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• Google wants to reinvent instant messaging (again)
  

  We have been hearing about the CS for some time now, the advanced form of SMS. Google is working on a new project, called Chat, and expects to see it on the market before the end of the year for all users to enjoy. Here’s everything we know about Googl…

• Verizon promises Oreo update for Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge but does not deliver
  

  

  Verizon has begun rolling out a new update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The release notes on the carrier’s website say that the update includes Android 8.0 Oreo, but users who have already installed the release were disappointed to find it didn’t quite deliver everything that was promised.

  “This software update brings the latest Android Oreo OS, tools for you to improve your productivity such as App pair, Dual Messenger, and high contrast keyboard as well as UI improvements to your phone dialer,” reads Verizon’s update log.

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  Verizon promises Oreo update for Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge but does not deliver was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Red Magic from Nubia is an extreme gaming phone with convection cooling and a lightbar
  

  

  ZTE sub-brand Nubia is practically unknown in the West, so it will be surprising to many to see this impressive looking gaming phone launched by the Chinese firm. The Red Magic has been designed from the ground up with advanced gamers in mind. It has an ergonomic anodized aluminum chassis, an air convection cooling system, and that all-important LED light strip on the back.

  Android gaming phones have had limited success up to now, with last year’s Razor Phone being the most high-profile recent example.

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  Red Magic from Nubia is an extreme gaming phone with convection cooling and a lightbar was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• ZTE speaks out against ‘unacceptable’ US ban
  

  Things haven’t been going so well for ZTE lately. A 7-year ban on US companies selling hardware and software to the Chinese phone and telecommunications brand was applied earlier this week, dealing a serious blow to the company. Now ZTE has spoken out …

• What does a potential T-Mobile / Sprint merger mean for wireless users?
  

  Why do these two companies want to hook-up so badly, and what would it mean for us?

  Sprint and T-Mobile are back at it again. The two companies are said to be working on a way to find the common ground that lets them merge after two failed sets of talks. The most recent failure came after Softbank, Sprint’s parent company, had concerns about relinquishing control. While many say that the downsides of any merging of the two companies are less consumer choice — we need only to look to Canada to see the effect on prices of three large telecom companies controlling the wireless market — not much has been said about the benefits, not only to Sprint and T-Mobile but to the consumer. No matter where you stand on the benefits and drawbacks of the two companies getting together, it’s interesting to look at any changes that could happen.

  Why this is good for both companies

  On the corporate level, both Sprint and T-Mobile see huge benefit from any merger but for very different re…

• The LG V40 will create a storm late summer
  

  The LGV40 ThinQ, aka “Storm” will apparently land late summer this year. We know very few details regarding this device, but we’ll keep you updated about its features, price and release date in this article. Will it be able to live up to its name?(This…

• Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco go up for pre-order in India
  

  HMD’s latest phones are now available for pre-order in India, with sales kicking off from April 30.

  The Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco were announced for the Indian market earlier this month, and both phones are now up for pre-order. Both devices will be available at retail stores, and you’ll be able to pick up the Nokia 7 Plus from Amazon India for ₹25,999 ($400) and the Nokia 8 Sirocco from Flipkart for ₹49,999 ($765).

  The Nokia 7 Plus is one of the best devices in this segment today, and is the first from HMD to offer a 6.0-inch 18:9 display. The phone is also the first in the country to sport the Snapdragon 660, the first chipset in Qualcomm’s 6xx series to feature semi-custom cores. There’s also 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a hybrid SIM card slot, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi ac, an FM radio tuner, and a massive 3800mAh battery.

  The dual camera at the back is one of the main highlights on the Nokia 7 Plus, with the phone setting a new standard for this segment. The de…

• Nokia 7 Plus review: Come for the value, stay for the excitement
  

  Striking design. Great cameras. Android One. This is the Nokia 7 Plus.

  Nokia’s comeback tale has been a success so far, with HMD Global’s move to focus on the budget segment paying off handsomely for the brand. The Finnish manufacturer launched a total of six Android phones last year, primarily targeted at markets like China and India, countries where the Nokia name still has a lot of brand cachet.

  Four out of the six devices HMD launched last year were budget phones, with the Nokia 8 and Nokia 7 being the exceptions. Of the two, the Nokia 8 was the only device that was available in global markets, but HMD is making amends this year with the Nokia 7 Plus.

  The phone is the first from HMD to feature an 18:9 form factor, and currently it is the only device in the Finnish manufacturer’s portfolio to do so. HMD made a few missteps last year — the Nokia 6 had lackluster specs, and the Nokia 8 didn’t see much momentum in the high-end segment. But this time around, HMD nailed th…

• ‘Chat’ will be Google’s new name for RCS, Allo development paused in favor of Android Messages
  

  

  It’s a meme at this point: Every two years, Google announces yet another new messaging platform that will finally give Android its iMessage competitor. Those of you hoping Allo might break this cycle will be disappointed today, as The Verge has revealed that Google is pausing development for Allo and switching focus to the existing Android Messages app, paired with an investment in branding RCS messaging into something called “Chat.”

  For the full details, you can read The Verge’s quite long and detailed coverage, but the short version is that Allo didn’t quite get the reception Google hoped for (surprise 😑).

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  ‘Chat’ will be Google’s new name for RCS, Allo development paused in favor of Android Messages was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Google to evolve Android Messages into ‘Chat’ using RCS, will pause Allo development
  

  This may finally be the one Google chat service that works.

  Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Google has a plan to launch a unified messaging system. Right, it’s done this what feels like a dozen times before — but the reality is it’s been like half a dozen, and that’s still bad. Google Talk, Google Voice, Google+ Huddles, Hangouts, Allo … yeah, not a set of successes right there. The latest attempt, according to a great report from The Verge is a new system simply called “Chat” that will be built into the default Android Messages app by the end of the year. And thankfully, this isn’t following the same playbook as previous attempts.

  The short version is that Allo, launched just two years ago, is having its development halted indefinitely — and the entire team that’s been evolving that standalone chat app will be moving to work on Android Messages. Yes that’s Google’s default SMS app, and . We’ve already seen trickles of this move, with little additions like Allo’s S…

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