Droid Life: Opinionated Android news.

AT&T Wastes No Time Matching Verizon’s New $20 Upgrade Fee

Kellen April 6, 2016 114

On Monday, Verizon introduced a new "upgrade fee" for those customers who buy new phones on device payment plans or at full retail. We spent a good handful of hours over the past week trashing all over the fee, because it seems like an incredibly slick move...

iFixIt Tears Down the LG G5, Receives Very High Repairability Score

Tim April 6, 2016 28

The good folks at iFixIt released their teardown of the LG G5 this morning, much to the excitement of those who enjoy breaking down and rebuilding little pieces of mobile tech. As you might imagine, thanks to LG's new modular design, iFixIt had a pretty easy...

Verizon LG G5 Gets First Update to Improve WiFi Calling

Kellen April 6, 2016 23

Verizon's LG G5 is getting its first update this week as software version VS98711A. The update appears to be minor, according to Verizon, with only WiFi Calling enhancements being the focus. To grab the update, which at least one reader has told us is live,...

Straight Talk Introduces $55 Plan With 10GB Data

Kellen April 5, 2016 162

Straight Talk, arguably the most popular prepaid wireless solution, introduced a new $55 plan this month that gives customers 10GB of high-speed data to use each month, on top of unlimited talk and text. The most popular Straight Talk plan has been the $45...

Deals: Latest HTC Hot Deal Offers Discounts on One A9, Nexus 9, and More

Tim April 5, 2016 25

For today only, HTC is offering discounts on five of its devices, directly from its website. As listed, folks can grab a One M9 for $399 (any carrier, even the Developer model), One A9 for $389, Desire 626 for $149, or even get a Nexus 9 tablet for up to 40%...

WhatsApp Now Features End-to-End Encryption for All Calls and Messages

Tim April 5, 2016 20

Announced today, WhatsApp has completed work on end-to-end encryption for all of its services, allowing users to chat and call in complete privacy. With this security upgrade in place, all messages sent, calls made, and photos shared will be completely...

Tuesday Poll: Do You Even Mobile Pay, Bro?

Kellen April 5, 2016 200

We are in the fourth month of 2016 and mobile payments still aren't really that main stream. Sure, Apple finally jumped on board with Apple Pay and adoption has picked up some, but I still don't see the majority of people at grocery stores or movies or the...

Deal: $20 Off NVIDIA SHIELD TV 16GB ($179), $50 Off SHIELD TV Pro ($249)

Tim April 5, 2016 22

The SHIELD TV from NVIDIA is currently on sale, with the savings changing slightly depending on which model you choose. Regularly, the 16GB model of the Android TV-powered set-top box is priced at $199, while the SHIELD Pro model (500GB), is priced at $299....

Android 16 QPR3 Beta Program Goes Live for Pixel Devices

Kellen December 17, 2025 22

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 released. Google shipped Android 16 QPR2 to stable channels this month as the December Pixel update,...

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Verizon Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and Pixel 10 Devices Get New December Update (Updated)

Kellen December 17, 2025 22

All of Google's still-supported Pixel devices received a huge QPR2 update in early December with new features and tons of bug...

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Google Makes Controversial Pixel Search Bar Change

Kellen December 17, 2025 22

Within the past several days, a group of Pixel owners noticed a change to the way the Search bar at the bottom of their Pixel...

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Samsung December Updates Continue Roll Out to All These Devices

Kellen December 17, 2025 22

Samsung started sending December updates to a batch of devices earlier in the week, but they weren't quite done with 2025....

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Galaxy Z TriFold Sells Out Quick in South Korea, Even With High Price Tag

Tim December 12, 2025 22

We shouldn't be surprised, folks. Samsung launched the Galaxy Z TriFold this week in its home country of South Korea, with in...

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YouTube TV Will Offer 10 Genre-Specific Plans in 2026

Tim December 10, 2025 22

More choice and more flexibility. That's what everyone has been clamoring for lately. If you'll recall, YouTube TV used to be...

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December Pixel Watch Update Rolls Out to Pixel Watch 2 and Above

Kellen December 9, 2025 22

Google announced new features for the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4 this morning, but didn't tell us exactly how those...

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Pixel Watch 4 Updates Bring New Gestures, Smarter Smart Replies

Kellen December 9, 2025 22

The Pixel Watch 4 is seeing its own little Feature Drop this morning with a handful of new features. Google is adding a...

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Google’s Latest Ad Pokes at iPhone for Copying Its Features, iPhone 17 Rumors

Kellen May 6, 2025 114

The iPhone 17 won't arrive for months, likely after Google releases its Pixel 10 series. For the most part, all talk around...

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Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen October 11, 2023 114

Some of you have been lucky enough to receive your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro pre-orders a day early, thanks to Google's wildly...

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Pixel Watch 2 Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen October 11, 2023 114

The Pixel Watch 2 has been on my wrist for a full week and my list of notes has only grown. I've tested sleep tracking, put...

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Video: Galaxy Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5 Unboxing!

Tim July 27, 2023 114

Samsung was gracious enough to send us its latest foldables devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. Naturally,...

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Google Pixel 7a Unboxing and Tour!

Kellen May 10, 2023 114

Because the Google Pixel 7a is available today for you to run out and buy at $499, you may not want to wait around for our...

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VIDEO: Galaxy S23 Ultra Unboxing!

Tim February 3, 2023 114

Unboxing time, baby! We have the Galaxy S23 Ultra in-house, a bit before they're set to make their way to buyers later this...

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Pixel 7 Pro: First 10 Things to Do!

Tim October 13, 2022 114

Fancy new Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro just show up at your doorstep? Perfect, then this video is for you. As is tradition, we've...

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Pixel Watch: First 10 Things To Do!

Kellen October 13, 2022 114

The day that most of you will receive your Google Pixel Watch from pre-orders is here. It's time for you to slap Google's...

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