Table of contents for 61 in Android Advisor

It’s safe to say that going into GDC 2019, Google’s keynote was the most anticipated on the schedule. Rumours had flown for weeks, though calling them ‘rumours’ is perhaps underselling it. We knew Google was working on streaming games to the Chrome browser, after last year’s Project Stream tests, and it was clear we’d see more about those ideas. GDC was the official reveal, though. It’s called Stadia, and already the old box-under-the-television paradigm feels outdated. Streaming games anywhere ‘Building a game platform for everyone.’ That’s the tag line Google went with during its presentation. You have a desktop? A laptop? A phone? Then you have Stadia. It’s that easy. This is the future that game streaming allows. No, seriously: Google showed it to us. An onstage demo went from…

Price: £1,099 inc VAT from fave.co/2TNnA7O It’s something of a perfect coincidence that Samsung’s Galaxy S10+ went on sale the same day Captain Marvel landed in cinemas. Both were once the most powerful members of their respective universes. Both are struggling with an identity crisis spurred by a larger-than-life existential threat. And both have a gorgeous shimmer when the light hits them just right. And in many ways, they’re both the last of a dying breed. The Galaxy S10+ may represent the culmination of 10 years of Samsung’s Android engineering, but it’s also the phone that doesn’t fold. Much like 2017’s iPhone 8 Plus, which existed in the shadow of the button-less and OLED iPhone X, the Galaxy S10+ no longer represents the pinnacle of Samsung innovation. That honour now…

We’re looking forward to the launch of 5G in the UK. It’s around 20 times faster than 4G, with the potential for even better speeds. With 5G, you’ll be able to stream video in 4K, and make 4K video calls. There are also benefits for mobile gaming because of 5G’s lower latency. But we’re in a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation here, in that you won’t be able to actually use 5G until both your network and your smartphone support the next-gen connectivity standard. So do you buy a 5G phone now and wait for the networks to catch up, or do you go for a network that promises 5G support and wait until it’s ready to buy the hardware? Though many of the phones covered here are launching this…

If your Galaxy S9 was recently updated or you’re planning to buy an S10, then you need to get acquainted with Samsung’s One UI. A complete overhaul of the Samsung Experience 9.5, it brings a stylish interface, redesigned apps, and a brand-new philosophy with an emphasis on smart and speedy interactions. While you feel your way around, here are some important tips to start off on the right foot. Turn on gesture navigation The most important change to One UI is the addition of gesture navigation. Samsung has taken a different tack than Google or Apple with its method. Samsung has basically turned the navigation bar button into gestures: Swipe up from the left to see your recent apps, swipe up from the centre to go home, and swipe up…

Previously, Microsoft appeared poised to widen the reach of its gaming ecosystem, connecting games on Android, iOS and even the Nintendo Switch to its Xbox Live multiplayer platform. Only two of the three came through, however, as Microsoft announced last month that its Xbox Live SDKs would be ported to Android and iOS. As for the Switch, Microsoft had no comment. Sharing achievements, friends lists, and gameplay was the first step toward establishing Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem within the Windows PC and Xbox console. According to Windows Central, Microsoft was preparing to unveil a cross-platform SDK (or XDK) at the Game Developers Conference in March at a special session. That session, once named ‘Xbox Live: Growing and Engaging Your Gaming Community Across iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, and PC’, now has been…

Price: TBC (approx £450) Go back a couple of years and few people in the UK had heard of Xiaomi, but looking into our imaginary crystal ball we’re convinced that in a couple more years it is going to have completely transformed the smartphone market. Xiaomi is a huge – but still pretty young – Chinese mega-brand and its smartphones, which are now officially available in the UK and Europe, undercut the global leaders in a way with which they simply cannot hope to compete. The only company that comes even remotely close is OnePlus, with its 6T, but that phone’s still not a patch on Mi 9. Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s brand-new flagship phone for 2019. It undercuts the Samsung Galaxy S10 by more than £300 – the iPhone…

While once upon a time the game selection on Android was a basic affair, that’s no longer the case. The runaway success of mobile shooters such as Fortnite and PUBG Mobile has started a mobile gaming revolution where console-quality games are being created specifically for smartphones. The issue is that touchscreen isn’t always the best input method, especially for fast-paced online shooters, which is why we’ve compiled a list of our favourite Android controllers, along with buying advice to help you find the right controller and improve your mobile game performance. Compatibility The most important thing to consider when buying a controller for Android gaming is compatibility. It’s crucial that you know the version of Android that your phone or tablet is running and make sure that the controller supports…

In just a few months, the first folding phones will be available for sale, and if you have a couple thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you can purchase one for your very own. But while those first few buyers will be the talk of the town, the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X might not be as top-of-the-line as their price tags would suggest. While they certainly represent an advancement in overall smartphone technology and an exciting new direction for the future, in some ways, folding phones are a step backward from the premium phone we’re used to using. Here are three areas of concern I have as the folding revolution takes shape. Display quality The odd shapes of the folding displays are the most obvious…

Now that Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud have been unveiled, it’s safe to say cloud gaming has arrived, promising a future where content will be streamed to smartphones over high-speed Wi-Fi and 5G. But if these services are to flourish, something else must die: the data caps ISPs impose upon most consumer Internet service plans. No one ever liked these limits except the ISPs. Now that major tech companies have some skin in the streaming game, data caps may finally have too many enemies to survive. The data cap struggle is real Managing your bandwidth can be a struggle. You don’t have to be a gaming journalist to download several games per month and begin consuming 600- to 700GB of data, especially if you have a family full of digitally…

Price: From £899 (inc VAT) Last year we were seriously impressed with Huawei’s P20 Pro, which was then eclipsed six months later by the Mate 20 Pro. Now, as expected, we have the P30 Pro, which takes a lot of the best features from the Mate 20 Pro and makes them even better. Below are our initial impressions. Availability The P30 Pro is on sale now, with prices starting at £899 for the 128GB model, and £1,099 for 512GB. Design Given that Huawei has what it calls ‘dual flagships’ by having both the P series and Mate series, it’s a little surprising that in essence the P30 Pro adopts the Mate 20 Pro’s design. The screen has curved sides on the front and back, and it has an in-screen fingerprint…

Right on schedule, the first Android Q Developer Preview has arrived, and there’s a lot to unpack. As with the past few releases, there aren’t a ton of user-facing features just yet – those will likely be reserved for Google I/O and the Pixel 4 launch in September. Nonetheless, the changelog is still filled with plenty of interesting tweaks and additions that will make your phone better than ever once the operating system lands in late summer. The biggest change is one that most people won’t get to enjoy for years to come. Google already previewed its new folding interface with Samsung’s ultra-expensive Galaxy Fold, but now it’s making those new app actions – such as pause, resume, and resizing when opening a screen – available to all developers in…