Android Phone Fans

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• DroidLanding is alive and kicking, alludes to upcoming device using Motorola’s Quick Charge 2.0 Turbo Charger
• Android Wear 4.4W.1 now rolling out to LG G Watch, Moto 360, and more
• Report: Microsoft is looking to buy Minecraft studio for $2 billion
• Moto 360 teardown reveals smaller than advertised 300mAh battery, Motorola quickly responds
• Apple is 3 years late to Android’s party, but does it matter?
• Apple Watch vs Moto 360 & Android Wear: the smart watch wars are just beginning to heat up
• Android Deals: Double your LG G3 battery life, save on football movies, and more
• The LG G Watch just dropped to $180 on Google Play (that’s $170 less than the Apple Watch)
• iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4
• iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 (and Android)
• Download: 35 great wallpapers from the Sony Xperia Z3
• Reminder: T-Mobile announces Un-Carrier 7.0 tomorrow, live streaming it for all to see
• Amazon Prime Instant Video for Android is finally available for download

DroidLanding is alive and kicking, alludes to upcoming device using Motorola’s Quick Charge 2.0 Turbo Charger Posted: 09 Sep 2014 07:07 PM PDT Almost a week ago today, Verizon’s @DroidLanding Twitter page went live for the first time in 8 months. They didn’t say much, only, “Reactivation fast approaching, wait and see.” Of course, we’re expecting Verizon to announce a new line of Motorola-made “Droid” smartphones, just like they did last year with the Motorola Droid Ultra, MAXX, and Mini. Today, we saw @DroidLanding tweet another clue, this time mentioning, “Faster charging is a big deal. That's why we made it a bigger deal.” Seeing as how last year’s Droid lineup was simply Motorola devices with slightly tweaked hardware, we’d be willing to bet @DroidLanding is talking about a phone utilizing Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 — a feature found in the upcoming Moto X (2nd Gen). We told you guys last week how Motorola had their Turbo Charger listed as “coming soon” on their site, a wall charger that can juice up a Moto X (2nd Gen) with 8 hours of additional talk time in only 15 minutes. It only makes sense that an upcoming Droid device would utilize the same feature, with rumors pointing towards a 6-inch Motorola made phablet headed to Verizon in the near future. In a separate note, I will say that I did get a very brief peak at this upcoming phablet which — the version I saw, anyway — looked identical to the Moto X in general aesthetic, only much, much larger. All we can say is we’re excited to see what Verizon has planned. Another Motorola DROID Maxx is exactly what the world needs, especially after seeing the average sized battery that comes inside the Moto X (2nd Gen).

Android Wear 4.4W.1 now rolling out to LG G Watch, Moto 360, and more Posted: 09 Sep 2014 05:54 PM PDT Listen up, Android Wearers. Google has just begun pushing out an update to all currently available Android Wear devices, bringing them up to version 4.4W.1. While they’ll all see that same software version, builds may differ slightly. For instance, our LG G Watch is showing build number KGW42Q, while the Moto 360 shows KGW42N (chances are, your Moto 360 may have already shipped with the newer build). Last week, Google detailed a variety of software updates they had in store for Android Wear devices and although this latest update doesn’t introduce offline music playback or downloadable watchfaces, it does add a few goodies we’re excited about. First off, you can now choose your business end points when performing a navigation voice command. For instance, when navigating to Starbucks, you can now scroll through a list and choose the exact location you had in mind. You can also choose exactly how you’d like to get there, with the option to select driving, walking or public transportation. You’ll also find the update adds a few more options when setting an alarm, allowing users to select whether it’s a 1-time deal, or how often they’d like the alarm to reoccur. Pretty much the same thing you do when setting an alarm on your smartphone. Keep in mind this is just the first of many updates headed to the wearable OS in the near future, so sit tight. There’s plenty of time for Android Wear to evolve before the Apple Watch debuts early next year.

Report: Microsoft is looking to buy Minecraft studio for $2 billion Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:02 PM PDT A new report from The Wall Street Journal suggests Microsoft could be looking to buy indie game studio Mojang, creators of the cult smash hit Minecraft. It’s a deal said to be worth $2 billion and while not directly Android related, Minecraft was ported to Android devices a few years back where it has since garnered between 5 – 10 million downloads. The deal could close as early as this week and leaves us wondering about the fate of Minecraft on Android if it suddenly becomes a Microsoft property. Mojang has yet to confirm anything with press, although we imagine it wont be long before we hear something one way or the other. Mojang founder Markkus Persson has been very vocal in the past about taking money from big corporations like Microsoft, choosing instead to invest their sizable profits ($100 million last year alone) in oddball indie titles instead. Minecraft is a first person, open world video game that features 3D almost 16-bit mapped graphics. The game made its PC debut back in 2009 before it eventually made its way to Android, first as an Sony Ericsson Xperia Play exclusive, then later launching in the Android Market in October of 2011. Minecraft – Pocket Edition (Playboard) | Minecraft – Pocket Edition (Play Store)

Moto 360 teardown reveals smaller than advertised 300mAh battery, Motorola quickly responds Posted: 09 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT During the hoopla that was this morning’s Apple event, the folks at iFixit published an interesting teardown of the Motorola Moto 360. During the gruesome autopsy, iFixit discovered the Moto 360 may have had a smaller battery than Motorola advertised on the smartwatch’s packaging: a 300mAh battery vs 320mAh as printed on the box. With reports of the Moto 360′s lackluster battery life, this of course caused some alarm with early adopters who’ve already dropped a few bills on the watch. Fear not, as Motorola wasted no time in chiming in on the subject. Here’s Motorola’s full statement to help clear some things up: “The typical battery capacity for Moto 360 is 320 mAh and the minimum is 300 mAh. In the mobile industry, sometimes both the minimum and typical capacity is listed on the battery, with the typical capacity quoted as the official battery size. Both figures are included on the batteries of our Moto X, Moto E and Moto G devices. In the case of smaller devices, we aren't always able to list both figures. For Moto 360 we only had room for one figure and choose to list the minimal capacity of the battery. We see how this can be confusing and we will look into ways to add the typical capacity as well in the future.” So there you have it. Because battery charging capacity can vary device-to-device and Motorola couldn’t list both the typical and minimum mAh, they chose to only list the minimum. Don’t freak out too much, especially if you’ve heard battery life not even averaging a full day. We’re currently averaging about a full 24 hours or so with ambient mode turned off and will update you later after we perform some more tests. Cheers. [iFixit | ArsTechnica]

Apple is 3 years late to Android’s party, but does it matter? Posted: 09 Sep 2014 02:17 PM PDT iPhone 6 vs. Galaxy S5 | iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4 | Apple Watch vs. Moto 360 Since the iPhone’s inception, Apple brass – once led by the brilliant Steve Jobs – has vehemently argued that Android is nothing more than an iPhone knockoff. Recently, however, it’s become apparent that Apple is now the one playing catch up, launching new features they once adamantly opposed– the same features Android had wholeheartedly embraced years ago. This trend continues with Apple’s most recent announcement: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Does bigger always mean better? Sporting a gorgeous 5.5-inch screen, the iPhone 6+ rivals the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge. It’s the first iPhone (along with the iPhone 6) with a display over 4-inches. By comparison, the original Galaxy Note launched in 2011 with a 5.3-inch screen and introduced a 4-inch screen with their flagship product: the Samsung Galaxy S, way back in March of 2010. It’s almost embarrassing to think that until last year, the largest iPhone you could buy had a 3.5-inch screen. Android bested that way back when Verizon’s robotic “Droiiiid” slogan first began dominating TV channels in 2009: the 3.7-inch screen on the original Motorola Droid. Now (finally), in two consecutive years, Apple announces 3 devices with bigger screens. Just like last year, Apple started their iPhone event by bragging about new features — ones Android users have been enjoying forever — including split screen display view, the same one Samsung made available years ago. The iPhone gets split screen e-mail 3 years later. Groundbreaking. It doesn’t start and stop with screen size, either: Apple Pay with NFC announced… Google Wallet was announced in 2011 Apple Watch announced… but Samsung’s Gear has been around since 2013 and Android Wear was announced 6 months ago. Maybe Conan O’brien said it best when first discussing the iPhone 6 rumors. For Apple, timing is everything Technology has become more powerful, components have become smaller, the industry has evolved and consumer needs and desires have shifted with those changes. A recent report from Adobe shows use of 4-inch and smaller mobile devices dropping in the double digits while larger device use continues to skyrocket. Our own 2011 poll of over 5,000 readers anticipated this long ago. Apple is adapting. That much is clear. But isn’t that a funny word for Apple- adapting? Apple’s role as the trailblazing mobile innovator seems to have slowed considerably. Apple’s primary role in forging new opportunities for MP3 players, smartphones, and tablets is undeniable. However, let’s not forget that Apple wasn’t first in any of these areas. Rather than rush to market for the sake of being first, Apple spotted opportunities, worked to perfect them, and launched only when they felt the consumer was ready to spend money on devices that truly wowed. Regardless of who is first, Apple simply needs to continue wowing. It’s worked, and no matter how big of an Android fanboy you are it’s hard to deny these facts: The iPhone gained mass popularity before Android phones The iPad gained mass popularity before Android tablets But he who laughs last, laughs best and today, Android market share dominates all competition. While “winning the war” would be nice, it’s not necessary for Apple to have the highest market share or launch products before the competition in order to be a successful company. The company is still raking in massive amounts of money for every iOS device they sell. The stock is up 25% this year alone, not to mention 300% in the past 5 years and almost 4,000% percent over the last decade. Apple is still largely known as the premiere industry innovator: when they announce something brand spanking new, people pay attention. And then people buy it. And then the door is opened for competitors to become profitable making similar products, thanks to the Apple brand’s ability to demand attention for new product categories. In a post Steve Jobs world, what product category will be next?  In 2001, we saw the first iPod. In 2007, the first iPhone. In 2010, the first iPad. For years now, people have been wondering — what will be the next big thing? Apple Watch vs Android Wear Today, the oft rumored iWatch has finally become official, announced instead as Apple Watch. Our own research shows that the Moto 360 is largely considered the most attractive smartwatch to date. If there is any indication that Apple has indeed lost it’s innovative edge it’s probably not best illustrated by the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen size increases. Apple is going to make an absolute fortune on those improvements and the devices themselves look impressive. What’s more telling, in my opinion, is that Android Wear’s current stable of devices mostly look superior to the Apple Watch and highlight Android’s true edge: hardware options. From a software perspective, Android Wear’s design language seems much more impressive. Its ability to accommodate circular watch faces and its wide variety of manufacturers provide the greatest combination of choices, price points, looks, and feels. Because, well. It’s Android. There’s also two very different wearable philosophies coming into play. Google believes a wearable should be quick, simple, and nearly hands-free, while Apple… well, they’re taking more the kitchen sink approach by shrinking down a smartphone, adding a physical scroll wheel, and slapping it on the wrist. Of course, I’m speaking from a slightly biased viewpoint, but I wouldn’t consider myself an Apple hater — they make some of the best electronics in the world and the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now among them. But seeing the Apple Watch announcement, I can’t help but feel some of that Apple magic has faded away. Check out the Apple Watch promo video and the Android Wear promo video and let us know which one you think looks more impressive: And as an added bonus, here are our first impressions of the Moto 360: Getting Beat to the punch by Android Apple is still one of the world’s most iconic companies, but recently, they’ve had some swings and misses. Take for example the iPhone 5C which attempted to reach a younger and more price conscientious consumer with a colorful array of affordable iPhones. It flopped and Apple didn’t feel the need to bring it back this year. Meanwhile, Motorola’s Moto Maker — first announced a year earlier — blows all other manufacturer’s customization features out of the water. And it’s only getting better. Soon, Motorola will be adding natural wood and genuine leather finishes for the Moto X, giving them a premium and personal feel unmatched by other brands. The more affordable Moto G, which competes directly with the iPhone 5C, recently became the companies best selling smartphone of all-time. The point I’m trying to make? Motorola led. Apple followed. Then failed and gave up. Doesn’t sound very Apple-like. With these recent failures, maybe Apple is finally accepting that some of their gusto is gone. Lending credence to that sentiment is the company’s recent purchase of Beats by Dre for $3 Billion bucks. From a business perspective the move makes sense: Beats markets itself as a premium brand with a high price tag, huge margins, and “cool factor.” Detractors would say they’re overpriced piles of audio dung, but for the purpose of this discussion, that point is moot. Apple had a huge pile of cash begging to be spent, but purchasing an existing brand of this nature seems out of character for a company that’s traditionally thrived on organic creativity and style. The financial analysts might paint a much different picture, explaining that instead of taking a margin on the sale of Beats products in Apple Stores, they could own the company and take all the profits for themselves. Simple math could justify the purchase. That’s true, but the symbolic story told — if you can’t create it, buy it — seems nestled in that context. Can Apple still win the war with Android? So here we are with larger iPhones (nothing new to Android), Apple NFC payments (ancient Android feature), and Apple smartwatches (that are convoluted and much more expensive than Android Wear devices). Color me unimpressed. Apple has gone from leading the pack to drafting off Android’s dust. Apple’s new iPhones will sell like hotcakes, though, crushing holiday sales figures in ways the iPhone hasn’t done in years — you best believe that. The Apple Watch won’t trail far behind, once it sees the light of day next year. Apple has created a loyal following of people who love their products, their software, their services, and their culture. Today’s announcements will do nothing but fuel excitement in consumers that Apple events have lacked for a couple years, plenty powerful to keep Apple chugging right alongside Android as top horses in tech. Here is the most important thing about the Apple vs. Android war: both companies can win. In fact, both companies are winning. Android seems to have the current edge on innovative hardware, but there is plenty of room for both companies to succeed and if you consider yourself a true tech enthusiast, you should be rooting for both. I hope Apple sees it this way, too. Rather than only chase Android, perhaps they should revisit Steve Jobs’ take on the Apple vs Google war before Android became prominent. “We never saw ourselves in a platform war with Microsoft and maybe that’s why we ‘lost’ [laughs], but uh, we always saw ourselves as trying to build the best computers we know how to build for people. That’s what we were always trying to do.” And so the saga continues. From what I’ve seen the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus look great. Apple Watch looks pretty good and will inevitably sell like hotcakes (because Apple). I think the mobile payments through Apple Watch are the most compelling new feature of the device and together with Apple Pay — although they were far from first to market — have the opportunity to finally make mobile payments the defacto standard. Is Apple simply following in Android’s footsteps? It appears that way on the surface, but just ask Nokia and Blackberry how quickly the mobile landscape can change. Apple might not be the trailblazer they were 5 years ago, but they’re within striking distance in a marathon and will be taking home the gold or silver medal for years to come. It’s hard to ask for much more.

Apple Watch vs Moto 360 & Android Wear: the smart watch wars are just beginning to heat up Posted: 09 Sep 2014 12:57 PM PDT After a year of silence while all of their competitors have gotten moving on the smart watch arms race, Apple has finally decided to reveal their plans to launch a smart watch. Dubbed the Apple Watch, the device struts its stuff in typical Apple fashion: it aims to be beautiful, and Apple — as usual — feels like they’re the only ones who have done the smart watch “right.” Whether that’s accurate is a different story altogether and certainly remains to be seen. Let’s take a look at its design and some of its early features up against some of the latest Android Wear smart watches ahead of its early 2015 launch. Apple Watch Design vs Moto 360 Design When Motorola set out to make their smart watch they weren’t satisfied with something that just worked. They wanted something beautiful, yet still every bit as functional as anything else. The use of metal outer bands for the watch body and genuine Horween leather for the wrist straps certainly do drive that vision home. Even better are the steel band editions that will be made available in a couple of months’ time. The device looks like a fashionable accessory more than a child’s toy sitting on your wrist, and that’s probably what caused it to sell out so fast compared to the competition — turns out people care just as much about looks as they do its performance and features. It impressed the pants off us when we first unboxed it and got our first deep look at the thing, and that seems to be a consistent feeling throughout the tech world for anyone else lucky enough to have used one. For Apple’s bit, they naturally wanted to make sure the design for the Apple Watch was stunning. While they didn’t opt to go with a circular watch face, they did manage to create a squared form factor that looked about as nice and neat as anyone can ask for. It’s made from stainless steel that’s been polished quite well, and features a physical dial — something Apple refers to as the “Digital Crown” — that will be used to help you move through user interfaces without having to touch the display. Apple’s planning to offer many different wrist straps for the Apple Watch. So far they’ve announced leather, polymer, metal mesh and stainless steel options, though we’re not sure if you can select which one you prefer at checkout (nor are we certain any of these cost more than the others). All of this will come from three distinctive collections consisting of the base collection, the Watch collection and the Sport collection. It all looks pretty nice and it certainly contends for the “best looking smart watch” crown with the same tenacity that the Moto 360 does. Apple Watch Display vs Moto 360 Display Motorola made a pretty bold design statement with their Moto 360. While everyone was naturally inclined to use rectangular and squared displays for their smart watches, Motorola was the first to consider a circular form factor. It made it look and feel more like a smart watch, and it was the driving force behind everyone’s excitement for its arrival. LG has since matched Motorola’s form factor with their circular LG G Watch R, though everything else is still largely square. Motorola’s Moto 360 officially clocks in at 1.56 inches and has a resolution of 320 x 290. It’s a bit odd on paper, but it all comes together nicely on a display that looks crisp and leaves plenty of room for displaying whatever it is you need it to display. Motorola caught a lot of flack for it not being fully circular — there’s an unseemly black strip on the bottom to hide ambient light sensors — but the end result is a lack of an ugly bezel and a form factor that puts the focus squarely on the display. Apple didn’t go into too much detail about the size and resolution of the display for the Apple Watch, though they did drop the Retina name to speak about its clarity. It’s pretty much a given that Apple will use a display that’s just as sharp as any on the market. Apple also shares one key distinction with the Samsung Gear S — the display is flexible. Not sure that much means from a user-facing perspective, but I’m sure it had to be flexible in order for Apple to create the design they wanted. Interestingly enough, Apple also has a smaller model alongside it for those who want something a bit more petite. It looks the same and should have all the same features, but the smaller form factor is there for those who are turned off by the physical bulk of most smart watches. The Apple Watch display is covered by sapphire to provide crystal clarity and durability. Apple’s display can also apparently tell the difference between a tap and a hard push as it’s pressure sensitive. Again, not sure what that would be useful for in the context of a smart watch but it’s neat anyway. We’ll be looking into the nitty gritty hard specs of the display as more details spill out, but it’s one area we’re sure Apple certainly won’t be losing in. iOS on Apple Watch vs Android Wear Android Wear, as you know, is the driving platform behind many of the most popular smart watches today. Like the phone and tablet counterpart, Android Wear is open and available for use by any manufacturer able and willing to make a smart watch. At its core, the operating system is powered by Google Now, the search platform that delivers the information you need whenever  It works best when paired with an Android smartphone loaded up with apps that have Android Wear functionality built-in. For instance, you could control music playback of Google Play Music using small controls on the smart watch. Navigating to Starbucks will bring the directions up on your wrist so you only need to glance at your watch instead of looking down at your phone (this is an area where Google Now would come in handy — searching for local Starbucks locations on your phone would likely automatically prompt you to navigate to the nearest one on your smart watch). Use voice to respond to messages or search for pertinent information. On watches like the Moto 360, heart rate monitor apps (loaded up at the OEMs’ discretion) and other health-related solutions will help you track workout information without much work on your part. It’s a pretty good mix of value-packed features added by OEMs and integration by the collection of apps already available in the vast Android ecosystem. Google set out to make a platform that wasn’t simply “Android Mini,” and it’s worked out quite well for them in the early going. Thankfully Apple has decided to do the same with the Apple Watch. Instead of shrinking the iPhone user interface down to bite-sized goodness, they crafted a new take on it that puts emphasis on telling you the time, helping you track your fitness, helping you find your way around your city and more. At the center of it all will always be your favorite watch face telling you the time, and getting to apps and notifications are only a quick swipe away from that initial “home screen,” of sorts. Siri is loaded up to help you search for information and reply to messages in a non-cumbersome way. The health apps will use the watch’s four LED sensors, accelerometer and gyroscope to give you updates on your heart rate, the amount of steps you’ve taken and other information relevant to a good workout. Incoming notifications display the latest information about everything going on in your digital life, and some of them are actionable in case they require some sort of response. Apple took things a step further by introducing the ability to use Apple Pay (their new NFC-based payments option) with the Apple Watch. Instead of having to tap your phone against a PoS terminal, you can tap the smart watch that’s already on your wrist. One annoyance with the Apple Watch is that it requires an iPhone to use. That prerequisite unfortunately ties you to one ecosystem. That’s not to say Android Wear is different — it does require you to pair it to an Android 4.3 or higher smartphone — but at least you have a wide variety of choice in manufacturers. It’s up to the OEMs to sway you to go all in with their products by adding features no other OEM can offer, but if you want to pair your Motorola smart watch with a Samsung, LG or HTC smartphone there’s nothing stopping you from going that route. With Apple, it’s all Apple or nothing. Both platforms have taken a similar approach to the smart watch — they don’t want to be bigger than they need to be. The phone is where you should do most of your heavy lifting, and the smart watch simply acts as a convenient bridge for quick information and the quick actions you need to act on said information. It shouldn’t be any more inconvenient to use than a traditional timepiece, and we feel both platforms tackle that problem quite effectively. Anything more they feel need to be added will certainly come in the way of software upgrades down the line, and it’ll be interesting to see how these two platforms evolve side-by-side. Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Battery Well, this one’s a bit hard to talk about — we have no idea what to expect from the Apple Watch in terms of battery. Apple didn’t touch on many of the specifics, though that information should makes it way to the forefront ahead of launch. Early reports suggest it shouldn’t be hard for Apple to best Motorola, though: seems a great deal of people are rather unhappy with the Moto 360′s juice. Motorola generously rates the battery life for a full day, though most people claim to only be able to get 12 to 16 hours out of it. That’s likely to be quite unacceptable for many folks’ needs as many people spend at LEAST 16 hours of the day away from home. At least charging on both of these options are cool, though. The Moto 360 features Qi wireless charging and can simply be docked into a convenient desktop charging cradle or used with a number of existing Qi-based charging mats. The Apple Watch uses a magnetic MagSafe charger for its wireless charging needs. Needless to say we’re very happy about these qualities over the pin-based charging solutions of other smart watches. Apple Watch Price vs Moto 360 Price And now we come down to one of the most important factors of them all — price. The Moto 360 comes in at a base price of $250, and the premium steel band option will run you $50 more. Apple, on the other hand, ain’t cheap — a base price of $350 is what they’re asking, and we’re not yet sure if that includes any of the premium wrist band options that showed off at the event. Apple’s always been known to be a bit on the pricey side when it comes to their wares, but recent pricing trends on the phone side of things led us to believe they’d look to keep it under control for the Apple Watch. Whether a $350 purchase atop the cost of one of the latest iPhone handsets is worth the cost of admission is up to you to decode. Thankfully you have a bit of time to decide as Apple doesn’t expect the watch to go on sale until some point early next year. Which one gets your money? Even with all that Apple showed today we don’t know much about the Apple Watch. Questions about water resistance and battery life still obviously hang in the balance, and those are major factors in the worth of a smart watch (just ask all the folks disappointed with the poor battery performance of the Moto 360). For now, let us know which of these smart watches will have your attention, and since we know many of you won’t be looking to grab an iPhone just for the sake of using the Apple Watch, let us know what you think about its design up against all the rest!

Android Deals: Double your LG G3 battery life, save on football movies, and more Posted: 09 Sep 2014 12:35 PM PDT Do you want to feel as victorious as Rudy from the titular film about a college football player small in stature but big in heart?  We can't let you suit up for the big game, but we can offer you a great selection of Android-related deals from across the nets. And, yes, Rudy, is one of our picks as part of Google Play's tribute to the start of football season. Remember, these deals were active at the time of posting, but they won't wait around forever. Let's get to it. Hardware & Accessories Buy an LG G3, get a secondary battery for free, and avoid the hassles associated with a dead battery. Purchase the G3 from any retailer where the phone is available and qualify for the ability to redeem a spare 3000mAh battery plus charging cradle, a $70 value. [LG] Save over 30% on top Android smartphones through eBay. Grab a factory unlocked LG G3 or Samsung Galaxy S5 for $479 and $499, respectively. Offers include free shipping, but act fast as supplies are limited. [eBay: Galaxy S5, LG G3] Knock $50 off Moto X (1st Gen.) Developer Editions including GSM and Verizon-ready models. Normally priced at $449, theses unlocked devices have been reduced to $399 following the announcement of the second generation Moto X. [Motorola: GSM, Verizon] Take 25% off the NES30 throwback Bluetooth controller and play your games in classic style. This modern Bluetooth gaming controller borrows the design of the original NES gamepad with the addition of a few extra buttons to accommodate newer games. Normally $40, it can be yours for only $29.99. [AndroidArea] Apps & Games Download TowerMadness for free and take on an alien invasion in this tower defense title. Normally priced at $0.99, you can snag the game at no charge for a limited time over at AndroidArea.com. [AndroidArea] Apps ProCapture Camera – $0.99 (75% off) ScanBizCards Premium – $0.99 (85% off) Servers Ultimate Pro – $3.99 (was $8.99) Games Castle Doombad – Amazon Free App of the Day INDY 500 Arcade Racing – $1.15 (was $3.99) Symphony of the Origin – $0.99 (89% off) Music & Media This week score free music from Demi Lovato, discounted prices on classic albums of the 90s, and feel-good football films for the kickoff of the NFL season. See all the deals from around the web below. Music Albums 1000 Forms of Fear – Sia [$7.99] Blues on the Bayou – B. B. King [$5] Demi – Demi Lovato [FREE (Google Play Exclusive)] Devil Without a Cause – Kid Rock [$3.99] Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys [$5] Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G. [$5.99] Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine [$6.99] The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill [$6.99] They Want My Soul – Spoon [$7.99] Music Singles Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve [$0.69] Love the Way You Lie – Eminem [$0.69] Need You Now – Lady Antebellum [$0.69] TV Shows Curb Your Enthusiasm [S8 - $12.99] Girls [S3 - $15.99] Eastbound and Down [S4 - $9.99] Sons of Anarchy [S7 - $24.99] Movies Frank [$6.99] Jerry Maguire [$7.99] Rudy [$7.99] The Blind Side [$6.99] We Are Marshall [$6.99] [Find any great deals not included here? Be sure to send them our way or share in the comments below!]

The LG G Watch just dropped to $180 on Google Play (that’s $170 less than the Apple Watch) Posted: 09 Sep 2014 12:17 PM PDT Just as Apple announced pricing for their upcoming Apple Watch ($350), the LG G Watch suddenly dropped $50 on the Google Play Store. In what can only be described as perfect timing, you can now pick up the LG G Watch for $180 for a limited time — that’s nearly half of what Apple is asking for their smartwatch launching early next year. While it’s true the LG G Watch may not have the looks rival devices like the Moto 360 (or Apple Watch), it definitely offers better performance and battery life. Those are just 2 areas you may find much more important that looking flossy. So, for those looking to streamline their connected lives a little better (without over complicating things), you can grab the LG G Watch on Google Play via the link below. Buy on Google Play: LG G Watch

iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 4 Posted: 09 Sep 2014 10:56 AM PDT Droves descended upon Apple's Cupertino campus today for our annual look at the manufacturer’s new iPhone refresh. Different this year, though, was the announcement of a second, larger smartphone, the iPhone 6 Plus. With a display measuring 5.5 inches, it's clear that Apple's tune is changing when it comes to ignoring the phablet category, and many see this new iPhone as a direct response to Samsung's successful Galaxy Note line. With the Galaxy Note 4 announced just last week, we thought a comparison between the two new devices was apt. Here's how they stack up. Display & Hardware With the increase in size from the 4-inch display that graced the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s to the comparably massive 5.5-inch display of the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has finally passed into the realm of true 1080p HD. Still, at 1920×1080 pixels, the new iPhone falls short of the Galaxy Note 4's 2560×1440 resolution. The larger 5.7-inch display of the Note 4 results in a pixel density of 551ppi, greater than the 401ppi of the iPhone 6 Plus, a spec particularly important to Apple and their Retina display (in this case Retina HD) marketing. In other areas, the iPhone 6 Plus pales in comparison to the Note 4. Apple aficionados gets Apple's latest A8 processing platform. Apple was typically tight-lipped about the details, but early impressions are that the chip retains a dual-core CPU and sees modest increases in processing power over the previous generation of devices (somewhere in the range of 1.4GHz). It's 25% faster than last year's model and offers 50 times the performance of the original iPhone. But that's comparing Apples to Apples, and we're comparing Apples to…Samsungs. The Note 4? Quad-core Snapdragon 805 processing (and in some cases octa-core Exynos). Apple rarely reveals the amount of RAM in their phones, but it wouldn't be crazy to think they chose to stick with 1GB, the same as the previous generation. Compare that to the Note 4's 3GB of RAM. It’s a spec Apple has been seemingly reluctant to upgrade in recent years. Apple made a big deal about the addition of NFC to this year's iPhone line, a technology that has been common in Android phones for several years at this point. It's a foregone conclusion that the Note 4 benefits from an NFC chip. Apple, however, is heavily pushing a new mobile payments system associated with the tech, a feature that has taken a backseat on recent Android releases (though most, including the Note 4, are fully capable). Software: Health & mobile payments The new iPhone ships with iOS 8. The Galaxy Note 4 comes with Android 4.4 plus Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Both Android and iOS have their benefits and shortcomings, so we won't spend too much time expounding on the common features of the two. Suffice it to say, on a surface level the choice between operating systems ultimately comes down to preference. Apple, however, did unveil a few intriguing wrinkles to their popular mobile platform with its latest release. Namely, the new iPhone and iOS 8 come with an increased focus on health tracking and mobile payments (via the aforementioned NFC chip). The Note 4 features the S Health app to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers, but its feature set admittedly looks a bit thin compared to what Apple is offering (including partnerships with health care providers). Apple's mobile payments platform Apple Pay is much like the Android counterparts we have seen before. It's a standard tap-to-pay solution, but Apple's decision to finally back a mobile wallet method is what many believe will rocket the concept into the mainstream. Its connection to the cards stored in your iTunes account brings the service to an already huge base of potential users. Both devices feature security options that include a fingerprint scanner. While the scanner introduced with the iPhone 5s featured limited functionality, thanks to iOS 8 Apple is opening up its services to third-party developers, creating some intriguing potential new uses (including as part of the mobile payments system). Samsung's scanner is improved in the Note 4 as well, and includes tie-ins to PayPal for another take on secure mobile payments. iOS, in general, has become a bit more open in its latest release. Some would say a bit more Android-like, even. This includes Apple finally allowing users to install third-party software keyboards (something that has been core to Android for years) as well as better integration for sharing data with third-party apps and services. Camera For the previous two generations of the iPhone, Apple has stood pat at 8MP for their camera, choosing instead to focus on improving other qualities of the sensor. The iPone 6 Plus again does the same, sticking with an 8MP rating for its new-and-improved image sensor. The sensor boasts faster focusing, better tone mapping, and improved noise reduction capable of producing images like the one above. On the other hand, Samsung has steadily been upping the megapixel count with each new device announced. While we can argue in the comments about the actual importance of that megapixel number versus other aspects of the smartphone camera, on paper the Note 4's 16MP camera is, at least initially, more impressive than the iPhone's stagnant 8MP sensor. Without a chance to test both in person, it's hard to say how they will stack up exactly. Samsung has impressed with the image quality of its recent devices, but Apple has long been lauded as the king of mobile photography, and the iPhone is their prince. We have reason to believe the iPhone 6 Plus will carry on this tradition, but the competition should be close. Availability & Pricing Apple's new iPhone models go on sale via all major carriers in the US (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T) as well as many more around the globe in just under two weeks on Friday, September 19th. As the larger, slightly more premium model, the iPhone 6 Plus will retail starting at $299 on-contract (compared to the 4.7-inch iPhone 6's $199 on-contract pricing) for a 16GB model up to $499 on-contract for a whopping 128GB of storage. As for the Note 4, exact release and pricing details have not been made available, but it is expected to launch globally later this fall for a similar compliment of carriers. All four of the US carriers are on board. The Note 4 could retail for $199 with its slightly more eccentric variant, the Galaxy Note Edge, priced at the $299 premium level. So which wins head-to-head? Which has earned the right to claim your cold, hard cash? Sound off in the poll below.

iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 (and Android) Posted: 09 Sep 2014 10:43 AM PDT The iPhone 6 is finally here, and with it comes a hype that only Apple can produce. Regardless of what features they stole from Android, the iPhone 6 will undoubtedly be a huge success for Apple. In the Android World we also have a device that prints money for its maker: the Samsung Galaxy S5. These two devices will dominate the mobile market for the remainder of this year, and most of next. It’s time to put them up against each other to see which device reigns supreme (check below for more comparisons). Display This has been a big area of focus for Apple since the iPhone 4′s “Retina Display,” and of course Samsung also takes great pride in this area. The iPhone has been slowing growing over time, but the iPhone 6 has been significantly increased in size. Apple has implemented a 4.7-inch display to finally answer the wishes of many users. Android fans will likely joke about how it took Apple so long to make the display bigger. It’s still smaller than the 5.1-inch Galaxy S5, but the competition is getting closer. Resolution is another story. Apple now has what they call “Retina HD” displays in the new iPhone 6. It’s only 1334 x 750 compared to the 1080p display on the S5. Apple’s displays have traditional been great despite lower resolution compared to their Android counterparts. We expect the same from these new devices. Camera Camera is one area where numbers don’t matter so much. The Galaxy S5 has a whopping 16MP camera, but even the iPhone 5S takes better photos. With the iPhone 6 Apple is sticking with a 8MP sensor, but the sensor is all-new, and they’ve added faster focus, and “digital” image stabilization. Android devices are getting close to the iPhone (and Windows Phone devices may be better), but the iPhone is still king. Still, unless you’re a real photobuff you will be happy with the photos from the S5 and other high-end flagships. Software “iOS, what do you want to be when you grow up?” “I want to be just like Android!” The iPhone 6 comes with Apple’s latest version of iOS. In iOS 8 they’ve added many new features, many of which have a distinct Android flavor to them. For example, the keyboard gives “QuickType” word suggestions, and you can even use 3rd-party keyboards. A feature that has been a staple of Android for years. They’ve also added “Hey Siri” command for always-listening  support, widgets in the Notification Center for 3rd-party apps, and actionable notifications. Android still has the upper hand in software functionality, the gap is closing. We should also note that Apple has added a bunch of features called “Continuity.” These features are designed to make your iPhone work seamlessly with your MacBook. For example, you can “Handoff” webpages from Mobile Safari to you desktop, send texts and receive phone calls on your Mac, and more. Android has the capability to do this, but Google has not yet fully integrated it. This is one area where Apple is leading the way. Design By far one of the biggest differences between the iPhone 6, Galaxy S5, and other Android devices is design. You can see similarities in Android skins from device to device, but iOS 8 and Android look nothing alike. Hardware is, of course, extremely different as well. The Galaxy S5 is plastic and a little cheap feeling. The iPhone is the ultimate premium device. The design of the iPhone is a status symbol to many people. Samsung is getting close to that level, but still has a long way to go. For my money the HTC One M8 is the Android device that comes closest to Apple’s build quality. Ultimately design is up to the individual. There are some people who actually prefer the way the Galaxy S5 looks. That’s perfectly fine. The size of these devices will also play a big part in your decision. The iPhone is bigger now, but there are still plenty of much larger Android phones. So, which phone is the best? We want to hear from you! Are you ditching Android for the iPhone 6? Are you unimpressed by Apple’s latest iPhone?

Download: 35 great wallpapers from the Sony Xperia Z3 Posted: 09 Sep 2014 07:49 AM PDT If there’s one thing Sony has a good grasp on, it’s style. Their phones have always looked stunning, just like all the other products in their large catalog of personal electronics. That’s why we weren’t surprised to learn that the Sony Xperia Z3 came chock full with a large set of good looking wallpaper. You might not be able to get your hands on the device itself, but you can at least infuse a bit of its flavor into whatever you’re rocking now. Here are 27 wallpapers for you to sink your teeth into: And there you have it! Click on one to enlarge it and right click to download. You can also download the entire lot of them right here (including 8 bonus wallpapers not shown above). Load it up onto your phone as you normally would and head to settings (or usually a long tap on the home screen) to apply it. Let us know if you’ll be grabbing any of these for use on your smartphone! [via XDA]

Reminder: T-Mobile announces Un-Carrier 7.0 tomorrow, live streaming it for all to see Posted: 09 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT T-Mobile has just informed us that they’ll be showering the tech world about news regarding Un-carrier 7.0 tomorrow. We heard about the event a couple of weeks ago, but you’ll be happy to know that they’ll live stream whatever it is they have to show off. As usual, we have absolutely no idea what to expect from T-Mobile. Sometimes these announcements have nothing to do with Android (a couple have been iPhone-specific), and with the timing of today’s Apple event we have to imagine there’s a chance T-Mobile’s announcements could be related. But that’s what we wake up early in the morning for. Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be big — John Legere and a couple of other execs are taking on a pretty big stage in San Francisco to announce it — so you won’t want to forget to check Phandroid tomorrow as the news rolls in. It all goes down at 1pm Pacific tomorrow, and you can follow along with us right here. Let us know what you hope to see announced!

Amazon Prime Instant Video for Android is finally available for download Posted: 09 Sep 2014 05:29 AM PDT To this point, the only way to get Amazon Instant Video on an Android device was to buy an Amazon Kindle Fire. We always felt it strange that iOS was treated to an app, but Android users couldn’t get it when Amazon’s Fire OS is based on Android. We’re not sure if that was just their way of enticing folks to buy a Kindle Fire, but all of that no longer matters — the Amazon Instant Video app for Android is now available for download. The app does what it’s supposed to do at first glance. Prime members get access to their instant streaming options, and those who have opted to rent or buy movies can also see their entire library. The device supports cloud-based playback progress, so you can stop watching on Android and pick back up on a different device, or vice versa. There are a couple of early annoyances that we hope Amazon will look to address in future updates: No offline playback. This is typically very important for a mobile device, as you likely won’t want to be streaming HD video over a limited data connection while you’re away from home. The iPad app has it so the Android version should, too. No Chromecast support. Because, why not? Let’s get going on that Amazon! The app is only available via the Amazon Appstore. This is not a huge deal, but you have to download the Amazon Appstore to your device, and then download the Instant Video app from there to your phone. Why can’t Amazon just make it available from Google Play like many of their other apps? But I digress. The app is here, and we should be glad that Amazon is no longer keeping it isolated to owners of their own tablet. Head to the Amazon Appstore here to check it out if this is something you’ve long waited for. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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