Pocketnow Weekly 180: Pipin' hot smartphone news!

You may have mentally checked out for the holidays, shoving a pile of “to-do” paperwork back into a shadowy corner, or said “so long” to exams and headed home from school on winter break, but the mobile electronic world keeps right on moving, and even with big launches right around the corner as the early-2016 expo season looms, there’s been a heck of lot happening – and we’re looking forward to sharing it all with you. It may have only been a handful of days since we last came to you with some podcast action, but we’ve got a lot to discuss, including a stupid-slim iPhone, some next-gen rumors from Google, and a cold, hard look at exactly what Microsoft thinks it’s doing over in Window 10 Mobile-land.
All of the above –plus your listener mail– awaits on episode 180 of the Pocketnow Weekly! Watch the video broadcast from 4:00pm Eastern on December 23, or check out the high-quality audio version on Christmas day. And don’t forget to shoot your listener mail to podcast [AT] pocketnow [DOT] com for a shot at getting your question read aloud on the air!
Pocketnow Weekly 180
Recording Date
December 23, 2015
 
Hosts
Stephen Schenck
Adam Doud
 
Producer
Jules Wang
 
Podcast Rundown
Sponsor
Today’s episode of the Pocketnow Weekly podcast is made possible by:
If you’re like us, you probably carry a lot of gadgets in your everyday life – and if so, there’s a clothing company you should know about. SCOTTeVEST is known for something very straightforward: making the best pockets in the world. Specialists in functional fashion for over 15 years, SCOTTeVEST designs multi-pocket clothing that lets you carry and use all of your gadgets and essentials in a single item. From smartphones to tablets to wallets, keys, sunglasses and more, SCOTTeVEST’s clothing line has you covered with designated pockets for every carryable you can conceive of, distributed evenly so you stay balanced, and even marked with icons so you can remember what goes where. And if you forget to slap a flap shut or zip a zipper, SCOTTeVEST has you covered with pockets designed to hold on to your gadgets even if you forget to close them. Some pockets are even made of transparent touch fabric, allowing you to use your devices without ever taking them out. This is NASA-level stuff, right here.
If you’re tired of doing “the gadget dance,” fumbling from pocket to pocket hunting for your devices, do yourself a favor: pay SCOTTeVEST a visit. You can check out their full line of clothing for men and women at SCOTTeVEST.com/pocketnow, and you can get 20% off by using coupon code “Pocketnow.” SCOTTeVEST. Our Pockets. Your Freedom.
 
News 
2016 Moto X leaks again, shows off what appears to be an internal heat pipe for cooling.
Google’s next messaging app could be chock full of interactive chatbots.
Forget two-factor authentication: what if you never had to enter your Google password again?
Google Play would love to save you some cash on all sorts of apps and media this holiday season.
ZTE’s all “check out my mid-range phablet action with this Axon Max biz, while Samsung fires back with an “I can do that too: Galaxy A9 – recognize!” of its own.
Project Ara, eat your heart out: the Fairphone 2 is here, and it’s finally shipping.
 
With as long as Microsoft had to work n Windows 10 Mobile, why does it still feel like users are participants in a beta test? But dammit if its fans aren’t loyal to it.
Microsoft goes full taksies backsies with Android “Hey Cortana” hotword support.
Why didn’t the Lumia 950 look as good as these unofficial Lumia 650 renders?
 
2016’s most prolific smartphone feature could be 3D Touch-like tech.
Apple Music could start sounding a bit better to the ears of you audiophiles, but what would it look like if your iPhone 7 headphone options really went Lightning-only?
 
Listener Mail
E-mailed submissions from Robert, Lukas, and Unicorn Workhorse
See you next time!