Side-Loading of Android Apps on Nokia X Explained

In February, Nokia unveiled to the world the first handsets in its lineup to run under the Android operating system, in the form of the Nokia X series, capable of providing users with brand-new experience on cheap hardware.

The Nokia X smartphones run under a forked version of Android, one that does not feature the usual set of Google services on top but substitutes them with Nokia and Microsoft ones. While this comes with its own set of advantages, a series of limitations are also present in this setup, including the lack of access to the entire range of applications available through the Google Play Store. The app portal has been replaced with the Nokia Store on these phones, which means that users receive access to a smaller amount of software than other Android users out there would. However, although the Nokia Store is the main source of apps for Nokia X users, other means to load software on the device do exist, and one of them is called side-loading.

This process involves getting hold of an application’s installation package, which is called .APK, loading it on the handset’s storage, and then manually installing it. “If you didn’t already know, side-loading refers to the process of installing an app independently of an online store. For example, you might have an Android app stored on your PC that you want to use on your Nokia X,” a recent post on Nokia Conversations explains. To install apps on Nokia X smartphones using side-loading, users will need to locate the .APK file on their computers, and then transfer it to the Nokia X.

For that, they can either use the file manager on their PC after connecting the Nokia X to the PS via a USB cable, or they can send the file via Bluetooth if they own a Mac. They can also do that by putting the file on a microSD card and then inserting it in the phone. Of course, they can also search for, find and download .APK files on the Nokia X handsets straight from the web, if they want to. As soon as the .APK file is on the device, users should make sure that they have enabled installation from unknown sources, by going to Settings > Security > Unknown sources.

Then, simply locate the file on the phone, either via Fastlane or by means of the ASTRO file manager that comes pre-installed on Nokia X, and click it to install. As soon as the process has been completed, the app can be used. “To play it safe, make sure you switch off the ‘unknown sources’ option in security settings once you’ve finished,” said post on Nokia Conversations also explains.

Nokia X Series
Image credits to The Verge

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You Can Now Unlock Moto E’s Bootloader

Last week, Motorola made official a new entry-level Android-based device, in the form of Moto E, which is actually the cheapest phone in its lineup, and the company is already providing users with the possibility to unlock its bootloader.

Only one week after it became available for purchase, the Moto E is open for tweaking, as users can easily unlock it to start loading custom software on it. Today, users interested in making such a move can head over to Motorola’s website to unlock the bootloader of their Moto E devices, though not all models are supported at the moment. For now, Motorola will unlock only the bootloaders inside the US Retail, Canada, Europe and Latin America flavors of Moto E.

Moreover, as AndroidOS notes, Moto E has already received root access and unofficial TWRP recovery, courtesy of XDA-Developers, which will allow users to already get started with tweaking the smartphone, should they want to. One thing that users will have to keep in mind at the moment is the fact that the aforementioned TWRP recovery is not an official release as of now, and that it still includes a series of bugs, as Motorola hasn’t released the kernel source for the device just yet.

Moto E
Image credits to Motorola

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime to Feature Cat. 6 LTE (Up to 225Mbps) Connectivity

When made available in South Korea, Galaxy S5 Prime, supposedly the premium flavor of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 flagship, should be able to provide users with appealing connectivity capabilities at all times, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

According to a recent article on zdnet.co.kr, the upcoming device could be able to provide users with download speeds of up to 225Mbps, which will mark a great improvement over other devices. This would be possible courtesy of the inclusion of a Qualcomm MDM9635 multimode modem in the Galaxy S5 Prime, which means that it will feature Cat. 6 LTE connectivity right from the start. Moreover, said report claims that the modem has been built using the 20nm process technology, and that it will be used in conjunction with SK Telecom’s upcoming LTE-A network in South Korea. Should this pan out, Galaxy S5 Prime will become the first smartphone in the world to be able to reach said download speeds, although they are only theoretical at the moment.

As SamMobile notes, Qualcomm has already demonstrated network speeds of up to 300Mbps on a special version of the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone, one powered by a Snapdragon 805 processor, which is said to be the same CPU inside the Galaxy S5 Prime. However, the actual network won’t be able to support such high speeds, and users will only enjoy a maximum speed of 225Mbps. Rumor has it that Galaxy S5 Prime will go official as soon as the next month in South Korea, though chance are that other countries will also receive it, soon after. Considering the fact that LTE-Advanced networks are not available on many markets out there, however, we don’t expect the mobile phone to be capable of offering the same data transfer speeds to all users, but only to those in South Korea.

However, Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime is not the only flagship device that is expected to land on the market with the Snapdragon 805 processor inside in the second half of this year, which means that the Cat. 6 LTE connectivity could be available on more of them soon. In fact, some of the latest reports have already suggested that HTC is planning the release of a HTC One M8 Prime device with the same processor and similar capabilities inside. No official confirmation on this has been provided as of now, but more on the matter could emerge soon. Keep an eye on this space for more details on Galaxy S5 Prime and other Snapdragon 805-powered handsets.

Premium Galaxy S5
Image credits to PhoneArena

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Nokia X2 Leaks with 1GB of RAM

In February, Nokia unveiled to the world its first device running under the Android operating system, in the form of Nokia X, which has been already accompanied by two other devices in the series, namely the Nokia X+ and Nokia XL.

As it turns out, the company might be already working on a successor for the handset, one that would hit shelves with better hardware inside, and which could be called Nokia X2. An allegedly leaked AnTuTu benchmark screenshot (available courtesy of baidu), claims that the smartphone will arrive on shelves with 1GB of RAM packed inside, as well as with 4GB of internal memory. Moreover, said screenshot mentions a Qualcomm MSM8210 processor, which could be either a 1.4GHz dual-core processor or a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU. The smartphone can supposedly top 11,827 in the benchmark, which is quite decent when compared to other members of the Nokia X family, as MyNokiaBlog notes. The next-generation Nokia X smartphone was also said to arrive on the market with a dedicated home button, as the back button that the current series of devices includes is said to be rather confusing for some users.

As one can imagine, no official confirmation on the upcoming Nokia X2 has been provided as of now, which means that you’ll need to take the info above with a big grain of salt. The same applies to the render embedded below. However, it will certainly not come too much as a surprise if Microsoft indeed released a new Nokia X series of handsets either later this year or in early 2015, especially considering the success that the original lineup has already seen. When announcing the Nokia X series, the Finnish company said that these devices were meant to push Windows Phone ahead, not to prove competitors for it. The same as the Asha series, they were designed for first-time smartphone users coming from feature phones.

Nokia’s Devices & Services division has become part of Microsoft in the meantime, yet it seems that the Redmond-based company might actually continue launching new Android phones in the series, and that Nokia X2 could be one of the first. As mentioned above, no official confirmation on the matter has emerged as of now, so we’ll treat this as a rumor for the time being. However, more info on the matter might emerge soon, so keep an eye on this space to learn whether the rumor will pan out or not.

Nokia X2 allegedly emerges online
Images credits to Baidu via NokiaBlog

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How to Fix iPhone-to-Android iMessage Bug

iPhone text messages not going to your new Android phone? That’s your punishment for ditching iOS in favor of the mobile operating system created by Google in the shape and image of Apple’s software. We jest. It’s a known issue and something that Apple is currently working to address. In the meanwhile, try these potential fixes.

We’ve heard that disabling iMessage before trading in/selling your phone can help. In case you haven’t done so, track down the person who has the iDevice (in case it hasn’t been stolen from you) and do this on your old / their new iPhone: tap Settings > Messages > slide the iMessage knob to the left to switch off the service. The good news is this could be the easiest way to ensure that other iPhones will not continue to deliver text messages to your iMessage account. The bad news is it may take up to 45 days for Apple’s servers to register your request. Also make sure to do the same with all your devices that have iCloud enabled on them with ties to your Messages box. This includes your Mac and your iPad, as well as your iPod touch.

There isn’t an official way to deactivate iMessage from Apple's servers, though the company is said to be working on it to stop iPhones from sending iMessages to sold or lost iPhones, preventing the user from receiving texts from their friends and families simply from switching camps. Some people have had success calling 1-800-MY-APPLE and requesting Apple’s tech guys to manually erase their phone number from the servers. Finally, according to one tipster whose identity we cannot confirm, if you reset your Apple ID password and then text STOP to 48369 on your Android phone, the problem will be fixed.

Note: This is in no way verified and / or confirmed as an official fix (basically it’s just hearsay), so document yourselves well before sending any texts to numbers you don’t know. We take no responsibility if you incur damage as a result of using these potential fixes, but we hear they’ve yielded results for many people. In related iMessage news, Apple has been sued by some of the customers affected by this issue, with some even claiming that the company is engaging in practices meant to force users to remain clients of the walled garden that is iCloud. The Cupertino giant has yet to issue an official statement regarding this fiasco.

iMessage
Image credits to thejtsite.com

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