Top 5 News: Nexus 5 vs Moto X, LG G2 KitKat update, Nexus 8 rumors

Kris Carlon 2014-04-19T08:00:00Z3 hours ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

Lots of cool breaking news this week: a leaked LG device that looks to be a precursor to the LG G3, Google dropped a new camera for Android and Chrome Remote Desktop client, there's Tizen smartphones on the horizon, a Galaxy K launch event, Android 4.4.3 is ready to pop, we got a new responsive forum, and we got confirmation that the G3 will have a 2K display. What else has been making the headlines this week?

Top 5 News of the Week for Easter! / © AndroidPIT

While Google owned Motorola there was lots of speculation about how much influence they had over the Moto X and Moto G. Motorola claim those two breakthrough devices were ''all Motorola'' but they still feel like Google to us. So which ''Google phone'' is better: the Nexus 5 or the Moto X?

 © AndroidPIT

The LG G2 hasn't been clean and clear where KitKat updates are concerned either. The G2 flagship has just received a small update to fix a few issues with Google Wallet's Tap & Pay and Google+. Perhaps the fact that both these bugs affect Google products is the reason behind the prompt update?

More KitKat updates for some while others continue to wait. / © AndroidPIT

There's still no confirmation on the existence of the Nexus 8 - and therre probably won't be until it appears either in the Google Play Store or at Google I/O - but the rumors are flying. The latest has it that the Nexus 8 will replace both the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 lines, and be the sole mid-sized tablet offering from Google.

Mockup of the Nexus 8 / © Miguel Cruz

We've been pimping the crap out of all kinds of devices lately, from the old and weather-beaten to the still fresh. Somewhere in the middle of all that lies the Galaxy S4, which is hardly an old device, but one that has never felt the deep-seated love like the S3 or the new infatuation of the S5. Still, there's a few accessories out there to spruce the old dog up a little.

It's not brand new, but it's still good! Revamp your S4 with some great accessories. / © AndroidPIT

You Android devices are choc full of surprises, some cool but useless, others useful but boring, and some that are a mixture of the two. The Galaxy S3 has one of these features: a hidden service menu that's essentially for troubleshooting, repairing and perhaps engineering nerds. You may not ever need it, but it's cool to know it's there.

The Galaxy S3 still has lots of life in it, but here's how you can run your own diagnostic tests on it. / © Samsung

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Top 5 News: Nexus 5 battery fixes, OTA on rooted S3, M8 camera test

Kris Carlon 2014-04-12T08:00:00Z2 days ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

This week we're one step closer to Android 4.4.3 and one step closer to losing chat privileges in the official Facebook app. Meanwhile, our favorite apps have been getting major updates and Amazon Fire TV arrived just before Android TV was leaked. We've been playing with the HTC One M8 and Galaxy S5 all week and anxiously awaiting the OnePlus One launch on April 23rd. In our last survey though, you guys pegged the Nexus 4 as the smartphone that has made the biggest impact of all time.

Top 5 News of the Week. / © AndroidPIT

Considering all the battery drain issues the Nexus 5 has been experiencing lately, an extended battery case from Limefuel might be just the ticket. By more than doubling the battery life of your Nexus 5, you can rest assured you'll be amking it through the day and then some.

The Limefuel extended battery case for the Nexus 5 will more than double its battery life. / © AndroidPIT

If your Nexus 5 battery has simply given up the ghost then perhaps it needs to be replaced entirely. Despite being a non-removable battery, it's actually really easy to manually replace the Nexus 5 battery yourself. Here's how to do it.

Don't be afraid, it's a lot easier than you think to replace the Nexus 5 battery. / © NewLife2OldStuff

Android users quite often have to wait a while to get apps released first on iOS, but there's plenty of Android-only apps that Apple fans will never get to experience. Check out our list of the best apps that iOS misses out on.

Yep, I never get sick of this picture! / © Applause

One of the main reasons most people don't root their Android is because they then lose their warranty and automatic OTA updates. If you want to enable OTA updates on your Galaxy S3 again, here's what you need to do.

Bah Humbug! But it's not that hard to get OTA updates on your Galaxy S3 again. © AndroidPIT

The HTC One M8 is pretty amazing and the Duo Camera is almost as good as it has been hyped up to be. The pictures that come out of HTC's shiny new beast are pretty great, but why take my word for it? See the results for yourself.

One of the nicest parts of the HTC One M8 is its feature packed camera. / © AndroidPIT

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Top 5 News: Nexus 4 revival, extended Nexus 5 battery, S4 camera issue

Kris Carlon 2014-04-05T08:00:00Z7 hours ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

It's been an interesting week in the world of Android. As the Galaxy S5 and One M8 have appeared we've now seen hints of the S5 mini and M8 mini. Both Facebook and Google have been busy with app and web-based updates, Office 365 became free and Apple and Samsung are at it again in the courts. Android 4.4.3 looks ready to pop and Amazon finally launched Fire TV. But this week really belonged to the All New HTC One M8 (2014) new version, shiny edition. What else has been read-worthy though?

Top 5 News of the Week. / © AndroidPIT

The Nexus 4 may have recently attained collector's item status, with some pretty silly prices for an old smartphone, but the simple fact of the matter is that the Nexus 4 continues to be a standard setter, right up there with the Galaxy S3 and Moto G as what a smartphone should be. With this guide, we'll show you how to make your Nexus 4 even more awesome than it already is.

© AndroidPIT

The Nexus 5 has some pretty infamous battery issues, but with impressive accessories like Limefuel's extended battery case you can more than double the battery life of your Nexus 5. Whether you keep your phone in the case or simply snap it in for a quick charge, the Limefuel extended battery for the Nexus 5 is almost as essential an accessory as a USB charger.

The Limefuel battery case may beef up your Nexus 5, but it's a worthwhile addition. / © AndroidPIT

Camera failed. The last error message you want popping up on your smartphone, especially when something significant is going on in front of you. Follow these three simple tips to get your Galaxy S4 camera app working perfectly again in a snap.

We have a fix for the Samsung Galaxy S4 camera problem / © AndroidPIT

Most of the major flagships are out already with a few more on the horizon. The Oppo Find 7 is a bit of a surprise entry, the LG G3 hasn't been confirmed yet and we're still waiting for the OnePlus One, but we've pulled together the specs we can to let you pick a winner from the current crop of Android flagship devices.

Clash of the Titans: which flagship is the best right now? / © AndroidPIT/Sony/Samsung/Oppo/HTC/LG

Along with the Nexus 4, the Galaxy S3 and Moto G represent major watershed moments in Android devices, seeming to be the perfect device at the perfect time and setting the standard for years to come. In this article, we put the S3 and Moto G side-by-side to see how they stack up against one another.

© Motorola/Samsung/AndroidPIT

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Top 5 News: get the S5 look on your S4, KitKat problems and solutions

Kris Carlon 2014-03-22T09:00:00Z2 hours ago

Kris Carlon

Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since.

This is the week that will always be remembered as the week that Android Wear was announced, along with the Moto 360 smartwatch and LG G Watch. The Oppo Find 7 made its debut and looks set to be one of the devices of the year. Oh, and Flappy Bird's developer hinted that the frustrating smash hit may make a return to app marketplaces. But what else has been keeping you awake at night this week?

What's in the Top 5 News of the Week? / © AndroidPIT

While the Galaxy S5 hasn't really knocked the socks off anyone since it was announced, there's still quite a few features on board that a lot of Galaxy S4 owners obviously wouldn't mind getting their hands on. Check out our tutorial to get the S5's notification shade, icons and settings menu, wallpapers and new Samsung apps on your Galaxy S4. If you're not looking to upgrade this could be all you need.

With a little bit of work you can set your S4 up like an S5. / © AndroidPIT

Samsung has done it again with a swathe of bugs in the Android 4.4.2 firmware for the Galaxy Note 3. Fortunately you've got kindly types like us that are here to help you iron out those bugs as painlessly as possible. Here's how to fix the most common problems on the Note 3 running KitKat.

© AndroidPIT

Deja vu? Sadly, yes. Samsung's efforts at the KitKat code for the Galaxy S4 is just as problematic as that for the Note 3 and the Android 4.3 firmware for the S3 and S4 before that. Check out our list of the problems we've been hearing about and check the site for solutions to those problems.

Samsung Galaxy S4 update littered with bugs / © AndroidPIT

In a distant fourth place to the problems is the official Samsung firmware for the Galaxy S4. By this point in our Top 5 you're probably thinking twice about installing this bad boy if you haven't already done so, and we'd be prone to agree with you. It's always a good idea to check sites like ours to get feedback on firmware updates before committing yourself. Especially if you own a Samsung device.

© Google/AndroidPIT

Ina positive bit of news we decided to test for ourselves the stories that the Moto G can actually handle a bit of underwater action. And when I say a little I mean half an hour. We tested it and were so impressed by the results that we decided to give the Moto X the same treatment. Check out the video proof.

Going under the tap is a piece of cake for the Moto G. / © AndroidPIT

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