MobileVillage (MV) and Appcelerator (APP) bring you a quick read of the biggest mobile apps news and other mobile tech news stories. In this week’s mobile news roundup: Alto’s Odyssey reviews, MWC 2018 new phones (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Sony Xperia XZ2), hidden mobile camera trend, Snapchat Friendmoji, Viveport price hike, Archos Hello, Google Hangouts Chat, Turo Virtual Forum, iOS 11.3 beta, Google ARCore, Android enterprise certification, US 5G cities & more.
Alto is back: Alto’s Odyssey reviews
Three years after their popular mobile game Alto’s Adventure debuted, the game developers at Snowman finally have a sequel for the intrepid snowboarder. Not limited to snowy mountains, Alto’s Odyssey game slings you through exotic desert scenes with new obstacles to conquer (see image top of page). You can see the game trailer and more here, check out reviews by iMore and The Verge, and get the Alto’s Odyssey game in the App Store for $4.99. Like its predecessor, Alto’s Adventure has no ads or in-app purchases; you pay once and play forever. — MV
MWC 2018 new phones: Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+
After a year off from launching its flagship phones at Mobile World Congress, Samsung was back this year with the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The phones look a lot like last year’s S8 and S8+, but feature better displays, improved stereo audio, and much better photo quality.
Check out our quick-read roundup of Galaxy S9 and S9+ features, hands-on reviews, and a handy comparison chart comparing the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Google Pixel 2 and other recent high-end phones. — MV
MWC 2018 new phones: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
If you’re a Xiaomi Mi fan hoping to see the new Snapgradon 845-powered phone at Mobile World Congress, you’ll have to wait until the phone’s official launch March 27. The new processor likely plays a big part in the phone’s high AnTuTu speed score of 273,741, which is much better than the 206,783 score of last year’s Mi Mix 2. The Mi Mix 2S is rumored to have ultra-thin bezels, an in-display fingerprint sensor, improved camera sensor placement, and dual rear 12MP cameras. The Mi Mix 2 is already popular in India, so it’s likely the Mi Mix 2S will also sell well there and in other Asian countries. — MV
MWC 2018 new phones: Sony Xperia XZ2
Sony’s new Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are its latest flagship phones. Like the new Galaxy S9 and Xiaomi Mix 2S, Sony’s XZ2 and Compact version are also powered by a Snapgdragon 845. They have 4GB of RAM plus 64GB of internal storage, and run Android 8.0 Oreo. The larger XZ2 has a 5.7-inch display, while the Compact measures 5 inches. Each of those Full HD+ HDR diplays are framed by a Gorilla Glass 5 body that’s much curvier than Sony’s straight-edged models of previous years.
The still-single, rear 19MP camera is now in a better spot on the upper middle of the phone, and the fingerprint sensor is also centered below that. Like the Samsung Galaxy S9, the Sony XZ2 lets you shoot 960FPS, slow-motion video in full HD (up from 720p), or take 4K HDR video. For video playback, the phones can up-convert standard SDR videos into HDR on the fly–something already on TVs but a first on phones. The front-facing cam is still 5-megapixels, but now you can use it for more than selfies: Sony’s 3D creator mode released last year now lets you create 3D avatars of yourself that look slightly less creepy than the Galaxy S9’s AR emoji.
As you’d expect for Sony, the new Xperias deliver strong stereo sound. The XZ2 also has a much larger haptic actuator, which means you can feel vibrations more strongly, such as in push notifications, video games, and even music of you choose that setting. The unlocked Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will first launch in March in the UK for £699 and £549, respectively. US pricing is still unknown. — MV
MWC 2018 new phones: Hidden mobile camera designs
A potential new camera trend was shown off at Mobile World Congress: the hidden mobile camera. Vivo debuted a smartphone concept with a hidden mobile camera on the top left of the device that slides out only when the user needs it. And Huawei’s new ‘Matebook X Pro’ MacBook clone prototype laptop has a pop-up key that reveals the camera like a mini trap door. In the age of more bezel-less, full-screen devices, these hidden mobile camera concepts offer a glimpse into the potential future of camera placement that doesn’t compromise on valuable screen space. — APP, MV
Apple offers new iOS 11.3 beta, new macOS preview
Apple has released its third iOS 11.3 beta for the public, alongside new previews for macOS and also tvOS. New iPhone X Animoji, ARKit updates and Business Chat for iMessage were some of the new items featured in the last public test. The latest iOS 11.3 beta includes the previously mentioned Messages in iCloud feature, which lets you save device space by storing conversations in the Cloud. There are also new privacy changes in the latest iOS 11.3 beta, as well as the standard performance and quality of life updates. — APP
Snapchat Friendmoji puts friends in your space
Snapchat now lets you add your friends’ 3D Bitmojis into your real surroundings, as well as your Bitmoji self, using the app’s new Friendmoji feature. To add someone to a scene, you open a chat with your friend, tap “Capture” to launch a direct-reply Snap, point your camera at the scene in front of you, choose one or more of your friends’ Bitmojis from the Snapchat Friendmoji carousel, and place them in the scene. You only can add friends who have linked their Bitmoji account to Snapchat.
Snap acquired Bitmoji as part of its $100 million acquisition of Bitstrips in 2016, and so far it’s paid off. Bitmoji was the most-downloaded app in the US App Store last year, with Snapchat taking second place. Snapchat Friendmoji is available in the latest version of Snapchat. — MV
Pluto VR chatroom works across all SteamVR apps
If you use apps on SteamVR, you can now chat with other users no matter which VR app you’re currently using. Pluto VR’s new Pluto VR chatroom app lets you chat with friends’ avatars in any virtual world your inhabiting. This cross-app approach is different from those of other social VR apps like Facebook Spaces, where social interactions take place only within one VR app or platform. Last year Seattle-based Pluto attracted US $14 million in new funding to build out its cross-app VR chatroom. You can see how it works here. — MV
HTC Viveport Subscription price goes up March 22
If you have a new HTC Vive VR headset but haven’t yet signed up for HTC’s Viveport Subscription monthly VR games service, you’ll save money if you sign up before March 22. That’s when the Viveport Subscription price goes up from US$7 to $9 in all 60+ countries where it’s available. The service lets you play five games or experiences per month from a list that currently has over 375 titles. HTC says it will give the 28% Viveport Subscription price increase directly to developers to motivate them to create higher-quality content.
If you’re already a member, your Viveport Subscription price will not go up “for at least the rest of 2018,” the company says. And for added goodwill, all subscribers will receive special promotions and discounts also starting this month. — MV
Turo Virtual Forum joins virtual workspace apps
VR developer Turo has joined the virtual workspace movement with the release of its Virtual Forum VR apps. The Virtual Forum app will have two virtual workspace modes: working alone or in a meeting. The first mode lets you work alone in your choice of environment such as a forest, beach, city park or even in space. The second mode, called Community Forums, places you in a shared virtual space where you can discuss a topic or subtopic of interest.
The virtual workspace app’s community mode also has a virtual desktop feature so you can still see your desktop screen, browse the internet or watch videos while participating in forums. You can also share desktop files like videos or images while discussing a topic. Each community room can have up to eight participants, each with a personalized animated avatar. You can get the Virtual Forum app on Steam, Oculus Store and Viveport starting March 18. — MV
Google Hangouts Chat takes up Slack
If you’re a Google G Suite user, you can now try out Hangouts Chat, its new multilingual enterprise collaboration service that aims to compete with Slack and similar services. Hangouts Chat is different from Google Hangouts, which you see in your Gmail inbox, but Chat is still compatible with Hangouts and connects to your existing contacts. Like Slack, Hangouts Chat brings you direct messaging, threaded conversations, and virtual rooms of up to 8,000 people each for different company divisions or project teams.
Chat also comes with 25 bots from Google and major developers like Salesforce, Trello, Kayak and Xero to connect with G Suite apps and speed up workflows or transactions. For example, the @Meet bot connects with Calendar to schedule meetings for you, and the @GoogleDrive bot lets you know when files are shared with you, comments are made or when people request access to docs. Company IT can also build integrations on top of Chat for other enterprise apps.
Chat is available in 28 languages on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and via a web interface. To get started, go to chat.google.com or download the app for desktop or mobile devices. So far, users of the mobile apps are reporting lots of non-working functions, so we wonder if Google has pushed this release out too soon. — MV
Archos Hello smart display previewed at MWC
At Mobile World Congress Archos showed its two new ‘Hello’ smart displays, which use Google Assistant. Like with other Google Assistant devices, you can ask Archos Hello for the weather, directions, news, music, recipes and so on. Archos Hello both speaks and displays the results on its 1080p, IPS display in a sleek wooden frame, and there’s a 5-megapixel camera for video calls.
Archos Hello comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, and comes in 7 and -8.4-inch versions, priced at between $130 and $150 for the smaller device and $170 and $200 for the larger. You can say hi to Hello when it’s available this summer. — MV
Microsoft Soundscape app helps vision-challenged people
Microsoft has added a new iPhone app designed to help blind and visually impaired people navigate cities. Microsoft’s Soundscape app helps users find their way by setting beacons and waypoints for destinations and landmarks. It then uses spatial audio cues to help guide users where they want to go.
The Soundscape app has three modes: ‘locate’ for identifying where you are, and ‘around me’ and ‘ahead of me’ for calling out points of interest in a specific area or direction. Microsoft’s Soundscape app is now available for iOS. — APP
Amazon shoppers can now use Android Amazon AR View
If you’re an Android user and Amazon shopper, you can now virtually place furniture, art and appliances in your real space through augmented reality. Launched last year for iPhone and iPad users, Amazon AR View is now available for the 13 Android devices that currently support Google’s ARCore. To use the Android Amazon AR view feature, you first need to download the ARCore app from the Google Play store. After that, you’ll see the feature in the Amazon app’s camera icon. — MV
Google ARCore lets anyone publish Android apps
Google ARCore 1.0 is out, and lets anyone publish Android AR apps that use it. To no one’s surprise, Google has already lined up apps from well-known companies to take advantage of the new platform.
There is one big catch: you need a compatible phone, which is currently a Google Pixel phone, Samsung’s Galaxy S7/S8/Note 8, LG V30, Asus Zenfone AR or OnePlus 5. Fortunately, these and other brands including Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, Vivo and ZTE are working to bring ARCore support to their upcoming handsets.
Google is also expanding its Lens AR discovery feature. Lens will soon roll out to all English-language Google Photos users on Android and iOS. We’ll also see Lens appear in Google Assistant on phones from Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony. And Google says Lens will get better at image recognition for living creatures like dog breeds and flowers. — MV
Google Assistant Actions adds new features & languages
Google Assistant Actions, the search giant’s answer to Amazon Skills, has received some new features that make it more accessible to more developers. The biggest update includes providing Google Assistant Actions in seven new languages, including Hindi, Thai, Indonesian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch. This support means that a number of developers internationally will be able to start building new Actions in their native language.
Other features coming include the capability to translate Actions by exporting directory listing information as a file, an option to connect Actions to the Google Places API for improved location services and the ability to create a deep link to an Android app. The updates to Google Assistant Actions are now available. — APP
New Android enterprise certification program launched
Google has launched a Android enterprise certification called the Android Enterprise Recommendation program. It weeds through the inconsistencies among Android-powered smartphones, so businesses know devices will meet their needs. To do this, Google has set specific criteria such as minimum hardware, security, update and unlock requirements.
In the future Google said it plans to expand its classifications, so companies can know which devices would be best for “rugged” or outdoor use, or those that work best for large-scale enterprise deployment. Devices that currently meet the Android Enterprise program requirements are Google’s own Pixel and Pixel 2 (XL versions too), and BlackBerry KeyOne and Motion, Huawei Mate 10 and P10 lines, LG V30 and G6, Motorola X4 and Z2, Nokia 8 and Sony Xperia X. — APP
Apple ups App Store screenshots limit for developers
Apple has increased the number of App Store screenshots developers can include in App Store previews to 10 per device, up from the previous limit of five (this includes the iOS, tvOS and watchOS versions of the App Store). The change means developers can show off more features, which in turn helps users get a better feel for apps before downloading. Apple has not yet increased the number of screenshots for the Mac App Store. — APP
Mobile Facebook video use overtakes YouTube; users shun HD
YouTube remains the most popular mobile video service, but mobile Facebook video use has passed YouTube in some emerging markets, and it’s closing the gap in developed markets. That’s according to Openwave Mobility’s latest Mobile Video Index (MVI), which looks at traffic data from live deployments by over 30 mobile carriers, plus an independent survey of 3,000 mobile video users in Western Europe.
Even those users with larger, high resolution mobile screens said that they prefer to watch videos on Standard Definition rather than High Definition (HD) to avoid video lags or buffering. This is despite the trend towards more mobile HD content offered by many mobile carriers. While overall mobile video use is increasing, average video buffer time remains high at 7.2 seconds. Mobile subscribers will only put up with 6 seconds of buffering before abandoning a video in frustration. The subscribers surveyed said they’re willing to pay an extra €7.50 (US $9.25) per month for videos with less than two seconds of buffering. For full details, check out the Mobile Video Index study. — MV
These are the first US 5G cities
At Mobile World Congress, major US carriers announced the first cities to get 5G networks later this year. AT&T announced that Atlanta, Dallas and Waco, Texas will be the first of 12 5G cities this fall. Sprint says that New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Houston will be its first 5G cities, while T-Mobile will also cover New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas. These will be the first of 30 5G cities with 5G networks by the end of 2018. The upgrade will bring much faster speeds comparable to that of fiber optic connections with up to 500 megabytes per second. The catch-22 is that even as these networks launch, you won’t be able to use them until 5G smartphones are available, which is likely in 2019. — APP
DoorDash raises half a billion dollars
The popular US food delivery app DoorDash has raised US $535 million in new funding led by Japanese giant SoftBank. (Interestingly, SoftBank also owns 15% of Uber, which now offers competing service UberEats.) The half-billion windfall is nearly triple the amount that DoorDash had previously raised in the last five years. The company plans to spend the money to bring its employee count to about 800 from about 550 currently, and increase the number of its partner restaurants to 1,000 in US and Canadian cities. DoorDash also plans to expand overseas this year, but has not revealed where. — MV
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This mobile news roundup is by MobileVillage Editor Gary Thayer and Erin Bailey of Appcelerator, a top mobile development platform company. Want your news featured in ‘Mobile Week’? Please check out our guidelines. We give preference to mobile news about trends, innovations, major app updates, big players and official Mobile Star Awards Entrants.
This week’s mobile news tags: Alto’s Odyssey reviews, MWC 2018 new phones, Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Sony Xperia XZ2, hidden mobile camera trend, Alto’s Odyssey game, Snapchat 3D Friendmoji, Viveport subscription price hike, Archos Hello, Google Hangouts Chat, Turo Virtual Forum, new iOS 11.3 beta, Android Amazon AR view, Microsoft Soundscape app, App Store screenshots limit, Google ARCore, Android enterprise certification, Google Assistant Actions, mobile Facebook video, US 5G cities
