Android and Me |
| MEIZU MX 4-Core unboxing and first impressions Posted: 04 Jul 2012 11:10 AM PDT  While most of us are fussing over the new Samsung Galaxy S III or the HTC One series, MEIZU has released the MX 4-Core. As the name implies, the Android 4.0.3 handset features a quad-core processor – the same 1.4GHz Exynos Cortex A9 chipset found in the European version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. While the insides of the MEIZU MX 4-Core may be in step with the latest and greatest Android phones, the handset design is reminiscent of the iPhone with a single hardware button on the front of the device and a minimalistic flare which brings back memories of the iPhone 3G. The first thing that stands out with the MEIZU MX 4-Core is its packaging. MEIZU has given the device a premium white box which reflects the handsets sophisticated feel. Inside the box, the phone is enclosed in a small booklet with several heavy pages which highlights the features of the handset. It’s definitely a step up from the packaging of most carrier-branded handsets and even puts Samsung and HTC’s unlocked handset packaging to shame. As mentioned before, the MEIZU MX 4-Core’s hardware is reminiscent of the iPhone. While most of us at Android and Me are not huge fans of Apple’s flagship device, we’re sure you can agree that Apple does have a flare for elegant design which isn’t often seen on Android phones. The MX 4-Core is a two-toned device with a pure black panel surrounding the screen on the front and a removable white casing which wraps around the sides and back of the device. Underneath the back panel, users have access to the microSIM card, but the 1,700 mAh battery and 32GB of internal storage are not swappable. The MX 4-Core features three buttons (power button long the top edge, volume rocker on the left edge and a raised home which is located below the display. To the left and right of the home button are two capacitive buttons which are accentuated by LED lights which also serve as notification LEDs.
Spec highlights on the MEIZU MX 4-Core include a 4-inch 640×960 display, Exynos 1.4GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage 8MP camera with BSI sensor, 1080p video recording and a 1700 mAh battery which appears to hold enough of a charge to make it through a day of moderate use. having a good spec sheet is nice, but MEIZU has decided to beef the MX 4-Core up as much as possible by enabling 9 GSM frequency bands on the device (2G 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: 850/900/1700/1900/2100MHZ) making other global roaming enabled devices look like play toys. Testing the MEIZU MX 4-Core on T-Mobile and AT&T’s HSPA+ networks produced results averaging 1700kbps down with upload speeds reaching 500kbps on a good run. On the performance side, the MEIZU MX 4-Core doesn’t disappoint. The 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos Cortex A9 processor is paired with a Mali-400mp GPU, giving the handset enough power to breeze through multiple benchmarks. So far, we’ve used the MX 4-Core to play Final Fantasy III (which it handled without breaking a sweat), but we’ll do our best to find a few games to push it to its limits for our full review. Though the look of the phone may be iPhone-ish, the MEIZU MX 4-Core is an Android device with its own unique personality. The MX 4-Core is the first device in MEIZU’s lineup to run Flyme, a custom skin which deviates significantly from stock Android. Those of you familiar with MIUI will notice a few similarities between the two UI’s since both do away with the application drawer and force users to actively manage and organize their applications within folders on multiple home screen panels. Having used MIUI ROMs on my T-Mobile G2 for nearly a year, the Flyme UI on the MEIZU MX 4-Core has not presented too many challenges for me. The one quirk about the MX 4-Core which is taking a while to get used to is the 4-inch 640×960 display. The resolution and viewing angles are amazing, but the 14×9 aspect ratio just feels odd since most high-end Android devices have been using 16×9 setups for a few years now. So far, the MEIZU MX 4-Core has been an impressive device. The quad-core Exynos processor keeps the OS nice and snappy, and network connectivity’s fast and reliable on AT&T and T-Mobile. The MEIZU MX 4-Core may not be on most consumer’s radars, but it can certainly keep up with the latest flagship devices from HTC and Samsung. If you have any questions about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask in the comments. I’ll hopefully be getting around to a full review of the MEIZU MX 4-Core in the next few weeks. Would any of you consider buying the MX 4-Core?
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| Posted: 04 Jul 2012 08:57 AM PDT  The unthinkable has happened. Google has removed the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store after Samsung lost its appeal to stop the injunction against the phone which was granted in Apple’s lawsuit against Samsung. The injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is based on Apple’s 8,086,604 patent which targets Android’s universal search capabilities. The Court is persuaded by the evidence in the record that the '604 unified search functionality drives consumer demand in a way that affects substantial market share. Even accepting Samsung's argument that the intelligent voice-recognition aspect of Siri, as advertised, also contributes to consumer interest in the iPhone 4S, Apple has shown that the '604 Patented feature is core to Siri's functionality and is thus a but-for driver of demand for Siri. Accordingly, the Court finds that Apple has adequately established the requisite causal nexus between Samsung's alleged infringement of the '604 Patent and Apple's risk of suffering irreparable harm.Google In order to make the injunction stick, Apple has posted a $95.6 million bond which will not be refunded if the final outcome of the patent dispute does not go in their favor. While this is devastating news for most Android loyalists, it appears Google is already working on an update which would “fix” the issue and should allow sales of the handset to resume sometime next week. The update is expected to tweak Android’s search functionality by removing its local search capabilities. This would remove the handset’s abilities to search through contacts or applications on the device and will limit search functionality strictly to Google web searches. Since the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was pulled from Google Play, the handset’s status has changed from “Coming soon” to “Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (soon with Android 4.1, Jelly Bean)” which leads us to believe Google will be working overtime to incorporate the fix into Android 4.1 and make sure the phone is back on its virtual store shelves by next week. For now, Verizon, Sprint and third-part retailers are still listing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on their sites. Hopefully Google will be able to push out an OTA update which “fixes” the universal search functionality before the injunction has a negative effect on sales of the Galaxy Nexus. We’ll do our best to keep you updated on the issue as best we can. Do you think Apple’s universal search patent (#8,086,604) will hold up in court? Personally, I could live without Android’s universal search capabilities, but I’m sure there are many who would hold a grudge against Apple for quite some time if they are granted this victory.
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