Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Battery life — it’s one of those things every single one of us wants more of. While it’s understandable all apps will make that juice trickle out of your phone little by little, it seems some applications are especially good at killing your battery. Google Maps seems to be one of them. Especially if you’re constantly using it for navigating, finding locations, looking for businesses, and more.
The Motorola Razr is already a treat for classic phone fans that strikes a perfect balance between the old (that flip design!) and the new (a foldable display!), but Motorola has upped the nostalgia factor even further with a secret “Retro Razr” mode.
The mode, which is accessed via the quick settings menu and can be toggled on and off in a flash, transforms the Motorola Razr’s UI into an old school layout with a small screen at the top and the OG Razr’s iconic keypad design on the bottom.
Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
TL;DR
Samsung is enabling ECG monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Active 2. Your smartwatch can now check for an irregular heartbeat. It’s matching features Apple, Fitbit and others either have or will add soon. Samsung’s current smartwatches are about to become much more useful for spotting heart issues. As of September 23, Samsung is enabling ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2.
Update, October 1, 2019 (04:30 AM ET): Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Fold will launch in India for Rs. 164,999 (~$2,326). Pre-booking is set to start from October 4 with deliveries starting from October 20.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is the first foldable phone with a flexible screen from the world’s largest smartphone maker. When in closed smartphone mode, it has a 4.6-inch external screen, but when you fold it out, it turns into a 7.
TL;DR
A new security update is rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S8 series in at least one country. However, the Galaxy S8 line reached its end-of-life, so it shouldn’t be seeing any more updates. It’s possible this has to do with a recent Qualcomm hardware flaw, although it’s unclear at the moment. Back in April this year, the Samsung Galaxy S8 series received what was supposed to be its final update.
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
A viral post has revealed that many people are adding ‘Reddit’ to their search queries, and it turned out that several Android Authority members are doing the same thing.
So we wanted to get a better idea of just how popular this practice is. Is it a niche practice or are way more people doing it than one might think? We posted a poll earlier this week and here’s what you said.
Some good news for those of you still looking to pick up the Sony Xperia Z2, the device has seen a major price slash in the U.S., bringing the unlocked phone down to just $579.99. Not half bad considering the initial price at U.S. launch was $749.99.
Perhaps the best feature of the Xperia Z2 is its 20.7MP camera. I will never get tired of sharing with you the photos a dev unit took in Tokyo back in February.
The upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are already generating a ton of hype and speculation. The two next-generation consoles promise to be faster and more powerful than any console we have seen before. Yet, given all we know so far, their main competitor, the Nintendo Switch is looking better than ever.
Few companies have taken as many risks or transformed their products as much as Nintendo. It hasn’t always paid off, but the Japanese company struck gold with the Nintendo Switch.
Update: September 10, 2019 at 8:43 a.m. ET: The Pixel 4 leaks are happening nearly every day now. Just a few days ago we got our first glimpse at a pretty coral colored Pixel 4, and today, thanks to the YouTube channel Gadget Leaks, we’re getting our first look at the device in a hands-on video. Check it out above!
Original article: September 10 at 6:13 a.m. ET: We’re a few hours away from the launch of the new iPhones, but it’s raining Pixel 4 leaks right now.
Update (02/12): Another handful of Android Wear devices are receiving the Oreo update. Google posted an update about the new devices in its Android Wear support pages (via Android Police) yesterday, though its terminology is a little unclear. Google says the devices below are “currently pursuing" the Android Wear Oreo update. We don't know if that means it's rolling out, about to roll out, or rolling out in a year's time, but the update has already been spotted on the Huawei Watch 2 so it's likely happening now or very soon for all of them.