Gmail 5.0 APK is leaked! Download link in article!

We are just over 48 hours away from one of the most-anticipated days of the year. On November 3, Google will release Android 5.0 Lollipop to all Nexus 4, 5, 7, and 10 users. Android 5.0 is considered the biggest overhaul to the Android OS to date, coming with new designs, funtionality, ART runtime, and complete Google app redesigns. One of Google's most popular apps that is getting an overhaul is Gmail.

Gmail is the default email service for many Android and iOS users, having over 425 million active users daily. Many saw the updated Gmail in screenshots and videos of Android 5.0 Lollipop on the all new Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 devices, but it wasn't available to the public, until now.

A Reddit user, named redthunda69 has posted that the Gmail 5.0 APK file has leaked, and is available for download. We can verify that it works and we did not need to uninstall the current version of Gmail, it overwrites it just as a typical app update would.

You can find the file here. Let us know what you think of the Gmail 5.0 overhaul!

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If Samsung adopted Motorola's methodology, would Samsung devices sell better?

Everyone knows the name of Samsung's user interface that is heavily layered over Android... and it is TouchWiz. Before we get started, I just want to say that I am a longtime Samsung user, previously owning the Galaxy S3, S4, S5, Note 3, and most recently the Note 4. Everyone knows, that TouchWiz, while it looks somewhat visually appealing (in some cases), is not the best thing for performance. So the question is, if Samsung went the way of Motorola, minimized UI interference, put out updates as soon as possible, would Samsung become more appealing?

Motorola on their latest devices have all been near-stock Android. There isn't any major design changes to the notification panel, settings, or skin overlays, and the only added features to the device, are Motorola apps. It's relatively unnoticeable. 

Profits have been falling for quite some time now for Samsung and this year, Samsung took a big step to try and reverse that trend. Samsung has always been stubborn about changing their devices to meet consumer demands, however they started making phones with what everyone wanted: metal frames. While the devices received praise for their design, it hasn't changed their profit outlook so it's time to continue making changes. 

I have always had a love-hate relationship with the Galaxy line-up. On one hand, they always have the latest hardware such as processors, big batteries, and great cameras. On the other hand, fluidity of moving throughout the phone, switching between apps, going to the multitasking menu, or even pressing the home button to go to the homescreen has always been slightly sluggish. 

For example, I thought the Note 4 was blazing fast after I picked it up. I had not the slightest problem with the performance due to the fact that the latest hardware picked up the slack of the TouchWiz UI. This to me, is the best performing device that Samsung has put out to date by a large margin. However, that all changed once I picked up a Nexus 5.

The Galaxy Note 4 has a Snapdragon 805 processor and 3 GB of RAM, whereas the Nexus 5 has a Snapdragon 800 processor with 2 GB of RAM, not to mention the device is year old. I installed the Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview on my Nexus 5, and was blown away by the performance. Granted, Lollipop is designed to maximize performance and be faster than KitKat, I was still surprised by how drastic the difference was between the Nexus 5 and the Note 4. 

This got me thinking. If Samsung were to minimize their UI's footprint, would they be more successful? Would it encourage people to give Samsung's products another chance? Let us know what you think and if Samsung should change their approach of software development when it comes to their phones.

I'm going to end with this: If they were to put out a Google Play Edition Galaxy Note 4, I would pick that up in a second!

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Did you miss out on a Nexus 6 pre-order? You can find them on eBay for 2K!

It happened with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and now it's happening with the Nexus 6. The only difference is the Nexus 6 isn't even released yet, and isn't expected to be shipped for 3-4 weeks. Multiple users on eBay have ponied up their Nexus 6 pre-orders, and some are going for extraordinary amounts.

While most are listed at or around $1,000 for a 32 GB model in Midnight Blue, a 64 GB model in the popular Midnight Blue is going for $2,000. With 19 bids and 9 bidders, some people really want this phone! Don't worry, you can still get your bid in, there's still over a day left on the auction.

What some people might not know, is that the expected launch date for carriers may come before Google's. We got in contact with a T-Mobile rep, and they stated the phone will be launched on November 12th. The key here is that it is a launch date, not a pre-order date. So while some might be bidding for a phone that won't be available until late November, you could beat them to the punch.

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OnePlus One coming to India later this year, but there's a catch

OnePlus One is an amazing device often known as the Nexus killer. After announcing Pre-Orders without an invite on their website, the company has released a statement mentioning the launch of the device in India later this year. The device will be selling in India on specific invite basis. The silver lining is that the invites will be specific to India, and that they will be "neither scarce nor impossible to come by."

According to OnePlus chairman Carl Pei:

As with our current launch countries, Indian users will be able to purchase the One with an India specific invite. Invites have been immensely helpful for us thus far in our current launch countries. They allow us to control our inventory, scale our team and support services to grow along with demand and create an overall better experience for those users with the One.
As this is our first experience with the Indian market, we didn't want to be too ambitious. We are more concerned with offering outstanding service and experiences for users than getting the One in as many hands as possible. It will take us some time to learn and the invites are a great way for us to do that.

Pei mentioned that OnePlus would deviate from the invite-only model in the country at some stage, and that the vendor was in talks with a local partner to make it easier for users to get their hands on the OnePlus One. He also said that further details will be divulged in the coming weeks. The invites themselves will be handed out in the OnePlus forum or via social media channels.

What do you think about the current plans of OnePlus? Sound off below.

Also check out our review and first impressions with the device Here.

Source: OnePlus Forums

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HTC Sense 7 spotted with a hint of Android Lollipop influence

Android Lollipop has been around ever since back in June, but Google officially unveiled on October 15th. Since, OEM manufacturers have been pressured to as when they release their iterations of the biggest Android OS overhaul in history. We've already seen TouchWiz running on Android Lollipop, which looked very TouchWiz like with little hints of material design, but now we have Sense 7 doing the same.

The screenshots, which are from the popular HTC One (M8), show a preview as to what HTC has in-store for Sense 7. It can be seen showing off the design-aspect of the navigation bar and notification panel matching the current app the user is in. Although HTC adopted the color-concept, they have not adopted the Lollipop icons. HTC still uses their softkey buttons, Wi-Fi, service, and battery icons. 

Hopefully OEM's will push out their updates as soon as possible, sooner than the 90 day period they seem to be quoting. The good news is, the more system updates like this leak, the more likely the release is sooner rather than later.

Source

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