Android Authority |
- Check out which TegraZone games reign supreme according to voters
- Gigabyte tries its Android luck with the dual-SIM GSmart 1342 and GSmart G1362, we go hands on (Video)
- Angry Birds Space flies past 100 million downloads, HD version coming to consoles
- Pocket-Lint: TomTom Android app to come “soon”, could it be too late?
- Snapdragon S4 stays cool under pressure
- Business Insider: Google will unveil its first Android tablet by the end of the month
- Android will reach its peak this year, research claims
- Computex 2012: J5 Android Mirror hands-on (video)
- Computex 2012: $120 Meiying 7-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet hands-on [video]
- Best paid Android apps of 2012
| Check out which TegraZone games reign supreme according to voters Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:55 AM PDT
The voting process for the annual Tegrazone Player's Choice Awards, where fans have been voting for their favorite games in the Best Graphics, Best Gameplay, and Best Overall categories since the start of May, have finally come to an end. Without further ado, these are the games that the fans have declared to be the best of the best, and are worthy of your gaming attention. BEST GRAPHICS Coming out on top on the Best Graphics category is Shadowgun THD — the game that has helped redefine how the next generation of Android gaming should be on the platform. While the regular game can hold its own, the Tegra 3-optimized version no doubt brings the graphics to a whole new level. The effects galore on the version include an improved particle, water fluid, damage and aging effects – which helped make Shadowgun THD the undisputed leader in the category. You can get Shadowngun THD on TegraZone or Google Play for less than 5 bucks.
BEST GAMEPLAY In the Best Gameplay category, the top spot is heavily contested by two equally impressive games: Grand Theft Auto 3 and Shadowgun THD. But in the end, GTA 3 received the majority of the votes. If you have missed all the excitement going down in Liberty City, check out the game now on TegraZone and Google Play.
BEST OVERALL Again, the Best Overall category saw two games, Grand Theft Auto 3 and Shadowgun THD, dominating the votes. But democracy has spoken with GTA 3 coming on top once more. This means you have another reason to give this classic third-person shooter a go.
Do you approve of the winners above? This article, Check out which TegraZone games reign supreme according to voters , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:18 AM PDT
You'd probably be hard-pressed to name any Android phones from Gigabyte, but the Taiwanese manufacturer has been actually trying to grab a bite of the Android smartphone market for quite some time and has its eyes set on becoming a bigger player in the future. Gigabyte has just introduced two new Android phones at Computex 2012 in Taiwan: the entry-level GSmart G1342 and the rather high-end GSmart G1362. The GSmart G1342 has a 3.5-inch display of 320 x 480 resolution. At the heart of the phone is a single-core Qualcomm 7225A processor, while the rest of the specs include a 1GB internal storage, 512MB RAM, 5MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash. As for the GSmart G1362, the 4.3-inch display of the phone supports a resolution of 480 x 854. You'll find a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm 8225 processor, 4GB internal storage, 512MB RAM, 5MP rear shooter, and a 0.3MP front shooter. The Gigabyte GSmart G1342 and Gsmart 1362 run the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, and they are both dual-SIM capable. According to our very own Darcy LaCouvee, the G1342 will retail for roughly $200 and will be released soon. Check out his hands-on impression of the Gigabyte G1342 on the video below. The two models may not be the slickest of Android phones in town, but with the right price point, solid specs and designs, we're sure Gigabyte can slowly gain some footing in the Android world. This article, Gigabyte tries its Android luck with the dual-SIM GSmart 1342 and GSmart G1362, we go hands on (Video) , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Angry Birds Space flies past 100 million downloads, HD version coming to consoles Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:14 AM PDT
It seems only 77 days ago Angry Birds Space was released by Rovio. Wait, it was 77 days (or so) ago. In that short period of time, gamers have been scooping up copies of the intergalactic tales of the temperamental birds like crazy. Now Rovio has gleefully announced on its Twitter account that the game has passed 100 million downloads. Now that the 100 million download marks have been broken, we dare not wonder how high those birds can soar – because not even space is the limit. And if playing on your mobile devices isn't enough, it has been reported that Angry Birds will be making its way to more gaming consoles. Rovio reportedly will be working with Activision in bringing the HD version of the game to several consoles in fall. While there's no official announcement yet, a cameo appearance of the Birds in Activision's booth at E3 was the dead giveaway. It seems those birds will not rest on their laurels until world domination has been achieved. Instead of trying to fight the tide, it's much easier and more fun to give in. And when your great grandkids are playing the 999th iteration of Angry Birds, you can proudly tell him (or her) the story of how you flung your very first bird. This article, Angry Birds Space flies past 100 million downloads, HD version coming to consoles , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Pocket-Lint: TomTom Android app to come “soon”, could it be too late? Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:03 AM PDT
Greatly popular automotive navigation systems manufacturer TomTom has had an iOS-special nav app available in Apple's App Store for almost three years. Unfortunately, the app didn't make its way to Android devices as well, even though we've had numerous promises from TomTom over the last couple of years or so. Another promise has just been made by the Dutch-based company's officials in an exclusive talk with the guys at Pocket-lint. According to TomTom co-founder Peter-Frans Pauwels, an exclusive Android app will be launching "fairly soon". "Summer season is important for us" said TomTom's co-founder, adding that he can "confirm the app is real" and that "iOS has been doing really well, so it will be interesting to see how it does on Android." I don't know about you, but those statements look to me like a diplomatic way of dodging questions about the repeated release delays of the app, while also saying nothing clear about the possibility of ever seeing the app. The question that remains, however, is if there's someone still interested. I mean, Google Maps and Google Navigation have significantly progressed during the past months and now offer offline experiences almost as smooth as TomTom's. And G Maps is completely free, while TomTom's iOS app goes for around $50 (and up), making its Android "sibling" very likely to go for at least as much. What do you guys think? Is TomTom's possible Android app still something to wait for? Is it too little, too late (and too expensive)? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below! This article, Pocket-Lint: TomTom Android app to come “soon”, could it be too late? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Snapdragon S4 stays cool under pressure Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:55 AM PDT
Every high-end smartphone or tablet nowadays features at least a dual-core processor, with some quad-core devices already available. I’m sure all of you have noticed your device heating up after some heavy usage such as playing a graphic-intensive game. Qualcomm has decided to prove that their SoC, the dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, stays the coolest, compared to the competition, and Staff Engineer Vidyasagar Rao finds a fun and innovative way to do so. If the title didn’t make sense, things should be clear now. Rao decided to place butter, which melts at 35 degrees Celsius (~95 degree Fahrenheit) on the back of three phones, one of which was powered by a Snapdragon S4, with the other two being the competition. From the video it looks like Competitor A is a Motorola Razr, featuring a TI OMAP 4430 processor, Competitor B is a Samsung Galaxy S2 that an Exynos 4210 processor, with the Snapdragon S4 powered device being the HTC One S. If you think I’m wrong and know what the devices are, do let me know in the comments section below. Don’t worry, a plastic sheet was placed on top of the devices so none of the phones were ruined. Let’s take a look at the video. As you can see, the Snapdragon S4 device stays the coolest, with Competitor B heating up the most, up to 55 degrees Celsius (~131 degrees Fahrenheit). We already know that quad-core processors suffer from compatibility issues with LTE radios and the use of the Snapdragon S4 processor by HTC and Samsung for the US versions of their flagship devices makes even more sense now. There have been a lot of comments stating that it is unfair that the Snapdragon S4 to the “old” OMAP 4430 and Exynos 4210 processors but instead to the latest quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 and Exynos 4412 processors instead. While understandable as the Qualcomm SoC is directly competing against the newer quad-core processors and performing admirably, if not better in some cases. But when it comes to a comparison test, as a dual-core processor, it is not only “fair” but accurate to compare the S4 to other top-of-the-line dual-core processors. With the current meme crazy going on, all I can think about at this point is a meme of a “Gadget chef” which reads “Needs to melt butter. Uses phone.” What are your thoughts? Will the amazing performance of the Snapdragon S4 be enough to help you overcome the disappointment of not getting a quad-core device (relevant for US residents only)? Do you feel like your device heats up a lot more than necessary? What do you think the three devices used in the “butter test” are? Let us know in the comments section below. This article, Snapdragon S4 stays cool under pressure , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Business Insider: Google will unveil its first Android tablet by the end of the month Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:36 AM PDT
So many months of unconfirmed rumors and sometimes crazy speculations have all led to the supposed leak of the first couple of photos showing off the Nexus Tablet. However, if you thought that the rumor mill could cool out a bit, you were very wrong, as we now have a new source "confirming" the device's coming. According to Business Insider, a website that doesn't usually start out unfounded rumors, Google's first ever Android tablet will be unveiled at the end of the month. The information shouldn't come as news, however, as several other sources pointed towards the same release time frame. There are two very important questions that rise after reading Business Insider's (short) report. On one hand, the website's source didn't confirm this tablet as being the long-rumored and much awaited Asus co-branded Nexus Tablet. With that in mind, we can't help but ask ourselves if this entire campaign hinting towards an affordable 7-incher to compete against the Kindle Fire and not against the iPad hasn't been just smoke and mirrors. Could Google be prepping an even more spectacular gadget, with a 10-inch screen and all possible high-end hardware under its hood? We don't know, but we shouldn't be surprised if that were the case, after all. The second question in desperate need of an answer is on everyone's lips and refers to the future tablet's release date. It's becoming obvious that Google will unveil this new gadget (whatever it might be) on June 27 at the i/o developers conference, but when will people be able to actually buy it? An earlier report from Digitimes hinted that Asus might start shipping the Nexus Tablet before the end of Q2, which means that Google's conference could not only be the device's unveiling event, but also its release! Whatever will happen, we surely hope Google won't disappoint us and come up with the revolutionary gadget we're all waiting for. Any thoughts? Sound off below! This article, Business Insider: Google will unveil its first Android tablet by the end of the month , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Android will reach its peak this year, research claims Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:24 AM PDT
The guys over at the International Data Corporation (IDC) issued a new press release yesterday to announce that Android is expected to "reach its peak this year as mobile phone shipments slow." Sure, analysts have access to lots of data which they can track and aggregate to conduct such studies, but the truth is that they have no way of actually knowing what will happen four years from now. According to IDC, Android will reach 61% market share in 2012, and drop to 52.9% in 2016. But will that really be a drop? When you look solely at percentages that's what IDC's study seems to indicate, but the total number of smartphones that will be sold in 2016 will be far greater that the number of smartphone sales for 2012. Therefore a 52.9% percent of that 2016 smartphone pie could be a lot larger compared to this year's numbers.
The same argument is valid for the other mobile platforms mentioned in the press release, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and others. iOS is expected to drop from 20.5% to 19.0% market share in the following four years, while Windows Phone, which accounts for just 5.2% of the market this year, will go up to 19.2% in the following years, in what looks to be an impressive climb for a mobile OS that's not popular with the crowds yet. The study also reveals that BlackBerry OS is expected to maintain its current share of the smartphone business, roughly 6%, but will RIM and BlackBerry continue to exist four years from now? The Canadian company, once a major player in the mobile environment, is bleeding customers and money right now. The recent change in leadership may have come too late. But being late has been a characteristic of RIM's business strategy in recent years especially when it comes to launching products capable to take on Android and iOS.
The IDC says that phone vendors will ship 1.8 billion devices this year, 100 million more than last year. By 2016, that number is expected to go up to 2.3 billion mobile phones, and we wouldn't be surprised if the number will be even higher, considering that mobile devices, especially smart ones, are in very high demand. The study points out this fact as well, saying that feature phone sales will drop by 10% this year, and even so, feature phones will account for 61.6% of the total number of phone sales this year. What's interesting is the growth forecast in the smartphone business, with shipments expected to grow 38.8% year over year to 686 million units in 2012. The study does say that Android, iOS and Windows Phone will dominate the scenery in the mobile business for the years to come, which is something we could have told you ourselves. After all, there's no other player in the business ready to release a competitive mobile OS that would instantly woo the crowds. But I’d certainly like to see how those numbers change once you factor in other devices that run the same mobile operating system, such as tablets and media players. What mobile OS do you think you'll favor four years from now? Comment down below and let us know! This article, Android will reach its peak this year, research claims , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Computex 2012: J5 Android Mirror hands-on (video) Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:17 AM PDT
New Android smartphone and tablets are not the only kind of devices Android Authority has seen live at Computex 2012 this year. The Android Mirror from J5 is an interesting USB dongle that can be used to mirror the screen of various Android handsets and tablets on a computer. Android Mirror basically connects your chosen smartphone and/or tablet with your Windows machine – the dongle is compatible with at least 120 different Android devices. Once the software is installed on the PC, the user can interact with the Android device right from the Windows computer, a feature that will certainly sound interesting to people that spend a lot of time in front of the computer for a living. As you can see in the video, users can switch between home screens, copy and paste text, and do almost everything that you'd usually do on a handset without actually touching the screen of the device. It's all done on the computer, using the mouse or trackpad to perform actions that would otherwise require touch input on the Android device. The Android Mirror has not entered production yet, but it's expected to go on sale at the end of July. We'll be back with more launch details for this new Android device as soon as we have them. This article, Computex 2012: J5 Android Mirror hands-on (video) , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Computex 2012: $120 Meiying 7-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet hands-on [video] Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:04 AM PDT
As some of you already know by now, Android Authority is on the ground at Computex 2012, on the prowl for interesting upcoming Android devices. Such is the case with the Meiying 7-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet in the following video, which should hit various markets in the near future for the low price of $120. That's a lot cheaper than Amazon's Kindle Fire or the Google Nexus tablet that's rumored to be unveiled soon end expected to be priced somewhere south of $250. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA2Te6qBd9k&feature=plcp The Meiying tablet – that's not the name you're going to find in stores – is currently seeking FCC approval and the company is looking for retail partners. That's why we still don't have any availability details for you at this time. But the device is apparently ready to offer a great user experience, without utilizing some of the most recent components found in this year’s tablets. We're looking at a device that sports a 7-inch IPS LCD display with 1024 x 600 resolution, a 1.2GHz single-core ARM A8 processor, a 3,500mAh battery, Android Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood and lots of connectivity options including cellular support, HDMI and microUSB ports. The most important feature of such a device is its price, a lot more competitive than what's currently available from the major Android tablet providers. This article, Computex 2012: $120 Meiying 7-inch Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet hands-on [video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Best paid Android apps of 2012 Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT
There is a plethora of apps from the Google Play Store. Many of them can be downloaded free of charge, but you’ll have to withstand the pesky ads or the limited range of services. (Check out post about the best free Android apps of 2012.) On the other hand, premium apps can be downloaded for a price, but you get to enjoy the full capabilities of the app. You also won’t have to worry about ads popping in the background. In this app list, we have compiled some of the best paid apps for Android for 2012. The following apps may be used for productivity, leisure, entertainment, health, customizing your device, and for Android development. Take note that the following apps don’t follow a particular order. Smart Tools
Tools are essential for human lives, making the completion of tasks easier. We can find tools all around us–in the kitchen, backyard, office, and even on our Android devices. You can have your own set of portable tools via the Smart Tools app. The app has 5 different sets of tools and includes 5 Pro sets for a total number of 15 tools. Set 1 is for measuring length, slope, and level. Set 2 is for measuring height, width, and area. Set 3 allows you to use a compass, metal detector, and GPS. Set 4 is for measuring sounds with sound level meter and vibrometer. Lastly, set 5 brings light to the darkness with Flashlight. More neat tools will be added soon, such as magnifier, speed gun, and many more. This app is your all-in-one pocket-size tool kit. Leave your heavy tool box at home and snugly fit your tools inside your pocket with the Smart Tools app. SwiftKey X Keyboard If you own an Android smartphone, you should also use a smart keyboard. SwiftKey X Keyboard is the smartest keyboard for Android phones. This app is not just any ordinary keyboard app; it thinks and analyzes how its user composes messages. The more you use it, the better its word prediction gets. The app knows each word and how each word is connected to each other. You will be surprised with its precise word predictions. You could even just tap the predictions to complete your sentences. To fully optimize its predicting power, you can allow the app to access your Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. The app can also scan your blog and your SMS messages. Doing this will let the app know what words you are using and how you compose your sentences. You can also use different themes on your keyboard. You can select from light, dark, neon, and pumpkin themes. Type your messages swiftly with SwiftKey X Keyboard on board your Android phone. Paper Camera See a world through a different angle. Bring out the kid in you and change the day’s stressful and busy scenes. Magically transform your world into the funny world of cartoon via Paper Camera app on your Android device. Like any ordinary camera app, this app lets you take pictures on your device. The thing that makes it special is the special effects that transform your pictures into cartoons. You can even use this app to roam around and see the world in a different dimension. Use the Sketch Up effect and instantly create sketches of real-time images. Try using the Comic Boom effect and make your images look like they were taken from your favorite comic strip. Magically transform your images into a painting with the Bleaching effect. You can also take videos with this app and create you own real-life cartoons. Magically transform your world with Paper Camera on your Android device. SoundHound Have you ever listened to the radio and heard a familiar song? You want to grab a copy of that song but you don’t know the title. If you don’t want that to happen, use the SoundHound app on your Android device. This canine will smell any sound scent to catch the title of unknown songs. When a familiar song starts to play, just open the app and let it listen to your song. It will then give you the title of what song you are listening to. You can also view the song’s lyrics. For those living in the U.S. and Canada, you get to enjoy the LiveLyrics feature in this app. If you missed the song, you can also hum the melody or sing some lines from that song (make sure you’re right on tune). SoundHound will recognize the sound or lines and will give you the title of that song. The app’s downside is that it needs an active Internet connection. Nevertheless, this app can be a great app to learn and discover new songs. Don’t miss out on any song with the SoundHound app on your Android device. Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO Staying fit and healthy is hard work. That is why you need the help of Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO as a fitness instructor and assistant on your mobile phone. This app is primarily designed to help the health conscious and those who want to lose some weight to stay on their fitness program. One feature of this app lets you choose an interval program. Together with the fitness program is a voice coach to guide you along the process. The app also tracks any outdoor sport you’re engaged in and records the duration, speed, distance, and calories burned. You can use this app for your morning jogging routine or when you ride your bicycle around the neighborhood. Utilizing your phone’s GPS, the app can teach you your jogging routes. You can also set some goals to keep you motivated and beat your previous records in your fitness program. All your fitness data are stored on www.Endomondo.com for evaluation, competing with friends, and to compete with active users around the globe. Stay fit and healthy with Endomondo Sport Tracker PRO on your Android device. Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO for Android on AppBrain HD Widgets One of the advantages of an Android device is that it is customizable. You can easily add a new theme, change the keyboard, add some live wallpapers, and add new widgets on your homescreen. If you like to add nice widgets, you might want to use HD Widgets on your Android device. Take advantage of your high-resolution screens and customize your Android homescreen. This app is your one-stop widget hub. You can select from a variety of widgets on your Android phone. Sprinkle some HTC Sense on your homescreen with HTC’s clock and weather widgets, or grab a widget from the Galaxy Nexus or the Samsung Galaxy Note. Every widget can also be customized with your personal touch. Widgets also come in different sizes. From the smallest-screened Android smartphone to the wider screens on tablets, HD Widgets has all the widgets for you. You should try this app for yourself and see how it can transform your Android homescreen. Transform your Android device’s homescreen with the HD Widgets app. Camera ZOOM FX Our Android devices have a default Camera app installed. But, if you’re looking for a camera with more exciting camera features, you can try out the Camera ZOOM FX app on your Android device. This camera app lets you do a variety of things to your photos. Aside from taking your pictures, you can edit your images directly from the app. You can crop, rotate, add effects, apply filters, and much more. The app offers 20 color filters, 6 vignette effects, 13 cool frames, 3 tilt-shift functions, and 9 mirror effects. You can also tap the Random button and instantly edit your images. As if that wasn’t enough, you can also enjoy different camera modes with this app. Take a shot with Burst Mode and never miss a single shot. Take moving pictures with Stable Shot and say goodbye to blurry images. Take your picture hands-free with the Voice Activated option. Not yet enough for you? Camera ZOOM FX also features the Buddy Pack that lets you add famous personalities to your images. And, you can show off your images on your social networking sites with just a tap of a button. What’s more is that this app is on sale (as of this writing). You can save as much as 40% from the original price of this app. Grab it now while this offer lasts. Try Camera ZOOM FX for yourself and be amazed with how it can change your picture taking experience. SketchBook Mobile Grab your stylus pen and let’s draw some art with the SketchBook Mobile app. This app lets you create art without using up paper pages in your sketchbook. This app is perfect for both professional and amateur artists for practicing their artistic skills. The app contains basic tools such as a paint brush, an air brush, a pencil, a fill bucket, and an eraser. You can access these tools by tapping the circular logo found below the screen. For changing the size of each tool, just drag the circle found in the middle of the tools left and right . The app also lets you create layers on your work. Work with layers and stack them up to create a work of art. Other features are undo, redo, create new work, a color selector, expand, and many more. Make art on your Android device with the SketchBook Mobile app. Poweramp Music Player (Trial) If you use your Android devices as a portable music player then you might want to use Poweramp Music Player (Trial) on your device. This is not just an ordinary music player for your Android device; this app offers full customization in playing your music. This app enhances your music experience with its featured equalizer settings. You can choose from different equalizer settings such as Bass, Bass Extreme, Bass & Treble, Treble, Flat, Classical, Dance, Rock, Techno, Phone Speaker (Loud), Live, Middle, Pop, Soft, Soft Bass, and Soft Treble. If your preferred equalizer settings are not included, don’t worry because you can adjust the equalizer and play your music like a pro. Missing some album art on your playlist? You can add album art directly from the app. Just tap and hold on the album art and the app will provide suggested images for that album. You can also view your song’s lyrics via the musiXmatch plugin. Download Poweramp Music Player (Trial) for free from the Google Play Store and enjoy a 15-day trial period. After that, you will need to download the Poweramp Full Version Unlocker to unlock the app. Play your music like a pro with the Poweramp Music Player. Titanium Backup PRO Key ★ root
If you like to play with your Android device and flash new ROMs, you might notice something missing on your device. You have new a launcher, a new Android version, new optimized features, and it seems everything is complete. But, soon you realize that all your previous apps are gone. You have to go to the Google Play Store and manually install your apps. But, with the Titanium Backup PRO Key ★ root app, you will be able to backup your app data and restore them when the need arises. The nice thing about this app is that it lets you backup, restore, and freeze your apps, data, and Google Play Store links. You can also schedule your backups and you don’t need to close your apps while backup is running. Installing this app will also allow you to restore individual apps and data from ClockworkMod Recovery or TWRP Recovery. Take note that your Android device needs to have root privileges in order for this app to work. To unlock the full version, you will need to download Titanium Backup ★ root for free from the Google Play Store. Afterwards, you will need to download the Titanium Backup PRO Key ★ root to unlock its extended features. Never lose your apps with Titanium Backup PRO Key ★ root on your Android device. These apps might cost you a dollar or two, but they are definitely worth the price. What do you think of our best paid Android apps for 2012? What paid apps are you using on your Android device? Share them in a comment below. This article, Best paid Android apps of 2012 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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