Motorola Latin America has announced that the Android 7.0 Nougat update is rolling out to the Moto X Force smartphones in the region. This means that the update might make its way to other markets around the world soon as well. It’s a big one and brings a bunch of new and exciting features to the device, which was announced back in November 2015.
These include multi-window support, the ability to reply to messages from within the notification, and much more.
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
High refresh rate screens first came to smartphones back in 2017, when the first Razer Phone was released. Back then, Razer was offering a 120Hz IGZO LCD panel for a much smoother experience when swiping through menus or in supported games.
Fast-forward to 2021 and it seems like almost every flagship smartphone (and even many mid-rangers) offer high refresh rate displays. It’s not uncommon to see phones packing 90Hz, 120Hz, and even 144Hz screens as a result.
One thing Google is good at is predicting what type of information users might be interested in reading and learning more about. One way the company tries to deliver this content is through the Google Feed found within the Google app and through a side panel in the Pixel Launcher. But despite a rebranding of this section just a year ago away from the Google Now name, it appears that the search giant is looking to shake things up again and possibly rename the Google Feed to “Discover” (via XDA-Developers).
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Recent smartphone shipment reports suggest Xiaomi had a strong first quarter in 2018. Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A said to be the best selling Android smartphone in March — the first time a Xiaomi phone has achieved the feat. Xiaomi also became the third biggest smartphone vendor in Spain in Q1 2018, according to Canalys. Research firms Counterpoint Research and Canalys have released smartphone shipment reports for earlier in 2018, and both highlight significant achievements for Chinese firm Xiaomi.
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Microsoft is set to host a Surface press event on September 22. The event will reportedly see the launch of the Surface Go 3 tablet. Although leaks suggest it’s possible, there’s no word that the Surface Duo 2 will make an appearance. Update: September 3, 2021 (7:45 AM ET): According to a new report, Microsoft may not be showcasing any new phones at its Surface press event later this month.
The Nexus 10 is currently Samsung’s only high-resolution tablet offering.
Most people would agree that behind battery life and performance, the display is the most important component in a mobile device. Even more so in a tablet, where the display is especially crucial. A screen resolution which looks great on a 4.5-inch smartphone won’t pull off the same effect on a 10-inch tablet. The main reason for that is something called pixels per-inch (PPI).
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
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Several LastPass users received security alert emails this week alerting them to failed login attempts. According to LastPass, no accounts have been compromised. The company continues to investigate and monitor the situation. Password managers are a must for keeping crucial login information to multiple portals safe and accessible. But they can occasionally be the source of more than a few headaches. This week, several LastPass users received security emails alerting them to blocked login attempts using their master passwords.
David Imel / Android Authority
The Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches on the market today. Slim bezels and mountains of watch faces make it an enticing buy for anyone in the iOS ecosystem. Once you drop the cash for your watch, though, you’ll have to keep it powered on. Here are the best Apple Watch chargers you can buy right now.
See also: Apple Watch Series 6 review — Take notes, Google
Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
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The OnePlus 9E is tipped to join the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. There’s no word on what this phone could offer. Samsung previously launched a flagship with an “E” moniker. We’re expecting OnePlus to offer the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro in the first half of 2021, set to be powered by the Snapdragon 875 processor. But it looks like one more OnePlus 9 series phone might be in the works.
One of the coolest things about Android is undoubtedly just how much it lets you do without needing to root your device or otherwise modify it. Out of the box an Android phone is yours to customize, tweak and hack to your heart’s desires. If you want to use it as-is then you can, but if you’re more ambitious then the sky is the limit.
We’ve covered tools like Tasker and IFTTT here before and seen what kind of extra functionality and automation they can add to your phone.