Android Authority |
- Official Samsung Galaxy S4 cases shown in videos
- Could flexible screens shape the future of mobile devices?
- Buying phones from China part 2: tips and tricks
- Google Glass specs and features officially listed
- AT&T Galaxy S4 ship date listed for April 30, as pre-order page goes live
- Mozilla to launch Firefox OS in emerging markets first, holding off US launch until 2014
- BLU Vivo 4.3 smartphone gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update and new color options
- Pantech Vega Iron smartphone photos surface online
- Mirror API for Google Glass released
- Sony Xperia Z and other high-end models get CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds
| Official Samsung Galaxy S4 cases shown in videos Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:31 AM PDT
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 cases are shown in action in three videos recently posted on YouTube by Ukrainian website Rozetka. The three short videos show the S View Cover (probably the most interesting one), as well as the Flip Cover and Protective Cover+, as applied on the smartphone (all of them are part of the official Samsung Galaxy S4 range of accessories). Let’s start with the S View Cover one, which offers some pretty good protection for the screen while, at the same time, it unlocks the phone when opened. The fact that you can see the clock, as well as notifications, without needing to open it, only comes as an added bonus to that protection. The second video shows the Flip Cover, which is not much of a difference from what Samsung already had for previous models. You don’t get to see notifications or the current time, but at least you get pretty good protection for your smartphone, including the screen, as well as an elegant look. The last of the Samsung Galaxy S4 cases shown in the videos is the Protective Cover+, which looks like it can do quite a bit to protect your smartphone, unless it falls on its screen, in which case you may have a bit of a problem. If you’re getting a Samsung Galaxy S4, are you planning on getting one of the cases in the videos above to go with it? |
| Could flexible screens shape the future of mobile devices? Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:05 AM PDT
There have been a lot of changes made to our screens, as mobile phones have evolved through the years. From starting off as mono-tone screens that could only handle basic characters, they have now become advanced pieces of tech that run images and video in full colour and high-definition. But the next step up for screens doesn't come in what they show but rather how they show it. Changing shapeScreens have always been traditionally rectangular-shaped and even the latest smartphones have kept to these natural boundaries. But even the screens are looking to get a makeover with all sorts of shapes being trialled by companies to see what works best. Korean giant Samsung has already shown what could be possible when it demonstrated a pull-out screen from the side of a phone at CES in January. Meanwhile, several teams at universities across the globe have also produced working flexible screens that can essentially be rolled out to extend the screen from a portable device. Breaking the glass barrierThe key to creating the bendy screens is that manufacturers are using different materials to produce the screens that allow for more interactivity and fluidity whilst maintaining the high details needed to produce a quality picture. Traditional materials such as glass are being subbed for more flexible and lighter materials such as thin films of plastic which are more flexible but can still support electronic signals. Another big reason for the growth of flexi-screens is the increased use of OLED rather than LCD to light the screen. As Reuters points out, OLEDs “don’t need backlighting, are brighter, offer a wider viewing angle and better color contrast – and can be printed onto a few layers.”  Flexible screens could be here in just a year or two. Image Credit: Flickr/jurvetson Still not quite readyAlthough the advancements and prototypes have shown what can be done, it will still be some time before we see flexible screens in any smartphones. After all, it can be quite costly to produce the flexible screens with the film layers tending to be more expensive to purchase rather than glass sheets. Furthermore, manufacturers would also need to change a lot of their equipment in order to produce the films on a wide scale driving production costs even higher which is not ideal given the current economic crisis. There are also questions about the durability of flexible screens. The barrier films are much thinner and softer than glass which unfortunately means that the likelihood of the screen getting damaged is higher, especially when smartphones are being used more than ever nowadays. Despite the concerns, flexible screens are still very much in the prototype stage and no doubt there will be many more demo models shown off to the world before they are built into our smartphones. Some people are touting that we could see the new displays as early as next year in mobile devices but with the costs involved still too high and many of the kinks yet to be ironed out, it might take a couple more years before we see them fully integrated into mobile phones. |
| Buying phones from China part 2: tips and tricks Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:44 AM PDT
Without a doubt there is an element of risk, but I am sure someone’s grandmother said somewhere that there is an element of risk in everything we do. The question is how to reduce that risk. Here is a set of tips and tricks that can reduce the chances of disappointment and frustration. Always buy from a well known vendor. This is of course true of any purchase or service you use either online or locally. Finding a good online Chinese wholesaler can be difficult and a future post will look at this subject more comprehensively. But for now (and just in passing) I would suggest you look into Chinavasion.com, McBub.com, Merimobiles.com and iPadAlternative.com Research and read about the device you want to buy. If you think Samsung’s range of phones is large and unwieldy then you ain’t seen nothing yet! The number, type and varieties of Chinese made Android smartphones is bewildering. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that there are lots of Chinese companies making Android phones, many just for the Chinese market itself (remember it is a big country with lots of potential consumers). Secondly these companies tend to do small production runs, that is small compared to Samsung and Apple. This means they update and re-fresh their product lines frequently. It isn’t unusual for a device to be available for just a few months when it will be surpassed by another model. Because of this doing some research into a phone or tablet before you buy is essential. Read reviews from people who have actually bought the products. Look at YouTube videos to get a sense of the look and feel of the device. A good place to find real reviews of Chinese tablets is tabletrepublic.com Always pay by PayPal. The primary method of payment for most Chinese wholesalers is PayPal and for some it is the only option available. Avoid other alternatives like bank transfers etc. If possible use an actual PayPal account rather than just using the credit/debit card processing side of PayPal. The reason for this is that if everything turns sour and you aren’t getting any satisfaction from the wholesaler, you can always try and get your money back from PayPal. Since these wholesalers rely on PayPal for their payment processing they are quite responsive to questions and disputes that come from PayPal itself. Use the best shipping method you can afford. Once you have made your purchase, the phone or tablet has potentially a long journey ahead of it. For those buying from the US or Europe the package needs to travel half way around the world and the truth is that neither you or the seller have much control over how that package is handled along the way. Whenever possible use a service like DHL or UPS. Most wholesalers will ship by courier but the postage price will be anywhere from $30 upwards, depending on your location. There are other advantages to using a courier including speed (you normally get the package within a few days rather than the 20 to 30 days using normal postage) and it is normally the courier who processes any sales tax, which can be advantageous (see below). If you do opt for normal postage then always get a tracking number from the wholesaler and don’t be surprised if the package takes several weeks to reach you. My personal worse case experience was when I bought something just before Chinese New Year! It ended up taking seven weeks to get to me! Don’t forget the sales tax in your country. Many countries around the world have a sales tax which is levied on goods which are bought. This tax equally applies to items bought outside the country. When your new phone or tablet arrives from China your local customs office will likely want you to pay this sales tax. There are a few things you need to know to make this as painless as possible. First, when calculating your budget you need to plan for this tax. The total cost of your new device will be price + postage + sales tax. In many countries the cost of the postage is also subject to sales tax. Unfortunately most Chinese wholesalers don’t put the correct value of the device on the shipping information. A figure of $50 or $100 is often stated when the device cost maybe double that. The problem is that the custom agents know this and often won’t trust the value on the shipping information. Without a true number some custom agents will use a reference value based on the price of popular tablets from brands like Samsung. This means you could be asked to pay an unrealistic sales tax. The best solution is to have a print out of the order information showing the correct values. As mentioned above, if the custom duties are handled by the courier this process can be easier. 3G isn’t the same everywhere in the world. When buying a Chinese smartphone with 3G connectivity it is important to check which 3G frequencies the phone supports. A truly international phone like the Nexus 4 supports 3G on 850, 900, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz. The last number is the “official” 3G frequency, but for full compatibility across the world several different frequency ranges are needed. A large portion of Chinese phones only support 850 and 2100 MHz. This means that it will work in your area if there is a “standard” 2100 MHz 3G network but if your carrier uses additional frequencies like 900 MHz to extend coverage and boost speed then not all Chinese phones can take advantage of the additional frequencies. In Asia the most popular secondary frequency is 850 MHz, which is why it is built-in to these Asian manufactured phones. Having said that, Chinese brands like Lenovo, ZTE, Huawei and Meizu (to name a few) do offer phones with large frequency ranges. If you keep these points in mind, buying from China should be a simple process and you can save lots of money in the process.
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| Google Glass specs and features officially listed Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:34 AM PDT
Google has finally listed official specs and features for Google Glass on its support pages. The wearable gadget comes with adjustable nosepads (available in two sizes) and a durable frame that "fits any face." Google Glass will offer a "high resolution display" that will be the equivalent of a 25-inch HD screen seen from eight feet away. When it comes to camera capabilities, we're looking at a 5-megapixel shooter that can also record 720p video. Available storage sits at 12GB “synced with Google cloud storage,” out of the total 16GB flash memory found on-board the Google Glass. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth (unspecified version), while audio is handled via a Bone Conduction Transducer. Google Glass can be connected to any phone that has Bluetooth capabilities, and Google has also released a MyGlass companion app for Android smartphones that run Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher, which would enable GPS and SMS functionality. Specific details about battery life aren't offered, but Google does say that the battery will last one full day in "typical" use, although some features (mostly video related) "are more battery intensive." Google Glass will come with its own Micro USB cable and charge, which Google advises users to use instead of other Micro USB charges available out there. In addition to listing tech specs on its Glass support pages, Google has also announced that the first Google Glass units will be shipping to Explorers soon and has released the Mirror API for developers, as well as the MyGlass app mentioned earlier. |
| AT&T Galaxy S4 ship date listed for April 30, as pre-order page goes live Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:45 AM PDT
AT&T's Galaxy S4 pre-order page has gone live, at least for some users, revealing pricing and ship date for the smartphone AT&T put up a Galaxy S4 registration page as soon as the product became official in mid-March, and then announced and amended pre-order details for the highly anticipated handset in the past few weeks. Now, that registration page link redirects to the pre-order page for the 16GB version of the handset. Depending on region, buyers can already order the 16GB Galaxy S4 version, priced at $199.99 with new two-year contracts, in either Black Mist or White Frost. The full price is also listed at $639.99, while the price for one-year contracts is set at $449.99, according to PocketNow. Interestingly, the 32GB Galaxy S4 model, which is supposed to sell for $249.99 with new agreements, is not yet available for pre-order. In fact, doing a search on AT&T's website won't get you any Galaxy S4 results, and you won't find either version of the phone anywhere else but on that early sign-up page that has been turned into a pre-order page.
AT&T lists April 30 as the ship date for the handset, although Engadget says that “those who can get further in the ordering process" have been told it should hit their homes "on or before May 3rd with two-day shipping." It's not clear from the pre-order page at this time whether the carrier will also release the handset in brick-and-mortar stores on April 30 or later, so we'll have to wait for more details from the carrier on its Galaxy S4 pre-orders and launch. But so far, AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to have started taking online Galaxy S4 orders. A few days ago, a leaked Staples document revealed tentative release dates for various Galaxy S4 versions in the U.S., including AT&T, which had an unconfirmed April 26 launch date listed. In addition to AT&T, U.S. Cellular will also take Galaxy S4 pre-orders beginning today, with Walmart and Staples also rumored to start their own respective Galaxy S4 pre-orders on April 16. |
| Mozilla to launch Firefox OS in emerging markets first, holding off US launch until 2014 Posted: 15 Apr 2013 08:56 PM PDT
So when exactly is Firefox OS going to countries like the US and certain places in Europe? Kovacs said that it won’t happen until some time in 2014, so if you’ve been pining for a chance to test out the upcoming OS for yourself, you’re just going to have to wait a little while longer. Apparently, Mozilla is planning to focus completely on emerging markets first. The reasoning behind Mozilla’s choice to focus on emerging markets with the initial launch of Firefox OS is because it doesn’t make sense for them to release a “version-one device” in places where high-end handsets get the most attention. So Mozilla intends to lay low for a bit and focus primarily on places where Firefox has a strong following, according to Kovacs. What do you think about Mozilla’s strategy? Do you think you could hold out for Firefox OS until 2014? Tell us about your thoughts in the comments. |
| BLU Vivo 4.3 smartphone gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update and new color options Posted: 15 Apr 2013 08:24 PM PDT
Originally, the BLU Vivo 4.3 was made available only in black. The use of silicon cases and similar accessories took care of things for those who wanted to rock their units in other, more vibrant colors, but now three new colors versions are being released officially. The three new colors are as follows: Energy Neon Yellow, Pearl White , and Glimmer Pink. And each and every one of these, of course, still follows the design of the black-colored original. The BLU Vivo 4.3 smartphone’s highlight features include a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with a native resolution of 480×800 pixels, a 1GHz MediaTek MT6577 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, microSD card support, and a 1,600mAh battery. If you wish to find out more about its latest software update and info on availability of its new color models, check out the full press release below. MIAMI, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — BLU Products, one of the fastest growing mobile phone manufacturers in the world, announced today improvements to its best-selling BLU Vivo 4.3 smartphone device including the availability of three new fashionable colors: Energy Neon Yellow, Pearl White , and Glimmer Pink, in addition to its Android™ 4.1 Jelly Bean firmware update. This update optimizes the user experience with faster performance, improved search capabilities, increased touch responsiveness, and additional intelligence features to help organize and streamline information with actionable notifications. Furthermore, BLU Products has replaced the previous BLU launcher and has decided to go with stock Android software on all new products and firmware updates. The new firmware results in enhanced battery life, and further improves the interface, so users can enjoy a cleaner, more beautiful look on the Vivo 4.3′s incredibly vivid Super AMOLED Plus display. “We are committed to providing our customers stunning fashionable design and flagship performance,” said Samuel Ohev-Zion, CEO of BLU Products. “With these exciting and stylish new colors, our customers can stand out from the ordinary devices available in the market today, and they can also be sure that we are keeping our promise by regularly providing latest software updates on all our Android devices.” All three colors, in addition to the traditional black color, are now available and shipping to several US Online Retailers such as Amazon.com. For users who previously purchased a Vivo 4.3 device they are encouraged to call BLU Customer Service at 1-877-602-8762 for more information on how to update their device. Key Android 4.1 Jelly Bean features and benefits include: Google Now™: Perfect for on-the-go BLU Vivo 4.3 users looking for an easy way to organize their busy schedules, Google Now personalizes information based on a user’s location, time of day, history, and calendar events. Google Now shows restaurants in the area, how much traffic to expect before the morning commute, when the next train is coming, the score of a current game, a flight status, and more. Richer notifications: BLU Vivo 4.3 users will never miss a beat due to a richer notification experience. They can now receive action notifications directly within the notifications area as well as expand and collapse notifications to display more or less detail. Improved search: Finding online content has never been easier with text or voice searches, which are now presented in a visually rich way. Google Search can be opened directly from the locked screen by swiping up and users have the option to simply say “Google” to activate Voice Search within the Google Search screen. Optimized voice recognition and boosted predictive typing: To complement speech-enabled online searches, Jelly Bean introduces impressive text-to-speech capabilities and an embedded speech recognizer that enables Voice Typing without an Internet connection. For those who prefer typing, an all-new keyboard lets them glide over letters to type a word while it dynamically predicts text. |
| Pantech Vega Iron smartphone photos surface online Posted: 15 Apr 2013 08:03 PM PDT
Above, you can see the first hands-on photo of the Pantech Vega Iron on the Internet. And based on the other photos that were posted alongside it on the above-mentioned online forum, it will apparently be made available in two colors: black and white. It’s clear from the above hands-on photo of the Pantech Vega Iron that it will be quite big in the hand. This should come as no surprise since one of the handset’s highlight features is its 5-inch Full HD (1920×1080 pixel) touchscreen display. It also comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, NFC wireless, up to 32GB storage, and built-in 4G LTE connectivity. Its default operating system is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. There is some concern about its the Vega Iron’s battery life in that its standard 2,150mAh battery might not be enough to keep up with the demands of its hardware features. But then again, whether or not Pantech plans on releasing it outside of South Korea is still not clear at this point, anyway. |
| Mirror API for Google Glass released Posted: 15 Apr 2013 08:00 PM PDT
It seems like only yesterday, Sergey Brin was interrupting Vic Gundotra at I/O so we could all see Glass parachute into the event. It was a special, groundbreaking moment that captured our imaginations. Glass was mythical until that point, and those skydivers only cemented it as the future of our mobile experience. Of course, all that cool stuff depends on some very bright people developing for Glass. To do so, they need the API, or Application Program Interface. Like those Glass units going out to those who signed up for them last year at I/O, the wait is over. Google released the Mirror API for Glass today, giving developers a head start for getting their apps up and running on Glass. We won't see much yet, as Google has asked Developers to release their software via an official Glass distribution site not yet open to the public. There are lots of parameters and such right now, which don't need mention other than to say Google is playing Glass really close to the chest. While Glass may be Android based, it's not quite open source yet. That's good, because Google Glass is a very forward thinking piece of hardware that should probably be experienced before developers have a chance to write for it. Conceptually, an idea may make sense… but practically, it may fail. Google Glass could still be targeted for the holiday season, 2013, so developers will have to get cracking on some great apps for this to be widely adopted. In its current state, Glass does some cool stuff… but probably not enough to warrant whatever price tag Google will saddle it with. Like most things, though, developers will find a way to make us want it with their innovations. |
| Sony Xperia Z and other high-end models get CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds Posted: 15 Apr 2013 07:13 PM PDT
What these nightly builds equate to is a chance to load and run the stock Android experience on the above-mentioned Sony Xperia smartphones. All a user needs to do in order to take advantage of the appropriate build is to download it, flash his or her device, and finish installing the custom ROM. And that’s it. CyanogenMod 10.1 is based on the latest version of Android, which is currently at 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. If you plan on getting one or more of the nightly builds for yourself, then just follow the links posted below. And remember that you will need an unlocked bootloader in order to get started. - Sony Xperia Z |
Buying Android smartphones from China can be 
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