BLU’s first Sprint-compatible phone is the S1 and it’s now available

BLU Products today introduced its newest Android smartphone, and the new device is a bit of a milestone for BLU. The BLU S1 is the first phone from BLU Products that supports Sprint. The device is sold unlocked and is compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Boost Mobile in the U.S. In addition to Sprint compatibility, the BLU S1 is packing a 5.2-inch 1280×720 display, 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. There's an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor inside the S1 that's paired with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a microSD card slot. BLU has also given the S1 a fingerprint reader, which is good to see now that that's become a must-have feature for new phones. Rounding out the S1's spec list is a 2,800mAh battery, microUSB port, and Android 7.1. You can now order the BLU S1 from Amazon. It's part of a limited time sale that'll be available through November 1st at 11:59 pm PST, so you don't have long to get the BLU S1 at a discount. Also worth pointing out is Sprint's Postpaid Bring Your Own Device promotion, which will give you a $200 Visa prepaid card when you bring a phone to Sprint. With this deal, you can basically get the BLU S1 for free. To get a closer look at the BLU S1, hit the link below. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Google app v7.15 beta adds reset option to customizable search bar, hints at more functionality for Routines and Quartz [APK Teardown]

A new version of the Google app is making the rounds to users that have opted into the beta channel. This update is a bit tamer than some other recent version bumps. The only change popping up in the live interface at this point is a command to return the Google search widget to its original styling. However, there are quite a few small topics in the teardown, including the addition of Scenes to the upcoming support for Routines (a.k.a. Read More Google app v7.15 beta adds reset option to customizable search bar, hints at more functionality for Routines and Quartz [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Instagram now supports Arabic, Hebrew, and Farsi

Here's a thing: Instagram now supports right-to-left languages. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that this wasn't present already given the amount of people who speak these languages, but it's here now. If you speak one of those languages, it's very easy to switch your app over to it. To switch your language to Arabic, Hebrew, or Farsi, just go to the settings tab, then 'Language,' then choose which RTL language you'd like. Read More Instagram now supports Arabic, Hebrew, and Farsi was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

34 new and notable Android games from the last week (10/25/17 - 10/31/17)

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Google’s Fast Pair for Bluetooth headphones aims to streamline the pairing process

Connecting a Bluetooth device to a device can be a headache, with menus and pairing numbers. Google wants to streamline that process. Announced today, Fast Pair does exactly as the name suggests. It will allow Android devices to simply put a pair of (supported) Bluetooth headphones next to their phone and quickly pair them. To make it work, you'll just need to put the headphones you want to connect into pairing mode, then slide them close to your Android device. Once you do that, a notification will show up asking if you want to pair the headphones. Tap on that, the process will go through, the notification will change to say that the pairing process is complete, and voila. It's a similar process to what Apple introduced with its W1 chip, which is available in select Beats-branded headphones and the AirPods. The new Fast Pair should make it easier to connect headphones. And while Google's feature makes it possible for existing Bluetooth headphones on the market to support it, that isn't the case right now. As it stands, Google's wireless Pixel Buds support Fast Pair, as does the Libratone's Q Adapt On-Ear headphones. Plantronics plans to support Fast Pair with the Voyager 8200 wireless headphones, too. To use Fast Pair, your Android device needs to be running Android 6.0 or newer. This should make using Bluetooth headphones a lot easier, especially as manufacturers continue to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack. Are you looking forward to trying it out? Did you order Google's Pixel Buds? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

BlackBerry Motion arrives in Canada on November 10

If you've been wanting to get your hands on a BlackBerry-branded device that's all touchscreen, it arrives in Canada next month. The BlackBerry Motion will launch in Canada on November 10. Canadian wireless carriers SaskTel and Bell will be offering the handset for $99 CAD on a two-year premium plan. Koodo, meanwhile, has the Motion priced at $100 CAD on a Tab large plan. It will cost $599.00 CAD at Bell, $599.99 CAD at SaskTel, and $605.00 CAD at Telus and Koodo if you prefer to pay outright. As far as features go, the BlackBerry Motion offers a 5.5-inch 1080p HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, and a microSD card slot for expandable storage. The battery measures in at 4000mAh, there's a USB Type-C port, and a fingerprint reader below the display. There's a 12-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter on the other side. The Motion is running Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. What do you think of the BlackBerry Motion? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Google is testing a 5-tab design for the Google app

Google just can't decide how the Google app should look. Does it have tabs? What shape are the cards? It's a crap-shoot when you open the app, and some users are getting something completely new in the last couple days. The new 5-tab layout bears some resemblance to a UI we've seen before, but it's a bit cleaner. So, add this to the list of things you might see when you swipe over to Google. Read More< p>Google is testing a 5-tab design for the Google app was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Announcing Fast Pair - effortless Bluetooth pairing for Android

Posted by Ritesh Nayak M and Ronald Ho, Product Managers Today we're announcing Fast Pair, a hassle-free process to pair your Bluetooth devices on all supported Android devices running Google Play services 11.7+ with compatibility back to Marshmallow (Android 6.0). Fast Pair makes discovery & pairing of Bluetooth devices easy and is currently rolling out to Android 6.0+ devices. You can try this out with Google Pixel Buds or Libratone's Q Adapt On-Ear, and soon on Plantronics Voyager 8200 series wireless headsets. Ease of use, speed and security are the design principles driving the Fast Pair specification. Fast Pair uses BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) for advertising and discovery and uses classic Bluetooth for pairing. Here's what a Fast Pair flow looks like: Turn on a Fast Pair-enabled device and put it in pairing mode. Android scans for BLE broadcasts in close proximity of the user's phone and discovers a Fast Pair packet (provided Bluetooth and Location is turned on). This packet is sent to our servers to get back the device's product image, product name and companion app (if there is one). The user receives a high priority notification asking them to "Tap to pair" to the device. The notification contains the product name and image. When the user taps on the notification, we use classic Bluetooth to establish a connection. A success notification is shown which contains a link to download the companion app (if there is one). Imagine doing all of this without ever fumbling with Bluetooth settings. Users get a seamless and secure pairing experience and confidence that they're connecting to the right product. Manufacturers get their brand, device name and companion app in front of the users. Thanks to a couple of our partners who have been instrumental in prototyping and testing this spec, and whose feedback has been invaluable to the Fast Pair effort. If you are a Bluetooth accessory manufacturer and want to adopt Fast Pair for your device, please reach out to us. Plantronics is an audio pioneer and a global leader in the communications industry. From Unified Communications and customer service ecosystems, to data analytics and Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers high-quality communications solutions that customers count on today, while relentlessly innovating on behalf of their future. For more information visit plantronics.com Libratone is on a mission to liberate sound and to expand peoples' experiences with music in the era of streaming. Founded in 2009 in Denmark, Libratone is one of the first audio companies to consider the aesthetics of speakers – to move them out of the corner of the room and into the center and onward, for the consumer on the move. For more information visit libratone.com Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Nokia 2 now official with 8MP camera and 4100mAh battery

Nokia and HMD Global are back with another entry in their Android lineup, this time with a handset that is focused almost entirely on the battery. The Nokia 2, announced today at a launch event in India, is an entry-level smartphone which features a 5-inch 720p HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of built-in storage. It has a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 128GB if you need more storage. There is an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel camera on the other side. The handset is running Android Nougat out of the box, but HMD says that it will be getting updated to Android 8.0 Oreo at some point in the future. The Nokia 2 also features a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the primary selling point here is the 4100mAh battery. According to HMD, the Nokia 2′s entire design is meant to draw as little power from the battery as it can. As a result, that 4100mAh battery should get its own two days of battery life on a single charge. The Nokia 2 will be available in Pewter/Black, Pewter/White, and Copper/Black and it will have a global price tag of €99. HMD says it will be available sometime in mid-November, but no exact date was provided. What do you think of the Nokia 2? Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

First µTorrent beta release adds torrent streaming

The µTorrent client on Android has hundreds of millions of downloads, but that's not surprising. People love downloading Linux ISOs, right? Starting today, there's a beta program for the µTorrent app, and it'll let you stream your "Linux ISOs" immediately instead of downloading them. Here's the changelog for the first µTorrent beta. Torrent Streaming! Now you don't have to wait for torrents to download. You can start enjoying your torrents right away via streaming. Read More First µTorrent beta release adds torrent streaming was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

[Update: It's official] Deleting messages on WhatsApp for all recipients starts rolling out

Update 1: 2017/10/31 7:22am PDT WhatsApp has officially announced that deleting a message for everyone is now rolling out to users globally on Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, and desktop. You'll need to be on Message recalls have been rumored on WhatsApp for months now and every couple of weeks, we got a glimpse of the functionality in a beta version but it was always a false alert and never properly worked. Read More [Update: It's official] Deleting messages on WhatsApp for all recipients starts rolling out was written by the awesome team at Android Police. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default