Android Central |
- AOKP JB build 3 released; Samsung devices added, Motorola devices dropped
- Google Play Books updated with new tools, highlighting and notes
- Galaxy Note 2 UK on-contract prices emerge, shipping next Tuesday
- This week's sidebar poll: What is your browser of choice?
- Netflix details their UI update for the Android application
- Motorola XPRT update brings Gingerbread and bugfixes
- Motorola Droid RAZR M torn down on video, phone parts found inside
- Samsung ChatON app with voice and video chat spotted
- Pocket Planes sets course for Google Play
- So long, Verizon-exclusive NFL app: SiriusXM now streams NFL games
- Sony Xperia Tipo mini-review
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 confirmed across across Canada, still no dates or prices
- Gameloft teases Modern Combat 4 at Tokyo Game Show
- Chameleon launcher review
- Beware the latest Apex Launcher update
- LG Optimus G 13-megapixel sample pictures
- Sony Xperia T arrives at Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U in the UK
- Sprint announces new 4G LTE cities
- Deal of the Day: Seidio ACTIVE Extended Case for Galaxy Nexus 3800/3500mAh Battery
- Intel confirms next-gen, dual-core Medfield + LTE plans
- Monday Brief: iPhone 5 Launch, LG Optimus G, HTC 8X, and more!
- Samsung updates Android 4.1 Jelly Bean roadmap
- Android 4.1 update for Galaxy S3 rolling out, starting in Poland
| AOKP JB build 3 released; Samsung devices added, Motorola devices dropped Posted: 24 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT
AOKP has released the JB 3 build of their popular Jelly Bean ROM, with a few new features, some bug fixes, and device support news. Support for the Samsung i9100, Samsung i9100g (OMAP version of the Galaxy S 2), and Samsung i9300 has been added to the project, as well as the return of the two Sprint Nexus devices, the Toroplus and Crespo 4G. Unfortunately, due to lack of a device maintainer, support for both the Wingray and Stingray (Motorola Xoom devices) has been dropped. This puts a damper on the otherwise good news, and we hope someone can step forward and get Motorola's best tablets back into the game. The four new features are SMS Quickreply, stopwatch and countdown timers in the clock app, "expert" calculator options (graphing. matrices and the like), and adding IME switching and vibration/ringer toggle to the navigation ring targets. Bugs squashed include the ability to add custom ringtones again, as well as other under-the-hood fixes and improvements. Downloads for the various Nexus devices are already live, and you can find them here (as well as the G apps you'll need). Keep an eye out for the newly added devices to be released as the maintainers get things up to speed. Source: AOKP 
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| Google Play Books updated with new tools, highlighting and notes Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:44 PM PDT
Google has updated their Play Books application, bringing a new set of tools such as definitions, maps integration, translation, and text highlighting. The new feature set brings along some great options that we've seen in other popular e-book apps, as well as some that we haven't. With today's update, users can select a named place and have a card with a Google Maps view displayed, with the option to find out more via a Google search or from Wikipedia. Similarly, when you come across a word or term you're not familiar with you can tap it for a quick definition. Taking things a bit further, you can also select a word or phrase and use the button in the action bar to translate it into other languages, presumably using Google's translate engine. Last but not least, readers can now highlight sections and insert notes, which sync across the cloud to all devices running the app. It's great to see Google keeping their applications fresh and filled with new features, but it's even more exciting to see them moving outside the confines of the US into other countries. Google Play Books is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Korea and Japan. Download it via the link above. Source: Google 
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| Galaxy Note 2 UK on-contract prices emerge, shipping next Tuesday Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:14 PM PDT
UK SIM-free pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 emerged some time ago, but if you're still wondering much it'll set you back on-contract, then wonder no more. The answer, it seems, is a lot. Independent UK retailer Phones4U has published its subsidized prices for the Note 2, which it's offering on Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and Orange. But if you want to pick up a Galaxy Note 2 for free, you'll be paying at least £41 per month to one of the UK's leading networks. On O2, that'll get you a free Galaxy Note 2, and an allowance consisting of unlimited texts, unlimited minutes and 1GB of data. Though for just a pound more per month, Vodafone offers the same call and text package, but with 2GB of data thrown in. Cheaper plans are available, but you'll pay up to £299 for the phone itself. Phones4U expects to fulfill orders from next Tuesday, Oct. 2, which would fit with rumored release dates that've been doing the rounds in the past few days. Source: Phones4U 
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| This week's sidebar poll: What is your browser of choice? Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT
Having access to the Internet's rich content is a good reason why many of us love our smartphones. The days of WAP browsing are over and we have all sorts of options and way to get the Web and services right in our hands. On the Android platform we're especially lucky, because we have an abundance of browser apps available right in Google Play. Whether you need one of the numerous fast-as-heck rendering Webkit browsers, like Chrome or Dolphin, or want the compatibility with desktop web apps that Firefox's Gecko delivers, or even the quick loading pages that come with Opera Mini, Android has you covered. This is where we share, so I'll tell what I'm using. I actually install two full browsers -- Chrome and Firefox. I need Chrome's device sync and tie-in to my Google account, and use it as my device default browser, but when I'm just playing and surfing the 'net I use Firefox, as it seems to do a better job with the sites I frequent. What about you guys? Hit the poll -- you'll find it in the sidebar to the right or after the break -- and let us know how you do it. Last week's poll was about NFC, and here are the results. Do you use NFC often?
With a 30-percent plus adoption rate among Android enthusiasts, NFC looks like a feature the manufacturers need to consider when they make their next device. 
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| Netflix details their UI update for the Android application Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:28 PM PDT Following reported sightings, Netflix has gone on record and detailed the UI updates that are being pushed to the Android version of the Netflix application. No download is required, everything has been done on the back end, and users should be seeing it for themselves. Other than looks, there's nothing else to be found within. But, looks are important. The Netflix app has always felt like a means to an end rather than an enjoyable application use. These changes looks to go someway to changing that feeling, and follows changes to the iOS offerings. A pretty sweet addition is the ability to double tap on a title and have it beginning right away. If you're a Netflix user, be sure to hit us up in the comments below and let us know your thoughts on the new mobile experience. Source: Netflix (YouTube) 
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| Motorola XPRT update brings Gingerbread and bugfixes Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:10 PM PDT
The Motorola XPRT, that BlackBerry-like keyboard phone on Sprint, has finally made its move to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Along with bumping up to the next platform version, the update brings a decent grouping of bug fixes for the device:
The latest software version, 4.5.1-110-kns-46, is available now and your device should prompt you to update. If you haven't been updated yet, a quick trip to Settings > About phone > System updates should remedy that. As far as Ice Cream Sandwich goes, we think this is probably the end of the road for updates on the XPRT. Source: Sprint Support 
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| Motorola Droid RAZR M torn down on video, phone parts found inside Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:04 PM PDT Motorola's latest Android offering, the Droid RAZR M, has a complete and thorough teardown video available now thanks to the folks over at DirectFix. This is a pretty quick turnaround considering the RAZR M just hit Verizon stores, and we're glad there are people out there who are willing and capable of tearing these new gadgets apart. If for some reason you need to know how to replace a part in your new device -- or maybe you're just curious what Moto has packed behind that kevlar back plate, we wouldn't blame you -- then this video may be of interest to you. Source: DirectFix YouTube 
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| Samsung ChatON app with voice and video chat spotted Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:36 PM PDT
Samsung continues to try and push its ChatON instant messaging service, and if the image seen here is to be believed they look set to push into the world of voice and video chat. Spied by SamsungMania.cz on a Samsung Galaxy Camera is the as yet unreleased ChatONV. Very little else is known about it at this time, other than the apparent support for voice and video chat. While seen here as a separate application, presumably Samsung could integrate the services into their existing ChatON application rather than offering it separately. Source: SamsungMania via Sammyhub 
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| Pocket Planes sets course for Google Play Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:24 PM PDT
Pocket Planes, the adorable pixelated successor to Tiny Tower, found its way to Android over the weekend. Instead of building a massive self-sustaining skyscraper, players build out an airline, complete with a wide variety of aircraft, destinations, goods, and passengers to deliver. There are sets of missions that change regularly, and players that contribute deliveries to them are listed on worldwide leaderboards, as well as smaller ones in flight groups with your friends. I've played a fair bit of Pocket Planes on iOS, and it's a ton of fun, especially if you found that Tiny Tower lacked depth or complexity. The game is free, with the support of in-app purchases for accelerated progress on a handful of fronts. The Game maintains the charm of Tiny Tower, and puts a fresh twist on it. Any Tiny Tower players in the house interested in giving this game a shot? Any other good business simulation games out there? The only other ones that really come to mind are Order Up!! To Go and the endless tide of Kairosoft titles like Game Dev Story. 
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| So long, Verizon-exclusive NFL app: SiriusXM now streams NFL games Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:58 AM PDT
Had a pleasant surprise during Week 3 of the NFL season. (Never mind that the Steelers blew it by letting the Raiders within a half-mile of the end zone, with ol' Sea Bass on the sidelines.) SiriusXM is now streaming NFL games live online. And that means you also can listen to them on the SiriusXM Android application. And that means I no longer need the NFL Mobile app, which only officially works on Verizon phones, to listen to games that aren't on TV. (And, yes, that means no cracked versions.) I've never been a fan of such exclusives. Now, it doesn't matter. You will, however, need an extra app to keep up with the latest news and stats, but that's no big deal. OK, and you'll also need a subscription to SiriusXM. But kudos to to the company for getting this one done. Why didn't anyone tell me before now? 
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| Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:17 AM PDT
Sony has released more smartphones than ever before 2012, hoping that strength in numbers will help it overcome Android competition from the likes of Samsung and HTC. One important, but often overlooked area of any manufacturer’s line-up is the entry level -- it’s these devices which attract first-time smartphone users, giving them their first taste of the Android platform. We’re taking a look at one such device today. The Sony Xperia Tipo is the manufacturer’s cheapest 2012 smartphone -- a budget phone with a basic feature set. When you’re selling a device like the Tipo unsubsidized around the £100 mark, compromises inevitably must be made. But does enough smartphone muscle remain to deliver a compelling user experience? Join us after the break to find out, in our bite-size mini-review of the tiny Xpeira Tipo. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 confirmed across across Canada, still no dates or prices Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:03 AM PDT
TELUS, WIND Mobile, and Mobilicity have confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 would be arriving across their respective Canadians networks this fall. It wouldn't be surprising to see Rogers and Bell to soon follow suit soon with equally vague announcements. No dates or prices have been revealed, but a few have put up landing pages in their online store. The UK is going to be getting the Galaxy Note 2 in mid-October for £546, while the American version won't be around until mid-November. That should give us an idea of what to expect in Canada. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the amped-up successor to the original phablet. The specs are pretty sweet, as you can see.
You can get a closer look at the device in our hands-on video over here. Canadians, any of you interested in picking up the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, or is it still way too big?
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| Gameloft teases Modern Combat 4 at Tokyo Game Show Posted: 24 Sep 2012 10:18 AM PDT
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour was teased at the Tokyo Game Show by Gameloft the other day. While we might not all be particularly happy with the "I <3 iPhone" sessions where this video was aired, and the quality of the graphics and gameplay are hard to make out from this ground-floor video, it will be exciting to see how much has improved since Modern Combat 3. While the storyline isn't anything particularly riveting or original, games like this tend to push the outer limits of what's graphically possible on current smartphones, and I can only imagine Modern Combat 4 will continue to push the envelope. Gameloft themselves haven't made an official unveiling through any of their channels, but we can likely expect them to make a bigger splash with their next title soon enough. Any gamers put a lot of time into Modern Combat 3? What would you like to see in the sequel? Source: moderncombat4.weebly.com 
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| Posted: 24 Sep 2012 09:18 AM PDT Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Chameleon released its widget-heavy launcher for Android tablets last week. The unified look and feel of the widgets make for a great show, and the context-based triggers for home screen launches are cool, but how easy is it to get along with most of your apps tucked away in a dock? 
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| Beware the latest Apex Launcher update Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT
Just a quick heads up that it appears the update made available this morning for Apex Launcher is borking things up, from consistent force-closes Deep breath, folks. We're sure it'll get fixed soonest. At least it better. In the meantime, we'd avoid this update. And we'll update this post just as soon as the update is updated to fix the update that broke things in the first place. Update: And a new update has fixed the broken update. Huzzah. More: Apex Launcher; thanks to everyone who sent this in 
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| LG Optimus G 13-megapixel sample pictures Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:54 AM PDT
One of the more important features of the LG Optimus G -- of any current smartphone, really -- is the camera. The Optimus G actually will come in a couple flavors. We took the 13-megapixel smartphone for a test-drive last week in Seoul, South Korea. Other regions will see an 8-megapixel shooter, with the added bonus that it gives the phone a slightly slimmer profile. So how'd the camera perform? Pretty well. We do have to keep in mind that we were using a preproduction unit, but we were told the camera should be pretty darn close to the experience we'll have in a retail unit. But the camera app was decent enough and had all the usual bells and whistles in the usual places. Our one main concern was that a number of our pics seemed to be a little hazy. We tracked that down to our greasy fingerprints on the lens, and we found ourselves having to constantly wipe it down before taking a clear picture. That's not something we have to do with every device. (Or maybe we should be more worried about it?) It'll be interesting to see if that's just us holding it wrong, or if others of you will muck it up just as much. Anyhoo. We've got a bevy of sample pics after the break. Some are in HDR, but we're not going to tell you which ones. The HDR mode actually seems to be kind of weak, so we're curious if you can spot it in action. 
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| Sony Xperia T arrives at Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U in the UK Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:16 AM PDT
A little ahead of schedule, Sony’s new international flagship, the Xperia T, is now available in the UK. Phones4U and the Carphone Warehouse are offering the device on-contract through their respective websites. Both retailers are selling the Xperia T with O2, Vodafone and Orange contracts, starting at £26 per month. That’ll get you 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data on Orange through CPW, though if you don’t mind parting with an extra £2.50 per month, P4U will hook you up with 1GB of data, 600 minutes and 3000 texts. There’s currently no way to buy an unlocked Xperia T online through these retailers, and independent online stores aren’t expecting stock until October. However, we called around a few of our local Phones4U stores, and it seems they’re more than willing to sell you a SIM-free Xperia T when it arrives in-store this Thursday. The Carphone Warehouse stores we contacted were unsure as to when stock would arrive, or if SIM-free sales would be allowed. Neither chain was able to give us any SIM-free pricing details. Meanwhile, XperiaBlog reports that the Xperia T has gone on sale in Germany, where it’s available through O2. Over there, handset’s currently priced at €449 on Pay As You Go. via XperiaBlog 
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| Sprint announces new 4G LTE cities Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:12 AM PDT
Sprint this morning announced a handful of new 4G LTE locales. They are:
Sprint also said New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are seeing improved 3G coverage. Source: Sprint 
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| Deal of the Day: Seidio ACTIVE Extended Case for Galaxy Nexus 3800/3500mAh Battery Posted: 24 Sep 2012 06:48 AM PDT
The Seidio ACTIVE Extended Case is available for just $17.00, 51% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping. Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
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| Intel confirms next-gen, dual-core Medfield + LTE plans Posted: 24 Sep 2012 06:04 AM PDT
The current crop of "Medfield"-based Intel Atom smartphone chips has one major disadvantage compared to much of the ARM-based competition -- these SoCs don't support 4G LTE connectivity. Recent Intel-based phones like the Motorola RAZR i and Orange San Diego are 3G/HSPA-only, single-core devices, which has proved a barrier to U.S. carrier uptake. Though these chips boast Intel's Hyperthreading technology for improved multitasking, the chip giant is keen to move into true multi-core territory, while implementing 4G LTE support, allowing it to move into the U.S. market. Speaking with TechCrunch, Intel's Director of Product Marketing Sumeet Syal said the company was readying LTE products "later this year and ramping into 2013." In the U.S. market in particular, Motorola would be the manufacturer to watch for future LTE-connected Intel-powered phones. Moto has partnered with Intel to develop multiple devices over the next few years, and it's already started with the RAZR i in Europe. In addition, it should come as no surprise to see Intel readying dual-core Medfield chips to take on higher-end ARM offerings. Syal told TechCrunch "Our next gen product will be a dual-core but again that product will also have hyper threading so essentially… you will also have dual-core with four threads." It's just the beginning for Intel on Android, and we expect there'll be more to see starting early next year at CES. Source: TechCrunch 
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| Monday Brief: iPhone 5 Launch, LG Optimus G, HTC 8X, and more! Posted: 24 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT
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| Samsung updates Android 4.1 Jelly Bean roadmap Posted: 24 Sep 2012 05:03 AM PDT
Alongside today's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for some Galaxy S3 models, the Korean manufacturer has confirmed that it'll also be updating some fifteen existing devices to the latest version of Google's OS. Though no timeframe for release is provided, owners of the devices below can rest assured that they'll eventually get Jelly Bean, even if the update takes a few months to arrive. The devices so far confirmed by Samsung as "following soon" are --
The Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note had already been extensively rumored to have Jelly Bean updates in the works, though we're surprised not to see devices like the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and 10.1 on that list. Though that doesn't necessarily mean they'll never get Jelly Bean. Disappointed Samsung device owners may want to check out our recent article on the cruel world of Android updates. via The Verge 
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| Android 4.1 update for Galaxy S3 rolling out, starting in Poland Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:55 AM PDT
Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 finally arrives, available first as a Kies updateSamsing has started pushing out the official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the international Galaxy S3 (GT-i9300).The update appears to be pushing out to Galaxy S3 owners with unbranded handsets in the Poland ("XEO" region) initially, with other regions and networks expected to follow shortly. At the time of writing, the update is being pushed out through Samsung's Kies software, rather than over the air. As we reported last month, the update will introduce familiar Jelly Bean features like Google Now, "Project Butter" performance enhancements and the redesigned notification shade, in addition to new TouchWiz features. These include dormant mode, for better notification and alert management, as well as "easy mode" for simplified home screen operation. Owners of the unlocked international Galaxy S3 should be getting their updates very soon, even if they're not in Poland -- usually when one region starts being updated, it's a matter of days before others follow. Carrier-branded versions, such as the U.S. Galaxy S3 models, may have a little longer to wait, as those devices must go through additional certification. To see if your update is ready to go, start up Kies on your PC and plug in your phone. If you're already up and running with Jelly Bean on your S3, head into the comments and let us know how you're getting on. More: New features in Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean/TouchWiz update 
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