All Posts by Andrew Martonik | Android Central

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All Posts by Andrew Martonik

Common LG G6 problems and how to fix them

19 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 31 May 2017 10:00 am
LG G6
Having issues with your LG G6? We're here to help. The LG G6 is a solid phone, and LG has regularly used the word "reliable" to describe its construction. But no phone is entirely immune to issues once people load it up with apps and data — and you may be running into issues with yours. Fear not! No matter the issue you're having, there's a good chance you aren't alone and there are ways to...

Essential plans to expand Phone sales to carriers soon, ship near-stock Android software

72 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 30 May 2017 11:54 pm
Essential Phone
New details on the Essential Phone emerge — and they look positive. Essential is getting a whole lot of attention after it finally announced the Essential Phone with its pretty excellent-looking hardware and unique features. The only issue for those excited about it is that it still isn't actually for sale — there's a "reserve" system in which you can sign up to drop the required $699 for when...

Watch Andy Rubin talk about the new Essential Phone at the Code Conference

18 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 30 May 2017 10:37 pm
One of the pioneers of the smartphone revolution brings us up to speed with his vision for the future of computing. Andy Rubin's new company Essential has finally opened up for everyone to see what it's been up to, dropping details on both the Essential Phone and Essential Home. Coinciding with the product launches, Rubin was on stage for an interview with Walt Mossberg at the Code Conference to...

YouTube changes its app interface yet again, moving to bottom tab navigation

26 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 30 May 2017 4:30 pm
A subtle tweak that should simplify the experience for many users. YouTube is once again tweaking its Android app interface, aiming to hopefully clean things up and make the most-used YouTube functions easier to quickly reach. The crux of the new interface is the move to a bottom navigation bar that lets you quickly tap one of five tabs: home, trending, subscriptions, shared and library. The...

Huawei Watch 2 Classic now on sale in the U.S. for $369

5 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 30 May 2017 12:13 pm
Huawei Watch 2 Classic
A classier Android Wear 2.0 option. Huawei's higher-end Android Wear 2.0-powered Watch 2 Classic is now widely available in the U.S. from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and more. This is the nicer, classier, metal version of the Huawei Watch 2, which had numerous design and quality shortcomings. The Watch 2 Classic is much better looking and feeling on your wrist, though it isn't...

Essential Home is set to take on Google Home and Amazon Echo with ambient intelligence

5 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 30 May 2017 12:53 pm
Essential Home
This space is getting a little more crowded. Alongside its first phone, Essential is also unveiling the Essential Home — a clear direct competitor to the likes of Google Home and Amazon Echo. Though it's tough to get a sense of scale from a simple product page with a few images, the Essential Home looks relatively compact and sleek. Rounded and smooth, the top surface is cut at an angle and...

Aviate Launcher review: Smart, but not better

23 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 26 May 2017 1:45 pm
How's Aviate Launcher these days? Let's take a look! Updated May 2017: Review updated to reflect the stability of the launcher and how it's aged over the last two years. Aviate Launcher has garnered hype since it first debuted on Android, and after being acquired by Yahoo has actually seen steady improvement through updates. It's been awhile since we last examined it, and now it's time to...

HTC U11 review: Back in the running

224 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 26 May 2017 9:42 am
HTC U11
HTC needs something to get it back in the conversation with today's flagships. The launch of HTC's new "U" series of phones came with a flagship-sized hole in the middle of the lineup. The U Ultra was too big and too expensive, while the U Play was underpowered and short on value for the money. With the launch of the U11, HTC is not only filling that flagship spot in the 2017 U series but...

Andy Rubin expected to show off Essential's first phone on May 30

9 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 25 May 2017 1:43 pm
A fresh player in the Android smartphone game. Essential, the phone brand founded by Andy Rubin, is building up the hype to making an announcement next week. Essential has launched a new Twitter account and is teasing some sort of announcement for May 30 Almost ready to share with you what we've been up to. Please follow our new twitter handle @essential and stay updated...— Andy...

Magikarp Jump is a decidedly more casual Pokemon game, now available in Google Play

2 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 25 May 2017 12:53 pm
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump
The Pokémon you want, but without leaving the house. Maybe you're tired of walking playing Pokémon Go but still need to get a Pokémon fix — well, why not give the new Magikarp Jump game a try? This casual Pokémon-themed game is far less involved than Go but still kicks in with the nostalgia we crave. Announced earlier this week with a limited release, Magikarp Jump is now available in the U.S...

OnePlus 5 confirmed to have Snapdragon 835 processor, surprising nobody

30 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 24 May 2017 1:49 pm
OnePlus 3T
We'll always take a proper confirmation. The upcoming OnePlus 5 will have a Snapdragon 835 processor, matching the top-end power offered by just about every other flagship launched in 2017. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau made a post on the OnePlus Forums to confirm everyone's suspicions on the processor choice, and go further in depth on performance aspirations for the OnePlus 5. Having a Snapdragon...

Best Android Phones Over $700

Posted by Andrew Martonik on 24 May 2017 9:00 am
Update, May 2017: Article changed to better reflect a listing of phones costing over $700, rather than under $900. Galaxy S8 moves to the top spot, dropping the Pixel XL one position. The LG V20 and Galaxy S7 edge are replaced on the list. Best overall Best runner-up Best tough phone Best overall Samsung Galaxy S8 See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint See at Best...

Google finally matching in-store purchases to online activity, vastly raising value of ads

16 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 23 May 2017 2:03 pm
Google logo
Keeping track of in-store purchases is the final step of measuring effectiveness of online ads. Google is finally figuring out how to close the most precious link in the loop of online advertising: knowing when someone makes an in-store purchase in response to an online ad. Google has announced that it will begin using data from billions of credit and debit card transactions, matching the data...

Google's $5000 Jamboard collaborative whiteboard is now available in the U.S.

11 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 23 May 2017 1:14 pm
This is the future of office collaboration — but it'll cost you. Google's enterprise-focused smart whiteboard, called the Jamboard, is now available for those in the U.S. who are ready to increase collaboration and move beyond smelly dry erase markers. The Jamboard at its core is a 55-inch 4K touchscreen panel powered by an NVIDIA Jetson TX1 board, focused on super-fast touch response with low-...

Galaxy S8 iris scanner unsurprisingly bypassed with picture of an eye and a little time

21 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 23 May 2017 12:46 pm
Galaxy S8 iris scanner
Our expectations of what it takes to get into our phones have been set too high. The Galaxy S8's iris scanning is quicker and more accurate than when it debuted (for a short period) on the Galaxy Note 7, saving us from using the fingerprint sensor every time we want to unlock the phone. But it doesn't guarantee your phone can't be accessed by an unwanted person, as the Chaos Computer Club has...

Best Android Phones of 2017

Posted by Andrew Martonik on 23 May 2017 11:00 am
Samsung Galaxy S8
Best overall Best clean experience Best for less Best for basics Best inexpensive Best overall Samsung Galaxy S8 See at Verizon See at AT&T See at T-Mobile See at Sprint See at Best Buy The Galaxy S8 has slick new hardware with tiny bezels that let it have a big screen in a small body, but inside it still offers everything you want: a high-end processor, lots of storage, an SD card...

Best Android Camera

Posted by Andrew Martonik on 23 May 2017 9:00 am
Google Pixel
Update, May 2017: The Google Pixel is still our top camera, followed closely by the Galaxy S8. The LG G6's dual cameras join the group, taking over from the V20, and the new HTC U11 hops on as a great camera in its own right. Best Overall Best runner-up Best for tweaking Best balanced Best overall Google Pixel See at Verizon See at Google Google's Pixel phone comes out on top when you...

Nest preparing new security camera with 4K video, fresh design

8 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 22 May 2017 2:15 pm
Nest Outdoor Cam
Nest isn't resting, releasing a fresh indoor camera with new features. Nest, perhaps known best for its popular smart thermostat, is reportedly ready to refresh its Nest Cam camera with new features and a higher resolution. The Google-owned company most recently refreshed its camera lineup with an outdoor-ready version near the end of 2016. It's a 4K camera ... but you'll only get 1080p...

AMBER Alerts and Android: What you need to know

184 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 19 May 2017 5:55 pm
Android emergency broadcast alerts
Emergency alerts on your Android smartphone are a good thing — even if they are a bit annoying sometimes! Every so often — or frequently, depending on your tolerance level — you get an emergency alert on your phone. That horrible blaring of the emergency tone, the buzzing the vibration motor, and then the grim news. Someone's missing. Or there's a severe weather alert headed your way. Suddenly...

More Android phones are using encryption and lock screen security than ever before

15 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 19 May 2017 4:26 pm
Galaxy S7 lock pattern
An increasing number of people are making the right decisions. */ /*-->*/ We like to harp on security here from time to time, but it's for good reason. Many often have a false sense of just how secure their private data is on their devices — that is, if they're thinking about it at all. Your average smartphone user just wants to access the apps and people they care about, and not...

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