Android Central |
- LG Nexus design shown off in two new pictures
- Gameloft teases Zombiewood, a run-and-gun game for Android
- Weekly photo contest: Panorama
- How to manually update your Nexus 7 to Android 4.1.2
- Angry Birds updated with power-ups and Bad Piggies levels
- Verizon Wireless CTO: Expect VoLTE "by the end of 2013"
- Google brings trial subscriptions to Google Play
- Verizon CTO announces 400th LTE market to launch on Oct. 18
- Lookout Security app adds Signal Flare for last-ditch remote tracking
- Live from the MobileCON day one keynote- mobile is changing the world
- Hands-on with the Sprint LG Optimus G
- Samsung 'hears' Exynos community documentation concerns
- Hands-on with the Sprint LG Mach
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has SwiftKey prediction built-in
- LG's Nexus - here's what we know so far
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets official for T-Mobile
- Nexus 7 getting Android 4.1.2 update, adds landscape mode
- Android 4.1.2 pushing out to AOSP today
- LG announces Optimus G and Mach for Sprint
- Isis Mobile Wallet launch tipped for Oct. 22 in Austin and Salt Lake City
- Sprint announces LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
- Rogers launches Motorola RAZR HD LTE
- Motorola Atrix 2 bestowed with Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade
- T-Mobile LG Optimus L9 gallery
- T-Mobile LG Optimus L9 specs
| LG Nexus design shown off in two new pictures Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:14 PM PDT
The LG Nexus (LG-E960) just keeps showing up in leaked images, this time over on the XDA forums. These new images give us a much better look at both the back and front of the device. The back plate, now seen in proper lighting, looks very similar to what we've just seen today on Sprint's model of the LG Optimus G over at CTIA MobileCON, and is much more understated than it seemed before. The front of the device continues to look reminiscent of the current Galaxy Nexus, but with a chrome-like bezel and different speaker grille at the top. The home screen and buttons all look as they should for a Nexus device -- stock and on-screen. As far as specs go, the poster gives the following list:
This is all lining up with the previous leaks, including the anemic 8GB of internal, non expandable memory. The seemingly odd vertical resolution of 1184px can be explained by the on-screen buttons taking up some room, while the horizontal resolution of 768px fits previous leaks. With those resolution numbers and the reported DPI, we're looking at a device with about a 4.7-inch display. The poster also points out that the phone seems to only support HSPA+ data access, not LTE, which fits with what we've found in the FCC filings. To clarify on previous posts, if this device were to be on sale with the same bands tested and confirmed by the FCC filing, it will work on both AT&T's and T-Mobile's HSPA+ networks. Things just keep falling into place for the next Nexus device. We've got one more picture for you after the break. Source: XDA Forums; Thanks, Mike! 
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| Gameloft teases Zombiewood, a run-and-gun game for Android Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:04 PM PDT
Gameloft is preparing a zombie-themed run-and-gun game with a Hollywood twist called Zombiewood. A new teaser shows a stuntman wearing a variety of costumes and using a bunch of different weapons to eradicate vast swathes of undead. It looks like the same old in-app purchase model with premium currency is in place, though there's no word if it's going to be free up-front. In any case, the graphics look solid, and the action, though straightforward, is bound to entice at least a few people. Gameloft hasn't made any big official announcement about the game yet since they're busy pimping our Real Soccer 2013 for iOS, so details on Zombiewood are scarce. Over the last week, Gameloft's twitter account has been teasing the game with funny warning posters from the Los Angelas Dept. of Zombie Management, which read like "Check before you shoot - sometimes they're just ugly people", and "Fire is not a toy - flaming zombies are a safety hazard". There's no mention of a release date, but with Hallowe'en right around the corner, it can't be too far off. Any takers, or are games that rely on IAPs a deal-breaker? Does the game look like fun, or has the zombie thing been done to, err, death? 
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| Weekly photo contest: Panorama Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:36 PM PDT
Panorama of the DMZ between North and South Korea, taken with the LG Optimus G. Check the full size Image here. This week the photo contest is going to be a fun one, with a great prize! If you haven't guessed based on the picture above, we're doing panoramas. Panorama pictures are a series of shots that special software has stitched together into one big wide view. The software that creates them has been in Android phones for a while, but even if you're still happily rocking an older model Android phone you're in on this one. Check out all the Panorama apps available in Google Play, both free and paid. Get one installed, then read on! Ready? Cool deal. Now grab your Android phone and head outside. Play with the panorama feature, or the new app you just installed. Get good with it, then snap a pic for the contest. Head into the forums to post it in the contest thread, and we'll pick the best one Sunday. The prize this week is the Supertooth Disco 2 Bluetooth speaker! The same one we reviewed here, in all its glory. You don't want to miss this one. I'm also working on a great way to show off the winners, but in the meantime hit the break to view the last two contest finalists. When I get the new method worked up, we'll add them in -- the pictures are too good not to. Enter this week's photo contest
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| How to manually update your Nexus 7 to Android 4.1.2 Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:33 PM PDT
The Android 4.1.2 update has started rolling out to Nexus 7 tablets around the world. But if your tablet has yet to receive the update, then don't despair -- we've got a quick walkthrough that'll get you updated in a few minutes, assuming you've got a little experience with a command line. Note that this is for stock Nexus 7 tablets, and for people who want to update without really doing any real hackery, but don't mind a little command line work. Nothing we do here is permanent, other than the update itself. If you've already flashed a custom recovery, you should be able to update manually using that, instead of our method. And with that... Caution: This guide is intended for technically proficient users only. Proceed at your own risk. Dragons ahead, etc. The prerequisites
Check past the break to see the full manual update process. 
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| Angry Birds updated with power-ups and Bad Piggies levels Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:51 PM PDT
The inevitable cross-promotion between Rovio's classic Angry Birds title and their latest creation, Bad Piggies, has kicked off today. The original Angry Birds game has been updated with an extra 15 pig-themed levels, along with a new power-up mechanic, so players can get kitted out with the shiniest of slingshots to help them through tricky levels. Power-ups include Super Seeds, the Almighty Sling King, the Sling Scope Laser Targeting System, the Birdquake. As you might expect, these are all wonderful new ways in which Rovio can nickel and dime you with in-app purchases. At least it's got a bit more interesting than the Mighty Eagle. As for the new levels, there's a full 15 dedicated to Bag Piggies, along with another 15 summer-themed Surf and Turf levels. Little seasonally late on that second one, but I think we can let it slide. It's also good to see the core game is still getting some support, even though Star Wars Angry Birds is right around the corner. What do you think of the new mechanic, Angry Birds fans? Are you tired of Rovio trying to sell you stuff yet?
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| Verizon Wireless CTO: Expect VoLTE "by the end of 2013" Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:20 PM PDT
Verizon Wireless held a briefing today here in San Diego as part of MobileCON's day one festivities, citing the inroads it has made with its extensive LTE network. According to VZW CTO Nicola Palmer, Verizon's LTE footprint currently covers 75-percent Americans, and is scheduled to duplicate the 3G footprint by the end of 2013. At the end of September 2012, 35-percent of all of Verizon's data traffic was over its LTE network. Speaking on the future of LTE, Palmer said that Verizon will now focus on capacity, using an "entire toolbox of tools", including LTE Advanced and the carrier's recently-acquired AWS spectrum. "We are looking forward to [LTE Advanced] and we will likely pick and choose features when they become available." Palmer said that customers can expect AWS-compatible devices to hit the market sometime in 2013. Also on the horizon for 2013 is the much-awaited arrival of Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which Palmer said she has tested personally. "Putting voice on our LTE network is something we are pretty excited about. We are testing it, we have deployed all necessary infrastructure." According to Palmer, VoLTE will arrive on Big Red by the end of 2013. 
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| Google brings trial subscriptions to Google Play Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:06 PM PDT
The Android Developers team has announced new "try-and-buy" in-app subscriptions are coming to Google Play. Starting today, developers can set up a trial period for subscriptions, where a user is charged a zero fee for the duration and the subscription is marked as paid until canceled or the trial period has finished. Users (that's you and me!) can cancel the subscription at any time during the trial, and when the trial period is over they will be charged through Google Wallet for the cost of the subscription. There are no big changes for developers, as the new methods use existing apk files and are all done server side. It's a little used feature for most of us, but hopefully these new tryout periods change that a little and developers have a way to offer quality content that we're all willing to pay for. I know I would be more apt to consider the subscribed content model if I has a trial period, what about you? Holler in the comments. Source: Android Developers blog; via +Android Developers 
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| Verizon CTO announces 400th LTE market to launch on Oct. 18 Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:58 PM PDT
At a CTIA MobileCON press conference in San Diego, Verizon Wireless CTO Nicola Palmer announced that the company plans to launch its 400th LTE market just 9 days from now, two months earlier than previously expected. The 400th. market will be the city of Marquette, Michigan, and will join 20 more LTE markets that are also going live on October 18th. These 21 new markets will push Verizon's nationwide total to a staggering 417. The full press release can be found after the break, and remember to keep a browser tab pointed at our continuing CTIA MobileCON coverage. 
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| Lookout Security app adds Signal Flare for last-ditch remote tracking Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:43 PM PDT
The Lookout Security app for Android has just added a pretty awesome feature to its already-potent arsenal of remote tracking, back-up, and wiping functions. The new Signal Flare shoots off one last location update just before your phone's battery dies. This ensures that if you forget your phone somewhere, the data provided by Lookout will be as recent as possible. The app has also enjoyed a UI overhaul, and a new activity feed to see what kind of threats the app has been protecting against. They've also included some extra protection against those dialer exploits we've been hearing about lately. Lookout continues to offer the usual malware blocking in the free version, but if you want the fancy stuff like remote lock and wipe, and secure browsing through the native Android browser, you'll need to subscribe to the premium version for $30/year. Which apps do you use for remote back-up, wiping, and security? Has there even been a time when GPS tracking from one of these kinds of apps failed you? Any Lookout subscribers able to vouch for the quality of the service? Source: Lookout
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| Live from the MobileCON day one keynote- mobile is changing the world Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT
It's day one here in San Diego at MobileCON 2012, and on-hand to kick off the festivities were a handful of executives from companies that are being shaped and reshaped by the ever-changing mobile landscape. The theme of the day wasn't about hardware or devices (though T-Mobile and Sprint seem to have thought otherwise), but instead about how smartphones and tablets are merely the delivery system for technologies, challenges, and opportunities that are changing the world we live in. 
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| Hands-on with the Sprint LG Optimus G Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:55 AM PDT
The Sprint Optimus G in a nutshell: It's an LG Optimus G. On Sprint. That's really about it. Sprint's iteration of LG's newest flagship is pretty much what we saw in the international version. It's got the same 4.7-inch WXGA IPS display (that's a lot of letters for "good"), same Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 pro quad-core processor. Same 13-megapixel camera that sticks out ever so slightly. Same cool "crystal reflection design" under the don't-call-it-glass backing. And, yes, same non-removable battery, and no microSD card. (You do have 32 GB of on-board storage, with a good chunk of that already used by the operating system.) Otherwise, no real surprises here. LG's customizations are all intact. Sprint's apps are all tucked away in SprintZone, the way we like them. Now all we need is some availability and pricing information. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.) We've got a few more pics and video after the break. Be sure to stick around and see more from CTIA MobileCON over the next couple of days. 
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| Samsung 'hears' Exynos community documentation concerns Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:33 AM PDT
There's been a little hubbub in the Android developer community surrounding the lack of proper documentation and source code for some of Samsung's Exynos 4 chips. The absence of documentation has lead to some high-profile CyanogenMod developers giving up on porting to some Samsung devices, including the international Galaxy S3. To cut a long story short, smartphone chips are incredibly complex, and trying to port open-source Android to them without the right code samples and documentation is extremely difficult. Today, following a short social media campaign, Samsung acknowledged the dev community's desire for full Exynos documentation, saying on its official Twitter account --
Samsung has proven itself to be relatively developer-friendly in the past, allowing unlocked bootloaders on devices, and even putting out a special developer edition of the locked-down Verizon Galaxy S3. Hopefully Samsung's internal discussions will result in a positive outcome for devs. If so, it'll mean better custom ROMs for owners of Exynos devices. Source: @SamsungExynos, XDA, Thanks @android_indian 
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| Hands-on with the Sprint LG Mach Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:27 AM PDT
Sliders have always held a special place in many a heart -- and that includes Sprint, which today unveiled the surprisingly slim LG Mach at the CTIA MobileCON event in San Diego. The Mach's got a 4-inch, WVGA display. And it proves that such a "low" resolution by today's standards can still work on a mass-market device, provided the screen's no bigger than that. It's easy to forget in this age of 5-inch, HiDPI devices. Android 4.0.4 is on board, and we'd expect a Jelly Bean update at some point, though nobody's saying much of anything at this point. LG's new UI -- is there, so you get a whiff of what's on the higher-end Optimus G, without all the muss and fuss of ridiculously awesome hardware (and the cost that goes with it). Sprint's also living up to its promise to not muck up the phone with too many preloaded apps, smartly tucking them away in the SprintZone app. Sprint ID's on board as well; you can choose to use it, or not. But the keyboard's the real star here, right? LG's crammed a decent enough slider into a surprisingly thin form factor, with the whole kit and kaboodle measuring in at just less than a half-inch. The keys are decent enough, with a little bit of click to them and some nice backlighting to guide your way. Also of note is that the Mach's got a removable 1700 mAh battery, so you can swap out a dead one on the go. It's also got a microSD card slot, which helps explains the rather anemic 8 GB of on-board storage. (And about 3 GB of that is taken up by the OS.) No word on pricing or availability. But this'll be on the lower end of things. We've got more hands-on photos and video after the break. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has SwiftKey prediction built-in Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:20 AM PDT
One of the Galaxy Note 2's best features may be one of its most hiddenA funny thing about SwiftKey. We've questioned, in the past, its strategy of forgoing deals with manufacturers to be preloaded onto devices (like Swype chose to do) and instead relying on Google Play downloads. It seems it's survived that strategy just fine, consistently remaining in the top 5 paid Android applications as well as spending its share of time in the top spot. But we've also seen it branch out a little bit. SwiftKey's prediction engine has appeared on BlackBerry, of all places. And now, we've learned, it's on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. And that phone should sell a few more units than BlackBerry, no? Samsung didn't respond to a request for comment. SwiftKey had no comment. (That's in line with the BlackBerry implementation of SwiftKey. Neither the keyboard company nor the struggling RIM would 'fess up, either.) More: Read our Galaxy Note 2 reviewSure enough, in the keyboard settings on the Note 2, you can find options for "Predictive text." There's an overall on/off switch for personalization. And under that you see the familiar "Learn from ..." options. Sign in to Facebook, Gmail and Twitter, and SwiftKey (erm, the Galaxy Note 2) can learn from what you type. There's also a conspicuous link to the privacy policy -- which is really good to see, given that this is snooping on your messages. But we've also been using SwiftKey with its personalization for more than a year, and we've really got no worry here. The short version is that this is a good thing for Samsung. And it's a good thing for SwiftKey. And, untimately, it's a good thing for you. 
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| LG's Nexus - here's what we know so far Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:01 AM PDT
First came the HTC-built Nexus One in early 2010. Then it was Samsung's turn with the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus in the years that followed. And in recent days it's become pretty clear that Google’s 2012 Nexus partner is LG, with the upcoming fourth-generation Nexus phone being based on the Korean manufacturer’s Optimus G. Photos have leaked showing a curved design with a glass back, and reported specs include a beastly 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, a 4.7-inch IPS display and, as ever, a "pure Google" vanilla Android experience. And there's been plenty of discussion and speculation over on the Android Central forums. But there are a lot of rumors circulating as to the exact nature of LG and Google's upcoming high-end smartphone, and it's not always easy to separate out the facts. So just what do we know about the upcoming 2012 Nexus phone? We’ve collected all the most reliable leaked information into one handy report, which you can check out after the break. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets official for T-Mobile Posted: 09 Oct 2012 10:59 AM PDT
Sprint had their turn this morning, now T-Mobile has an announcement of their own for MobileCON. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will be landing on T-Mo, as expected, though they're just as vague with pricing and release dates. Both white and grey options will be available, in any case. Last night T-Mobile also announced the LG Optimus L9, and who knows what else they'll unveil before the end of the show. The Galaxy Note 2 is shaping up to be a hugely popular device, and based on our experience, it's worth all of the hype. Here's a quick overview.
Keep an eye out for the Galaxy Note 2 on T-Mobile shelves "in the coming weeks". T-Mobile customers, are you pumped? 
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| Nexus 7 getting Android 4.1.2 update, adds landscape mode Posted: 09 Oct 2012 10:50 AM PDT
Hot on the heels of the Android 4.1.2 AOSP announcement, an over-the-air update to the freshly-minted version of Android is slowly starting to roll out to Nexus 7 tablets. Reports from EE Times and the Android Central forums say that the update (finally) adds a landscape mode to the tablet's home screen launcher, in among the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements. We're sure that launcher change will please more than a few Nexus 7 owners sick of being stuck in portrait mode all the time. The update package weighs just over 31MB, and is slowly starting to push out to Nexus 7 owners. We're not seeing it on any of our devices yet, but if you want to try your luck, head to to Settings > About device > Software updates and start mashing that button. If you're one of the lucky few to have already received the update, be sure to shout out in the comments and let us know how you're getting on. Source: EE Times, Android Central forums 
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| Android 4.1.2 pushing out to AOSP today Posted: 09 Oct 2012 10:17 AM PDT
Google's Jean-Baptiste Queru has announced today on the Android Building group mailing list that a small revision to Jelly Bean -- Android 4.1.2, build JZO54K -- is pushing out to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) right now. While the Android world is still spinning following a the leaking of a whole bunch of LG Nexus pictures showing 4.1.2 on-board, JBQ's only comments in terms of this 4.1.2 release are in reference to the Nexus 7. His warning to community builders of software for the Nexus 7 is that future variants of the device are coming with a different power management chip, one that is completely incompatible with the current 4.1.1 builds of the software. Details are sparse at the moment, but we'll keep you posted as we do some digging and find out what this means as far as changes and updates go. If there are changes or fixes relating to other Nexus devices, you can bet we'll see OTAs start to roll out in due course. Source: Android Building 
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| LG announces Optimus G and Mach for Sprint Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:46 AM PDT
The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 isn't the only thing announced for Sprint today. LG has announced the Optimus G and the Mach as the latest LTE-enabled additions to Sprint's line-up. Sprint also snuck in a tri-mode USB modem into the announcement, if you're into that kind of thing. We're already been pretty up-close-andpersonal with the Optimus G, but what's this Mach device? Surely not the Optimus Mach from awhile back, right? Nope, though it's still in the mid-range and pales in comparison to the Motorola Photon Q as far as sliders on Sprint go. Here are the broad strokes.
As you might expect, pricing and launch dates are still hazy for either one of these, but it's probably safe to assume that we'll be getting them before the holidays. Any takers? 
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| Isis Mobile Wallet launch tipped for Oct. 22 in Austin and Salt Lake City Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:38 AM PDT
Google Wallet competitor Isis could go live in trial markets in a matter of weeks, according to a leaked internal document obtained by Android Central. The doc, sent our way by an anonymous tipster, says that beginning Oct. 22, customers in Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX will be able to use the Isis Mobile Wallet service on "Isis Ready devices" -- though no complete list of devices was provided. The document goes on to state that payments through Isis "supporting banks'" credit cards will be supported, and that Isis users will get a complementary $10 balance on their pre-paid Isis Cash Card just for signing up and activating their wallet. That'll sound awfully familiar to anyone who's used a Google pre-paid card through Google Wallet. Isis has some big names backing it, and whenever the eventual widespread launch comes, you can bet we'll be hearing much more about it. Thanks, Anon! 
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| Sprint announces LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:24 AM PDT
MobileCON kicks off today with an announcement from Sprint and Samsung for the LTE-enabled Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. No details on pricing or dates, but they did give us the spec sheet. There are another three devices Sprint also announced, which we'll get to in a second.
We reviewed the AT&T version of this bad boy awhile back, so feel free to take a read-through. Anyone biting? 
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| Rogers launches Motorola RAZR HD LTE Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:37 AM PDT
Following an announcement last month, the Motorola RAZR HD LTE hit Rogers store shelves across Canada today for $99 on a three-year contract. It's an awful lot like the Droid RAZR HD that announced for Verizon last month, except this one is made for GSM networks. The main selling points for the Motorola RAZR HD are its 4.7-inch display, its strong battery life with LTE usage, and the triggered response software system, SmartActions. The Motorola RAZR HD LTE isn't showing up in the Rogers online store just yet, but feel free to call up your closest brick-and-mortar location to see what's up. There's also a bunch of information on Motorola Canada's site about detailed specs. Canadians, are you guys interested? Personally, I'm having a hard time imagining signing a three-year contract for any phone with WIND and Mobilicity in the picture. Any Americans interested in importing the RAZR HD LTE to use on A&T? Verizon customers, are you itching to pick up your version? Source: @Motorola_CA 
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| Motorola Atrix 2 bestowed with Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade Posted: 09 Oct 2012 07:45 AM PDT
Motorola Atrix 2 owners can now emerge from Gingerbread now that AT&T has begun rolling out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. We had an inkling that the update was on the way, so no huge surprise, but welcome nontheless. The update includes Motorola's new quick-launch lock screen, along with the usual ICS features, like Face Unlock, tabbed browsing, a data usage monitor and a few other odds and ends. Earlier this week, Motorola also started rolling out ICS for their Droid XYBOARD tablets, but there are still a few more devices on the timeline that we're waiting for. For those that aren't getting an update reasonably soon, Motorola has a pretty sweet upgrade incentive in place. With all of these ICS updates, it's starting to actually feel like Google owns Motorola. Hopefully it won't take long before Motorola sets the standard for software update timeliness, but for the time being, which manufacturer have you been most pleased with on that front? Which manufacturers take way too long for their ICS updates? Should manufacturers even be bothering with Jelly Bean in the picture? Is Google rolling out these new features too quickly, or do manufacturers and carriers just need to hurry and catch up? Source: AT&T 
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| T-Mobile LG Optimus L9 gallery Posted: 09 Oct 2012 07:16 AM PDT | ||
| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 07:11 AM PDT
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