Nexus 5 2015 Release Date Details

Google Flagship Won’t Take After LG G4; LG Working On Unique Design

Among the murmurs of information about Google’s upcoming Nexus smartphone(s) includes rumors that manufacturers such as LG and Huawei will build hardware for the tech giant in 2015. Prior reports have suggested that Huawei has confirmed its collaboration with Google. Now, a second report suggests LG has done the same.

A source recently told tech blog AndroidPit that LG will be manufacturing the device many are currently calling the Nexus 5 2015. Rumors have circulated about a device codenamed “Bullethead,” which is likely the device in question. With LG possibly on board to build the Nexus 5 2015, many have predicted its design would be similar to that of LG’s current flagship, the LG G4. However, the source says the device is “still in development” and will likely feature a unique design. Prior reports have suggested the Nexus 5 2015 would feature a carbon fiber exterior. This design would be much different from the LG G4, which comes in leather, ceramic and metallic design options.

Several Google devices have been designed based on the current flagship of their manufacturer. The Nexus 6 was built by Motorola and features a design based on that of the Motorola Moto X. The Nexus 5 was built by LG and features a design based on that of the LG G2. But with the smartphone market being extremely saturated with several devices from the same makers that look very similar, a change of pace for the Nexus 5 2015 is sure to be a good thing.

Possible hardware for the Nexus 5 2015 includes either a Full HD or Quad HD resolution display of at least 5-inches, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 or Snapdragon 808 chip, 3GB of RAM and 32GB, 64GB or 128 GB internal storage options, as well as a fingerprint scanner and a USB Type C port . The official name of “Bullethead” is also not confirmed, so many continue to refer to the device as Nexus 5 2015.

Prior reports have suggested that the Nexus 5 2015 may launch during the third quarter of 2015, which would put its release date somewhere in August at the latest. However, Google is known for launching new hardware later in the year, between October and November.

Google announced its upcoming operating system, which is currently referred to as Android M in late May. The software is set to run on the upcoming Nexus device(s) and is currently available as a developer preview.

Huawei’s possible Nexus device is codenamed “Angler” and is expected to be a phablet smaller than the Nexus 6.

Nexus 5 2015 Release Date Details

8:37 AM Google, NEXUS, smart phones

Native Fingerprint Authentication In Android M

Fingerprint Authentication

Google's yearly I/O conference is taking place at the end of next week, and if a recent report is worth taking into consideration, then we might witness the new fingerprint authentication feature being released with Android M

This year’s Google I/O conference will take place at the end of next week, on May 28-29, and it’s said to bring a lot of news regarding the upcoming Android M version. Google is also expected to discouss about aew Google Glass device, the updates on Android One, a new Chromecast and much more.

Now, a fresh rumor from BuzzFeed suggests that the upcoming Android M software version will feature native support for fingerprint authentication. Of course, there are already plenty of Android device which feature fingerprint readers but they are using software built specifically by the OEM. With this new native feature, Google wants to make it easier for phone-making companies to include a fingerprint scanner in their devices.

ArsTechnica too says that there have been hints in AOSP (Android Open Source Project, the Google leaded project for Android) that fingerprint readers were a planned feature. The publication says Google was working on the:

setup and enrollment process, a fingerprint lock screen, and a “service to manage multiple clients that want to access the fingerprint HAL API

Ron Amadeo with the publication further adds:

a Google-standardized API would encourage the entire Android ecosystem to finally jump onboard the fingerprint bandwagon. Widely used Google apps like the Play Store would support it, and it would even open up the possibility for Chrome to fingerprint website logins. A Google API would be stable enough and universally supported enough that third-party apps would begin to support it.

If Google does decide to announce fingerprint reader support at I/O, then chance are they will release preview build of Android M just like it happened with Android L back in 2014. But it also needs pointing out that Google currently has no device with a fingerprint sensor, even if the Nexus 6 was very close to getting one.

So, taking this into account, it makes sense for Google to announce this feature when it has a device with a fingerprint reader, as well, so that it could take the chance to promote it. But as Google usually releases its Nexus devices around fall, then we could wait for a little longer. Or, who knows, maybe they will surprise us and announce a new device at the event from next week. Whatever happens, we’re going to be here to report it.

Native Fingerprint Authentication In Android M

5:59 PM Android M, Fingerprint, GOOGLE I/O, NEXUS, smart phones

Kirin 930 And Metal Body -Huawei's Nexus

Huawei’s Nexus To Come With Kirin 930 And Metal Body

Google’s been rumored to be looking towards new manufacturers for this year’s Nexus. According to several speculations so far, the manufacturer of choice for the tech giant has been Huawei. But we’ve also heard about some news about LG considering to make the next Nexus. So while the current contender for Google’s Nexus throne this year is Huawei, its still too early to count other manufacturers out the race either. Nevertheless, we’ve manged to get some more information about the next Nexus.

Huawei’s Nexus Might Come With The Kirin 930 And 5.7 inch Display

While LG’s seemingly confirmed that its considering on manufacturing the next Nexus, the rumor mill is active on pumping more and new information about Huawei’s alleged Nexus. According to information so far, the device might be choosing to stick with the Snapdragon 810 as of now. This most likely means that overheating issues can be expected on the device and right on cue, new information suggests that Huawei might be choosing to employ its own Kirin 930 on the Nexus. The Kirin 930 is Huawei’s in house processor which can be expected to give several chipsets a run for their money.

But while the Kirin 930 might sound like a plausible option for the Nexus, Huawei might be better suited to choose the Kirin 940 or the 950 both of which feature Cortex A72 designs, meaning that you won’t have to worry about high performance on the Nexus. We also get to know more about the display size, design and screen resolution for the device. Allegedly, the next Nexus can be expected to come with a 5.7 inch display, with the device expected to be similar to Huawei’s Mate 8 expected later this year and feature a complete premium metal build. Screen resolution for the device is expected to be 2560 x 1440. That’s all that we have for you today. Stay tuned and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Kirin 930 And Metal Body -Huawei's Nexus

5:24 PM android, Google, Huawei, NEXUS, smart phones

NEXUS PIE CONTROL

For anyone who dislikes the navigation bar, this tutorial will show you how to get rid of it and enable pie controls instead.

Ever since I started using the Paranoid Android custom ROM for the Nexus 4 I have fallen in love with pie controls. For those who don’t know what this means, pie controls(for Paranoid Android) would replace the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen with a new way to control them. The navigation bar on Android is the bottom bar that houses the Back, Home and Overview buttons. This used to be represented by a back arrow, a house and a couple of stacked rectangles. With pie controls, you slide your finger or thumb from the edge of the screen and a set of navigation buttons appears(check the bottom of this tutorial for a screenshot of my setup).

Now we know of the navigation bar as a triangle, a circle and a square. I personally didn’t like the new buttons when I first saw them but they have grown on me. Also, since I disable the navigation bar anyway, I just don’t see it all the time. I enjoy the pie controls method of navigation for a number of different reasons. The main one is that I want my applications to always take up the full screen. I used to like to hide the status bar too for this reasons but I have been keeping that there for a while. Now that I am writing about it, I am starting to think that I should go back to hiding the status bar too. I’ll save that for a different tutorial though.

So yes, I like all of my applications to take up as much of the display as possible. This is fantastic for games that have chosen to not add in the KitKat immersive mode feature but it goes beyond games. I even want to disable/hide the navigation bar while in messaging applications and this is something that features like Expanded Desktop for CyanogenMod doesn’t do. Anytime there is a keyboard up while Expanded Desktop is enabled, the navigation bar was still present. If that feature didn’t function that way then I would probably not have looked for this alternative way of getting Nexus 6 pie controls.

Requirements

Let’s take a look at how to disable the navigation bar on the Nexus 6 and enable pie controls. I should note that this should work on all custom ROMs and it will even work on stock Android. You will need root access, so please follow the how to root the Nexus 6 tutorial if you need help there. I also recommend that you have a custom recovery installed as well, so please follow the how to install a custom recovery on the Nexus 6 tutorial if you need help there. You don’t technically need a custom recovery installed, I just recommend it so that you can create a Nandroid backup just in case something bad goes wrong.

This modification is very small and very simple, so nothing should go wrong, but I would always rather be safe than sorry.

Nexus 6 Pie Controls

Download and Install the Build.Prop Editor

Open the Build.Prop Editor 

ApplicationGrant Root Access to the Build.Prop Editor Application if it AsksPress the Pencil Button at the Bottom(or tap the 3-dot menu at the top right and then press edit)Scroll All the Way DownCreate a New Line a the Very BottomAdd in the Following Text. . .qemu.hw.mainkeys = 1Press the Disk Icon at the Top Right to SaveGrant Root Access to the Build.Prop Editor Application if it AsksWait for the Spinning Circle to Stop(this can take some time)You Should Get a Toast Message Saying the File was SavedClose/Minimize the Build.Prop Editor ApplicationDownload and Install the Pie Control ApplicationConfigure the Pie Control Application How You Want itPress the ‘Apply’ Button at the BottomClose/Minimize the Pie Control ApplicationReboot Your Nexus 6

Explanation

Ok, so what we’re doing here is making a very small edit to your build.prop file using the Build.Prop Editor application. Be very careful about anything you do here. Changing the wrong thing here can send you into a bootloop and this is another reason why I recommend that you create a Nandroid backup of your Nexus 6beforehand. Once you open this application for the first time you will be asked if you want to grant it root access. You’ll need to allow this because it needs root in order to edit your build.prop file. There’s two ways of editing the build.prop file and I’ve seen it with two interfaces.

I first look to see if there is a pencil icon at the bottom of the application. If there is, then you can press the button and it will go into ‘edit mode’ but if there isn’t then the edit command is hidden in the overflow menu. So if you don’t see the pencil icon at the bottom then you’ll want to tap on the three-dot menu icon that you see in the top right. This will drop down a menu and inside this menu you should see an ‘edit’ option. Go ahead and tap on this and you’ll go into edit mode. Since we are adding a new entry here, you’ll want to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the build.prop file. If you need to create a new line then do so but usually there is a blank line at the bottom already.

Once you are there, you can either type in or you can copy/paste the follow code into the brand new line of the build.prop file – “qemu.hw.mainkeys = 1″. I have included a screenshot above that you can reference if you need help. What this code is doing is it is telling Android to not show the software navigation bar when it boots up. This change will only happen after you reboot so don’t be worried that your navigation bar will disappear after you save this build.prop file because it won’t. Once you have added that single line into the build.prop file then go ahead and save it and then close the app. If you didn’t get asked to grant root access to the editor when you opened it, then you will be asked when you try to save this file. Either way, grant the application root access.

You can go ahead and minimize/close the application once the file has been saved. From here, you’re going to need to download and install the Pie Control application that is linked in the tutorial above. There might be some alternatives in the Google Play Store so you can try those if you want. Just be sure you are happy with your choice before you reboot because it can be rough to navigate through Android without a navigation bar. When you install and launch Pie Control, it comes with a stock version of how it looks but it is completely customizable. I’m a minimalistic type person so this is how I set mine up.

I like it on the right side, I don’t care for the time to be there and I don’t need anything other than back, home and overview. This is just my personal preference though. If you are a fan of pie controls then I want to hear how you set it up on your smartphone or tablet. If you want, you can even include a screenshot. Just make sure it is suitable for all ages.

NEXUS PIE CONTROL

1:34 PM android, Google, NEXUS, PIE CONTROL

Nexus 9 Review: Google Takes on the iPad

 Nexus line has always represented the very best of Google software for mobile devices, whether it’s on smartphones or tablets. Early in 2014, analysts questioned whether or not Google would discontinue the line in favor of a new, budget line of products that got stock Android into even more hands. Fortunately, we still got at least two more iterations of the Nexus line: the Nexus 6 smartphone and the Nexus 9 tablet.

The Nexus 9 is something of a hybrid of 2013’s Nexus 7 and 2012’s Nexus 10. It runs the newest version of Android and will no doubt influence the future of the platform, but is it a tablet that you should seriously consider next to products like the premium iPad Air 2 or budget-friendly Nvidia Shield Tablet?

Hardware

When I found out that HTC was going to be partnering with Google to produce the Nexus 9, I was legitimately excited for the possibilities. I imagined a thin, full aluminum body with stereo, front-facing speakers that resembled a blown up HTC One M8.

What we got with the Nexus 9 is far more in line with previous iterations of the tablet line and less a HTC-inspired reinvention of itself. It’s a fairly standard black slab that’s modern, but not exactly attention-grabbing. The back of the tablet has the same soft touch plastic that was used on the Nexus 7, except this time we’ve got a black metal frame that runs along the sides of the device. All in all, the design isn’t bad, it’s just a bit forgettable.

In fact, I wouldn’t have a problem with the rather drab look of the device if it the Nexus 9 was a bit more sleek. Instead, however, the Nexus 9 feels strangely thick and heavy in the hand, despite the fact that it weighs in at only 0.94 lbs. It’s lighter overall than both the iPad Air 2 or even the Samsung Tablet S, but it’s also a couple inches smaller, giving it a chunkier feel in the hand. It’s also notably thicker than both those tablets, and also tablets like the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet and even last year’s iPad Air (by just a tiny bit).

But again, thickness and weight isn’t all that matters. If the Nexus 9 would have had stellar build quality that while it feel like a sturdy tablet that could go with you anywhere, the average feel in the hand wouldn’t have been a problem at all. Instead, the Nexus 9 just doesn’t always the premium build quality that it should. Some users have noted problems with light bleeding in the top right part of display, while others still have complained about defects in the backplate.

While I didn’t have these problems, I did find myself aggravated over the power button and volume rocker, which have so little travel that they barely stick out of the side of the device at all. It’s a big shame, especially considering that there is no other way to wake up the screen other than that one squishy power button. I want to be careful not to exaggerate—the Nexus 9 is still a well-built tablet. It doesn’t creak or feel like a bunch of low-cost pieces put together. However, these small things can become big problems when you’re talking about shelling out $499 for a tablet.

As for what the Nexus 9 does right, there’s plenty. First is the display, which is a beautiful 8.9-inch IPS panel with really nice color reproduction and a decent 281 ppi (pixels per inch) pixel density. The top and bottom bezels are a bit larger all around that I would have preferred, but overall it’s a very nice thing to look at with the display on.

The battery life here is similarly above average. It won’t last as long as the iPad Air 2, but it’ll get you through a full day of heavy use, and probably a few days for the average person.

But most importantly, the Nexus 9 features some great front-facing speakers that once again prove that every smartphone and tablet should have them. They are loud and clear—the one spot where the Nexus 9 easily trumps the iPad Air 2. The Nexus 9’s speakers still aren’t as bright and audible as the HTC One M8’s amazing speakers from the same manufacturer, but they are still the best tablet speakers out there.

Software

While not everything hardware-wise impresses, it couldn’t be a more different situation on the software end of things. The Nexus 9 is the first product to ship with the new Android 5.0 Lollipop installed on it—and it has surpassed all of my expectations. The new version of Android is the biggest change to the look of the operating system at least since Holo, and in my mind, outdoes iOS 8 in many ways.

First off is the notification bar and lock screen, which have both been cleaned up a lot in Lollipop. The notifications are presented as cards that can swiped away or double-tapped to open or act on. My favorite part of the notification bar is the new way you have access your controls such as screen brightness and WiFi. Rather than having to click a tiny button in the top right part of the screen, you can now get to it by just effortlessly pulling down again on the notifications. It’s a tiny little example of the ways that the designers at Google have re-thought the entire experience around fluid gestures intuitive visual cues.

A lot has been said about the new visual flair of Lollipop, but I still find myself loving how the system feels when you interact with it. I love the new app drawer, as well as the new app switcher, which finally feels useful. What Google has done with Material Design is just what Android needed, a perfect balance between intuitivity and ingenuity—the thing the original iOS first accomplished when it was released to the world. It’s a refreshing change from the stark, text-heavy look of iOS 8 or even the cold, rigid feel of Windows 8. It’s colorful, playful, and fun to use without ever feeling cheap or gimmicky, which is quite an accomplishment.

All that being said, Lollipop still doesn’t feel like it’s been properly optimized for tablets. Even the notification bar that I praised earlier still feels a bit weird coming down so narrowly. It’s nothing that holds back the software experience with the Nexus 9, but it does still feel like a missed opportunity without any real multitasking or tablet-only features.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that performance on the Nexus 9 was good, but not perfect. All the animations and proprietary actions feel quick and snappy, but opening apps was still a little slower that I would have liked, and I noticed the system stutter occasionally with heavier apps like Hearthstone.

Verdict

The Nexus 9 feels like a solid update to the Nexus 7. It runs stock Android Lollipop, which has remade itself into the best-designed mobile operating system in the world. The real problem with the Nexus 9 is that it’s priced somewhere between the iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2—two devices that have an incredibly premium look and feel. The fact that I’d still be much more willing to recommend the $299 iPad mini 2 to most people over this device is telling enough.

The good news for the Nexus 9 is that even if doesn’t quite have the design pedigree or build quality to compete at the $399 price point, neither do many other 9 or 10-inch Android tablets on the market. The 8-inch Nvidia Shield Tablet is our highest recommended Android tablet from 2014, which comes in at a fantastic $299 price point. If you can handle not having Lollipop for awhile, it’s a really good alternative to the Nexus 9.

If Google or HTC could figure out how to put together a killer product that felt as good on the outside as the software experience feels, I’d happily leave my iPad behind for Lollipop alone. But as of now, the Nexus 9 is bound to be a good tablet, but one made only for a small contingency of Android lovers.

Nexus 9 Review: Google Takes on the iPad

6:51 AM android, future of nexus, google phone, NEXUS

Android Dominates iOS, Long Term Nexus 6 Review, Nexus 5 Cancelled

Nexus 6 charger

Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including Android’s market share domination of iOS, details on Android 5.1, the retiring Nexus 5, reviews of the Nexus 6 and the Oppo R5, Android M might take over your car, Samsung looks to mimic Apple Pay, and RAW support for images is arriving in Android.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven days.

Android Dominates Marketshare, New Manufacturers Have Cornered Growth Markets

Gartner’s latest analysis of the sales figures for Q3 2014 gives Android a commanding lead in terms of market share. Of the 301 million smartphones sold, Android’s market share is 83.1 percent, Apple’s iOS has 12.7 percent, Windows Phone clocks in at 3%, and everybody else is under 1%.

A worrying trend for the established players such as Samsung , Sony, and HTC, is where sales are coming from. The old guard is established in saturated western markets with little opportunity for growth, while the new companies on the rise (including Huawei and Xiaomi) are coming on strong in the BRIC territories and have many more opportunities to increase sales.

Android 5.1 Lollipop Update Details

Alleged details on Android 5.1 were found online this week by AndroidPit. Although many consumer handsets have still to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop update (or the 5.0.1 point release), Google is pushing ahead with a significant point release to address many issues around the OS.

[This update] includes but is not limited to improvements to RAM management, addressing the ‘sudden app closures’ bug, and correcting the excessive consumption of network devices when Wi-Fi is used. It also includes the return of ‘silent mode’ which was removed from Android 5.0, after proving a popular feature in previous versions of Google’s mobile operating system.

One thing to note, given the ninety-day window that many manufactures are using between Google’ launch of an OS and when it can be expected over-the-air, a Feb 2015 release of Android 5.1 could mean the bug fixes and updates will not arrive to consumer handset until June or July next year.

If Google want to look at addressing the pain points of Android in 2015, the excessive time to roll out firmware updates would be a good place to start. In the meantime, consumers are going to have a long wait for Android 5.0, and an even longer wait for Android 5.1 to fix the bugs.

Android’s Material Design Principle (image: Google.com)

Google To Retire The Nexus 5 In The Name Of Advertising?

Many of us here on the Forbes Tech Team initially questioned Google’s decision to retain the Nexus 5 at the launch of the Nexus 6. As the reviews of the Nexus 6 came in, it became clear that the newer phablet was more a complement to the venerable five-inch screened reference design rather than a direct replacement.

Just as it began to make sense, news reached us that the Nexus 5 is being set up for a quiet retirement as 2015 dawns. Whether stocks will not be replenished, or if it will simply leave a Google+ status that it’s just going outside for some time, the days of the Nexus 5 appear to be drawing to a close. Could the reason be a larger screen is better for displaying adverts?

It should not be a surprise that Google is retiring the Nexus 5 and pushing attention onto the phablet and tablet spaces of the Android ecosystem. For all they services, software, hardware, and crazy ideas that Google pushes out, the company is still based around selling advertising.

When the web browser on your desktop ruled, Google monopolised the display ad business. Now that everyone is moving their consumption towards mobile devices, Google must change with the times and effectively monetize the eyeballs reading from hundreds of millions of screens around the world. A larger screen provides more space for interaction, more opportunity for attractive and eye-catching advertising, and more space to place advertising around content.

Is The Nexus 6 A Giant Keeper?

Staying with the Nexus line, Gordon Kelly has been using the Nexus 6 since it was launched, and he’s in a position to review the phablet. It’s been a… challenging handset to review:

It has been a strange month. I’ve been using the Nexus 6 for five weeks (I received it prior to release) and during that time it has made me feel wonder, frustration, surprise and anger. At times I felt like I was experiencing the future of smartphones, at others that I’d adopted the antichrist.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha

Is Samsung Ready To Take On Apple Pay?

The success of Apple Pay has been noted by many, and it will come as a complete surprise to find out that Samsung is looking to launch a similar product early next year. Jason Del Ray at Re/Code reports on the South Korean’s ongoing talks with the Boston-based LoopPay:

LoopPay’s technology can wirelessly transmit the same information stored on a debit or credit card’s magnetic stripe to a store’s checkout equipment without swiping a card. The company has embedded the technology, which it calls magnetic secure transmission, into a few hardware products it sells directly to consumers: A fob, as well as a LoopPay digital payment card that can be used on its own or while secured in a special LoopPay smartphone case. To complete a purchase, LoopPay users tap any of these devices near the spot on a store’s credit card terminal where a card is usually swiped.

The timing of ‘early 2015′ would fit in with the launch of the Galaxy S5, widely expected to be late in Q1 2015 to be available in April 2015. LoopPay’s UI looks remarkably like Apple’s PassBook system, and is also designed to work with existing mag-stripe card readers.

Android OS Built-In To Your Car

While Android Auto brings a large touch-based UI suitable for navigating your smartphone while driving and interfacing with your car’s systems, Google’s Android M is an operating system for your car that would run as a standalone Android environment, without the requirement of a secondary handset. Dave Altavilla looks at the new flavor of Android.

A recent tip via Reuters tells of the forthcoming ‘Android M’ operating system which will have the ability to become a much more central command and control function of the vehicle, rather than just a feature add. In fact, it’s being reported that cars would not need an Android handset connected to them at all and the OS would function autonomously.  Further, with an always-on internet connection, various Google services like Maps, Play Music and Google Now will always be accessible.  Sure, your Android phone could synch to it but it wouldn’t need to. Also, your Google account and other family members’ accounts could be pre-loaded into the system and at the ready with your customizations and personal preferences at the ready.

The opportunities to provide services and gather real-world data on users makes this an interesting diversion for Google. 

Oppo R5

The Thinnest Smartphone On Sale… In The World

There’s an arms race by manufacturers to build and release the thinnest smartphone possible. While the 4.85 millimetre mark of the Oppo R5 has already been bettered at the design and manufacturing stage, this ultra-thin handset is currently the thinnest smartphone on sale.

Oppo has had to make a number of compromises to get the dimensions down, and while they don’t cripple the phone, you do need to be aware of them if the fashionable look is going to be your look for 2015.

With the R5, Oppo has sidestepped the arms race of flagships with ever faster processors, increased memory, larger screens, and bigger specifications. It focuses on one area – size – and does almost everything to keep the handset as thin as possible, while still remaining practical to use.

Yes, there are concerns and limitations about endurance and battery life (the R5 would be a perfect handset to have wireless charging for continually topping up the battery) but I think that it’s right that Oppo has tried something else in terms of design goals with the R5. As long as you are aware that this handset is going to need careful power management throughout the day, you are going to enjoy it.

And Finally…

Photographers looking for more from their smartphone cameras should be looking to pick up a Nexus device. Google has provided access to the RAW image file format for developers (reports Stephen Shankland for CNet).

Raw support isn’t likely to appeal to mainstream shooters. HDR (high dynamic range) technology already expands what an ordinary JPEG can do by layering multiple frames at varying exposures to create a single image with greater luminosity. But the more mobile-phone cameras improve, the more enthusiasts will come to rely on them, and the more appealing raw support will become.

Raw photography requires people to fiddle with their photos in software that acts like a digital darkroom. For people who like that sort of thing — and there are plenty — raw photos give control to the photographer instead of going with processing assumptions that the camera makes. Cameras ordinarily bake those assumptions into JPEG images, but raw photos leave the original data intact for maximum flexibility.

Applications such as FV-5 have already been updated to allow RAW to be a user-option.

‘Android Circuit’ will round-up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!

Android Dominates iOS, Long Term Nexus 6 Review, Nexus 5 Cancelled

8:06 AM android, Apple, ios, Iphone, lollipop, NEXUS, nexus6, samsung

Lollipop 5.0.1update for Nexus is coming to fix the bugs

Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update might be boasting some pretty neat features on paper, but several reports on Google product forums have made it clear that the update is infested with several bugs and issues. Google has just started to release Android 5.0.1, a bug fix update, that hopes to resolve the issues that some Nexus 5 users are having.

Nexus 5 Lollipop bugs to be fixed by Android 5.0.1 update

We’ve been talking pretty extensively about bugs, glitches, and issues that Android 5.0 Lollipop has brought to a lot of Nexus 5 users. Multiple people are reporting a significant reduction in the battery life of their smartphone or tablet. Others have experienced a decrease in the performance of their device. Some Nexus 7 users are having issues with video playback, and there are some Nexus 5 users who are unable to connect to a home or work WiFi network.

A lot of the reports about poor battery life and a decrease in performance can be resolved by clearing the cache partition on the device and/or performing a factory reset. Still, we understand that a factory reset isn’t an ideal solution, and if you can wait for the update then you shouldn’t need to resort to that. Android updates are very complicated and a lot of things can get messed up along the way. If you read our comments section after we write about an Android update, there are almost always people reporting various issues that started happening after the update. More often than not, a factory reset will resolve these issues. Especially if they just started happening after an update.

A factory reset can’t solve all the issues with the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update though. Google is aware of the critical bugs, and they hope to be resolving them with the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update. Factory images have already been posted for the Nexus 9, 2013 Nexus 7 (WiFi), and the Nexus 10. We expect Google to release the rest of these updates (including one for the Nexus 5) in the next week or two.

Have you received the 5.0.1 Lollipop update yet? Please use the comments section below to tell us when you updated your device and whether or not the update resolved any issues you had with the initial 5.0 update.

Lollipop 5.0.1update for Nexus is coming to fix the bugs

6:43 AM #lollipopbugs, #lollipopupdate, #nexus, lollipop 5.0.1 update, lollipop bugs, NEXUS

Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop Update to Roll out Today

Lollipop rollout for nexus devises

Google officially introduced Android 5.0 Lollipop mid-October and, for the time being, the update has yet to roll out. The release is imminent and according to Sprint the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update will be pushed to users later today.

According US carrier’s post on their community page, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 5 will roll out later today. The date checks out with previous rumors that were suggesting that the new update will be pushed to devices on November 12. If the reports are accurate, the release has been delayed over battery issues that were fixed in the meantime.

Sprint also says that the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lillipop update has build number LRX21O. The build number lines up with builds we’ve seen for Nexus 9 and Nexus Player – LRX21L and LRX21M, respectively – and even with the leaked Nexys 7 2012 build (LRX21P).

As usual, the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update will be rolled out in phases, which means that some of you might not be able to download and install it right away. You probably know already that once your device becomes eligible to receive the new firmware you should be able to notice a system update message in the notifications bar. You know the drill, tap on it, choose ‘Download now’, wait until the download is completed, then select ‘Install now’. Your smartphone should reboot and install the new firmware. In case the system update notification failed to appear you would also want to perform a manual check under Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is the most major update Android has seen since its debut. It brings a new design philosophy called Material Design, revamped notification bar and quick settings, lock screen notifications, multi-user support for phones, improved battery life and security, support for 64-bit processors, and Android Runtime (ART) instead of Dalvik.

Have you received the Android 5.0 Lollipop update on your Nexus 5? Have fun abusing that ‘Check now’ button.

Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop Update to Roll out Today

6:57 AM android, Google, lollipop rollout, NEXUS

How to install Android L on NEXUS 5 and NEXUS 7

Manual Installation Of Android L on NEXUS 5 and NEXUS 7

Last month Google previewed Android L at I/O, and immediately after, it released the operating system preview to the developers. You however don’t have to be a developer totry out Android L now, and all you need is aNexus 5 smartphone or a Nexus 7 tablet. Hit the break below to check out the step-by-step guide on how to install Android L on your Nexus devices now.

Before we start though, let us warn you that this is a beta version of the OS and has many bugs. Google too warns that this “Android preview system image is not a stable release, and may contain errors and defects that can result in damage to your computer systems, devices, and data.” Having said that if you are still feeling adventurous here are the steps.

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) and Fastboot tools

First off you will need to download and install these two tools, which essentially allow you to send commands to your device from your computer via USB. These tools are generally found in the Android SDK, but the SDK is a huge file and has many things you will not need.

Instead you can download this minimal tool that can be found on the XDA forum. This is a 2MB installer and has both the above mentioned tools. Install the tools in a folder you can easily access.

Android L image

The next step is to download the appropriate Android L image for your Nexus device. You can find the image for Nexus 5 here, and the Nexus 7 here. The image will be downloaded in a .tgz format, and you will need an extractor utility like WinRAR or 7-zip to extract the files from the archive. Extract the files to the same folder that contains the Android ADB and Fastboot tools.

Enable USB debugging

Now, on your smartphone/tablet, head over to the Settings menu and scroll down to About smartphone/tablet. Once inside, tap on the ‘Build number’ tab seven times to unhide the developer options. Press the back button once and you will see the Developer options tab now. Click on the tab and once inside, enable the USB debugging option.

Windows drivers

Once you have enabled USB debugging, Windows will again look for drivers when you connect your device to your computer. To ensure, it uses the latest drivers, install them from here. This step is necessary for your computer to recognize the Nexus device as a developer device.

Head over to Control Panel and click Devices and Printers to look for your device. The Nexus device should be listed there as an ‘Android Composite ADB interface’. If it is not recognized, update the drivers with the one you installed. Check your device as there will be a popup message asking, “Allow USB debugging?” Click on allow and your device is ready.

Fastboot mode

With your device still connected to the computer, power it off. You will need to put it in fastboot mode and there are two methods to choose from. The first method is to press the volume up, volume down and power buttons simultaneously. For the second method double-click on “py_cmd” in the folder you downloaded the tools to open the command prompt. Type ‘adb reboot-bootloader’ — without the quotation marks — to restart your device in fastboot mode.

Unlock Bootloader

By default your device should be in a lock state, which won’t allow you to install the Android L image. To unlock it, type the command ‘fastbook oem unlock’ (without quotations). The device will ask you to confirm if you want to unlock the bootloader, and using the volume rocker move the option to ‘Yes’ and press the power button to select the option.

This step will essentially erase your Nexus device and prep it for the new Android installation.

Installing Android L

Now that the device is prepped, in the command prompt simply type the flash-all command. This will start the process of installing Android L onto your Nexus smartphone or tablet.

How to install Android L on NEXUS 5 and NEXUS 7

7:00 AM ADB, Android debug bridge, Android L, Android L image, Fast boot, Installation, NEXUS, XDA forum