Android Authority

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• HTC One design story posted online (video)
• Rumor: Motorola XT1055 (Google X Phone?) apparently spotted in benchmarks
• Now that Google Glass has been rooted what are the security challenges and privacy issues?
• Switch to Windows Phone Android app released, welcomed with hostility on Google Play Store
• Apple, Samsung to go to trial in November to re-compute for damages related to patent infringement
• Android’s bloatware problem: just how big is too big?
• Google I/O sessions schedule released
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 benchmark results show improved graphics performance
• AT&T trade-in program starts tomorrow, offers $100+ credit for old devices
• Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean?) spotted running on Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 in our server logs

HTC One design story posted online (video) Posted: 01 May 2013 02:38 AM PDT The HTC One design story has been posted online in a video by the company, maybe to show that not only Samsung can provide details on how its flagship device has been developed. HTC’s video shows Creative Director Daniel Hundt and Senior Director of Manufacturing Design Jethro Liou offering some glimpses into the way the HTC One is manufactured, as well as where those ideas came from. Hundt talks about the company wanting to create a 360 experience, a “zero-gap” device, that has no part breaks and no moving parts and doesn’t distract the user, while maintaining the company’s tradition of bringing new manufacturing methods to the table. The most interesting images in the video, though, are the ones in which you can actually see the way the C&C and the diamond cutter create the shapes of the HTC One design, with the process explained by Jethro Liou. You can watch the video below and see how those beautiful shapes are achieved. While we do love the way the HTC One looks, we also had to see how it does against the iPhone 5 in a drop test, which you can watch below. What do you think about the HTC One design? Did HTC make the right choices or do you prefer the Samsung Galaxy S4′s polycarbonate body?

Rumor: Motorola XT1055 (Google X Phone?) apparently spotted in benchmarks Posted: 01 May 2013 02:29 AM PDT Google X Phone render A new unannounced Motorola handset has been spotted in AnTuTu benchmark results, a new report says. Like always with such early AnTuTu results that hit the web well before the handset is official, we'll remind you that nothing is confirmed at this time and we can only speculate on this rumor. According to rbmen, we're looking at an U.S.-bound Motorola XT1055, a device that apparently sports a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and scores 18252 in AnTuTu. Other specs and features are not available at this time for this rumored device. Obviously, the first question that comes to mind is whether we're looking at the Google X Phone here, although we have no way of answering it at this time. Don't let that XT1055 model number fool you into believing this must be the X Phone because it has the "X" in there. Motorola happens to have various Android devices part of the XT group, with the Droid Razr HD (XT925/XT926 ), the Droid RAZR M (XT907) or the RAZR I (XT890) being some of the recent ones. Moreover, a variety of reports have suggested that Motorola may be launching several new Android handsets this year, with several code names being thrown around. Those reports have not been confirmed either. Interestingly, a previous AnTuTu benchmark showing a score of around 15000 hit the web a few days ago for a device said to be the X Phone and run Android 5.0.1. Meanwhile, Android 4.3 appeared in the picture as the potential next Android OS version launch (it showed up in our logs as well) instead of Android 5.0.1, and now we see this new Motorola handset supposedly running "just" Android 4.2.2 in this new test result, but also getting a much better score. Whether this handset is real or not and whether the XT1055 will turn out to be the X Phone or not, what's clear is that Motorola has a few interesting Android handsets in the works, at least if we are to believe Google execs including Eric Schmidt and Larry Page who seem to be very excited about such future devices. Following various comments provided by Schmidt, Page and other execs, we expect new Motorola handsets to drop out of the race for specs, come in just the “right size”, run a stock version of Android (or a very close-to-stock OS), and offer users a more than decent battery life and increased durability. With Google I/O just a few weeks away, we're certainly curious to see whether any new Motorola products will become official at the show.

Now that Google Glass has been rooted what are the security challenges and privacy issues? Posted: 01 May 2013 02:19 AM PDT It didn’t take long, it never does, but Google Glass has been rooted. It seems that the process was started by Liam McLoughlin (@Hexxeh) who claimed that root access should be easy as Google Glass supports ADB access in a debug mode – an equivalent of the typical Android “Enable USB Debugging” option. However Jay Freeman (@saurik) pointed out this Debug mode doesn’t lead to easy root access as a  compatible kernel image is needed. Eventually Freeman managed to exploit the Google Glass kernel using a symbolic link race condition that is present in all releases of Android 4.0.x. Freeman, who is better known for his work on Jailbreaking iPhones and for Cydia, the alternative App store for Jailbroken iPhones, has posted a tutorial on how to jailbreak Google Glass but he has also written about the security challenges and privacy issues that exist when a wearable computing device can be hacked. The problem is that Google Glass hears and sees everything you do. In a worse case scenario a hacked version of Google Glass can store and transmit everything you see and hear to a malicious third party. This includes passwords, PIN numbers, bank cards, bank accounts, door codes and even everything you write on bits of paper. Although this was always true of smartphones, in that malware could be installed that took pictures and recorded audio, people tend to keep their phones in their pockets or on a shelf. Even if a smartphone was bugged, I don’t hold it up to the screen while I am using the ATM! But wearable computers are different. Even if a user remembers to remove Google Glass when using the ATM there are going to be hundreds of moments throughout the day where a remote malicious third party can benefit from private information that can be captured on a compromised device. Imagine what you could discover if you were able to root and install surveillance software on Sergey Brin’s Google Glass headset! But how easy is it to comprise someone’s Google Glass headset? Too easy. If you like conspiracy theories then it isn’t hard for you to imagine someone surreptitiously rooting your Google Glass while you sleep. But it doesn’t need to be that clandestine, even a work colleague or a so-called friend could access your Google Glass while you are distracted and install malware. At the moment root access was achieved using a PC via the USB cable, but achieving root by connecting Google Glass to another mobile device is should be possible. A USB 'On-The-Go' cable could connect from your pocket under your shirt to your right sleeve. With only some momentary sleight-of-hand, one could 'try on' your Glass, and install malicious software in the process. Jay Freeman Google Glass’ biggest security issue today seems to be the lack of a lock screen. As soon as Google Glass is picked up it can be accessed without any authentication.  In general, most of Android’s security vulnerabilities can’t be exploited if the device has a PIN code set, however Google Glass does not have any kind of PIN mechanism. Freeman suggests that Google’s first priority should be to add some kind of protection to Glass that activates when it is taken off.

Switch to Windows Phone Android app released, welcomed with hostility on Google Play Store Posted: 01 May 2013 01:38 AM PDT The Switch to Windows Phone Android app has made its debut in the Google Play Store, and not many users had good things to say about it. The app uses Quixey’s search engine to match apps on the two platforms and show you what apps (or similar counterparts) you’ll be able to use once you might decide to make the switch to Windows Phone. Well, Android users who gave it a shot didn’t seem to like the idea too much or the way it was put into use. That’s an easy thing to figure out, since Switch to Windows Phone had an average rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars from 233 reviews at the time this article was written. The most common complaint is about the app not actually giving a list of similar or identical apps you’ll be able to use on Windows Phone. Instead, you just get some tiles and a percentage, which some users claim isn’t even accurate. A user says that he would like to know exactly which 90% of apps will be available before he dishes out between $300 and $600 on a Windows Phone, while many otherss are complaining about the fact that the app refuses to work unless the phone battery level is at over 50%. There are users that are even more aggressive, accusing Microsoft of being desperate or of making “sad attempts” of conning users into getting a Windows Phone, and there are some reviews that show Android users’ sense of humor, like this one: I switched to windows phone without this app and almost none of my apps were on windows phone. After using this app 92% of my apps are on windows phone. Also after using this app my back pain disappeared and I got a big raise. Adil Chauhan Google Play Store review All in all, it doesn’t seem that Microsoft has helped its cause too much with the Switch to Windows Phone app (at least the recent ad was really funny). Do you think the Switch to Windows Phone app is a good idea on Microsoft’s part?

Apple, Samsung to go to trial in November to re-compute for damages related to patent infringement Posted: 30 Apr 2013 11:00 PM PDT It’s not over until the fat lady sings. Or so it seems for Apple and Samsung, which have been battling at the courts for patent infringement-related cases. Recall that in August 2012, Apple won its patent infringement case against Samsung and was awarded $1.049 billion in damages. In March this year, Judge Lucy Koh reduced the amount to $598 million, considering two errors used by the jury in determining damages. In essence, the jury earlier computed damages amounting to the total losses attributed to Samsung’s infringement with its Galaxy S2 line. However, Judge Koh qualified that the only losses that should be counted are those after Apple alerted Samsung to the possible infringement. This is not yet final, though, as Judge Koh has set a November 12, 2013 trial date for the courts to better determine how much exactly Samsung owes Apple. A few things come to light: Judge Koh had re-awarded Apple US$40.5 million for infringement related to the AT&T variant of the Samsung Galaxy S2. Samsung requested that the court put the damages trial on hold because the USPTO had put to question the validity of two of Apple’s patents on the table: the ’381 bounce-back patent and the ’915 pinch-to-zoom patent. The USPTO’s decision in this regard is not final yet, so Apple can still prevail. Judge Koh rejected Samsung’s request to set a later date for trial, but decided that Samsung could still request a stay on these damages should a more definitive decision is arrived at, with relation to the two patents in question. For Samsung, it’s good that the case did not end with the billion-dollar damages. There is still a chance that the fine could be greatly reduced, although it can still skyrocket beyond the original $1.049 billion, depending on how the trial goes. If you've just tuned in to the Apple vs. Samsung patent mess, you can check out our Apple vs. Samsung archives for an idea of the issues involved, the legal decisions, the market reactions and official company statements.

Android’s bloatware problem: just how big is too big? Posted: 30 Apr 2013 09:20 PM PDT In 2010, Android bloatware was still an emerging problem, and one of the publications that brought the issue to highlight was Wired’s Gadget Lab, through a commentary by Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin. Times were simpler back then, and bloatware was not seen as a big concern yet. However, we are now living in that future, and the sad truth is that bloatware has grown to become a big problem. How it all began It started with the seemingly harmless bundling of third-party apps and services, mostly from carriers. Then the carriers and OEMs themselves moved on to “value-adding” applications to new units that they were shipping out to customers. To illustrate, we told you yesterday that the Samsung Galaxy S4 apparently had 45% of its internal storage dedicated to default apps – and therefore can’t be used for data storage. That leaves users with less than 9GB of space, which is ridiculous considering that the device is being advertised as a “16GB model.” How exactly did it even get to that point? In the case of Samsung, the primary cause of the problem is the TouchWiz UI and the many exclusive apps or features that come along with it. To refresh our memory, the S4 comes bundled with a long list of extra software features. Some are interesting and might actually be useful. However, many of them just duplicate some of the functionality already present in Android. In short, certain extra features were added even though they were completely unnecessary. Users may or may not end up using them. But all of the precious storage will still be taken up by these things nonetheless. For a better perspective on just how much extra space is being taken up by these manufacturer- and carrier-added apps and features, consider this: the size of the stock Android 4.2.2 system image as seen in the Google/LG Nexus 4 is 328MB. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S4, which uses the same Android version, has a system image that’s a bit over 1.5GB in size. As you can see, the numbers pretty much speak for themselves. The Bloatware Club Although we have used Samsung and its Galaxy S4 as an example of how bad the Android bloatware problem has become, the brand is in no way the sole perpetrator of this absurd practice. Other companies such as HTC, LG and Motorola are also guilty of adding mostly unnecessary space-taking applications and features. Most notably, it is present in the flagship HTC One in the form of “BlinkFeed” (pictured above). With BlinkFeed, a good portion of the screen is turned into a clock widget, even if you can already clearly see the time right on the notification bar, as well. The issue of Android bloatware is very clearly not just a creeping problem for users anymore. The problem has grown big enough to need addressing at this point. Surely, no one deserves to get just about half of the advertised amount of internal storage space on a brand new mobile computing device that they paid full price for. More than just a storage issue And it’s not just a storage problem. As a 2011 report on InformationWeek states, “some Android smartphones are more vulnerable to attacks than others, thanks to add-on software and skins” from the phone makers themselves. Therefore, not only are they causing users grief through severely limiting the internal storage space that’s available on devices, but they’re also opening users up to the possibility of becoming target to malicious attacks. Is there an end to all of this? The manufacturers and the carriers must know that all these extra apps and services are just doing more harm than good, right? It’s honestly hard to tell at this point. Although it will always be possible to root, flash, and do a bunch of other stuff to eliminate the bloatware and bundled apps and get the stock Android experience, doing this would only mask the problem. Besides, not everyone has the patience and know-how in rooting and flashing custom ROMs. How do you feel about this issue? Does this affect you personally? What would you like to be done about it? Let us know in the comments.

Google I/O sessions schedule released Posted: 30 Apr 2013 06:58 PM PDT Google I/O is only a few weeks away! Hard to believe we're so close to the big event, really. After months of anticipation, and a few curious attendees wondering recently when we'd see an itinerary, the time is here. Today, Google released the sessions schedule for I/O. The sessions are a series of breakout meetings designed to get specific answers to concentrated questions or topics. Remmeber tha tthis is a developers conference, so these sessions are geared toward smart Googlers helping equally bright developers do their thing. No real details about the sessions are given, though a few interesting topics will be discussed. For instance, we see on day 2 there is an Android breakout session on "Google Cloud Messaging". Could that have to do with the famed Babel messaging app? Another interesting topic is day 1 with Chrome & Apps, where we find "JAM with Chrome: How we built a massive multiplayer game using only web technology". It sounds as though the Chrome team is set to answer some questions about online gaming, something that has long dogged Chrome OS. We find the next day brings the same kind of topic from the Cloud Platform team in "Intense Gaming". When we look to Google+, we see that nearly their whole schedule is about Google+ sign-in integration, so we know their focus. YouTube and Maps have some pretty run-of-the-mill talks, though the "Dive into underwater street view" looks interesting. If you're interested to see the entire schedule, check it out at the Google I/O page. We'll be sure to keep a close eye on the developments that show up in the coming weeks, so be sure to check in for I/O info!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 benchmark results show improved graphics performance Posted: 30 Apr 2013 06:05 PM PDT If you saw our report on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 announcement — What? It’s Samsung, of course there’s going to be a third one — then you might have been among the many people who thought to themselves that Samsung really ought to introduce some improvements if they want people to buy a third iteration of what it essentially the same old product. Well, as it turns out, Samsung did put in some improvements after all, and the result is that the Galaxy Tab 3 is really looking like a much improved version of its predecessor. And that’s a good thing, of course. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, which uses a Vivantec GC1000 core GPU, is seen to be able to offer up to twice the performance of the old Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 which uses a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU. This is based on benchmark results that first appeared online at the GFXBench web site. Though it hasn’t been tested fully yet — so a full comparison with the Galaxy Tab 2 performance-wise is still off the table — the Galaxy Tab 3 has shown that it has some notable improvements over its predecessor so far, and when you add in the fact that it comes with an updated design, it just might be the perfect excuse to switch up from the aging, years-old Galaxy Tab 2 that it’s supposed to replace. Take a look at some of the current benchmarks results right here: For now, this is all the information on Galaxy Tab 3 performance that we have. But still, it looks to be pretty definitive evidence that yes, it is indeed an improvement over the Galaxy Tab 2. Although the biggest change here lies in the use of the new Vivantec GPU, it probably won’t be a stretch to say that the extra 0.2GHz added to the clock speed of the CPU had an effect on the overall performance as well. We’ll be sure to give you more on this as soon as the rest of the benchmark results info becomes available.

AT&T trade-in program starts tomorrow, offers $100+ credit for old devices Posted: 30 Apr 2013 02:43 PM PDT Have an older mobile device collecting dust around your house? Starting tomorrow, AT&T will introduce a new trade-in promotion that could give you at least an $100 credit for your older gear. Often enough, trading programs only accept a few limited models of phones for trading, but AT&T’s promotion is much less restrictive. The carrier will take any mobile hardware, as long as it isn’t older than three years. That means you can bring in a slightly older smartphone, netbook, tablet, data card or even a feature phone. AT&T assures that all accepted devices will receive at least $100, but some newer devices might even fetch more than that. What makes this deal truly unique is that AT&T is giving customers flexibility in how to use the credit. The most obvious use is for those looking to get a newer phone. As long as you sign a two-year contract, the $100+ trade-in credit can be used on any smartphone that AT&T sells. This means that newer phones like the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy 4 will only end up setting you back $99. Don’t need a new handset? You can also use your credit for picking up mobile accessories, or your trade-in amount can be applied to your monthly bill. If you are feeling charitable, you can also donate the credited amount to the Cell phones for Soldiers charity. Many times these promotions seem too good to be true, but we admit this is a pretty impressive sounding deal for those that don’t mind committing to a contract.

Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean?) spotted running on Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 in our server logs Posted: 30 Apr 2013 02:37 PM PDT Click for bigger image. A series of Google Nexus devices apparently running an unannounced version of Jelly Bean have been spotted in Android Authority's server logs. Android 4.3 (and various versions of it including Android 4.3.3 and Android 4.3.1) can be seen in the screenshot above. Naturally, user agent profiles can always be faked, but why would anyone go through all that trouble just to try to fool a few tech websites and their readers. Similarly, we have spotted Android 4.2.2 and Android 4.2 builds in our server logs ahead of their respective launches, so it would make sense to see traces of Google's next Android versions appear with just a few weeks to go until Google I/O kicks off. On that note, we'll remind you that Android Police also spotted the same Android version a few days ago, but its logs showed build JWR23B running on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7. As you can see in the screenshot above, we can easily spot a bunch of Nexus devices including the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 running a variety of Android 4.3 versions including JWR25C, JWR24B, and JWR29/JWR29B. We also notice a Nexus 4 running build JDQ39 (Android 4.2.2) which is identified for some reason as Android 4.3. Of the build versions mentioned above, we spotted JWR25C on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, while JWR24B was seen on the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4. Build number JWR29/JWR29B has been seen on the Nexus 4. After digging through the virtual dirt, we found out that visits from these Nexus devices running these Android 4.3 variants were registered in the last week of April, hitting as early as April 29 and coming from a variety of locations, including Google’s Mountain View home in California, other California-based locations, but also London, UK and India. The screenshot above also shows two other non-Nexus devices running other Android 4.3 versions. One of them is listed as the Huawei U8819 (a model number awfully similar to the Huawei Ascend G300 U8818/U8815) running Android 4.3.3, while the other one is the ADR8995 4G (known to the public as the Pantech Breakout) running Android 4.3.1 (which is interestingly, and probably mistakenly, dubbed as Key Lime Pie). Mind you, these non-Nexus devices are not flagship handsets, and they're not even 2013 gadgets either. The Ascend G300 (assuming that’s what U8819 stands for) has been announced in February 2012, while the Pantech Breakout was unveiled in July 2011. Most likely, these devices aren’t running an Android 4.3 version, although we are mentioning them since you can easily spot them in the image above and question them. While not confirmed, Android 4.3 is most likely another Jelly Bean version. Most of these Android 4.3 builds start with the letter J, therefore it makes a lot of sense to think that Android 4.3 would be a new Jelly Bean version rather than Key Lime Pie. Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie has not been spotted in our logs at this time – or at least we don’t have any relevant Android 5.x sightings to report other than the strange build name for that Pantech handset above and a variety of Android 5.x entries that were seen mostly in relation with non-Android devices. As for Key Lime Pie (KLP) itself, we have no way of confirming that Android 5.0 will be called KLP or not, even though that's what the majority of reports seem to indicate. Considering the timing of this Android 4.3 apparition, it also makes sense to believe that Google may be interested in releasing a Jelly Bean upgrade at this year's Google I/O instead of moving directly to the next major Android OS release. That way, the company would give OEMss time to update more devices to Jelly Bean (whatever version) before the next Android version launches, be it KLP or anything else. Google I/O takes place in May (May 15-17) and we're certainly interested to see what products Google will unveil. There are plenty of sometimes-conflicting rumors detailing products that could be showcased on stage in a few weeks, from new hardware (a new Nexus tablet and smartphone, a Motorola-made X Phone, new Chromebooks ) to software (new Android OS version, Google Babel) although nothing is confirmed right now – and don't expect Google to announce all these products at the same event either.

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