First Hands on with the Google Pixel XL

Google Pixel XL 32GB White

The Google Pixels are finally out in Australia. Luckily I got to experience this device before its debut and it has been incredible. I have the Google Pixel XL 32GB in white and I can not find anything about this that I really don't like.

At first that huge chunk of glass at the back was a bit bizarre but now that I have had the device for a while its grown on me and adds a premium feel to the device. The main feature we all spend most of our time looking at is the display and holy smokes it is incredible! I personally went into developer options and turned sRGB on to soften those popping colours. Comparing this display to my Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 7 Plus, it wins hands down.

The software experience on this has been a dream I have yet to come across any hiccups. The Pixels layout and fancy wallpapers which ever so slowly move as you unlock your device is just dreamy. When jumping from app to app and playing around on all the new features not once did I see any apps crash or stutter.

Navigating was very simple considering it does not differ much from most other android devices. Having the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device is one of the best positions and something Apple should take note of. There is one gesture you will have to enable straight out of the box which is to allow the finger print sensor to pull down the notification panel. I loved that feature which was on my Huawei P9 and make the device easy to use with out touching the screen.

The camera on the Pixel really does take some stunning pictures. I have a few images below showing of the camera in low light from the Pixel. Coming from some of the best cameras on a smartphone this really does take the cake. Each image is crisp and all were taken on auto with no touching up in post. I will do a comparison shortly with the iPhone 7 Plus and the Galaxy S7 Edge.

In conclusion the Google Pixel is an incredible device and really does out shine the competition with is unique design and polished software experience. if you are in the market to get a new device I would highly recommend.  

Google Pixel XL vs iPhone 7 Plus Back

Google Pixel XL vs iPhone 7 Plus Front

Pixel XL Laneway

Pixel XL Bourke St Melbourne

Pixel XL Bourke and William 

Don't Forget about the Nexus 9 and Player!!!!!

Google has really out done its self with design this time the Nexus 9 looks really amazing, very sleek and minimalistic. The best feature on the Nexus devices in the OS Android L, for a tablet this is perfect it get rid of all that useless bloat ware on other tablets. 

Tech Specs are below:

 

This is something that will be very interesting to test out. The Nexus Player seems like a great companion for your TV and definitely something that will be useful. 

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Yes it is Finally Coming!! Nexus 6

Yes it has finally been revealed the Nexus 6 and I must say dam it is pretty. I can not wait to trough my iPhone 6 in the trash and get my hand on one of these. The Nexus series is Google's bear bone Android phone which is always running the latest OS, in this case Android L. 

With Pre-Orders starting late October we should hope to see these phones in our hand early November, let hope that down here in Australia we can get them at the same time. The tech specs are below:

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Google’s project Ara smartphones to have hot-swappable components

At a recent developer event Google re-emphasized plans to show a fully-functional prototype of its modular Ara smartphone platform in late 2014 and revealed some additional details about the project. Apparently, Google’s plan is to keep everything simple and therefore the majority of modules of Ara handsets will be hot-swappable. While in general this is a good idea, it brings a number of questions regarding viability of the platform.

Smartphones based on the project Ara modular platform will be powered by Google Android L operating system, which provides exceptional flexibility in terms of hardware support. As a result of that and the hardware innovations, the modules, except the CPU and the display, will be hot swappable and can be changed without switching phone off, reports Phoneblocks.com.

Hot-swappable cameras, communication modules, storage devices and sensors make a lot of sense for the end-user. However, since no switch off is needed, it is obvious that the microprocessor module contains system-on-chip, memory and some other key components needed to make an OS run. As a result, the CPU module will be pretty expensive.

Typical mobile SoC cost around $30 (not including RAM) to device makers. Retail price of an Ara CPU module could get close to $80 or even $100, once device makers start to use stacked high-bandwidth memory that will likely be more expensive than LPDDR3.

Display modules of modern smartphones cost around $50 to device makers, which will likely translate to $100+ per module in retail.

All-in-all, key components of project Ara smartphones will cost rather high amounts of money, perhaps, around $200 or even more. Other components will unlikely be inexpensive as well simply because they will be bought in retail or from resellers, not from manufacturers in high volumes.

While prospects of project Ara are not too bright from the market perspectives, many companies, including Quanta, Toshiba, Rockchip, Foxconn, Laird Technologies and Array Labs, believe that the platform will take off.

Source: http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/anton-shilov/googles-project-ara-smartphones-to-have-hot-swappable-components/

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Google Nexus 9 to be made by HTC, powered by Nvidia Tegra K1

Several key aspects of the upcoming Google Nexus 9 Android tablet have been revealed by Nvidia. The previous mere rumours of a Google and HTC collaboration on the next Nexus tablet look to have been correct. In legal documents on Nvidia's website the chipmaker reveals that "the HTC Nexus 9, expected in the third quarter of 2014," is designed around the Tegra K1 processor.

The link to the legal document on Nvidia's official site has since been (re)moved but The Bright Side of News found and highlighted the references to the upcoming Nexus 9 and SlashGear made a screenshot of the relevant section, as you can see below.

The document appears to confirm that Google and HTC will be partners in the Nexus 9 project and says that it is "also expected to use the Tegra K1". So while Nvidia's design win isn't a foregone conclusion it must be a front runner. Furthermore we get a release window for the new tablet - Nvidia says that the Nexus 9 will be distributed sometime in "the third quarter of 2014" - traditionally that would be sometime before the end of this month. However HTC has just released a press invite to an event on 8th October which is subtitled "Double Exposure". People are expecting something photography related, and it could be a double launch; of both a smartphone and a tablet.

Nvidia published the revealing document to support its legal case against Qualcomm and Samsung. We heard on Friday that it is suing the pair over graphics patents infringements.

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5.2-inch Nexus X Powered by Snapdragon 805, Featuring Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie

Google has been surrounded by a ton of rumors for its Nexus lineup this year. First believed to be ditched for a new program, Nexus X is very much under the works as the new leak reveals. This latest Nexus X specs leak reveals many of the details of this device rejecting the earlier rumor of the smartphone featuring 5.9-inch display. Developed by Motorola, the latest leaked image shows quite a detailed overview of the Nexus X – aka Nexus 6.

Nexus X specs leaked:

Labelled as Motorola XT1100 Nexus X, the smartphone packs a 5.2-inch screen, will be powered by a quad-core 2.7 GHz Snapdragon 805 chip, and will feature a 13.1 megapixel primary camera. The device will be powered by Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie and will be available with 32 GB or 64 GB internal storage options.

This Nexus X specs information comes from a French retailer fnac with a starting price of €419.99 off the contract. The 64 GB variant will be priced at €449.99. Earlier rumors had indicated that Nexus X will have a Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution and Adreno 420 GPU – nothing about those features is mentioned in the retailer’s image.

The most interesting bit about this Nexus X specs leak is though the mention of the Android 5.0. Seems like our favorite, redesigned Android L have finally got a name – a good name at that.

Nexus X specs leaked from retailer:

Source: http://wccftech.com/nexus-x-specs-leaked/#ixzz3BgGWNDSE


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Nexus 9 Leaks

We are seeing a fair few leaks of the upcoming Nexus 9 at the moment, right now HTC is supposedly making Google’s next tablet and it is set to feature some pretty powerful components.

The latest information comes from evleaks, who claims that the early renders of the device were fake. The tablet will feature a solid aluminium body and “boom sound” front facing speakers, capitalising on the HTC One’s design success.

This render is apparently fake.

In addition to the aluminium body, the tablet is being tested with as much as 5GB of RAM but it could still ship with less. Nvidia’s Tegra K1 is also set to appear although the tablet has been tested with the Snapdragon 810.

One of the advantages of a 64 bit processor is the ability to take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM so it’s possible that HTC might want to make the most of it by adding in 5GB.

The screen will measure in at 8.9 inches with a 2560×1600 resolution, although it is being tested with 1680×1050

Source: http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/tablet-pc/matthew-wilson/nexus-9-leaked-specs-are-impressive/


If you want to contact RDT please feel free to call between the hours of 9am-8pm AEST. deon@robertsondt.com Ph: 0426279566

Install Android L on Nexus 5 & 7

Google brought the news of upcoming Android L this week at Google I/O conference 2014. Set to be publicly released in Fall, Google has released the latest mobile OS for developers so they could test it and create perfectly matching apps. Just kidding! Android L brings not only design changes keeping in line with Material Design but also brings 64-bit support and a shift to ART from Dalvik. Developers are certainly going to love testing it out. Here is how you too can install Android L Developer Preview on your Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 devices.

As always, WCCFTech will not be responsible if anything goes Android in your process of testing it out. It is a test version so be prepared.

How to install Android L developer preview:

Here are the steps to help you install Android L on your Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 devices. As for the usual prerequisites, keep the battery at a full charge (or 70% at least) and create a backup of your data.

Required files: dowload system images for Nexus 5 or Nexus 7  under the Install the L Preview System Image label on the webpage. Also download ADB / Fastboot for Windows OR for MAC and Windows USB Drivers.

• Extract the content of everything into a single folder and name it Android for the sake of cmd simplicity.

• On your Windows, open the CMD or a new Terminal on your Mac. Type:

• cd YOUR_COMPUTER_USERNAME/desktop/android

• Next, turn your Nexus device off and enter into bootloader mod: use Volume Up + Volume Down + Power combo for Nexus 5; use Volume Down + Power keys for Nexus 7.

• Now connect your Nexus with the computer via USB cable.

• To make sure that your device is successfully connected, type:
•  fastboot devices - for Windows
• ./fastboot devices - for Mac

• If not, try re-installing the driver or use a different port.

• To unlock your Nexus’bootloader:
• fastboot oem unlock and accept when prompted.

• Next, we will be flashing the Android L Developer Preview on our Nexus:
• flash-all.bat - for Windows
• ./flash-all.sh - for Mac
• Flashing process will now initiate which can a little while, so be patient.

Source: http://wccftech.com/install-android-l-on-nexus-devices/#ixzz365J2NsN3

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Peek at Android L Features MKHB!

If you are like me and loving the New Android L which was revealed at Google I/O last week, you will love this video by MKHB perfect showcase of the new OS. All I need to do is install it on my Nexus 5.  Another great thing is that HTC One M8 which has told the press that they will be releasing Android L within 90 Days of Googles final release.



If you want to contact RDT please feel free to call between the hours of 9am-8pm AEST. deon@robertsondt.com Ph: 0426279566

Google Announces Android Auto, Promises Enabled Cars By The End Of 2014

Today in its sprawling keynote at its I/O event, Google announced Android Auto. The version of Android will be “completely voice enabled” according to the company, and will help users navigate, communicate and listen to music in their cars. The system will be “contextually aware,” Google says, and will allow for hands-free access, an important feature of an experience that involves a driver.

Google also announced that Android Auto’s SDK, which will feature APIs for audio and messaging, will be released “soon.” Twenty-five car manufacturers have promised to build Android-Auto powered cars. That’s a large chunk of the global car ecosystem. The first cars with Android Auto will “roll off the lots” before the end of 2014, according to Google.

Google is working at the start with Spotify and Songza, among others, on the Android Auto music interface:

The navigation experience in Google Maps will contain what you expect it to — live traffic, turn-by-turn directions, and voice controls:

Regarding communication, messages that are incoming show up as heads-up notifications. Users can tap a button on the steering wheel to reply. Again, the idea here is to keep drivers’ eyes on the road.

It remains to be seen how clean Android in your car will be, but the promise of voice-controlled Spotify in the car I’m in is compelling.

Check out TechCrunch to read more:

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/25/google-announces-android-auto-promises-enabled-cars-by-end-of-2014/

Google Ware I/O Moto 360!!

This is something that is pretty awesome, Google announced a few interesting things over at Google I/O, this one caught my eye. it is absolutely stunning and I want one! Obviously at the moment they are not allowed to announce the spec of the device but you are abler to get a closer look at whats to come.


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UPDATE Project ARA

Project ARA is some thing that I am very invested in and incredibly excited. Over at the Verge the got to do an interview with the project ARA team. The Project ARA conference is also being stream at the moment so go check it out.

Project Ara is AWESOME

Project Ara is on its way and I am incredibly excited I love personalising my PC and to have the option to do the same to my phone will be amazing. This is something I will continue to follow and keep updates on and hopefully in the  near future be able to get my hands on one.