Android Authority this week

Folks, news roundups are nice if you just want a bird’s-eye view of the happenings in the world of Android. But Android – like Android Authority – is so much more than a bullet list of news. There are highs and lows. Passion, controversy, surprises, and letdowns. Above all, a wonderful community of enthusiasts that love Android and all things mobile. We want to be part of all that, and we want our Android Weekly to reflect that.

So starting with today’s edition, Android Weekly we’ll be a little different, and, we hope, a lot better. Besides just the news of the week (which won’t go anywhere) and a video roundup from Jayce, we’ll feature more content that we believe will enhance your knowledge of Android, inform you about the latest developments, and maybe even entertain you a little. That means opinion pieces, features, videos, and reviews from the past week — basically, all the stuff that we think deserves a bit of your time, stitched together for you to enjoy every Sunday.

We’ll also use the segment to talk about ourselves. Expect a peek at what happens behind the scenes, updates on our plans for the future, and on what’s up with the team and our community. Speaking of which, we’re working hard to get our new forums up and running, so Android Authority will soon be more than a website and YouTube channel!

With that said, I am happy to sign off the first edition of the new “Android Authority this week” segment. Let’s kick it!

Android Authority this week

After I/O

Ah, the week after Google I/O. On one hand, we’ve got to rummage through all the I/O bits and pieces, and news was pretty exciting on the Android Wear front. On the other, it’s mid-summer, everyone’s exhausted after Google’s news-packed conference, and companies are a bit reluctant to make announcements right now. (Plus, it was the Fourth of July – hope you had a nice celebration, US readers!) Sensing the opportunity of a slow news week, Andrew Grush took some time off to spend with the family, but worry not, he’ll be back on Tuesday.

New index

Derek Scott, our co-founder and technical overlord, launched the latest version of our homepage, which is now back to a single-column layout. You preferred the classic blog format for its readability and cleanliness, so we listened. Also, we now have a single-row scrollable menu at the top, where we will showcase our best content. Derek also made it possible to insert playable videos in the index, making it more convenient for you to watch our great video content from Josh, Joe, Jayce, and Kevin. Let us know what you think of the new design!

Forums

Our forums are gaining steam. Sure, our community there is still in its infancy, but we have great hopes for it. We’ve only soft launched the forum, by the way, so that’s why we didn’t make a big hoopla about it. Rest assured though, there’ll be plenty of hoopla when we officially cut the ribbon, including giveaways and more. Meanwhile, we are trying to foster a friendly community where we can talk Android, Google, technology, the World Cup, and everything else you feel talking about.

Integration

We have big plans to integrate the forums with the website and the Android app, and overall to make the Android Authority community the nicest place to hang out online for any Android fan. Head over here if you want to take a head start on joining our forums, and stay tuned for more.

Next week

For next week, we’re anxiously waiting for our Android Wear devices, because we want new toys we want to bring you great coverage. A OnePlus One is about to land on Josh’s doorstep, and we will compare it with the other Android flagships out there in our detailed Versus posts. And yes, we will have an invite giveaway.

Android L

And then, there’s Android L, which we’re all so excited about. Expect better and deeper coverage of L release next week, when the team is complete again.

Giveaway

BTW, we’re putting up for grabs a OnePlus One 64GB in our international Sunday Giveaway. Another reason to love Sundays, eh?

The stuff you shouldn’t miss

Here are some of our deeper content this week, perfect for some weekend reading:

Video roundup

Jayce summarizes the week in his popular video roundup:

Top news of the week

And here are the top news in the Android world this week:

Nice updates to Google apps

The Galaxy S5 Mini is here

Samsung Galaxy S5 mini is out: compact design, watered down specs

X+1 and the 360

Material all the things

Finally, Android Wear in action

Fans of smaller phones rejoice

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact specs and image leaked

Sound off

We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:

Happy Sunday!