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Monday, July 8, 2013

Android Central

Motorola Droid Ultra in white appears in leaked photo
Ask Android Central: Google Play edition phones on Verizon or Sprint?
Motorola S11-Flex HD Bluetooth Stereo Headset review
Last chance: Save 15% on all Android cases and accessories!
From the Forums: Independence Day through the eye of an Android phone

Motorola Droid Ultra in white appears in leaked photo

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:23 PM PDT

Droid Ultra

One of the three rumored phones from Motorola that are destined for Verizon shows up in white

If yesterday's leaked press render of the Motorola Droid Maxx wasn't enough to pique your interest, maybe a version in white with a new name -- and the model number -- will. At XDA a poster named xavierk75 gives us this picture, with only the post title "Motorola Droid Ultra XT1080 is Here!" to provide any clues.

What we can see are the three capacitive buttons and what appears to be a chin on the bottom of the device, matching up well with the kevlar skinned chin we saw on Saturday;s leaked press render.

We've been hearing the name Droid Ultra for a while from folks in the know, and FCC filings tell us the XT1080 has everything a phone would need to run on Verizon's 3G and LTE networks. I expect we'll be hearing more from Verizon about this one soon.

Is anyone ready for a (rumored) 1080p LTE Droid branded phone from Moto?

Source: XDA; via Android Central forums

Ask Android Central: Google Play edition phones on Verizon or Sprint?

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 11:28 AM PDT

Google Play editions

Verizon and Sprint exercise more control over the phones that can use their network, and it takes a little more that just building one to make it happen.

In the midst of all the discussion over the merits and flaws of the Google Play edition Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, there's a third discussion taking place, that more than a few people are interested in -- will we ever see a Google Play edition phone on Verizon or Sprint?

Now, we can't answer that any more than anyone else who doesn't make high-level purchasing decisions at either carrier, but we can talk about the issue a little bit. Hopefully this can address some of the questions surrounding the issue and clear up a little confusion.

The Google Play edition phones that are currently being sold will only work on AT&T or T-Mobile (or any of the smaller regional or MVNO carriers who use a GSM network) here in the U.S. The HTC One will only work at 2G speeds on T-Mobile, unless you're in an area that has already had the 3G network switched over to the 1900Mhz bands. Have a look here to see an unofficial map where that's been done. The phones are SIM unlocked, so will also work on any GSM network outside the U.S. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you can stick the SIM card you use for Verizon LTE in one and get it to work, as neither phone supports the required network frequencies. The same goes for Sprint, as well as regional carriers like Cricket, Page Plus or U.S. Cellular. The easy way to check -- will the (non-Verizon) Galaxy Nexus or Nexus 4 work on the carrier? If so, the Google Play edition phones will work, too.

Motorola S11-Flex HD Bluetooth Stereo Headset review

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 10:51 AM PDT

Motorola S-11 Flex HD.

There are a lot of Bluetooth headsets available, in countless configurations. You've got plenty of selection, even if you're more interested in listening to music that you would be taking calls. The holy grail is finding one that's great at both. Enter the Motorola Flex-11 HD Bluetooth Stereo Headset, which fits the bill nicely.

They're stylish, they fit well, and most importantly they deliver high quality sound both for calls and the music you listen to on your Android phone or tablet. I've been testing my pair for a while, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased.

Last chance: Save 15% on all Android cases and accessories!

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT

ShopAndroid.com July 4 sale

Independence Day for the good ol' U.S.A. is July 4, but we're kicking off the celebration savings a little early and going a little long this year, just to make sure all Android Central readers have a chance to take advantage of this special offer.

Starting now and going until midnight PST on Sunday, July 7, you can save 15 percent on your entire order using coupon code 7413 at checkout (and yes Canadians, the coupon will work in our Canada store too!).

The 15 percent coupon code covers all of our accessories, including Galaxy S4 cases, Galaxy S3 cases, everything for the HTC One — and all the spare batteries we got.

Shop now and save 15 percent all weekend!

From the Forums: Independence Day through the eye of an Android phone

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 05:06 AM PDT

Fireworks

Show off your best Fourth of July fireworks pictures

We recently set up brand spanking new photography forums to discuss all things related to Android and photos, and we wanted to get the discussion going with photos you took of fireworks this Fourth of July. Smart phones have drastically improved their low-light performance over the years, but there's a certain touch (and bit of luck) required to grab a great shot of fireworks with your phone.

We were able to snap a few good shots of our local firework shows, and we imagine you did as well. Hop into the forums and show off the best shots you were able to grab with your phone this Fourth of July.