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AT&T Buyers Guide: February 2012 Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:05 PM PST This is our new monthly column that will feature the best from AT&T for each month. We are doing one for each carrier in the US. We are going to bring you current promotions as well as our picks of the best Android device in a range of categories that are available on AT&T’s network. Please feel free to provide your feedback in the comments so we can make this column even better for you. Also, be sure to share this with all your friends on AT&T, so if they are looking to upgrade you can give them advice based on our knowledge. Buying a new phone from AT&T today can be a slippery slope, leading to buyers regret. With AT&T’s LTE network coming into existence and Mobile World Congress (MWC) right around the corner, it's hard to know what phones won't be completely obsolete by the end of the month. AT&T markets many phones as 4G while in reality they are 3G+ (HSPA+). By no means are they a slouch, but are simply not up to par with their LTE counterparts. So, here we are to lead you in the right direction! Check it out! High-End Phones Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G First up is the Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket, one of the first 4G LTE phones available for AT&T’s new network. With a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, HDMI port, and 1GB of RAM, there is nothing you can't do with this phone. This phone is currently equipped with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) but has been promised it will be upgraded to Android 4.0 (ICS) in the near future.  Lastly, this phone is available in black and white so you have at least some options to choose between. Whereas this is one of the best phones currently available on AT&T’s network, it's good to know some downsides to this phone. First is: on top of Android 2.3, most Samsung phones come with Samsung's TouchWiz interface, love it or hate it it's there. Although the screen is Super AMOLED, the screen is not HD (720 x 1280) or even qHD (960 x 540). The phone comes with a  resolution that is 480 x 800 pixels. The 4.5″ screen at this resolution may be too low for some, and for those with sharp eyes, they would be wise to consider the alternatives, with crisper HD screens.   HTC Vivid 4G That leads us to the next phone on the list. Known as the HTC Vivid; this phone was released alongside the Skyrocket. It is also a 4G LTE device sporting a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, a 4.5 inch qHD (960 x 540) super LCD display, HDMI port, and 1GB of Ram. This phone is also equipped with Gingerbread, and has been promised an upgrade to ICS in the near future. This phone is also available in black or white, so have your pick. Again, while this is one of the best phones currently available on AT&T, it does have its possible downsides. The Vivid, like the Skyrocket, comes with a custom skin laid on top of Gingerbread known as Sense; although known as the most functional skin out there, it has been known to slow down even dual-core devices.  Unfortunately, the battery is also one of this devices weak points too. It is ridiculously small when compared to any other 4G phone out there today. Running at 1620 mAh, it is around 200 mAh less than the Skyrocket @ 1850 mAh, something that you may want to remedy with a larger battery. Slide-Out Qwerty Samsung Captivate Glide Today, slide-out QWERTY keyboard phones are hard to find (especially the higher quality ones). AT&T has a very limited selection of phones available with a slide-out keyboard, and though they do have a few, the only one I found worth buying was the Samsung Captivate Glide. It is not as flashy as the Skyrocket or the Vivid; nevertheless, the Glide is a surprisingly capable phone. Spec wise, it holds its own with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 4″ (480 x 800) Super AMOLED screen and a 4G connection (HSPA+). ICS has not been confirmed to be in the future of the Glide, but I would not be surprised if it eventually gets it. It’s certainly capable, hardware wise. For anyone who needs a QWERTY keyboard, this will do the job; and, I highly recommend it over any other QWERTY on AT&T’s network. Again this phone has its downside much like any other phone out there. First is the processor. It's a Tegra 2. By no means is this processor sub-par, but it's a year old and it's starting to show its age against other dual-cores currently available. Next on the list is the screen. Much like the Skyrocket, its resolution is low (480 x 800) when compared to many other of the new phones being released today. Last is the OS; while it is currently running Gingerbread, its future is up in the air as to whether or not it's getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. None of these factors make this a bad phone, but it will seem outdated much sooner when compared to the phone technology that is currently available today – or soon to be. Budget Phone Motorola Atrix 4G Last is the Motorola Atrix. This was the first dual-core phone available on AT&T’s network. This phone is near the end of its life and may be hard to find, but for the price, it can't be beat.  It has a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a qHD screen. It has good specs with 4G data speeds (not LTE), and solid build quality. In most cases this phone will be a penny on Amazon Wireless, and is well worth the price. The only real downside with this phone is the screen it uses; the PenTile technology can sometimes bother one's eyes so make sure and check the phone out beforehand if possible before buying it. Suggestions Where to buy? Depending on your situation it is hard to recommend where to buy your phone. Often for new customers, I would recommend buying a phone through Amazon Wireless. You get great deals without having to haggle with customer service, and it will be shipped right to your door. If you are looking for a brick and mortar for some face to face customer service and to be able to see the phones "hands on", Best Buy often will price match Amazon. Lastly, if you have been with a mobile carrier for an extended amount of time, you often have special upgrades available they are willing to throw at you to keep you around, but this may take some haggling. As always, I recommend shopping around to see what the best deal is available to you. Lastly If you had any confusion with the terminology in this, I suggest you check out this article for a brief brush-up on it. Next month after MWC I am thinking this list will change greatly, so keep an eye out, and prepare to hold out for a bit if you want the very best. Good luck! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Best Android Devices on Sprint, February 2012 Droid 4 Release Date Bumped to February 2, 2012 A Guide for CES 2012 from Your Favorite Android Site, AndroidAuthority This article, AT&T Buyers Guide: February 2012 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Spacetime Studios Releases its First Teaser Trailer of Dark Legends Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:00 PM PST If you love the Underworld film series, and if you happen to have a crush on Selene, the rebellious yet righteous vampire portrayed by the English actress Kate Beckinsale, then it wouldn’t be surprising either for you to love this game we are about to introduce. Enter Dark Legends, a thrilling MMORPG developed by Spacetime Studios, the gaming company that brought Pocket Legends and Star Legends to life. According to the developers, Dark Legends is a completely different game that will surely feed the bloodlust of its players. Spacetime Studios was kind enough to send us a copy of the game’s first teaser trailer. Although the trailer is a bit short, leaving some of us hanging, it was just enough to trigger the curiosity in our brain and the vampire fantasies we've been hiding. Of course, we wouldn't dare to question the game’s quality as Spacetime Studios has already proven to the world that they can create freaking awesome stuff. So what can we expect from this frightening game? Essentially, players will portray the role of a vampire who is duly trained and tutored by a mentor. Eventually, apparently due to an uprising led by the human race with the plan to exterminate the then-secret vampire society, players will have to face all odds as it battles against werewolves, hordes of demons and the undead alongside misguided humans in a quest to save the vampire clan from utter extinction. It’s a very interesting game that is destined to become a classic. Dark Legends is an action-packed game you surely wouldn’t want to miss. It’s expected to arrive this coming March for Android, Chrome and iOS. Check out the first teaser trailer after the jump. Enjoy! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Halfbrick Studios Releases Free Version of Fruit Ninja EA Sports Releases Madden NFL 12 App For Android Sony Releases Second Teaser Video for Upcoming S1, S2 Tablets This article, Spacetime Studios Releases its First Teaser Trailer of Dark Legends , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Android Under Assault – Apple Wins Injunction Against Motorola, Microsoft Lines Up for a Shot Posted: 17 Feb 2012 10:46 PM PST On Wednesday, a German court awarded Apple a permanent injunction against Motorola Mobility. This is the first time Apple wins a legal battle against Motorola, which was found to infringe on the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock feature. Apple's victory may signal a change of tides in its ongoing legal war against Motorola (and Android in general). Motorola had previously won two legal decisions against Apple in Germany, but last week, a third case was dismissed. Now, Apple seems to have gained the upper hand, and Motorola's troubles don't seem to end here. According to ‘patent expert’ Florian Mueller, a new patent-infringement case is on the roll against Moto, and this time, it's Microsoft that cries foul. Slide to Unlock Pandora's Box The German judge decided that Motorola smartphones infringe on Apple's patent for “unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image”. Some say that's a trivial feature, but in the tech world, these kind of patents are used as high-powered weapons to blow devastating hits to adversaries. What does Motorola risk now? Not much, according to the company's PR. Motorola can replace the slide-to-unlock feature with another mechanism. Moto will likely adapt the swipe-from-circle unlocking mechanism it uses on the Xooms, which are the ones featured in Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, and the Android 3.0x Honeycomb OS. But, as Mueller notes, the circle unlocking feature is less intuitive than Apple's design, especially on smaller smartphones screens. Apple's win is not a crippling blow for Motorola, but we should look at the big picture here. Motorola Mobility is close to sealing the deal with Google, which will massively increase its importance in the tech landscape. Any action against Motorola can now be considered an action against Google and Android. In addition, Apple now has big chances to enforce their slide-to-unlock patent against Samsung and other manufacturers. Microsoft Pushes On Against Android Microsoft already makes a lot of cash from Android. So much so, in fact, that they make more off of Android than they do their own mobile operating system. Conservative estimates put it between $7.50 to $12.50 per device sold. And, last month, Redmond announced that they have licensing agreements that cover 70% of the Android devices sold in the U.S. You do the math. For perspective, the Chinese at ZTE revealed that they pay $20-$30 per each Windows Phone 7 device they sell. To bolster WP7 (while making a decent buck in the process), Microsoft will push on against the few Android device makers that they didn't manage to "convince" to sign licensing deals, including Barnes & Noble and Motorola. No matter the outcome of the various ongoing legal battles, Android is definitely under threat. The open nature of the platform itself may be at stake. We just hope that, sooner rather than later, the patent madness will give way to real competition. What's your opinion? Will Android come out stronger or weaker from the ongoing legal wars? Will Google’s acquisition of Motorola make a difference? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Motorola Wins First Round Of Legal Tussle With Apple Google Lawyer Scoffs at Microsoft, Apple for ‘Strangling’ Android Apple Applies for “Face Unlock” Patent, Sound Familiar? (Updated) This article, Android Under Assault – Apple Wins Injunction Against Motorola, Microsoft Lines Up for a Shot , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Android Continues to Dominate – Passed 50% of Global Market Share Posted: 17 Feb 2012 09:17 PM PST A report has just come out of the famous research firm Gartner, that says that in the last quarter of 2011, sales of Android smartphones exceeded 50% market share globally. Although Google has suffered a slight decline in market share, sales from the same period last year increased from 30.5% to nearly 51% in Q4 2011, further gaining on its rival, Apple’s iOS. Symbian has been losing ground rapidly since Nokia gave up the operating system in favor of Windows Mobile. However, Microsoft did not receive more than 1.9 percent, overtaken even by Bada which received 2.1% of sales.  Samsung, as  the most ‘valuable’ representative of Android phones, can be attributed for the high sales ratio in the second half of 2011. Samsung sold about 92 million devices in the last quarter. The customer appreciation regarding devices such as Samsung Galaxy S2 was also felt, and this year we expect the numbers to grow with the release of Samsung Galaxy S3 which will have Android on board as well. More interestingly, we are starting to see some serious quality coming out of ZTE, and from Huawei especially. The devices we had the privilege of experiencing at CES from Huawei, including the Ascend P1, and the P1S we’re some of the best hardware we’ve yet seen to date. More competition, more quality, better prices. What’s not to love? Of course, Research in Motion is lagging behind, putting BlackBerry on the 4th position, immediately after Symbian. It may be that the plan to populate the RIM BlackBerry App World with Android applications for their operating system will cause an increase in sales, in the future – or not. Anything stopping the Android freight train? I think not. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Android takes control of 25% of the global smartphone market share Android Top Platform in 35 Countries, Holds Almost Half of Global Market Share Android Smartphone Market Share Declines for the First Time This article, Android Continues to Dominate – Passed 50% of Global Market Share , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

FTC: Kids Need to Have More Protection when Using Apps Posted: 17 Feb 2012 09:08 AM PST Today, the FTC has required both Apple and Android to do more in protecting the apps their young consumers buy for their mobile devices. FTC has examined a number of mobile apps intended for children and sold through both the Apple App Store and the Android Marketplace. Out of this number, FTC examined 8,000 iOS apps and 3,800 Android apps. The researchers put in charge of this were able to discover that in almost all of these apps, there was no way for parents to tell the type of information being collected by the app maker; as well as how the information obtained gets stored or shared. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement: "The kids' app ecosystem needs to wake up, and we want to work collaboratively with industry to help ensure parents have the information they need." According to the FTC, companies which make and sell apps have a responsibility for this lack of transparency. While app makers need to disclose what sort of information they collect from their users, the App Store and Android Marketplace should also provide a way for this information to be displayed by developers. The FTC's statements have gotten the support of several online privacy advocate groups. "The new FTC report clearly demonstrates that while the mobile app marketplace keeps growing, mobile privacy keeps shrinking," says James Steyer of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit advocacy group. "Consumers, especially children, should not have to contend with mobile phone spies," said Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. The organization serves as a consumer protection and privacy agency, which called for Congress to pass a privacy bill of rights in protecting each consumer online. Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry, along with Arizona Republican John McCain, have both introduced 'The Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights.' This proposed legislation seeks to protect the online privacy of consumers. Representative Edward J. Markey and Texas Republican Joe Barton have also introduced the 'Do Not Track Kids Act' legislation, which aims to protect the online privacy of both children and teens. These two bills are supportive of this recent FTC report. As for the targeted parties of this report Apple and Android, mixed reactions have been issued. Google (creator of Android OS) has responded to this report by affirming that the company has an 'industry-leading permission system.' They also said: "Additionally, we offer parental controls and best practices for developers to follow when designing apps that handle user data." Apple, on the other hand, has declined to comment. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Norton Brings Its Award-Winning Protection to Android How to Report Suspicious Apps in the Android Market The Best Android Apps To Give Your Kids A Safer And More Enjoyable Halloween This article, FTC: Kids Need to Have More Protection when Using Apps , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Adobe Revel Importer Now on Android Posted: 17 Feb 2012 08:03 AM PST Adobe Revel has just announced its availability in the Android Market. With this, users are now able to access their Android’s photo library anytime they need to. If you are new to Adobe Revel, you will find that it is actually a photography solution which will give you access to your photo library using any Apple device and Android smartphone. Through Revel Importer, users get to import their photos directly to their own account. Unfortunately, this is still not available as a full version of Revel for Android. Instead, subscribers simply have a quick and easy way of importing their stored photos from their Android device into their account in Adobe Revel.  "Revel Importer allows you to easily add photos stored on your Android phone into your Revel photo library," Chris Quek said on a blog post as a member of the Adobe Revel team. "The app also automatically imports new photos, so you can snap a shot with your Android phone and it will instantly appear in Revel." Apart from offering instant sharing of photos, Revel is the only photography solution which provides a way to make photos look great through the same processing engine being used in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. You can download Adobe Revel Importer for free from the Android Market. The subscription, on the other hand, can be chosen as either paid or trial. Paid subscriptions cost $59.99 a year. The app is available on Android devices which run on OS 2.2 or higher. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Adobe Unleashes Touch Apps So You Could Unleash Your Creativity Adobe Flash exploit works on Android OS Flash fix security hole and are set to release Adobe Air? This article, Adobe Revel Importer Now on Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Fujitsu Roadmap Reveals Plans for this Year Posted: 17 Feb 2012 07:04 AM PST When it comes to technology, Fujitsu is one of those who have established a household name for itself. So when we found the brand's latest roadmap, we only felt the excitement to share the upcoming Android tablets Fujitsu has in store for all its fans. Based on this image we acquired from Android Community, Fujitsu has plans for two Android tablets this year. The first is a 'Mainstream Android media tablet'which will arrive in the market in June 2012. With news about the upcoming Android 5.0 Jellybean, we can only hope that this budget tablet is powered by Android 4.0. Another tablet Fujitsu has in store is a 'detachable performance slate' which, according to the roadmap, has been listed for September 2012. It doesn't mention that this slate is Android powered, but we really can't see Fujitsu releasing it for either Windows 7 or 8 tablet anytime soon. There is also much speculation that this performance slate will be quad-core powered. We can't wait to hear more about these new devices that Fujitsu has in store for us this year! However, don't expect them to arrive on their target dates. After all, what we have here is just a roadmap. We can still wait for more updates from Fujitsu in the coming weeks and months. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Fujitsu Unveils Waterproof Smartphone and Tablet LG 2011 Roadmap Reveals A Lot Of Android Phones Fujitsu’s 7-inch Android Tablet to Come Out in 3rd Quarter 2011 This article, Fujitsu Roadmap Reveals Plans for this Year , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Sorry Folks, Asus Transformer Ice Cream Sandwich Update Happening on March Instead Posted: 17 Feb 2012 05:59 AM PST If you're the owner of an Asus Transformer tablet and waiting for the Ice Cream Sandwich update, you may just have to wait a little longer. Despite our recent report that the ICS update will be rolling out in mid-February, the much awaited updated is now slated for March. This unfortunate bit of news was shared by Asus on its Singapore Facebook Page. At first, the company thanked their fans for their patience and understanding; especially since what would follow would be a series of angry and disappointed comments by the Transformer users. We know it's disappointing, especially having to wait for the update for so long already, but we do have to understand Asus is probably busy with other things—like the Mobile World Congress or maybe doing the laundry… We really can't tell, but think about it this way: maybe Asus is making sure that the ICS update will not encounter any issues when they release it into the public. What do you think? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE ASUS Transformer Prime Ice Cream Sandwich Update now rolling out ASUS Bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to the Transformer Prime on January 12th Ice Cream Sandwich Unofficial Port Lands on ASUS Transformer This article, Sorry Folks, Asus Transformer Ice Cream Sandwich Update Happening on March Instead , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

iSuppli Report: Kindle Fire Takes Off, Apple Loses Grip Posted: 17 Feb 2012 05:23 AM PST Are you sick of people telling you that there is no tablet market, only an iPad market? From now on, tell your iPad-toting buddies to check out this report from iSuppli, which essentially puts the iPad dominance theory to the rest. In a nutshell: Apple still sells more tablets than anyone else, but Cupertino's iron grip on the market is finally loosening. So, who deserves the credit? Without doubt, Amazon's Kindle Fire, the star of Q4 2011. Amazon didn't release any Kindle Fire sales figures, but iSuppli was able to estimate the tablet’s performance at a respectable 3.9 million units sold. How good is that, you ask? Well, consider that Samsung, the former leader of the Android pack, only moved about 2.1 million tablets in the same period. Even more telling, Apple sold 3.2 million units in the iPad's debut quarter back in 2010. Can the Kindle Fire Burn Down Apple's Throne? The Kindle Fire, which runs a heavily-modified version of Android,  was only announced in late September, which makes its evolution even more impressive. From 0% market share in Q3, the Fire rocketed to 14% in Q4 (October to December). This means that Amazon managed to sell over 1.3 million tablets per month. In the process, Amazon overcame all its non-iPad competitors, including Samsung, who got about 8% of the market in the fourth quarter. Somehow surprisingly, the fourth place goes to another "outsider" – Barnes & Noble's Nook line. Now, the big question – is Amazon able to keep up the pace? Several analysts have pointed out that Amazon probably sells the Fire at a loss, hoping to break even with its associated services, like eBooks and apps. If Jeff Bezos and Co. are able to keep the ball rolling for long enough, next year's figures may look even worse for the iPad. Of course, Apple won't go down without a fight. The iPad 3 is around the corner. And Microsoft may also have a word to say with the touch-native Windows 8 slated later this year. Android's Performance In essence, Kindle Fire OS is Android, but many argue that Amazon's tablet (and B&N's devices) is a far cry from Google's original OS, and should be counted separately. So, how did "proper" Android tablets perform? Some basic arithmetic tells us that the combined market share of all Android tablets was about 41% in Q4 and about 36% in 2011. Without the Fires and Nooks, the Android market share was about 20% in Q4 and around 25% in 2011. Should these figures worry Google's top brass and their manufacturing partners? The truth is that Amazon and B&N compete in the low-cost tablet sector, where pure-bread Android used to rule. The low cost and the attached ecosystems have contributed to the breakout performance of the Kindle and the Nook. Now traditional Android supporters, like Samsung, Acer, and HTC, need to rethink their strategies and fight back. We'll see how that turns out later this year. What do you think? Is the rise of the Fire a good thing for the Android world? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Survey: iPad Buyers Holding Off Purchases Because of Kindle Fire Amazon’s Kindle Fire Surpasses the iPad in Demand Bigger Kindle Fire Coming in Mid-2012 This article, iSuppli Report: Kindle Fire Takes Off, Apple Loses Grip , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.