Android and Me |
- Android Gaming Weekly: Mini Motor Racing, Machinarium, Big Win Hockey, Ninja Slash!
- Android Insiders: A conversation with Ryan Bidan of Samsung
- Verizon to axe grandfathered unlimited data plans, as users move to 4G LTE devices
- NTT Docomo exemplifies everything I hate about carriers and manufacturers
- Sprint confirms that EVO 4G LTE launch has been delayed, can’t provide timing for release
- Sonic 4 Episode II comes to Android, win an ASUS Transformer Prime!
- PSA: ROMers beware! Google Music only allows four ‘device’ deauthorizations per year
- T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G Android 4.0 update now available – Amaze 4G update scheduled for May 21
- Leaked HTC Ville C specs suggest a cheaper, under-powered HTC One S
- LG unveils new Optimus UI 3, promises to be unobtrusive and simple
| Android Gaming Weekly: Mini Motor Racing, Machinarium, Big Win Hockey, Ninja Slash! Posted: 16 May 2012 05:24 PM PDT  Welcome back to our regular column Android Gaming Weekly, where we recap all the new releases and highlights every Wednesday. We post small bits throughout the week related to Android games, but readers have requested a condensed summary that makes it easier to keep up with all the latest news. Read on for this week's best in Android gaming. Top 7 New Games This WeekThis week I’m testing out a new format. I always try to find the top rated games each week, but now I’m going to limit my recommendations to the Top 7 games. The number of quality games comes and goes each week, but I felt like 7 suggestions was a nice odd number that I could achieve each week. Let me know what you think of the new format in the comments below. Machinarium Developer says: “Discover the award-winning, steam punk world of Machinarium, navigating a clever little robot called Josef from the scrapheap into the city to save his robot girlfriend. Solve puzzles, quests, brain-teasers and mini-games to rid the city of the wicked Black Cap Brotherhood robots. Gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and animations bring the robot’s story to life, using unique comic bubbles and symbols to convey the plot.” Taylor says: I’m going on a road trip this weekend, so I need a new puzzle game to burn up some time. The video sold me and I just handed over my $3.99. I’ll let you know how it was next week. Mini Motor Racing Developer says: “Mini Motor Racing plays like a favorite remote-controlled car showdown, combined with modern tech to nitro-boost your engines! Play multiplayer against up to four of your friends via WiFi! Race in campaign competitions for big rewards! Upgrade your skills and cars to win more! It's all here in Mini Motor Racing.” Taylor says: Reminds me of Micro Machines Racing, which I played for countless hours. Asking price is $1.99, but early reviews are good with a 4.3 average score. Doraemon Fishing 2 Developer says: “You will start going fishing as Doreamon, Nobita or Shizuka and try to feed the beloved dinosaur Pisu. Besides casting the hook as deep as possible to collect coins and catch fishes while avoiding sharks, with the new gameplay, players will touch on fishing jumping out and flick them towards Pisu.” Taylor says: I think I have a thing for Japanese game music. Game was so odd I just had to share it. Big Win Hockey Developer says: “CREATE your own unique dream team, COMPETE against opponents from around the world, WATCH your team battle it out on the ice, BOOST your player's passing, shooting, skating and other skills and get ready to hoist the Daily Trophy for the ultimate BIG WIN!” Taylor says: I’m not even a fan of hockey and this game looks awesome. It’s free so you have nothing to lose. I’m installing this on my Transformer Prime right now. Lunar Racer Developer says: “Strap on your moon boots and fire up your nitro boosters! The real space race is about to begin! Sure there’s racing games… but then there’s racing games with powerups! Ever tried racing with homing missiles, land mines, bubble shields and gravity thrusters? Yeah, didn’t think so!” Taylor says: It’s from the developer of Super Stickman Golf and it’s free. Graphics look simple, but gameplay looks addicting. Average early review score is 4.8. Plopp Developer says: “Bubble-like circles, so called ‘Plopps’ emerge all over the place and start growing. When you tap on a Plopp, it explodes and a shockwave is unleashed. If other Plopps are hit by this shockwave they also explode causing big chain-reactions!” Taylor says: This developer just uploaded four new games to the Google Play store and they all look pretty unique. Plopp looked the most interesting to me out of the bunch. It runs $1.25, so you might want to wait for more reviews to come in before you buy. Ninja Slash! Developer says: “Are you tired of always and only cut fruit? No problem! You’re one step away from starting the final cutting experience! Run, Jump and Slice at the same time!” Taylor says: Odd combination of running and slicing gameplay looks hard as heck. I think this looks pretty fun, and it only costs $0.99. The developer has a good track record, so I think it’s a safe buy. Android Games Coming SoonGameloft finally supports the ASUS Transformer Prime
This week Gameloft updated their popular MMORGP game Order & Chaos with a new dungeon called Sailen: The Lower City. More importantly, they finally added support for the ASUS Transformer Prime. Keep an eye on other Gameloft titles for future Transformer Prime support. N.O.V.A. 3 dropping any day now Speaking of Gameloft, we still expect NOVA 3 to be available any day now. The iOS version went on sale last week for $6.99 and we expect the Android version to cost the same. Check out the Gameloft Blog for first impressions of the game. (Gameloft, I will freaking love you if you release this on the Prime!) Will Max Payne Mobile ever come to Android?
Another week and another delay. This game was supposed to be released in April, but it keeps getting pushed back. We were told several times that it would be available in previous weeks, but I honestly have no idea when it is coming out. Keep an eye on@RockstarGames for updates on the release. They seem pretty focused on Max Payne 3, so we might not hear anything for awhile now. Shoot the Zombies arrives May 24th It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t mention at least one zombie game this week. DroidGamers reports that Shoot the Zombies from Infinite Dreams will arrive on the Google Play Store around May 24th. This game is the sequel to Shoot the Birds, but this time you have to protect your pumpkin farm from a plague of undead, evil zombie birds. Games I'm currently playingSonic 4 Episode II: This is the biggest release of the week so I just had to try it. I grew up on Nintendo and Mario, so I never really spent much time with Sonic. I played several Sonic games over the years, but I never finished one. I just got a wireless controller for the ASUS Transformer Prime and HTC One X, so look for my review in the coming weeks. Check out our Sonic 4 preview for a chance to win an Android tablet. What Android games are you playing?Find any great new Android games this week? Share your favorites in the comments below so we can check them out.
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| Android Insiders: A conversation with Ryan Bidan of Samsung Posted: 16 May 2012 01:47 PM PDT  Last week we had the chance to sit down with Ryan Bidan, Director of Product Markting at Samsung Mobile, as part of our ongoing Android Insiders series. The Galaxy S III is one of the largest Android product launches of the year so we wanted to talk about the Galaxy brand and what it represents to consumers. We also chatted about TouchWiz, unlocked phones, and customer loyalty programs, so check out the full interview below and let Samsung know how much you appreciate them taking the time to sit down and talk with the Android community. Android and Me: The messaging for the Galaxy S II was “Screen, speed, and content.” What should the Galaxy brand represent to consumers? Ryan Bidan: For us the Galaxy brand is our flagship brand. I want it to be defined to consumers as the best Android device experience period. In this case we happen to be talking about the Galaxy S III, our flagship Android phone. A year ago when we were talking about the Galaxy S II, part of it was the market was in a very different place and what we needed to do with that launch was something different. We basically brought out a world beater phone that decimated the competition. It was hands down the best Android phone across the line and did a great job. I think the market has changed quite a bit in the last year. I think there are a lot of really great devices out there. For most consumers this idea of “speed and screen”, those kind of factors, the speed particularly and the power of the hardware are becoming less relevant of a differentiator. You move from this place where it was megahertz, gigahertz, and cores and now we are trying to move beyond that. Is my quad-core really better than a dual-core from the next generation? What we are trying to do here is define Galaxy S III as being the flagship device experience in totality from design, performance, and on-device software. I don’t want you to worry about what’s going on under the covers. We make all the components. It’s the best device available for you and it’s going to have the best experience. Yes, its got a great screen and lots of power under the hood, but what I want you to think about is how great it feels to use, how fluid it is, and things we have done with the software. AAM: How important is Samsung’s content ecosystem to the success of the Galaxy S III? RB: On the content side, it’s a bit of an open market for us. So you’ve got Google’s offerings, a lot of 3rd party offerings, carrier offerings, and in some cases you have Samsung’s offerings. For us it has always been about providing choice for the consumer. So in markets where there aren’t any 3rd party providers or markets where there aren’t solutions to provide that kind of content, we’ve gone out and done some of those. Obviously the US market is very mature in terms of content delivery in a lot of ways. There are lots of incumbents in those markets, so our strategy has been more likely to work with them than provide solutions against them. So that’s part one. Do I think that Samsung’s content ecosystem is important for the success of this device? Absolutely. I think a big part of the device experience today, the expectation around the device experience, is that ‘I’ve got my content. I can enjoy my content.’ And for Samsung, having various components of the ecosystem, it becomes how can I share that content. Whether it’s with my TV, or my tablet, or across other devices. AAM: Specifically, I’m curious about Samsung’s Game Hub. I saw Samsung preview some new games at their Unpacked event like Gameloft’s Asphalt 7. Do you think we will see Game Hub in the United States? RB: I think gaming as a content solution is very important. Do I think we need to provide great gaming solutions for our customers? Absolutely. Will that be in the form of Game Hub or some other way to deliver that content? I’m not 100% sure right now. AAM: For a customer that purchased the Galaxy S II and loved it, what do you see as the key reasons to upgrade to a Galaxy S III? RB: If I was talking to a specific user I would totally dig into what they are doing with their device today and tell them how much more awesome the Galaxy S III is. In general I think the things to look for are best in class hardware, a great camera experience - we got the 8 megapixel shooter and all the advanced features like burst shot and zero shutter lag, and we now got the HD screen with the 4.8 inch 720p HD Super AMOLED display. It looks much better and has more information on the screen. And you now have Ice Cream Sandwich and the latest Samsung enhancements to it. AAM: What is the future of TouchWiz going forward? There is no mention of TouchWiz in Samsung’s online marketing for the Galaxy S III. Is Samsung going to devalue it? RB: My take on it, and the way I have characterized it is actually the opposite. What we are trying to do is not separate TouchWiz as a separate element, so much as help consumers understand it’s part of the Samsung device experience. It’s not this add-on, but it’s deeply integrated into how you experience this Samsung device. Whether it’s lock-screen customizations, or gesture UX, or any of those kinds of elements that we have gone and extended, those kinds of additions to Ice Cream Sandwich that we think are interesting – that for us is now part of your Samsung device experience. I don’t think calling out TouchWiz as a separate application or having it thought of as this separate thing is particularly useful. AAM: How do you see the market for unlocked phones in the US evolving over the next couple of years? RB: It’s a challenging one because the issue has always been the market in the US, or North America, is so very different than the rest of the world – the position of the carriers, subsidized devices, and all that kind of stuff. I think unlocked devices are very interesting, but I think it’s very much an enthusiast audience at this point. It’s those people who would be willing to import the phone from overseas anyways. When we are talking about something like a Google Experience device, like the Galaxy Nexus, it is a very focused kind experience that [consumers] are looking for. How do I think about the unlocked thing? From a consumer point of view I think it would be great to see more unlocked phones. I don’t think the North American consumer is necessarily ready for the market to become that kind of unlocked device market. We expect our phones to be subsidized. We expect to go in a store and spend $199 or $299 for a flagship device. If we started going in and had to bear the true cost of what those devices were, the model might not be that appealing at the end of the day. AAM: Why should a smartphone buyer be loyal to Samsung, versus going out and getting the latest, greatest smartphone? RB: We are changing what we talk about with the Galaxy S III and defining a specific Samsung experience. What we are doing is trying to define and communicate reasons why you want to come into the Samsung ecosystem, but then also stay there. Things like unique features on our devices, great design, unique ecosystem opportunities, and [Samsung's] other device offerings. I want to get you in the door with a great device experience. The Galaxy S III looks fantastic, runs awesomely, and has a lot of cool features. Then you see all the other things that you can do with your device, that you can only do with Samsung, whether it’s gesture UX, S Voice, AllShare Play, S Beam, that you can’t do with any other device. AAM: Have you ever considered doing a customer loyalty type program or is that something you leave up to your retail partners? RB: It’s interesting because we are making this transition to wanting to be closer to our consumer. So when I talk about things like wanting to deliver a Samsung experience, I mean to the end user. I want you to have a relationship with your Samsung phone regardless of what carrier you are on. As part of that it means us needing to get closer to how those devices are actually delivered to consumers in the retail model and what that purchase process looks like. We are absolutely looking at all kinds of options around customer retention, loyalty, and trade up. Do I have anything to announce today? No, but it’s definitely something we are thinking about regularly. AAM: Thank you for your time.
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| Verizon to axe grandfathered unlimited data plans, as users move to 4G LTE devices Posted: 16 May 2012 01:42 PM PDT  Starting this summer Verizon plans to eliminate the $30 unlimited data plan that it still offers to subscribers who were grandfathered into it, when tiered data plans were rolled out last year. The news comes from Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo who said that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE devices, they will be forced to adopt the company’s new data-share plan that is expected by mid-summer. “LTE is our anchor point for data share, so as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto the data share plan, moving away from the unlimited world,” Shammo said. “A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited. When they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share. That is beneficial to us.” AT&T recently began encouraging their subscribers to migrate to tiered plans (which pissed some customers off), so it’s not much of a surprise to see Verizon doing the same thing. Verizon goes on to say the new data-share plan will allow subscribers to connect more devices. Shammo said, “If I can add as many devices as I want, that is more efficient from a family perspective and a small business perspective.” Some say that you should be scared of Verizon’s shared data plans, but I’m not so sure that I share that opinion yet. I might be alone in this thinking, but I don’t mind tiers and paying for the data that I consume. Of course I wish that there were cheaper tiers and data overages cost less, but I don’t have a problem with the basic concept of shared data buckets for multiple devices. If you are a Verizon customers, I’m curious to know what you think. Will the end of unlimited data plans encourage you to switch to a carrier like Sprint that offers truly unlimited data?
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| NTT Docomo exemplifies everything I hate about carriers and manufacturers Posted: 16 May 2012 12:08 PM PDT  Set aside the differences in sharing things like photos and videos. Set aside the differences in how the app store and media purchases work. Hell, you can even set aside the differences in cost, hardware design and software design in general. And you’d still be left with the biggest problem Android faces over platforms like iOS today: manufacturers are still releasing too many damn phones. It’s what affects a company’s ability to provide timely updates, what keeps accessory manufacturers from supporting more devices and what makes Android look like the the dumb-phone OS of the future. Japan’s NTT Docomo has announced their latest lineup of devices in the “Next” and “With” series to be sold this summer; both feature a handful of Android devices. Actually, handful isn’t quite right. Maybe truck load. Or landfill. In total, NTT Docomo detailed 17 different Android devices. 16 phones and one tablet. There’s devices from Fujitsu, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, Toshiba, Sony and Samsung. Now before I go any further, I want to make it known that I believe a certain level of choice is a good thing. But there can be too much of a good thing. Verizon has been guilty of it in the past. The biggest manufacturers in the world, like Motorola, HTC and Samsung, are all guilty of it. But what Docomo has done with their summer lineup of devices just blows my mind. Are case makers stumbling around, trying to get several different designs made up for each of the 16 phones announced? Has Docomo sat down with all the manufacturers who are providing handsets to discuss how and when the next updates will be delivered to those handsets? Do popular Japanese app developers plan to run out and buy 16 new phones this summer to ensure app compatibility? It seems to me that NTT Docomo is treating Android like the dumb-phone OS of the future. In the past, carriers like Docomo and Verizon here in the US would release dump loads of dumb-phones, all with the same OS, but slightly different variations. Some with bigger screens, some with physical keyboards, some with good cameras, etc. Those handsets were never updated to get rid of any bugs that made it through the pre-release process, cases were hard to come by, there was no such thing as accessories like stereo docks (even for the special music phones of the day). With the way phones were released, quality was an issue. There was never enough time spent on each device throughout the development process. RIM was the first company to change the cycle by releasing a couple different models of BlackBerrys a year, all of them the same all around the world. Sidekick was also a part of the trend, and so was Motorola (at least for awhile) with the release of the RAZR. Apple has carried the torch and taken it even further by releasing only one device a year. Someone like Docomo is not only going against a trend that actually makes sense for consumers, they’re actually destroying progress. Bottom line: Releasing too many phones hurts app compatibility. It hurts the update process. Handset quality suffers, and in turn, so do consumers. Carriers and manufacturers, feel free to provide a rich portfolio of Android smartphones. Don’t feel bad trying different things. But for the love of all that is good with the little green guy, don’t do what Docomo has done. Just stop it.
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| Sprint confirms that EVO 4G LTE launch has been delayed, can’t provide timing for release Posted: 16 May 2012 11:34 AM PDT  Yesterday HTC told us the EVO 4G LTE launch was delayed and now Sprint is confirming the device will not be in stores on May 18th. A post on the Sprint Community Forums says that HTC is working to resolve this issue and they can't provide specific timing for product availability at this time. Sprint goes on to say that you can cancel your pre-order, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The EVO 4G LTE offers a nearly identical experience to the HTC One X that we loved, and it will be the best smartphone available on Sprint for the next couple of months. Hopefully HTC can resolve the issues with US customs and get this awesome device into Sprint customers’ hands soon enough. We have a demo unit in house, so be on the lookout for our full review coming in the coming days.
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| Sonic 4 Episode II comes to Android, win an ASUS Transformer Prime! Posted: 16 May 2012 10:20 AM PDT  Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of the world’s best-known video game characters, with his series having sold more than 80 million copies. Gamers have normally enjoyed new releases of the series on home game consoles, but Sega is now releasing the latest Sonic 4 Episode II on mobile platforms at the same time. Read on as we celebrate the latest release and give away an ASUS Transformer Prime. The TrailerThe DownloadThe Game
The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic's beloved side kick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics. “Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we've integrated community feedback into the game.” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.” For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and Xbox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions. Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic. We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks. Release dates:
Pricing:
Episode Metal bonus pack: Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called "Episode Metal." This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below. Benefits of Tegra 3 Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.
 Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4. The Contest – Win an ASUS Transformer Prime!
Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Prime is a high-performance tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier. How to EnterLeave a comment below that describes your favorite Sonic memory and you'll be entered to win. Did you play Sonic as a kid? Were you the only kid on the block with a Sega Genesis when all your friends had a Nintendo console? What was your favorite game to feature Sonic? We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join. Multiple comments are allowed on this post, but each user will only be counted once. The winner will be chosen at random, so don't bother downvoting each other. Multiple chances to win: Today is just the first stage of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag. Contest RulesThis contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We'll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw. Contest Winner(coming soon…)
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| PSA: ROMers beware! Google Music only allows four ‘device’ deauthorizations per year Posted: 16 May 2012 08:48 AM PDT  Quick warning to the cross section of you that both love your Google Music and frequently flashing new ROMs onto your device(s), which I imagine might be quite a few of you. Google has recently put a limit on the number of ‘devices’ that a user may deauthorize in a year and at just four that limit could definitely be a problem. If you weren’t already aware, the ceiling for devices that you can have authorized on a single Google Music account at any given time is ten. I suspect if you are savvy enough to flash a new ROMs you can already see where the problem is, but for those that aren’t aware the phone is given a new ID within Google Music each time you register it after flashing a new ROM. So the same device could potentially eat up your entire quota after just a few new ROMs. Considering the dedicated and often vocal ROM development community that Android has fostered, it’s possible that we will see some serious backlash over this which could in turn lead to a reversal or at least a softening of the policy by Google. In the mean time if this sounds like it may be a problem for you I would recommend heading over to the XDA thread listed in the VIA link below as they are already discussing potential workarounds such as restoring accounts via Titanium Backup to avoid a new authorization. I’m hoping this is one of those situations where the full ramifications of the policy change were not thought through properly and that we will see Google come up with a workable solution, but as the vast majority of users would never run into this problem it’s entirely possible that it will stand. Update: It seems that Google may have fixed this problem without saying a peep about it as the deauthorization limit seems to have suddenly been lifted. I was able to deauthorize all of my current devices from my list just moments ago after having hit the limit of four this morning. There’s been no change to Google’s policy in the Play Store Support page yet so we’ll have to see if Google has replaced the restriction with something more lenient or just done away with it completely.
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| T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G Android 4.0 update now available – Amaze 4G update scheduled for May 21 Posted: 16 May 2012 07:51 AM PDT  Android 4.0 for the T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G is finally here. To initiate the download, press Menu > Settings > About Phone > HTC Software Updates > Check and follow the instructions to download and install the new build. The HTC Sensation 4G’s Android 4.0 update can downloaded over T-Mobile’s 3G/HSPA+ network, but we suggest connecting your phone over Wi-Fi to download the update a little faster. Additionally, the Android 4.0 update for the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G is expected to become available for download beginning May 21. This new bit of information comes directly from T-Mobile’s PR agency this morning and will most likely be reflected on the Amaze 4G support page later today. As with the other Android 4.0 updates that HTC has been rolling out, users should expect quite a few new features in Ice Cream Sandwich with improvements to multi-tasking, face unlock, new browser capabilities, and access to Android 4.0 applications like Google's Chrome browser. New Android 4.0 features
The Android 4.0 update for the HTC Sensation is a lot later than what we were originally promised, but we’re sure T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G owners are ecstatic to receive the Ice Cream Sandwich update with the new HTC Sense 3.6 UI improvements. So what are you waiting for? Download the Android 4.0 update for the Sensation 4G and be sure to let us know how the process goes and what you think of all the new features. We’re curious to know if the T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G will receive the same performance improvements we’ve seen on other HTC devices which have been updated to Android 4.0.
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| Leaked HTC Ville C specs suggest a cheaper, under-powered HTC One S Posted: 16 May 2012 07:25 AM PDT  A little more than 24 hours after the introduction of the HTC Desire C, another HTC phone is making its debut. It may not be an official unveiling by HTC, but a leaked document and an unnamed source claim that HTC is working on a slightly cheaper version of the HTC One S. Currently known as the HTC Ville C, this new device is said to feature nearly all of the same internal components as the HTC One S. The only difference we have been able to identify is the Qualcomm MSM8260 S3 processor (the same chip found inside the HTC Sensation) which replaces the MSM8260A S4 chip currently used to power the HTC One S. While the leaked document shows the MSM8260 processor clocked at 1.7GHz, the source claims that the HTC Ville C’s chip will be clocked at 1.2GHz. On the software side, the HTC Ville C will be running on Android 4.0 paired with HTC Sense 4.5, giving it a leg up on HTC’s current HTC One series. We’re not sure what to make of the HTC Ville C. The device looks to be identical to the HTC One S in nearly every aspect and we can’t really see HTC releasing this phone in Europe or the U.S. unless they manage to cut the handset’s price by at least $100. How much would you be willing to pay for an HTC One S if it was powered by last year’s Qualcomm MSM8260 S3 processor?
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| LG unveils new Optimus UI 3, promises to be unobtrusive and simple Posted: 16 May 2012 06:01 AM PDT  By now, you probably know that I’m not exactly the biggest fan of custom UI overlays. Sure, I totally understand why they exist, and how various features from these skins pave the way for new and great things to come from Google. But that doesn’t change the fact that three different people walking down the street can have three completely different Android experiences, which ultimately makes a large headache for developers trying to create an application that reaches all of them. LG has sent us a press release this morning about their new LG Optimus 3 overlay. I’ve tried nearly every single UI overlay out on the market today, and have continually placed LG near the bottom on my preferred list. Google’s stock Android is always first, followed very distantly by HTC’s Sense and Samsung’s Touchwiz, then distantly again by LG’s UI and MotoBLUR (or, whatever the heck they’re calling it now). With the Optimus 3 overlay, LG promises a skin that is unobtrusive and simple to use. Sure, judging from the few pictures they’ve sent along, it does look like a toned-down version of LG’s Optimus UI, but it still has enough changes to the stock Android experience to leave a sour taste in my mouth. Granted, my annoyances with Optimus UI’s app launcher can easily be fixed with a launcher replacement (which, I’d recommend you do immediately after powering on your LG device), changes to the notification bar and some of the included widgets are much more difficult, if not impossible, to change. I’ll hold off full judgement on LG’s Optimus UI until I have a chance to get my hands on the Optimus 4X HD to test for myself. One thing I can say for sure, however, I definitely long for the day when there are multiple Nexus devices to choose from on multiple carriers. GalleryShow Press Release LG'S NEW OPTIMUS UI 3.0 ADDS NEW FEATURES SEOUL, May 16, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) is introducing a new User Interface (UI) for its newest Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices, aptly named Optimus UI 3.0. Optimus UI 3.0 brings with it an array of enhanced key features, including Quick Memo™ and unique unlock functions, among other new features and functions aimed at improving LG smartphone experience. "With smartphone hardware becoming more and more similar, it's important for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the competition through the user interface," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Both carriers and customers tell us that they want LG phones to look and feel unique and the UI plays a big part in that. LG is really going to push the boundaries of what is possible in user interfaces starting with Optimus UI 3.0." Optimus UI 3.0 is designed with convenience and speed in mind. A powerful memo function called Quick Memo™ enables users to jot notes on the screen using a finger. Quick Memo™ in Optimus UI 3.0 allows users to share their thoughts through social networks, text messages and e-mails more conveniently than ever before. Other new features include: – the ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen; Optimus UI 3.0 will debut on the LG Optimus LTE II launching this week in Korea, followed by LG Optimus 4X HD in June.
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