Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung discounts Galaxy S21 series, Note 20 series, Z Fold 2 and more

Samsung’s online store is now offering a variety of smartphones on sale.

According to the company’s website, the phones are available until October 7th and include devices like the Galaxy A32, A52, S21 Ultra, S20 FE and more.

The list of handsets is available below:

You can check out all the devices and more, here.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

iPhone users more likely than Android users to trade in old devices: report

iPhone users are more likely to sell or trade in old devices than Android users, according to research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (via 9to5Mac).

The CIRP report looked at what happens to old phones when people upgrade, comparing Android devices and iPhones. It found that most Android users keep their old phones, while nearly 30 percent of iPhone owners leverage trade-in programs to get rid of their old devices.

Further, less than 10 percent of both iPhone and Android users sell their old phones. On the iPhone side, those who don’t trade in devices usually either keep them, loan them to friends/family or lose/break the phone.

The numbers are similar for Android, although more Android users recycle their old phones than iPhone users do.

Beyond the trade-in information, the CIRP report also noted that iPhones are usually in better condition after a year compared to Android phones. CIRP says that 65 percent of iPhones are found with the display in good condition after 12 months, while that number drops to 60 percent for Android phones.

However, that situation flips when it comes to battery life. After a year, 30 percent of Android users can keep their phones unplugged for a whole day compared to 23 percent of iPhone users. However, Android phones typically offer larger batteries than iPhones, which may be why the battery holds up longer over time.

Although the survey was U.S.-based, I imagine it’s fairly similar for Canadians. At least, the results seem accurate for me — as a long-time Android user, I tend to hold onto my phones when I upgrade (I’ve sold one phone, and I traded in another, but that’s it for me).

Let us know down below what you do with your old phones. Do you trade them in, hold onto them, or only upgrade when you break or lose them?

Image credit: CIRP, 9to5Mac

Source: CIRP Via: 9to5Mac

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Assistant Driving Mode may finally come to fruition in Android 12

After years of teases and a boring twist that turned it into a Google Maps feature, Google Assistant’s ‘Driving Mode’ might finally start to look like Google promised it would all the way back in 2019.

Since Google first announced it as a replacement for the on-phone version of Android Auto, the company has slowly released more multi-tasking within Google Maps — at least until now. With Android 12, you can say “Driving mode,” and your phone will shift into a simplified layout that’s more suited to driving.

That said, this worked for me the first two times I tried it, and then after that, it just kicked me to the Google Maps Driving Mode every other time. Also, whenever I tried to navigate somewhere in the app, it pushed me to Google Maps.

At the top, there’s either a search bar for you to use to set a nav point or a suggested route. Below, there are several music/podcast recommendations and buttons to send a message or call.

There’s a slimmed-down app drawer at the very bottom of the screen and a button to trigger Google Assistant.

Overall, it looks a lot cleaner than either Android Auto or the Assistant mode in Google Maps. It’s also worth noting that there’s a ‘Now Playing’ section that allows you to control the playback or shuffle your songs when you’re playing music.

If Google implemented buttons for some quick locations at that top of the screen, this would be a perfect Android Auto replacement for many people since, at its core, it needs to be good at navigating people to places. However, as of right now, it doesn’t adopt your device theme like other new Android ‘Material You’ elements.

Source: Droidlife

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to reportedly feature ultra-thin bezels

Samsung is currently working on slimming down the bezels of its upcoming flagship tablet.

The tech behind this, ‘Border Reduction Structure’ (BRS), is a new bezel-less display technology designed for Samsung’s rumoured Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and select other smartphones.

According to the leak, the Galaxy S22 will also feature BRS technology as it won’t hit shelves until late 2022. A rumour from Naver and @FrontTron says that the Tab S8 Ultra will use BRS for certain aspects of the tablet’s bezels.

The report doesn’t include the dimensions of the BRS, but it does say that it will be thinner than the S21+’s thinnest bezel.

Thin bezels combined with an Under Display Camera will make for a pretty interesting tablet.

Source: SamMobile

Categories
Mobile Syrup

SpongeBob’s Idle Adventures launches on Android and iOS

Mobile game publisher Kongregate’s SpongeBob’s Idle Adventures is now available as a free download on Android and iOS.

In the management sim, SpongeBob and friends are accidentally transported to another dimension after playing with Sandy’s Vortex Machine. The gang will then need to try to return to their Bikini Bottom, all while dealing with alternate versions of themselves.

As a management sim, Idle Adventures tasks players with maintaining various classic SpongeBob locations like the Krusty Krab and Chum Bucket by hiring workers and using other resources. You’ll be able to play as familiar characters like SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Along the way, you’ll rank up and get closer to repairing the Vortex Machine.

The game features in-app purchases to spend real money to acquire in-game items and currency.

Categories
Musique

Pixies launch new mobile app

Live shows, acoustic recordings and CD-quality digital downloads are among the plethora of goodies now available through Pixies’ newly-launched mobile app, reports ClashMusic.

Designed for iPhone and Android, the app offers fans the ability to stream the rare Purple Tape (a 2002 EP of outtakes from their original 17-track demo), as well as an exclusive acoustic show.

An impressive library of live recordings dating back to 1988, free downloads including the band’s entire set from Coachella 2004, and their entire CD-quality digital catalogue are also available through the app.

Pixies have been on the road since 2009 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 1989 classic, Doolittle. While frontman Black Francis admitted the group’s motivation for the tour was money when he said, "this ain’t about the art anymore," critics can’t deny how much the band has been giving fans since the tour kicked off – things like this free, content-rich mobile app.

The band has also recently confirmed their Doolittle Lost Cities Tour dates in the US, and fans will now have the ability to buy tickets for those new shows through the app. To download the new application, visit pixiesmusic.com.