Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Best Buy now selling a “Platinum” Droid RAZR M for Verizon Wireless

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST

Verizon Wireless had the Droid RAZR M in black and white as well as the recently launched pink. And well, as of today it looks like the handset has come available in another color. The latest color model is called platinum and will not be found direct with the carrier. Instead, those interested in picking up a Droid RAZR M in this new color will have to make plans to shop with Best Buy.

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The retailer has the handset priced the same as with the carrier. That is to say, at $49.99 on a two-year agreement. As you can see from the above image, the platinum Droid RAZR M has a silvery gray coloring with blue accents. The blue can be found on the volume rocker and the lock switch. Basically, another color variant of the RAZR M has arrived.

Aside from the changes in the exterior, the handset features remain the same. These include 4G LTE connectivity along with a 4.3-inch display at 960 x 540, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, VGA quality front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording.

Otherwise, the one question we have is based off of the Best Buy product listing. The retailer has the handset listed as running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, however we know that Verizon Wireless has already rolled-out Jelly Bean. Seems a bit odd that this new color would launch with ICS, however at worst, you would have an update ready at first boot. Of course, that could also be an error on the Best Buy website.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR M
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : September 05, 2012
    Release Date : September 13, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution : 540x960
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.82 Inch
  • Width : 2.39 Inch
  • Depth : 0.32 Inch
  • Weight : 126 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8960
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Droid-Life]

HTC DROID ‘DLXPLUS’ could be the M7 for Verizon

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 11:17 AM PST

Some new details and leaked specs have potentially confirmed a new smartphone for those on Verizon Wireless. The popular 5-inch 1080p DROID DNA has only been available for a few months, and many believe this is why we might not see the upcoming HTC M7 hit Verizon Wireless. However, today reports have surfaced that a DROID DNA+ (like the One X+) could be coming soon as the M7.

droiddnaac-540x303

For those that don’t remember, the HTC DROID DNA was initially leaked with the codename DLX for Verizon. Now we’re seeing another device called the DLXPLUS with essentially the same specs as the recently leaked HTC M7. The screen will be slightly smaller than the DNA, but everything else should be vastly improved.

According to Droid-Life the specs will match that of the M7 which is rumored to arrive on all major US carriers, and this one will be for Verizon. Specs include a 4.7-inch 1080p display, the same 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage (and micro-SD slot) a 13 megapixel rear and 2 mp front camera, and finally Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense UI 5.0 on board.

The DLX is the Verizon DROID DNA, so the DLXPLUS could very well be their next flagship M7 for big red complete with 4G LTE. Now the only concern is when this device will make it to the market. The M7 will be announced on February 19th and we’ve heard a mid March release. Hopefully Verizon will hit a similar timeframe as the other US carriers. We’ll know soon enough so stay tuned for additional details.

[via @LlabTooFer]

FreedomPop will soon be providing free LTE for Android users

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 11:04 AM PST

FreedomPop has been around for a while now, however they seem to have been focused on iOS with the iPod touch and more recently — towards home users. That looks like it will soon be changing though. The change will come by way of a new FreedomPop product called the LTE Clip. This is essentially a mobile hotspot modem, however similar to other FreedomPop devices you will be able to get 500MB of free data each month with the option to sign up for more with a paid account.

freedompop_logo-540x299

As far as the LTE Clip goes, this looks to be just as the name would imply, a clip. The device is being aimed at those with a Wi-Fi only tablet, which means those with an Android tablet will soon be able to take advantage of the free data offer. Of course, you will have to purchase the LTE Clip, which so far has yet to be priced. One perk coming with the LTE Clip is that unlike previous FreedomPop products, this one will also serve up 3G.

Aside from providing access to your Wi-Fi only tablet, the LTE Clip will serve as a mobile hotspot for up to eight other devices. Needless to say, sharing with eight devices could quickly eat up your 500MB allowance. The LTE Clip itself is said to weigh in at just 2.5 ounces and have a battery life of up to six hours. For those wondering, FreedomPop uses the Sprint network for connectivity.

Those using an LTE Clip will also be able to get rewards for sharing. This is similar to how FreedomPop currently does things with other devices and simply means users will be able to share Internet access and in turn get credits that can be used for additional free Internet access. Depending on the price of the LTE Clip, this sounds like it could be a nice option for the person with only an occasionally need for on the go access.

[via Forbes]

Samsung shares extended four minute Super Bowl ‘Next Big Thing’ ad spot

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 10:54 AM PST

It was a tough game full of emotions and a pretty impressive comeback from the 9ers, but in the end the Baltimore Ravens are taking home the trophy. I don’t know about you guys, but I think we saw more CBS promotions than actual commercials, but at least Samsung had one worth watching. Well theirs and the amazing GoDaddy clip. Today Samsung’s posted an extended 4:41 second clip of their expensive Super Bowl commercial so lets take a look.

Screen Shot 2013-02-04 at 10.50.10 AM

For those 49ers fans that are hanging their heads a little low this afternoon, everyone that lost bets, the stadium light crew, or just people that weren’t too impressed with this years commercials we have a little comedy to “brighten” up your day. Samsung’s ‘Next Big Thing’ commercial was pretty funny, and they used some of our favorite Actors of the past few years. Paul and Seth!

From the old days in 40 Year Old Virgin, to everything else they’ve starred in these are two funny guys that we always enjoy watching. Samsung didn’t go as crazy as last year, but their 2 minute long and ridiculously expensive commercial was an instant hit for many. Now today they’ve released an extended version that’s nearly 5 minutes long so check it out.

Obviously a 4 minute commercial would just be overkill. Not to mention this year each 30 second add spot cost roughly $4 million according to reports. Samsung spent a pretty penny on their 2 minute version shown around the world, that’s for sure. For those wanting to watch Paul and Seth make fun of eachother and enjoy some comedy – that’s exactly what we got.

Was it worth the cash for Samsung? Also, what was your favorite commercial or moment in this Super Bowl?

HTC moving from megapixels to ultrapixels with the launch of the M7

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 10:08 AM PST

Much of the HTC related chatter lately has surrounded the M7 smartphone. We have seen countless leaks including some image and some spec related. And on the more entertaining side, we have even seen HTC CEO Peter Chou lead a crowd in a chant of HTC M7. Anyway, included in those spec related rumors was the mention of the handset having a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera.

htc_one_x-plus_ac_3-540x409

It seems though, that may not exactly be the case. According to Pocket-lint, HTC is going to be switching from megapixels to ultrapixels. This move looks like it will begin with the launch of the M7 smartphone. Touching on the 13 megapixel rear-facing camera, it is now being said that the HTC M7 will launch with three 4.3 megapixel sensors, which when combined will add up to around 13 megapixels.

This is described as being “close” to the way Nokia handles things with the 808 PureView camera. If you remember, this is a 41 megapixel sensor, however in most cases those using the camera will get an 8 megapixel image. That said, regardless if the M7 launches with a description of ultrapixels or megapixels, a key factor here will likely be in showing customers that they are getting a handset with a camera that is at least the same quality as competing smartphones.

If nothing else, maybe this move to ultrapixels is one of the methods that HTC has in mind for innovation. We suspect we will learn exactly what rear-facing camera the M7 has come February 19 but the end result here will be in the images and how good they look. After all, we suspect that people will not care as long as the handset is able to capture quality looking images.

[via Pocket-lint]

Carbon for Twitter finally launches in the Play Store [Hands-on]

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST

For all those Twitter fans out there we have an awesome new Android client to share with you all. In case you haven’t heard of it, the extremely popular Carbon for Android Twitter app has finally been released. After being announced and teased last year and under development for far too long, it’s available now. The app is beautiful in every sense of the word and has one of the most elegant UI’s I’ve used lately, but read on to see our thoughts.

unnamed

The makers claim it was under development for over a year, and the level of polish and smooth animations that this app offers surely makes us believe that claim. For those wanting a simple and smooth experience on Twitter that is different from the usual, yet easy to understand, Carbon for Android is certainly a good one to try. Sadly although the app is extremely impressive so far, this being the first public release it’s riddled with issues.

For one Carbon has plenty of features, but our biggest complaint by far is the lack of settings, or a real settings menu of any kind. Oh and there’s no tablet support. There’s tons of floating and curving animations that makes this one of the best Twitter apps I’ve ever used, but the UI animations are almost too extreme. They could cut back on those a little and I’d still be happy. Secondly, the impressive and beautiful layout isn’t as intuitive as you’d like. For those that use Twitter daily it’s easy to understand, but a new user won’t know what any buttons do and will have to guess.

Screen Shot 2013-02-04 at 9.47.43 AM

Above we mentioned the settings menu. And a quick tap of the on-screen menu button brings up a little sidebar offering settings, filters, search, trending, favorites and more. Sadly the settings option only has two settings for notifications. If you want to tweak colors, change notification sounds or even disable sounds but still get notified — you’ll have to wait for an update or use something else. If you want to disable in-stream images or change font size, that isn’t happening either. Sadly this is one of the best Twitter apps I’ve used to date, has tons of polish and looks great, but lacks the end features needed.

Once the developers add more options, Tweetlonger integration, and fix a few issues this will probably be our go-to Twitter client. For now though it just doesn’t quite offer everything we need. You can’t even select how often it checks for updates. It’s only 15 minutes and there’s no changing it. In time this should rock though.

Don’t take our word for it. This is by far one of the smoothest and prettiest apps we’ve seen lately, so give it a try yourself and see if it’s worth keeping installed. Get it from the link below, or check out the other clients listed as well.

Play Store Link

Screenshot_2013-02-04-09-13-21 Screen Shot 2013-02-04 at 9.47.43 AM Screen Shot 2013-02-04 at 9.49.32 AM Screenshot_2013-02-04-09-20-05 Screenshot_2013-02-04-09-23-14 Screenshot_2013-02-04-09-15-59 Screen Shot 2013-02-04 at 9.48.33 AM

FCC looking to roll-out large scale public Wi-Fi networks

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 09:24 AM PST

The FCC is looking to create a large scale public Wi-Fi network, a free Wi-Fi network. And as you can imagine, sides are being drawn. We should point out that the roll-out is not yet in motion. In fact, this is all still sitting in the proposal stage and even if it should move forward, it would likely take some time before it goes live. Being always connected to the internet sounds good, even better when you can do it without having to pay money to connect, however we can see points in both sides of the argument.

0105OPEDyasko-popup-580x424

At the moment the FCC is attempting to persuade policymakers to give this idea another look. According to details that we have seen, the airwaves the FCC is trying to use would be much stronger than your average Wi-Fi network, and also much more widespread as compared to your average public hotspot. As one would suspect, the casual user would most likely benefit greatly here. To that point, companies such as Google and Microsoft have backed a campaign that shows how this could help innovation.

The Washington Post noted that this is similar to back in 1985 when the US government released a limited amount of unlicensed airwaves and in turn, devices such as baby monitors and garage door openers were created. Another mentioned perk here includes those who cannot afford regular internet access or mobile phones as this would allow them to get online and even make calls without having the added expense of a monthly mobile contract.

Some larger cities are looking towards this as a benefit with possible perks being lower costs for schools and business as well as those on vacation. With freely available public Wi-Fi, tourists would be able to easily find places to visit while on the go — which could lead towards more tourists and more spending. Positive side effects aside, the FCC proposal would have the local television networks and other broadcasters selling airwaves to the government. We suspect that some may not be all that happy with having to do that.

This of course, brings the not so happy side. Some lawmakers have said the FCC should auction these airwaves in an attempt to raise money for the US Treasury. Similarly, companies such as Intel and Qualcomm as well as wireless carriers to include AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have also commented about how the airwaves should be sold to businesses as opposed to given away to the public. Bottom line, it looks like the FCC has some good intentions here, but there are some taking the other side. Either way, we suspect there is still plenty of arguing left, which will only further delay a possible roll-out. Still, having free and readily available Wi-Fi access is a nice thing to dream about.

[via SlashGear]

Samsung Galaxy Q with dual AMOLED displays rumored for an MWC unveiling

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 08:33 AM PST

The Samsung GT-B9150 has been mentioned several times in recent history. The handset is believed to be the Galaxy Q and while we have previously seen reports about a dual-core Exynos 5 processor and 1080p display — it is now looking like the Galaxy Q will feature two displays. More specifically, two displays that are each 1080p in resolution.

samsunglogo1-540x1802

Keep in mind, we have heard previous chatter about a Galaxy Q and so far — that device has never been announced. But just maybe this is the time the device will be released. What we are hearing at the moment includes a possible announcement during Mobile World Congress. We are not all that convinced that will happen, however we are more than a bit curious about this device.

Samsung-Galaxy-Q-b

So far we have yet to see what size the displays will be, though they will each be Super AMOLED HD with resolutions of 1920 x 1080. Previous reports have placed them at 5.3-inches. Remaining specs include a dual-core 1.7GHz Exynos 5250 processor, 2GB of RAM, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 3500 mAh battery. The Samsung Q is also expected to arrive with Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

Keep in mind, some (but not all) of these specs were recently confirmed by way of a GLBenchmark filing. That all being said, let us ask the obvious question — is a dual-screen device like this something that you would be interested in? It seems pretty clear that this would not be a phone, but more a tablet or media device, but as always we suspect pricing will play an important factor.

[via MobileGeeks]

HTC M7 spotted in Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse inventory listings

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:48 AM PST

HTC is expected to announce the M7 smartphone on February 19. The company has previously confirmed the event, however they have yet to say exactly what they are going to be showing off. But on that note, it seems as if some carriers and retailers are beginning to get a bit of a head start. In this case we are referring to Vodafone Germany and Carphone Warehouse, who have both apparently listed the HTC M7 in their inventory system.

HTC_logo-540x300111

The Vodafone pics have arrived by way of the German language HTCInside blog who show the M7 listing as being for both black and silver. The Carphone Warehouse listing has arrived by way of Pocket-lint and aside from being a retailer as opposed to carrier — is showing similar details. By that we mean a handset called the HTC M7 with availability in black and silver. Basically, what we have here is further evidence that the M7 is indeed coming — and coming soon.

20130204_htc_m7_vodafone_01-550x412

These bits add up to additional small pieces of evidence that point towards an announcement. Of course, on the flip side, we should also point out that we have seen handsets listed that were never released. Not that we think that will happen in this case, but it is always good to be a bit skeptical when it comes to unannounced smartphones.

htc-m7-carphone-warehouse-stock-0

Otherwise, aside from the February 19 event, previous M7 details have shown specs to include 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2300 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 12 megapixel rear-facing camera and Jelly Bean with Sense 5.

HTC posts a dismal Q1 2013 outlook

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:13 AM PST

HTC has officially posted their Q4 2012 earnings report, which came along with word suggesting that Q1 2013 isn’t going to be much better. In fact, according to the Q1 2013 outlook from HTC, things may actually be getting a bit worse. Lets get the Q4 details out of the way before we move into what may happen in the future.

htc_sales_down

HTC has reported a quarterly revenue of NT$60 billion. This comes along with a gross margin of 23 percent and an operating margin of 1 percent. Furthermore, the net profit was NT$1 billion and the EPS was NT$1.21. Looking forward and we see Q1 2013 estimates of revenue in the NT$50 to $60 billion range and a gross profit margin of somewhere between 21 and 23 percent.

Despite the less than ideal outlook for the first quarter of 2013, HTC CEO Peter Chou seems to be remaining on the positive side. Chou talked about how HTC is going to continue to focus on the “most important element” of their business — innovation. Furthermore, on the subject of being optimistic about the future, Chou has said that; “Outstanding products, paired with improvements in our marketing execution and overall readiness give us reason to feel optimistic about the progress we will make in 2013."

Time (and future earnings reports) will tell us just how good the future will be for HTC. But in the meantime, it seems that plenty are excited about the upcoming HTC M7, which we believe will be announced on February 19. And by plenty, we mean potential uses as well as Peter Chou who recently lead a team in an “M7″ chant.

Samsung Galaxy S III Mini variant to arrive with T-Mobile as the Galaxy Exhibit

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:46 AM PST

We have previously seen Samsung announce the Galaxy S III Mini, which came back in October of 2012. We also later learned that Apple was dropping that particular handset from the lawsuit with Samsung provided they did not offer it for sale in the US market. Of course, that does not necessarily mean that Samsung cannot offer a variant of that handset with another name.

Samsung-Galaxy-Exhibit

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, which has recently been leaked by way of the @evleaks Twitter account. This latest leak did not include a full set of specs for the handset, however it is showing the Galaxy Exhibit as being the Samsung SGH-T599. It also appears to be similar to the Galaxy Axiom, which was previously released with another US carrier — US Cellular. A price has yet to be revealed, however the handset is said to be coming before the end of this quarter.

That being said, we know the Galaxy Exhibit will include an HVGA display, dual-core processor and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Also, just to clear things up assuming T-Mobile does indeed launch this as the Exhibit — this is not to be confused with the current Exhibit branded device with T-Mobile. The carrier currently has the Galaxy Exhibit 4G, which was previously known as the Exhibit II.

Otherwise, as you can see from the above image, the Samsung Galaxy Exhibit will arrive with T-Mobile in grey. Specifically, Pebble Grey. All said and done, we expect the handset will arrive with a relatively low price point. And while we do not expect it to arrive quite this low, the currently available Galaxy Exhibit 4G is currently selling for $29.99 on a two-year agreement. Of course, we should point out that even a sub-$30 price point seems a bit high for a device that is still running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

[via Unwired View]

ASUS MeMO Pad 7 promo video released

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST

ASUS unveiled the MeMO Pad 7 tablet back in mid-January and as of today, it looks like the first promotional style video has been released. Given the company had been pretty forthcoming at the time of the announcement, we are not learning all that much new in terms of specs. Still, at the same time, this video does give a bit more to look at as compared to still pictures.

asus-memo-pad-tablet-540

That being said, the “Experience the ASUS MeMO Pad” promo video has arrived direct from ASUS and measures in at just a bit over two-minutes in length. The video covers the features that we would expect to see detailed including the 7-inch display with 10-finger multi-touch which is said to “fit perfect in your palm.” In addition to the hardware though, ASUS also choose to show some software goodies.

For example, they showed the ASUS Studio app which allows you to manage, edit and tag your photos. The MeMO Pad 7 also has BudyBuzz which is a social app that brings all your social networking identities into one location. Some of the other apps include one for multimedia called Sonic Master as well as MyPainter, SuperNote Lite and multi-tasking with Floating App.

Otherwise, the video also touched on some other goodies to include the front-facing camera, microSD card slot and the 5GB of free cloud storage. Aside from getting a slightly better look at the software (as opposed to the list of hardware specs), ASUS also made a point to show the available colors, which include grey, pink and white. Finally, just as a refresher, the ASUS MeMO Pad 7 will arrive priced at $149.

Thanks Alex

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Memo Pad ME172V
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : January 13, 2013
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : LED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.72 Inch
  • Width : 4.69 Inch
  • Depth : 0.44 Inch
  • Weight : 370 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4270 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : WM8950
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Wine on Android demoed, development still in early stages

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 04:33 PM PST

Linux and Unix users might be pleased to know that work on an Android port of Wine has started. Those who were attending the Free and Open Source Software Developers European Meeting (FOSDEM) in Brussels had the opportunity to see Wine on Android in action, despite the fact that the port is still in the very early stages of development. How early are we talking? To give you an idea, today we were shown Wine running on an emulated version of Android.

wineandroid

It goes without saying at this point that the demo ran very, very slow, so don’t expect to see Wine getting an official release on Android for quite some time. Still, seeing Wine on ARM is something that’s bound to get open source fans excited. The developers got a Windows program running before the end of the demo, so we’re seeing some promising things at this early stage.

For the uninitiated, Wine is a software project that aims to run Windows programs natively on non-Windows platforms, specifically Linux. What we’re seeing here is a new step in the Wine legacy for developer Alexandre Julliard, who conducted the demo earlier today. Keep in mind that Julliard works on Wine at CodeWeavers, so this may just be a lower priority project until CodeWeavers can be swayed to put more resources into getting Wine up and running on Android.

That convincing could come with increased adoption of Intel x86 processors for Android tablets. As Phoronix points out, CodeWeavers would have a lot of commercial opportunities in porting Wine to Android should devices with x86 processors grow in popularity. We’ll just have to wait and see where this project goes in the future, but it certainly is exciting to hear that a version of Wine for Android is being worked on. Stay tuned.

[via Android Police]

BLU unleashes Quattro series with NVIDIA Tegra 3

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 03:33 PM PST

BLU has some big plans to shake up the smartphone space, today introducing a new line of smartphones that come complete with NVIDIA Tegra 3 processors. The new series is called Quattro, and though it may not sound like anything special, one of the big draws of the line will be that the phones are offered unlocked at a rather inexpensive price. There are three devices in all: the Quattro 4.5, Quattro 4.5 HD, and Quattro 5.7 HD.

hdsmall

As you might have guessed, those numbers in the device names reference the screen size. With the Quattro 4.5 HD, you’ll have a 4.5-inch HD display boasting 326ppi. The screen takes advantage of BLU’s “Advanced Super Display” technology, which should result in sharp visuals and excellent viewing angles. That screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, while the processor (which is clocked at 1.5GHz) will be working alongside 1GB of RAM and users will have 16GB of internal storage at their disposal. Couple that with an 8MP camera, and you should have a pretty decent phone on your hands. The Quattro 4.5 HD ships the first week of February for a price of $349.

nonhd4

The standard Quattro 4.5 is somewhat similar to the HD variant, keeping the 4.5-inch screen and 1.5GHz Tegra 3. However, the screen resolution has come down to qHD, while the camera has gone down from 8MP to 5MP. There’s still 1GB of RAM on board, but internal memory is down to 4GB. Thankfully, users will be able to expand that internal memory by up to 32GB with the included microSD slot. The Quattro 4.5 will similarly be shipping in the first week of February for $100 less than its HD sibling.

57_bigone

Finally, we come to the Quattro 5.7 HD, which as you can imagine has an absolutely massive screen. That 5.7-inch screen is displaying at 1280 x 720 resolution, with the phone featuring an 8MP camera, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a microSD slot. The phone comes in at $299 – $50 less than the Quattro 4.5 HD despite the larger screen size – and won’t be available until the end of March.

All of these phones will sell unlocked, which means you won’t be stuck signing a contract. Each phone in the series will include “quad-band GSM and penta-band 21Mbps HSPA+, including 1700MHz AWS for the US,” so it sounds like you’ll get to pick between AT&T and T-Mobile as your carrier. It’s worth pointing out that while each will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, BLU plans on upgrading the phones to Android 4.1 after release. All in all, they don’t sound too bad, and we think the fact that they have low price tags and come unlocked will entice some customers in. Are you tempted?

close2 close5 clos22 hdsmall nonhd4 57_bigone tegra

[via HPC Wire]

Google Glass bone conduction technology referenced in FCC filing

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 02:26 PM PST

As if Google Glass wasn’t already cool enough, today we’re finding out that it feature bone conduction technology. The glasses recently made an appearance at the FCC, and the filing for the project mentions “integral vibrating element that provides audio to the user via contact with the user’s head.” Of course, Google recently filed a patent for glasses that feature the tech, so it seems that bone conduction will definitely be a part of Project Glass.

google-project-glass-Diane-von-Furstenberg-01-540x426

Some of you will already know what bone conduction is, since it isn’t exactly a new technology. Essentially, the glasses will send vibrations through bones near the ear. This means that users can hear audio with the glasses on, without the need for headphones. The added benefit here is that users will be able to hear the audio Google Glass is putting out while still hearing whats going on in their surroundings – something that’s a lot more difficult or even impossible when you’re wearing headphones.

Having bone conduction tech along for the ride should do something to allay the concerns of those who think Google Glass could potentially be unsafe. After all, having a little screen in front of your eye could prove to be quite the distraction. At least with bone conduction technology, users would still be able to hear what’s happening around them.

Bone conduction technology isn’t new, but it isn’t very popular either, so perhaps we’ll see it popping up more in other devices after being included in Google Glass. Google recently held developer hackathon events for Google Glass, but don’t expect to hear any news from them. Hopefully we’ll be finding out more about Google Glass soon, so stay tuned.

[via Business Insider]

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