Monday, May 7, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


HTC One X now available from AT&T

Posted: 07 May 2012 09:48 AM PDT

Well, it’s finally here superphone fans: AT&T’s American version of the HTC One X is now shipping, and should be showing up in retail stores right now. The phone is going for $199.99 on a new two year contract or $549.99 without – notably lower than other high-end Android phones. The AT&T version forgoes NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 for a Snapdragon S4, and adds LTE connectivity on AT&T’s small but growing network.

By now you probably know the details but in case you don’t. the LTE One X (or One XL as it’s known elsewhere) has a 1.5 ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, an excellent 8MP camera and Beats audio. On the software side of things it gets Android 4.0 and HTC’s Sense 4.0. You can read our review of the phone here, but in summary it’s easily one of the best smartphones in the country, bar none.

But modders and other Android enthusiasts should take note: this may not be the phone for you. Unlike the international version of the One X, the AT&T One X has a locked bootloader that HTC won’t unlock. While they haven’t implicated the carrier directly, the understanding is that AT&T has insisted on the restriction. Custom ROMs are possible with a bootloader, but custom kernels are nearly impossible, putting major damper on modders’ spirits.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : One X [AT&T]
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : February 26, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : S-LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.31 Inch
  • Width : 2.75 Inch
  • Depth : 0.36 Inch
  • Weight : 131 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : S4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 850
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Toshiba Excite 10 on sale now for $449

Posted: 07 May 2012 09:33 AM PDT

Too bold for a 7-inch tablet? Not bold enough for a 13-inch monster? Then you might want to check out Toshiba’s Excite 10, now shipping from major online retailers in the US. It’s the 10.1-inch middle child of Toshiba’s new tablet trio, and the most affordable of the bunch with a 16GB version starting at $449.99.The Toshiba Excite 7.7 and Excite 13 are scheduled to go on sale next month.

The Excite 10 presents a pretty impressive setup for $450: it’s powered by NVIDIA’s ever more ubiquitous Tegra 3 with a gigabyte of RAM, and the software is mostly unmodified Ice Cream Sandwich – a plus for any Android enthusiast. Cameras are 5MP on the rear and 2MP on the front. Expansion options include a full-sized SD card slot and MicroHDMI, and the battery is rated for 10 hours. The 32GB and 64GB models will be available later, for $529 and $649 respectively. WiFi is the only connection option at the moment.

The more dramatic entries in Toshiba’s lineup are due for US release in June, with the 13.3-inch Excite 13 making the biggest splash. It’s the biggest mainstream tablet to date, and crams all of the Excite 10′s features plus a 1600×900 resolution and SRS certified sound. the Excite 13 starts at $649.99. The 7.7-inch model competes with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 with a 720p Super AMOLED display, though it goes for a MicroSD card slot instead and starts at $499.99.


Motorola DROID RAZR coming in blue soon

Posted: 07 May 2012 08:58 AM PDT

If sober black, flashy white and flamboyant purple aren’t enough for you, then perhaps something a little more conservative will convince you to buy a new Motorola DROID RAZR. Yet another hue was spotted in a Verizon internal website, indicating that the blue version of the phone would be coming out on May 18th for $149.99, on contract of course. That’ll make the DROID RAZR the most color-varied smartphone out there at the moment.

This rapid succession of multiple colors appropriately echoes the original RAZR flip phone: when the expensive and flashy phone was first available you could get it in any color you wanted, so long as you wanted silver. Later a handful of colors were available on multiple carriers, with hit pink being a particularly popular option. It looks like Motorola and Verizon are taking a similar approach with this generation’s fashion phone flagship.

This isn’t a guarantee of availability, so temper your excitement if a robin’s egg blue phone is what you’ve been waiting on for years. But considering the previous releases and the lower profile that the DROID RAZR has received since the MAXX was introduced, it’s a pretty even bet that we’ll see this one eventually. The lower price hopefully indicates that we’ll be seeing the DROID RAZR HD sooner rather than later.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR MAXX
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : January 13, 2011
    Release Date : January 26, 2011
    Also Known As : RAZR MAXX, DROID RAZR MAXX
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.15 Inch
  • Width : 2.27 Inch
  • Depth : NA
  • Weight : NA
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3300 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 380 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4430
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : NA
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1700
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via androidcentral]


Lenovo’s Android 4.0 Smart TV reviewed in China

Posted: 07 May 2012 08:31 AM PDT

We’re pretty hot on the Google TV platform here at Android Community. But we can’t fault Lenovo for going its own way in China, since Google TV still isn’t available outside America. The company has created its own hardware and custom ICS software to deliver a Smart TV ccompetitor to the likes of Samsung’s Smart TV line, and Chinese website MICgadget got their hands on one.

The reviewers were pleased with the product, which starts at the $1300 (converted) level for the 42-inch version and goes up to $2400 for the 55-inch version. That’s about 30% lower than its in-country rivals. The built-in gaming service and controller (below) got especially high marks, since the latter comes in addition to a standard programmable remote. The Lenovo Android 4.0 Smart TV has a 5-megapixel web camera and al lthe normal bells and whistles of a high-end television.

There’s been no word of Lenovo bringing its smart TV out anywhere besides its home territory of China, and with Samsung and LG taking top spots in the limited market already, it’s no wonder. As far as Google TV goes, it’s still stuck in the states, but Sony hopes to bring it to Europe in the fall. Any new major developments should be shown at Google IO this summer. If you’d like to read the full review of the Lenovo TV, head over to MICgadget, though you’ll need to know Cantonese for the videos.


HTC One V heads to the US this summer

Posted: 07 May 2012 08:04 AM PDT

T-Mobile’s One S and AT&T’s One X are grabbing headlines, but let’s not forget about the junior member of HTC’s new first family. The Taiwanese company made a brief press announcement today stating that the HTC One V would be headed to the US of A this summer, on “a variety of U.S. partners”. No more precise date or pricing information is available, but the One V is well-positioned to be an excellent low-to-mid-range Android device.

Shortly after HTC revealed the One V at Mobile World Congress, we’d heard that it was coming to several budget carriers, namely Metro PCS, Virgin Mobile and US Cellular. While  there’s no confirmation this morning, those still seem like likely candidates for the budget-focused smartphone. US Cellular in particular is looking to highlight its LTE markets, and a slightly modified version of the phone could be an excellent mix of price and features.

For the uninitiated, the One V is the least powerful member of the One family, roughly equal to the old Nexus One in capability. It’s powered by a 1Ghz single-core processor with 512MB of memory and just 4GB of storage, though the phone gets a MicroSD card slot. Naturally it runs Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC’s Sense 4.0 and Beats audio, all displayed on a 3.7-inch LCD screen. In the UK, outright pricing for the HTC One V is the equivalent of about $350.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : One V
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 26, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 3.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : NA
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.74 Inch
  • Width : 2.35 Inch
  • Depth : 0.36 Inch
  • Weight : 115 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1500 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Single Core
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 512 MB
    Internal Storage : 4 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

 


Ematic launches 10-inch ICS tablet for $219

Posted: 07 May 2012 07:30 AM PDT

There are so many value-priced Android tablets out there that we tend to gloss over them unless there’s something notable to report. In the case of the Ematic eGlide XL Pro 2, there’s two: the price and the features. The former is just $219, just a little more than the “reader tablets” already available and considerably less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (which is a deal in itself). The latter is that it’s a 10-inch tablet running Android 4.0 out of the box, something we’re always glad to see.

The eGlide XL Pro 2 (they’ve got the convoluted Android naming patterns down alright)  features a 1Ghz CPU and 400mhz GPU of unknown origin, and aside from the screen size that’s all we know for hardware. It appears that the company has entered into an agreement with Kobo for book delivery, but there’s no mention of Google services anywhere – this one will require some tinkering to get the Google Play Store on there. Ematic also has its proprietary EDAN voice assistant app pre-loaded.

The tablet is on sale now at a variety of retailers including Wal-Mart. I’m really hoping that the machine makes an impression. We know that Ice Cream Sandwich can run decently on low-end hardware, thanks to the HTC One V, and a low-cost tablet that doesn’t compromise on screen size could be a very popular alternative to existing $200 models.


Verizon’s HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE is official

Posted: 07 May 2012 06:29 AM PDT

In contrast to last weeks’ Galaxy S III, the HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE has been leaked all over the place for months. Verizon has finally made the phone official via a press release, and HTC has posted the phone to their website a little early. Verizon’s press release didn’t mention a price or date, beyond the nebulous “in the coming weeks”.

The HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE is something of a combination of features of the Incredible line and the new HTC One S. The screen is a little smaller at 4.0 inches, but it retains its QHD resolution and switches out to a Super LCD panel. Under the hood you get a Qaulcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, a gigabyte of memory and 8GB of storage space, which can be extended via a microSD card slot. The back camera is 8 megapixels with HTC’s new f/2.2 lens (as on the One models) and the front-facing camera is a more humble VGA.

Other little details include Gorilla Glass, Beats Audio, a 1700mAh battery (with an extended version available from Verizon) and of course, Android 4.0 and Sense 4.0. The DROID Incredible 4G LTE is positioned a bit below the Rezound in Verizon’s HTC lineup, and will be the first of the Incredible line with an LTE connection. Pricing and dates should be incoming soon, but we’ve been hearing rumors of late May and $149 on contract, so take that for what it’s worth.


HTC One X source code released

Posted: 07 May 2012 02:16 AM PDT

Last week, we mentioned that users of the HTC One X on the AT&T network in the US were some of the only users of the smartphone that were unable to unlock the bootloader. As it turns out that may be more AT&T’s fault than HTCs. If you use the One X on other networks, you can use the unlocked bootloader. HTC has now offered up the One X source code for several countries, sadly the software covers no carriers in the US.

Sadly, for now none of the unlocked code is for US carriers. HTC has unlocked source code for several regions, including Australia, France, New Zealand, Europe, Taiwan, UK, and others. The source code is available for multiple carriers, including Vodafone, Optus, T-Mobile, Telecom NZ, and many more.

Offering the source code means developers and people who like to hack their smartphones can now tinker all they want. The software is kernel version 2.6.39, and the Android version is 4.0. The file size is 111 MB and geeks in areas the software supports can download it now on HTC’s devcenter download page.


Android Community Weekly: May 6th, 2012

Posted: 06 May 2012 09:50 PM PDT

Another week’s gone past, and believe it or not, there are stories other than the Galaxy S III announcement to talk about. But we’ll definitely be talking about that first. Android Community was present at Samsung’s London event to bring you all the juicy details, which you can find in our wrap-up feature. Long story short: the Galaxy S III is big, powerful, crammed with custom software… and a little on the bland side as far as design goes.

In other hardware news, AT&T’s version of the HTC One X launched today, though some lucky customers got their phones early. Bell Canada is getting the little brother HTC One S, and everyone can get a sweet kickstand case for it soon. LG and Pantech both introduced new models to compete with Samsung’s new flagship: the Optimus LTE 2 and Racer Vega 2, respectively. The 13-inch Toshiba Excite 13 was spotted at the FCC, and T-Mobile customers can get the budget-priced Prism 3G by Huawei starting today. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 went up for pre-order at a reasonable $399.

On the software side of things, Samsung scheduled updates for all of its high-end Galaxy smartphones and tablets in Canada. Ice Cream Sandwich updates leaked for the HTC EVO 3D and Rezound (again), and T-Mobile promised an update for the Sensation 4G – without giving a date. Motorola’s Cliq 2 got an official update… to Gingerbread. Whoopie. The Galaxy Note version of CyanogenMod 9 got a boost from S-Pen support, and the Android Open Kang Project reached milestone 5. Swiftkey, Adobe Flash and AirDroid all received major updates. EA tried to shut down the paid mobile version of Rock Band, then quickly rescinded.

In more general news, Google added carrier billing to the Google Play Store for all US providers… except Verizon. Samsung’s on top of the world after beating Apple in smartphone sales, and Motorola, well, isn’t. LG has planned a competitor to Google Drive and similar services, and Runkeeper announced it would be the first app on the Pebble Smart Watch. Android’s distribution numbers for April came out, revealing a still-disappointing 4.9% Ice Cream Sandwich penetration.

Here on Android Community, you’ll want to check out our review of the phone that’s now going head to head with the Samsung Galaxy S III for top dog of the US Android field: AT&T’s HTC One X. We’ve also got an in-depth look at Google’s return to retail with the unlocked Galaxy Nexus on the Google Play Store. Until tomorrow, stay in school, don’t do drugs and always make a Nandroid backup.


Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Android Developers Can't Get Paid And It's Killing The Platform-Here's Why ...
San Francisco Chronicle
According to a report from Flurry, for every dollar of iOS revenue, developers only get 24 cents from Android. Recently, we spoke with Peter Farago, VP of Marketing at Flurry, to get his thoughts on the mobile platform wars.
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In <i>Oracle v Google</i>, Judge Holds Fate of Java APIs
Wired News
In building Android, Google built a new version of the Java platform known as the Dalvik virtual machine. The Java platform runs applications that are written in the Java programming language. Google could have licensed this platform from Sun and put ...
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Wired News
Android reclaims 61 percent of all US smartphone sales
CNET
Grabbing ground lost during the holiday quarter, Android now holds almost two-thirds of the US market, says NPD Group. by Lance Whitney May 7, 2012 9:59 AM PDT Follow @lancewhit Android has staged a healthy lead over Apple's iOS as the smartphone wars ...
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Possible Verdict Looms in Oracle-Google Trial
ABC News
A verdict is likely Monday in a high-profile trial over Oracle's claims that Google stole some of the technology used in its popular Android software for smartphones. The jury ended last week in unanimous agreement on all but one of the issues being ...
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Android Malware Could Infiltrate Corporate Networks
Wall Street Journal (blog)
The new piece of malware—called a Trojan, because it is disguised as piece of safe software—is known as NotCompatible and is directed at Android smartphones and tablets. There is a risk that corporate networks will be compromised, but it appears for ...
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Founder of Color Still Has Faith, Partners With Verizon on Android
Bloomberg
Now, after months of not releasing a new product, Color today announced a partnership with Verizon Wireless to have its application pre-installed on many Android smartphones running on the carrier's next-generation LTE wireless network.
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Bloomberg
Kindle Fire Gets Doused -- After Scorching Prospects For Other Android Tablets
Forbes
As I predicted when the Kindle Fire was introduced (such as in this post and this one), Amazon's low price, underpowered tablet has caused more problems for other Android tablet makers than for Apple. In the process, it has sealed Apple's dominance of ...
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Funamo, Parental Control for Android that Works!
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Funamo releases Funamo Parental Control, a mobile parental control software for Android-powered devices with patent-pending web filtering, safe search, application protection/restriction and device monitoring. Cupertino, CA (PRWEB) May 07, ...
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Best Android-powered tablets
ZDNet (blog)
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | May 7, 2012, 6:14am PDT Summary: While I firmly believe that the iPad is the best tablet out there, there are some fantastic Android tablets on offer. "I want to buy a tablet, but I do not want to get an iPad.
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Android tablets still struggling; iOS hogging all the gaming revenue
ITworld.com
By Peter Smith Add a new comment May 07, 2012, 8:30 AM — More potentially grim news for Android fans this week. According to a press release from IDC, Android is dragging down the whole "media tablet" market. The analyst firm predicted sales of 18.6 ...
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Blogs5 new results for android
 
Android Community Weekly: May 6th, 2012 | Android Community
By Michael Crider
Another week's gone past, and believe it or not, there are stories other than the Galaxy S III announcement to talk about. But we'll definitely be talking about.
Android Community
Opera Mini on Android and bada OS via Samsung Apps | Ubergizmo
By Edwin Kee
We speculated on whether the bada OS from Samsung has reached the end of the road just last week, and it seems as though nothing came out of it – so there is still some life left in the bada [...]
Ubergizmo
Apple dominating Android with 84 percent of mobile gaming ...
By Meghan Kelly
There's a reason why so many developers feels iOS users are more valuable than Android: Apple is killing it in mobile gaming with 84 percent of all mobile gaming revenue in the US.
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Why Android Can't Monetize - Business Insider
By Alex Cocotas
A version of this note appeared last week on Business Insider Intelligence, BI's market research service on the internet industry. If you were a subscriber, you'd already know this! Click here to find out more and sign up for a free trial → ...
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Android Phone Fans


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