Sunday, September 2, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Hands-on with Lenovo's new Ideatab Android tablets at IFA 2012

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:13 PM PDT

Lenovo has unveiled three new Android tablets at IFA 2012, in Berlin, and we've had the chance to try them out for ourselves. All three tablets run Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, along with some additional UI customizations from the manufacturer.

First up is the 10-inch Ideatab S2110, a keyboard-and-tabet dock set similar to the ASUS Transformer series. Inside the S2110 is a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU running at 1.5GHz, backed up by 1GB of RAM. That's billed as a "premium entertainment tablet," and as such packs HDMI output capable of pumping out images at up to 1080p resolution.

Next come the Ideatab A2107 and A2109 -- mid-range offerings aimed at a lower price point. The A2109 is based around NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chipset, while Lenovo wasn't disclosing the CPU inside the A2107. Both devices sport a more curved chassis with smoother edges, though the software is consistent with the Lenovo's larger tablet. We noticed a few performance and stability issues with these two tablets on the show floor, but we'll put that down to the presence of pre-release hardware and software, and we imagine both will be polished up before the eventual release.

We've got hands-on video up top and more photos of all three products after the break.

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Hands-on with the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:39 PM PDT

Android Central

When we first got wind of the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL, it was an afterthought at the company's Mobile World Congress press conference. Aside the D Quad, which shipped with a 1800 mAh battery, the Ascend D Quad XL would offer a more substantial 2600mAh. At that show, however, only the D Quad was present -- the D Quad XL was nowhere to be seen.

But at IFA 2012 this week, the newly-renamed (we'll leave it up to you to work out why) Ascend D1 Quad XL was proudly displayed at the Huawei booth for all to see. The software it was running closely resembled what we'd seen on the original D Quad back in February -- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, backed up by a proprietary Huawei UI layer (though not the Emotion UI we've seen emerge in recent weeks). On the inside, you'll find the same hardware powering the show -- Huawei's own quad-core 1.4GHz CPU, which has still yet to see the light of day in a released product.

All in all, it's a thicker, bulkier version of the D1 Quad, and one which should see you through a few more hours of regular use. We've got hands-on video after the break, along with a few more photos.

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Leaked materials show Samsung Victory 4G LTE coming to Sprint this month

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:29 PM PDT

Victory 4G LTE

According to this Sprint internal employee promotion, the Samsung Victory 4G LTE should be on the shelves at your local Sprint store sometime in September. News that Samsung will be pushing out a bunch of mid-range Android phones has been kicking around for a week or so, but here's the first official looking word from a carrier about one of them. The supposed specs are a Qualcomm S4 with a 480x800 display and NFC, so it should be more than capable.

What we know for sure is that Sprint reps will get an extra $3 for selling you one in September, and they can't do that unless they are in stock. We'll be waiting for an official announcement.

Thanks, Anon!

Apps of the Week - Eternity Warriors 2, Chicken Bandit, ESPN Fantasy Football and more!

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT

Android Central

We've got another great lineup of apps for your enjoyment this week. It's the first day of September and these apps will help you start it off right. In this batch there are a few great games, an app to manage your fantasy football team and one to keep your phone secure when you're out of the house. Give these picks a try and while you're on an app downloading spree, go ahead and check out the "End of Summer Sale" in the Google Play Store.

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Hands-on with the Intel-powered ZTE Grand X IN

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:11 PM PDT

We first saw the ZTE Grand X in July in London, where the Tegra 2-powered smartphone was billed as a mid-range gaming-focused handset. Fast forward a couple of months, and we've come across a new variant at the Intel booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin. The ZTE Grand X IN closely resembles its Tegra 2-powered brother, except lurking inside this model is an Intel Atom Z2460 CPU, making it one of the few Intel-powered Android 4.x handsets out there.

The only cosmetic difference is the "Intel Inside" badge on the device's rear -- aside from that, it's identical to the version we saw in England in July. On the software side, it's still running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, with only a few custom additions from ZTE. The software remains mostly stock on the Intel-powered version, though obviously some of the Tegra-powered extras are absent on this model.

Check out our hands-on video above. The ZTE Grand X IN should ve hitting store shelves sometime in Q3.

Weekend project: Build Mozilla's Boot to Gecko for your Android smartphone

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Mozilla Boot to Gecko

I'm not a coder. I barely know Git from Got, and I can't recall how many times I've wondered why adb won't work, only to discover I forgot to turn on USB debugging -- again. I've got Linux on a box here, but I only ever use it when I'm in the mood to throw a half-dozen questions at Jerry in the span of five minutes.

Also, I don't have a neckbeard.

So what in the wide, wide world of sports am I doing downloading Xcode on my MacBook Air (never mind that until this spring I'd been a Windows guy all my life), syncing from Git repos, compiling code and flashing an operating system I've consciously ignored up until now -- especially given that I've spent 24 hours dealing with a sick child, worrying about an ailing friend, and preparing for a probable hurricane, largely ignoring my actual job?

I, apparently, have a problem with flashing. And so that's how I recently found myself putting Mozilla's fledgling operating system, also known as "Gecko," on the Samsung Nexus S. 

Welcome to the Boot to Gecko project.

Like I said, I'm not a coder. But I do like to mess with things. And I managed to do this, as my young daughters like to say, all ... by ... my ... self. And you can, too.

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Labor Day Weekend Sale: Save 15% on all Android Accessories from ShopAndroid.com!

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:59 AM PDT

Android Central

The holiday weekend is upon us here in the States, and our pals at ShopAndroid.com are sharing the savings with everyone! Through midnight Monday, you can save 15 percent on your entire order when you use the coupon code LDAY12 at checkout.

That's 15 percent off all Android cases, headsets, memory cards -- everything! And don't forget that ShopAndroid has all-new international shipping options as well. Hope everybody has a great weekend, and enjoy the savings!

Lloyd goes to Berlin via China

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT

Android Central

We all know that Lloyd is a well-traveled individual, but we were nevertheless surprised to see him stalking the halls of IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany, moonlighting for a Chinese tablet manufacturer. We've seen our trusty mascot adorn unauthorized ads and shop signs before, but never on such a scale. Electronics firm Hopeful enlisted the help of a five-foot-tall Lloyd at its IFA 2012 booth, where it was showing a handful of Android tablets.

We'll be having a few words with Lloyd when he gets back from Berlin. In the meantime, if you want real, AC-approved Lloyd swag, we've got plenty of that over in the store.

Hands on with the Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:49 AM PDT

Over at the Huawei booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin, one of the new devices on show is the new MediaPad 7 Lite. We first heard about the tablet back in July, when Huawei themselves announced the device. Specs were a mystery back then, but with the device now pretty much ready for launch, we went hands on to get a feel for this new, mid-range tablet. 

Up front the MediaPad 7 Lite sports a 7 inch 1024x600 IPS display, while powering everything from beneath is an ARM Cortex A8 1.2GHz processor. The tablet comes running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and reminds us of the old HTC Flyer with it's two-tone silver and white, metal meets plastic rear. Perhaps more curiously though, the MediaPad 7 Lite has a 3G cellular voice function. Data, SMS and MMS are all possible from the tablet. Rounding out the specs are a pair of cameras, 3.2MP on the rear, 0.3MP on the front. 

Overall the MediaPad 7 Lite isn't going to set the world on fire, but it isn't meant to either. It isn't the slowest experience in the world, although we did experience a few moments during our brief hands on time. Android purists will be happy also, as it seems that it's pretty much stock ICS on this thing. 

The Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite will begin shipping from now across selected markets, continuing through September. Aside from Russia, there is no word on European availability at this time, nor for the U.S. 

Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD to begin shipping in September

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:27 AM PDT

Android Central

Having been first announced back at Mobile World Congress, the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD -- much like the Ascend D1 Quad XL -- has faded into almost total obscurity. Fast forward six months to IFA 2012 in Berlin, and the tablet is back, and is ready for release. 

Powered by Huawei's own K3v2 Cortex-A9 1.4GHz quad-core processor, the MediaPad 10 FHD packs a gorgeous full HD 1920x1200 IPS display with a 16:10 screen ratio, and Dolby audio technology. Huawei also promises a keyboard dock add-on for the tablet much in the same vein as Asus' Transformer Pad series.

The MediaPad 10 FHD is available now in China, and will begin shipping in selected European and Middle-Eastern markets in September. No word as yet on any UK or U.S. availability. The full press release can be found after the break.

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Spotted at IFA: The ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL 4G LTE

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:20 AM PDT

Android Central

When we got our first look at the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity back at Mobile World Congress, we were promised a 4G LTE version to go alongside the Wifi-only tablet, and today at IFA 2012, we got our first look at the 4G-powered Infinity at the Vodafone booth.

On the outside, there's little to separate the 4G LTE version from its cheaper Wifi-only sibling -- same design, same connectors, same delicious full HD 1080p IPS screen. Interestingly, although the original Infinity's been upgraded to Jelly Bean in some territories, the pre-release TF700KL on the show floor was still rocking Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The internals have been switched around a bit too -- instead of the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU in the Wifi version, the LTE model features a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4. As we've seen in other devices, this doesn't make a huge difference -- the 4G Infinity is just as nippy as the vanilla TF700.

The big difference here is connectivity -- 4G LTE support enables super-fast speeds on-the-go, and testing the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL at Vodafone's booth, we averaged around 50Mbps down and 10Mbps up, though in some cases transfer speeds reached as high as 80Mbps down and 35Mbps up. That's probably a long way off what you'll see on real-world 4G networks, though it certainly does highlight the potential of the technology. That technology comes with a hefty price tag, though, as the TF700KL will cost a whopping €819.90 when it launches in Germany.

We've got a few more photos of the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL 4G LTE after the break.

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Hands on with Ice Cream Sandwich on the Intel powered Orange San Diego

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:10 AM PDT

Android Central

When we first reviewed the Intel Atom powered Orange San Diego back in May, one of the biggest drawbacks to the device was Gingerbread. While the experience with the device was on the whole reasonably pleasurable, there's just no getting away from how outdated Gingerbread has started to feel. 

All that is about to change though for Intel devices. The ZTE Grand X IN was announced earlier this week running Android 4.0, and at the Intel booth today at IFA 2012 in Berlin, we found an Orange San Diego also running Ice Cream Sandwich. Furthermore, an Intel representative told us that the update will begin pushing out sometime during September, although couldn't be more specific than that. What Intel did say is that from their side, all the hard work is done, and the software build is complete. 

But there's more. As you can see here -- and from our hands on video after the break --  the San Diego is running on stock ICS. And, aside from the slightly odd screen resolution of the San Diego -- another of our less favored points -- tainting the appearance a little, it seems to run really nicely. It's smooth, it's snappy, and it's impressive to see that Intel is now starting to make a real push forward. 

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Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note now targeted by Apple lawsuit

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:32 PM PDT

Apple v Samsung Galaxy S III

Apple has amended a lawsuit they filed back in February against Samsung, and is now including four new devices to the original 17 they say violate their patented technology. The additions are the Galaxy S3 (Galaxy S III), the Verizon specific Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note, and the Galaxy Note 10.1. These devices will join the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, the Galaxy S II, the T-Mobile Galaxy S II, the AT&T Galaxy S II, the Galaxy Nexus, the Illusion, the Captivate Glide, the Exhibit II 4G, the Stratosphere, the Transform Ultra, the Admire, the Conquer 4G, and the Dart on the smartphone side, and the Galaxy Player 4.0, the Galaxy Player 5.0, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablets.

The patents Apple is claiming are being violated are:

The "Data detector" patent was successfully used against HTC to block the One X and EVO 4G LTE from import back in December 2011, while the others have been met with limited success around the globe.

The battle between these two is far from over folks -- last weeks news was just the beginning. Expect more as this develops further.

Source: Reuters
Posted by at 5:53 AM

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