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[Update: Rolling Out] ZTE will release an update to the Axon 7 to bring back Google Daydream VR support
ZTE has confirmed that they will issue a software update to the Axon 7 to bring back support for Google Daydream VR after it was missing in Android Oreo.
Chinese electronics brand ZTE has a respectable presence in Europe and Asia because of the range of affordable smartphones that they release. Back in 2016, they released a smartphone that got the particular attention of smartphone enthusiasts: the ZTE Axon 7. The Axon 7 directly competed against the OnePlus 3/3T among enthusiasts with its front-facing dual stereo speakers, 1440p AMOLED screen, expandable storage, dual SIM-card support, and more. The phone originally ran Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, but it eventually got updated to Android Oreo.
Daydream VR gets See-Through Mode and support for any 2D Android Apps
Today, Google has announced a few exciting new Daydream VR features for the Lenovo Mirage Solo. See-Through Mode, Android apps, and more.
Google's Daydream VR platform is not as popular as, say, Android, but it's a great alternative to the expensive PC rigs. The Lenovo Mirage Solo was launched earlier this year and it's one of the best standalone Daydream headsets you can buy. Today, Google has announced a few exciting new features for the device.
VRidge 2.2 now supports Google Daydream, lets you play PC VR games
Version 2.2 of VRidge makes it possible to play SteamVR games with the Google Daydream View, along with other standalone headsets.
VRidge is a very cool tool that allows you to play SteamVR games without needing an expensive HTC Vive headset. Version 2.2 of VRidge makes it possible to play SteamVR games with the Google Daydream View, along with other standalone headsets.
Test the VR Performance of Your Smartphone Using VRMark for Android
Wondered how well your device can handle VR content? Now you can test and compare your virtual reality device using VRMark for Android benchmark. Read on!
The slew of new device releases with their fancy new processors and ever-changing and ever-improving specifications can often confuse consumers on how well a device is expected to perform. With the recent push in VR and AR, these changing factors can have a significant impact on the user's mobile experience because of the intensive nature of their demands. Benchmarks can help provide some semblance in this scenario, as popular benchmarks test various aspects of a device and provide feedback on where the device is placed against its competitors.
Qualcomm's Second-Gen Spectra ISP Brings Massive Improvements to Smartphone Photography
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 features a powerful imaging processor, the second-gen Spectra ISP, that substantially improves on its predecessor.
At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii on Wednesday, Qualcomm finally took the wraps off its newest Snapdragon Mobile Platform: The Snapdragon 845. A crucial component of the new system-on-chip is the Spectra 280 Image Signal Processor (ISP), the co-processor that accelerates on-device processing. It's been redesigned from the ground up in the Snapdragon 845, and there's a lot that's new.
How to set a Custom Screen Saver on Huawei and Honor devices running EMUI
A tutorial on how to set a custom screen saver/DayDream on Huawei or Honor devices running EMUI. This is done through an ADB command, so no root needed.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean introduced a feature called the daydream, which is essentially just an interactive screen saver that activates when the device is docked and/or charging. Third party developers can make their own screen savers which are accessible to the user in Settings → Display. Unfortunately, not every OEM allows their users to set a custom screen saver. Huawei and its sub-brand Honor, for instance, only gives their users a single screen saver option - the photo table option which acts as a slideshow.
WebVR and GamePad APIs are Available in Android's Chrome 56 Beta Channel
Google's WebVR & GamePad APIs are now available for developers to test on Android's Chrome 56 beta release. The final API release is expected in early 2017.
If there's any technology that best characterizes 2016, it would be Virtual Reality.
Android Nougat still has Flappy Droid and the Dessert Case Daydream
Android Nougat still has the Easter egg from Marshmallow and KitKat hidden away as an activity under the SystemUI.apk package.
With every new iteration of Android, Google introduces a new Easter egg "hidden" away in settings. I say "hidden" because these Easter eggs are more of an Android tradition/Google inside-joke by this point, rather than something we're supposed to actually hunt for.