Android and Me |
- Best Buy begins rollout of Samsung Experience Shops
- Best no-contract wireless plans for unlocked Android devices
- Overwhelming demand for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 delays US launch on several carriers
- Amazon planning to introduce box to compete with Google TV
- Did the “Google X” phone with Android 5.0 just make its first appearance?
- Asus Cube with Google TV now available for purchase
- Registration opens for the first beta of Dead on Arrival 2
- MetroPCS shareholders approve merger with T-Mobile
- Fresh Meat: 10 new Android apps worth checking out
| Best Buy begins rollout of Samsung Experience Shops Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:56 PM PDT Several US carriers might have delayed the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, but you still might be able to spend some hands-on time with the device if you head to your local Best Buy. The two companies announced the in-store Samsung Experience Shots earlier this month, but today they held a press conference to announce the nationwide rollout to more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across the US. “Samsung has been delivering the latest innovation across the consumer electronics category for some time,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. “With the Samsung Experience Shops, we are ensuring consumers get the most of that innovation by learning how to leverage their mobile devices across our ecosystem of consumer electronics. Consumers will have one place to not only explore and learn about our full portfolio of mobile products, but also the support of a Samsung expert to help with selecting and servicing them. This will truly be a unique mobile shopping experience.” Customers can locate a local Samsung Experience Shop by visiting the official Best Buy site. Select stores will have the Galaxy S 4 on display starting Saturday, April 27th, and the rollout will spread to additional stores by summer. Some Best Buy stores will also offer Samsung Smart Service, where Samsung Experience Consultants and Best Buy blue shirt sales associates will assist with product demonstrations, basic product services, Samsung account set up, warranty registration and post purchase support. If you visit your local Best Buy this week and find a Samsung Experience Shop inside, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Gallery    
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| Best no-contract wireless plans for unlocked Android devices Posted: 24 Apr 2013 02:47 PM PDT When it comes to no-contract wireless plans, most of the tech world is completely clueless on how the plans operate and what experiences they provide. I won’t claim to be the top expert on the no-contract world, but I haven’t been under the weight of a wireless contract for over a year and I’ve personally tested out a good chuck of service providers including T-Mobile, Straight Talk, Solavei, Simple Mobile, and others. The following is my list of the best no-contract options available for unlocked Android devices. 1. T-Mobile The basics:
The final word: T-Mobile is easily the best no-contract service for Android devices since they are the only ones to currently support LTE on unlocked GSM devices, and they have in-store support. This is the best choice for most people wishing to go no-contract. 2. Solavei The basics:
The final word: Solavei is my current carrier of choice because they offer the most bang for the buck. I normally consume around 2GB of data per month, and their plan saves me $10 per month vs T-Mobile. The compensation plan is nice if you want to share the service with friends, but it’s completely optional. T-Mobile has not provided LTE access to any of their MVNO partners yet, but we hear that it’s coming soon. Others have complained about customer service, but I have only contacted them once in the last six months and I didn’t have a problem. 3. GoSmart Mobile The basics:
The final word: GoSmart Mobile just launched a couple months ago, so we have not heard a lot of feedback on them yet. They are owned by T-Mobile, so we expect them to offer reliable service. The plans are very competitive with Solavei, and we could bump GoSmart up to the 2nd spot if we hear good things about their customer service. 4. Red Pocket Mobile
The basics:
The final word: Red Pocket is new to this list, since we bumped off Straight Talk for not disclosing their data policy. Not everyone lives in a T-Mobile coverage area, so it’s nice to have a MVNO that operates on AT&T and still provides a couple GB of data. Their top plan with 2 GB of data might not work for the data hog, but it’s better than most no-contract options for AT&T. 5. Net 10 SIM The basics:
The final word: Net 10 SIM is owned by TracFone, the same parent company as Straight Talk, but at least they stated that you get 1.5 GB of data. This is not as much data as others offer, but it might be a good fit if you are looking to stay on AT&T’s network. ConclusionsT-Mobile has really impressed us with their new Simple Choice plans. As long as you live in a T-Mobile service area, you should test them out for a month and see how they perform. Their ability to offer in-store support, tethering, and their access to 4G LTE is unmatched by any other no-contract provider. If you are willing to forgo LTE for now, which might include a lot of people since T-Mobile’s LTE coverage is limited and only a handful of unlocked devices support T-Mobile LTE, then you can probably save some money on your monthly bill by going with a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). These resellers will not have the same level of customer service, but that’s what you get if you want to pay less. Solavei remains a compelling choice if you want to refer your friends and earn a monthly bonus, and we are interested to see how the company grows this year. They claim they are working to offer 4G LTE service soon, and they will also begin to offer other wholesale services that will save their customers money. The compensation plan might be a turn off for some, but at least it is completely optional. Even though I’m with Solavei now, I have the freedom to switch to whatever service plan comes along with a better offer. I’m currently using the unlocked HTC One Developer Edition, so I am eagerly waiting for T-Mobile to launch LTE around Dallas. It’s nice only paying $50 per month, but I think I might hop on the $70 T-Mobile plan with unlimited data when we get LTE. I know people are going go complain that I left off Boost, Virgin Mobile and a bunch of other no-contract service providers on CDMA networks, but this list was intended for people who purchased unlocked Android devices that operate on GSM networks. There are plenty of no-contract and pre-paid options for phones that operate on Sprint or Verizon, but we choose not to cover them since they don’t support most unlocked devices. The list of MVNOs continues to grow at a rapid pace, so look for this list to be updated over the coming months. If you find a better option or have something to say about any of our picks, please share your feedback in the comments below. 
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| Overwhelming demand for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 delays US launch on several carriers Posted: 24 Apr 2013 11:42 AM PDT Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 was expected to go on sale this weekend in the US, but “overwhelming demand” has pushed back the launch for several carriers. As of this writing, only AT&T plans to sell the device this Saturday, April 27th, while Sprint and T-Mobile have pushed back their releases. Verizon also announced their pre-order would begin tomorrow, but the device will not be in stores for another month. The latest US release dates for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 include:
In total, the Galaxy S 4 will be available on seven US carriers and sold at seven retail outlets. We have had a review unit of the Galaxy S 4 for a week and we can say the device lives up to the hype, so it’s definitely worth waiting for if you have already made up you mind. 
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| Amazon planning to introduce box to compete with Google TV Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:31 AM PDT Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Amazon is planning to introduce a television set-top box this fall, according to three people familiar with the project who aren't authorized to discuss it. Details are limited, but the device is being developed by Amazon's Lab126 division, which created the Kindle family of products. Amazon already offers a lineup of Android-powered tablets, and smartphones are rumored to be on the way, so it makes perfect sense that they would want to get try and take over your TV. The rumored Amazon set-top box would prominently feature Amazon’s Video on Demand store and their their Instant Video service, which is a free bonus for subscribers of Amazon Prime The new box should have no shortage of original, exclusive content. Just last week 14 shows debuted on the new Amazon Original TV Pilots We assume that Amazon’s set-top box will also run a version of Android, so we expect the device to have access to the growing Amazon Appstore for Android Hints suggest that Google TV will get a major refresh at Google IO next month, but Google’s TV platform has been sorely lacking in exciting new features and developer support. Competition is a good thing, so hopefully Amazon and Google will push each other to deliver more premium experiences. What features and experiences would you like to see from an Amazon Kindle TV box? 
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| Did the “Google X” phone with Android 5.0 just make its first appearance? Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:56 AM PDT Don’t get too excited, because these things can be faked, but an uknown device with the name “Google X” just appeared on the AnTuTu benchmark site, as first spotted by Japanese blog Rbmen. The “Google X” device is running Android 5.0.1, with an unknown 1.5 GHz processor, and returned a respectable score of 15479. We have no way to validate if this is a real benchmark result, but it does raise some interesting points. Early rumors suggested the first “X Phone” would not focus on high-end specs, and said the device would be sold for an extremely low price. An AnTuTu score of 15k is comparable to high-end devices from last year (think GS3 or One X) and it could indicate that this device might sport Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 400 processor that is designed for mainstream phones. I wouldn’t put too much thought into the final specs of the first “X Phone”, because anything that has been uncovered will probably change. We have previously reported that the "X Phone" brand would spawn an entire family of devices, so this could be the cause of conflicting reports about specific details and specs. The appearance of Android 5.0.1 is also notable. We know that Google has been working on the next version of Android, codenamed Key Lime Pie, but we don’t know what version number they will assign to it. Rumors and speculation have suggested that Key Lime Pie might become Android 5.0, but it could also end up as Android 4.3 or 4.5. For what it’s worth, we have seen several appearances of Android 5.0.1 in our server logs over the last couple weeks. Finally, it’s also interesting to see this device labeled as “Google X” instead of “Motorola X.” We have believed that the first “X Phone” would be sold under the Motorola brand, but we also know that this is one of the first devices where Google has had a heavy influence on the design. Hopefully, more will be revealed at Google IO next month. Some rumors suggest the first “X Phone” and Android 5.0 might have been pushed back till August or later, but we still expect to hear something at Google’s upcoming event.  Is this a real benchmark result? Only time will tell. 
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| Asus Cube with Google TV now available for purchase Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:11 AM PDT Previously announced at CES as the Asus Qube, the new Asus Cube with Google TV is now available from online retailers for $139 The Asus Cube is definitely one of the coolest looking Google TV boxes we have seen, but this might not be the best time to purchase a Google TV device. The current crop of Google TV boxes (including the Asus Cube) are lacking in the CPU department and the Google TV platform is still based on the older Android 3.2 build. Google has hinted that there might be some big updates to the Google TV platform coming next month at Google IO, so it might be wise to wait a couple weeks and see what gets announced. For additional details on the Asus Cube head over to the official site and check out this 20 minute hands-on video.  
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| Registration opens for the first beta of Dead on Arrival 2 Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:45 AM PDT If you think you've got what it takes to survive a zombie apocalypse, than you might want to register for the pre-beta of Dead on Arrival 2 from NV3 Games. The upcoming sequel to the popular original is launching soon and the first beta will go live in the coming weeks. NV3 says you will need a mobile device with a Tegra processor and Android 3.0 or higher, so hit up the source link if you meet those qualifications. Check out the trailer below for a preview of the mayhem.  
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| MetroPCS shareholders approve merger with T-Mobile Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:34 AM PDT Today MetroPCS shareholders approved the merger with T-Mobile USA, after Deutsche Telekom had sweetened their offer last week. The proposed deal gives Deutsche Telekom a 74 percent stake in the merged entity and MetroPCS shareholders a $1.5 billion cash payment. Once the transaction is complete, T-Mobile will gain 9 million subscribers, boosting their total customer base to around 42 million. “We are thrilled that MetroPCS stockholders voted to approve this transaction which delivers strategic and financial benefits,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a statement. “A combined T-Mobile and MetroPCS will unite two companies with one common vision: challenge the status quo and deliver exceptional wireless experiences for our customers. As America’s Un-carrier, we will redefine the wireless industry.” T-Mobile will remain the nation’s 4th largest carrier, but the customer additions will help them get a little closer to Sprint, who has an estimated 56 million subscribers. T-Mobile will also gain access to valuable spectrum owned by MetroPCS, which they will use to expand the coverage and capacity of their 4G LTE network. At one time we thought the MetroPCS name might disappear, but T-Mobile has said they plan to expand the brand nationwide and market it as a low-cost alternative to the other major carriers. MetroPCS already has some attractive no-contract plans, so it will be interesting to see how the merger with T-Mobile affects them. We expect MetroPCS to gain full access to T-Mobile’s 2G/3G/4G networks, so they might become an attractive brand for unlocked Android devices. It might be awhile before customers of T-Mobile and MetroPCS see any actual benefits of this merger, but it’s still an exciting move if you are a fan of no-contract plans and unlocked mobile devices in the US. 
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| Fresh Meat: 10 new Android apps worth checking out Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:58 AM PDT New apps need lovin' too, right? Every day there are thousands of new entries on the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We have shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and launch them to new heights. So, we're bringing back our weekly column Fresh Meat that highlights new apps with less than 100k installs. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy. Swype
Pitch: You Asked for It – Swype Now Available on the Play Store! Swype is all about you. Whether you're a Swype’r, a Typer, a Tapper or a Dictator, get ready for a better, faster keyboard experience that gets smarter the more you use it. Swype pays attention to the way you input text and creates a personal language model that follows you from device to device. Swype – the world's most powerful keyboard.  Creatorverse
Pitch: Become an inventor as you design unique creations and then set them in motion. You'll never know what to expect as you watch your creations bounce, roll, tilt or even accelerate on the screen. Let your creations come to life as you play with different joints, forces, motors, teleporters, and inputs then watch what happens next. From the simplest bouncing ball to an elaborate pinball machine, the possibilities for tinkering are endless on Creatorverse. Merge+
Pitch: Merge+ helps you easily find & merge duplicate contacts. With Merge+, you can join duplicate contacts in your Android phone & Tablet with only three clicks. Launch Merge+ to find duplicate contacts, review merge suggestions and mark who to merge, and then merge your selected duplicate contacts. Indigo
Pitch: Hello Indigo… Indigo is the newest and cleverest voice-enabled personal assistant available. Indigo is the only personal assistant who can seamlessly carry on a conversation with you from your smartphone to your tablet to your desktop and back again, perfect for users on the move. Runtastic Bike
Pitch: Take your cycling to a new level with Runtastic! Road Bike is the ultimate, road biking performance app, which transforms your smartphone into the best bike computer on the market – with over 50 cycle features, compatible velo hardware, and a complementary fitness site. This top-rated app (4.5+) has been specifically designed with road biking in mind, incorporating every feature a leisure rider or professional racer desires. This app is 100% cycle focused to give riders the ultimate GPS tracking and data measurement tool for any cycling activity – from a bicycle tour in the park with the kids, to training for your first road race, to an intense stage of the Tour de France! Circle Synth
Pitch: Circle Synth is a grid-less sequencer synthesizer that makes quick and quirky musical sounds. Draw shapes, choose presets, apply effects and create one bar compositions worth sharing! Choose from 4 assignable FX for each note or node, controllable BPM, accelerometer controlled filter sweep, and save and share your musical sketches. GoComics
Pitch: Want funny? Love comics? We’ve got your fix. The GoComics app, from Universal Uclick, is the mobile comics portal for many of the most popular comic strips worldwide. From iconic favorites like Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, Garfield, Doonesbury, Dilbert and Marmaduke to modern favorites like FoxTrot, The Boondocks, Big Nate, Pearls Before Swine and Get Fuzzy, we offer the most diverse set of comic strips and panels in one single app for free. One Today
Pitch: One Today by Google is a mobile app that brings together people and nonprofits through the simple act of giving $1.The app is currently available through a limited pilot. One Today will present you with a new project every day from a nonprofit that is changing the world. You can donate to the projects that inspire you with just one click. Amplify your impact by sharing your donations with your friends on social media and matching their contributions to your favorite projects. Hotels 4D
Pitch: Finding the one from over 350,000 has never been this simple! Discover the right hotel for you on an interactive map with live criteria filtering. See the difference from traditional list-based search and you'll never go back! First, filter hotels by price and star rating from the handy interface. Then quickly scan customer reviews and proximity to city center and airports, right there on the map. Finally, select the best fits around you or anywhere in the world. It is this easy to find the right hotel at the right price, on the go. Photomash
Pitch: Turn your photos into custom creations with Photomash. Simply take a picture, erase portions of the picture with your finger, and take another picture to occupy that space. Take multiple pictures within pictures to create fun, interesting, or humorous images. Participate in challenges and create photomashes and share them with your friends! Sherpa
Pitch: Sherpa is the number one personal assistant for your cell phone and tablet. Tell you cell phone what you want and tadaa it is done. Ask about anything that you want, music, flights, sending messages, using social networks. On top of that, Sherpa is able to predict what you need. Sherpa learns about what you like, knows in any moment where you are, and… even though it seems incredible, Sherpa anticipates your needs! 
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. We are huge fans of Google TV so we always welcome new hardware OEMs to the platform, but I’m not convinced yet that the Asus Cube is the best device available. Other Google TV devices with similar specs are selling for 
, so we don’t see any major reason for the $40 premium that Asus is charging.
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