new Google Store. Whether this is simply temporary and has something to do with the transition is anyone’s guess. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen the Nexus 5 disappear form the Play Store, only to return a few weeks later.

With so many new devices looming on this year’s horizon — HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z4 — we don’t imagine too many of you will be bummed out about this news. Of course, until we get official word from Google, this might not be good bye just yet for the Nexus 5.

[Nexus 5 on Google Store]

Thanks, Paul!

 

“Ok Google” has been removed from the Galaxy S6, and no one knows why

One of the best features of the Google search app is the ability to perform a search from anywhere by saying “Ok Google.” In fact, it was one of our 7 cool tricks every Android phone user should know. Unfortunately, not every Android user is able to take advantage of this feature anymore.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge users across the web and in Android Forums have recently been complaining about the removal of “Ok Google” from everywhere. Instead they are only able to say “Ok Google” from within the Google search app, which defeats the purpose of using the voice command.

At launch the “Ok Google” from everywhere feature was working just fine. It wasn’t until just recently that the option was removed. Right now no one seems to know why it was removed, or who is to blame. The obvious culprit would be Samsung. S-Voice is their own version of “Ok Google,” and it still works perfectly in the background from everywhere.

Another theory is that the feature was removed along with the latest update to improve battery life. Yet another theory claims it has something to do with the 64-bit Exynos processor. The only thing we know for sure is that no one knows why the feature was removed. Are you experiencing this same issue on your S6 or S6 Edge? Join the ongoing conversation in Android Forums.

Threes! abruptly removed from Google Play over policy violation

If you’re looking for the hit puzzle game Threes! on the Google Play Store — you wont find it. It’s gone. Threes! developer Asher Vollmer revealed today that his game has officially been removed from the Play Store over his use of the term “2048” (another popular puzzle game based off of Threes!) in the app’s description.

Also known as keyword stuffing or spam, the practice is strictly prohibited on Google Play, something we talked about in a previous post back when Google first introduced the changes to their developer policies late last year. While it’s easy to feel little sympathy for the developer, the sudden take down of Threes! — which had amassed hundreds of thousands of downloads worldwide — seems to have occurred without warning.

If nothing else, this high profile app/game suspension once again highlights Google’s need for better developer relations. You can read more about our thoughts on that topic right here.

Download on Google Play: Threes! (no longer available)