Saturday, December 29, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Samsung preps new Galaxy S2 Plus variant with NFC

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 02:20 AM PST

S2 Plus

Samsung has been dominating the Android landscape for quite some time now, but there was a time when it had to play second fiddle to HTC. We'd like to think that the introduction of the Galaxy S2 played a big role in the reversal of fortunes.

Unconfirmed reports about the "sequel" to the phone, the Galaxy S2 Plus, have been making rounds since last August. Now, we're hearing that Samsung is planning to release two Galaxy S2 Plus variants, the GT-i9105 and GT-i9105P.

According to Unwired View, save for the inclusion of an NFC chip, which the GT-i9105P model will come with, the rest of the Galaxy S2 Plus specs are the same. In case you've forgotten all about the unremarkable sheet of specs, here's what we know of the phone so far.

Like its predecessor, the S2 Plus will sport a 4.3-inch display with 800 x 480 resolution. In addition to the dual-core 1GHz processor, it'll have 8GB of internal storage, 8MP main camera, 2MP front cam, 1,650mAh battery, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

For those who are still interested, the Galaxy S2 Plus might be launched in mid-January or February.

Related Posts

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini Review! [video]

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:42 PM PST

galaxy-s3-review-1

So you've taken the smartphone world by storm by having one of the most sought after devices in recent history. With record sales, the Samsung Galaxy S3 marked a new chapter in the Korean phone manufacturer's tenure as one of the top companies in the smartphone game. After all that, what's next?

Apparently, you experiment a little.

The Galaxy S3 is not the only type of device that Samsung is known for, in terms of quality equipment – their Note line, with the S Pen, is perhaps the best phablet out there right now; on the bigger side, the Tab series is a very well-received and sought after part of the tablet market. But it isn't always great to go bigger – sometimes you have think smaller in order to innovate.

galaxy-s3-review-8

Enter the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. Yes, you heard that right – Mini.

Anyone who is used to smartphones as they are now will look at this phone and think the same three letter word – Why? The evolution of smartphones has seen a dramatic increase in the size of displays within just the last two years and small phones ultimately seem to be a thing of the past. Should the Galaxy S3 Mini, then, be considered a backwards step? Find out in this in-depth review and in my video at the end.

Look and Feel

Okay, let's get the incredibly obvious part out of the way – this thing is small. Actual measurements come in at 4.79 x 2.48 x 0.39 inches. For an easier way of gauging the size, the 4.7 inch screen of the original S3 has been brought down to 4 inches, actually making the entire phone take up just a little more than the display portion of its big brother. It is a funny thought to think that if you own the Mini and someone you know has the original S3, you can literally say your phone is "as big as his/her screen."

galaxy-s3-review-10

The small stature comes out even more once you feel the phone in your hand. But this isn't entirely just because of the shorter form in the Mini – it has just as much to do with our programming as current smartphone users. Even for a smaller guy like me, I am used to having my hand not be able to wrap all around my phone. While some may argue that hand gymnastics are impractical with smartphone usage, it has become the norm for many a user. As such, the common larger smartphone will have a size that allows for balanced shuffling in the hand in order to reach particular portions of the display.

galaxy-s3-review-16

Not the case with the Mini. What is so jarring is that you can reach everything from a neutral grip – and it just feels weird. Although you may think that the iPhone is marketed to have this kind of size and feel to it, I must say that it is the shape of the Apple device that allows for that ease of use in one hand. The S3 Mini, on the other hand, retains the rounded form and feel of its big brother, which worked well for the S3 but lends to a constant fear of slippage from the hand this time around. Eventually, you will be able to grip and use this phone in a way that is comfortable, but at first usage, your old big phone ways will get the best of you.

As I said before, the Mini takes after the original S3 in terms of its look. Fingerprint hungry plastic runs all the way around this device in a rounded shape. The power button is opposite the volume rockers, as Samsung does, and the 'home' button on the front is flanked by two softkeys for 'back' and 'menu'. Above all this is the display, below the front facing camera and phone grill. The back has the simple Samsung logo under the 5 megapixel rear camera and the speaker – the back cover can also be removed, allowing access to the battery, SIM slot, and microSD tray.

galaxy-s3-review-3

Indeed, the S3 Mini is really just a smaller version of the S3. Even if you have a bit of a rough time getting used to the new form factor, once you get it down, one hand operations become the milieu. You won't too much time using the Mini with two hands (typing, though the included Swype should minimize this too) and you'll get through much of your usage with one flying thumb.

Screen and Display

With smaller form comes smaller screen, and the Mini certainly follows through. The rather ubiquitous size of 4.7 inches for current smartphones is being tested by 5 inch phablets, but the Mini is a flashback to the days of 4 inch screens. This screen and form factor remind me more of previous phones I've owned and used like the HTC Eris and Incredible, mid-tier and high-end smartphones, respectively.

galaxy-s3-review-5

The 4 inch Super AMOLED display has an unsurprisingly lower resolution at 480×800, but has a surprising vibrancy and brightness to it. Attribute this to the Super AMOLED technology Samsung has gotten right on many of its devices. The pixel density of 233 ppi might not bring great sharpness on the lower resolution screen, but you still get a nice experience out of the display and screen.

galaxy-s3-review-4

Viewing at different angles still allows for good sight and colors are about as vibrant as Samsung can deliver – darks and blacks are well rendered, allowing brighter primary colors to pop. The brightness of the screen allows for viewing in direct daylight, but you will probably have to set it to full for the best results. Really, the only true gripes on this screen are the obvious ones – the smaller screen makes for lower resolution and thus brings with it decreased sharpness.

Nonetheless, the vibrancy and brightness still help make this an enjoyable display to use – and when you're using a phone that is supposed to make some compromises compared to its namesake big brother, these are things you come to expect.

Hardware and Performance

It should be expected that the performance on this Mini will not be quite the same as that found on the original S3. This is exactly the case, as the phone is indeed slower than its big brother. That being said, the Galaxy S3 Mini is hardly a slow poke, as while apps might take a little longer to load, performance after it is all said and done is still quite good. Just don't expect the same kind of speed as in the high-end phones in the market today – this is squarely a mid-tier device and acts as such.

galaxy-s3-review-15

A 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 is responsible for this performance, as it is a downgraded package compared to the powerful processor found in the Galaxy S3. The Mini also sports the smaller 1GB of RAM for multitasking. These downgraded specs still have some optimization built in, as I mentioned before that apps do run quite well despite their long load up times.

Even gaming was a decent experience on this device. Despite having to squint a bit due to the smaller screen, I was able to run Contract Killer 2 quite well and get through the first couple levels with ease. There was no real slowdown found even in the more intense portions of the game. It would seem that once all the loading is said and done, everything performs as expected

Don't go looking for the best scores here when it comes to benchmarks. Knowing that this is definitely not a top-tier device, I only ran AnTuTu benchmark for the sake of empirical evidence.

galaxy-s3-review-13

As was the case with the Galaxy S3, the Mini sports some important features not found on other devices and are thus big selling points. The removable cover allows for battery replacement, while a microSD slot hidden underneath the 1500mAh unit allows for the expansion of memory. Coming in 8 or 16GB varieties, the S3 Mini benefits from having expandable storage – a feature that has been missing in even a number of top-tier devices.

galaxy-s3-review-6

The S3 Mini supports only miniSIM cards, so you won't be able to swap that microSIM from your original S3 into here. WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS are all the standard bells and whistles you'll be getting here, but despite being reported as included in this device, my copy of the S3 Mini seems to not have NFC for S-Beam available.

Ultimately, if you are a power user, you won't be getting the kind of performance you're used to from top-tier devices that you would buy anyway. Come into the S3 Mini with the right expectations and you will see that it is still a very decent performer despite the compromises made. The lag (when loading apps) is noticeable compared to the S3 but won't bother most average users to whom this device is being marketed. Expandable memory is a big plus here, as many users look to it as a feature that can make or break their purchase of a new phone. And as long as you have the right sized SIM for the job, you should be able to use this phone on any of the available and fast GSM networks out there.

Battery

The mention of a 1500mAh battery might be a little disconcerting to some, but rest assured that the downgraded processor allows for an evening out of this phone's longevity. The battery works quite well despite the smaller size (as seems to be a trend for much of this well-optimized Samsung device) and was able to go through a whole day without really breaking a sweat.

I had the phone on hand for an entire day this past holiday weekend and was able to use it even before I went to bed – the battery was down to about 20% after 12 hours. The 1GHz processor, smaller screen with lower resolution, and any power saving optimization that Samsung threw in seem to do the trick. Coupled with the fact that this battery can be replaced, the power situation on the S3 Mini is definitely impressive.

Power saving options are available within the settings and they limit the maximum CPU usage and keep the screen dimmed for maximum longevity. I am sure that having this on would allow for even longer usage, but seeing that I didn't have a SIM card installed for constant cell data connections (notorious for battery hogging), perhaps this feature will likely just even out those power hungry features.

Camera

As has been the theme for this phone, the compromises made in comparison to the original S3 all seem  to work quite well given the circumstances. This is obviously not a phone that is geared toward the feature hungry user, though it packs in the right performance for all the things that typical user would need. Would this be the same case for the camera?

galaxy-s3-review-2

The 8 megapixel camera of the Galaxy S3 has been brought down to 5, which some might think is something that didn't have to happen – there are plenty of smaller devices out there that still sport powerful, high megapixel count cameras. This is not the case with the Mini, as it seems everything needed to follow along with the ‘miniaturizing’ theme.

galaxy-s3-review-camera2

Unsurprisingly, then, is the quality of the resulting photos and videos. Pictures are given a decent amount of rendering quality and the optics do a good job of ensuring proper exposure. Of course, when adequate light is taken away, the grain appears. The differences can be seen in the pictures found above and below. Video is recorded at 720p and suffers from the same lower quality as these still images.

galaxy-s3-review-camera1

Having a small phone pocketed and handy is nice for quick camera shots, though – going from pocket to camera through the lockscreen and then finally to the shutter didn't take too long at all. The pictures might not be spectacular, but at least you'll likely be able to get the shot off in time.

galaxy-s3-review-camera3

Click for the full image.

Software

Finally, we have the software. As a seasoned Nexus user, I always take the time to look through modified UIs made by the phone companies to see how different the experiences are. Since this is a smaller phone that brings with its size some already implied changes to the overall usage, the TouchWiz UI should see a few changes to make life easier.

That being said, TouchWiz is not my favorite looking user interface among the bunch. HTC's Sense probably remains one of my favorites, although the Optimus UI was surprisingly customizable and useful in practice. Say what you will, but the large uber-colorful icons and menus with large text just don't do it for me.

galaxy-s3-review-14

As far as function goes, TouchWiz on the Mini is as good as any proper UI. Some nice additions include the power widgets found in the notification dropdown and the inclusion of S-Voice, as seen in the original S3. While S-Voice does seem to get the job done, I still prefer Google's own Voice Search – especially the one found in Google Now.

galaxy-s3-review-12

Another nice touch that I found has to do with the text size. While this might attribute to my near-sightedness, I usually go straight to the settings and bring down the text size on any new device. This usually allows for a little more content to be shown on the screen. However, on large displays, having tiny text can mean some squinting and eye strain will result. This isn't the case on the Mini even when you go to the smallest size, as all text is still very legible and easy to read even at a decent distance. This is probably due to what I see as a bloated UI, but this time around that which I don't like about TouchWiz proves to be an advantage.

galaxy-s3-review-17

The easy-on-the-eyes text despite the smaller form factor makes me give the Mini’s TouchWiz quite a bit of credit for not being just a lazy port of the original OS. Samsung put quite a bit of thought into the user experience on this phone through hardware changes and software optimization, and succeeded as a result. The small screen might be a little cramped, but you won't have much trouble seeing what you're doing.

Conclusion

After all of this, I have to admit something – having this phone for a few days, especially throughout the holidays, was interesting. Why? Because despite having the HTC One X+, the original Samsung Galaxy S3, and even the Google Nexus 4 available on hand, I found myself coming back to the S3 Mini. It's just that intriguing. The size alone makes this phone feel unique while its features and look make it just as familiar as ever.

galaxy-s3-review-9

Some might wonder what kind of market would need a smaller phone like this, when so many great devices come out at typically larger sizes. After spending some time with the S3 Mini, I can safely say that there are definitely people out there who want a smaller phone. Some of my friends were delighted to see a current Android device in a smaller form factor, and I actually became enamored myself with the "Little Smartphone that Could."

galaxy-s3-review-7

We're spoiled here at Android Authority as we look to the latest and greatest phones for all best features, the greatest number of bells and whistles, and the fastest possible experiences that we can buy. But not too long ago, phones like the Mini were the norm, and we appreciated them all the same.

Technology (in this case, phones) might be changing all the time – we went from colorful bar and flip phones chock full of accessorizing possibilities to nearly all black slates in which the customization primarily came from the built-in OS. We came from phones made for calling and texting to mobile pocketable computers.  With this in mind, I actually think that the Galaxy S3 Mini is a device that fits squarely in the middle, in a time and place where we didn't need the highest pixel density or the fastest processor or even the biggest screen – we just needed a phone that was different, fun, and most of all, worked.

And for all intents and purposes, the S3 Mini certainly does that – it works. It isn't the best performer but it is definitely deserving of the Galaxy name. It might have been better to name this the Galaxy S Mini or the Galaxy Mini, because the S3 brings some unrealistic expectations, but that's all up to Samsung – nonetheless, this is a phone made for the everyman and everywoman, geared especially for the user in us who remembers a time when what we once wanted from phones (and technology) used to be a little bit smaller… and a little bit simpler.

Related Posts

Touch Detective arrives to Android gamers via Google Play

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 11:12 AM PST

Touch Detective

Since 2006 Nintendo DS users have been rocking the cult gaming classic, Touch Detective. The good news is that the time has now come, Touch Detective is available for Android via Google Play.

For those that don’t know anything about this game, Touch Detective stars a young girl as a detective that solves mysteries with the help of her friends– oh, and her pet fungus. Yes, the game is more than a little quirky.

As far as gameplay mechanics, this is essentially a point and click adventure, like the kind found on the PC during the late 80s and into the 90s. While this is an adventure game, it is also very much a Japanese-style game and has humor that can be "odd" at times.

In other words, this game might not be for everyone, but it is certainly worth checking out since the first chapter of the game is free.

If you dislike the game, no harm done. If you love it, you can also unlock three additional chapters for $4 a piece or $9 for a bundle of all three.

What do you think, interested in checking the game out or not?

Related Posts

XDA-Developers hackers make booting from SD Card possible for Exynos-based devices

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 11:00 AM PST

microSD card Brandon Stafford/Flickr

The awesome hackers over at XDA-Developers forums are always at work making tweaks and hacks for our devices. They are one of the biggest reasons why Android devices are so customizable and so much hacking stuff is available for us geeks. Now, a new development described as a “game changer” has been made by members of the forum, which is no less than a breakthrough when it comes to hacking certain Samsung Exynos-based devices including the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Camera.

XDA Elite Recognized developers adamoutler and Rebellos have figured out a way to boot these devices from the SD Card. This was not possible until now. The hack would allow users to boot their devices with an open source bootloader and is not like chroot style dual booting.

Thanks to this new hack, developers will be able to get rid of Samsung’s closed source bootloaders and boot directly from the SD card on the mentioned devices. Most importantly hackers will be able to fix brick-bugged Galaxy S3 devices, which will give relief to many users.

In addition to boot Exynos-based Galaxy devices hackers have also been able to make Fastboot work on the Galaxy Camera.

However, there are still some things that need to be taken care of to make these procedure more user-friendly:

1. EMMC Disable hardware mod (can be undone later)
2. UART hookups for debugging and working in fastboot mode.
3. attempting to rework GS3 Ramdisk for SDCard boot.
4. recreating the proper partition structure on a 16 gig.

There are several other things that could be made possible in the future thanks to this mod, including booting alternate operating systems. More development is being made on this project and developers expect to add support for more devices soon while improving it on the existing ones.

You can follow up with all the news related to this hack by going over to the original thread at XDA forums at the second Source link below.

Related Posts

Samsung Galaxy S3 extended battery kit to start selling on January 5th

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:46 AM PST

Samsung Galaxy S3 Battery kit

Are you the type of person that tends to use a phone too much? That is, to the point of saying, “Man, I wish I had some bigger batteries on this thing.”? If you are, well, then join the club.

The fact that battery technology hasn’t been able to progress as fast as the other types of tech present in today’s smartphones and mobile computing devices is a truly bitter pill to swallow. But thankfully, someone invented the extended battery. And one such kit that has been made especially for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is on its way to stores this coming January 5th.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 extended battery kit comes with a standard capacity of 3000mAh and can be purchased in two different colors: white and blue. It’s a wee bit hefty when compared with the original battery kit, but then again, it does bring additional battery life to the table. That’s probably more important to most users than a few extra inches of free space inside the bag or the pants pocket.

If you’ve been holding your breath for one of these, get ready to start breathing again as it is good to go for release early next year for just 40 Euros or about $53.

Related Posts

Galaxy S4 release date set for April, S Pen included report says

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:41 AM PST

galaxy-note-2-s-pen-2-vs-galaxy-note-s-pen-original-2

There's definitely a lot of talk about Samsung's upcoming flagship device, the Galaxy S4, at this time of year. We've seen so far a variety of rumors, and it looks like there is even more Galaxy S4-related unconfirmed stuff to look at.

This time around we have a report from South Korea that says the Galaxy S4 will launch in April, although we'll remind you to take everything with a chunk of salt for now, as we can't offer you any official release dates for this next high-end Android handset.

Furthermore, the Galaxy S4 – which is already rumored to come with a larger 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display – is now said to feature S Pen functionality right out of the box. So far Samsung has paired its stylus models with phablets and tablets alone, but it looks like it's now ready to bring the S Pen to the future Galaxy S flagship device, right alongside a variety of S Pen features.

Obviously, we're keeping close tabs on all things Galaxy S4-related, and we'll cover all the rumors and leaks out there, no matter how wild, until we find official details for you.

Are you planning to upgrade from the Galaxy S3 to the Galaxy S4 when the latter is launched?

Related Posts

The best cheap Android tablets to start 2013

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:25 AM PST

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-12

We have a breadth of low cost Android tablets available to us, but let's be honest in that some of them are just worthless. Android, being open source, is sometimes a curse. We obviously get some wonderful things from it, but we also get some stuff that makes us scratch our heads. More than most other consumers, we as Android fans need to be educated about what's out there. We love our variety, but we hate being ripped off.

Let's first define what "cheap" or "low cost" means. Every person has their own definition, so what i'm going to do is let the market decide. The Nexus lineup seems to have set the bar in terms of cost, so we'll use that as our guideline. As the market settles into the seven-inch and ten-inch form factors, we have a better idea of which tablets are worth the cash.

Don't buy a tablet…

Just hear me out on this one. The Chromebook may actually be a great option for some people. I know, I know…we're talking Android tablets here, but tablets are still a foreign concept to some. Some people can't really grasp life without a keyboard, and apps just confuse them. It really is a newer way of thinking for some, this world of apps and mobility. If you know someone like that, the Chromebook may just be a great option. While it isn't Android, it has the same basic function in so much that you can get it in WiFi or 3G, and it runs many of the same services. Sure, you don't have them in app form, but Chrome apps are coming along nicely.

If gaming is your thing, the Chromebook is definitely not for you. Playing games on a keyboard is just not a good idea, and games for Chrome are fairly lacking. Then again, if you're the type who can't live without a keyboard, maybe those types of games will appeal to you. A Chromebook may be a bit underpowered for what it is, but for those people who need something portable and easy to use, it may be a better option than a tablet. Just do yourself a favor and consider it when you are thinking about your next portable computing purchase.

samsung-chromebook-2012

Oh, that Kindle Fire

It really is a force, isn't it? The Amazon Kindle lineup has really captured people, and for good reason. It's cheap, easy to use, and doesn't let you stray too far from home. It has many of the same pros and cons as a Chromebook, just in tablet form. The Kindle also started the low cost tablet era, so in many ways, we have Amazon to thank for all this good stuff we have.

Now, for many consumers a Kindle is just not an option. While it's technically Android, it's not Android as we know and love it. It's a severely altered version meant to do one thing, and one thing only: access Amazon services. You can get many Amazon services with other tablets, but with a Kindle you are fenced in to Amazon's world of apps and services. While this isn't necessarily bad, it's not as much variety as many people would like. Many people consider Google's variety of services to be what makes Android so wonderful, so a lack of access to those services will just not satiate them.

kindle-fire-hd-89

If you're the type of person who enjoys the Amazon bubble, then by all means get the Kindle. They are nice devices, and really pack in some great hardware. The new Kindle Fire 4G LTE with AT&T service may be a really good option for those who need quick access on the go. The ability to access 250MB of data monthly could be a real lifesaver for some, and at $499 with an optional annual payment of just $50 for the data, it's not a bad financial decision.

The Fire HD is a direct competitor to the Nexus 7, at $199 with a seven-inch screen. Each tablet has their own specs which are meant to do different things. The Kindle Fire HD goes with a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, and tucks in dual-band, dual-antenna WiFi for faster downloads. It's not lip service, either. It really screams when downloading. With two other options, the Fire and Fire HD 8.9", the Amazon Kindle family has a tablet at just about every price point you could want, and all have very respectable specs. At $159 and $299 respectively, you won't feel bad for purchasing either. For me, the best part is that you can go into just about any Best Buy store and they have an Amazon kiosk which has every Kindle available for a trial run.

The best screen available

I'll be honest, I never really got the "eReader" thing. They came out about the same time as tablets, and I just didn't see the benefit to having a dedicated eReader when you could have a tablet that does so much more. Either way, the NOOK from Barnes & Noble entered the market at what many consider the wrong time. A good little eReader that was released at the genesis of the tablet revolution, Barnes & Noble’s NOOK had to switch gears quickly to adapt. They have done so admirably, but is it a good enough showing?

The NOOK does much of what the Amazon Kindle Fire family of tablets does. It is a great piece of hardware hampered by the restrictive nature of it's ecosystem. If your goal is to read books…like, a LOT of books…then the NOOK may be for you. With access to Barnes & Noble's gigantic library of books, the NOOK is an avid readers dream.

nook-hds

Let's respect that building an ecosystem is not an easy task. Barnes & Noble sunk a lot of cash into transitioning to the future, which is a large part of why they're the only real bookstore around anymore. Their investment into the NOOK lineup is admirable. Make no mistake, though, this is a fairly dedicated eReader. Sure, you have games and a few apps here and there, but much like Amazon, the real draw is the direct access to what Barnes & Noble can sell you. They have an impressive lineup of books and movies available for purchase, and the ability to visit any Barnes & Noble to get a hands-on or help with your NOOK is a really neat feature.

In terms of specs, the NOOK is a sleeper hit. Fairly competitively priced with the rest of the market, it packs some great features. The expandable storage is a great option, and the screen is the best on any Android tablet, hands down. The screen is what baffles me about the NOOK. With such a marvelous screen, it's a shame their ecosystem is so restrictive. I would love to be able to get a few awesome games on Play Store for that screen, but I can't. At 1440×900 with a 243 PPI, it's too good for simply reading, but that is it's focus.

At a bit higher cost than it's competition, the NOOK HD is a tad confusing to me. Amazing specs slowed by a really restrictive ecosystem is a conundrum I just can't come to terms with.

The Nexus

When the Nexus 7 was announced and specs began leaking out, the Android world turned on it's ear. Could it be true? Were we about to have a seven-inch tablet with those specs at that price? In the Nexus 7, you have the fulcrum of the tablet world. It brought balance to the force.

The Nexus 7 was a bit like the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album; the world simply wasn't ready for it. Amazing specs, world-beating price, pure Android experience. Geeks gasped, gamers giggled. Tegra 3 chipset, a great screen, lightweight and functional. What more could we want? No matter what discussion you have about tablets, someone will always say "just get a Nexus". At $199 for the seven-inch model, you'd be hard pressed to ignore it… or would you?

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-14

The Nexus line gives us so much, but rarely. The one Achilles’ heel of the entire Nexus lineup is the one thing we simply can't do without; the tablet itself. We can't seem to readily get our hands on one. Always "sold out", always "coming soon", always "ships in 6-7 weeks" it seems. You also can't actually get a hands-on like just about every other tablet on the market. Such a powerhouse in it's sector with no actual retail presence. A simple trip to Best Buy will get you a hands-on with just about every tablet out there, save for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. The entire Nexus line has been mired in supply and demand issues, and it's wearing on Android fans.

On the bright side, it's easily the best tablet available for the price. A stellar screen, great chipset, and a wide open ecosystem. Nexus tablets offer a very clean Android experience, with no bloatware or restrictions. You have access to the Play Store, the most robust of all ecosystems.

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-15

Sure, Amazon and Barnes & Noble have their strengths, but you can get the NOOK app as well as many Amazon apps from the Play Store. There is no membership fee as there is with Amazon Prime, and with the NOOK app it is easily comparable to that respective device.

What the Nexus 7 did for the seven-inch form factor, the Nexus 10 did for the ten-inch model — wonderful specs at a reasonable price. You can't go wrong with either. While other tablets have one or two strong suits that offset some real letdowns, the Nexus family never disappoint. They may not blow you out of the water in any regard, but there will definitely not let you down.

The rest of the bunch

We've concentrated on the major players to the low cost tablet market, but what about all the other tablets? There is a huge variety out there, and a lot of them are very respectable tablets. They all utilize the Play Store, which is an across-the-board bonus. They also have bloatware, which for an Android enthusiast is a bit annoying. With any other tablet, you'll wait for updates to come from the manufacturer. So, while all your Nexus toting buddies are enjoying Jelly Bean or Key Lime Pie (yeah, i'm gonna go ahead and run with that), you could very well be stuck in Ice Cream Sandwich land. Not that it's bad to be on ICS, it's just not as cool as being up-to-date.

Samsung has some very decent offerings in the Galaxy lineup, as well as tablets that confuse. First, the Galaxy Tab 2 is a very solid performer and available via just about any mobile provider if a 3G tablet is your flavor. They are a very solid all-around performers, but simply don't hold up to the current crop of tablets. The Galaxy Tab 2 has seen better days.

samsung-galaxy-tab-2-10.1

Where the Galaxy Tab 2 leaves off, the Galaxy Note picks up. Now, the Galaxy Note series is responsible for blurring the lines between tablet and phone. The original Note (and Note 2), a 5.5-inch "what is it?" device, has thrown the industry a curve ball. In a nutshell, it's a really good tablet… that can make phone calls. The question is, do we want that? Is that too big a device to carry around?

The newer Galaxy Note 10.1 is positioned as an all-around workhorse, much like it's little brother. With some really nice specs like a quad-core processor and expandable memory, it packs a punch. Is it better than the Google Nexus 10, which is $100 less? If you were to lay eyes on the Nexus 10's amazing 2560×1600 screen, you would probably say no.

galaxy-note-10-1-n8013-04

Acer also has a very nice tablet lineup with it's Iconia family of products. Where the Iconia usually succeeds is it's expandable memory and USB slots, making it a bit more than just a tablet. Plug in a wireless mouse or keyboard, and you've got yourself a little makeshift computer. The processors on the Iconia lineup are fairly slow, and the screens never impress, positioning them low on the totem pole of tablets. If you are in need of a tablet that can handle peripherals, and is quite a bit more affordable than other tablets in the ten-inch class, then Acer is a brand you should consider. News of an entry level Iconia seven-inch tablet currently have the world on notice, but it may never make it's way stateside.

acer-iconia-a510

ASUS has alway done a great job with tablets, most notably with the Nexus 7. Prior to that, they were in a two-horse race with Acer, blowing them away with the Transformer Pad lineup. The Transformer line is their only Android offering, and all three models are available in the ten-inch variant. If you're looking for a seven-inch offering from ASUS, you'll look no further than the Nexus 7 which is their only foray into the seven-inch class. Much like Samsung, ASUS tablets always make a strong showing and are worth consideration.

Asus-Transformer-TF300-sears

Conclusion

The tablet market is bottlenecked. So many tablets that are similar, and at similar price points. If you want a seven-inch tablet, you will be hard pressed to find a good one at less than $200 or so. For a ten-inch tablet, the Nexus 10 with it's $400 price tag may be the middle of the road pricing for it's class, but the tablet is not. You can get a less expensive ten-inch tablet like the Acer Iconia A200, although it may disappoint with it's performance.

It's also worth noting that your needs are what should drive your purchase. All the tablets noted today have very similar specs, but some have their strengths. For instance, if you have kids, an amazon Kindle Fire may be just what you need. It has a very interesting feature that allows you to be comfortable with your child's browsing and shopping activities. Maybe you don't want to take risks with relying on WiFi. If that sounds like you, then maybe a Samsung Galaxy Tab or Note available via any major mobile service provider is for you.

Then again, if you're just looking for a good tablet at a good price, you almost can't miss. Each tablet manufacturer likes to put their own apps and services on their products, so if you have a favorite brand that works for you, by all means feel free to keep it consistent. If you're just in the market for an awesome tablet that will not let you down, you've probably heard it before…and you're going to hear it again. Get a Nexus.

Related Posts

Black Samsung Galaxy Note 2 press photo leaked online

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST

black-galaxy-note-2

Black is often thought to be the standard color option for smartphones, but Samsung seems keen on replacing the timeless color with Pebble Blue and Titanium Grey when launching its new devices – as seen on the flagship Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.

Sammy has hinted before that it's going to release the Note 2 in more colors next year, but black wasn’t one of the mentioned new coat of paints. Like an answered prayer, a new picture of the Galaxy Note 2 cladded in black has emerged, bringing joy to those who don't particularly care for colors like Amber Brown, Ruby Wine, and Topaz Wine.

black-Galaxy-Note-2-full

Before you get too excited, there's still no official word on when the black Galaxy Note 2 will hit the market, but we may just see the special variant making its tech event debut at Mobile World Congress 2013. You will want to mark 25-28 February down on your calendar.

Liking the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in black? Can't wait to get your hands on one? Sound off in the comments below.

Related Posts

State of the mobile industry: Carriers

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 09:09 AM PST

best-prepaid-plans 2012

As we inch toward a true global conscience, we are increasingly dependent on being connected. Being connected is what defines us, with things like social media, blogs, and news sites. Here in the USA, we are fortunate to have a huge network of connectivity, but are we doing the right things with our network? While some consider the rest of the world behind on mobile technology, there may be a method to that madness.

To better understand the world of carriers, we have to examine thing on a global scale. There are four very major markets to consider: Europe, Canada, China, and the United States. Each has their own set of challenges, and each has huge potential. Will the United States lead the way, or are we destined for another shift in how we as customers utilize carriers?

Could there be a "global carrier"?

With each of the previously mentioned markets, there is a lot to consider. While Europe is large and populous, it's also made up of many smaller countries… each with their own set of concerns. Then we have China, a potential powerhouse with a very different set of political ideals, which presents a large hurdle. The United States and Canada are on different levels, but why? We're so alike, yet so different. Perhaps something can be learned from the example we're setting in North America.

Europe is huge, populous, very interested in tech… and in trouble. If we are to consider Europe as-is, we must consider the problems they face. It seems that almost monthly we learn of a different country on the verge of collapse.

With so much travel between countries, it seems logical that we'd see a few major carriers servicing all of Europe, but we don't. We can identify the leaders in each region, but country to country things change very drastically. While Vodafone may be tops in Italy and Germany, which have the best market penetration in Europe, you can go just a bit north to Austria and find T-Mobile with a huge market share.

While this seems silly to an American like me faced with the choice of a handful of operators, what's important to realize is that even though they have a seemingly endless amount of carriers in Europe, they all operate on the same technology. Europe is a GSM region, and that makes travel much easier. So, while users may pay a wide variety of providers in different countries, they all operate on the same network. While Europe seems to be inching toward a few major providers in T-Mobile, Vodafone, and Orange, the variety of countries will make that process slow.

Canada is a country which shares a border with the United States, but keeps it's European sensibilities. The United States was very keen on building a robust LTE network quickly, while Canada seems a bit more content to operate on GSM. Of the three major carriers (Rogers, Bell, and Telus), all are offered nationwide… and all offer LTE. While LTE may be important, it's not urgent to Canada.

sprint-4g-lte

When we talk about China, we must consider that they are a communist country. As a communist nation, their services are state-owned. While politics must be considered in this conversation, we're not here to debate the pros and cons of any political system. They have three service providers, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, all state-owned. They also have their own standard in mobile technology called TD-SCDMA. We could close the book there, but there's a bit more to the story.

Asia may be a gigantic region, but it's still an emerging market. A recent report by Ericsson Mobility suggests 2018 could see roughly 8 billion mobile subscribers in the region, with a bulk of that share in China. A recent LTE conference in China suggests the world’s most populous country considers joining the rest of the world in adopting LTE, and the same report by Ericsson notes that, by 2018 China, will trail only the United States and Western Europe in LTE adoption.

The United States is an interesting example of carriers and technology. We have four major carriers, and the division is clear. Verizon has the best network, while T-Mobile has the most affordable plans. AT&T is building a very solid LTE network, while Sprint is close behind. We have two carriers in Verizon and Sprint who operate exclusively on CDMA networks, while AT&T and T-Mobile both embrace GSM technology.

In regards to contracted services, they are all competitively priced with one another. This parity amongst carriers' plan offerings is wonderful to our wallets, but maybe not long term. Are we heading for a two-carrier system? While we have many smaller carriers in this country, we look to the major four carriers for a huge bulk of our service. If things continue as-is, we may be looking at a Verizon-AT&T monster.

tower

This is chess, not checkers

T-Mobile recently acquired Metro PCS, a smaller but respectable provider in the United States. This is set to rebuild their eroding subscriber base, as well as improve their network. While that may seem like T-Mobile is serious about being a major carrier in the United States, let's take a minute to reminisce. It wasn't long ago that AT&T was set to merge with T-Mobile. Both companies were a bit surprised when the FCC blocked the deal for " anti-competitive" reasons. So, is T-Mobile really interested in building itself for service, or are they building themselves for a sale?

Japanese company Softbank recently purchased a controlling stake in Sprint, a move which surprised many. Why would a Japanese company invest in a struggling western company like Sprint? We still don't know. We can speculate that their CEO, an eccentric character, is simply out to own the largest mobile tech company on earth. Assuming as much from a man who thinks having "four or five lines [of service] per capita is possible" may not be a stretch.

Your everything plan isn't everything

There was a time when all we did on a mobile phone was make calls. We didn't check email, and we didn't have apps. We would call someone if we needed something, as that was the best way to get hold of them. In today's world, we rarely talk on our phones. In consideration of a mobile plan, minutes available is usually the last thing on our minds. Things like data caps and tethering rule the day.

It would be logical that with the way phones work (always connected) and the way we access them (we're always connected TO them), the unlimited data plan would be the standard. For the most part, it is standard. Verizon, however, is trying to change things up a bit by offering shared data for families. We won't debate the ins-and-outs of such a plan (Chris Smith did that nicely in the article itself), but what is interesting is that the largest company with the richest network is asking us to concede. While it may work financially for a family of four to choose such a plan, it won't work for the individual.

verizon-share-everything-plan-2

When Verizon draws a line in the sand about data usage, it may seem like one company making a decision in their interest… but consider the ripple effect. Other companies may look to that example and react accordingly. Will we ever see an unlimited plan on an LTE network? Probably not, but let's be hopeful. At one point or another in time, LTE will be the standard in all major markets. While the faster speed of LTE will allow you to access more data, remember that if your unlimited plan goes the way of the dinosaur, what does accessing more data matter? You burn through your data quicker every month, and that's somehow better? We still have WiFi, but that's not what a mobile carrier and mobile device are about.

Dish Network

What does the future hold for us?

There was a question posed earlier about a global carrier that was never answered. In all our discussion today, there is one (currently) minor aspect of mobile carriers we didn't discuss, and that's the MVNO, or "Mobile Virtual Network Operator". If you're unfamiliar with the term, an MVNO is a third-party provider who simply piggybacks onto a network. This has the potential to severely undermine the major carriers who have plans we either can't afford or don’t work for us.

Let's daydream for a second. Let's assume that Google offers plans to coincide with the Nexus lineup, as they've been exploring. Google would operate as an MVNO, essentially renting spectrum from the various carriers who they license from. If a globally popular company like Google, with services that reach nearly every corner of earth, offered plans as an MVNO, it could be a real wake-up call to the industry. If popular enough, it would turn carriers into little more than landlords of mobile towers and antenna rather than actual service providers. With the popularity of unlocked Google devices such as the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4, this is entirely plausible.

Related Posts

Nexus 4 goes for free on Carphone Warehouse, monthly payment starts at £26

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:43 AM PST

nexus-4-comparison

We've told you earlier about an app that lets you check for the availability of the Nexus 4. But if you're getting tired of waiting for Google and LG to replenish the Nexus 4 stock in the UK, you may want to consider snagging the flagship phone on contract instead, especially now that it's "free".

The free Nexus 4 deal is offered by Carphone Warehouse. No stress involved, no F5 button mashing required – the 16GB Nexus 4 is yours as long as you sign up for a two-year contract with Orange and pay £26 per month. The plan comes with 400 minutes, unlimited text, and 250MB data. If you don't think you'll be using the device to make too many phone calls, you can opt for the 200 minutes and 750MB plan for the same price.

Other bundles are also available for O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Three UK customers, but their monthly plans are slightly more expensive than Orange's. In most cases, you'll still get the N4 for free.

Hit the link above if you’re interested in buying the Nexus 4 with a contract.

Related Posts

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


LG Display looks to take Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 off the market with ban

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:51 PM PST

What, you thought Apple was the only problem Samsung had to deal with in the mobile realm? It looks like two South Korean companies will get ready to battle in court over display patents. LG Display is claiming Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 infringes on display technology that makes it easier to view the tablet’s display at many different viewing angles.

The goal for LG Display is to get the tablet banned at all levels, including importation, retail and even manufacturing. While such a ban likely won’t phase Samsung it’s a strong first punch to throw at the manufacturer’s biggest slate. Samsung Display’s vice president — Shim Jaeboo — has already responded, saying LG Display’s claims are unjustified. He didn’t go into much detail as to how, but to release a statement so swiftly and boldly suggests Samsung has confidence that this case won’t go far.

Should LG get its way, it will also look to rake in around $933,000 per day for each day of “continued non-compliance.” We’re not sure if they’re counting the days since the tablet has been on sale as “non-compliance,” but in that case a bit of quick, dirty math tells me that would be about $130 million to date.

Samsung has been hit with much harder, of course, as they once faced a possible $1.1 billion penalty for its scuffle with Apple, though it looks as though Samsung will successfully ward that one off. That seems like pocket change for such a big electronics company that has been breaking sales records all year, but we’re sure they’d still hate to take the loss. We’ll keep half an eye on this one, folks.

[via Taipei Times]

Got a Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2? Get a free Flip Cover and NFC Tectiles by registering it with Samsung

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:23 PM PST

This image has no alt text

If you’re on Facebook, you might want to run on over to Samsung Mobile USA’s Facebook page here and register your new Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2. Why? Because if you do, Samsung will send a “care package” your way as a free gift. Inside, you’ll find one of their official Flip Covers (in either pink, blue, orange, or guacamole) and a few NFC TecTiles.

What’s more, newly registered Samsung owners will also receive a 50%-off coupon code for the accessory of their choice on Samsung’s official web store. There you can get a spare battery for the device of your device, bluetooth headset, or even additional Flip Covers for half off. Not too bad, right?

UPDATE: If you don’t have a Galaxy Note 2 or Galaxy S3, you wont receive a Flip Cover or the TecTiles. You do still get the 50% off coupon as a door prize.

You’ll need to enable the Facebook app first, then revisit the link to get the popup for registering your device. Enter in the necessary information and you’ll then receive an email to receive your care package. Better hurry as supplies are limited.

Thanks, Steven!

[Samsung Facebook]

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 coming in black

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST

Just like clockwork, Samsung seems to be prepping a black version of its Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Just as the OEM did with the Pebble Blue edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3, it decided to pair the white Galaxy Note 2 with a more interesting color than the typical jet black. It was pretty close, though, as the dark titanium grey could easily be mistaken for a black device (though the texture and shading still made it stand out from typical smartphones).

It’s believed Samsung won’t be ready to introduce this alternate color until Mobile World Congress goes down in Barcelona this coming February, though, and by that time it might be getting overshadowed by the possible introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The timing would be inconvenient if Samsung’s trying to roll some thunder into an alternate color launch, but those types of launches aren’t typically met with a huge parade so we imagine that’s not much of an issue.

The biggest question is where, exactly, will this black version launch? And could Samsung be preparing higher capacity editions? Most folks in Europe and North America are bound by a meager 16GB of internal storage, so we’re sure a lot of people would be happy to hear about possible 32GB and/or 64GB editions coming to town. There’s a microSD card slot, of course, but the more on-board storage, the better. I’m just going off on a wishful thinking tangent, though, so don’t mind me. Take a look at what you can expect above.

[via SamMobile]

PSA: Don’t download any apps from “apkdeveloper”

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:06 AM PST

Well, guys, it looks like we have another unfortunate episode of a malware scare on our hands. An illegitimate developer account in the Google Play Store has recently been uncovered, and it’s been uploading some very suspicious apps. For starters, many of the apps are total ripoffs of other people’s work. The more well-known victims include Imangi and its Temple Run game, as well as Glu Mobile and its Contract Killer Zombies.

The developer, simply named “apkdeveloper,” seems to be decompiling the APKs, injecting potentially harmfiul code, and recompiling and reuploading them to pose as legitimate games and apps in the Play Store. All of the apps have “super” at the end of their names, but the only thing super about them is the super huge list of device permissions in comparison to the legit copies of these games.

For instance, Imangi’s Temple Run only asks for full network access and the ability to perform read and write operations to storage. The infringing Temple Run Super, on the other hand, asks for all of that alongside location information, phone status and identity, access to accounts on the device, the ability to run at startup and more.

As many are understandably afraid to install the application we’re not yet sure what the code might be capable of, but several reports suggest it delivers unwanted ads to several parts of your device. You could see an ad on the home-screen or your notification bar, for instance. And while that might not seem harmful it’s still downright annoying, obtrusive and there’s no telling what else is going on behind the scenes.

As I always say when it comes to downloading apps: be thorough. Check the name of the developer, check the reviews, check the descriptions and make sure you’re always downloading from legitimate sources. Do yourself a favor and find a few of these apps on the Play Store from your device — not to download, of course, but to report them to Google. Not only will this get the apps out of the Play Store, but Google will probably shut the developer account down entirely if it gets too many flags.

These are the unfortunate pitfalls we have to deal with on occasion if we want a more open market for downloading apps, but just as Smokey the Bear always reminds us that forest fires can be prevented, I’m here to remind you that this doesn’t have to become a bigger issue than it is.

Be safe, folks, and be sure to help some of the more oblivious Android users out by taking the time to report a few of these straight from your Android device. PS: Google, you REALLY need to implement a report link on the web version of the Play Store

[via Reddit, thanks Ashley!].

Motorola DROID RAZR M coming in HD flavor?

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:48 AM PST

The Motorola DROID RAZR M was a bit underwhelming when it was announced earlier this year, but it was never a bad device. In fact, the main complaint against it was the fact that the display wasn’t HD. Instead it launched with qHD resolution, and it was placed onto Verizon’s store shelves at the mid-range point.

It seems that might not have been enough for the OEM and carrier, though, as an HD variant is said to be in the works. PhoneArena picked up on the news from an unnamed source, and even has a nice, long list of specs for us to go over.

The device will reportedly house a 4.5 inch 720p display which gives us an astounding 326 ppi, a 3,300mAh battery which should give up to 21 hours of talk time, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and more.

If all this sounds too familiar, the it’s probably because it sounds an awful lot like a DROID RAZR MAXX HD. The battery certainly matches that device’s capabilities, we’re looking at the same chipset, and aside from the rumored DROID RAZR M HD being .2 inches smaller it should house many of the same components. We can’t be too sure what the motive for this refresh is with the base RAZR series already out there, but we’re not mad to be getting more options at all.

We have no idea when Motorola would be bringing the device out, but it’s quick turnaround for a simple refresh. The original RAZR M was released in September so a turnaround time of less than half a year would be insane. Heck, anything short of 10 months would be ridiculous.

That said, it’s just a rumor so there’s not much sense in putting a ton of stock into it. A word of advice, though: if this excites you then just go ahead and get yourself a RAZR MAXX HD because it’s almost the exact same device as far as internals go.

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S4 coming with S Pen

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST

Yesterday we got a look at some concept renderings for a group of Russians’ idea of what the Samsung Galaxy S4 would turn out to be, but now it’s time turn our attention to some actual rumors. Today’s report won’t contain a massive list of specs to rundown, but the one detail we do get to ponder is one that could drastically change the landscape of Samsung’s 2013 lineup.

According to Korean sources, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will come with the very S Pen support that sets the Samsung Galaxy Note series apart from everything else. This would imply Samsung’s looking to go at least 5 inches as far as display size goes, but that’s another story for another day. The S4 would introduce all the familiar S Pen features we’ve come to know and love, as well as new features that Samsung’s sure to be cooking up as I type.

The implications for the Galaxy Note line would be unclear at this point. It’s likely Samsung could be looking to merge the two lines with the Samsung Galaxy S name taking precedence. Perhaps Samsung found it less desirable to market two flagship devices — after all, the Galaxy Note is poised to become just as big as the Galaxy S4 at the rate Samsung is going.

Samsung found quite the niche market with the Samsung Galaxy Note, and combining the two would help line its pockets even more. After all, what sense does it make to have your main flagship play second fiddle to the “little big brother” each year? While some characteristics of the Galaxy S3 — such as its less encumbering size — are more desirable for some people, it’s no secret that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 either matches it or outclasses it in every other way.

And it’s not like the Galaxy Note name would die. Samsung still has a tablet line to uphold the name with, and if other recent rumors are to be believed then it could be looking to round that portfolio out soon. The OEM is said to be coming to town with a 7 inch version of the tablet to complement the 10 inch version currently available.

None of this is 100% certain, of course, but should Samsung decide to go this route then it would make a lot of sense. If the rumor mill that was spinning leading up to the Galaxy S3′s launch is anything to go by we won’t know much until the very last possible second. Still, we’re hoping to hear more about what the Samsung Galaxy S4 will bring to the table as we get close to an eventual late Sprint or early Summer launch. What say you to all of this?

[Enuri via PhoneArena]

OUYA development console gets unboxed, developer portal now open [VIDEO]

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 07:12 AM PST

Yesterday, we reported that OUYA was beginning to ship development consoles a day early. Over 1,200 development consoles were shipped to those who applied for the pricey package on Kickstarter, and many are scheduled to arrive today (most will get their consoles starting next week). Instead of waiting for shaky, blurrycam unboxings from those who ordered one, though, the OUYA team has taken it upon itself to release an official unboxing.

The development console will be visibly different from the final package. For starters, the hardware is housed by clear plastic. You’ll be able to see the guts of the controllers and the console itself at all times. This doesn’t help much, but it does look cool and drives home the fact that OUYA is an open console for developers t do whatever they want.

The kit comes with the console, two controllers, batteries for each controller, a microUSB cable, an HDMI cable, a power cable and an international power adapter. This development console can easily be taken apart for any developer wanting to give the components a deep tissue massage — simply screw the top off and pull the main circuit board out.

Seeing them do it on the video was kind of like seeing that scene in Vampire in Brooklyn when Eddie Murphy pulled that guy’s heart out. Yea, like that. The team revealed an internal fan as one of the newest additions to the package to ensure the OUYA would stay as cool as it can if developers want to push the most they can out of it.

The OUYA team stresses that the console does not come with any games out of the box. This thing isn’t for fun just yet — that’s why they’re development kits. Developers’ jobs are to provide the fun, so the only thing you should be focused on after getting your development console is downloading the ODK and getting started on bringing your great wares over. You can find the developers’ portal here for everything you need to get started.

[via OUYA]

Android Overload: Sony Xperia Z coming to CES 2013, 50% off sale on Hyperdevbox games, and more

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:58 AM PST

This image has no alt text

The Android Overload is where we stash all of the stories/articles/news bits that didn't make it onto our front page from throughout the day. But just because they weren't featured, doesn't mean they aren't worth taking a look at. In fact, there's almost always a little something here for everyone. So, take a look around and let us know if you find anything of interest.

  • Hyperdevbox Studio discounts $14 strategy RPG’s to $7 – That’s half off! [Google Play]
  • 17.4 million iOS and Android devices activated on Christmas. Smashes previous record. [Flurry]
  • Sony Xperia Z to be unveiled at CES 2013. Top of the line specs, 5-inch 1080p display. [ePrice]
  • 1 in 4 Americans now own a tablet. [Pew]
  • Hyundai announces NFC unlockable automobiles. [Slashgear]
  • Pebble Watch gets torn down by the FCC. Launching imminent? [WirelessGoodness]

New images of Huawei Ascend D2 leak: Looks like Frankenstein’s iPhone Galaxy X

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 08:04 PM PST

This image has no alt text

The Huawei Ascend D2 is gearing up for its CES 2013 debut in a few weeks but before we could even get our hands on it, the company’s flagship device seems to have popped up in a handful of leaked pics. Announced back in October, the Huawei Ascend D2 is the successor to the Ascend D1 and features a slew of top of the line specs. Notably a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera, and Jelly Bean. All of this running off a beefy 3,000mAh battery. Intrigued? So was I…. until I saw what it looked like.

A mishmash of bits and pieces from from some of the most popular smartphones in the world, Huawei’s Ascend D2 might take home the Ms. Congeniality award. Your eyes will no doubt notice a metal band along the edges of the device complete with billet drilled speaker on the bottom. iPhone, anyone? The plasticy white front mirrors that of an LG or Samsung device, and on the back there’s big camera nipple similar to the one found on the HTC One X (although HTC’s nudity is more classy). It’s all of these design choices that give the Huawei Ascend D2 our unofficial title of “iPhone Galaxy X.”

We’ll reserve judgment until we can get the final product in our hands. With CES 2013 just a few more weeks away, it wont be too much longer. What do you guys think of the design? Perhaps we’re being a bit too “iPhone sensitive?”

[via Unwired View | ITHome]