Author: Clinton

The updates to devices with Android Marshmallow continues and the Moto X Pure Edition from 2014 is the latest to get it.  The news is certainly welcome for those waiting for it but keep in mind that this is for the unlocked variant of the phone only.  If you have one that is locked to a carrier, your wait will be a bit longer.  The update is a hefty 800+MB so be prepared for a rather lengthy upgrade from Lollipop.  As always,  I recommend that you have a backup of any important files or photos prior to you starting the update.  The update will come to owners as an OTA update and you should start seeing it anytime from today but it could take several days or even weeks for everyone to get it.  Manufactures, like Google themselves, tend to stagger these updates to their devices.

The good news is once you do get the update, you will have all the benefits of Marshmallow at your fingertips.

Today over at Amazon you can pick up another amazing deal.  Right now while supplies last they have the Samsung Galaxy S6 with 32GB of onboard storage for only $489.98.  That is a saving of just over $400 off the regular price.  There isn’t much you probably don’t know about this fantastic phone from Samsung but here are some of the highlights for you.

• Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 Processor
• 3GB RAM/32GB
• 16MP Rear Camera/5MP Front Camera
• 5.1″ Super AMOLED Quad HD display at 1440 x 2560
• GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
• LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 26(850)

The unit that is on sale at Amazon at this price point is the white version while you can pick up the gold version for about $10 more.  The phone is unlocked so you can use it on any GSM carrier.

Samsung Galaxy S6 – SALE $489.98 – Amazon

With Android Marshmallow being available now for a couple of months, there has been plenty written on its impressive list of highlight features. My review of the release covered most of those and I have also posted that I think Doze and App Sleep are the true killer features of the release.

But there is another feature that Android users have long wanted out of the platform that has come with Marshmallow: Native USB On-the-go (OTG) support. For those who aren’t familiar with OTG, it allows you to plug in a small adapter to your device and then read things like USB memory sticks, run a USB based keyboard or mouse as if your phone or tablet were a PC. It gives you the ability for example to transfer files from your Android tablet to a USB key to share with others.  In previous released of Android, OTG support was not inherently supported and effectively required that you have your device rooted even if your hardware technically supported it.  That, it seems for Nexus devices, has gone away.

That last phrase is key as I explore this with you.  Right now it appears that the only devices that this works on with Marshmallow are Nexus devices:  Nexus 5, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9 and Pixel C.  I can confirm that I was able to connect a USB drive and a mouse successfully to my Nexus 6 and Nexus 7 while I was equally able to connect both to a colleague who as the Nexus 6P and Nexus 9.  Based on information available, the Pixel C should have no problem supporting it either.  Technically the Nexus 5 does support it but there have been reports of challenges getting it to work.  At the end of the day, your mileage may vary so keep that in mind.  Importantly, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to try this out on your devices – especially if you have a non-Nexus device – to see if it work.

The big box retailer Best Buy is now another option for those of you who are looking to pick up the new Nexus 6P.  This weekend the US retailer started selling the aluminium finished 6P with 64GB of onboard storage for $499.  That is the same price as the Google Store but you can pick it up locally at many of the brick-and-mortar stores and of course order it online for delivery to your home, office or your local Best Buy.

To this point here in the US you have pretty much had to go to the Google Store to get the Nexus 6P although you have been able to find them sporadically on eBay or Amazon.  The rumor was that Best Buy would be picking up the 6P at some point but it was unclear when it would be and, more importantly, if it would be during the holiday season.  It made it – barely – which certainly is a good sign as Google works to get the phone out to other outlets.

Nexus 6P at Best Buy – 64GB $499

Here is another awesome deal running at Amazon today.  You can pick up the Nexus 6 with 32GB of storage for only $249.99.  That is a savings of $400 off the price of this flagship phone from 2014 was released.  I personally use a Nexus 6 as my daily driver and love this phone.  It has outstanding specs and performance and with it being a Nexus device, it already has Android Marshmallow running on it and I can use Project Fi.

• Display: 5.96″ AMOLED, 1440×2560, 16:9 aspect ratio, 493 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Weight: 184 grams (6.49 ounces)
• Battery: 3220 mAh Mixed usage up to 24 hours*
• Processor: 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with quad-core CPU (APQ 8084-AB), Adreno 420 GPU
• Memory: 3GB
• Camera: 13MP IMX 214 Image Sensor

Nexus 6 32GB – SALE $249.99 – Amazon

If you are looking for a budget Android phone with great specs, the BLU Vivo Air LTE could be an option for you. Today over at Amazon, you can pick one up for only $149, a savings of $50 and you can still get it in time for Christmas with 2-day shipping. The US based company BLU has become known as company that offers Android and Windows Phones at a competitive price with reasonable specs.  The Vivo Air LTE is a great example of this and while the specifications aren’t going to set the world alight, they still aren’t anything to dismiss.

• Super AMOLED 4.8-inch HD Display;
• 8MP Camera with Sony IMX 219 Sensor + LED Flash with HD video recording (1080p), 5MP Wide angle Front Camera
• 16GB internal with 2GB RAM,
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, 64-Bit 1.2 GHz CPU
• 4G LTE: T-Mobile: Supported Nationwide with Bands 2/4 including MVNO’s on T-Mobile such as Metro PCS, Simple Mobile, Go Smart, Straight Talk, AT&T: Limited Support for markets where AT&T has rolled out Band 2 and 4.Does not support Band 17

Keep in mind that the 16GB of storage on board is what you will get – there is no MicroSD slot.  Again, for some this isn’t a deal breaker but you need to be aware of it if you are considering picking one up for yourself or a gift. And as you probably have sorted out for yourself, the phone is unlocked and will pretty much work with any GSM carrier.

You will also note that it will have Android Lollipop running on it.  What about Marshmallow?  More on that after the break.

BLU Vivo Air LTE – SALE $149- Amazon