Android Phone Fans |
- Is this the HTC M7 with Sense 5.0? [PICS]
- Android 4.1 available for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and 7.0 in the US
- ZTE Grand S to be available in US later this year
- AT&T announces plans to carry Lenovo IdeaTab A2107
- Nexus 4 coming with Android 4.2.2 in Brazil and Malaysia?
- IntoNow update adds CapIt, live sports updates and more
- First African-made tablet and smartphone come to the continent
- Toy Defense “Hard Winter” update brings 24 new levels
| Is this the HTC M7 with Sense 5.0? [PICS] Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:08 PM PST We’ve been hearing a bit about the HTC M7 for quite some time now, and we largely expect HTC’s next flagship device to launch at Mobile World Congress next month. The rumor train is already off to a good start, and today’s leak brings us what could be our first early look at the device. We don’t get much — it’s a rectangular device with an HTC logo — but there it is regardless.
More than that, though, we might have gotten our first look at HTC Sense 5.0, as well. From what we get there isn’t much different or new compared to Sense 4+ outside of some slightly different icons and lock screen arrangement, but we imagine the meat of the changes will be found deeper within the OS. We’ll have to see if anything else comes of it before Mobile World Congress rolls around, but at the very least expect another fine device from HTC as the company looks to find its way after a horrible fourth quarter. |
| Android 4.1 available for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and 7.0 in the US Posted: 11 Jan 2013 01:31 PM PST Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in the United States are going to have quite the fun weekend as Samsung has just released some desirable software for you to play with. That’s right — Jelly Bean is now headed straight to the American variants of the tablets after enjoying a brief stint on the European editions.
Jelly Bean brings the usual cast of characters in the way of features, including Project Butter for a smoother experience, Google Now for a better search experience, improved notifications, better speech-to-text support, improved TouchWiz elements and more. These updates tend to make a world of different for whatever handsets they’re installed on so it’s nothing something you’ll want to drag your feet on. Folks will typically get a notification when the update is available, but you could simply try your hand at forcing it by heading to Settings > About Tablet to check for a software update. Be prepared for a download worth a few hundred megabytes — WiFi on and battery past 50% are among the list of things to check off before getting ready to apply it. Go take care of that and let us know how everything goes in the comments section below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] |
| ZTE Grand S to be available in US later this year Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:49 PM PST ZTE was one of the few companies who wasn’t shy about telling us what to expect from them at this year’s CES ahead of time. We’d known for quite some time that the ZTE Grand S would be a nice high-end offering, and the OEM confirmed those feelings when it let us get some hands-on time with the device this past week.
As excited as we were to see the phone, however, we were left wondering whether or not this device would ever make its way outside of Asia. Whether or not we see a particular ZTE phone extend past the oceans of the world tends to be a crap shoot, but ZTE knows it must approach the mobile market in a more global mindset if it wants to ascend to the likes of Samsung, HTC, Motorola and more. Well, ZTE has confirmed that the Grand S would indeed be headed to America, but the company didn’t offer any details other than it would arrive at some point later this year. No carrier has been tied to it just yet, though given ZTE’s healthy relationship with Sprint we imagine Sprint — or one of its PAYG subsidiaries — we wouldn’t be surprised to see it land there. Of course, it’s not even guaranteed that a carrier will pick this up. Some phones tend to be sold unlocked through retailers if the OEMs can’t find a carrier partner. We won’t jump to conclusions and say ZTE hasn’t found anyone yet, but as it stands we don’t have any information whatsoever. We’ll be waiting for more word on its arrival down the line, but in the meantime you can find our hands-on look at the device here and see if this phone could fit into the “grand” scheme of your world (see what I did there?). [via Cnet] |
| AT&T announces plans to carry Lenovo IdeaTab A2107 Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:11 AM PST AT&T has announced plans to carry Lenovo’s IdeaTab A2107, a tablet we never thought we’d see paired with a carrier but one we’re not angry with at all. It’s a 7 inch 1024×600 Ice Cream Sandwich device with a 1GHz MediaTek 6575 processor, 1GB of RAM, a VGA front-facing camera, a 2 megapixel camera on the rear and more.
It’s not the world’s most daring tablet, but at $200 you won’t be taking the world’s most daring leap to own it. That price is without a two-year contract, of course, so if you decide it’s not for you then you can always walk away at any time. AT&T is providing a $100 discount for those who don’t mind a two-year agreement, though, so be sure to ask about that at the point of sale. The tablet can be added to an existing AT&T account using Mobile Share starting at an additional $10 per month, or can be activated all by its lonesome with data offerings between 1GB or 20GB. Unfortunately 4G LTE doesn’t look to be in tow, and AT&T also doesn’t mention whether or not it has HSPA+ in its press release. In fact, the words “4G” only appear in the closing text so we’re not even sure if there’s anything beyond basic 3G radios sitting inside. Regardless, you can’t ask for much more for the price. Read on for full press details.
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| Nexus 4 coming with Android 4.2.2 in Brazil and Malaysia? Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:01 AM PST The LG Nexus 4 seems to be receiving a surprise upgrade in parts of the world. Particularly, folks in Brazil and Malaysia are reporting that Android 4.2.2 is being pre-installed on latest runs of the handset. We imagine the incremental upgrade won’t seem to add much that users can put a finger on, but there are sure to be some under-the-hood and subtle changes and bug fixes Google felt required a firmware upgrade.
About 1,000 units are said to becoming out of a Brazilian factory with this particular image installed, and a review unit sent to a Malaysian journalist is said to be seeing the upgrade on their handset, as well. We’re not sure when Google’s expecting to roll this upgrade out to handsets — heck, we’re not even 100% sure this is true — but if factories are shipping the Nexus 4 with these images then it surely can’t be long. While the Nexus 4′s list of noticeable bugs has shrunk significantly following the Android 4.2.1 update there are still a few stragglers which need squashing. Nothing experience breaking has reared its ugly head, but if there’s a bug to be fixed then we definitely want to see it fixed. Of course, some people would be happy just being able to get a Nexus 4, but as it stands the device is still sold out in the Google Play Store. Bummer. Well, hopefully by the time they’re available again they’ll start shipping with this latest firmware ready to go. [Adrenaline, Lowyat via Unwired View] |
| IntoNow update adds CapIt, live sports updates and more Posted: 11 Jan 2013 08:47 AM PST IntoNow is a social TV identification app that Yahoo has done a very nice job with, but its Android experience has been sorely lacking for quite some time. It lags behind the iOS version big time, and even the iOS version doesn’t have much substance of its own. It does what it does very well, but there’s no secret it could use more features to bolster the experience.
Well, the app has finally gotten an upgrade that Yahoo hopes will invite more folks to join in on the fun. Today’s update brings Capit, a feature that allows you to grab a screen from the show or movie you’re watching, caption it, and send it off to your friends. It’s a nice way to share what you’re watching and get people talking about what they like in a particular scene. Trivia, discussions, polls and more are now all part of the experience, and an update to the news feed will show you when your friends are in an active discussion or when they have completed a trivia. Finally, IntoNow includes live sports scores, stats, updates and player information for football, basketball and baseball. Go ahead and grab your phone, hold it up to your TV and start socializing with your TV-loving friends in a new way by downloading this update from the Google Play Store. |
| First African-made tablet and smartphone come to the continent Posted: 11 Jan 2013 08:11 AM PST As exciting as announcements from the likes of HTC, Samsung, Motorola et. al are, one group of African engineers believe it’s time to change the technology culture in the Atlantic continent. The name of the group is VMK, and it has claimed the rights to name its smartphone and tablet as the first African-grown devices made specifically for the African people. The devices, the Way-C tablet and the Elikia smartphone, are supposed to exude African influence through their names. “Way-C” is said to stand for “the light of the stars,” while “Elikia” is said to mean “hope” in Lingala. It was important for VMK to brand the devices in such a way as it shows the African people that it’s possible for technology to grow in an otherwise technologically-stagnant atmosphere.
VMK, headed by 27-year-old Verone Mankou, can enjoy being the first true designer of smartphones and tablets in the country despite many African-based companies branding and selling devices there. That’s because these other companies haven’t really made anything but a name — the devices themselves are bought from third-party ODMs based in other parts of the world, and stamped with whatever name these other companies ask them to stamp on it. It’s the same reason why a tablet from Maylong might look exactly like a tablet from Unknown Company #3,421. While VMK’s first offerings don’t offer cream-of-the-crop performance and style, the company says the number one goal was to provide affordability more than anything. An attractive price tag is especially important in a continent largely ravaged by poverty, and while even the big-name guys offer devices in the entry level price range VMK hopes the allure of being the hometown hero will help its cause. VMK is too small to handle its own manufacturing, of course, so there is some degree of outsourcing that had to be done. The manufacturing is done in Asia, and if VMK had the capital it would undoubtedly bring those jobs over to Africa. We should see that happen with proper growth, but it’ll take strong backing from the natives of Lingala, and Africa as a whole, to help reach that noble goal. |
| Toy Defense “Hard Winter” update brings 24 new levels Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:52 AM PST
Toy Defense, one of the hottest new tower defense games in the Google Play Store, has gotten a pretty huge update in the Google Play Store. Dubbed “Hard Winter,” this update will bring us 24 new levels to play around in. As you might imagine, this upgrade blankets the playing field in snow, ice and unbearable cold. The upgrade is free in the Google Play Store, of course. With a 4-star rating and more than 100,000 downloads Toy Defense has taken the Play Store by storm, and it’s these frequent updates (we received one on Christmas) that’s going to help attract and keep even more fans. The price tag doesn’t hurt, of course, but if any other developers are watching then take notice — this is how you build a franchise. Find it in the Play Store here. |
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