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- Following the white rabbit. An Android app developer survey [Infographic]
- AT&T’s HTC One X ships early to some customers, phone goes for $149 on Amazon
- Samsung “slips” Galaxy S3 reference in Unpacked app, the name is still not confirmed
- Google Drive is live. Allows you to “Keep everything. Share anything”
- Google Drive launched, 5GB free, replaces Google Docs
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 pops up on Amazon, starts selling at $249.99
- Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus gets a $100 price cut, now $199.99 on contract
- Google resurrects its device store, starts selling the Galaxy Nexus on the Play Store for $399
- HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE briefly leaked on Verizon site, priced at $299
- Google Play (Android Market) vs Apple App Store – 2012
| Following the white rabbit. An Android app developer survey [Infographic] Posted: 24 Apr 2012 01:29 PM PDT
The advent of the smartphone led a to thriving application development community. With the right technical knowledge, anyone can try their hand at app development. While some view it as a hobby, many have turned app development into a lucrative business. But developers who release free Android applications are restricted to a few revenue options, such as in-app ads, that take away from the user experience. StartApp is a new monetization and distribution platform for free applications that offers developers a chance to generate real revenue from free apps, while also improving the experience for the users. StartApp sent out a survey to all their Android application developers and have released the results in a form of an infographic. The infographic answers several question related to app developers, how they work, and what makes them tick. The questions cover every area, ranging from what OS and markets they develop for, to their favorite type of music, movies, and sports.
What are your thoughts? Did any of the answers in the infographic surprise you? Let us know in the comments section below. This article, Following the white rabbit. An Android app developer survey [Infographic] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| AT&T’s HTC One X ships early to some customers, phone goes for $149 on Amazon Posted: 24 Apr 2012 01:23 PM PDT
The HTC One X won't be arriving on AT&T until May 6, but there are numerous reports that indicate the flagship device has already reached the eager hands of some customers. What gives? It appears that some retail stores in the US have already received the phones ahead of schedule. So the few customers who got their hands on the HTC One X early probably have mad negotiation skills, connections to store staff, or are just plain lucky. Speaking of luck, you won't need any to get the HTC One X for less than AT&T charges. Amazon currently has a promotion that allows you to buy the phone for $149, though the standard 2-year commitment still applies. All you have to do is go to this link right here to pre-order the HTC One X. Note that both the white and gray variants are available. Due to the immense popularity of the deal, the HTC One X is now placed on a backordered list. But since the phone won't really be shipped out until a couple of weeks from now, you should be able to secure the unit by pre-ordering. Meanwhile, for those who don't want to be tied to a contract, Amazon offers the off-contract HTC One X for $549, which again, would probably be much less than you'd have to pay when buying directly from AT&T. As a reminder, the HTC One X that runs on AT&T — known as HTC One XL — will ship with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, instead of the Tegra 3 quad-core processor used on the global edition. Apart from this, it basically offers the same great features. Though the Samsung Galaxy S3 is just right around the corner, there's no reason why you can't pre-order the HTC One X now, just in case you don't like what you see come May 3. This article, AT&T's HTC One X ships early to some customers, phone goes for $149 on Amazon , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung “slips” Galaxy S3 reference in Unpacked app, the name is still not confirmed Posted: 24 Apr 2012 01:11 PM PDT
We are only eight short days away from the Samsung Unpacked event in London, at which Sammy's future flagship smartphone should be introduced to the public, and, as expected, details about the device are gradually surfacing. The latest piece of information to be "leaked" comes directly from Samsung and, while it's far from being an officially confirmed detail, seems very likely to become reality. I'm talking about the handheld's name, which we all suspected would be the Galaxy S3. Well, if we are to take for granted a apparent "slip" on Google Play, it seems that the phone will indeed be called the Galaxy S3. The "galaxy s3" words appear in the description of Samsung's Unpacked 2012 Android app, which will allow you to stream the London event on May 3. Sure, we have no way to know if the "s3" tag is, in fact, an unintentional slip, a spelling error, or a clever way to make us go down the wrong road. The Galaxy S3, the Next Galaxy, the Galaxy Plus, the Galaxy HD, or whatever it will be called, is coming, folks, and we should get ready for a wild ride! This article, Samsung “slips” Galaxy S3 reference in Unpacked app, the name is still not confirmed , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Drive is live. Allows you to “Keep everything. Share anything” Posted: 24 Apr 2012 12:32 PM PDT
Let’s just say that I jumped the gun with the leaked Google Drive info article that I’d written, with drive.google.com going live about 20 minutes later. But if you thought the leaked information was impressive, the official announcement and features will blow your mind! As the Senior VP of Chrome and Apps at Google, Sundar Pichai, puts it, Google Drive is less about storage and more about creating and collaborating with storage just happening along the way.
Here’s a quick run-down of the next-big-thing in cloud storage, Google Drive:
Google’s cloud storage service comes with 5GB of free storage space, with an additional 25GB available for just $2.49 per month. You can further expand your storage space to 100GB for $4.99/month and 200GB for $9.99/month. Corporate accounts go up to an incredible 16TB, which costs $799/month. The Google Drive application is available for Windows, OS X, and Android, with iOS support coming soon. You can download the Android version of the app available on the Google Play Store, here. You can watch the intro video of Google Drive here: What are your thoughts? Is Google Drive all you hoped for? Is 5GB free storage too little? If you’ve tried Google Drive already, let us know your experience in the comments section below. No related posts. This article, Google Drive is live. Allows you to “Keep everything. Share anything” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Drive launched, 5GB free, replaces Google Docs Posted: 24 Apr 2012 09:47 AM PDT
Google Drive is Google’s reply to other well-established cloud storage systems such as Dropbox, Box, etc. The Google Drive Android app just went live, replacing the Google Docs app. We have almost complete information on it, courtesy of a Google+ user who spotted a leaked memo on Google’s French blog earlier today. The memo, of course, has been pulled since then. According to the memo, Google Drive brings a host of features including:
Google Drive will provide users with 5GB of free storage, with an additional 20GB for $2.49 per month. The release will include apps for Android, Windows, and OS X. iOS compatibility will follow shortly. drive.google.com just went live. Also, the Google Docs website is now called Google Drive. This article, Google Drive launched, 5GB free, replaces Google Docs , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 pops up on Amazon, starts selling at $249.99 Posted: 24 Apr 2012 09:27 AM PDT
After an unexpected delay that pushed back the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 release from March to late April, Sammy didn't upset its fans any further and finally put the tablet up for sale. The 7-incher can now be purchased in the US from Amazon and its price is on-par with what we expected for a while now. Available for $249.99, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 should be high on many buyers' shopping lists, running ICS out of the box and featuring pretty decent tech specs. Okay, it might not come with a quad-core processor, an unbelievably bright screen, or a lot of on-board storage, but, at least before the Google Nexus tablet hits the market, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is one of the best pieces of technology that 250 bucks can buy. Sporting a 7-inch multitouch screen with 1024 x 600 pixels resolution, Sammy's second edition Galaxy Tab 7 is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and features 1 GB of RAM. Other features include 8 GB of on-board memory, a micro SD card slot, a 3 MP rear-facing shooter, a VGA front-facing camera, as well as a 4,000 mAh battery, USB 2.0, and Bluetooth 3.0. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 might also draw your attention with its elegant design, featuring a slim but robust casing (a 0.41 inches thick metal body).
All in all, if you are on the hunt for a portable and affordable tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the obvious choice and should, at least in theory, not disappoint. You can get Sammy's new 7-incher from Amazon and BestBuy, both retailers offering the tablet at the same price, with free shipping. As for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0's bigger brother, also expected to hit the market before the end of April, we have nothing new to report, but we expect the 10-incher to be made available via Amazon, BestBuy, and other similar outlets pretty soon. This article, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 pops up on Amazon, starts selling at $249.99 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus gets a $100 price cut, now $199.99 on contract Posted: 24 Apr 2012 09:11 AM PDT
Those who have been holding out for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon will be ecstatic to hear that the nation's number one carrier has finally decided to slash the phone's price. After being offered for $299.99 with a 2-year contract over the first four months of its availability, you can now get the Galaxy Nexus for $199.99 on a contract. The $100 price cut puts the Galaxy Nexus on a similar price level as the Motorola Droid 4, with only one device left at $299.99, the Droid Razr Maxx. Verizon is probably trying to steal some thunder from Sprint's variant of the Pure Google device. The 4.65-inch SUPER AMOLED display and 1.2GHz dual-core processor phone was made available for pre-order on Sprint on April 22 for $199.99, with the response from buyers reported to be very positive. Verizon has been on the offensive with its 4G LTE network expansion — two thirds of the US population is now covered by the carrier's high-speed mobile data service. The company plans to expand the LTE coverage to 260 million Americans by the end of the year. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus will be up against several new high-profile smartphones offered by competitors, such as the HTC One XL on AT&T, the HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint, and the HTC One S on T-Mobile, all carrying a $199.99 price tag. The price drop should help soften the blow until the carrier releases its next flagship device, and help Verizon maintain its lead in carrier arena. Meanwhile, Google has started selling again devices directly to customers, starting with an unlocked version of the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus that goes for $399. So, it’s good news on all fronts for Android fans! No related posts. This article, Verizon's Galaxy Nexus gets a $100 price cut, now $199.99 on contract , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google resurrects its device store, starts selling the Galaxy Nexus on the Play Store for $399 Posted: 24 Apr 2012 08:22 AM PDT Through a post on the Google Mobile Blog, Android boss Andy Rubin just announced that Google has brought its ill-fated device store back from the dead. Starting today, Google will sell an unlocked HSPA+ version of the Galaxy Nexus directly to customers, through its Play Store, for just $399. For comparison, the same unlocked device is available on Amazon for $452. For now, the offer is only available to customers in the United States. Visitors from outside the US are greeted by a “We’re sorry, the document you requested is not available in your country” message. Rubin said that Google “hopes” to soon make the Devices section of the Play Store available in other countries, but he didn’t provide any specifics. The Google Galaxy Nexus can be used on AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ networks. Customers will get the device unlocked, free from any commitment to a carrier. You’ll be able to use the device on any GSM network in the world. If you are worried about customer support, Google promises that, this time, it will provide appropriate support services (both technical and sales questions). In an interview with AllThingsD, a Google official told Ina Freid that Big G now has a phone support team ready to answer the questions of Play Store customers, or to redirect buyers to Samsung if required. Google’s first attempt in the direct retail business flopped a couple of years ago, with one cause being the customers’ reluctance to buy their phone through a channel that doesn’t provide “proper” support. The $399 price tag makes Google’s Galaxy Nexus one of the best options (probably the best) for those who want a high-end Android smartphone without a contract and unlocked. Many have speculated that the transformation and extension of the Android Marketplace into the Play Store was done to provide a unified access point to Google’s content, but also to provide a direct retail channel for Google’s Nexus devices. This move seems to confirm these speculations, and, in a few weeks, we may even see the Play Store carrying the long-rumored Nexus tablet.
This article, Google resurrects its device store, starts selling the Galaxy Nexus on the Play Store for $399 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE briefly leaked on Verizon site, priced at $299 Posted: 24 Apr 2012 08:04 AM PDT
Just when we thought Verizon was left uninvited to the HTC party this year, Big Red unveiled a teaser page for a new HTC handset. Continuing on the carrier's traditional Droid path, loyal subscribers will be treated with the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE. The "Droid Does" website reveals the innards of the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE, which will see the phone sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4-inch qHD LCD screen, 8GB internal storage, microSD card slot, 1,700mAh battery, Sense 4, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. On the multimedia front, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE gets a high-speed 8MP rear camera to take rapid-fire shot sequences, a VGA front camera, and Beats Audio software enhancement. We're not counting on a Beats headset being included inside the package, though. While Verizon hasn't set any launch date yet for the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE, the website — before being taken down — listed the price of the device at $299 with a 2-year contract. Technically, it's the price that Verizon traditionally sets for high-end devices, such as the Motorola Droid Razr or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but the specs of the phone sort of belong in 2011. It's worth to note that Verizon has just slashed the price of the Galaxy Nexus by $100 as well to match Sprint's recently launched Galaxy Nexus. With AT&T and Sprint pricing the HTC One XL and HTC EVO 4G LTE at $199 – both phones have better specs, by the way – it'll be a tough job convincing people to choose the Droid Incredible 4G LTE. But Verizon does have one of the better 4G LTE services in the country. Is that the premium that customers have to pay to get Verizon's latest flagship device? This article, HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE briefly leaked on Verizon site, priced at $299 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Play (Android Market) vs Apple App Store – 2012 Posted: 24 Apr 2012 07:16 AM PDT
Despite the cool designs and dazzling hardware of today’s hottest and most modern smartphones, many users would agree that apps make the phone. We all know what happened to the likes of Nokia, RIM, and HP simply because they didn’t manage to spur the creation of better app markets. All were completely clobbered after the debut of Apple’s App Store and the Android Market, which is now known today as Google Play. To make matters more complicated, there is also Amazon’s Appstore, which was actually created long before anyone had heard of the Kindle Fire. Nevertheless, apps are what make our devices the magical things we know them to be. Without apps, are devices would be lifeless entities, much like the dumbphones of yesteryear. Apps are everything. So what platform has the best one going? Google, with their Play Store (Android Market), or Apple, with their App Store? Check it out below! Developers
Membership CostBefore you can even build an application for either market, both Google and Apple require you to cough up some dough. For iOS developers, Apple wants you to hand over $99 whether you are an individual or a company. Google, on the other hand, wants $25 for the sole purpose of keeping their market “less spammy”. Google figures that if they charge $25 one-time, they will scare off bogus developers. SDK and LanguageApple offers Xcode to their developers that code for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. In addition, iOS apps are restricted to Objective-C, C, C++ or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine. Google offers their SDK for free online. Despite being available for Windows, Mac and even Linux, it is not as simple as just downloading and installing one application like Xcode. Furthermore, most all Android apps are coded in Java. But C/C++ apps are not forbidden from the market either. Downloads and Fragmentation
Furthermore, according to GigaOm, 45% of iPhone and iPod Touch users purchased at least one paid app every month. Only 19% of Android users bought a paid app every month. In addition, iOS users almost double Android users in the total number of apps downloaded per month. Number of apps
AppBrain, one of the best websites for finding great Android apps, tabulates the number of apps currently in the Google Play Store. At the time of writing this article, the website claims that there were just over 430,000 apps in total at the time of this articles creation. Furthermore, over 311,000 of those apps were free. That translates into about 72% of all of Google Play apps being free. On the other hand, 148apps claims that the App Store currently has over 615,000 apps. The average price of an app in the App Store will run you $2.02. Finally, only 287,000 apps (46%) were free. iCloud vs. Google’s Cloud
If you own multiple devices, syncing all of your apps, music, and books can become a very tedious job. That is why both Apple and Google offer “cloud services”. iCloud (Apple’s cloud) does a nice job of keeping all of your purchased goods on all of your devices. If you were to purchase an app on your iPhone, it would show up on your iPad as well. However, iCloud is lacking one feature that I find very useful. Instead of just storing your data online for you, Google took it one step further. When you visit Google Play, you can surf through all of your music, books, apps, and movies on any internet connected device. Furthermore, you can even install apps to any of your devices directly from the desktop store. For example, if you left your phone in the car and you really wanted to download Angry Birds but don’t have time to go get it, you can simply go to play.google.com, search for Angry Birds, choose your device and it will magically appear for you. User Interface
It is certainly no secret that the Apple’s App Store has been around for much longer than Google’s Play Store. But, in the short time that Google’s app market has been around, they have changed the name, added books, movies, music, and have gone through multiple designs, finally arriving at the Play Store you see before you now. Google Play
The design you see above took Google a few tries. Personally, I believe that this update is by far the best of any previous version. In addition to the landing page with a large featured ad spot, you have quick access to all 4 sections of the market. Moving the focus into the “Apps” section of Google Play, all of the apps have been sorted into 27 categories ranging from Games to Widgets. Google further categorizes their apps into top paid, top free, top grossing, top new paid, top new free, and even trending lists. But, if you already know what you are looking for, the search bar will certainly suffice. App Store
Like Google Play, the App Store also has a landing page with featured apps. In addition, Apple and Google use similar categories to sort their apps. The only main difference between the two markets is that Google has chosen to use big and vibrant pictures to represent new and featured apps, books, movies, and music, and Apple has not. Although many people could argue that “ads” are just annoying, the makers behind the health app RunKeeper would disagree. After becoming featured in the Android Market, the app saw a 637% increase in downloads. Finally, Lightbox was a featured app during the holiday season of 2011 and received over 500,000 of the 1.2 billion total downloads that occurred during that time period. Content Management Client
iTunes, Apple’s cornerstone for the past decade, is a Mac and Windows application for buying, organizing, and playing music and movies. Not only can you search and buy new music, but all of the content you have downloaded on any of your devices can be found in iTunes. Making new playlists, watching movies, and even syncing to your devices is all part of iTunes’ job, for better or for worse. In fact, it’s worth mentioning that iTunes is often iDevice owners’ main complaint with the platform, as there is simply no way to avoid using it – short of jailbreaking the device.
On the other hand, Google recently introduced an online marketplace. Along with the new version of the Android Market, otherwise known as Google Play, Google has re-introduced their cloud management client. First used as just an online music player, Google Play now allows you to manage all of your music, apps, books, and even movies. Furthermore, by visiting Google Play on any internet connected device, you can play all of your music just like on iTunes. You can also read all of your books, and manage your movies and apps between any of your Android devices directly from the Google Play website. Recap Ah, multitasking As you can see, both markets are very similar in a lot of ways. Although the App Store definitely has the advantage with developers, the overwhelming number of Android users are beginning to attract developers over to the Android platform en masse. For those seeking a more mature and established platform, iOS has been around much longer and therefore has had time to develop and improve their iTunes software and respective App Store. However, Google has quickly put together an online client that allows you to sync up your music and play it from anywhere. In short, there really is no clear winner here in this contest, except for you and I, the consumers. Both are robust, full of great apps, and are fantastic at helping you find what you are looking for. If anything, you would be wise to consider sites like Appbrain and others if your quest is finding apps that are hidden in the fold somewhere. At the end of the day, what matters not is the number of apps, or the number of downloads. Smartphones, tablets, and Google and Apple are not going anywhere, and we are all witnessing the beginning of a revolution in how we access, use, and play with our mobile devices! So – what say you, dear reader? Apple’s App Store, or Google’s Play Store? Who shall reign victorious? What is the better place for apps? Let us know! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.This article, Google Play (Android Market) vs Apple App Store – 2012 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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