Samsung considers itself to be the Number # 1  seller of Android devices in the world. Some people may argue this is not the case but according to a 2013 report which put all the nay-Sayers to rest. Samsung’s share in the total profits generated by the sales of Android device all around the world was a whopping 95%. Though this may be hard to  believe for some, but last year Samsung had around 90% share in the total profits, which gives us enough evidence to justify this report to be legit.

Even though with the likes of Giants such as Sony and HTC, Samsung’s edge has always been its ability to cater to the masses. You get Android devices of all budget categories, so people who have budget restraints prefer buying Samsung devices, which are cheaper then its counterparts. So a hearty congratulations to Samsung from our team at Talk Android Phones for achieving such a feat again. Give us your take on the matter in our comments section below. Cheers!

Original Post: Samsung Crowned The Android King

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Google I/O brought with it a number of new additions to Google’s long line of already impressive products. The Google Play Services API also known as the Google Play Games is one such addition to the Google family. The all-new game service (first of its kind for Google) is somewhat similar to what Microsoft is offering with its Windows Phone Operating Systems that includes the Xbox Live game features in the palm of your hands. Google Play Games includes a whole bunch of exciting features that developers can add in their games to provide an entirely new and refreshing experience. These new features include game files being saved on the cloud, in-game achievements, leaderboards, low-latency multiplayer matchmaking and much much more. Lets take a quick look at some if the cool features that Google Play Games has to offer;

The Google Play Services is now available for developers and game enthusiasts and is supported for all devices having Android 2.2+

Original Post: Google Introduces New Game Services at Google I/O

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Google I/O 2013 started off with a bang yest introducing a bunch of new features, one of which is the update to their Google Maps. Google Maps apps are now available in almost 200 countries. 50 out of those 200 are able to use Street View. The new and improved Google Maps main difference to the old one is that Google have managed to make thousands of maps integrated one of top of the other. According to a Google representative, Google Maps has become a UI in itself, and each person has its own Maps, the map picks up all the routes which are important to that particular person and shows that particular route on the map which might not be visible on somebody else’s map.

Google Maps

Google Maps

 Additional new features include, full screen maps, as well as 3D panoramic view of hotels and restaurants, uploaded by Google or your friends. The all new Google+ integrates with Google Maps, and various place now have reviews made by various people who visited that place. Google Maps looks and feels much more smoother after the update. If your Google Maps app has not updated yet then go on the Play Store and update it now.

Original Post: Google Maps Gets Updated at Google I/O 2013

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We have compiled some of the pictures from Google I/O 2013 first day. We will also be publishing a brief article shortly, stay tuned!

Original Post: Google I/O 2013 Key Note in Pictures

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Google I/O was full of surprises on the first day and there were plenty of new “products” as Google likes to call it that were unveiled in the process. Till now Google Talk was the central hub of Google when it came it to messaging and VoIP, but not anymore. Google have now replaced their Google Talk (GTalk) app with the all new Google+Hangouts which brings with it whole new ways to interact with friends and family. The all new Google Hangouts brings one-on-one and group conversations to life with photos, emoji, and video calls for free. Connect with friends across computers, Android and Apple devices.

Features of the App

•  Say more with photos and emoji.
•  See when people are together in Hangouts, when they’re typing, or whether they’ve seen your message.
•  Turn any conversation into a video call with up to 10 friends.
•  Message friends anytime, even if they’re not connected right now.
•  Use Hangouts on computers, Android and Apple devices.
•  Hangouts stay in sync across devices so you can start or continue them anywhere.
•  Choose from hundreds of emoji to help you make your point
•  See what you talked about in the past, including shared photos and your video call history.
•  Get notifications just once. Once you see an alert, you won’t see repeats on your computer or other Android devices.
•  View collections of photos shared from each of your Hangouts.
•  Snooze notifications at times when you’d prefer to be undisturbed by alerts.

Please note that in order to apply the update, you MUST first install from the Google Play Store on your computer’s web browser as the  app will NOT install from the Play Store on your Android device automatically. So head on over to the Google Play Store where you can give it a download and try it for yourself. If that doesn’t work then you can easily download the official apk here.

Download the Google+ Hangouts apk

Google Hangouts on Google Play

Original Post: GTalk gets replaced by the all new Google+ Hangouts

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When it comes to hardware, supported by both AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks, the Galaxy S4 sports all the high end juice which is currently present in its Non-Stock Android sibling that includes either the Quad or Octa Core Processors, 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 13MP Camera and plenty more. One important thing to be noted here is the fact that the Galaxy S4 would only be available directly from the Google Play Store for $649 and would be made available starting June 26th.

Samsung further added that the Galaxy S4 Google Edition would be receiving updates directly from Google as soon as they have been released which is good news for Galaxy owners who usually had to wait for days or even months for their respective carriers to roll out the updates but that’s not the case with this variant of the Galaxy S4. We seem to like the idea of using Samsung’s flagship device in the purest Android form which gives it a little Nexus feel to it as well. What’s your take on the new device and which one would you opt for? Do share in your thoughts with us.

Original Post: Samsung Announce The Galaxy S4 Google Edition Running on Stock Android at Google I/O

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The 888poker Android app has stirred up huge amounts of excitement in the mobile poker arena!  The Android poker app provides players with a selection of top poker games.  You can now enjoy high quality poker on your Android smartphone or tablet no matter where you are!  This app was modeled after the world-renowned 888poker desktop platform but it has been restructured so mobile players will get the best quality poker gaming possible.  Players now have their favourite poker games at their fingertips with the innovative 888poker Android app!

The Ultimate Mobile Poker Gaming Experience

The exciting 888Poker Mobile app has been designed to be simple but elegant so that players can join and play poker games in a matter of seconds.  While the limits of mobile gaming technology and the size of mobile devices restricts the features that can be added to this app, in the future 888poker will likely update this app to include additional options and features.  As of now, note taking on opponents, hand re-plays; player searches and multi-table poker games are not available.

Compared to the 888poker desktop platform, the Android poker app has fewer features in order to provide better functionality.  However, 888poker players will still enjoy the revolutionary bet sider which easily enables players to change their bet size as well as large buttons for easy-to-enjoy poker play.

The Android App Download is Quick & Easy

New players will want to create an 888poker account on their personal computer before playing on their Android powered smartphone or tablet.  888poker banking is conducted in a 100% safe and secure environment and players have their choice of convenient payment options.  An 888poker account can be created by completing a simple registration form with an email address, password and home address.  In addition, it is recommended that players place deposits using their PC.  The 888poker mobile app has a Cashier Button which can be used to select various currency, deposit and withdrawal options.

Once the registration of an 888poker account is complete, the Android poker app can be downloaded onto a mobile device by following the links for app downloads.  This app can be accessed and downloaded from the 888poker site directly rather than the Android market.  Players should check that their Android device is able to accept the download of non-market apps. This ensures that the installation is done correctly and no difficulties are encountered during the download.

Players need to follow these steps to download the Android poker app: Select ‘Settings’, ‘Applications’ and ‘Enable Unknown Sources’.  The download should be completed in a relatively quick time as the app is only 10 MB.  Once the download is finished, players need to select 888poker.apk to install the app onto their mobile device.  When the installation is done, players can log in using the password/username combination used during the registration process.

If you experience any issues while downloading or installing the Android poker app, you may want to verify that you have a Flash Player. It is likely that older Android tablets and smartphones may not support this software.  For any comments, concerns or questions please send an email to pokermobile@888poker.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

New Players Benefits from 888poker

New players can easily create a free 888poker account in order to enjoy games with the Android poker app.  New players will also receive a FREE $8 bonus just for registering!  Once registration is complete, you can download and install the Android app onto your mobile device, tablet or smartphone.

Enjoy a Wide Range of Bonuses and Promotions at 888poker

Players will have a great deal of flexibility with the 888poker Android app.  New players at 888poker will also be eligible for the new player Welcome Bonus.  This bonus provides players with a 100% First Deposit bonus up to $400.  That is plenty of cash to substantially boost your bankroll and it can be used to experience lots of exciting games on your Android smartphone.  Don’t miss out on the generous promotions and mobile poker games with the 888poker mobile app!

888poker Mobile App Tips:

• Be sure to verify that your mobile device has a Flash Player or supports Flash Player so the app can be properly downloaded and installed
• Go to Settings, Applications and Unknown Sources to enable non-market app downloads
• Create an 888poker account for free
• Fill out a short registration form located on the Lobby Login screen
• No download games are available by registering for Instant Play
• Collect the Free $8 Sign-Up Bonus (Terms and Conditions Apply)
• Use the QR code provided on this page and visit 888poker.com/androidapp to download the Android poker app
• For a PC download, click here after registration is complete
• When the Android poker app download is done, select 888poker.apk to install
• Upon the completion of your registration, click here for PC download
• Login to the 888poker mobile app using the password and username created during your account registration

Original Post: The All-Exciting Android Poker App from 888poker Goes Live

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For those who have long been using Blackberry’s had the one distinguishing thing that was not available with any other smartphone and that was its integrated Blackberry Messenger or BBM as its most commonly known as. The service allows Blackberry users to interact with each other no matter where the other person is located anywhere in the world and is one of the stand out features for which a Blackberry is still renowned but for how long that is the main question ? With rival operating systems such as Android, Windows Phone and iOS on a continue rise, it seems fit for the company to now expand the reach of its favorite messaging client among other platforms as well and that is exactly what the company did just recently.

At a recently held event, Blackberry officially announced that the flagship messaging service app BBM for multiple platforms that include Android and iOS would be made available to all users come this summer. The app will be fully featured, with key ingredients like group messaging and screen sharing all coming to the rival platforms. The service is expected to launch this summer, and will be free for anyone to download. While other group messaging platforms are gaining recognition on Android and Google planning to launch its own refined communication service sometime soon you may wonder whether or not there is a need for Blackberry Messenger anymore. It was also stated that the third party app version of BBM will eventually be upgraded to support multi-person chats, voice note sharing and BlackBerry Groups, video calls, Screenshare and other channels.

What needs to be seen now is whether the BBM app would be able to go head to head with the current front running apps such as Whatsapp, Viber, Tango and Skype. Blackberry enthusiasts who are addicted to their BBM’s all day would like this new additional feature through which they can now be able to easily interact with friends and loved ones even if they are not using an actual Blackberry. The Blackberry app would be available on the Google Play Store this summer for free.

Original Post: Blackberry Messenger Arriving on Android and iOS This Summer

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Original Post: Google I/O 2013 Live Streaming Link

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Nokia today at a Press Conference introduced the new Nokia Lumia 925 which is the successor to Nokia’s current award-winning flagship device, the Nokia Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design and showcases the latest PureView camera innovation, along with new features and a wide range of third party applications coming exclusively to the Nokia Lumia Series. One of the standout features of the new device is the aforementioned PureView lens that includes the most advanced lens technology and next generation imaging software to capture clearer, sharper pictures and video, including the best low light images (a Nokia specialty for which even the Lumia 920 is greatly admired).

Another talking point about Nokia’s new flagship smartphone is its metal body which is the first of its kind adapted by the Finnish tech giants making the Lumia 925 the first device sporting a full aluminum feel and look to it and also making it more robust for everyday use. When the phone is flipped around, we can see a polycarbonate back casing that comes in white, grey or black. A wireless charging cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia’s extensive wireless charging accessories and ecosystem. Covers, sold separately, come in white, black, yellow, and red.Nokia have also stated that from now onward, most of its flagship devices would come enclosed in a metallic body somewhat similar to the Lumia 925.

Coming back to the focal characteristic of the The Lumia 925, the camera, which introduces an entirely new Nokia Smart Camera mode, (stated to come as an update to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones in the nearfuture). The Nokia Smart Camera feature offers an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image. Nokia also announced Hipstamatic’s new app titled Oggl which allows people to take and share high quality pictures with like-minded creators and photography enthusiasts from around the world.

Picture Taken In Daylight

Picture Taken At Night In Low Light Conditions

In addition to sharing photos on Oggl, users can simultaneously share photos on social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, Flickr and Instagram. The device also has full support for Nokia’s other leading services that include the “HERE” suite of integrated location and navigation services and “Nokia Music” for unlimited streaming of free music playlists. Speaking at the event, Mr. Jo Harlow, Vice President of Nokia Smart Devices had this to say regarding the new product;

“We keep innovating. “We’re advancing experiences on the Nokia Lumia portfolio whether that means great new benefits for an existing Lumia owner, or bringing new showcase devices like the Nokia Lumia 925.”

Also present at the event were Mr. Patrick Chomet, group director of Terminals at Vodafone and Mr. Terry Myerson, corporate Vice President, Microsoft Windows Phone Division who also shared their thoughts on the new device;

“The new Nokia Lumia 925 is a sleek and sophisticated smartphone delivering great performance and outstanding imaging. We look forward to offering the Nokia Lumia 925 across our markets on Vodafone Red, as well as other tariffs, enabling customers to make the most of their new smartphone on Vodafone’s fast and reliable network. Vodafone customers will also have exclusive access to a 32GB version of the Nokia Lumia 925, giving them even more capacity to store all their content for personal and business use.”

“Together with Nokia, we continue to change the way people think about smartphone cameras. The work Nokia has done with the Lumia 925 further enhances the imaging capabilities of the Lumia smartphones.”

Pricing and availability of the device would vary from region to region depending on the carriers and their respective tariff’s. but the company did mention that the Nokia Lumia 925 will be priced around 469 EUR before taxes and subsidies and as mentioned earlier, the country-specific pricing and availability will be announced locally.

Specifications at a Glance

Operating system: Windows Phone 8

Display:  4.5″ AMOLED WXGA (1280×768), 2.25 D sculpted Gorilla 2 Glass, ClearBlack, High Brightness Mode, Sunlight Readability, Super Sensitive Touch for glove and nail usage

Battery: 2000 mAh battery, Wireless Charging supported via an accessory cover

Processor: 1.5 GHz Dual-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4

Main camera : PureView 8.7 MP with Optical Image Stabilization, Autofocus, short pulse high power dual LED flash, most advanced lens technology, 1080p HD video at 30fps with Optical Image Stabilization. Includes Nokia Smart Camera mode.

Front facing camera: 1.2 MP wide angle

Memory: 1GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory; 7 GB free SkyDrive cloud storage

Original Post: Nokia Unveils The Lumia 925 With Full Metal Body and PureView Camera Lens

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With Google I/O just around the corner, we got a chance to nick in a few juicy insights from none other than the CEO of Android himself, Mr. Sundar Pichai who did manage to give a few teasers as to exactly what we might expect to get from the three day mega event scheduled to be held from May 15th-17th in San Francisco. Speaking to the IT based magazine “Wired”, here is what Mr. Pichai had to say;

• On the relationship between Chrome and Android: “Android and Chrome are both large, open platforms, growing very fast. I think that they will play a strong role, not merely exist. I see this as part of friendly innovation and choice for both users and developers.”

• On Facebook Home: “It’s exciting that Facebook thought of Android first in this case. Android was intended to be very customizable. And we welcome innovations. As for the specific product, my personal take on it is that time will tell.

• On Samsung’s Android dominance: “The relationship is very strong on a day-to-day basis and on a tactical basis. So I’m not that concerned. Historically the industry has had long stable structures. Look at Microsoft and Intel. They were very codependent on one another, but it served both of them well

• On future Nexus hardware: “You will see a continuation of what we have tried to do with Nexus and Chromebooks. Any hardware projects we do will be to push the ecosystem forward.”

• On slow Android updates: “We are thinking about how to make Android handle updates better. We see ways we can do this. It’s early days. We’re talking with our partners and working our way through it. We need time to figure out the mechanics, but it’s definitely an area of focus for me and for the team.”

• On what to expect from I/O this year: “Both on Android and Chrome, we’re going to focus this I/O on all of the kinds of things we’re doing for developers, so that they can write better things. We will show how Google services are doing amazing things on top of these two platforms.”

Google I/O is indeed shaping out to be an exciting proposition not just for developers but for all Android enthusiasts. Stick around for more updates and insights into everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite Google products as we get ready for the big event commencing this Wednesday.

Original Post: Android CEO Shares His Thoughts On Upcoming Google I/O, 2013

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Here’s some good news for all you Google Drive fans. Google as of today has started offering 15GB of unprecedented online storage to all its existing Google Drive user’s. What the company has actually done in reality is that instead of allocating the 10GB (that is currently being offered) for Gmail and 5GB that was initially kept reserved for the Google Drive or Google+ instant upload is now being combined into a unified 15GB cloud storage in the sky.

The update also adds an all new “Drive Storage” Page that helps user’s keep track of their total storage utilization and for those of you who feel that 15GB is a little less, you always have the option to switch over to the Premium Storage offered by Google which includes 100GB of cloud storage for $4.99/month and 200GB for a reasonable $9.99/month. Google have said that the update for Google Drive along with the new storage credentials would start rolling out within a few weeks. In the mean time you can start planning out  exactly how you are going to be utilizing the extended storage capacity ?

Original Post: Google Starts Offering 15GB of Free Cloud Storage

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