Friday, December 21, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


ZTE Nubia Z5 launching on December 26 after all, thank God the Mayans were wrong!

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:56 AM PST

ZTE Nubia Z5

While this year's December 21 shouldn't have been awfully special, being just the pesky last workday before Christmas, the planets seemed to align in a very funny way, with three big events set to happen today.

First, according to the ancient Mayans, the world was going to end. A pretty big deal normally, but not that special after an even more earth-shattering piece of news came to our attention – PSY's Gangnam Style was set to become YouTube's first video to reach 1 billion views.

And for the trifecta to be completed, ZTE was rumored to take the veils off its much awaited Nubia Z5 smartphone. But then December 21 came and we realized we'd been cheated. First off by the Mayans. Oh, well, some of us still remember Y2K, so another failed apocalypse is not that shocking.

What may just be more shocking is that the tipsters who pinned down Nubia Z5's release for today were proven wrong too. And that's the way the cookie crumbles for all of us excited about another 1080p smartphone, while somewhere in Korea a certain chubby rapper with dark glasses is once again doing his happy dance. Op, Op, Op, Oppa billion style!

PSY

This might be your day again, PSY, but come December 26 the Z5 is going to be in the spotlight. That's when ZTE has officially announced the 5-incher is going to be unveiled, although it's still unclear if it'll go up for sale immediately after or not.

There's even a nice countdown on Nubia's dedicated website, which at the time of this writing has the launch happening in 5 days and one hour.

No official update on the beast's spec sheet, which means all we have are rumors saying the Z5 will come sporting a 5-inch 1080p display, a 1.5 GHz quad-core S4 Pro CPU, 2 GB of RAM, a 13 MP rear-facing snapper, a 2 MP front-facing cam, a 2,500 mAh battery, and Android 4.1.2.

We also "know" the phone will measure 7.9 mm in thickness and that it'll cost just $400 in an unlocked flavor, while outside of Asia it'll most likely be called the Grand S.

One new tidbit that has been revealed today is Nubia's score in an AnTuTu benchmark. That's said to be over 22,000 points, which would be almost twice Samsung Galaxy S3's performance. We don't have any corroborating evidence at the moment, but if that result proves real ZTE definitely has a winner here. Do you guys agree? Is the Nubia Z5 a bigger deal than PSY’s billion or the apocalypse?

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Flipboard makes a grand entrance on Android tablets, now supports landscape mode

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:24 AM PST

flipboard

While the last few Flipboard months have been great, the newsreader app was far from ideal for Android tablet users, partly because it's really designed for smartphones. The tablet-optimized version of the app is finally here, as Flipboard has pushed out an update that will bring a better reading experience to those sporting big-screen (7-inch and larger) devices.

Once the update is applied, tablet owners can choose between a tablet or smartphone layout – the difference being that the former displays more content spread on four pages of tiles. The tablet layout also offers larger story excerpts and support for landscape mode.

Flipboard-tablet-inside

If you're used to the old layout, it's going to take some time to fully digest and appreciate the changes, but you'll flip those pages like a boss in no time. The only drawback seems to be that you can't swipe your way to the page of content or the main screen when you're reading a story. That being said, if you missed it that much, you can always switch back to the smartphone layout at any time.

Liking the new Flipboard? Hit the comments below and spread the love.

Show full PR text

Flipboard Arrives On Android Tablets

December 20, 2012 – Palo Alto, Calif. – Today, Flipboard launched its social magazine on Android tablets, a top request from Flipboard readers around the world. Read by millions every day, Flipboard lets people enjoy local news, world updates, blogs they love or simply catch up on stories from friends. Now, anyone with a Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, GALAXY Tab series, Nexus 10 or other tablet that runs Android, can download Flipboard for free from the Google Play Store.

“With the new devices that Samsung, Amazon and others have brought to market in the recent months, we see the adoption of Android tablets growing quickly,” said Eric Alexander, Head of International Development at Flipboard. “As more people buy Android tablets for themselves or others over the holidays, we wanted to make sure Flipboard is part of their tablet experience and deliver on a top request from our readers.”

For this tablet edition of Flipboard, page layouts have been optimized for a variety of screen sizes and aspect ratios. Taking advantage of the wider screen of the larger Android devices, readers can save more of their favorite sections as tiles and can see larger story excerpts as they flip through their magazine. And having worked with Samsung over the last year, Flipboard is optimized for Samsung’s tablet devices.

Flipboard was already available for Android phones. Devices with a seven-inch-screen, such as Kindle Fire, NOOK and Nexus 7 were able to run Flipboard for Android phones. Now, owners of these devices will automatically be upgraded, while having the option to continue using the phone edition. Kindle Fire and Nook users can find Flipboard in their respective app stores.

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Square Enix games on sale at Google Play, up to 70% saving on Final Fantasy and others

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:06 AM PST

final fantasy for android

Not all games have to come with a $1 price tag, especially for RPG titles from Square Enix and their iconic Final Fantasy series.

While the seemingly exorbitant price that the developer charges isn't to everyone's taste, it's at time like these we are grateful that holidays exist, for they help bring the price tags of these pricey games down, albeit temporarily. Want to know what games Square Enix are having on sale?

The original Final Fantasy game, whose Android version has received a graphical makeover, was launched back in July for $6.99. You can now get the beloved RPG title for $4.99. We would've loved it if Square can extend the price cut to Final Fantasy III, but maybe next time.

Then there's Chrono Trigger, which is now offered $6.99. You'll make an even bigger saving if you buy Chaos Rings and Chaos Rings Omega, as their prices have been slashed from $12.99 to $3.99.  You can also grab Crystal Defenders for $3.99.

These titles should pack more than enough game hours to last you till the New Year. Hit the links to get your game on, but just make sure you do it before January 3.

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Galaxy S3 ‘sudden death’ (mainboard?) issue affecting some owners

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:41 PM PST

banner-galaxy-s3-i9300-increase-internal-sd-card-mod

In case you own a Galaxy S3 and have experienced a strange event – the phone turning off and not rebooting without any explicable reason – fret not, you're not alone in this and apparently Samsung is aware of the situation.

A post on Reddit that's currently amassing over 150 comments points us towards a special xda-developers discussion entitled "Ultimate GS3 sudden death thread."

Started just over a month ago, that thread had 61 pages and 601 posts at the time of this writing, detailing various instances in which the Galaxy S3 suffered from such a sudden death experience.

Reddit user TurtleRecall summarizes the apparent problem:

The XDA thread has 56 pages (so far) [at the time of his comment] of people whose mainboards have suddenly died. The devices seem to last between 150 and 200 days before failing. Samsung are replacing them under warranty whether or not people have rooted the devices or installed non-standard firmware.

There’s speculation that the NAND is becoming corrupted and failing. Worryingly, Samsung are replacing the mainboards with the same revision so this may just be putting the problem off for another 6 months or so.

It happened to my S3 last week and I’ve never rooted or installed anything other than the official 3UK Samsung firmware, first ICS then JB. Samsung haven’t officially acknowledged that there’s an issue, but both the guy I spoke to in the authorised repair centre and the chap in the Samsung warranty call centre have said they’ve seen this issue a lot lately.

Tl;Dr – S3 mainboards dying for no reason, Samsung replacing mainboards for free, but no new hardware revision so it might just happen again.

This isn't the first time we report an issue with a popular device, and this isn't the first time we're going to tell you that no device is perfect, no matter what OS it's running, so certain problems are to be expected. That said, it doesn’t mean it’s okay for smartphones to behave like that.

With that in mind, we have no idea how widespread this issue is, and there is no comment from Samsung on the matter. However, we would assume that only a limited number of Galaxy S3 units are suffering from this sudden death issue so far. Otherwise, we would have heard more from the angry masses.

Because tomorrow is December 21, we'll make the obvious correlation and joke: is this Galaxy S3 dying a sign that the end is near?

Seriously though, we're certainly looking forward for feedback from Galaxy S3 users out there. Have you experienced it anything like what's described on Reddit and/or in the xda-developers thread?

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$49.99 Galaxy S3, $99.99 off HTC Android phones available from Best Buy this weekend

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:08 PM PST

Samsung Galaxy S3

There's plenty of time to finish your Christmas shopping, especially if you're on the lookout for cheap, on-contract, high-end Android devices. Just a few days ago we told you that Best Buy was selling the Galaxy S3 for just $49.99 with new two-year agreements, but that deal was available for one day only.

Now, we hear via Phone Dog that the electronics retailer will offer a similar Galaxy S3 deal to interested buyers this weekend. But on top of Samsung's best-selling smartphone of 2012, you'll also get to choose a bunch of other devices as follows:

December 21-22

  • $49.99 Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 for new customers (Friday and Saturday)
  • $49.99 Sprint Samung Galaxy S3 for upgrades (Saturday)
  • $99.99 Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 for upgrades (Friday)
  • $99.99 off on Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE, AT&T HTC One X and Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE
  • Free Verizon Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx
  • $179.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (no contract required)

December 23

  • $99.99 Verizon/AT&T/Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3

In addition to smartphones, you can also walk out of a Best Buy store with a $179.99 7-inch Galayx Tab 2, the only product in the list above that doesn't require inking a new two-year deal with a carrier.

Are you buying anything Android from Best Buy this weekend?

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Sprint releases update to its network upgrade schedule, mentions the cities to be covered with LTE

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:49 PM PST

Sprint

Sprint customers have a reason to rejoice, especially the ones who were fed-up with its call drop out and clogged network. The company issued a press release to detail its progress on rolling out the network upgrades to 4G LTE.

In it, Sprint highlighted that it is now present in the 36 markets announced today and in the months to come it will expand up to 150 more markets. It also revealed that customers in 70 markets coast to coast are experiencing improved coverage with better call quality and improved 3G data speeds.

The LTE rollout progress is not surprising because it is following the schedule of a standard network roll-out in phases, as it is not possible to upgrade the carrier network all at once for obvious reasons. Sprint seems to be in line with its competitors including  AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon that are making similar investments in their own 4G network upgrades.

For all you folks in the new Sprint 4G LTE markets (see press release below), enjoy the seamless streaming of your favorite videos and music! But for all the other Sprint customers, be patient, as it will pay out "in coming months".

Show full PR text

Sprint Reports Significant Progress in Deployment of Network Upgrades in 2012: 49 Markets Covered To Date With 4G LTE; 3G Network Upgrades Proceed Nationwide

Customers enjoy blazing speeds of Sprint 4G LTE; in the coming months, nearly 150 more markets, including 36 announced today, will enjoy 4G LTE

Customers in more than 70 markets coast-to-coast are beginning to enjoy the improved coverage, call quality and data speeds of improved 3G

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), December 19, 2012 – This year Sprint (NYSE: S) has made a significant investment in its wireless network to better meet the needs of its wireless customers. From the rollout of 4G LTE to the upgrade of thousands of 3G sites across the country to thousands of voice and data capacity additions, Sprint has focused resources and funds to improve its overall network quality and performance. Sprint has hit a deployment stride and is making measurable progress on its goal to bring Network Vision to customers nationwide.

Sprint has launched 4G LTE in 49 markets – including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Baltimore – and sites are on-air and implementation is under way in hundreds more. In fact, Sprint has announced nearly 150 markets that should see an official LTE launch in the coming months, including 36 markets that have been added today.* Sprint also has implemented 3G service improvements in more than 70 markets, from Asheville, N.C., to Philadelphia and from Hudson, N.Y., to Santa Barbara, Calif.

Through Network Vision, voice quality is enhanced and Sprint customers in upgraded areas are seeing better performance on their smartphones, mobile broadband connection cards and mobile hotspots when using the Sprint 4G LTE and 3G networks. Customers can expect to experience the following performance improvements:

  • Faster data speeds that enable instant Web access for news updates, HD viewing and game-playing, quicker video downloads and clear video chats.
  • Better signal strength when making a call or using the Web.
  • Fewer dropped calls for peace of mind when talking to friends, family or colleagues.
  • Improved voice quality and less static or background noise when making phone calls.

"With the network investments we made in 2012 and as the only national wireless carrier to offer truly unlimited 4G LTE data plans, we continue to offer better value than our competitors," said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. "But our commitment to an exceptional wireless experience doesn't stop there. We are an aggressive path to complete the rollout of Network Vision, and we expect to accelerate this momentum in 2013."

Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 49 marketsi. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint's 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visitwww.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

*Markets slated to receive LTE in the coming months are:

Abbeville, La.Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas
Blytheville, Ark.Brainerd, Minn.
Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk, Conn.Brownsville/Harlingen, Texas
Crowley, La.Dalton, Ga.
Duluth, Minn.Dunn, N.C.
Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C.Eau Claire, Wisc.
Greenwood, S.C.Jackson, Tenn.
La Crosse, Wisc.Lafayette, La.
Lawton, Okla.Little Rock/North Little Rock/Conway, Ark.
Mankato/North Mankato, Minn.Muskogee, Okla.
New Haven/Milford, Conn.New Iberia, La.
North Wilkesboro, N.C.Oklahoma City
Palm Coast, Fla.Pine Bluff, Ark.
Ponca City, Okla.Raleigh/Cary, N.C.
Rochester, Minn.Salinas, Calif.
San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, Calif.Santa Cruz/Watsonville, Calif.
Springfield, Mass.Searcy, Ark.
St. Cloud, Minn.Stillwater, Okla.

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Acer Iconia B1-A71 Tab spotted at the FCC and GLBenchmark with Jelly Bean on board

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:40 PM PST

acer-iconia-b1-a71-jelly-bean-1

There are several rumors floating around saying that Asus is working on its own cheaper Jelly Bean tablet, but also that the Nexus 7 will get cheaper in the coming months. But it looks like Acer is also working on an affordable 7-inch Android tablet that will run Jelly Bean.

The device, apparently dubbed the Iconia B1-A71, has been already spotted with the FCC And made a pit stop at GLBenchmark as well. We have no idea yet when Acer will unveil it, but considering that CES 2013 is right around the corner we wouldn't be surprised to spot it there.

Meanwhile, we can tell you that the 7-inch Iconia B1-A71 – hopefully that's not going to be its final name – will feature a 1024 x 600 display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, PowerVR SGX 531 GPU, Wi-Fi support and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean under the bonnet.

Pricing details are also missing in action for the time being, but we certainly expect the device to be more than affordable when it launches.

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Samsung to still face EU antitrust complaint despite withdrawing injunction requests against Apple

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:26 PM PST

Samsung Apple

Earlier this week, Samsung made a somewhat surprising announcement that it will stop its legal actions against Apple in European countries including Germany UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands, which were all based on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) patents.

Truth be told, Samsung was not able to obtain any consistent victory against Apple with the 3G patents used to attack the iPhone maker in Europe. In fact, the most resounding Samsung victory over Apple in the region was obtained on the defense in the UK battle, where a court decided that the Galaxy Tab did not infringe on any Apple patents and that the American company had to post apologies in local papers and online.

Moreover, considering that these European lawsuits against Apple convinced the European union to look into Samsung's FRAND-related lawsuit practices must have surely contributed to Samsung's decision to drop the Apple trials.

However, despite doing so, the EU is not happy with Samsung, and the South Korean giant still faces an EU antitrust complaint, according to  :

"We will adopt the statement of objections very soon," Joaquin Almunia, the bloc's antitrust chief, said at a press conference in Brussels today. He said the formal notice listing antitrust concerns could be sent as soon as the end of the year. The EU is probing whether Samsung violated agreements to license key patents to other mobile-phone manufacturers on fair terms. […]

"We are dissatisfied every time that we see the launching of injunctions" involving standard-essential patents," Almunia told reporters at a press conference in Brussels. "The injunctions in the Apple-Samsung case were launched; it was not only a threat."

We have no idea what this EU invastigation entails, but we're certainly going to keep tabs on the whole matter, especially since Google's Motorola will have to face a similar complaint.

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Gift Guide: Best Smartphones for Christmas 2012

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 05:39 PM PST

best smartphones holiday 2012

If you haven't realized by now that the best gifts for the 2012 holiday season are Android smartphones, this article aims to change the way you treat your friends and family.

Unfortunately for those of you with a tight budget, good Android smartphones aren't exactly cheap, so you might have to dig deep in your pockets. But if you really want to impress someone special this holiday season, an Android smartphone is a great idea.

Android smartphones come in a dizzying variety of flavors, so we’ve decided to prepare this holiday shopping gift guide for Android smartphones.

We’ll walk you through the various smartphones that deserve your attention and outline a few reasons to buy (or not to buy) each one.

Samsung Galaxy S3: first choice

You'll likely find the Samsung Galaxy S3 (read review) as part of numerous deals and promotions during the holiday frenzy. It's the best-selling Android smartphone in history, and the only Android smartphone to sell more than the iPhone in a quarter.

One big advantage that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has over other Android smartphones (and exactly what makes it a safe smartphone to recommend as a gift) is the fact that it is available worldwide, on all major carriers (yes, there's an LTE version that works with all North American 4G LTE carriers).

Galaxy-S3-

Battery life is satisfying by the most high-end standards, as is its 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display (it would have been great if it had not used the much criticized PenTile subpixel arrangement).

The Samsung Galaxy S3 can also work with microSD cards. That’s not what you'd normally call a feature, but it’s worrying to see an increasing number of Android flagships without card slots.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 also seems to be in the process of receiving its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. The international version (Exynos 4) is a bit faster than what is available in the US, Canada, and Japan (Snapdragon S4) versions. So, if you are a speed freak living in one of these countries, you might want to look at some of the other options.

No matter how you look at it, the Galaxy S3 is a great Android smartphone, without too many drawbacks. Still, other smartphones could be better for you.

What follows are some scenarios when you should consider other smartphones!

LG Google Nexus 4: the budget choice (if you can get it)

Previous Nexus smartphones were usually squarely aimed at Android enthusiasts, users that were looking to get the most out of the operating system. The Nexus 4 (read review)changes all that: it is the Android smartphone to recommend to any person interested in getting an Android smartphone. Quite a change in philosophy, don't you think?

The 4.7 inch 720p IPS panel is amazing, as is the blazing fast Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, not to mention that it is the only smartphone to use Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (and stock, at that). Future Android updates will reach the Nexus 4 with highest priority.

nexus-4-comparison

Although the Google Nexus 4 is both great looking and easily pocketable, the best thing about it is that it costs 300 USD/EUR in its 8GB version from the Google Play Store. Even if you're tight on money, the Nexus 4 is a great phone to give as a gift, provided that you can actually buy it at the price Google is selling it.

One big drawback attached to the Nexus 4 (besides the lack of LTE) is that you cannot expand its internal storage via a microSD card. The 16 GB version costs 350 USD/EUR and partially solves the problem for some, but not all. Another disadvantage with the Nexus 4 is that the battery is not removable. Additionally, although not horrible, battery life could be better.

We believe that the Google Nexus 4 makes up for its minor flaws with its unique design (the holographic pattern on the back has drawn in lots of compliments from reviewers), price, and hardware specs. Did we mention it's cheap ?

Droid DNA: eye candy galore

If the gift receiver is on Verizon, you might want to consider the recently launched Verizon HTC Droid DNA (read first impressions).

HTC's device features the best display currently available on any Android device. We are talking about a 5-inch Super LCD display running at an impressive 1080p resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels). The record breaking 440ppi pixel density is just one part of the story, as the contrast level, color reproduction, and wide viewing angles have earned the Droid DNA glowing reviews.

htc-droid-dna-launch-5

Inside, there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, the exact same SoC powering the Google Nexus 4, plus LTE connectivity on Verizon's network. Unfortunately, the SoC in the DNA has to push roughly three times as many pixels, meaning that, while overall performance is great, frame rates will be noticeably lower than on the Nexus 4.

The Droid DNA lacks an SD card slot, and has a sealed and slightly underpowered battery. HTC's latest flagship is also a bit bigger than your average smartphone, but without going overboard.

The Droid DNA is available for $200 on a two-year contract (with data plan) from Verizon or $599 out front. It's kind of a mixed bag, but if you can handle its shortcomings, Verizon flagship is a wonderful smartphone.

RAZR HD Maxx: the power player

Another attractive high-end Android smartphone is the Motorola (Droid) RAZR HD Maxx.

The name is complicated, but the best thing about the phone really isn't: this is the Android smartphone with the best battery life around. If the gift receiver plans to play a lot of games or use their smartphone intensively in other ways, the RAZR HD Maxx is probably the best solution. Its 3300 mAh battery will surely last through the day, even with intensive use on Verizon's LTE network.

Motorola Droid RAZR

Inside there's a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, the same chip used by the US versions of the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3. The 4.7-inch Super AMOLED 720p display does its job beautifully without really stealing the show, but the design and the build quality of the RAZR HD Maxx are unmatched.

Although the battery is not removable, the Droid RAZR HD Maxx supports microSD cards up to 32GB in size.

Unfortunately, the Motorola Droid RAZR HD Maxx still runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This situation is a bit curious given that Google owns the US-based manufacturer. Overall, the RAZR HD Maxx is probably the most robust Android smartphone you can buy.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2: when you want more

In spite of pundits dismissing it, people actually love the Note 2. The first selling point of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (read review) is its massive 5.55-inch Super AMOLED display running at a 720p resolution (non-Pentile). If you are OK with the large footprint, the advantages of a bigger display become quite obvious with the Galaxy Note 2. You can read more on why David thinks Android is better suited to larger displays here.

Another plus for the Galaxy Note 2 is the overclocked Exynos 4 Quad SoC that powers both the North American  and the international version of Samsung’s second generation phablet.

Benchmarks show that the 1.6GHz quad-core processor is hard to beat in a multitude of tests. The Mali 400 MP GPU is also decent, although not as much of a champion in test results.

galaxy-note-2-n7100-2929

However, what really sets the Galaxy Note 2 apart is its unique accessory, the S-Pen, an evolved stylus that works closely with the integrated Wacom digitizer and a suite of S-Pen optimised apps to provide a unique experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean preinstalled. So far, we have no word from Samsung on the imminent Android 4.2 update.

The suite of Smart Functions that the South Korean manufacturer has originally introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a plus, but it's likely that you'll be more impressed by the suite of software functions that are unique to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (multi-windowing is a step forward in the Android ecosystem).

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is available worldwide, and is likely to make it into numerous deals and offers during this holiday season.

Wrap up

We think that these five smartphones are the best the Android ecosystem has to offer for Christmas 2012. Other devices might shine in certain areas, some are cheaper or more easy to come by, but the five devices above are the all-around best phones you can give this holiday season.

We wish you happy holidays, good shopping, and a wonderful new year!

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Redbox Instant app now available through Google Play

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST

Redbox Instant

Last week we reported that Verizon and Redbox were preparing to launch their Netflix alternative, Redbox Instant. Now the app for the upcoming service has landed in the Google Play store.

At the moment, the service will require an invite access code before you can use it. You can request a code via their website, though that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to receive one. On top of needing the code, you will also have to pay $8 a month, though the first month is free.

So what’s included in that $8 subscription fee? You will get unlimited movie streaming and four monthly rentals from Redbox. You can also pay a dollar more to turn your Redbox rentals into Blu-ray discs. For now, gaming rentals aren’t included in the service, but here’s to hoping that this is added down the road.

While the price for the service might seem very low, it’s also worth noting that Redbox Instant will have a fairly limited selection when compared to more established streaming options like Hulu and Netflix. Redbox Instant is also only available in the United States.

For those wondering, while it is true that Verizon is Redbox’s partner for the new service, you are not required to have a Verizon phone or Internet subscription to use the service.

Outside of Android, the Redbox Instant will also support Samsung Blu-Ray players, Google TV, iOS, LG Smart TV and any TVs with SmartHub.

So what do you think, interested in giving Redbox Instant a try or will you stick with Netflix and/or Hulu for the time being?

 

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Android Phone Fans


Instagram reverts back to old Terms of Service – Quells user complaints but are we really better off?

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 06:19 PM PST

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Looks like everyone got what they wanted — Instagram has officially conceded defeat, reverting their new Terms of Service — that wasn’t going into effect until January 16th — back to their old one. The company said in a blog post today:

Because of the feedback we have heard from you, we are reverting this advertising section to the original version that has been in effect since we launched the service in October 2010. You can see the updated terms here.

Going forward, rather than obtain permission from you to introduce possible advertising products we have not yet developed, we are going to take the time to complete our plans, and then come back to our users and explain how we would like for our advertising business to work.

You also had deep concerns about whether under our new terms, Instagram had any plans to sell your content. I want to be really clear: Instagram has no intention of selling your photos, and we never did. We don’t own your photos – you do.

The strangest part about the whole fiasco is that the old Terms of Service everybody wanted to go back to actually gave Instagram more leeway in what they were allowed to do with users’ photos in regard to advertisements. The now rejected Terms of Service was more restrictive, only allowing Instagram to sell ads with users’ photos “in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions.” This is similar to what we see today in Facebook’s sponsored posts. Nothing too wild or crazy there. In fact, where’s the backlash from Facebook users?

Meanwhile, their old — soon-to-be current — Terms of Service gives Instagram the right to place ads directly onto your ‘grams (something the rejected ToS everyone went ape sh*t over actually prevented). Ouch. Today’s announced, newly revised Terms of Service going into effect on January 19th, 2013 reads:

Some of the Service is supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions, and you hereby agree that Instagram may place such advertising and promotions on the Service or on, about, or in conjunction with your Content. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising and promotions are subject to change without specific notice to you.

See? The old one was bad, the new one — that’s now been rejected — was good. That’s not to say Instagram really will place a Valtrex logo on your bathroom selfies starting in January. The outcry from users would be even louder than what we saw on Tuesday. But starting January 19th, apparently they’ll have every right to. Looks like the users officially screwed the pooch on that one.

Last minute gift idea? Try this New Trent 7,000mAh portable battery charger for $42

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:58 PM PST

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Alright, it’s crunch time, folks. Christmas is fast approaching and unless you want to be stuck in a smelly ‘ol line at Walmart this weekend, why not do some last minute shopping from the comfort of your home? While you still can.

Today is pretty much the last day you can make an order from Amazon Prime and have something delivered in time for Christmas (Christmas Eve, actually). So what should you get for that special little Android in your life? Well, here’s something every Phandroid needs in their arsenal: a portable external battery charger. Okay, while not entirely profound, here’s why.

Chances are, your quad-core phone eats up your batter faster than Honey Boo Boo at a Hometown Buffet. And with the current trend of phones releasing without removable batteries, you’re only hope to keep your device charged is one of these bad boys. But, while you can find a portable battery charger just about anywhere — there are some factors to keep a look out for:

  1. Look for a charger with 1A or above output
  2. Just because the mAh’s are double your smartphone’s, doesn’t mean it’ll charge your device twice.
  3. The more slots, the better (sharing is caring).
  4. Look for a portable battery pack/charger that can be charged using a standard smartphone micros USB cable.

This things being considered, I’ve already done the work for you. Check out this New Trent external battery pack/charger for Android and even iOS devices. This puppy features dual USB ports — one outputting at 1A, while the other outputs at 2.1A (perfect for a tablet or Galaxy Note 2). Also, if you’re traveling solo, it’s got a built in micro USB cable, so you wont have to bother lugging your around. Again, the best part of this charger is that you can be at a party, friends house, or even on your couch watching the game — all while keeping your device fully charged and within arm’s reach. No more leaving your phone on the kitchen counter, wondering if you should get up and check that text message. It’s like having a wall outlet with you at all times. Beautiful.

I’m currently a happy customer of their previous model and use it almost every day. 7,000 mAh gives me about 3 charges (but not a charge more), and I make sure I never leave home with out it. This will become your Nexus 4′s best friend. Best part is the price, at $42, it’s one of the cheapest — yet highest quality — chargers on the market. Order it in the next 20 hours with Amazon Prime, and it’ll arrive by Monday. Just in the nick of time.

[New Trent NT70T $42 on Amazon]

HiSense Pulse Google TV set-top box now available for $99

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:06 PM PST

Another affordable Google TV option is hitting store shelves starting today, folks. HiSense is the benefactor for the unit you see below, the $99 Pulse that looks to be a very sleek set-top box with quite the solid remote to go along with it. It’s not some amazing magical artifact or the end all, be all of the Google TV world, but for $99 there’s not much risk to enable your home theater with internet connected bliss.

Google TV has been perhaps the most underachieving element of Google’s Android machine so far, but we can’t quite pinpoint what it is. Pricing was to blame initially as the first Google TV unit — Logitech’s Revue — debuted at an obnoxious $300. Since then we’ve gotten some very nice units for that far more attractive $100 price point, including Vizio’s Co-Star. While we can’t be sure how those are selling just yet we imagine things aren’t terribly exciting in the balancing books.

Retailers have been quite hesitant to stock Google TV products as of late which is evidenced by the fact that the aforementioned Co-Star is still only available online. Vizio has a strong presence in the brick and mortar space for its television sets so its status with retailers is still fine. We can only guess that sales aren’t strong enough to take shelf space away from other products these big box retailers feel deserve more shine.

Another issue might be Google themselves. The popular opinion is that the Google TV brand isn’t being pushed aggressively enough. Advertising is slim, and since we know Google tends to keep things quite mild in that regard to allow OEMs to advertise their own wares  then we don’t expect that situation to improve much. Couple that with lackluster support from major entertainment players and you have a recipe for an undesirable turnout.

Still, cheap boxes like the HiSense Pulse are out there for those who still believe in Google TV, and that particular unit is available online right now. Head here if you want to get one for yourself.

[via GTVSource]

From the creators of Cut the Rope: Pudding Monsters now available for Android

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:37 PM PST

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You may remember ZeptoLab from the work they did on the smash-hit Android/iOS game, Cut the Rope. No doubt one of yours and your kids’ favorite Android games, Cut the Rope went on to release on just about every platform imaginable.

The boys at ZeptoLab are looking to strike gold once again, this time with a brand new title dubbed Pudding Monsters that’s fresh off the Google Play Store. Pudding Monsters takes all the personality of Cut the Rope and combines it with beautifully well animated HD visuals and of course, ZeptoLab’s brain bending puzzles that are sure to rack your brain.

The game plays similar Quell, having you slide blobs of pudding(?) into one another in order to complete levels. A 3-star achievement system similar to Angry Birds gives players the incentive to complete levels to perfection. There’s a cute story mixed into Pudding Monsters as well. It involves pudding blobs that need to grow large enough to overthrow their overweight “fridge owner” before they all meet an untimely end in his belly. While the blobs don’t exactly speak the queen’s English, their gibberish is translated to the user by the use of animated speak bubbles. Levels progress as the blobs get bigger and bigger, eventually escaping the confines of their home, and into the city outside. Cute, fun and just a little bit diabolical.

There are 75 levels in all, with more promised to come future updates. I had a chance to play around with the game for a few minutes and the only downside I could find was the use of an aggressive ad network. You’ll not only see banner ads along the bottom of the game, but you’re also “forced” to sit through 30 second ads from time to time, just to reach the next level. Will I whine and give the game a 1-star rating in the Google Play store? Not a chance. I understand a game with this amount of polish doesn’t come without long hard hours of work put into it, and I see no problem with compensating developers for their work.

For those that can’t get past the ads (I’ll admit, they are super annoying), you can easily unlock the ad-free version of the game via an in-app purchase of $1. That’s a dollar well spent. You can download Pudding Monsters for free right now from the Google Play Store.

[Pudding Monsters on Google Play]

Verizon lights up 29 new markets with 4G LTE

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:34 PM PST

Hot on the heels of expansion announcements from Sprint and AT&T, Verizon today looks to steal the thunder back from the rest of the pack by lighting up 29 new 4G LTE markets. That brings the nation’s largest carrier up to 470 different markets covered, with hundreds of millions of Americans within that ever-expanding circle. The list is long so let’s dive right in:

  • Stark County, Ohio
  • Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
  • Bangor, Maine
  • Dayton, Ohio
  • Zainesville, Ohio
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Lima, Ohio
  • Vinton County, Ohio
  • Youngstown-Warren, Ohio
  • Cleveland and Akron, Ohio
  • Portsmouth, Ohio
  • Eureka, California
  • Bakersfield, California
  • Menominee, Michigan
  • Northern Kentucky
  • Peru, Illinois
  • Charleston, West Virginia
  • and more

That doesn’t even include less notable areas within the tri-state area, western Massachusetts, southeast Iowa along the Mississippi River, Northern Kentucky and more. There’s a high concentration of Ohio-based markets here but that’s quite alright. Progress is progress, and the faster more folks in the country can get in on the awesome world of 4G LTE the happier we’ll all be.

Verizon spearheaded the 4G LTE charge starting back in 2010, and their first phone with the functionality was the HTC Thunderbolt. While that particular phone is VERY long in the tooth by now the carrier has made nice on its promise to start releasing nothing but 4G LTE smartphones this year and beyond.

In fact, you’ll probably find that most carriers went that route as it’s tough to find a lineup where even an entry level smartphone doesn’t have 4G these days. The only carrier not yet on the yellow brick road to these nice speeds is T-Mobile, but 2013 should be an exciting time for anyone who still does their mobile bidding with Magenta.

Verizon’s aggressive rollout strategy didn’t come with a bumpy road to start, but it’s been a very long time since we’ve experienced an outage so things have been smooth sailing. This break-neck pace Verizon’s employing is quite impressive, and it’s hard to see anyone beating them to the standard goal of covering the entirety of their current 3G network with 4G by the end of 2013. If you live in the aforementioned areas and have a 4G smartphone with Verizon be sure to fire it up and try it out for fun.

[via Verizon]

ESPN ScoreCenter finally looks like an Android app

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:29 PM PST

When ESPN originally launched its ScoreCenter app for Android I was a bit excited. As bad of a reputation as the sports outlet has gotten over the years it is still one of my favorites for keeping up with my team. Why wouldn’t I want an official app on Android that could keep me updated on scores and league happenings? Well, the app they produced wasn’t particularly flattering. In fact, I quickly abandoned ESPN’s app for other options like Score Mobile and SportsTap, and stuck to the mobile browser whenever I wanted to catch up on the latest stories.

ESPN might have won me back with its latest upgrade, however, as ScoreCenter now looks like it belongs on an Android device. The app was updated with a brand new user interface to fit the Holo design guidelines Google set for Ice Cream Sandwich and beyond. The app properly utilizes things like swiping to change views, a slide-in menu and a pull-to-refresh function to make for a smooth experience.

The core app still offers much of the same functionality as it provides you with the latest news, video, score alerts and more for your favorite teams across many different sports. The difference is that it now looks great doing so, and doesn’t perform like an absolute hog. With Google Now delivering my sports scores rather late I have been searching for an app to send reliable, up-to-the-minute (I’ve accepted that up-to-the-second is just impossible for these companies) score updates, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Go ahead and download it to see if the app is back up to your standards.

[Google Play Store]

Top 5 Android stories (that didn’t happen) of 2012

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:14 PM PST

We’ve covered the top 5 Android stories of 2012, but what about all the ones that got away? For every rumor that came true, several more turned out to be false. Major acquisitions brought about little change in the industry. Seemingly ignored devices and platforms…continued to be ignored.

These are the stories that never happened. The devices that never existed. The industry-shaping shakeups that didn’t spark. There was plenty that left us wanting more in 2012, but here’s our top 5.

5. First Android@Home accessories go on sale

In 2011, Google demonstrated how its Android operating system would reshape the way we interact with the environment around us. Android@Home was debuted as a way for your Android smartphone to become the hub of the automated home. We saw how a smartphone could be used to control light bulbs, adjust a thermostat, even help out with home security. Over a year later, we can safely pronounce Android@Home dead-on-arrival.

In the past year we have seen several great LED bulb concepts with accompanying smartphone apps. We’ve built a DIY Android-controlled thermostat. We’ve been introduced to numerous products that do what Android@Home promised it would do. So where did Google’s zeal for home automation go?

It’s easy to declare the concept ahead of its time, but given what’s already available it really isn’t. We’d like to see Android@Home in our homes come 2013, but at this point it’s hard to determine if Google is even actively working on the project anymore.

4. Windows Phone emerges as serious competitor to Android

Raise your hand if you own a Windows Phone device. OK, maybe that’s not a fair question (this is an Android-centric publication, after all), but you see where I am going. Windows Phone was expected to be a major factor in the mobile industry this year, and while Microsoft managed to make plenty of noise with the launch of such well-crafted devices as the Windows Phone 8X from HTC, they haven’t got much market share to show for it.

Analysts have predicted that Windows Phone will become a serious contender to Android and iOS over the coming years, but if 2012 is any indicator, people just aren’t buying into it. Sure, Windows Phone 8 looks pretty nice and has some intriguing functionality (and plenty of ad dollars backing it), but the platform has a long way to go if it wants to go toe-to-toe with the big boys.

Maybe we’re being a bit hasty. Perhaps 2013 will prove us wrong with a little more time on the clock for Microsoft. But for now, the buzz about Windows Phone has less to do with the platform itself and all to do with how it will survive a market already dominated by Google.

3. Renewed focus on Google TV

In the summer of 2010, Google unveiled a bold new smart TV concept based on its Android platform. Fast-forward to 2012 and we haven’t come very far at all. Sure, Google TV now has Google Play access, a modest selection of apps, an overhauled interface, and a few new device partners, but I challenge you to recall a single earth-shattering development for Google TV over the past year.

The platform, for the most part, has stagnated, and Google doesn’t seem to have much want to change that. Google TV was virtually nonexistent at the most recent I/O, with time instead focused on Project Glass and the over-priced Nexus Q. Yeah, about that Nexus Q. Google, you couldn’t have spent the same R&D dollars towards a Nexus Google TV device?

Is 2013 the year for Google TV? Or is the year for Google TV to kick the bucket? At least we have our Vizio Co-Star to keep us occupied in the meantime.

2. Multiple Nexus smartphones from all the major manufacturers

Before a single new Nexus device dropped this year, rumors started swirling that Google was rethinking its strategy on branded devices. Where Google had previously released a single flagship phone per year, speculation suggested that we would see up to five different Nexus handsets from manufacturers like LG, Sony, and HTC [spoofed Nexus X from Sony pictured above].

Of course, the LG device did launch as the Nexus 4. And we did get multiple Nexus devices in the form of the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets (I don’t even want to mention the Nexus Q again), but lo and behold nary another Nexus smartphone was to be found. But how we wish things were different!

The shifted Nexus strategy made sense on paper. It would provide customers with several off-contract smartphone options, all with the latest version of stock Android and a direct upgrade path. Any potential favoritism by Google could be negated by choosing several manufacturing partners instead of one. It seemed like a win-win for all involved.

Does a revamped Nexus program launch in 2013? We can hope. At the very least, several options to choose from would alleviate the current stock strain plaguing the Nexus 4.

1. Big changes after Google completes acquisition of Motorola

In 2011, Google initiated the [mostly patent-fueled] acquisition of Motorola Mobility. In 2012, the buyout was formally completed. The Android ecosystem would never be the same…

Except it has, for better or worse, remained about the same as it was before Google purchased one of its biggest Android collaborators. Yes, this was probably part of Google’s strategy. They wouldn’t want to scare off partners like Samsung and HTC with the thought that Google might actually jump into the manufacturing business.

But the only news Google’s acquisition has really stirred is talk of downsizing, job cuts, and most recently the sale of Motorola’s set-top box division. And those patents? They haven’t been doing much for Google, either.

Perhaps with a year under their belt and other Android partners at ease, Google will decide to really shake things up in 2013. But for now we’re left with more of the same BLUR-laced handsets that we’ve seen from Motorola for years.

***

What was your biggest non-story of 2012? Do you agree with the ones we have here or was there something else you were just dying to see this year? Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!

LG uploads first Nexus 4 commercial – Shows off cool features, lacks emotion [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST

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Still waiting on your Nexus 4 to arrive? Call it a tease, or simply cruel and unusual punishment, but LG uploaded their first Nexus 4 video to their YouTube channel today, knowing damn well you can’t go into the Google Play store and buy one. Okay, to be fair, it’s possible they have their factories working overtime to churn out more handsets, but the timing of the ads still seems a bit off (especially when the official launch was weeks ago).

LG’s 2-minute ad spot may have flew under the radar, uploaded a day before Google’s own first Nexus 4 vid, but possibly only going public yesterday. In any case, the vid shows off all the coolest features of LG/Google Nexus 4 — Google Now, IPS display, wireless mirroring — and although informative, it seemed to lack the emotion typically conveyed in Google’s Nexus commercials. Take a look.

So, what you did guys think? Effective? Or do you prefer Google’s method of tugging on consumers’ heart strings for a more lasting impression? Quick poll: Who did it better?

Still denying Google Wallet, Verizon grants secure element access to ISIS — does it surprise you?

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 10:10 AM PST

In case you haven’t heard the news, Verizon’s ISIS application is officially confirmed to have access to the secure element found in the carrier’s NFC-enabled phones. This is a big deal because much has been made about Verizon’s willingness to block Google Wallet access.

When a complaint was filed to the FCC regarding the issue Verizon responded saying Google Wallet would be just as fine as any application if it didn’t need the secure element. The problem is that Google would have to strip NFC payment functionality out of the app in order for it to meet Verizon’s requirements, and that pretty much defeats the purpose of Google Wallet in the first place.

Big Red said ISIS had to pass a certification process in order to be granted the special privileges it has, but we were never told whether or not Google had just as much of a chance of being granted certification. In fact, we’re not even sure if it’s possible for Google to begin any sort of certification process. That’s something that Verizon is being tight-lipped on for now, but should we find out that ISIS is being given special treatment are any of us really surprised?

Before Google Wallet was officially unveiled, it was revealed that three of America’s biggest carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — were teaming up to help build the ISIS wagon. Sprint was the only carrier not willing to join that particular rodeo, and they ended up embracing Google’s mobile payments service no problem. It’s interesting to note that AT&T nor T-Mobile have been against Google Wallet access on their devices, so it’s unlikely that a conflict of interest or some contractual obligation is keeping Verizon from opening its arms.

Some would suggest Verizon’s motives aren’t about security as much as they’re about money. It’s a tough accusation to swing, but some are saying Verizon is using the secure element excuse to mask the fact that it doesn’t want Google Wallet without getting a cut of the revenue from it. This is something we’d only be able to confirm if we were sitting in on those top-secret board meetings ourselves so we can’t say for sure either way, but the fact of the matter is that Verizon’s hand is not being forced by ISIS in the matter.

For consumers’ sake we hope recent FCC complaints will shake the tree a little bit in getting to the bottom of this story, but Verizon’s stance hasn’t changed since they responded to that initial letter, and that’s all we have until further notice. Would you believe Verizon’s blocking access to the secure element for genuine security reasons or do you think there is something more to this cloudy story? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Welcome to Isis!  This email confirms that you’ve started the process of activating your new Isis Wallet.

Please visit www.paywithisis.com at your convenience to log into your Isis Account and set up your Security Question and Answer.  This is important if you ever lose your phone or forget your Isis Password.  (You can also complete this from the Settings option in the Wallet Menu on your phone.)

You can find helpful information at www.paywithisis.com about using your new Isis Wallet.  You can also  explore the Help option in the Wallet Menu, which includes access to the “Learn More” video series.

You can review and print the Isis Services Terms of Service and Privacy Policy via www.paywithisis.com.  These can also be viewed on your phone via the Help option in your Isis Wallet.

Isis will now configure the Secure Element on your phone, setting up your Wallet PIN and delivering any Payment Cards for which you’ve signed up.  When your new Isis Wallet is ready for use, Isis will alert you with a text message containing an embedded link.  Please follow the instructions in the message to use the link to re-launch the Isis Wallet on your phone.  (You should expect this text message within the next 60 minutes.  Please ensure that your phone remains powered on with a network connection available.)

We hope you enjoy your new Isis Wallet.

Flipboard gets better tablet optimization in latest upgrade

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 09:31 AM PST

The folks at Flipboard have issued a nice upgrade to their Android app in the Google Play Store that a lot of tablet owners will be happy to see. The user interface has been better optimized for devices with screen sizes of 7 inches or more.

Folks with 7 inch devices have already been enjoying the experience as the app was simply a blown up version of the phone offering, but those on 10 inch devices will be especially happy to hear this news. The user interface is quite familiar if you’ve already used Flipboard in the past so don’t expect a hugely foreign experience here.

The new UI features four pages of tiles for each “page” so you can take in more of your stories with less work and time. It wouldn’t make sense to feed the user one story per page unless there’s a lot of multimedia to be had so this is quite the welcome change indeed. The changelog doesn’t tip us off to many more meaningful changes, but there are bound to be some general performance enhancements and bug fixes littered throughout the new edition of the source code.

If you’ve got 4.9MB of bandwidth and the time to hit “Install” in the Google Play Store then be sure to make no delay in upgrading. And if you haven’t tried Flipboard out yet be sure to give it a real shot as it has proven to be a very blissful news-reading experience (whether you want your friends’ meaningless status updates scattered throughout or not).

Samsung Galaxy S3 ‘Premium Suite’ upgrade rolling out in the UK

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:58 AM PST

Samsung is pretty excited about the TouchWiz enhancements they introduced with the Galaxy Note 2. So excited that they are bringing features such as multi-window view to their other flagship handset, the Galaxy S3. The so-called “Premium Suite” upgrade looks to build on the “elegant intelligence” of the GS3 and it’s custom interface by bringing the experience inline with the latest TouchWiz release.

Upon installation, the Galaxy S3 will be graced with an updated gallery, camera enhancements including “Best Face” mode, improved sharing capabilities with Group Cast and S Beam, and plenty more. As mentioned previously, the Premium Suite also includes Samsung’s multi-view capabilities for running multiple apps simultaneously.

The Premum Suite is currently rolling out to GS3 owners in the UK. Samsung has not disclosed plans for delivering the update to other regions.

Samsung Unveils Premium Suite Upgrade for the Galaxy S III

Packed with enhanced features to provide an even more effortless and innovative experience

20th December, 2012, London, UK – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., today announced a Premium Suite upgrade for its flagship smartphone the Galaxy S III, further improving the experience with innovative and even more convenient features.

Samsung is committed to providing customers with the best mobile experience by continuously offering an operating system upgrade for its devices. As part of this effort, Samsung has recently provided the Jelly Bean 4.1 upgrade for the Galaxy S III, and will bring even more enhanced features to the phone through the upcoming Premium Suite upgrade. Consumers around the world have already enjoyed the elegant intelligence that the Galaxy S III brings to their lives and the Premium Suite package takes this to a higher level.

The Galaxy S III Premium Suite upgrade will include many of the innovative and productive features newly introduced by the Galaxy Note II:

Multi Window: Effortlessly utilise two different applications side-by-side simultaneously for an ultimate multitasking experience.

Fun and Easy Photo Experience:
· Through Samsung Gallery, view more photos at the same time and also intuitively create and categorise photos and videos
· Exclusive to Samsung, the Paper Artist app offers a variety of fun and creative picture-taking effects. It also provides intuitive emotional photo editing functions such as the brush coloring tool

Group Cast: With Group Cast on the Galaxy S III and a Wi-Fi network, share and collaborate on documents, presentations or images in real-time with multiple friends or colleagues without loading the file separately. This is now a stand-alone app, rather than part of Allshare Play, making it is easier to access.

Contextual Awareness:
· Smart Rotation: the device detects and recognises the user’s face, automatically rotating the screen direction to adjust to the user’s face position
· Contextual Tag: tag friends/location/date to the photos/videos/voice memo taken or recorded
· Contextual Page: the device detects when the earphones are plugged in, automatically opening up the music player

Auto Share Shot Pairing using NFC: By setting the camera to ‘Auto Share Shot’ mode, quickly share photos and videos by simply tapping the Galaxy S III with other NFC and S-Beam enabled devices.

Camera Enhancements:
· With the new ‘Best Face’ feature, an improved version of the previous Best Photo feature, choose from five continuous shots the best face of each person in the photo, to create an image that satisfies everyone
· Low light mode is added to allow bright and sharp photos to be captured even in dark places
· Capture amazing scenery by using Panorama mode, now expanded to 340~360-degree
Other advanced and convenient features on the Galaxy S III.

· Continuous Input: Using one continuous finger/stylus motion across the keyboard, users can type words faster and easier
· AllShare Cast: Wirelessly connect the Galaxy S III to the television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display
· Smart Dock: TouchWiz interface allows people to adjust the phone setting to automatically switch to a relevant UI when a device is connected to the docking station
· Improved touch response: Enjoy even faster and smoother touch response on the Galaxy S III
· S Beam: By simply touching another S Beam-enabled device including Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III mini, the Galaxy S III allows a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal

* The UK roll out of the Galaxy S III Premium Suite upgrade begins today.
** All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
*** Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.

Samsung said to be bringing flexible 5.5 inch display to CES

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:21 AM PST

Samsung has been the biggest player in the mobile space when it comes to pushing the flexible display movement forward, and while it’s nothing new — we’ve seen flexible displays come in 4.5 inch and other flavors before — Samsung could be looking to go even bigger and bringing their latest achievements along to CES. CNET has learned Samsung would be bringing a flexible variant of its 5.5 inch AMOLED display to the Vegas trade show this January.

For Samsung, flexible displays will bring the trait in function as well as in engineering freedom. They’ll give Samsung more options when it comes to building its phones. This particular screen size is identical to that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2′s. While it might be easy to guess where Samsung might want to go with that, we can’t make too many assumptions. Still, we imagine the OEM will be looking to ready this display for an eventual third installment in the Samsung Galaxy Note line.

The display would still have  the same 1280×720 resolution of Samsung’s current Super AMOLED HD panels. It’d be nice to see some of these panels outfitted with 1080p resolution at some point, but 267 ppi is still nothing to sneeze at in this day and age. Samsung has spent a lot of time and money in research and development trying to perfect this technology.

It’s hard to keep getting excited for it without seeing how it can contribute to the overall design of a smartphone, but we’re hopeful Samsung isn’t spending all this time and money for no reason. In fact, Samsung has been rumored to be implementing a flexible, unbreakable display in the Samsung Galaxy S4 due early next year.

While it’s not certain that the S4 will enjoy the same screen size being discussed here it’s indication that Samsung could indeed have something ready to go. We’ll see just how far along they are come CES, but for now just know that the train is moving on this flexible display stuff and it feels like we’re awfully close to seeing this in Samsung’s hottest devices.

T-Mobile launches 10-day “$0 down” sale to close out the year

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:35 AM PST

T-Mobile’s looking to get some more sales in its book to close out the end of the year (and, possibly, the world) with a new sale it’s administering starting tomorrow and lasting for the rest of the year. This “$0 down” sale will let you get some great devices under T-Mobile’s value plan program, and includes some heavy hitting devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One S, the Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G, and even LG’s Nexus 4.

Yes, that’s right — the Nexus 4. As ironic as that is considering Google’s difficulty in getting stock for the Google Play Store it’s an option that you have to consider if you can’t wait for LG to gets its supply problem under control. Keep in mind that you’ll still have to pay something up-front when you head into a T-Mobile store these last 1.5 weeks .

You’ll have to wait for mail-in rebates to take effect before you get to the down payment prices shown in the charts below. Beyond that, the typical $20 monthly installments don’t get any cheaper than they usually are so the net down payment is the only thing you’re really saving on here. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a great deal, though, so be sure to see if your local stores have any of these devices in stock starting tomorrow if you’re interested.

T-Mobile also has a couple of other devices on sale that won’t exactly have free net down payments, but will still be quite cheap compared to their usual prices. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2, for instance, can be had for a net down payment of $100, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. These prices are in effect until the last day of the year so be sure to act fast — remember, the world might not even be here after tomorrow!

MetroPCS launches ZTE Avid 4G with Ice Cream Sandwich for $149

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:25 AM PST

Pay-as-you-go smartphone options are trending up, and you can thank the likes of MetroPCS. The carrier has launched yet another low-cost Android device to be paired with their month-to-month service offerings, the ZTE Avid 4G. The LTE-enabled smartphone runs Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and retails for $149.

Specs for the Avid 4G include a 4-inch display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and 5MP camera (with VGA front-facing camera). It might not compare head-to-head with the top-tier of Android smartphones, but the Avid provides a serviceable spec sheet for its price. Add in contract options that include a $55 unlimited LTE option and the hardware starts to look all the sweeter.

MetroPCS has been beefing up its handset lineup in recent months, adding options like the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G earlier this month and the pricier Galaxy S3 back in October. The smaller US-based carrier is currently in the process of being acquired by T-Mobile.

New ZTE Android™ Smartphone Joins the Ranks of MetroPCS’ Affordable 4G LTE Line-up

ZTE Avid™ 4G allows consumers to do more at a tremendous value

DALLAS (December 20, 2012) – MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS), along with ZTE Corporation (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ) (“ZTE”), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today introduced its second 4GLTE Android 4.0-powered smartphone priced at $149, the ZTE Avid™ 4G. With no annual contract, tax and regulatory fee-inclusive service plans and feature-rich smartphones, MetroPCS continues to deliver the most value to its customers throughout the holiday season and into 2013.

The Avid 4G is available with any of MetroPCS’ standard 4GLTE service plans which range from $40 – $70 per month, and for a limited time with promotional plans including 4GLTE for $30 and unlimited 4GLTE for $55.

“The Avid 4G offers consumers a feature-rich smartphone at an excellent price,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE USA. “ZTE is committed to helping people connect and share in meaningful ways, and the Avid 4G is a great example of that mission.”

The Avid 4G features 4GLTE connectivity, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a crystal-clear 4″ touchscreen and is powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), allowing consumers to get the most out of their smartphone and applications from Google Play. Adding to that are the 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and VGA front-facing camera, which make it easy to video chat, capture images and quickly share with friends and family.

The Avid 4G is also the latest MetroPCS 4GLTE smartphone to support joyn™ by MetroPCS, which provides consumers with a unified and intuitive way to share their content with enriched services like integrated instant messaging or chat, WiFi and video calling. The official joyn app can be downloaded via Google Play and the @metro App Store™. The Avid 4G also supports MetroPCS’ 4GLTE Mobile Hotspot service for an additional monthly charge.

The Avid 4G is available today at local MetroPCS stores or online at www.metropcs.com for $149 plus tax.

Android 4.0.4 headed to AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S2

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 06:38 AM PST

 An upgrade to Android 4.0 seemed like as good a place to leave AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S2 as any, but the aging handset isn’t riding off into the sunset without at least one more software update. Owners of the phone started receiving Android 4.0.4 early this morning as an unexpected over-the-air update.

The software, which is labeled with build number I177UCLK3, didn’t come with a complete changelog, but no major changes are expected other than the bump up in Android version. Android 4.0.4 itself is a minor upgrade featuring stability enhancements, camera improvements, and general performance tweaks.

As it is getting rather long in the tooth, it’s hard to expect the Galaxy S2 will be seeing anything past this final Ice Cream Sandwich update. If you’re looking for Jelly Bean, it might be time to start considering an upgrade.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]