Android and Me |
- Google updating Android without updating Android is the biggest news out of I/O 2013
- Google’s unified messaging service launching as “Hangouts” on Android, web and iOS
- Updated: HTC employee teases Google Experience HTC One
- Google to take on Pandora, Spotify with Google Play Music All Access
- Google announces Galaxy S 4 with Nexus user experience
- Google Play game services is official
- Android reaches 900 million activations, with 48 billion app downloads
- Samsung executive claims 6 million Galaxy S4s sold before May 10th
- Tune in live to the Google I/O day one keynote
- Verizon promotion offers up the HTC Droid DNA for free
- BlackBerry Messenger coming to Android this summer
| Google updating Android without updating Android is the biggest news out of I/O 2013 Posted: 15 May 2013 01:27 PM PDT Google used this year’s developer conference to announce a ton of new features and services available now and coming soon for Android. There is a new Maps experience; Google Play has been updated; Google Now is set to include more information; Google game services will enhance your gaming experience across phones, tablets and platforms; Google Play Music All Access will completely change how music works on your Android device. And yet, there was no new version of Android announced. That’s no coincidence. Google’s answer to fragmentation has been fully realized at Google I/O 2013. Google has developed around the vastly different configurations of Android, breaking down the various walls keeping Google from updating core apps and services that really shape your Android experience. If you were to break down the most important aspects of Android that dictate user experience, you could easily include everything Google updated today, without having to actually update Android. That means that not only will Nexus users experience Android the way Google wants you to, but HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and Oppo Find 5 users will as well. Yes, the way text messages, certain aspects of notifications, the lock screen and home screen may be entirely different on various devices, but that’s not fragmentation — that’s choice. When every Android user, despite what phone or tablet they use, can enjoy the same Google Play store, the same Maps app, the same music services, the same Gmail experience and the same robust Google Search features, there’s no way you can say Android has a fragmentation problem. In the past there has been system compatibility problems, keeping some users on older versions of Android from accessing certain features, but that is getting better every day. And Google has set up a system that will get rid of that problem in the future. In order to implement the changes to Android that Google wanted to today, they didn’t have to update Android. That, in itself, is the most important piece of news to come out of Google I/O 2013. To see how far Android has come in the last year, you don’t need to look further than that. 
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| Google’s unified messaging service launching as “Hangouts” on Android, web and iOS Posted: 15 May 2013 11:01 AM PDT Google’s various messaging services have long been painfully confusing. Syncing between devices, photo sharing and video conferencing have been a headache for years now, but that’s all about to change with Google “Hangouts.” Hangouts is the messaging service that everyone’s been waiting for. Hangouts takes the best of all of Google’s messaging apps, and combines them into one service, available on multiple platforms. Hangouts features photo sharing, free multiple-contact video chatting, message archiving and cross-device syncing. Emphasis has been placed on how Hangouts will focus on conversations, instead of contacts, making your messages the star of the show. Hangouts will be available for Android, iOS and the web today. Be on the lookout for a full rundown on how the app functions and feels once we get our hands on a copy later today.    
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| Updated: HTC employee teases Google Experience HTC One Posted: 15 May 2013 10:59 AM PDT Google has already announced that a Google Experience Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available on Google Play on June 26th for $649, but things could get a little more interesting. Leigh Momii, a Developer Evangelist at HTC has just posted a Tweet which takes a subtle jab at Samsung’s choice of construction materials while hinting that a Google Experience HTC One may be in the works. We have no clue what Leigh intended by the tweet, but a Google Experience HTC One certainly wouldn’t be too surprising as HTC has already shown support for developers with the 64GB SIM and Bootloader unlocked the HTC One Developer Edition which is currently up for sale on HTC’s site.
If we spot any more hints, we’ll be sure to let you know. Would you rather have a Google Experience Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One? Update: Jeff Gordon of HTC just sent us the following message, “HTC is not currently planning a ‘Nexus Edition’ of the HTC One.” 
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| Google to take on Pandora, Spotify with Google Play Music All Access Posted: 15 May 2013 10:28 AM PDT Watch out Pandroa, Spotify, Rdio and all you other music streaming services out there; Google is coming for you. Just announced at Google I/O, Google is officially entering into the music streaming arena with Google Play Music All Access. Built-in with Google’s existing music locker and store, Google Play Music, All Access is a subscription based streaming service with access to millions of songs on the web, and your Android device. At $9.99 a month, a price comparable to rival services, users can enjoy a mix of songs they’ve already purchased, with anything else available from Google’s extensive music library. Highlights of All Access include radio stations, enhanced music discovery, Google powered music search and a listen now feature that takes you directly to music you want to listen to, with minimal effort. All Access is in the process of rolling out now (be sure to check for an update on Google Play), with a free 30 day trial for users to give the service a shot. If you sign up for the trail before June 30, your monthly subscription fee will be $7.99. Does Google Play Music All Access interest you, or does another service already have your loyalty? Let us know in the comments.
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| Google announces Galaxy S 4 with Nexus user experience Posted: 15 May 2013 10:02 AM PDT Today at Google I/O, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Nexus edition was announced. The hardware will be exactly like the current Galaxy S 4, but the software will be stock Android and receive updates directly from Google. Like previous Nexus smartphones, the Galaxy S 4 will be sold SIM unlocked and bootloader unlocked. The device will support HSPA+ and LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile’s network. Look for the Galaxy S 4 Nexus edition with 16GB storage to go on sale June 26th for $649. 
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| Google Play game services is official Posted: 15 May 2013 09:40 AM PDT It looks like the leaks were spot-on. Right on cue, at Google I/O, Google’s new game services have been announced, complete with multiplayer match-making, leaderboards, cloud-based save states and cross-platform functionality. Thanks to earlier leaks, we’ve already known some of the features Google Play game services will offer for some time now. What we didn’t know, is that it would be cross-platform. Not only will Google Play game services be accessible to developers for implementation on Android and the web, but iOS as well. Finally, an easy way to enable real cross-platform gaming, all thanks to Google. Look for Google’s new game services features to hit games shortly. 
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| Android reaches 900 million activations, with 48 billion app downloads Posted: 15 May 2013 09:28 AM PDT Google has kicked off I/O with some stats on Android, sharing just how impressive growth has been for the platform as a whole, and for Google Play, Android’s app store. As of this year, Android has reached 900 millions activations. That’s up from 100 million Android activations in 2011, and 400 million activations in 2012. Highlighting plans to target growing markets where Android penetration is less than 10%, Android isn’t done by a long-shot. By the end of the year, Android will undoubtedly reach 1 billion activations, further solidifying the little green guy’s position as the world’s most popular operating system. Google Play also got a moment to shine in the growth stats. If there was any question just how popular Google Play has become, Play’s 48 billion app downloads should speak for themselves.  
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| Samsung executive claims 6 million Galaxy S4s sold before May 10th Posted: 15 May 2013 09:07 AM PDT Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper is reporting that more than 6 million Samsung Galaxy S4s have already been sold. According to an unnamed Samsung executive, four million Galaxy S4s were moved between April 26th and April 30th while the final 2 million units shipped during the first ten days in May. Samsung has never been shy about sharing its shipment numbers. We know that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be a huge success, but the numbers revealed by the Samsung executive simply tell us that Samsung’s factories are really good at making the device. Since Samsung does not sell products directly to consumers, the term “sold” simply means that service providers and retails across the globe have purchased the devices from Samsung. We could see Samsung’s May estimates fall if these first batches of Galaxy S4s do not sell to consumers as quickly as projected. It’s impossible to know how consumers will react to the new Galaxy S4, but it’s clear that Samsung will be spending quite a bit of cash on its marketing budget which will practically guarantee its success. Have you purchased one of the 6 million Samsung Galaxy S4s that have already shipped or have you chosen to take your money elsewhere to see what the competition has to offer? 
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| Tune in live to the Google I/O day one keynote Posted: 15 May 2013 08:45 AM PDT Google’s three hour keynote is about to kick off and we are expecting a ton of Android-related goodies to be announced. Tune in to the live stream via YouTube or download the official Google I/O app to watch the action on your mobile device. What do you think will get revealed?  
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| Verizon promotion offers up the HTC Droid DNA for free Posted: 15 May 2013 07:25 AM PDT Free Android phones are not hard to come by these days. Third-party retailers always seem to have some amazing offers, but it’s not often that one of the big four US service providers cuts the price of a flagship phone by $200 over night. A new promotion on Verizon’s site is essentially giving the HTC Droid DNA away for free if you’re willing to sign up for a new two-year service agreement. The promotion is intended to raise awareness of Verizon’s Referral Rewards Program which gives Verizon customers $25 when a friend or family member switches over to Verizon. The HTC Droid DNA may be a bit dated by today’s standards, but it’s currently our favorite Android phone in Verizon’s lineup. There are rumors that Verizon may soon launch its own variant of the HTC One, but there’s no guarantee it will be here any time soon. 
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| BlackBerry Messenger coming to Android this summer Posted: 14 May 2013 07:47 PM PDT Among the sea of messaging apps spanning Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, the BlackBerry exclusive BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, has long stood as a shining example of just how good chatting on your phone could be. In recent years, however, competition has been fierce. And due to the popularity of Android and iOS, BBM has been all but left in the dust. BlackBerry still has some fighting spirit left in them though. BlackBerry isn’t going to sit back and leave the messaging throne to WhatsApp, Google Talk and iMessage. At BBLive, it was announced that this summer, devices running Android 4.0 and up will have access to BBM, complete with multi-user chats, voice notes, photo sharing and BBM’s famous “D” and “R” message statuses. Many have hailed BlackBerry’s move to release BBM on Android and iOS desperate, but CEO Thorsten Heins claims it’s a, “statement of confidence.” It will be interesting to see how the release of BBM for rival platforms affects the sale of BlackBerry 10 handsets, if at all. What do you think, when BBM is released for Android, will you be using it? 
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