At this year’s Google I/O, its annual software developer conference, the tech giant announced the Developer Preview of the next version of its Android operating system. Unofficially called the Android M, the latest OS is packed with many new features worth getting excited about. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the features you can expect to see in your next Android phone’s OS.

Custom Chrome Tabs

If you’re annoyed by having to switch to the Chrome browser while you’re in a particular app, you’ll be glad that those days are over. Android M delivers a better web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs that allow you to include Chrome web view within an app making it easy to multitask. The Chrome browser will run atop your app in case you click on any link within the app, and features automatic sign-in, saved passwords and autofill.

Android Pay

Android Pay is Google’s new mobile payments system designed to make the checkout process easier and faster. Set to be available at 700,000 stores across the United States, Android Pay will work at any payment terminal equipped with NFC. Using it is simple; just unlock your phone and place it in front of an NFC-compatible POS terminal.

Fingerprint Support

Google aims to standardize support for fingerprint scanners on all phones running on Android M. This new function will allow fingerprint scanners to be used to unlock phones as well as for making purchases using Android Pay.

Google Now on Tap

With Android M, Google Now will become smarter than ever before. You’ll be able to get contextual information on anything you have running on your phone’s screen. For instance, if you’re watching a video on YouTube, holding down the home button will provide you with more information about someone in that video.

Doze Mode

This feature uses your device’s motion sensors, be it your phone or tablet, to detect when a device has no activity for a period of time, and to then automatically shut down certain processes in order to help save battery life. While in the Doze state, the system can still be activated by alarms and high-priority notifications. According to Google, Doze helped increase the standby time on the Nexus 9 by almost double when compared to the Android 5.0 Lollipop.

App Permissions

Currently, you have to accept all permissions when you install an app, which could lead to a security breach. With Android M, you can decide which permissions you want to allow or revoke, based on when those particular functions are used. For example, you can give WhatsApp access to your camera but not your microphone.

App Links

With Android M, it will be easier than ever to link from one app to another without having to land on a web page in-between. How? A special verification method ensures that app-specific links go to the right place; for instance, clicking a Facebook link in an email will take you directly to the Facebook app instead of a redirected Facebook web page that you’ll likely have to sign in to.

Direct Share

This new feature lets you share content with your most frequent contacts or apps with a single click. Android M will learn which app you share content with the most and place it at the top of a list, as well as letting you also share content with the people you contact more often. Everything will be placed directly in the share sheet for your convenience.

Simplified Volume Control

This new simplified volume control will let you independently change ringtones, media or alarm volume directly from the volume rocker instead of having to go into different settings.

Auto App Backups

Accidentally deleted an app? Not to worry; auto app backups allow you to download it again and set it up like it was before. For now, Google is limiting the backup size to 25MB per app, though this space is not counted towards the free 15GB storage space offered in Google Drive.

Android M is expected to be released later this year but you can download the Developer Preview here now if you have a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 or Nexus Player. Interested in learning more about how an Android Phone could benefit you? Just give us a call; we’re sure we can help.

Android phone users can expect a new OS coming soon with Google’s announcement at this year’s Google I/O, its annual software developer conference. While they did not announce which dessert it will be named after yet, the Android M as they are calling it at the moment comes with many improvements worth mentioning. To that end, let’s take a look at the new features you can expect to see in the next Android OS.

Custom Chrome Tabs

If you’re annoyed by having to switch to the Chrome browser while you’re in a particular app, you’ll be glad that those days are over. Android M delivers a better web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs that allow you to include Chrome web view within an app making it easy to multitask. The Chrome browser will run atop your app in case you click on any link within the app, and features automatic sign-in, saved passwords and autofill.

Android Pay

Android Pay is Google’s new mobile payments system designed to make the checkout process easier and faster. Set to be available at 700,000 stores across the United States, Android Pay will work at any payment terminal equipped with NFC. Using it is simple; just unlock your phone and place it in front of an NFC-compatible POS terminal.

Fingerprint Support

Google aims to standardize support for fingerprint scanners on all phones running on Android M. This new function will allow fingerprint scanners to be used to unlock phones as well as for making purchases using Android Pay.

Google Now on Tap

With Android M, Google Now will become smarter than ever before. You’ll be able to get contextual information on anything you have running on your phone’s screen. For instance, if you’re watching a video on YouTube, holding down the home button will provide you with more information about someone in that video.

Doze Mode

This feature uses your device’s motion sensors, be it your phone or tablet, to detect when a device has no activity for a period of time, and to then automatically shut down certain processes in order to help save battery life. While in the Doze state, the system can still be activated by alarms and high-priority notifications. According to Google, Doze helped increase the standby time on the Nexus 9 by almost double when compared to the Android 5.0 Lollipop.

App Permissions

Currently, you have to accept all permissions when you install an app, which could lead to a security breach. With Android M, you can decide which permissions you want to allow or revoke, based on when those particular functions are used. For example, you can give WhatsApp access to your camera but not your microphone.

App Links

With Android M, it will be easier than ever to link from one app to another without having to land on a web page in-between. How? A special verification method ensures that app-specific links go to the right place; for instance, clicking a Facebook link in an email will take you directly to the Facebook app instead of a redirected Facebook web page that you’ll likely have to sign in to.

Direct Share

This new feature lets you share content with your most frequent contacts or apps with a single click. Android M will learn which app you share content with the most and place it at the top of a list, as well as letting you also share content with the people you contact more often. Everything will be placed directly in the share sheet for your convenience.

Simplified Volume Control

This new simplified volume control will let you independently change ringtones, media or alarm volume directly from the volume rocker instead of having to go into different settings.

Auto App Backups

Accidentally deleted an app? Not to worry; auto app backups allow you to download it again and set it up like it was before. For now, Google is limiting the backup size to 25MB per app, though this space is not counted towards the free 15GB storage space offered in Google Drive.

Android M is expected to be released later this year but you can download the Developer Preview here now if you have a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 or Nexus Player. Interested in learning more about how an Android Phone could benefit you? Just give us a call; we’re sure we can help.

You’re in the middle of an important conversation on your Android phone. Suddenly, a ‘battery low’ notification pops up on the screen. You hastily try to close applications and adjust settings, but the damage has been done. This is frustrating especially when you have no charger with you, and your battery life just keeps on draining until it’s dead. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. So we’ve rounded up a few tips to preserve your battery life before it’s too late.

Adjust display settings

Are you using auto-brightness display? While it sounds convenient to have your Android phone adjust the brightness on its own, this feature actually sets the brightness level higher than you really need. Save your battery by setting the brightness manually – you can always tweak it when you have to. Reduce the screen timeout display, too, so that your phone screen goes back to black faster when not in use, saving even more power.

Activate power saving mode

This is a pretty handy feature found in high-end Android phones. Power saving mode automatically limits your phone’s processor and display to use as little power as possible without turning off critical functions. You’ll still have access to basic apps, such as texting, calling, the calculator, web browsing, and Facebook. And this feature can be set to automatically activate when your Android phone’s battery drops to a certain level, so make sure you use it!

Uninstall apps

When was the last time you actually cleaned up your Android device’s installations? Navigate to Settings and Apps to find a complete list of all your applications. You can save a huge amount of storage space by getting rid of unused apps. This, in turn, will stop the processor from running these apps in the background, giving your battery a little more life.

Organize the home screen

Most Android phone users don’t realize that a cluttered home screen sucks away their battery life as well. Stash away the widgets you don’t need and ditch the live wallpapers, since animated backgrounds consume a lot of power.

Turn off vibrations

Vibration lets you know about incoming calls, messages, and notifications. But in some cases too many vibrations can be an unnecessary battery killer. You can eliminate redundant vibrations such as keypresses by turning them off on the Language & Input settings screen. While you’re at it, turn off the sound on keypress to boost saving capabilities further.

Hide notifications

As in the case of vibrations, sometimes notifications can burn away your battery, especially if you have installed a number of applications that are desperate for your attention every few hours. So ask yourself these questions: Do you need to know every time someone posts to or comments on your Facebook page? Do you want to hear about the latest deals and offers from your application? If not, do your battery justice and turn off the needless notifications.

Use location services wisely

Some apps like Google Maps require you to turn on location services to display your surroundings and give you directions. But location service chips away your battery life very quickly and you should turn it on only for as long as you need to. Either switch to lower accuracy or turn it off, and you can save a lot of power.

Battery shortage can be a frustrating issue for Android phone users. In extreme cases, you can invest in a spare battery to ensure continued use. To learn more about how to preserve battery life on your Android devices, give us a call.

Android phones are turning the smartphone industry on its head with a bundle of great new features and functionality. However, many of the features and applications available on the Android device are real battery drainers. Even though Android phones’ batteries are growing bigger with every passing year, they are simply not keeping pace with all the power-hungry applications and hardware. If you want to prolong your Android phone’s battery life, you need to manage your device’s power consumption. Here are some tips to get you started.

Adjust display settings

Are you using auto-brightness display? While it sounds convenient to have your Android phone adjust the brightness on its own, this feature actually sets the brightness level higher than you really need. Save your battery by setting the brightness manually – you can always tweak it when you have to. Reduce the screen timeout display, too, so that your phone screen goes back to black faster when not in use, saving even more power.

Activate power saving mode

This is a pretty handy feature found in high-end Android phones. Power saving mode automatically limits your phone’s processor and display to use as little power as possible without turning off critical functions. You’ll still have access to basic apps, such as texting, calling, the calculator, web browsing, and Facebook. And this feature can be set to automatically activate when your Android phone’s battery drops to a certain level, so make sure you use it!

Uninstall apps

When was the last time you actually cleaned up your Android device’s installations? Navigate to Settings and Apps to find a complete list of all your applications. You can save a huge amount of storage space by getting rid of unused apps. This, in turn, will stop the processor from running these apps in the background, giving your battery a little more life.

Organize the home screen

Most Android phone users don’t realize that a cluttered home screen sucks away their battery life as well. Stash away the widgets you don’t need and ditch the live wallpapers, since animated backgrounds consume a lot of power.

Turn off vibrations

Vibration lets you know about incoming calls, messages, and notifications. But in some cases too many vibrations can be an unnecessary battery killer. You can eliminate redundant vibrations such as keypresses by turning them off on the Language & Input settings screen. While you’re at it, turn off the sound on keypress to boost saving capabilities further.

Hide notifications

As in the case of vibrations, sometimes notifications can burn away your battery, especially if you have installed a number of applications that are desperate for your attention every few hours. So ask yourself these questions: Do you need to know every time someone posts to or comments on your Facebook page? Do you want to hear about the latest deals and offers from your application? If not, do your battery justice and turn off the needless notifications.

Use location services wisely

Some apps like Google Maps require you to turn on location services to display your surroundings and give you directions. But location service chips away your battery life very quickly and you should turn it on only for as long as you need to. Either switch to lower accuracy or turn it off, and you can save a lot of power.

Battery shortage can be a frustrating issue for Android phone users. In extreme cases, you can invest in a spare battery to ensure continued use. To learn more about how to preserve battery life on your Android devices, give us a call.

The latest Android smartphones are packed with powerful hardware and features but, unfortunately, short battery life is still a problem every Android user has to endure. Slimmer designs with less room for batteries, larger and brighter screens, faster processors, and applications running in the background are all responsible for draining your battery in a day or less. But there are things you can do to make your Android phone’s battery last longer: here are our top seven tips.

Adjust display settings

Are you using auto-brightness display? While it sounds convenient to have your Android phone adjust the brightness on its own, this feature actually sets the brightness level higher than you really need. Save your battery by setting the brightness manually – you can always tweak it when you have to. Reduce the screen timeout display, too, so that your phone screen goes back to black faster when not in use, saving even more power.

Activate power saving mode

This is a pretty handy feature found in high-end Android phones. Power saving mode automatically limits your phone’s processor and display to use as little power as possible without turning off critical functions. You’ll still have access to basic apps, such as texting, calling, the calculator, web browsing, and Facebook. And this feature can be set to automatically activate when your Android phone’s battery drops to a certain level, so make sure you use it!

Uninstall apps

When was the last time you actually cleaned up your Android device’s installations? Navigate to Settings and Apps to find a complete list of all your applications. You can save a huge amount of storage space by getting rid of unused apps. This, in turn, will stop the processor from running these apps in the background, giving your battery a little more life.

Organize the home screen

Most Android phone users don’t realize that a cluttered home screen sucks away their battery life as well. Stash away the widgets you don’t need and ditch the live wallpapers, since animated backgrounds consume a lot of power.

Turn off vibrations

Vibration lets you know about incoming calls, messages, and notifications. But in some cases too many vibrations can be an unnecessary battery killer. You can eliminate redundant vibrations such as keypresses by turning them off on the Language & Input settings screen. While you’re at it, turn off the sound on keypress to boost saving capabilities further.

Hide notifications

As in the case of vibrations, sometimes notifications can burn away your battery, especially if you have installed a number of applications that are desperate for your attention every few hours. So ask yourself these questions: Do you need to know every time someone posts to or comments on your Facebook page? Do you want to hear about the latest deals and offers from your application? If not, do your battery justice and turn off the needless notifications.

Use location services wisely

Some apps like Google Maps require you to turn on location services to display your surroundings and give you directions. But location service chips away your battery life very quickly and you should turn it on only for as long as you need to. Either switch to lower accuracy or turn it off, and you can save a lot of power.

Battery shortage can be a frustrating issue for Android phone users. In extreme cases, you can invest in a spare battery to ensure continued use. To learn more about how to preserve battery life on your Android devices, give us a call.

2015 may have only just begun, but some of the big names in the mobile industry are already preparing to launch brand new Android smartphones to kick-start the year. Some of these models are upgraded versions of an existing device, with better features and more functionality. So before you rush into buying an Android phone, you might want to check out these latest devices scheduled to debut in 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S6

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S5 fan, the new Galaxy S6 will be just what you’re looking for. Samsung plans to change the overall design of this model following criticism of Galaxy S5’s conservative style. There are rumors about its quad-HD screen with 2560×1440 resolution, metal unibody, a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM, and better camera and battery performance. As usual, the S6 will be available in three storage options: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB.

Galaxy S6 is expected to debut at the Samsung Unpacked event, scheduled for March 1st in Barcelona. The release date should be around a month after the official announcement. It’s unlikely that Samsung will be making the Galaxy S6 any cheaper than the current Galaxy S5. So far, the estimated price for the 32GB model is around $650, the 64GB model around $800, and the 128GB version could cost an extra $100 more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Note series from Samsung has always managed to impress Android users. This means Samsung has to come up with something special to stand out further. Word has it that the Note 5 will employ an Ultra HD, 4K display and a camera with up to 50 megapixels. You can also expect wireless charging and a two-day battery life.

The release date for Note 5 is still yet to be confirmed, but Samsung tradition suggests the launch will be somewhere during September and October. As for the starting price, Samsung’s Note series has always been costly, and Note 5’s additional features could further increase the price up to around $750.

Sony Xperia Z4

After Xperia Z3’s debut in September 2014, Sony has been working around the clock to strengthen its Z-series products. The Xperia Z4 is expected to have a 5.5-inch quad-HD screen with a Snapdragon 810 processor. Sony’s smartphones are well-known for their camera quality, and the Xperia Z4 may pack in an even more impressive camera and image sensor. The new sensor will be able to record videos much faster and smoother than the previous Xperia Z3.

Sony has announced that it will not be presenting Xperia Z4 at the world’s largest mobile trade show this March, so we can assume that it will be released at a later stage in 2015. The price is rumored to be around $600-$650.

LG G4

The one thing LG prides itself on is its innovation, and the new LG G4 is sure to house some extra features. There’s a possibility that the G4 will have an eye scanner to gain secure access to the phone, but a fingerprint scanner would be more likely. LG’s smartphones are already on top when it comes to screen resolution, so G4’s display will probably be ahead of its competitors. Furthermore, a new stylus known as the G Pen will replace the poorly received LG G3 stylus.

Since the G3 is available for $600, we can assume G4 to cost the same or more at its launch. Its release is expected to come in May 2015.

Want to find out how Android phones can fit into your workplace? Get in touch with us today and see how we can help.

Android 5.0 has been released and devices are starting to get updates. With this latest development comes a number of new features and a fully redesigned look. One of the new features introduced is a tweak to the way open and recent apps are displayed (officially called Overview). While this new version of Overview is great, the way it handles Chrome tabs can be a little frustrating for some users.

A brief look at Overview in Android 5.0

Android 5.0 brings about a useful change to the way Android handles multitasking. On older versions, you have the “Recent apps” feature which is accessed by pressing the square button (usually at the bottom-right of the screen) or tapping on the home button twice. When opened, you usually see a list of recent apps listed either with small snapshots or as a live list showing content.

In Android 5.0, the recent apps list has been changed to Overview which now displays open apps in cards, much like Google Now cards. You scroll through the cards to see your apps and swipe them away to close them.

How Overview works with Chrome

While the new multitask view is a great, and certainly attractive, way to see your open or recent apps, one niggling issue for some users is that each tab in Chrome is given its own card. If you are like most users and have linked your desktop browser with your phone so that tabs open in the browser show up on Chrome on your device, you will likely see a large number of cards pop up in Overview.

If you are trying to find an app, scrolling through these cards can be annoying. Luckily, there is a way to turn this feature off and set it so that Chrome itself is assigned only one card.

How to disable individual Chrome tabs in Overview

To disable individual cards for each tab:

1. Open Chrome on your Android device.
2. Press the three vertical dots at the top-right of the screen.
3. Select Settings.
4. Tap Merge tabs and apps.
5. Slide the radio at the top right to the left (Off).
6. Press OK in the pop-up window.

Chrome will reload with tabs being contained within the app itself. The number of open tabs will be displayed at the top-right of the window with a number inside a small box. Tapping on this number will display your existing tabs.

If you are looking to learn more about Android and how you can use it in your business, contact us today.