Android Central |
- Motorola live streaming September 5th event
- This week's sidebar poll: Are you interested in a dedicated camera running Android?
- T-Mobile and Walmart to offer prepaid Samsung Galaxy S2 for $299
- ComScore reports Android and Samsung still on top of market share
- Pantech Flex Gallery
- Pantech Flex Specs
- HTC holding U.S. event on Sept. 19, new devices likely
- LG Intuition Gallery
- OtterBox Commuter Series case review
- Noob-friendly Pantech Flex announced for AT&T
- SGP Crumena Leather Pouch for Samsung Galaxy S3 review
- LG Splendor Gallery
- LG Splendor Specs
- Rovio announces Bad Piggies - swine-centric, slingshot-free action begins Sept. 27
- Samsung Galaxy Stellar announced for Verizon
- Verizon announces LG Intuitition
- Deal of the Day: Krusell Avenyn Mobile UnderCover for Samsung Galaxy S3
- Verizon getting 5 inches of Android in the LG Intuition on Sept. 6 for $199
- New Sony Xperia phones get tentative eurozone pricing
- Sony Xperia T appears in promo shot with AT&T branding
- HTC Desire X gets SIM-free pricing in the UK
- TVCatchup app leaves beta, joins Google Play Store
| Motorola live streaming September 5th event Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:51 PM PDT
Motorola has announced that it'll be live streaming its "Motorola. On Display." event in New York City tomorrow, September 5th on YouTube. We're not so sure what we'll be seeing at the event -- phones, tablets, both? -- but we'll all be able to watch and find out starting at 2 pm EST tomorrow. So go ahead and hit the source link below to bookmark that live stream page to watch. Of course you'll want to watch our live coverage of the event and hands-on with any devices that are available too, which you can find right here as well. Source: YouTube 
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| This week's sidebar poll: Are you interested in a dedicated camera running Android? Posted: 04 Sep 2012 03:39 PM PDT
Android is a Linux OS -- just like countless other Linux OSs you use without knowing it every day with "not-smart" consumer electronic devices. Because it's easily scalable and simple to modify, Android is a no-brainer way to make these not-so-smart devices a little smarter and add a network-aware user interface to them. This means televisions, Blu-ray players, stereos, and cameras. Samsung is going about it in a big way with their Galaxy Camera, which looks to be a pretty impressive personal media player with a quality point and shoot camera attached. Nikon is also at the bat, but they look to have built a point and shoot camera first, then added the Android operating system to it rather than build the camera around the OS. There's good to be said about either method, and as always it means a choice for you and me. We love choices. But are you interested? Is there going to be a market for this type of camera? That's where the poll comes into play. You'll find our polls in the sidebar now, where they won't get lost in the onslaught of Android news and end up buried before you get time to vote. We'll let them run about a week, then come back with the results when we post a new one. Speaking of results, last week's poll was "Has the patent-infringement lawsuit changed your view of Samsung"? Here's your results --
Clearly, most people aren't too affected by the verdict. Be sure vote in this week's poll, which you can find after the break or in the sidebar to the right. 
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| T-Mobile and Walmart to offer prepaid Samsung Galaxy S2 for $299 Posted: 04 Sep 2012 01:22 PM PDT
The prepaid smartphone market is certainly growing, and growing fast. For a increasing number of consumers, moving to a prepaid service is the best way to get a device and keep the monthly costs down. T-Mobile is helping consumers along with that move to prepaid by introducing the Samsung Galaxy SII (S2) on their prepaid Monthly 4G service in conjunction with Walmart. Starting today, customers will be able to pick up the Galaxy S2 off contract at the full price of $299, with monthly plans starting at 100 minutes of talk, unlimited texts and 5GB of 4G data for just $30 per month. The important part of these prepaid services is that there is no contract, no credit check and no deposit to start the service. Now some of the more techy individuals among us (read: Android nerds) may scoff at the idea of buying a year-old device, but the Galaxy S2 is far ahead of most normal prepaid offerings by a great margin, and at $299 is a really great deal. Now of course for Just $50 more you could pick up a Samsung Galaxy Nexus straight from the Google Play Store (a phone we surely still recommend for the price) that will work just fine with T-Mobile's plan offerings, but some consumers still like the idea of being able to walk into a store and pick up a device with the plan and know where to go for service and support as well. Take a look after the break for the complete press release. 
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| ComScore reports Android and Samsung still on top of market share Posted: 04 Sep 2012 12:57 PM PDT
ComScore has just released their July 2012 analysis of the U.S. phone market, and the results are about what you would expect. On the manufacturer front, Samsung has kept the lead with 25.6 percent of the U.S. market, although that is a 0.3 percentage point drop from April 2012. In the same period, LG dropped from 19.8 percent to 18.4 percent and Apple held down the 3rd place spot at 14.4 percent. No surprise here on the operating system chart, as Android and iOS continue to run away with the market at 52.2 percent and 33.4 percent market share, respectively. RIM took the biggest hit to market share in the period, dropping 2.1 percentage points to just 9.5 percent of the market. No shocking numbers here, but we're happy to see Android continue to grow, getting more great devices into people's hands. Be sure to check out all of the granular analysis in the full report at the source link below. Source: ComScore 
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| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 12:46 PM PDT | ||
| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 12:39 PM PDT
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| HTC holding U.S. event on Sept. 19, new devices likely Posted: 04 Sep 2012 11:12 AM PDT
It's fall refresh time, and it looks like HTC's getting geared up to unleash an arsenal of new products in just a couple of weeks time. This afternoon we received the 'save the date' reminder above, inviting us to an event in New York City on Sept. 19. For those keeping track of all the events and announcements we're expecting around that time, that's 24 hours after Moto and Intel strut their stuff in London, and just a couple of days ahead of the expected iPhone 5 retail release. (Yeah, it's going to be a crazy few weeks.) What's particularly interesting is that our sister site WPCentral also received the same invite, suggesting that HTC might unveil not only new Android devices, but some Windows Phone 8 stuff, too. The WPC kids have been been hearing rumors of a possible HTC "Accord" or "8X" over the past few days, so we'll have to see if that materializes on the 19th. On the Android side, possibilities include that weird iMac-looking tablet thing, as well as the perpetually-rumored Verizon-bound 1080p-screened 5-inch device. Any more wild theories? Throw 'em out in the comments. Both Android Central and WPCentral will be live from New York City on the 19th to bring you live coverage of whatever HTC's got up its sleeve. 
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| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT | ||
| OtterBox Commuter Series case review Posted: 04 Sep 2012 10:06 AM PDT The Commuter Series OtterBox is a slimmed-down version of its big brother, the Defender case. Instead of a full three layers of integrated protection, there is just the internal soft silicon core and an external hard plastic cover (though the package comes along with a run-of-the-mill screen protector for good measure). MicroUSB and headphone jacks are protected with flaps, while the hard power and volume keys are accessible through the skin, and the camera and speaker are open. 
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| Noob-friendly Pantech Flex announced for AT&T Posted: 04 Sep 2012 09:42 AM PDT
The Pantech Flex 4G LTE has been announced on AT&T, and should be landing September 16 for $49.99 on a two-year contract. Besides LTE connectivity and running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Pantech Flex offers an "Easy Experience" mode, which makes the layout more streamlined and simple to navigate. Here's a quick run-down of the specs.
More info is available over at Pantech's device page. The last phone we saw from Pantech was the Maurauder for Verizon, and though it was also geared towards late adopters, it looks like there's enough horsepower behind these phones to keep the experience smooth. What do you guys think of this Easy Experience mode? Are there really a lot of cell phone shoppers out there that are overwhelmed by what Android has to offer? Does it need to be pared down a little bit for those new folks? Video and press release after the jump. 
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| SGP Crumena Leather Pouch for Samsung Galaxy S3 review Posted: 04 Sep 2012 09:10 AM PDT
Traditional phone cases are all well and good, but sometimes you just want something that'll protect your device when it's in transit, or in a bag or pocket with other items. For that kind of protection, it's hard to beat a good old-fashioned leather pouch, such as SGP's Crumena pouch for the Samsung Galaxy S3. This is a snug-fitting pouch for the Galaxy S3 (international and U.S. versions) that protects it from scuffs and scrapes, and includes a cut-out area for the microphone so as to not to mask the sound of ringtones and notifications. To remove the phone, simply pull on the magnetic tab, and it'll rise out from the case -- and it's that magnet which helps to secure the device in place. And as the pouch is designed to be loaded with the headphone jack at the top, you can easily listen to music on your S3 while it's loaded inside the case. The outside of the case is furnished in leather, which gives it a soft, yet sturdy feel. On the inside, there's a soft coating to help protect the screen and glossy back of the device. Overall, it's well-built, and ideal for S3 owners looking for occasional protection while their phone's in a backpack or handbag. The SGP Crumena Leather Pouch for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is currently available in brown from ShopAndroid.com, priced $29.99. Black and white versions are coming soon, and are available to pre-order. We've got more photos after the break. 
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| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:57 AM PDT | ||
| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:52 AM PDT
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| Rovio announces Bad Piggies - swine-centric, slingshot-free action begins Sept. 27 Posted: 04 Sep 2012 07:47 AM PDT
Following a recent teaser, Angry Birds creator Rovio has officially announced the next chapter in the popular game series -- Bad Piggies. Featuring the infamous pigs from the Angry Birds games, the nature of Bad Piggies' gameplay remains a unknown, though the developer promises that there won't be a "slingshot in sight." Bad Piggies is due to launch on Sept. 27 on Android, iOS and Mac, with PC, Windows 8 and Windows Phone versions following shortly thereafter.
Rovio's sure to launch more teaser videos to keep the hype buzzing over in the weeks ahead, so chances are we'll learn more about this swine-centric sequel before long. Let us know what you think in the comments -- are you up for a fresh take on the avian-versus-boar dynamic? Or with so many existing spin-offs, have both pig and bird already jumped the shark? Source: Rovio 
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| Samsung Galaxy Stellar announced for Verizon Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:45 AM PDT
Alongside the LG Intuition, Verizon also announced the Samsung Galaxy Stellar today. We had caught a glimpse of this mid-range phone at Best Buy not too long ago. Though it's not exactly a powerhouse, the Samsung Galaxy Stellar packs LTE connectivity, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, which is nothing to sneeze at considering the pricetag. The Samsung Galaxy Stellar lands on Verizon's online store this Thursday for free after a two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate. Full specs and press release after the jump. 
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| Verizon announces LG Intuitition Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:29 AM PDT
The 5-inch LG phablet spotted the other week has been announced today for Verizon as the Intuition. The device boasts LTE connectivity, a stylus, and comes with two reprogrammable NFC tags. Here's a quick run-down of the features.
The LG Intuition will be on sale in their online store starting this Thursday for $199.99 on a two-year contract. While I'm not a huge fan of the blocky design, maybe some of you guys are into it. Any takers? 
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| Deal of the Day: Krusell Avenyn Mobile UnderCover for Samsung Galaxy S3 Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:24 AM PDT
The Krusell Avenyn Mobile UnderCover is available for just $16.00, 47% off today only. Grab yours while supplies last! 
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| Verizon getting 5 inches of Android in the LG Intuition on Sept. 6 for $199 Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:23 AM PDT
It's not all that much of a surprise at this point, but it finally is official. Verizon this morning announced that it'll carry the LG Intuition, the U.S. carrier's version of what the rest of the world knows as the LG Optimus Vu. The Vu, as you know from our full review, was LG's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note, which ushered in the 5-inches-plus era of Android smartphones. The Intuition/Vu did so in a unique way, however, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, giving the whole thing a much more square feel than traditional smartphones. The Intuition will launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, be we imagine it'll end up with a Jelly Bean update at some point. It'll be available online Sept. 6 and in stores Sept. 10 for $199 on contract. 
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| New Sony Xperia phones get tentative eurozone pricing Posted: 04 Sep 2012 05:09 AM PDT
The first European pricing information for Sony's new Xperia T, Xperia V and Xperia J smartphones has come to light, as several German retailers have put the devices up for pre-order. According to online stores Idealo and notebooksbilliger, the high-end Xperia T is listed with a €549 price tag, while the LTE-enabled Xperia V will set you back €580. Meanwhile, the budget-focused Xperia J will apparently sell for €265. These prices roughly equate to £450 for the T and £210 for the J for British consumers (with no LTE networks in the UK, it's unlikely we'll get the Xperia V at all). These are also SIM-free prices, so as ever, if you pick one of these up with a contract, you can expect to pay considerably less. We've already seen one UK retailer report SIM-free pricing for the Xperia J, and with a SIM-free pre-order price of £190, Clove's pricing closely matches what we're seeing from these German retailers. Pre-order prices are always subject to change, but with so many retailers reporting the same RRP, it's likely the final pricing won't stray too far from that mark. Sony's new Xperia phones are expected to appear from tomorrow, Sept. 5, starting at UK retailer the Carphone Warehouse. Source: XperiaBlog 
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| Sony Xperia T appears in promo shot with AT&T branding Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:51 AM PDT
Last week we learned all about Sony's new flagship smartphones at IFA 2012, however there was nothing offered in the way of U.S. release information. Today that may have changed, as the Sony's new international flagship, the Xperia T, has appeared in a promotional photo bearing AT&T's globe logo. The image comes from UK retailer Phones4U, which has published it alongside a number of shots of the European Xperia T. That phone has Sony's Xperia branding under the screen, while the final promotional image swaps it out for the U.S. carrier's logo. Also of note is the back of this AT&T Xperia T, which is split up into three segments. On the international version, which we saw at IFA last week, the phone's back panel is smooth, with no dividers at the top or bottom. One possible reason for this design change might be to enable 4G LTE connectivity. In any case, we've reached out to AT&T for comment, and we'll update this post with any info they provide. Source: Phones4U; Thanks, Paolo! More: Hands-on with Sony's latest at IFA 
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| HTC Desire X gets SIM-free pricing in the UK Posted: 04 Sep 2012 03:10 AM PDT
The first pricing information for HTC's new Desire X has become available over at an online UK-based retailer. Clove Technology is now listing the Desire X for pre-order with a SIM-free price of £228 inc. VAT (£190 exc. VAT). The phone, which is offered in "stealth black" and "neutral white," is expected to begin shipping in Europe later this month. As we discovered during our hands-on time with the HTC Desire X, it's a nicely balanced mid-range smartphone, with a few outstanding features, including a 5MP BSI rear camera a sharp SuperLCD display and a dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU. Around the £200 mark, you'll be hard pushed to find a similarly-spec'd device, and HTC's Sense 4 remains one of our favorite Android UIs. More pre-order info can be found at the source link. If you're still on the fence about the Desire X, be sure to check out our hands-on coverage of the phone from IFA 2012. Source: Clove 
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| TVCatchup app leaves beta, joins Google Play Store Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:41 AM PDT
After a fairly lengthy beta test period, UK TV streaming service TVCatchup has graduated its Android app from beta, and launched it on the Google Play Store. The app, like the TVCatchup website, allows license fee-paying Brits to watch live online streams of many of the country's free-to-air TV channels -- currently over 50, the app claims. We've been using the app throughout its beta test phase, and we've found it to be just as reliable as the website. Note that you'll need to be in the UK to download this app, and that it won't work if you're not on a UK ISP or mobile network. Also, if you want to stay on the right side of the law, you'll need to hold a TV license to view live broadcasts. With that out of the way, Brits can head to the Google Play link above to download TVCatchup for Android. It's free and ad-supported, and you'll need a phone or tablet running at least Android 2.2. 
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