As we’d previously heard, Google’s event — where it’s expected to unveil the upcoming Nexuses (Nexii?) — will take place in San Francisco on September 29th. Doors will open at 8am, with the event due to kick off at 9am and followed by hands-on time with the new devices…

As part of the presentation, Google is expected to take the wraps off two new Nexus smartphones. One made by LG and the other, larger model, manufactured by Huawei. Recent rumors suggested they’ll be called the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P respectively. Although different sizes and specifications, they’ll likely both feature USB Type-C connectors and fingerprint sensors. What’s more, they’ll be the first phones on the market to run stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

As well as those, 9to5Google exclusively heard that the company is working on a some new Chromecast devices with revamped software, and a “Fast Play” feature. Chromecast Audio, code-named ‘Hendrix’ will likely join the new Chromecast as an audio-specific product, enabling users to have multi-room audio without spending a fortune on Sonos systems. You’ll be able to plug it in to any audio device that accepts a 3.5mm jack, and stream musically directly to it.

Although we have a good idea of specs and features for most of Google’s upcoming hardware announcements, we’re still eager to hear when they all go on sale and for how much. Thankfully, we know we don’t have long to wait now.

For more information about Android, Google, and Android continue reading at 9to5Google.

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Google has updated the Android Pay website to indicate to support for Citi cards has finally arrived, leaving Capital One as the last card issuer still on the “coming soon” list. Users should be able to add their Citibank-issued cards to their phones and use them for payments immediately.

This brings the list of supported banks and card issuers to 12, including MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Discover. The number of stores accepting Android Pay numbers in the thousands.

For more information about Android, android pay, and American Express continue reading at 9to5Google.

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can't miss deals:

Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked 32GB: $300 shipped (Orig. $650)

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32 GB (factory unlocked): $550 shipped (Reg. $1,000) | Amazon

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear smartwatch: $279 shipped (Reg. $350) | AT&T

Samsung SM-G900A Galaxy S5 16 GB 4G LTE unlocked: $300 shipped (Reg. $500) | eBay

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked new 32 GB: $250 shipped (Reg. $450) | eBay

AirPrint All-in-One Inkjet Printers: Brother $45 shipped (Reg. $90), HP $70 shipped (Reg. $100)

Samsung 1080p Smart LED HDTV 50-inch $500 (Orig. $750)

Review: Tile's 2nd-gen Bluetooth tracker makes finding lost keys, dog, or iPhone easier than ever

Giveaway: Schoolhouse Electric makes the clock cool again, $290 value

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: SanDisk 64GB Flash Drive $15, Logitech K410 Wireless Keyboard $20, more

• USB Deals: RAVPower 16000mAh $25, Kmashi Bluetooth Speaker w/ 4800mAh $22, more
• Rolo Travel Bag: $45 Shipped (Orig. $60, CA Tax Only)
• Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Sport Headphones $70 shipped (Orig. $130), more
• Amazon Gold Box– Ooma Telo Air VoIP Phone w/ Bluetooth Adapter $90 shipped (Orig. $180)

More deals still alive:

Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drives: WD My Passport Ultra 3TB $125 (Orig. $200), Samsung 2TB $70 (Reg. $80)

• Toys R Us Clearance Event Up to 70% off: Star Wars Command Epic Assault Set $7 (Orig. $20), more
• Home: Waring Belgian Waffle Maker (refurb) $60 (Orig. $100), Wet/Dry Shop-Vac $90 (Orig. $140), more
• Logitech Type+ Folio Case with Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad Air: $35 shipped (Reg. $100)
• Bluetooth Headphones: Mpow Sport $21 (Reg. $28),
• Amazon intros new $50 7-inch Kindle Fire and 8/10-inch Kindle Fire HD plus 4K Fire TV
• Aukey 13.3-inch Macbook Carrying Bag and Sleeve Case Cover $6.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $13)
• Apple is handing out free downloads of Super Hexagon for iPhone and iPad ($3 value)
• Bluetooth Speakers: Bose SoundLink Mini $159 (Orig. $200), Sony SRSX3 $60 (Orig. $140)
• 10-ft MFI Apple-Certified Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $11 Prime shipped (Reg. $17), more
• Bike Accessories w/ Prime shipping: KingTop Aluminum Pump $20, 1byone Mount $16
• USB chargers w/ Prime shipping: Aukey Dual Car Charger $6, 3200mAh power bank $6, more
• Cyber Acoustics 30W Powered Computer Speakers w/ Subwoofer: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)
• Belkin WeMo iOS connected LED Lighting Starter Kit + extra bulb: $40 shipped ($75 value)
• proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription $39 ($375 value)
• Pandora One: 6-Month Subscription $24 (Reg. $30)
• Samsung 850 Pro 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $400 shipped (Reg. $470)
• Buy D-Link IP Surveillance Camera, get a free Smart Plug: $70 shipped (~$115 value)
• $25 Amazon credit w/ 12-mo Adob Creative Cloud Photography Plan: $120 ($145 value)
• NERF Buy 2 Get 1 Free: N-Strike, Mega Series and Modulus Blasters, more
• Google Play offers free downloads of Sia's 1000 Forms Of Fear album ($10 value)

New products & more:

iRobot takes its new Roomba 980 vacuum to the cloud with Wi-Fi connectivity and remote management

Timex combines its analog heritage with fitness tracking on the new Metropolitan+

• Dark Souls III North American release date revealed + early access details & new gameplay footage
• This Star Wars Battlefront Deluxe bundle includes a working Han Solo mini fridge
• Explore the depths of the ocean with the new Trident submersible drone
• Wilson's X Connected Basketball is a simple shot tracking solution
• Mophie goes slender with its new iPhone 6 battery case, details new external power packs
• Logitech aims to take over your whole home with its new Harmony Elite remote
• Amazon adds 3 valuable benefits to Prime including free Washington Post access
• Sony takes the wraps off a new gold DualShock controller (and other colors too)
• Devon and Nixon reveal new luxury Dark Side-inspired Star Wars watches
• Kickstarter veteran launches new HiddenHUB smart omnidirectional whole home audio system
• The new Westinghouse Nucli combines a deadbolt, door bell and FaceTime
• Review: Monoprice's new action camera is loaded with value for a fraction of GoPro's price tag
• The new Bluetooth Seaboard Rise looks to modernize the typical MIDI controller like never before

For more news on Google, Android, and Tech Industry continue reading at 9to5Google.

What do you think? Discuss "9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6 (unlocked) $300, Galaxy S6 Edge (unlocked) $550, more" with our community.

We told you earlier today about the 2nd generation Chromecast, scheduled to be launched later this month. We also mentioned that Google is planning to launch something called “Chromecast Audio,” although details were unclear until now. Thanks to several sources familiar with Google’s plans, 9to5Google has learned that Chromecast Audio is indeed a second Chromecast device targeted specifically at WiFi-enabling the speakers in your home, launching alongside the 2nd generation device…

Chromecast Audio

Not to be confused with Google Cast for Audio, which is Google's platform for making speakers and other audio hardware directly compatible with the Chromecast,  "Chromecast Audio” is a second Chromecast scheduled to be made official at Google’s September 29th event alongside many other announcements.

Sources have also informed us that the device goes by the codename “Hendrix,” which makes sense given it being audio and music-focused.

As seen in the image we published earlier today, this device can plug directly into any speaker by way of 3.5 mm headphone cable, and it appears Google might plan to include one with the device.

This device will, according to the documents and sources, have multi-room support, which could mean that several devices could power multiple speakers outputting the same audio at the same time. Additionally, the device is said to have the ability to mirror the audio coming from your Chrome browser or an Android phone. Google brags that the device will feature "high-quality" audio, and that Spotify will indeed support it.

For those who think the concept sounds familiar: It does. Motorola introduced a device last summer called Motorola Stream that does mostly the same thing.

Check out 9to5Google for more breaking coverage of Chrome/OS, Chrome, and chromecast.

What do you think? Discuss "Exclusive: Chromecast Audio, codenamed ‘Hendrix,’ is a separate device & made to WiFi-enable your speakers" with our community.

With the increasing frequency of high quality leaks, the Android-powered BlackBerry Venice is seemingly becoming closer to reality every day. The QWERTY-equipped portrait slider marks the first time BlackBerry has opted for an operating system other than its own, a move which would have seemed unbelievable just 5-6 years ago. A new video has been uploaded by Baka Mobile on YouTube and shows a relatively in-depth look at the hardware and software.

Like the BlackBerry Passport, the physical keyboard has built in touch-sensitivity, so you can use the entire keypad as a touchpad for scrolling through pages, lists and apps. What’s more, the software is clearly Android, although skinned with BlackBerry’s own custom software and (presumably) protected using the company’s well-renowned security tools. We’re likely to see the use of BlackBerry’s touch-sensitive bezels too, and some form of BlackBerry Hub to collate notifications as well as BlackBerry Assistant, the company’s answer to Google Now and Siri.

This isn’t the first Android-based BlackBerry to leak in recent months. Just a couple of weeks ago we also got our first look at a BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition running a version of Android which looks identical to the UI shown in the Venice leak.

Continue reading more about Android, Android, and smartphones at 9to5Google.

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Information given to Droid-Life by one of its sources claims that the names chosen for the upcoming pure Android phones will be ‘Nexus 5X’ and ‘Nexus 6P’. The first of those is a name we’ve heard before. It was rumored recently that this is the name picked out for the LG-made Nexus smartphone. Nexus 6P is new to us however, and is purportedly the moniker chosen for Huawei’s larger Nexus. Although naming plans could change between now and launch, the site claims this is unlikely since the announcement is expected before the end of this month…

Rumors of two new Nexus phones have been doing the rounds for some time now. One is expected to be made by LG, while the other is manufactured in partnership with Huawei. If rumors so far have been true, we’ll see two sizes of Nexus in a single year for the first time. As the supposed names suggest, LG’s screen will be closer to 5-inches, while the Huawei’s display size comes close to 6-inches (5.7-inch, most likely). Both devices are expected to share some features, while hardware design will be distinct. Both will likely have USB Type-C, as well as a fingerprint sensor on the back to take advantage of Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s built-in fingerprint recognition tools. With Google’s major push in to mobile payments, NFC is surely a nailed-on cert too.

It will be interesting to see which route Google takes this year in regards to pricing. Huawei’s latest handsets haven’t been particularly budget-friendly, while LG’s last Nexus was incredibly good value for money. Speculation suggests the 5X could be priced at the $400-mark, similar to the current Moto X Pure. Let’s not forget last year’s Nexus 6 was one of the most expensive smartphones on the market when launched. Thankfully now you can pick one up for just $349 online which is, quite frankly, a steal.

Check out 9to5Google for more breaking coverage of Android, Google, and Android.

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Seth and I both got our hands on a couple new Android Wear devices today, and while you should definitely keep an eye out for our full reviews shortly, we thought we would post a couple quick unboxings. We have both the new Moto 360 (2nd generation) as well as the long-awaited Huawei Watch in-hand, and you can check out our videos below…

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For more information about Android, Android Wear, and Video continue reading at 9to5Google.

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Apple caused something of a stir when it launched its first app for Android. ‘Move to iOS’ is an app designed to help us poor users stuck in the ‘toxic hellstew’ (in their view) that is Google’s mobile operating system. Hilariously, most Android users who noticed the app shared their feelings clearly in the Google Play Store ratings, with thousands of users giving it a 1-star review. They may perhaps have been kinder if Apple had released software on Android before, but the fact that this is the company’s first was the salt in the wound.

One developer had the perfect response to Apple’s app. Jonotthias launched an app called ‘Stick with Android’, which does exactly what you expect it to. Except it doesn’t do anything as such, apart from making you feel totally awesome for not switching to the dark side. Upon launching, you get a green screen with an icon telling you ‘click here to stick with Android’, tap it and you’ve successfully stuck with Android. Tap it again, and you’re still with Android. Unsurprisingly, early reviewers enjoyed the app very much. It’s available to download from the Play Store for free and is — unsurprisingly — compatible with every Android device running 4.0.3 or later.

Visit 9to5Google to find more special coverage of Android, Google, and Android.

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Since the rise of science fiction movies, we’ve dreamed of being able to communicate to people through our wrists. In almost every case of wrist-worn gadgetry, fictional or real, that dream is met by voice dictation, or video calling. We don’t get excited by the prospect of typing in long messages to people using a tiny onscreen keyboard. Despite several attempts by tech companies in the past, it just hasn’t caught on. So it’s a little baffling when a company decides to release an app for smartwatches with the keyboard as its primary input method. I went hands on with Messages for Android Wear to find out if it was any good…

Messages for Android Wear is a free download from the Google Play Store and is compatible with virtually every Android Wear smartwatch. It has in-app purchases to enable features like configurable signatures, pre-defined texts and adjustable vibration feedback, but is a pretty feature rich app even as a free download. Users can view hyperlinks and emoji, view conversations as traditional threads, view contacts and it even has Hangouts support.

Unlike most onscreen watch keyboards, Messages for Android doesn’t try to cram them all in to one screen. Credit has to go to the developers for that, but it still isn’t an entirely stress-free or easy experience. Because it doesn’t display all the letters on one screen you’re forced to swipe from left to write hunting for letters. There is predictive texting which, sadly, isn’t aware of context and doesn’t appear to learn your habits. This means, like predictive texting on mobile phones of old, it only shows suggestions based on the letters you’ve typed, regardless of the context within the sentence. Woe betide anyone who’s keen on proper punctuation and use of upper and lower case letters. You can use them, but finding them means cycling through keyboards, and swiping some more to find your desired character.

It may not be as hard to hit an individual letter as it might be on a ‘traditional’ onscreen watch keyboard, but it’s just as frustrating. In the end I found that the most reliable way to respond to, or write messages, was to use voice detection. It was quicker and easier. More importantly, it didn’t leave me wanting to blast my Moto 360 in to oblivion. Sadly then, the only reason for buying the app is also the reason you probably shouldn’t.

Still, early reviews on the Google Play Store have generally been quite positive, so there’s always a chance this is just me being old and grumpy. It’s a free download, and won’t cost you anything (except maybe your sanity) to try it out for yourself, and see if you like it.

Continue reading more about Android, Apps and Updates, and Android Wear at 9to5Google.

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As we told you yesterday, Google is preparing several big Chromecast announcements for its September event later this month. According to the internal documents that 9to5Google has obtained, the company is planning to launch not only brand new Chromecast hardware and Spotify support, but an updated companion app for the streaming device as well. The new app seems to build on the previous, packing suggested content features, a new design, and more…

Based on the documents we’ve obtained, the app has at least a few notable additions over the current version (which is definitely very bare-bones in terms of features). First, there appears to be a section referred to as “What’s On,” which allows you to browse content offered through various Chromecast-supported apps. At least based on the screenshots and documents we’ve seen, the app will show you different movies, videos, and other content from within the apps you have installed on your device.

On top of suggesting actual content, the app also seems to have a screen that shows you which Chromecast apps you have installed and suggests Chromecast-supported apps available on the Play Store. The current version of the app also has a “Discover apps,” tab, but it redirects to a page within the Play Store app. The new app seems to serve as more of an intelligent hub to all the Chromecast-castable content found within your apps.

Finally, as you can tell in the admittedly blurry images to the right, the app is getting a new user interface. While it might still have the sidebar found in the current version, there also seems to be a section with tabbed navigation like that which can be found in the Play Store app.

According to the documents we’ve seen, this new app, alongside the new Chromecast hardware, will be made official at Google’s rumored September 29th event. That event will also see the introduction of Spotify support for the Chromecast, and is rumored to be the day Google will unveil the upcoming generation of Nexus smartphones— one from LG, and another from Huawei — as well.

Tom Maxwell contributed to this report.

Check out 9to5Google for more breaking coverage of Android, Apps and Updates, and update.

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If you want to connect your smartphone to external health kit like blood sugar monitors, Samsung’s S Health app offers more options than Google Fit– but was, until recently, limited to selected Galaxy devices running Android 5.0 and later.

Samsung is today making the app available to non-Samsung phones. It’s compatible with any Android device running Android KitKat or later. The app is a free download from Google Play. If it’s not yet available in your region, check again later in the day.

If you’re wondering about this apparent generosity on Samsung’s part, it’s likely to allow owners of non-Samsung smartphones – including the new Gear S2, hitting the U.S. next month– to use its smartwatches.

The company yesterday hinted that its mobile wallet service Samsung Pay would “gradually expand” to non-flagship Samsung phones.

Via Android Central

For more news on Google Corporate continue reading at 9to5Google.

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Following T-Mobile’s announcement yesterday that it has expanded its Simple Global program, which provide inclusive data and texts while travelling, Sprint has made a similar move with its Open World plan, adding an additional 33 destinations.

Sprint now offers free calls and texts, plus 1GB of free data, in 14 countries. A further 50 countries get free texts, calls for $0.20 per minute and data for $30/GB … 

The new Sprint Open World destinations include France, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Fiji, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, St. Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vanuatu.

A full list can be found on Sprint’s Open World webpage.

The free calls, texts and 1GB data deal applies to Mexico, Canada and 12 Latin American countries.

Photo: David Eulitt/Kansas City Star

For more news on Android, Sprint, and Roaming continue reading at 9to5Google.

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Google Spain took to its official Twitter handle to announce the news we’ve been waiting on for some time: Android One has finally landed in Europe. Having seen a rollout in several Asian and African countries, this marks the first time we’ve seen Google’s budget-friendly stock Android effort within the EU. The first European Android One handset is the BQ Aquaris A4.5, which is available to buy now direct from BQ in Spain and Portugal…

BQ’s Aquaris A4.5, as the name suggests, sports a 4.5-inch display. Specifically, it’s a 540 x 960 resolution IPS multitouch display with a pixel density of 245ppi and covered by Dragontrail glass. Powering the device is a MediaTek quad-core 1GHz processor, paired with 1GB RAM and 16GB internal storage (10.5GB available to user). It’s also equipped with a 2,470mAh battery, dual micro SIM card slots and MicroSD card support up to 64GB. It has stock Android 5.1.1, 4G LTE and an 8MP rear camera to boot. In Spain, the device will set you back €169.90, while it costs €10 more in Portugal.

Android One is Google’s effort at making sure customers can get the best Android experience possible, without paying flagship prices. The company works mostly with lesser-known brands and has seen mixed results in the markets that it’s currently available. Unlike other budget Android smartphones, Android One devices will get OS updates as soon as they’re available and they don’t have any customer OEM software on top. All that means you have the latest software, and don’t have to suffer with performance-draining bloatware and third-party skins.

It’ll be interesting to see where else in Europe gets Android One devices. So far, Google has focussed on developing markets like Thailand, Pakistan and some North African countries.

Check out 9to5Google for more breaking coverage of Android, Google, and Android.

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