Monday, December 10, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


HTC phones to get Jelly Bean update “revealed” on Twitter

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 03:26 AM PST

Although it's still a bit early to call this one, HTC seems to be on the right track for recovery after a long and painful string of financial losses. The One X+ and especially the Droid DNA might have got the Taiwanese out of the serious pickle they were in, but on the flipside the Jelly Bean upgrading process looks quite bad.

It's been a while since the last time HTC officially tackled the "Jelly Bean situation", and, with only one phone being currently upgraded (and rather slowly), you can say things aren't looking good for people still on ICS.

A bittersweet piece of intelligence has just come to our attention though via Twitter, where a "list of HTC devices that will get JB update" has been posted. The info comes via @Football4PDA, an infamous and rather trustworthy source of leaks and rumors that has provided us in the past with quite a number of precious and accurate pieces of HTC-related info.

This time Football seems to go the extra mile to keep the suspense surrounding the "report", listing the devices that will supposedly get JB under their not so famous codenames. Fortunately, after doing some digging, we think we know the official names of all those phones.

First off, we have the "Evitare", which is the recently released One X+ with LTE. The thing is this big buy already runs Android 4.1, so either Football mentions it to ensure us that it'll get 4.2 or it's a mistake. The "Evita" is the One XL, which is basically a regional version of the One X. This was released way back in May with ICS, so a JB upgrade is definitely long overdue.

Next up we have the "Fireball", aka Droid Incredible 4G LTE. This was a rather puzzling (barely) high-ender that hit Verizon last summer and that didn't prove awfully popular. Then again, with Jelly Bean butter, the Incredible could finally live up to its name.

Lower on HTC's evolutionary chain we have the "Jewel" and "Totem C2". These are most definitely the EVO 4G LTE and One VX. Both are carrier-exclusive phones in the US, available on Sprint (the EVO) and AT&T (the VX). The One VX however has only started selling a few weeks ago, so it might be a while until it gets the 4.1 bump.

The next three devices on the list are the Ville, Ville C2 and Valente, aka One S, One S C2 and J ISW13HT. You're probably already familiar with the One S, while the C2 and J are more or less similar, sporting 4.3-inch displays themselves.

The One S C2 however has a 1.7 GHz dual-core CPU, while the J, as you might have guessed already, is a Japan-only mid-ranger with a 1.5 GHz processor. Last, but not necessarily least, we also have a yet to be released device on the list, the K2 or the One SV. This was supposed to come to Europe already, but for some reason it's delayed, so there's a (slim) possibility it could be released with Jelly Bean on board.

Now, to clarify, why did I say this is bittersweet intel? Well, mostly because of the notable absences on the list. We've known for a while that phones with 512 MB of RAM will not be invited to the JB party, but what about the Sensation, Desire X, Incredible S or Amaze? Sure, no one says Football's list is a complete and definitive one, but it definitely makes you think, doesn’t it?

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Samsung Galaxy S3’s Premium Suite video part 2 released

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:59 AM PST

Last week we got a glimpse of several new features that the upcoming Premium Suite upgrade will be bringing to the Galaxy S3 in a video posted on Samsung's official blog. The promised second part of the video is now live for the 30-million strong Galaxy S3 owners to feast their eyes on.

Starting with the new set of "powerful multimedia" features – there are now two additional shooting modes for smartphone snappers to take advantage of.

The new Low Light Shot function lets you take pictures without flash in badly-lit places. You'll get OK results with reduced noise. Then there's the Best Face function, a perfect remedy for those who keen on taking group pictures minus the blinking faces. Basically, each person in the group can choose the best face on the consecutively taken shots.

If you want to get more "Likes" when posting pictures on your Facebook wall, the new Paper Artist feature will come in handy in helping you create pop art effect on your photos.

Less interesting are the new accessibility features, such as the Easy Mode, Sound Balance, Setup Wizard, and Easy Snap. Check out the 3-minute running video to get the full scoop of the new Premium Suite features.

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LG sells 10 million handsets of Optimus L-series

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:41 AM PST

Proving that the bragging right of selling Android devices by the millions doesn’t exclusively belong to the house of Samsung, LG has announced that its budget Optimus L-series smartphones have sold over 10 million units worldwide.

The LG Optimus L-series comes in a variety of sizes – from the 3.2-inch Optimus L3, the 4-inch Optimus L5, and the 4.3-inch Optimus L7, to the Optimus L9 with its 4.7-inch display. These handsets may not pack the best in specs, but customers evidently responded positively to their lower price tags.

Granted, it's a less impressive achievement compared to what some of the bigger guns are selling, with even LG admitting that it's merely "a modest milestone". While the Optimus phone maker seems to be maintaining a low key profile, the latest comScore study reveals that LG is ranked third in the U.S mobile market behind Samsung and Apple.

Lest we forget that LG also has another million-selling candidate in the Nexus 4, a feat that won't be too hard to reach given that the phone has been in "huge demand" ever since it was launched in November.

Show full PR text

LG L-SERIES REPORTS 10 MILLION HAPPY CUSTOMERS
New Design Identity From LG Proves That Not All Smartphones Need to Look Alike

SEOUL, Dec. 9, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) announced today that sales of its Optimus L-Series smartphones have exceeded 10 million units, marking a modest milestone for LG and its mobile devices business. The success of L-Series in recording eight figures in sales is proof that many consumers want attractive smartphones with distinctive — not “me too” — styling.
L-Series handsets — Optimus L3 (3.2-inch display), Optimus L5 (4.0-inch display), Optimus L7 (4.3-inch display) — were first introduced at the 2012 Mobile World Con-gress (MWC) with the unveiling of LG’s new design philosophy and followed by the most recent Optimus L9 (4.7-inch display). L-Style incorporates timeless design with fine details that further differentiates LG’s mobile devices from the competition. This design philosophy is comprised of five aesthetic elements: Modern Square Style for a comfortable grip, Floating Mass Technology for a slimmer look, Seamless Layout for a more intuitive arrangement of keys, Harmonized Design Contrast utilizing metallic accents and Sensuous Slim Shape that draws one’s gaze to the unique form factor.
“This milestone demonstrates the importance of delivering smartphones with stylish design, comparative size of display and enhanced UX features,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “Whereas other manufacturers are putting all their eggs into a one-size-fits-all phone, our strategy is to develop mobile products for all types of customers according to their individual needs and lifestyles.”
The L-Series lineup of handsets also offered large displays and LG’s proprietary UX features such as QuickMemo and QTranslator. QuickMemo allows users to capture and share a note with others using just a fingertip while QTranslator instantly and accurately translates words as well as entire sentences into 64 foreign languages.
All the models in the L-Series — Optimus L3, Optimus L5, Optimus L7 and Optimus L9 — are available in over 50 markets worldwide.

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STMicroelectronics to leave the ST-Ericsson joint venture next year

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:38 AM PST

ST-Ericsson, who you might have heard of thanks to the NovaThor platform in several of Sony’s midrange smartphones, was founded in February 2009 as a join venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson. According to Bloomberg, STMicroelectronics wants out. The plan is to sell their half of the company by the third quarter of next year. This news shouldn’t surprise any of you. We’ve been forecasting ST-Ericsson’s decline for months. Back in October, we published a list of the top five semiconductor companies in the mobile industry. ST-Ericsson wasn’t on that list. We’re not saying ST-Ericsson didn’t have the talent, because that’s just plain not true, the company was just too slow compared to the likes of Qualcomm and Samsung.

Who will buy STMicroelectronics half of ST-Ericsson? That’s a great question. We can think of several companies, but the one that stands out the most is AMD. They’ve already committed to making ARM chips for the server market, so why not team up with Ericsson to also battle it out in the smartphone arena? We’ll have to wait a few months to see how this all shakes out.

Are we going to hear more bad news about chipset companies in the future? We hate to say it, but the answer is definitely. Look at the PC industry. There are just two companies, with Intel holding over 80% market share. How do you expect Qualcomm, Broadcom, ST-Ericsson, Samsung, NVIDIA, and others to stay alive when there’s this much competition? It’s called consolidation and it’s inevitable. Texas Instruments, who made the chip inside the Galaxy Nexus, decided to leave the mobile industry. Others will soon follow.

Is there any good news coming out of this announcement? We like to think that the folks who are about to lose their jobs at ST-Ericsson are going to go to healthier companies. There are a limited number of people who have the ability to design chips. Apple picked up a lot of Texas Instruments talent, so we’re confident in saying that someone is going to poach these soon to be unemployed engineers.

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HTC bouncing back? Q4 looks good according to Morgan Stanley

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:15 AM PST

According to analysts at Morgan Stanley HTC is going to hit its sales targets for Q4 of 2012 thanks to the new Android flagship (Droid DNA or J Butterfly), Windows 8 releases, and the popularity of its mid-range devices in China. The volume estimate for Q1 of 2013 has gone up to 8 million units due to expectations that the Droid DNA/J Butterfly will continue to sell well. That bumps up earnings projections as well.

An analyst at Morgan Stanley, Jasmine Lu, said:

“It’s early to conclude that HTC can return to its peak, but good feedback on new devices, U.S. smartphone demand re-acceleration from the fourth quarter, and an expanding premium Chinese market bode well for its share trend and operating leverage."

HTC's share price has been climbing and the HTC J Butterfly is set to launch in Taiwan on December 11, just before the iPhone 5 goes on sale. It should also hit the Japanese market at around the same time. Since early signs look good in the U.S. and China, this new 5-inch flagship could be the hit device that HTC has been searching for.

The Q4 sales target that HTC is expected to hit is $2.06 billion. As brand awareness and market share start to climb alongside that share price it could be a good 2013 for HTC. That battle for third place in the smartphone market behind Samsung and Apple is going to be tough in the coming year, but HTC might just be in with a shot.

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Rumor: The LG Optimus G2 will ship in H1 2013 with a 5.5 inch 1080p screen

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:54 AM PST

When HTC announced the Butterfly J in October, we immediately recognized that it would provide the template that all 2013 flagship would be required to follow. We’re of course talking about the display, which is not only a massive 5 inches diagonal, but also pushes an astounding resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. Make no mistake, every flagship Android smartphone that will be unveiled next year will have a 1080p display. Whether it be from Samsung, Sony, LG, whatever, it’s going to be full HD.

According to the Korean website Asian Economics, LG’s 2013 flagship phone, the Optimus G2, will have a 5.5 inch 1080p display. Previous rumors said it would have a 5 inch full HD panel, but this newest piece of information suggests that LG isn’t afraid to go even bigger. At 5.5 inches, that means the panel in the G2 would have a PPI of 400. Some of you will probably say that isn’t going to be as sharp as the 440 PPI in the Droid DNA, but seriously, how perfect does your vision have to be for you to tell the difference?

The Korean source also says that the device will hit the market during the first half of 2013. We hope that’s the case, because LG totally fumbled 2012. They announced the Optimus 4X HD in February, but it took almost half a year for it to appear on store shelves. By that time they already announced a successor to the 4X, the Optimus G.

So what will the competition do to respond to this new 5.5 inch 1080p monster? We have to wait and see. Like we said earlier, we’re confident that everyone else is also going to release a 1080p device. Samsung will call their phone the Galaxy S IV, Sony is working on the Yuga, and last week we heard that HTC was working on something called the “M7″ internally.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 to be unveiled at CES in January?

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 01:46 AM PST

The last two flagship releases from Samsung have been the biggest Android smartphones of the last two years. The Galaxy S2 and S3 both broke the 30 million sales barrier and the S3 isn't done quite yet. It's no surprise then, that the Galaxy S4 is generating some buzz well ahead of its release. We've already heard the Galaxy S4 will be unveiled at MWC in February for a May release, but now we're seeing hints that it could be shown at CES in January.

Samsung has released this teaser video which effectively shows you absolutely nothing.

CES is a big show and there are always loads of new devices being shown off from TVs to smartphones to tablets. Samsung generally seems to prefer to showcase its flagship releases in dedicated events, but you never know.

The Galaxy S3 came out last May and with a busy Christmas battle against the iPhone 5 we think it's unlikely that Samsung wants people thinking about the S4 right now. The company would prefer you to go out and buy the S3.

We've already seen plenty of speculation from suggested Galaxy S4 specs to a 13-megapixel camera rumor. Until Samsung confirms the S4 and shows it off we can expect a steady flow from the rumor mill. The excitement about the next Galaxy S just goes to show that Samsung's brand is flying high. We'll keep you posted and bring you all the details just as soon as they emerge.

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Jabra Solemate on sale for $160 at Best Buy for the entire month of December

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:30 PM PST

jabra solemate
Bluetooth speakers have become more and more of a popular solution when it comes to listening to music on smartphones. Many offer pretty decent sound quality, portability, and are easy to use. One of the more higher end offerings, the Jabra Solemate, can be had on Best Buy for $160 for the month of December.

There are a lot of uses for such a device. According to their official website, the Jabra Solemate can be used for anything from listening to music to watching movies. Pretty much anywhere where you want more sound out of your smartphone media content and headphones just won’t do.

However, as Phandroid mentions, $200 is a tad steep for Bluetooth speakers. They don’t even make you breakfast. Of course, even at $200 it still undercuts the prices for the Bose Soundlink and Jawbone Jambox. However, Jabra and Best Buy lowering the price to $160 actually makes it a pretty sweet deal.

Is the Jabra Solemate worth $160?

If you’re into Bluetooth speakers and want a high end one, then yes. It delivers good sound at a good volume. As with most speakers, the bass will get muddy when you turn up the volume. You won’t be able to use this at large gatherings to get people dancing. However, if you’re looking for a nice Bluetooth speaker for your living room or bed room, then yes it’s a pretty good deal.

The deal itself is only available at Best Buy. So if you’re picking up the Jabra Solemate, you’ll have to go through them. At the time of this writing, the Best Buy webpage isn’t showing the discount. Whether that’s accidental and temporary remains to be seen. Do consider that you may have to go to a brick and mortar store to get the discount if they don’t fix their webpage.

So is $160 a big enough discount to make the Jabra Solemate worth it? Let us know your thoughts.

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Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 available for $149 on Amazon Wireless

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 04:10 PM PST

If you are looking for a new smartphone on Sprint and all these minuscule under-5 inch screens just aren’t doing it for you, watch out. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is now available through Amazon Wireless for only $149.

Granted, we have seen the Note 2 for lesser, especially over Thanksgiving, but this is a great price for probably the most highly regarded phablet in the world as of right now. Normally Sprint charges double for this particular piece of Android goodness, so if you are looking to take the plunge, now is the time to do so.

The Note 2 is currently available in Titanium and White colors and both are currently backordered. However, the shipping time for both models is still 1-2 weeks. To order the phone, hit up the Amazon source link.

Have you got your eye on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Or do you already own one?

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Top Gear Stunt School Revolution now available in the Google Play Store

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 03:00 PM PST

Android users who are fans of the the television show Top Gear may want to check out a new game. It’s called Top Gear Stunt School Revolution and it is now available in the Google Play Store.

This racing game puts players behind the wheel of exotic cars and sends them careening down roads all over the world, completing challenges and pulling off stunts. Here are some of the features:

  • Endless vehicle customisations to tweak your car performance to any scenario
  • A fantastically responsive, intuitive driving experience
  • Fantastic iconic locations from around the world – Grand Canyon, Alcatraz, Sydney Harbour, New York, Moscow, London and China
  • Challenge your friends to beat your high scores on each stunt and tell everyone about it on Facebook and Twitter
  • Additional in-app purchases are available for extra Gold Nuts, Permits and Stig Dollars if you can’t wait.

The game is available for devices running Android 2.1 and up, in both a free version and a $0.99 Pro version which unlocks all stunts. Hit the source links below the article to check the game out for yourself.

Are you planning to buy Top Gear Stunt School Revolution? Have you tried it already? What do you think of it?

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


LG Venice Review

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:40 AM PST


Nothing feels better than leaving carrier contracts behind. Going prepaid is the best option for many users, especially if they don’t need those expensive $600 devices. Boost Mobile is one of the most popular prepaid carriers in the US, offering affordable options, as well as low-priced plans that get lower with time.

The LG Venice comes right in the middle, going for only $200 off-contract and sporting performance that won’t make your experience very painful. LG has improved its game over prior years, and this LG Optimus L7 variant is no bad contender at its price point. But is it good enough to entice prepaid customers to shell out those $200 for it instead of getting another Boost Mobile device? Stick around and see!

Build Quality

If you are looking for a phone that is thin and light, this might be a great option for you. Don’t plan to take it out hiking or drop it, though, because it doesn’t exactly have the best build-quality we have seen. The device is made of plastic, with a bit of metal-looking material (that is probably plastic too) outlining the edges. The camera is surrounded by metal, though.

While the front and sides of the device are made of better-quality plastic, the battery cover definitely has a “cheaper” feeling. The battery cover itself is a bit flimsy, allowing you to feel the empty space between the battery and the cover.

Something that does stand out is the build quality of the buttons, which can sometimes be underwhelming in affordable devices. These are rather solid and offer good feedback when pressed. They don’t move around are easy to find by touch.

Display

The 4.3-inch screen is one of the main downsides of the device. Colors are relatively vibrant and the display is bright, but that 480×800 resolution definitely shows a good deal of pixelation. Especially if you have used high definition devices in the past. We can’t complain much because of the price, but at 4.3 inches, at least a qHD (540×960) display is needed.

Viewing angles are good and the device is definitely operational in direct sunlight (as long as the brightness is set high). The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, which protects the device against scratches and cracks very well.

Performance & Software

The LG Venice is no powerhouse: it sports a single-core 1 GHz processor and 768 MB of RAM. I can honestly say it knows how to use the little power it has, though. Android 4.0 with LG’s UI overlay runs rather smooth on this device (considering the specs). The only thing slowing it down is Sprint’s lack-lusting network, but a good WiFi connection easily fixes that.

Most Android enthusiasts will be turned away by LG’s UI. Surely, it is very different from the Vanilla Android experience, but like other UIs, it has its benefits. And there are definitely some worst-looking UIs out there.

The Venice has LG’s Optimus UI 3.0, which is the same as the high-end Optimus G’s. Of course, this little guy can’t handle all the power-hungry features the Optimus G takes advantage of, but it does support some of them. QuickMemo is the most popular one (you can check out the demo below).

One can also access notification drawer quick settings and shortcuts. Needless to say all the customization options are there: one can easily change app icons, rearrange the app drawer and more. One thing I did not like about this device’s software is that there is no way to automatically arrange app drawer icons in alphabetical order (or any order, for that matter). You either go with the stock order (which pretty much just pushes downloaded apps to the end of the list) or you manually rearrange them to your will… one by one.

Battery Life

Battery life is actually not bad at all with the LG Venice. We must remember it does not have any 4G capabilities, though, so this is to be expected. I managed to keep it alive for 9.5 hours under heavy use, while conserving battery made it last about 19.5 hours. Under casual use it would hold up for about 13-14 hours.

Camera

For a low-end device the LG Venice’s camera actually stacks up pretty high against the competition. The 5 MP rear-facing camera can take pretty smooth 720p HD videos, and still pictures are great. Though not as good as the LG Optimus G, picture quality gets pretty close to the company’s current flagship smartphone. Of course, less megapixels means the picture will be smaller.

The camera performed very well under low-light conditions (dimly-lit room), as well as in full daylight. Colors were a bit washed out, but nothing to complain about with a $200 phone.

LG-Venice-Camera-Test-1 LG-Venice-Camera-Test-2 LG-Venice-Camera-Test-3 LG-Venice-Camera-Test-4 LG-Venice-Camera-Test-5

Oh, Call Quality!

Smartphones have so many features sometimes we forget about the most basic ones. Call quality on this device is fairly good. The other side could hear me well and I could definitely understand them. There is a bit of a muffled effect compared to higher-end devices, but it definitely doesn’t break the deal.

Conclusion

The LG Venice is no powerhouse, there is no doubt about that. But it performs surprisingly well for a $200 device. If you are looking for a Boost Mobile device on a $200-budget, this is definitely the one to get. It doesn’t have the best build quality, but it is thin and is aesthetically pleasing (of course, that is subjective). And for its specs, it is a very responsive device, even if it could use a bit more pixels packed in the screen.

If you happen to have an extra $50 to spare, you could very well go for the HTC EVO Design 4G, with stronger specs, better build quality and 4G connectivity (albeit WiMAX). If you are not necessarily married to Boost Mobile you could always go with an unlocked, $300 Nexus 4 (much, much better specs for only $100 more) and go with a GSM prepaid carrier.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good, yet affordable phone for Boost Mobile, though. Sometimes that bit of extra cash makes the whole difference, and you might not even need what the slightly-more-expensive devices have to offer. For what such an affordable phone is meant to do, the LG Venice does it right.

DSC_0435 DSC_0436 DSC_0438 DSC_0439 DSC_0440 DSC_0441 DSC_0442 DSC_0444 DSC_0445 DSC_0446 DSC_0447 DSC_0448 DSC_0449 DSC_0450 DSC_0453 DSC_0454

Android and Me

Android and Me


Day 9: Win a Toshiba Excite 10

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 07:00 AM PST

It’s Day 9 and you’re thinking “This tablet could be mine.” And you’re right. All you’ve got to do to enter to win today’s 25 Days of Tegra challenge is leave a comment. The Prize:  It’s a tablet and it’s free. Oh, it’s also powered by...

Visit our site to read the full article.

Android Central

Android Central


Samsung reminds us that new things are coming at CES

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 04:25 PM PST

Just in case you didn't already know, Samsung is reminding us that we'll see some killer new things at CES 2013. They don't give any hints, but rumors and speculation are already flying -- and that's half the fun.

We'll be at CES with cameras and keyboards at the ready, so keep glued to AC for everything there is to know from Samsung (and everyone else) in early January.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow



Google and others petition courts to stop upholding vague patents

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 03:14 PM PST

Google

A group consisting of Google, Dell, Facebook, Homeaway, Intuit, Rackspace, Red Hat and Zynga have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals suggesting that courts stop honoring and upholding patents with purposely vague wording. 

The brief covers all the legal angles, but the layman's version is that phrases like "on a mobile device" or "over the Internet" are just too broad and meaningless. These types of patents should not be granted, and existing patents using such broad terms should not be upheld. Direct from the brief:

 Many computer-related patent claims just describe an abstract idea at a high level of generality and say to perform it on a computer or over the Internet. Such barebones claims grant exclusive rights over the abstract idea itself, with no limit on how the idea is implemented. Granting patent protection for such claims would impair, not promote, innovation by conferring exclusive rights on those who have not meaningfully innovated, and thereby penalizing those that do later innovate by blocking or taxing their applications of the abstract idea.

Notably absent from the group putting this forward are Microsoft and Apple, companies that have recently tried to enforce overly-broad patents against Android vendors with mixed success. Both companies have also had their share of run-ins with questionable patents, so their participation is something I would have thought was likely. 

Nobody knows how effective this will be, but it's great to see it happening. If more companies are vocal about the situation, the government will have to respond in some manner. Anything to get rid of the status quo is a move forward in my book.

Source: All Things D



From the Editor's Desk: Android forum life

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST

Phil Nickinson

With the year winding down and my plate relatively clear of any review work (mad props to Alex and Anndrew and Andrew and Jerry and everyone else for helping make that happen), I've been spending more time in the forums. That's where any one of us here will tell you the real work happens. Questions come in, questions get answered. Tips are proffered. Sweeping how-to threads are created. It's really incredible stuff, all guided by our awesome moderators and advisers.

And it's been extremely interesting to read reaction to the hottest phones of the second half of the year. First and foremost, however, it's important to keep things in perspective. Forums by definition tend to be a bit of an echo chamber. That's not to say that what's being posted isn't important -- it most certainly is. But you tend to start saying "Everyone says this about that phone!" when it's never "everyone," just as it's never "no one." Some people have problems. Some don't. You look for trends. You get feelings about the way things are going. It's not an exact science, and I'm hardly an expert. (The guys and gals at CrackBerry teach me something new about forums every day.)

The pleasant surprises lately? There have been a few.

read more



LG says it's sold 10 million L-Series handsets worldwide

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:53 PM PST

LG L-Series

LG is announcing today that since the launch of the "L-Series" group of handsets, it has sold 10 million units worldwide. When LG started rolling out the L-Series as the mid- to low-range set of devices to compliment its "G-Series" high-end phones, they didn't receive as much attention for obvious reasons. The big top-tier devices like the Optimus G hold the most mind share, but it's the quality affordable devices that are still doing huge sales numbers.

Devices like the Optimus L9 have started to make movement into the U.S. market, but most of the L-Series are likely being sold internationally. LG is seeing the need for a whole range of handsets, and reacting accordingly to hit the different price points that people want.

read more



Verizon Galaxy Note 2 - mini review and what's new

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 09:35 AM PST

Verizon Galaxy note 2

Since its introduction back in October, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 has skyrocketed to superstardom, pushing 5 million units and earning the top spot on holiday gift guides across all carriers. It has also been written about ad nauseam, without countless stories popping up across the internet ranging from that display (it’s as huge as they say) to the battery life (it’s as phenomenal as they say). Here at Android Central, we’ve got reviews on file for both the international and T-Mobile models, which both come to the consensus that this might just be the biggest, baddest phone you’ll be able to stuff your stocking with this holiday season.

So how does Verizon’s model differ from what we’ve come to know and love? Aside from the few details below, this behemoth is nearly identical to every other iteration, from the breakneck performance of the quad-core Exynos processor to the TouchWiz-touting Jelly Bean UI. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—the Note 2 is simply one of the best Android devices ever produced.

If you want more mouth watering details on that 5.5-inch 720p SuperAMOLED Plus display, or that whopping 3,300 mAh battery, head on over to Alex's and Phil’s reviews. Hardware-wise, they're the same.

If you want to see what makes Verizon’s model unique, hit the break for the full rundown.

read more



Android Central Stocking Stuffers Week 2 - Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 08:43 AM PST

Android Central

We've reached Week 2 of our monthlong Stuff Your Stocking contest here at Android Central. We've already given away eight $10 Google Play Gift Cards, and we've got 23 more to go! And don't forget that everyone who wins is automatically entered to win a free Nexus 4!

Week 1 went down in our forums. We'll announce the winners on Monday. Week 2 is happening at YouTube. Or, more specifically, at our YouTube channel. To enter this week, all you have to do is subscribe to our channel, and then leave a comment on one of our videos. (Figure while you're there you might as well help class up the joint.) And that's it. You've got all week to get it done, and we'll announce the winners from this round next Monday, Dec. 17.

And we've still got two more weeks of giveaways after that. Plus, Google slipped a little something into our stocking as well (those of you who were at Thursday night's podcast recording know what I'm talking about), so look for that soon, too. Good luck!



The week in international Android news - Dec. 9, 2012

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 05:57 AM PST

Android Central

Between Nexus 4 phone and accessory availability, Jelly Bean upgrades and new device launches, it's been a pretty action-packed week of international Android news. Starting with Nexus news, buyers in the UK and Germany got their second chance to pick up the LG Nexus 4 at its subsidized Google Play Store price. The 8GB version of the phone soon sold out, but the 16GB model is still available to order for delivery in a few weeks. The process also seemed to go a little smoother for customers this time around, with fewer reports of technical issues with the Play Store and Google Wallet.

The first wave of Nexus 4 bumper orders also started shipping in the UK, and we've gone hands-on with the protective case in a feature published this Friday. The short version: Does a decent job of protecting the N4 from minor falls and scrapes, but it's still way overpriced for what it is. Check out our hands-on feature for more details, including pics and video.

This week's other big international feature was our round-up of the best international Android phones available. We won't spoil the surprise, except to say the winner might come as a bit of a surprise. If you've not yet checked it out, be sure to give it a read and find out which device got out recommendation.

We also got plenty of international update news this week. The European LG Optimus 2X finally got its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, some 13 months after the code first dropped. Across the pond, Canadian Galaxy S3 owners finally got a taste of Jelly Bean. And we got news of the first "Premium Suite" for the international GS3, which introduces many Galaxy Note 2 features like multi-view and page buddy to the Samsung flagship. The new firmware, which also includes Android 4.1.2, is rolling out now in some European countries.

And finally, some new devices. Sony brought us yet another mid-range Xperia phone, crossing off another letter of the alphabet in the process. The Xperia E will rock a single-core 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch screen and come in single and dual-SIM versions. Perhaps more interestingly, HTC finally unveiled the global version of the Droid DNA, which it's calling the HTC Butterfly. Right now the Butterfly is only confirmed to be coming to China, but a Taiwanese launch is also rumored, and we wouldn't be surprised to see European retailers offering imports in the near future.

That's your slice of international Android news for this week. Keep watching next week, as we'll be bringing you more hands-on coverage with the Samsung Galaxy Camera and Galaxy S3 LTE. If you've got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address!