Category: Android Phone

Just 72 hours after an impressive Virtual Reality launch, OnePlus has posted on their Google+ page that they have received 1 million reservations for their new “flagship killer” OnePlus 2.  While the OnePlus 2 and the Moto X and Moto G from Motorola have been all the talk this week, it is pretty clear that OnePlus has garnered their fair share of interest with their second phone and there are a few who already have their hands on the new phone.  So far the reviews have been pretty positive.

OnePlus has said that they will have more initial stock of the OnePlus 2 than they did of their first phone, the OnePlus One, simply because they know they will be able to sell them.  As I put in my article on why the OnePlus 2 has to be a success, the company doesn’t have the capital to go into mass production so they are using an invite system.  Clearly, it seems, things are going in the right direction.

The last 24 hours have seen a flurry of updates from Google on their Android apps.  Google Photos, Google Play Music, Google Chrome and Google+ have all been updated in the last 24 hours and the latest to be added to that list is Google Translate.  For those who are not familiar with the app, Google Translate allows you to convert spoken or written text from one language to another.  It supports over 90 languages and is the closest thing to the Star Trek Universal Translator available today.  Simply speak to your phone in your native tongue and it is translated to your audience’s tongue and scarily accurate.  Or if you see a sign in one language but need it in your native language, point your camera at it and it will magically appear in your native language on your phone’s screen.

Now Google has smoothed out 40 of those conversations in this update to Google Translate while also improving the accessibility features of the app.  The update is version 4.0.0.RC08.99220384 for those keeping score at home and it is available for free now in the Google Play Store.

Google Translate for Android – Free – Download Now

Google has released an important bug fix update for the Google Play Music app for Android.  The update also brings some improvements around finding streaming radio stations for those in the United States.  This latest update is build 6.0.1951S.2109908 for those keeping score at home and for those taking bets on who can come up with the longest release version number 🙂  The update comes just a couple of weeks after the last update which was more-or-less a bug fix release after the initial launch of the streaming music service back in June.  While Google Play Music is free to use, for a $9.99 monthly subscription you get ad-free unlimited streaming and downloading of music from the Google Play Store.

Google Play Music for Android – Free – Download Now

Google has released another update to the Google Photos app for Android, bringing with it several new features aimed at giving you more editing functionality on your Android phone or tablet.  I’m personally a big fan of Google Photos and since the major update to it announced at I/O in June, it has become my first source for storing and editing photos.  If you haven’t given it a try I would suggest you do so.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.  This latest update, build 1.2.1.99143001 for those keeping score at home, allows you to edit your albums and photo descriptions all from your mobile device instead of having to go to the web to do it.

Google Photos for Android – Free – Download Now

Google continues to quietly improve Google Now and the latest change is one that users of 3rd party messaging services will appreciate.  Google has now added voice support for 3rd party messaging applications like WhatsApp and Viber, meaning you can send a message with these services without actually ever touching your Android phone or tablet. You have been able to do this with Hangouts for a while with Google Now but adding support for 3rd party solutions really shows how mature this feature has become in Android.

Earlier today Motorola made several new device announcements, chief among them is the new Moto G 2015 model.  The mid-range phone has reasonable specs for a phone that starts at only $179 and it can be completely customized using the Motorola Moto Maker service on their website.  The Moto G 2015 is the latest update in a successful series of devices for Motorola and this new Moto G comes with some nice updates.