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jeudi 3 décembre 2020

These are the best Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals right now

Samsung’s second-generation foldable phone has been available to buy for a while now and as we said in our Galaxy Z Fold 2 review, it’s probably our phone of the year! The Galaxy Z Fold 2 brings several improvements including a new hinge that can be stopped at any angle, a wider front screen, a pinhole camera instead of that awful notch, and far more. There are also optimizations thanks to close partnerships with Google, where Duo and YouTube display controls on half the screen and video on the other half, and Microsoft, where you can work on a Powerpoint and Excel sheet side-by-side from within the Office app.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is $1,999 in the US. Although fairly expensive, it’s only priced at $20 more than the price of the original Galaxy Fold, despite the vast range of improvements it brings. For one of XDA’s favorite phones of the year, the Fold 2 is worth the price of admission. We have collected all relevant information on the best Galaxy Z Fold 2 deals below!

Best Unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals in the US

In the US, you can pick up your Z Fold 2 with a unique hinge from the Samsung Store, or save a little money at Best Buy.

Samsung

Samsung is doing things differently with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, allowing you to customize it and truly make it your own. You have a choice of hinge colors so you can get creative with the style of your phone. If you place a pre-order, you can get up to $1,000 credit when you trade-in the Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Z Flip, or up to $650 with other devices.

    Galaxy Z Fold 2
    Forget the rest of the deals – if you want to save a bundle on your unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 2 and have a recent phone, Samsung's trade-in offer is the best. You can get up to $650 credit and if you have the original Z Flip or Galaxy Fold, you can save $1,000 on your new Galaxy Z Fold 2!

Best Buy

Depending on what you’re looking for, you can get some Galaxy Z Fold 2 deals at Best Buy. For an unlocked phone, you’ll save $50 if you activate today, but you need to cough up the remaining amount upfront. If you need a payment plan, you can sign up for a Verizon carrier phone for a 24-month payment plan, or AT&T for a 30-month payment plan.

    Galaxy Z Fold 2
    If you want to save on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and don't have a trade-in, Best Buy will give you a small discount for activating at time of sale. Best Buy is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 2 either unlocked or with Verizon and AT&T, in both Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze.

Amazon

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is available again on Amazon! It will be in stock on December 10, but you can buy the phone now and have it at your door in two days with Prime shipping. While Amazon isn’t offering any sort of discount at this time, the ease of ordering through Amazon might be enough to entice those that don’t have a phone to trade-in.

    Galaxy Z Fold 2
    Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2 at Amazon, and get the device as early as December 10! While Amazon doesn't have a deal for the foldable right now, if you don't have a good trade-in value on your phone, the convenience may be worth it.

Best Carrier Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals in the US

Of course, some major carriers are also selling the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Here are the best deals for each of them:

Verizon

Get your Galaxy Z Fold 2 on Verizon! On Verizon’s standard device payment program, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will cost you $83.33 per month over 24 months ($1999 retail price). They also have no last then 10 promos available for the device, which is… a lot. Here are the highlights:

  • Buy one Galaxy Z Fold 2, get another for $1,000 off (one muse be a new line)
    • Alternatively, it’s buy one, get one $500 off with Select Unlimited plans
  • Get up to $400 in trade-in value
  • Get free Verizon Stream TV
    Galaxy Z Fold 2
    Get the full power of Verizon's 5G mmWave network with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Verizon has a range of promotions available, including big discounts and free goodies.

AT&T

Have a phone to trade-in? You can save up to $700 on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, as long as you are going for an Unlimited plan! Additionally, you can save 50% on the Galaxy Buds Live when purchasing your new Samsung phone. Just add the Galaxy Buds Live to your cart, and the discount will pop up at checkout!

    Galaxy Z Fold 2
    If you're on AT&T and want the Galaxy Z Fold 2, it's available for just $66.67 per month on a new 30-month payment plan. You can also save 50% on Galaxy Buds Live!

The post These are the best Galaxy Z Fold 2 Deals right now appeared first on xda-developers.



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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Note 10, and XCover Pro receive new updates with December 2020 security patches

Samsung hasn’t had the best track record of pushing monthly security updates to its devices in the past. However, the company has been doing a terrific job over the last few months. Samsung’s update schedule has improved to the extent that it’s now pushing the latest Android security patches to some of its devices even before Google officially publishes the corresponding Android Security Bulletin. For instance, even though Google hasn’t officially published the Android Security Bulleting for December 2020, the Galaxy S20 lineup, the Galaxy S20 FE, and the Galaxy S9 have already received the December 2020 patches. And it doesn’t seem like Samsung is stopping anytime soon, as the company has now released similar updates for three more devices — the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy XCover Pro.

As per a recent post on Reddit, the company has started rolling out an update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (model number SM-F916B) with the software version F916BXXS1BTK1, and it brings the latest Android security patches to the device. The update is rolling out in several regions, including countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 December 2020 patches

Similarly, a recent post on our Galaxy Note 10+ forums suggests that a similar update is rolling out to the Galaxy Note 10 lineup. The update (version N97xFXXS6DTK8) is rolling out to the Exynos versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ (SM-970F and SM-975F) in Europe at the moment. Finally, the Galaxy XCover Pro (model number SM-G715FN) is also receiving a similar update (version G715FNXXS6ATK2) in Europe, which includes the Android security patches for December 2020.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy XCover Pro users in the aforementioned regions should be able to download the update on their devices by heading over to the Software update section in the device settings. In case the update isn’t available on your device yet, you can skip the wait and download the firmware package directly from Samsung’s update server using tools like Samloader and install it manually using a Windows PC. Alternatively, Galaxy Note 10+ users can grab the update package from the XDA Forums thread linked above.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Note 10, and XCover Pro receive new updates with December 2020 security patches appeared first on xda-developers.



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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Note 10, and XCover Pro receive new updates with December 2020 security patches

Samsung hasn’t had the best track record of pushing monthly security updates to its devices in the past. However, the company has been doing a terrific job over the last few months. Samsung’s update schedule has improved to the extent that it’s now pushing the latest Android security patches to some of its devices even before Google officially publishes the corresponding Android Security Bulletin. For instance, even though Google hasn’t officially published the Android Security Bulleting for December 2020, the Galaxy S20 lineup, the Galaxy S20 FE, and the Galaxy S9 have already received the December 2020 patches. And it doesn’t seem like Samsung is stopping anytime soon, as the company has now released similar updates for three more devices — the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy XCover Pro.

As per a recent post on Reddit, the company has started rolling out an update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (model number SM-F916B) with the software version F916BXXS1BTK1, and it brings the latest Android security patches to the device. The update is rolling out in several regions, including countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 December 2020 patches

Similarly, a recent post on our Galaxy Note 10+ forums suggests that a similar update is rolling out to the Galaxy Note 10 lineup. The update (version N97xFXXS6DTK8) is rolling out to the Exynos versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ (SM-970F and SM-975F) in Europe at the moment. Finally, the Galaxy XCover Pro (model number SM-G715FN) is also receiving a similar update (version G715FNXXS6ATK2) in Europe, which includes the Android security patches for December 2020.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy XCover Pro users in the aforementioned regions should be able to download the update on their devices by heading over to the Software update section in the device settings. In case the update isn’t available on your device yet, you can skip the wait and download the firmware package directly from Samsung’s update server using tools like Samloader and install it manually using a Windows PC. Alternatively, Galaxy Note 10+ users can grab the update package from the XDA Forums thread linked above.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Note 10, and XCover Pro receive new updates with December 2020 security patches appeared first on xda-developers.



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Apktool v2.5.0 adds better support for decoding apps built for Android 11

If you’re into reverse-engineering Android applications, then the name “Apktool” should ring a bell. Maintained by Connor Tumbleson AKA XDA Recognized Developer iBotPeaches, this open source tool allows you to disassemble Android application binary (known as APK) files, change something, and rebuild them. After a bit of a development hiatus, Apktool has now been freshly updated to version 2.5.0, with the new headline feature being “Android 11 support.”

In order to streamline things significantly on Android 11, the smali/baksmali backend of Apktool needs an upgrade. Not only the latest build addresses the issue, but it also comes with the necessary framework update. The error logging module has been revamped as well, so that users can get more done in less time without bothering about deciphering cryptic error messages. In addition, the update brings tons of patches to the Android Asset Packaging Tool (aapt/aapt2) to improve macOS compatibility and minimize the possibility of crashing during compilation.

You can view the full changelog of the update below:

  • [#2399#2397#2369#2167] Android 11 Support.
  • [#2006#1718] Upgraded smali/baksmali to v2.4.0.
  • [#2110#2053] Deprecate 32 bit operating systems.
  • [#2251] Fix thread crash with binary name collision.
  • [#2323] Fix compression on resources.arsc.
  • [#2333] Fix crash with empty files during compression. (Thanks peret)
  • [#2328#2364] Fix debug mode handling with aapt2. (Thanks Comnir)
  • [#2386#2217#2119] Fix handling XML files with $ in name.
  • [#2300] Fix NPE while disassembling manifest with no resource matching resId.
  • [#2438#1903] Fix aapt2 with dummy properties of bool(false) to ref(null).
  • [#2317#2188#1859] Fix non-standard namespaces in obfuscated manifests.
  • [#1945#2146] Fix NPE when finding referent of a missing resource.
  • [#2343] Fix error message when framework directory cannot be written.
  • [#2411] Add tests for classes[1-3].dex
  • [#1913] Added new list frameworks command.
  • [#2368] Added support for compileSdkVersion.
  • Updated response codes to properly be non-zero if invalid parameters passed. (Thanks Giszmo)
  • Updated license headers to reflect start date of project & remove javadoc style. (Thanks friederbluemle)
  • Added support for JAVA_HOME variable on Windows helper script. (Thanks vldmrrr)
  • Added support for SDK Codename “S”
  • Upgrade to gradle 6.4.1
  • Replaced TravisCI with GitHub Actions

If you haven’t already updated, just download the latest version using the links below and check out the install instructions for additional details. There is also a dedicated support thread on our forums for more info to get started.

Download Apktool: GitHub || Bitbucket


Source: Connor Tumbleson’s Blog

The post Apktool v2.5.0 adds better support for decoding apps built for Android 11 appeared first on xda-developers.



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via IFTTT

Apktool v2.5.0 adds better support for decoding apps built for Android 11

If you’re into reverse-engineering Android applications, then the name “Apktool” should ring a bell. Maintained by Connor Tumbleson AKA XDA Recognized Developer iBotPeaches, this open source tool allows you to disassemble Android application binary (known as APK) files, change something, and rebuild them. After a bit of a development hiatus, Apktool has now been freshly updated to version 2.5.0, with the new headline feature being “Android 11 support.”

In order to streamline things significantly on Android 11, the smali/baksmali backend of Apktool needs an upgrade. Not only the latest build addresses the issue, but it also comes with the necessary framework update. The error logging module has been revamped as well, so that users can get more done in less time without bothering about deciphering cryptic error messages. In addition, the update brings tons of patches to the Android Asset Packaging Tool (aapt/aapt2) to improve macOS compatibility and minimize the possibility of crashing during compilation.

You can view the full changelog of the update below:

  • [#2399#2397#2369#2167] Android 11 Support.
  • [#2006#1718] Upgraded smali/baksmali to v2.4.0.
  • [#2110#2053] Deprecate 32 bit operating systems.
  • [#2251] Fix thread crash with binary name collision.
  • [#2323] Fix compression on resources.arsc.
  • [#2333] Fix crash with empty files during compression. (Thanks peret)
  • [#2328#2364] Fix debug mode handling with aapt2. (Thanks Comnir)
  • [#2386#2217#2119] Fix handling XML files with $ in name.
  • [#2300] Fix NPE while disassembling manifest with no resource matching resId.
  • [#2438#1903] Fix aapt2 with dummy properties of bool(false) to ref(null).
  • [#2317#2188#1859] Fix non-standard namespaces in obfuscated manifests.
  • [#1945#2146] Fix NPE when finding referent of a missing resource.
  • [#2343] Fix error message when framework directory cannot be written.
  • [#2411] Add tests for classes[1-3].dex
  • [#1913] Added new list frameworks command.
  • [#2368] Added support for compileSdkVersion.
  • Updated response codes to properly be non-zero if invalid parameters passed. (Thanks Giszmo)
  • Updated license headers to reflect start date of project & remove javadoc style. (Thanks friederbluemle)
  • Added support for JAVA_HOME variable on Windows helper script. (Thanks vldmrrr)
  • Added support for SDK Codename “S”
  • Upgrade to gradle 6.4.1
  • Replaced TravisCI with GitHub Actions

If you haven’t already updated, just download the latest version using the links below and check out the install instructions for additional details. There is also a dedicated support thread on our forums for more info to get started.

Download Apktool: GitHub || Bitbucket


Source: Connor Tumbleson’s Blog

The post Apktool v2.5.0 adds better support for decoding apps built for Android 11 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Photos update adds a live wallpaper that cycles through your memories

In September last year, Google added a new Memories view in Google Photos to help users rediscover old photos and videos. Since its release, Google has tested a bunch of additional features for the Memories view, including an option to order photo prints, support for photo creations, and a new “Recent Highlights” album to showcase an “automatically curated album of your best photos.” While some of these features haven’t made it to the app so far, the latest Google Photos update brings yet another Memories-based feature to the app.

Google Photos version 5.22 just started rolling out on the Google Play Store, and it includes a new live wallpaper that cycles through your memories. As you can see in the attached screenshots, the new Memories live wallpaper can be found in the stock wallpaper picker. Selecting the wallpaper brings up a preview pane that showcases how your memories will appear on the home screen.

Google Photos Memories Live Wallpaper

If you like what you see, you can tap on the “Set wallpaper” button in the bottom right corner to apply the live wallpaper. The preview pane also has an “Open Photos” button to open Google Photos. However, opening the app doesn’t present any additional customization options for the live wallpaper at the moment. Furthermore, the preview window has a “Preview” checkbox in the top right corner, which hides the aforementioned buttons to display the wallpaper in full-screen view.

As mentioned earlier, the new live wallpaper is included in the latest Google Photos update. You can check if you’ve received the update by following the Play Store link below. In case you haven’t, you can download the latest Google Photos APK from APKMirror to get the new Memories live wallpaper on your device. I sideloaded the APK on my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and I can confirm that the new live wallpaper feature works as intended.

Google Photos (Free, Google Play) →

The post Google Photos update adds a live wallpaper that cycles through your memories appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2JvG09h
via IFTTT

Google Photos update adds a live wallpaper that cycles through your memories

In September last year, Google added a new Memories view in Google Photos to help users rediscover old photos and videos. Since its release, Google has tested a bunch of additional features for the Memories view, including an option to order photo prints, support for photo creations, and a new “Recent Highlights” album to showcase an “automatically curated album of your best photos.” While some of these features haven’t made it to the app so far, the latest Google Photos update brings yet another Memories-based feature to the app.

Google Photos version 5.22 just started rolling out on the Google Play Store, and it includes a new live wallpaper that cycles through your memories. As you can see in the attached screenshots, the new Memories live wallpaper can be found in the stock wallpaper picker. Selecting the wallpaper brings up a preview pane that showcases how your memories will appear on the home screen.

Google Photos Memories Live Wallpaper

If you like what you see, you can tap on the “Set wallpaper” button in the bottom right corner to apply the live wallpaper. The preview pane also has an “Open Photos” button to open Google Photos. However, opening the app doesn’t present any additional customization options for the live wallpaper at the moment. Furthermore, the preview window has a “Preview” checkbox in the top right corner, which hides the aforementioned buttons to display the wallpaper in full-screen view.

As mentioned earlier, the new live wallpaper is included in the latest Google Photos update. You can check if you’ve received the update by following the Play Store link below. In case you haven’t, you can download the latest Google Photos APK from APKMirror to get the new Memories live wallpaper on your device. I sideloaded the APK on my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and I can confirm that the new live wallpaper feature works as intended.

Google Photos (Free, Google Play) →

The post Google Photos update adds a live wallpaper that cycles through your memories appeared first on xda-developers.



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