Replacement Note 7s are here, and Google is totally okay with their battery icon color.
How about some more Note 7 recall news? Samsung announced that 500,000 new safe phones have arrived in the U.S., ready to be exchanged. They'll have new software that makes the battery icon green, which Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer says is just fine considering the circumstances.
Now, Samsung news that doesn't have to do with exploding phones! Several carriers in the U.S. and Canada have started to push the September security patch (fixing the QuadRooter vulnerability) to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, while Samsung Pay now has cloud syncing capabilities when you switch to a new phone.
Google quietly updated the beta version of the Google app (which powers the Google Now Launcher), changing the redundant names of Google Now on Tap and Google Now to "Screen Search" and "Feed," respectively. The functionality remains unchanged ... for now. Here's the full breakdown of today's Android news!
Samsung has 500,000 new Note 7s available for exchange in the U.S.
They're hitting carriers and retailers across the country and are available for you to swap out your recalled Note 7 as early as tomorrow. The phones will also receive software updates with the green battery icon, indicating they're "safe" units. More
Samsung's new green icon is A-OK with Google
Android's design guidelines state that battery graphics and other status bar visuals need to be white, which might seem to put Samsung's new green battery icons on new, non-explosive Note 7s foul of the rules. However Android SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer responded to an Ars Technica article on the subject saying Samsung has been granted an exception "given extraordinary circumstances." The new Note 7 icon will use a white outline "to ensure compatibility."
Now on Tap = Screen Search; Google Now = Feed
Google has quietly renamed two of Android's core features in the latest beta version of the Google app. Now on Tap becomes Screen Search, while Google Now — a name that dates back to 2012, becomes simply "Feed." This is still a beta version of the app, so who knows if the change will be permanent. But one has to wonder what lies ahead for the Google Now Launcher if the "Now" brand is going away for good. For what it's worth, "Feed" and "Screen Search" work just like they did before.
Could the HTC 11 feature 'Sense Touch' touch-sensitive edges?
A concept video for an "HTC Ocean" smartphone (likely a codename) produced by an HTC motion designer showcases "Sense Touch", a new feature that lets you tap or swipe on the outer edges of the chassis do to perform certain functions. For example, raising the volume in the music app, launching voice interactions and changing exposure levels in the camera app. It's unknown whether this internal HTC concept will actually move forward, nor what'll come of the dual-camera-toting phone it's shown on. More
Galaxy Note 7 expected to sell less than non-exploding predecessor
Uhh ... no kidding.
Galaxy S7 and S7 edge realize it's September a little too late
The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are receiving the September security updates on Verizon and Canadian carriers today, including Rogers, Telus, and Bell. The update patches a number of issues, including all of the potential QuadRooter problems. That exploit will always sound like someone I call to fix my toilet.
Samsung Pay makes friends with a cloud
Samsung Pay, which is available in eight countries, including the U.S., China, Brazil, and Australia, now saves and restores your gift and membership cards from the cloud — so a new phone won't feel so lonely. Speaking of lonely, the latest version also adds iris scanner support for the Note 7, which is having some well-documented problems right now.
BlackBerry's next phone may be its most noble yet
Oops. BlackBerry revealed information about its next Android phone on its own website today, confirming expectations that the DTEK name scheme wasn't just a flash in the pan. Damn. The DTEK60, known previously by its codename Argon, will reportedly be a reworked Alcatel Idol 4S, featuring a similar design to then DTEK50 with considerably improved specs, according to TheNextWeb.
Instagram now lets you walk away
It took six years, but Instagram now lets you save your drafts. It's a small thing, but will be widely appreciated by the over 500 million people who log into the hugely popular service every month.
