This week we saw the LG G5 and HTC 10 going on-sale at retail and with major carriers, as well as the launch announcement for Huawei P9, which sees not one, not two, but fully three variants heading our way.
If you’re looking to buy a new smartphone, let us help you navigate your way around the big names in mobile for 2016, with our 2016 Flagship comparison post which runs you through what’s out there, whats to come and links to our reviews so far.
Reviews
HTC 10
Just in time for the launch of HTC’s 2016 flagship, we’ve dropped our extensive HTC 10 review. The phone has all the hallmarks of a top-tier mobile: great design, fast performance, streamlined and enjoyable software and a camera that shows HTC has put in a lot of effort. Is it enough to turn around HTC’s recent financial issues? Check out our review and find out.
Parrot Bebop 2 Drone
Been looking for a Drone? The Parrot Bebop 2 is here and Phil took it for a spin almost literally. You can check out both words and video in his full run down on the drone right here – it’s not too late to get one for mum this Mothers’ Day ;).
May Security Updates
Google released the May Security bulletin, and as well as naming the vulnerabilities they patched, they also updated the Nexus Factory Images and are pushing out Over The Air updates for supported Nexus devices. Keep an eye out for when your Nexus is updated.
Google Slides get Q&A
If you use Google Slides, a new Q&A feature will let you see questions from the audience on your presentation device. The questions can be up-voted by the audience in real-time so you can actually answer the most important questions first. It’s available now, so keep an eye on that one if presentations are a big part of your life.
Google is feeling all Olympic in Rio
Google has launched maps of the majority of Olympic venues in Rio this week, ahead of the August Olympics. They’ve mapped both indoor and outdoor venues, as well as switching on Navigation in Google Maps, so if you’re heading to the Brazilian city, you’re sure to find your way around quite well.
Google I/O App
If you’re heading to Google I/O, make sure you’ve installed the Google I/O app on your phone or tablet. Even if you aren’t going but want to watch everything remotely you should install it as well. The app contains all the session information for Google I/O, including a schedule to remind you when everything is on. For those attending, you can even get pre-configured Wi-Fi data and a map of all 10 stages where sessions will be held.
Launches
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium heads to Optus
Over 6-months after it was announced, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium gets a carrier launch in Australia with Optus nabbing an exclusive carrier deal on Sony’s 4K handset. You can still purchase the phone at retail, but the carrier exclusive is all sewn up with Optus. If you want to read the full Ausdroid review on the Xperia Z5, you can check it out here.
Huawei P9
Huawei is aiming to become consumer’s new choice this year with its P9 range. Announced last month in London, Huawei’s P9 is heading for Australia in the next six to eight weeks, but it isn’t coming alone, with the Huawei P9 Plus and Huawei P9 Lite also apparently coming along for the ride. The specs are in, but pricing isn’t just yet.
Chris is impressed with what he’s seen of the Huawei P9 so far, though the jury is still out on whether EMUI is good or not so good. Fortunately, if it’s not to your taste, much of it is easily masked; Android phones can always be made to meet your preferences! You can read Chris’ initial thoughts on the Huawei P9 ahead of the launch.
Carriers
ACMA announces improved location information for 000 calls
The ACMA (our communications regulator) has been working with carriers, and has announced that your mobile provider will deliver improved location information when you call 000 from your mobile. This new feature should see callers to emergency services able to get help faster, with more accurate location information provided automatically.
Vodafone mixes it up in the Pre-Paid space
Vodafone announced a new way of selecting your pre-paid service. You can mix up your pre-paid plans with a new tool called ‘MyMix’, allowing you to select how much data, the expiry date and how many local or international calls. You can read all about it here.
Optus wants all your money for watching the English Premier League
When Optus snagged the broadcast rights in Australia to the English Premier League, football fans were left in lurch, losing access to what had been a fairly well priced and widely available viewing option on Foxtel. Optus has announced that EPL will be available to watch for $15 a month, unless you’re paying more than $85 per month for your phone or mobile broadband plan on Optus.
It’s not too expensive, but if you’re already paying $25 a month for Foxtel’s Sports pack, another $15 to watch something you could previously watch included in the price, on a different platform, is a bitter pill to swallow. It’s worse if you don’t have any Optus services, as you’ll need one of those, too.
Expect Optus to announce some interesting deals in the near future. Or hope.
Optus has 4 new Pre-Paid phones available
If you’re in the market for a new phone, Optus has added 4 new pre-paid phones to their range. They’re not all new phones, but they are new to the pre-paid market for Optus. The phones include the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini, Alcatel Pixi 3.5 and the ZTE Zip. You can read up on all the specs, check out the pictures and get the pricing in Alex’s round up right here.
Apps
eBay finally gets a good design
The last app update from eBay was a pile of hot garbage – at least in Morbo’s opinion – so it’s with great relief that eBay finally rolled out a Material Design update for their app and it’s finally good. The app has a nav drawer and all the other touches we like to see, but it’s actually easy to navigate, so you can finally buy everyone else’s stuff easily.
Deals
Karateka and Golf Shot Plus
20c each for a game and an app? Count us in. These two titles – Karateka Classic and Golf Shot Plus – probably appeal to two very different people, but well, at 20c each grab them both. You can check out what they’re like and get links to them right here.
We’ve got some good stuff coming up this week, with hopefully some more reviews. In just over a week, Daniel is flying out to attend Google I/O, so if you have burning questions he’ll be doing his very best to track down someone with an answer on Who? What? Why? Where? and When? for you.
