Category: Android Tablet

Earlier this week Google released the Pixel C, their latest-and-greatest Android tablet, into the Google Store and now you can download the factory image of Android 6.0.1 for it.  The code name for the unit is Ryu and the latest build for the tablet is 6.0.1 (MXB48K).  Given that the Pixel C is a Wi-Fi only tablet, we likely won’t see a lot of variations on the factory images going forward which will make it easy for those who want to flash them to the device.

For those who aren’t familiar, factory images are full builds of Android for the various Google Nexus and Pixel devices.  Aimed mostly at the developer community, anyone can flash their device with the latest factory image if they want to regress to a previous version or want to always have the latest version of Android on their device without waiting for the carrier or Google to send out the over-the-air (OTA) update.  To use a factory image, your bootloader must be unlocked and you can find the full instructions on the Factory Images site.

Google has finally released the Pixel C, their latest Android tablet meets laptop replacement device, to the Google Play Store.  The Pixel C was announced at the Android Marshmallow and Nexus event a few months ago and it has only been a matter of when the Mountain View company would release it.  That wait has ended today with the 32GB unit starting out a $499 while the 64Gb until will start at $599.

Like Apple with the iPad Pro, Google is trying to develop an answer for the Microsoft Surface which this past month out sold the iPad lineup.  Google’s focus with the Pixel C is like the iPad Pro which is to bring laptop-like functionality in an easy-to-use and highly available device.  While it will remain to be seen if the 10.2″ display device will meet the need, many Android users and fans have been waiting for its release.

Wednesday if you caught up on the site I posted that there is a new version of Chrome for Android that has been released.  You can read that post for some of the nitty-gritty but it is mostly aimed at security fixes, performance enhancements and other under-the-hood updates.  There was however one new feature and it is one that I suspect a lot of readers will appreciate.  The bookmarks and recent history tabs have moved out of the menu and onto the main screen when you start the app.

Previously, when you want to open up your bookmarks or you want to find a site you had visited in your history, you had to use the menu in the upper right corner of the display.  It was a bit of a pain honestly as it put you a step removed from quickly being able to access them.  The Chrome team apparently felt the same way.  In this update they have both moved to the bottom of the screen so you can access either with just one tap.

Chrome for Android – Free – Download Now

As a Nexus 6 user, I have enjoyed using Google Contacts for managing my contacts and Google Phone as my dialer since Day 1.  These are, after all, the default apps that come on Nexus phones as well as several others.  Now everyone can uses these apps if they chose as the company has rolled them out as standalone apps in the Google Play Store.   I would say that this has been a long time coming.

Google began rolling out standalone versions of many of their apps at the beginning of this year and that has continued throughout 2015.  It is all part of an effort by the company to provide a “Google experience” through their apps and not simply mark them for Nexus use only.  Indeed I wrote on this very subject back in July and I firmly believed then as I do now that this is part of the larger strategy that will bring additional success with Android to Google.  Key to that is the fact that they can roll out updates like these today without requiring a new build of Android – or carrier involvement in that process. You can read why Google apps are so important to the future of Android at this link.

Google Contacts is a solid contacts manager

The updated version of Google Contacts is 1.3.07 for those keeping score and while the big news is the standalone distribution of the app, there are also some nice tweaks and improvements in the

Google Contacts for Android

release too.  The editing of contacts is now a bit more streamlined and you won’t have to do as many taps to add information or edit existing information.  It’s not a big change mind you but it is a change that long time users of the app will appreciate.  There are also a fair number of bug fixes and other improvements in performance to the app.

Fundamentally Google Contacts is much like any other contacts manager so those of you who are new to the app, don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles.  It gives you what you need and it is a solid performing app like many of the other Google apps.  Perhaps more importantly though, you will get to experience what Google really had in mind when they came out with these and Android.

Google Contacts is free in the Google Play Store.

In addition to the sale on the Nexus 5X I posted on earlier this morning, Google is also running a great deal on the Nexus 9 tablet.  Right now you can get the 8.9″ tablet for $200 off with the base configuration starting out at just $199.  That price point puts this flagship tablet that is upgradeable to Android Marshmallow in line with some less-than-flagship tablets.  It is a steal really for such a great device.

The sale is on any configuration and color.  For example, the Wi-Fi only 16GB version is $199 while the Wi-Fi/LTE 32GB version is $399.  If you wanted a 32GB Wi-Fi only unit then you can pick that up for only $279.

Nexus 9 – Starting at $199 (SALE) – Google Store

The Google Play Music app has been updated today for Android devices and while it is mostly a bug fix release, there are a few new features that are worth a mention.  This new build is verion 6.1.2115T for those keeping score at home and it is rolling out to the Google Play Store now.  If you have the app installed then you should expect to see the OTA update for it anytime over the next couple of days.

As far as new features in this update, the first thing you will notice is a completely revamped Settings menu.  Things are generally much more organized into sections with this update and it is a bit easier to see all of your settings without having to tap to change a particular setting in most cases.  Functionally there isn’t much different other than the new Auto-offline feature which I will discuss after the break but I find the new Settings to be a bit easier to figure out what to adjust in Google Play Music.

Google Play Music – Free – Download Now