Android World: Android and Me

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Android and Me

My “fake” Verizon Galaxy Nexus randomly reboots every day
Top 10 most popular Android apps from last week: Pocket, AIVC, AppAware, …
Rumor: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE to be released May 18th
Sprint reminds customers that Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to key products in 2012
Amazon lists the HTC One X at $149 on contract, $549 without
Vodafone opens registration for the Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy S III compared to Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 in GPU benchmarks
DROID DOES site reveals DROID Incredible 4G LTE price
Contest: New Android shirts coming tomorrow, win them now before they go on sale
Samsung releases first teaser video for the next Galaxy, makes fun of iSheep

My “fake” Verizon Galaxy Nexus randomly reboots every day

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 06:03 PM PDT

“People are f*cking idiots if they bought a Nexus for updates,” said a commenter on reddit. I’m not sure if I fully agree with that statement, but I feel like an idiot after I purchased the Verizon Galaxy Nexus on launch day and then recommended it to our audience of hardcore Android fans.

The problem with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is that it suffers from a handful of annoying bugs and the device hasn’t been upgraded since it launched on December 15th, or 140 days if you are counting. The device randomly reboots, has multi-touch issues, suffers from poor battery life, has slow rotation speeds, and a number of other minor bugs. It hasn’t prevented me from using it as my daily driver, but it has caused me a lot of frustration.

Google had some issues getting out Android 4.0.4 to some of their Nexus devices, but they finally started pushing it out last month. Verizon has been testing this Android 4.0.4 update since February, but they have yet to approve it and roll it out to their subscribers.

So do Verizon customers with a Galaxy Nexus actually have a right to complain? Some could say they are lucky to be on Android 4.0.2, while around 97% of Android devices are still stuck with older versions of Google’s mobile OS.

At this point, I’m not really sure what the Nexus brand stands for anymore. Initially, we thought of Nexus phones as reference devices for developers so they could test their apps to work on the latest version of Android. But then Verizon came along and started selling the Galaxy Nexus in stores as a consumer device.

Early this year the CDMA Galaxy Nexus disappeared from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) page. Google’s Dan Morrill explained that certain .apk files needed to be signed by the carrier so “pure AOSP builds running on these devices can’t place calls, access mobile data, and so on.”

Now Google’s own Jean-Baptiste Queru says, “”The Nexus name is related to the consumer experience, and has nothing to do with AOSP support.”

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 02:03 PM PDT

Every week we cover Android gaming on Wednesday, followed by Top 10 app updates on Friday. Now every Monday we will look back and see which ones were the most crowd-pleasing among our audience. Read on for the 10 most popular Android apps from your peers.

1. AfterFocus

AfterFocus MotionOne PLAY QR

AfterFocus installs.

AfterFocus improved upon its #2 ranking from last week and doubled all other apps in clicks to become the most popular app on the site. It won week 2 of #thenextinstall and the daily installs saw another spike to all-time highs. This app is still less than 30 days old and only on version 1.0, so you should keep an eye on it for the next version. Some have pointed out its rough edges, but the app still maintains a healthy average review score of of 4.6 on the Google Play Store.

2. Pocket

Pocket -formerly Read It Later Read It Later PLAY QR

As someone who reads news on his phone every day, I’m really in love with Pocket. The app formerly known as Read It Later was relaunched this week under a new name and a refreshed UI, and the installs took off. Pocket received a ton of coverage across all the Android blogs, so it’s no surprise that so many people downloaded it. If you have ever been on your mobile device and wished you were sitting in front of your computer to view some content, then Pocket is a must download.

3. AIVC

AIVC YourApp24 PLAY QR

I thought all these personal assistant apps were a passing fad, but boy was I wrong. Artificial Intelligent Voice Control (AIVC) was only featured this weekend, yet it shot up to #3 in our power rankings. Voice functions in the free version allow you to control call, SMS, email, translation, navigation, alarm, timer, app launcher, calculator, Facebook, web search, weather, and search images. The app is ad-supported, but a Pro version kills them for $2.99.

4. AppAware

AppAware App Market & Social 42matters AG - AppAware PLAY QR

AppAware jumped a spot from last time to come in at #4 this week. We love these guys and they power the cool little app widgets you see throughout the site. If you have an And Me Account, you can now edit your profile to connect your AppAware account and display your installed apps on our site. Check out my profile to see the 194 apps I have installed.

5. n7player

n7player Music Player N7 Mobile Sp. z o.o. PLAY QR

The trial version of n7player dropped from the #1 spot last week to come in a respectable #5. This music player features a unique user interface that has an interactive tag cloud which can be easily explored to find your mp3 files. The demo version is only good for 21 days, and the full paid version is on sale at $2.49 for a limited time.

6. Battery HD

Battery HD smallte.ch PLAY QR

Battery HD installs.

Battery HD remained steady, coming in at #6 for the second week in a row. We first featured it on #thenextinstall a couple weeks ago, and it has already passed up 100k installs. The app is now seeing hockey-stick growth and it looks like it will easily pass 1 million installs in the coming weeks. It’s a simple app, but anything related to battery life will always be popular with Android users.

7. Radiant Defense

Radiant Defense Hexage Ltd PLAY QR

Radiant Defense dropped from its #3 ranking last week, but it still remained popular with our audience and was the top game this time around. I praised the game when it debuted and I was addicted for a couple days, but this freemium title finally got to the point where it was too hard and forced in-app purchases to upgrade your weapons and advance. It’s still a fun game, but I have moved on to other titles.

8. Minimal Reader

Minimal Reader Joaquim Vergès PLAY QR

Minimal Reader drops one spot this week to come in at #8. Like several other apps above, it was first featured on #thenextinstall and it’s been riding that wave of buzz ever since. The developer told us he was working on an update to address some of the issues that we pointed out, but we have yet to see any changes yet.

9. Death Rally

Death Rally FREE Remedy Entertainment PLAY QR

Death Rally is a free racer that comes from the renowned developer of Max Payne and Alan Wake, so it’s not surprising to see this game debut in our weekly Top 10. I was busy with travel last week so I didn’t have a chance to play it, but it’s already racked up 500k installs and has an average review score of 4.1. If you are looking for a racer where you can destroy your opponents, then give it a go.

10. Carrier Coverage

Carrier Coverage CarrierCoverage.com PLAY QR

Rounding out the Top 10 is Carrier Coverage, a free app that attempts to answer the question “Which carrier is best for you?” Several readers complained the app still has some significant bugs, but we think the concept is pretty awesome. Hopefully the developer is listening to everyone’s feedback and they will release an update soon.

Rumor: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE to be released May 18th

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 12:36 PM PDT

Ever since Sprint and HTC announced the HTC EVO 4G LTE, I’ve been wanting to get my grubby little hands on one. The HTC One X variant is up for preorder on May 7th, with Sprint claiming a release would come shortly thereafter. The EVO 4G LTE will run $199.99 with new two year agreement, continuing Sprint’s insistence on $200 as the ideal high-end smartphone price.

The Rumor

Sprint will release the EVO 4G LTE on May 18th both online and in Sprint’s retail stores. Today’s rumor serves as further evidence of a May 18th date, after a PhoneDog rumor last week.

The Source

This rumor comes from an anonymous source inside Sprint, who for obvious reasons wishes to remain nameless. This source has proven reliable in the past, pinpointing the release date for the Sprint Galaxy Nexus, and I find this source to be trustworthy.

One Android Insider's take on the rumor

With preorders of the HTC EVO 4G LTE set to begin on May 7th, May 18th seems just about as good a date as any for the follow up to the highly popular EVO line, and goes along with a previous PhoneDog rumor from a separate source. That said, both the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper were released on a Sunday, giving us just a bit of skepticism that Sprint would choose to launch the EVO 4G LTE on a Friday.

Still, our source has provided us reliable information in the past, and we know that Sprint wants to get the EVO 4G LTE out as soon as possible. Unless we hear otherwise, we’re going to go ahead and pen the 18th in as the EVO’s release date, and you probably should too.

Who’s planning on picking up the EVO 4G LTE when it launches next month?

Sprint reminds customers that Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to key products in 2012

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 12:23 PM PDT

If you have an Android device with Sprint and have been waiting on an update to Android 4.0, then listen up. Today Sprint released a statement which read, “Sprint will begin to roll out Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, to our customers in 2012. Ice Cream Sandwich will be available via an over-the-air update to a variety of devices including Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and Nexus S 4G and other key products in our line-up. Stay tuned for more details and exact timing.”

Some might find it odd that Sprint would not mention the EVO 3D by name, but HTC has already confirmed that the device should see Android 4.0 later this year.

Sprint and Google began pushing out Android 4.0 to the Nexus S 4G earlier this month, but we have no time frame for when it will hit other devices. Given the recent speed at which updates roll out, some Sprint customers might be waiting several more months before they see anything new.

At least a slow update schedule is still better than no update, right?

Amazon lists the HTC One X at $149 on contract, $549 without

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 10:18 AM PDT

The HTC One X is not scheduled to hit AT&T stores until May 6th for $199, but customers can pre-order the device right now from Amazon for $50 less. The device is currently listed as backordered, but it doesn’t ship for a couple more weeks and Amazon always has plenty of stock on the hottest new devices.

Amazon currently list the HTC One X at $149 with 2-yr agreement for new customers, upgrades, and add a line. Those who wish to purchase the phone off contract can grab it for the pretty amazing price of $549.

Amazon links:

I’ve been playing with the international version of the HTC One X for the last week and I can easily say it’s my favorite Android phone yet. The camera experience is the best of any Android phone and the design of the One is simply beautiful. I’d highly suggest going with the white model if you are thinking about picking one up.

My version of the One X features a Tegra 3 chip, while AT&T’s version features the Snapdragon S4. Both versions of the device offer comparable performance, and we will post a full performance preview of Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 next week to let you know how they stack up.

AT&T’s 4G LTE network is pretty limited right now, but it’s blazing fast if your city has it. I have been testing 4G LTE devices on AT&T’s network in Dallas and I have measured download speeds of 50 Mbps down, and 20 Mbps up. This will surely go down as more devices come online, but AT&T has the fastest mobile network I have ever tested.

Some will say that the Samsung Galaxy S III is right around the corner, but there is no promise on when (or if) it will come to AT&T. Samsung could surpass some of the hardware specs of HTC, but it will be difficult to match the overall experience offered by the One X.

We always suggest going with the best device you can afford, and the HTC One X is easily going to become the top Android phone on AT&T.

Vodafone opens registration for the Samsung Galaxy S III

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 09:43 AM PDT

The next Galaxy phone will be unpacked by Samsung on May 3rd, and some retailers are jumping the gun to take advantage of all the hype. Today Vodafone UK put up a teaser page so subscribers could register for updates on the highly anticipated device. We still don’t know the final product name (we are guessing Galaxy S III) or the specs, but we still expect Samsung will introduce one of the best Android phones of 2012.

Samsung previously said they would reveal the successor to the Galaxy S II “closer to commercial availability of the product“, so we could see the device go on sale as soon as May. There is no indication on when the next Galaxy will come to the United States, but we are hoping it’s much quicker than the 6-8 month lag that we experienced last year.

Samsung Galaxy S III compared to Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 in GPU benchmarks

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 09:16 AM PDT

Curious how the Galaxy S III will match up with the competition when finally goes on sale this summer? Of course you are.

Early this morning some GPU benchmarks were leaked for a device with the model number GT-i9300, which many have speculated is the Galaxy S III. The numbers looked impressive, but we went ahead and matched it up with some of the newest platforms to see how they stacked up.

Daniel P. of PhoneArena first spotted the GT-i9300 benchmarks, which were run with the popular GLBenchmark. We like the GLBenchmark app because it can run tests offscreen at the same resolution, which helps us compare devices with different screen sizes.

If you want to see how your device measures up, you can grab this benchmark from the Google Play Store with the link provided below. (The latest version of GLBenchmark is 2.1.4, but you might see 2.1.1 below until the cache updates.)

GLBenchmark 2.1.1 Kishonti Ltd. PLAY QR

The Test Devices

For this quick performance preview, we selected five devices. We grabbed a pair of HTC Ones with the latest Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 platforms, along with a pair of previous generation Galaxy devices that featured Snapdragon S3 and OMAP4. Details on the chip names, CPU type, and GPU type are detailed below.

Samsung GT-i9300: Exynos 4412 (quad-core A9, Mali-400)
HTC One X: Tegra 3 (quad-core A9, GeForce GPU)
HTC One S: Snapdragon S4 (dual-core Krait, Adreno 225)
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket: Snapdragon S3 (dual-core Scorpion CPU, Adreno 220)
Samsung Galaxy Nexus: OMAP4 (dual-core A9, PowerVR SGX540)

The Results (Preliminary)

Please keep in mind this is only one benchmark suite and we are comparing numbers from a leaked device that doesn’t have final software, but the supposed Samsung Galaxy S III easily comes out on top.

We have a full performance preview of Tegra 3 and Snapdragon S4 planned for next week, so we won’t be discussing their results just quite yet.

Over the past couple of weeks we have been debating if the next Galaxy would feature the quad-core Exynos 4412 or the newer generation dual-core Exynos 5250. We were hoping that Samsung might surprise us with the Exynos 5250, but the general consensus among tech bloggers is that Samsung went with the quad-core Exynos 4412.

Some readers were already complaining that the Exynos 4412 featured the older Mali-400 GPU, which is the same GPU found in last year’s Galaxy S II that used the Exynos 4210. However, there are reports that the Mali-400 found in the GT-i9300 will be clocked at least up to 440 MHz, vs the 266 MHz clock speed found in the Galaxy S II.

Drive-by Conclusions

At worst, the Galaxy S III should easily have the fastest GPU of any Android phone when it is released in the coming months. At best, Samsung could still shock us with the Exynos 5250 (Mali-T604 GPU) and really blow away the competition.

DROID DOES site reveals DROID Incredible 4G LTE price

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 08:37 AM PDT

For a fleeting moment, the DROID Incredible 4G LTE made an appearance on the DROID DOES promotional site – revealing Verizon's plan to sell the phone for $299.99. Since the launch of the HTC Thunderbolt, Verizon has launched nearly a half dozen phones for $299.99, but we don't think the HTC DROID Incredible 4G should be one of them.

When it comes to specs, the DROID Incredible 4G LTE is expected to feature a 4-inch qHD display, 1.2 GHz processor, 8 megapixel camera with ImageSense technology, Android 4.0, HTC Sense 4.0, NFC, and LTE connectivity. While it may sound like a great upgrade over last year's DROID Incredible 2, the new device is inferior to AT&T's HTC One X, T-Mobile's HTC One S and Sprint's HTC EVO 4G LTE which are all selling for $199.99.

Verizon has not made any official announcements about the DROID Incredible 4G, so it could be that the price that is was shown on the site was simply a place holder which will be corrected once pricing and availability details are announced. Verizon does have the best 4G LTE network, but are you willing to pay a $100 premium for the DROID Incredible 4G LTE when it is clearly inferior to HTC's other devices?

Contest: New Android shirts coming tomorrow, win them now before they go on sale

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Once in a blue moon, we like to release limited edition tees. We’re nearing one of those times. Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24, we’re going to release a special pair of shirts at get.androidandme.com, but before that, we’re giving you a chance to win them.

To win, send us a tweet using the tweetbox below. Feel free to change up the message, just make sure you include @androidandme and the hashtag #Android, since that’s how we’ll be tracking the entries.

In addition to a chance to win, everyone that tweets will receive a coupon code for $1 off any tee order. It’s not much, but we figured it might be a fun way to soften the sting of losing yet another online contest.

The Shirts

Each design has a unique story. The Android crowd shirt, titled Communitee, came from a contest we did waaaay back in September. We had readers submit loose concepts and this tee is the final outcome. It’s an all-over chest print, covering the entire front of the tee with a crowd of robot characters.

The other tee, Throwback, is a nod to the recently-replaced-but-not-forgotten CyanongenMod mascot. We first printed this tee in ultra-limited numbers (like a few dozen) for the man himself, Steve Kondik, at the Big Android BBQ. Of course the shirts were gone in seconds and folks have been asking for a reprint ever since. This time around we went with a retro treatment since this skater is now officially retired.

Like always, these are discharge printed on American Apparel tees. Discharge is a type of screen printing where the ink actually replaces the tee’s color, rather than sit on top of it. The result is a ridiculously soft print, perfect for maximum comfort and durability (no cracking graphic after too many washes!).

The art might also look familiar, as it’s done by long-time, friend-of-the-site Ray Frenden. He’s done a few tees for us in the past and he certainly didn’t disappoint this time around.

Details

To enter to win, simply tweet with a mention to @androidandme and the hashtag #Android. We’ll be tracking tweets with RowFeeder using those specific flags. If you use the tweetbox in this very post, you’ll receive a $1 coupon code good on any get.androidandme.com purchase. Tomorrow at 10am, we’ll announce four winners and open the store. This contest is open to all users.

Samsung releases first teaser video for the next Galaxy, makes fun of iSheep

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 04:06 AM PDT

As expected, Samsung opened up thenextgalaxy.com early this morning, and released the first teaser video for the upcoming Galaxy. In the short one minute clip we see the message, “Truly smart technology becomes a natural part of life. Where a galaxy fits perfectly into your hand. Your view of the world grows even wider. As you gain the power to explore it freely and swiftly. With technology that fits in this easily, you can now stand out from everyone else.”

No real facts about the product are included, but we can speculate on some of the details from the text. The line “a galaxy fits perfectly into your hands [and] your view of the world grows even wider” hints at the edge-to-edge display that has been rumored. “As you gain the power to explore freely and swiftly” could hint at the all day battery life life that Samsung has been talking up.

At the end of the video we see a herd of sheep, which is clearly another dig at Apple. Samsung previously had a campaign making fun of Apple fans waiting in line for the next iPhone, which was not received very well, so it’s surprising to see them use that tactic again.

Check out the full teaser video below and let us know what you think. Then be sure to head over to thenextgalaxy.com and register for more updates. Can you find any other hidden clues that we missed?