It’s been awhile since we’ve had a good T-Mobile leak round these parts, but today may have changed that. Thanks to TMoNews, we now see a few devices that will soon be making their way to the carrier, as revealed in this accessory inventory list.
We now have a more solid confirmation that the HTC Ville be arriving on T-Mobile with the device previously rumored to arrive in the Spring. The Huawei Prism has also made an appearance in the list, after T-Mobile recently registered a domain name with the device’s title. The more mysterious of the 3 devices in the leak is the Samsung “T769″ a device that popped up going through the FCC and shares the same model number as the Samsung Exhibit II already released for the carrier. The only Samsung device I can think of off the top of my head that’s been announced, and will soon be arriving for the carrier is the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, so maybe this has something to do with that.
Those looking for the next quad-core device on T-Mobile will no doubt find themselves disappointed with this leak, but there’s still a possibility more devices will be revealed at MWC in a few more days. Keep your fingers crossed.
[TMoNews]
The New York Time is reporting that according to Google insiders, ‘ol Mountain View’s long rumored heads-up display glasses will officially be sold this year. No longer science fiction, these HUD glasses will allow for a wearer to see information in the world around them by integrating augmented reality into what would be normal, everyday glasses. Also revealed is that these Robocop/Terminator glasses will be experimentally priced at around $250-$600 — the cost of your average smartphone — and of course, geared to the more techie crowd.
With an integrated camera, GPS, motion sensor, 3G/4G connectivity and running on some type of Android OS, I’m excited to see what they come up with. Well, as long as they’re fashionable enough, am I right? If you think about it, not having to pull out your phone every few seconds to read a text message or tweet could have its advantages. You could even be in the middle of a face-to-face convo with the Mrs. while checking the latest sports scores. These HUD glasses sound too nerdy for you? Or will you be lining up on launch day?
[NewYorkTimes]
On Thursday Comcast will launch its own subscription-based streaming video service, Xfinity Streampix. The name alone shows just how badly the cable provider wants to cut into Netflix’s total dominance of the streaming video market, and their service does offer some key advantages such as the potential to offer new shows as they air (though this may remain On Demand’s forte) and bundling options with other Comcast services. The introduction of Streampix also means we will be getting one more option for consuming media on our Android devices. Streampix is coming to the existing Xfinity TV app and it sounds like the plan is to eventually launch a standalone option as well. There is no exact date for Android support, but it is promised within the year.
[via Comcast]
Last month Moneto revealed plans to bring their NFC-enabled microSD card payment system to Android phones. Now the first compatible cards are available for purchase. There is a catch, however. While the Moneto system is technically capable of working with nearly any Android handset with a microSD card slot, the initial rollout is only compatible with a few devices in Samsung’s Galaxy S line, including the Vibrant, Fascinate, and Galaxy S 4G.
The price to pay to bring a world of contactless payments to your palm is $30. Moneto is promising support for 40 more Android devices very soon, so those without a Galaxy S but still wishing to join the mobile payment revolution shouldn’t have to wait too much longer.
[Moneto via Engadget]
The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrock for AT&T is apparently in the midst of an over-the-air update, except no one seems to be able to get it to install properly. There has been no official word from either Samsung or AT&T on what changes users can expect if they can ever get the 21MB update installed, but judging by its size we aren’t expecting anything huge. This wouldn’t be the first time in recent weeks that Samsung and AT&T haven’t been quite in the same page when it comes to updating a device. Anyone out there with the Galaxy S II handset able to get the new update working?
[via AndroidCentral]
There is no denying that quad-core processors are the next big thing in mobile, but new benchmark tests suggest we shouldn’t be sleeping on the next generation of dual-core CPUs. AnandTech got their hands on a developer device sporting Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 platform and the results simply blew away the competition. I the Linpack multi-threaded benchmark the MSM8960 torched every device on the market. Its next closest competitor was the Samsung Galaxy S II, which didn’t even match half of the new S4′s score. Closer was last year’s Snapdragon S3 developer device, but barely.
The MSM8960′s GLBenchmark GPU scores weren’t as impressive as the pure processing scores, but it’s Adreno 225 still managed to lead the pack. The score is expected, as the 225 offers only incremental improvements to its predecessor, the Adreno 220. The Adreno 300 series is where the real GPU power is expected.
Perhaps even better than the MSM8960′s impressive benchmark scores is the fact that it is manufactured on a 28nm process, which not only equals a more compact chip but also improved battery life over previous dual-core platforms. In short: dual-core is far from dead. One device said to utilize the new chip is the upcoming HTC Ville, which should make its debut at Mobile World Congress. It won’t be as impressive as the HTC Endeavor’s quad-core design on paper, but we are willing to bet it will hold its own when it comes to pitting power against power.
[via Anandtech]
Your Android phone is about to get a lot more powerful thanks to Canonical. Today it was announced that the company will be bringing the full Ubuntu desktop to Android devices with the muscle to run it. We’re not talking some watered-down installation of Ubuntu running via some emulator, either. Ubuntu for Android will run simultaneously alongside Google’s mobile platform and launches when the phone is connected to a computer screen.
Data is share between the two operating systems allowing for seamless movement between an Android mobile device and the Ubuntu desktop. You’ll get everything from Ubuntu TV to desktop web browsing and Ubuntu apps. Specifics on hardware haven’t been divulged, but the desktop OS will run on multi-core devices featuring both HDMI and USB ports, at the least.
The announcement echoes a trend towards unifying computing devices such as the smartphone and a desktop PC. Motorola has been steadily improving their WebTop experience for their high-end smartphones, which brings a more rich computing experience when the device is docked. It is also said that Google is building in desktop elements to the next iteration of Android, Jelly Bean. Canonical will be showing off their spin on the concept at Mobile World Congress next week and you best believe we’re itching to try it out. We’ll have a full report then.
Ubuntu for Android at MWC – world’s first full-featured desktop on a docked smartphone
Carry less, do a lot more. All the productivity and apps of the full Ubuntu desktop, built into your Android phone.
London, 22nd February, 2012: Canonical today unveiled Ubuntu for Android, bringing the world’s favourite free desktop experience to multi-core Android smartphones docked with a keyboard and monitor. Use Android on the phone and Ubuntu as your desktop, both running simultaneously on the same device, with seamless sharing of contacts, messages and other common services.
The phone experience is pure Android – it’s a normal Android phone. When the device is connected to a computer screen, however, it launches a full Ubuntu desktop on the computer display. It’s exactly the same desktop used by millions of enterprise and home users on their Ubuntu PCs, and includes hundreds of certified applications, from office productivity to photography, video and music.
All data and services are shared between the Ubuntu and Android environments, which run simultaneously on the device. So Android applications such as contacts, telephony and SMS/MMS messaging are accessible from the Ubuntu interface. Indeed, all data on the smartphone can be accessed at any time, docked or not.
Ubuntu for Android gives mobile workers a company phone that is also their enterprise desktop. Government and private institutions have embraced Ubuntu on the desktop because of its ease of use, security, manageability, superb range of native applications and excellent support for web browsers like Chrome and Firefox. The desktop can also include Windows applications, using thin client and desktop virtualisation tools. Today’s IT departments commonly support a PC and at least one desktop phone for every employee. Many also provide and manage mobile phones. Ubuntu for Android presents a compelling solution to IT complexity by reducing that burden to a single device.
The first PC for the next billion knowledge workers could be a phone – but they won’t just want to use it as a handset. They will want all the flexibility and productivity of a full desktop, as well as the convenience of a smartphone on the move. Ubuntu for Android represents the first opportunity for handset makers and network operators to address this growth opportunity in emerging markets.
“The desktop is the killer-app for quad-core phones in 2012″ says Mark Shuttleworth. “Ubuntu for Android transforms your high-end phone into your productive desktop, whenever you need it”
Manufacturers targeting the corporate phone, as well as the next-generation enterprise desktop and thin clients can easily add Ubuntu for Android to their smartphones. The customized version of Ubuntu drops in cleanly alongside the rest of Android, and the necessary Android modifications are designed for easy integration. Hardware requirements include support for HDMI and USB, standard features in high-end handsets planned for late 2012.
Ubuntu for Android justifies the cost to enterprise customers of upgrading to higher bandwidth 4G connections and contracts. Cloud apps like Google Docs work best with a full desktop, and shine with the lower latency of LTE. Network operators can deliver their own branded applications and services as part of the Ubuntu desktop, in partnership with Canonical.
Canonical leads the traditional Linux ecosystem in support for the ARM architecture, having co-founded Linaro (linaro.org), the consortium dedicated to the unification of Linux on ARM and the simplification of Android integration and delivery. That industrial experience, combined with Canonical’s long-standing leadership in desktop Linux and deep relationships with global PC brands enables Canonical to deliver an ARM-optimised desktop tightly integrated with Android, on silicon from a range of ARM vendors.
Useful Links and Contacts
Product information and specifications at www.ubuntu.com/devices/android
Contact us to bring Ubuntu for Android to market: www.ubuntu.com/devices/android/contact-us
We’ve been hearing about RIM’s efforts to bring an Android app emulator to their tablet platform for some time now. If the functionality had been included out of the box it may have saved the doomed PlayBook, but better late than never. Right? A big update is hitting the BlackBerry tablet today that finally enables the functionality, giving PlayBook users access to as many Android apps as developers feel fit to port. Other enhancements include native email (really? this was missing from a BlackBerry device?), Twitter and Facebook integration, a new keyboard and home screen UI, and improved web browsing.
Can Android save the PlayBook? The changes needed to make an app compatible with the slate’s emulator software are apparently minor, but with the PlayBook pretty much dead in the water it remains to be seen what sort of developer support we will see. Android app emulation is a novel concept, and if the functionality finds its way to future RIM devices it could be a big deal, but we don’t see it salvaging the PlayBook from the bottom of the tablet sea. A $199 paperweight just became a $199 paperweight that runs Android apps.
[via DroidLife]
Verizon’s in a good mood for some reason. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that they just finished one of their best quarters ever last year. Whatever the case is, a couple of cool 4G LTE smartphones are up for sale for just $100. We’ve got the dual-core LG Spectrum which was released more recently, as well as the Beats-equipped HTC Rezound which comes with Beats by Dre headphones, a good deal all things considered. For $100 you really can’t go wrong with either so get started on researching them if they fit you bill. [Verizon, thanks Kris!]
The Samsung Ruby Smart, a rugged smartphone for those whose lifestyles aren’t friendly to traditional smartphones, was supposed to launch on AT&T a few days ago. The thing is, it didn’t. It seems AT&T still has it on their mind, though, as new press shots of the smartphone have leaked, courtesy of PocketNow. The device is said to be packing 512MB of RAM, 1650mAh battery and 3G, but nothing else is known at this point. We’re not sure when AT&T will be getting around to announcing this unusual offering by Samsung but if you have no use for an ugly, yet durable smartphone, I wouldn’t pay much attention to it.
Finding and flashing different boot animations is a bit of a pastime for us flashing fanatics, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait to see this new CyanogenMod 9 boot animation each time we load our phones up. A bit of the old with a new, energetic flare. Boy, does it look good. Check it out in the video above and look forward to this one in CyanogenMod 9 by the time things get close to stable. [via CM G+]
Hot on the heels of its CES unveiling of the Huawei P1/S smartphones, Huawei looks to be following up with a 10.1 inch tablet at the next major trade event – Mobile World Congress. Russian outlet hi-tech.mail.ru have leaked photos of the device which has a slim and metal chassis. It may come with Android 4.0 and it will have an 8 megapixel camera on its rear end. It may also come with 3G radios and will have a microSD card slot. Nothing else is known at this point but if their rumors are true, we should know everything we need to know by the eve of Mobile World Congress on Sunday, February 26th in Barcelona. [via The Verge]
Even more announcements have made their way to our inbox. Samsung and US Cellular are announcing that the Samsung Galaxy S II will be headed to the regional carrier sometime soon. It’ll feature a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 with TouchWiz, an 8 megapixel HD camera, 16GB of internal storage and more.
Without any 4G LTE radios, it’s possible that this could be an Exynos-equipped version of the handset, though the press release doesn’t say either way. US Cellular’s version might be very similar to Sprint’s in terms of style and features.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the carrier got phones that were exactly the same as other carriers’, save for the name and logo. It’ll be available for $230 after a $100 mail-in rebate. No exact window to look forward to yet but we imagine it will be here sometime within the first half of the year. Read on for full press details.
CHICAGO (Feb. 21, 2012) - U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy S® II. The Android™-powered smartphone is designed to deliver advanced multimedia features with a powerhouse 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. The 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display shows brilliant colors, providing a vivid and crisp viewing experience. The Galaxy S II runs on U.S. Cellular’s high-speed nationwide 3G network, which has the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier. It will be available for $229.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.
The Galaxy S II is ideal for the multi-tasker who also wants easy access to entertainment wherever they go. You can quickly update your calendar and browse the web to read the latest news, check the weather or get driving directions. The multimedia functions allow you and your family to keep up with your favorite TV shows and keep the kids entertained while you’re traveling with HD Games. With its superior screen display, camera, webcam and access to thousands of helpful applications in the Android Market™, customers will be able to get more done throughout the day.
"The Galaxy S II is the ultimate phone for people looking to simplify and organize their lives," said Edward Perez, vice president of sales and marketing operations for U.S. Cellular. "The features combined with U.S. Cellular’s unique benefits, like our Battery Swap, make it the go-to device for customers who depend on their smartphone to keep up with their busy schedules."
· Swype™ technology for quick text, picture and video messaging
· 16 GB user memory - supports up to 32GB microSD™ cards
Smartphone enthusiasts who switch to U.S. Cellular get unique benefits, like new phones faster without continuously signing contracts, free Overage Protection and can participate in U.S. Cellular’s Trade-In Program. Through the U.S. Cellular Trade-In Program, customers can receive up to $150 on qualifying smartphones by trading in their current phone.
U.S. Cellular offers customers the only points-based rewards program in the industry to get benefits for doing simple things like paying their wireless bill on time, adding a line or referring friends and family. Points can be used for new phones faster, additional lines, devices, accessories and ringtones. It’s one of the reasons U.S. Cellular has the happiest customers in wireless.
For more information about all of U.S. Cellular’s deals, plans and phones, and other restrictions on these offers, visit any U.S. Cellular store, go to uscellular.com or check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.
The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available for $229.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Purchase of a data plan is required, and a new two-year agreement and activation fee may apply for new customers. Additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.
While we’ve already caught wind of a nice Panasonic smartphone set to be shown off at Mobile World Congress, the Eluga, we apparently have more to look forward to then that. That’s the word of Pocket-Lint, anyway, who claims to have gathered information regarding a couple more devices headed straight for Barcelona.
One of those devices is a dual-core Android phone which Pocket-Lint says is even more premium than the Eluga. We’re not sure if he means in both specs and design, but they also mentioned that the device would be using a new display technology developed by Panasonic, as well as LUMIX technology for its camera. (LUMIX is its digital camera brand.)
We’re also said to be getting a new tablet, too. It appears Panasonic is serious about entering the Android atmosphere in a strong way but we’ll have to wait to get our hands on all of this before getting too excited. All of it is said to be in attendance this Monday at Mobile World Congress so expect coverage from yours truly.
Just as was rumored over the weekend, Barnes & Noble has introduced an 8GB version of their Nook Tablet. Along with the halved amount of internal storage, we’re also getting less RAM at 512MB. All of this was done to bring the tablet down to just $200, a great price point if the want to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire.
And as for that storage, you won’t have to worry much about it considering you can expand that with a microSD card slot. The original Nook Color has been reduced to $170 if you want to save an extra $30 on an Android-based e-reader. Other than all of that, it’s the same Nook Tablet that’s been available for quite some time. Grab it here if you’re interested and read on for full press details.
Barnes & Noble Introduces NOOK Tablet™ - 8GB For Incredibly Low Price of $199
New Addition to Hot-Selling, Highly Rated NOOK Tablet Line Offers Fastest, Lightest, Most Powerful Tablet with the Best in Reading and Entertainment,
Now in 8GB, at an Amazing Value
Award-Winning NOOK Color™ Now Offered at its Lowest Price Ever - $169
New York, New York - February 21, 2012 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today expanded its portfolio of bestselling NOOK® devices with the introduction of NOOK Tablet - with 8GB of memory, a tremendous value for the company’s fastest and lightest tablet at just $199. NOOK Tablet - 8GB version offers reading and mobile entertainment enthusiasts another great option in the NOOK family of devices. In addition, the company’s highly popular NOOK Color just became an even greater value at $169.
“For any customer who likes to read digitally, watch movies or TV shows, browse the web, or help their kids read and learn through interactive books and apps, our new $199 NOOK Tablet with 8GB is the best product value on the market,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Office of Barnes & Noble. “NOOK Tablet is the highest-rated wireless media tablet in the 7-inch class, ultra-portable at under a pound, offers our exclusive VividView™ screen technology, and since its introduction this holiday has received rave reviews from customers about all its great features. We’re pleased to now offer customers the ability to experience NOOK Tablet’s unmatched content experience for only $199.”
The newest member of the NOOK Tablet family offers the great features of top-selling NOOK Tablet - 16GB, but with 8GB of on-board memory, 512MB of RAM and a lower cost of just $199. NOOK Tablet - 8GB version includes all of these great features also available on NOOK Tablet - 16GB ($249):
A highly tuned 1GHz dual-core processor for streaming video and lightning-fast Web browsing so customers can surf their favorite sites, and built-in email to stay easily connected with friends and family
Breakthrough battery life, with 11.5 hours of reading time or nine hours of video viewing
With on-board storage plus convenient microSD memory expansion, customers have ample space for their reading and entertainment content, regardless of Wi-Fi availability
The world’s most advanced VividView display for viewing content, with 16 million colors and a resolution purity that’s simply gorgeous
Popular movies, TV shows and music from top services including Netflix, Hulu Plus™, Flixster, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, Grooveshark, MOG and many more.
Thousands of top-rated, high-quality NOOK Apps, all optimized for NOOK Tablet’s ultra-responsive 7-inch color touchscreen, in categories including Games, Kids, Travel, Education, Lifestyle & Interest, News & Weather, Social, Productivity and others. Favorites including Cut the Rope, Disney Publishing’s It’s a Small World and more are coming soon to the robust NOOK Apps catalog.
Barnes & Noble’s award-winning reading experience, featuring more than 2.5 million digital books, periodicals, children’s books and more, including:
NOOK Newsstand™: An expansive collection of more than 450 digital periodical titles, which includes the largest digital collection of top 100 magazines available for subscription and single copy purchase. Colorful interactive magazines offer Barnes & Noble’s ArticleView™, animated page turns and smooth pinch, zoom and panning. Many special edition NOOK Magazines™ feature videos, quizzes, image galleries and more.
NOOK Kids™: More than 1,400 interactive children’s picture books, some featuring animation and engaging activities, and more than 12,000 chapter books. With Read and Record™, customers can use NOOK Tablet’s built-in microphone to record and save their reading of any NOOK Kids picture books so children can listen to their favorite storytellers anytime.
NOOK Comics and graphic novels: A vast collection of full-color comics, graphic novels and kids’ comics in high resolution and the largest digital collection of Marvel’s graphic novels available through a third party, as well as other titles from leading publishers including Archie, IDW and Dynamite. Through a partnership with VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher of anime and manga in North America, NOOK customers can access more than 30 series, featuring nearly 430 volumes.
Books and more: Continuously expanded NOOK Store™ with the vast majority of books available for $9.99 or less. Barnes & Noble’s digital book collection includes PagePerfect™ NOOK Books™ featuring cookbooks, craft and art books rendered with rich precision to retain all the beauty of their stunning print versions, and enhanced reading with PDF thumbnail page views, and image pinch, zoom and pan in books and PDFs.
Discover and socialize: Learn what to read next from Barnes & Noble’s knowledgeable booksellers with personalized recommendations, or connect through NOOK Friends™ to share thoughts, lend books through the exclusive LendMe® technology and more via email and sites like Facebook.
Continuous reading: Read what you love, anywhere you like™ on NOOK devices and with FREE NOOK Reading Apps. Sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, etc. across all of your devices through NOOK Cloud.
Sleek and thin with a soft touch back design, and lightweight at under a pound (14.1 oz.), making it easy to carry in a handbag, briefcase, backpack or suit jacket pocket for reading and entertainment on-the-go.
Customers can, as always, access their personal NOOK Library™ through the free, reliable and secure NOOK Cloud™ service, which also powers the seamless integration and synchronization between devices, as well as NOOK’s best-in-class shopping experience and social features.
Says Lynch, “NOOK Tablet, NOOK Color and NOOK Simple Touch™ represent the highest-quality portfolio of reading and entertainment products on the market at the best value. Whether it’s movies, music and apps on-the-go that you crave, or a simple, immersive reading experience, we offer great products and more choices than ever before with our product portfolio, starting at just $99.”
NOOK Color: Now $169
The highly acclaimed NOOK Color, offering access to top video and music services, popular apps, comics and more, is now available at a new low price of just $169, starting today. The first Reader’s Tablet, NOOK Color combines an award-winning reading experience with tablet essentials including apps, Web and email. NOOK Color customers can download Netflix to watch movies and TV shows, access a wide array of books, periodicals and comics, enjoy top music services and thousands of apps, browse the easy-to-use, social and streamlined NOOK Store.
Availability
NOOK Tablet - 8GB version is available for purchase today for $199 at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores, and will be available in leading retailers including Best Buy, Target and Walmart in the coming weeks. NOOK Color is now available in Barnes & Noble stores and www.nook.com for $169. Experience NOOK Tablet, NOOK Color and NOOK Simple Touch at www.nook.com or at the NOOK Digital Shops™, which feature the full portfolio of NOOK digital devices and FREE NOOK Reading Apps™, or displays in one of Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 bookstores and other leading retailers. Barnes & Noble offers Always Free NOOK Support in all of its neighborhood bookstores, with more than 40,000 NOOKsellers across the country ready to assist customers with setting up their NOOK devices or choosing their next great read.
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