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- Samsung Galaxy S4 to come in two colors, three capacities, new report says
- DigiTimes: Samsung wants to sell 1 million Galaxy Note 8.0 units per month
- Samsung drops Jelly Bean source code for international Galaxy Note
- Here are the best 5 smartphones we’ve seen at MWC 2013
- Google’s CFO says the next few phones from Motorola aren’t going to impress you
- Google Play users in Taiwan can now purchase paid apps again
- Bell and Virgin HTC One S users get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade
- Android VP of Engineering: Google treats Motorola “just like HTC or Samsung”
- Samsung patent claim against Apple rejected by Japanese court
- HTC Zoe Share goes live, hosts shared media captured through HTC One
| Samsung Galaxy S4 to come in two colors, three capacities, new report says Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:45 AM PST
Samsung is getting ready to unveil its fourth-gen Galaxy S model, with the special event set to take place on March 14 in New York – where we'll be present to cover the whole show for you – but meanwhile we get to look at more Galaxy S4 rumors. Sam Mobile writes that the Android maker will sell six Galaxy S4 versions later this year. We're looking at two colors, black and white, and three capacities, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB:
While this is yet to be confirmed, it's definitely not surprising to hear that initially the handset would be available in two color options, just like its predecessor that launched in white and blue. When it comes to on-board storage, the Galaxy S4 will apparently also resemble the Galaxy S3, both when it comes to capacity options but also microSD support (up to 64GB). In case earlier rumors prove correct and Samsung will indeed use both its Exynos 5 Octa and the Qualcomm 600 inside the Galaxy S4, depending on the market it's supposed to serve, then we'll have even more Galaxy S4 combinations on shelves. Not to mention that Samsung may very well launch different color options for the handset in the future, just as it did with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 in the months following their respective releases. What Galaxy S4 version will you buy? The post Samsung Galaxy S4 to come in two colors, three capacities, new report says appeared first on Android Authority. |
| DigiTimes: Samsung wants to sell 1 million Galaxy Note 8.0 units per month Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:28 AM PST
Now that Mobile World Congress is over, it’s time to digest the news and see what happens over the next 12 months. Will LG’s massive portfolio of smartphones fly off store shelves? Will HTC’s One flop? Will Sony’s experiment with Firefox OS turn into something that’s actually desirable? And let’s not forget about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0, will people buy it? According to DigiTimes, our favorite Taiwanese news/rumor site, the South Korean hardware maker aims to ship about a million units of their 8 inch mobile phone every month. Is that a lot? Yes and no. Let’s look back to 2011 when Samsung announced the first generation Galaxy Note, the one with a 5.3 inch screen. Last year, in August, Samsung announced that they managed to sell 10 million of them. The device hit store shelves in October 2011, so that’s 10 million units in 11 months, or a little over 900,000 units per month. For Samsung to assume that the Note 8.0 will surpass the growth of the first Note says quite a lot. Will the Note 8.0 sell as fast as the Note II? Doubtful, purely due to size reasons, but hey, you never know! What’s next for the Note family? The third generation Note is allegedly going to be announced at IFA, the trade show where the first two Notes were unveiled. We expect the new Note to have a 6.3 inch 1080p screen, the same processor as the Galaxy S4, and that’s about it. There aren’t really any solid rumors floating around. One thing this writer would like to point out is that there are some countries where people can’t afford a laptop, and a tablet, and a smartphone, so they buy just one device, and that device is often a phablet. All too often the media in the West makes fun of 7 inch or 8 inch phones, but they do serve a purpose, and there’s definitely a market for them. The post DigiTimes: Samsung wants to sell 1 million Galaxy Note 8.0 units per month appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Samsung drops Jelly Bean source code for international Galaxy Note Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:04 AM PST
If you own the international variant of the Galaxy Note, you're more than likely already enjoying Jelly Bean and the plethora of new features that it comes with, seeing that Samsung pushed out the software update last month. Especially for developers and tinkerers, the company has another treat up its sleeve, as it has made the source code for the new software available to download for all. You can find the Jelly Bean source code for the GT-N7000 handset in the usual Samsung's open source website. In case you're wondering, the zip file is about 195MB in size. Whether you're intending to do some big things or just plain curious to see what lies beneath, you can hit the link here to grab the file. Alternatively, just sit tight and wait for others to take advantage of the source code and hope that it’ll help improve the many custom ROMs that are available for the Galaxy Note. As for those who sport the original Galaxy Note in Canada, hang in there. We're hearing that the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean upgrade will pay you a visit in mid-March. The post Samsung drops Jelly Bean source code for international Galaxy Note appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Here are the best 5 smartphones we’ve seen at MWC 2013 Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:45 AM PST
Aaand it's over. Too soon, too uneventful, but what can you do? After all, it's not like we expected MWC 2013 to blow our socks off. And it didn't. Not in the least. In fact, I challenge you to name three super-awesome devices you saw in Barcelona for the first time. You got ten seconds. What, you can't even name two? How about one? That's bad, but we shouldn't make a huge fuss of it. It's not like there weren't uber-cool gadgets on display. There were, only they weren't there exclusively or for the first time ever. Sony's Xperia Z, HTC's One, LG's Optimus G Pro, even the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, they were all known to the public previous to their Congress appearances. Meanwhile, the few surprises – Asus Padfone Infinity, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or HP Slate 7 – were oft-rumored ahead of the show and therefore… not so surprising. But enough with the complaining and let's get down to business. What were the MWC 2013 stars in this unfortunate context? That's a tough one, but, after plenty of deliberation, we think we have the top 5 smartphones. We've even ranked them for you, so here they are in reverse order of their hit potential: 5. ZTE Grand MemoThe massive 5.7-incher would have probably had no trouble in reaching our podium if a. it would have come with a Full HD screen and b. it wouldn't have been for that annoying processor controversy. As things stand, the Grand Memo doesn't look bad, but it's probably going to be forgotten in a couple of months. Oh, and it's way too large for this writer to ever feel comfortable holding it. 4. Asus Padfone InfinityIt's not technically (just) a phone, but, if we leave the tablet transformation part aside, the handheld part has all the success ingredients, save for a microSD card slot. You got your 5-inch Full HD screen, quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 gigs of RAM, 13 MP camera and even the latest and greatest version of Android, 4.2 Jelly Bean. Unfortunately, like the Grand Memo, the Padfone Infinity will be all forgotten soon. Extravagant pricing and limited availability do that to a gadget, no matter how cool it looks. 3. LG Optimus G ProI'm sure that this is going to spark some controversy, but there's something about the G Pro that doesn't make me want to award it more than the bronze medal. It could be the slightly too large display. Or maybe something about the design that doesn't feel original. Or the fact that a G2 follow-up is already looming. Whatever it is, the 5.5-incher is a highly commendable yet short of brilliant smartphone. Don't shoot the messenger, a'ight? 2. Sony Xperia ZHey, what do you know, the number one phone at CES is the number two of MWC. The Xperia Z might have only routinely visited Barcelona, but it still was one of the few devices that everyone wanted to snap a picture with. And I know what you're going to say. The Z has an S4 Pro CPU beneath its hood, while the Optimus G Pro, Padfone Infinity and Grand Memo all pack Snapdragon 600 chips. But, at the end of the day, Sony's big guy comes out on top because it's out now. It's as simple as that. Oh, yeah, and the water and dust proofing also help. 1. HTC OneThe One was destined to be number one since its unveiling, but, to be honest, we had our doubts about giving HTC's flagship the gold. There's so little to set this guy and the Xperia Z apart that we really can't say which one is better before thoroughly reviewing both. Call us shallow, but, all in all, we gave the One the upper hand because it's fresher than the Xperia Z. And because it would have been a bit too much for Sony to sweep both the CES and MWC. And now let the controversy begin. Who did we not include on the list? Who made the cut illicitly? And how would you have ranked the top 5 smartphones exhibited at MWC? Remember, we’re not only talking about brand new devices, showcased for the first time ever, but simply phones on display in Barcelona. The post Here are the best 5 smartphones we’ve seen at MWC 2013 appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Google’s CFO says the next few phones from Motorola aren’t going to impress you Posted: 01 Mar 2013 12:11 AM PST
Google’s Chief Financial Officer, the guy who is responsible for balancing the company’s checkbook, just told a room full of analysts at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference that the next few phones from Motorola are going to blow. He didn’t exactly use the word “blow”, but he did say that the as yet to be announced devices will not be up to Google’s standards. Is he insane? Slightly. When the Motorola acquisition finally went through, back in May 2012, Google had to promise to fulfill the contractual obligations that Motorola had already signed with their partners. Here’s the full quote:
Why doesn’t Google just tear up the contracts that Motorola already signed? The answer is kind of obvious if you stop and think. Who are Motorola’s largest customers? Operators. Do you really think Google wants to piss them off? Not really, because Google will need them in the future to distribute the real Motorola phones. When are the real Motorola phones going to hit the market? Let’s do some simple math. May 2012 is when the deal closed. Add 18 months to that and you get November 2013. When does Google typically announce new Nexus phones? Around the end of the year. We’re not implying that the next Nexus will be a Motorola phone, but it stands to reason that we’re going to see the fruits of Google’s acquisition at some point during this year. But what about the patents, surely the CFO’s statements confirm that the Motorola purchase was purely a patent play, right? This writer is uncomfortable coming to conclusions based on disparate pieces of information that may or may not be related. We really need to see what Google’s “X Phone” is all about before saying anything concrete. The post Google’s CFO says the next few phones from Motorola aren’t going to impress you appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Google Play users in Taiwan can now purchase paid apps again Posted: 28 Feb 2013 11:34 PM PST
Fast forward 20 months, and paid apps are available in the Taiwan Google Play store once again. Google has started offering paid apps again to users who, according to a recently published report on Central News Agency (CNA) of Taiwan, can now view the “Top Paid” apps page just like users in other countries. Google won a victory in Taiwan through a court ruling made by the Taipei High Administrative Court late last year, which deemed the local government’s actions as totally inappropriate. The Taiwanese government has since decided not to appeal against the said ruling, essentially enabling Google to pretty much just do its thing and keep all Android users who want to purchase paid apps happy. The post Google Play users in Taiwan can now purchase paid apps again appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Bell and Virgin HTC One S users get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:46 PM PST
According to information gathered from unnamed tipsters writing to Mobile Syrup, users of the HTC One S under both Bell and Virgin in Canada can now upgrade their handsets to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Apparently, there’s an internal memo floating around that says the official release date of the upgrade software is February 28, and it’s going to bring “an improved and refined user experience” to the HTC One S. The HTC One S is an Android-powered smartphone that was first released about a year ago with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It features a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen display, an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 16GB storage, and Beats Audio integration. To upgrade it to the latest software, users simply need to make their way onto the Settings screen, select About Device, choose Software Update, and click on Update. The post Bell and Virgin HTC One S users get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Android VP of Engineering: Google treats Motorola “just like HTC or Samsung” Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:32 PM PST
Google has just told the press, yet again, that they treat Motorola like a separate company. Hiroshi Lockheimer, Vice President of Engineering for Android at Google (pictured above), told C|Net that Google treats Motorola like they’re just another partner. That there’s a firewall between the two companies. That the Nexus program is still open to everyone. None of this is new if you’ve been keeping track of the Android space, but still, we wonder, is Google just lying to everyone in order to keep their partners from freaking out? HTC still makes Windows Phones. Samsung is trying to build a totally new operating system called Tizen. Sony has said that they’re going to experiment with Firefox OS in 2014. LG just bought webOS. There is definitely some fear in the air that Google will do something with their Motorola unit, but are those fears warranted? Anyone who thinks Motorola will become as big and as successful as Samsung is seriously delusional. Google would have to drop some serious coin on components, factories, and advertising in order to become “the next big thing”. What Motorola can become however is the shining beacon of light that everyone looks towards. Next devices have never been big sellers because they’re almost always sold unsubsidized. That’s not the most attractive way to buy a phone in rich Western markets where people are used to subsidies. Even with a starting price of just $299, that’s still a bit much for most. But just think about the Nexus 4. Google packed all that hardware into such a cheap phone. Imagine what they could do if they gave themselves a price target of $599? We think that’s the most likely scenario for Motorola, for them to become a small, but important player. What do you think? More importantly, when do you think we’ll finally get some real answers? The post Android VP of Engineering: Google treats Motorola “just like HTC or Samsung” appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Samsung patent claim against Apple rejected by Japanese court Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:12 PM PST
In a recent report published on Reuters, a Samsung spokesman was quoted as saying, “We are disappointed by today’s court decision. Following a thorough review of the ruling, we will take the measures necessary to protect our intellectual property rights.” Samsung still has several different patent claims lined up against Apple in Japan alone, so it still stands a chance of taking home some one or two wins. It may have found this recent court ruling in Tokyo disappointing, but for most onlookers, it’s this whole patent dispute that’s disappointing as a whole. In any case, we’ll keep you updated as this patent war rages on. The post Samsung patent claim against Apple rejected by Japanese court appeared first on Android Authority. |
| HTC Zoe Share goes live, hosts shared media captured through HTC One Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:33 PM PST
But perhaps you’re wondering, what exactly are users going to do with the recorded photos and video footage that they end up with after using HTC Zoe on the HTC One? Why, share all of it, of course. And today, anyone who uses HTC Zoe to create anything may do just that through the official HTC Zoe sharing site, aptly named HTC Zoe Share. It lets people upload and share media on HTC’s servers for free. With HTC Zoe Share, a user can create a 30-second video clip as a sort of highlight reel that’s made up of photos, videos, and Zoes captured with a smartphone camera. Afterwards, the finished product can be shared easily with the use of links. I think it’s safe to say that HTC Zoe Share has made an already interesting new feature even more interesting. Here’s a quick video showing off a bit of HTC Zoe on the HTC One. If you want to find out what HTC Zoe Share is all about, then just make your way to the source link below. The post HTC Zoe Share goes live, hosts shared media captured through HTC One appeared first on Android Authority. |
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