Xiaomi-backed Poco recently spun off into an independent company. At the time, it was unclear how Poco would operate without Xiaomi and the kind of devices it’ll launch as a standalone entity.

Now, in a series of interviews with Gadgets 360 and Hindustan Times (HT) , Poco India’s General Manager, C Manmohan has revealed what’s in store for the company and its consumers.

When is the next Poco phone coming?

Manmohan has confirmed that Poco’s next smartphone will launch as early as this quarter. That means we can expect a successor to the Poco F1 by March this year. The company has already started teasing a Season 2 for Poco, hinting at the imminent launch of the new device.

Related: The next Poco device could be a rebranded Redmi K30

As per Manmohan, the brand will stick to its core philosophy of offering a value-for-money proposition. He reportedly said that the next Poco phone will feature a “top-end SoC” and a “large amount of RAM”.

What about the phone’s software?

The upcoming Poco phone and its successors will continue to use MIUI for Poco. “Some of my Poco fans say that it is much more stock Android-ish,” Manmohan told Gadgets 360.

“So essentially, we are kind of, leveraging that and with our Poco fans feedback and the community feedback, we’ll work towards making it much more better and better,” he added.

Will Poco share resources with Xiaomi?

The Poco India GM confirmed that the company will use some of Xiaomi’s resources for the time being.

Speaking to HT he said that the Poco would leverage Xiaomi’s supply chain and after sales resources. It will pay for Xiaomi’s services and have its own sales, marketing, and product teams.

He also admitted that Poco will compete with Mi and Redmi in the market. However, the company is yet to decide the price segment in which it’ll operate.

What about launching Poco phones globally?

Poco’s comeback plans are currently limited to India. Gadgets 360 reports, “It doesn’t have any relation with the global operations of the brand Poco that is named Pocophone.”

According to Manmohan, Poco’s global launch plans are still undecided. He said, “It might take some more time for us to kind of validate that.”

What are your thoughts on Poco’s comeback strategy? Do you think it can recreate the success of the Poco F1? Do you have a wish list for the next Poco smartphone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Android Authority

This quiz will test out just how familiar you really are with some of the best Android phones out there. All you have to do is figure out whether a phone in question has a feature like an in-display fingerprint scanner, a headphone jack, a pop up selfie camera, or any other that’s mentioned.

Are you up for the challenge? Press the Start button below and show us what you got — and don’t forget to share your score on social media at the end.

Note: If you don’t see a Start button, click here.

This is the 71st quiz in our regular weekly series. You can take a few of the most popular ones via the links below or check out all of them by clicking here.

Let us know which questions you thought were the hardest and share your result with others in the comments!

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Android Authority

Google’s most successful Pixel to date is getting a sequel in 2020, and today we’re getting a first look.

Leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (known online as OnLeaks) and 91Mobiles just published renders showing the Google Pixel 4a, expected sometime in the next few months.

As with other leaks from Hemmerstoffer, these images are renders built from CAD schematics of the device. Hemmerstoffer has an impressive track record, having published dozens of accurate leaks of high-profile devices over the past few years. That said, there’s always a chance that some details of the renders turn out to be inaccurate, so take them with the usual grain of salt.

So what’s interesting about these first Google Pixel 4a renders?

For one, the Pixel 4a will feature a punch-hole selfie camera in the upper left corner of the screen. That’s a first for Pixel devices – the Pixel 4 and 4 XL feature large top bezels, while the previous generation came with a sizeable notch.

Next, it appears that the Pixel 4a does not feature the Pixel 4’s Soli radar sensors – the top notch seems much narrower than on the Pixel 4, leaving no room for the necessary sensors.

The Pixel 4a features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, further suggesting that the phone will lack a 3D facial scanner. The loss of Soli should come as no surprise considering the gesture control system is disabled in some countries, including India, due to spectrum utilization restrictions.

Another interesting feature is the headphone jack on the top – like the Pixel 3a before it, the Pixel 4a will retain this increasingly rare functionality.

The Pixel 4a’s design is very similar to the Pixel 4, down to the shape of the camera module. However, the camera houses only one lens, which is pretty surprising, even for a device from Google. You can get amazing pictures with just one camera – the Pixel 3a is living proof – but dual- and triple-camera setups are so common that you’d be hard pressed to find a device with a single camera. Google continues to march to its own drum, for better or worse.

According to 91Mobiles’ report, the Pixel 4a’s screen will be 5.7-inch or 5.8-inch across. Thanks to the smaller bezels, the phone is said to be actually more compact than the Pixel 3a, at 144.2 x 69.5 x 8.2mm.

Also read: 5 additions and tweaks we’d like to see from Google Pixel 4a

These are all the details included in the report, but we can make some educated guesses about the Pixel 4a (and 4a XL). Judging from the specifications of the Pixel 3a, the 4a will be a solid, if not impressive performer. The camera will be similar to the Pixel 4’s, offering the same software features including Astrophotography. Hopefully, the battery will be beefier than the 3,000mAh unit found on this year’s model. As for the price, we don’t foresee any major changes – the Pixel 3a and 3a XL cost $ 399 and $ 479 respectively, and their successors are likely to be offered around the same price. Google could release the Pixel 4a a bit earlier than last year, though we can’t rule out another Google I/O launch. In the latter case, the Pixel 4a could be launched in mid-May 2020.

Likely Google Pixel 4a specs and features

• Leaked so far:
  • 5.7-inch or 5.8-inch display
  • punch-hole selfie camera
  • 144.2 x 69.5 x 8.2mm (9mm including camera bump)
  • headphone jack
  • USB Type-C
  • fingerprint scanner (rear mounted)
  • single camera
•  Our guesses
  • Plastic body
  • 1080 x 2160 resolution, OLED, Asahi Dragontrail glass
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 765
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 64GB of storage
  • 12.2MP main camera, 8MP selfie camera
  • 3,000-3,200mAh

What do you think of these renders?

Android Authority

Google Play Music has been the official Google music streaming service for years, and it’s just hit a landmark figure on the Play Store.

The music app has reached five billion downloads on the Play Store, according to Android Police. This reportedly makes it the sixth app to cross this mark, following Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Search, and YouTube.

It’s worth noting that all these apps are pre-installed on Android devices, boosting the listed download figures in the process.

Unfortunately, this could be the apex of Google Play Music’s growth, as Google will pre-install YouTube Music instead of Play Music on future Android phones. Google confirmed the news on the YouTube blog last month, saying all new devices launching with Android 10 and Android Pie will offer the app out of the box.

Hopefully Google keeps Play Music around until YouTube Music achieves feature parity at the very least. Right now, the new app lacks Play Music’s cloud locker functionality, the ability to halt autoplay, and sleep timer functionality, to name a few features.

What would it take for you to use YouTube Music? Let us know in the comments!

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Raspberry Pi is like the Swiss Army knife of DIY tech projects. The possibilities are endless, including building a drone and retro gaming station. To make your own, all you need is motivation and proper training.

The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle can be your guide, and the best part is it’s 96% off today. This eight-part bundle is a treasure trove of tips and tutorials you can use to draw out the full potential of your multifaceted gizmo.

No knowledge is assumed. For beginners, you can start at the beginning with Introduction to Raspberry Pi course. The simple projects in this learning kit gently familiarize you with how your IoT device can be used as a computer.

As you get more confident, things get more fun. Among the eight learning kits, you’ll find guidance on using your Raspberry Pi to build robots, automate your home, and even mine Bitcoin. That’s just the tip of the iceberg too.

The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle:

• Automation with Raspberry Pi Zero — $ 95 value
• Introduction to Raspberry Pi — $ 95 value
• Hardware Projects Using RP — $ 95 value
• Bitcoin Mining Using RP — $ 200 value
• RP Robotics — $ 95 value
• Internet of Things Automation Using RP 2 — $ 95 value
• Home Automation in 48 Hours Without Coding — $ 95 value
• Build Your Own ArmBot Step By Step Using RP Zero — $ 95 value

The prices above might be the retail values, but it’s not what you’ll pay today. Right now the bundle is on offer for only $ 34 at Tech Deals.

The deal expires soon, so don’t miss it. Hit the button below to check it out.

This deal not quite right for you? To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB.

Android Authority

Shutterstock

If you buy one of the newer Galaxy devices on T-Mobile, the self-proclaimed Un-carrier is giving you a second one for free – this Saturday only.

If you’ve been thinking of buying a new Galaxy phone with T-Mobile, you may want to go ahead and do that this Saturday, August 6^th. America’s fastest network will be offering a free Galaxy phone for those who purchase a qualifying Samsung Galaxy this Saturday only.

Dubbed the Saturday-Only Samsung Superphone Superdeal (gotta love some alliteration!), T-Mobile’s BOGOF deal covers the most beloved Galaxies from the recent years: Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, and Galaxy Note5.

As you may have noticed, the newest addition to the Galaxy family, the Galaxy Note7, is not on the list, so pre-ordering the iris-scanning phablet won’t get you a free smartphone sadly. However, the deal does include last year’s Note5 as well as Note7’s S-Pen-less siblings: the Galaxy S7 family.

Want all the fine prints? Well, here they are:

If you buy a qualifying Samsung Galaxy phone on T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Plan (EIP), and you add a line of service, you get a second Galaxy phone of equal or lesser value for free. According to T-Mobile, customers will be credited on their monthly bill over the 24-month EIP term for the full amount of the second device after paying any down payment, which will also be credited.

The deal is available at T-Mobile stores in the US and online for US customers.

With the Galaxy Note7 launching on America’s third largest network soon, T-Mobile probably wants to boost sales of all the older Galaxy models. Considering all of the qualifying devices still boast top-notch specs and considering T-Mobile’s recent victory, the Super-deal is indeed quite… super.

What are your thoughts on T-Mobile’s latest deal? Let us know if you plan on buying a qualifying Galaxy device on T-Mobile this Saturday!

Android Authority

VarageSale

[Price: Free]
This week’s Android Apps Weekly show is brought to you by VarageSale. VarageSale is a Craigslist kind of application where people can post things they want to sell and you buy them. Unlike Craigslist, you’ll be required to create an account before you can interact with the site which is a mechanic we liked a lot. From there, you simply search around, find the stuff you want, and then buy it.
During our testing, we found all kinds of stuff from cloths to electronics and even an engagement ring. You can browse various categories in areas near you and you can even leave seller feedback which helps show which sellers are the most reliable. It has a lot going for it and it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re getting ready to sell stuff or just want to look around. It’s totally free so check it out and show your support for the Android Apps Weekly show!

Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s take a look at the biggest headlines from the last week:

• We managed to get a hold of the official Reddit beta application last week and wanted to show you what it was going to look like. It seems to have a modern design full of Material Design along with a few other fun features. We don’t know when it’ll be released but it seemed to work pretty well to us.
• SoundCloud announced a new stations feature that will give users a chance to listen to music similar to how they do on Pandora. This comes not long after announcing signing deals with a couple of major labels and announcing that they’ll be turning into a legitimate streaming service to battle the likes of Spotify.
• Nintendo has announced that people can start signing up for the closed beta of Miitomo, their first Android game, starting on February 17th. We know a lot about the game already and how it will emulate social media to an extent. However, we won’t know everything until we get our hands on it and that may be sooner than later.
• Even though most of Apple’s apps have received a slew of terrible ratings in the Play Store, they seem to be doing pretty good. How good? Well, Tim Cook announced this week that even more Apple apps will likely be making their way to Android. We don’t know which ones yet, but our guess is likely iCloud and other productivity apps.
• Perhaps the biggest app news from the last week was Microsoft purchasing SwiftKey for $ 250 million. There hasn’t been a lot of information from either company but the popular guess is that Microsoft is after SwiftKey’s legendary predictive algorithms and AI. For now, nothing is changing, but after seeing what happened to Sunrise Calendar and Accompli, we wouldn’t blame you if you were a bit worried.

For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! We had a metric ton of news there that we didn’t have time for here. If you want to sign up, use the form below and we’ll send you the Android Apps Weekly newsletter every Sunday!

Sundance VR

[Price: Free]
Sundance VR is a newer application released with the idea of showing you full VR content including short films, music videos, and other types of VR stuff. It’s a newer app and there aren’t a lot of selections yet so you may not find the app overly enjoyable right now. However, if you own Google Cardboard or you’re interested in VR, I would keep this app in your crosshairs because it should get a decent selection of unique VR content eventually.

LEGO Ninjago: Skybound

[Price: Free]
The latest LEGO game has hit the Google Play Store and like many were before it, this one is entirely free with no in-app purchases. This one continues the Ninjago series where the prior game left off and includes a lot of the same graphics and mechanics as prior Ninjago games. There is a stealth element where you can hide in the shadows instead of engaging in fights and the controls are very simple. It’s a great title for kids or adults and is especially great if you’re low on money.

Marvel Avengers Academy

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Marvel Avengers Academy is the latest adventure/simulation game out of TinyCo. They are the same developers who did Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. The game lets you play as your favorite Avengers as teenagers who are just beginning to find their abilities. You’ll battle bad guys, level up your characters, and even do teenager stuff like go on dates. It’s a mixture of adventure and simulation so there will be some management here and there and then some action here and there. It’s free to download but does have in-app purchases.

Promo Codes

[Price: Free]
Promo Codes is a new application that is meant to take advantage of the new promo codes feature in Google Play. It’s very simple. Developers sign up for the service and once per day, people using the app can check and see if they get a free promo code. If they do, they get a paid app for free. If not, well, better luck tomorrow. It’s a fun and unique way for developers to utilize their promo codes and even if the users lose out, they get to see a fun new app every day. This should be on every smartphone. Get it.

Adventures of Mana

[Price: $ 13.99]
Adventures of Mana is a classic RPG that was originally released on Game Boy in the early 1990’s. Don’t worry, though, because Square Enix has updated the graphics and soundtrack to make it look way better than it did back then. The story line and content remains intact and you’ll play once again as the hero trying to keep the Dark Lord Glaive from reaching the sacred Mana Tree and destroying all life. It has simple, touch-based controls. There is also a steep price tag but at least there are no in-app purchases.

Related best app lists:

• Check more of the best Android RPGs!
• Here are more awesome free Android games!

If we missed any big Android apps or games news, tell us about them in the comments!

Android Authority

It looks like one of the most iconic bands of all time is getting its own mobile game. And no, not NSYNC.

Roadhouse Interactive, the folks who brought us Warhammer 40,000: Carnage on mobile, have teamed up to 50cc Games to bring an Iron Maiden game to Android and iOS. The game will be called Legacy of the Beast, and is slated to launch this summer as a free-to-play role-playing game set in the “expansive Iron Maiden universe.”

You’ll play as none other than Eddie, the Iron Maiden mascot. You can explore worlds and travel through time, all while battling a cast of characters drawn from various Iron Maiden albums. Of course, the soundtrack will be comprised of different Iron Maiden songs from the band’s entire discography, including a few unheard live recordings of some Iron Maiden classics adapted for the game by engineer Tony Newton.

According to the game’s official website, here’s what we can expect from Legacy of the Beast:

Battle as Eddie in his many guises across worlds inspired by the rich lore and music of Iron Maiden – one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time. A mysterious force has shattered Eddie’s soul and scattered the shards. Travel through time and space collecting the pieces as you encounter a cast of dramatic and engaging characters. A powerful soundtrack enhances gameplay, using songs spanning Iron Maiden’s entire career, including previously unheard live recordings adapted for the game by engineer Tony Newton under the close scrutiny of Steve Harris.

The game is set to launch sometime in the summer of 2016, but other than that we have no details on the launch date. Are you excited for this new RPG? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

• Learn more about Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast

Next: 32 Best RPGs for Android106

Android Authority

As of the latest update, “Ask” means type.

There is a war of words going on right now, but it’s not political or even personal. It’s digitial. While Google had voice assisted functionality from very early on, Apple’s introduction of Siri into the mobile market arguably pushed voice in a more pronounced way, at least to the general public. While Google’s own assistant doesn’t have a name per se, it is nonetheless an integral part of the Google Now experience and features quick response times and a less “synthesized” voice. Microsoft, too, has its own assistant named Cortana, taken from its cash-cow Halo videogame series.

Recently Cortana was released to the Google Play store and with it Microsoft’s move to migrate millions. Or at least attempt to. This past weekend however, it updated the app and removed what some might consider to be a key feature: “Hey Cortana” hotword support. While the feature was essentially limited to a shout out on either a device’s home screen or within the actual Cortana app itself, support for it has been removed entirely for those in the USA.

What gives (and was taken)?

While Microsoft has yet to state what prompted the sudden about face, those looking for answers on the removal decision may be able to get an idea from posts on reddit in response to the news. User shamrock013 writes:

Good. Using “Hey Cortana” broke the microphone across the whole OS. It barely worked during phone calls. It broke the “OK Google” hotkey. To top it off, the feature barely worked to begin with, so it was half-baked from the start.

Get your crap together, Microsoft.

Another user, bfodder, added:

Oh shit, I couldn’t even use the microphone by tapping on it on the Google Now widget at the top of the home screen. Now it works. And now I know why.

Finally, anthonyvardiz posted:

That explains why I couldn’t “Okay, Google” on my Nexus 6P. Just tried it and it works again!

Based on these responses, it would seem that hotword detection created interference with the normal functioning of a user’s microphone. It is currently unknown as to just how prevalent this issue was, or what devices may have been affected – though clearly the Nexus 6P was one of them. It is also unknown as to the status of “Hey Cortana” on Cyanogenmod builds, which have OS-wide integrated hotword detection.

The question now is if or when Microsoft plans to restore the feature to its fledgling Android app. Part of the draw of virtual assistants is the ability to make use of them effortlessly. By requiring manual triggering of Cortana, the app has arguably lost some of the appeal it might have had, or at least some feature parity with Google Now.

Does it even matter?

Perhaps the larger issue is if hotword removal matters at all. While some love and live by it, others feel enabling the feature drains battery life due to the “always listening” approach. It is similar to criticism raised about LG’s now-heavily cloned “Tap to Wake” display functionality wherein the digitizer must always remain on so as to detect tap input. As for how much effect on battery life this actually has, that’s a different story.

Reviews that have already been posted on the Play Store indicate that yes, this is a big problem. Pedro Ramos wrote:

Hey Cortana?? C’mon Microsoft…stop screwing with us…I really love Cortana. Unless ur doing it so that pc’s Cortana doesn’t get confused then I forgive you.

Chad White’s review goes even further however:

Uninstall Without Hey Cortana there’s no reason to use this app over Google Now why do I have to actually open the app when I could just: “Ok Google, uninstall Cortana” First Microsoft screws up with Windows, then they kept messing up the Skype app for a while, let’s see if they actually listen the the people for once the make at least one good product this year.

The other issue at large is how many Android users want Cortana in the first place. As of right now, the Play Store data lists Cortana installs between 100,000-500,000. While there are other ways to get it (such as an APK file), suffice to say the app has apparently yet to hit a multi-million milestone, or even the one million mark.

Those who want a more seamless Windows 10 experience will no doubt be interested in using Cortana, but it remains to be seen how many Android users will be interested in having a second voice assistant running on their phone, especially since many are probably unsure of how to disable Google Now’s listening in the first place.

Wrap Up

There are a variety of ways to take in this news. Some might be angered and perhaps uninstall the app. Some might be pleased Microsoft has suffered an apparent setback of sorts. Some might not care at all. Whatever you are thinking, however, we want to hear it.

Has Cortana become less relevant without the hotword detection or are you still inclined to use it? Did you even know Cortana was available for Android to begin with prior to reading this story? Leave your comments below and share your thoughts for all to see!

Android Authority

When we think of “war games”, we usually imagine a gun-toting soldier marching into battle, blasting through enemy forces, all for the glory of the nation. There are certainly a number of games that let you experience that scenario, including Battlefield, Call of Duty, and games like Modern Combat in the mobile arena. For those that are looking for something different however, This War of Mine delivers.

Set in a dark and gritty warzone that is modeled at least in part after the invasion of Sarajevo in the 90s, the game gives you a number of different civilians to control. You find yourself in a rundown shell of a building and must make improvements, board up the walls, and begin stockpiling for the long days ahead. During the day, you spend your time crafting or sleeping while the city is alive with the sounds of war. At night, the fighting slows down enough that you can send one of your party members out to scavenge, trade, or even steal from neighboring locations.

The game actually hit Android back in July, but at the time was only available for tablets or Android TV devices. Now the experience is making its way over to phones as well, alongside a discounted sale price of $ 6.99, down from the original $ 14.99. While $ 7 is still a lot for a mobile game, there’s absolutely no in-app purchases, and let me assure you it is worth every penny. I know this because I just happened to buy the game ahead of the sale, about 5 days ago, for $ 15. While I would have loved to have paid half price, I’m not even mad.

This game is exceptional and I’ve personally sunk over 10 hours into it. What’s great about this title is that once you’ve finished the war, you can always start a second attempt and will likely have different starting characters and different locations to explore, which gives this a lot of replay value for a mobile game. If you haven’t checked it out for yourself, we highly recommend it. That said, be prepared, this game is pretty hard and it is very possible to kill off your entire party long before the war ends, if you’re not careful. And unlike many games, your actions aren’t reversible, you simply have to start over from the beginning.