Android Authority |
- WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard
- Report: Amazon to release front-lit Kindle in July, 8.9-inch tablet by year-end
- Facebook mobile app to get Instagram-like picture treatment
- Baidu’s Changhong H5018 Android phone goes official, comes with free 300GB cloud storage
- Is Nokia admitting failure with WP7 by relaunching Meego devices and refocusing on Symbian?
- Verizon’s Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX drops to $199; is RAZR HD coming?
- Blue Droid RAZR stars in official promo video, to hit Verizon on May 17
- Samsung reveals T-Mobile devices will get ICS updates, dates still unknown
- HTC Desire C: Official image gallery released
- Motorola Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition reach Scandinavian markets
| WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard Posted: 16 May 2012 02:42 AM PDT
Traditionally in the Android development cycle, major versions have launched at the end of the year (exception being Gingerbread/Honeycomb). According to the Wall Street Journal, Android Jelly Bean should launch this year, “by Thanksgiving”. Will this be Android 5.0 or another version? That depends on Google’s plans for their I/O developer event happening in June. Andy Rubin’s team has two options: one, launch an Android 4.1 version with some improvements at I/O (and call it Jelly Bean), and then give a new name to Android 5.0. Two, use the event to showcase upcoming features of Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, and release it this fall. Now, the rumor in WSJ says that Google is getting five manufacturers (probably Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony and LG – no love for Huawei, Google?) to release “Nexus devices”, all at the same time, this fall. How is this possible? Well, Google plans to give all of them early access to the next major version of Android, much like Microsoft does with Windows and WP7 manufacturers. Google plans to launch the next version of Android with all of them at once , with some less important manufacturers launching a little later. So what does this mean for us, the users? It means that we get to choose from at least 5 phones and maybe some tablets, too (some manufacturers will choose to release both a phone and a tablet), so our choices for stock Android devices will greatly improve. Even better, they will all be available from day one. That means that, if you don’t like a particular Nexus device, you have several others to choose from, and you won’t have to wait many more months until other devices appear. This deal means that stock devices will flood the market. Also, manufacturers will have early access to the Android code, meaning that they will also be able to upgrade their skins faster and launch new devices faster. However, the first devices will still be only stock Android. And Google should make sure of that through a formal agreement. According to WSJ, the Nexus devices will most likely be sold through Google’s Play Store in US, Europe and Asia, which again is a great move for Google, because they’ll be able to wrestle control over Android from carriers. It won’t hurt carriers too much, because at least in US, most people still buy phones through carrier subsidies, but it should work very well in markets in Europe and Asia. Overall, this is a very smart move from Google, that will benefit themselves, the consumers, and even the manufacturers. This article, WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Report: Amazon to release front-lit Kindle in July, 8.9-inch tablet by year-end Posted: 16 May 2012 01:26 AM PDT
If rumors are accurate, it has certainly been and will continue to be a busy year for the R&D team at Amazon. Not only is the online retailer giant apparently preparing a Kindle with a color e-ink display, but Amazon is also planning to release a new Kindle device with front lighting. The latter came from a Reuters' source that apparently has seen the prototype first-hand. According to the anonymous source, production for the new front-lit Kindle e-reader is still ongoing, but the new e-reader should be ready to hit the market in July. It isn't too surprising to see Amazon making the decision to roll out a front-lit Kindle, especially since one of its biggest competitors, Barnes & Noble, has had a head start for a good couple of weeks in releasing an e-reader with a similar feature. Given that one of the drawbacks of e-ink displays is that they are less than ideal for reading in low lighting, the integrated reading light might boost the appeal of Amazon’s Kindle line. While Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is $40 more expensive than the non-GlowLight version, the source said Amazon is likely to keep the price of its front-lit e-reader lineup the same, with a slight chance that the price will be raised by a very small margin. Analysts believe that a $10 premium for the new front-lit Kindle e-reader is well within a reasonable range. Right now, the 6-inch e-ink Kindle with WiFi connectivity is the cheapest Amazon e-reader, available at $79. The Wi-Fi version of Kindle Touch with special offers goes for $99, while the 3G version with special offers is priced at $149. As for the color e-ink Kindle that is rumored to come out later in the year, IHS iSuppli analyst Vinita Jakhanwal said that Amazon may not be ready to launch it this year. Back in October, Jakhanwal had the opportunity to look at the product and she thought that Amazon had its work cut out if it wanted to produce the color e-ink reader in high volumes. Since a color Kindle is supposedly out of the picture for now, how about a bigger Kindle Fire instead? The same anonymous source said that Amazon is planning to release a new Kindle Fire with an 8.9-inch display in the holiday season this year. So that's definitely one thing to watch out for. This article, Report: Amazon to release front-lit Kindle in July, 8.9-inch tablet by year-end , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Facebook mobile app to get Instagram-like picture treatment Posted: 16 May 2012 01:07 AM PDT
With more and more people accessing the web on their mobile devices, web companies strive create apps that can recreate a full web browsing experience, albeit in a simpler package. A consistent user interface across devices can drive people to use it more, which is vital for companies like Facebook, that increasingly depend on mobile ads. The latest revision of the Facebook app for Android and iOS, as well as its mobile site, brings an improved design for the posts in news feed. Gone are the days when you had to squint your eyes to figure out the thumbnail pictures in the news feed. The photos in the feed will now show up three times bigger. Aside from that, the redesign will make the posts fill your mobile screen from edge to edge.  The old interface
 After redesign While it looks like Facebook is taking a leaf out of Instagram‘s book, which makes a living from people sharing their filtered pictures on the web, the fact that the latter will be acquired by Facebook for $1 billion seems to make it okay. Since pictures sharing seem to be all the rage, it's worth mentioning that Google+ already has the same feature. The update will definitely make for a better user experience for those who are into pictures viewing, but it still doesn't answer some complaints that many have voiced about Facebook’s mobile apps. What users ultimately want is a faster and more stable app with shorter loading times. And we wouldn’t mind if Facebook threw in a more convenient way to share things, as the share button is still notably missing. How do you like the new changes on Facebook mobile app? Do you prefer to use the app more or go to the full site even when you're on your mobile device? No related posts. This article, Facebook mobile app to get Instagram-like picture treatment , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Baidu’s Changhong H5018 Android phone goes official, comes with free 300GB cloud storage Posted: 16 May 2012 12:23 AM PDT
Remember the piece we wrote about an Android-based phone that Baidu and Foxconn are working on together? You don't have to wonder anymore how the phone would look like, since the Chinese giant has just made an official announcement about it. Dubbed the Changhong H5018, it seems the main selling point of Baidu’s new phone will be its 899 RMB pricing. For the equivalent of the $140 you’ll have to shell out for the Changhong H5018, you'll get a 3.5-inch phone with 480 x 320 resolution that runs on Baidu’s Cloud Smart Terminal platform. This means it's essentially an Android phone of Gingerbread flavor, with all of the Google apps wiped off. You'll be using Baidu's cloud-based apps, apps, features and services instead. The phone is also equipped with an integrated voice recognition search and handwriting input. To sweeten the pot, Baidu said that customers who purchase the phone will get a free 300GB personal storage on Baidu Netdrive. As for more details about the phone's hardware, it is powered by a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, and boasts 3G connectivity, a 3MP rear camera, a microSD card slot, and an embedded 1,400mAh battery. Of course, no smartphone that is catered towards the Chinese market is complete without a dual-SIM slot, which the Changhong H5018 does come with. The Changhong H5018 will be available to purchase on China Unicom very soon, though Baidu hasn't specified the exact date. With a relatively attractive casing and a very affordable price point, Baidu's second attempt in the local smartphone market will likely be more successful than the company's first outing. Do you think the Changhong H5018 resembles a certain Nokia offering? Since it’d be rather impossible to see the phone being released outside China, are you at all interested in importing one? This article, Baidu's Changhong H5018 Android phone goes official, comes with free 300GB cloud storage , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Is Nokia admitting failure with WP7 by relaunching Meego devices and refocusing on Symbian? Posted: 15 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT
Reports are saying that carriers and Nokia’s board are becoming restless with WP7, and they are pushing for alternatives to WP7, to slow down the fast decline of the company, and the consumer rejection of WP7 smartphones. It seems that WP7 might have been another critical mistake for Nokia and this time it might be an endgame scenario. I still believe that Nokia made a huge mistake by not adopting Android as their main operating system. I don’t think it was just a decision that Nokia’s board or Elop made, but one that was influenced by the whole culture of the company. Many Nokia employees probably couldn’t see themselves using Android. I guess that feeling was worth more to them than saving the company in a practical manner. Wrong DecisionsThat’s how they decided that instead of going with Android, (a proven OS with a following almost as large as iOS) they bet their whole company. Let me spell this out carefully: The #1 phone manufacturer in the world adopts an unproven OS in the market – WP7 – that if not successful, would bring the end of Nokia, permanently. This was emphasized by the fact that they also decided to kill Meego and Symbian (over a period of several years), as they hoped to transition to WP7. They also wrongly assumed that most of their loyal Symbian customers would simply transition to their WP7 phones. That has never made sense to me, because Symbian used to be a very advanced and complex operating system as far as functionality goes, and for that target audience, Android might make more sense than WP7. Most Symbian users will not switch to WP7. They will switch to Android, and a lot of them have already done it. Some, like myself, did it years ago.
The Big DeclineElop said that Nokia is committed to WP7, but their customers aren’t, which is why we now know that Nokia isn’t selling WP7 phones fast enough to account for the decline of Symbian. Even in markets they were absolutely dominating with 70% market share, like China or India, there is a noticeable decline. Even in those countries, Nokia has less than 20% market share now, and it’s still rapidly falling. Nokia has already lost the “phone” manufacturer crown this year (last year they lost the smartphone crown), carriers are not pleased with Lumia phones, and say they aren’t competitive. Now even the board (the same one that hired Elop) is panicking; it seems they want Nokia to reverse their plans about WP7 being their only OS, and are starting to push the Meego-powered N9 stateside. They are also regaining focus on Symbian Belle smartphones, like the PureView 808, which they are also pushing to the North American market.
Symbian still has some life in it thanks to brand inertia. There will be people that will buy Symbian phones years from now, although the market will continue to decline fast against Android smartphones. So Symbian really is a dead-end, no matter how much they beautify it and how well they make it work. If only the Nokia board and its CEO at the time realized this in 2007-2008, after the iPhone appeared, and started pushing Maemo/Meego hard internally, the current crisis would have been easily avoided. If they did, and they also promoted Meego to other manufacturers, (the only way you can really form a strong following today) these manufacturers might have been inclined to prefer it over Android. At the very least as an alternative platform, Meego might’ve been much more successful than WP7 has been so far, especially when the N9 commonly received rave reviews.  Photo Credits: MyNokiaBlog End GameI doubt Nokia will go back to Android anytime soon, even though I think the board is strongly considering it now after their stock price is the lowest it’s been in 15 years, and their credit rating keeps getting downgraded. The reason they won’t go back now is most likely because of an inked deal with Microsoft stating they can’t touch Android for a specific time period, which is usually stated in Terms Of Agreement. This is how big business works, this is how companies flourish or flounder; by the set of friends and business partners they choose. Undoubtedly, Nokia is likely to start focusing on Meego again, and redouble their efforts with Symbian, as they continue with WP7. The fact remains that the board is desperate now that they see WP7 is not doing well, so they’ve started to seriously look into alternatives and how they can increase revenue sans WP7. Unfortunately for them, I think they took this course of action much too late. They shouldn’t have ever announced Symbian and Meego’s death at the beginning of 2011. The end of next year could spell an acquisition of Nokia if it doesn’t find a way to steer itself out of the nosedive it’s currently in. The company however, like so many dinosaurs of yesteryear, may very well be doomed to extinction, regardless. Nokia’s current business is unsustainable for such a large company with so many employees, and even if they survive the massive decline without being acquired, they’ll still be a much smaller company than they used to be, with not much impact on the market. For this they have to thank the leaders who thought Symbian was still competitive years after the iPhone’s launch, and to those that thought betting the #1 phone manufacturer on a 2% market share OS was a bright idea.
This article, Is Nokia admitting failure with WP7 by relaunching Meego devices and refocusing on Symbian? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Verizon’s Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX drops to $199; is RAZR HD coming? Posted: 15 May 2012 10:03 AM PDT
While it's certainly not the snappiest Android smartphone out there, nor the most fashionable and it doesn't come with a sensational screen either, the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX has a big ace up its sleeve. We're talking about the large 3300 mAh battery, which makes Verizon's exclusive handheld the one with the highest economy, very easily beating the likes of the HTC One X or the iPhone 4S. But if a strong battery wasn't enough to make you want the RAZR MAXX, Verizon and Motorola have found a way to sweeten the deal for the 4.3″ powerhouse. Starting today, the phone is available for just $199.99 with a new two-year carrier agreement, which is a full $100 less than what the MAXX used to go for. The unlocked version still goes for $649.99, which is a lot, even by high-end standards, but hopefully Motorola will think of slashing this price tag soon. Aside from now being able to get your hands on one of the best Android phones for a decent price, the discount should be interpreted as good news from another couple of aspects. First of all, the Droid RAZR, including the newly released version in blue, should get discounted too, with the current $199.99 price being simply ridiculous. The original Droid RAZR is practically identical with the RAZR MAXX , but doesn't come with that phenomenal battery, so there's no reason for both phones to be priced equally right?
Secondly, and more importantly, the price slashing for the RAZR MAXX might mean that a new phone will be released as a Motorola flagship device on Big Red soon enough. We've been hearing rumors about a possible RAZR HD, with a full HD screen, Android 4.0 and a 13-megapixel camera. However, Motorola has failed to provide any kind of clarifications on the matter. Sure, the discount might have happened simply due to sales dropping and it could have no connection with an upcoming device's release, but then again we think that this is highly unlikely for one reason: The RAZR MAXX is still a very popular gadget. Verizon hasn't announced if the MAXX’s new price is a definitive one or if it's part of a promotion with an expiration date, but if I were you, I wouldn't take the chance and head over to Big Red just yet. How about it folks? Is $200 too much to ask for a stylish and snappy piece of Android technology capable of running for up to two weeks on a single charge? Will you be getting a RAZR MAXX or are you willing to wait for that unconfirmed-but-probable RAZR HD release? This article, Verizon’s Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX drops to $199; is RAZR HD coming? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Blue Droid RAZR stars in official promo video, to hit Verizon on May 17 Posted: 15 May 2012 08:40 AM PDT
Does anyone remember that rumor we reported on just last week of a blue Motorola Droid RAZR hitting Verizon? Well, that's not a rumor anymore, as Big Red has confirmed the official release of the new version of the phone. The blue Droid RAZR will hit Verizon's shelves, both online and offline, on May 17 (the day after tomorrow), which is one day before the suspected date from last week. And if you thought that the release was going to be an insignificant event that would go without much attention from the nation's biggest mobile carrier, you thought wrong. A short promotional video has hit YouTube the other day and shows us the new Droid RAZR in action. The clip has a very catchy soundtrack and the blue is everywhere! The Earth, the sky, the ocean, the moon, everything seems to celebrate the new phone's coming and, while I wasn't impressed by the looks of the Droid RAZR last week, I must say that it’s starting to grow on me. The phone was available in black, white and purple so far, but there was simply something missing to make the most out of the ultra-thin design and the sturdy, yet elegant exterior of the Droid RAZR . Don't get me wrong, I'm not seriously considering buying a blue RAZR, but I can understand why some of you might be tempted to go for it.
As we told you last week, the new Droid RAZR "version" will pack the same specs as the original phone and the only change is the coat of "paint". You will therefore get the same dual-core 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor, the 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of on-board storage, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a 540 x 960 pixels resolution, 4G LTE connectivity and a 1780 mAh battery. The RAZR's biggest problem is still the software, as far as I'm concerned, with the 4.3-incher running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a planned ICS update to take place "sometimes soon". Verizon hasn't mentioned anything about the Avatar-esque phone's pricing, but we're pretty sure we will be seeing this go for $199.99 with a two-year agreement and $599.99 with no contract. Those are the price tags of the current black, white and purple versions and there's no reason to think that the cyan model will be in any way considered superior or inferior to the trio. Check out the cool promotional video of the new RAZR below and let us know what you think of it! Will you be looking to "get into the blue" anytime soon? This article, Blue Droid RAZR stars in official promo video, to hit Verizon on May 17 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung reveals T-Mobile devices will get ICS updates, dates still unknown Posted: 15 May 2012 07:30 AM PDT
"We are in close communication with T-Mobile to ensure that eligible devices are upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming months and will provide updates as we have additional details to share." That was the only message Samsung had to offer T-Mobile customers last month, when it announced a list of US devices to be upgraded to ICS. Needless to say, the message was received with reluctance and downright anger by most users, which started to believe that their Samsung gadgets will be completely ignored in the jump to Android's latest OS version. Fear not, tech enthusiasts, because the list of devices in store for an ICS update has been updated and now includes four T-Mobile gadgets! The Galaxy S2 (SGH-T989) leads the pack, with the Galaxy S Blaze 4G (SGH-T769), Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (SGH-T869), and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (SGH-t859) completing what could be described as a satisfying but unsurprising list. The S2 was on every update list and is currently taking it to the next software level with its LTE-only version, the Tab 7.0 Plus and the Tab 10.1 were on the list with their Wi-Fi models and the S Blaze 4G was released just a few months back, so we expected all four to get ICS updates eventually.
There aren’t any unexpected absences from the list either. Four devices are the most important Samsung products from T-Mobile still running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. On the other hand, neither Samsung, nor T-Mobile has announced any exact dates for when we should expect the updates to take place. It could happen tomorrow or it could happen in three or four months. You can hit the source link at the end of the article to check out the entire revised list of US Samsung devices to receive ICS "in the near future". Is there any device you would have liked to see updated, but that isn’t on the list? If you are a T-mobile user, are you happier with your carrier and Samsung now that you know your updates are coming eventually? Ping us with a comment and let us know. This article, Samsung reveals T-Mobile devices will get ICS updates, dates still unknown , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| HTC Desire C: Official image gallery released Posted: 15 May 2012 06:04 AM PDT
The HTC Golf aka Desire C resurfaced a few days back with some leaked images, which was followed yesterday by confirmation that the low-end HTC device would indeed continue the Desire series, after some speculation suggested that the device would be called the Wildfire C. Just a day later, HTC has released an official image gallery of the HTC Desire C. If you have not been following up on this device, here are the specifications
The design is very similar to the HTC One X, almost as if the One X was squashed a little from both sides, and with ICS and HTC Sense 4.0 on-board, it does look very nice for a decidedly low-end device. There will also be an NFC-enabled variant of the Desire C, and will come in three color options, red, white, and black. HTC has mentioned that the device will be available on most major networks and retail stores in the UK, with only T-Mobile UK so far confirming a buy all-out price tag of £169.99 (~$218) or for free with a minimum £15.50/month(~$20) contract agreement. What are your thoughts? Will you be considering the HTC Desire C as a device for you? Do you think that the $200 price tag is steep for the specifications of the device? Let us know in the comments section below.                 This article, HTC Desire C: Official image gallery released , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Motorola Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition reach Scandinavian markets Posted: 15 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT
Although Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is heavily regarded as the best Android version that can run on tablets (smartphones as well), there are still a few tablet manufacturers that still rely on Android 3.2 Honeycomb. One of these manufacturers is Motorola (you know, the company Google acquired in 2011), who have recently announced that the Motorola Xoom 2 family of Honeycomb tablets is now available in Scandinavian markets. Launched initially in the US in late 2011 under the Motorola XyBoard, the Motorola Xoom 2 did little to impress tablet customers in the United States thanks to an uninspired combination of less than top-end hardware, a high price and definitely not the best tablet OS around. However, if there is some obscure reason why our readers in the Scandinavian region are planning to purchase a member of the Xoom 2 family of tablets, they will be glad to know that both the Motorola XOOM 2 and Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition are now available for purchase in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The differences between the two members of the Xoom 2 tablet family tend mainly to the display specs. The "standard" Xoom 2 features a 10.1 inch LCD-IPS running at a 800 x 1280 pixel resolution (averaging out at a mere 149 ppi pixel density, more than two times that of the newest iPad), while the Xoom 2 Media edition features an 8.2 inch TFT display at a 800 x 1280 pixel resolution (translating into a slightly more decent 184 ppi pixel density). As expected, the standard edition is heavier than its smaller brother, weighing just under 600 grams while the Media Edition weighs just 384 grams. Most of the remaining specs are exactly the same and include:
The Motorola Xoom 2 family is now available for purchase in Finland via El-Gigantii starting at EUR 399, in Denmark via El-Giganten starting at DKK 2990, in Sweden via El-Giganten starting at SEK 3595 and in Norway via Elkjop starting at NOK 2999. What are your thoughts on the Motorola Xoom 2 and the Xoom 2 Media Edition? Would you consider buying an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet now that most manufacturers have made the jump to Ice Cream Sandwich? Drop us a line in the comment section below and share a thought! This article, Motorola Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition reach Scandinavian markets , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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