Another day, another Lollipop update rollout. This time we’re talking about the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet, in its LTE-capable incarnation, which was launched by Verizon. Following the update to Android 4.4 KitKat, which it got last year, and then another bug fixer, the G Pad 8.3 is now finally receiving the tasty treat known as Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

Verizon’s support documents say you should expect to see a new software button arrangement (and design), lock screen notifications, smart lock (using proximity to other devices to auto-unlock the tablet), the new notification screen design, the much-hated Interruptions feature that replaces Silent mode, floating action buttons everywhere, screen pinning, search in Settings, multi-user accounts accessible from the notification panel, as well as an “Avoid bad Wi-Fi connections” item in Settings. Read more »

The original Moto G from 2013 started out life at Verizon costing $100 sans contract, which is a very good amount for the specs. But that was then. Months have passed, it’s now 2015, so Best Buy decided it’s time for a discount.

Hence, the well known retailer will give you a Moto G for Verizon for just $19.99. Again, without a contract. This price drop now makes the original Moto G one of the cheapest prepaid phones for Big Red, and possibly the best of them all in terms of its price per features ratio. Read more »

Today Apple has pushed out the first software update for its first wearable. The Apple Watch is getting Watch OS 1.0.1 through the companion iPhone app for the smartwatch. The download comes in at 51.6MB, and as the version number implies this is all about fixing bugs and improving performance for various bits of the Apple Watch experience.

In fact, Apple lists no less than six items under the “improved performance” heading in its official release notes. So after applying the new software, expect to see enhanced operation in third party apps, Siri, measuring stand activity, calculating calories for indoor cycling and rowing workouts, distance and pace calculations during outdoor walk and run workouts, as well as better accessibility features. Read more »

MixRadio is a streaming music service that started life as Nokia Music. It then got renamed to MixRadio, picked up by Microsoft as part of its Nokia acquisition, and subsequently sold to Japan’s Line Corp., which operates the messaging app with the same name. From the moment the music service got out of Microsoft’s hands, everyone was expecting it to become available for platforms other than Windows.

And today marks that much-anticipated event. MixRadio is now out for iOS and Android, in addition to Windows Phone. You can download its mobile apps from the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store. Interestingly, though, it will continue to be preloaded on Microsoft’s Lumia devices. Read more »

Microsoft has been running an Office for Android preview for certain tablets since last fall, with it reaching the Play Store this January. And starting today, you can also use the Office preview apps for Android on a phone.

Microsoft is clearly taking its time while developing these apps, so don’t expect the ‘preview’ tag to be dropped anytime soon. Read more »

The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 we reported on earlier isn’t the only Samsung tablet to be receiving the Android Lollipop update today. It’s been joined by T-Mobile’s version of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

This was one of Samsung’s flagship tablets last year, and T-Mobile’s update comes less than a week after AT&T started seeding the same bits to its iteration of the device. Unlocked LTE-capable units have been running Lollipop since the beginning of April, on the other hand. Read more »

Samsung just keeps on pushing Android 5.0 Lollipop updates to more and more of its devices. Today’s lucky recipient of the latest tasty treat is the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 LTE tablet, the huge device that was launched last year.

The update will take it to Android 5.0.2, and it’s currently available only in Switzerland, for units sold unlocked. You can apply it through Kies, Samsung’s desktop software, or wait for the over-the-air rollout to reach you. Remember that Samsung likes to release such updates in certain countries first, and if everything goes to plan then the software is pushed to other territories afterwards. Read more »

If you’re in the UK and have been interested in picking up a Moto X (2014), Nexus 6, or Moto 360 but haven’t yet done so, here’s something for you. Motorola has just announced a 48-hour sale for these three devices over there.

It will start at midnight on May 18. For two days from that point on, you’ll be able to purchase the second-generation Moto X (pictured above) for £299 (16GB) or £339 (32GB). Read more »

The oft-leaked and much-rumored Oppo R7 will finally go official on May 20, and as we get ever closer to that date the Chinese company keeps revealing new details about it. Today’s focus (excuse the pun) is on the cameras.

The R7′s rear camera will be a 13 MP unit with an ISOCELL sensor and a lens made by Schneider-Kreuznach. The ISOCELL tech, which we’ve so far seen in some of Samsung’s recent flagships, is said to reduce inter-pixel crosstalk, capture more light, and improve dynamic range. Read more »

A few months ago word got out that Xiaomi was going to launch its own official online store for the US and Europe this year. And now we’re actually very close to that happening. The Mi online store will go live in the US on May 18 at 7 PM PDT, and in Europe on May 19 at 12 PM GMT or 1 PM CEST.

There are some huge caveats here, which you need to take into account. First off, like we told you before, this store will not be selling phones, just accessories. Second, while it will be available in the US as mentioned, in Europe you’ll only be able to order from it if you live in one of three countries: the UK, France, and Germany. Read more »

Android for mobile devices is up to version 5.1.1 these days, so you’d think Android Wear would follow. And you’d be right. Starting today, the update to Android Wear 5.1.1 is rolling out. It looks like the first device to get it is the Asus ZenWatch for whatever reason.

There are already people who have downloaded and installed the newest version of Android Wear on the ZenWatch, so if you own one of those there shouldn’t be much waiting to do from this point on. Read more »

HTC’s Android app for creating, sharing, and remixing “professional quality highlight videos” has received a new update today. The biggest new thing inside is added support for streaming content to a Chromecast, if you own one of those of course. The familiar Cast button now shows up in the action bar of HTC Zoe, and once you tap on it you can send your content to a Chromecast to view it on a TV.

This, however, isn’t the only new feature that Zoe got with the latest update. It now lets you reorder content, so even after you’ve chosen which photos and videos to include in your Zoe, you can change the order in which they’re going to be shown. Read more »

While the two members of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab A series are already available in the US, the same can’t be said for the UK. Yet. Today Samsung announced that the bigger model of the two, the Galaxy Tab A 9.7, will be out in the UK on May 21.

That’s in exactly one week from today. The tablet will be offered in three versions: Wi-Fi-only, LTE-capable, and another one that comes with a bundled S Pen stylus. Read more »

If you want to buy a Motorola Nexus 6 in the US, you can obviously order one straight from Google. In that case, you need to pay $649 for the privilege of getting the 32GB model. And up until today, the situation was exactly the same if for some reason you preferred to get it from T-Mobile.

But right now the magenta carrier is offering the Nexus phablet for just $549.84 outright, essentially allowing you to save $100 compared to Google’s pricing. Read more »

The Google Fit app for Android has received a pretty big update today, which should already be available in the Play Store. Fit, as you may know, serves as the search giant’s integrated health and fitness suite, which can interact with other apps too.

With the new release, Google Fit has received support for estimating distance covered and calories burned. To get this to work, you need to tell it your gender, height, and weight. Then the app will let you know how far you went each day, and how many calories you burned throughout the day and during your workouts. Read more »