Friday, November 16, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Chameleon Launcher price cut to $3.99

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:29 AM PST

chameleon sale

Chameleon Launcher has come a long way since it first started its Kickstarter campaign. After it's successful introduction, it underwent a lengthy beta phase that caused a fair amount of hype in the Android community. The one thing that held back the launcher was it’s price tag, which was a little too hefty right out of the gate. At $10, most people wouldn't pay that much just to try out a launcher that they might not even like.

Chameleon Launcher is a launcher that bases its UI around widgets. It is an extremely unique way of using Android and actually a refreshing take on Android's user experience. With the price now down at $3.99, Chameleon might become an attractive to far more consumers. Now, it’s in the realm of an impulse buy.

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Popular Science gives Google Now the “Innovation of the Year” award

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:06 AM PST

Popular Science, which was launched in 1872 according to Wikipedia, has given their “Innovation of the Year” award to Google Now. Not only that, they called Apple’s Siri “outdated by comparison”. So what is Google Now and why is it getting so much praise?

Let’s start by talking about Siri, which Apple unveiled to the world when they launched the iPhone 4S in late 2011. Siri was supposed to be a personal assistant you could give commands to and also ask it some questions. The thing is, when the iPhone 4S launched, Apple wasn’t ready. Siri was often unavailable, and more often than not it completely failed to recognize what it is you said.

A little over half a year later, in June of this year, Google showed off Google Now. Unlike Siri, which was billed as a service you would talk to and then it would respond, Google made Google Now “smart” by allowing it to keep on top of things for you in the background. So say you just landed at an airport. If you booked a hotel and received a confirmation via Gmail, Google will be smart enough to give you directions to that hotel as soon as you turn on your phone. You literally don’t have to do anything. And if you’re a sports fan, just look up your favorite team once, then any time they’re playing a game, you’ll have their scores right in front of you.

What’s next for Google Now? That’s hard to say, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that the future of computing is about voice. Instead of tapping on a piece of glass that’s getting larger and larger with each passing year, Google thinks we’re going to wear our next computer, à la Google Glass.

Can Apple make Siri as good as Google Now? Probably not. Google’s expertise is in data and online services. Apple meanwhile, they sure do know how to make pretty objects and easy to use software, but they’ve yet to prove themselves in the cloud arena.

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Google and Dish ponder new wireless service

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:05 AM PST

google-fiber

How do you like the idea of getting your Internet and cellular wireless service from Google? The search engine giant is apparently looking to branch out yet again and talks have been held with satellite TV provider Dish Network. It's in the very early stages right now, but it's thought Dish is looking for a partner to build a U.S. wireless network with and Google might be a good fit.

Google certainly seems to be interested in getting a better grasp on the infrastructure of the web. The company already laid fiber-optic cable to many homes in Kansas City and is offering them high-speed Internet under the Google Fiber banner. Google also bid on wireless spectrum back in 2008 but lost out to Verizon and AT&T.

Dish has already acquired some wireless spectrum and wants to complement the satellite TV business with a good wireless network, although it would make more sense to partner with a company that has wireless towers and some additional infrastructure already in place, like one of the major carriers.

Google already has a relationship with Dish and the satellite TV provider offers enhanced integration for Google TV. The idea that they might take the relationship to the next level is at the speculation stage right now and even if something does go ahead it will be years before we see a wireless network up and running across the country.

Does it make sense for Google? Well, controlling that pipe to the Internet means potentially lifting restrictions and enabling people to use more Google services and use them for longer. Just think you could access your Gmail on a Google smartphone via a Google network. Who likes that idea?

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Sources say Samsung will show off a 4.99 inch 1080p AMOLED screen at CES 2013

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 12:57 AM PST

It’s hard to believe, but the Consumer Electronics Show is less than two months away. For those unfamiliar with CES, it’s basically the Superbowl or World Cup of trade shows. Anything and everything that runs on electricity will be at this event. As a journalist, you’re not expected to sleep for 72 hours, because if you do you’re going to miss something.

Enough insider baseball though, let’s get to today’s news: According to the Korean website Asiae, Samsung is going to show off a 4.99 inch AMOLED panel that pushes 1920 x 1280 pixels at this upcoming CES. They also say that this screen will be inside the Galaxy S IV, but they don’t have any information about when it’s going to hit the market.

Is it weird that Samsung is first going to show off a screen, and then several months later announce a smartphone that uses said screen? Not really. This is actually a fairly common practice. Back in October 2011, Samsung demoed a 10.1 inch 2560 x 1600 pixel LCD. When did we finally see it inside an actual product? Earlier this month with the Nexus 10.

Why is Samsung going 1080p just one year after introducing the 720p Galaxy S III? Easy, because that’s what everyone else is doing. HTC’s 1080p smartphone is going to hit the market in a week. Sony is expected to launch a 1080p smartphone in January. Hell, even ZTE is rumored to be releasing a “high end” 1080p device at some point in 2013. In this industry, if you don’t keep up, you’re toast.

But seriously, can human eyes tell the difference between 720p displays and 1080p displays? The folks at Gizmodo tried to answer this very question, and their conclusion is that it depends. Some people can’t tell that they’re looking at a sharper display, some people can.

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Vodafone’s Red Hot service allows you to rent a new phone every 12 months

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 04:02 PM PST

When it comes to American phone carriers, upgrades and contracts are a complete nightmare. For most people in the U.S., when you buy a phone you must wait 2 years before you can buy another. This is of course completely illogical because at the rate technology is currently progressing, your Android phone is out of date if you've had it longer than 2 months. At the same time, these carriers are completely eliminating unlimited contracts and moving to only tiered plans.

Vodafone on the other hand, is taking an entirely different approach. Instead of purchasing a phone at discounted pricing and being locked into that phone for two years, you can simply rent it. With Vodafone's Red Hot service, you simply pay a little for the phone, and then a year later, you give it back and get a new one. With this system you get a new phone every year while still maintaining a generally cheap phone payment.

The only aspect of this plan that might not sit well with customers is that you actually pay monthly for the hardware. As an example, the Galaxy S3 is currently priced at £47 per month under this plan, with the fee including unlimited voice minutes and text messages and 2GB of data. Still, on the long run, getting such a deal might be more admirable than paying significantly more up front.

UK Android handset buyers, will you sign up for Vodafone’s Red Hot plan?

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Galaxy S2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update getting closer, as I9100XXLSJ firmware leaks

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 03:36 PM PST

After showing you a new Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean leak for the Galaxy S3, which happens to bring various Galaxy Note 2 apps to the handset, multi-window view included, it's now time to look at a similar leak for the older Galaxy S2.

Unlike its successor that has recently started receiving the Jelly Bean update, the Galaxy S2 is still waiting for Samsung to roll out its own Jelly Bean version. Those of you that still rely on the Galaxy S2 for daily smartphone operations and don't want to wait for the official Jelly Bean upgrade or don't want to install other Jelly Bean-based custom ROMs can try out test firmware version I9100XXLSJ that has just been leaked.

Sam Mobile reports that the Android 4.1.2 firmware for the Galaxy S2 is "the first ever" such leak for the handset, and comes from xda-developers forum member izap.

Like always, make sure you follow the appropriate steps when installing custom software on your handset and remember that you're the only person responsible for whatever happens with your device during the process and that we'll never encourage you to install test firmware versions on your devices.

A release date for the Galaxy S2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update is not yet available, although we expect Samsung to roll it out by the end of the year.

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Leaked Sprint Black Friday ad reveals free Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Victory promotions

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:57 PM PST

As we get closer to Black Friday, more and more companies leak some, if not all, their special sales for November 23, with plenty of them listing a variety of electronic devices, Android smartphones and tablets included.

Today we're looking at new leaked Sprint Black Friday ad that reveals the carrier will offer buyers two Galaxy deals, the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Victory, which will both be available to interested buyers free of charge, when purchased with a new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

If that's not enough, Sprint will also sell you a $49.99 Galaxy S3 on the same day, provided that you still ink that required two-year agreement.

Are you ready to decide what Android devices to buy next Friday?

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Android dominates in China with 90.1% market share

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:38 PM PST

Android is on the rise in China. While the smartphone market in the country is currently under 20% of total mobile devices as of earlier this year, smartphones are certainly a fast-growing segment. In the third quarter of 2012, Android smartphones have accounted for 90.1% of the market, which includes smartphone sales and ownership.

A few takeaways:

  • The popularity of Android is due to its low average cost.
  • The smartphone market has grown almost 200% since 2011.
  • 500 million smartphones are expected to be in the market by end 2013.

This is certainly amazing growth for the platform in the region. In the previous quarter, Android’s market share was 82.8%, and 76.7% before that. In the same quarter last year, Android’s market share was just at 58.2%.

This growth comes at the expense of other platforms, like Symbian, which has fallen from 23.3% in the third quarter of 2012 to just 2.4% in Q3 2012.

This data comes from Beijing-based Analysis International, which keeps track of sales statistics in the country. What’s even more interesting at this point is that the figures don’t take into account yet the fake brand or knock-off smartphones sold.

According to analysis, cost is one big factor that has driven up the market share of Android among the Chinese. Apple’s iOS may have had some headway in the market, although average hardware cost may have been a barrier to ownership for Chinese smartphone users. Analysis International notes that Android devices cost an average of 1,393 yuan (US$ 223), while the iPhone costs an average of 4,523 yuan (US$ 726), a threefold increase in average cost.

Meanwhile, in terms of overall market, the Chinese smartphone market is likewise poised to grow. 2012 has seen a 199% growth in the market so far. By end of 2013, about half a billion Chinese users are expected to own smartphones. Putting the numbers together — the market growth, as well as Android’s market share — that’s certainly a lot of Android smartphones to be sold between now and that time.

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How many Samsung execs does it take to talk war against Apple? ‘About 200.’

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:23 PM PST

The war on Apple is a serious matter for Samsung, which is fighting the iPhone maker in a variety of patent-based battles in multiple markets.

While the company has scored some recent victories against Apple in the UK, where the latter has been ordered to pay all of Samsung's legal fees after disregarding the courts instructions related to a certain apology to the South Korean company, it's still Apple that won the most favorable rulings so far, including the late-August $1.05 billion verdict.

Samsung is yet to pay any damages to Apple, as we're looking at more legal proceedings scheduled for December in this first U.S. case between the two. But Apple is apparently a problem for Samsung, one that will be discussed at an upcoming Samsung internal event.

According to South Korean publication Chosunilbo, the company has scheduled a top executives meeting for December 17-18, when "about 200 chiefs of overseas branches" will meet to talk strategy related to "the global recession" but also about "an intensifying standoff with rival Apple."

While in previous years, the annual global strategy meeting "often set business goals for the following year," now the 200 execs will talk "new guidelines for the tech giant's worldwide sales network," with Apple probably coming up quite a few times considering that the two giants have an undisputed monopoly on smartphone profits.

As for the legal matters between them, just a few days ago we heard that Samsung does not want to settle with Apple, like HTC did, and that it prefers to wage that war in courts. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what these 200 execs will decide in mid-December, especially considering that the upcoming Apple-Samsung hearing in the U.S. will take place on December 6.

While we wait, we can only point you to the most recent Apple vs Samsung spoof video and serve the obvious joke: how many Samsung execs does it take to talk war against Samsung? "About 200."

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HTC EVO 4G LTE may be getting update to Jelly Bean today

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:02 PM PST

While for now it is just a rumor, leaked documents would seem to point to the HTC EVO 4G LTE getting an over the air update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean sometime today.

If the rumors are true, the OTA update would bring the HTC EVO 4G LTE’s firmware version to 3.15.651.11, and the Android version to 4.1.1. Another later apparent leak stated that the update will bring improvements to Wi-Fi Authentication and Calendar Reminders, as well as fixing issues with personalized ringtones and hyperlink routing from the Calendar to the Phone app.

These rumors were sparked by the image below which, if not fake, would indicate a fairly slow planned rollout of the OTA update between now and November 27.

There’s only one problem. The same leak that mentioned the other software updates also mentioned Ice Cream Sandwich, not Jelly Bean. We were left to wonder if the leaked image was wrong, or if it was a copy / paste mistake. Calls to Sprint technical support, however, seemed to confirm that a Jelly Bean update is on the way.

Are you a owner of the HTC EVO 4G LTE? If you’ve received an update to Jelly Bean, please let us know in the comments below.

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Google talking with Dish about becoming a wireless carrier

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 07:36 PM PST

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My heart skipped a beat after reading the headline from today’s Wall Street Journal post. Apparently, Dish and Google were having a friendly chat over tea earlier this week, bouncing ideas back and forth on what a world would be like if Google entered into the wireless market. An Android fanboy’s dream come true, a deal between the two companies is nowhere near set in stone (virtually non-existent even). As it turns out, Google is just one of many companies Dish has been chatting with, with AT&T as another likely candidate as partner.

While Dish’s Chairman Charlie Ergen did go on the record confirming the company’s talks with other companies “who would like to be in the industry,” he also mentioned it would be easier to work with a company who already has a wireless presence, where T-Mobile and Sprint were once possible partners. Still, with Google’s $45 billion cash pile, that could could be more than enough to convince Dish. That is, if Google wants it bad enough.

With Google making the move into the home internet business, a wireless offering doesn’t sound too far fetched, just a bit premature. Discussion time. Do you guys think consumers could benefit from a possible “Google Wireless?”

[via WSJ]


Chrome OS and Google Now themes give Android a fresh new look

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 06:34 PM PST

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It was a few months back Google began rolling out their all new redesigned Chrome user interface for Chromebooks. While the functionality or convenience of a Chrome-only laptop was still up for debate, everybody was pretty much in agreement that the new design of the OS was beautiful. Clean, minimal — all the great things we loved about Android, but with a flavor all of its own.

It was this design that sparked the imagination of Android themers, and we even showed you one such design titled “Chromium OS Theme” back in June. Today, a Googler posted a quick concept image of “Chromephone,” a vision of what Chrome OS would look like on a phone. Have to say, the minimalist in me was drooling. Take a look.

It was earlier this year Google also introduced Google Now, their all new revamped search app. The one thing that seemed to strike me about Google Now was that the UI seemed different from even the white Holo look of Android. I always felt it looked more akin to the “Chrome OS look.” Cruising through MyColorScreen.com (a guilty pleasure of mine), I came across an equally striking Google Now theme. Check it out.

You’ll notice some similarities with the Chromephone concept, the only difference being this is ones a reality. The theme was built using a variety of apps and images and with a little time, you can get the same look on your stock Android device. Tonight. Hit the source link for a full list of apps used to create this and if you guys pull it off, post a screen shot in the comments. I’d love to take a look at your fabulous creations.

[via ChromeSpot | MyColorScreen]


Shadowgun: DeadZone drops beta, now available for all in the Play Store

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 04:38 PM PST

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Right on schedule, Madfinger Games has just announced that Shadowgun: DeadZone has finally dropped it’s beta tag, and is currently available in the Play Store. The mulitplayer followup to Shadowgun, this version is for Android gamers who don’t give a rat’s @ss about storylines or computer controlled opponents — instead preferring to gun it out with other Android users from around the world.

For those that haven’t dived into the multiplayer world of Shadowgun yet, DeadZone features 12 player, head-to-head matches in 2 game modes: Deathmatch or Zone Control. Both modes are pretty self explanatory and take place on a variety of maps where players can communicate with each other using voice chat. Yes, you heard right: mutha effin’ voice chat. Pretty epic.

Looks like you’ll have something to keep you occupied when visiting grandma this Thanksgiving. Oh, and for my Phandroid peeps, you guys can add me as a friend at: Pedocore (you know, because I like to do some hardcore walking in my spare time). If you notice me shooting everything around you, that’s just me toying with you, like a cat with its prey. Release trailer below.

[Google Play]


Facebook for Android update adds ability to share posts

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 03:03 PM PST

Not even a day went by to let this rumor marinate within our brains, and the update is already here. Facebook for Android was updated to add the sharing button that its mobile site got just hours earlier. This button allows you to share a friend’s post to your own page (granted it’s not a private status) for all your Facebook friends to see.

The sharing feature is just one of many that has become a stable of the biggest social networking site there is, and it’s a relief to see the company finally bring it to mobile after all this time.

Another feature Facebook as implemented is the ability to create a photo album via the Photos tab on your Timeline view. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s another one of those things that just “makes sense” in the grand scheme of it all. Other changes include improvements to photo tagging and fixes for failed status updates.

The app continues to get better, but we’re still waiting on the big bombshell Facebook already introduced for our iOS brethren. That version of the app ditched HTML5 in favor of a completely native UI, and Facebook’s official offering could stand to use that very same treatment on Android as the very nature of HTML5 is what’s causes some of the issues in the first place. We’re hoping we can get that one onto our devices by Christmas, but there’s no telling how long it’ll take Facebook to complete that as we’re sure the development cycle will be halted by heavy testing.

Still, today’s update stays true to Facebook’s new strategy of delivering smaller updates faster instead of waiting for large updates to fix nagging bugs and introduce new features. Find your download in the Google Play Store.


Sprint Black Friday sale offers Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Victory for free [LEAK]

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:37 PM PST

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If you don’t find yourself suffering from a food coma the day after Thanksgiving, you may wanna have someone help peel you off the couch so you can get on over to Sprint. Looks like #3 largest carrier in the US will be throwing a nice Black Friday sale, for some of their more popular Samsung devices.

According to our tipster — for 1 day only — new and existing Sprint customers with an upgrade can pick up the Samsung Galaxy S3 for the low, low price of $50 (nothing new), or get themselves the Galaxy Nexus and/or Samsung Galaxy Victory for free. Those last 2 are part of a weekend sale that will last until Sunday, the 25th.

Anyone thinking about picking up any of these Samsung devices on Sprint? Or does the full priced (and slightly better spec’d) LG Optimus G still sound more worthwhile?

Thanks _epic!


Box for Android update features transfer manager, magnet link support and more

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:30 PM PST

As Box battles the likes of Dropbox,Google Drive and more it’s bolstering its Android app with a great new upgrade today. The first new feature is a brand new transfer manager that’ll make transferring and handling files easier. Advantages of having this new transfer manager include the ability to cancel pending transfers, retry failed transfers, jump straight to a file’s location in Box after a transfer is complete and more.

Another new feature many will appreciate is the ability to preview files right within Box. This means you can get a peek at some of the file’s content without having to download the entire thing, useful for those looking to save time and bandwidth by making sure they’re about to fetch the right document. More than 75 different file types can be previewed, Powerpoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, Photoshop files and more.

Some other key features in this big update include offline folder support (a lifesaver for any cloud storage app), magnet links so you can be taken straight to a file’s location within Box if you’re clicking a Box.com link, the ability to add and edit descriptions to a folder to make it easier for your collaboration buddies to find stuff and more.

The usual bug fixes, performance enhancements and UI polish are all there, too. Best of all? It’s still free, so be sure to download it from the Google Play Store at your earliest convenience.


Nexus 4 buyers greeted with backorder notice, shipments delayed three weeks

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 12:26 PM PST

As some who successfully purchased the Nexus 4 before it almost instantly sold out earlier this week receive notice that their shiny new Jelly Bean handset is shipping, others have been greeted with some not so good news. Apparently Google oversold their stock and is notifying some customers that the phone is now on backorder. While many will still receive the phone over the coming days, others will have to wait three weeks for the next available shipments.

As much as missing the opportunity to even purchase a Nexus 4 must have frustrated potential buyers, learning that the phone you just dropped a good chunk of change on won’t be arriving as expected is equally as cruel. It all stands to magnify Google’s poor handling of the Nexus 4 launch.

Google’s decision not to offer a pre-order for the new phone is perplexing, and their inability to build up a proper stock of handsets prior to launch leaves us scratching our heads. Yes, we can cut them some slack. The company has only launched a handful of physical products, but after the success of the Nexus 7 you would think that the folks running the Google Play Store would have had a better plan. When the Nexus 7 sold out (quickly, but not at the same rate as the Nexus 4), we were asking a similar question.

Did Google not anticipate the popularity of their own products? Is it more a supply chain issue that falls on the shoulder of LG (and ASUS, in the case of the Nexus 7)? Given Google’s reluctance to release sales figures, the conspiracy theorist in us even wonders if the company intentionally lowballed their stock to create a perceived high demand for their mobile devices. Get out the tinfoil hats.

Whatever the case may be, there are many Nexus 4 buyers feeling quite disappointed today. Add those to the rest who didn’t even have a chance to purchase the phone on launch day.

[Thanks, Carlos!]


Could Kickstarter become your go to gift giving source for 2012? [POLL]

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST

Happy holidays, Phandroids! As always, people are starting the scramble for perfect gifts and I’m just now adding my own input to our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Some of my picks are a bit odd and unusual, but I think/hope you’ll appreciate that fact as it can be hard to find original and unique ideas.

First things first: less than 36 hours are left to get the special $21.99 with free shipping deal on the Go Groove Pal Bot. Trust me… it’s worth it. I bought one myself and included it in my Staff Picks for Top Gifts this year. You can only get the deal by entering PHANBOT as the promotional code when checking out- check it out here.

I’m kind of a crazy gift giver: most of my gift giving is done with what I like to call Inception-style wrapping. You’ll have to read my staff picks page to find out exactly what that means. While you’re there, you’ll find my gift giving is a bit crazy for other reasons, too. Among my top picks are an Android Watch that doesn’t run Android, a device whose entire existence I complain about constantly, and what amounts to a virtual IOU. Read on for the details, but I’ll share with you ONE of my top picks that I think is incredibly original and unique.

Why not hit up Kickstarter, find a few really cool and exciting projects, and become a backer on behalf of your gift’s recipient. You’ll most likely have to give them an IOU with the actual pledge printed on a piece of paper, but it provides a very unique gift experience and the person can track the progress from funding to fruition. It provides a VIP type of entrepreneurial feeling without requiring a huge investment. Not to mention, you can search specifically for Android related gifts or browse the entire collection of projects to find gift giving opportunities for everyone you know, from your little brother to your grandma.

I’m also travelling a lot, so I headed up the “Gifts for the WORLD TRAVELER” section of the Gift Guide. I’ll likely add a few more as the holidays roll on, so if you’ve got ideas of your own, please leave them in the comments. I frequently travel for both work and pleasure, so this gift giving category is of particular interest.

Got good Kickstarter projects to suggest as presents? Let us know in the comments!


HTC Deluxe render leaks as international Droid DNA

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 11:22 AM PST

You might recall that before the HTC Droid DNA was made official for Verizon, there was speculation that the handset could have been dubbed the HTC Incredible DLX. New info emerging about a variant of the phone clears up any confusion about the secondary name. The international version of the Droid DNA will drop as the HTC Deluxe. Are you still following me?

A leaked render of the device comes along with this latest tidbit, revealing the 5-inch device as another take on the phone first announced as the HTC J Butterfly for Japan. We can expect some of the internal hardware (such as radios) to differ from these previously launched models, but the marquee specs should remain the same. Expect a 1080p HD display and quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor within.

A release date for the HTC Deluxe is unknown at this point, but it is likely the manufacturer will be targeting the holiday season. Exactly which regions can expect the flagship smartphone, that’s also a mystery.

[via @evleaks]


Five games make an encore as Humble Bundle for Android 4 bonus content

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST

If the ability to name your own price for a quality collection of hand-picked indie games for Android wasn’t incentive enough to purchase the latest Humble Bundle, perhaps the inclusion of five additional games will sway you. A selection of titles including the RPG Avadon, platformer Canabalt, and puzzle game Cogs will add to the bundle for those paying over the average price (a little over $6). All of these games previously appeared in the Humble Bundle for Android 2.

Those that number themselves among the over 124,000 that have already purchased the initial offering will also receive the encore titles. For the latest Humble Bundle, users have already contributed over $760,000, which is distributed between the developers, Humble, and a selection of charities. The Humble Bundle for Android 4 will only be available for a few more days, so if you want to take advantage of a great deal on what amounts to 11 games (plus their soundtracks), you will want to act quick.

[via Humble Bundle]


Check your email: Nexus 4 is starting to ship!

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 09:57 AM PST

November 13th rolled up onto our calendars and techies were sent into a tizzy trying to order the newly-dropped Nexus 4 before they inevitably sold out (which happened in 24 minutes, mind you). We know quite a few of you got in on that, and are patiently awaiting confirmation that your devices have shipped.

Well, we have good news: folks are beginning to receive shipment confirmation emails for their devices today, meaning most should see their devices tomorrow and Monday. We’re not sure if Google’s shipping process will happen in waves just yet, but we’ve seen nothing to suggest anyone who was able to submit an order will have to wait for one.

Our own Chris Chavez got his confirmation email and his tracking number is already active, though we’re not being given an estimated delivery date at this time. Hopefully that’s just UPS being slow with its estimation, but regardless it’s in transit and headed to his doorstep.

You’ll want to check the email address you used to order the device as it’ll be coming straight from Google Play. While you wait for your new device to make its way into the grips of your hands let us know what you’ll be doing with your Nexus 4 as soon as you open it in the comments section below!

Thank you.

Great news! Your order on Google Play has shipped. Track the status of your package [redacted]. Note that it may take 24 hours for your tracking number to return any information.


Facebook app finally getting share feature soon [UPDATE: Now live in the Play Store]

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 09:28 AM PST

One of the biggest Facebook features is the ability to share posts that your friends have made to your own timeline, but oddly enough it has been absent from the social network’s mobile apps since their inception. We’re not sure why a bigger focus hasn’t been put on introducing one of Facebook’s most widely used features to the vast amount of people who use Facebook in a mobile capacity, but as of now it just hasn’t.

According to TechCrunch, though, that’ll be changing soon. Facebook is reportedly gearing up to launch the ability to share posts from within its mobile app. This functionality is already available to those who are still tied to the mobile Facebook site, but it will be nice to get it inside the company’s native app.

Heck, us Android users are still waiting on the update that will make use of Android’s native UI elements instead of the slow HTML 5-based code still being used today. Facebook has already updated the iOS version of its app to make that change and the reception to that change has been very warm. Us Android folks need it even more so hopefully that is Facebook’s focus alongside the aforementioned share feature in its next big update.

[via TechCrunch | Google Play]


Pantech Magnus press render for AT&T leaked

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 08:34 AM PST

The Pantech Magnus looks to be shaping up to be some sort of family member of the Pantech Flex’s. Although we haven’t heard too much about the device its design makes that fact clear as day. Whether it’s a sequel, a spinoff or simply just another respectable device from the Pantech camp it’s no secret there’s some lineage here.

Twitter leakster @evleaks has released another press render of the device, and if history is anything to go by that means we should see AT&T gearing up to market this thing sometime soon. The Pantech Magnus is said to be a high-end offering that’ll feature a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3 inch display, an 8 megapixel HD camera and more.

It looks like we’re still working with Android 4.0 to start, though we’d be surprised if AT&T and Pantech didn’t have immediate plans to offer Jelly Bean for its users. From everything we’ve heard so far this won’t feature the same “easy mode” that was on the Pantech Flex, but perhaps it’ll be tucked away in settings and turned off by default. Whatever the case may be the Pantech Magnus is looking like Pantech’s best smartphone to be released in America yet.

[via Twitter]


Amazon shipping Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ early, in stores tomorrow

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 07:46 AM PST

Christmas is coming early for those with an order in for Amazon’s 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD. The tablet, originally scheduled to ship on November 20th, is headed out from the warehouse today. If you missed your chance to snag one before they went on backorder, the tablet will also be available in stores tomorrow.

Amazon decided to move up the launch of the tablet to squeeze out a few extra sales this holiday season, and they have good reason. With Apple’s iPad mini and new versions of Google’s Nexus 7 hitting the market in recent weeks, the online retailer wants to take advantage of undecided buyers still weighing their options.

Best Buy will be the first to stock the $299 version of the popular Kindle Fire with Staples and RadioShack carrying the slate in the coming weeks. If you are looking to purchase direct from Amazon, be warned that the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is currently backordered through December 3rd. The 4G version of the tablet, which is priced at $499, will launch as planned on November 20th.

[via Amazon]


Samsung Galaxy S2 4G available on Virgin Mobile for $370

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been available since summer. Yes, Virgin Mobile’s 4G is still driven through Clearwire’s dying WiMax network. But the Samsung Galaxy S2 is still a great phone and it’s going to be available from Virgin Mobile starting today. The device, simply named Samsung Galaxy S2 4G, will cost you $370, and since there are no contracts to deal with for any of Virgin’s services then you won’t be forced to stay that for two years if you don’t want to be.

The Samsung Galaxy S2 features Samsung’s 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos 4 processor, a 4.52 inch display, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel HD camera with a 1.3 megapixel front camera and more. Thankfully enough, Virgin’s version comes with Android 4.0 (with TouchWiz) out of the box so you won’t have to deal with the painstakingly-long wait Galaxy S2 users had to with going from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. Jelly Bean is a different story, though, so keep that in mind.

It might not be a popular option for the Virgin faithful with news that Sprint might be making its 4G LTE network the primary 4G technology for Boost and Virgin soon, though considering that’s just a rumor some of you may not care to wait to see if it pans out.

And sure, you’d be getting 2011 technology, but for $370 there’s not much more you can expect. We’d love to see Virgin offering the Galaxy S3 soon as it comes up on its half-year mark but that’ll probably depend on factors that simply can’t be rushed. In any case, if you’re sold on this phone then you can finish the deed over at Virgin’s website starting today.