Thursday, October 18, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Google posts Q3 earnings: $2.18nb profit and $11.33bn in revenue

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 11:05 AM PDT

This afternoon Google has released their Q3 2012 earnings report — just like many others will be doing the next few days. However, they posted them mid-day during trading hours, something that usually doesn’t happen. That aside, things aren’t looking quite as good as they should for the folks from Mountain View.

Google posted their Q3 operating income and overall earnings call and while they still managed to have an operating profit of $2.18 billion, that number fell well below expectations and what many predictions had set for Google. Third quarter profit of $2.18 and $6.53 a share was actually down year-over-year with previous postings at $2.73 billion and $8.33 a share last year.

The acquisition of Motorola brought in $2.58 billion in revenue, but due to cuts, restructuring and many other reasons that actually net them a loss of $527 million. Meh, only half a billion. Pretty tough times from Motorola but hopefully that will soon be changing.

Analysts predicted Google’s Q3 would see a net revenue of around $11.86 billion, but the actual results came in around $11.33bn after we exclude the losses from Motorola and other acquisitions. Clearly missing expectations by a decently large chunk. While this all sounds bad, it isn’t quite as bad as it looks. Overall Google’s net revenue still grew from $7.5bn last year, to the $11.33bn mentioned above. So while they didn’t hit predictions and forecasts — they’re still doing quite well.

More details will be revealed when the “official” earnings call happens later today, as this was a premature release.

[via SlashGear]


Apple loses Samsung Galaxy Tab appeal in UK

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 10:58 AM PDT

Apple and Samsung, as many of you are undoubtedly already aware, have been trading blows in courtrooms around the world for quite some time now. Samsung, though it’s been hit hard in rulings in the past, managed to chalk up a win today, as a UK Appeals Court has denied an appeal Apple filed back in July. At the time, a London High Court ruled that the Samsung Galaxy Tab wasn’t infringing on Apple’s design, and today, a group of three Appeals Court judges refused to overturn the ruling.


This means that Apple has to take out advertisements with major UK publications telling the general public that Samsung isn’t guilty of infringement. These publications include The Daily Mail, T3 Magazine, Financial Times, and others. In addition to taking out ads with these UK publications, Apple needs to clear Samsung of any wrongdoing on its own website.

Of course, Apple won’t be required to plaster admissions of Samsung’s innocence all over its website, as the court said that a simple link to a statement on its homepage will suffice. The link has to stay up for one month, and court is requiring this because it thinks it would be best for consumers if Samsung was cleared by the company making the accusations. “The acknowledgment must come from the horse’s mouth,” the judges stated. “Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely.”

There is still some hope for Apple to win an appeal, however, as the company could still go through the UK Supreme Court. For now though, this ruling applies across the entire European Union. We have a feeling that Apple will take this to the Supreme Court, but with two courts already denying Apple’s appeal, it looks like Samsung is in the clear. Stay tuned, as we’ll surely have more information on these Apple-Samsung suits soon.

[via SlashGear]


Verizon’s Q3 report shows double-digit growth, 6.8m smartphones sold

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 10:40 AM PDT

It’s that time of the year again where we can expect to see a flow of Q3 revenue and earning reports released. Today Verizon has issued theirs for the past quarter, and lets just say they are still doing fine. This morning Verizon announced they hit double-digit earnings growth and sold over 4.5 million 4G LTE devices.

The folks from Verizon Wireless sold a whopping 6.8 million smartphones in Q3 of this year, which is up 7.5% year-over-year, and they also inked another 1.8 million customers into paid 2-year contracts. Good for them huh. They also announced that the average amount users have been paying increased too. While that is good for them, it isn’t for us because I’m sure we can all agree we’d like to pay less.

The average revenue per account rose 6.5% to $145.42 which probably has a lot to do with their new Share Everything data plans. So far it sounds like things are still looking quite excellent for the guys over at Big Red. An interesting note on the 6.8m smartphones sold, 4.5 were 4G LTE equipped devices. With about a weeks worth of iPhone 5 sales in Q3 it’s safe to say most of that was Android. Go Google!

"Verizon continued to deliver double-digit earnings growth and strong cash generation, and we remain solidly on track to meet our financial objectives for the year" CEO Lowell McAdam stated this morning in the earnings call. Overall Verizon had a great Q3 and is having another excellent year. With overall operating revenues up 3.9% year-over-year to $29 billion, and a Q3 operating income up to $5.5bn. Oh and their 4G LTE network now reaches over 250 million people in 419 markets across the US. Keep it coming!

[via SlashGear]


Motorola says ‘Long live the battery” in DROID RAZR MAXX HD ad spot

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 10:06 AM PDT

If you’re a fan of those Motorola DROID RAZR smartphones then today is a good day. Verizon and Motorola have officially released their new and impressive 4.7-inch RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD smartphones onto the world. In case you didn’t know, the MAXX version has a massive battery for truly all day battery life. Check out Motorola’s latest TV ad below.

The all new RAZR HD and MAXX HD are available today, right this minute online and at your nearest Verizon store. If you’d like to see more of the hardware and software you’ll certainly want to take a peek at our RAZR HD hands-on and unboxing. The MAXX HD however, sports a long-lasting 3,300 mAh battery and Motorola wants to share that with the world.

The MAXX HD isn’t much different from the original in terms of battery, we still have the same 3,300 mAh battery for all day usage. This will be enough juice for the most hardcore gamers, Angry Birds or Words With Friends players, business folks on the go and more. This time around you get all that in a better, more powerful smartphone.

The RAZR MAXX HD comes with a 4.7-inch 1280x720p HD AMOLED display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.5 GHz dual-core S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a micro-SD slot and of course that RAZR thin design. They’ve managed to improve the specs in all areas, keep the massive battery in-tact, the thin design remains, yet you’ll still get up to 32 hours of battery life. Impressive Motorola! Now we just wish more manufacturers would do the same (hint: HTC). Neat little commercial though right? It’s full of hipsters.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR MAXX HD
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : September 05, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.19 Inch
  • Width : 2.67 Inch
  • Depth : 0.36 Inch
  • Weight : 157 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3300 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
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8960
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    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:
  • GSM
  • CDMA
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


ST-Ericsson confirmes NovaThor ModAp platform is in Galaxy S III Mini

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:52 AM PDT

ST-Ericsson, which is a company responsible for developing wireless platforms and semiconductors, announced that its NovaThor ModAp platform is used to power the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. The Mini is a smaller, more affordable version of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III. The NovaThor ModAp platform is designed for compact devices, which seems quite suitable for the smaller version of the S III.

The reason the NovaThor ModAp platform functions well on smaller devices is that it implements modem and application processor on a single die. This allows the device to create power with solid efficiency without taking up extra space. ST-Ericsson has had its processors featured in a few other devices, but they have not received nearly the attention of companies like Qualcomm, who is are known for making the ultra high-end processors.

For whatever reason Samsung choose not to announce the processor creator when they announced the other specs of the device. They were quick to announce that it had a 1.0 GHz dual-core STE U8420 processor, but they did not credit ST-Ericsson. They also announced that the phone has 1GB of RAM, 8 and 16GB storage options, and a 1,500 mAh battery.

Final pricing and release information on the Galaxy S III Mini is still spotty. UK retailers have posted various prices, but nothing official has come out yet. Prices for other regions and release dates have not been announced of late, but at least we are learning a little more about the device. As always, we will keep you posted with latest on the Galaxy S III Mini as it happens.


Verizon launches Motorola Droid RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:14 AM PDT

If you’re in the market for a new Android smartphone, Verizon and Motorola have some good news for you. The Motorola Droid RAZR M will now be joined by the RAZR HD and the RAZR MAXX HD, all available on Verizon’s website and at Verizon retailers today. The three devices are available at prices ranging from $99.99 to $299.99 with a 2-year agreement. All three devices are compatible with Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

The phones start with the lower-end RAZR M, which is $99.99 with a new 2-year contract. It features a 4.3-inch screen with a 960×540 resolution and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 1 GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of internal storage with support for up to 32GB SB cards. It has Android 4.0.4 ICS installed.

The next phone for sale through Verizon is the DROID RAZR HD. This phone is $199.99 with a new contract. Its screen is bigger than the RAZR M, coming in at 4.7-inches. Like the RAZR M, it comes with Ice Cream Sandwich installed, but it is upgradable to Jelly Bean. It has a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It also has 16GB of internal storage.

The last new phone is the DROID RAZR MAXX HD which comes in at a hefty $299.99. Both this phone and the DROID RAZR HD feature a 4.7-inch 1280×720 screen. It comes with ICS and is upgradable to Jelly Bean. It has 32GB of internal storage. Where the DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD come with a 2000 and 2530 mAH battery respectively, the MAXX has a massive 3300 mAH battery. All three phones are available now.


Galaxy S III owners on UK’s Three network get Jelly Bean update

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:30 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S III owners on the Three network in the UK are getting some awesome news today. They will be able to upgrade to their devices from Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean. This means that they will be able to take advantage of the awesome new features of Jelly Bean as soon as they download the new update.



Three has the update available over the air to its users. If you are on Three and have automatic updates enabled, then your phone will let you know when the update is ready for you to download. If you do not have automatic updates enabled, you will need to enable it on your device to get Jelly Bean. Three offers a guide for enabling the feature if you are unsure of how to do it.

Three reminds everyone that downloading the update will use data, so if your data plan is running low, you might want to wait until you are connected to Wi-Fi to perform the update. Three also notes that if you did not purchase your Galaxy S III from Three, it might take a little longer for your phone to update. Either way, this is definitely some great news for S III owners.

Some notable features Three users with Galaxy S III owners will get with Jelly Bean is Project Butter, which helps improve overall speed of the device. It also included Google Now, which helps your phone get to know you better and provide the information you need. S III owners on Three, stop reading and get to updating your phone. As for the rest of us, we shall have wait a while longer, but Samsung has confirmed that we will get Jelly Bean relatively soon.

[via Three]


Google Play updated to version 3.9.16 with Wishlists and better notifications

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:53 AM PDT

Google Play just updated to version 3.9.16. This new version brings some awesome new features that should make shopping for applications easier and more enjoyable. This update adds Wishlists, better notifications for upgrades and the ability to delete apps from the My Apps page.



The Wishlists feature is quite awesome. Any app you see while shopping in the store can be saved to your Wishlist for later access. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and purchase an app, you can save it for later and come back when you make a final decision. Sometimes you see an app and say you’ll come back to it, and by the time you do, you forget what it was called. Wishlist makes that not a problem anymore.

The update also includes better notifications for updates. You can now expand the list and see exactly which apps are ready for updates. This is not exactly a life-changing feature, but it is definitely convenient. You will also gain the ability to delete apps from the My Apps page. You can delete multiple apps from the page at once by long clicking an app in the list, or just one app at a time.

This update has not rolled out to everyone yet. Some users have had the new features for hours, and some are still waiting. I have not received it on my device yet, so if you don’t have it yet, don’t fret, it should roll out very soon.

[via Mashable]


Sony Xperia T is HD Voice certified, has been all along

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:14 AM PDT

Sony issued a blog post reminding everyone that the Xperia T is HD voice certified. Apparently, this feature was not listed on Sony’s product page for the device originally, so people kind of forgot that it was a feature of the device. It has since been added to the Xperia T’s page on Sony’s site.



HD Voice is one of the biggest advancements in call quality since the invention of, well, the cell phone. When we talk about new phones and their features, we talk about processors, RAM, storage, and operating systems, but all too often, we gloss right over how well the phone makes calls. HD Voice is a feature designed to bring calling to forefront, and Sony reminded us of that with its phone.

HD Voice works best when both parties have phones with the feature and carriers that support it. In the UK Three and EE (Orange + T-Mobile) support HD voice, and it’s supported on some other carriers with the European phone. People on these networks have had the feature since the phone hit the market recently, but they may not have even realized it was there.

Sony also posted a link to the a demonstration of HD Voice so you can hear for yourself how much better it sounds. In the demonstration you can really hear how well HD Voice blocks out the background noise. It’s quite impressive. It’s good to see Sony actually using call clarity as a major selling point for the device and remembering that a major purpose of a cell phone is being just that, a phone.


Sharp’s new AQUOS TAB SHT21 IGZO tablet gets hands-on demo

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 05:37 AM PDT

Yesterday, we told you that Sharp announced its new AQUOS TAB SHT21 7-inch tablet with an IGZO screen. Well, our friends at SlashGear wasted no time getting their hands on the device and finding out what the IGZO screen has to offer. This new screen technology promises better battery life or a much brighter screen, depending on user preference.



As we expected, the tablet features 4G LTE, WiFi a/b/g/n (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, and 1-Seg digital TV connectivity, which are standard for Japan. It runs Ice Cream Sandwich on Qualcomm's 1.5GHz dualcore MSM8960 processor. It packs 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It’s not exactly anything new in terms of specs, but the new screen technology is what drew the attention.

Most of the time, the IGZO screen, with its smaller pixels, looks just like a standard LCD screen, but with much less battery drain. However, SlashGear noted that when the brightness was cranked up to maximum, it is significantly brighter than traditional tablets. SlashGear was not able to take the device outside, but they said it seems that the tablet would have no problem being used outside in bright sunlight, which is one of the IGZO screens main claims to fame.

SlashGear also noted that the device is very comfortable to hold. They also said that they stylus worked well, and that Android ran smoothly on the tablet. They also said that the device felt very lightweight. Unfortunately, KDDi has yet to confirm a price for the tablet, but we do know that it is scheduled to hit shelves in December.


Acer Iconia A110 budget tablet stumbles at the “budget” bit

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Acer has revealed its challenge to the Nexus 7, though it appears the new Iconia A110 can’t quite take on the Google slate on price. The $229.99 Jelly Bean tablet has a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, and runs NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 chipset with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.

There’s a microSD card slot, 2-megapixel front camera (though no rear camera), WiFi, and Bluetooth 3.0, along with a microUSB port and Micro HDMI. No cellular option, and the display doesn’t reach the number of pixels as on the Nexus 7, never mind the higher-res B&N NOOK HD.

Still, you do get Jelly Bean, though Acer slaps a little customization of its own on there, such as its circular launcher system. Overall, it’s reasonably thin and light – 0.86 pounds and under a half-inch thick – and Acer says battery life is up to 7.5hrs.

The Acer Iconia A110 will go on sale in the US and Canada come October 30, where it will be priced at $229.99. Given both Google and B&N’s models are thirty bucks cheaper, it may well struggle.

A110_01 A110_03_Home A110_04_Home A110_04_W A110_05_W A110_03_W A110_05_Home A110_06_Home A110_06_W A110_10 A110_11 A110_12 A110_13 A110_14 A110_15 A110_16 A110_17


Google Calendar now available as standalone app from Play Store

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 07:23 PM PDT

Google’s Calendar Web application is now available as a standalone app from the Google Play Store, bringing it alongside the likes of Gmail and Google Maps. The app requires at least Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. This is the same Calendar app included on Google Nexus tablets and smartphones.

This app brings with it several updates from the initial Ice Cream Sandwich build, including event-specific colors, the ability to email all the guests for an event from a notification, and snooze reminders via notifications. Changes made since Jellybean 4.1 include the ability to send feedback within the app, and a synced event time range that extends one year into both the past and present. Also, obviously, the app also has been tweaked for improved compatibility with non-Nexus devices.

With the Google Calendar app, you can manage your existing calendars from your smartphone. The app lets users create, edit, delete events, and respond to invitations, in addition to the new features listed above. Users can use pinch-to-zoom, and, while travelers can set their default timezone to help keep things organized when they enter a new time zone.

According to the description on Google Play, there are known issues with HTC devices at the moment, including possible day and week view issues on some devices, notes and pictures may end up removed from apps, local unsynced events might disappear after Calendar is installed, and opening an email invitation via a mail app may cause Calendar to open in a browser instead of the app. Check out some screenshots in the gallery below. Have you downloaded the app? Let us know what you think!

1 2 3 4
[via Official Android Blog]


Google sending out ‘The playground is open’ event invites for October 29

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 05:58 PM PDT

It’s time to get excited folks! Google has just reached out and pinged us with a quick event invite set for later this month. It looks like we’ll soon officially get introduced to the LG Nexus 4, and possibly even the 32GB Nexus 7 that has been floating around for the past few weeks. Check out the invite below.

Google is holding an “Android event” on October 29th in NYC where we can expect a variety of goodness. For starters we are expecting the much talked about LG Nexus 4 to be officially announced. It has leaked multiple times over the past few weeks and we’re pretty certain it’s coming sooner than later. We’ve heard October 29th before, so get ready guys! One important note is previous events (like the Galaxy Nexus) the invites had a manufacturer attached — here we don’t have that.

The LG Nexus 4 isn’t much of a secret, so we shouldn’t really be seeing anything new from that aspect. The other important parts are if we’ll see Android 4.1.2, or Android 4.2 on board with the device. That isn’t all either. There’s also been plenty of rumors of the Google Nexus 7 tablet getting a price cut and a boost in hardware. Google may also announce the 32GB Nexus 7 will replace the 16GB model at the $249 price point — which we’ve been seeing for a few weeks already.

Other tidbits could include the “Nexus program” where we’ll be seeing multiple Nexus smartphones all running stock Android this holiday season. I’m also still hopeful for a 3G/HSPA+ capable Nexus 7 to grace the Google Play Store. We’ve heard that is also a “confirmed” device — although we’ve only heard rumors for now. You know we’ll be there live, so stay tuned right here to Android Community!


Swype beta update adds trending words and dictionary sync

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 04:43 PM PDT

That popular 3rd party keyboard we all know and love, Swype, has just received a rather nice update today. Sadly this keyboard still isn’t available in the Google Play Store, and instead you’ll have to get the latest beta from Swype themselves to enjoy the latest and greatest. The most notable new feature is dictionary sync. Read on below for additional details.

Today the Swype keyboard for Android received an update that brings three much needed features for any keyboard — and we’re getting them all at once. First off Swype has added a dictionary sync option. This means when you get a new device all your words (and slang) will be synced to the new smartphone or tablet. Alternatively if you add a word on your phone while on the go, it will also be available on your tablet at home. I’ve wanted this for a long time, and won’t have to resort to Titanium Backup to restore my keyboard now.

The next feature isn’t extremely useful in terms of daily use, but will make those social butterflies or Facebook and Twitter fanatics extremely happy. They’ve introduced a “trending words” feature where Swype will automatically learn #trending words. This means trendy words like “Gangnam” or “YOLO” will get added automatically from the folks at Swype — sadly. I’d rather not use the word Gangnam if I don’t have to. This feature will even help you spell Bieber or Lautner correct the first time. Uhhh. Why?

My only concern is where they are getting their “trending” words. Recording our keystrokes, or just watching the social world? The last feature worth noting aside from the usual bug fixes is a better tablet Swype experience. Tablet users can now opt to use Swype in a split keyboard mode for larger displays instead of swyping across an entire 10-inch screen. Be sure and get the latest Swype beta from the source link below.

[via Swype Beta]


Google Play Store now allows users to add funds from the web

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:43 PM PDT

It seems like only yesterday we were talking about Google Play gift cards, which honestly are still quite hard to come by. Today however we have a brand new way for users to upload money to their Google Play Store account with a new “Buy Google Play Credit” system right from the web store.

Google’s been adding new options and features to their Play Store at a rapid pace as of late. Between slightly new user interface changes, gift cards, wishlists which are still coming soon, and then just last week the Play Store received a nice upgrade. Now you can buy Play Store Credit right from Google on their web version.

The problem is only half-solved here though. For one, users that didn’t want to use their credit card still won’t get any help from this system. And two, you can only upload credit to your own account. Until Google makes it so I can purchase credit for, you know, someone else, this feature is somewhat pointless.

If a friend or family member is willing to let you access their Google account, you can now load up their account with $5-$50 worth of cash to spend in the Google Play Store on apps, games, music, movies, books, magazines and more. The only real benefit for now we see is parents adding funds to their kids smartphone or tablet. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time before you can give others a game or app without using gift cards. To try it yourself hit the source link below and just scroll to the very bottom.

[via Google Play Store]


HTC Nexus 5 rumors skip over LG

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 02:36 PM PDT

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about what we might see from Google as the next Nexus smartphone. With the 1 year anniversary of the Galaxy Nexus fast approaching many are anticipating another Nexus will arrive shortly. The LG Nexus 4 has been in the news plenty with rumors stating a late October announcement — but now we’re hearing the HTC Nexus 5 name again.

So far we can pretty much count on the LG Nexus 4 launching, we just don’t know when. Then taking into account the reports of multiple Nexus devices coming this holiday season, which was reported earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal and several others, things are starting to make sense here. When the first pictures of HTC’s 5-inch phablet leaked many were calling it a Nexus, us included. Plus 720p HD phones were soo last month.

Original leaks and rumors from September were calling HTC’s unknown device the Nexus 5 — and now that we have a few more details this rumor is lining up quite nicely. This morning HTC officially announced their HTC phablet complete with mind-blowing specs. A 5-inch 1920x1080p full HD (440ppi) display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and all those other awesome specs we like. Now just a few hours later the Nexus 5 rumors and tips have started flowing in again.

All details point to the LG Nexus 4 being released or announced later this month. Considering the name being changed to 4 from Optimus G Nexus — the same could be said about the HTC device — being the 5th Nexus smartphone released. Oh and it has a 5-inch display to nicely match that beautiful title. HTC Nexus One, Samsung Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, LG Nexus 4, and of course the HTC Nexus 5.

For now this is purely rumors and speculation, and many are still stating the HTC device will in fact land as an exclusive here in the US on Verizon as the DROID Incredible X. We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on an HTC Nexus 5 below. This would certainly help Google push the cutting edge!


FCC allows AT&T access to unused airwaves for LTE

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 01:19 PM PDT

Today the FCC has just dropped some good news down on the folks at AT&T. We’ve seen countless spectrum and airwave transfers and purchases as of late, and now AT&T is getting in on even more action after they’ve been shopping for extra. Earlier this year the FCC allowed them to transfer some spectrum to T-Mobile after the failed merger, and now some unused broadband airwaves are going to get put to use.

According to the Washington Post, today the Federal Communications Commission voted to revise the rules for the spectrum band known as Wireless Communications Services, or WCS. Back in 1997 the FCC auctioned off this spectrum and it has been being used by Sirius XM radio.

Today however a new line has been added allowing AT&T to take part in using these currently “unused” airwaves for their 4G LTE network. Apparently no one has been using these waves because of the potential for interference, but it looks like the FCC and AT&T have changed their minds on that front.

According to the multiple reports coming out today those federal regulators are now going to let AT&T use a portion of the unused airwaves to improve the speed, size, and efficiency of their mobile broadband 4G LTE network. Verizon has a strong lead in the 4G LTE market for now, but AT&T’s been making some serious progress. It’s interesting to see all these spectrum swaps. As a side note the FCC approved Verizon’s purchase of similar spectrum back in August of this year from cable companies, so AT&T isn’t the only one getting a boost in network capacity.


HTC J Butterfly 5-inch phablet first look video released

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:35 PM PDT

Today HTC finally announced what we’ve all been waiting to hear from them. That being their new 5-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD phablet smartphone over in Japan as the HTC J Butterfly. The name is quite odd but the phone and its hardware specs are beautiful. Below we have the HTC’s “First Look” video showing off the smartphone.

We’ll be getting our own hands-on with HTC’s newest powerhouse smartphone soon, but for now this quick video straight from HTC themselves should hold you over. Below is HTC’s First Look commercial showing the beauty and power that is behind their new 5-inch full 1080p HD smartphone in all its glory. Take a peek below.

Just like the multiple rumors around this impressive new smartphone/phablet hybrid, the specs are mightily impressive. You’ll be getting a 5-inch 1920 x 1080p (440ppi) full HD SLCD 3 display (which should be amazing) Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor at 1.5 GHz, 2GB of RAM, different storage options, Beats Audio, and an 8 megapixel rear camera with HTC’s imagesense and imagechip. The only underwhelming spec that I hope gets changed by the time this arrives stateside is the tiny 2,020 mAh battery under the hood.

We’ve heard multiple leaks regarding this outright impressive sounding smartphone. Many are suggesting it will arrive as the one of many Google Nexus smartphones this holiday season as the Nexus 5, it has also leaked as the DROID Incredible X for Verizon with 4G LTE — which I would buy immediately.

For now this device is exclusively launching on KDDI in Japan as we mentioned earlier this morning, but rest assured this will be headed to the US very soon. We have a feeling it will launch on more than just Verizon this holiday season. Who wants this new phablet from HTC?

[via PocketDroid]


Samsung Galaxy S III getting OTA update on Verizon and T-Mobile today

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:17 PM PDT

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S III owner and either a T-Mobile or Verizon customer, you should be getting an OTA today. Unfortunately, it isn’t the update to Jelly Bean everyone has been waiting for, but luckily Samsung said earlier today that the Galaxy S III should be getting good ol’ Android 4.1, so at least there’s that. In any case, T-Mobile has announced that a particularly tiny update is going out over the air to Galaxy S III owners starting today, and it only makes some very minor changes.


This update brings Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich up to build T999UVLJ4, and with it, T-Mobile and Samsung have only added a couple of things. The first is a fix for playback issues in the Media Hub, with changes to the Pinch and Zoom backend being applied with this update as well. This means that unless you use Media Hub on a regular basis, you won’t notice any of the changes this update brings along with it, as the backend changes to Pinch and Zoom aren’t visable to users. The update is only 12MB in size, so it should download in no time once you go into your Settings menu and select “Software Update.”

Those with a Verizon Galaxy S III update are in for an update today as well, according to Droid Life. Like the T-Mobile update, this one is going out over the air as well, only Verizon’s update is a little more substantial. Coming in at 62MB, and its applied, you’ll have an “enhanced zoom feature” for the browser and emails, enjoy fewer device resets, and experience more stability in Google Play. Not too bad, and those stability fixes will undoubtedly be welcomed by Galaxy S III users on Verizon.

So there you have it – if you’re using a Galaxy S III on either Verizon or T-Mobile, you should have an OTA update heading your way soon. As we said, they’re nothing too substantial, but both at least fix some issues that users have been experiencing lately. Did you get either of these updates today, or are you still waiting?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : May 03, 2012
    Release Date : May 29, 2012
    Also Known As : The Next Galaxy, SGSIII
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.77 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 133 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 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 : Exynos 4 Quad
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    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:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :