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Android - page 8

How to finally get iMessages on Android

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AirMessage
AirMessage bridges the gap between iMessage and Android.
Photo: AirMessage

Android lovers can finally bust out of the green bubble life without owning an iPhone.

Thanks to a new app that brings iMessage to Android, you can now enjoy one of Apple’s best features even if you don’t have an iOS device. It’s not a perfect solution and you’ll need a Mac but it’s better than any of the other workarounds we’ve seen.

Best of all, it’s totally free!

Galaxy S10 vs. iPhone: Samsung gives us so many reasons to switch

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Galaxy S10+ camera
Can Samsung's top-rated camera system convince you to switch?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just delivered a keynote packed with new devices, including an all-new Galaxy S10 lineup and the exciting Galaxy Flex, its first foldable smartphone. But are any of them worth considering for an iPhone fan?

We’ve compared all four of Samsung’s new devices with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR to see how they stack up. Whether you want the best display, cameras, security, or performance, we can help you choose the right phone for you.

EA could bring hit battle royale game Apex Legends to mobile

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Apex Legends
It's at least a year away.
Photo: EA Games

Apex Legends has been an early smash hit for EA Games, and now the company hopes to make it even more popular by bringing it to Android and iOS.

CEO Andrew Wilson has confirmed that EA is “looking at” a mobile port of the free-to-play battle royale game. But when can we expect it to arrive?

Android phones might finally catch up to Apple’s Face ID

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face id
The company that sells Apple a critical component for Face ID expects to have more customers this year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone’s multi-year lead in facial recognition could finally be nearing its end, as one of the third-party suppliers for the hardware in Face ID says it expects to start selling its 3D sensors to more companies this year.

Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to Android and iOS

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
Controller support is better than ever.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Microsoft is gearing up to release a software development kit that will allow Android and iOS developers to integrate Xbox Live features into their games.

The SDK, which will be officially confirmed by Microsoft next month, will also be available to Nintendo Switch developers. It will make Microsoft the first console-maker to open up its platform to third-party systems.

Nintendo is bringing Dr. Mario to mobile this summer

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Dr. Mario
He’s got the cure!
Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo has confirmed that Dr. Mario will be its next franchise to make the leap to mobile.

Dr. Mario World is scheduled for a worldwide release in “early summer” on Android and iOS. It will be developed by Nintendo, Line, and NHN Entertainment, and just like the rest of Nintendo’s mobile lineup, it will be free-to-play.

Nintendo delays its very first Mario Kart game for mobile

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Mario Kart
It won’t be here until the summer.
Photo: Nintendo

You’ll have to wait longer to get your hands on the very first Mario Kart game for Android and iOS.

Nintendo has confirmed that the launch of Mario Kart Tour has been pushed back to this summer. The much-anticipated title was originally scheduled to arrive by the end of March, but Nintendo says it needs more time to “improve quality of the application.”

It is Nintendo’s second big delay in just one week.

Meizu Zero goes up for pre-order with eye-watering price tag

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Meizu Zero 1
This phone outdoes Apple on the whole getting-rid-of-ports thing.
Photo: Meizu

In its quest for minimalist perfectionism, Apple loves shaving ports off its products wherever possible. But even it has stopped short of creating a phone like the Meizu Zero.

Promising no buttons, no speaker holes, no Sim card slot, and no charging port, this sleek Chinese Android phone looked like a concept phone or, uncharitably, an early April Fool’s joke when it first popped up online last month. Well, it seems that that’s not the case at all — since pre-orders have just gone live on Indiegogo. Be warned: It’s not cheap.

Gmail is getting a big redesign on Android and iOS

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Gmail redesign Android iOS
Meet the new Gmail for mobile.
Photo: Google

Google’s official Gmail app is getting a fancy new redesign on Android and iOS.

The fresh lick of paint won’t just make Gmail look better; it will also come with new features and tweaks that will make it quicker and easier to use, as well as phishing alerts for dodgy emails.

Apple Music finally adds support for Android tablets

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Photo: Apple

Apple Music is finally compatible with Android tablets, more than three years after it launched on Android phones. Apple started beta testing the larger interface last month, and now it’s rolling out to everyone in the latest Play Store update.

Google nabs senior macOS engineer for Fuchsia OS project

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Google Fuchsia OS
Fuchsia OS will power everything.
Photo: Google

Google has poached senior macOS engineer Bill Stevenson to help build its upcoming Fuchsia OS.

Stevenson will make the switch in February after spending 14 years at Apple, where his most recent role was senior manager for Mac and Windows program management.

Meizu Zero is first smartphone with no buttons, ports or speakers

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Meizu Zero
The Zero’s future now looks bleak.
Photo: Meizu

If buttons, ports, and speaker grilles give you real anxiety when looking at your smartphone, Meizu has the perfect handset for you. It’s called the Zero, and it’s the first phone that completely ditches all of the above for a gorgeous ceramic unibody design.

But is it really worth it?

Google Maps now helps you dodge speeding tickets while driving

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Google Maps speed traps
You won’t miss those speed traps with Google Maps.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google Maps now shows you speed limits and speed traps while you’re driving in several countries around the world.

Google started testing the feature a couple of years ago, but only in the San Francisco Bay Area and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Now it is expanding its on both Android and iOS.

Microsoft tells Windows phone users to get an iPhone

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windows phone
Goodbye, Windows Phone.
Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac

Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Phone, is officially dead.

After failing to compete with iOS and Android, Microsoft is now advising users of Windows Phone to go out and buy an iPhone before the end of the year.

App Store made almost twice as much as Google Play in 2018

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The App Store raked in almost twice as much revenue as Google Play in 2018, despite significantly fewer downloads.

Google’s marketplace did enjoy a 27.3 percent rise in gross app revenue year-over-year — a larger rise than Apple’s — but iOS remains the most lucrative platform for developers by far.

Android phones start lying about offering 5G

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AT&T’s false 5G claim on an Android phone
There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and marketing.
Photo: AT&T

Some Android phones already claim they’re connected to a 5G network. This is the result of some fairly shady rebranding on the part of AT&T, which is pretending that improvements to its LTE network make it no longer 4G.

This is raising protests, especially from the other Big 4 wireless carriers.

Apple ‘in discussions’ over bringing RCS messaging to iOS

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Messages replay
Is Messages due for a big upgrade on iOS?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is said to be “in discussions” over adding Rich Communications Services (RCS) to iOS.

The upgrade to traditional text messaging would allow for some iMessage features — like read receipts and typing indicators — when talking to friends who use Android and other platforms.

Huawei punishes employees over iPhone tweet

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Huawei P20 Pro
It’s just a backup plan for now.
Photo: Huawei

Huawei has demoted two employees over a Twitter update sent from an iPhone.

The New Year message, which has since been deleted, was mocked for being published “via Twitter for iPhone.” But Huawei isn’t the only smartphone maker that’s been caught using a rival’s devices.

iPhone XR is Apple’s biggest lure for Android lovers

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iPhone XR Spectrum ad
iPhone XR sales in its first month were as about as strong as those of previous Apple bandsets right after their launches.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR got off to a fairly strong start. In November, this just-launched model made up 30 percent of Apple’s U.S. sales, slightly higher than the iPhone X in Nov. 2017.

But the standout aspect of the XR’s launch is this new model drew in a higher percentage of Android fans than any Apple device in years.

Instagram just slid a walkie-talkie feature into your DMs

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Instagram lawsuit
Instagram Direct is becoming one of the biggest communication platforms out there.
Photo: Pixabay

The biggest photo and video sharing social network in the world is doubling down on voice messaging.

Instagram launched a new feature today that gives all users the ability to share short voice messages with other people through the Instagram Direct section of the app.

Android will have a big advantage over iPhone in 2019

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iPhone 5G
The clue is in the giant "5G" written in the middle of this iPhone's display.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple may not be planning to release a 5G iPhone until at least 2020, but don’t expect rival Android handset makers to be willing to hold on for so long.

According to Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon, by this time next year the market is set to be flooded with 5G Android phones. “Every Android vendor is working on 5G right now,” he said.

Samsung takes wraps off its first folding smartphone

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Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy X.
Photo: The Verge

The foldable future of smartphones has officially arrived.

Just one day after we saw the first folding smartphone hit the market, Samsung took the wraps off of its new Galaxy X smartphone that packs a folding display that allows it to also be used as a tablet.

Zelda and Donkey Kong could be Nintendo’s next mobile games

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Zelda Spirit Tracks
Is Spirit Tracks coming to your pocket?
Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo could finally be preparing to bring The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong to mobile. The two beloved franchises have proven to be incredibly successful on the Japanese company’s own consoles, and there’s a sign they may be coming to your pocket.

WhatsApp finally adds support for stickers

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WhatsApp stickers
It's time to upgrade if you haven't already.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the biggest messaging platforms on the planet, and it has somehow gone without support for stickers — until now!

Some users now have the ability to send and receive stickers, and the rest will be able to enjoy the same functionality on both Android and iOS in the coming weeks. A selection of sticker packs from WhatsApp own designers are available, and third-party packs are coming soon.