Android Community |
- Archos unveils new 80 Cobalt tablet
- LeBron James stars in new Galaxy Note II ad
- New Waze update makes it easier to find friends
- Sony Xperia Tablet S sales to resume in November
- Samsung shows off Galaxy Premier I9260 smartphone
- New Samsung Galaxy Note II Smart Dock turns the device into a desktop
- Nexus 7 sales close to 1 million per month according to Asus
- LG Nexus 4 coming to O2 UK November 13
- Google Nexus 10 hands-on and first impressions
- iPhone 5 cuts into Android market share in US and UK, Android still on top
- LG Nexus 4 hands-on and first impressions
- Google pushing for Android developers to pay more attention to tablets
- Google’s Matias Duarte explains lack of SD cards in Nexus devices
- Skitch Android update brings full Evernote sync
| Archos unveils new 80 Cobalt tablet Posted: 31 Oct 2012 11:45 AM PDT We’ve got a flood of tablets incoming from a bunch of different manufacturers thanks to the holiday shopping season, and today Archos added one more tablet to the already long list. Say hello to the Archos 80 Cobalt, a tablet that probably won’t be burning up the benchmarks but might be worth having a look at nonetheless. That’s especially true if you’re in the market for an inexpensive tablet, as we’re thinking the 80 Cobalt’s specs won’t exactly demand a high price tag.
The Archos 80 Cobalt comes equipped with an unnamed dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz and a quad-core GPU. Those are working alongside 1GB of RAM, and the 80 Cobalt comes running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. It also sports an 8-inch capacative touch screen running at 1024 x 768 resolution, so there’s not all that much to write home about when it comes to the display.
However, the Archos 80 does feature a rear-facing camera, though that snapper only weighs in at two-megapixels. In other words, even though you’ve got a rear camera to take advantage of, it might not be the best idea to use it as your main shooter. On the inside, we’ve got 8GB of flash memory, but you can expand on that thanks to the micro SDHC slot Archos has chosen to include.
So, there isn’t too much to make the Archos 80 Cobalt stand out from the crowd, but we’re assuming that these lower-end specs will mean a low price. That will be the main draw of the 80 Cobalt, but at the moment, Archos hasn’t given any release or information. We’ll be sure to update once Archos dishes those details, so keep it tuned here to Android Community for more! [via Archos]
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| LeBron James stars in new Galaxy Note II ad Posted: 31 Oct 2012 10:47 AM PDT Samsung frequently uses celebrities in its smartphone ads, and the company’s latest one for the Galaxy Note II is no different. This time around, the ad features Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. The ad shows us a day in the life of the basketball player, as he uses the Galaxy Note II to exchange messages, take pictures, and send out videos of those tasty dunks.
The video is actually misleading in a way – since LeBron James is basically a giant coming in at 6’8, the Galaxy Note II looks like a normal-sized phone in his hands. Of course, most of us know that the Galaxy Note II comes packing a massive 5.5-inch screen, which in turn makes for a pretty big phone, but you wouldn’t know that by watching the ad below. Can you imagine how tiny something like the Galaxy S III – which still has a pretty large screen, remember – would look if LeBron was showing it off? In any case, the video doesn’t show off anything we haven’t seen before, and it surprisingly doesn’t focus on many of the Galaxy Note II’s mutlitasking features. The S Pen pops up briefly, but otherwise, you might be tricked into thinking that the Note II is a run of the mill phone. One look at our review of the device and you’ll know that’s not the case, as the Note II truly is an incredible Android handset. The Samsung Galaxy Note II is nearly here, at least for some consumers. AT&T is already taking pre-orders for the phone and will begin shipping those orders out on November 9, which is just over a week away. Are you picking one up, or is the Galaxy Note II a little big for your tastes regardless of how cool it is?
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| New Waze update makes it easier to find friends Posted: 31 Oct 2012 08:52 AM PDT Popular navigation app Waze has just been updated to version 3.5. The emphasis of this update is social integration. It’s all about users being able to find their friends more easily using the app. The update also tweaks the interface a bit to make the app easier to use.
You can also share your travel plans with a friends through the new live map feature. They can see your route, currently location updated in real-time, and your ETA. They can even see if you run into something that is going to change your ETA. You can also use the app to send and receive pick up requests. You don’t need to give a friend an address, just send the request, and they will see your location and know where to pick you up. All the maps have been updated, moods have been improved, menus have been tweaked, and more. It’s definitely a nice improvement over the old Waze app. It’s available on Google Play right now.
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| Sony Xperia Tablet S sales to resume in November Posted: 31 Oct 2012 08:06 AM PDT Recently, Sony was forced to pull sales of the Xperia Tablet S because of a leak in the waterproof seal. The 9.4-inch device used its water resistance as a major selling point, and when it was found that there was a possible issue with the seal, Sony was forced to cease sales of the tablet to address the problem. Well starting in the middle portion of next month, Sony is going to resume sales of the Xperia Tablet S, with the leak problem taken care of.
Besides a water-resistant screen, the Sony Xperia Tablet S also features a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. It also works with Sony’s certified PlayStation games, which is something you cannot get on many other tablets. Even after being away from the market for a while, its specs are still solid compared to some other tablets on the market. For owners of the device, Sony is offering free inspection and repair services in many locations. If you unsure if you device has the space for water to sneak in, you may want to get it checked out. For those still interested in purchasing one, you will only have to wait a couple more weeks to pick one up. [via Xperia Blog]
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| Samsung shows off Galaxy Premier I9260 smartphone Posted: 31 Oct 2012 07:42 AM PDT Samsung‘s Galaxy Premier I9260 smartphone has been rumored for a while. Samsung has finally pulled the veil off the phone and made it official. The LTE smartphone is coming, and it looks like the Ukraine is going to be one of the first places to receive the device. It will hit the market next month.
The phone also has two cameras, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. It also comes equipped with a 2,100mAh battery. The device also has 4G LTE for fast data speeds. The I9260 also has features that were previously only available on the Galaxy S III such as Best Photo, Smart Stay, Direct Call, Pop-Up Play, S Voice, and S Beam. The Ukraine market will be one of the first to get the device. They are scheduled to receive it in December. It wil retail for 5,555UAH in the Ukraine, which is about $680USD. Samsung has confirmed that device will release in November, but they have not confirmed which markets will receive it then.     [via Sammy Hub]
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| New Samsung Galaxy Note II Smart Dock turns the device into a desktop Posted: 31 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT An awesome new accessory for the Samsung Galaxy Note II has surfaced, and it allows you to turn the device into a desktop. It has plenty of ports for connecting wired peripherals. It is currently listed in the US on Samsung’s site and at UK retailer Clove. Samsung’s website lists the dock for $99.99, and Clove says “pricing and availability to be confirmed.”
How you use the dock will depend on your needs. The USB ports offer enough flexibility to use a mouse and keyboard and make it a desktop replacement. You can use it as a hub for a media center. It really comes down to your preferences, and how you want to use the device.
Of course, the dock is small and portable. You can fold it up and carry it around easily. The device is available for preorder in the US on Samsung’s website, but Samsung has not added shipping information, so we are unsure of exactly when you will receive one if you preorder. Want more information on the Galaxy Note II? Check out our review.        [via SlashGear]
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| Nexus 7 sales close to 1 million per month according to Asus Posted: 31 Oct 2012 06:15 AM PDT It’s no secret that the Nexus 7 is popular. However, according to device builder Asus, it’s even more popular than we ever thought. Asus says that sales of the seven-inch tablet are just under 1 million per month. That’s a lot of people jumping on the Android tablet bandwagon each month.
Asus CFO David Chang said that in the beginning the tablets were selling at a rate of about 500,000 per month. The sales then increased to closer to 700,000 and last month, they were just under 1,000,000. Those seem like pretty solid numbers, but perhaps Google and Asus have been mostly silent on the sales figures because they are still not at the same level as the iPad. Apple sold 14 million iPads in Q3, compared to the estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 of the Nexus 7 in the same time period. Still, the Nexus 7 is putting up some solid numbers, and it’s clearly growing at an impressive rate. Google has just announced two more Nexus devices, including a 10-inch tablet clearly aimed at directly competing with the iPad. [via SlashGear]
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| LG Nexus 4 coming to O2 UK November 13 Posted: 31 Oct 2012 05:38 AM PDT The LG Nexus 4 will be making its way to O2 on November 13, the carrier has announced. Not only that, it is going to be exclusive to the carrier, so if you’re in the UK and you want a Nexus 4 without spending the no contract price, O2 is going to be your only options. Google will be selling the phone unlocked, but if you don’t want to drop £239 for the 8GB, £279 for the 16GB, O2 is your choice.
With a 2-year contract and a plan of £36 per month or above, the phone will be free. That plan grants unlimited calling, messaging and 1GB of data. The phone does not have 4G, but neither does O2 at this point. While getting the phone for free is a nice deal, the upfront cost of getting the phone through Google could be cheaper in the long run without long-term contract. In the US, T-Mobile will be the carrier of choice for the phone, although Google has said that they will be selling the device themselves in the US as well. [via SlashGear]
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| Google Nexus 10 hands-on and first impressions Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:38 PM PDT It’s time to get pumped up about the next generation for Google in tablet form – the Nexus 10, made by Samsung and packing Android 4.2 Jelly Bean+ (just a bit more expansive than 4.1, of course.) We’ve got our hands on this lovely device today and are getting our first impressions on right out of the box before it goes on sale to the general public – and spoiler alert: it’s pretty great. The Google Nexus 10 has a 10.0555-inch display with 2560 × 1600 pixel resolution using PLS technology – it’s bright as heck and just a tiny bit sharper than the iPad 3rd and 4th generation – beyond Retina, that is.
If you’re interested in a lovely collection of Nexus 10 vs iPad 4th gen features and specifications in an all-out war to destroy the world with its greatness, head over to SlashGear. After that, or before that if you’d like, you can have a peek at our first rundown of the specifications in the Nexus 10 when it was announced earlier this week. You can also see everything in cool, simple, list style at Device.AC, our massive device listing archive! The device you’re looking at here is rather light at 1.33 pounds and really feels it. With soft plastic across the majority of the device (along the back) and Gorilla Glass up front, you’ve got both a high-quality build and a rather light experience physically. The tablet is 10.39 x 6.99 x 0.35 inches across the top, side, and thick, and has front-facing speakers. Just like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung is using their front-facing speaker configuration here as EVERY tablet should – thank god for modern technology allowing us to have speakers facing the person using the device!
This element also helps Google and Samsung avoid lawsuits from Apple, believe it or not, as it was first revealed back when the Galaxy Tab 10.1N was revealed – this model eventually being re-named Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 here in the USA. This being Google’s first big full-sized tablet experience on the market, it shouldn’t seem like too much of a stretch that they’re considering the future insofar as it involves lawsuits and patent cases – everyone’s had their fill over the past few years. The processor is the same as we’ve seen in the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook (see the full review on SlashGear) and thus far it’s feeling like one of the most powerful beasts we’ve ever experienced. Benchmarks incoming of course – for now know this: it’s going to be up near the top, if not topping the whole Android device universe.
The Nexus 10 feels great to use, is going to be fabulous for both games and entertainment, and works with Google’s now rather mature Google Play suite of apps. With Android 4.2 Jelly Bean onboard with no manufacturer or carrier extras to get in the way of a “pure” Google experience, this tablet is going to quickly become a fan favorite – and not just for developers. Stick around Android Community for our full review of this device coming up quick – same goes for the LG Nexus 4! Device Info
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| iPhone 5 cuts into Android market share in US and UK, Android still on top Posted: 30 Oct 2012 02:34 PM PDT September 30 marked the end of Q3 2012 for a lot of companies, but it also marked the end of the quarter for a lot of analytics firms as well. One of these firms is Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, and today it delivered its report on the smartphone market as its stands at the end of Q3. It seems that Android has a worthy competitor in the iPhone 5, and even though there isn’t a threat of Android losing its massive market share lead anytime soon, Apple’s newest handset did manage to put a dent in Android’s growth in the US and UK.
According to Kantar’s report, which was relayed by TechCrunch, iOS was able to boost its market share in the US significantly during quarter 3, climbing 14.2 percentage points year-over-year from 21.5% to 35.7%. That climb can almost certainly be attributed to the launch of iPhone 5, even though it only went on sale at the very end of the quarter. By comparison, Android fell from 66.4% market share in Q3 2011 to 57.5% in Q3 2012. In the UK it’s a bit of a different story – the iPhone 5 still managed to slow Android’s growth, it didn’t make Android lose any percentage points. iOS climbed almost ten full percentage points year-over-year, ending quarter 3 2012 at 28% market share, with Android managing to jump up 4.8 percentage points to 58.2% market share in the UK. Android made even bigger gains in the rest of Europe, gaining a whopping 16.2 percentage points to settle at 67.1% market share – much more than iOS can say, as it actually fell from 17.3% to 16.5% year-over-year across Europe. So, the war between iOS and Android continues to rage on, with both operating systems making gains in different regions of the world. We’re excited to see the results of Q4 2012, since not only will that take the holiday shopping season into account, but it will be the first full quarter that the iPhone 5 is available. To say the least, it should be interesting, especially will all of those excellent-looking Android devices hitting shelves soon. Stay tuned.
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| LG Nexus 4 hands-on and first impressions Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:39 PM PDT Google is bringing on the next generation of vanilla-flavored Android with the LG Nexus 4, a combination, it seems, of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the LG Optimus G. The massive processor and the operating system on this device are the real heroes, of course, starting with the 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdradon S4 Pro SoC with Adreno 320 graphics under the hood – Qualcomm’s biggest and best yet. You’ll be working with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean+ (the newest version, newer than 4.1 Jelly Bean that was released earlier this year), this including a lovely new collection of features shown just this week by Google.
The display up front is 4.7-inches with 1280 x 768 pixel resolution using non-PenTile IPS LCD technology, that being both rather bright and sharp to the max. That’s 317.6 Pixels Per Inch, sharper than the Nexus 10, essentially the same as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus which sits at 316. The iPhone 5 sits at 326 PPI, just incase you want to know. The most highly dense display on a smartphone right this minute is the HTC J Butterfy with 440 PPI – massively insanely sharp! The LG Nexus 4 has a glass-covered back, round edges on the top and bottom, and is just 131g (0.31 pounds) light. It’s 9.1mm (0.36 inches) thin and has a lovely 8 megapixel camera on the back with a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front. The Nexus 4 has 2GB of RAM and in this iteration we’ve got unlocked pentaband DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps) radio for connectivity with AT&T and T-Mobile. Under the hood there’s a 2100mAh non-removable battery and there’s no microSD card slot, so make sure you get the internal storage size you want right out of the box.
Stick around Android Community for our full review of the Google Nexus 4 from LG in the very near future – for now, let us know what you’d like to know about this smartphone. Anything we can answer or information we can ascertain will be sent unto you!
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Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
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| Google pushing for Android developers to pay more attention to tablets Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:32 PM PDT The Samsung-made Nexus 10 is certainly a feast for the eyes, especially with that beautiful 2560×1600 display. There’s just one problem: there aren’t many Android developers who fine tune their apps for use on tablets. Instead of making a version of their app for Android tablets, a number of developers will just blow up their smartphone apps, which doesn’t exactly make for the prettiest of experiences. Google is looking to change that, urging developers to focus on the tablet experience when it comes to their apps.
“We’d like developers to think more and more about great tablet experiences. There’s a lot of really good Android tablets out there now,” Google mobile product manager Robert Hamilton said in an interview with The Guardian. “The Nexus 10 is a world-class device that we think will be really successful, so we want more people to take advantage of the tools that Android provides for developers to think about what their tablet experience is.” Hamilton said that some developers are already putting in the effort to make their apps look and run great on tablets, which is definitely an encouraging thing to hear. According to him, the launch of the Nexus 7 was what made some developers really sit down and think about how they can improve user experience on tablets. Given the Nexus 7′s immense popularity, we have no problem believing his claims. If the Nexus 10 turns out to be as bit as Google hopes, then it stands to reason that even more developers will begin to think about they make their apps better on tablets. Of course, at the end of the day it’s all about making money, and at the moment, there are many more Android smartphone owners than there are Android tablet owners. With the Nexus 7, we saw Android tablet mania hit in a big way, so if Google can repeat that success with the Nexus 10, it should do a lot convince developers that a significant number of consumers are using Android tablets. We shall see if the Nexus 10 can top the Nexus 7 in terms of popularity soon enough, as the tablet is scheduled to launch on November 13 – are you picking one up?
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| Google’s Matias Duarte explains lack of SD cards in Nexus devices Posted: 30 Oct 2012 12:42 PM PDT There’s certainly a lot of excitement surrounding Google‘s new line up of Nexus devices, and Android director of user services Matias Duarte has hopped on Google Plus to answer the questions Nexus fans undoubtedly have. Android users took him up on his offer to answer questions on these new Nexus devices, with hundreds posting comments to his Google Plus profile. At the time of this writing, Duarte has only gotten around to answering two questions, but the two answers he’s given are definitely worth noting.
Duarte explained Google’s motivation for switching up the status bar and system button with Android 4.2 devices, stating that Google wanted users to have a consistent Android experience across the majority of screens. Duarte says that Google’s utility research found that muscle memory is important, as users will expect the buttons to be in the same place regardless of the device’s orientation. With Android 4.2, Google has made it so the system bar will always keep those three buttons in the same place, though while this happens “dynamically for every screen size,” he does point out that these new system bar updates won’t apply to small handheld screens (read: phones). The reason for this is that having the status bar stretch across the screen horizontally while in landscape mode would leave too little vertical space. He also explained why Google seems to shy away from including microSD slots on its Nexus devices, which has always been a major annoyance for consumers. According to Duarte, including microSD slots makes things “confusing for users.” He brought up a litany of questions that come along with using microSD cards on mobile devices – “If you're saving photos, videos or music, where does it go? Is it on your phone? Or on your card? Should there be a setting? Prompt everytime?” – and concluded that they just make things too complicated. We’re not sure users would agree with that, but at least now we have Google’s reasoning for not including microSD slots on its devices. In the time since posting those answers, Duarte’s Google Plus profile has received dozens more questions, but for now, it looks like he won’t be answering most of those. Still, at least he explained two pretty important things concerning Android 4.2 and Nexus devices. What do you think of his explanation for why Google leaves microSD slots out of the equation?
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| Skitch Android update brings full Evernote sync Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:42 AM PDT The folks behind Skitch have just pushed an update to version 2.0 for Android out the door, and it brings some snazzy new features with it. There isn’t too terribly much included in this update – which means the changelog isn’t going to be a mile long – but what version 2.0 offers is worth checking out, especially if you use Skitch on a regular basis. Perhaps some of the most important changes include deeper Evernote integration, but you also have a couple new editing tools at your disposal, so read on to find out more.
As stated above, this update comes packing increased Evernote integration. Users can now take advantage of full Evernote sync if the much-loved app is installed alongside Skitch, which will prove to be quite handy for those who have always thought Evernote and Skitch go hand-in-hand. The developers of Skitch are also touting “improved integration with the Evernote app,” but sadly don’t get into detail about what has been improved.
Skitch users will also notice some significant cosmetic changes, as the app now has a redesigned user interface. There are also a pair of new editing tools for you to go nuts with: highlighter and pixelate. Both are pretty straightforward, as pixelate lets your obscure part of and image to keep private things private, and highlighter naturally allows you to mark up your notes, drawing attention to the important stuff.
Finally, with version 2.0, users can now view and edit Skitch notes made on other platforms, which is a big win for those of us who have Skitch installed on various devices and machines. Even better is that this update is available now from the Google Play Store [download link], so you don’t have to wait for all of these new features to arrive. Be sure to have a look at our story timeline below for more on Skitch and Evernote!      [via SlashGear]
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