Samsung Pay with Gear S3 Currently Doesn’t Work on Pixel Phones

A major selling point of the new Gear S3 smartwatch from Samsung is the ability to use Samsung Pay directly on your wrist. This includes both NFC and MST capabilities, so even if the pay terminal hasn't been upgraded with a contactless payment option, then you can still use it on the magnetic stripe part.

This has been known since launch, but then a couple of weeks ago Samsung said that it would also work on non-Samsung smartphones.

This makes sense because the NFC and MST features are built directly into the smartwatch, but many thought Samsung would restrict Samsung Pay to Samsung devices anyway. This confirmation via Twitter has since been deleted, but many Android publications started to cite it with headlines claiming Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 would work on any Android 4.4+ device. Sadly, this is not the case and many people are just finding out about it now.

Granted, it does work with some Android devices running Android 4.4 KitKat and higher, just not all of them. While there are likely to be some other devices are are incompatible with Samsung Pay on the Gear S3, the big one that has been uncovered is the Pixel and Pixel XL. Samsung has confirmed the feature will not work with either of these two smartphones, but doesn't go into detail to tell us why.

It doesn't seem to be an issue with Android 7.0 Nougat, as Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 has been shown to work on the LG V20. Samsung does say they are "constantly working to expand Samsung Pay to new devices," and to "stay tuned," but doesn't give any details about when or if this will happen for the Pixel phones. For those looking to buy a Gear S3, you can refer to this list and see which devices are guaranteed to work with the Gear S3.

Source: @SamsungPay

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5 Christmas Tech Deals Under $100

With Christmas right around the corner, it's time to get serious about your holiday shopping. In this video, we explore some of the best deals under $100 for anyone who loves their Android device. Check out the deals we found below.

Chromecast Ultra $69

"Stream up to 4K Ultra HD & HDR picture quality over your WiFi network with Chromecast Ultra, a streaming device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port. Chromecast Ultra provides fast, reliable performance with minimal buffering and smoother streaming. Use your iPhone®, iPad®, Android device, or laptop to stream thousands of Cast-enabled apps."

Get this deal

Google Home $99

"Google Home is a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Ask it questions. Tell it to do things. It's your own Google, always ready to help. Just start with, "Ok Google".

A simple voice request triggers Google Home to play music, podcasts or radio from services like Google Play Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora and TuneIn.

"

Get this deal

Fire HD 8 Tablet $60

"Choose from millions of Kindle e-book and magazine titles. Connect with the largest online community of book lovers on Goodreads. Discover over a million titles with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Also, listen to your favorite books with Audible. Plus, enjoy exclusive Kindle features you only get from Amazon like X-Ray, Whispersync, Vocabulary Builder, Page Flip, Blue Shade and more."

Get this deal

Philips Hue Bloom $60

"Together, the Friends of Hue Bloom accent light, the bridge and the Hue app will change the way you use light. Play with all the colors in the Hue spectrum. It's stunning, it's smart, and it's tailored for you. A Hue bridge is required, and the Bloom single pack can be used in addition to any of the Hue or Friends of Hue starter kits."

Get this deal

Sony MDRXB950BT/B Extra Bass $88

"Wireless freedom, sleek comfort, and unmistakable bass response add-up to an unforgettable audio experience. Connect via Bluetooth with NFC and let your music loose for up to 20 hours battery life anytime anywhere. 40mm drivers with electronic bass boost will add punch to your favorite tracks."

Get this deal

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OnePlus 3T Gets Fully Functional TWRP and Root

As the first few batches of the OnePlus 3T begin shipping and users get their hands on the new device, they can now dive straight into the world of custom ROMs without sparing nay another thought on complicated procedures or other difficulties.

Thanks to the efforts of XDA Recognized Developer jcadduono, OnePlus 3T owners can flash a fully working and stable build of TWRP 3.0.2. As mentioned, the recovery can do all the tasks expected out of it despite being the first version release for this phone.

Flashing this recovery is easy and involves steps that are very familiar to Nexus users. You enable OEM unlocking in the Developer Options on your phone, and proceed to unlock your bootloader using the "fastboot oem unlock" command via fastboot on your computer. Then you flash the recovery through fastboot using the "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" command…and that is it. To get root, simply boot into recovery and flash the requisite root package (like SuperSU).

Since this recovery is for the OnePlus 3T, it is implied (and even explicitly mentioned, just in case) that it is not compatible with the regular OnePlus 3. Another point to note, the OnePlus 3T's stock boot image has dm-verity enabled, so you will be unable to boot back into system if you swipe on TWRP to enable system modifications without the intention to root via SuperSU. You need to follow along the steps mentioned in the thread to get back into your system, rooted or otherwise. You can either swipe right and just flash SuperSU, or you can swipe right and flash the dm-verity disabler zip to be able to boot back into the system.

For download links, sources and further detailed instructions, head on over to the forum link!

Have you received your OnePlus 3T? Have you tried out the above mentioned TWRP and obtained root? Let us know in the comments below!

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A Look at the HTC 10’s Nougat Update, Rolling out Now!

HTC is wishing all of its flagship users in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving, and it's doing so by announcing the rollout of the official Android 7.0 Nougat update for the HTC 10.

Clocking in at a hefty 1.11GB in size, there is no mistake in assuming that this is a significant update for the HTC 10 which was launched with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. This update is currently rolling out to unlocked HTC 10 users in the USA. Sadly, there is no word on when this update will begin its rollout for other regions of the world, but we can guess that it won't be too long now. Carrier locked HTC 10's would have to wait for their update as well.

Update Info Screen

But if you can't wait, or don't have a HTC 10 for that matter, we received the update on our unlocked HTC 10. Take a look at some screenshots from the update:

The update that is rolling out is Android 7.0 Nougat, and not Android 7.1, in case you got too happy about it. The update contains security patches up to November 1, but the patch level for November 1 is partial only. The full security update with many more critical fixes is dated for November 5, and an additional patch was rolled out on November 6. We are disappointed that HTC did not include the absolute latest in security patches as this is a critical area where being on the cutting edge is preferable over still being vulnerable.

The Settings Menu sees the Nougat overhaul, and HTC has left things untouched for the most part.

The Nougat treatment extends onto the Notification Panel and the Quick Toggles. One thing to note, Night Mode comes "revealed" by default on HTC's minimalistic skin. You do not need any additional apps to enable or toggle it, as you can do so out-of-the-box on the update. Heads up notification is slightly different as well.

App switching experience is improved as well. Double tapping on the recents button switches to the last used app, instead of just going back into the original one. The animation for this switch is smooth as well.

As for bugs, we found one so far in our usage. HTC's "Weather Clock" widget breaks on the Google Now Launcher, while it works fine on the Sense launcher. The widget is iconic (albeit modern in its current avatar) and represents an "HTC" experience ever since widgets were introduced in Android, so we're slightly bummed on this. You can use other widgets, so all is not lost.

Have you tried out the update? How do you like it so far? Let us know in the comments below!

Big thanks to Steven for the screenshots!

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Xposed Version 87 Fixes Bootloop Issues with Google’s November Security Update

The latest update to the Xposed framework fixes the compatibility and bootloop issues brought about on ROMs which included Google's November security patch. Rovo89 has detailed the issue on a separate GitHub page as well.

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The Elephone S7 Has a Double-Curved Design with Near-Zero Bezels

The Elephone S7, as was the case with the Galaxy Note 7, features a dual-curved design, which means that the surface on the front and back curve towards the edge. The net result is a phone that feels really comfortable to hold, and is impressive to look at, especially considering that the curve on the front lends to a near-zero bezel. Let's take a closer look at the Elephone S7, which, in its top 4GB/64GB configuration, can be had for just $239.99.

When picking an Elephone S7, you have several choices. The first choice is screen size: you can opt for a more manageable 5.2″ display or the larger 5.5″ screen, both of which are FHD, edge-to-edge, and protected by Gorilla Glass.

The second choice you have is color. You can choose from green (which we absolutely love–seriously–it's awesome), as well as black, blue, and gold.

Here's a closer look at that amazing green color. All S7 models feature a light-reflecting pattern on the back that reminds us a lot of the Honor 8.

Other specs of the Elephone S7 include the MediaTek Helio X20 deca-core CPU, a 13MP camera on the rear and 5MP camera on the front, a 3000mAh battery for the larger phone and 2450mAh for the 5.2″ model (both with 2A fast-charging), plus a variety of RAM/ROM choices with the cheapest coming in at 2GB/32GB for the smaller phone, and up to 4GB/64GB for the larger phone. All models support microSD memory expansion up to 128GB, or you can drop in two SIMs. Also worth noting: the S7 runs near-stock Android Marshmallow with a planned upgrade to Nougat in the coming months.

If you like what you see, click the link below to buy an Elephone S7:

  Buy Elephone S7

And follow Elephone on Facebook to learn about their upcoming phones:

  Elephone on Facebook

Thanks to Elephone for sponsoring this post.

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Nougat Beta on the Honor 8 (Also Get $110 Off)

A beta version of the Android Nougat update for the Honor 8 has been pushed to phones that are enrolled in the beta program. Along with the jump from Marshmallow to Nougat, we get an update to EMUI 5.0. This video highlights all of the new features found in the beta update.

Check out these screenshots of the latest update.

When it comes to performance, there is a noticeable improvement throughout the system. Honor 8 owners will be glad to know that this is a solid updates bringing a lot of great stuff to your devices.

As a side note, there is a crazy deal going on over at Amazon for the Honor 8. You can grab one of these phones for only $289. Check out our affiliate links.

Honor 8 in Midnight Black

Honor 8 in Pearl White

Honor 8 in Sapphire Blue

Check out more content for your Honor 8 phone over at the XDA Forums here.

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