Cricket Wireless starts selling the entry-level ZTE Overture 2 for $50.
The Overture 2 is positioned against other entry-level smartphones available from the carrier, including the Moto E 2015 and the Lumia 635.
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It was the perfect viral story. A Google bigwig casually sporting a Milkshake watchface on his smartwatch during the Google I/O keynote. Milkshake name for Android M confirmed!
Well, not so fast. Dave Burke, who introduced most of the core features of Android M on stage at Google I/O yesterday, admitted that his Huawei Watch happened to display a milkshake during the event. But it wasn’t the only M-named desert on his device.
Rumors of Milkshake are exaggerated. My watch face hack cycles thru’ my fav M desserts :). Doodles by @dsandler! http://pic.twitter.com/0GwoQ78thD
— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) May 28, 2015
So there you have it. The M-ystery lives to see another day. What about you? What dessert name you’d like to use come this fall?
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If you can’t beat them, join them. That seems to be the bottom line in Intel’s strategic partnership with Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Co. Ltd. It’s a tectonic shift on Intel’s part; the venerable silicon powerhouse has traditionally been focusing on premium computing devices that require the performance levels consistent with the Intel architecture.
Intel, which had kept the SoC development in-house so far, announced in May 2014 that it would join hands with Rockchip to co-develop low-cost system-on-chips (SoCs) for sub-$150 tablets. The Santa Clara, California–based chipmaker, stopping short of licensing its IP, would allow Rockchip to modify design around its x86 Atom core. The partnership doesn’t prevent Rockchip from using ARM processor cores, and there is no financial investment from Intel in Rockchip.
Still, there were more questions than answers, and soon the chip deal became a matter of intense speculation among technology business circles. There has been a lot of ambiguity surrounding this technology alliance, mostly because both Intel and Rockchip aren’t giving away much information except some minor product details.
So Android Authority takes a closer look at the tie-up between Intel and Rockchip from both sides of the fence and attempts to unwind the mystery around this technology liaison. What does this tech relationship stand for? What are the stakes for Intel and Rockchip, respectively? What is the end game? Android Authority sifts through the nitty gritty of this innovative setup in an attempt to find some of the answers.
Intel, which has a history of setbacks in the mobile market, has adopted a novel strategy to break the deadlock and finally make some traction in the mobile industry. Rockchip, which shipped 40 million app processors for tablets in 2013, would bring Intel a better cost base and local ecosystem contacts. The middle-aged Intel would get deeper access to China’s high-volume tablet and smartphone manufacturers and design house through its Rockchip connection.
Another basic consideration for the top U.S. chip vendor is the proliferation of its x86 mobile ecosystem. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich believes that his new semiconductor partners in China—Rockchip and Spreadtrum Communications—lack resources to simultaneously build x86- and ARM-based SoCs. So, eventually, they could transition away from ARM ecosystem and switch to x86 SoC design platform. That sounds a bit optimistic given ARM’s near-ubiquitous presence in China’s silicon landscape and the role that ARM processor cores have played in enabling local chipmakers to create low-cost SoCs.
However, Intel has got a foot in the door, and by merely doing that, it has created the biggest challenge to ARM’s mobile ecosystem yet. The deal would allow Intel to have a large number of engineers in China work on mobile x86 designs. Intel’s Atom SoCs, which have largely overcome the traditional power consumption challenges, still lack the ecosystem muscle of ARM. The pact with Rockchip could potentially help Intel build an ARM-like family of partners and take the platform to new markets.
Rockchip became famous by supplying cheap application processors to China’s white-box tablet market. Eventually, it began to serve budget SoCs to larger tablet brands in China and Taiwan. Then, in 2013, MediaTek entered the white-box market for tablets, and unlike Rockchip, which merely supplied application processors, MediaTek SoCs came integrated with baseband sockets. The follwing year, Rockchip joined hands with Intel to develop mobile SoCs using Intel’s Atom processor core and baseband technology.
ARM has made application processor design relatively straightforward, but a cellular radio connectivity stack—also known as modem or baseband chip—is costly and hard to design. Rockchip has collaborated with the U.S. chip giant to develop an entry-level SoC—labeled as X3-C3230-RK—which comprises of a quad-core Atom application processor, Mali 400 MP4 graphics, and Intel’s 2G/3G/HSPA+ baseband. Apparently, access to 3G modem technology would significantly improve Rockchip’s competitiveness.
For a start, it has allowed Rockchip to make a foray into the high-volume smartphone business and has provided Intel with an ally in smartphone wars. Rockchip unveiled smartphones and tablets using Intel processors at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair being held on April 13-16, 2015. However, a closer look at this tie-up shows that Rockchip’s baseband project is merely a sweetener in the deal.
In the long run, what matters more to Rockchip is access to Intel’s prized IP, a rare commodity among China chipmakers. The tablets based on Rockchip SoCs generally have buggy software and quality issues. The example of successful smartphones likes Samsung Galaxy shows that user experience is crucial in a mobile product’s success. Apparently, Rockchip has realized the critical importance of user interface and other software features for its customized and turnkey SoC solutions.
Intel is also the only processor architecture company with its own fab. Rockchip might want to seize the initiative of working with Intel’s engineers and streamline its hardware, software and UI workflows with whatever access it gets to Intel’s cutting-edge chip technology. Intel is already providing technical support to design-houses such as Emdoor, Hampoo and Techvision, which are all Rockchip partners.
The common perception about Intel’s tie-up with Rockchip is that it’s a marriage of convenience, and before long, they could be facing each other as competitors. However, the scope of Intel’s liaison with China’s budget SoC maker could be deeper than jointly developing low-cost chips for tablets. The association between Intel and Rockchip has already transcended from tablets to smartphones.
The tricky Internet of Things (IoT) business could well be the next frontier, where Intel’s Quark processor is ready for the limelight with a complete ecosystem that spans from the edge to the data center. Then, there are partners like McAfee and Wind River, who could help Intel offer an interoperable, secure and scalable IoT platforms.
Intel lured chipmakers from China with a range of IoT-centric products and technologies at the Intel Developers Forum (IDF) held in Shenzhen, China in April this year. More importantly, Intel announced that the partnership with Rockchip will expand to IoT versions of x3 Atom SoCs. The mobile SoC business is all about volume and Rockchip has proven its volume merits in the tablet business. So Intel would most likely stick it out with Rockchip while eyeing China’s nascent IoT and wearable markets.
And that’s the embodiment of Rockchip’s unconventional hook-up with the world’s largest chipmaker. The Fuzhou–based SoC house would cultivate x86 designs in China’s vast electronics market while providing Intel access to its local network of device manufacturers and design houses. In return, Intel would give Rockchip a calibrated and calculated access to its IP and help China’s budget SoC supplier improve the quality of its chip designs.
Intel’s Senior Vice President Kirk Skaugen pointed out during his keynote at the IDF in Shenzhen how the multinational firms like General Motors and Volkswagen prospered by working with local partners in China. Apparently, Intel is in it for the long-haul, and its China-friendly image could favor it at a time when Qualcomm is at odds with the country’s technology establishment. Chipmakers in China are now more inclined toward innovation and Rochchip’s tie-up with the world’s largest silicon firm embodies China’s desire to nurture local technology industry.
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In a change from last year, Google officially plans to update the M Developer Preview at least twice before final release.
Speaking at the “What’s new in Android?” talk at Google I/O, Chet Haase of Google explained how the Android team plans to update the latest Developer Preview. Unlike the L Developer Preview last year, Google has an upgrade path set up to update the M Developer Preview once at the end of June and again at the end of July, each time integrating changes based on feedback from developers.
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While the first day of Google I/O 2015 is just coming to an end, there’s still another full day ahead of us. Google went through a lot of announcements today, and it can be really easy to miss out on some of the most important info. If you’d like to re-live the experience, the full keynote from I/O 2015 has just been posted on YouTube. The video is attached below, so be sure to take a look if you missed out on something!
Of course, you don’t need to watch the entire presentation again, because we’re here. Our very own Bogdan Petrovan created a wonderfully informative I/O keynote roundup, and our own Joshua Vergara made a great video on the Google I/O 2015 keynote, that explains the whole thing in just over eight minutes. A lot has been covered over the past few hours, so be sure to check out our keynote roundup, or watch the video below for more information.
What’s been your favorite announcement so far? Android M? Google Photos? Let us know your thoughts!
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When Android Pay was unveiled at Google I/O, questions swirled about Google Wallet — now we have a better idea of what’s going on.
Android Pay is a new initiative from Google that seems to be a more comprehensive effort at a payments system, hitting key points and features that Google Wallet never did. With Android Pay, you’ll be able to have multiple debit and credit cards associated with your Google Account to make payments in stores, online and within apps. Most importantly Android Pay is supported by all of the big U.S. carriers, payment processors and banks, while keeping your information secure with new mechanisms.
Wait, that sounds like a lot like Google Wallet, right? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that Wallet is going away — things are going to change a bit, though.
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Even though Google showcased Material Design back at Google I/O 2014, the entire concept is still largely being developed. Not only did the company roll out aesthetic changes, but Android 5.0 Lollipop was completely filled with functional changes as well. Eliminating menus, adding in multi-functional buttons, and focusing on the user experience was a huge focus in last year’s update, and today, Google reminds us that it’s still being mastered.
To give us a good example of Material Design, Google has just updated its Google Design webpage, which adds a slew of new Material enhancements. There’s also a lot of new functionality on the website, too.
A new video has been created by the Google Design team that tries to outline what exactly Material Design is. A number of lead designers are featured in the video, along with none other than the man himself, Google’s VP of Design, Matias Duarte. He talks about the fact that Material Design isn’t just a visual overhaul; it’s also a stepping stone to create all-around better design. Duarte explains:
I don’t want to be looking four years down the road or ten years down the road and saying, “Well with Material Design, all of those ideas all of those frameworks, they’re over.” The principles behind them, I think, should be timeless. Maybe we don’t have them right yet, but I believe we’ll get there.
In addition to the updated Google Design webpage, Google has also revealed a list of the best applications available right now with great Material Design implementation. A total of 18 apps are on the list, including well-known apps like Tumblr, Pocket Casts, Weather Timeline, and lesser-known apps like Telegram, SeriesGuide and wiMAN Free WiFi Unlocker. If you’d like to see the full list, be sure to head to the Play Store link below!
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While we didn’t get a revamped version of the Chromecast at Google I/O like many were expecting, the first generation media streamer is still quite powerful. And pretty soon, it’s going to become much more versatile than ever before.
Just like with individual applications like Netflix or Hulu that allow you to autoplay episodes of your favorite TV show, Chromecast will soon get this feature, only for all applications. Developers will be able to add functionality to their content that will let a second video buffer while the first one is still playing. Users will also be able to control their queues, which will let them re-order/add/subtract videos as needed. This feature will certainly be welcomed by Chromecast owners.
Google doesn’t stop there, though. Google has also added in multiplayer gaming support, which allows folks to invite their friends to play Chromecast-enabled games in multiplayer mode. Games will require a slight tweaking in order to be compatible with this new feature, but Google is sure developers will adopt the new feature in no time. Google is doing this by means of a new Game Manager API, which makes it a lot easier for devs to create multiplayer experiences that span to both Android and iOS devices.
Google has also released a set of powerful tools for devs called Remote Display APIs. These new APIs, when implemented into individual apps, will let you duplicate your display, giving you a second screen. For instance, with the proper APIs integrated into a racing game, users can utilize their smartphones as a steering wheel, while watching the road on their TV.
Autodesk Pixlr has implemented an early version of these APIs already, as you can see above. This new functionality certainly starts to suggest ways in which Google plans to utilize all screens as best as it can. It may be a little while before we start seeing devs take advantage of these new APIs, but when they do, Chromecast will be much more functional than before.
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Google has compiled a list of 18 apps that it feels best showcase Material Design.
Just in time for the one year anniversary of Material Design, Google has compiled a showcase of the 18 third-party apps it feels best take advantage of the design paradigm.
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Shazam isn’t just for audio anymore: you can now use the app to recognize QR codes and images as well.
Shazam announced that users with the latest version of its can now scan images and QR codes that will offer up access to interactive content and more.
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