Android Community |
- Google details carrier billing for Music, Movies, Books and more on Play Store
- ESET Mobile Security for Android leaves beta, available in Play Store
- Reminder: Unlock HTC One S and X bootloaders at HTCDev
- Motorola RAZR MAXX heads to Norway and Sweden in May
- T-Mobile Prism 3G from Huawei costs just $20
- Soundwire streams audio from any Windows PC to any Android
- Verizon’s Galaxy S III spotted in user agent with Snapdragon S4
- Sony Xperia P gets benchmarked
- Runkeeper is Pebble Watch’s first confirmed app
- Galaxy S III coming in blue and white to start
- QUALCOMM S4 shortage could delay Asus Padfone
- Google Play monetizes well for some free to play carrier billing games
- Android distribution: Ice Cream Sandwich on 4.9% of devices
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus 4.0.4 update ZIP ready to download
- Pandigital Android 2.0 tablet on sale for $59
- Java portion of Android ported to C#
- Motorola earnings report posts $121m loss in Q1 2012
- Future Barnes & Noble Nooks coming with NFC
- Galaxy S III size and shape revealed by Korean screen protector company
- AT&T HTC One X Review
| Google details carrier billing for Music, Movies, Books and more on Play Store Posted: 02 May 2012 11:13 AM PDT Carrier billing on the Android Market, now known as the Google Play Store isn’t anything new. I’ve been able to bill app purchases directly to T-Mobile for a long, long time. Today though Google has issued an update regarding what all we can purchase and bill to carriers, and who all supports the system. If you’re the type that hates giving out that credit card number (like my parents) this graph might be worth a second look.
Sorry Verizon, it looks like you are still left out. You can probably blame Verizon for that one, but who knows at this point. Remember Google Wallet? Anyways, the full list of direct carrier billing for the Google Play Store is listed below in the graph for those interested.
As you can see above, Google supports the three other major US carriers, as well as multiple international carriers as well. For those that don’t want to break out the plastic, deal with cash mostly, or don’t feel like registering their credit card this is a good way to go to get the latest Angry Birds Space for your Android phone. More details are available from the source link below right from Google. [via Google+]
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| ESET Mobile Security for Android leaves beta, available in Play Store Posted: 02 May 2012 10:42 AM PDT The extremely popular security and anti-virus company ESET, widely known for their NOD32 PC security suite is finally available for Android. It has been around as a beta for well over a year, and today they’ve announced the complete official version is available in the Google Play Store. ESET is giving all users a free 30 day trial to start.
The entire virus and malware argument for Android might be a big debate, but whether you buy into it or not ESET is most likely one of the best solutions for those in need. With what they consider emerging threats to smartphones and tablets their mobile security will keep all your devices safe. The latest version of ESET Mobile Security for Android includes proactive real-time scanning technology that warns users of any suspicious activity on their device. They’ve incorporated parent control options, and the usual remote wipe in case you lose your phone and don’t want whoever finds or steals it to have access to your data. Be protected during internet banking sessions, online shopping, connecting to those public WiFi connections in Starbucks, sending SMS messages, and even call blocking for those pesky telemarketers and more. The app has been available for some time but ESET has just updated it with the official version. Again users will get a free 30 day trial, then to continue being protected by ESET Mobile Security you can subscribe for $9.99 per year.   
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| Reminder: Unlock HTC One S and X bootloaders at HTCDev Posted: 02 May 2012 10:13 AM PDT So T-Mobile finally released their new HTC One S and you’re loving it right? Then AT&T’s One X will arrive in a few days and the next step for any die hard Android fan would be to unlock the bootloader, root the phone and get ready for some awesome developer ROM’s to arrive. Just like most of HTC’s current phones you can easily and safely unlock the bootloader with HTC’s developer site.
For the usual Android enthusiast this might seem like a no-brainer, but for those new to Android, or who have never unlocked and rooted a phone this can be a big task. Thankfully HTC has made the process fairly easy and straightforward with their HTCdev.com bootloader unlock tool. While it currently doesn’t list support for the One X or the One S users can simply select “all other supported models” at the end of the list and you’ll be on your way. In a matter of minutes your bootloader will be unlocked and you’ll be ready to root.
The process is fairly simple but as a reminder unlocking the bootloader WILL wipe all user settings, contacts, apps, and reset phone to its factory out of the box state — but most know that already. If you’d like a full out set of instructions for unlocking the bootloader and rooting the HTC One X or the new T-Mobile One S head to OneXroot.com as the same process applies for both phones. The One X already has some awesome ROM’s available for those interested. Hit all the links below for more details on the One series, rooting, and then check out CyanogenMod 9 for the One X. Enjoy!
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| Motorola RAZR MAXX heads to Norway and Sweden in May Posted: 02 May 2012 10:01 AM PDT Everybody hates low battery life, which is why everybody should have the opportunity to check out the awesome longevity of Motorola’s DROID RAZR MAXX. The international version of the phone, simply christened the RAZR MAXX, has already had a tepid confirmation for Europe and the Middle East, and it’s headed to the UK later this month. You can add Norway and Sweden to the list, as Motorola has confirmed that both nations will get the phone in mid-May.
The RAZR MAXX is basically identical to the RAZR, with the notable addition of a massive 3300mAh battery – the largest standard battery of any phone, along with the US’ DROID RAZR MAXX. We put the American version to the test with a three-day business trip with no charger, and the DROID RAZR MAXX came home victorious. It does stretch the phone’s dimensions a bit, but 8.9mm is still pretty darn thin for a high-end device. The rest of the specs remain the same: a 1.2Ghz T! OMAP dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot, an 8MP rear camera and – for now – Motorola’s customized version of Android 2.3. The international version gets a GSM HSPA+ radio that’ll be good almost anywhere in the world, and an enviable unlockable bootloader. Motorola didn’t announce a price for Norway or Sweden, but Clove UK has set it at the equivalent of about €530. [via androidcentral]
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| T-Mobile Prism 3G from Huawei costs just $20 Posted: 02 May 2012 09:24 AM PDT Get your blood pumping: it’s time for a brand-new phone announcement from T-Mobile! Now get your heart rate down again, because it’s an entry-level 3G phone. All joking aside, T-Mobile in particular should find plenty of customers for its new Prism 3G phone, which is manufactured by Huawei but gets no love from Magenta when it comes to branding. The Prism will cost $19.99 after a $50 mail in rebate (curses!) or $149.99 commitment-free when it launches later this month.
Low-end hardware is finally getting a little more boisterous: the Prism 3G has a 3.5-inch, 480×320 screen, where a year ago it might have had just a 3.2-inch 320×240 display. The rear camera is 3.2megapixels, and users will have to do without a front-facing cam. T-Mobile isn’t talking processor or RAM, but I’d be very surprised if it comes with anything more than 800mhz or 512MB respectively. There’s also no mention of capacity, though a leaked document yesterday implied it would be getting a free 2GB MicroSD card. Gingerbread is the flavor of the day, and the Prism is unlikely to ever be upgraded to ICS (at least officially). Keep in mind that there’s a reason the T-Mobile Prism 3G is so named – you won’t be getting on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network with this little guy. Even so, it appears to be running Android relatively stock, so this might make a good first smartphone for those on a budget. Availability starts on May 6th at Best Buy locations, May 9th at Wal-Mart, and it’ll have a full rollout on T-Mobile’s website and in retail stores on May 23rd.
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| Soundwire streams audio from any Windows PC to any Android Posted: 02 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT Picture this: you’ve set aside four or five hours to catalog your baseball card/stamp/wine bottle/My Little Pony collection, and would like some television to entertain you. Your Special Collection Sorting Table isn’t anywhere near a TV – or an outlet. You’d like to catch up on ABC’s Castle while you’re doing it, but don’t necessarily need to see the TV (Stana Katic notwithstanding) because you’ll be cataloging. And you don’t have Hulu Plus. Then you need SoundWire, an app that lets you stream audio – any audio – from your PC to your Android phone.
SoundWire works sort of like a remote desktop viewer in reverse. Install the server application on your Windows PC (sorry Mac folks) then connect it to the app on your phone over your home’s WiFi network. After a brief authentication, all your PC’s audio from any application will be broadcast through your phone’s speaker, headphone jack or Bluetooth connection. It’ll even mute the volume when you get a call. That’s just downright convenient. The free version of the app includes an audio nag every half-hour, but the $4 paid version is distraction-free. Both apps work with all recent versions of Android, and can connect to multiple PCs for different streams of music. Technically you could use it over a wireless broadband connection as well, but you’ll have to know your way around a little port forwarding and keep an eye on your data usage if it’s limited. [via Reddit]
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| Verizon’s Galaxy S III spotted in user agent with Snapdragon S4 Posted: 02 May 2012 08:18 AM PDT While we’ve learned just about all the juicy details about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III, the always-tricky US release plans are still a mystery. A Samsung executive said that American versions of the phone would go with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor instead of Samsung’s own Exynos 4 Quad, presumably for better compatibility with LTE networks, but we’re still in the dark as to which networks it will land on. A user agent string spotted by PocketNow shows something called the “Samsung SCH-I535″ running on Big Red, with – you guessed it – a dual-core Snapdragon S4.
There’s plenty of reason to suspect that this guy is in fact Verizon’s variant of the Galaxy S III. The naming convention suggests something that’s at a higher level than the Galaxy Nexus (Verizon model number SCH-I515) and the DROID Charge (SCH-I510). The “MSM8960″ indicates the clear presence of a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. The reference to a 1280×720 screen leaves little doubt that this is the Galaxy S III, or at least a very close relative. Those mourning the loss of an Exynos processor shouldn’t feel too bad. The S4 is a fantastic piece of silicon in and of itself – check out our own comparison between the Tegra 3 version of the HTC One X and the Qualcomm-equipped One S to see why. We’ve got just over one day to go until Samsung announces the Galaxy S III in London, and hopefully puts rumor to rest for good.
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| Sony Xperia P gets benchmarked Posted: 02 May 2012 07:52 AM PDT The middle child always seems to get the least amount of attention. So it is with Sony’s Xperia P: the high-end Xperia S gets the accolades, the tiny Xperia U gets the “aaaaws”, but the P is stuck somewhere in between. Well we’re not ones to ignore a phone based on its familial issues, and neither is Greek site Digital Life. They’ve got a hold of the as yet unreleased phone and put it through the standard benchmark paces.
As befits a mid-range device, the Xperia P gets solid but not outstanding scores. While it certainly holds its own, it can’t beat out heavy hitters like the Galaxy S II, even though it’s considerably newer. In the ever-popular Quadrant test it scores 2208, AnTuTu gives it a 5325, and it scored 29.2 frames per second in the NenaMark graphics test. While these are alright, they won’t be sitting at the top of any power lists – that’s what the Xperia S is for, after all. The Xperia P gets a 4-inch “Reality Display” screen, a 1Ghz dual-core processor and an 8 megapixel rear camera. Generally its design follows the other members of the later Xperia family with a squared-off outline and transparent navigation buttons, but the back is made of aluminum. Sadly the phone will launch with Gingerbread and be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich later. Like the smaller Xperia U, the P’s release has been pushed back to later this month for Europe. [via GSMArena]
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| Runkeeper is Pebble Watch’s first confirmed app Posted: 02 May 2012 07:17 AM PDT If you’ve been keeping an eye on Kickstarter news for the last few weeks, you’ve no doubt heard about the Pebble, the e-paper Bluetooth watch that’s broken the crowdsourcing record with an incredible $7.9 million raised. The designers have said from the beginning that they intend to allow app development for the watch, which is capable of pairing with Android and iOS devices. The first confirmed developer to take up the challenge is FitnessKepper, whose RunKeeper app has been downloaded millions of times on Android alone.
RunKeeper is exactly what it sounds like: a companion app for runners and joggers. Like many of its competitors, it uses a phone’s GPS sensor to calculate distance, time and speed, in addition to giving educated guesses on heart rate and caloric burn. The app can also map runs, and sends audio cues through a pair of headphones to give directions or instructions. FitnessKeeper is keeping mum on what sort of integration their Pebble app will have, but speed, distance, pace and other remote displays (so you don’t have to pull your phone out of your pocket or strap) seem like obvious additions.
Pebble is working with a handful of chosen developers to bring highlighted apps to market for the watch’s release. There will be an SDK and some sort of app store for the watch itself, but it’ll be several months before the company is ready to let anybody have a go at the software. Unfortunately, the developer donator packages on Kickstarter are already sold out. Android Community has a Pebble with our name on it, so we’ll have plenty of hands-on impressions when the watch launches in the fall. [via Mashable]
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| Galaxy S III coming in blue and white to start Posted: 02 May 2012 06:40 AM PDT Multiple colors are coming back into style for modern superphones: you can grab a Galaxy Nexus in drab grey or arctic white, the Galaxy S II comes in black, white and hot pink, and the DROID RAZR can be had in black, white or, inexplicably, purple. According to a Carphone Warehouse inventory listing spotted by GSMArena, the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III will buck that trend somewhat, coming in blue and white.
It makes a certain sort of sense: the “next Galaxy” event invitations used two amorphous blobs of blue and white (and not much else) for decoration. The blue in question may be more of a deep navy, as in the case of the Galaxy Note (which also comes in white). Since Carphone Warehouse is a UK seller and the listing mentions non-tariffed prices, it’s safe to assume that the multiple hues are a go for the UK at least. Sadly no actual prices can be seen. We won’t have to wait long to find out for ourselves. Samsung’s Unpacked event is tomorrow in London, and given the multiplicity of leaks both unbelievable and nearly confirmed, there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that the Galaxy S III will finally get its public unveiling. If retailers are already putting the Galaxy S III (or Galaxy S3, as it’s shown above) into their inventory systems, we can hope for a relatively quick launch after the announcement. Android Community will be on hand to cover it live. [via SlashGear]
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| QUALCOMM S4 shortage could delay Asus Padfone Posted: 02 May 2012 04:03 AM PDT We’ve been hearing about a shortage of the QUALCOMM S4 processors for a while. The disturbing thing about a shortage of that popular processor is that some of the new and interesting smartphones and tablets we are looking forward to could be delayed as a result. Alternatively, those devices could possibly get a chip that doesn’t perform as well.
One of the devices that could be delayed by the rumored S4 shortage is the Asus Padfone. Asus Indonesia recently tweeted that a shortage of the QUALCOMM fourth generation Snapdragon could delay the Padfone. Phandorid reports that the translated tweet claims QUALCOMM is still having shortages of the S4, and that’s the processor the Padfone uses. An Asus spokesperson reportedly said, “I believe [the shortage is] affecting all of Qualcomm's customers.” I think a lot of us are wondering if the Galaxy S III is the reason there’s a shortage of the S4 processor. We’re expecting a huge launch for that smartphone, and it is said to be using the S4. Perhaps Samsung bought all the stock and blocked competing products from launching. That would be a very smart business move, even though it’s quite irritating people who been waiting for other products such as the Padfone. [via Phandroid]
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| Google Play monetizes well for some free to play carrier billing games Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 AM PDT Google Play has a reputation of not making much money for developers who offer their games there. However, not all developers agree that Google Play is not a moneymaker. In fact, developers like TinyCo, Spry Fox and Robot Invader are reporting that the Google Play revenue is on par with money they make from iOS versions of the game.
Some major studies have been published recently that claim Google Play earns about 1/8 of the daily revenue that the iTunes App Store generates. The money earned by some developers is very much at odds with the claim of poor monetization. For instance, Spry Fox CEO David Edery recently tweeted that one of his games, Triple Town, racked up $.67 via Google Play for every one dollar earned on the App Store. That means the Android version of its game earns 67% of what the iPhone version earns, which is much closer than those recent studies would have us believe. Another developer has very similar reporting for Google Play. TinyCo says that it earned $.65 via Google Play for every one dollar earned on the Apple App Store. The key to earnings via Google Play appears to be carrier billing. Other developers report better conversions via Google Play than on the App Store. These reports really make you think about the validity of some studies. [via Insidemobileapps]
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| Android distribution: Ice Cream Sandwich on 4.9% of devices Posted: 01 May 2012 06:15 PM PDT Around here, the beginning of the month means paying the power bill, lifting another page on our Hello Kitty wall calendar, and checking the official Android distribution numbers from Google. The period ending on May 1st is a little rosier, with the various versions of Ice Cream Sandwich totaling 4.9% of all active Android devices. That’s more than double the previous increase, but it’s still just shy of one out of every twenty Android phones or tablets.
You can thank HTC’s release of the One series along with sporadic software updates from Samsung and Acer, among others, for the ICS rise. Android 2.3 Gingerbread still runs on the vast majority of Android devices at a whopping 64.3, but its progress is slowing: it’s risen just over half a percent from last month. Froyo is still holding on with a frustrating 20.9%.
As we predicted last month, Honeycomb has fallen below Ice Cream Sandwich at 3.3% of all Android devices. It’s neither gained nor lost in latest numbers – new tablets are being sold with Honeycomb, but others (like the Sony Tablet S and Acer’s original Iconias) are being updated. Say goodbye to Android 3.0, folks, it is not long for this world. It’ll be interesting to see how ICS grows this summer, with the release of the Galaxy S III and most other high-end phones running Android 4.0.
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| Verizon Galaxy Nexus 4.0.4 update ZIP ready to download Posted: 01 May 2012 05:54 PM PDT Verizon’s definitely sending out the 4.0.4 update to its Galaxy Nexus customers, as noted earlier today. But it appears they’re taking their sweet time about it. If you’re still running the official 4.0.2 release, you can click here for the official download of the updated ZIP file. It’s about 40 megabytes, so even those with tiered data plans should be able to grab it without issue. You’ll need to be rooted and running a custom recovery to apply it.
The update is ONLY for those using Android 4.0.2 on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus – if you’ve installed a custom ROM or applied the previously leaked update, it won’t work. Those who applied the leak will just have to sit on a slightly older version (that’s still 4.0.4) or reflash when the full system update becomes available. If you’re still running 4.0.2 and you’ve rooted and/or installed a custom recovery, you should be good to go. If you don’t know your way around a custom recovery, do yourself a favor and wait for the update to reach you. When it finally gets out across Verizon’s network, you should notice better speed, more stability, slightly improved reception and volume/mute/vibrate buttons on the power menu. The rollout is apparently still very limited – we’re waiting on official word from Verizon. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 [via Android Police]
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| Pandigital Android 2.0 tablet on sale for $59 Posted: 01 May 2012 05:16 PM PDT Look, we’re not recommending that you buy this $59.99 hunk of plastic. This listing on Ben’s Outlet is the primary example of the reason that a sale is not the same thing as a deal. But if you just want some (very) basic Android hardware to tinker around with, mod, abuse, destroy or maybe give to a young relative who won’t appreciate it, you could do worse than a Pandigital Tablet & E-Reader.
But not much. This guy is running Android 2.0. Yup, 2.0 Donut, with nary a Google app in sight. Other charming qualities include a 7-inch 800×600 display, “Samsung ARM 11″ processor and a 1600mAh battery. It looks like the Kindle app is pre-loaded as is some kind of app store (though as noted above, it ain’t from Google). You also get such fancy extras as volume and power buttons, a virtual keyboard, a web browser and an alarm clock! In one point of interest, it looks like Pandigital didn’t shell out for hardware buttons, so the nameless tablet is somewhat ahead of the curve with virtual nav buttons on the toolbar. Inside the package you get a wall wart, USB cable and a stand, which may or may not be made of cardboard. Hurry up, bargain hunters – there’s only 45% left in stock!
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| Java portion of Android ported to C# Posted: 01 May 2012 04:45 PM PDT Here’s yet another Android project that leaves the question of “why” hanging while retorting with a resounding “why not?” A team of independent developers have created version of Android’s Java codebase that can run entirely in the older C# programming language, with no Java to be seen. At this point it’s more of a computer science exercise than anything else, but if certain megacorps get their way, it could be a viable alternative to standard Android.
This feat was accomplished by using a tool called Sharpen to translate Java code to c#. The net result is that you can use pure Android code on a machine running the team’s Mono virtual machine, and get the software to boot and run without any Java at all. Under the right conditions, the Mono virtual machine can far outpace Android’s default VM, Dalvik. The team calls their project XobotOS, and it’s available on GitHub. Despite the obvious plus of not having to deal with Oracle’s Java patents, developers could code new apps and other software directly in C# for XobotOS. It’s not anywhere near being included on mobile hardware (retail or otherwise) yet, but the project shows promise. Oh, and if you’re a computer science major looking for a job, they’re hiring. [via Slashdot]
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| Motorola earnings report posts $121m loss in Q1 2012 Posted: 01 May 2012 03:56 PM PDT The numbers are in and they aren’t looking good. Today Motorola Mobility announced their earnings report for Q1 of 2012 and so far they aren’t off to a great start. Between the looming Google acquisition and slumps in sales things are a little shaky, but not too bad. While their overall numbers reported a decently large loss their mobile hardware and smartphone division is still doing pretty good.
Motorola announced that while they managed to sell around 5.1 million smartphones this quarter alone, not counting feature phones or tablets, they still had an overall operating loss of $121 million dollars on $3.6 billion revenue. Motorola shipped over 10.5 million devices in Q4 of 2011 but only managed 8.9 million overall in Q1 of this year, with 5.1m being smartphones as we stated above. This is all bad news considering earlier today we reported Samsung taking the number 1 smartphone sales spot from Nokia, with Motorola no where to be seen. In the past Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha has always came out excited and usually leaks a few details on accident (or purpose) about upcoming plans or devices but this time around we didn’t get such luck. Most likely because of the impending transfer of the company to Google once that finally gets wrapped up. Regarding the Google acquisition he did mention all major powers have signed off and have gave the deal an OK, except for China – but we knew that already. Cheers to a better Q2 Motorola! [via Motorola]
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| Future Barnes & Noble Nooks coming with NFC Posted: 01 May 2012 03:39 PM PDT So, what’s the one feature missing from Barnes & Noble’s Nook hardware? If you said “Ice Cream Sandwich”, you’re… well you’re right, but not in this context. If you said “a camera for web chat”…. well you’re probably right there too. But for a retail-focused company like Barnes & Noble, one of the things they’re missing is NFC. According to a Forbes interview with B&N CEO William Lynch, they won’t be missing it for long.
Lynch told the interviewer in no uncertain terms that they planned to start shipping Nooks with NFC chips, to help support the more physical aspect of the bookselling business. He gave some pretty explicit examples of Near Field Communication’s applications in a retail environment:
Sounds pretty straightforward to us, so long as you make the rather large assumption that people will take their e-readers to a physical bookstore in order to browse. When, you know, they could just got to the Barnes & Noble ebook store. That’s already on their Nook, Nook Color or Nook Tablet. Lynch didn’t say when new models would be coming, but answered with a tepid “maybe” to whether or not new Nooks with NFC would appear this year. Given previous releases, Barnes & Noble is due for an update to the current Nook Tablet in the fall. Of course with B&N and Microsoft’s new cozy relationship, who knows if the next Nook will even run Android…
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| Galaxy S III size and shape revealed by Korean screen protector company Posted: 01 May 2012 03:17 PM PDT A popular South Korean screen protector manufacturer by the name of Colorant has just released their USG (ultimate screen guard) protector for the new Samsung Galaxy S III. With the announcement only days away we will know all the details soon, but these new pictures show what is likely the official size, shape, and design for the Galaxy S III. It matches the recent leaks we’ve reported and are linked to below. Check the pictures out after the break.
The folks from Unwired HK have posted multiple pictures of the new screen protector sitting on top of multiple phones that aren’t the Galaxy S III. Obviously it doesn’t fit but you’ll see an excellent comparison between the original international Galaxy S II (4.3″), and even the new 4.7″ HTC One X. This basically confirms the name, Galaxy S III, the size, 4.8-inch, and the shape of the screen — which matches the multiple leaks we’ve posted about all week long.
Looking at the comparison shot from the gallery below of the screen protector over the HTC One X and its 4.7-inch screen we have reason to believe the SGSIII will in fact launch with a 4.8-inch screen. Being slightly longer and having the dedicated menu button lower than HTC’s capacitive buttons. Obviously this is only a rough estimate, but the pictures give you a real idea of what to expect once this phone is revealed come May 3rd. For now you’ll want to check out the pictures and links below, but be sure and stay tuned right here at Android Community as we’ll be live in London for all the news, coverage, pics, and video of the brand new Galaxy S III as it gets announced.        [via PocketDroid]
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| Posted: 01 May 2012 03:03 PM PDT The HTC One X for AT&T is a different beast from the original (international) release in two rather important ways. First it’s got a completely different processor, made by Qualcomm instead of NVIDIA, and second here it’s carried by AT&T on a 2-year contract in the USA. Will this non-international release stir up the same positive reactions we had to the first release of this super hero phone, or are the two changes we’re seeing here in software and hardware going to push this device in the wrong direction entirely?
Hardware As it turns out, the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor in this device has been turning up some fantastic results in both everyday performance and benchmark numbers, and the AT&T connection here isn’t half bad. You’ll find some changes to the software insomuch as there are a few more built-in apps, otherwise this is mostly the same phone as the original – its that processor that changes the performance. The casing is the same lovely hard plastic and the device is shaped exactly the same as it is in its international iteration.
Therein lies another dilemma for me. Any device larger than 4.3-inches simply seems to big for my normal human male sized hand to work with on a daily basis. Those used to using smartphones every day with a love for using both hands almost without fail will love the beast of a display and casing you get here – otherwise I suggest you check yourself before you wreck yourself. Head to the store and hold this monster in your hand – do it even if you have no need or plans to purchase a new smartphone, you simply need to handle this or the HTC One S in one of its couple of iterations thus far as well. The HTC One series devices released thus far certainly feel nice to hold.
The display glass combined with the curved glass-like plastic sides of the device here allow you a cool feel whilst handling the large-palm-sized smartphone. Likewise the camera lens sits above the back of the casing and allows your index finger to prop it up when it hits it. The back also contains your exterior speaker below the Beats by Dre logomark – sounding loud and clear as we’v ever heard a smartphone speaker sound.
The device is extremely light and thin, of course, and surprises anyone holding it for the first time after having used an HTC device of any variety inside the past few years. Though the camera lens does look nice and does provide a step for your finger to hook on to, it is nicer to have the lower-profile setup the HTC One S affords you, and the whole casing ends up being much more lovely there in a smaller form factor and with metal instead, too. That said, the HTC One X’s build is nicer than the vast majority of low-level competitors we’ve seen over the past couple of years to be sure, and will not disappoint those looking for a high-quality experience all-around. Software and Performance You’ll find that the device you’ve got in your hand or hands (depending on how big your hands are) is second to none when it comes to performance. Using the newest version of Google’s Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC’s user interface Sense 4.0, you’ve got what HTC says is the best they’ve got to bring to the table. HTC is no stranger to providing a high-level software experience for Android, and what they’ve learned over the relatively short time Android has existed shines brightly here. The software build here tied with the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor is an optimized experience like no other. It’s relatively difficult to tell the difference between the performance here and what we’ve seen on the international HTC One X with its NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, but the numbers do point to some interesting changes between one and the other in the benchmark world.
What you’ll find here is that the HTC One X for AT&T (with the Qualcomm processor) is defeated by the NVIDIA processor-toting international One X in CPU scoring by nearly 3000 points. In every other category however, believe it or not, the Snapdragon S4 won over the Tegra 3 by at least a couple points. In I/O there’s a giant surprise with the S4 beating the Tegra 3 by 600 points, with the S4′s Memory result showing at 4,000 more than the Tegra 3! This is due in a great part to the S4′s dual memory channels which allow data to be read and written much faster than the competition.
Have a look at the rest of the benchmarks in the gallery below as well and note the power you’re working with here. The HTC One X in both iterations is a powerhouse to be sure. There’s really nothing like it at the moment on the market (save the HTC One S of course) and we’re not likely to see it beaten for everyday speed soon. Samsung will really have to bring the heat if they want to compare to what Qualcomm and NVIDIA have brought to smartphones with the HTC One series. Camera and Battery The camera here is again part of the HTC One series and thus has a processor dedicated to the camera alone. This HTC ImageSense processor makes for an amazing experience in the camera department for both images and video, 8 megapixels strong for photos and 1080p for videos. Have a peek at a few examples here of each and note how extremely similar the results are to our original HTC One X review.
For battery there are certainly some interesting results to be seen. First if you’ll have a peek at a couple of different results we’ve found here on average days, you’ll find that the HTC One X’s battery management is fabulous with the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 behind the wheel – when it’s asleep, it’s basically off. When you’re using it, it’s still not really draining the battery like a beast.
Then have a peek over at SlashGear’s review of this device and see a test comparing the HTC One X to its international version once again. There you’ll find that side-by-side, both HTC One X versions perform extremely similarly. It’s amazing! AT&T 4G LTE AT&T’s 4G LTE network is surprisingly strong here in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where just a year ago we weren’t seeing anything popping up – this is a testament to AT&T’s ability to set up their network at relatively quick speeds while they perform rather well against the competition in several respects. These numbers can be compared to the HSPA+ connection of the HTC One X international edition with which we’ve seen about half the data speeds both up and down. Have a peek at these AT&T LTE results:
Wrap-Up In that the HTC One series has not yet produced a device we’ve not loved, the HTC One X for AT&T is a real winner for the United States. It’s certainly one of the nicest phones to have been released on AT&T and certainly one of two of the nicest smartphones to have ever been released by HTC. The other is, of course, the HTC One S. The decision between these two devices will likely be based on which carrier you like better here in the USA, but if you’re not taking that into account, you’ve got a basic question of screen size on your hands. If you want to get massive, go HTC One X.
Be sure to take a look at our whole timeline of HTC One product reviews below to get the whole spectrum of options on your radar. I’ve been using one HTC One device or another as my primary device since we first got the opportunity to start reviewing them, and it’s not looking like I’m going to be giving this one up any time soon!                               Device Info
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Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
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