android
Android Starbucks Junkies Rejoice
iOS currently has an app for Starbucks, allowing users to purchase Starbucks through their app by deducting the cost from their mobile Starbucks card. Now it looks like Android is set to get the Starbucks app too, so Android users, you will not have to be jealous of your iOS using friends because now you will be able to enjoy the same Starbucks experience that they have been enjoying all this while.
Check out the press release after the break.
Starbucks Strengthens Mobile Payment Footprint with Launch of Starbucks for Android App and Upcoming Rollout of Mobile Payment at Safeway’s Nearly 1,000 Starbucks Locations
Customers Will Be Able to Experience the Fastest Way to Pay at More Than 9,000 U.S. Starbucks Stores with Their Android Device™
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced the latest offering of the Starbucks mobile platform with the launch of Starbucks for Android™ app providing more consumers access to the fastest way to pay and other features to manage their Starbucks Card on-the-go. In addition, the company announced that Safeway, Inc., one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, plans to rollout mobile payment in July at nearly 1,000 Starbucks in Safeway supermarkets across the United States, including the company’s Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Genuardi’s stores. Starbucks for Android is available through Android Market™ for Android phones running 2.1 or above and follows the successful rollout of Starbucks Card Mobile Apps on other platforms. With mobile payment capability at nearly 6,800 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores and more than 1,000 Starbucks Target locations, bringing mobile payment to Starbucks Safeway stores will extend the reach of Starbucks mobile payment to roughly 9,000 Starbucks locations across the country.
“The expansion of our mobile payment footprint has been driven by customer interest and input. With the addition of Starbucks for Android to the Starbucks app line-up, a Starbucks mobile payment app may now be used on approximately 90 percent of smartphones currently in use,” said Adam Brotman, vice president, general manager, Digital Ventures at Starbucks Coffee Company. “Starbucks is committed to providing customers richer experiences – both in our stores and on-the-go. By expanding mobile payment capabilities to Android smartphones and with Safeway now offering mobile payment in its close to 1,000 Starbucks locations, we’re giving customers the opportunity to experience mobile payment in more ways and at more Starbucks locations.”
Starbucks for Android Features:
Starbucks for Android, available from Android Market, is available for Android phones running 2.1 or above and is designed to offer a rich user experience, specifically addressing Android interaction paradigms including device hardkeys and action bar softkeys. Starbucks for Android allows users to:
* Pay with your phone: Enjoy the fastest, more convenient way to pay at nearly 6,800 company-operated stores as well as more than 1,000 Target stores and coming this summer to nearly 1,000 Starbucks locations in Safeway stores. Just download the app, enter your Starbucks Card number, scan and go.
* Manage your card account: Access your Starbucks Card balance directly from your phone.
* Reload your card balance: Use your smartphone to reload your Starbucks Card using any major credit card.
* Check your My Starbucks Rewards status: Find out how close you are to earning your next free drink.
* Find nearby Starbucks stores: Save time by finding a Starbucks store near you.Starbucks Delivers on Customer Requests
The introduction of Starbucks for Android and expansion to nearly 1,000 Starbucks in Safeway stores was fueled by customer requests and the growing customer interest in mobile wallets. “We’ve received a tremendous number of requests on MyStarbucksIdea for a Starbucks app for Android,” says Brotman. “We’re excited to introduce an Android app that our customers can use as part of their daily routines.”
Starbucks mobile offerings build on the popularity of the Starbucks Card and My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program. Today, one in five transactions in U.S. Starbucks stores are paid for with a Starbucks Card. “Our customers have shown us that they love the utility, convenience and fun of our mobile apps and especially the ability to pay with their Starbucks Card using a smartphone. My Starbucks Rewards members, in particular, have been quick to adopt mobile payment as part of their everyday visit,” says Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “While mobile payment is the top feature, customers’ next favorites are the ability to reload their Starbucks Card and track their progress toward their next free drink in the My Starbucks Rewards program.”
Starbucks for Android is available for Android phones running 2.1 or above. To download Starbucks for Android, visit Android Market at https://market.android.com/.
The Fairphone 2 was first unveiled in June earlier this year, where this particular handset carried a modular design while featuring majority of its components that have been sourced from conflict-free mines. It seems that this particular handset that you can purchase with a clear conscience has begun to ship to those who happen to live across Europe.
Fairphone announced in a blog post, “It’s been almost two years in the making, and some of the earliest buyers have been patiently waiting since July to receive their new phones. As community manager, I want to personally welcome the new batch of Fairphone owners to our community.” The initial 1,000 units are tipped to ship this month, before the other pre-orders follow in January 2016.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Fairphone 2 will run on a Snapdragon 801 chipset, has a 5″ 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP camera, with Android 5.1 Lollipop in tow. It will be a dual SIM capable handset with a microSD memory card slot and plays nice with 4G LTE networks, retailing for approximately €525 a pop.
It looks like the upcoming flagship model from Xiaomi will feature NFC support, at least based on a document that was released by China UnionPay. Just in case you are scratching your head and wondering who China UnionPay is, they happen to be the only domestic payment gateway supplier and card organization, and hence, to see them offer detailed support concerning the newly released NFC-based payment system points to the very real possibility of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 featuring NFC capability.
After all, the Xiaomi Mi 3 was also mentioned on the list, which so happens to feature NFC, and there is no mention of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which does not come with NFC. Still, such a new payment system would be the ideal tool to see the reintroduction of NFC to the flagship model.
OnePlus did make an announcement in the previous month that the Ceramic variant of the OnePlus X will be released on November 24. True to their word, they did exactly that – although only a pitiful number of units were made available, and not only that, this was through a charity auction. Thankfully for the rest of the masses who are on the lookout for this device, it has gone on sale officially already.
Needless to say, this particular variant is available only by an invitation, although do bear in mind that standard OnePlus X invites are not good here – you will still need to snag yourself a specific Ceramic variant invite before you make a purchase. OnePlus is also on the lookout to offer additional methods of picking up this smartphone, although no further details were revealed.
The OnePlus X Ceramic will be available only in select markets, where among them include Europe, India, and Hong Kong. To date, we do know that OnePlus had made only 10,000 units of the handset available. A case of the early bird getting the proverbial worm here?