Saturday, December 8, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Motorola releases a timetable for Jelly Bean updates on numerous devices

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 11:17 AM PST

It’s always nice to see companies releasing timetables for upcoming updates, especially as big as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Here’s a list that Motorola provided:

  • RAZR i Jelly Bean update now scheduled for Q1 2013
  • Verizon Droid RAZR HD/RAZR MAXX HD still due Jelly Bean update before 2013
  • AT&T Atrix HD due Jelly Bean update before 2013
  • 3G/LTE Xoom Jelly Bean update delayed to Q1 2013
  • Canadian Atrix HD + RAZR HD due to get Jelly Bean in Q1 2013
  • Euro RAZR HD Jelly Bean update scheduled for Dec. 2012

While there’s still no word on when 4.2 will be released, it’s good to see they have their eyes set on a 4.1 update. Once these updates begin to officially roll out, we’ll be sure to cover it as soon as they’re live!

source: Motorola Forums

Nexus 10 review: Finally an Android tablet with a beautiful display that’s priced right

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 10:58 AM PST

Android tablets have been around since late 2010 starting with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the first mainstream Android tablet was the Motorola XOOM, which debuted in the spring of 2011. Soon after, we saw tablet after tablet after tablet get released, but nothing seemed to gain any major traction. Things started to change with the Amazon Kindle Fire in late 2011, but it was the Nexus 7 that seemed to really change things for Android tablets. Although the 7-inch size has proven its popularity, there is still a need for a premium well priced 10-inch Android tablet for those that want more real estate. The Nexus 10 appears to fill that need with the highest resolution display available today and at a reasonable price. How does it stack up with the “99″ other 10-inch tablets? Hit the break to get started.

Design

While the Nexus 7 was made by ASUS, Google opted for Samsung to make the Nexus 10. I personally think ASUS would have been the better choice, but Samsung was ahead of the curve in the display department, and Google wanted that to be the focal point. Samsung definitely put their stamp on the Nexus 10 as it very much resembles their latest 10.1-inch efforts, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 10.1. Google still had some input as the back is much like the Nexus 7 with its rubberized feel. Samsung’s version of it is different in that the texture is softer and feels more leather-like. On the other hand, it’s more of a dirt magnet, stuff just sticks to it. It’s definitely a step up from past Samsung devices though. On the back side at the top, you will find a strip across the width of the tablet, which is synonymous with Samsung tablets. It of course houses the rear 5MP camera and flash.

The front of the Nexus 10 also features something Samsung started instituting with the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and that’s stereo speakers along the left and right side. I praised Samsung for this, and couldn’t believe no one else thought of this before. Samsung upgraded the design this time around as the speakers blend in better and are longer. They are actually just about as long as the tablet (when holding it in landscape mode).

The buttons and ports seem to line up with past Samsung efforts. When holding the Nexus 10 in landscape mode, you will find the power button and volume rocker at the top left. The left side top sports the micro USB port as well as the microphone jack. One thing you won’t find on past Samsung tablets is a micro HDMI port, but you will find it on the right side of the Nexus 10. The other change is a six-pot pogo pin connector replacing the proprietary charging port found on every other Samsung tablet. Charging can be done with the micro USB port as opposed to the usual proprietary ports. I love this option, but I found that when using another branded cable, it charged awfully slow. Last but not least, on the front side, the upper middle bezel houses the 1.9MP front facing camera.

All in all the Nexus 10 feels like a solid device, and is a step up for Samsung, but it’s not going to blow you away as far as quality. It’s not up there with the top of the line ASUS offerings, but then again the Nexus 10 is cheaper. It gets the job done and it matches its price point.

Hardware

The Nexus 10 features a 10.1-inch 2,560 x 1,600 display at 300 PPI. a 1.7 dual-core A15 CPU, Mali T604 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and dual NFC chips (front and back).

Performance

Surprisingly the Nexus 10 doesn’t have a quad-core processor, but instead has a dual-core A15. When it comes to benchmarks it’s not going to match up with the quad-core offerings that are already available, but due to the 2GB of RAM paired with the Mali T604 GPU, the Nexus 10 holds its own. I have always stressed that “real world” results is where it counts, not benchmarks. I found that apps opened fast and transitions were just as quick. I have zero complaints, but for those that are into benchmarks, I ran the obligatory AnTuTu, which came in at 11,616. This is lower than all the quad-core devices, including the Nexus 7, which came in at 12,334, but again I stress the Nexus 10 is fast. The only issue might be that hardcore gamers could be left out in the cold and not be able to play some of the latest Tegra-only games. The Nexus 10 is capable of playing those games in theory, but if they are only allowed to be played on Tegra devices, then it doesn’t matter.

Now it’s time to talk display. I still can’t believe what Samsung was able to achieve with this display. It simply looks stunning with crisp text and a decent color representation. I compared it with the iPad 3 and the Nexus 10 was the clear winner. The only problem is that sometimes words show up a little too small, but on the flip side, they are crisper. The viewing angles are top notch as well. My particular device didn’t have any light leakage, but I know other review units did. The best thing is that pretty much all the apps I tried rendered properly on the display. You simply won’t find a better display on an Android tablet, or any other tablet for that matter.

The speakers are what I expected and then some. The fact that the stereo speakers are separated and on the front of the device makes it more pleasing. It just makes complete sense when watching a movie. For music, you don’t notice it so much because you generally are further away from the device. I stress that this is a tablet, so don’t expect it to replace your home theater, but you won’t find another tablet that sounds better,

Battery

If there is one negative on the Nexus 10, it appears to be battery life. I ran my usual video rundown test and got approximately 7 hours 45 minutes. That’s with the display turned up to about 66%, GPS on, WiFI connected, and Bluetooth on (not connected). You can certainly play with some of those settings to get more, but the bottom line is that most tablets get more with the same settings. The Nexus 7 alone gets me over 9  1/2 hours. I suspect it’s the display and the number of pixels as the cause. Probably not a deal breaker, but something you should know.

Software

The Nexus 10 features the latest version of Android 4.2 (now 4.2.1), as it should since it’s a Nexus. You won’t find any manufacturer UI skins or any of that nonsense as its pure stock Android. More importantly, since it’s a Nexus you will get the latest updates timely. Some of the newer features with Android 4.2 is multiple user accounts, quick settings, Photo Sphere, and a new keyboard that features swype-like capabilities.

Multi-user accounts lets you create different profiles for each person that will use the tablet. Since it’s tied to each individual’s Gmail account, they have their own apps and their own app data. So for example, if both you and your son have Angry Birds, you can both preserve your respective progress achieved in the game. Users can also customize their home screens and settings as they wish. When a user wants to log into their account, they do it from the lock screen and passwords or patterns can be implemented to ensure privacy. It’s easy to set up so check out our quick video showing you how.

The quick settings can be accessed by swiping down from the top right side (similar to swiping down on the top left side for notifications). It’s a nice addition, but takes a little getting used to since there no longer is a settings menu shortcut in the regular notification drop down (left side). In this quick settings area you will find settings for brightness, WiFi, Auto Rotate, Airplane Mode, and Bluetooth. Unfortunately the WiFi and Bluetooth aren’t quick toggles as they take you to the settings area, but I guess it’s an improvement over having nothing. You will also find the battery percentage remaining and tapping that brings you to your usage statistics.

Just like the Nexus 4, Photo Sphere is included, and it’s probably the coolest thing that’s far from perfect. Since this a tablet, I’m not sure how many people will use it, but on the other hand, the only other device it’s available on is the Nexus 4. So the Nexus 10 is your only option if you don’t have the Nexus 4 (or are waiting patiently for delivery).

The new keyboard adds Swype-like capabilities. I am not much of a Swype guy, but my opinion is they did a very good job with it. It works just like Swype and it includes decent predictive text options. Most users probably would never know that the swipe gestures are available unless they read sites like us or if they accidentally swiped on the keyboard.

Camera

Samsung is one of the best when it comes to cameras, but seriously folks, this is a 10-inch tablet. I doubt anyone is looking to buy it hoping to utilize it as a primary camera. Still, if you’re in a pinch, you can use it and get decent photos. Here are some examples to judge for yourself. The last photo required flash.

As I mentioned above, Photo Sphere is included, and surprisingly, using a 10-inch tablet isn’t as awkward as one might think. The only issue is the results aren’t perfect (just like the Nexus 4), as many items don’t get stitched properly. For example, in the first image below the sidewalk is a little jagged and in the image below that, the grass suffers from a bad stitch. I also had trouble with there always being some sort of small black spot that wasn’t captured (the right side of the house and in the sky). That’s just a matter of practice, but the best results are when holding the tablet in portrait mode when taking the pictures. Even with its shortcomings, it’s still cool to play with and I’m sure it will continue to evolve.

Closing

On paper, the Nexus 10 seems like the 10-inch Android tablet everyone has been waiting for. It’s stock Android and has a gorgeous display. The downside is the processor, which will only affect the gamers who like to play Tegra-only games, and the battery. The only real competition here is the ASUS Transformer Inifinity TF700 and the Acer Iconia Tab A700. I personally didn’t review the TF700 tablet, but other experts feel that the display might be slightly better because it’s brighter. That might be true, but I seriously doubt the average person can see the difference. The Nexus 10 is plenty bright enough. As far as the A700 goes, it’s not nearly as nice as the Nexus 10 from what I remember.

The Nexus 10 is priced at $399 (16GB) and $499 (32GB), while the TF700 is priced at $429 (32GB) and $529 (64GB), and the A700 is as low as $399 (32GB). The advantages of the TF700 and A700 are that they both have a microSD slot for expanded storage and can play all the latest TegraZone games. The advantages of the Nexus 10 is that it sports Android 4.2 and will get updated to the next version of Android (most likely Key Lime Pie) within days of that announcement. The pricing is close so that’s not enough to sway anyone, but I think the Nexus 10 is the better buy since it will be updated quicker, and assuming you can live within the storage limits and slightly less battery life. ASUS makes a really nice tablet so I wouldn’t argue with you if you wanted to go that route instead. I would if you went with Acer only because they haven’t proven themselves enough in the updating department. So it’s either the Nexus or the ASUS Transformer Pad TF700, and the Nexus 7 wins by a hair on the chinny-chin-chin.

Amazon Appstore downloads up 500% from last year

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 10:03 AM PST

 

It’s no surprise to anyone that Amazon’s Kindle Fire has had some pretty good success in the tablet market. To add to that success, Amazon announced Thursday that downloads in their own Appstore have increased by over 500% over the past year alone. That’s a big jump. With the recent release of more tablets in the Kindle Fire family, there’s no doubt that Amazon is trying as hard as they can to get their own unique services and stores in the hands of consumers, and judging by that 500% increase, they’re doing a pretty good job. If Amazon decides to throw a Kindle Fire phone into the mix, I’m sure that number will increase dramatically, too.

Amazon does also attribute some of that growth to their helpful development tools, citing things like A/B testing for helping developers get their applications ported over and set up on the Amazon Appstore. A/B testing is just one of many development features Amazon boasts in their ecosystem, and it’s obvious that it’s having positive effects for them.

source: Amazon

HTC Butterfly shows up on HTC web site

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 09:59 AM PST

The HTC Butterfly, which appears to be a variant of the HTC J Butterfly and the HTC DROID DNA, has surfaced on HTC’s web site. With the slight name change comes a couple other differences. Most notable is the absence of LTE capability. Although that may be a negative, on the positive side the Butterfly’s storage is expandable via microSD cards.

According to an HTC spokesperson, the HTC Butterfly is slated for release in China. However, no information regarding availability in other countries or markets has been released. At the bottom of HTC’s page for the Butterfly, there is an offer for 25GB of Dropbox space for two years if you sign-up or log-in to Dropbox using an HTC phone. The footnotes to that offer indicate the offer is only available on the HTC Butterfly device, but not in China. This would seem to imply the Butterfly will be available in other markets.

source: Android Central
more info: HTC

Sony Quietly Launches Web-Based Store

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:23 AM PST

 

If you happen to live in Europe, today may be a great day for you if you’re an owner of a Playstation-certified device. Eurogamer has discovered that while Sony has not yet made a formal announcement, its web-based store is officially live. When account holders log in, they will be treated to a full allotment of premium games such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2013 or Tokyo Jungle available and ready for immediate download. All users will need to do is purchase a selected title and the title will be available in a download queue— which can be used on any certified device. Naturally there are some bugs and kinks to work out, but if you’re willing to overlook the minor quirks, give the new service a try. After all— Crash Bandicoot isn’t going to play itself if you’re sitting idle and all.

source: Eurogamer

Huawei Confirms It Is Working On A 6.1-Inch Galaxy Note Competitor

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:06 AM PST

 

In some not-so-surprising news, Huawei has finally come out and confirmed it is indeed working on a Samsung Galaxy Note II competitor. While speaking on the Chinese social networking page Weibo (China’s equivalent to Twitter), Huawei Senior VP Yu Chengdong  took some time to tout up his company’s next beast of a smartphone. The device (which is speculated to be the Ascend Mate) will have a 6.1-inch full HD 1080p display and feature an in-house 1.8GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM– all the while having a “cooler” design than the current Galaxy Note II.

Unfortunately, the Huawei executive decided to leave the Android world collectively guessing and speculating what else could be found in the unique device, but at least we won’t have to wait long. The device is expected to be formally revealed at CES 2013 in January— which is only a month away.

Try to contain your excitement in the meantime folks.

source: Weibo
via: BGR


Samsung Galaxy S III To Get Premium Suite Upgrade, Makes The Jelly Bean Update A Whole Lot Tastier

Posted: 07 Dec 2012 05:50 AM PST

 

So you own a Galaxy S III, but haven’t gotten that coveted Jelly Bean update yet— but are itching to get an idea of what to look forward to in the imminent update? Well great you’re in luck as Samsung recently posted a video highlighting its Premium Suite upgrade found in a special update. Similar to what is seen on other Samsung devices, Galaxy S III owners who are likely to be due for the update can look forward to items such as Contextual Awareness actions like Page Buddy which allows your Galaxy S III to predict your intentions based off your actions (think of when you plug in your earphones, the device automatically opens the music player) or Enhanced Features like the coveted Multi-Window multitasking feature.

While it is cool to get an idea of what users could potentially look forward to– unfortunately Samsung highlights the Premium Suite “availability and timing will vary depending on the country and mobile carrier”, so it’s uncertain of if most Galaxy S III owners will see the update. However, we’re holding out hope that most (if not all) Galaxy S III users will get to utilize all the cool features. Hit the break to get an idea of what the Premium Suite entails exactly.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

source: Samsung Tomorrow

 

T-Mobile to begin selling iPhone and all other phones unsubsidized in 2013

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 08:58 PM PST

T-Mobile has always been a strong proponent for Android. It teamed up with Google to launch the very first Android phone (the HTC G1) back in 2008 and is currently the only carrier to offer the new Nexus 4 on contract. In its smartphone line-up you could always find a plethora of strong Android based contenders, with one infamous smartphone (the one that shall not be named) interestingly absent. Well, all that is set to change in 2013. In an interview today, T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere informed the press that they will begin selling Apple products in 2013, including Apple’s iPhone 5 and the rest of the gang. What’s more interesting is that T-Mobile will be selling these (and all other) devices completely unsubsidized from now on. This is a dramatic move for a carrier, and the first of its kind for one of the big four. Typically carriers sell phones at significantly reduced costs to buyers and make up the money by charging more for monthly service fees over the two-year contract. T-Mobile is bucking the system and plans to sell phones at the full retail price (phones can be as pricey as $800!) while offering a lower monthly service fee. The strange thing about this plan is that you’ll still need to sign the dotted line and commit to a two-year contract. Personally, if I were planning on buying an unsubsidized phone, I’d go with a no-contract plan like Straight Talk’s $45 unlimited plan (month to month).

Are any of you willing to sign a two year contract if your monthly rates are lower? Or would you just go with Straight Talk and other no-contract service providers?

Source: Gigaom

Apple Inc now ranks sixth in China smartphone market

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:04 PM PST

While this story isn’t totally Android related, we’re always scoping the competition. The world is a funny place, especially when marketing is involved. Take Euro-Disney for example: Who would’ve ever thought Disney would fail anywhere in the world? Similarly, Apple is nearly having the same fate in China. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Regardless, things could be better for Apple in China. Research firm IDC has reported that Apple Inc has fallen to sixth place in China’s smartphone market. Turns out that the Chinese are a loyal group and like sticking to their own brands. Not surprisingly, Samsung nailed down the top spot.

source:  Reuters

Small bits of HTC, Apple deal emerge in court filing

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:51 PM PST

Since HTC and Apple reached an agreement to cross-license patents and end their litigation, many have wondered just what kind of deal was made. One party that was particularly interested is Samsung, who argues the agreement shows injunctions are not needed as a value for patent infringements can be determined. Samsung went so far as to request one of the courts hearing one of the many Samsung v. Apple disputes to force Apple and HTC to reveal the details of the agreement. As a result of that request, which the court approved, a heavily redacted version of the agreement has surfaced in the public court filings.

According to the parts that can be read, Apple agreed to not sue HTC regarding several devices. Unfortunately, the list of devices is redacted. The agreement does exclude from the list HTC devices that are “cloning” Apple devices and a lengthy arbitration process is included in case Apple thinks an HTC device is a clone.

The agreement excludes nine HTC patents and Apple’s design patents. Both parties get nonexclusive, nontransferrable, non-sublicensable licenses to several patents owned by the other party. As expected, any financial details that were in the agreement have been redacted.

source: AllThingsD
Posted by at 7:00 AM

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