Android Authority |
- Galaxy S3 sold 50 million units, demand for Galaxy S4 deemed “explosive”
- LG Lucid 2 Review!
- T-Mobile signs court-ordered agreement after ‘deceptive’ no-contract plan advertising
- Amazon updates Kindle app in a big way
- $200 Intel-based Android notebooks confirmed by chip maker
- Everything you need to know about OfficeSuite Pro 7
- Google Drive now syncs Docs, Sheets, and Slides for offline use
- Movie tie-in game Iron Man 3 has arrived to Google Play
- Siva Cycle Atom uses pedal power to charge your USB devices
- Oppo R809T officially announced, won’t be world’s thinnest smartphone after all
| Galaxy S3 sold 50 million units, demand for Galaxy S4 deemed “explosive” Posted: 26 Apr 2013 01:51 AM PDT  Credit: Korea Herald The Samsung Galaxy S4 launched today in South Korea Samsung has high hopes for the Galaxy S4, launching into its first markets today. The Galaxy S4 is projected to sell in 100 million units, a target that is deemed "highly achievable." It's a big day for Samsung. The Galaxy S4 started selling today in the first market, Samsung's native South Korea, with great expectations and glowing reviews. Over the following days, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will launch in countries from around the world, although at least one major market, the US, has seen the device delayed. The official reason for the delay is "overwhelming demand", with Samsung officials being keen to boast that customers are going nuts over the latest Galaxy device. At the Korean launch event today, Samsung executives and analysts interviewed by the Korea Times stated that the largest smartphone maker in the world would have little trouble meeting its lofty goal of selling 100 million Galaxy S4 units. Moreover, Samsung said it has been receiving "explosive orders" for the Galaxy S4 and that the sales target is "highly achievable", thanks mainly to the competitive pricing that Samsung is able to leverage, without sacrificing hardware specifications. Another interesting piece of news that emerged today is the fact that the Galaxy S3 has sold 50 million units since it became available in May 2012. The last time we've received a sales tally on the Galaxy S3 was in January, when Samsung announced the reach of the 40 million milestone. In other words, the company moved 10 million Galaxy S3s in about three months, a very respectable figure for a phone that was launched in mid-2012. Will Samsung manage to smash its own record with its current flagship? All signs point to a clear affirmative answer. The only potential problem that could, temporarily, derail the runaway success that the Galaxy S4 shapes out to be is a big manufacturing problem, similar to what HTC experienced with its One. But Samsung is the biggest smartphone maker in the world for a reason. If anyone can orchestrate a huge manufacturing operation flawlessly, it's Samsung. |
| Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:19 PM PDT
Sure, you can find the occasional deal for a super-phone, provided you sign up for a contract–assuming you can sign up for a contract. What about the rest of us? Those of us with bad timing or bad luck? For a long time now, the zero-dollar smartphone has been a “get what you pay for” (I hate that phrase) sort of deal. Are times finally changing? If you’re signing up for a new contract with Verizon, you can pick up the LG Lucid 2 for the low, low cost of absolutely nothing. But is it worth it? To find out, read on. In a hurry? Check out the video review or jump to the conclusion at the end of the article. Specs
Build Quality & DesignLike a lot of other recent phones from LG, the Lucid 2 has a very rectangular body. Those who prefer their corners rounded may not be super impressed, but as someone who has always preferred the clean look of sharp edges, I like the design for the most part. The silver highlights around the power button and volume rocker weren’t very attractive to me, but the device might have looked a little too simplistic without them.
The general quality of the build feels solid, especially for a phone that manages to stay on the fairly light side, though I’d be careful about dropping it. To that end, LG has given the removable backing of the Lucid 2 a rougher texture, which should help users keep a grip on the phone during use. I didn’t test the wireless charging backing (which is sold separately), so I can’t say whether or not this provides a noticeable difference. DisplayWe wouldn’t blame you for looking at the resolution and thinking that if it isn’t even 720p, it’s not worth your time, but despite the relatively low pixel count, the LG Lucid 2 packs a surprisingly nice display. With a 4.3-inch display size and 960 x 540 resolution, we’re looking at a pixel density of 256 ppi. Not the sharpest we’ve seen, but still not bad.
No pixelation was readily apparent, and text and images were rendered very sharply despite the lower pixel density. As a result, the text and icons might appear slightly oversized, but this didn’t present itself as a problem during testing. Colors are very vivid–nearly oversaturated, actually–but images are well represented. Black levels were fairly good and the display was bright enough to be visible in bright sunlight. PerformanceWe’ve seen these dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets enough by now to understand what kind of performance we should expect. To make sure the LG Lucid 2 held up we started off with our go-to benchmark, AnTuTu. We ran a total of 10 benchmarks over the course of two days under differing conditions. When all was said and done, the final average score was 11,686. We also attempted to run Epic Citadel, which ran once and crashed, never to run again, even after reinstalling.
In real-world use, we found that the LG Lucid 2 lived up to our expectations. Attempting to slow the phone down by quickly scrolling through home screens and the app drawer was unsuccessful, and with the exception of a few first-run issues, apps launched very quickly. The Adreno 225 isn’t the most powerful GPU, but the few games we did try ran well, and we didn’t notice any hiccups or slowdowns. SoftwareThe LG Lucid 2 runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, skinned with the same overlay that we see on most every LG phone. While a lot of our readers and viewers prefer stock Android, LG’s overlay is a lot more customizable than TouchWiz or HTC Sense. If you need more customization it’s always easy enough to install a custom launcher.
When it comes to the preinstalled software, there is definitely a good amount of bloatware scattered amongst the occasional useful app. Verizon has included an awful lot of stuff that many users will likely never touch, but there are some useful apps included as well. A file browser is always welcome, and the version of Polaris Office 4 included is actually usable, unlike the crippled versions that ship with some phones. A large pile of Amazon has been dumped all over the LG Lucid 2 as well, which may be handy if you do a lot of shopping, but we would still prefer it if this could be removed. CameraWhat do you say about a mid-range smartphone camera that hasn’t already been said about a thousand other mid-range smartphone cameras before? This one is actually fairly usable as long as the lighting is good. Outdoor pictures, for example came out very well, providing that the phone was held steady during the shot. Low light performance is nowhere near as good, but that is the case with many cameras, even on high-end phones, with rare exceptions.
The 5 MP rear-facing camera features 1080p video capture, while the 1.3 MP front-facing camera captures 720p video. The video is generally fairly useful, though the sensor takes a very long time to auto-adjust to different lighting conditions. This is very noticeable in videos, and while it isn’t the only problem with the video (there is some jerkiness apparent in 1080p), it is definitely the most prominent issue. BatteryPacking in a 2,460 mAh battery paired with the power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset, the LG Lucid 2 has some very nice battery life. During 8 hours of heavy testing, including benchmarking and other CPU- and GPU-intensive tasks, the battery dropped from 100 percent to around 30 percent. During a full day (around 16 hours) of “normal” use, including plenty of switching between networks and different service areas, the phone still had 20 percent when it was finally plugged in for the night.
If that wasn’t enough, the LG Lucid 2 also has a removable battery. Those who want to look for an extended battery or carry a charged spare can do so to their heart’s content, although the stock battery should be enough for most people. Unless, of course, reviewing phones is your job or something crazy like that. Video ReviewConclusionTo echo my sentiments from the video review just above this, the LG Lucid 2 would have had to do a lot wrong to not earn itself a recommendation, given the fact that the phone costs nothing but a two-year contract. Yes, the camera isn’t the best and there are certainly better performing phones out there, but for the price, this is definitely something worth considering if you’re already looking at a two-year stint with Verizon. What do you think of the LG Lucid 2? Any questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. |
| T-Mobile signs court-ordered agreement after ‘deceptive’ no-contract plan advertising Posted: 25 Apr 2013 04:42 PM PDT
T-Mobile announced their new, no-contract Simple Choice Plans last month. While there are technically no contracts, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson discovered the carrier was failing to disclose important information. Because of this, T-Mobile has now entered into a court-ordered agreement. From the official press release:
Under the new no-contract plans, a phone can cost up to $20 per month over 24 months. This is on top of the cost of a data plan, and how T-Mobile makes their money back after selling phones for just $99 or $199. However, if you decide to cancel your service, you are required to pay for the phone in-full. According to the Attorney General's Office, this is simply a different kind of two-year agreement, and should have been disclosed in a more direct manner. If you bought a new phone or service from T-Mobile between March 26, and April 25, you can receive a full refund by calling the carrier at 1-877-746-0909. To make matters worse, T-Mobile is required to contact all customers who purchased between those dates, and “advise them of their right to cancel and obtain a refund”. |
| Amazon updates Kindle app in a big way Posted: 25 Apr 2013 04:35 PM PDT
The Amazon Kindle app has never looked bad… its just never been impressive. That's all changed, and the new design suggests quite a shift in thinking over at Amazon. We recently told you all about their interesting strategy for coming out ahead, and this flies in the face of that a bit. Today, Amazon changed it up for their Kindle app. It looks quite a bit better, and is a touch more intuitive for users. Here’s the quick rundown of what's new for 4.0:
The most startling difference is the UI. It has become more gesture based, with the double-carousel on the home screen. The top is your content, both in the cloud and device, and the bottom is recommendations. A pretty brilliant scheme, really. The menu is also much better, and adds a level of ease not seen in previous iterations. The addition of popular samples is a great way to see what's popular, and get a quick taste to see if you'll enjoy it or not. The layout makes it easy to find what you're looking for, without being too fussy or complex. Of course, the redesign smacks of HOLO, which is Android's language for keeping things feeling pretty similar across the board. This is a different strategy for Amazon, which has always been keen to do their own thing, on their own time, in their own way. It's a really smart move, and moves them a bit closer to the Android way of thinking. The Kindle app is available in the Play Store now. If you already have the app, it should update shortly, if you haven't seen it already. If you do have it, tell us what you think!
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| $200 Intel-based Android notebooks confirmed by chip maker Posted: 25 Apr 2013 04:10 PM PDT
An Intel executive has officially confirmed that Android notebooks will be available in stores in the future with prices starting at around the $200 mark. The news comes shortly after various unconfirmed reports mentioned Android laptops and is delivered by Dadi Perlmutter, Intel's chief product officer. Perlmutter's remarks made to CNET come after Intel's own CEO Paul Otellini last week mentioned touchscreen PCs that would cost around $200 without specifying what operating system they would be equipped with. Now things are getting clearer, with Android confirmed for such products. The fact that Google’s OS is free for OEMs to use, compared to Microsoft's Windows 8 that has to be licensed by companies, is apparently also a factor:
The $200 Android machines would run on Intel's Atom processor, and they will most likely be tablets that ship with a keyboard dock that would transform them into laptops when needed – it's worth pointing out that no Intel partner made any announcements unveiling such products, so we have no idea how these Android notebooks will look or what they'll have to offer. Launch periods for these Android laptops have not been provided, although Perlmutter apparently said that he expects the PC market to “pick up” in the second half of the year and into 2014, as new products become available. Does this “new products” list include Android-based notebooks? Does this mean we’ll see Android notebooks in time for Christmas? We’ll just have to wait for Intel’s future announcements. Even more interestingly, it looks like more expensive Android tablets packing Intel's Core chips would also be available to consumers, priced at $399 and $499, which means such Intel-based products could end up competing against high-end players in the tablet business.
Obviously Intel wants to quickly adapt to the mobile needs of consumers and become a more important player in the smartphone and tablet businesses, especially considering the declining PC sales. The company has already made its first steps into the smartphone business – this year's Lenovo K900 handset is a great example, as the Intel-based device managed to match the Galaxy S4 in benchmark test – and now it looks like it's ready to make a more serious play for the Android tablet/laptop business as well. Furthermore, the company has confirmed that data-only multimode LTE Intel processors will shipped by mid-2013, while multimode voice over LTE will arrive later this year, so it’s pretty clear that the mobile business is definitely getting more and more important for Otellini and Co. Would you replace your current PC with an Intel-based Android notebook? |
| Everything you need to know about OfficeSuite Pro 7 Posted: 25 Apr 2013 03:36 PM PDT
Oxford Dictionary SupportWhen it comes to the English language, there are some options as to which dictionary you want to use. There are a lot out there, but arguably one of the most respected is the Oxford English dictionary. Now you can have that dictionary support in OfficeSuite Pro 7. Simply use the menu to navigate to the dictionary list and you can find it there. You can also find it if you open any document, click on a word, and choose the spell check option. It should have an option for the Oxford Dictionary. The only caveat is that the dictionary costs $49.99 to download. That’s quite a bit for an add-on and costs more than three times as much as the app itself. For a limited time, though, they’re letting the add on go for $4.99, or 90% off. That’s just at the time of this writing and we don’t know how long the promotion will last. So if this is something you want, best to get on it quickly!
Google Search SupportAlongside the Oxford Dictionary add on above, OfficeSuite Pro 7 now gives you the ability to Google Search words right out of a document. Simply click on the word and a little box will pop up. The left icon will take you to the in-app dictionary while the right button will open a web browser and Google Search the word in question. This is an excellent tool if you need to know what a word means quickly or if you just want to Google Search things. Unlike the Oxford Dictionary add on, this one comes with the app so you don’t have to pay any additional money. Being able to Google Search words right from app can save some people a lot of time and it’s a pretty nifty feature for an office app.
Camera SupportPerhaps one of the most nifty new features is the ability to snap a picture of something and have it plugged into a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentation without being required to leave the app. Using the menu, you can open the camera app, snap a quick picture, and it’ll automatically be added to your file. This can be very useful for people who need a visual aid on the fly but don’t have one readily available. One the picture has been added, they can be moved, re-sized, rotated, and pretty much any other basic manipulation you can think of. Also, as stated, this works for all the various kinds of documents you can create so no matter which function you use the most, it’ll work.
Excel EnhancementsOne thing that got a lot of revamping was Excel. There were just so many things added to Excel that we’ve decided to list them all in one spot. OfficeSuite Pro 7 now has a much cleaner Excel UI that also includes font formatting and cell dragging improvements. Perhaps the neatest new feature is the ability to re-arrange Excel spreadsheets. This may not seem like a big deal, but people who regularly use Excel will tell you that those sheets can be organized quite a bit. Overall, the updates, improvements, and additions offer a much more cogent and reliable Excel experience and maybe the most stable Excel experience on Android.
Other ImprovementsThere were some other improvements that we didn’t review, but are still worth mentioning. There is now dual screen support, better compatibility with QuickSpell, and some PowerPoint improvements. The PowerPoint improvements include link support and shadow support. When you look at the list as a whole, OfficeSuite Pro 7 has a lot of great refinements, enhancements, and additions. It really helps the experience of the app and makes the whole experience more fluid and natural. OfficeSuite Pro 7 SummaryOfficeSuite Pro 7 was already a popular and trusted office app for Android. With these improvements, it’s evolved into a more complete experience with fewer rough edges. Really, there are few office apps that can stack up to the features and stability of OfficeSuite Pro 7. You can find the app in the Google Play Store for $15 here. Or, if you prefer, you can give try it out with the free trial found here. If you don’t have an office suite app yet or you just want to find a new one, this is one of the best. |
| Google Drive now syncs Docs, Sheets, and Slides for offline use Posted: 25 Apr 2013 03:23 PM PDT
Starting today, Docs, Sheets, and Slides in Google Drive will automatically sync for offline use. Also, you can now create, and edit drawings while offline. Google says these new features will roll out to users over the next few days. Forgetting to make certain files available offline is an easy task, and now users won't have to worry about that happening again. In order to take advantage of the new offline syncing, you must have offline access enabled in Google Drive.
Once you’ve enabled offline access, you can simply head to the website to access your important files. Currently, Chrome or Chrome OS is required in order to access files offline. Earlier today, Google announced other features to Drive such as profile pictures pulled in from Google+, group chat, and animal related profile pictures for anonymous users.
User photos are much more prominent now, and when you scroll over someone's photo, you're met with the same pop-up from Google+. From there, you can add them directly to a circle. For developers, earlier this month Google Drive introduced app data folders, and the ability to add custom permissions to files. |
| Movie tie-in game Iron Man 3 has arrived to Google Play Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:53 PM PDT
Whether you are simply a fan of endless runner games or desperately waiting for anything related to upcoming Iron Man movie, you’ll be happy to know that the official tie-in game Iron Man 3 has finally arrived to Google Play. The game itself is pretty typical of the genre, and since the game is said to take place after the movie events, no need to worry about spoilers either. Is this one worth checking out? As far as tie-in promotional games go, the game isn’t at all bad, though expect to see quite a few ads for in-app purchases in this freemium title. While this title might not be perfect, you will certainly take notice of the graphics. Gameloft clearly went all out with Iron Man 3, at least in the graphics department. As far as levels are considered? There are three randomly generated levels that take place in New York City, Malibu Shores and China. There are also eighteen unlockable suits in the game and it is also possible to upgrade each armor with special powerups. Now for the downside. As mentioned this is a freemium title, but beyond that it also has had a few incompatibility reports with some devices. The good news is that you don’t have to pay anything for the game, so if it doesn’t work the only thing lost is the time it took to download the hefty 795MB game. Have you checked this one out yet, if so what do you think? |
| Siva Cycle Atom uses pedal power to charge your USB devices Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:26 PM PDT
While the idea of generating power from a bike isn’t anything new, the Siva Cycle Atom aims to improve on the idea by creating a system that not only can charge devices like your Android smartphone while you pedal, but can even provide you battery power long after ending your ride. The idea of the Atom is to create an unintrusive battery system that is easy to install on just about any bike and works through the power of pedaling. Any USB-powered device will work with the Siva Cycle Atom. The device charges at a rate of 5V @ up to 500mA, about the same amount of power as a typical PC USB 2.0 port. That’s not as fast a wall charger, but still not half-bad. Need more power once your off the bike? The Atom includes a detachable 1,300mAh battery pack. Now 1,300mAh might not be a lot, but it should be more than enough to give your phone or tablet an extra jolt of electricity to keep it going until you get back on the bike or find yourself a wall socket. The only catch to the Siva Cycle Atom is that it doesn’t exist yet. The project is now on crowdfunding site Kickstarter, allowing you to pledge $95 to get your hands on the Atom, which is about a $15 discount over the projected retail cost. It’s also worth noting that for every ten Atoms it sells, they will donate one Siva Cycle Atom device to those in need of easily accessible electric charging. What do you think of the Siva Cycle Atom, could you see yourself using one of these or not? |
| Oppo R809T officially announced, won’t be world’s thinnest smartphone after all Posted: 25 Apr 2013 12:36 PM PDT
Earlier this month a rumor cropped up suggesting that Oppo was preparing to break another record by introducing the R809T as the world’s thinnest phone. The mid-range R809T became official today by way of Sina Weibo (China’s equivalent of Twitter), though a record breaker it is not. At the time the rumor suggested the phone would manage to be just 6.13-mm thin, the reality is that the phone is actually 6.93mm. Quite a difference. Is this really the end of the world? Of course not. It is still a relatively thin handset and for fans of Oppo looking for a good mid-range handset, it could be exactly what you were waiting for.
The Oppo R809T features a 4.7-inch 720p display and is powered be a quad-core 1.2Ghz processor accompanied by 1GB of RAM. Other specs include an 8MP rear cam, 2MP front cam, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box. The addition of Android 4.2 makes this one of the few non-Nexus phones out there to feature the latest version of Jelly Bean. So when can you expect the R809T to touch down in China? While we have no official date, the previous rumor surrounding the handset points to April 26th, so we have to wait just a day to find out if this release date proves true. |
OfficeSuite Pro is one of the most well known and popular office suite apps for Android. It’s amassed millions of downloads and people seem to be pretty pleased with it. Recently, they released version 7 of their OfficeSuite Pro software and we’re going to show you some of the new features, take a gander at the new UI elements, and everything else you need to know. Of course, if you’d rather watch it than read it, our video is below. If you’d like to see how far OfficeSuite Pro has come since the 5th version, you can find our video for that 
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