Samsung has finally unpacked its gameplan for the second half of the year all the way to 2016’s flagship. And while there were definitely a lot of things that happened this week, it will be hard to deny how the Korean manufacturer has practically monopolized the mobile world’s attention last Thursday. After all, when you’re one of the most popular (or unpopular) Android device maker and you’re financials aren’t exactly glowing, then people are bound to get interested in what you have to offer to turn things around. This is your Android Community Weekly Digest for August 10 to 16, 2015.
Samsung’s Next Big Things
Samsung brings its new premium design from the Galaxy S6, stretches it, and slaps it on the Galaxy Note 5. It does, however, changes things a bit by giving the back, not the front, curved edges for a better grip. As before, the focus of the Galaxy Note 5 is on productivity, which is why Samsung has included new features, like Screen Off Memo and a customizable Air Command, to emphasize that point. In a nutshell, that is the Galaxy Note 5. Sadly, those in Europe might not be able to experience that for themselves, though we’re hoping Samsung recants this inexplicable decision.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ is more than just a bigger Galaxy S6 edge, though it is definitely that. Its new size makes it a better fit for multimedia than its predecessor. But more than just a pretty face, the new phablet also brings a bit of productivity into the mix with the new Apps Edge, which extends that curved edge’s functionality just a bit.
This is the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+, available soon from your favorite carriers. But will you upgrade?
Google’s Alphabet Soup
Google dropped quite a surprising and totally unexpected bombshell at the beginning of the week. It has formed a new company but, instead of a subsidiary, it is a holding company instead. Google will no longer be the parent of innumerable and sometimes unrelated and disjointed entities. Parenthood will now fall on Alphabet’s shoulders. That’s right, Alphabet is the new Google, so to speak. To the rest of the outside world, nothing practically changes. Internally and legally, however, changes are afoot. For one, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are now CEO and President, respectively, of Alphabet. Sundar Pichai steps up to be the new Google CEO. Google X and Google Ventures will now be separate companies of their own under Alphabet, dropping the “Google” from their name. One company that’s not part of the letter list, apparently, is Niantic, makers of Ingress and Field Trip. The Augmented Reality specialists will be spinning out on their own apart from but still in collaboration with Google.
Big changes might also be coming to Android, at least in India and Asia. Talk abounds of Google rebooting the Android One program, the equivalent of Nexus on the budget tier. Apparently, sub $100 is just not good enough for the likes of India, where budget prices really go further down, below the $50 mark. That said, price isn’t the only thing that might be keeping Android One from truly taking off, with Google’s conventional services hampered by low Internet bandwidth in the region.
OnePlus 2 is in the house
With Samsung’s new phablets, you’d think we’d forget about OnePlus 2. That might be the case for some, especially in the US, who have to contend with 2 to 3 weeks of delay on top of the uncertainty of getting an exclusive invite. OnePlus blames it on production schedules, but hopefully that doesn’t imply problems in the production and supply chain. Either way, OnePlus definitely face a challenge to meet those millions of requests for invites.
Delays, however, are not going to stop us from getting down and dirty with the OnePlus 2. Our friends over at SlashGear got that rare chance to fondle the smartphone for themselves and, at least at first brush, it is as advertised. Be sure to be on the look out for a more in-depth review of the self-proclaimed 2016 flagship killer.
You know who else got an OnePlus 2? iFixit! And that means a brutal teardown! Well, probably not so brutal since the smartphone proved to be a better sport than its predecessor, earning a 7 out of 10 on the repairability index. Not perfect, but definitely not bad.
Wrap-up
Those are just some of the highlights of the past 7 days and they definitely filled our plates to the brim. Now it’s time for a little breather, because now we’re half way through August. Which means we’re half way to IFA 2015, where the madness will be multiplied hundred fold. Which also means we’ll be expecting a few juicy leaks and rumors for devices yet to come. So stick around to enjoy these appetizers.
