Thursday, April 19, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Sprint To Launch The HTC EVO 4G LTE On May 18th? [Rumor]

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 06:42 PM PDT

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There’s almost no disputing that the HTC EVO 4G LTE is one of the greatest devices Android has to offer, and one Sprint is no doubt banking on. You may remember back when Sprint officially announced the availability of the HTC EVO 4G LTE on their network, but failed to give a solid launch date other than “Q2″ of this year. After the HTC EVO 3D, and the HTC EVO 4G before it both releasing during the month of June, most of us were expecting Sprint to stick with that traditional release date.

Well, we’re now hearing that Sprint may be pushing up that date, launching the device a month early — May 18th to be exact — if sources over at PhoneDog are to be believed. This release date doesn’t sound too far fetched although you would think Sprint would want this device to launch a little closer to the release date of the original EVO, seeing how those customers will be due for an upgrade by then.

Friday, May 18th, also happens to be the very same day the LG Optimus Elite will arrive in Sprint retails stores. Looks like Sprint is planning for a big summer with the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper all launching within weeks of each other. Which will you guys pick?

Draw Something Update Includes New Features: Comments, Undo, and Refresh

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:49 PM PDT

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Draw Something was updated in the Google Play Store today. OMGPop has added some much requested user features such as the ability to comment on drawings, undo the last line drawn, and pull-down-to-refresh for immediate updates. For those of you that have either uninstalled, flashed a new ROM or aybe have yet to try the Pictionary style mega-smash hit, this new feature set may have you rushing to Play Store for a download.

Draw Something can be found in either a free (with ads) or paid version (no ads, 99 cents) in the Google Play Store. I admit, I’ve kinda had a falling out the game but these new features serve as a reminder to give it another shot. Anyone else still playing?

[Play Store Link]

More Samsung Galaxy S III Rumors – New Images Leak Of The Device In The Wild?

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 04:52 PM PDT

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Weeeeee… It’s time for another dose of Galaxy S III rumors! Now that you’ve been warned, feel free to back out of this article as it contains the following: gross speculation, unfounded rumor and even a pinch of “insider secrets,” from unconfirmed sources. That being said, let’s begin.

We all know, May 3rd is fast approaching us and the tech/mobile world is on high alert for the latest flagship to come out of Samsung’s HQ — the Galaxy S III. Gizmodo Brasil got a hold of a Samsung device they believe could be the GS3, and although specs for the device did confirm Cnet’s earlier report of the GS3 being an “incremental update” over the Galaxy S II (12MP camera, fast, great display) one look at the leaked device and you can see that this is, in fact, not the GS3. See for yourself.

If, after looking at the device, your faith in Samsung delivering a new and fresh looking design is dwindling — don’t worry. The Verge is reporting from their sources that Samsung’s security is tighter than ever for a new device launch and that all leaks so far have been inaccurate. We recently learned that Samsung could be using generic “test boxes” to house the Galaxy S III when sent out for carrier testing and the leaked images above could be exactly that. Or, they could be a mid-range offering from Samsung soon to arrive, along the lines of the Galaxy M.

What’s more is the “Galaxy S III” name hasn’t even been finalized. It’s been said that the Samsung could be going the Apple route (something not unheard of for the Korean company) and may release the device as something as “the next Galaxy,” as the device was being called in their invites for their May 3rd press event.

 

Official: T-Mobile HTC One S launching April 25th for $200

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 02:12 PM PDT

Just moments after the device appeared on a couple of relevant website, T-Mobile has officially announced that the HTC One S will be launching April 25th for $200 after a two-year contract agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate. We ran into the HTC One S at Mobile World Congress this past February and had nothing but good things to say about it and the entire HTC One line.

\With a Snapdragon S4 by Qualcomm, Android 4.0, HTC Sense 4.0, a 4.3 inch qHD display and some really great camera features, many will want to consider the option for their next smartphone whether it be for the next two months or the next two years. Take a look at our hands-on of the international version of the device here and read on for full press details.

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- April 18, 2012 -- Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and HTC Corp. announced the highly anticipated HTC One™ S will be available at T-Mobile® stores nationwide on April 25. As HTC’s premier launch partner in the U.S., T-Mobile will be the first to offer the ultra-sleek HTC One S, which is the company’s first device to ship with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and HTC Sense™ 4.

The latest smartphone from T-Mobile to take advantage of 4G (HSPA+ 42) technology on America’s Largest 4G Network,™ the HTC One S provides T-Mobile customers with an amazing camera and authentic sound technology, plus a diverse selection of apps and services that give customers amazing 4G experiences.

With the HTC One S, customers will find a fantastic music experience that works seamlessly on T-Mobile’s 4G network. Customers can listen to their music libraries -- up to 20,000 songs -- straight from the cloud and purchase new music on the go with Google Play. Virtually all audio experiences sound better on the HTC One S thanks to its built-in Beats Audio™ technology, which provides a richer and more authentic sound experience whether consumers are watching movies, listening to music or playing games.

Featuring an 8-megapixel back-side illuminated camera and HTC ImageSense,™ which provides a variety of enhancements to the camera’s lens, sensor and software, the HTC One S is always ready to capture pictures in the blink of an eye. Consumers have immediate access to their cameras from their home screens and a super-fast auto focus with continuous shooting to take continuous photos at 4 frames per second simply by holding the shutter button. In addition, the smartphone enables high-quality video recording with a full high-definition (HD) 1080p camcorder and the ability to concurrently capture HD video and still images at the same time. With access to 25 GB of free cloud storage from DropBox, HTC One S customers also can bring their photos, documents and videos virtually anywhere they go and upload new content to the cloud via T-Mobile’s network or Wi-Fi. HTC One S also gives customers a new way to share their content through use of HTC’s wireless Media Link HD accessory.* The small accessory allows easy sharing of any content on the phone with any TV that supports HDMI.

Also included with the HTC One S are applications that deliver added value, utility and fun.
T-Mobile TV makes it possible to enjoy free or premium live and on-demand programs, from the hottest TV shows to kids’ programs. With the Amazon Mobile application, T-Mobile customers can search and buy millions of products directly from their device and receive special offers on select merchandise. Also highlighted is a T-Mobile-exclusive version of the popular "Where’s My Water?" game from Disney Mobile, with ten levels that can’t be played anywhere else.

The ultra-sleek and modern HTC One S will be available in gradient blue and is T-Mobile’s thinnest smartphone (7.95mm). In addition to featuring a beautiful 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED screen, the HTC One S is equipped with a 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm® and access to T-Mobile’s fastest 4G (HSPA+ 42) speeds, making the HTC One S a powerful device ideal for customers seeking a fantastic mobile experience.

Availability
The HTC One S will be available on April 25 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers, national retailers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card with qualifying two-year agreement. For more information, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/one or http://www.htc.com/us/products/htcones-tmobile.

HTC One S appears on T-Mobile, Best Buy’s website; Hints toward $200 on-contract price.

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 01:57 PM PDT

While the T-Mobile event for the unveiling of the HTC One S isn’t until later tonight, it appears digital advertising for the device has already gone live in a couple of places. Magenta’s own website has listed the HTC One S with an off-contract price of $600. Of course, you can’t buy it yet but they do have a button to sign up to be notified of its arrival.

On tbe other hand, retailer Best Buy shows the device as coming soon for an off-contract price of $550, but they also have on-contract pricing set at $200. It wasn’t clear if that price included any rebates. Since Best Buy takes care of the rebates for you, you can’t assume T-Mobile’s won’t be more expensive before a mail-in rebate option. In any case, the device is just about ready to be unwrapped so sit tight. [via Engadget]

Motorola DROID 4 Build 6.2.319 incoming, official file already available

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT

The Motorola DROID 4 is set to receive an update, soon, as an official change log has been posted over at Verizon’s site. It’s a minor upgrade that brings improved battery life, the MotoCast widget, improved device performance, fixes for the display locking up, and more. The build is 6.2.319, and while an official rollout has not yet commenced, you’ll be pleased to know that a signed update file has already been made available. Courtesy of Droid-Life, the 18MB file can be downloaded here and applied in the following way:

*No root required.

*We have been told that Voodoo Rootkeeper will keep root and that other root methods work as well.

1.  Download the file to your SD card.
2.  Turn phone off.
3.  Press both Volume keys and Power at the same time to get to the bootloader menu.
4.  Scroll down to "Recovery" and press Volume Up to select it.
5.  When the Android and exclamation mark appear, press both Volumes at the same time.
6.  Scroll down to "apply update from sdcard" and select it with Power.
7.  Scroll down to "Blur_Version.6.13.215.XT894.Verizon.en.US.zip" and select it.
8.  Watch the update install. Reboot when it finishes and enjoy!

[Verizon, Droid-Life]

Larry Page: Android wasn’t critical to Google in 2010; Saw it as a tool to get Google services into more hands

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 12:22 PM PDT

Some interesting words have come from Google CEO Larry Page during today’s court trial between his company and Oracle over Java copyright issues. According to those present at the trial, Larry Page reportedly said Android wasn’t “critical” for Google, specifically around 2010 when the operating system had been just a couple of years old in the consumer market.

He did mention that it was important for them, though. The statement doesn’t look too pretty on paper, but Page clarified by saying that, at the time, it was a tool that would allow them to get their services into others’ hand as they were ”frustrated getting our technology out to people.”

And that it did: Google enjoys a nice business model of mobile ads and searches which, according to former-CEO and current adviser Eric Schmidt, is very lucrative. None of that is bad — Google creates great services for the purpose of making money, and users benefit from that by getting a world-class smartphone operating system that can handle anything.

It wasn’t critical because, before Android’s arrival, Google had already commanded respect from competing operating systems as evidenced by the sheer amount of non-Google products which use Google Search as their default search engines and use other, unrivaled Google services, like YouTube, to provide a better experience for their user base.

Google would have still made a killing from the mobile industry, and Android’s prominence is a very big cherry on the top of a delicious cake. I think we can assume that Google will never think of Android as a fun side project. It’s still a very big part of their business and we have nothing to worry about as far as its future. [The Verge]

T-Mobile G2X receives minor (in every sense of the word) Update

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:28 AM PDT

T-Mobile G2X owners may be looking for Ice Cream Sandwich, but the latest update sadly won’t provide that. LG has pushed a quick bug fixer to the device that is said to improve battery life and steps the device up to Android 2.3.4. Other than that, it’s not immediately clear what is different. Hang in there, G2X owners. Look on the bright side: at least they haven’t necessarily denied Android 4.0. [LG via TmoNews]

JCB Toughphone Pro-Smart now on sale in the UK

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:51 AM PDT

This monstrosity is the JCB Toughphone Pro-Smart, and it’s now on sale in the UK. Technically the company’s first smartphone offering (they did apply their name to a rebranded Motorola DEFY+ previously), the Pro-Smart features an 800MHz processor, 3.2-inch display, and runs Android 2.3. It’s an IP67 rated device designed to be waterproof, dustproof, and otherwise oblivious to the elements. The Toughphone Pro-Smart is available through Clove for £310 after VAT.

[via Clove]

Official: AT&T to launch HTC One X on May 6 for $199.99, pre-orders being April 22

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:17 AM PDT

After much speculation, AT&T has come clean with the release details of their version of the HTC One X. The phone, which features a dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset instead of the Tegra 3 CPU found in the international version, will be available May 6th at a price of $199.99 on a two-year contract.  Rumors have jumped back and forth between that date and April 22nd, but it turns out both will hold somewhat true as pre-orders of the device will begin on that date.

The HTC One X on AT&T is an LTE device featuring Android 4.0, Sense 4, and Beats Audio technology. It sports a 4.7-inch 720p HD display and 8MP camera coupled with hardware and software that maximizes photo output. Check out the full press release at the link below.

[via AT&T]

Verizon posts changelog for Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX 6.12.181 update

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:04 AM PDT

Though there were whispers that Motorola and Verizon might scrap an update bringing the Droid RAZR family to software version 6.12.181 in favor of moving straight to Ice Cream Sandwich, it appears this won’t be the case. Verizon has posted the full changelog for yet another Gingerbread update for the RAZR and RAZR MAXX that will address a few bugs and offer some minor enhancements. Users can expect better battery life, improved security and stability,  and a shiny new MotoCast widget among other things. Check out all the info at Verizon’s support site.

[Verizon via DroidLife]

First Intel-based Android smartphone shipping later this week

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 07:36 AM PDT

During the company’s Q1 earnings call, Intel CEO Paul Ottelini revealed that the first smartphone to utilize an Atom-based Medfield CPU would ship later this week. He wasn’t too clear on which device that may be, but there are only a handful of possibilities. The Lenovo K800 was the first handset announced with Intel’s platform and we also have the Orange Satna Clara and similar Lava Xolo X900 as options. All run on a 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 chip.

The announcement is a major milestone for Intel, a company that has been having a hard time breaking into the mobile space as previous attempts at creating a processor suitable for smartphones and tablets were not as space or power efficient as current components. Major device launches from Motorola and a continued partnership with Google give Intel a bright future with Android.

[via Electronista]

Huawei announces Ascend P1 global availability

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 06:08 AM PDT

With the Huawei Ascend P1 launching in China today and subsequently selling out according to the company’s chairman, details of the handset’s global retail availability are being released. The slim (but not as slim as its Ascend P1 S counterpart) smartphone will launch in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia this May followed by Latin America in June and Europe later in the summer. More markets will see the Ascend P1 further down the road.

Pricing of 4.3-inch handset with dual-core 1.5GHz processor hasn’t been revealed for each region, but we suspect we’ll hear those details closer to launch. Huawei made no mention of the Ascend P1 S, which measures in at a millimeter thinner than the Ascend P1′s 7.7mm girth.

[via GSMArena]

Rogers begins shipping HTC One X pre-orders

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:46 AM PDT

Customers who pre-ordered the HTC One X from Rogers have been notified that the shipping process has begun. While a status of “shipped” has yet to be appended to orders, this should change in the next day or two. Rogers hasn’t come clean on an exact release date for the One X even though they have been taking reservations. Rumors first pointed towards the end of the month but then shifted to April 20th, and that date is now looking even more likely given the timing. The One X can be had on Rogers for as low as $169.99 when signing up for a new three-year service agreement.

[via MobileSyrup]

Samsung Galaxy Beam spotted at FCC, shows AT&T-compatible radios

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:24 AM PDT

A filing for the Samsung Galaxy Beam has been spotted at the FCC, and based on its radio configuration one could make the projection of an AT&T release for the device. See what I did there? Built-in projector…projection. Get it? Anyway, the phone does feature 3G support for the GSM 1900MHz and 850MHz bands, though an official release on any US carrier hasn’t been confirmed. Otherwise we aren’t learning anything about the phone that we didn’t know before. 4-inch display, 1GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, and Android 2.3 wrap up the major specs aside from the device’s pico projector.

[via Engadget]
Posted by at 7:53 AM

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