Android Central |
- Facebook Pages Manager now available in the U.S. and UK
- Archos FamilyPad 2 hands on
- Hands-on with the ZTE Grand S LTE
- Hands-on with Acer's £99, 7-inch B1 tablet
- Eyes-on with official Galaxy Camera accessories
- Three UK pushing out Android 4.1.2 update to Samsung Galaxy S3
- Pantech Perception possibly leaked for Verizon, packs Qualcomm S4 and 720p screen
- This is why you never want to break your smartphone screen
- Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience Day 3: CES + BlackBerry CEO = 1 Amazing Day!
- Samsung announces the 8-core Exynos 5 Octa mobile processor
- ZTE makes Grand S official, enters the 5 inch, 1080p space initially only in China
- Panasonic unveils the 7" JT-B1 Toughpad
- Acer Iconia B1-A71 to cost from €119, to go on sale in Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Sony Xperia Z reportedly hitting three Australian carriers in March
- Chameleon Launcher for phones finally shown off on video
- Lenovo K900 hands-on
- Eyes-on with the Polaroid iM1836 Android-powered camera
- Mitts on with the almighty Android oven
- T-Mobile talks LTE, MLB, Voice HD, and more at CES keynote
- Anymode's line of luxury Galaxy cases confirms Samsung's accessory dominance
| Facebook Pages Manager now available in the U.S. and UK Posted: 09 Jan 2013 04:43 PM PST
The Facebook Pages Manager application for Android launched initially last week. Sort of. While the app was no doubts in the Google Play Store, it wasn't actually available in a number of countries around the world, including the U.S. and the UK. As of today, the app is showing an update in the Play Store, but still remains on Version 1.0, but is now available in the U.S Play Store and in the UK too. Facebook Pages Manager does exactly what it says on the box. In much the same way the Facebook application enables users to manage their personal profiles, Pages Manager does the same for page admins. Looking through the Play Store comments though, there does seem to be an issue with the notifications -- reports suggest that you simply can't just turn them off permanently. In any case, if this is something you've been waiting on, grab yourselves a copy from the Play Store link above. Thanks droid4g32!
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 04:34 PM PST
Well that was quick. Just a few months after Archos introduced their behemoth, family-sized FamilyPad to the UK, the company is here in Las Vegas showing off their follow-up, the FamilyPad 2. Archos was tight-lipped on specs and specifics, but recent rumors suggest the FamilyPad 2 will feature a minor processor bump with a 1.6 GHz Cortex A9-- up from the original's 1 GHz A8. The other major improvement is in onboard storage-- look for 16GB here rather than eight. Based on what we saw today, it looks like the FamilyPad 2 will ship with Jelly Bean, a welcome addition. Aside from the minor bumps, the rest of the specs look to be the same, including 1 GB of RAM and that behemoth 13.3-inch IPS display. It's a beauty, despite its relatively low 1280 x 800 resolution. As you can see in the video below, handling this thing takes some flexibility, as the sheer size and weight make one-handed operation downright impossible. Make no mistake about it: this thing is a beast, and puts on no airs about being portable or lightweight. The upside of its huge size is its multimedia capabilities-- watching videos, movies, and streaming content will look gorgeous, and the FamilyTab 2 is large enough for multi-person viewing. As you can see, Archos had it on a nice stand, which in your home would make the FamilyTab 2 a nice small television replacement. Performance wise, everything seems up to snuff, though we would have loved to test out some games, which this tablet will certainly be ideal for. With Jelly Bean onboard and a more-than-capable processor, I wasn't able to find any lag or serious problems with the basic UI, though we'll reserve judgment until we get one in our home. As always, we'll keep our eyes peeled for a proper spec sheet, release and pricing information. More photos and a hands-on video can be found after the break. 
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| Hands-on with the ZTE Grand S LTE Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:42 PM PST
ZTE just made its latest flagship Grand S LTE official here at CES 2013, and we've got our hands on it. This is definitely the top of the line model for ZTE right now, joining in on the 1080P display game. As for the specs, they're all top of the line as well. We're looking at a 5-inch 1080x1920 display, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (SDcard expandable,) 13MP / 2MP cameras, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and support for both DLNA streaming and MHL displays. This thing certainly checks all the boxes. The external hardware is pretty high quality, with a nice unibody plastic construction that covers the entire back all the way up to the screen bezels. The 13MP camera is set in a piano black finished area that's slightly raised from the rest of the back plate. At just 6.9mm thick the Grand S LTE feels paper thin, but the curves around the sides make it still comfortable to hold. There are capacitive buttons -- back, home, menu -- on the bottom bezel, but they don't seem to light up very brightly. The display is quite nice, but it's really hard to judge in terrible trade show lighting conditions. The one potential complaint after spending some time with it is that some of the devices were very glossy, which may turn some people away. Thankfully some of the other colors had more of a matte finish to them. Speaking of colors, ZTE has gone all-out with the selection here. From our count, there's light pink, dark pink (nearly red,) mint green, light grey, bright yellow, black and white colors of the Grand S LTE available. Stick around after the break for a quick run-through of the software, as well as many pictures and hands-on video of the device from the show floor. 
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| Hands-on with Acer's £99, 7-inch B1 tablet Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST
When designing a tablet at this price point, there are some corners that need to be cut. The B1 is a plasticky device with a fairly low-quality 1024x600 LCD display, and a rather odd beveled pattern around the back. It's not a premium product, but something designed to offer a basic Android experience at the lowest possible price point. Its size and weight is roughly comparable to that of the Nexus 7. Inside is a Mediatek 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB of RAM, which copes with running Jelly Bean fairly well considering it's far from bleeding edge hardware, although we noticed some lag and stuttering during our time with a CES demo unit. There's 8GB of internal storage available out of the box, expandable through the tablet's microSD slot. The Acer Iconia B1 is set to become available from late January. U.S. pricing has yet to be revealed, but in the eurozone it's expected to retail for under €130. We've got more photos after the break. 
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| Eyes-on with official Galaxy Camera accessories Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:36 PM PST
Fast forward to CES 2013, where Samsung had its full range of real, finalized Galaxy Camera accessories on show. Some of the more fanciful stuff has disappeared, giving way to -- amongst other things -- a couple of standardized leather case designs, including a "premium pouch" with a shoulder strap. Also on display on the show floor were official battery packs, charging stands and screen protectors, as well as AllShare Cast dongle for wirelessly connecting the camera to a TV. Finally, there was a redesigned wrist strap on show in each of the four Galaxy Camera color options. Unfortunately there was very little info on when and where these accessories will go on sale; Samsung reps on the show floor offered a rather vague release window of H1 2013. So while you wait, you can check out more photos of Samsung's Galaxy Camera accessories after the break. 
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| Three UK pushing out Android 4.1.2 update to Samsung Galaxy S3 Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:18 PM PST
The update train for the Samsung Galaxy S3 continues to roll, and next up to push out Android 4.1.2 to the S3 is Three UK. Some users are reporting that they received the update this past Sunday, but Three has officially confirmed that they are indeed pushing out 4.1.2. With the update also comes Samsung's 'premium suite' that includes a range of new Touchwiz features, including multi-window. Three says that the update is available to download now via Kies, but an OTA is also rolling out. If you've managed to snag it for yourselves, be sure to share your experiences with us in the comments below or head on into our Samsung Galaxy S3 forums. Source: Three UK 
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| Pantech Perception possibly leaked for Verizon, packs Qualcomm S4 and 720p screen Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST
It looks like AT&T isn't the only one getting a mid-range device from Pantech this quarter, as the Perception has apparently leaked out sporting big red's logo. Not a lot of details came with, but it's rumored to have a 720p LCD and a Qualcomm S4 under the hood. If this matches what we're about to see from the Pantech Discover, we expect a decent camera and low price point as well. Not much ore we can say here, other than it's that time of year again. Expect to see as many leaks and rumors as you can handle during this year's Q1 trade show rush. Source: Unwired View 
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| This is why you never want to break your smartphone screen Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:34 PM PST
We look at a lot of teardown videos and hear stories about screen replacements, but Youtube user LE55ONS has thirty minutes and ten seconds worth of reasons that you never want it to happen. Watch the grueling video of an entire screen replacement after the break, then go buy a case so this is never you. Thanks for showing me this, Eric. I think. 
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| Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience Day 3: CES + BlackBerry CEO = 1 Amazing Day! Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST  After a night of good times, good friends and a few (maybe more) good drinks, today was the BIG day… CES baby! Our crew was raring to get down to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and even though a few had later starts than others… all made it down to the LVCC to check out the goodness (and craziness) that is CES. 
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| Samsung announces the 8-core Exynos 5 Octa mobile processor Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:20 AM PST
Not to be outdone by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 announcement, or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 news, Samsung has announced the Exynos 5 Octa. It's an octa-core CPU that was designed with low power mobile devices in mind and uses ARM's big.LITTLE processing.
What that means, is that there are two groups of four cores that can run at any given time. When performance is needed, four Cortex A15 cores can handle the heavy lifting, and when doing more common tasks, you have four Cortex A7 cores to take care of things. Because it's using this strategy, this chip is more suitable form small form factor devices like phones. Samsung says this tech will allow the chip to use up to 70-percent less power than a traditional quad-core A15 SoC, or even a dual core Exynos 5 like the one seen in the Nexus 10. We may not have received the Galaxy S4 news everyone was wanting, but this may be even better. Expect to see this chip make it's way into tablets, Chromebooks, and phones this year. 
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| ZTE makes Grand S official, enters the 5 inch, 1080p space initially only in China Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:43 AM PST
As with so many of the devices announced at CES this week, the ZTE Grand S has leaked all over the place in the run up to the show. Nevertheless, today ZTE has made the device officially official, and they're bringing their 'A' game to the table with it. Like fellow devices from Sony, and Huawei, the Grand S packs a 5 inch, 1080p display. They're billing it as the "worlds thinnest smartphone" -- although, they're not the first to make that statement this week. It is thin though, make no mistake, coming in at just 6.9mm. Underneath the Grand S is powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of on board storage. On the software side, the Grand S runs Jelly Bean, has camera wise there's a hefty 13MP shooter on the rear, and a 2MP front facing camera. And, of course, 1080p video recording. The Grand S is also LTE compatible, which bodes well should we see it any western markets. And, speaking of availability, at present only ZTE's native China is slated to see the Grand S, with a release due sometime in Q1. The full press release can be found after the break. 
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| Panasonic unveils the 7" JT-B1 Toughpad Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:26 AM PST
Panasonic has expanded their Toughpad line with the introduction of the 7-inch JT-B1, bringing military grade construction and toughness in a new smaller form factor. Like the 10-inch predecessor (which is still available), the JT-B1 is designed to meet MIL-STD-810G durability certifications and IP-65 specifications for ingress protection. In simple terms, that means the thing is tough -- hence the name Toughpad. Like the popular Toughbook line of laptops, the JT-B1 is built for folks who need a tablet that won;t be destroyed by the environment it is working in. Users in fields such as construction, first responders, warehouse and industrial work, and utility companies need a mobile solution that won't fall apart. Toughpads are built to take the abuse. Panasonic lists the Toughpad JT-B1's key features.
The JT-B1 isn't going to be the lightest or prettiest tablet available, and at $1,199 (available in February) it's certainly not the cheapest. It's also not going to be something most of us will pick up for casual use. Based on the specs it looks like it will excel in it's intended use case, and Panasonic hopes for 80-percent market penetration with the Toughpad line. Hit the break for the full press release and a short product video. 
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| Acer Iconia B1-A71 to cost from €119, to go on sale in Europe, Middle East and Africa Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:08 AM PST
The Acer Iconia B1-A71 -- rolls right of the tongue, doesn't it -- is the manufacturer's latest Android tablet offering with a distinctly budget target market. While the hardware specs are pretty low end compared to some of the latest and greatest, it does at least bring Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for a reasonable price. When the device leaked pre-CES, we were expecting the B1-A71 to be aimed at the more emerging tablet markets, and one pre-show leak from Bulgaria seemed to back this up. The official word from Acer is that the tablet will be launched in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from mid-January. The price? Starting at €119 (£97/$155.) On the conversion rates alone, it prices still £60 and $45 less than the Google Nexus 7, and for many the extra money is more than worth the notable step up in hardware. But, this tablet isn't necessarily for us, or for anyone who wants a Nexus 7. Some of the markets that will be receiving this tablet don't have the Nexus 7 for sale, or if they do, it's at a high premium. The marketing for this tablet is also aimed at first-time buyers, and children. And ultimately, if it helps get more Android into more hands, for not much money, it can't be all bad, right? Source: Acer 
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| Sony Xperia Z reportedly hitting three Australian carriers in March Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:04 AM PST
Some great news arrives for our friends down under who may be gazing enviously at Sony's new 5 inch Xperia Z. According to a report from Gizmodo Australia, Vodafone and Optus are likely picking up the 1080p smartphone. The information comes from the gentleman in the driving seat at Sony Mobile Oceania, so it should hopefully stack up. This follows a confirmation to carry the device by Telstra, where a product registration page is now open. As in the UK, the Xperia Z is expected to launch in Australia in March. Thinking of picking one up? Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our hands on with the Xperia Z from CES 2013. Source: Gizmodo Australia via Ausdroid 
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| Chameleon Launcher for phones finally shown off on video Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:42 AM PST Chameleon Launcher garnered quite a bit of attention when it first launched for tablets. Its widget centric UI may not be for everyone, but it's different, and makes great use of tablet screen real estate. There has been talk of a phone version coming to market, and the developers, Teknision, have recruited for private alpha testers of the product. But, how well will it work on a phone?
Some of the curiosity is laid to rest, as on the official developer blog the first video footage of Chameleon for phones is shown off. It looks pretty interesting, and might surprise some as to how well it transitions to the smaller screen. They show it running on the Galaxy Note 2 and the Nexus 4, and highlight features such as the scrollable app tray, and folders. To get to the phones, you need to skip ahead in the video to 1:52. Before that though, Teknision shows off some new features surrounding folders on the tablet version. As we mentioned, Chameleon for phones is in a private alpha testing stage at present, but Teknision hopes to release a public beta to their Kickstarter supporters of the app soon. Additionally, the developers are present at CES 2013 in Las Vegas this week, showing off the product in person. Source: Teknision 
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| Posted: 08 Jan 2013 08:50 PM PST
Lenovo introduced its latest flagship smartphone tonight here at CES in Las Vegas, and it looks like it will live up to the hype: the K900 manages to pack a 5.5-inch, 1080P IPS display atop a strikingly-slim 6.9mm body weighing in at a mere 162 grams. The K900 is powered by Intel's brand new Clover Trail+ 2GHz Atom processor along with 2GB of RAM -- coupled with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, this is set to become one of the most powerful smartphones on the market today.
The goodies don't end there -- the K900’s 13 MP camera should be atop any shutterbug's wishlist, boasting a Sony Exmor BSI sensor and a F1.8 lens for remarkable low-light performance. The front-facer isn't too shabby, either, sporting a super-wide angle lens. The first thing you’ll notice about the K900 is its industrial design, with exposed screws, sharp corners, and both a gun metal black and two-tone silver finish -- this is more of a tool than a toy. It’s a huge device, no doubt, but it feels great in the hand, more akin to the Droid DNA than the Note 2 thanks to its more tall, less wide shape. And at 400 PPI, the display practically jumps off of the phone and slaps you in the face. Simply stunning. Here’s the bad news: unfortunately, Lenovo has no plans to bring the K900 to North America, making this limited-market device the best smartphone American’s can’t buy. The K900 will head to China, India, Russia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam in the coming months for an undisclosed price. Our hands-on video and gallery are after the break. 
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| Eyes-on with the Polaroid iM1836 Android-powered camera Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:59 PM PST
The iM1836 is constructed of glossy plastic, and the build quality isn't the best out there. But on the other hand, you're getting smartphone functionality on a camera at the $350 price point. It's packing an 18.1 sensor, although because the demo units were nonfunctional, we were unable to test its photographic capabilities. Consulting the spec sheet, it appears the iM1836 will also include an HDMI type b port, "HD" video recording, panoramic pictures and ISO up to 3200 and a pop-up flash. Storage is provided through a microSD slot. The kit lens is a 10-30mm f/3.0-5.6 attachment, and Polaroid tells us an adapter will allow it to work with other micro four-thirds lenses. On the Android side, Polaroid promises Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Various capacitive buttons along the side of the 3.5-inch tilting screen take care of software controls. And unfortunately, that's all we can say about the software. The lack of working demo units means there isn't much we can say about this device until we get finalized units in our hands. Nevertheless, it's the first Android-powered camera with interchangeable lenses, and that's an important milestone if nothing else. More photos after the break. 
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| Mitts on with the almighty Android oven Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:46 PM PST
Forget Tegra 4 and its its 72 GPUs. Forget NVIDIA's Project Shield handheld gaming console. Hell, forget Sony's beautiful 4K televisions and its also-impressive new Xperia Z smarpthone. No, this is what everyone's buzzing about here at CES in beautiful Las Vegas, where dreams are made, fortunes are won and lost. The Android oven. Yes. It's an oven. That you cook food in. And it's running Android. Not for the heat, mind you. That's silly. It's a relatively normal (if stylish) convection oven, just like mom uses to make your banana bread. (I've had your mom's banana bread, and it's great.) Only, yeah. This one's got an Android brain inside it that, well, runs Android. It'll run Android apps, yeah, but the real purpose for all this is that it'll walk you through the cooking process, and send you alerts when it's time to baste the turkey. That's pretty much what connected devices have done for the past year, but this one's making all the noise this week here in Vegas. So there. We've got some video after the break for you Android-oven-loving fans out there. Namaste. 
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| T-Mobile talks LTE, MLB, Voice HD, and more at CES keynote Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:15 PM PST
Tonight at their CES 2013 keynote, T-Mobile had a lot to say about their future, tossing out all sorts of announcements covering things from LTE to baseball. Nothing absolutely shocking, but it's nice to see even the smallest of the big four has plans for the future.
They talked LTE a little bit, noting that they planned to have 100 Million folks covered by the middle of this year, 200 Million by the end of the year, and the rollout would start in Vegas in just a few weeks. Plan for the Galaxy S3 (Galaxy S III) to act as the first official LTE device, with more coming. In addition to enabling LTE, they are working on what they call HD Voice, which is an improved voice network providing much clearer calls than we're used to from mobile devices. The HTC One S and Samsung Galaxy S3 are two of the devices named that will take advantage of the new feature. Finally, they finished talking network updates and rollouts by announcing an expanded high speed 4G (of the HSPA variety) in Denver, Virginia Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego. To take advantage of all this, T-Mobile is extending their unlimited, not-throttled 4G plan to include no contract post paid customers. This will start tomorrow (January 9). Tablets and laptops can now take advantage of what is being called 4G connect, where qualifying devices will receive 200MB of free service per month, for two full years. We've seen Google and Verizon offer something similar with the Chromebook program, and this will require a purchase from T-Mobile. To wrap things up, the also announced that T-Mobile is now the official wireless partner of Major League Baseball. T-Mobile will provide an on-field communications service that rides on the back of their nationwide 4G service. They feel that this will modernize the traditional game of baseball. It sounds like there are big things planned for T-Mobile customers, and we're excited to see things play out.
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| Anymode's line of luxury Galaxy cases confirms Samsung's accessory dominance Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:08 PM PST
CES is always a breeding ground for some really spectacular smartphone accessories, and 2013 is no exception. What's truly unique about this tradeshow is how diverse it tends to be-- for a week, Las Vegas is home to some of the newest and best styles from all over the globe. Today, we caught a look at what Korean manufacturer Anymode is doing with its line of accessories. Currently, Anymode is only available for import through their website-- don't expect to find any of these designs here in the States. What's noteworthy about these accessories is the way Samsung has managed to spur innovation around the world-- here's a perfect example of stunning detail designed exclusively for Galaxy devices (and the iPhone, but who cares). I've said it before and I'll say it again-- Samsung's success isn't due as much to its hardware as it is to its ecosystem. Aside from iOS products, the Galaxy line is by and large the Android devices with the most accessories to choose from, which is more of a deciding factor when purchasing a phone than most care to admit. Personally, I love my DNA much more than my Galaxy Note 2, but the DNA's lack of accessories, compared with the Note 2's plethora, is a major drag for this HTC customer. Anymode's full line of cases and accessories for the Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S 3 and the Galaxy Camera can be found in the gallery below-- we'll continue to gather eye candy as we stumble across it, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that some of these designs will soon hit American shelves. 
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