Friday, October 19, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Google Nexus 10 spotted on Picasa, not known if it’s a Samsung tablet

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 03:00 AM PDT

Stop me if you've heard this one before: an unofficial Nexus device has been spotted in EXIF photo data on Picasa. Yes, this tends to happen a lot and we always remind you that EXIF data can be faked if one wanted to.

With that in mind, today we're showing you a picture that was recently posted on Picasa and that was taken with the Google Nexus 10 device, the 10-inch Android tablet that's reportedly going to be produced by Samsung.

According to the EXIF data, the Nexus 10 has a 5-megapixel camera and runs software version JVP12C, a codename that seems to suggest we're looking at a device with Jelly Bean on board.

Other than that, no other information is available about this Nexus 10 device. The image posted on Picasa doesn't seem to reveal any hints that this is a Samsung product, so we'll just have to wait for more leaks to come in.

It's worth mentioning that the image has been uploaded on October 15, therefore a few days ago, but we have no idea if such a product could be unveiled on October 29 during Google's recently announced Android event or not.

Moreover, an earlier report revealed that the Nexus 10 will be launched in the first quarter 2013. The same story said that the device will feature a 10.1-inch display with 2560 x 1600 resolution, or 299 ppi and a dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 Cortex-A15 processor.

Anyone looking forward to a 10-inch Nexus tablet?


6.1-inch 1080p Huawei Ascend Mate to push phablet boundaries even further

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 02:39 AM PDT

Samsung's Galaxy S3 has been the undeniable star of the Android galaxy in 2012, but the competition for the world's next super-phone will definitely take things to the edge. LG's Optimus G was one of the most likely candidates for the throne just a few weeks back, but in the meantime the 4.7-incher's stunning spec sheet has been severely undercut by a bunch of new devices.

We've seen HTC's J Butterfly and Oppo's Find 5 prancing around with the first 1080p displays, we know that Sony is prepping an impressive 5-incher, but also a gargantuan 6-incher, and now Huawei is joining this crazy race with… a 6.1-incher.

That's right, boys and gals, the Ascend D Quad makers are taking things to the next level with the Ascend Mate. Now we don't know if people are ready to welcome in their lives a "phablet" that's clearly knee-deep in tablet territory than anything or how silly will we look holding a 6.1-inch "phone" next to our ears, but we know that this thing is happening whether we like it or not.

But Huawei isn't keeping things modest in the specs department either, so even if you don't fancy the idea of such a humongous phone, you can't not get excited about a 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and a hefty 4,000 mAh battery.

Not to mention that the display will sport a 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution and that this entire hardware madness will be wrapped in a body measuring 9 mm in thickness. Dayum!

This "beastly creature" is not yet official, so we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, although its existence has been confirmed through Huawei's official website. There's also no image with the device, so chances are the Ascend Mate's release is still several months down the road.

Another thing that should tone the excitement (or frustration) down a bit is the news that the 1.8 GHz processor said to power the Mate will most likely be "homebrewed" by Huawei. We know that the Chinese company has had some trouble with the K3V2 chip's manufacturing process, so chances are that it'll be even difficult for the new K3V3 to be fully functional by, say, next Spring.

Still, we can definitely allow ourselves to dream and keep our fingers crossed for an MWC public introduction early next year. Who’s excited? And who’s appalled by the idea of a 6.1-inch smartphone?

 

 

Related Posts

    No related posts.


    Galaxy Nexus getting younger brothers, as in more than one?

    Posted: 19 Oct 2012 02:26 AM PDT

    Google has scheduled a press event for October 29, where it will most likely unveil the LG Nexus 4 and Android 4.2, its next major Android update, at least according to current reports.

    But is Google going to unveil more than one Nexus-branded device during the event? A few weeks ago we thought that the Galaxy Nexus 2 and a HTC Nexus 5 were also going to be part of the Nexus family, not to mention that Sony was also rumored to work on its own Nexus device. These rumors fitted nicely with a story that revealed that Google is interested in partnering up with more companies to release Nexus devices.

    But then the Galaxy Nexus 2 turned out to be the Galaxy Premier and the 5-inch HTC phablet was just unveiled a few days ago in Japan as the HTC J Butterfly.

    Meanwhile, the Nexus leaks continued with the LG Nexus 4 being the only device that kept showing up.

    Fast forward to today and look up the unofficial Galaxy Nexus Google+ fan page and you'll read the following:

    October 29th. The game is on ladies and gentlemen.

    Happy birthday +Galaxy Nexus, you were born one year ago, on October 19th. Soon you are going to meet your younger brother(s) ;)

    Is this unofficial confirmation that more than one Nexus devices are going to be unveiled in less than two weeks from now – the younger brother(s) – or is it just wishful thinking? At this point, we'd advise you not to read too much into it. After all this isn't a confirmed Google account, so whoever is managing it, it’s probably not talking about Nexus products in an official capacity.

    With that in mind, we’ll wish the original Galaxy Nexus a happy one-year anniversary while reminding you that we’ll keep you updated on any Nexus rumors and reports that will continue to pop up in the following days.

    Related Posts

      No related posts.


      New Samsung Chromebook also comes with 3G support, costs $329.99

      Posted: 19 Oct 2012 01:49 AM PDT

      Just yesterday we showed you Google's and Samsung's most recent product, the 2012 Samsung Chromebook that costs just $249.99 to own. For that price you get an ARM-based machine that will offer you access to Chrome OS and all of its goodies.

      But what about those Chrome OS fans that want to use the device while on the go? The good news is that Samsung has build a 3G-enabled version of the 11.6-inch laptop that will sell for $329.99.

      Unfortunately there's some bad news to go with that too. The 3G version will be tied to Verizon's 3G network for two years, and traffic is limited to 100MB per month. That’s not going to be enough for a product that basically runs an OS based on an Internet browser.

      When it comes to specs and features, the 3G model will pack the same internal components as its Wi-Fi-only brother. As a refresher, the tablet will offer a 11.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution, 1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of memory, Wi-Fi, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, 3-in-1 card reader, VGA camera, 4,800mAh battery and Chrome OS under the hood.

      Are you buying a Chromebook this year?

      Related Posts

      ST-Ericsson confirms Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is powered by its NovaThor ModAp chip

      Posted: 19 Oct 2012 01:15 AM PDT

      After hearing that the Galaxy S3 would get a mini sidekick, it did not take long for Samsung to burst our bubble of excitement – especially after several leaks revealed that the Galaxy S3 Mini would only be packing a dual-core CPU clocked at 1GHz. This led to our assessment of just how big of a disappointment the 4-inch phone was turning out to be.

      You see, we were hoping that Samsung would not dilute the Galaxy S3 name by equipping the smaller variant with a quad-core Exynos CPU or something similarly fast. What we got instead was a phone that aesthetically looks similar to its bigger sibling, but sorely lacking in the specs department.

      With Samsung being rather coy about the processor that the Galaxy S3 Mini uses, chip maker ST-Ericsson has confirmed that the Mini is powered by its NovaThor ModAp CPU, which integrates "the modem and application processor on a single die."

      The NovaThor processor is no stranger to some Samsung phones, such as the Galaxy S Advance. This is also the same chip that powers several Xperia phones, namely the U and P series.

      Regardless of the chip that's used by the phone, the strength of the branding alone sort of guarantees that the Galaxy S3 Mini would be a big hit among buyers. But we just can't help to want moar.  Oh well, at least it runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

      Show full PR text

      ST-Ericsson NovaThor ModAp Powers New Samsung GALAXY S III mini

      New Samsung’s AndroidTM -powered smartphone is the fourth to use ST-Ericsson NovaThor platform

      Geneva, October 18, 2012 -ST-Ericsson, a world leader in wireless platforms and semiconductors, announced today that a recent addition to the award-winning Samsung GALAXY smartphone line – the Samsung GALAXY S III mini – is powered by the ST-Ericsson NovaThor ModAp platform.

      “Our NovaThor platforms continue to gain traction in the market and with the new GALAXY S III mini, we add another great Samsung smartphone to the list of devices powered by ST-Ericsson,” said Marc Cetto, Senior Vice President and head of Smart Platform Solutions for ST-Ericsson. “Our highly integrated NovaThor ModAp platform, integrating a modem and application processor on a single die, enables compact and efficient devices and we are very pleased that Samsung has again chosen us for its GALAXY S III mini.”

      About the Samsung GALAXY S III mini

      The GALAXY S III mini is a compact version of the flagship smartphone GALAXY S III. The GALAXY S III mini brings the high performance, intuitive ease-of-use and nature-inspired design of the GALAXY S III to an elegant, compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen and is powered by Android(TM) 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones.

      Related Posts

        No related posts.


        Android 4.0 ICS update heading to Motorola Droid Bionic

        Posted: 19 Oct 2012 01:12 AM PDT

        After the Android 4.0 update for the Droid Bionic was pushed out to soak testers a week ago, Verizon has confirmed that the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is coming to everyone who still believes in the greatness of the Droid Bionic, but probably can't wait for their two-year contract to end.

        The update, as announced on Verizon’s website, will roll out starting today on October 19.

        The software bump will bring ICS-specific features to the device, such as a new direct access lock, enhanced notifications window, data usage monitor, as well as the ability to create folders by simply stacking an app on top of another. And of course, you can now download Google's Chrome browser for Android.

        Although the new firmware is being pushed out today, don't be alarmed if you don't get the over-the-air update right away — as it's usually done in phases. What's a day or two more seeing that you've waited for what seems like an eternity already, right?

        Feel free to share with the rest of our readers once you've received ICS, and let us know how it runs on your Droid Bionic.

        Related Posts

          No related posts.


          Motorola selling DROID RAZR HD Developer Edition for $599

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 01:01 AM PDT

          If you’re fond of tweaking your phone through rooting and custom ROMs, you will be aware that Motorola smartphones and tablets are not always the easiest to play with. Even if Motorola were now part of Google, carriers seem to want their own customizations — a.k.a. bloatware — included in Motorola devices.

          But fret not, Moto is offering developers a way to play with their devices without much difficulty. Motorola earlier released the DROID RAZR M Developer Edition. The company is now offering the DROID RAZR HD Developer edition through their online retail store.

          The phone will set you back $599, and features an unlocked bootloader. This way, you’ll have the freedom to play around with the phone through custom ROMs and themes. The phone does not come with warranty, though. Motorola probably expects a high likelihood of bricking this phone. But if you’re a developer or tweaker, you won’t let that stop you, will you?

          This DEVELOPER EDITION device has all the power, speed and specs of the DROID RAZR HD, with all the possibilities offered by an unlockable bootloader. Learn more on our support site.

          Warning: Not for the faint of heart. Warranties will be voided.

          Get it now from the Motorola retail site through the source link below.

          Related Posts

          Up to 1 million Nexus 7 tablets sold by Google so far?

          Posted: 18 Oct 2012 02:32 PM PDT

          So Google's poorly leaked / released financial results for the third quarter of the year caused quite a commotion today, with Google shares dropping almost 10% when news broke out that Google has missed estimated earnings for Q3 2012.

          However, while the final report offers various details about the Search business, and highlights Motorola's continued losses, details about direct device sales are not offered. But analysts believe they have found some evidence in the final earnings report that points to 800,000 to 1 million Nexus 7 sales during the period.

          According to ZDNet, Google's "other income" line from its earnings report showed revenue of $666 million, up from $385 during the same period last year. And that other revenue may reflect Nexus 7 sales. Here's what Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said about those numbers:

          We believe Google’s Other Income of $666 (compared to Street at $477) suggests that Google likely sold 800k-1m Nexus 7s in Q3. Excluding our estimated Nexus 7 impact, core net revenues would have been up 2.5% q/q vs. 4.7%.

          If those numbers are correct, then it means Google has sold at best over 10,000 Nexus 7 units per day since the device was announced and offered for pre-order in the last days of June. Is that too much? Too little?

          Google has not specified any Nexus 7 sales numbers to date – and we would assume such numbers would be made public since, after all, Google keeps announcing daily Android activations every chance it gets.

          Furthermore, earlier reports said that Google would sell from 6 to 8 million Nexus 7 units this year, but is that really possible / happening?

          Let's not forget that the new Kindle Fires are also out and that the iPad mini will soon be announced to deliver yet another blow to Android tablets. Pair that with the launch of Windows 8 / RT tablets, and you'll see that Android tablets manufacturers will have a tough time getting the upper hand in a niche they failed to conquer.

          Finally, if those Nexus 7 sales numbers, then Carphone Warehouse's recent revelation, that the Nexus 7 is the best sold Android tablet in its lineup, paints a dire picture for the entire Android tablet ecosystem.

          Does anybody know how many Nexus 7 tablets have been sold to date?

          Related Posts

          Google shares drop almost 10% after leaked Q3 2012 numbers reveal 20% drop in profits

          Posted: 18 Oct 2012 01:58 PM PDT

          Left and right, companies are submitting their quarterly financial disclosures this time of year. We talked about Verizon’s earnings earlier today, and we wait for other carriers, smartphone makers and all the other main players in the mobile business to reveal their numbers for Q3 2012. Naturally, Google's numbers for the period ending on September 30 are of particular interest to us, but who could have predicted what has just happened today?

          Google's Q3 2012 earnings report was leaked to the press a few hours earlier than supposed to. The report revealed a 20% drop in profits for the Search giant which sent Google's stock on a downward spiral before trading on GOOG was stopped.

          Google missed estimates for Q3 2012, reporting earnings of $9.03 per share on revenue of $11.5 billion, with The Street expecting earnings of $10.65 per share or $11.86 billion revenue. That shouldn’t be such a big deal, should it? But apparently it is.

          The blame finger for the inadvertent leak was pointed at Google's financial printer, R. R. Donnelley:

          “Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization,” a Google spokesperson told CNET in an e-mail. “We have ceased trading on NASDAQ while we work to finalize the document. Once it’s finalized we will release our earnings, resume trading on NASDAQ, and hold our earnings call as normal at 1:30 Pacific Time.”

          As soon as news broke out about Google's underperforming quarter (at least according to analysts,) shares dropped 9% before trading was halted. The stock was trading at around $760 when the shares tanked, and it's currently at around $695.

          Meanwhile, trading has resumed and Google made official its earnings report for the third quarter of the year.

          CNET has looked some of the reasons that caused the stock to drop as much in just a few minutes, finding that Motorola's poor financial performance, but also Google's own Search-related operations reflected in Q3's numbers are responsible for what happened. Motorola is still bleeding money for Google, and we can only wonder whether Google's overpriced subsidiary will ever be profitable for the company.

          As for the Search business, while Google is still king of all searches, it looks like the advertising cost-per-click dropped 15% compared to Q3 2011. This is a significant drop – we're looking at a fourth consecutive decline – exceeding current expectations (6-7% drop).

          Ironically for Google, cost-per-click is falling because more clicks originate from mobile devices. You'd think that since Google controls the market share in the smartphone business, it's able to make lots of cash from mobile searches – after all that was the master plan behind Android all along. But that's not exactly the case, with several studies out there showing that the most web traffic, and with it the related profits, are not coming from Android devices but from iOS devices. In fact, a recent report showed that web traffic generated by the iPhone 5 in the first weeks after its launch was higher than web traffic from the Galaxy S3.

          Is Google in trouble? That's hardly the case. Sure, the shares saw a significant drop today, and sure, Google did not meet estimates, but Google still turned a profit during the period. $2.18 billion is still money in the bank, even if its 20% less than in Q3 2011 and even if it’s not comparable to the numbers Apple will report in a week or so. Here's what Larry Page had to say about this ‘troubling’ quarter:

          “We had a strong quarter. Revenue was up 45 percent year-on-year, and, at just fourteen years old, we cleared our first $14 billion revenue quarter. I am also really excited about the progress we’re making creating a beautifully simple, intuitive Google experience across all devices.”

          However, maybe an alarm signal was raised today. Maybe Google should seriously consider establishing a stronger revenue stream other than Search. And maybe Google should make more money off its Android mobile OS, at least when it comes to mobile searches.

          Related Posts

            No related posts.


            Samsung Chromebook announced with ARM processor, costs only $249

            Posted: 18 Oct 2012 01:03 PM PDT


            Do you like the idea of the Chrome OS devices but feel that they are too expensive? Google has just announced a new Samsung Chromebook that might be right up your alley. The new 11.6-inch Chrome OS laptop runs on an ARM processor and manages a very affordable price tag of just $249.

            Keep in mind that Samsung had to make a few concessions to reach such a budget-friendly price. Switching to ARM is one of these changes. While you might not get an Intel processor, you do get a very capable 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor. Another potential downside is the lack of larger built-in storage with only 16GB internal memory. Other specs include 2GB of RAM, a battery that lasts 6.5+ hours, micro-SD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, mic/headphone and a full-sized keyboard. As for the display, it has a resolution of 1366 x 768.

            What Samsung is offering here isn’t a powerhouse, but that’s not the point. The 2012 Samsung Chromebook’s low price and portable design makes it a perfect fit for those that do most of their content creation, storage and gaming via the web. The Chromebook is also very thin and light, with a thickness of 0.8-inches and weight of 2.43 pounds. You might be thinking that there are Android devices that offers comparable functionality, all while giving you access to tons of Android apps. This is true and is a good point. On the other hand, devices like those in the Transformer line might do a similar job, but they are also much more expensive.

            The latest Chromebook gives us a good idea of what to expect in future Chrome OS-based devices. Cloud-computing is here to stay and presenting consumers with this kind of pricing is key to the success of the platform. Does the idea of a $249 Chromebook based on the Exynos 5 entice you at all?

            Related Posts

            Android and Me

            Android and Me


            Google unveils $249 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook with Exynos 5 (Cortex-A15) chip

            Posted: 18 Oct 2012 12:24 PM PDT

            Today Google announced that a new Samsung Chromebook was going on sale for only $249. The device features a 11.6-inch display, 16 GB SSD, 2 GB RAM, 1.7 GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 chip, and weighs only 2.4 lbs. A model with a built in 3G modem is selling for $329. I don’t know [...]

            Visit our site to read the full article.


            Android Rookies: 10 new apps worth checking out this week

            Posted: 18 Oct 2012 10:04 AM PDT

            New apps need lovin' too, right? Every day there are thousands of new entries on the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We have shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and launch them to new heights, so we're bringing back...

            Visit our site to read the full article.


            Droid RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD now on sale

            Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:10 AM PDT

            Today Verizon officially launched the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD, but you might want to hold onto your money. Given that Google is going to unveil a new version of Android and a new Nexus device in a couple weeks, this is probably the worst time to buy a smartphone. We [...]

            Visit our site to read the full article.