This morning the folks from Pantech and AT&T announced a brand new smartphone that is not only targeted for first time smartphone buyers, but it will also appeal to the budget crowd as well as those seeking some solid performance. This device might only cost $50 but it packs plenty of goods like 4G LTE and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich so lets take a look.
They announced the new Pantech Flex as a budget friendly entry-level device but the specs are far from it. Previously leaked as the Pantech Magnus today’s announcement confirmed the details. Those include a 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 540 resolution display which is the lowest feature it has. Then you’ll get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4G LTE, and Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdraon S4 processor.
Pretty great for only costing users $50 right? Other specs include an 8 megapixel rear 1080p video capable camera, 2 megapixel front for video chatting, and a spacious and decently sized 1,830 mAh battery that should last plenty long.
Pantech has detailed an “Ease Experience Mode” that will streamline the user interface into a simple solution for newcomers to the smartphone market. This can easily be toggled off to enjoy Android 4.0 ICS too for those that aren’t complete newbies. The video provided by AT&T below will give you a better idea of what to expect from this decent little phone. The Pantech Flex will be available September 16th for only $50 after a new 2-year contract — which makes this phone a pretty good deal.
Not to be outdone by the Apple event on the 12th, or the Motorola event set for tomorrow, HTC has just issued their own save the date event announcements to the press inviting us all to enjoy “what’s next” later this month. They sure don’t give us many hints but we’ll be seeing their next device in NYC in a few weeks.
Our original thought was some upcoming Windows 8 smartphones since IFA showed plenty of those from other manufacturers, but then we got this same event invite over here at Android Community so we can expect some Android announcements to follow. Now we have to play the guessing game.
The only hint reads "Join HTC to see what's next." That is all they had to say regarding this announcement. The odd thing is the weird blue symbol on the bottom of the invite you see above. We aren’t too sure what that is although it resembles the Google Now voice search capabilities of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the Nexus 7.
We all know Jelly Bean is coming to their recent devices soon but that’s hardly a reason for an event so some hardware is certainly expected. HTC’s been rather quite as of late so we’ll most likely see the Desire X they announced at IFA and if we are lucky that rumored 5-inch device. HTC’s 5-inch 1080p resolution Galaxy Note II rival broke cover this weekend and chances are that device could finally be unveiled. There is also talk of an HTC One X+ for T-Mobile — so that’s a possibility. We are hopeful these are among the devices they’ll have to announce.
Android Community will be live in NYC to capture all the news, details, pictures, and video of whatever comes from HTC’s September 19th media event so stay tuned for further details.
While some may look at the year-old Samsung Galaxy S2 and say it's yesterday's news, we still think of the S3's forerunner as a better than average mid-ranger. It's true that it doesn't (yet) run Jelly Bean and has a smaller display than everybody's favorite super-phone, but size isn't everything and the hardware configuration isn't half bad.
Unfortunately, the S2's price has been kept rather high due to it being still pretty popular, so most bargain hunters out there are still waiting to get their grubby hands on the 4.3-incher. Or were waiting, because T-Mobile and Walmart have just announced one of the sweetest deals going on for last year's Galaxy star.
The nation's fourth largest wireless carrier and the multinational retailer are selling the GS2 for $299, which might still seem like a rather steep price, but — wait for it — it's for the pre-paid version of the phone. That means no contractual obligations for you and no more paying through your nose for two years for a phone you might get bored with after a couple of months.
Of course, the GS2 on sale at Walmart is not an unlocked phone per se, so you won't exactly get to choose your preferred carrier. Instead, you'll be forced to go for T-Mobile and pair your brand new handheld with one of the carrier's "no annual contract" plans starting at $30 per month and including unlimited data, unlimited texts, and 100 minutes of talk time.
Now this all might sound too good to be true, and for many of you it's unfortunately just that. Walmart's website is already listing the prepaid Galaxy S2 as "out of stock online" with no news of any reinforcements coming soon. A bunch of tech-savvy users with an eye on their budget are also reporting Walmart stores across the country as being out of GS2 stock too, so either the deal has expired before it has even begun, or the retailer didn't expect the offer to get to such a flying start.
Either way, many of you will not be able to take advantage of the deal for now, which I know will frustrate the heck out of anyone out for a good bargain mid-ranger. Not to mention that it also seems that technically you'll be asked to pay $329 upfront for the Galaxy S2 (with $30 credit included), so the offer might not be as lucrative as it looked.
After all, you can get the unlocked and contract free Galaxy Nexus for just 20 bucks more straight from Google Play, and you also get to choose your preferred network. Not to mention the GNex is already running Android 4.1 while rocking mostly superior tech specs.
So, is anyone thinking of waiting to see if Walmart’s stocks of the prepaid GS2 will be refreshed? Or is it not your kind of deal after all?
The worldwide malware situation is getting worse and Android isn’t immune! According to the McAfee Threats Report: Second Quarter 2012, Q2 saw the biggest increase in all types of malware in the last four years. Over the period, 1.5 million new pieces of malware were detected and new mobile threats have been discovered including ’drive-by downloads’ aimed at Android phones, the use of Twitter to control mobile botnets, and the appearance of mobile ‘ransomware’.
Android users need to remain vigilant. Q1 2012 saw a mobile malware explosion and now virtually all new mobile malware detected is aimed at the Android platform. These malicious apps, which are often distributed by third party app stores, include SMS-sending malware, mobile botnets, spyware, and destructive Trojans.
“Attacks that we've traditionally seen on PCs are now making their way to other devices. For example, in Q2 we saw Flashback, which targeted Macintosh devices and techniques such as ransomware and drive-by downloads targeting mobile. This report highlights the need for protection on all devices that may be used to access the Internet,” said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs.
The drive-by download mentioned by McAfee is known as Android/NotCompatible.A, which I reported on back in May. Similar to drive-by installs on the PC, the malware automatically starts downloading to a victim’s device just because they visited an infected web page. But because the malware claims to be a system update, it is likely that unsuspecting users will happily install it.
The use of sophisticated fake download sites is also on the rise and spotting malware and scam pages is becoming more difficult. According to F-Secure, attackers have begun to move away from crude-template based page designs and have upped their efforts to perfect the fake web pages, making them look and feel more legitimate, in order to trick more victims. Recent fake web sites offering downloads for Skype and Chrome easily look and feel like valid pages from the respective companies.
Trend Micro has also spotted an alarming increase in the number of malware apps in Google’s official Play store. During August, the company discovered a number of apps carrying the ‘Plankton’ virus. The Plankton virus was first discovered by North Carolina State University and led to what was called the largest Android malware outbreak ever. Between August 19 and August 25, Trend Micro found 46 apps in Google Play which carried the malware.
Protect Yourself
All these statistics can sound quite alarming; in fact, this never ending onslaught of malware has caused McAfee to draw a parallel with the punishment of Sisyphus, the king in Greek mythology who was punished by being forever forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down again. And as McAfee put it, “the boulder is getting heavy.” However you can protect yourself:
Almost all (>99%) malware infected Android apps are distributed via untrusted third party app stores. Only download apps from trusted sources like Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.
Always check the reviews and comments left by other users.
Check which permissions an app requests. Games hardly ever need to send SMS messages, so beware!
Getac, a little known European company, is set to release an Android tablet in a niche market soon. The market is the same one that Panasonic Toughbook and Dell have ventured into with their separate rugged notebook series.
The model number is Z710 and while, at first glance, this device clearly assumes the position of durability rather than beauty, it manages to get the job done under the hood as well. Here’s the quick specs on this bad boy:
7″ Corning Gorilla Glass display with 1024 x 600 resolution and Getac's LumiBondTM technology
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G, 16GB of onboard flash, expandable by 32GB via microSD card
7,600mAh Li-Ion battery with 10/hrs operational charge
5MP camera
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Not bad for a competing device against the other 7″ sweeties like the Kindle Fire and Nexus in the market. The z710 also has an integrated PowerVR SGX540 graphics acceleration setup. The LumiBond tech mentioned above makes it available to wear gloves and still operate the device. That’s a fairly handy feature out in the field where gloves may be an issue but necessary for tasks at hand. In addition, sunlight glare has been minimised on the display by the use of Getac’s patented QuadraClear technology. For further info on this tough tablet and some words from Getac, the press release is below.
Show full PR text
“We built the Z710 rugged Android tablet with the end user in mind. Many field service sectors, such as public utilities, logistics, and automotive, require communications and data capture devices to operate in harsh environments and we designed the Z710 to provide the support these professionals need in the field.
Preliminary customer testing of Getac’s new Android rugged tablet is pointing to dramatic changes in the field use of mobile devices thanks to the superior touch screen performance and integrated functionality that tablets offer over handhelds,” and also that “early feedback suggests the smaller, 7-inch screen will be the preferred option due to mobility, though Getac will also offer customers a 10-inch unit.”
AT&T may not exactly be the Starsky to Sony's Hutch in North America, but they have been known to team up in the past to some degree of success. You haven't forgotten about the Xperia Ion, have you? Granted, the Ion hasn't set the charts alight, but the carrier apparently is opening a new chapter with the Xperia maker. This time it’s with one of the crowd's favorites at IFA 2012: the Xperia T.
Both AT&T and Sony haven't made a partnership that will bring Xperia T to American soils official. What we do have – a preliminary proof, if you will – is promotional photos of the Xperia T, where the phone shown in the pictures bears that familiar AT&T branding. Of all places, the promo shots showed up on the website of one UK-based phone retailer, Phones4U, which is already taking orders for the James Bond phone.
Seeing that Sony is keen to bring the phone out to the market as quickly as possible, at least in the UK, we should be hearing more from the two companies in the coming days about the Xperia T and its arrival in North America. We do think there's a demand for a 4.6-inch HD smartphone with dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 13MP rear camera. We'll keep you posted.
When people think of government, particularly American, we tend to think of slow paced bureaucracy and “paper-and-pen” processes. While this is still inherently true, the current administration is seeking to change the face of government into one which is more agile and adapts quicker to 21st Century needs. Clearly, it is seeking a more embedded and engaged experience between citizen and government.
The best it has seen to go about doing this is to make itself more available through the avenues that average citizens use. These are primarily tools like apps and devices which we utilize to get our sources of news and entertainment. So the White House has released its own app on iOS, mobile web, and Android. In an effort to remain vigil in their efforts, they’ve also sourced the projects on Github.
The White House had a few words to say about this tech-glory at hand:
“First, we revamped the mobile version of WhiteHouse.gov, giving it a new look and making more than 99% of the site available to mobile users. We've also released new versions of the White House apps for the iPhone and Android, rebuilding them from the ground up and adding several new features. For the first time, these apps are also fully compatible with the iPad and Android tablets.”
All in all, it appears as if the affordability of devices in the US market may come down, and this is key to the White House’s success. More latest model devices in people’s hands can only be a good thing for rapid development of the project. But the recent win by Apple to monopolize the US device market and the murky ignorance in Congress towards emergent technologies are issues that must be confronted first.
Sony has officially spoken and it says the company, under the brand name Xperia, will provide quality products at a price it deems fit. In other words, Sony does not wish to be drawn into a bidding war between competition and itself; it aims to entirely outdo competition.
The developing story of Sony and its second attempt at dominance in the tablet market is an interesting one. Suzuki, executive vice president at Sony, has been quoted as saying: “We aren’t considering competing on price in tablets. It is important to set ourselves the target of becoming number one.” How he plans to back this statement up with action is still a mystery to a worldwide audience. Last year in April, Sony tried to ignite interest but failed to do so in a market that sees Apple on top, with Samsung close behind. Microsoft has also entered the race with its tablet dubbed the Surface. As a result, the company saw a record net loss of 455 billion yen ($5.8 billion). Ouch.
With so much competition in tablets, Sony thinks it may be able to boost other sources of revenue, such as digital cameras and it’s flagship gaming console, PS3. But this doesn’t address the issue of just how the company plans to overtake popular devices like the Nook, Kindle Fire and Nexus. Truth be told, this writer thinks it may be false bravado in a time and place in technology, in which words are commonplace but actual delivery is rare.
It is up to the consumer to decide and while marketing is key to sales, we all know who the king of the hill is in that category: Apple. It will be a difficult task indeed to overcome a company which sues it manufacturer out of a sense of industry pride. Can Sony accomplish the task?
Do you think Sony is flexing to scare its rivals or does it really have a card up its sleeve? Let us know in comments below!
At this point, owners of HTC Droid Incredible 2 on Verizon have moved on from worrying about whether or not the phone will get Ice Cream Sandwich to tapping their feet, waiting patiently for the upgrade to be pushed out. HTC has targeted August for the roll out of the new software, but obviously that didn't materialize. Is the update still coming?
HTC has answering the above question raised by a customer on its Facebook page. HTC said that it is still working on the ICS update for Droid Incredible 2. But the company did admit that it has missed its own deadline.
Here's HTC's full explanation:
We're aware we missed the deadline and know you're looking forward to the update. We're very eager to get ICS to you as well. Right now, we're actively working with Verizon on ICS software for the Incredible 2, and we'll notify customers as soon as we have an update.
So it looks like Droid Incredible 2 users will have to wait some more for Ice Cream Sandwich. Since no new target has been set, we hope HTC isn't planning to take its sweet time to roll out ICS for the Incredible 2.
Any Incredible 2 owners want to chime in on the delayed ICS update?
One of the perks of attending one of the year's most anticipated tech events such as IFA 2012 is that there's no shortage of sweet Android candy to pleasure the senses, such as the black edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE. Android Authority's Editor-in-Chief Darcy LaCouvee had a brief encounter with the black Galaxy S3 and captured it on video for you — our awesome readers.
No longer shrouded in mystery, the black flavor is apparently reserved only for the LTE variant of the phone, a possibility that we also learnt from its expected Australian release. Inside you'll find the same quad-core 1.4GHz processor that is powering the Marble White and Pebble Blue models. Design-wise, this particular model has the same high-gloss finish, but doesn't come with that familiar silver bezel on the side — or probably just less pronounced.
Aside from the black model, Sammy will also release the Galaxy S3 in more colors, namely Amber Brown, and Titanium Grey. Of course, you're already familiar with the Garnet Red variant that AT&T is selling.
We also put the new LTE Galaxy S3 through a quick benchmarking session. Check it out:
So, tell us what you think of the black Galaxy S3. Should Samsung have made it available from the very start? Will you be tempted to switch to a new color once it becomes available?
We earlier wondered why Huawei’s Emotion UI ditched the app drawer in favor of a different home screen setup. Over at the IFA 2012 in Berlin, our very own Darcy LaCouvee had the opportunity to interview Huawei’s phone unit vice president Lars-Christian Weissewange, where the executive explained the concepts behind Huawei’s design decisions.
Weissewange explains that the Emotion UI does away with the complexities of vanilla Android, but kept the flexibility associated with the mobile OS. For instance, the home screen was combined with the app launcher. Everything is icon-based, and all apps are on the first layer.
He highlights that this “completely changes the way the OS operates.”
Additionally, Weissewange said community is important to Huawei, and the company accepts contributions from developers and third-parties, and publsihes these in regular updates. But as for the lengthy phone release schedules and update processes, he says when they launch devices, they want it to be as “perfect as possible.”
Google’s Motorola Mobility has announced that tomorrow they’ll be live streaming their “Motorola. On. Display” event from Gotham Hall in New York City from their YouTube channel. We’re not entirely sure what to expect. Will we see tablets? Will we see phones such as the rumored Motorola Droid RAZR HD? Or maybe the Droid RAZR M? Whatever we see tomorrow, Verizon Wireless is involved as their logo is attached to the bottom of the flyer.
Rumors are heavily pointing towards the Droid RAZR M, the next smartphone from the RAZR line on Verizon Wireless. Current rumors peg the RAZR M at a 4.3-in. Super AMOLED Advanced display with 1196 by 720 resolution, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S 4 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, a 3-megapixel front facing camera, an 8-megapixel rear shooter, NFC and will sell for $149.99 with a 2 year contract. These specs are near comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the HTC One X.
Besides just another manufacturer touting their latest smartphone or tablet, this event is of extreme importance for both Google and Motorola Mobility. Whichever device is announced tomorrow, it marks the first device launched from Motorola since Google’s May acquisition.
Are the rumors correct? We’ll know in a few hours. Tune in tomorrow, September 5th at 2PM EDT.
The overwhelming success of Apple’s iPhone 4S has finally hit a lull. Since its launch last October, the device has managed to hold on to the title of top selling device in the United States for 10 months before finally being dethroned by the Samsung Galaxy S III last month. According [...]
Every week we cover Android gaming on Wednesday, followed by Top 10 app updates on Friday. Now every Monday (or Tuesday) we will look back and see which ones were the most crowd-pleasing among our audience. Read on for the 10 most popular Android apps from last week among your peers. 1. TRELLO ...
If you want to see what’s next from HTC, circle September 19th on your calendar. HTC just sent out invitations to the press for an event a couple weeks from now in New York. We don’t know what they will reveal, but chances are good we will see some Android devices since these invites...
The LG Intuition has finally been announced. Verizon will launch the new phablet device on September 6 for $199.99 with a new two-year contract. To make the offer a little more appealing, Verizon will offer up a free LG Tone Stereo Bluetooth headset to those who purchase the LG Intuition online...
HTC had promised that its remaining Android 4.0 updates would be released before the end of August. The weeks passed by, and August 31 came and went, but no updates were released. Last Friday, HTC’s team answered people’s comments on Facebook, letting DROID Incredible 2 and Thunderbolt...
