How to enable the status bar battery percentage on your iPhone with iOS 16

Navigate to Settings > Battery to toggle on or off Battery Percentage. With the toggle off, the battery level is shown graphically, as it is currently in iOS 15.

Will you be enabling your battery percentage?

It seems Apple is allowing for more and more user customization with their latest iOS updates. Will you be enabling the battery percentage to display in your status bar, or are you sticking with the Control Center? Let us know in the comments below.

To get the iOS 16 beta, visit Apple’s website.

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According to Slashgear, the OnePlus 8T+ 5G is “optimized” to work with T-Mobile’s 5G spectrum. Now, we’re not sure what that means, especially when it comes to 5G, but we do know the “optimized” software is missing a key feature that was advertised on the OnePlus 8T.

One of the most anticipated features coming to OxygenOS 11 was Always-On Display . It was a feature that was teased from early on this year from OnePlus’ official Twitter account. Not surprisingly, the most requested feature was from the community was Always-On Display. The OnePlus 8T comes with Oxygen OS 11 out of the box, and at least on the unlocked variant, has Always-On Display.

When I started up my OnePlus 8T, one of the first things I wanted to do once I finished the setup was enable Always-On Display; to my surprise I did not have the option to enable it. After searching the settings and online, I came to the conclusion that T-Mobile’s variant does not have the feature. After posting on Reddit and XDA, it seems I’m not alone.

T-Mobile Support had nothing to say on the issue, so we’ll see how long until an update gets pushed out enabling it. I was really looking forward to having that feature on a OnePlus device, and I know many out there were too. Let us know if you picked up a OnePlus 8T from T-Mobile and are mysteriously missing Always-On Display as well.

The post Always-On Display is missing from the T-Mobile OnePlus 8T appeared first on FWNED.

Of the 10 devices that are listen on the page, the HTC U11 life and Motorola z2 force have already received the Android Oreo update. The remaining devices have their updates currently in development. It is worth noting that devices are likely to be continually added. Notable devices that are currently missing from this this are the HTC 10,  LG G6, and LG V30.

The devices that are in line to get the Android 8.0 Oreo update include the following:

• HTC U11 life
• Motorola z2 force
• Samsung Galaxy Tab E 8
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
• Samsung Galaxy S8
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• S7 edge

There is no timeline for release dates on any of the devices currently in development. T-Mobile typically does  a good job updating these pages so it might be a good idea to bookmark it and check back from time to time. Otherwise, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Source: T-Mobile Software Update tracker

The post T-Mobile’s Android 8.0 Oreo Software Updates page is now live appeared first on FWNED.

Google has already implemented similar notifications into Android when an app is accessing your location. This can be seen when the location icon in the status bar appears when it is in use. With the release of Android 8.0 Oreo, it will notify users when an app is running in the background. This is a great step in the right direction, but there still is nothing for microphone usage.

Android should notify you if an app is listening

Yes, Google is always listening for that “Ok Google” hotword, but it only records clips once that is triggered. There is a difference though. I consent to this “feature” and I know about it. When it comes to third-party apps that are going rogue and always listening/recording, that is a different story. Just like location and apps running in the background, it’s time for Google to give us a notification if our microphone is being accessed by an app.

This notification could be as simple as a microphone appearing in the status bar, just like when an app accesses your location. We have created a mock-up which can be seen above. I personally would prefer this approach as it is very subtle. It is also understandable that for an average user, this might not be enough. It is very easy to overlook an icon in the status bar.

Google could go the route of the apps “running in the background” notification. This approach is a lot more noticeable, but would also be a lot more informative. It could tell you which app is accessing the microphone and whether it is active while it is in the background. This would be extremely helpful to narrow down which app has gone rogue behind your back.

As time goes on, smartphones are going to get more and more sophisticated. That means having more access to our daily lives. Whether we purposefully agree to or not, apps are going to utilize whatever permissions they’re given. That means they can unknowingly use your microphone when you aren’t expecting it. That is why Google needs to implement a method to show users when their phone’s microphone is active.

The post Android should notify you when apps are accessing your microphone appeared first on FWNED.

Forest Live Wallpaper is free for Android and features a very minimal design. The wallpaper will automatically change throughout the day according to the weather and daylight in your location. This can be completely customized and doesn’t have to rely on your location or weather. You can manually set the weather, wind, clouds, and background. There is also an option to enable a 3D parallax effect. When you tilt your device, the backgound will shift accordingly.

The best part of the app is that it is completely free and does not contain ads. That is very rare for apps on the Play Store, especially if all features are included in the free variant. There is an option to donate to the developer, so if you do enjoy this app, please donate to the developer.

Download Forest Live Wallpaper

Unknown app (Free, Google Play) →

The post Forest Live Wallpaper – Great for the Pixel 2, S8, and Note8 appeared first on FWNED.

Enabling the notification light on Pixel devices this year is slightly different due to Android Oreo. Previous on Nougat, this was enabled by going to Settings > Notifications > Configure (gear icon). With the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, you follow similar route, but now navigate to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Blink Light. Personally, I have this enabled along with always on display.

Regardless of which option you prefer, it is nice of Google to include both for people to decide. The notification light is something that really sets Android apart from Apple. It is also something I always appreciate on my Android devices and always enable.

The post How to enable the notification light on the Pixel 2 and 2 XL appeared first on FWNED.

If you remember not too long ago, Synaptics announced they successfully implanted the in-display fingerprint sensor and it was ready for prime time. Not only that, but Clear ID as it’s dubbed, was already going to ship with a top five phone manufacturer. We now know that the manufacturer is the Chinese company Vivo. If you’re wondering why this influences what OnePlus will do in the OnePlus 6, here’s why.

Vivo, OnePlus, and OPPO are all owned by the parent company BBK Electronics. If that is news to you, take a look at the Vivo X20 and compare it to the OnePlus 5T.  The Vivo X20 was released nearly two full months before the OnePlus 5T, yet they share the same exact design. Since Vivo is going to be the first phone manufacture to benefit from Synaptics Clear ID, OnePlus is likely to follow suit. If this is true, that means the fingerprint sensor on the OnePlus well once again be on the front of the device.

According to GizmoChina, they claim the OnePlus 6 could be released as soon as March 2018, but this seems rather unlikely. Odds are it will be released in June due to a shortage of supply on the Snapdragon 845 processor. For example, earlier this year Samsung bought so many Snapdragon 835 processors that LG was forced to use the lesser Snapdragon 821 in the LG G6.

The post Here’s why the OnePlus 6 is likely to have an in-display fingerprint sensor appeared first on FWNED.

When the first round of screen issues were starting to spread, I decided to hold off on pre-ordering my Pixel 2 XL. This was something I’ve never done before. With the Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and Pixel XL, I pre-ordered as soon as Google launched the page. Another reason is due to the fact that we are a smaller site, and we fund our own devices. The price jump on the Pixel 2 was enough for me to hold off until recently, once the price on the Pixel 2s were slashed.

I knew right out of the gate, LG’s OLED displays weren’t going to be at Samsung’s level, but I wasn’t expecting them to have the issues they have. They were heavily criticized for issues such as blue tint, black crush, black smear, and burn in. Google must have increased LG’s QA process because users have claimed that devices manufactured later have better displays. The model I have was manufactured on November 25, so it is quite new.

My only Pixel 2 XL display issue – black smearing

When I first booted the device up, I went on as normal. I didn’t go out of my way to check to see if the screen had any issues. I wanted to naturally experience them. My first night using the Pixel 2 XL I left it on the sRGB setting along with Night Light automatically enabled. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for me to run into my only real issue with the device: black smear.

I tend to browse Fenix for Twitter as well as Relay for Reddit a lot. Both apps have OLED themes that I always have enabled. The first night, I turned my brightness all the way down while browsing both of those apps, and noticed the smearing. Images and text were heavily smeared with black when scrolling. Almost to the point of being unreadable when scrolling.

To clarify, this is something I would do all the time with my original Pixel XL – brightness all the way down, Night Light enabled, and browse OLED themed apps. Smearing was not noticeable to me. To double check, I even went back after the fact to confirm. It wasn’t there. I know black smear is characteristic of OLED displays, but the smearing I’m experiencing is below average. I will further go over the display in the full review.

The build is similar to last year’s, but it is an improvement

Aside from the slight display issues, the rest of the Pixel 2 experience has been great. One of my favorite parts of the new device has to be the feel of the device. I didn’t have any issues with the original Pixel and its wedge shaped designed, but something about the Pixel 2 being flat makes me like it more. I really appreciate how much more surface area the sides of the device have. It makes it much easier to grasp and hold onto. Both the display and the back of the device curve slightly into the edges to make it seem like the device flows together. Overall, it is very comfortable to hold onto.

The Black and White variant that I currently have has a very slick feel to it. Although it is an aluminum build, Google put a plastic-ish coating over the top of it. I don’t mind it, but it is very slick. The Just Black variant has a different texture which makes it have a little more grip. Both are quite different than the original Pixel devices.

Plastic button on the Black and White variant is a buzz kill

Since I have the Black and White variant of the Pixel 2 XL, it comes with the orange colored power button. I thought it added a subtle flair to the device, so I was on-board. The first few days both the volume rocker and power were very clicky and tactile. However, recently the power button has been very sub-par. It isn’t as clicky anymore and is very mushy when pressing it down. In case you didn’t know, the Black and White version has a plastic power button whereas the Just Black version has a metal power button. Why Google would do this, I don’t know.

Software, camera, and battery life are all excellent

The user experience is the one thing that always has me coming to Pixel devices. Last year’s Pixel was the smoothest running device I had ever used. So much so that I returned my Galaxy S8+ to keep using my Pixel XL. Plus, no device in 2017 had a camera that could compare to the original Pixels until later in the year. Even though my Pixel XL was still as smooth as ever running Android 8.1, the Pixel 2 XL still surpasses it as expected. It probably doesn’t hurt that it features the latest Snapdragon 835 processor.

I still have not run into any freezes or software hiccups while using my device. Some may criticize that Google only put 4GB of RAM in the Pixel 2s (same as last year), but I find it to be more than enough. When devices feature 8GB of RAM it is just a marketing ploy to top other devices on the market. 4GB of RAM is more than enough enough for what the Pixel 2 is made for.

The camera on the 2 XL is the most praised portion on the device. If you care, it currently has the highest score on DxOMark for a smartphone: 98. That is one point higher than its Apple rival, the iPhone X. I won’t go over it much as it has been extensively covered, but it is great. I haven’t taken many pictures, but the ones I have, always come out crisp and clear.  Portrait mode is as good as expected, especially when you consider the device only has one camera.

Lastly, battery life is something Google devices have always excelled at. Since the devices run a stock version of Android with no extra bloat, battery life benefits a lot. The Pixel 2 XL packs a 3520mAh that is more than enough to get me through my day. On an average day, I have any where from 3 to 5 hours of screen on time, and am left with 40%+ left in the tank.

I didn’t cover all of my feelings and experiences of the Pixel 2 XL in this first impressions, but will in the full review. Issues aside, this is by far my favorite Android device. Only a week into using the Pixel 2 XL and I do not regret buying it whatsoever. There were plenty of other options on the market, but I made the right choice. Be sure to keep an eye on FWNED for our official review, and first one in a long, long time.

The post Better late than never: Pixel 2 XL first impressions appeared first on FWNED.

We have previously seen benchmarks of the Galaxy S9 running their in-house Exynos processor, but the scores were not this good. The Snapdragon variant of the S9+ was able to achieve a single-core scour of 2422 and a multi-score of 8351. While the multi-core of the Snapdragon S9+ beats teh Exynos S9 handily, it loses out in the single-core score.

Previous rumors have claimed that the Galaxy S9+ will not only be larger this year, but it will come with different hardware. This benchmark confirms that the S9+ will feature 6GB of RAM compared to 4GB of RAM in the regular S9, as seen above in the Geekbench comparison. Yesterday, the Olixar renders confirmed the larger device will also have dual cameras instead of one.

As expected, the device is running Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and will be required to support Project Treble. Samsung has been very good about updating their flagship phones as of late, and this will only help their cause.

The post Galaxy S9+ with Snapdragon 845 appears on Geekbench appeared first on FWNED.

Galaxy S9/S9+ new fingerprint location is confirmed

Previous rumors have stated the S9 and S9+ will sport different hardware, unlike last year’s devices. That means the smaller Galaxy S9 will have only a single rear-facing camera, whereas the larger S9+ will have dual rear-facing cameras, like the Galaxy Note8. This is confirmed buy the renders provided by Olixar and Mobile Fun.

Other than the different camera setup, the devices appear 100% similar. The case renders also further confirm that Samsung is relocating the fingerprint sensor to be below the cameras instead of beside it. Aside from the change in the back of the device, the front remains unchanged. The devices are expected to keep their headphone jacks, as the port can subtly be seen in the render.

Source: 1, 2 | Via

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