20 best Android apps and games this week

It’s time for our latest roundup of the latest, greatest Android apps and games, this time from the last two weeks’ worth of releases on the Google Play store.

As ever, the prices provided in brackets are for the initial download only: when an app uses in-app purchases, this will be listed as (Free + IAP). Something to look for: a new section of each app’s Google Play store listing, which explains the full range of IAP.

More interested in iOS apps? They’re covered in a separate weekly Best iPhone and iPad Apps roundup, with the latest instalment due to be published later today.

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Microsoft Band is a $199 fitness tracker, works with Windows, Android, iOS

Microsoft’s first wearable device is a fitness tracker called the Microsoft Band. It’s a wristband with activity-tracking sensors, a display for notifications, and support for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps.

The $199 Microsoft Band is part of a new platform called Microsoft Health which is basically the company’s answer to Apple’s HealthKit and Google’s Fit.

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Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, Spice Dream Uno Review: Android the One for Me?

Google unveiled the Android One initiative at its annual developers conference in June with Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice confirmed as the launch partners. Under the programme, manufacturers benefit from lower cost of development, by sharing integration and testing resources with Google. Android One customers are promised regular software updates, so this sounds like a win-win, at least on paper.

Last month, the three Indian companies, along with Google, unveiled the Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, and Spice Dream Uno boasting identical specifications. So how do these smartphones perform in the real world? Let's find out.

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Unwrapping Lollipop: Ars talks to Android execs about the upcoming OS

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—In just a few weeks, Google will be pushing out one of its largest Android releases ever: Android 5.0, Lollipop. The update changes nearly every aspect of the OS—a new design for every app, a new runtime, lots of new features, and a focus on battery life. The company is also launching a pair of new Nexus flagships, the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 aiming for a more premium market, and the first Android TV device, the Nexus Player. Together with the release of Google Inbox and a new Wear update, we're in the middle of a very busy few weeks.

We sat down with a few high-ranking members of the Android Team to get a better idea of what this new wave of Android devices will bring. At building 43 at Google's headquarters, Dave Burke, the VP of Engineering for the Android platform and Nexus devices; Brian Rakowski, VP of Product Management, and Gabe Cohen, the team's Group Product Manager, were all gracious enough to talk to us about the future direction of Android.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 tipped to receive Android 5.0 in December

Samsung could soon deliver an Android 5.0 update to the Galaxy S5, says SamMobile. According to a source close to the blog, the Lollipop build may be here sometime in December.

To be clear, this doesn't mean that all versions of the device will see Android 5.0 in the next two months. The probable scenario is that the unlocked, international model is first in line, followed by additional regions in the ensuing weeks.

It's also worth pointing out that wireless providers can sometimes delay the update process by a few weeks or months. But, should US Galaxy S5 owners see Lollipop in the first two months of 2015, that time frame is considerably better than previous Android releases.

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Android Circuit: Samsung's Powerful Galaxy Update, Microsoft's Next Android Step, Motorola's Number One Smartphone

Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including the new Galaxy S5 Plus, the ‘number one’ Moto G, US Government approves Samsung’s Knox, Microsoft’s Android Launcher, Nokia’s HERE Maps in a wide-ranging beta release, the Nexus Player and Chromecast, Android Wear updates, and the Samrtisan T1′s tribute to the iPhone 4.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven days.

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Hearthstone Delay for iPhone and Android Phones

A mobile version of the critically acclaimed collectable card game Hearthstone will not be released until 2015, its developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced.

While the PC and iPad editions have now amassed more than 20 million players worldwide, Blizzard has said it needs more time rebuilding the title for smaller mobile screens. However, the Android tablet version is still on schedule for release by the end of 2014.

"Throughout the past year, many of you have been asking about the release date for Hearthstone on Android. The team has been hard at work to bring Hearthstone to that platform, and is making great progress," reads a notice on the Hearthstone blog.

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Microsoft’s Garage project spawns two Android apps and twist-to-search Bing app for Android Wear

Microsoft is highlighting the work of Garage, an internal initiative that encourages employees to work on experimental projects in their spare time, today with three Android-specific apps.

The first two, called Next Lock Screen and Journeys & Notes, are aimed at Android smartphones and tablets. The former is a lock screen replacement that includes a feed of calendar appointments and a quick app launcher that changes seamlessly depending on your location. If one of your diary entries is for a conference call, you can also swipe in to immediately dial the right number.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Roundup: HTC, Google, LG, Motorola, Xolo, OnePlus, Samsung And Sony Upgrade Plans

HTC, Motorola and Sony have confirmed the upgrade plans for the next generation Android5.0 Lollipop. Latest reports unveiled the current position of LG on the new Android version and what possible changes on the Android Lollipop version of Samsung's TouchWiz UI.

Confirmed Android 5.0 Lollipop Upgrade Plans

1.      Taiwanese company HTCconfirmed the upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop for HTC One series. Android 5.0 with HTC Sense UI will be primarily available on HTC One M8 and M7 then followed by other HTC One models such as HTC One Max and HTC One Mini. Other selected models are also planned to be upgraded but the company did not provide specifics yet.

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8 ways Google is tying Chrome OS and Android together

Fear not, true believers in the idea of different operating systems for different types of devices: Even though Chrome's engineering head has taken over Android's technical aspects, Google isn't likely to forcibly combine Chrome OS and Android into a Windows 8-style Frankenstein’s monster any time soon. That said, Chrome OS and Android have been forging closer ties over the past months, evolving into two highly complementary operating systems.

Chrome OS can run Android apps, and Android can run Chrome apps. But it doesn’t end there: New features will make a Chromebook and Android phone or tablet complement each other much more nicely. Here are eight notable ways the lines are beginning to blur.

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Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, Note 3 Android 4.4.4 KitKat Guide, More Devices Receiving Update this October

Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, Note 3 and Grand 2users can update their devices to Android4.4.4 KitKat soon. According to the recent Samsung roadmap released, the company has finished phase 1 of its Android 4.4.4 rollout. Some devices may already have access to the program but others may have to wait according to their carrier and region. It appears the company wants to finish the update as the Android 5.0 Lollipop release looms around. 

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Android Circuit: Samsung's Continued Collapse, Android Loves Lollipops, Stunning Nexus Hardware

Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including all the details of the new Nexus devices, the low-down on Android 5.0 Lollipop and the rollout of 5.0, reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, Q3 numbers from the world of Android, and the upcoming update of Android Wear.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven days.

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How to access the Android Lollipop Easter egg

If you're a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 owner, then you'll be pleased to know that Google has just updated the Android 5.0 Lollipop preview along with the 5.0 SDK tools. Additionally, AndroidCentral noticed that this update also contains a special surprise from Google: the latest Easter egg.

Ready to check it out? Here's how:

Head to the Settings menu (the cog in the notification shade at the top) and choose About phone/tablet.

Tap repeatedly on the line that says Android version (with 5.0 underneath).

When the lollipop loads, you can tap it to change colors, or long-press it to reveal the Easter egg: a Flappy Bird clone game, made with a bugdroid and lollipops.

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Android 5.0 L Developer Preview and Android 5.0 SDK for Google Nexus 5 and 7 Now Live for Download

Google has released the official Android 5.0 SDK and the Android 5.0 Developer Preview final build. Check them if you’re a developer and you wish to start working on optimizing your applications for the full Android 5.0 Lollipop release that should take place early November.

With the Android 5.0 SDK released now all the developers can move on from the previous preview builds and start testing the real deal. The new API number for SDK 5.0 is 21 and it comes with a brand new Camera 2.0 API, better performance, support for DNG, improved JobScheduler, new Material Design capabilities. Check more info about the Android SDK 5.0 here.

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Samsung Galaxy S3 Gets Android 4.4.4 Update

While the world is abuzz with the release of Apple's iOS 8 and Google's impending release of the Android L (Android 5.0), the Android Kitkat 4.4.4 is still making its rounds across the Android compatible phones. Finally though, the Samsung Galaxy S3 along with the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2 will be getting the 4.4.4 Kitkat update.

In the recent weeks, the Android 4.4.4 Kitkat update was released alongside the 4.4.3 update. Both are essentially bug fixes to the much troubled 4.4.2 update and was rolled out on Android phones across the board. However, many phones received the updates later than most and it seems that the Galaxy S3 is one of the phones which will be getting the updates late.

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