Cult of Android - page 6

D’oh! Samsung S7’s industrial design is as lazy as ever

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Galaxy S7 in gold.
Photo: Samsung
Galaxy S7 in gold. Photo: Samsung
Galaxy S7 in gold. Photo: Samsung

Samsung may have “borrowed” Apple’s Upgrade Program for its new Galaxy S7 handset, but one thing it seemingly can’t copy is Apple’s perfectionist approach to design.

New photos popping up online highlight how Samsung just can’t seem to afford the ruler it would require to get all of its Galaxy S7 ports, microphones, speakers and jacks to properly line up with one another.

Check out the photos below.

Samsung steals iPhone’s Upgrade Program for Galaxy S7

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Apple doesn’t charge you interest, but Samsung does.
Photo: Samsung
Apple doesn't charge you interest, but Samsung does. Photo: Samsung
Apple doesn’t charge you interest, but Samsung does. Photo: Samsung

Samsung has launched its own Upgrade Program alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to make it easier for fans to get their hands on its latest devices.

It comes in response to Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, but it’s nowhere near as good.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge bring better designs, incredible specs

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Welcome Samsung’s latest Galaxies.
Photo: Samsung
Welcome Samsung's latest Galaxies. Photo: Samsung
Welcome Samsung’s latest Galaxies. Photo: Samsung

Mobile World Congress doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow — and yet Samsung has already stolen the show with its new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

MWC-CoA-2016Packing improved designs that are IP68-certified for water-resistance, always-on displays, and stellar specifications, these are the South Korean company’s best smartphones yet.

Read on to find out what you get under the hood, and when they’ll be available.

LG unveils modular G5 with awesome add-ons, insane features

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LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance.
Photo: LG
LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance. Photo: LG
LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance. Photo: LG

LG is kicking off Mobile World Congress early this year with the anticipated unveiling of its new G5.

MWC-CoA-2016The device sports impressive specifications and an all-new modular design made out of metal, which lets users slot accessories into its bottom edge. LG calls these add-ons “Friends,” and you’ll be amazed at what they can do.

Carrier’s cunning scheme will block all ‘irrelevant’ mobile ads

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Three wants to banish bad ads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Three wants to banish bad ads. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Three wants to banish bad ads. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Who needs ad-blockers when your carrier has your back?

Three has unveiled plans to begin blocking “excessive and irrelevant” mobile ads at the carrier level so users on its network don’t have to endure them when browsing the web on their smartphones and tablets.

Why you’re going to love a bendable iPhone or Android

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The ReFlex, a prototype flexible smartphone, might make you want to get the bends.
Photo: Queens University

flexible-phone-2016-02-17-01

I’ve never really understood the appeal of flexible smartphones before I saw this video. Now it’s changed things forever for me. I want a flexible iPhone! Or, better yet, a bendy iPad! Because flex tech is going to open up whole new ways to interact with devices.

Google CEO supports Tim Cook in battle against FBI snooping

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Google CEO Sundar Pinchai thinks Apple is doing the right thing on Encryption. Photo: Google
Google CEO Sundar Pinchai thinks Apple is doing the right thing on Encryption. Photo: Google

Google and Apple don’t always see eye-to-eye, but in the matter of encryption, they’re total allies.

Today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai today tweeted words of support to Apple in the aftermath of Tim Cook’s open letter, explaining why Apple was defying a federal order to provide backdoor access to a terrorism suspect’s iPhone 5c.

Spotify baits premium hook with free Chromecast

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Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium.  Photo: Spotify
Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium. Photo: Spotify

If you haven’t already grabbed a free trial of Spotify, you’re in luck – this deal makes joining the streaming music service even more enticing.

Today through February 28, when you buy three months of Spotify Premium for $29.97, you’ll get a free Chromecast.

Google takes a subtle swipe at Apple in new Android ad

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"Be together. Not the same."
Photo: Google
"Be together. Not the same." Photo: Google
“Be together. Not the same.” Photo: Google

Google takes a leaf out of Samsung’s marketing playbook in its latest Android ad, with a subtle swipe at Apple and the lack of choice you get when you choose iOS.

“Monotune” is part of the company’s “Be together. Not the same.” campaign, and it’s nothing short of brilliant.

$4 iPhone clone is world’s cheapest smartphone

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The Freedom 251 doesn’t look like this in the flesh.
Photo: Ringing Bells
The Freedom 251 doesn't look like this in the flesh. Photo: Ringing Bells
The Freedom 251 doesn’t look like this in the flesh. Photo: Ringing Bells

Android has long been the best platform for smartphone buyers on a budget, and now entry to Google’s ecosystem is even more affordable.

Indian handset maker Ringing Bells just launched the new Freedom 251, an ultra affordable device that looks a lot like an iPhone, priced at 251 rupees — or about $3.67.

Got an old Android? Sell it to us for a great price!

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It's easy to turn your old devices into cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got an old Android you don’t use anymore? It’s useless to you in the bottom of a drawer, but if you dig it out and dust it off, you can sell it to us for cold hard cash!

We’re buying used and broken Android and Microsoft devices through our new buyback program, and we pay more than Best Buy, Gazelle, and Walmart in most cases. We’ll even buy used wearables, watches, and devices that don’t even work anymore.

$300 3D printer lets kids design and print their own toys

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What I would have given for this as a kid.
Photo: Mattel
What I would have given for this as a kid. Photo: Mattel
What I would have given for this as a kid. Photo: Mattel

It’s easy to assume that traditional kid’s toys are taking a beating due to the sky-high popularity of tablets and smartphones among the younger generation.

But toy-maker Mattel is attempting to strike back with a concept that, honestly, sounds amazing: an affordable $300 3D printer designed to let your sprogs (or, let’s be honest, immature adults everywhere) print their own toys, as designed on an accompanying mobile app.

iOS arcade shooter has a heart on for you this V-Day

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Blast aliens for love.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Looking to play a fast-paced, arcade-inspired video game on your iPhone or iPad? Polyblast, like a modern mashup of retro arcade favorites Space Invaders, Missile Command and Tetris, has just gotten a Valentine’s Day update, making this simple yet addictive little shooter a fantastic choice for your day of love.

If you love simple arcade-style shooters, Polyblast will keep you well-sated with solid gameplay mechanics, a delightful visual style, and a soundtrack that’ll take anyone from the era of quarter-gobbling standup cabinets back to their alien-blasting youth.

Check out the video below for a quick look at the game in action.

Awesome archive brings ancient Windows games to your browser

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Windows 3.1 in Google Chrome.
Screenshot: Cult of Android
Windows 3.1 in Google Chrome. Screenshot: Cult of Android
Windows 3.1 in Google Chrome. Screenshot: Cult of Android

Remember the days before high-speed broadband and photo-realistic graphics, when the best games you could get on PC were things like Win Pool, Brickbuster, and Gopher-It? Now you can go back in time and relive them right inside your web browser.

Samsung to pounce on falling iPhone demand with cheaper Galaxy S7

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Despite a larger screen, the S7 edge could be cheaper than its predecessor.
Photo: Evan Blass
Despite a larger screen, the S7 edge could be cheaper than its predecessor! Photo: Evan Blass
Despite a larger screen, the S7 edge could be cheaper than its predecessor. Photo: Evan Blass

Samsung hopes to reverse declining Galaxy sales and tackle the iPhone head-on by making its upcoming Galaxy S7 more affordable.

The leaked price list below claims the entry-level option with 32GB of storage will start at just €699.99 ($787) in Europe — a full €50 ($56) less than a 16GB iPhone 6s.

Google’s secret next gen VR headsets, revealed

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Creating 360-degree photos for Google Cardboard is now super easy.
Creating 360-degree photos for Google Cardboard is now super easy.
Photo: Google
Google is experimenting with its next-gen VR headsets. Photo: Google
Google is experimenting with its next-gen VR headsets. Photo: Google

So far, Google’s experiments in virtual reality have mostly been done through Cardboard, the search giant’s super-cheap device that can convert any smartphone into a VR rig.

But Cardboard isn’t the limit to Google’s ambitions, with the Wall Street Journal today reporting that the company is developing a standalone virtual reality headset.

Foursquare wants to be the Uber of food and booze

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Foursquare and Delivery.com want to liquor you up.
Photo: Nan Palmero/Flickr CC
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Foursquare and Delivery.com want to liquor you up. Photo: Nan Palmero/Flickr CC

It’s not often we hear any major new features coming to Foursquare lately, but the service just announced something pretty huge. It has partnered with Delivery.com to allow users to order food, groceries and even liquor right from the app to get sent straight to their homes.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chip still can’t beat last year’s iPhone

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There's a lot of magic in that A9 chip. Photo: Apple
There’s a lot of magic in that A9 chip. Photo: Apple

Many of this year’s high-end Androids will come with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 processor. It’s up to twice as fast as the Snapdragon 810 that powered many of last year’s flagships — but it still can’t beat the iPhone 6s.

According to tests carried out on GFXBench, Apple’s A9 processor outperforms Qualcomm’s best alternative — despite slower clock speeds and fewer cores.

Apple dominates global smartphone market but Samsung’s catching up

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No one sells more smartphones than Apple. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC
No one sells more smartphones than Apple. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

iPhone owners are holding onto their smartphone a little bit longer than Samsung owners, and that appears to be helping the South Korean company catch up with Apple’s huge lead in marketshare.

Apple is still the world’s top manufacturer, but a new survey of smartphone owners found that 33% of iPhone users still have a device that’s more than two years old, while only 30% of Samsung owners are still using a two-year old model.