Samsung updates phone naming scheme

Samsung announced some phones today, and also an update to the way they name their devices. The new naming strategy is designed to help convey details about the device simply by the letters that follow it. For example: the devices announced today are the Galaxy W, Galaxy M Pro, Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro.

Confused? Here's how it works: , R is for Royal (high-end) M is for Magical (cheaper high-end), W is for Wonder (mid-range), and Y is for Young (entry-level). Additionally, the Pro designation means the device has a physical keyboard.

So look back at the devices announced today. The M Pro, to pick one, will be a cheaper high-end device with a keyboard. It does make sense once you wrap your mind around it. As for their well-known Galaxy S line, that is sticking around, too and will denote their highest-end, premier devices.

Remember that this is just Samsung's official naming scheme, and carriers (especially those in the US) are almost assured to change them. So while the M Pro, Y, or Y Pro may arrive in the US, they won't go by those names here. [via Engadget]

Complete ridiculousness. Royal? Magical? Wonder? Those definitely make me think of Disney cruise ships rather than Samsung phones. I appreciate their desire to simplify their naming scheme, but...this?

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Bwahahaha! This is so stupid, it's awesome. What's the S mean, then? Superior? Saint-like? Superphone?

Android weekend rumor recap

Another week, another batch of rumors. We're getting ever closer to the holiday season, meaning these rumors are going to intensify over the coming months. Stick with us and we'll give you a nice weekly summary to help you make sense of it all. Keep reading for the rumors!

Google is buying Motorola Mobility

Huge news this morning from the Android world, as Google has announced that they are acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. Motorola Mobility was split off from the main Motorola back in January and is now a separate company, with Motorola Solutions being the second company. So Google isn't buying the entire Motorola brand, but rather just the Mobility company, responsible for all mobile devices.

If you recall, Motorola was responsible for some major Android home-runs including the original Droid, the Droid X, the Atrix, etc. Many people credit them with jump starting the entire Android brand with the Droid line.

Android weekend rumor recap

Finally, the first rumor recap since our return to blogging. This is the usual place where we discuss the past week's rumors, information leaks, and stuff like that. If you are a huge Android fan and prefer to follow these rumors as they show up, we recommend any or all of the Android blogs listed on the side of this site. Of course, if you're a huge Android fan, you're likely keeping up with at least one of those sites already. And now, some rumors!

Facebook launches new Messenger app

Facebook announced a new app yesterday called Messenger. The app is available now on both Android and iOS and is a simple group messaging app. It doesn't work with Facebook Chat, but is rather a stand alone app that provides group messaging similar to iMessage, Kik, Google+ Huddle, etc. It doesn't provide read/delivered notifications yet, either.

Google discusses Android patents

Google took to their official blog yesterday to vent some frustration surrounding the Android patent situation. According to the post, two longtime rivals, Apple and Microsoft, have joined forces to hamper Android innovation and attempt to profit from bogus patent licensing.

Android pro tip: Search with different apps

Cross-posted from The Dastardly Report

One of the best parts about using an Android smartphone is that there are so many seriously powerful things that the OS is capable of. An admittedly frustrating part of Android, however, is that not all of the cool features are immediately apparent and average users may not always discover them.

One such feature is app searching. Most Android phones have a dedicated search button right on the front. And even those that don't at least have a Google Search widget with launches the same search app. Pressing it brings up a search bar that lets you search through items on your phone, as well as search the whole Internet. By default, it searches through your apps, contacts, bookmarks, etc.

But that search can be customized to be much, much more powerful. With a few tweaks, you can pick which apps you want to be searchable right from the search button