Android Authority |
- Samsung explains the absence of FM Radio on the Galaxy S4
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 has base specs leaked via alleged benchmark test
- Team Kang releases first Android 4.2 Milestone build, official AOKPush app to celebrate
- Android devs can now upload better screenshots for their tablet apps
- Babel speculation fueled by Google Voice update
- European Galaxy S4 launch comes with exclusive content including free NFS: Most Wanted
- Dungeon Hunter 4 arrives to Google Play
- BlackBerry Z10 – Confessions of an Android user (video)
- T-Mobile HTC One release date confirmed for April 24 via Twitter
- The 6 Most Underrated Games for Android (April 2013 Edition)
| Samsung explains the absence of FM Radio on the Galaxy S4 Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:00 AM PDT
If you've been reading up on the specs for the Galaxy S4 you may have noticed the absence of an FM Radio receiver. Unlike the previous handset in the Galaxy S series, all of which came with a built in FM Radio, the Galaxy S4 has opted to remove this feature in the belief that consumers just aren't interested in the medium anymore. The Russian website Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru has managed to squeeze an official statement from Samsung about the matter:
I suppose Samsung is right, a lot of us are probably consuming the majority of our music over a data connection now. But I’m not sure I believe that the majority of consumers are constantly streaming music and radio over their mobile data connection due to the download limitations placed on many of our contracts. It wouldn’t surprise me if Samsung was also considering the cost of additional FM radio chips and what the extra energy consumption would do to the already power hungry Galaxy S4. I can certainly understand the rational behind this design decision, especially given the prevalence of music streaming platforms and increased storage space turning smartphones into suitable replacements for MP3 players. But radio isn't all about repeatedly listening to your favourite music; many people I know still listen to the radio in an effort to discover something new, use it to listen to live sports and news coverage, or tune in to chat shows, all of which aren't quite so readily available over a data connection. No doubt this feature will be missed by some, but probably won't be a deal breaker for many. |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 has base specs leaked via alleged benchmark test Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:39 AM PDT  Galaxy Ace 2 Samsung has been beefing up all of its smartphone lines over the past few months with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3 covering the high-end and mid-ranged smartphone markets. Now, it seems its attention may be turning towards the budget audience again – the company has recently unveiled the Galaxy Pocket Neo and Galaxy Star, the Galaxy Young and the Galaxy Fame, and the Galaxy Win – following the rumored appearance of the Galaxy Ace 3 specs online. Assuming the benchmark results on GLBenchmark are real, it looks like the third-generation Ace is being tailored for the budget audience, just like its predecessors were. With the phone seemingly being powered by a 1GHz dual-core Broadcom processor, 1GB of RAM and featuring a display rumoured to produce a resolution of just 480 x 800 pixels, it will certainly fit in alongside other budget phones. But there are some rays of light for those looking for a more affordable Samsung smartphone. For example, the Galaxy Ace 3 is apparently going to be equipped with the very latest version of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2.2), NFC and offer users a 5-megapixel rear camera that will feature 720p HD video video recording capabilities. Samsung has kept tight-lipped on the smartphone so far with no signs of an announcement or release date in sight. But with the Korean electronics manufacturer facing increasing competition from its Android rivals on all fronts, don't be surprised to see the Galaxy Ace 3 to make the move from fact to fiction in the future. |
| Team Kang releases first Android 4.2 Milestone build, official AOKPush app to celebrate Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:13 AM PDT
Team Kang has really been on a roll lately. After completely rebasing AOKP on Android 4.2.x it has proceeded to release 6 official builds, each adding supported devices, new features and bug fixes. Now, the team has decided it is time to release Milestone 1 for all the devices that are officially supported. As always, the Milestone builds do not add too many new features from the previous build. Instead, the team focuses on bug fixes to make the user experience as smooth and stable as possible. Moreover, Team Kang is also leaving behind the old build schedule, where it used to release official builds once every 2 or 3 weeks, after human testing. From this point onwards, it will truly be moving to “nightlies” rather than “builds”. These nightlies will be built by the bot every 4 days, and the resultant builds will be available for download without any human testing in the interim. To round up the changes in the build timeline, Milestone builds will now be released at a minimum of once a month, and less frequently if the team deems the current state of the code not to be worthy of the Milestone tag. On another note, AOKP has now been officially installed over a million times on devices. To celebrate this achievement, Gergely Szell (@sethyx) has released AOKPush, an easy way to stay up to date on Team Kang news and official builds. There are 4 feeds you can subscribe to: the Milestone, Nightly, Test and Fun feed. While the first three will mostly be about AOKP released, the latter will be about general news updates from the team. The app is available now, costs $1.31 and is a great way to show the team how much you appreciate its hard work. Also, if you are eager to get your hands on some unicorn goodness but your devices is not officially supported, head over to the XDA Forums – someone over there is bound to be building AOKP unofficially for your phone, especially if it has been released in the past couple of years. To check out the full blog post by the team or the AOKPush app, head over to our source links. |
| Android devs can now upload better screenshots for their tablet apps Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:03 AM PDT
The Google Play team posted on its blog an update on tablet app guidelines and screenshots. With the rising popularity of tablets, smaller form factors in particular, it's just appropriate to give Android developers a better opportunity to showcase their apps to tablet owners. After all, if the developer stories are to be believed, there are a rising number of developers committed on making tablet-optimized apps and seeing huge investment returns. One useful update is the ability to upload to the Google Play Developer Console multiple screenshots of apps that are running on 7- and 10-inch tablets. When users then check out the app on the Play Store with their tablet, the screenshot that is appropriate for their tablet's screen size is shown, allowing users to fully confirm before downloading what optimizations have been made that make use of the larger screen real estate.
According to the blog, the tablet app quality checklist that was released last October has also been updated for additional tips and guidelines. Designed to educate developers the best means to create tablet apps that are appealing to users, the checklist now comes with more details on optimization technicalities. These tips and guidelines are also expected to appear in the Google Play Developer Console soon, as well as to guide users in discovering better tablet apps in Google Play. In the meantime, Android users already have a great selection of apps that looks stunning and functions great on their tablets. Just check out these 13 must-have tablet apps. |
| Babel speculation fueled by Google Voice update Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:55 PM PDT
Google Voice received a major update yesterday after more than a year, and it brings interesting tidings. The changelog was a sparse affair, only citing an “Improved reliability of SMS delivery.” However, a teardown of the Google Voice APK by the folks over at AndroidPolice have revealed some interesting internal code changes and additions to the app. Without going into the actual code, the biggest find was that Voice now allows other apps to pull all its configuration settings. What does this mean? Well, at least preliminarily, some other app (presumably from Google) is going to use all of settings of Voice for its own purposes. This new app may conceivably even be used to replace Voice completely at some point in the future. In fact, considering the deluge of rumours about “Babel” — or whatever Google decides to name their unified messaging platform — there is a good chance that these changes might have been made for that very service. Babel has been rumoured to replace and unify almost all of Google’s messaging services. If it can replace Google Talk and the G+ Messaging app, it is quite plausible that they could choose to eliminate Google Voice completely as well, and port its features over to this service. In any case, we do not have too long to wait now; IO is only 1 month away, and rumours have indicated that Babel could come baked into Key Lime Pie. Hopefully, all shall be revealed at I/O 13. |
| European Galaxy S4 launch comes with exclusive content including free NFS: Most Wanted Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT
In partnership with Electronic Arts, Samsung will offer a custom Need For Speed Most Wanted free game to the first 100,000 European Galaxy S4 buyers, but the company will also include additional content in its Samsung Hub for its European customers. The popular racing game will feature in-game Samsung branding and will be available for download from Samsung Games to Galaxy S4 buyers. Galaxy Note 2 owners will also have access to this Samsung-branded NFS game from the Hub. The company also has “key partnerships” with Gameloft and Glu for more Samsung Hub gaming content. In addition to the custom EA game offer, Samsung will also offer users other apps via its Samsung Hub to Galaxy S4 buyers, including Michelin’s Michelin Traffic, Michelin Restaurants and Michelin Travel; Goodbean’s Nighty Night and Little Fox Music Box and 3400 Random House Mondadori eBooks in Spanish. While the books will appeal to Spanish-speaking Galaxy S4 buyers only, the apps are a bit more international. Here's what each of them will offer you:
At the end of the day we shouldn't be surprised to see Samsung bundle additional content with its flagship device, considering the increasing amount of money the company spends each year to market its Galaxy products, especially the high-end ones. The Galaxy S4 is available for pre-order in certain European markets already, including UK and Germany, and will be launched on April 26 in UK from a variety of carriers and electronics retailers. The following press release also mentions that April 27 is the release date set for the “Galaxy S4 across Europe.” Samsung Revs Up for GALAXY S4 Launch with Key Content Partnerships EA's Need For Speed™ Most Wanted: Exclusive Samsung Edition and other content partnerships announced CHERTSEY, United Kingdom – April 16, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced that the highly anticipated GALAXY S4 will introduce an exclusive edition of EA's bestselling racing title 'Need for Speed Most Wanted'. The game which has been optimised for Samsung will feature in-game Samsung branding and will be available for download from Samsung Games. "Samsung is committed to delivering the best user experience possible and rich content sits at the heart of our vision. We are delighted to have exclusive branded Samsung content in a triple A game from one of the world's foremost video game publishers. We have also secured further partnerships that deliver on our promise to open up the world of possibilities to our customers," said Lee Epting, Vice President of Media Solution Center Europe for Samsung Electronics Europe. Glenn Roland, Vice President for New Platforms and OEM at EA said, 'The introduction of Samsung's GALAXY S4 will bring outstanding mobile gaming experiences to its players. Our 'Need for Speed Most Wanted' offering at launch is one of several EA games specifically optimised for Samsung and will include exclusive content.' As part of the partnership, Samsung and EA are offering the first 100,000 GALAXY S4 customers across Europe the opportunity to download the app for free via the Samsung Hub. The partnership with EA is one of a number of agreements with that will deliver content through the Samsung Hub to coincide with the launch of the GALAXY S4 across Europe on 27 April 2013. Centered on gaming – where Samsung has key partnerships with Gameloft and Glu – books, kids and food, these partnerships demonstrate Samsung's commitment to delivering the most diverse range of high quality content to customers across Europe. The 'Need for Speed Most Wanted' Samsung edition is also available to play on Samsung GALAXY Note II. Michelin Goodbeans Random House Mondadori |
| Dungeon Hunter 4 arrives to Google Play Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:54 PM PDT
After a short delay due to last minute bug testing, Dungeon Hunter 4 has finally arrived on Google Play. Best of all, this latest Dungeon Hunter title sees a bit of a return to the series roots. Dungeon Hunter 3 saw a major change in direction for the series with the introduction of both arena-only gameplay and the switch to being a freemium app. This latest incarnation doesn’t manage to do away with in-app purchases, but at least it combines both the arena mode and the traditional dungeon crawling action that made the franchise popular in the first place. Dungeon Hunter 4 is designed to cater both to those that are looking for a single-player experience and those that are looking for multiplayer features like co-op arenas and PvP. Like many Gameloft titles, there is quite a bit of in-app purchase options but most of the Google Play user reviews seem to suggest that the game is still reasonably enjoyable even for those that wish to avoid paying for extra items and content. Dungeon Hunter 4 isn’t perfect, but it is about as close to games like Diablo as you’re going to find on Android, and is certainly worth checking out if you are already a fan of hack n’ slash games or the Dungeon Hunter series. What do you think, interested in jumping into the world of Dungeon Hunter 4, or does the fact that it is a freemium game turn you off? |
| BlackBerry Z10 – Confessions of an Android user (video) Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:41 PM PDT
Once synonymous with smartphones, BlackBerry, the brand and the company, is now just a shadow of its former self. Blindsided by the emergence of iOS and then Android, the maker of the iconic BlackBerries now struggles to survive with the scraps left by the platforms it once dismissed as a fad. Facing certain demise, BlackBerry had to start over from scratch. The result of the extreme makeover is BlackBerry 10, a brand new operating system, and the Z10, a full touchscreen device designed for the modern smartphone user. As Android users and lovers, we were curious to see first-hand how the Z10 looks and feels. Is it really as revolutionary as it's pegged by its makers? Has the clean slate approach really worked? In a hurry? Check out the hands-on video at the end of this post.
To set the expectations from the get go, know that the Z10 and BlackBerry 10 are not, by any means, groundbreaking, at least not for a seasoned Android user. What they are is a very promising start for a brand new platform. In other words, BlackBerry may not be out of the woods yet, but no one can blame them for not putting up a good fight. Looking at the Z10, we liked its subdued, yet elegant appearance, and the fact that the rubbery soft back cover can be removed to allow access to a replaceable battery and a microSD card slot. Especially the swappable battery should be a boon for road warriors and power users, which still make up the core audience of BlackBerry.
We Android users are spoiled with the very best specifications available on any mobile platform. Top of the line Android smartphones like the Galaxy S4 or the HTC One push the boundaries of mobile technology, effectively ruining the appeal of "normal" devices. And the BlackBerry Z10 is precisely that – a normal device, with components that would qualify as mid-range to Android specs junkies, which should, nevertheless, prove perfectly adequate to the vast majority of customers.
The specs on the Z10 are actually pretty similar to those of the US-bound Samsung Galaxy S3, the most popular Android device to date. The two phones share a similar processor and the same amount of RAM. The Z10 is powerful enough to zip through most tasks, with one, glaring exception – boot up time is rather slow. Luckily, after the phone comes to life, lag is almost inexistent. The 4.2-inch display of the Z10 is, just like its specifications, adequate. It's a far cry from the full HD eye candy that Android manufacturers like to boast about, but given its smallish size (coming from Android at least) the pixel density is sufficient.
Two areas where BlackBerry could improve its future flagships are the battery life and the cameras. We found battery life to be somehow inconsistent on the Z10, with periods of low activity seemingly draining the battery without an obvious reason. The 8MP camera does a decent job in great lightning, but it shows its limitations in less than ideal situations. One could argue that taking pics is not one of the preferred activities of BlackBerry's target group, but the truth is BlackBerry can't afford to focus solely on enterprise and productivity features.  Camera sample – click to enlarge  Camera sample – click to enlarge Which brings us to the software department, likely to bring the biggest shock to new users and the old faithful alike. The new BB10 operating system is completely new and unlike anything you've seen before, from BlackBerry or other mobile platforms. For one thing, its user interface is based mostly on swipes. There is no reassuring home button, and in fact, there are not many buttons at all. For someone used with Android's UI, the change can be refreshing, but also a bit confusing.
To access your active apps, you swipe up from the bottom of the app you are currently running. This reveals a list of up to eight active apps, whose thumbnails are updated in real time. In a way, this turns the apps into a kind of widgets, which can potentially be very useful.
To reach the Hub, BB10's unified messaging service, you swipe up and then right. Notifications from all your messaging apps are available there at a glance, and the Hub can be accessed from any part of the OS.
The Hub is one of the highlights of BB10, with another one being the predictive keyboard. Unsurprisingly, BlackBerry worked hard to provide a worthy digital alternative to the iconic Qwerty keyboard that so many users still swear by. The effort seems to have paid off, as we found the typing experience on the Z10 to be excellent. One of the biggest challenges of starting a new mobile platform is creating a healthy app ecosystem. While BlackBerry succeeded at attracting many developers to its new operating system, and gave it a shot in the arm by supporting ported Android apps, some important apps are still missing from BlackBerry World. Two examples are Spotify and YouTube, and depending on what you like to do on your device, there is a good chance you'll find many other apps that are available on Android or iOS, but have yet to make it to BB OS. To draw the line, the Z10 is a refreshing, modern, and capable take at what a smartphone should be in 2013. It may not have the breadth of features of Android, or its flexibility, but, once you get used with it, it lets you get things done quickly and efficiently. The deliverance for BlackBerry may not lie in the Z10, but the phone and the operating system that powers it are certainly a leap in the right direction. |
| T-Mobile HTC One release date confirmed for April 24 via Twitter Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:30 PM PDT
T-Mobile, one of the three U.S. mobile operators that will carry the HTC One, confirmed via Twitter that it will launch the handset on April 24, just as it was previously rumored. Only a day ago, T-Mobile was said to launch the handset on April 24, and now the company took to Twitter to confirm the rumor, rather than issue a proper press release. While the T-Mobile HTC One is going to be available in stores a few days after AT&T launches its own version, the carrier definitely has an interesting offer for the handset. The flagship HTC device, complete with LTE powers, can be purchased for just $99 upfront, with no mandatory contract, but with a number of monthly installments.
However, T-Mobile will only stock the 32GB version, with the 64GB model being an AT&T exclusive in the region. Meanwhile, the AT&T HTC One could start shipping as soon as tomorrow according to a new report, a couple of days earlier than supposed to. Like AT&T, Sprint will have its One in stores on April 19. In case you're still unsure whether to buy the HTC One or get the Galaxy S4, you may be interested in checking out our thorough HTC One review, as well as the HTC One vs iPhone 5 drop test (video above). |
| The 6 Most Underrated Games for Android (April 2013 Edition) Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:26 PM PDT
Android gaming is interesting. There are tons of games available in the Play Store, but only a select few make it to the first page of a search query, and most people wouldn’t go digging past page 10 to find a few decent underrated games. In other words, a lot of good mobile games have gone unnoticed. That said, we’ve taken the liberty of digging through the depths of the Play Store to find underrated games that deserve a little more attention than they’re actually getting. If you’d rather watch the underrated games video, we’ve posted it at the bottom. Ravensword: Shadowlands
Ever wondered what Skyrim would look like on a mobile device? Crescent Moon Games’ Ravensword: Shadowlands is nearly just that. Players will venture through beautifully crafted landscapes in a giant 3D open world. Like any open world RPG, players will be able to get into epic battles with a wide variety of monsters, including prehistoric creatures. Players will have the option to venture through the magnificent landscapes either on foot, with a horse, or on one of the game’s flying mounts. Of course, the game isn’t perfect and it does have a few downsides, such as very slow movements during combat or even trying to move your field of view to look around the world. Regardless, it’s one of the more fun and well-built underrated games. If you’d like to snag this one, be sure to download it here. Cracking Sands
Polarbit Games' Cracking Sands is a racer, similar to Mario Kart, but differentiates itself by being action-packed. In this game players will be able to customize their own race car, and after, load it up with machine guns, missiles and a ton of other weapon options. One of the best things about Cracking Sands is that is features online multiplayer, which will allow you to test your mighty weapons against a broader range of players than the game's AI controlled opponents. Being one of the underrated games though, you won’t find a whole lot of multiplayer opponents, unless you can get some friends in the mix. If you’re wanting to take this action packed racer for a spin, you can get it on the Play Store here. The Room
The Room had a successful launch on iOS, received a BAFTA award for Best British Game, and recently launched on Android. The premise of The Room is simple — players are thrown into a beautifully crafted 3D world complemented by seemingly realistic graphics and spine-tingling music with the goal of cracking open a safe. While players may, at first, see The Room as just another puzzle game, that all changes after they find out how natural moving their fingers over locks and drawers of the safe is. One big disappointment with The Room is that it is only a mere four chapters long, which most would finish in only a few hours. Thankfully, Fireproof Games' promises a new chapter in the summer that will open the game up to a sequel set to hit during autumn. If you’re interested in the cryptic puzzle game, you can grab it here. Graviturn
In Graviturn there are two types of circles, ones that are red and others that are green. The goal is to get the red ones off of the screen while keeping the green ones in the field of view. While the game isn’t the best in terms of graphics, it still provides a challenging yet fun experience. One of the most charming parts of this game is that after each level is completed, it’ll give you a comparison of how you did against the average. As in whether you did it faster or took more tries than the average player did. Not the most involved in our list of underrated games, but definitely the best of the simple puzzle games. The downside to Graviturn is that it has ads without an option to pay a set amount of cash to get rid of the ads. Regardless, the game is still a lot of fun, and if you’re interested, you can get it here. Bombergeddon
If the old classic Nintendo 64 game Bomberman had a mobile spiritual successor it would be Herocraft's Bombergeddon. The game, while taking on Bomberman similarities, also takes on an Indiana Jones theme where players will venture through the Egyptian Tombs, Babylonian Dungeons, Aztec Ruins and Chinese Catacombs. There are 80 levels to blast through, so players will have a plethora of content to keep them busy. It’s a little slower than most would like for a Bomberman style game, but that is probably the reason it’s on this list of underrated games. Players will have a variety of bombs to use as well. There are 14 different kinds of bombs that can be used, and there are only so many bombs that can be used. Although, in the premium version of the game, players will have an unlimited stash of regular bombs and additions bomb packs after completing a world. The game can be downloaded here. Syder Arcade HD
Syder Arcade HD is a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up game taking place in space. Specifically noting that Syder Arcade is zombie free, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has gorgeous visuals and a truckload of alien invaders to fight off. Unlike the rest of the underrated games on our list, this game does have a few requirements that turn away some players. The game requires that the a device has a minimum 800 x 480 resolution along with a dual-core processor. That shouldn’t be a massive problem, but devices also need to be running Android 4.0 or higher to be able to run Syder Arcade. If you meet the game requirements and want to blast away the alien invaders, be sure to head to the Play Store to give this game a download. Underrated games wrap up
As you can see from the leaderboard, the app rankings are based off of Google Play feedback, so there’s absolutely no bias. In other words, there should be a game for everyone here, including ones for the casual and competitive players out there. The great thing about underrated games is that there are a whole bunch of them. There are a extraordinarily large amount of apps on the Play Store, and it would be nigh impossible to sift through all of them, let alone all of the underrated games. With that said, if you think there’s a few underrated games that we overlooked or should have included in the list, be sure to leave us a comment below. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Authority To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment