Saturday, September 8, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

The 2-Tone HTC One X By Cushnie et Ochs Is Fashionably Chic

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:46 PM PDT

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After the HTC One SC was spotted earlier today sporting a unique design and head turning good looks (seriously, it’s like, their best looking phone to date), HTC isn’t stopping just yet. They’ve taken the HTC One X to fashion week where they teamed up with designer Cushnie et Ochs (I have no idea how to pronounce that) to give the device a fun makeover. What they came up with was this brilliant 2-tone HTC One X that’s sure to compliment any outfit you’re wearing — that is, if you’re into that sorta thing.

The phone was unveiled during photographer Ben Watts’ photo gallery at Milk Studios in NYC along with his new photo collage app — WattsUpPhoto — developed with help from HTC and now available in the Play Store. You can see from the above images, a matching wallpaper and 2-tone headphones compliment the phone’s new design as well. For an interview with HTC’s design lead Daniel Hundt on how they came up with the design, hit up HTC’s official blog via the source link just after the gallery. But first, what do you guys think of the unique 2-tone design?

[HTC Blog | WattsUpPhoto: Play Store Link]

AT&T Galaxy Note 2 System Dump Ready For Downloading

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 05:47 PM PDT

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The leaks from XDA-Developers forum just keep on coming. Early yesterday XDA member Oka1 was somehow able to get his hands on a purported system dump from the “quad-core” AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and is ready for ROM chefs to download and dive into. The 920MB file houses the entire Galaxy Note 2 OS including system apps and is apparently from the unannounced “AT&T” Note 2, although it’s entirely possible the leaker could have meant international version. We’d imagine it wont be too long before we begin seeing Galaxy Note 2 custom ROMs ported over to the old Note. Exciting stuff.

[XDA]

HTC launches One ST, One SC, and One SU in China

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 03:05 PM PDT

HTC is offering up a few new One S variants for the Chinese market, each with identical internal specs but varying outer decor. Let’s get the details out of the way: the phones feature a 4.3-inch display at 800×480 resolution, 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM and 4GB ROM, and a 5MP camera. They are Beats Audio devices running Android 4.0 and Sense 4 and boast dual-SIM support.

The most interesting of the bunch is the One SC for China Telecom, which smacks of the HTC One X when looking at the device head-on, but the back cover mixes it up with a big and bold HTC logo and stark angles featuring into the camera housing. The One ST and One SU for China Mobile and Chian Unicom respectively go with a curvier design. All devices come in a variety of color options.

There’s no word if HTC plans to bring these devices to any other markets in the near future, but odds are looking like they will remain exclusive to China. Still, interesting to see how the Taiwanese company is using the One S design as a springboard for a wider product portfolio.

[via Engadget]

New report says Kindle Fire ads won’t be removable

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT

In a report that directly conflicts earlier news that users could opt out of display ads on the new line of Kindle Fire tablets, CNET has received word from an Amazon spokesperson clarifying that this will not be the case. After it was initially reported that the upgraded version of the Kindle Fire as well as the Kindle Fire HD would display “special offers” throughout the operating system, a system introduced by Amazon with previous Kindle models as a means of subsidizing costs to offer the e-reader at a lower price point, word came by way of Amazon’s support team that buyers would be given the option to unsubscribe from the ads, perhaps by paying a fee.

For now the waters remain murky on the subject, but it would be a bad move for Amazon to offer no way for buyers to remove the ads from the device. It seems simple enough for Amazon to enable users to opt-out and agree to pay a bit more for the tablet up front (or even after the fact). Many would-be buyers might be turned off by the idea of ads creeping into the user experience. Further clarification is likely coming down the pike. For now get used to the idea of “special offers,” because they don’t seem to be going anywhere quick.

[via CNET]

Enter to win 2 Nexus 7 tablets and a Transformer Prime with Keyboard Dock! [TEGRA 3 GIVEAWAY]

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 01:04 PM PDT

You read about it in yesterday’s review of Beach Buggy Blitz, and here it is — our End-of-Summer Tegra 3 giveaway! NVIDIA has given us three awesome devices to giveaway to all you guys, and you’re going to have to read carefully if you want a chance to win. The rules are simple, but if you don’t follow them to a T you won’t get a chance to win so listen up.

First things first, though: you’re wondering which devices you’ll be hoping to win. We have two units of Google’s Nexus 7, and an ASUS Transformer Prime with a keyboard dock to help fulfill the purpose it’s named after. Three winners will be selected at random to win one of three. So how do you win these?

Rules

  • Prizes: three different winners will receive one of the following — Nexus 7 unit, Nexus 7 unit, and an ASUS Transformer Prime with a compatible keyboard dock. Which specific device a winner receives is subject to our discretion.
  • Location: You must live within the contiguous United States of America to qualify.
  • What you must do to enter: leave a comment letting us know why it’s advantageous to own a Tegra 3 device above all else.
  • Time limit: you have until Friday, September 7th at 11:59pm eastern to enter.
  • Winner selection: we will contact three winners at random. We will give winners 48 hours from the time that we contact them to respond. If they can’t respond within that time, we will choose another winner at random. This cycle will continue until all prizes are claimed.
  • Contact: we will contact winners using the email addresses and/or social networking accounts attached to their Disqus accounts. If you don’t use your real information, we can’t contact you and will be forced to select someone else.

If you meet the criteria and follow each rule perfectly you will have just as much of a chance as anyone else to win. Folks are back in school, and none of these prizes wouldn’t be a bad late back to school gift for yourself. Good luck, and thank you for being the loyal Phans that keep us going each and every day!

Verizon’s CEO thinks Samsung could launch a successful smartphone platform

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 12:37 PM PDT

Samsung has tried and — in most people’s terms of success — failed to launch their own smartphone platform in the past. Their Bada OS never really caught on and eventually was merged with the open source Tizen project backed by Intel, but at least one prominent figure from the mobile industry thinks that Samsung has a viable shot at creating a “dark horse” platform to rival the likes of Android and iOS. Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon, believes Samsung has the track record and resources to break away from Android as their main OS of choice and venture out on their own.

Samsung has indeed been a dominant force in the global smartphone market over the past several years, growing to become the number one manufacturer of mobile devices, unseating the likes of Nokia and Apple. Creating their own OS also afford the Korean company the opportunity to break clean from an Android platform that has landed them in a number of legal battles around the globe. Of course, in many instances the actual Android operating system was not the issue.

Sure, Samsung stands as good a chance as any to create a viable smartphone OS, but regardless of their history would still be competing with more than just Google and Apple’s ecosystems. They would also enter a market fighting against underdogs such as Microsoft and RIM. It’s hard to imagine Samsung would want to move into such uncharted territory, and with over 20 million Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets shipped, why spoil a good thing?

[via TheVerge]

LG posts Optimus G teaser to YouTube, touts quad-core power

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 11:50 AM PDT


Lost in the big announcements rolling in over the past few days was a little teaser video LG uploaded to youTube to get potential buyers excited about the upcoming Optimus G. As expected, a big focus of the short clip is the phone’s quad-core processing power that easily sets it apart from the pack. The video only gives a fleeting glimpse of the actual Optimus G handset, but its “world without limits” rhetoric does its best to get the message across.

LG hasn’t been coy about the Optimus G, but there is still plenty to learn about the device. But most attention will be paid to its new quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and rightfully so. It promises to give all other chips on the market a run for their.

[via DroidDog]

Virgin Mobile sets Sept. 19 release for Samsung Galaxy Reverb

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 10:27 AM PDT

The $249.99 Samsung Galaxy Reverb has been up for pre-order since the end of last month. Today Virgin Mobile has announced the handset’s retail availability for September 19th. The Reverb is an Android 4.0 device with a 4-inch display and 1.4GHz single-core CPU, decent specs for it’s price. The real appeal comes in the form of Virgin Mobile’s prepaid plans, which pair nicely with the no-contract pricing of the handset. You can still get in your reservation ahead of next week’s launch by heading over to Virgin Mobile’s site.

[Virgin Mobile]

AT&T’s Samsung Captivate Glide receiving Ice Cream Sandwich via Kies

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 10:20 AM PDT

Another Samsung device is getting it’s taste of Ice Cream Sandwich as the hot days of summer near an end. AT&T has announced the availability of Android 4.0 for the Samsung Captivate Glide, making it just the latest device to receive the honor (even if most sights are set on Jelly Bean at this point).

The update will only be available via Samsung Kies, where it should be up for download now. Kies will be the only way to get the new Android version for the Captivate Glide. No over-the-air update is planned.

[via AndroidPolice]

Trusted XDA developer outs HTC One X+ specs

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT

The long-rumored HTC One X+ has been slightly detailed before, but one person has decided to tweet the specs he believes the device will have.

The person who tweeted the specs is an XDA developer, and he’s the same developer who gave everyone the rundown on the Windows-enabled HTC Accord before it launched.

According to him, the HTC One X+ will sport a Tegra 3+ and 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and HTC Sense 4.5 on top of Android 4.1. It’s sounding more and more like the phone we expect it to be, but it’s always imperative to remember that these specs are unconfirmed.

Should such a phone release without these exact specs don’t go reaching for the pitchforks the first chance you get. Otherwise, I’d say this doesn’t sound too far from what we’re all expecting to see from this beast. [Twitter via Engadget]

Amazon Kindle Fire ads may be optional after all

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 08:45 AM PDT

When we heard Amazon would be displaying ads on the lock screen and the corner of the home screen on the Amazon Kindle Fire devices we were led to believe the ads would be mandatory. Fortunately, that may not be the case at all.

A support rep from Amazon apparently confirmed that there will soon be a way to opt out of the ads. Unfortunately the method of opting out is currently up in the air.

They might either offer the option for free, or will ask you to pay a small subsidy to disable them. We don’t want to speculate too much without certain word from Amazon themselves. The journey continues, and we’ll be right back here to bring you the latest on the situation. [via Engadget]

Sprint Galaxy Note 2 confirmed?

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 08:08 AM PDT

While no US carriers have committed to announcing plans to carry the Galaxy Note 2 as fast as they did the Galaxy S3, but it seems we could have a bit of a clue to at least one carrier planning to get it.

An XDA user claims to have found a Sprint RDF, or a device profile, with specs that match up mighty nicely to the Galaxy Note 2. Beyond that, they claim to have gotten further confirmation that Sprint is, indeed, going to carry the device. The specs he rattled off?

  • Exynos4412 processor
  • 1280×720 resolution
  • Android 4.1.1!
  • Support for EVDO, DOrA, WiFi and LTE!
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 GB HDD (with expansion slot up to 32 GB)
  • 8 Megapixel camera
  • And more!

If what they’re saying is true this would mark one of the first devices in America that uses Exynos alongside LTE. Samsung told us the LTE compatible chipsets were being sampled, and going by the usual research and development cycle of a mobile phone it sounds like it’s right on schedule.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Exynos becomes a mainstay for other LTE carriers, but considering this isn’t official we can’t even say for sure that Sprint’s version will be. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Sprint or Samsung can spread some official light before too long.

Netflix update adds WiFi only switch

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 07:17 AM PDT

Netflix for Android has received a small update, but it’s one that many users will want to download. The app introduces a WiFi only toggle to make sure videos can only be streamed when connected to a WiFi network.

This is a great feature for those on capped plans because a lot of Netflix can take up a lot of bandwidth. They’ve also made improvements to help playback stability, but that’s about all you’re going to find in this one. The update comes in at an even 10MB and can be had in the Google Play Store.

Yes, the new Kindle Fire models will feed ads to your lockscreen

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:27 AM PDT

A lot of people were vexed to find that Amazon would be pushing ads to the lock screen and bottom left corner of homescreens of the new Kindle Fire devices announced yesterday.

The ads are not optional, but Amazon has designed them to be unobtrusive and found a slick way to introduce new content and items to you. Not only will digital Amazon content like books, videos, games, and apps be dangled in your face, but Amazon will also show you deals for consumer electronics and other items available in their online storefront.

A lot of people feel a very particular way about ads, but as these aren’t the usual annoying ads that are of absolutely zero interest to most users I expect a lot of you won’t complain. Is this a deal breaker for you or would you gladly accept ads for an experience that ties into the very backbone of Amazon’s premium services?

Tumblr for Android update adds improved notifications, new blog discovery tools and more

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:20 AM PDT

Tumblr fans will be pleased to learn that a new upgrade has been submitted to the Google Play Store. Alongside the usual smattering of bug fixes and enhancements, you can expect to find improved notifications; the ability to sign up for Tumblr directly through the app when receiving a recommendation from a friend; find new Tumblr blogs to follow through your phone contacts and Facebook friends; the ability to access new sharing options when holding down the “Like” button and more. As always, this app can be had for free and can be found in the Google Play Store, so get to it.
Posted by at 7:54 AM

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