Saturday, April 14, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

ASUS To Begin Shipping Transformer Pad 300 Series On April 22nd

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:42 PM PDT

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The last time we heard about the availability of the ASUS Transformer Pad 300, it had popped up for pre-order at a few online retailers a few days ago. But now, it looks like we may finally have a date. An ASUS spokesperson told PCWorld today that the Tegra 3 powered Pad 300 will begin shipping in the US on April 22nd. Although ASUS failed to mention pricing for the tab, we told you guys before that J&R listed the 32GB version for $400, though we’re not sure if that pricing will stick upon release. We’ll keep you guys posted.

HTC One S Dummy Units Arrive At T-Mobile Stores – Impending Launch Is Impending

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:07 PM PDT

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T-Mobile has been awfully quiet regarding the release date for HTC One S. As we wait around for an official date from T-Mobile, a few of their retail stores are getting ready for the launch with dummy units arriving in stores today. Typically speaking, once stores begin receiving dummy units, a device’s release is about a week or two away.

With T-Mobile and HTC”s launch party next week, we’d imagine a date will finally be given at that time. Anyone looking to pick up the One S on launch day?

[TMoNews]

The Tale Of An iPhone Fanboy Who Fell In Love With The Galaxy Note

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:08 PM PDT

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You may remember a short time ago we gave you our thorough and incredibly comprehensive review on the Samsung Galaxy Note. Well, I was cruising by our sister site, iSource today, and an article caught my eye. Apparently, one of the writers on iSource decided to do the unthinkable and review the Samsung Galaxy Note. “I know exactly how this is going to turn out,” I thought to myself. “This guy is going to talk about how awful the Note is, and how it didn’t even hold a candle to the iPhone,” but boy was I wrong.

Turns out the writer, Brandon, really gave the Galaxy Note a fair shot, living with the device for a full week. To his credit, he not only provided valid points on the Note’s shortcomings, but also gave it praise when it was due. Mainly, the Note’s S Pen and size, the device’s killer features. Towards the end of his review, he actually talks about how he went back to the AT&T store to return the Note after a defect, and back to his beloved iPhone. No surprise there. It’s been often said that iPhone fanboys are blinded by their love for all things Apple.

But, in a stunning twist of events, after returning to his iPhone, Brandon discovered that the teeny, tiny little phone just didn’t cut it anymore. The Galaxy Note spoiled him with it’s huge 5.3-inch display (an entire iPhone — case and all — couldn’t even match it’s size) and handy stylus. He went back to the store once again, and switched back to the Galaxy Note. Bet you didn’t see that one coming, huh?

Now, I guess you could say Brandon isn’t a true “Android convert.” He simply fell in love with the Note’s hardware and will most likely be returning to iOS if/when Apple can slap a bigger screen on the iPhone. But after reading his review, I’m starting to wonder if maybe iOS fans don’t really “hate” Android at all. It seems, for the most part, they merely prefer iOS and some of its polish over Android. Something I’ve noticed lately is that when it comes to Android fans, more than often we’re the ones defined by our hatred of all things Apple/iOS and not necessarily our love of Android. Maybe, just maybe, if we put down the pitch forks and stop insulting iPhone users, simply encouraging them to give Android a try… Who knows. Maybe then we’d have more people who are actually willing to give Android a shot?

You can read about Brandon and his entire journey in a tale I like to call, “Sense and Sensibility” via the source link below.

[iSource]

HTC One X power management flaw discovered, unofficial fix boosts battery life by 10 to 20 percent

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 03:03 PM PDT

Before shipping their latest flagship device, it makes sense that HTC would have checked and double-checked that the phone’s power management systems were up to snuff. The handset’s quad-core processor and big HD display predictably test the limits of its non-removable 1800mAh battery, but as things often go some final software tweaks were overlooked resulting in battery life that came up short of its potential. Leave it to the developer of a homebrew One X ROM to discover the discrepancy.

A misplaced APK is the culprit, and it’s been robbing users of 10 to 20 percent extra battery life. A fix has been made available for users ready to take the dive, but the process does require a bit of technical know-how. It is likely that HTC will push an update to the One X that should address the issue, so those not wishing to root their device should be able to take advantage of improve power management in the future. When that might happen is anyone’s guess.

[via Engadget]

Verizon expands 4G LTE coverage in the West

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 01:21 PM PDT

Verizon is bent on blanketing the entire US in a warm and cozy quilt of 4G, announcing a series of expansions that will bring LTE coverage to new markets in California and Nevada. Markets with expanded coverage include Stockton, Fresno, Monterey, and the San Francisco Bay area. The sole city outside of the Golden State to benefit from the latest network additions is Reno.

Verizon has been ramping up its 4G rollouts as competition heats up with the other major carriers. AT&T has already introduced its new LTE network, while Sprint is set to launch their own network utilizing the technology in the coming months.

[via DroidLife]

Call the Coast Guard, there’s a floating Eclair statue at the Googleplex [Video]

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 12:37 PM PDT

Slow news day or best Android video of the year? There seems to have been a bit of inclement weather out in Mountain View, which has created a bit of flooding outside of Building 44 at the Googleplex. The resulting marsh has claimed the Eclair statue that once sat peacefully among the other deifications of Android versions past and present. It was found floating in a sizable puddle, much to the chagrin of a couple of Google employees (including Dan Morrill). One was even tempted to take the buoyant treat for a ride. Don’t worry, though. The statue was rescued from certain watery doom and returned to a stationary position amongst its brethren.

[via Google+]

Panasonic Eluga now available in Germany, headed to the UK April 24

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 12:28 PM PDT

The Panasonic Eluga, which launched last month in Japan, has made its way to Europe. The Android 2.3 handset that we first saw at Mobile World Congress is so far on sale only in Germany, but will makes its way to the UK by the end of the month. Folks interested in the Eluga can find it for as low as €399 depending on where they shop.

The Eluga features a waterproof casing, 4.3-inch IPS display, and 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. The phone also carries NFC support. The phone will ship in the UK starting April 24th and should make its way to other European locales in due time. Check out our hands-on video from MWC for more info.

Entry-level HTC Golf press image leaks

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 11:58 AM PDT

Though a 5MP smear of blue has been the only proof of its existence up to this point, the entry-level HTC Golf looks like it will fit right in with the manufacturer’s 2012 lineup. A newly leaked press shot of the device shows us a handset that takes some of its design cues from the recently launched One line and transplants them onto what should launch as the next entry to the popular Wildfire series.

Rumored to launch as the Wildfire C, the phone should feature a single-core processor and 512MB of RAM to go along with the previously mentioned 5MP camera. A 3.5-inch display will sport a resolution of 480×320. Interestingly, though the phone appears to skirt One branding, its Ice Cream Sandwich build is said to come skinned with Sense 4.0. HTC has stated in the past that only One series phones would get that treatment, but we wouldn’t complain if the critically acclaimed software shows up on the lower-tier device.

Other specs include 4GB of storage (with microSD expansion and 25GB of Dropbox storage), Bluetooth 3.0, and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. It should launch by the end of the quarter.

[via PocketNow]

Sony begins Ice Cream Sandwich rollout for 2011 Xperia smartphones, Nordic countries first in line

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 10:35 AM PDT

Several Sony Xperia smartphones are being updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, the start of a new software rollout that will continue into early summer. The Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V, and Xperia ray are the first Sony handset’s to receive Android 4.0 with the update kicking off for owners in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Norway. The rollout process will continue for 4 to 6 weeks as it spreads to more regions.

Further updates are expected for the Xperia arc, Xperia Play, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active, and the Android-power Walkman starting in late May/ early June and moving into the summer months. Sony has shown nothing but class in their effort to get Ice Cream Sandwich to the meat of their smartphone lineup, going so far as to offer beta builds of the new software for several handsets. You can read up on their efforts by heading over to the source link below.

[Sony via AndroidPolice]

HTC Desire Brand Gets Three New Entries for China

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 09:37 AM PDT

HTC’s not letting the Desire brand die, it seems, as they have introduced three brand new phones for the Chinese market. We’re looking at the Desire VT T328t, VC T328d, and V 328w. Confusing, no?

The devices are very similar and each one will be going to its own Chinese carrier. The first, VT T328t, is headed straight for China Mobile with a 4 inch display, Android 4.0, HTC Sense 4.0, a 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera and more.

The other two (VC T328d-China Telecom, and the V328w-China Unicom) are the same, save for design and their ability to host dual SIM cards. It’s quite odd, though: to hear HTC tell it, you need an S4 processor to run HTC Sense 4.0 on top of Ice Cream Sandwich. Not only is it not an S4, it’s not even dual-core.

The likes of the HTC Vivid are receiving Sense 3.6 in their ICS bundles so there’s definitely a bit of explaining to do there. We’ll try and get to the bottom of it, but there it is. Don’t expect to see this outside of China anytime soon. [ePrice via Unwired View]

Samsung ChatOn for Tablets Now Available

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 08:31 AM PDT

Samsung ChatOn fans who have been missing the app on their tablets will be happy to know that Samsung has optimized the instant messenger for Android tablets. ChatOn is comparable to BBM and iMessage, and while it may not be as popular it is a pretty decent app if you now a lot of people with Samsung phones. If you’re a ChatOn user and you have a Honeycomb or an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, find the update in the Google Play Store.

The Daily Show for Android Puts Jon Stewart in Your Pocket

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 07:56 AM PDT

When I was a Daily Show junkie, it was hard to stop imagining what whacky comments Jon Stewart would have regarding politics and other social issues. If you’re like I used to be and need to get your Jon Stewart fix on the go, an Android app is waiting for you in the Google Play Store. The app will provide clips from the show and will remind you when the show is about to air. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s something. Get it at the source link. [Google Play Store]

Is This the Samsung Galaxy S III? Doubtful…

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:51 AM PDT

I know it seems like we ask this question every other week, but we still have to question every single rumor. The image you see above is reported to be the Samsung Galaxy S III.

It looks like an ordinary Galaxy S device, except you can see that it has an Ice Cream Sandwich launcher. The pic would lead one to believe that the device is larger than even Sprint’s Galaxy S II, but notice the middle button on the bottom – I don’t think Samsung would dare make it that large.

They didn’t for the Galaxy Note, so why would they do it here? It looks ugly and uncomfortable, and it just doesn’t look real. I could be wrong, but I’m willing to bet that this isn’t the device we were looking for. What’s your take on it? [Opda.pl via BGR]

Sony Xperia SmartWatch Already on Sale for $118 in the US [Deals]

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:26 AM PDT

Sony’s Xperia SmartWatch has only been available for one day and it’s already being offered at a pretty decent discount. Expansys USA is offering the little device for $118 compared to the $150 MSRP Sony’s asking for. Over 60 apps can be used on the device which connects to your Android devices via Bluetooth, including Facebook, Gmail, and more. Head to Expansys if you want to get this great discount before it evaporates.

Vodafone Galaxy S II Update Available Today via Kies, April 17th OTA

Posted: 13 Apr 2012 05:44 AM PDT

Vodafone has announce that the update to Android 4.0 for their Galaxy S II has gone live today, April 13th. The update is available via Kies, an application that you need to download to your PC in order to update the phone via USB. I know many of you are eager to get the update so you won’t mind the minor inconvenience. If you’d rather get the update via an over-the-air process, you’ll have to wait another 4 days as they say it’ll be pushed to users on April 17th. Head here if you’d rather get it sooner rather than later. [via Vodafone, thanks Shane!]
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