Android Central |
- All Samsung phones going on sale at T-Mobile for two days
- Ask AC: Is Android Linux?
- AT&T giving $100 off on tablets
- Sony Xperia S removed from AOSP, project will live on at Sony GitHub
- Sprint spending additional $200 million on 3G network as LTE rolls out
- GroupMe version 4.0 hits beta for willing participants
- Angry Birds Star Wars review
- Music and Movies coming to Google TV in more countries
- Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!
- Humble Bundle for Android 4 features Superbrothers beta
- Inside Android 4.2: The new clock app
- HTC One X+ review
- AT&T's Samsung Galaxy Express available Nov. 16 for $99
- Purported Sony Yuga prototype shots emerge - 5-inch 1080p screen rumored
- Google Shopper updated with new UI, GoodGuide product ratings and more
- Samsung Galaxy S3 was Q3's most-shipped smartphone
- Deal of the Day: Amzer Skin Case for Motorola Atrix HD
- AT&T adds LTE in Little Rock, expands in Florida, California
- HTC One SV debuts in Southeast Asia
- Jelly Bean update hits Galaxy Note 10.1, starting in Germany
- Angry Birds Star Wars now available on Google Play
- T-Mobile posts Q3 2012 earnings, prepaid doing well
- Google has no plans to sell the Nexus 4 in Taiwan
- Qualcomm posts FQ4 and FY2012 earnings with record revenues
- I want a white Nexus 4, Waiting on the DNA [From the Forums]
| All Samsung phones going on sale at T-Mobile for two days Posted: 08 Nov 2012 05:01 PM PST
It's no secret that the Samsung devices are huge sellers for T-Mobile. Unfortunately, sometimes T-Mobile's on-contract pricing is a bit higher than other carriers, as we've seen with the recent launch of the Galaxy Note 2. Luckily if you're planning on grabbing the Note 2, Galaxy SIII (S3) or any of the several Samsung phones available on T-Mobile it looks like many will be free -- or very cheap -- on contract (with a Classic Plan) on November 16th and 17th. T-Mobile's pricing structure is set up to try and incentivize you to buy phones on their Value Plans or Monthly 4G Prepaid plans, but if for some reason you're looking to stick with a Classic Plan, this next weekend will give you a good opportunity to save a few hundred dollars up-front. Source: TmoNews 
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 03:57 PM PST
While trawling through the Internet today I came across the Linux Foundation's page, and my eyes were pulled to their top story. Now this is nothing new, I often find plenty of great articles and news to read there, but this was different. This was a post that was about Android. It got me thinking (sometimes I do that) -- is Android Linux? The folks at the Linux Foundation seem to think so (and seem awfully happy about it), and I'm going to have to agree with them. Now before you purists come to West Virginia to beat some sense into me, I'm not saying that Android is unadulterated GNU Linux. Clearly it's not, there's far too many differences and psudeo-open source licensing at play to call it pure. But for all intents and purposes, it's close enough. Android now runs on top of a standard Linux kernel, and uses many of the same kernelspace utilities and code that my desktop does. Essentially, that's what Linux is -- the heart of many different systems. Google, and the Android partners like Samsung, HTC, and CyanogenMod, then build things out to present the user with an interface to interact with the kernel. The kernel does stuff, all our taps and swipes and presses are telling it the stuff we want it to do. Just like any of the popular Linux distributions that you can install on your computer at home or work. Android looks and acts a little different because it needs to look and act a little different to be useful on a small touch screen device. Of course, this is the simplified version of things, but if you're the type who understands how the kernelspace and userspace interact, you see where I'm coming from. Too much nerd is often too much. So the next time you grab your Android-powered phone or tablet, just remember that you're part of the long standing tradition that is Linux. It's a good place to be. 
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| AT&T giving $100 off on tablets Posted: 08 Nov 2012 03:26 PM PST  AT&T’s giving customers $100 off tablets purchased under a two-year data plan. The offer starts tomorrow, Friday, and applies to devices bought online or at AT&T-owned and selected agent retail stores. AT&T has three DataConnect plans:
It also charges $10 under its Mobile Share plan for customers to share between 1Gb and 20Gb of data with up to nine other devices. 
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| Sony Xperia S removed from AOSP, project will live on at Sony GitHub Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:17 PM PST The Sony Xperia S has been kicking around in the Android Open Source Project for a while now. It never was an official target, but with the work from Sony and JBQ it was a usable option for those willing to tinker around, and by most accounts a success. With things ramping up and preparing for the AOSP to move on to Android 4.2, it has been removed. The project will still live on, though, as Sony has set up a dedicated git for the Xperia S at their GitHub space. Interested parties can still hack away at Android 4.1 for the device, with plenty of community and official support. Full instructions for pulling and building are available, and folks interested should find the experience hasn't changed much. As for why it was removed, Sony engineers explain that Google can't commit time and resources to maintaining anything other than Nexus devices in the official AOSP. We still see the Pandaboard in AOSP though, so there's more to the issue. It appears that Sony is unwilling to release all the binary files needed to boot the Xperia S into a usable state, which is a good reason to have it removed from the AOSP. We're not sure if the move was mandated or voluntary, but it certainly wasn't unexpected with needed files being withheld. Sony, we applaud you for taking an interest in the AOSP, and for the time you've spent working with the community and Google to come this far. We're not so happy about the binaries not being made available, but it's good the see a strong base being continued by your own engineering team instead of just abandoned. Source: Sony. More: Sony on GitHub 
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| Sprint spending additional $200 million on 3G network as LTE rolls out Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:35 PM PST
Although Sprint's "Network Vision" project -- which will eventually move customers off of CDMA and to LTE -- is in full swing, the LTE network just isn't lighting up in as many places as customers would like. Seeing increased load on its 3G network because of a spike in customer additions in the recent months, Sprint has strategically decided to invest $200 million in improving the speeds on the legacy technology. Its unfortunate to see Sprint having to make a tactical decision to invest in 3G with money that could surely be better spent on an LTE rollout, but the speeds can only get so slow before something has to be done. Hopefully as more of Sprint's customers move over to LTE the carrier will be able to better balance its network. Source: FierceWireless 
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| GroupMe version 4.0 hits beta for willing participants Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:03 PM PST
One of the more popular group messaging services out there, GroupMe, has just released a beta of its latest update -- version 4.0. The whole idea of version 4.0 is a cleaner and simpler to use interface, and looking at the screenshots it seems to be the case. To participate in the beta, hit the source link below. It'll involve allowing installation of 3rd party apps in your device's settings and installing it manually, but may be worth a look if you're a big GroupMe user. GroupMe is hoping to get participants to try out the beta who have already been using the most recent stable version to get the best feedback, but if you're interested in trying out the beta you can always download the previous version first (at the Play Store link above) and register to move to 4.0. Source: GroupMe Blog 
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:30 AM PST After a few weeks of teasers, Rovio has finally released the next iteration in their Angry Birds franchise, this time with a focus on the classic Star Wars brand. Recognizable settings such as Tattoine, Degobah, and Hoth make an appearance, not to mention all of the birds are dressed up as characters from the movies, each with their own signature special abilities. 
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| Music and Movies coming to Google TV in more countries Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:17 AM PST
The official Google TV page on Google+ just announced that Google Play Music and Movies will be expanding its reach to more countries. Users in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and Australia can now use both Music and Movies on their Google TV devices without restrictions. It's always good to see Google's content deals expanding to bring a full-featured experience to all markets that have Google TV available. Source: +GoogleTV 
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| Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the World! Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:10 AM PST
The reviews are out, but we've still got a few more days to go before you can purchase the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. So in the meantime, we're gonna talk about them a whole lot more. Plus, move of your e-mails and voicemails. So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 2 a.m. GMT / 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World. Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from Google Play [link] and search for Mobile Nations a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there at AndroidCentral.com/live! 
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| Humble Bundle for Android 4 features Superbrothers beta Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:18 AM PST
The latest Humble Bundle for Android has been kicked off, and includes a bunch of exceptional games. Splice, Eufloria, Waking Mars, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and an early Android beta for the excellent Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery are all available. If you pay more than the average (currently $8.89) you also get Machinarium. You get to pay whatever you want for these, and the money is split up between developers, the Humble Bundle organizers, and charities like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child's Play as you see fit. Every signle one comes with the original soundtrack, and is available on Windows, Linux, and Mac PCs. A lot of these games aren't in Google Play, so, go get the bundle! It's a great deal, and for a good cause. Hey, if you're in the charitable mood, why not contribute to the MO-bile Nations Movember run? We're raising money for men's health by sprouting exceptionally poor facial hair. Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to go out in public like this. 
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| Inside Android 4.2: The new clock app Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:07 AM PST
What's that? A separate piece about a clock app? It still tells time, right? Yes. A separate piece about a clock app. And, yes. It still tells time. Actually, the new clock app in Android 4.2 is wearing four or five hats. Here's the breakdown:
And what's more -- this thing looks good. 
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:37 AM PST
Six months on from the One X, a turbo-charged successor arrivesAfter a tumultuous year, HTC needs to score some big wins this holiday season. Many critics, including ourselves, have been full of praise for its HTC One series, led by the venerable One X. But every passing quarter seems to bring depressingly familiar news for the Taiwanese manufacturer -- record sales and profits for Android rival Samsung, and tumbling revenues for HTC. On the Windows Phone side, the HTC 8X -- a great handset by any standard -- looks set to make a big impact in the coming weeks. But what of Android? Well, as the year draws to a close, HTC is hoping to put the One series back in the spotlight with a revamped high-end offering, the One X+. On paper it’s a tantalizing proposition -- one of our favorite early 2012 phones re-imagined in a soft touch polycarbonate shell, with a larger battery, a faster CPU and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. But as HTC knows, specs alone have never been enough to guarantee a device’s success. Today the One X+ is but a drop in a sea of quad-core, 720p Androids, The high-end mobile space is a lot more crowded than it was back in March, when we reviewed the original One X. And speaking of that device, what does the One X+ mean for those who’ve already invested in the HTC One series? Answers to all these questions, and many more, are waiting in our full review of the HTC One X+. Read on. 
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| AT&T's Samsung Galaxy Express available Nov. 16 for $99 Posted: 08 Nov 2012 07:00 AM PST
AT&T this morning announced that its entry-level Samsung Galaxy Express will be available Nov. 16 for $99 on contract. As you'll recall from our hands-on with the Express last month, it's a pretty basic Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 2,000 mAh battery. It's got a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a few of the software tweaks seen in more powerful (and expensive) Samsung phones, like the Galaxy S3. It also runs on AT&T's LTE network, if you've got it where you live. Source: AT&T 
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| Purported Sony Yuga prototype shots emerge - 5-inch 1080p screen rumored Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:57 AM PST
It looks like HTC's J Butterfly and Droid DNA could have some competition in early 2013. Rumors of a 5-inch, quad-core Sony handset in development have been circulating for the past month or so, and today brings what could be the first images of the device, which apparently goes by the codename "Yuga." The image above comes from a set obtained by Swiss Android site Android Schweiz, and is apparently a prototype for the next-gen Sony flagship. Along with the leaked pics, the site claims the prototype is running a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU -- most likely a Snapdragon S4 -- along with 2GB of RAM, a 12MP camera and a 5-inch 1080p display. Physically, it's a pretty nondescript smartphone design. Earpiece, speaker and front-facing camera can be spotted in the shot above, and other images in the set show Xperia T-style on-screen buttons. The back of the device is difficult to make out, but seems to be at least partially reflective. The alleged prototype is running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean along with Sony's Xperia UI, which looks almost identical to what we've used on the Xperia T and other late 2012 Sony handsets. Remember that both hardware and software are likely pre-production, so even if this is a legitimate Sony device, the final product is likely to differ from what we see in these leaked pics. We got to see several Sony prototypes recently, and as you might expect, they often don't quite match up with the finalized designs. Sony tends to reveal new products first at CES each January, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the "Yuga," or whatever it's eventually called, making its public debut in Las Vegas in a couple of months. Source: Android Schweiz (Translated) 
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| Google Shopper updated with new UI, GoodGuide product ratings and more Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:38 AM PST
Today sees the launch of Google Shopper 3.0 on Google Play, bringing several major changes to Google's mobile shopping application. First up is a re-vamped, more image-centric design with a slide-out menu similar to many other Google apps. The main menu now shows a grid of available categories, and when searching, it's possible to view larger images of all products in a similar layout. Shopper 3.0 also introduces GoodGuide product ratings, which Google says should allow shoppers to make more informed buying decisions. A new push notification area allows users to keep up to date with new Shopper features when they land. Existing Google Shopper users should head to the Google Play Store to grab today's update. If you've not got the app installed yet, you can jump right to the most recent version using the Google Play link above. Google Shopper is a free download for devices running Android 2.1 and above. 
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| Samsung Galaxy S3 was Q3's most-shipped smartphone Posted: 08 Nov 2012 05:55 AM PST
18m Galaxy S3s between July and September, versus iPhone 4S's 16.2mIn case the recent 30 million milestone didn't give it away, Samsung shipped rather a lot of Galaxy S3s this summer. So much so, that S3 shipments eclipsed those of Apple's iPhone 4S during the third quarter, according to the latest numbers from Strategy Analytics. The firm's statistics for the Q3 2012 indicate that the Galaxy S3 shifted 18 million units worldwide, compared to the iPhone 4S's 16.2 million and the iPhone 5's 6 million. Of course, things aren't quite as one-sided as the numbers would suggest. There's a good reason people weren't buying as many iPhone 4Ss during that time -- the iPhone 5 was looming large, with new features for iOS users, including a larger screen and LTE support. What's more, Q3 saw the Galaxy S3 launch in several key territories, including North America and Samsung's native South Korea. Also note that these are units shipped, not necessarily phones in consumers' hands. So it's highly likely that strong sales of the iPhone 5 will launch Apple back to the top spot in Q4. Nevertheless, Samsung will be pleased that in this instance at the very last, it was able to best Apple's numbers. via Engadget 
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| Deal of the Day: Amzer Skin Case for Motorola Atrix HD Posted: 08 Nov 2012 05:20 AM PST
The Amzer Skin Case is available for just $5.00, 67% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping. Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts! 
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| AT&T adds LTE in Little Rock, expands in Florida, California Posted: 08 Nov 2012 04:15 AM PST
Also, AT&T mentions that it's expanded its LTE coverage in Key West to include Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo. Also, Bakesfield, Calif., should be seeing expanded coverage. Source: AT&T 
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| HTC One SV debuts in Southeast Asia Posted: 08 Nov 2012 03:06 AM PST
Key specs include a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU -- Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip -- along with 1GB of RAM. Internal storage comes in at 8GB, and that's expandable via a microSD card slot. The screen is a fairly standard WVGA (480x800) LCD. Where the One SV really shines, though, is in camera quality -- the phone packs a 5MP rear shooter with some impressive optics -- a 28mm lens with f/2.0 aperture and support for 1080p video recording. In addition, it rocks HTC's ImageChip, the dedicated camera chip found on phones like the One S and One X. 4G LTE connectivity is included too, depending on market availability. On the software side, you're looking at HTC Sense and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, so no sign of the newer Sense 4+ that we're seeing on the One X+ and other recent devices. There's no indication as to whether HTC plans to launch the One SV globally, but with this device's specs overlapping with those of of the One VX in the U.S. and Desire X in Europe, we'd expect this to remain an Asia-only phone for the foreseeable future. Source: HTC 
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| Jelly Bean update hits Galaxy Note 10.1, starting in Germany Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:43 AM PST
Samsung has begun updating its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, according to reports. Samsung fansite SamMobile is reporting that German Note 10.1 devices are first in line for the update, which is being pushed out to the pen-toting tablet as a 300MB over-the-air download. After upgrading, updated devices should be running software version N8000XXBLJ9. The update comes almost three months after the Galaxy Note 10.1 launched in the U.S. and Europe with ICS -- one of the last Samsung flagship devices to ship with Android 4.0. With this latest software update, Note 10.1 owners can look forward to improved responsiveness thanks to Google's "Project Butter" enhancements, as well as other software goodies like the new Google Search app with Google Now. We've yet to hear any reports of Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets outside of Germany getting this update, but in the event that you're seeing an OTA waiting on your Note 10.1 this morning, be sure to let us know in the comments section. If you're feeling brave, you'll find an ODIN-flashable version of the German ROM over at the source link. (If you don't know what that is, it's probably best to wait it out) Source: SamMobile 
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| Angry Birds Star Wars now available on Google Play Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:27 AM PST
Rovio's latest cross-over title, Angry Birds Star Wars, has landed on Google Play, where it's available as a free download. The game, which debuts such things as "Pigtroopers" and a "Pig Star" (you get the idea), features familiar Angry Birds-style gameplay across four zones -- Tatooine, Death Star, Endor, "Path of the Jedi" (think Yoda's planet from Return of the Jedi) and several unlockable bonus stages. There's also Hoth-themed zone that's promised as a free update "soon." Gameplay is pretty much what you'd expect -- fling birds at pigs, except now there are Star Wars things happening in the background. Later levels see blasters and lightsabers getting in on the action. Angry Birds Star Wars is available in regular and tablet-optimized HD flavors, and both are available for devices running Android 2.2 or later. You can grab the free version above, or the £1.99 HD version here. We'll have a full review coming at you soon. 
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| T-Mobile posts Q3 2012 earnings, prepaid doing well Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:54 AM PST
T-Mobile has finally posted its Q3 2012 earnings and they're looking pretty good. We'll start first with the carrier's postpaid contract earnings. On the postpaid side, T-Mobile posted total revenues of $4.9 billion, down 6.4-percent year-over-year. Contract ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) dropped slightly by 3.3-perecent to $56.59, mostly due to the move to Value Plans which make up a quarter of postpaid subscribers. T-Mobile in the end lost 492,000 postpaid customers for the quarter, which is an improvement from last quarter. The positive side of this quarter's earnings is in prepaid. T-Mobile added 365,000 prepaid subscribers on the quarter, and prepaid revenues were up 38-percent (year-over-year) to $450 million. ARPU was also up 12.5-percent to $27.35 for prepaid customers. Wholesale customers (that's M2M and MVNO) also increased by 287,000. These are pretty big growth numbers, and you can understand why T-Mobile has started to push towards prepaid more and more. Overall, T-mobile's net income for the quarter was a loss to the tune of $7.8 billion. That sounds bad, but let us quickly explain why they made a loss this quarter. Because of the merger between T-Mobile and MetroPCS, the carrier had to take a non-cash "impairment charge" of $8.1 billion, and chose to write it all down in one quarter. This turned a quarter that would have been a $400 million profit into one with a considerable loss. Mergers aside, expenses for the quarter were down 0.4-percent year-over-year. When looking at the root causes behind the numbers you can hardly call this a "loss" for the quarter, all things considered. Money was well spent on a merger that will improve T-Mobile's position in the U.S. market considerably, and prepaid growth is looking positive for the future. Source: T-Mobile Newsroom; Extended Financial Summary (PDF) 
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| Google has no plans to sell the Nexus 4 in Taiwan Posted: 07 Nov 2012 07:59 PM PST
According to a statement given to Digitimes, LG Taiwan has said that there are no plans to release the Nexus 4 in Taiwan. The handset will be available in multiple countries in the Americas and Europe at launch, and more countries worldwide will be coming in the future, but it sounds like Taiwan won't be one of them. LG did state that they plan to release several new flagships featuring their own brand in Taiwan sometime during the beginning of 2013, and this should increase brand awareness. Luckily, there should be several wholesalers who will gladly ship to Taiwan if users need to get their Nexus on. Source: Digitimes 
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| Qualcomm posts FQ4 and FY2012 earnings with record revenues Posted: 07 Nov 2012 07:26 PM PST
Qualcomm has just posted its FQ4 and FY2012 (fiscal quarter/year, not calendar quarter/year) results. For the quarter, the popular chip maker hit record revenues of $4.87 billion, up 18-percent year-over-year. Net income rose by 20-percent (again year-over-year) to $1.27 billion. For the year, earnings were just as impressive. 2012 brought $19.12 billion in revenues, up 28-percent. Net income for the year was up 43-percent to $6.11 billion as well. CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs had this to say about the earnings:
Things are looking good for Qualcomm, and it doesn't look like this growth is going to slow any time soon. Take a look at the source link below if you're into finance. Source: Qualcomm Investor Relations 
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| I want a white Nexus 4, Waiting on the DNA [From the Forums] Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:39 PM PST
Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below to get started.
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