Galaxy Android

Android 5.0 Lollipop has a battery-draining bug on some handsets

Google's Trevor Johns wrote in an update on November 6 that the battery-draining issue in Android Lollipop on Nexus 5 phones has been resolved.

Hopefully now Android 5.0 will roll out to more users on the Nexus 5 and other older Google flagships, and when it does it should actually improve your battery life, not make it worse.

Original story follows…

Google said last month that Android 5.0 Lollipop would arrive on the Nexus 5 and other devices "in the coming weeks," but so far three have come and gone without the update arriving.

Now Phandroid speculates that the Lollipop delay on those handsets might be thanks to a battery-draining bug that's been reported on Google's issue tracker.

The glitch is causing the Nexus 5's battery to drain more quickly than it should when wi-fi is activated in the OS's developer preview version.

There's no specific evidence that the issue is causing a delay in Lollipop's rollout, but Google employees have at least acknowledged it.

Well that's something

"Android Engineering is aware of an issue affecting Nexus 5 users running Android 5.0 which causes significant 'Miscellaneous' battery usage while WiFi is enabled," Google Android Open Source Project Senior Developer Programs Engineer Trevor Johns wrote in a thread about the bug.

"This appears to be caused by an abnormally high number of IRQ wakeup events," he added. "We are continuing to investigate this issue."

Users who haven't yet received the Lollipop upgrade they're waiting for may be frustrated with the delay, but in the end it's better for Google to make sure they're not making Android phones and tablets worse with new updates.

Sony Xperia Z Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM

Since the Android 5.0 Lollipop has been released to AOSP more and more XDA Developers have started to port it for various smartphones. This time, the original Xperia Z variant has received its own Android 5.0 ROM port after the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones, or theNexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets.

This new Android 5.0 Lollipop build has been developed by XDA member and developer “thomas1991_12″. This port is in no way a stable build, so you consider installing at your own risk and use it only for testing purposes. So, you should install it on your Sony Xperia Z device only if it is your second Android device, as the Android 5.0 AOSP custom ROM cannot be used on a daily basis.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop port for Xperia Z device has the following bugs: camera not working, RIL (calls and data) not working and the ‘gapps’ file is still non-existent. Screen, touch, Audio, Wi-Fi and Vibrator are fully functional. Since the most important parts of this ROM aren’t working it might be best for you to wait until a better Android 5.0 custom ROM is released for your Xperia Z device. Install this new ROM by following the info listed in the XDA thread here.

Keep going to XDA in the following weeks, as there you will soon find fully functional ports of Android 5.0 Lollipop to install on your Xperia Z device. Note that the Android 5.0 Lollipop official update might not arrive for the Xperia Z device, which is why you might want to turn your attention towards the custom ROM Developers community.

If you’re going to test this Android 5.0 Port ROM on your Xperia Z, then you should tell us in comments which bugs you’ve found and what things have impressed you the most in this new custom OS. Also, note that you should install the ROM only if you’re an advanced Android user who knows his way around a custom Recovery and how to use ‘fastboot’ commands.

Samsung Galaxy A5 firmware is now available for download

Galaxy-A5-Midnight-Black-Feature-190-140

The new metal-clad smartphone offerings from Samsung, the Galaxy A3 and theGalaxy A5, were announced last week and they are expected to be available in select markets starting this month. Looks like Samsung is making necessary preparations for their launch as the first official firmware for the Galaxy A5 is now available online for download. Right now, there’s no information on its build date or the country that it is intended for, but the firmware for the Galaxy A5 (SM-A5000), which is based on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), can now be downloaded from our firmware section. In the coming weeks, you can expect firmwares for more regions around the world to appear online, giving early enthusiasts an access to things like wallpapers, ringtones, system apps, and other things from the Galaxy A5. You can download the first official Galaxy A5 firmware from here.

Firmware details:

Model: SM-A5000
Model name: Unknown
Country: Unknown
Version: Android 4.4.4
Changelist: N/A
Build date: N/A
Product Code: CHC
PDA: A5000ZCU1ANJ2
CSC: A5000CHC1ANJ2
MODEM: A5000ZCU1ANJ2

Just to remind you, firmwares of other Samsung devices can also be downloaded from our firmware sec

Samsung Gear S now available for purchase in the US

Samsung first SIM-equipped smartwatch, the Gear S, is now available for purchase in the US. AT&T is offering this Tizen-based smartwatch in two colours; black and white, for $199.99 on a 2-year contract, or for $299 on a no-contract basis. Interested ones can pick up the Gear S (only in black colour) from Sprint without any downpayment, though they’ll have to pay $16 for 24 months. It will also be available from T-Mobile and Verizon soon. The Gear S is also available for purchase in the UK starting today.

Features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, A-GPS, and a 300 mAh battery, the Gear S can fully function even without being paired to a smartphone. It is IP67-certified, and is also equipped with heart-rate monitor and a UV sensor.

Source 1, Source 2, and Source 3

Samsung to bring the Galaxy Note Edge to Germany

Right from the start, Samsung had made it very clear that the Galaxy Note Edge would be a ‘limited edition concept device’. Probably Samsung didn’t have plans to launch it in Germany, but due to popular demand, Samsung announced that it would bring the device to the country if 120,210 Germans voted for it through their Facebook campaign. Well, it turns out that more than 130,000 interested users from Germany voted for it within four days, so Samsung has announced that a premium version of the device would be available for purchase starting late November. The sale would last till December 31, though there is no official information regarding its pricing. It isn’t clear what Samsung meant by a ‘premium’ variant of the Galaxy Note Edge, but it is confirmed that it would be available in Charcoal Black and Frost White colours. Apparently, Samsung is planning to sell the ‘normal’ version of the Note Edge in Germany starting early 2015.

Samsung has already announced the Galaxy Note Edge for US, Japan, and South Korean markets. Users of the Note Edge are also entitled to receive a plethora of premium content such as 50GB of Dropbox storage for two years and a 6-month subscription to The Wall Street Journal for free under the ‘Galaxy Gifts Package’ scheme.

Via | Source