Thursday, September 13, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Google Chrome gets fixes for third-party IMEs, full-screen YouTube controls, and more

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:07 PM PDT

Google Chrome has just just received a quick upgrade in the Google Play Store, and its changes may seem minimal to most but still appreciated by many. For starters, Google has issued fixes to make third party IMEs — or keyboards — work better with the browser. Fixes to make YouTube controls usable in full-screen made have also been pushed.

Finally, Google Chrome will pull your location preference from the system level so that you don’t have to specify your preferences each time you install the app. Any update is a good update unless it adds ads, so be sure to find it in the Google Play Store.

eBay for Android gets much-needed face lift with version 2.0

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT

I’m just going to come right out and say it: eBay for Android was always ugly. It was horrendous. It worked — and it worked well — but boy did it hurt to look at. Thankfully, those days are no more.

eBay version 2.0 has hit the Google Play Store with a much-needed user interface upgrade. It’s modernized for Android’s Holo UI, and we could be more pleased with what they’ve done here.

They’ve also added eBay Motors support, better list access, the ability to add up to 12 photos when listing an item with the app, the ability to view an item’s bidding history, support for users in Spain and Italy to add listings, payment support for those in Malaysia and Singapore, and more.

I always quickly resorted to my PC whenever I needed to look anything up on eBay, but with today’s changes I think I’ll be giving it another whirl on my phone. Be sure to find the download in the Google Play Store.

T-Mobile confirms S4 Snapdragon chipset inside Galaxy S Relay 4G

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:40 PM PDT

We’ve been trying to figure out what sort of processor was inside T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G since it was announced. Magenta didn’t provide the information at the time for some reason, but now they’ve finally spilled the beans.

The QWERTY device is, in fact, running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor. It’s good news considering it’s one of the better processors in the game, and we’d expect a device as solid as the Relay 4G to pack one hell of a punch in that department. September 19th will be the hand-off date for this thing, and you can hit the ground running with it for $150. [via TmoNews]

Samsung, HTC said to be going through with plans to sue Apple for LTE

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:40 PM PDT

Samsung said they had plans to file a lawsuit to block Apple’s iPhone 5 if it were to launch with 4G LTE radios, and Apple sure enough did that at its announcement event today. So is Samsung going to go through with its word? According to Korea Times, Samsung has already started filing paperwork.

The OEM found good reason to go for the jugular after Apple was granted a win for Samsung’s infringement of design and utility patents. The damages were over $1 billion large, and that no doubt caught a majority of Samsung’s attention. While they’re already in the process of appealing that ruling they’re going to leverage some patents of their own.

Samsung reportedly owns 10% of all the LTE patents owned in the world, so they have a pretty sizable chunk for the growing technology. Unfortunately, LTE’s status as a standard will undoubtedly force Samsung to proceed under the rules of FRAND, which means fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory.

Samsung can’t completely shun Apple from using the patents, and they can’t charge a ridiculous amount of money to use them, either. But perhaps it’ll open a much-needed door to a possible cross-licensing agreement, or a means of getting Apple to just back off.

It looks like Samsung won’t be alone, either, as HTC is also said to be filing their initial paper work to sue Apple for the use of LTE in the iPhone 5. The two aren’t necessarily working together, but they will be giving Apple a big headache as the tables turn in a way that they haven’t yet before. We’ll be monitoring the situation closely. [via IGN, Korea Times]

iPhone 5 vs Android: The Patent Troll Presentation

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:35 PM PDT

“This is unlike anything we or anyone else in our industry has made before,“ said Tim Cook regarding the iPhone 5 at Apple’s press conference in California today. That’s a bold statement considering the state of the current patent wars, with Apple filing silly lawsuits for things like making similarly shaped phones and having slide-to-unlock features.

The iPhone 5 will surely be one of the hottest smartphones of the year, but check out all these “new” features that are “unlike anything” the industry has ever seen: 4-inch display, 8 megapixel 1080p HD camera, HD front-facing camera, A6 processor that is two times faster than the A5X, 4G LTE, and more.

Funnily enough, this all sounds rather dusty in the world of Android. Let’s show you what we mean.

For starters, this thing is supposed to be “the world’s thinnest smartphone.” Sure, for the moment, but we all know that claim won’t last too long. It seems like there’s a new “thinnest smartphone” every month or two; remember the Huawei Ascend P1 S announcement? Or more recently, the Oppo Finder which at 6.65mm is thinner than the iPhone 5′s 7.6mm. Even the Galaxy S3 is8.6mm… will anyone notice that 1mm?

“The new screen on iPhone 5 is a 4-inch display.” You don’t say? The 4-inch display might be unique in its aspect ratio, but it’s still just a 4-inch display. The original Samsung Galaxy S launched with a 4-inch display way back in June 2010 and many phones have since launched with the varying sizes while remaining beautifully thin. Want to try a Galaxy Nexus with a 4.65-inch screen? Galaxy Note with a 5.3-inch screen? How about the HTC EVO 3D with a 4.3-inch screen? That’s what we thought.

And with that revolutionary new 4-inch iPhone 5 screen size, Apple has just gotten their first taste of “fragmentation.” Wait… Tim, did you remember saying this:

“One thing is that we’re not fragmented. Look at the percentage of users who upgraded to iOS 5. We have one App Store. We have one phone with one screen size, one resolution. So it’s pretty simple if you’re a developer.”

Tim Cook touts the device’s ability to automatically sensor the window of an app in the device’s old screen size and use letter-boxing to eat up the rest of that space. So apps can’t automatically scale or stretch? Developers now have to do extra work to make their apps fully compatible? Oh, we thought that was just an Android thing.

“You see we’re able to add a 5th row of icons.” That’s wonderful, Tim. And it would be more exciting if the iOS homescreen was more than just a row of icons. Stock Android doesn’t necessarily afford the same real estate for icons, but a stroll in the Google Play Store affords us the same ability without having to buy an entirely new phone. And what about them Android widgets from 2009? Zing.

Cook was even more excited to announce that they now have “…HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, and yes… LTE.” Surprise, surprise: the HTC Thunderbolt (an Android Phone) was one of the first with 4G LTE. And that was in March 2011. And now Samsung is poised to sue Apple for the iPhone 5 even HAVING 4G LTE.

Apple’s processors are always an interesting talking point. At the iPhone 5 event, the new A6 was processor was revealed to be two times faster than the A5. It’s a processor that boasts quad-core performance, and most of you know NVIDIA already beat Apple to that game. In fact, so did Samsung. Android phones have launched with quad-core chipsets since the beginning of 2012.

Apple touted its camera upgrades as if “8 megapixels” hasn’t become the standard since the EVO 4G’s launch. We all know that just as clothes don’t make a man, megapixels don’t make the camera. But OEMs have started using great, high quality sensors in their cameras, all while being able to shoot 1080p HD video with 60FPS for quite some time. Take the HTC One X for example.

Sticking with the camera theme, he continued “But perhaps the most amazing new feature in the iPhone 5 is called panorama.” The earliest phones I can remember having a panorama feature was the Motorola Droid X in July 2010. That’s an Android Phone. I guess it’s amazing if all you’ve ever owned is an iPhone. It’s been baked into Android ICS since the Galaxy Nexus launch. Oh, and a front-facing HD camera? Welcome to last year, Apple. Again.

Apple naturally showed off some “great, new” things in iOS. For starters, their Maps app had us in “snore” mode. Millions of points of interests, navigation, land-scape AND portrait? Oh, my! It would be like Christmas if Google didn’t have all this and more for its Android users since the original Motorola Droid in 2009.

iCloud tabs is supposed to be a feature that lets you sync your Safari tabs between your phone and browser. While Google Chrome for Android is still a bit new, we’ve been syncing tabs long enough to make this feature seem quite old. Don’t even get me started on the ability to answer a call with an SMS right from the incoming call screen — talk about copying someone else’s work!

As cynical as I may sound, does Apple not deserve to be ridiculed with the extent of today’s announcements? Not only is all of this yesteryear’s news, it’s all tasty enough for a big pot of irony that needs to be served to Apple and its legal team. While they’re in the courtrooms whining about rivals “stealing” rectangles and shapes, they’re pretty much taking a little bit of something from everyone and trying to pass it off as the greatest innovation this year.

Regardless, the iPhone WILL be one of the hottest phones of 2012/2013. With Apple collaging all these specs together into one device, how will it compare against Android’s top devices? Let’s take a look.

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3 vs. HTC One X vs. Droid RAZR MAXX HD

And the annual question arises: should you defect to the land of the bitten fruit or are you on the fence and willing to try out some new Android phones? The iPhone 5 faces stiff competition from offerings by Samsung, HTC, and Motorola, and they’re worth just as much of your time as Apple’s.


(click to enlarge)

For starters, Samsung’s Galaxy S has been the pinnacle of the Android smartphone space and Samsung’s current iteration — the Galaxy S3 — is perhaps the iPhone’s most formidable foe yet. The cream of the crop for the summer offered up a lot of intriguing bells and whistles.

The hardware — consisting of a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16-32GB of internal storage, an 8 megapixel 1080p camera sensor with a 2 megapixel front-facing camera, and a gorgeous 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display — is more satisfying than we could ask for at this point; and the strides Samsung’s made in TouchWiz are not to go unnoticed.

Things like S Voice, burst mode in the camera, picture-in-picture, and more pile atop Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (and soon to be Jelly Bean). Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy S3 here.

Motorola’s coming to town with a very compelling smartphone soon. They just wrapped up their event with Verizon in New York City, and from that we learned of the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD. These devices — with the former only differing in its high-capacity battery — will make it tough to decide on a holiday smartphone for you or loved ones.

It’ll sport a 4.7 inch display with an HD resolution, and under the hood you can expect to find the ever popular Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, as well as 1GB of RAM.

The 8 megapixel camera on the back with its 1080p HD video recording capabilities should please casual shooters, and the MAXX variant’s 3300 will give users nearly a full day’s worth of talk time without having to plug the thing up.

On the software side of things we can expect an updated version of Motorola’s UI (which many are still referring to as BLUR despite Motorola’s best attempts to move away from it), and from the looks of things Motorola has finally created a user interface that we can be happy with. You can take a look at our hands-on coverage of the device here.

Oh, and one more — the HTC One X is still alive and kicking, too. Although it may have been overshadowed by the glorious launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3, we tend to forget HTC still has some great devices on the market that are worth checking out. This phone marked the transformation of HTC and Sense, and it was met with well-deserved fanfare.

The HTC One X has a 4.7 inch HD display, either a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor or a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor depending on your market and model, 1GB of RAM, 16-32GB of internal storage, an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording and burst shooting, a 1.3 front-facing camera, and more.

The real star of the show was HTC’s much-improved Sense UI. They took out a lot of the bloat that many felt was bringing the UI down, and introduced new apps and design elements that make it more enjoyable, easy, and smooth to use than ever before. On top of Android 4.0 we believed — and still do believe — that HTC finally got it right..

So the moment of truth will come down to September 21st — will you or won’t you? We’ve already asked you in an earlier poll, but it might be good to get some fresh opinions after finally seeing the real deal, and within the context of some comparable phones from the Android side of things.

You can take a gander at the full specs of each device in the comparison chart above. Let’s hear your roar in the comments section below, and be sure to visit iSource.com for more iOS content than you can handle!

 

Chriz Chavez, Edgar Cervantes, Rob Jackson and Kevin Krause contributed to this post.

Here are some other iPhone 5-related stories you might enjoy:

Flipboard updated to version 1.9.6, brings improved navigation

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT

Flipboard for Android is receiving yet another update today, one that is rather minor in the grand scheme of things. The main item on the docket is improved navigation within sections, but other enhancements include easier Google Reader access, shopping cart features when using Gilt, and the standard bug fixes and performance updates. You can grab the latest edition of Flipboard, which comes to 1.9.6, over at Google Play now.

Google Play Link: Flipboard for Android

Will you leave Android for the iPhone 5? [POLL]

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 08:20 AM PDT

If it seems a bit quiet around here today, it’s because all eyes and ears are turned towards Apple. It’s iPhone 5 day, at least unofficially. Apple would never actually let the cat out of the bag in advance, but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why the company behind arguably the world’s most iconic smartphone invited the tech media elite to attend an event in San Francisco today. It kicks off at 10AM PDT (1PM EDT), at which point we expect to finally get some answers about one of the biggest handsets to be unveiled this year.

The rumors have been plentiful, but little is actually know for certain about the next iteration of the iPhone. And just about the only thing we do know is that Apple has finally given in to the notion that users can deal with a larger display. Leaked prototypes and surrounding rumors suggest Apple has gone with a 4-inch screen, creating an iPhone that is taller and slimmer than previous versions.

Other features are more up in the air. Will the phone stick with a similar screen resolution to previous Retina displays? Or will it make the leap to 720p HD? While it seems like a foregone conclusion for most high-end Android devices, there is still some doubt that Apple will include 4G LTE connectivity in their latest smartphone. Then there is the matter of NFC, which Apple held out of previous versions of the iPhone. Conflicting reports have the new version either including the technology or continuing to ignore it. Apple also looks to miff some users owning older iPhone accessories such as speaker docks by introducing a new proprietary connector port, though an adaptor of some sort could provide a workaround to this problem.

The real question, though, is what will it take for you to drop your Android device and start camping out for the iPhone 5? Or have you already made up your mind regardless of what Apple has to show off today? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to sound off in our poll!

Canadian Galaxy Nexus users reportedly receiving Jelly Bean update

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:01 AM PDT

Great news for those Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners living in the Great White North. Reports are flying in that the update to Android 4.1 has commenced for Canada, and it isn’t an incident isolated to a single service provider. Folks with TELUS, WIND, Fido, and Rogers have all chimed in to let us know they have received Jelly Bean on their pure Google handsets.

The software update certainly took a bit longer to arrive than what is normally expected for a Nexus device, but it has arrived nonetheless. The news leaves Verizon, the exclusive launch partner of the handset, as one of the few major carriers in North America to have yet to issue an upgrade to the latest version of Android.

[via MobileSyrup]

Samsung Bulgaria: Some mid-range phones skipping ICS, jumping straight to Jelly Bean

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:14 AM PDT

Here’s the bad news: owners of the mid-range Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 or Samsung Galaxy S Advance looking forward to an update to Ice Cream Sandwich can forget that. Samsung Bulgaria has made a statement on their Facebook page stating that the two Gingerbread handsets won’t receive Android 4.0. So you want the good news? Samsung apparently plans to upgrade the devices directly to Jelly Bean.

While the news should get owners excited, don’t expect the announcement to translate to an update arriving anytime soon. Samsung’s focus is set on getting Jelly Bean ready for their flagship Galaxy S3, and recent reports have that occurring during October at the earliest. It will likely be several more months before the Ace 2 or Galaxy S Advance see Android 4.1, if we can even put much stock in the statements of a social media rep working for a foreign branch of Samsung.

[via GSMArena]

Android Overload: Samsung Head Expects Galaxy Note 2 Sales To Hit 20 Million, Galaxy Note 2 Passes Through FCC, and More

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:20 AM PDT

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Here we are guys, the eve of the iPhone 5. Apple will captivate the entire world tomorrow morning and yes, even we will be tuned into the live blogs (out of curiosity’s sake, of course). I’ve mentioned it before in other posts, but I’m actually hoping Apple brings their A game. Competition is something Android has thrived on since its inception and despite Apple’s best efforts to eliminate it, as a consumer — I, for one, welcome it. Good night everyone!

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 2 passes through the FCC. But is it the AT&T version or international? [WirelessGoodness]
  • Samsung mobile unit head JK Shin says he expects Galaxy Note 2 sales to hit 20 million. [YonhapNews]
  • Instagram sees huge growth of 1,179%  in the past 6 months. You can thank Android users. [BusinessInsider]
  • Apple/HTC trial heats up. Apple asks ITC to sanction HTC for uncooperative expert witness. [Electronista]

This iPhone 5 Parody Video Is Crass, Offensive and Right On The Mark [NSFW]

Posted: 12 Sep 2012 12:21 AM PDT

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We’ve reached the wee-night hours here at Phandroid and before I bid you adieu, I thought I’d share with you a video I came across during my internet travels. If you’ve been anywhere near an internet connected device today, you’ve no doubt seen predictions, expectations, and hypothesis on what Apple could be unveiling for their latest iPhone release tomorrow morning.

While we don’t expect much from ‘ol Cupertino (we’re sure it wont be anything we haven’t already seen, or experienced with Android), the boys at Mondo Media have put together their “best case scenario” of what Apple will have to do in order to guarantee a successful announcement: hologram Steve Jobs.

If the title of this post wasn’t a good enough indication, let me warn you again: this video is not for the easily offended and is most definitely not suitable for work. For those that find amusement in television shows like South Park or Family Guy, please, continue. Notable quotes from the video include:

3Gizzle! That sh*t was a huge success
Then I sold a butt-load of the 3GizzleS
Number four, ‘nother score, jaws hittin’ the floor,
Y’all acted like you never seen a phone before

FANBOY: “Bullsh**! It’s the same phone as before!
JOBS: Not true! It’s got a new power cord.

We switched the dock up arbitrarily,
So I hope you like buyin’ new accessories.
See the new design- yeah it’s out-of-control
We went nuts and switched it up from black to charcoal {Say what?}

Plus the screen’s two millimeters taller
That’s gotta be worth at least four hundred dollars

I’ll ask you to keep it classy in comments, and please — don’t take anything personal. All in good (semi-tasteless) fun, right? Guess we’ll find out tomorrow if the iPhone 5 will be revolutionary, or will simply attempt to play catch up.

Xtreamer Teases New Mobile Device With Android 4.0, ClockworkMod Updates, Root and Revolutionary Pricing [Video]

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:10 PM PDT

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We’re not exactly sure what Xtreamer has hidden up their sleeves but what we do know is the manufacturer is gearing up to release a 5-inch Android device with “revolutionary” pricing. A teaser has been uploaded to YouTube and accompanies their now live signup page for the mysterious device which, according to the trailer, will feature dual-SIM slots, Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, ClockworkMod based updates, multilingual ROM, and root enabled by default.

This will be the first Android-based mobile device for the company who typically releases media streamers and various other nicknacks. We wouldn’t expect much by way of top-of-the-line specs. In fact, we’d be surprised to see this launch with 1GB of RAM and a 1GHz processor. You’ll notice from the video the OS features HTC’s flip-clock widget along with iOS icons which leaves us to believe that a stock Android experience could be out of the question. Anyone else intrigued?

[XtreamerMobile]

ViewSonic VSD220 Smart Display Arrives Next Month – Features 22-Inch 1080p Touchscreen, Android 4.0, and More

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:56 PM PDT

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If you were looking for a new high-definition desktop display to compliment your desktop, why not go with one that runs Android. The VSD220 is ViewSonic’s new “Smart Display” we told you guys about back in May, and it doesn’t just act as a PC/notebook/tablet monitor, but features a full fledged Android operating system to boot.

Part monitor and part tablet, the all-in-one features a modest dual-core TI OMAP4 processor, along with an optical multi-touch display (in lieu of traditional capacitive finger tracking). The Smart Display is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes with 8GB of internal storage with the option to expand storage via micro SD, features stereo speakers with integrated microphone, headphone jack, 1.2MP webcam, 2 full sized USB ports, 1 micro USB port, WiFi, ethernet and Bluetooth. It’s wall mountable and although fairly thin, at about 10lbs — you’re not going to want to take this on the next family camping trip (although we’d love to see someone make it work).

Currently out of stock on ViewSonic’s site, the display/tablet is listed at $543 but ViewSonic is promising something a little closer to $400 once it becomes available around the middle of next month. Anyone seriously considering making this their next monitor?

[ViewSonic | Via Engadget | PocketNow]
Posted by at 8:09 AM

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