Android Community |
- Google reportedly seeking to shift higher portion of Play Store revenue to itself
- Samsung remains primary Apple supplier through 2014 despite deal with TSMC
- Verizon 4G LTE-only handsets to start rolling out in late 2014
- Verizon Galaxy S4 with 32GB ships starting June 29
- Motorola DROID XYBOARD Jelly Bean update confirmed
- Google Street View heads to the exotic Battleship Island
- AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active Review
- Facebook hashtags rolling out to mobile, no word on Android app
- Google+ turns 2, looking all grown up
| Google reportedly seeking to shift higher portion of Play Store revenue to itself Posted: 28 Jun 2013 10:26 PM PDT Two analysts with firm Macquarie have told Business Insider that Google is looking to increase its revenue from Play Store sales by altering the percentage that goes to carriers, and the percentage that it retains for itself. Google hasn’t commented on the rumor, but according to the analysts, developers’ income won’t be affected.
The two analysts are Ben Schachter and Eugene Jung, the latter of which told Business Insider that Google is seeking to increase its revenue from the Play Store inside South Korea, while Schachter went on to explain that he thinks this is happening outside of the nation, as well. Unfortunately, not much more was told about the matter, such as what has led to their conclusion. Under the current arrangement, developers earn the majority of the revenue from the sales of their Android apps, receiving 70-percent. The remaining 30-percent is split two ways: 25-percent goes to the carrier, while the remaining 5-percent was retained by Google. It is the 30-percent that doesn’t go to the developer that Google wants to change. According to Jung, Google wants to bump its share up from 5-percent thrice that at 15-percent, splitting the 30-percent 50/50 with the carrier. To put this in perspective, the analysts say that – based on data from an analyst firm called Distimo – the Play Store raked in $350 million in revenue in May. Of that revenue, by receiving 5-percent, Google would have made $17.5 million. Under the rumored changes, based on that same revenue figure, Google would instead make $52.5 million, quite a substantial jump. Reportedly, the changes will have to be hashed out with the carriers, who would see a 10-percent drop in their share of the funds. Should the change be successful, however, the analysts say Google could make $500 million next year. SOURCE: Business Insider |
| Samsung remains primary Apple supplier through 2014 despite deal with TSMC Posted: 28 Jun 2013 08:36 PM PDT Word surfaced back in April that Apple distancing itself from fierce competitor Samsung, forming a partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Those plans didn’t pan out immediately, however, because the Taiwanese company – called TSMC – failed to make chips that were up to Apple’s various standards. Today TSMC announced that it has ironed out the issues and officially entered into a deal with Apple, but through the next year Samsung will remain the company’s main supplier.
As Samsung grew to be a large competitor against Apple – eventually shipping out more smartphones globally than iPhones – Apple began taking steps to distance itself from the company, calling such moves “risk diversification” and other terms. The reality is that Apple still very heavily depends on Samsung for some of its hardware, and that distancing itself from the Korean company has proved slow. Both the companies have engaged in fierce back-and-forth legal battles over patents, adding further tension to the symbiotic relationship they share. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that executives at Apple feel that by depending on Samsung, the company is inherently limited in its “ability to controls its destiny”, due in part to limited negotiation ability and branching out into other technologies. One former Apple executive in particular reportedly said that the notion of taking all the work and time that Apple has spent with Samsung and starting with a new supplier from scratch is “daunting.” As well, Samsung is one of the top suppliers for high-end components, and finding an alternative that can meet its needs is proving difficult, as the delays with TSMC have shown. Although Apple relies on Samsung for microprocessors for its slates and iPhones, it has moved away from using the manufacturer’s displays on nearly all of its devices, with only some of the newer iPads’ screens coming from the Korean company. SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal |
| Verizon 4G LTE-only handsets to start rolling out in late 2014 Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:18 PM PDT Verizon‘s 4G LTE network hit the 500 market milestone yesterday, and today the carrier has revealed that its first round of 4G LTE-only smartphones will be arriving late next year. The information comes from Verizon’s Chief Network Officer Nicki Palmer, who spoke in a conference call earlier with a promise that “[Verizon] will get this right. Our brand is built on reliability.”
The devices are waiting on the launch of Verizon’s VoLTE network, which will allow voice to be transmitted over the 4G LTE network, something currently reserved for data. The carrier has been working on VoLTE for some time now, and is nearing the project’s completion, with plans to roll it out next year. The plan is for the handsets to launch around the same time. When the VoLTE network goes live, it will do so in one large blanket sweep, being available for users across all the markets, rather than in bits and pieces as with the data 4G LTE rollout. As such, all of Verizon’s users with applicable hardware will be able to take advantage of the technology, which will provide better voice calls. Another advantage of VoLTe will be the ability for subscribers to use data on their phone at the same time they talk, such as through a Bluetooth earpiece. Some of its rivals have already made this possible, and so it isn’t surprising that Palmer said the carrier is “working aggressively now” at going big with the new handsets and the voice over 4G LTE network as a whole. Thus far, the only 4G-only device Verizon offers is the Samsung Galaxy Camera. The advantages of a 4G LTE-only device are numerous, such as possibly being slimmer due to the lack of multiple radios. In addition, Palmer alluded to possibly cheaper prices, noting that the cost of LTE radios are dropping, something that will decrease the cost of handsets. When asked, however, she didn’t specify what kind of pricing consumers can expect for these smartphones. SOURCE: CNET |
| Verizon Galaxy S4 with 32GB ships starting June 29 Posted: 28 Jun 2013 03:59 PM PDT Verizon Wireless has confirmed today that the carrier will finally be offering a 32GB version of the popular flagship Samsung Galaxy S 4 smartphone. After initially launching on all US carriers with only 16GB of storage, Verizon included, we’ll finally be able to get a model with more storage starting tomorrow for $299.
After countless complaints and issues regarding the internal storage limits, this should be good news for many. While the Galaxy S 4 is one of a few devices these days with a micro-SD slot, the idea of paying more for added storage may seem odd. However, internal storage is usually a bit faster, not to mention not having to deal with micro-SD cards and swapping storage. Verizon has confirmed the 32GB Galaxy S 4 will be available online starting tomorrow, June 29th, and will run users $299 compared to $199 for the 16GB model. However, the devices won’t actually start shipping until July 3rd. We’re not sure why the month delay from Samsung for the 32GB model, but at least it’s finally an option. The Galaxy S 4 has a lot of advanced features for gesture controls, eye-scroll, quick pause features and more, not to mention a custom user interface over Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The 16GB model comes with only 8GB remaining out of the box, and this was a big complaint for many. So it’s nice to see another option will be available to buyers. This also means a 32GB GS4 paired with a 64GB micro-SD will get you plenty of storage. Who’s buying. I just want Verizon to announce their HTC One already. Can that be next please? SOURCE: Verizon |
| Motorola DROID XYBOARD Jelly Bean update confirmed Posted: 28 Jun 2013 03:22 PM PDT If you’re one of the few that owns Motorola’s XYBOARD tablet, we have good news. And it’s pretty surprising to say the least. According to the official Motorola update page, the Verizon-branded DROID XYBOARD tablets will be getting updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Both the 10.1 and 8.2-inch slates.
However, the WiFi models might not enjoy such luxuries. Wait what? Yes you read that right. Usually Wifi tablets get updated much quicker than any carrier branded tablet (or phone) and sometimes WiFi tablets get updated while a carrier model never enjoys the update at all. Oddly we’re seeing just the opposite today for those DROID-flavored tablets. Motorola recently changed their product page, stating that the Verizon DROID XYBOARD tablets will both be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Previously the page had them slated for no updates with it reading “This device will remain on Android 4.0 (ICS)” and that’s all she wrote. Then below, it shows the WiFi model as staying on ICS, and not received Jelly Bean. That’s just odd, and probably wrong.
According to AndroidPolice Verizon has confirmed the update is indeed coming soon, however no date was given. So for all of you still enjoying those industrial looking DROID XYBOARD tablets, get ready for a nice update full of new features. Google Now, gesture typing, a better camera and more is all headed your way. Eventually. VIA: AndroidPolice |
| Google Street View heads to the exotic Battleship Island Posted: 28 Jun 2013 02:41 PM PDT Google Maps and their Street View has been in the news a bit lately, and today we’re getting a look at one more exotic location. From the Galapagos Islands and beyond, now they’re going to remote locations unavailable to the general public. Hashima Island, commonly called Gunkanjima, which was also the setting in James Bond’s Skyfall is in the Google Street View Trekker’s eye this week.
Google announced yesterday that they’ll be offering the Trekker program to 3rd party groups, instead of just those Googlers, and that started with the Islands of Hawaii. We’re starting to see a trend here, with Google showing us beautiful locations many of us will never get to enjoy ourselves. And for that, we thank them. Today they posted a neat video (below) of Hashima, an Island that housed coal miners and industrail workers, but was abandoned back in the 1970′s. Since then it’s been deserted and only opened to the public in 2009. Most areas are still completely off-limits, yet Google was able to get behind the ropes and see it all. Which means we get to see it all. Not only is Battleship Island a huge tourist attraction, but the ever evolving state of the land due to ocean winds and water it will never be the same. Even though it’s completely abandoned by civilization. For Google to get access to nearly every safe part of the Island, and capture these stunning images, it will be preserved digitally forever. I don’t know about you guys, but all of these Street View videos just makes me want to take a vacation somewhere tropical. Find out more at the link below. SOURCE: Google Blog |
| AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active Review Posted: 28 Jun 2013 02:04 PM PDT Samsung originally announced the Galaxy S4 Active in early June. Since that point we have seen the handset shown off during the Samsung Premiere event which took place a few days earlier. We managed to spend a few minutes of hands-on time with the handset during that event, however that was just the start of our experience with the Active. We received an AT&T branded Galaxy S4 a short while back and as such we have been able to spend a bit more time playing around — and yes, that includes testing the device in water.
HardwareThe Galaxy S4 Active is sporting a 5-inch Full HD display along with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. One important item to point out here, while the S4 Active is waterproof and dustproof — it is not touted as being a fully rugged handset. Assuming that is ok with the person making the purchase, some of the other specs will include a quad-core 1.9GHz processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a memory card slot with support for cards up to 64GB in size.
The S4 Active measures in at 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1mm and weighs in at 151 grams. AT&T has the handset available in Urban Gray and Dive Blue. As you can see from the images here, we had a blue model. Aside from the bit about the Active being waterproof and dustproof, the exterior look and color is the major difference when comparing the handset with the regular S4. Anyway, given a big selling point for this handset is the bit about it being somewhat friendly with water, we spent some time dunking and playing. You can get a hands-on look at how the handset performed in water in the video sitting above. And then for those looking for a bit more water fun, there is a small gallery of water images sitting below.       SoftwareThe Galaxy S4 Active is running Android 4.2.2 and as one would expect with a Samsung handset, there is also the TouchWiz user interface on top. The experience here is very similar to the regular Galaxy S4 and as this is an AT&T handset — you can expect to see a wide variety of branded apps. We didn’t count the total, but suffice to say there are plenty. This is an annoyance, however there is the option to hide apps you know will not be used. You can hide apps by tapping the app drawer icon and then hitting the menu button. From here just choose the ‘hide applications’ option and get to hiding. Sure, this will not free up any storage space, but at least you will not have to scan through unwanted apps on a regular basis.       Otherwise, Samsung’s S-Voice and Google Now are both available. There is also a wide variety of S-branded features from Samsung. Some of these include Smart Scroll and Smart Pause along with others such as S Beam, Air Gesture and Air View. And as a perk, most of the key items that you will want to turn off and/or on can be found from the drop down shade. This shade can be adjusted, however by default there are 20 options available which includes the basics such as Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and Airplane Mode. Perhaps key though, thanks to the Snapdragon 600 processor and the 2GB of RAM — the Galaxy S4 Active ran smooth and fast. Of course, we were also happy to see the handset launch with Jelly Bean version 4.2.2. Bottom line on the software, while overall happy with the performance, the Galaxy S4 Active is what we expected to see given the mix of Samsung and AT&T. BenchmarksGiven our results with the regular Galaxy S4 we sort of knew what we would find going in with benchmarks. In the case of the S4 Active we ran tests using Quadrant and AnTuTu which returned a 12300 and 16506 respectively. For those wondering, our Galaxy S4 testing showed results of 12593 and 17320 for Quadrant and AnTuTu respectively. You can get a look at where the Galaxy S4 Active stands in comparison to some other phones in the image sitting below. Also worth noting, the Galaxy S4 Active is sporing a quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB of RAM.
CameraAnother notable difference as compared to the regular Galaxy S4 is the camera. Not so much in the ability to take a picture, but the Galaxy S4 Active has an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera as opposed to the 13 megapixel rear-facing camera on the regular model. You will also find a 2 megapixel front-facing camera. Having been fans of the camera on the Galaxy S III though, we moved in with high hopes. In general we were pleased with what the S4 Active offers in terms of the camera. Auto mode is where we spent most of our time and while the images we captured wet really nice for a smartphone, as we often see, the quality is dependent on location, lighting and a number of other factors. Basically, the Galaxy S4 Active was capable of producing good images, but it is certainly not going to replace our regular camera.    Otherwise, in addition to the Auto mode, Samsung also has the others such as Best photo, Best Face, Continuous Shot, Sound and Shot, Eraser and of course, the Aqua mode. The Aqua mode is the key addition on the Galaxy S4 Active and allows the user to easily capture images while underwater. Basically, what the Aqua mode does is allow you to snap a picture using the volume rocker — because the regular camera shutter button on the touchscreen will not register while in the water. A few sample images from the camera can be seen below.       Battery LifeThe Galaxy S4 Active has a 2600 mAh battery, just like the regular non-waterpoof model. Battery life is not always easy to judge given use cases can vary widely from person to person. What we can say is that while this isn’t the 3100 mAh battery of the Galaxy Note II, it has been enough to get us through the day with little worry. As usual, the screen was a major battery drain, but for us another item we saw moving towards the top of the offender list was always on chat apps — in our case Hangouts. But again, we were able to get through the day with little worry.
WaterproofAs we mentioned, the Galaxy S4 Active is both waterproof and dustproof. The nice part here, while the handset is waterproof, it doesn’t have the bulky look that is often associated with waterproof handsets. In fact, we surprised a few friends when we dunked the handset in water with little warning. More to the point here, the Galaxy S4 Active is just a tiny bit thicker as compared to the regular Galaxy S4. The weight is also slightly more, but just like the thickness, it is probably nothing that would be noticed by anyone that was simply holding both phones.
While the handset doesn’t have the regular waterproof looks, there are some items that come into play here. The most obvious on the outside is the cover over the USB port. This is one you will want to make sure is securely closed. The other item is not quite as obvious and in fact, you need to remove the back battery cover to see it. As you can see in the gallery below, there is a rubber seal under the battery cover. This should also go without saying, but you will want to make sure the battery cover is securely in place before submerging the handset.    Wrap-UpWhat can we say here, we liked the regular Galaxy S4 and we have also enjoyed the time we spent with the Active. In our wrap up for the regular Galaxy S4 we mentioned how Samsung had a winner with the handset, and well, that seems to carry over just the same for the Active. The one drawback here is that unlike the widespread carrier availability with the regular Galaxy S4, the Active is only available in the US with AT&T. That bit alone will likely cause some to completely ignore the handset, however we can say this — if you are an AT&T user and happen to be looking for a phone that is not bothered by some water, the Galaxy S4 Active should be one to consider. But while the handset is capable of being submerged in water, we have to think that the real perk here comes for those times when you are not expecting water. You have the age old prank of being pushed into a pool, but there is the more real-world experience of simply being caught out in a sudden downpour. This may not be as big of an issue for everyone, but this particular guy happens to be living in Florida and given it is summer — we have frequent heavy rain to contend with. Otherwise, while this isn’t as much of a concern for me personally, we cannot tell you how often we hear complaints of a smartphone ending up in the toilet. Bottom line here, as someone who spends more than a fair amount of time outside, on foot or bike and often miles from home — the Active is the Galaxy S4 model that I would choose if I were to be making a purchase. With that, we leave you with one more gallery of images sitting below.          |
| Facebook hashtags rolling out to mobile, no word on Android app Posted: 28 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT A few weeks ago the folks from Facebook made a big move to finally add the popular hashtag option to their social network. Made popular (and extremely useful) by Twitter, we now finally have clickable #hashtags on Facebook. While the inclusion was nice, we still weren’t able to enjoy the feature on mobile. With millions of users enjoying Facebook on mobile daily, this only made sense, and as of Thursday the feature is rolling out to all devices.
According to a Facebook spokeswoman clickable hashtags began rolling out to mobile devices on Thursday, although sadly they only work on the mobile web-based m.facebook.com. This means that for those hoping to be able to click on hashtags with the Android or iOS app, you’ll have to wait. This is only for the web-based users. With hashtags being such a simple and extremely used feature on Twitter, and available across virtually every Twitter app for Android, we’re not sure what the hold up is. However, for some reason or another they’re holding out, but we can expect an update here sometime shortly. Below you can see them already working on a mobile browser.
For those who don’t know what hashtags are (like my parents) it’s a word or string of words that follow a pound symbol. Like #NFL or #NBAFinals, and are a clickable link. Which makes following and finding any #NBAFinals news or posts extremely quick and easy. It’s the quickest way to search for a subject you want the absolute latest mention or news for. PCMag states this started rolling out Thursday, and hopefully we see this in their mobile apps in the very near future. Google+ and Twitter have enjoyed it for as long as we can remember. VIA: PCMag |
| Google+ turns 2, looking all grown up Posted: 28 Jun 2013 11:52 AM PDT Even though it feels like just last month that Google+ launched, today it turned two years old. It’s hard to believe, we know, but the social network is starting to look all grown up. Two years ago we met Google’s second attempt at a social network, and it has continued to increase in popularity, features, and additions to what we see and enjoy today.
Google’s own Vic Gundotra shared the news this morning on Google+ itself, and had a few kind words to say about its progress, and the future of the social network. I know I had my doubts at first, and at times it still feels like a network full of Android enthusiasts only. Things are looking up, and Google is rapidly adding features, integrating YouTube, and the Play Store among other things. The folks from Google have been extremely busy with the social network, and just at Google I/O announced over 41 new features. Things like a vastly improved photo experience, and they’ve recently added cross-device sync to Android.
The same way we can sign in and get social with Facebook and Twitter through apps, is now available for Google+, and all these changes are only the beginning. According to Vic G+ is still in its infancy, and they have tons planned. Only taking a very quick break today to celebrate two successful years, then they’ll get back to their efforts. Between adding Google Hangouts for an awesome chat experience on all devices, improving the image and photography experience, bringing games and communities and more, things are only looking up. Vic closes his small comment by saying, “So let’s keep building something to love. Together.” As of today, Google+ is the second social network behind Facebook, and recently passed Twitter, so keep on rocking. And with that. Happy Birthday Google+! Facebook is in your sights, keep up the good work! Oh and don’t forget to circle your favorite Android site (us, of course) at +AndroidCommunity. SOURCE: Google+ |
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