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Google doesn't want proprietary fast charging in Android phones
Google isn't a fan of non-standard approaches to fast-charging Android phones over USB-C, and it's bent on having manufacturers fall in line. Its newest Android Compatibility Definition document (for Android Nougat) now says it's "strongly recommended" that device makers don't support proprietary charging technology that modifies voltages beyond standard levels, or otherwise creates "interoperability issues" with standard USB charging. In other words, tech like Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 is likely considered naughty. On top of that, the company warns that later versions of Android might even require full interoperability with standard chargers.
Android Nougat 7.1 beta is now out for select devices
Google has delivered on its promise and released the developer preview of Android Nougat 7.1 for beta testers before October ended. You can only access it if you have a Nexus 5X, a Nexus 6P or a Pixel C, though -- Google won't be releasing it for other devices until November, and its final public release won't be available until December. If you do have any of the three devices, you can expect to get an OTA update if you're enrolled to Android's beta program.
Pixel and Pixel XL review: Google designs its own phones
Google's fascination with hardware stretches back years. Remember the early days of Android and the G1? The rise of the Nexus line? Those ill-fated Android@Home lightbulbs and those beautiful Chromebooks? It took Google a while, but that fascination turned into a sort of experimental hobby, and now into something far more serious. Software is Google's art, and the company has been working for a long time to craft the right canvases. That's where the new Pixel and Pixel XL come in. Google has more control over the development -- and destiny -- of these two smartphones than it ever had with any Nexus phone. It's not surprising, then, that the company has turned to close friends to help chart this new course. Former Motorola Mobility CEO Rick Osterloh is back at Google heading up hardware after the search giant sold his company to Lenovo. HTC, which most recently worked with Google on the Nexus 9 tablet, is handling the Pixel phones' production and assembly. There's a palpable sense that Google wanted to round up its A-team for this project. It shows. These Pixel phones are a culmination on Google's part of years' worth of experimenting with hardware, and they're unsurprisingly great.
Download Android 7.1 Nougat in beta later this month
Android version 7.0 Nougat launched to all devices at the end of August, offering some long-overdue quality-of-life upgrades. Weeks later at their Made By Google event, the tech giant teased the mobile OS' 7.1 update and a few features, like instant chat support and automatic data uploading to the cloud. Today, they've announced that it will come out by the end of October for the Nexus 5X and 6P phones as well as Google's own Pixel C, with the remaining supporting phones added by December.
The Pixel's release doesn't mean your Nexus is completely toast
Google unveiled its fancy new Pixel phone during a press event on Tuesday. If you haven't seen it yet, it's an impressive handset, with VR capabilities, a fast-charging battery, supposedly the best-ever phone camera, a super-smart AI assistant and Android 7.1. It's also the harbinger of death for the current line of Google Nexus smartphones.
Android Nougat 7.1 leans on the cloud for everything
Android 7.1 is coming. What's so different with this version? According to a report by Bloomberg, pro camera effects, instant chat support and a feature that automatically offloads items from your phone to the cloud. You know, like the Nextbit Robin. Similar to the Nexus line that came before it, the Pixel phones will get software updates directly from Google. But, the difference here is that thanks to the Nougat OS, the downloads will happen automatically and in the background, as soon as they're available, according to Google director of product management Sabrina Ellis.
Google's Pixel phones make their debut
For years, the Nexus mobile range has been synonymous with a "pure" Android experience. No more. Google just announced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones developed in-house that the company hopes will redefine the Android platform. Pitched as "the first phone with Google Assistant baked in," the devices are focusing on that, plus photos, storage, communications and VR (they're also the first phones built for use with Google's $79 Daydream VR headset.) The phones will be available for pre-order starting today, however -- at least at first. For now, the only US carrier selling them directly will be Verizon. Otherwise, you can buy the device unlocked (via the Google Store or other retailers) or for use with Google's Project Fi service. The price starts at $649, and you can have one in "Quite Black," "Really Blue" or "Very Silver."
What to expect from Google's October 4th event
It's that time of the year when tech companies trot out their newest wares hoping to cash in on the holiday season buying spree and Google is no different. On October 4th the search giant is holding an event to show off, well something, but most likely some new phones. The company is mum on the details but of course that hasn't stopped the rumor and leak machines from spinning up and pumping out what we can expect from the Android maker's celebration of consumerism.
Action Launcher brings Google's rumored Android tweaks early
Why wait for Google's rumored Pixel / not-Nexus phones, when you could use some of their software right now? The latest release of Action Launcher has arrived, and it cribs some of the features noted in Android Police's leak of the software Google is apparently preparing for its Android devices. According to its developer Chris Lacy, the new release is entirely inspired by the leaks. The reason? As soon as Google makes a change, many of his users request similar features in Action Launcher, but this time, he's getting out ahead of the curve.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 3: Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
Editors Nathan Ingraham and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Android Nougat, PlayStation 4 rumors and why Amazon would create an Echo-exclusive music service. Then the panel addresses the endless harassment faced by Leslie Jones, and use the word "garbage"... a lot.
HTC breaks its promise to update the One A9 'within 15 days'
When HTC launched the One A9, it promised to roll out new versions of Android "within 15 days" of their release. Pretty sweet, right? Well, it would be -- but that's not happening with Android 7.0. In a tweet, HTC said the new software will be hitting the HTC 10 in the fourth quarter of 2016, followed by the unlocked One M9, the unlocked One A9 and their carrier counterparts. The timeline suggests that the company will be breaking its promise with the One A9 -- Google released Nougat on August 22nd, meaning the phone would need to receive it by September 6th.
Android 7.0 Nougat arrives today
Typically, Google releases new versions of Android alongside new Nexus hardware, but the company is breaking with tradition this year. Android 7.0 Nougat is rolling out as an over the air update starting today. The update is available to anyone using the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6 phones as well as the Nexus 9 and Pixel C tablets. It's also coming to the Nexus Player set-top box and the General Mobile 4G Android One smartphone.
LG gives select Korean G5 users access to Android Nougat
LG is giving very few G5 users a taste of Android's upcoming mobile platform. And when we say "very few," we mean it: the phonemaker is limiting beta Nougat access to 2,000 G5 owners, which is but a minuscule fraction of the world's Android users. Also, if you want to be one of the lucky 2,000, you need to be in South Korea.
LG unveils the first Android Nougat phone on September 6th
Earlier this month, LG announced its quirky V20 smartphone would be the first to ship with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, beating the upcoming Nexus refreshes to the nougat-y punch. Now we know the dual-screen, dual-selfie camera successor to the V10 will officially be unveiled in San Francisco on September 6, 2016.
LG's V20 will be the first Android Nougat smartphone
LG will launch the V20 smartphone in September, and it will be the first to get Android 7.0 Nougat. It's the successor to LG's wacky V10 phone, and will have the same dual-screen, dual-selfie camera features (no other specs were revealed). The news means that the V20 will likely be released before any Nexus phones, which are usually the first with the latest Android operating systems. That would be an unusual move by Google, but LG has confirmed the news with Engadget.
Android Nougat won't boot your phone if its software is corrupt (updated)
Ever since KitKat, Android has verified your device's boot process to make sure that rootkits and other forms of malware don't operate undetected. However, it hasn't done much more than alert you of potential problems (as of Marshmallow)... until now. Google explains that Android Nougat strictly enforces that boot check, giving you far more than just a warning. If your boot image or partition is corrupt, Android will either start in a limited-use mode (with your permission) or won't start at all. The feature will first show up in devices that ship with Nougat out of the box.
Samsung won me with VR but is losing me with updates
I want to get a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, I really do. I like my Galaxy S6 Edge, with its striking curved screen, and the new model improves on it in nearly every way. Most importantly, I like to dabble in virtual reality -- I'm not ready to commit $700+ to a PC-based headset yet -- and I can still get a new Gear VR headset free with the S7 Edge. Shamefully, though, my S6 Edge hasn't received an update to Android 6.01 Marshmallow, leaving me high and dry with Lollipop. I certainly didn't expect that with a $800 flagship phone, and I refuse to let it happen again.
Android N? More like Android Nougat
The next version of Android is dubbed "Nougat," Google revealed on Snapchat this morning (because of course it did). This was the first time that Google opened up the Android naming process to the public, and Nougat beat out other n-based treat suggestions including Nutter Butter, Nutella, Nerds and Necco Wafers. Of course, offering creative rights to the entire internet ensured there were a few sour apples in that system. Google made it clear that it wasn't beholden to the names suggested by the wider world, lest it end up with an operating system dubbed, "Nutty McNutface."
