Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

[Update: Ubuntu tablet?] Could HTC also be bringing a tablet to New York City? [PICS]

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 02:11 PM PST

[Update]: And now Canonical is getting in on the fun. The company, which makes open-source Linux-based Ubuntu, has a countdown that curiously ends right at the same time HTC’s event starts, and the caption is “tick, tock, tablet time!” I don’t want to say the connection is obvious, but there it is.

HTC is posting teasers to its social networking accounts more frequently than we can check, and the latest is the most interesting of them all. The company posted a photo of a bunch of devices covered up by cloths on a table. We assume some or all of these are the HTC One, but looking a little closer it’s possible the device on the lower left could be a bit bigger than the others.

The shape of the cloth suggests this could be a tablet of some sort. It certainly seems big enough, though there’s a strong possibility that this is simply two phones sitting side by side. We find it hard to imagine HTC would be preparing a tablet without us knowing about it considering how much the HTC One has been leaked.

The Taiwanese company could just be throwing us off, but it’s something to think about. HTC has been rather playful when it comes to this particular launch. Some of the teasers have been as obvious as life itself and as generic as the sun, while others have been tough to comprehend. The most notable teaser has been an image of a heart wired to a motherboard — it was the creepiest piece of marketing we’ve ever seen, actually. It did its job, though, because it got our attention and HTC has kept us hooked ever since.

We won’t know what to expect for sure until the tech world converges on New York City tomorrow for the festivities. Our own Chris Chavez is shivering like a blind bat without a voice as he sits in an airplane on his way over there, so we’ll be delivering you live coverage of everything HTC has to announce by this time tomorrow. Be sure to circle back tomorrow morning as things kick off around 10am Eastern.

[via Instagram]

Is Sony preparing a 1080p Android 4.2 device called the C6802?

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 01:47 PM PST

A big spotlight still rests on Sony’s head as it prepares to launch the biggest flagship smartphone in the company’s history — the Sony Xperia Z — but it looks like another device might be in the works for an eventual launch later this year. An HTML5 user agent for one Sony C6802 has been spotted, and it details a device that will have a 1080p HD display and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

That’s about all we know about it at this point, but we assume it will exist somewhere along the high-end side of the spectrum judging by that high resolution display. We’d guess that the C6802′s specs will read something like the Sony Xperia Z’s tale of the tape, which includes a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon Pro, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera, and more. It’s not polite to assume, though, so we’ll stop right there.

Of course, there’s a possibility that this user agent might not even be real so there’s only so much we can speculate on. While we await something more concrete and full of details, we’ll continue to be jealous of our friends over in France — those folks have already gotten the chance to snap up Sony’s Xperia Z, and the rest of the world has no choice but to look on in eagerness and anticipation as we await its arrival elsewhere

[via XperiaBlog]

HotelTonight update brings tablet UI

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 12:46 PM PST

HotelTonight is one of the more interesting hotel booking apps on Android. The service gets you booked up with a hotel  in under 10 minutes, and it does it while giving you some pretty decent rates. It’s basically geared toward last-minute shoppers who, for one reason or another, couldn’t book a hotel ahead of time. It takes this niche to the extreme by forcing you to book a hotel for rates starting on the night that you’re booking, and some hotels are even limited to maximum stays of one night.

With that all out of the way, you’ll be happy to know that it’s gotten a nice new upgrade over in the Google Play Store. The biggest change today will be the addition of a tablet-specific user interface for those using the service on a bigger screen.

With that added screen real estate comes a cool new collage view so you can view listings in a more beautiful and intuitive format than your typical scrolling list. The app also features both portrait and landscape user interfaces for those who value that preference. It’s sad to have to point that out, but some apps still lock you into one or the other in this day and age so we’ll award them an imaginary blue ribbon for going the full nine yards. Head to the Play Store and get your last-minute booking on for free.

Netgear PTV3000 firmware upgrade brings support for Miracast-equipped Android devices

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 11:01 AM PST

Netgear’s PTV3000 has gotten a new firmware upgrade that will enable some nice functionality for those of you with Miracast-enabled devices. That bunch would include owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, LG Optimus G (with Android 4.0.4 or later), Nexus 4 (with Android 4.2.1 or later), and various Sony Xperia models with Android 4.0.4 or later.

In case you don’t know what Miracast is, it’s a wireless display standard that’ll allow you to throw up a mirrored image of your device’s screen onto your television without the need to hook your phone up using MHL or HDMI. It’s a very nice piece of technology, so if you have one of these PTV3000 units then update it at your earliest convenience and give it a shot. If you don’t have a PTV3000 then now is as good a time as any to think about buying one — look into it for yourself here on Amazon.

[via Engadget]

What’s the next phone worth waiting for? [POLL]

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 10:27 AM PST

It’s an exciting time in the smartphone world. Mobile World Congress kicks off at the end of the month. Samsung is holding an Unpacked event mid March. It looks like the new HTC One (M7) is set to launch March 22nd. Google I/O is coming in May. Heck, even rumors of the next iPhone have started heating up.

With all of these upcoming events and releases, I find myself facing a personal dilemma. I’m eager for an upgrade, but what is the phone worth waiting for? Here is the shortlist:

  • The Samsung Galaxy S IV
  • The HTC One (M7)
  • The ‘X Phone’
  • The next iPhone (5s, 6?) 

Samsung Galaxy S IV: 

I was not a huge Samsung fan until the Galaxy S III. The phone offered great specs and was sexy to boot. The S3 has stood the test of time as it could be argued that it’s still the best all-around phone on the market. The S4 looks to build off of the success of its predecessor with rumored specs including a 4.99-inch (can we just call it 5-inch?) 1080p Super AMOLED display. There are currently conflicting reports on the chipset the next Galaxy will use, be it the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa or Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. Either way Samsung will sell boatloads of these when it launches sometime after the rumored mid-May launch event. 

The HTC One (M7)

Build quality has been a hallmark of HTC and made me a fan of their phones. The HTC One X is a high point in smartphone design. The company’s trademark Sense UI adopts a new modern look for version 5.0, a look I find very attractive.  The HTC One/M7 is rumored to have all the modern specs including a 4.7 inch 1080p HD display, 2GB of RAM and a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset. HTC is including a new camera that uses three 4.3 megapixel sensor layers placed on top of each other making up a 13 megapixel image. The One/M7 will likely be announced February 19th (tomorrow!), sporting a skin that looks decidedly iPhone-esque. 

The ‘X Phone’

The mysterious X Phone is thought to be the first product with Google’s direct influence since it acquired Motorola Mobility in May 2012. Rumored specs are, of course, off the charts, but perhaps most interesting are comments Google CEO Larry Page made during a quarterly earnings call. ”In today's multi screen world, the opportunities are endless,” he said, “battery life is a huge issue…when you drop your phone it shouldn't go splat. There's a real potential to invent new and better experiences.” Questions about the X Phone’s status as a Nexus device will likely have to wait till Google I/O on May 15th.

The Next iPhone:

Why look at the next iPhone? The iPhone 5 might not have been the most radical upgrade Apple could have offered, but rumors suggest Apple might have some tricks up its sleeve. Customers have been moving to bigger screens, and it’s widely thought that the iPhone will move to a 4.8″ screen, or Apple could offer multiple screen sizes. With the competition surpassing the iPhone in many respects, I’m interested in what we will see out of Apple’s iPhone 5s or 6. Android fans would be remiss to think that Apple would continue to be upstaged. The company has mountains of cash and some of the world’s best designers on staff.

Other

I have covered the phones I am most excited for, but they are not the only show in town. Some new devices will make their debut at Mobile World Congress, I expect Chinese Manufacturers, Huawei and ZTE to make some moves And Sony’s waterproof Xperia Z made its debut at CES and looks like the bee’s knees.

Many of us have suffered smartphone purchase regret. You do your research, wait for a killer phone, only to see a better option released a month later. With all of these awesome devices coming out over the next few months, this could be one of most important times to wait for the right phone.

Jump in the poll and tell us what phone is worth waiting for.

 

Could Samsung announce the Galaxy S4 March 14th in New York?

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 10:19 AM PST

We were surprised to learn that Samsung wouldn’t be unveiling the Samsung Galaxy S4 around Mobile World Congress this year, an event the company usually steals the show at with its annual Galaxy S announcement. Since then, the biggest question regarding the Galaxy S4 aside from the “what” has been the “when.” Well, according to new rumors we might be less than a month away from an official unveiling.

According to Eldar Murtazin — who tends to have more hits than misses when it comes to these rumors — Samsung will look to announce the Samsung Galaxy S4 in New York City March 14th. The previously rumored March 15th date is only one day off, so either way we’re eyeing “mid March” as quite an important window for Samsung.

Some might say Samsung would benefit from beating the competition to the announcement punch, but announcing its flagship smartphone a full two weeks after all of its competitors ensures its wares and the excitement regarding its announcement won’t be outclassed for quite some time. Samsung would have to be mighty confident that it has a surefire winner on its hands to wait that long, and we don’t expect anything less than “stunning” if the innovative Galaxy Note 2 (and even the Galaxy S3 in its heyday) is anything to go by.

We’re said to expect a 5 inch 1080p HD Super AMOLED display, Samsung’s new Exynos processor with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera on the rear, a 2 megapixel camera on the front and more. Recent rumors suggest the S Pen will remain exclusive to the Galaxy Note series for the time being, though we never put much stock into the possibility of the S4 getting S Pen in the first place.

If the above rumors regarding the announcement date are true then we won’t have to wait long after Mobile World Congress to see invites for a New York City event rolling in, so let’s get through this month’s big show first (where Samsung is expected to unveil an 8-inch Galaxy Note tablet).

[via SamMobile]

AnyDash adds DashClock Widget extension for notifications from any app

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 09:58 AM PST

Roman Nurik has created quite the stir in the Android world with his one little app. DashClock Widget lets developers plug into the open-sourced app to create extensions that will show useful information in a beautiful way. We’ve already seen the likes of Falcon Pro and Plume tap into its power, and now another great extension has popped up.

Developer Rob J has created AnyDash, an extension that will allow you to use the notifications from (almost) any app on your phone as items in DashClock. This is a great way to add support for your favorite apps which haven’t gotten around to building DashClock functionality. For instance, I could get information about the latest Tweets from the official Twitter app if I prefer to use that instead of Falcon Pro or Plume (not that I do prefer that, but bear with me here).

The developer states that some apps might not work well with DashClock, but urges you to drop him a line whenever you come across a problematic app to see if he can iron out the kinks. Full support for DashClock in an app is a lot better, of course, but if you have a favorite app that you want to use with DashClock and the developer hasn’t built anything for it this is a great way to build a bridge while you continue to bombard them with emails demanding full support. Have at it in the Google Play Store (DashClock, AnyDash) and see if this dynamic duo doesn’t get you to understand the true spirit and benefits of open software.

Weather Channel app gets optimized for Android tablets

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 09:25 AM PST

Android tablet owners are getting another weather option starting today as the official Weather Channel for Android has gotten a nice upgrade. The biggest addition will be a user interface optimized for tablet devices, so you can see more forecasts and weather information on one screen. Getting stretched out for the bigger screens isn’t the only thing this huge 4.0 update brings, though.

Users can look forward to more detailed weather forecasts, a notification whenever the weather is expected to change within the next six hours, faster map features with past and future looks at the weather radar, severe weather bulletins, a “better” selection of videos, a much-needed refresh button, the ability to customize favorite places for more personalized widgets and notifications, and more.

The app is quite the looker whether you’re on tablets and phones, and while you might have already found your go-to weather experience it might be worth giving Weather Channel — one of the longstanding authorities on weather — another shot. The app is free, of course, so it should be no problem for you to do that in the Google Play Store.

HTC Rezound and DROID Incredible 2 due “HTC Device Enhancement” upgrades

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 09:06 AM PST

A couple of more Verizon devices have been lined up for software upgrades at some point soon. The HTC Rezound and the HTC DROID Incredible 2 both have new changelogs for an upgrade that will add “HTC Device Enhancements,” though the documents on Verizon’s site don’t go into detail about what these enhancements entail.

The DROID Incredible 2′s upgrade will be a mid-sized file coming in at about 4.5MB, and you can expect build number 6.04.605.07. The Rezound, on the other hand, is about 7MB, and its build number will be 3.14.605.13 once it makes its way to your device. Unfortunately there’s no way to tell when Verizon’s looking to issue the upgrades over-the-air, but history tells us we shouldn’t be waiting more than a week or two before folks start seeing that notification pop up like clockwork.

[Verizon 1, 2 via Droid-Life]

AT&T Galaxy Note 2 gets Exynos security patch

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 07:58 AM PST

It looks like AT&T has finally gotten around to upgrading its Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to fix the security exploit that was found for Exynos-based devices. The exploit was discovered by members of the development community at the end of 2012, and it was identified by Samsung as a serious issue that the OEM looked to fix as soon as possible.

This particular upgrade brings the firmware version up to I317UCAMA4, though we’re still on Android 4.1.2 here. It’s a small little guy, as well, as it’ll only eat up about 8MB of bandwidth. It’s an upgrade you’ll want to apply as soon as possible, so if your phone notifies you that it’s ready to be downloaded and installed be sure to take care of that. If you don’t get the notification then there’s a high chance you’ll find it upon hitting the software upgrade menu under Settings > About Phone.

Even though the upgrade is small, you should still make sure your WiFi is turned on and battery is charged to at least 50% before applying it just to make sure nothing goes wrong. Take care of all of that and you should be well on your way to a more secure device. Be sure to read our earlier post about the exploit that today’s upgrade is targeting to get an idea of how important it is.

[AT&T via AndroidForums.com]

Vic Gundotra says Google’s committed to making “insanely great” cameras for future Nexus phones

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 07:31 AM PST

Some interesting commentary has sprouted from the mouth of popular Googler Vic Gundotra. Google’s senior vice president of engineering took to Google+ to ask folks which photo snapping devices he should take on his upcoming vacation trip to Lake Tahoe. The Nexus 4 and a set of Google Glass lines the inside of his bags, obviously, but he was undecided on whether or not a DSLR would be appropriate, as well.

Responding to a comment by a user suggesting he wouldn’t have to worry about taking a DSLR if the Nexus 4 had some truly revolutionary camera hardware, Gundotra said “we are committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras.” He also added a nice, reassuring “just you wait and see” to the end of that for good measure.

First of all, it’s refreshing to see Gundotra reference an unannounced device even if it’s obvious that one is coming. It’s not often you’ll get one of these corporate big wigs to spill any beans — whether they be big, small or filled with jelly — ahead of any official announcement.

The only thing to work out is whether or not Gundotra was simply being overzealous and excited with his comment, or if we should expect truly big innovation in the camera department with a future Nexus device. It’s important to note that he didn’t say “next” Nexus device, so don’t be too disappointed if 2013 comes and goes with a phone that has a relatively ordinary camera.

We wouldn’t mind seeing a mini Lytro sensor stuffed into one of these devices sooner or later. One might also speculate Google could be looking to outfit a future Nexus phone with a larger camera sensor akin to the kind you’d find on the Samsung Galaxy Camera or Polaroid’s Android-equipped camera. That’s all wishful thinking for now, but Gundotra’s comment has our mouth watering and has us expecting nothing short of “insanely great” hardware — you can’t let us down now, Google.

[via Google+, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 gets Jelly Bean rollout

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 06:51 AM PST

HTC’s Ice Cream Sandwich update for the HTC Thunderbolt proved that a device is never too old to receive modern updates. Thankfully for Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 users, Samsung feels the same way. The original international Galaxy Note has started to receive an OTA upgrade that will bring the device up to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

It appears Samsung is hitting some key markets in Asia with the upgrade first as folks in Hong Kong and Taiwan are reportedly receiving it. We’re also said to expect our German friends to have access to it. It’s available via over-the-air or via Samsung Kies, the company’s desktop synchronization software.

We assume Samsung is readying the upgrade for other regions as well, though carrier-specific rollouts will likely happen at the discretion of said carriers. Most European carriers tend to be quick with upgrades, but without any formal announcements or promises we can’t quite pinpoint a date.

The Galaxy Note is slated to receive all the great features of Android 4.1 — such as Google Now, Project Better, and expanded notifications — as well as some of the latest TouchWiz-specific features such as the “nature” UX, multi-window, an improved S Note experience, Paper Artist and more.

It’s a pretty big upgrade, and quite frankly we’re a bit surprised to see Samsung offering users of its previous generation Note some of the same features that made the Galaxy Note 2 such a big deal. It just goes to show that not all companies are keen on saving their latest software innovations for their newest devices. Be sure to report to this thread over at AndroidForums.com and let all the eager Note owners know if you’re able to pull the upgrade down. Don’t forget to let us know which region you’re in so we can get a better idea of where, exactly, Samsung has started to push it.

DashClock Widget: new features added, Plume plugin now available

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 06:10 AM PST

DashClock Widget has quickly ascended to the throne as one of our favorite apps since it arrived on the scene last week. It’s an app which gives you a simple and beautiful widget to place on the home-screen and lock-screen of your Android 4.2 phones and tablets. The app was created by Googler Roman Nurik, and its biggest claim to fame has been its open-source goodness.

Nurik designed the app to allow third-party developers to hook into it so that they can provide their own plugins to show up alongside the rest of the pre-built widget options. We saw this functionality taken advantage of quite early with the latest version of Falcon Pro, and now another app has decided to join in on the fun.

LevelUp Studio has created a small plugin for the widget that will pull the amount of unread tweets, mentions, and direct messages from Plume, the company’s Twitter client. You can get a collapsed and condensed looked at this information, or get a more fleshed out experience which includes the content of the latest tweet. Like we advised when similar features were added for Falcon Pro, this won’t revolutionize or change your Twitter experience but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have.

While we’re still on the subject of DashClock, the app has gotten a very nice upgrade recently. Version 1.2 adds a whole host of new features and bug fixes. For starters, you can adjust the background opacity of DashClock Widget when it’s placed on the home-screen, you now have an option to have the date and time centered at all times, you can further customize shortcuts for the clock and weather, there’s a new home-screen shortcut that can take you right to the widget configuration screen, and localization for German, Russian, Spanish and French has been added.

As for bugs, Exchange calendar support should be working correctly, a bug that caused the weather not to load for some regions has been fixed, and a few “common crashes” have also been resolved. That’s a whole lot of app for a whole lot of nothing, so be sure to download it in the Google Play Store and give it a try if you’re on an Android device with 4.2 or higher.

Formal LG Optimus G Pro announcement reveals Snapdragon 600, Q2 US availability

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 05:54 AM PST

LG’s half-baked announcement of the LG Optimus G Pro last week was nice, but the Korean manufacturer has finally revealed the device in full. The latest press release confirms a few of the specs we’ve already known, including a 5.5 inch 1080p HD display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 13 megapixel HD camera with a 2 megapixel front-facing camera, a 3,140mAh battery, and more.

We’d thought the 1.7GHz quad-core processor revealed last week would be a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, but the Optimus G Pro will actually feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600. This would make it the first device announced with a chipset from Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful line, though it’s not quite the Snapdragon 800. Still, it will be quite the beast and should put any benchmarks to shame.

On the software side, you can obviously expect Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and LG’s custom Optimus 3.0 user interface sitting on top of that. More interesting than all of that is when we can get it, of course. LG has confirmed that the Optimus G Pro would begin selling in the United States beginning in the second quarter of this year. We’ll have to wait on official world from the country’s carriers to see who exactly will be offering it, of course, but it’s nice to know that us mere Americans will have a chance to own one regardless.

We’ll be in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress next week to take in all the best the mobile world has to offer, and you can bet the LG booth will be one of our first stops as we look to get some good hands-on time with the Optimus G Pro. Circle back for those particular festivities starting next week Monday. Head to LG Korea for a translated press release.

Latest HTC One teasers tip superior camera, audio experience

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 05:31 AM PST

It’s not quite surprising to see HTC hyping its next big smartphone up to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but with all of this pre-show hype we’re not expecting to be disappointed. Once HTC takes the stage to unveil the HTC One in New York City tomorrow morning we’re expecting to be blown away by several of its features. Well, it seems HTC will be putting an emphasis on a few different things.

For starters, the latest series of teasers feature a close-up of an iris with some sort of image within the pupil and the numbers 2-19-13, a close-up of some Canon lenses with that same date on it, and the outer edges of a pair of stereo speakers with a graphic featuring the date in between. We imagine the iris is tipping us off to a high-resolution display, the Canon lenses tease an out-of-this-world camera sensor, and the stereo speakers tell us to expect a superior audio experience (likely something Beats-infused).

In regards to that last point, the latest HTC One leaks show what appear to be a set of speakers on the front as well as on the back. It’s not often we get a phone with stereo speakers, so we’re definitely interested to see how this will sound in practice. There was also a fourth pic which showed a series of videos ready to be played back, but we’re not exactly sure what HTC’s referencing with that particular image.

That’s just one of many things we’ll be looking to get a hands-on taste of once we arrive in New York City tomorrow for HTC’s big unveil. Stay tuned to Phandroid as we provide live coverage of everything the Taiwanese company has to offer for its main money maker for 2013.

[via HTC Twitter]
Posted by at 8:39 AM

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