Android Authority |
- Google Keyboard for Android now available as a Play Store download
- The Best Launchers for Android!
- Ethically-sourced Fairphone hits its pre-order goal ahead of schedule
- Sony Xperia Tablet Z review (video)
- Gmail update rolling out to everyone, now it’s Hangouts turn for a staged rollout
- Madfinger teases Dead Trigger 2, promises more at E3
- Enjoy your large phone display? You’re not alone.
- Why isn’t Samsung talking about their victory over Apple?
- HTC hopes to replace several of its recently departed executives by the month’s end
- How it works: Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
- Android Authority Q & A #001 – June 5, 2013
- HTC One available at all T-Mobile stores, starting today.
- The Galaxy S4 Active has an IP67 rating – but what does that mean?
- Rumor: Galaxy S4 Active launch date set for July 1 in UK
- FreedomPop will soon offer free wireless phone service, starting later this summer
- Check out the video Samsung posted for the Note 8.0
- T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z support documents appear on carrier’s website
- Huawei Ascend P6 black stars in own amateur pictorial
- Asus “We Transform” Computex 2013 event available to watch in its entirety [video]
- The 6 most underrated games for Android: May 2013 edition
- Galaxy S4 Active vs regular S4 – what’s the difference?
- RadioShack trade-in program gets you up to $300 off a new Samsung device
- HTC One mini? Mysterious 4.3-inch HD phone with UltraPixel camera surfaces (updated)
- Clash of the Nexus experience devices – Which phone should you buy on June 26? [Poll]
| Google Keyboard for Android now available as a Play Store download Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:19 PM PDT
If, for whatever reason, you still haven’t gotten the chance to try out the Google Keyboard yourself, all you need to know is that it offers the stock Android typing experience, which is why it’s referred to as the Nexus typing experience above. It is said to transform the usual method of typing into something that is smart and easy, so if you’re big on actually being able to type the words that you want to say, then this is something that you definitely need to look into. Google Keyboard should offer Gesture Typing, a feature that lets users glide their typing fingers through keys in order to type words, as well as automatic error correction, and even word predictions. Tapping on the microphone in Google Keyboard enables Voice Typing for easy message composition on the go. And built-in dictionaries ensure that the best typing experience is available for up to 26 different languages. If you still don’t have it on your own Android-powered smartphone or tablet yet (and you’re using Android 4.0 or later), then check out the Google Play link in the source below to install it. 
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| The Best Launchers for Android! Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:34 PM PDT
Sometimes your Android home screen can be boring. You may not like TouchWiz, Sense, Motoblur, or even stock Android. You may not want to root your device to fix that either. Thankfully there’s a different way to give your Android device a bit more oomph. We’ve gone into the Google Play Store in search of some of the best launchers for Android, and we’ve come back with a few impressive ones! As usual, if you’d rather watch the video, just head on down to the bottom of the article. 91 Launcher
First up is 91 Launcher. This is a fun and simple launcher that offers a very smooth experience, even if it seems pretty simple. While you can get into deep customization with this particular launcher, 91 Launcher sticks with the basics: good widgets, wallpapers, and themes. Don’t let its simplicity fool you though. 91 Launcher has a lot of themeing and customization options, such as transition animations. It’s not going to take you a lot of time to come up with a customization that you’re happy with. So if you’re looking for a great launcher that doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles, 91 Launcher is worth checking out. Apex Launcher
The Apex Launcher may ring a few bells to you, as its been around for quite awhile and has garnered a good amount of popularity. Unlike 91 Launcher, Apex is filled to the brim with features and customization options. We’re not kidding either — you can do a lot of customization, such as the app drawer, home screens, themes, icon packs, and cool transition effects. It really is one of the more customizable launchers out there that doesn’t get too hectic. After customizing your smartphone, you may want to set up the same customization options on your tablet. Like most of these apps, Apex Launcher does have tablet support, so that’s entirely doable. It’s an overall positive experience, and despite all of the customization options, it’s very slick in the performance department. The only downside is that all of the cool features are in the paid version, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. GO Launcher
GO Launcher is the most downloaded launcher on our list, which probably has something to do with it being a freemium offering. It’s packed full of features, and you can even further customization options by downloading a seemingly endless supply of add ons. The performance of GO Launcher is pretty good, but GO Launcher can’t be fully appreciated until it’s entirely set up. This is where things get painfully annoying. Getting the launcher set up to your tastes can take hours, as there are a plethora of themes, customizations, features, and add ons. If you like fiddling around with a truck load of options, GO Launcher may just be up your alley. However, out of the rest of these launchers, some might find GO Launcher to be one of the more chaotic launchers out there. Nova Launcher Prime
One of the most dependable and well-received launchers is NOVA Launcher. Like most of the options on this list, there are a plethora of features, themes, and customizations, though, not nearly as many as GO Launcher. So if you like eye candy, NOVA Launcher has a good amount of it. Perhaps one of its best features has to deal with widgets. You can put any 1 by 1 widget in the dock and even overlap your widgets to conserve that precious home screen space. Furthermore, you can even create widget collages. Aside from that, NOVA Launcher runs smooth. It’s just an all around good launcher. Smart Launcher Pro
Last up on our list is Smart Launcher Pro, and it’s different from the rest of the launchers on our list. Instead of keeping the general Android aesthetics, Smart Launcher Pro offers its own thing. However, this particular launcher seems to do it right, as unlike a lot of launchers that try this, people have responded positively with what Smart Launcher offers. Here’s how it works. You start with a single home screen with shortcuts arranged in a circle. These shortcuts can be programmed to open whatever app you want, so you can get to your frequently used apps quickly and efficiently. From there you can access a modified app drawer and a 3 home screen lay for all of your widget needs. All in all, it’s a launcher that does things differently, and it does it well. It’s very much worth giving a shot. Final thoughts
If you take a look at our leaderboard (image above) you can see how these apps compete against each other. The ratings are based on Google Play Store ratings and downloads, so there’s no bias on our part. Launchers are interesting, as each one does something unique. So we have a few honorary mentions. These include ADW Launcher, Launcher 7, Launcher 8, Next Launcher, EZ Launcher, Chameleon Launcher, and Big Launcher. If there’s a good launcher that we should have mentioned, be sure to tell everyone in the comments below! 
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| Ethically-sourced Fairphone hits its pre-order goal ahead of schedule Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT
Let's face it, phones aren’t exactly great for the environment, and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. For Dutch startup Fairphone's part, they don't claim their upcoming smartphone is completely environmentally friendly, but instead the goal is to be as transparent and ethical as possible when it comes to using resources in its construction. The company’s goal is to use conflict-free resources for the device when possible, but what exactly does that mean? The idea is that they will work to find partners that treat their workers as fairly as possible when it comes to working wages and conditions. The goal is also to use source materials that have as little of an ecological impact as possible. For Fairphone, this is an important project, as they hope to set a better standard for the creation of electronic devices. And clearly folks are interested in the idea, as the company has already hit its production target of 5,000 pre-orders with eight days left in Fairphone’s early funding campaign. If this seems like a project you'd like to support, you still have a few days left to snag yourself a limited edition version of the phone for €325, or roughly $425. What kind of specs are under the hood? The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz MTK6589M quad-core CPU, featuring 1GB of RAM. It also has a 4.3-inch qHD display, 16GB storage, microSD, an 8MP back cam, a 1.3MP front-cam, dual-SIM support and Android 4.2. While the specs aren't going to blow anyone away, that's not exactly the key reason for buying the phone. The hope is that by throwing your support behind the phone you not only help Fairphone work to improve conditions globally, but you send a clear message to other manufacturers that a phone made with conflict-free source material is important to you. What do you think of the Fairphone and the company's long-term goals to improve transparency in the materials used to create smartphones? 
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| Sony Xperia Tablet Z review (video) Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:49 PM PDT
Sony kicked this year off with a bang by launching two incredible smartphones — the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. They’ve still got a few tricks up their sleeves though, as the Japanese company, after a few short delays, just launched the Sony Xperia Tablet Z across the world. Let’s take a look, shall we? We’ll go through the design, build quality, display, specs and software of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. In a hurry? Jump straight to the video review. Design and build qualityIt’s a known fact that Sony is adept at designing smartphones, and that holds true for their tablets as well, namely the Xperia Tablet Z. If you’ve seen the Xperia Z, you’ll notice its design made a return in a much larger, 10-inch form. Much like the smartphone, the Tablet Z got angular corners and is flat all over, and it’s nice to see that Sony took that slate design philosophy literally.
While the design of the Xperia Tablet Z is extraordinary, probably the most impressive thing about the tablet is how thin and light it is — it comes in at a mere 0.27-inches thick and weighs 495 grams. Due to how thin and light the tablet is, the Xperia Tablet Z is very easy to handle and keep a good grip on.
Aside from the camera optics on the back, you’re getting a completely black textured back that looks really slick and doesn’t slip when in the hand. Similarly, the front of the Xperia Tablet Z is also completely black, and it’s quite clean, with the front facing camera and Sony logo placed up top. On the left side of the device you’ll find all of the buttons, including the standard volume rocker and iconic Xperia metal silver power button.
The speakers are on the bottom of both sides, and, as you would expect, the microUSB and microSD slots are at the bottom, which are covered by small bits of plastic covers. What’s up with those? Sony’s famous water resistance, of course! This entire 10-inch slate can be submerged in water and come out operational. While we’ve seen this a lot on smartphones, it seems to be a rarity for tablets, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless.
DisplayA 10-inch tablet isn’t going to be very good without a nice display, and, thankfully, the Xperia Tablet Z excels in this area. It has a 10-inch 1,920 x 1,200 resolution screen rated at 224ppi. It’s very good, considering that this device will, in most cases, be far enough away from your face to make pixelation much less of an issue. Regardless, media and text still look stunning on this device.
Sony’s Xperia Z and ZL smartphones suffered from viewing angle issues, but fortunately they seemed to have disappeared in the Tablet Z. The display is even more beautiful, as Sony brought the BRAVIA Engine 2 to this device to bring more contrast and vibrancy. However, the color temperature tends to the warmer side.
While a rating of 224ppi isn’t very large compared to recent smartphone releases, the Tablet Z still looks gorgeous, and will be perfect for your Android needs, especially when it comes to media consumption. PerformanceThe Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 is hitting a lot of devices on the market, such as the Galaxy S4 or HTC One. So it might be disappointing to find that the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is “only” running a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, which powered last year’s smartphones. The proc is backed by the Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM, which means the device is far from being a slow performer. AnTuTu rates this bad boy right around where its smartphone counterpart ranks — the 20000 mark. When we put the device through Epic Citadel, it ran really smooth and ended with a very high performance rating.
The Snapdragon S4 Pro is not a bad processor — flying through the Xperia tablet’s UI was very fast. However, there are some brief moments of lag, but nothing that’ll truly hinder your experience. Multitasking with the Small Apps and going by app to app was as easy as ever, which further proves that the Tablet Z is a great performer for just about anything. Coupled with its gorgeous screen, you’ll find the Xperia Tablet Z a formidable device for Android gaming and media consumption. Whether you’re working or playing, you’ll get everything done in a timely manner, and in style too. HardwareHardware on the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is standard, but the big advantage that you won’t find on many tablets is water resistance. The microSD card slot that we mentioned earlier can expand your onboard memory by 16 or 32GB of storage. Then you’ve got the usual accelerometer, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, and an LTE version is available overseas. There’s also an IR Blaster that allows for control of TVs and related devices, and if you’d like to take advantage of data transfer capabilities, the Xperia Tablet Z has NFC functionality too. The stereo speakers are side mounted, which is a lot better than being placed on the rear, however, the tablet sounds decent at best. Perhaps the sound quality was held back to help with water resistance. The sound isn’t very rich, but you’ll find that the volume levels are quite impressive.
Battery and cameraOne of the Tablet Z’s best selling points is easily its 6000mAh battery. After running a whole season of Community, it only drained the battery to around half life after just over four hours. So you could get around eight hours of constant usage on a full charge out of this bad boy. However, not everyone is going to use a device like this for eight hours straight. With less rigorous usage, you could probably get up to two whole days of work and play before the Tablet Z runs out of juice.
Compared to its smartphone counterpart, the Xperia Tablet Z isn’t rocking a 13-megapixel camera — instead it touts an 8MP shooter. The app does get the same elements of Superior Auto and then the many different scene settings to help you get the perfect shot. Other than that, everything’s fairly standard — touch to focus, touch to capture, and burst shots. Of course, there are a few extras thrown in, such as HDR and sweeping panorama.
As for the picture quality, it’s decent at best. You’ll notice that it does not perform nearly as well as the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL’s cameras. Photos have a level of grain in full daylight shots. It’s more noticeable in lower light shots though. There’s even a lack of a flash diode, which puts the Xperia Tablet Z’s camera feel like any other camera on any other tablet. It’s not really going to blow anyone away.  Click to enlarge.  Click to enlarge. SoftwareIf you’re already familiar with the Xperia UI from Sony’s smartphone, it’s largely the same with the Tablet Z. The Jelly Bean 4.1.2 powered UI consists of mostly darker tones — a look that is largely reminiscent of Ice Cream Sandwich. The notification dropdown is kept on the bottom right and like a few different UI’s, it has some quick settings available. You can find Navigation on the bottom left while the Small Apps and Remote Control shortcuts have been centered, and all of your apps can be accessed via a tap of a button at the top right.
Other than these few location changes, the experience is pretty much what you’d expect, though, home screens, the app drawer, and settings pages are customizable with a few themes that simply change the color schemes if you’re not a fan of the default. As for additions, you’ll notice the addition of Jelly Bean’s Google Now and Sony’s Small Apps, much like you’d find in the Xperia smartphones. The Small Apps are pretty cool, as they’re overlays that go over your current screen and help support quick multitasking.
One addition is the Clip manager, which lets you take an editable screenshot. There’s also the Walkman, which manages to be synonymous when it comes to good music players. Finally we have Sociallife, which combines Facebook, Twitter, and other social network feeds.
When it comes down to it, Sony has packed a great suite of software in the Xperia Tablet Z, making both productivity and media simple to access and do. Video reviewPrice and final thoughtsLike most premium tablets (i.e. the Nexus 10), the Sony Xperia Tablet Z doesn’t come cheap — $499 for 16GB variant and $599 for the 32GB. It’s a very hefty price tag, but as they always say, you get what you pay for. The Tablet Z is one of the better performers out there and certainly one of the best looking, so in that sense, the price makes a bit of sense. Let’s face it, there aren’t as many good tablets out there as there are smartphones, but the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is a welcome addition to the market. It may not be the best performing tablet out there, but it’s surely one of the better ones available. It’s great for work and play, and you’re destined to get hours of enjoyment out of this bad boy. What do you think about the Sony Xperia Tablet Z? Is it a device you plan on picking up in the future or do you have your eyes locked on something else? Brad Ward contributed to this review. 
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| Gmail update rolling out to everyone, now it’s Hangouts turn for a staged rollout Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:45 PM PDT
Earlier this week, Google introduced Gmail 4.5, bringing several new features to the table, all while rolling it out incrementally. For those that have yet to grab it, Google has apparently finished up the rollout, and is making it available to everyone. Now that you can finally get your hands on the Gmail update, it is time for yet another staged rollout, this time for Google+ Hangouts. Unlike the changes found in Gmail 4.5, the latest version of Hangouts doesn’t seem to bring to many significant changes, so don't expect anything life-changing like Google Voice or SMS integration just yet. Instead, the update is very minor and is all about addressing issues with notifications and audio, particularly for those that are still stuck on Gingerbread. They also vaguely mention "bug fixes and better performance" in the changelog. Again, unless you happen to be one of the lucky few, it could be a couple of days before you can grab the Hangouts update, as Google has apparently decided to embrace staged rollouts for its apps going forward. Have you managed to get your hands on the update yet? If so, did you find anything noticeably different or is it all just under-the-hood stuff? 
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| Madfinger teases Dead Trigger 2, promises more at E3 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:01 PM PDT
Madfinger's Dead Trigger, a zombie survival horror game for mobile devices, was a big hit on Android for a couple of reasons: one, the Tegra 3 edition was graphically impressive, and two, Madfinger decided to drop the title's price from $1 to free. With Dead Trigger 2, the company's looking to capitalize on the success of the first game by again (1) releasing a version of Dead Trigger 2 exclusively for new Tegra 4 devices, and by (2) making the game available for free. The developers of Dead Trigger 2 certainly don't plan on coasting to millions of downloads, though. Madfinger has significantly improved on the mechanics and gameplay of the game's predecessor. The game looks undeniably gorgeous on Tegra 4 devices, with enhancements such as real time reflections in water, dynamic vegetation and lighting, cloth simulation, and ragdoll physics. Controls have been tightened, too, and combat mechanics have tweaked to "enable more thorough enjoyment in gameplay." A particularly intriguing aspect of Dead Trigger 2 is the game's living world, so to speak. Depending on when a particular user begins playing, the circumstance of the world may’ve changed; when the game's released, the human-zombie war will begin a certain way, but a couple of weeks down the road, things may change for the better or worse. Dead Trigger 2's a much larger game than its forerunner, and Madfinger says interacting with other plays may prove essential to survival. If you're itching to play one of Android's hottest new games, don't fret: Madfinger says it's shooting for a late summer release. That's a bit later than the June estimate the company gave a couple of months ago, but if it's any consolation, Dead Trigger 2 will be fully playable at this year's E3. Expect new details and gameplay footage then, June 11-13. 
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| Enjoy your large phone display? You’re not alone. Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:53 AM PDT
It seems that Android smartphone buyers located in the United States have developed a keen taste for larger screens, especially those at around 4.8-inch. Starting in April of this year, the volume of phones at this size have successfully surpassed more “conventional” devices, like the 4-inch panel mounted on the Samsung Nexus S. This may indicate a general modification of the market taste, but could also indicate increased manufacturer confidence in bigger panels. While the most popular choice still remains the 4.3-inch diagonal screen, an uncontested leader since 2012, bigger phone like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One may soon overtake and become even more popular. As seen from the graphic representation featured below, the trend in May is a vivid rise of larger phones in favor of all others. As far as the last month is concerned, approximately 19.5% of US inhabitants owning an Android smartphone have opted for a 4.3-inch screen, while 14.7% of them went for larger. On the other hand, 4-inch panels can now be found on 11.2% of all existing smartphones, while sizes smaller than that are fading away: 8.7% for 3.5-inches and just 5.8% for even tinier. Bigger is better
While the chart itself is restricted to devices with panels smaller than 4.8-inches, the data provided above is quite interesting. It wasn’t long ago that consumers didn't have many options above 4.3-inches. Before the recent trend in larger phones, such devices were considered "phablets" by some, and to see someone with a phone of that size was rather curious. After Samsung introduced the Galaxy S3 into the marketplace, perception changed. One of the best phones at the time, with a classy design that made a bigger screen look nearly perfect, consumers opinion changed. Manufacturers also had a big role in this decision, choosing to incorporate state-of-the-art specifications into larger handsets, and mediocre gear into smaller ones. The introduction of the so called "mini" phones as smaller variants to popular versions like the Galaxy S3 can also be pointed to as a big factor in this trend. In order to sell more units, manufacturers gave people a cheaper choice, cloaked under the hood of a smaller device. It gave consumers an option in screen size, and bolstered the larger screens place in the market. Everything is connected Behind any consumer decision, there is a manufacturer idea and supplier strategy. First of all, smarter technologies usually require more space. To squeeze the same computational power into smaller volumes, that would then have been provided by smaller phones, could lead into increased R&D cost, and more advanced fabrication procedures. In order to make everyone happy, companies opted to sell advanced smartphones with large screens, as well as budget choices with smaller panels. Secondly, panel suppliers also play an important part in the whole process. If fabricators announce a long shortage for an upcoming period, phone designers and managers could re-think their strategy and try to avoid the predicament. Unfortunately, there are two ways of doing that: change the supplier (which is usually a pretty unfortunate situation), or change the design and marketing strategy. As far as the future holds, a recent DigiTimes report states that until August 2013, displays with a diagonal between 4.5-inches and 5-inches will be in short supply, due to several handset vendors preparing to release models in the third quarter. Moreover, a critical outage of small-size devices is due to makers cutting production for entry-level handsets. As mentioned in the beginning, bigger will certainly become more popular as time develops. 
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| Why isn’t Samsung talking about their victory over Apple? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:22 AM PDT
Yesterday, we told you about the breaking news of Samsung's court win against Apple. That case, in which the US International Trade Commission ruled Apple violated a Samsung patent, resulted in a sales and import ban of some Apple devices. None of those devices are current, but another interesting thing has come of the case: Samsung hasn't said a word about it. As the two tech magnates sue each other across the globe, in any court that will have them, we are left to ponder why Samsung isn't responding to this victory. A sign of regret, or perhaps peace on the horizon? Unlikely, as Apple seems to enjoy litigation, and Samsung has made it clear they have no intent on making peace with the Cupertino-based company any time soon. What happened?
We'll make this snappy; Apple was hit with a temporary sales ban on devices for violating a Samsung patent. That patent, number 7,706,384 or "apparatus and method for encoding/decoding transport format combination indicator in CDMA mobile communication system", had been argued by Apple to be "standards essential". The sales ban only affects older Apple devices available through AT&T.
PerceptionSamsung is seen as a bully by many, a multinational tech behemoth running roughshod over the competition. They also famously raised the price of the processors they sold Apple after the $1 billion decision against them, a polarizing decision at best. They dominate the tech landscape, have become nearly ubiquitous with Android, and dumped about $10 billion into marketing the Galaxy S4. They are, undoubtedly, a force. To boast about a small victory would strengthen that divide in opinion Samsung is very aware of. Already seen as overbearing by some, announcing victory on the battlefield would be poor form. To proclaim your superiority at this stage in the game only increases Apple sentiment, and vitriol toward Samsung. While feelings don't win court cases, they do influence consumers. Big pictureLet's put this decision into perspective: it's one ruling, on older devices, which needs a presidential veto to be overturned, and will be appealed by Apple. Where is the win, here? This is like the delivery pizza guy arriving late, with a cold pie. The devices in question, iPhone 3 through 4S and iPod 2 3G, are antiquated. Aside from the 4S, which will be dated soon enough (and can be had for a dollar on contract), none of the rest matter. Is a presidential veto likely? No, but an appeal is definite. Apple has voiced their displeasure in the ruling, and promising to challenge the decision. Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet said "We are disappointed that the Commission has overturned an earlier ruling, and we plan to appeal." Samsung might be making strides in their worldwide litigation against Apple, but this is a small decision in their favor that promises to drag out like the rest.
Now what?Though Apple sees the technology as "standards essential", meaning it's technology that is widely used and should be considered under FRAND guidelines for licensing, they have since moved away from the technology which violated this patent. Their cat-and-mouse game may be catching up with them. Apple also has other issues. They're about to lock horns with the US Department of Justice over a very damning case of eBook price fixing. That case, which is ripe with Apple work product showing collusion to manipulate the eBook market, is not going to be pretty. Samsung may present a headache, but the US government is another issue altogether. Samsung really has no reason to gloat. This is a case which has no bearing on current products, and is an ancillary concern for both parties. The Apple appeal is de rigueur for them, so the victory is hollow for Samsung. Samsung's legal team is crafty, so they'll let the US DOJ set the precedent for Apple business practises, not this case. 
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| HTC hopes to replace several of its recently departed executives by the month’s end Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:56 AM PDT
Just yesterday we reported that HTC had lost yet another executive, this time their COO Matthew Costello. The good news is that HTC’s marketing head Benjamin Ho says they are working hard to replace many of these vacancies by the end of the month. In fact, Fred Liu of engineering and operations has already taken over the role of chief operating officer. It’s good to see HTC moving forward and filling in the gaps left by the departure, but you have to wonder why these executives left in the first place. According to Ho, the reasons varied considerably, but included opposition to changes meant to turn things around for the company. As Benjamin Ho puts it:
For the pessimists out there, it’s easy to say that this is just another nail in the coffin for HTC, but the situation is a lot more complicated than that. The HTC One has certainly been turning heads and gaining new fans. HTC has also recently posted its highest monthly revenue in 11 months. There have been positive steps in the right direction for HTC, despite the loss of employees and the debacle that is the HTC First. Also keep in mind that loss of employees isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We don’t know the "real" reasons why some of these folks left. For all we know, there could have been forced resignations at work here. Often times when a company/sport team/country is at its worst, it pushes out the old in order to make way for the new. Now could be the perfect time for HTC to clean house, refocus and push forward. Will the recent success of the HTC One and internal changes be enough to pull HTC out of the woods and back into the clear? That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? For now, it’s still tough to say for sure what HTC’s future will bring. The company isn’t down and out just yet, but they certainly need to tread carefully. 
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| How it works: Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:48 AM PDT As almost everyone at this point knows, Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular technology is the next generation of mobile networks. There will continue to be iterative advances, like LTE Advanced, but the core LTE technology is the new global standard for the foreseeable future. LTE provides a wide array of improvements versus previous network standards, but there is still a major obstacle in the path to LTE-only cellular networks. Older cellular standards have always included a dedicated communications channel to carry voice calls and operate under roughly the same principles as an analogue phone switchboard. LTE is an all-IP based network standard, so it it does not natively support the antiquated circuit switched protocol. Network providers must revise their entire approach to voice call networks in order to resolve the incompatibility. Voice over LTE (VoLTE) aims to provide the ability to handle cellular voice calls over LTE. Most major LTE network providers have announced their intentions to at least begin to deploy VoLTE within the next couple years. For a number of reasons, enabling voice calling over LTE is not so simple as just using a VOIP connection. Carriers need to be able to pass or hand off voice calls, without interruption, between the LTE networks and the legacy 2G and 3G networks. Carriers also want to protect the revenue they get from voice services; so, it is to their advantage to use a dedicated protocol like VoLTE rather than over-the-top VOIP solution. VoLTE uses the IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) architectural framework. IMS allows for ubiquitous multimedia access using a common IP interface. This greatly simplifies network management and provides better developer accessibility. Using this framework, connections over different protocols can be bridged together. With the IMS framework, VoLTE is able to inter-operate with circuit switched voice networks without having any dependency on or requirement for them. Additionally, the common IP interface of IMS will allow VoLTE to inter-operate with other voice networking technologies even after legacy circuit switched networks are finally phased out. Until LTE network footprints expand to meet or eclipse those of their 2G and 3G predecessors, voice network interoperability is only the first step in enabling VoLTE. While engaged in a voice call, a user might pass outside of an LTE coverage area, so that call needs to be able to fall back onto legacy networks. The VoLTE standard accomplishes this with Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SR-VCC). With SR-VCC, when an LTE tower determines that a user might leave the coverage area during an active connection, it leverages the IMS framework to initiate a second connection over the legacy standards. Both connections are maintained until the LTE signal is lost, the LTE tower determines the user will not leave the coverage area, or the voice call ends. SR-VCC requires the network provider to have the IMS framework in place, but it also impacts device design. To support SR-VCC, devices must not only be able to connect to both the LTE and the legacy networks, but be able to connect to both at the same time. This is governed by the antenna architecture in the device. In order to conserve space, some devices, like the iPhone 5, will have 3G and 4G traffic sharing the same physical antennae, toggling between the two standards as needed. SR-VCC requires devices to have dedicated antennae for both 3G and 4G connections. Devices that support simultaneous 3G voice and 4G data are already able to support SR-VCC. VoLTE serves two main purposes for the industry. First, it provides a mechanism for network providers to more seamlessly integrate their existing 2G and 3G networks with their new and developing LTE networks. This is a largely short-term interest though. In the long-term, VoLTE provides network providers with the means to completely replace their legacy networks. For consumers, this means a future of LTE-only devices with increased interoperability and higher quality voice calling. 
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| Android Authority Q & A #001 – June 5, 2013 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:11 AM PDT
Welcome to the very first installment of Android Authority Q & A, aka. AAQ&A (say that three times fast). Each week we’ll be taking from you, our wonderful readers, and answering them both here and in video form on our YouTube channel. In a hurry or don’t like to read? Skip right to the video. Q:Shion asks: I have the Galaxy S3 from Rogers in Canada and I’m thinking about switching carriers to Wind. If I unlock the Galaxy S3 will I be able to use it with Wind? A:No, unfortunately you won’t be able to use that particular S3 with Wind. Rogers is a GSM network, while Wind is a UTMS network, and the Rogers model of the S3 isn’t compatible with UTMS. The difference is at the hardware level, so even unlocking the phone won’t do you any good. Q:Kevin asks: I’m switching from a Galaxy S3 to an HTC One soon. How can I back up my apps and transfer them to the new device? A:There are multiple ways to do this. In most cases there is actually a method built in to your phone to do this. Go to Settings->Back up and Reset. There you can allow Google to back up your apps and data which will then be redownloaded to your new phone when you set it up. If you can’t or don’t want to use the cloud, there is also an app called Helium (formerly Carbon Backup), which allows you to backup and restore to an SD card, or in your case since the HTC One doesn’t have an SD slot, a PC. Personally, I like to take a new phone as an opportunity to prune away apps I don’t use anymore, but that’s just me.
Q:Rohit asks: Do you know when Samsung will update the S Duos to Jelly Bean? I’m having issues with mine. A:Unfortunately we don’t know. The S Duos was listed among the phones that Samsung said would be getting an update back in September of 2012, but details have been scarce since. If you don’t want to wait, there is always the option of installing a custom ROM, but that can be risky and the process is more than we can cover in this article. Q:Anukool says: I’m looking for a safe method to root my LG Optimus 2X P990 V30B running Ice Cream Sandwich. I found one method but it uses NVFlash which I’ve never used before. Is there any other reliable method? A:Well, it looks like you’ve done a fair amount of research already here. I’m not sure what method you had found, but there is an All-In-One Toolkit on XDA Developers that seems to get pretty good results and be easy to use, but it does use NVFlash. Any other methods I found were either for other models or for devices running Gingerbread. Q:Ameer asks: My phone gets hot and starts to slow down. There are a lot of apps running that I don’t even use. What can I do? A:Without knowing what phone or Android version you’re running, this is kind of a difficult question to answer. One of the easiest solutions to your problem of a bunch of apps running is to simply uninstall them, but if they came preinstalled on your phone , that may be difficult, though you may be able to disable them. If that doesn’t help, you might want to start over with a clean slate. Back up any apps or data (see the earlier question for that) and then go to Settings -> Back Up and Reset and reset your device. Now this will get rid of all apps, all software updates and all of your data, so be certain that you want to do this. That said, if you’re having a lot of trouble, this may help.
Q:Ji Yong says: I have 1080p M2TS video files from a Sony HX9V camera that I’m trying to watch on my 7.7 inch dual-core Samsung Tablet. MX Player crashes and BSPlayer works, but the video plays slower than the sound. How can I watch these on my tablet? A:The problem here is likely that the video has a higher bitrate than your tablet can process. If MX Player and BSPlayer can’t handle it, it isn’t too likely that you’ll find another player that will, given the video’s format. One solution that doesn’t involve buying anything would be to use a computer to transcode the video to a format that your tablet will find easier to handle, like MP4. While you’re transcoding, you can also lower the resolution to 720p, since your tablet won’t be able to display the full 1080p anyway. There is a ton of software out there to do this, but it’s possible that your camera already came with software that might be able to do this for you. Q:Jonathan asks: When is the next Nexus device going to be released? A:Since you said device, not phone or tablet, we’ll talk both. Either way, right now all we have are rumors. First came a rumor that Asus might launch an updated Nexus 7 at Computex this week, but the company’s event at Computex came and went without a mention of it, though other tablets were mentioned. For the next Nexus phone, things get even more confusing (see Sunday’s AA Weekly). Long story short: probably soon, but what, where and when are all up in the air.
Q:Humphrey says: I work in construction and I need a durable phone. Which phone is more durable: the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4? A:This is a tough question to answer definitively. While the HTC One’s aluminum body is more likely to dent, the polycarbonate body used for the S4 is more likely to pick up scratches and blemishes. Phones meant to survive more rugged conditions exist, but since it looks like you want a flagship, my suggestion would be to choose your phone based on other factors, like which features you’ll use or which design you prefer, and then get a good solid case and a screen protector. Q:Trey asks: What does the 1 year warranty on my Galaxy S4 cover? A:First of all, the full range of what is covered and what isn’t is going to differ depending on which service provider you use, but here we’ll just talk Samsung’s warranty. First off, if the damage to the phone is your fault, even if it’s an accident, it’s probably not covered. Basically the warranty is promising that as long as you use the device how Samsung intends for it to be used, it will continue to work for at least one year. As an example, let’s say that one day your volume rocker randomly stops working. That should be covered by the warranty as long as you didn’t do anything to break it. Now here’s the thing: Samsung’s warranty is pretty strict. From what I read, even using certain accessories not approved by them can be enough to void your warranty in some cases
Q:Subhash asks: How do I import my bookmarks from Google Chrome into the Galaxy S4′s stock browser? A:Unfortunately, from what I can tell there doesn’t seem to be any easy way to do this. There are plenty of ways to do this the other way around and import bookmarks into Chrome, but I haven’t found any way to get them into the S4′s stock browser. For what it’s worth, other people are bothered by this too, so here’s hoping that a solution will pop up later on. Q:Todd says: My phone automatically uploads photos to the Instant Upload folder in Google+. Do Instant Upload and Google Drive share the same storage, and if so, what is the purpose of storing photos in my Google Drive account? A:Google+, Gmail and Google Drive do all share the same storage, so yes it is a bit redundant if photos are indeed being saved to two separate locations. Whether or not there is a purpose to storing photos in your Google Drive is really up to you. I can’t say I do. If you would rather not have them uploaded by the Google+ app, just go to Google+ settings, Camera & Photos, Auto Backup and turn the feature off up at the top. VideoJoin us next week for more questions and, of course, more answers! If you would like to, head over to the Q & A page to ask us some questions of your own.
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| HTC One available at all T-Mobile stores, starting today. Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:02 AM PDT
Good news, everyone! The HTC One is available at your T-Mobile store, starting today. I know what you're thinking. The One has been out for some time, and available via T-Mobile to boot. The stores that had the devices before today were part of a limited roll-out, probably due to those supply shortages HTC was having. From today on, the One will be available at every T-Mobile store, nationwide. For what it's worth, we really like the device. Our review gave a great overview of the device, and is one you should definitely consider. My co-hort Joshua Vergara prefers the Samsung Galaxy S4, but struggled to pick a winner for his versus video. Also, Vic Gundotra and Sundar Pichai have one, and they're the coolest guys on the planet. Oddly enough, when we checked the T-Mobile site, it still listed the device as $579, even though the HTC store has it listed at $599 now. The HTC Store raised the price, seemingly to bring it in-line with the HTC One Nexus Experience device coming to the Play Store. 
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| The Galaxy S4 Active has an IP67 rating – but what does that mean? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active was officially unveiled earlier today, becoming the first high-end “rugged” smartphone from the company. We’ve been hearing a lot about the device’s IP67 rating, which means that it is completely dust-proof and will function normally even after being dipped in water for up to 30 minutes, up to a depth of 1m. But what is the IP rating system? What do the numbers mean? What are the ratings for some other dust and waterproof smartphones like the Sony Xperia Z? These are some of the questions we’ll be taking a look at today. What is the IP rating system?
Not to be confused by the more commonly known Internet Protocol address, IP in this case stands for Ingress Protection, or International Protection, which is a rating system that defines how well an enclosure protects its internal electric equipment, such as the internal hardware of a smartphone, against environmental factors such as dust and rain. The IP rating system was developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and is defined in the IEC 60529 standard. The rating consists of numerical values, with each digit defining a different aspect and level of protection afforded by the enclosure. When there is no protection with regards to one of the criteria, the digit is replaced with an X. The first digitThe first digit refers to protection against solid objects, ranging from 1 (protection against accidental touches by hand) to 6 (complete protection against dust). Solid objects can refer to anything, including fingers, tools, wires, small wires, and dust. Check out the table below for the detailed explanation of each number.
The second digitThe second digit refers to protection against water intrusion, and ranges from 1 (protection against condensation) to 8 (immersion below 1m and under pressure). Once again, check out the table below for each rating number and the level of protection provided.
Putting it together – the IP rating of some rugged smartphones Kyocera Torque As we all know, the IP rating of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is IP67, which means that the device features complete protection against dust, and protection against water immersion up to 1m and for up to 30 minutes. While the Galaxy S4 Active is the first high-end smartphone to boast these features, two other devices from the company, the Galaxy XCover and the Galaxy XCover 2, both are IP67 certified as well. Another rugged smartphone with an IP67 is the Kyocera Torque. On the other hand, the Kyocera Hydro Edge and Hydro XTRM, which were shown off at CTIA 2013, feature an IP57 rating. Another rugged smartphone that was presented at the event was the CAT B15, which, as expected, features an IP67 rating. Of course, before the Galaxy S4 Active, there were a couple of other high-end devices that touted dustproof and waterproof features, namely the Sony Xperia Z and the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. Both devices feature a rating of IP55/IP57. The double rating as far as protection against water is concerned is because of the compliance with both factors, that is, protection against low pressure jets of water from all directions (rain), as well as immersion in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. Wrap upIf you’re in the market for a smartphone or tablet, or any other electrical equipment for that matter, and are worried about protection against dust and water, you know now what to look for. As far as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is concerned, it’s definitely fit for the outdoors. Don’t forget to check out some of the differences between the Galaxy S4 and its rugged counterpart to find out which is best suited to your needs. 
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| Rumor: Galaxy S4 Active launch date set for July 1 in UK Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:58 AM PDT
A new report reveals that the newest member of the Galaxy S4 family could hit stores only next month in some countries. Earlier today, Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 Active rugged handset, a Galaxy S4 version ready to withstand tougher day-to-day conditions. But, as always with new device announcements, actual availability details have not been offered. Sam Mobile says that the handset will be released in the UK on July 1 according to its sources, but the date is yet to be confirmed by Samsung. The company did say that the handset will be available for purchase later this summer, with certain markets getting it initially, including the U.S. and Sweden. Pricing details are not available at this time, but we wouldn't expect it to be priced that differently compared to the regular model. The Galaxy S4 Active will be available in three color options at launch, Urban Grey, Dive Blue and Orange Flare – we've already seen grey, teal and red versions in leaked photos, so we would assume those are the models that will be available in stores in the near future. What's certain is that the Galaxy S4 Active will be shown at the Samsung Premiere 2013 event in London on June 20, at which point we may find out more details about its price and global launch dates. 
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| FreedomPop will soon offer free wireless phone service, starting later this summer Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT
Sick of paying big bucks each month to your current U.S. mobile provider? What if there was a way to get cellular access, without paying a single cent each month? That’s exactly what FreedomPop is looking to offer later this summer, taking its free wireless broadband service and expanding it into the realm of mobile phones. With FreedomPop’s free phone service you will be limited to just 500MB mobile data and 200 voice minutes each month. You will however be able to send as many text messages as your heart desires. You can also make unlimited calls to other FreedomPop users. What happens if you want/need more voice or data access? If you go over 200 minutes, FreedomPop will charge you a $10 fee, which will give you unlimited calling for the rest of the month. Additionally, FreedomPop offers 2GB of extra data for just $18. So can you bring your existing phone over to FreedomPop or will you need specialized hardware? The long-term plan is to support the ability to bring some Sprint devices over to the service, but initially you will need to buy a phone sold by the company. We can’t say for sure what all phones the company will offer, though there has been mention of a refurbed Evo 4G, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3. FreedomPop also suggests that phones will average between $99 to $199. So how does all of this work?That’s a lot of functionality here for the low price of free, so you are probably wondering if there is a catch. The answer is sort of. First it runs on Sprint’s network. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on where you live, what your coverage is like and what your opinion of Sprint is. Another important distinction between FreedomPop’s offering and traditional wireless services is that the 200 minutes of voice actually runs through VOIP technology, using Sprint’s 3G network. While the 3G network should be able to handle this without any major issue, it could mean that the call quality isn’t always going to be perfect (though probably good enough). This is certainly a bold initiative, and if it works as promised, it could be perfect for those that primarily use their phones for texting or for net usage through Wi-Fi. No word on exactly when the service is coming, other than it is expected sometime this summer. What do you think, interested or not? 
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| Check out the video Samsung posted for the Note 8.0 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:31 AM PDT
Samsung posted a cool video to their YouTube channel this morning, showing off the new Note 8.0. In the video, our tablet toting friend wins at daily life by using his Note 8.0 for just about everything. Reading on the morning train, collaborating with friends on a project at a bar, even navigating his way through the city to spend time with a lady friend at a park. For me, the best part is that he lives in a city where WiFi is everywhere! This guy is connected all the time! His 5MP camera also took some pretty amazing video of a butterfly, though he has to be "that guy", taking pics and video with a tablet. Also, the battery lasts forever. He was never plugged in! A camera that outperforms, a battery that never dies, and a stylus?! I'm on board. Also, like our video star, I'll never put mine down. Check it out for yourself below. 
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| T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z support documents appear on carrier’s website Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:08 AM PDT
The T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z seems to be getting closer to its release date, or at least that’s what could be understood from support documents present on the website of the “uncarrier.” Just days ago, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said during the All Things D D11 conference that there was “still a lot to do” for the company in the U.S. market, and that things would be kicked off with the launch of the Sony Xperia Z with a mobile operator. The fact that the device had been spotted in the wild a while ago sporting T-Mobile branding only made everyone suspect that T-Mobile would be the carrier that would be graced with Sony’s flagship device. Well, more clues pointing in that direction have now appeared, as G for Games has noticed, and they’ve appeared on the T-Mobile website, of all places. If you use the search box on the T-Mobile website to search for “Sony Xperia Z,” you will get some interesting results. As you can see in the screenshot below, there is a large number of support documents for the Sony Xperia Z on there.
Clicking the links will ask you for a username and a password, but it’s hard to imagine that T-Mobile would go through all the trouble of creating support documents for a phone unless it’s planning on selling the respective device real soon. I’ll remind you that you can still get the unlocked Sony Xperia Z in the U.S., from the Sony Store. Whether you decide to do that, or prefer to wait until T-Mobile stocks Sony’s flagship device, make sure you check out our review of the handset Do you plan to purchas the Sony Xperia Z on T-Mobile, when (and if) it will become available? 
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| Huawei Ascend P6 black stars in own amateur pictorial Posted: 05 Jun 2013 07:43 AM PDT
Even if you’re already seen the previously leaked Ascend P6 photos, these new ones which form an entirely new set are still worth looking at. Do you want to know why? Because not only do they tell us more about exactly what the Ascend P6 looks like, but they also tell us more about exactly what the Ascend P6 looks like. It was revealed last week that the Ascend P6 won’t cost a fortune, and that’s a good thing especially for those who have been eagerly awaiting its official release. Huawei has already started teasing the public with the phone’s rounded corners and it shouldn’t be long now until we get to the day of its big unveiling. We stll don’t know everything that there is to know about the Huawei Ascend P6. However, what we do know is that it will have a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, a 4.7-inch 720p HD screen, a 5-megapixel camera, 8GB internal storage, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Emotion UI 1.6. It is expected to be outed officially in the next two weeks so watch for it. 
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| Asus “We Transform” Computex 2013 event available to watch in its entirety [video] Posted: 05 Jun 2013 07:29 AM PDT
The Asus “We Transform” event, during which the company has shown its most recent products, is available to watch in its entirety on YouTube. ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih has done a real tour de force, making sure everyone in the audience was impressed by his company’s latest range of products. You may remember that Asus has started promoting the event almost a month ago, with the first in a series of video trailers. Well, the event has been the scene of the unveiling of some interesting Asus products, showing that the company really means business. We’ve covered all of the interesting products extensively, and you also have a roundup of the devices Asus has introduced at Computex at your disposal. Now, without further ado, here’s the video, set to start when the event does, for your convenience. You’ll get to see products like the Transformer Pad Infinity, Fonepad Note, MeMoPad HD7, MeMoPad FHD 10 and Transformer Book Trio. Have you watched the recording of the Asus We Transform event? Which one of these products are you looking forward to the most? 
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| The 6 most underrated games for Android: May 2013 edition Posted: 05 Jun 2013 05:54 AM PDT
Attack of the Wall Street Titan
First up on our list is Attack of the Wall Street Titan, which is a very underrated game. As the title implies, this game focuses on the people who work on Wall St, commonly known as the one percent, and lets you take control of a giant robot to lay waste on them without getting in trouble. It’s a very fun smash-em-up arcade game. Here’s how it works. An anonymous hacktivist hacks the giant robot and gives you control over it. After taking control, you use the war machine to take on the military, police officers, and rich people. It’s really easy to play, and the humorous political theme makes it all the more better, however, the game can get annoying if you don’t turn off the pop ups that explain in detail what every single power up does. We’ll admit it, this underrated game is certainly cheesey, but that doesn’t discount how much fun it is. After all, it’s free, so it’s worth giving a quick try. Cardinal Quest
So how simple are the controls? Very simple — the only thing you’ll really be doing is tapping. Tap in any direction you want to move, and the same thing for combat. There’s also an inventory and map that you can access to give the game a bit more meat than just tapping, but the game’s biggest strength is how easy it is to pick up and play. Being an old school RPG, Cardinal Quest certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, thus its underrated game status. It’s still a lot of fun though, and worth a try. EDGE Extended
EDGE Extended is an interesting game — it’s all about shapes. You move shapes around to reach the end of a puzzle. It’s not very complex though, so if you’re looking for a challenge, it might be wise to look elsewhere. This is one of those games that you’d quickly play on lunch break at work, etc. The controls are fairly easy. You simply slide your finger across the screen and it will move the cube accordingly. You’ll also be climbing some walls, avoiding traps, triggering events, and even ride on the shoulders of a really cool giant polygon robot. Despite its simplicity, there are a few complicated parts, but nothing too head scratching. Given its simplicity, it’s understandable as to why EDGE Extended is an underrated game, however, there’s still some fun to be had! Oil Rush
When Oil Rush was first announced, it was a game many people were looking forward too. Unfortunately, and due to the system requirements, the game has lost a lot of media attention. To place this game, you’re device will need to be running a Snapdragon processor. Bad news for Exynos and Tegra fans. Oil Rush is a real-time strategy game. A lot of strategy games simply don’t work on Android, but Oil Rush does it right, though, when it comes to gameplay, it does play like your average real-time strategy game. You collect resources, build, upgrade your stuff, and then attack your enemies. While that may sound pretty average, for an Android game, Oil Rush is gorgeous in the graphics department. With its lack of media attention and the fact that it is limited to a small number of devices, Oil Rush is a very underrated game. If you have a supported device on hand though, you’re in for hours of fun. One Epic Knight
If you’ve been a fan of Temple Run and its successor Temple Run 2, you’re going to love One Epic Knight. Now, Temple Run and Temple Run 2 are certainly not classified as a underated game, but One Epic Knight sure is. It’s like your normal runner game with a twist. You can switch lanes, jump, slide, collect times, and even use those items. You’ll have a sword and shield, which you can use to defeat enemies and break traps. Furthermore, and like Temple Run, you can collect coins which can later be used to purchase power ups. So in a way, One Epic Knight is Temple Run with a few combat elements mixed in. This underrated game is free though, so it’s certainly worth giving a try. Pixel Towers
Last up on our underrated game list is Pixel Towers. This particular game focuses on the ability to place a block in the exact same place over and over again for all eternity — or until you get bored and close the app. Like a few games on our list this time around, it’s quite simple and will only last you a good 10 – 15 minutes of fun at a time. Underrated Games Wrap Up
If you take a look at out leaderboard, you can check out how these apps stack up against each other. These are all based on Google Play Store ratings and downloads, so there’s no bias on our part. Of course, there’s bound to be more underrated games out there. After all, the Play Store has billions of apps available. So if you’ve got a favorite underrated game you’d like to talk about, let us know about it in the comments below! Did you try any of these games? Which one seems the most interesting? 
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| Galaxy S4 Active vs regular S4 – what’s the difference? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:54 AM PDT
It starts with oneOne thing you’ll immediately notice about the Galaxy S4 Active is that instead of having just one hardware button on the front below the touchscreen display, it has three — a Back button, a Menu button, and a Home button. And overall, its body is a little less rounder than the original, almost as if to physically demonstrate the fact that it belongs in the rugged phone category. Samsung decided to leave some of the regular S4 hardware buttons and hardware features in place, like the power button, volume rocker, speaker grill, and front-facing camera. But if you take a look at the back, you’ll find that there has been a slight redesign. This is all to make it worthy of being called tough and IP67-certified. What it means to be Active
The displaySamsung’s official press release states that the Galaxy S4 is equipped with a 5-inch Full HD TFT LCD screen. That is not the same type of screen found on the regular S4; it’s better in some ways, but worse in others. Compared with the regular Galaxy S4′s Super AMOLED screen, the TFT LCD panel on the Galaxy S4 Active is worse when it comes to viewing angles and contrast ratio. Samsung must have chosen it for the sake of longevity, since AMOLED panels are known to be prone to degradation over long-term use. It’s also worth noting that the screens of these two phones also differ in terms of actual size and pixel density. The regular S4 screen has always been said to measure 4.99-inches with a pixel density of 441 ppi. Meanwhile, the one on the Galaxy S4 Active is said to be a 5-inch panel with a pixel density of 443 ppi. Either Samsung did a bit of rounding off with the screen size and pixel density or the Galaxy S4 Active does indeed have a slightly bigger screen and handful of pixels more than the regular one. The camera
The software, the storage, and the restThe regular Galaxy S4 is filled to the brim with features that are supposed to enhance the user experience. As such, a large part of the internal storage goes to “system apps” which leave only about 9GB available for users to save their stuff on. The Galaxy S4 Active, on the other hand, forgoes some of these extra software perks. As a result, it saves space, and is said to offer approximately 11.25GB of user-available memory.
Did I miss anything? Tell us what you think of the Galaxy S4 Active by posting a comment below. 
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| RadioShack trade-in program gets you up to $300 off a new Samsung device Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:40 AM PDT
The RadioShack trade-in program is a good way of getting up to $300 off a new Samsung device purchase (maybe that brand new Samsung Galaxy S4?). It would seem that trade-in programs are pretty popular among companies lately (remember the program HTC has done for the One). That can only be a good idea for you, the consumer, as you can use an old device, which would just lie around the house gathering dust, to get a discount on a new one. That’s exactly what RadioShack is doing by offering you the chance to decrease the price of a new Samsung phone by up to $300. You can take advantage of the program both in store and online on the retailer’s website. It works in a pretty simple fashion: on the website, you have a search box that you can use to find out the trade-in value of your old device, or you can just take it to a RadioShack store. In the first case, you’ll mail in the old product and then you’ll be mailed a gift card, while in the second one an employee will apply the credit to your purchase of a new Samsung device. You should also know that, in order to qualify, the old product must work. Also important is that the promotion is only valid if you’re buying a Samsung device with a two-year plan. Also, you’ll get a minimum of $30 provided you bring the old device to a RadioShack location. According to the page on the RadioShack website, an AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or AT&T iPhone 5 64 GB will get you the maximum amount, $300. The offer is valid until July 6, so you do have some time to think about it. Will you take advantage of the RadioShack trade-in offer and get a new Samsung device? 
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| HTC One mini? Mysterious 4.3-inch HD phone with UltraPixel camera surfaces (updated) Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:25 AM PDT
It is said that the upcoming HTC handset is rocking a slightly smaller display than the original — but you already knew that. How small exactly? 4.3-inches. Also, this screen reportedly has a native resolution of 720p HD, which may not be that impressive, but could still count as good enough especially as one of the features included in what could very well be a mid-range handset. The HTC One mini is also said to have a dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage space, and a 4-megapixel camera. As with the original HTC One, of course, this is no ordinary 4-megapixel camera. It’s said to be enhanced with HTC’s UltraPixel technology, which is meant to turn the total mobile photography experience all the way up to 12. HTC still hasn’t let the world in on when it plans to release this particular handset, but the report says it is scheduled to arrive on the market some time in August 2013 with a €400 price tag. Now, we’re not saying that this information is 100% accurate. What we’re saying is this is the most sensible bit of news we have about the HTC One mini so far, and you may feel free to hold on to it until we manage to pick up something more official. Update: And here’s a side by side photo of the HTC One and HTC One mini.
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| Clash of the Nexus experience devices – Which phone should you buy on June 26? [Poll] Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:12 AM PDT
When Google announced the so called Samsung Galaxy S4 “Google Edition” at Google I/O, many people were quite surprised. HTC decided to bring its own variant of the One to the party, leading us to believe that the time when OEMs give us the choice between their skin and stock Android is coming soon. So which phone should you buy on June 26th? Stick around as we analyze the two smartphones in question so that you can make the right decision. Remember this is a comparison for the Nexus experience versions of these smartphones, so if you're looking for the review of the original Galaxy S4 click here, and if you're looking for the review of the original HTC One click here. Stock Android really does mean stock AndroidFirst off we need to explain a few things. Neither the Galaxy S4 or the HTC One will come with the features that are in TouchWiz and Sense. So that means no Air View, Smart Scroll, Drama Shot or any of the other features that come standard in TouchWiz.  There won’t be any floating touch input on the Galaxy S4 Google Edition The HTC One won't be able to take Zoes, or use Blink Feed, or any of the other features that are a part of Sense, except for Beats Audio. The audio technology will be found inside the HTC One with Nexus user experience, but there won't be a toggle to turn it on and off. That means that both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One will be running pure, unaltered stock Android, so hardware is the only real difference between the two. Much of the same under the hoodBoth the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 have the same Snapdragon 600 processor, and while the S4 is clocked at a slightly higher speed, it won't make much of a difference when it comes to real life usage.
The GPUs are also the same, the Adreno 320 GPU provides great performance for both smartphones, meaning you'll be able to play high-end games for years to come. 2GB of RAM is provided on both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, so again no differences here either. Displays – AMOLED VS LCDThe display is one of the most important parts of a smartphone since all of your interaction with the device comes through the display. Rest assured, both these smartphones come with glorious Full HD displays that are best in class. The HTC One comes with a Full HD Super LCD3 display, which renders some of the most accurate colors on the market. Thanks to its slightly smaller 4.7-inch screen, it also has the highest pixel density of any smartphone, at 469 PPI.
The Galaxy S4 uses the ever familiar Super AMOLED technology, giving it the searing blacks and vibrant colors that it has become known for. The Galaxy S4's larger 5-inch display means that although it has the same Full HD resolution as the HTC One, it has a slightly lower pixel density of 441 PPI. Now this minute difference in pixel densities isn't going to prove to be a real difference, so if you like accurate colors go with the HTC One, but if you prefer the vibrancy of an AMOLED go with the Galaxy S4. Cameras – UltraPixels we meet againFrom our extensive comparison of the HTC One's much vaunted UltraPixel camera against the Samsung Galaxy S4's 13 megapixel shooter, we found that the Galaxy S4 bested the HTC One on many fronts, however, without the software optimizations from Samsung and HTC, the camera capabilities and qualities of the two could change.  Galaxy S4 — studio shot, auto ISO. Click to enlarge.  HTC One — studio shot, auto ISO. Click to enlarge. If you want to check out our full comparison of the two cameras, click here. Other featuresThe HTC One with Nexus user experience might have lost some of its software features, but what it hasn't lost is its incredible build quality which sets it apart from other Android manufacturers. The dual front facing speakers are sure to provide the best audio experience from a smartphone and it has all the standard features of a high end smartphone like NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and 4G LTE capability. The Galaxy S4 with Nexus user experience loses all of its "smart" feature, but depending on where you stand on that you might take this as good news. The Galaxy S4 can't compete with the HTC One on the build quality front, but that does open up room for some fan favourites like a microSD card and a removable battery, it also has all the standard features of the HTC One.  Removable battery and a MicroSD slot remain on the Galaxy S4 with Nexus user experience Both phones aren’t winning any awards for best battery life, but they should be able to get you through a whole day. However, the Galaxy S4 does have a removable battery if you need the insurance of a second battery. PriceAlways high up on the deciding factors list, the price of the smartphones is comparable. Both the devices are nowhere near the Nexus 4 in terms of price, the HTC One comes in at $599 and the Galaxy S4 at $649. That saving of $50 might seem small, but that's the price of the 32GB variant of the HTC One, and while the Galaxy S4 comes with 16GB inbuilt, the microSD card slot can boost storage up as well. Wrap UpWith the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One both providing a Nexus user experience, the choice becomes less about software and more about hardware. So if you prefer the build and dual speakers of the HTC One, then that is the phone you should pick, but if a removable battery and an expandable MicroSD card slot appeal to you, then the Galaxy S4 is the obvious choice.
Of course you shouldn't forget about the Nexus 4, still a solid choice for a much lower price. So if stock Android is your main objective and timely updates are what you’re after, but bleeding edge specifications aren't a necessity, perhaps you can save some cash and grab the Nexus 4. If you're still tossing up between the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, head to your local carrier and put both of them in your hands and decide that way, because everything else will be exactly the same. So what will it be, HTC One, Nexus 4 or Samsung Galaxy S4? Let us know in the poll and continue the debate in the comments below. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 
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