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- HTC One beats the rest, wins ‘Best Mobile Device’ at MWC 2013
- Google Easter egg has YouTube doing the Harlem Shake
- Blurring the lines: When a smartphone gets too big!
- Apple vs Samsung: Judge cuts 450 million from damages, new trial set
- AT&T takes a shot at T-Mobile in latest ad campaign
- Acer Liquid S quad-core 4.7-inch smartphone in the works
- Android 4.2.2 AOSP code push now complete
- AT&T expands 4G LTE in Texas, Nebraska, Arizona and others
- Acer projected to ship 7 million Android tablets in 2013
| HTC One beats the rest, wins ‘Best Mobile Device’ at MWC 2013 Posted: 01 Mar 2013 04:31 PM PST Now that the exciting show in Barcelona, Spain, has finally ended we are now starting to see the awards going out for best in show. Mobile World Congress is one of the most exciting mobile events of the year, and this time around was no exception. Even though HTC didn’t announce their device at MWC 2013 they still took home the gold.
The all-new HTC One was awarded best in show, or ‘Best Mobile Device’ but Sony was a close second and won a few awards of their own. Sadly this year wasn’t as good as some in the past, as many companies are opting to do their own show at a later date to steal all of the attention. HTC revealed the award winning HTC One the week before in NYC and London, and Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S IV passed on the event and will be announced March 14th in New York City. This year the global mobile show in Barcelona was home to more than 72,000 attendees from 200 countries and more than 1,700 companies showcasing their latest and greatest products and technology. At the annual award ceremony the judges recognized the new HTC One as the “device that holds the most promise for success in the market this year, providing game-changing features, design and functionality.” Sony’s impressive new Xperia Z smartphone came in a close second, but it won the award at CES so I don’t think they’re too sad to see HTC take home the gold. On the bright side the Sony Xperia Z Tablet won the award for the best slate, and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 was just an afterthought for the judges. Oddly enough the peoples choice award went to Firefox’s new Mobile OS, but we’ll reserve judgement for a later day. For everything exciting from Mobile World Congress from LG’s pile of smartphones, the new Sony slate, HP’s little Android offering, and much much more be sure and check out our MWC 2013 Portal. Congrats HTC! [via MWC] Device Info
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| Google Easter egg has YouTube doing the Harlem Shake Posted: 01 Mar 2013 03:50 PM PST Just in case you all haven’t had enough of the famous Harlem Shake yet, our good friends at Google decided to make it fun for everyone. Yup, in the usual and amazing Google fashion we have another Easter egg for you all to try. If you don’t know what those are we suggest you Google “Google Easter Egg” and enjoy all the tricks.
Google’s been known for putting Easter eggs in everything from our browser, search results, Android OS versions, Chrome Browser, and now YouTube. Just head to Google and in the search field type “do a barrel roll” and watch the magic. Or during the holidays search “let it snow” to help you get into the winter spirit. Even Google’s Chrome Browser for Android has a few tricks. From Nyan Cats in Android 4.0 to little Candy Canes floating around inside the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Easter egg and more. Google surely knows how to have fun, and it won’t be stopping any time soon. The Harlem Shake has sadly taken the internet world by storm. So in the usual Google fashion we can enjoy it their way. Simply head to YouTube and in the search field type “do the harlem shake” and watch the magic happen. Don’t forget to wait for the chorus though. While this doesn’t really have anything to do with Android, it shares the same general idea behind all the awesome Easter eggs in our favorite mobile OS. Surely there will be some sort of neat Key Lime Pie Easter egg in Android 5.0, and we’ll find it as soon as possible at Google I/O in May. Keep up the good work Google! On that note I’ll leave you all with my personal favorite “Harlem Shake” video so far. |
| Blurring the lines: When a smartphone gets too big! Posted: 01 Mar 2013 03:25 PM PST How big is too big when it comes to a smartphone? That is the question here in 2013. With devices like the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II being readily available the limits were already being pushed, but this year the lines are going to get blurred even more. Would you hold an 8-inch phablet to the side of your head in public? Samsung and ASUS seem to think so.
While our friend Chris Davies looks great, doesn’t that 7.7-inch tablet look ridiculous in the photo above? That’s what the future holds! Soon you won’t even be able to see our faces. We’ve started to really dislike the term “phablet” and have tried not to throw it around. Sadly now that Samsung has an 8-inch tablet with full phone capabilities and ASUS following suit, that’s exactly what this new generation of devices should be called, as much as we don’t want to call them that. This week in Barcelona for MWC 2013, Samsung announced the all new Galaxy Note 8 tablet running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and rocking full phone and voice capabilities. We managed some hands-on with the Note 8, but didn’t put it against our head and make a call — but we should have. Arguably this isn’t a phablet at all. Instead this is a powerful 8-inch tablet for serious consumption and creation with the S-Pen stylus – that just so happens to also be able to make and receive calls should the moment arrive. But is that overkill? Then there’s rumors that this August Samsung will be announcing their third generation Note smartphone. We’ve heard reports of a 6.3-inch Galaxy Note III with their Exynos 5 octa-core processor and a 13 megapixel camera. Whoa. Enough is enough. Are you excited for the possibly upcoming Note III, or at that point would you rather just get the Note 8.0? It’s a hard question that can’t really be answered til we try them, but we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Then we had another “phablet” announcement this year at Mobile World Congress. ASUS came out aiming right for the smartphone market, tablet buyers, and Samsung’s pockets with their new FonePad. Now we’re really starting to blur the lines. This thing is a 7-inch tablet (errr fone) that is also a phone. Is it a phone, or is it a tablet? Does it really even matter? In this day and age a majority of the general public actually doesn’t even use their phones to make calls, and when they do it surely isn’t very often. We’ve all resorted to texting, Facebook and other social networks, and we can’t forget Bluetooth headsets. Now that’s where this argument and need for a phablet actually gains legs. We might as well enjoy large 7-inch and bigger screens full of HD content if we aren’t ever going to make calls. Then the few moments you do need to place a call, just use a headset. This way you get an awesome large screen, yet can still place calls and not have to own two devices. Enough talking. Lets just let ASUS show us how it’s done. We also can’t forget about portability, I can’t fit the Note 8.0 in my jeans pocket. And the 7-inch FonePad is pushing it too, but surely many will love the idea and have no problem tossing it in their purse, leaving it on a desk, or carrying it in public. Are you one of them? The video above shows ASUS really embracing the idea of a phablet, and they seem to have no problems with holding a 7-inch slate up to their ears. We know Samsung is embracing this new market, and the folks from Huawei have a 6.1-inch device too. As we’ve mentioned above there is clearly some advantages and disadvantages to having a phablet, but we’ll just have to wait and see how the market reacts. In all honesty I have a hard time using anything over 4.7-inches, but the Note II has sold millions. So clearly others have no problem with it at all. Why own two devices when the FonePad or Note 8.0 will do everything you need… It’s an interesting concept that seems to be picking up speed fast. While the iPhone is barely reaching 4-inches and other competing platforms staying around 4.3, Android is leading the charge. Will 2013 be the year of phablets, or will you stick to smaller smartphone? Is the DROID DNA at 5-inches the sweet spot, or are you willing to go bigger? How big is too big? Let us know in the comments below. |
| Apple vs Samsung: Judge cuts 450 million from damages, new trial set Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:29 PM PST The Apple vs Samsung trial has been in the news again this week a few times. Last year Apple won one of the biggest lawsuits in their ongoing Android battle and a Judge awarded them over $1 billion in damages from Samsung for patent infringement. While that numbers slowly been dropped, today Judge Koh removed 450 million from that, and ordered a new damages trial with a fresh new Jury.
This is just one more interesting turn of many in this crazy lawsuit we’ve been following for months and months. Today Judge Koh has decided to cut a little over $450 million dollars off of the settlement, which brings Apple’s earnings down to 600m. Not only that, she also wants a new trial and Jury to look over and confirm what devices actually infringe on patents and copyright. Koh says that "the Court identified an impermissible legal theory on which the jury based its award" and that she’s since changed the award. Koh further explains that more than 14 different Samsung devices are in question, and will get a new trial with a fresh Jury and perspective to try and sort things out. One being the Nexus S which obviously doesn’t look anything like an iPhone if you ask us. The full list of devices in question are the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, AT&T Galaxy S II, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, and Transform. So for now it appears that Samsung is off the hook for at least some of that hard earned cash. Just when we thought things were about to end we are right back where we started, at least for a few devices. No date or additional details have been set but we’ll update when we know more. [via SlashGear] |
| AT&T takes a shot at T-Mobile in latest ad campaign Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:06 PM PST Some new ad campaign material has surfaced showing the folks from AT&T throwing a few hard left hooks and punches to T-Mobile. It wasn’t very long ago that these two nationwide carriers were being all friendly, as they tried to get a deal done and merge. Sadly now that the merger won’t ever be happening AT&T is looking for a fight and has something to prove.
We know all the carriers do it. Verizon’s can you hear me now campaign ran forever and people still say that to this day. However, this seems like a direct punch and pretty low blow aimed right at T-Mobile. AT&T put up some money and took out more than just an ad, but actual full-page ads in NYT, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and more showing us “the truth about T-Mobile’s network.” The image above is the suggested material, then a picture of the ad itself right out of a local newspaper. AT&T goes for the throat and clearly mentions all the dropped calls and slow speeds. Claiming T-Mobile has twice the number of dropped calls, and twice the number of outright failed calls too. I’m not sure about you guys but I don’t remember the last time my T-Mobile smartphone actually just didn’t work at all and completely failed. That doesn’t seem to be an issue here in Vegas. Then AT&T goes after their HSPA+ data speeds. We all know AT&T is slowly but surely increasing their 4G LTE rollout, and T-Mobile hasn’t even launched theirs yet. However it is still quite fast in many regions. AT&T doesn’t care because they claim to be over 50% faster than little ol T-Mobile. We wouldn’t expect anything less from US carriers these days, it’s just a bit funny to see such direct calling out after being best of friends not but a few months ago. We’re not here to call names, but what carrier do you have and how does it work for you? [via Phandroid] |
| Acer Liquid S quad-core 4.7-inch smartphone in the works Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:26 PM PST This week at Mobile World Congress the folks from Acer had a pretty mild showing, but we all had a feeling more was coming as they’ve continued their Android push. Today though, reports are surfacing that Acer’s president revealed a quad-core smartphone from the company is in the works and coming soon. This will be their first quad-core smartphone.
According to GSMArena during an interview for the official MWC paper the President of Acer’s smartphone department gave off a few clues but was careful not to reveal too much. He went as far as to call the device a “phablet” although mentions a 4.7-inch screen being in that category. Personally anything over 5-inches is too big, but he said it, not us. Currently Acer only offers quad-core devices in the Android tablet segment, and their few phones have been pretty budget oriented devices. However, this year they will aim higher and offer quad-core smartphones with 1080p HD displays and all those top tier specs we love. While the VP mentions 4.7-inches more than a few times, it’s actually unclear just how big Acer plans to take the screen on the new Liquid S. One thing we do know, it will be the companies new flagship smartphone to take on others in the high-end segment. Acer also mentions they’ll be growing out this segment over the course of 2013, so we can expect more than a few quad-core smartphones headed our way soon. |
| Android 4.2.2 AOSP code push now complete Posted: 01 Mar 2013 12:27 PM PST Google began pushing the Android 4.2.2 code to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a short while back, however as of today it looks like that roll-out has been completed. Simply put, this means you will be able to grab builds for all the current generation Nexus devices. What we are looking at is Android 4.2.2 with build number JDQ39.
Specifically this includes the Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 tablets as well as the Nexus 4, Galaxy Nexus (GSM/HSPA+) and Galaxy Nexus (Verizon Wireless) smartphone. Still missing however are some of the older devices including the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G smartphones along with the Motorola Xoom tablet. The details of this update were posted by Jean-Baptiste Queru and interestingly enough, this marks the “first time that any device has all its binaries available for AOSP.” This is in regards to this AOSP release including the full set of proprietary binaries for all variants of the Nexus 7 as well as the Nexus 4. Otherwise, many of the older binaries remain available. Also worth noting, Queru has said that they also tweaked the Froyo, Gingerbread and ICS-mr1 branches so they can now be compiled on Ubuntu 12.04. Bottom line here, if you have been looking for any Nexus related binaries – follow the link at the bottom of this post. [via Google Developers] |
| AT&T expands 4G LTE in Texas, Nebraska, Arizona and others Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:45 AM PST It’s a beautiful day this Friday afternoon and AT&T has just announced a slew of network updated where they’ll be expanding their 4G LTE rollout throughout the US. The main part of the news is for their updates in Texas, but Nebraska is receiving it’s fair share, as well as several cities too. Read on for the full details on AT&T’s fast 4G LTE network.
If you’re located near Corpus Christi get ready for some blazing fast 4G LTE. That isn’t all either, other regions updated include Marble Falls, Burnet, Lubbock, Bertram and Round Mountain. Nebraska also is getting updated in a few regions although it appears that Lincoln is the biggest of said updates. Then AT&T is also improving their offering in Arizona and Connecticut today with massive improvements and expansions. In Arizona the greater Phoenix area is seeing the biggest update. With surrounding cities like Avondale, Goodyear and Litchfield Park – as well as a few improvements to Glendale and Peoria. Connecticut however saw the biggest set of expansions reaching Avon, Bloomfield, Enfield, Farmington, Granby, New Britain, Simsbury, Suffield, West Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks. Verizon has continued to update quickly, and they just improved Connecticut too so the race to 4G LTE is getting hotter and hotter. Of course if you’re not enjoying 4G LTE make sure to check the city lists above, and if you need an LTE device check out our device.ac database full of all the newest smartphones. That new HTC One with a 4.7-inch 1080p HD display and 4G LTE would be great in AT&T’s new markets. It will be available later this month so stay tuned. [via SlashGear] |
| Acer projected to ship 7 million Android tablets in 2013 Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:41 AM PST Acer may end up with a rather large increase in terms of tablet shipments during the remainder of the year. According to a recent report, Acer may end up shipping a total of 10 million tablets in 2013. This includes a mix of Android and Windows tablets, however the Android side is the larger of the two groups. Assuming Acer meets the 10 million number for the year, that would mean a 400 percent year on year increase.
The details are coming by way of a recent DigiTimes report which notes that this will be “due to strong demand for entry-level tablets.” Which probably goes to say that people are simply willing to buy a tablet based on price as opposed to specs and/or reviews. This unfortunately isn’t coming by way of Acer, but instead by way of unnamed sources from the upstream supply chain. Breaking this 10 million up, the report is showing Acer as possibly shipping 7 million Android and 3 million Windows tablet. It was said that Acer is currently shipping about 200,000 to 300,000 of the Iconia B1-A71 tablets on a monthly basis. The B1-A71 is the tablet that was introduced back in early-January. The tablet is selling for $150 and brings specs to include a 7-inch (1024 x 600) display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage and Jelly Bean. Looking forward though, Acer is also expected to launch an 8-inch and 10-inch tablet in the “near future.” These additional models are said to be heading towards the entry-level market. These tablets are expected to debut at $150 (8-inch) and $200 (10-inch) and arrive with a price cut on the existing 7-inch model. That one is expected to drop into the $130 range. Whether or not Acer actually ends up shipping 7 million Android tablets this year remains to be seen, however with price points ranging from $130 up to $200 — that should certainly help out. [via DigiTimes] |
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