February 2016 -- XDA Developers

This is the New TouchWiz on the Galaxy S7/Edge [Gallery]

Aamir Siddiqui February 29, 2016

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge is now shipping to T-Mobile customers, and XDA/Android Podcast Member altimax98 was lucky enough to receive his first thing in the morning. Since then he's been playing with it and digging deep into the user interface, trying to find as many neat little features as possible. So far, his experience...

On Plagiarism, Piracy in Design, and the HTC Themes Outrage

Faiz Malkani February 29, 2016

Android has matured by leaps and bounds as a mobile platform, winning the hearts of consumers worldwide and quickly establishing its dominance in the sphere, while simultaneously spreading to other ones. While Andy Rubin's brainchild does offer a host of options and variety that its competitors lack, the winning feature of Android is undoubtedly its customization options...

Old But Gold: Sony Ericsson Devices From 2011 Get Marshmallow Support

Tomek Kondrat February 29, 2016

Before making a whole bunch of "Z" devices, Sony, or rather Sony Ericsson, was focused on bringing up some really good and affordable devices. In 2011, Sony released about a dozen mid-range devices that are still quite popular, and not only on XDA. If you have one of these in your pockets, we have some really...

ASUS ZenFone Zoom: Does the Optical Zoom Matter?

Jimmy McGee February 29, 2016

XDA TV Host Jordan reviewed the ASUS Zenfone 2 in June. Since then ASUS had added pieces and parts to the ZenFone 2 to created new special models. Today we are looking at the ASUS ZenFone Zoom, the ASUS ZenFone 2 with an optical zoom. After spending a couple weeks with the device, Jordan gives you...

Top 5 Best Wallpaper Apps!

Jimmy McGee February 28, 2016

The great thing about Android is its customizability. One part of the customization is background wallpapers. This is the most prominent part of a device's visual appeal, picking the right one allows you to achieve your desired look. There are many backgrounds available and today XDA TV Host Zach talks about his 5 favorite wallpaper...

How Android-x86 and Remix OS are Creating Better Android Tablets

Mario Tomás Serrafero February 27, 2016

It was not long ago that we discussed both Android tablets and the Pixel C, where we explored the shifts in hardware and software that the big-screen Android devices have been going through in accordance to the tablet market as a whole. In our analysis of the Pixel C’s place in the tablet world, we contrasted...

Best Microsoft Apps for Android

Jimmy McGee February 27, 2016

Microsoft is a large company, and while we may just think of them as the guys behind Windows, and those that failed at making Windows Phone successful, that is not all they do. They have a lot of apps that are available on Android. Some of these apps are cross-platform, but if you wanted to know...

Baidu Browser found to be Leaking Personal User Data – What it means for you

Mishaal Rahman February 26, 2016

You've probably heard of Baidu before. Known somewhat as China's Google (though that may change if Google finally decides to re-enter the market this year), the mammoth search engine giant/advertising platform/online encyclopedia has dabbled in developing numerous applications designed around its service ecosystem for both Android and Windows (much like Google). These apps have millions of users, most of whom...

The G5’s Modularity has Lots of Potential, but it Needs to get Better Friends

Mario Tomás Serrafero February 26, 2016

The LG G5 and Galaxy S7 look to be the culmination of a pair of trends I’ve been closely examining for a while in both LG and Samsung phones, a dramatic shift in UX design that is what I think will make 2016 so interesting. Whereas Samsung decided to simply fine-tune the experience they delivered with...

What Do You Think of the LG G5’s Modularity? Thoughtful Addition, or Gimmick?

Mario Tomás Serrafero February 26, 2016

The LG G5 now allows you to detach the bottom chin of the otherwise-unibody design in order to remove the battery and also expand the phone's functionality through its "friends"... little hardware modules that can add camera controls, better sound through a special DAC, a bigger battery and more. The feature also allows LG to...

Mobile World Congress Announcements: Galaxy S7, LG G5, Xperia Z is DEAD!

Jimmy McGee February 26, 2016

It's Friday, February 26, 2016, and Jordan talks about what happened this week over at XDA-developers.com. Most of the news this week was from Mobile World Congress. There were many items announced including the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and the Xiaomi Mi 5. Those stories and more are discussed, so check out...

Apple vs. The Panopticon: The War on Privacy Rights Affects us All, on All Platforms

Eric Hulse February 25, 2016

Smartphone encryption has become an increasingly popular topic in the public space. Just recently, the United States FBI has asked Apple for help with a passcode-locked deceased criminal’s iPhone 5C. Apple has, commendably, thus far resisted. You can read Apple’s letter to customers here. It’s worth noting that the EFF and Google have both sided with Apple in...