Archive

Hands-On with an Unnamed Elephone Device

Hands-On with an Unnamed Elephone Device

August 26, 2015
During a recent visit to Elephone's HQ in Shenzhen, I was lucky enough to get a hands-on with an as of yet unnamed phone that will retail at around $80. Aimed at children or as an accessory, the smartphone is the smallest I have seen, featuring a tiny 2.45" (240x432) LCD display. It seems like...
S Pen Controversy: User Error, or a Design Flaw?

S Pen Controversy: User Error, or a Design Flaw?

August 26, 2015
By now, many of us have heard about the Note5's stylus and how it breaks a vital mechanism when you try to store it backwards. Many discussions and debates have happened since, with a number of publications publishing editorials defending either the company or the affected users. Now that we have better information of what is going...
Encore Music – XDA App Review

Encore Music – XDA App Review

August 26, 2015
We listen to music a lot on our devices. We now have more providers of music than we know what to do with. Google Play Music and Spotify are some of the more popular options. The issue, currently, is that we end up downloading many apps to do one thing, listening to our favorite music. Download...
Hardware Dyslexia, or How Specification Sheets Are Not Straight-Forward

Hardware Dyslexia, or How Specification Sheets Are Not Straight-Forward

August 25, 2015
With each new device leak and spec announcement we see product-cycle hype rise. Those who frequent enthusiast circles typically want the best they can get out of their favorite phones, and in the last few years, the amount of discussions regarding the cameras and processors of flagship devices has seemingly outgrown sensible expectations. When you...
Xposed Framework for the LG G4 – XDA Xposed Tuesday

Xposed Framework for the LG G4 – XDA Xposed Tuesday

August 25, 2015
I have had the LG G4 for some time, and I have done for you guys how to a root and TWRP installation video. The one thing that we have been missing is the Xposed Installer, actually the Xposed Framework. First we need to do is download a few files from this page. The first item...
Walking The Great Firewall Of China

Walking The Great Firewall Of China

August 24, 2015
Frequent readers will be aware that as well as being a news writer for XDA, I am also the manager of our social media. Because of this when I was invited to attend a press conference in Shenzhen, China I had some concerns. Many of the websites and services we take for granted are inaccessible...
The Future of Bloatware, Making a Buck a Phone

The Future of Bloatware, Making a Buck a Phone

August 24, 2015
A number of global carriers, including Verizon in the US and America Movil in Latin America, have partnered with a small public company, Digital Turbine, to preinstall targeted apps. These are specifically chosen upon activation based on mined user data. Certain OEMs like HTC, Acer, Asus, and Sony are also dipping their toes. But bloatware...
Opinion: Android Is Its Own Worst Enemy for Updates

Opinion: Android Is Its Own Worst Enemy for Updates

August 24, 2015
XDA users are no doubt familiar with the common complaint on Android over the delays on updates reaching their phone. Users are often seen eagerly awaiting the latest security update to protect them from something like Stagefright, or waiting on the next point-revision to fix some AOSP bugs. And, once a year or so, users...
ZUK Z1 Device Unboxing – XDA TV

ZUK Z1 Device Unboxing – XDA TV

August 24, 2015
This phone is the reason I’m here in Shenzhen, so I thought I’d just open it for you on camera. It has some pretty decent specs and as you can see this one here comes with USB Type-C. Let’s go ahead and get this one unpacked. First we remove the plastic on the back. As well...
Sunday Debate: Are Push Notification Ads Ever Okay?

Sunday Debate: Are Push Notification Ads Ever Okay?

August 23, 2015
Join us in a fun Sunday Debate on the problems with push notification ads (and how you would fix them). Come with your opinions and feel free to read some of our thoughts, then pick your side or play devil’s advocate to get your voice heard and engage in friendly discussion. You can read our...
Apps of The Week: Material Goodness, Hacker News, Webmaking and Pac-Man!

Apps of The Week: Material Goodness, Hacker News, Webmaking and Pac-Man!

August 22, 2015
Apps are at the front and center of any smartphone experience, and with over a million apps on the Google Play Store and new apps being submitted to our forums every day, staying up to date on the latest apps and games can be a hassle. At XDA we don’t discriminate apps - if it’s...
Android 6.0 Marshmallow Named! ZUK + Cyanogen Partnership and More! – XDA TV

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Named! ZUK + Cyanogen Partnership and More! – XDA TV

August 21, 2015
First up, the big news we've been waiting to hear about for several months, Google has finally unveiled the statue and the new name for the next version of Android. Android M is now going to be officially called Marshmallow. Additionally, instead of being called Android 5 dot something they're moving on up to the...