Android Authority |
- Virgin Mobile unveils Samsung Galaxy Reverb, to go on sale in September for $250
- Xiaomi MI-One S launching today in limited quantities: 200,000 units, 1,300,000 reservations
- Google gets smart glove patent, will possibly use alongside Glass project
- Samsung launches another phone in Galaxy series
- Boost Mobile to launch prepaid Samsung Galaxy S2 4G in September for $360
- Google Wallet cranks up the advertising machine
- PayPal goes offline … in a good way
- Optimus Vu coming to Verizon as the LG Intuition
- Archos 101 XS first hands-on and review [video]
- Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A on track for September release
| Virgin Mobile unveils Samsung Galaxy Reverb, to go on sale in September for $250 Posted: 23 Aug 2012 02:50 AM PDT
Samsung surely seems to be on a roll when talking about new releases, with more and more focus on mid-range smartphones. And while it could start getting a bit overwhelming for regular tech users soon, Android is all about choices. The more the merrier, right? The latest Samsung mid-range phone to be unveiled is one that we already knew about, courtesy of a leak from a month ago. The Galaxy Reverb was at the time rumored to first hit Sprint and then the carrier's sibling, Virgin Mobile. Quite surprisingly, the Reverb has now been announced as coming to Virgin Mobile, so either Sprint will follow on that later this year, or the nation's third carrier has bigger fish to fry. In any case, Virgin will be taking pre-orders for Sammy's fresh 4-incher on August 29 and will start shipping it sometime in September. With a single-core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 processor and 768MB of RAM under the hood, the Reverb is clearly not what you would call a "powerhouse". Still, you should get pretty decent gaming, browsing and multimedia performance out of it, especially as it runs Android 4.0 ICS out of the box.  Credit Image: Engadget The handheld's 4-inch display hasn't been detailed by Virgin just yet, but, based on the rumors from July, it should be a WVGA capacitive unit with 800 x 480 pixels resolution. Other confirmed features include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and support for 64GB microSD cards. We're unsure how much internal storage space will the Reverb be equipped with, although early rumors just about guaranteed 4GB of on-board memory. With such a modest spec sheet, it was pretty obvious the pricing will make or break the Galaxy Reverb. And based on Virgin Mobile's claims, I personally incline towards the breaking of its possible success. The Reverb will thus be made available for $250 with no contract, which might not seem a whole lot at first. Compared with other prepaid Virgin phones, though, that's not a very low price either. The HTC EVO V, for example, goes for $240 right now, while the One V is up for sale at just $160. It’s true that both those phones are on web exclusive sales which might end soon, but it still feels like Virgin could have lowered Reverb's price bar at least with $20 or $30 more. Do you agree? Would the Galaxy Reverb need a price trim before its actual release? Or is it already perfectly priced at $250?
Related PostsSamsung Galaxy Reverb phone for Sprint leaked, Galaxy Nexus is Officially Headed to Virgin Mobile in Early December, Virgin’s LG Optimus Elite pre-orders already sold out, on sale Tuesday for $149.99This article, Virgin Mobile unveils Samsung Galaxy Reverb, to go on sale in September for $250 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Xiaomi MI-One S launching today in limited quantities: 200,000 units, 1,300,000 reservations Posted: 23 Aug 2012 02:28 AM PDT
While the highly anticipated Xiaomi MI2 smartphone has just been announced in China, and it's scheduled to hit stores later in fall, it's not the only smartphone the company is ready to sell like hot cakes. In fact, Xiaomi announced on its Facebook page that the MI-One S is going to be available today in limited quantities. 200,000 units will be up for grabs, with an impressive 1,300,000 backlog of orders to be satisfied in total:
However, Xiaomi did not mention when everyone that reserved the device will receive their unit.
The MIUI-running phone will retail for ¥1,499 ( roughly $235) and it’s basically a slightly improved MI-One version that offers an speedier 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor and a front-facing camera on top of what you expect from the regular MI-One: 4-inch touchscreen display with 854 x 480 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of memory, 8-megapixel rear camera with HD video recording, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support. Anyone excited about this "old" device? Related PostsXiaomi Starts Shipping First 600 Units of MI-ONE Android Phone with MIUI Custom ROM, Next-gen Xiaomi phone to have quad-core S4 Pro chip and 720p display, Xiaomi cuts Mi-One price to $200 ahead of its new quad-core phone unveilingThis article, Xiaomi MI-One S launching today in limited quantities: 200,000 units, 1,300,000 reservations , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google gets smart glove patent, will possibly use alongside Glass project Posted: 23 Aug 2012 02:25 AM PDT  Yes, those gloves might soon make it to market. (Promotional image for Minority Report, 2002) Aside from touchscreen and speech interfaces, Google is exploring new ways for humans to interact with machines and the Internet. One of the better-publicized ways has been with Project Glass, which is basically an augmented reality approach to UI. But while Glass provides augmented reality input through eyeglasses, it does not come with a built-in method for interacting with the virtual world. Google has recently applied for a patent for an input technology that involves gloves.
Google’s “seeing with your hand” concept has recently been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The wearable devices involves a combination of cameras on the fingertips, gyroscopes, a compass, accelerometer, motion sensors, CPU, memory, onboard storage and wireless communications. It’s basically a computer you can wear on your hands. Smart Glove basically acts as a “sensing” device. The fingertip cameras will be able to see surfaces, and are even meant to act as microscopes. As such, a user can theoretically place one’s finger on any surface and – coupled with an AR interface — will be able to see the object magnified. The accelerometers, compass and motion sensors act as input devices for motion. With the smart gloves, a user can theoretically control interfaces through gestures. Just a flick of your hand, a wave, or even touching a particular surface can translate to signals sent to a computer or device. Unwired View suggests a few ways a user can take advantage of a combination between the Glass Project and Smart Gloves. This can include interacting with real-world objects with an augmented-reality overlay. Imagine seeing a billboard miles away. You can point your smart gloves toward the general direction, and your augmented-reality glasses will zoom it in, and will even present additional information through overlays. Of course, no current product is announced yet, as the Smart Glove is just yet a patent. But the fact that the patent has already been granted means Google can now work on making practical applications of the technology or selling the idea to a company that actually would. In my opinion, though, the idea of having to wear gloves in order to interact with a machine might be too cumbersome. Other companies have already developed spatial-sensing technologies that can detect minute movements even without wearing additional implements. Granted, Google’s “seeing with your hand” patent is all about sensing through the device. If only all of us guys can look like Tom Cruise on Minority Report, this would be a best-seller. Related PostsGoogle Smart TV Android patent, Google patent details indicate Google Glass(es) may use hand gestures, First video sample from Google’s Project GlassThis article, Google gets smart glove patent, will possibly use alongside Glass project , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung launches another phone in Galaxy series Posted: 23 Aug 2012 02:15 AM PDT
US Cellular has taken another device and its name is the Samsung Galaxy Metrix. Whether or not the name strikes your fancy, the pricing surely won’t. In short, if you live in 4G territory, you pay $130, but if you live in only 3G or less land, you pay an extra $50. Here’s the problem with this pricing strategy: it makes customers feel like their being exploited, maybe even punished, because US Cellular hasn’t rolled out LTE into their area yet. Hint to US Cellular execs: if you don’t have funding to support LTE just yet, the way to go about it is not through direct sales. When customers have “contract impunity“, they tend to buy more often at a higher value with a carrier. Back to the phone itself, this little QWERTY-based beauty is packing a 1GHz processor, 4″ display, 5MP camera, and naturally, 4G LTE capability. If it caught your eye, it can be purchased today online at USC’s online depot, or in brick-n-mortar stores on August 24th. Related PostsSamsung Galaxy S3 now on sale on US Cellular website, coming to stores this week, Leak: Samsung Galaxy S3 will come to US Cellular, Sony launches unlocked Xperia NXT (S, P, and U) series in the USThis article, Samsung launches another phone in Galaxy series , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Boost Mobile to launch prepaid Samsung Galaxy S2 4G in September for $360 Posted: 23 Aug 2012 01:55 AM PDT
Just when we thought Samsung had opted for a more cohesive branding for the company's high-end devices, there's a new guy around the block to confuse us again. The Galaxy S2 4G for Boost Mobile is set to hit the market on September 6 and will be the prepaid carrier's own version of the Epic 4G Touch released on Sprint back in September 2011. This latest version of the Galaxy S2 is not to be confused with original models of the S2 available on T-Mobile, AT&T or Sprint, but is also not the same exact phone as the Galaxy S2 4G selling on Bell Canada or Bell's S2 HD LTE. Still following us? If yes, you should know that this brand new S2 4G on Boost Mobile is actually a phone to look for, based mostly on its more than fair quality-price ratio. Sporting a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution and powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Exynos processor, the S2 4G still has what it takes to fight more than a few of the recently released high-enders. It's true, it doesn't come with S3's brilliant display or its unbelievable speed, but it will cost Boost clients a measly $370 starting with September 6. And that's without a contract. Not to mention the carrier's very affordable prepaid plans with unlimited everything starting at $40 a month. Now that's what I call a deal! The Galaxy S2 4G will be available from Boost Mobile in black and white variations, with both models coming with 3G and 4G connectivity (not LTE though), 8MP / 2MP cameras, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board memory, Wi-Fi/mobile hotspot capabilities, microSD support, and a 1,800mAh battery. As far as software goes, Boost's new handheld will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. The carrier hasn't mentioned anything about a possible Jelly Bean upgrade in the near future just yet, but we know the original S2 is "in testing", so we can surely hope this variant will itself be treated with an update soon. How about it, folks? Anyone interested in a prepaid Galaxy S2 with a larger than standard display and a snappy dual-core proc? Or is the phone already a thing of the past?
Related PostsSprint’s Samsung Epic 4G Touch coming soon to Boost Mobile, Samsung dual-SIM Galaxy S Duos gets a September launch, will hit Europe first, T-Mobile to launch the slider Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q on August 15This article, Boost Mobile to launch prepaid Samsung Galaxy S2 4G in September for $360 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Wallet cranks up the advertising machine Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:45 PM PDT
Paypal took the world by storm years ago and hasn’t decreased its dominance ever since. A handful of players have entered the mobile payment game, but Google Wallet has been the only one that’s really threatened to be competition. With the advent of new mobile payment apps now becoming a hot convenience item, the big G-Dub is certainly paying its cards right. To Google’s advantage, there is still a vast majority of people that don’t about it, or mobile payments methods in general. Google stands to gain a lot of business in this sector if the videos below do their job correctly. That job, specifically, is to entertain alongside educating the teeming masses about their payment system. Watch these three short videos for more information on Google Wallet and, if you’re convinced, give it a try. Don’t forget to come back and tell us how it goes! Related PostsHTC EVO 4G LTE Google Wallet woes confirmed by Google, software fix coming soon, Save to Wallet feature for Google Wallet also introduced at Google I/O, Google Wallet is official!This article, Google Wallet cranks up the advertising machine , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| PayPal goes offline … in a good way Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:33 PM PDT  (Credit: GigaOM)
Folks, PayPal is going offline. But it’s not in the way you might think. While primarily an online payment system, PayPal is now reaching out to the offline world in partnership with Discover, so that users can pay for purchases made in brick-and-mortar stores. PayPal’s partnership with Discover will let the millions of PayPal users make purchases from 7-million Discover-enabled stores around the U.S. While the card processor may not be as popular among consumers as MasterCard and Visa, the network reaches as many merchants as the two combined. Likewise, with 50 million users in the U.S. and 113 million worldwide, the partnership is about to give a big boost to both PayPal and Discover. Starting April 2013, 7 million Discover merchants can accept PayPal charge cards. An even better innovation is that PayPal users could input their registered mobile number and PIN at the terminal for a purely cash-less and card-less transaction. You don’t even have to bring your wallet. “This relationship will deliver a truly seamless digital wallet, available most places consumers shop offline, which offers the speed, simplicity and security already enjoyed by 113 million active PayPal customers online,” says Don Kingsborough, PayPal VP for retail. This move is just in time to address a big competitor make inroads into certain establishments like coffee shops. Startup company Square has just partnered with Starbucks for handling of all credit- and debit-card based transactions. With companies going cashless and even cardless, we may soon be able to leave our wallets home when we buy stuff at brick-and-mortar stores. Related PostsPaypal App Update Brings Check Scanning, PayPal coming to the Android Market, PayPal In-Store mobile payment app comes available for Android, UK for nowThis article, PayPal goes offline … in a good way , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Optimus Vu coming to Verizon as the LG Intuition Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:22 PM PDT
Last week, Android Authority learned that Verizon Wireless was getting the LG Optimus Vu at the end of this month. Today we heard that the LG Optimus Vu is actually going to arrive under the name "LG Intuition" and will cost $549.99 for full-retail pricing or just $199.99 with a two-year contract. The Intuition is LG’s phablet competitor, which will be pitted up against other big names in this niche, like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The device features a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, 32MB of internal memory, a massive 5-inch display, and Android 4.0 ICS.
Probably the most exciting thing about the Optimus Vu, now the Intuition, is that it will be the first phablet to hit Verizon. What do you think of the Intuition, in comparison to the original Galaxy Note? I’m also curious how this thing will fare, considering the Galaxy Note 2 is on its way soon. Of course, if you are stuck with Verizon for whatever reason, it’s essentially the only choice you have in case you’re looking to buy a phablet. Related PostsVerizon’s version of the LG Optimus Vu may be coming this quarter, Verizon's LG Optimus Vu captured in pictures, plans to take on Galaxy Note on AT&T and T-Mobile, LG VS950 spotted at FCC, could be Verizon’s take on the Optimus VuThis article, Optimus Vu coming to Verizon as the LG Intuition , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Archos 101 XS first hands-on and review [video] Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:18 PM PDT
The Archos 101 XS was officially unveiled earlier today and if you're already interested in this new piece of Android-running hardware then you'll want to check out our first hands-on and video review of the device – that's right, we got to play with this interesting beast already and see how it performs under pressure. The Archos 101 XS may not be an iPad-killer, and it's certainly not a budget-friendly Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire rival, but that doesn't mean it's not an interesting device to play with. The 10-inch tablet will hit U.S. stores at some point in November, and it'll set you back $399.99 – and our review could help out with your tablet buying decision.
From the get-go, we'll tell you that the Archos 101 XS runs an unskinned version of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is certainly an important feature for certain Android fans. It's not exactly a pure ICS version, as it comes with certain Archos pre-loaded apps, but it's very close to what you'd get on a Nexus-branded device. The tablet will be upgradeable to Jelly Bean in the future but we don't have exact dates for you just yet except for a general "Q4 2012" quote. As for the rest of the specs and features of the tablet, also important for your buying decision, you'll have to know the Archos 101 XS features a 10.1-inch touchscreen display with 1024 x 768 resolution, 1.5GHz dual-core A9 processor and a PowerVR SGX544 GPU, part of a TI OMAP 4470 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of memory, microSD support for up to 64GB storage expansion, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera (but no rear camera), microUSB, mini HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and an interesting magnetic Coverboard that hides a full QWERTY keyboard dock and doubles as a protective cover.  Archos 101 XS (left) vs Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T (right) As you can see in the video below, recorded by our own Clayton Ljungberg, the tablet is quite snappy (see our Quadrant test results) as the TI OMAP hums nicely away under the screen – and we will note the Archos 101 XS is quite slim at just 7.8mm thickness, with the Coverboard measuring just around 5mm. We'll mention this again: the device is running an unskinned Android version, but it does come pre-loaded with various apps, some of which you may actually appreciate having on the tablet, and we refer specifically to Archos' proprietary multimedia apps or the OfficeSuite Pro 6 productivity app.  Archos 101 XS (below) vs Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T (above) Overall, the Archos 101 XS seems to be quite an interesting mid-ranged tablet, ready to offer a great user experience, for an affordable price considering what the competition has in store right now, and I'm referring strictly to available Android devices. If $399.99 is too much for you, or you're waiting for other upcoming tablets to hit stores before you make a buying decision – such as the Kindle Fire 2 or iPad Mini – you can definitely wait a while longer before getting this new Archos it, as we expect the price of the Archos 101 XS to drop in the months following its official release. And let's not forget that two other Archos tablets are set to be unveiled in the coming months, the Archos 97 XS and Archos 80 XS.
Let's hear it from you, Android tablet fans, what do you think of the Archos 101 XS? Related PostsArchos introduces the Archos 7 and Archos 8 Home Tablet, Archos 97 Carbon tablet with Android 4.0 is now up for sale for $250, Why the Archos 101 G9 and 80 G9 Are Ultra-cheap [With Hands-on Photos]This article, Archos 101 XS first hands-on and review [video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A on track for September release Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:15 PM PDT
Though it might have seemed unlikely about a year ago, the tech users' attention has quickly shifted from powerful and "luxurious" 10-inch tablets to more modest, but decently priced 7-inchers. Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 have been the main game-changers, which is why we shouldn't be surprised to see other major manufacturers trying to "copy" the recipe for success. We've known for a while that Lenovo is planning to introduce a 7-inch tablet with a focus on price rather than speed. Now we've gotten additional confirmation that the IdeaTab A2107 is gearing towards a September release. The 7-incher has been spotted getting FCC certification and, unlike usual filings like this, it stars in a bunch of decent-quality photos. Aside from getting a glimpse at the tab in all its splendor, we now have an almost full spec sheet confirmed and we can start making bets about its possible success.
There's only a single-core 1 GHz Mediatek MT6620P processor under the A2107A's hood, so you shouldn't expect "out of this world" gaming or multimedia performance. The lack in processing speed should somewhat be compensated by the 1 GB of RAM, as well as the more than decent 3,700 mAh battery. Unlike the Nexus 7, the new IdeaPad comes with dual cameras, a 2 MP rear-facing shooter and a 0.3 MP front-facing webcam. There'll be two versions of the tab, with 8 and 16 GB of on-board storage, both of which will only come with Wi-Fi connectivity. Finally, the 7-inch display should also be pretty "competitive", sporting a 1024 x 600 pixels resolution. FCC's internal docs mention nothing about the A2107A's future software, but Lenovo has already announced the tab as coming with Android 4.0 ICS on board sometime in September. As far as pricing goes, we have nothing to report, both official and unofficial, but we highly doubt Lenovo will be outing the 7-incher for a penny more than $200.
The question that arises, however, is whether people will be interested in buying the IdeaPad A2107A for $200, which is the exact same price of the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire. Lenovo's tab will have the advantage of the rear-facing camera and it might have a couple of extra ports too, but the Nexus 7 has a far superior processor, a more powerful battery and a brighter display. The nail in the proverbial coffin: it already runs Jelly Bean. So, how about it, folks? Could Lenovo stand a chance against Google and Amazon? Or does the A2107A absolutely need to start selling for even less than $200?
Related PostsLenovo to launch IdeaTab A2105, A2107 and A2109 in September, pricing and spec sheets unknown, Hands-On With the Lenovo IdeaTab K2010 [K2] Tablet – Tegra 3, IPS HD Display & More [VIDEO], Lenovo mid-range IdeaTab S2109 tablet unveiled, coming soonThis article, Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A on track for September release , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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