Android Authority |
- UK’s Three and O2 confirmed arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 later in the year
- Pantech Magnus leaks, to hit AT&T with S4 CPU, LTE and 720p display
- Your T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2 just got dumber, no thanks to Apple
- Google Play now recommends apps and content for you
- IFA 2012: Huawei unveils six “new” Android devices, including the D1 Quad XL and MediaPad 10 FHD
- Japanese court says Samsung did not infringe on Apple patent
- New Amazon Kindle Fire won’t have Google Maps, but goes with Nokia instead
- New Zealand bans software patents, but developer community sees loopholes
- Apple legal bill – how much does it cost to win $1 billion from Samsung?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Google Nexus 7 [video]
| UK’s Three and O2 confirmed arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 later in the year Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:08 AM PDT
There aren't enough superlatives to describe the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – well, maybe we just have to get a new dictionary. But anyway, you've seen our hands-on image gallery of the extraordinary phone and its impressive benchmark result. Now we're sure you're wondering how soon you can get your hands on one Samsung has been rather coy about the Galaxy Note 2's release date and price, though we do know that it's coming to most markets in October and others before the end of the year. For those in the UK, here's some information that Engadget has received from several carriers in the country regarding the phablet’s release. Out of the five major mobile networks in the UK, only two so have confirmed that they'll be selling the Galaxy Note 2 before the end of the year, Three UK and O2. The other three carriers (T-Mobile, Orange, and Vodafone) haven't given any hints of whether or not they will be offering the Note 2. As for the price, Vodafone Germany said that the Galaxy Note 2 will go for €639.90 without a contract. The UK price for the Note 2 may not differ that much. We'll update you once we hear more from Samsung and UK mobile operators. British folks, are you planning to get the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 when it's out? This article, UK's Three and O2 confirmed arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 later in the year , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Pantech Magnus leaks, to hit AT&T with S4 CPU, LTE and 720p display Posted: 31 Aug 2012 02:52 AM PDT
Known mostly for budget-friendly phones with not very hot tech specs in the U.S., Pantech might be looking to upgrade its playing league. We haven't yet heard anything clear about the recently teased Flex, but the Vega S5, Star Q 4G LTE and Marauder looked like much more than the modest gadgets we’ve been used to see from Pantech. Now a new Pantech-made phone has been leaked, and, although it's not exactly a contender for the Galaxy S3 or HTC One X, it might come with high-end-ish specs. The Magnus (which is Latin for "great") seems to be on its way to AT&T and might enjoy a release by the end of September. First spotted getting FCC approval at the beginning of August under the P9090 codename, the Magnus now stars in a leaked pic that can only mean one thing. Someone is trying to build hype around the handheld, so a launch is imminent. The photo doesn't reveal much about the "Great", aside from the featuring of an 8MP rear-facing camera with flash and the inclusion of a front-facing webcam (most likely a 1.3MP one). Still, we can easily tell that the phone will be running ICS out of the box or maybe even Jelly Bean, having some juicy on-screen navigation buttons. A few other tech specs have been rumored before, including the featuring of a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor, an Adreno 225 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board memory and a 720p HD display. The screen will probably measure around 4.3 inches in diagonal, although it could go up to 4.5. As for the design, this is actually quite intriguing. The front is not very original or unusual, looking kind of bland even, but the back is a whole different story. There are not only sexy curves there, but also quirky bumps, which makes this look a bit like HTC's Incredibles. This is clearly one love or hate design point, and, while some will find it innovative, cool and special, others will most likely call it ugly or tacky. I for one kind of like it, because, even if it's not the absolute most elegant phone ever, it's not ordinary either. We of course know nothing about the Magnus’ price or exact release date, but as soon as we’ll find out something we’ll let you know. For now, tell us if you’re at least intrigued about the phone’s design and rumored spec sheet. Related PostsPantech to release dual-core 1.5GHz smartphone with 4.5 inch 720p display, AT&T-bound Pantech Flex has a pre-launch teaser, Next-gen Xiaomi phone to have quad-core S4 Pro chip and 720p displayThis article, Pantech Magnus leaks, to hit AT&T with S4 CPU, LTE and 720p display , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Your T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2 just got dumber, no thanks to Apple Posted: 31 Aug 2012 02:19 AM PDT
Remember the software update that T-Mobile recently pushed out for the Galaxy S2? At that time, the carrier said that aside apart from bringing the latest iteration of Ice Cream Sandwich and removing some bugs, the update also brings NFC and ISIS support. But is that really all? Not quite. The maintenance update, which can only be downloaded if you connect your Galaxy S2 to Kies, reportedly also disables the phone's universal search feature. Granted, this isn't a cause for great concern, as most likely not many users are even aware that the universal search function has been stripped off from the phone. At best, the fact that you can't search for local files on your phone will be a slight inconvenience – the same feeling that owners of some variant of Galaxy S3 have experienced first-hand. It also probably explains why T-Mobile didn't bother listing the removal of the search function on the change log of the update. Still, it's a pity that something as basic as doing a local search on your phone has to be disabled due to a seemingly questionable patent that the competitor has. Have you noticed the universal search function disappearing from your T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S2? Will you miss it? Sound off in the comments below. Related PostsSamsung Galaxy S3 update for T-Mobile may be the end of Universal Search, Galaxy S3 dumb search update feature confirmed by Samsung, it's because of Apple, T-Mobile starts rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich update for Samsung Galaxy S2This article, Your T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2 just got dumber, no thanks to Apple , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Play now recommends apps and content for you Posted: 31 Aug 2012 02:08 AM PDT
The Android Market, now Google Play, has never been great for app discovery. You've got the top app lists and some editorial recommendations, but finding goodies beyond the most popular big name apps has always involved some digging. Well, Google has now introduced a "Recommended for You" section. As you can see from the screenshots it pops up when you load Google Play on your phone and recommends a list of apps you might like. It appears to be basing them on what you have already downloaded and what your friends have been +1'ing on Google+. In fact it gives you a wee explanation beneath each recommendation that tells you why it has been recommended. You can also tap the cross out icon on the right of each app recommendation to remove it if you don't like the look. You'll find the "Recommended for You" section appears on Google Play online as well, as long as you are logged in to your Google account. It includes movies and books you might like alongside apps. If you haven't bought any content yet and your friends aren't recommending anything then it looks like it just defaults to best sellers. I guess like most of these systems, the more stuff you download and rate, the better it will get at recommending other content you might enjoy. What do you think? Are your recommendations looking good? Related PostsGoogle Play’s website now lets you remotely update, uninstall, and install Android apps, Google Play's Longest Day Deals is on, dozens of apps and games discounted, Google Play: 20 billion app downloads, 600,000 apps and gamesThis article, Google Play now recommends apps and content for you , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| IFA 2012: Huawei unveils six “new” Android devices, including the D1 Quad XL and MediaPad 10 FHD Posted: 31 Aug 2012 02:05 AM PDT
We've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the supposed "Chinese cheap phone revolution" to hit the Western world, but unfortunately it's still all quiet on the Eastern front. Huawei, who's been teasing us with some uber-cool phones at the CES and MWC back at the beginning of the year, has been particularly disappointing, delaying several launches scheduled for this summer. Now Huawei is at it again at the IFA in Berlin, where no less than six new Android gadgets are on the Chinese-based OEM's display. "New" is a relative term here however, as we've seen a couple of these phones and tabs before. Here's the quick rundown on Huawei's "new" line-up of Android devices, coupled with the showing off of an exclusive UI, as well. Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XLTeased as the "world's fastest smartphone" back in February, the Ascend D Quad seems to have missed its window of opportunity to make it big in the Android world. Not only can't the D Quad stand the competition of the Galaxy S3 or the recently unveiled Note 2, but it seems that it has even been downsized in power by Huawei. The Ascend D1 Quad XL is set to come with a 1.2 GHz Huawei K3V2 ARM quad-core processor (replacing the 1.5 GHz chip announced at the MWC), a 2,600 mAh battery, 8 MP/1.3 MP dual cameras, as well as microSD support. The 4.5-inch IPS+ LCD panel is still pretty darn impressive, having a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and 330 ppi pixel density, while the fact that the device runs Android 4.0 ICS without many customizations or tweaks also sounds pretty good.  Credit: Cnet There's still a slim possibility that this D1 Quad XL will be joined by a D Quad with a processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, but it's very unlikely, especially considering that we've been hearing about CPU issues from Huawei in the past. The good news is that Huawei is promising a swift Jelly Bean upgrade, although we've been disappointed by the company's so-called pledges before. The D1 Quad XL is set to cost around €499 ($625) with no contract and is slated for a late October launch in Asia and Europe. No words yet on a US release, but if it were to come stateside it'll probably not cost more than $500. Ascend G600The first true newcomer from Huawei doesn't look half bad, but it won't exactly be a "beast" of a phone. With a 4.5-inch qHD display protected by Gorilla Glass, the G600 is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and features 768 MB of RAM (why, Huawei, why?), an 8 MP rear-facing shooter and a 2,000 mAh battery.
Set to be released in Germany in December for €299 ($375) off contract, the mid-range 4.5-incher will run ICS out of the box with Huawei's Emotion UI on top. Ascend G330Asian and European techies on a budget should be really happy to hear about this elegant 4-inch mid-ranger. With a WVGA display, the G330 features a dual-core 1 GHz proc, 512 MB of RAM, a 5 MP rear-facing camera, as well as a 1,500 mAh battery.
Slated for a November release in Asia and Europe, the G330 will only cost €199 ($249) and will also run Android 4.0 ICS with the Emotion UI on top. Ascend Y201 ProThe last Huawei phone to be unveiled over in Berlin is a very modest entry-level device set to cost €129 (around $160). The Y201 Pro smartphone is "aimed at younger customers" and sports a tiny 3.5-inch 320 by 480 pix res display and features an 800 Mhz processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of on-board storage, a 1,400 mAh battery. The Y201 Pro runs ICS and Emotion. The 3.5-incher is set to be released in October.
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHDLike the company's "new" flagship phone, Huawei's high-end 10-inch tab unveiled at the IFA is also not that new. The MediaPad 10 FHD was first revealed in July, being then spotted at the FCC in early August. The 10-incher is however still very intriguing, being set to come with an IPS LCD 1920 x 1200 display, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and a 6,600 mAh battery.
Other known features include 8 MP/1.3 MP dual cameras, 1 GB of RAM, the choice of 8, 16, 32 or 64 GB of internal memory, the running of Android 4.0 ICS, microSD support, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity and Bluetooth 3.0. Weighing in at just 580 grams, the MediaPad FHD was also rumored to be compatible with LTE speed, though this hasn't been confirmed yet. The 10-incher still doesn't have an ETA, but is said to only cost €429 ($535), so it might well be a gadget worth waiting for. MediaPad 7 LiteIf 10-inch is not your favorite form factor, Huawei will soon have a 7-inch tablet up for grabs too. With a WSVGA display and a modest 1.2 GHz single-core processor, this doesn't exactly look like a "Nexus 7 killer" though.
The MediaPad 7 Lite will come with dual cameras (a 3.2 MP rear-facing shooter and a yet to be announced front-facing webcam), a 4,100 mAh battery, microSD support, as well as USB 2.0 and HDMI ports. This also doesn't have a release date announced just yet and is set to cost €249 (around $310). Emotion UIThe special ICS-dedicated Emotion overlay has again been shown off by Huawei, even though we've seen it before a number of times. There's a new introductory YouTube video you can check out below if you're intrigued by this UI. I know that many of you prefer "vanilla" Android over any tweaked UI out there, but you might want to give Emotion a shot. It doesn't look bad at all. Related PostsHuawei unveils the MediaPad 7 Lite ICS tablet, Huawei's quad-core MediaPad 10 FHD tablet passes FCC scrutiny, Quad-core Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD to launch in August for under $500This article, IFA 2012: Huawei unveils six “new” Android devices, including the D1 Quad XL and MediaPad 10 FHD , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Japanese court says Samsung did not infringe on Apple patent Posted: 31 Aug 2012 01:42 AM PDT
Apple may have won a sweep in its California patent infringement case lodged against South Korean Samsung Electronics. But elsewhere, opinions differ, as the legal battles are not always won by the Cupertino company. A recent ruling by a Tokyo court has dismissed Apple’s patent infringement claim against Samsung in Japan, saying Samsung did not infringe on Apple technologies. The scope of the lawsuit is much smaller than the U.S. case, though. Apple alleged that Samsung infringed on its technology patents for sharing media across smartphones and personal computers. In the few-minute session leading to the ruling, Judge Tamotsu Shoji said he did not think Samsung’s products fell under the coverage of Apple’s patent, and the court therefore dismissed the case. Samsung representatives say that the ruling confirms the company’s “long-held position” that its products do not infringe on Apple technology. “We will continue to offer highly innovative products to consumers, and continue our contributions toward the mobile industry’s development,” Samsung said in a statement. Apple lawyers have declined to comment, reports the Associated Press, and it is unclear at this point whether the company wants to appeal the decision. Putting things into perspective, though, FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller says the ruling is a non-win for Samsung and a non-loss for Apple, given the mostly trivial nature of the patent. As such, declaring Samsung a “winner” in this particular case is too formalistic. Yes, Samsung won, although it was not a significant win.
Other cases are pending in Japan, including a request by Apple to ban Samsung products in the country. These have not yet met a decision. Elsewhere, the $1 billion win by Apple — not including potential product bans and other fines — is the more popular legal case marking the legal battles between the two technology titans. Observers have said that the California ruling might set a precedent for other jurisdictions and for other cases, although the Japanese case seems to indicate that courts are ruling on the patent disputes on a case-to-case basis, depending on the merits of the actual technology claims involved. But if Android were to really score a win against Apple, smartphone and tablet makers using the platform will need to enforce powerful patents by proving these in court. Related PostsSamsung wins at The Hague, Apple to pay damages for infringing one 3G patent, German court rules in favor of Motorola in patent infringement lawsuit by Apple, Apple vs Samsung: new round in global patent war kicks off in AustraliaThis article, Japanese court says Samsung did not infringe on Apple patent , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| New Amazon Kindle Fire won’t have Google Maps, but goes with Nokia instead Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:20 PM PDT
It’s no secret that Apple is ditching Google Maps for its built-in mapping application in the next iteration of iOS. It seems other companies are also decreasing their dependence on the search giant, as Amazon is also going for another mapping provider. Amazon bought its own 3D mapping company this July, with its acquisition of UpNext. In a recent report, Reuters says Amazon has also partnered with Finland’s Nokia Oyj as a mapping provider. Amazon is rumored to release at least one new Kindle Fire device in the first week of September, and market factors — such as the “sold out” status of the Kindle Fire — seem to be confirming this. Amazon’s Kindle Fire reportedly accounts for about 22% of all tablets sold in the U.S., and has been driving content sales, according to analysts. The current Kindle Fire does not have Google Maps built-in, even if it runs Google’s Android operating system. Maps can be accessed through a web interface or by first rooting the device and installing Google Play. With Amazon’s partnership with Nokia and its own 3D mapping ability via UpNext, the company is set to integrate navigation, local-search and other location-based services without relying on Google. Neither Amazon nor Nokia has given confirmation on the deal, though. Amazon’s rumored release of the next Kindle Fire is set for Thursday, September 6, well ahead of Apple’s own planned launch of the next-generation iPhone and iPad in October. The Kindle Fire’s supremacy among budget Android tablets is threatened by the popularity of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, and the rumored Apple iPad Mini. Amazon still continues to compete in terms of content availability, though, with the millions of ebook titles, movies and music tracks on the Amazon store. Related PostsAmazon stockpiling 2 million Kindle Fire 2 ready for August 7 launch, Amazon Kindle Ice Next in Line to Kindle Fire, Say Rumors, Amazon’s Kindle Fire May Just Kill Google’s Android MarketThis article, New Amazon Kindle Fire won’t have Google Maps, but goes with Nokia instead , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| New Zealand bans software patents, but developer community sees loopholes Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:16 PM PDT
Patents have clearly been brought to the limelight by the year-long (and still ongoing) patent infringement cases being fought by and between Apple and Samsung, as well as other device manufacturers, around the world. While Apple’s main contention in its U.S. lawsuit against Samsung is design and trade dress, software also plays a big part in patents and innovation. Whether or not the patent system is actually helpful in its current form, we leave to the legal and technical experts. But here’s a jurisdiction that has taken quite a radical approach: New Zealand. ZDNet reports that the New Zealand government is moving ahead with plans to ban software patents. Ideally, this would be a good move, especially for developers interested in building on existing software and apps, which is the goal of the open source movement. However, developers are crying foul over a provision that software embedded in other inventions or devices can still be patented. The memoradum that explains the Patents Bill amendment states the following:
According to the New Zealand Open Source Society, the use of the phrase “as such” at the end of the memorandum has opened a loophole that can be easily exploited. While government’s aim is to “protect genuine innovations and encourage Kiwi businesses to export and grow,” the developer group thinks that the provision allowing software to be patented when attached to an invention might easily be used by big U.S. software corporations that have lobbied for the law to be revised. In the light of the recent discussions and court resolution of patent-related claims to the tune of $1 billion, it seems a big deal in the mobile industry. But what about software? Does the patent system play a big part in the software business? And are software patents essentially bad for independent developers? Related PostsSony reaches out to developer community, open sources its DASH sensor software, Want the Software Patent Madness to Stop? Sign This WhiteHouse.Gov Petition, Google Fills Patents Chest with 1,000 IBM PatentsThis article, New Zealand bans software patents, but developer community sees loopholes , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Apple legal bill – how much does it cost to win $1 billion from Samsung? Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:13 PM PDT  Image Credit: CNET, Apple The U.S. Apple vs Samsung lawsuit, in which the jury found Samsung to infringe on several Apple patents and awarded the iPhone maker over $1 billion in compensation, is casting a long shadow over IFA 2012, the Berlin-based trade show where Samsung has unveiled several new products, including the Android-based Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Camera. But while we talk about these new Android devices, as well as other Android devices officially announced during the show, we inevitably hear more details, commentary and analysis on Samsung's recently lost legal spat. Now CNET offers a sneak peak at Apple's legal bill in the U.S. case against Samsung. The image above shows you a bill Apple had to pay for just one motion to be filed, a motion that totaled 232 hours of work for 10 people, which amounted to $116,668.50. That’s probably just pocket change for Morrison & Foerster, compared to the total cost of the U.S. Apple trials against Samsung. What does this exhibit, which the law firm had to file, tell us? Well, first of all, it sucks being a paralegal than a partner in such a firm. Secondly, and more seriously, Apple is ready to pay a lot of cash to lawyers to argue its cases. That shows the Cupertino-based company is not really ready to back down, as it firmly believes in its rights to sue competitors and obtain victories in courts no matter how much its legal representation costs. When we'll see similar exhibits from Samsung, I'll tell you that the Android maker is similarly motivated to pursue such patent-based cases in courts no matter the costs. The difference is, at least for the time being, that Samsung's expensive lawyers aren't as efficient as Apple's. Or they can't pull out any rabbits out of the hat when forced to argue against certain pieces of evidence. Any opinions on these large legal fees? Does anyone know how many motions have been filed by either party during the trial? Related PostsHow to pay $1 billion to Apple? Pack 20 billion nickel coins in 30 Samsung delivery trucks, Apple vs Samsung verdict: Android devices to ban after Apple $1 billion win in U.S. court, Motorola Wins First Round Of Legal Tussle With AppleThis article, Apple legal bill – how much does it cost to win $1 billion from Samsung? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Google Nexus 7 [video] Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:35 PM PDT
So the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the newest, shiniest toy in Android-ville. It's both a smartphone and a tablet in one – a phablet in short – which has been unveiled during Samsung's pre-IFA 2012 Berlin-based Unpacked event. Android Authority has covered thoroughly the second-generation Galaxy Note – including hands-on videos, specs and features, release date and pricing, but also a wide variety of comparisons with current high-end handsets. We pitted the Galaxy Note 2 against the original Note, the HTC One X, the Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S. The winner in each fight? It's hard to say, objectively, because not all Android fans need the same kind of the device. But it dawned on us that while the Galaxy Note 2 is a phablet, a device that covers the niche between high-end smartphones and budget-friendly tablets, we only compared it to its predecessor and current and former flagship handsets. So let's see how the Galaxy Note 2 does against the Google Nexus 7, arguably the highest-end budget-friendly tablet out there, at least until the new Kindle Fire 2 model(s) and rumored iPad Mini tablet arrive. Who's the better tablet between the two? Spoiler alert, I'm going to give you the politically correct answer: it depends what you're mostly interested in when it comes to tablet use. Worst-case scenario, for you wallet, you just buy both of them and get it over with. I’ll also tell you, just in case you’re wondering, who’s the better phone: the Galaxy Note 2, as the Nexus 7 doesn’t come with cellular capabilities. Let’s compare some of the most important characteristics of the two devices then! Size matters no matter what they sayToo big for some pockets – and I don't mean that figuratively – the Galaxy Note 2 features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display with 1280 x 720 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. The Google Nexus 7 features a 7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen panel that boasts almost the same resolution, 1280 x 800, and a similar aspect ratio, 16:10. That means that in theory we have a draw between these two displays, but since the Galaxy Note 2 is smaller, it offers a higher pixel per inch density (PPI) which means the phablet gets crispier images than the Nexus tablet, 285 PPI vs 216 PPI, respectively.
But it's not all in the pixels, and since both devices support HD playback, they'll certainly be great for consuming content, from apps, to videos (movies and TV shows included) to books, and everything else that has a visually enticing component. In fact, users interested in only exploring content options on an Android tablet will probably be more interested to do so on a larger display, on a dirt-cheap tablet like the Nexus 7. But don't be fooled, the Nexus 7's price does not make it a low- to mid-ranged device, it just makes it unprofitable for Google, when it comes to cash, but very valuable when it comes to displeasing Amazon. As for the quality of the display, we can debate on what's better for ages, a LED-backlit IPS LCD panel or Samsung's PenTile technology, but at the end of the day this aspect is probably not going to affect your buying decision, that much. Speaking of size, the Nexus 7 is (obviously) bigger than the Galaxy Note 2. Google's device measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm, compared to 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm. As for weight, the Nexus 7 weighs almost twice the Galaxy Note 2: 340g vs 180g. Raw power isn’t for everyoneSo how about what's under the hood, in the hardware department? Since the Nexus 7 had to meet a certain recipe of success – Google told Asus to make it as good, as cheap and as fast as possible – the tablet can't be compared to high-end tablets. But it does sport a 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor, 416MHz twelve-core NVIDIA GeForce ULP graphics, (NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L SoC), 1GB of RAM and 8/16GB storage options. That's great, certainly better than what the original Kindle Fire has to offer, but what about the Note 2? Samsung's most recent Android creation is slightly better – and by slightly I mean a lot better for consumers that require more raw power under the hood, while regular Android users will probably not even notice the difference. The device features a 1.6GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor, Mali-400MP GPU(Exynos 4412 Quad SoC), 2GB of RAM and 16/32/64GB storage choices with up to 64GB of expandable memory via microSD cards – the latter being a feature the Nexus 7 lacks.
Photography skills are not just in the megapixelsThe Galaxy Note 2 is, of course, a high-end device, therefore it’s better than the first Jelly Bean tablet in the world when it comes to other hardware departments. The phablet sports two cameras: 8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.9-megapixel front-facing, with the former ready to offer 1080p HD video recording while the latter is stuck in VGA mode. The Nexus 7 only has a front-facing shooter for video chatting that has a 1.2-megapixel shooter capable of 720p video recording. But then again, who needs a camera on tablets? Battery LifeThe Nexus 7, with its extra footprint, can house a much better battery than the Galaxy Note 2. We're looking at a Li-Ion 4,325mAh 16Wh non-removable battery for the tablet compared with the Li-Ion 3,100mAh user-replaceable faster-chaging-than-the-Galaxy-Note’s battery for the phablet. Jelly Bean-nessIn short, both devices have the latest and bravest Android OS version on board, right out of the box. The long version is more complex though, as the Nexus 7 runs a pure, vanilla version of Jelly Bean while the Galaxy Note 2 comes with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top, not to mention all the S Pen stylus-optimized apps the phablet can offer – oh yeah, we didn't forget about the S Pen, a built-in accessory for the Galaxy Note 2 that can be very useful for creative types, or a deal breaker for anyone that's thinks that if you see a stylus, they blew it.
Like always, there's also the matter of future upgrades. Who's going to be the first of the two to be updated to Key Lime Pie – which is what comes after Jelly Bean? Well, if you have to ask, it’s the Google Nexus 7. What should I – and by “I” I mean you – buy?Now that you know first hand what each device has to offer, the question is simple, what should you buy? The Google Nexus 7 is available for $199/$249, depending what memory capacity you choose right away, without any contract fees. The Galaxy Note 2 on the other hand will be pricier whether you buy the unlocked version or the subsidized version. So if it comes to budget-friendliness, the Nexus 7 is your pick.
However, the phablet also acts as a HSPA+ / 4G LTE smartphone – no, we can’t forget about this aspect either – so if you don't want to carry a tablet and smartphone with you at all times, then the Galaxy Note 2 may be the perfect combo. Budget and phone features are two of the most important factors that come to mind when choosing one of these two devices. For everything else we have this handy chart:
For best results, mix the categories above with budget-friendliness and the phone-use requirement and find out whether the latest phablet in town or the best budget-friendly tablet should be on your purchase list. In case you want to see how the two devices look like standing next to each other, take a look at the video below recorded at IFA 2012: And now, the most important question: is anyone seriously considering buying both of them? Related PostsSamsung Galaxy Note 2 teaser video posted ahead of IFA Unpacked media event, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 VS Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 vs iPad: water and drop tests won by Google's Jelly Bean tablet [video]This article, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Google Nexus 7 [video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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