Nexus 2015 lineup revealed

Early Last week Google announced its two new flagship phones. The Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.

The Nexus 5X will come with a 5.2’’ LCD Display, 12.3MP rear camera and 5MP back camera. It will be running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor at 2GB of RAM and with internal storage at either 16GB or 32GB. The prices without contracts will go from $499CAD and $559CAD respectively.

Here are the full specs for the Nexus 5X:

Dimensions	147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm
Display	5.2’’ FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD at 423 ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Fingerprint Smudge-resistant oleophobic coating
Battery	2700 mAh Battery
Front Camera	5MP 1.4 μm pixels f/2.0 aperture
Rear Camera	12.3 MP 1.55 μm pixels f/2.0 aperture IR laser-assisted autofocus 4K (30 fps) video capture Broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash Slow motion at 120 FPS
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 1.8 GHz hexa-core 64-bit Adreno 418 GPU
Memory & Storage	RAM: 2 GB LPDDR3 Internal storage: 16 GB or 32 GB
Weight	136 g
Operation System	Android 6.0 Marshmellow
Wireless & Location	LTE cat. 6 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz) Bluetooth 4.2 NFC GPS / GLONASS Digital compass
Network	North America: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8 CDMA: BC0/1/10 LTE (FDD): B1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/20/25/26/29 LTE (TDD): B41 LTE CA DL: B2-B2, B2-B4, B2-B5, B2-B12, B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-B29, B4-B4, B4-B5, B4-B7, B4-B12, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29, B41-B41 Hong Kong: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/5/8 LTE (FDD): B1/3/7/8/26 LTE (TDD): B38/40/41 LTE CA DL: B1-B3, B3-B3, B3-B7, B3-B8, B41-B41 Rest of world: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/6/8/9/19 CDMA: not supported LTE (FDD): B1/2 /3/ 4/5/7/8/9/17/18/19/20/26/28 LTE (TDD): B38/40/41 LTE CA DL: B1-B3, B1-B5, B1-B7, B1-B8, B1-B18, B1-B19, B1-B26, B3-B3, B3-B5, B3-B7, B3-B8, B3-B19, B3-B20, B3-B28, B5-B7, B7-B7, B7-B20, B7-B28, B40-B40, B41-B41
Ports	Single USB Type-C 3.5 mm audio jack Single Nano SIM slot
Sensors	Fingerprint sensor Android Sensor Hub Accelerometer Gyroscope Barometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor Hall sensor
Media	Single front-facing speaker 3 Microphones (1 front, top and bottom) with noise cancellation
Colors	Carbon, Quartz and Ice.

The Nexus 6P will come with a 5.7’’ LCD Display, 12.3MP rear camera and 8MP back camera. It will be running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor at 3GB of RAM and with internal storage at 32GB, 64GB or 128GB. The prices without contracts will go from $699CAD, $749CAD and $849CAD respectively.

Here are the full specs for the Nexus 6P:

Dimensions	159.3 X 77.8 X 7.3 mm
Display	5.7 inches WQHD (2560 x 1440) AMOLED display at 518 ppi 16:9 aspect ratio Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 Fingerprint and smudge-resistant oleophobic coating
Battery	3450 mAh Battery
Front Camera	8 MP 1.4 μm pixels f/2.4 aperture HD video capture (30 fps)
Rear Camera	12.3 MP 1.55 μm pixels f/2.0 aperture IR laser-assisted autofocus 4K (30 fps) video capture Broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash Slow motion at 240 FPS
Processor	Latest version of Qualcomm® Snapdragon 810 v2.1, 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit Adreno 430 GPU
Memory & Storage	RAM: 3 GB LPDDR4 Internal storage: 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB
Weight	178 g
Operation System	Android 6.0 Marshmellow
Wireless & Location	LTE cat. 6 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz) Bluetooth 4.2 NFC GPS / GLONASS Digital compass
Network	North America: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8 CDMA: BC0/1/10 LTE (FDD): B2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/29/30 LTE (TDD): B41 CA DL: B2-B2, B2-B4, B2-B5, B2-B12, B2-B13, B2-B17, B2-B29, B4-B4, B4-B5, B4-B13, B4-B17, B4-B29, B41-B41 Rest of world: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz UMTS/WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/6/8/9/19 TDSCDMA: 34/39 CDMA: BC0/1 LTE (FDD): B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/9/17/19/20/28 LTE (TDD): B38/B39/40/41 CA DL: B1-B5, B1-B8, B1-B19, B3-B3, B3-B5, B3-B7, B3-B8, B3-B19, B3-B20, B3-B28, B5-B7, B7-B7, B7-B20, B7-B28, B39-B39, B40-B40, B41-B41
Ports	Single USB Type-C™ Single Nano SIM slot 3.5 mm audio jack
Sensors	Fingerprint sensor Accelerometer Barometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor Hall sensor Android Sensor Hub Gyroscope
Media	Dual front-facing stereo speaker 3 microphones (2 front, 1 rear) with noise cancellation
Colors	Aluminium, Graphie & Frost

Both the Nexus 5x and 6P will be available in Canada “at the end of October”, however you can always keep an eye on the Google Play page for 5X and 6P for pre-orders

LG officially announces the G4

Didn't think LG was going to let the competition have all the fun with their flagship launches did you? Today they unveiled their 2015 flagship phone the LG G4. Visually with this flagship LG is taking its well known and well received G3 design and give it subtle tweaks, including design cues from its experimental G Flex Line, to make its own.

As it is a flagship device, it's sporting some pretty impressive specs including an Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 808 Processor, a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display at 1440p and 538ppi, 32GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot, 3GB RAM, a 16MP F1.8 Aperture camera with Optical image stabilization + a front facing 8MP camera, a 3000mAh removable battery, LTE connectivity and Android 5.1 Lollipop. Colours offered in Canada include Ceramic Metallic Gray and Genuine Leather Black.

Canadian availability is expected in June from Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron and WIND Mobile.

Check out the official press release after the break.

Canadian Motorola Moto G (2013), Moto X (2014), LG G3 and HTC One M7 recieving Android 5.0 Lollipop

Looks like it's Lollipop week as not one or two or three but four devices from three different manufacturers nonetheless have started receiving their upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

This morning we got word from our friends at LG that the G3 would start getting the upgrade starting today.

“Bringing the new Lollipop Android update to LG G3 users has been a top priority for us,” said Eunice Lee, Brand Manager of Mobile Communications, LG Canada. “LG is committed to providing our customers with the best mobile experience, and the Lollipop upgrade is a key part of that innovative experience. The new Android OS brings a refreshed interface to the LG G3 that complements its existing design and enhances the device’s functionality. We believe that our customers will find great value in the Lollipop upgrade.”

On the side of Motorola, the Moto G (first gen) from Virgin, TELUS, Koodo, Videotron, WIND and the unlocked retail version should all have started receiving the update as of yesterday. The LTE version from Rogers, Fido and Videotron however are not part of this initial rollout.

The Moto X second gen from WIND is also getting a second attempt at a Lollipop upgrade after the last attempt cause some devices to be bricked. No word yet on the original Moto X, as Motorola is stated to be needing more time due to the custom X8 Compute platform SoC used in the original Moto X.

Lastly, one of our readers has informed us (later confirmed by MobileSyrup) that the HTC One M7 has also started start getting it's rollout to Lollipop as well. (Thanks Alex!)

If you're one of the owners of these devices let us know how the update process goes!

LG announced their latest smartwatch the LG Watch Urbane

While we are still a few weeks away from MWC, our friends at LG let us know that they decided to get a head start and unveil their latest smartwatch effort in the LG Urbane. If it looks familiar it's not surprising as LG takes the original G Watch R and refines it with a more "sophisticated and cosmopolitan" look.

The inspiration from the G Watch R for the Urbane don't stop at looks, internals are identical to LG original round faced smartwatch which include 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, a 1.3 inches plastic OLED at 320x320 with 245ppi, 512MB of DDR2 memory, 4GB of internal storage, 9-axis (gyro / acceleration / compass), barometric pressure sensor, heart rate sensor, IP67 certified Waterproof and dustproof, 410mAh Battery and available in Gold and Silver.

We expect to see more coverage of the device at MWC in less than 2 weeks.

Check out the full press release after the break.

LG G3 officially arriving in Canada on August 1st

After LG announced its latest flagship handset last month there was little doubt in our mind that it would make its way to Canadian shelves. Yesterday, we got confirmation from our friends at LG that the G3 will in fact be headed to Bell, MTS, Rogers, Sasktel and Videotron on August 1st.

We are a bit surprised to see TELUS not on the list of launch carriers given that the G2 was available to its customers. Here's a refresher of the specs:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
• Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
• Memory: 16/32MB eMMC ROM / 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 149g
• Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
• Colour: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
• Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, etc.

Check out the Press release after the break.

LG officially announces the G3

LG wasn't going to stay idle while Samsung, Sony and HTC were going to push their 2014 flagships. Today, they announced their flagship for 2014, the LG G3. Without surprising many, the G3 falls inline with jsut about every spec leak that we've seen in the past few months.

Specs include:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
• Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
• Memory: 16/32MB eMMC ROM / 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 149g
• Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
• Colour: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
• Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, etc.

Interestingly, RAM will depend on on the storage option chosen. The 16GB will come with 2GB of RAM while the 32GB comes with 3GB of RAM.  Sadly, the metallic looking back is in fact plastic but we'll reserve judgement till we have our hand on the phone. LG did make some significant changes compared to the G2 by including a removable battery and expandable microSD storage which seems to be making a big comeback in 2014. 

The 5.5 inch display seems to be clearly in phablet territory but with such tiny bezels LG has the footprint of the phone in the range of other flagships. At 1440p, the density is at a retina demolishing 538ppi, we'll see if the potential diminishing returns of the DPI increases clearity on the display.

Overall, this very solid hardware paired with what LG calls "simplified" software makes for a very compelling choice on paper.

No word on Canadian availability, but considering how the G2 was widely available to several carriers in Canada we expect the same of the G3.

LG to announce G3 May 27th

The LG G2 was easily one of our favorite and the most powerful devices of 2013 and still remains extremely competitive in 2014. That isn't stop LG from taking another crack at the flagship Android market with its next iteration of the G series.

LG has sent out invites out to major news outlets stating that they will in fact be announcing the G3 this May on the 27th. It's expected the the G3 will be a major upgrade in hardware including at the very least a Snapdragon 801 or maybe even a Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM, and possibly a QHD 1440p display.

LG G Flex available from Rogers starting April 3rd

Curved displays have been a hot topic in tech for quite a while but we have yet to see a device with a curved display hit Canada. This changes on April 3rd as Rogers and LG will exclusively release the LG G Flex. Our friends at LG have let us know that the G Flex will be made available in one week from now and will be priced at $199.99 on two year contract.

Spec include a 2.26 Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 6-inch 720 HD curved display, 2GB of RAM, 13 MP camera, 3500mAh battery and LTE 2100 and 2600MHz capabilities. While it is only running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, LG has committed to upgrading it to Android 4.4.2 KitKat "later this year".

LG G2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update now rolling out to Canadians

For Canadian G2 owners waiting eagerly awaiting an update to Android 4.4.2, the wait is over as we've just gotten word from our friends at LG that the Canadian G2 is now receiving its update to Android 4.4.2 KitKat. WHile this obviously includes all the improvements expected in Android 4.4.2, LG also mentions an improvement to their innovative KnockOn feature called KnockCode which was thought to be only for the G2 Pro. The feature won't be available yet, but will be activated in Q2 this years and will allows users to unlock their phone using a distinct "Knock" pattern.

If you have a G2 and have been anticipating the update, check under Settings, About Phone and Software update. We also have word that the G Flex should also be getting an update to Android 4.4.2 KitKat "later" in 2014.

Check out the press release after the break.

Google announces Android Wear, LG and Motorola announce their smartwatches

Wearables are the buzzword for 2014 and Google has just thrown their effort into the pile with the announcement of Android Wear, a smartwatch variant of their wildly popular mobile OS. While this isn't the first big push for smartwatches with the likes of Sony's Smartwatch and Samsung's Gear efforst already in the market, this is the first official push from Google themselves to break into an emerging market.

From the first impressions it looks like Android Wear will heavily rely on Google Now which is interesting given the fact that it is a Google service in addition to AOSP unlike what we've seen in Android on smartphones. It's expected that Android Wear powered devices be OEM agnostic and will need a smartphone companion to display certain phone only notifications. Pretty much par for what we've seen so far in existing smartphones.

Motorola and LG are the first to official back Android Wear with the Moto 360 and the G Watch. The Moto 360 is being pegged as a premium watch with a surprising circular display, which by my own experience is the first I've see. The G Watch on the other hand looks like it's going to be a lower cost offering that will probably be targeted for mass adoption by mainstream buyers. Other OEMs like Samsung, ASUS and HTC are expected to also introduce their own Android Ware based smartwatches

Overall, this is very exciting to see as first attempts at smartwatches have been interesting but just lack the first party OS backend support that only Google can provide and now we have it. We're excited to see what comes next for wearables.

Rogers LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1 and HTC Desire 601 KitKat Update coming soon

Rogers has updated their OS Upgrade page and they detail that the LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1 as well HTC Desire 601 will be receiving an upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat "Soon". While "Coming soon" is abotu as vague as you can get, the HTC One and One Mini had the same status and had their update roll out a few days later.

We hope for the same with this crop of smartphones. On HTC's OS upgrade page the Desire 601's is stated upgrade s stated to be in certification not only on Rogers but all carriers its sold by including Videotron, WIND, Koodo, etc. While we can't assume rollout will be simultaneous it at least give an idea of the timeline for updates.

LG G Flex coming to Canada exclusively to Rogers

Curved displays have been the subject of many rumors and speculation since major display manufacturers like LG and Samsung showed off prototypes a few years back at events like CES. We are just now starting to see handsets take advantage of these new displays and we are finally seeing one of those devices make its way to Canada in the LG G Flex.

Our friends at LG tell us that the G Flex will be arriving in Canada as an exclusive to Rogers this spring. Aside from its obvious claim to fame curved display, the G Flex come with some pretty nice specs with 2.26 Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 6-inch 720 HD curved display, 2GB of RAM, 13 MP camera, 3500mAh battery and LTE 2100 and 2600MHz capabilities. The G Flex also has one other significant trick up its sleeve in that it has a self healing plastic back that can self repair minor scratches.

Sadly, it isn't an Full HD 1080p display, and is launching with a pretty old version of Android in 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

We're working on getting our hands on a review device as soon as possible and will give it the full Android Bugle review treatment. In the mean time check out the press images and official press release after the break.

Google Nexus 5 Review

The Nexus line of smartphones is quite unique in the world of tech. It has the feverish following of thousands of fans, not unlike its chief rival from Apple, and is awaited with bated breath every fall for the past few years. Some get it for the promise of swift updates to the latest versions of Android while others for the undeniable value it presents as an off-contract device. Surprisingly, for many reasons out of our control, this is Android Bugle's first look at a Nexus device but boy did we pick a great one to start off with. This is our full review of the Google Nexus 5.

LG G2 giveaway with LinusTechTips [Update] We have a winner!

The LG G2 was one of our favorite phones of the year, so how awesome would it be to win a free one! Thanks to TELUS, we've teamed up with LinusTechTips to giveaway an LG G2 to our readers as well as the viewers of LinusTechTips! The requirements to have a chance to win are really simple;

• Watch the video review of the LG G2 by Luke (@SlickPC) from LinusTechTips here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RbFXKoz6cc
• Leave a comment on the video with the words "Android Bugle" in the comment. eg: "Thanks Android Bugle!"
• Circle us on Google+ (https://plus.google.com/+Androidbugle)

Do these three things and you're entered to win! It's as simple as that!

Google Play Editions of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and LG G Pad 8.3 as well as white Nexus 7 (2013) annouced

Yesterday was a surprising day for fans of Stock Android as Google has unveiled a trio of new devices available on the Google Play Store. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra and LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition join the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play Edition and the Nexus 7 (2013) gets a makeover in white.

Unfortunately these new devices are only available to US customers. This isn't surprising when it comes to Google Play Edition devices as the S4 and One GPe were never made available to Canadians, but to see the white Nexus 7 (2013) be unavailable to us is quite disappointing.

Nevertheless it is good to see more devices get the GPe treatment. Hopefully they make their way to Canadian in an official manner in the future.

Nexus 5 receiving update to dramatically improve camera performance

The Nexus 5 is without a doubt the best Nexus device to date. With some pretty cutting edge specs almost across the board it certainly is a marvel that it can be purchased for such an affordable $350. One swore point that seems to persist with Nexus device however is the camera. The Nexus 5 unfortunately also suffered from subpar camera performance. FOrtunately it looks like a new OTA update is going to remedy that as version 4.4.1 is being pushed out to Nexus 5s to drastically improve camera performance.

If you have a Nexus 5 and haven't been pleased with the camera performance, check for the update as it has started rolling out to users.

Canadian LG G2 to get Android 4.4 KitKat in Q1 2014

Looks like KitKat has just been confirmed for yet another Android Flagship. According to information obtained by MobileSyrup, their current  flagship the LG G2. They've gotten word that the update will be submitted to carriers at the same time but they cannot guarantee that it will be rolled out simultaneously. But judging from other updates like the 4.3 update that just rolled out to Galaxy smartphone owners chances are the we will see a simultaneous rollout.

We expect LG's UI to remain relatively the same despite some of the downsides to the design choices made by LG, as non-power users are usually jarred when UIs are heavily modified.

That being said it's still good to see another flagship be committed to Android's latest version.

Nexus 4 getting over the air update to Android 4.4 KitKat

While the Nexus line has always been known to get updates first, Nexus 4 owners were probably still a little green with envy when the Nexus 5 was released and was packing the brand new Android 4.4 KitKat update.

After a rollout of KitKat to the WiFi only Nexus devices, the 2012 flagship Nexus 4 is now gettign its rollout of the latest Android update. We suspect that since the WiFi only Nexus 7s were update before the Nexus 4, there were probably some connectivity issues that needed to be ironed out. In any case its good to see the Nexus 4 running the latest version of Android and if you own one, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the update notification.

Nexus 5 now available from Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo and Videotron

The LG made Nexus 5 has just started landing in the hands of users this week, but it's about to reach a whole lot more hands in Canada as several Canadian carriers have made the Nexus device available starting today.  Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo and Videotron have all officially launched the Nexus 5.

On the "Big 3", Virgin and Videotron, the Nexus 5 is $99 on 2-year contract, Fido is offering the Nexus 5 for $200 on 2-year deal and Koodo $350 on tab.

We will be getting our hands on a Nexus 5 in the very near future for a full review.

LG G2 Review

The Optimus G was LG's 2012 flagship and was an incredible step forward for the company. Prior to the Optimus G, LG's reputation in the smartphone world was less than stellar. But with great smartphones like the Optimus G and the Nexus 4 LG is on the right track to rise up the ranks of Android OEMs. Today we take a look at the Optimus G's successor and what is the baseline hardware for this year's Nexus 5, the LG G2.