+101 - Vote for the best Android Applications

• Owners of certain Sony phones could get 50% refund from water damage class action settlement
  

  

  Sony was one of the first OEMs to focus on designing water-resistant phones, but they weren’t always resistant enough. Consumers were brushed off by Sony when their water-resistant phones and tablets showed evidence of water damage. Now, there’s a class action lawsuit wrapping up that could result in affected Sony owners getting a 50% refund on their devices.

  The case covers 24 different phones, all of which were advertised by the company as having IP ratings; Sony does like to splash water on phones in promo images.

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  Owners of certain Sony phones could get 50% refund from water damage class action settlement was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Google introduces Chrome Enterprise subscription for businesses
  

  Chromebooks have become increasingly popular in education, thanks to their ease of use for both students and IT staff. Google is looking to expand Chromebook usage in another market – businesses. Today, the company announced Chrome Enterprise, a subsc…

• Verizon splits unlimited plan into three tiers, throttles video on all of them
  

  

  Verizon ruffled some feathers last month when it was caught throttling Netflix on its LTE network. At the time the carrier said it was merely testing video optimization technology, and now we know why. Verizon has done away with its standard unlimited data plan, replacing it with three tiers of unlimited data. All of them include video throttling—in fact, you can’t get 1080p video on phones on any of them.

  The new unlimited plans are Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited and Business Unlimited.

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  Verizon splits unlimited plan into three tiers, throttles video on all of them was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Chrome on Android adding support for third-party search engine logos
  

  Earlier this year, an anti-trust lawsuit in Russia led Google to make some changes with Chrome on Android. The settlement required Google to develop a search widget that uses any search engine, which shipped as part of Chrome 60. Chrome also now asks …

• Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is coming to Android later this year
  

  

  We already have some Final Fantasy games on Android, but the only good ones are ports of old games. That FFXV: A New Empire spin-off barely counts as a Final Fantasy title. Square Enix just announced a new mobile game that might actually be worth your time. Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition will bring content from the full FFXV to mobile devices, and you’ll be able to try it for free.

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  Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is coming to Android later this year was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• iOttie iTap Wireless charging car mount review: As good as it gets
  

  Wirelessly charge your Qi-enabled phone with ease.

  If you’ve ever used a wireless charging stand before, you know that the two biggest issues are lining up your phone on the charging coils and keeping it there. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking your phone has been wirelessly charging only to discover it got knocked slightly off its orientation.

  It’s a great accessory for any device that supports Qi charging — including the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

  iOttie has a great solution that uses the power of magnets to keep your phone in place and includes two different mounting options so you can use it in your car or at your desk at work. The iOttie iTap Wireless car mount, which runs about $70, features Qi Fast Charging capabilities, too, meaning you’ll be able to conveniently charge your phone faster than a traditional third-party wireless charger simply by installing a thin metal plate to the back of your phone or to a thin case. It’s a fantastic option for anyo…

• Rogers increases price of Roam Like Home travel service
  

  Rogers is getting in on the price increase trend.

  Canadian carrier Rogers is increasing its Roam Like Home roaming data service by $1 to $6 per day while in the United States, its most popular destination. Prices to other countries will remain at $10 per day.

  The service debuted in late 2014 under old CEO Guy Laurence, and proved to be one of the most endearing parts of his legacy at the company, which ended this summer after a dispute with the company’s board of directors. The idea behind Roam Like Home is simple: use your domestic phone, text and data allowance abroad for a set fee, a payment schedule that has been adopted in the U.S. with companies like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

  Rogers told MobileSyrup, which broke the story, that “Since [it] introduced the service, customers are using it more and more and [it] believes this service continues to offer great value with the ease, convenience, and predictability customers expect.” Competitors TELUS and Bell both charge $7 fo…

• WhatsApp Web shows new Status, supports Slack-like emoji insertion
  

  

  We don’t often cover WhatsApp Web here since it’s not exactly Android, but it’s related enough to the Android app that we do make an exception every now and then when there’s something worth talking about. Today is one of those examples, but it’s worth pointing out that some of these changes aren’t new and have been there for a while — maybe even for a month or two. But again, we had to wait until there was enough news to warrant a post.

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  WhatsApp Web shows new Status, supports Slack-like emoji insertion was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Amazon Fire TV Stick vs. Fire TV 4K: Which should you buy?
  

  Two streaming solutions, both alike in dignity, from fair Amazon, where we make our choice. … Which should you buy? We’ve got your answer.

  When it comes to plugging into your television, Amazon has two options that’ll tempt you to open your wallet. There’s the Fire TV, and the Fire TV Stick.

  Neither one should bust your budget. In fact, the more expensive of the two is less than $100. And both do generally the same thing — they give you access to Amazon’s Appstore (and Amazon Music, let you watch all sorts of streaming video, and play all kinds of games. (Because, again, apps.)

  But you still need to make a choice. Do you go for the $89 Fire TV? Or the $39 Fire TV Stick? Seems like a no-brainer, right?

  Let’s take a look at the differences.

  Fire TV Stick vs. Fire TV — the specs

  Category
  Fire TV Stick
  Fire TV

  Price
  $39
  $89
  Form factor
  HDMI Stick
  Small set-top box
  Release date
  September 2016
  December 2015
  Supported resolution
  Up to 1080p
  …

• Verizon muddles its unlimited plan, will begin throttling all video
  

  Video throttling is back for all Verizon subscribers, and it seems here to stay.

  Back in February, Verizon rolled out a decent new unlimited plan, saying that mobile videos would be presented at the quality the services offered them at. Today, alongside the announcement of new unlimited plans, it has gone back on that, saying that video will indeed be throttled to 720p for most customers, and in some cases to 480p, starting August 23. Some users started noticing the throttling last month when streaming Netflix or YouTube, and now it’s confirmed that the big red carrier will indeed be cutting back video quality for everyone, regardless of plan or how much data they’ve used.

  The throttling news was bundled into an announcement of Verizon’s new plans and rates, dividing the formerly-simple (for a carrier) unlimited plan into three. New subscribers can buy a $75 single-line plan called Go Unlimited, $5 cheaper than before, with video throttled to 480p on phones and hotspot speeds lim…

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