Android Authority

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• Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z goes up for pre-order in Finland for €799
• LG Optimus G Pro release date set for March in South Korea, Japan to follow
• Nexus 4 coming to Korea after all, SK Telecom and Korea Telecom to carry it
• Bell Canada cuts Galaxy Nexus outright price down to $350, is the Nexus 4 coming at last?
• Galaxy S4 pre-launch sales estimates: Samsung to move 10 million units a month?
• Remember the GooPhone i5 iPhone 5 clone? Here’s a review
• Facebook surpasses Google Maps as the most popular mobile app in the U.S.
• Temple Run 2 is out now on Google Play
• Finger Army 1942 is a fun whack-a-mole Android game
• Chinese handset makers say quad core phones will drop to sub $100 this year

Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z goes up for pre-order in Finland for €799 Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:50 AM PST The Xperia Tablet Z was officially unveiled in Japan last Sunday. It sports a design that has left many in awe, particularly due to its 6.9 mm thick body, which is just about as thin as it gets for a 10.1-inch tablet. Although Sony is still keeping mum about the Tablet Z's international release, one Finnish retailer has begun taking pre-order of the water- and dust-proof tablet on its website, where it's offered for €799. Now, we’re not an expert in the language, but assuming you can stomach the price, we don’t think you should expect to get your mitts on the Tablet Z so soon. Given that the tablet is only due to hit stores in Japan this spring, it’s not surprising to see that the delivery date is still missing. If you're intrigued by the slim chassis of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and its specs –10.1-inch display with 1,920 x 1200 resolution, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, microSD slot, 8MP rear camera, NFC, LTE, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean – don't miss the hands-on video of the tablet right here. Do you think Sony will do the right thing and release the Xperia Tablet Z worldwide? How much are you willing you to spend to get one? Related Posts Sony's 6.9mm thin Xperia Tablet Z might be introduced in Japan next week Sony Xperia T and J coming early to UK's Carphone Warehouse, Xperia Tablet S to follow soon NTT DoCoMo starts selling the Sony Xperia AX in Japan

LG Optimus G Pro release date set for March in South Korea, Japan to follow Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:41 AM PST While LG did not announce any new mobile device at the recently ended CES 2013 in Las Vegas, USA, the company unveiled a new smartphone in its high-end G family just a few days ago, the Optimus G Pro. A new report sheds light on initial availability dates for the new LG smartphone, with South Korea and Japan being unsurprisingly mentioned as the first two markets to receive the device. The Optimus G Pro will apparently start selling in South Korea in March, while Japanese Android fans will be able to purchase the handset a month later, in April, from NTT DoCoMo. The handset will feature a 5-inch touchscreen display with Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 13-megapixel camera, 3000mAh battery and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean under the hood. Curiously though, KBench's report says that the Japanese model will come with a larger 5.5-inch display despite the fact that we have already heard that the Japanese NTT DoCoMo Optimus G Pro will feature a 5-inch panel. Pricing details for these first two markets have not been announced yet, and we don't have launch dates for other regions of the world at this time, although we'd expect the phone to be available in a variety of countries later this year. Are you buying the Optimus G Pro this year? Related Posts LG Unleashes Optimus LTE in South Korea with LTE, Hi-def Display, 8-MP Cam Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and LG Optimus Vu hit sales milestone in South Korea LG Optimus G L-01E up for pre-order from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, to ship October 19

Nexus 4 coming to Korea after all, SK Telecom and Korea Telecom to carry it Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:36 AM PST The Nexus 4 is the most talked Android device of the moment, even if it's not always for the good reasons. Availability issues have plagued the device from day one, but the supply crunch is slowly easing, enough for Google and LG to begin selling the Nexus 4 in new markets such as Australia (from February 1 at Harvey Norman) and now South Korea. The Nexus 4 was not supposed to sell in South Korea, but apparently, LG had a change of mind after customers voiced their frustration over the decision. According to the Chosun Ilbo, a major Korean newspaper, some local customers have even accused Google, LG, and carriers of deliberately holding back the Nexus 4 because of its disruptive price. The National Radio Research Agency (RRA), the Korean equivalent of the FCC, has recently tested and approved the Nexus 4 for sale in South Korea. The smartphone is expected to start selling in the following two months (Q1 2013). The carriers that will range the Nexus 4 in South Korea are SK Telecom and Korea Telecom. As a reminder, according to an LG France executive the availability issues with the Nexus 4 were caused by Google’s gross underestimation of the demand for the device. The Korean company is now working to satisfy demand, and we should see availability improving soon. For more about the Nexus 4, check out our full review. Related Posts South Korea’s KCC bans carriers from signing new customers in January 2013 Korea’s SK Telecom beats Sprint to become the world's first carrier to offer an HD Voice service Nexus One coming ot South Korea with KT

Bell Canada cuts Galaxy Nexus outright price down to $350, is the Nexus 4 coming at last? Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:06 AM PST With Bell giving out the "end of life" sentence to the Galaxy Nexus way back in October, we wouldn't have expected a lot of stock to remain unfinished going in 2013. Still, the Canadian carrier seems to have had trouble moving the last gadgets around, as it has now taken another drastic measure to get rid of them. The remaining Galaxy Nexuses will be sold for $350 outright, which is a whopping 300 bucks discount off the original list price. To be honest, we would have never recommended getting the one and a half year-old for the initial off contract price and we're a little hesitant about the new one as well. It's true, the GNex is and will remain a true classic, with its high-res 1,280 x 720 4.65-inch display, fast and furious dual-core 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4460 CPU, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of on-board storage. But, compared to the $309 8 GB Nexus 4 or the $359 16 GB model, it can't really hope to come out on top from any standpoint, be it hardware, software support or design. Of course, scoring the Nexus 4 for those prices can be a true challenge, with Canada's Google Play suffering from the same critical supply issues as all other regional subsidiaries that have dared to announce the phone's launch. So, all things considered, what should you do? Probably wait for Bell's next move. The carrier isn't just getting rid of old GNex stock because the phone is out of fashion and is probably smoothing things over for its own N4 launch. We don't expect Bell's pricing structure to challenge the one in Google Play, but if the Nexus 4 were to start at, say, $400 or $450, it would be awfully difficult to say no, wouldn't it? Related Posts James Bond Sony Xperia T phone coming to Bell Canada on November 14 for $550 outright Motorola Atrix HD LTE coming to Bell on August 2, could go for $600 outright Free Bell Galaxy S3 available in Canada with new 3-year contract

Galaxy S4 pre-launch sales estimates: Samsung to move 10 million units a month? Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:02 AM PST The Galaxy S4 rumor has been picking up quite a lot of steam lately, with the device featured in a variety of pre-launch reports. Earlier this week we learned that the Galaxy S4 will not be unveiled at MWC 2013 next month in Spain, but that it will arrive at a special media event that could take place in the U.S. in March. A few weeks after that, around April 15, the handset could hit stores, although these details are yet to be confirmed. Now, South Korean publication Money Today suggests that Samsung is preparing to move as many as 10 million Galaxy S4 units per month, which will make the handset the most popular Android device ever. Its predecessors, especially the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 models, enjoyed great sales to date, although incomparable with iPhone sales during the same periods of time. Nevertheless, no other Android device out there is able to boast similar sales numbers: the Galaxy S3 passed 40 million sales recently, while the Galaxy S2 also topped 40 million units, but in a much longer period of time. So how does Money Today know in advanced how many Galaxy S4 handsets Samsung wants to sell each month? Apparently the publication has learned that the giant corporation has ordered each of its subcontractors to provide 10 million components per month, but don't expect any of them to confirm such numbers. Overall, Samsung wants to sell over 500 million phones this year, with 350 million of them being smartphones. Moreover, the company plans to launch a variety of tablets in 2013 when it comes to screen size: 7-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-inch models are rumored, although it's likely that not all of them will be running Android. Are you buying the Galaxy S4 when it comes out this spring? Related Posts Samsung: Galaxy S3 sales to top 30 million units by the end of this year Samsung announces 100 million Galaxy sales; GS3 selling at 190,000 units per day Samsung expects Galaxy Note 2 sales to top 20 million units

Remember the GooPhone i5 iPhone 5 clone? Here’s a review Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:23 AM PST While we can't really claim secrets are better kept in the Android décor than in Apple's world, especially now, we can't help but laugh our behinds off whenever iPhone clones looking exactly like the originals come out before the authentic devices. But iPhone 5's launch was even more special and amusing than usual. And not just because we saw Apple stoop to one of its lowest levels ever by calling the new device a major upgrade for simply featuring a bigger display and "groundbreaking" 4G LTE speeds. No, the thing that made the release special was the preceding unveiling of the GooPhone i5 and the threats that came with it. For a second there we even thought GooPhone would go through with it and sue Apple for copying. Of course, that never happened, but that doesn't mean GooPhone can't still be a worthy adversary for Apple, if not in a court of law then on the actual market. Because guess what, the i5 is out and about, and, according to a GizChina review, it looks pretty awesome. But before getting down to the actual review, let's have a quick rundown of the specs: 1 GHz dual-core MT6577 CPU 1 GB of RAM 4-inch 960 x 540 pixels resolution screen Android 4.0 ICS with iOS 6 skin Dual 8 MP/1.3 MP cameras 32 GB of on-board storage GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and 3G WCDMA 850/2100 MHz support 1,522 mAh battery Okay, so that's definitely not an ideal set of features, right? The processor is very last year, the display's resolution is so far off today's greats that makes even the original iPhone 5 look good, the battery is measly at best and not even the cameras are awfully special. But hold your horses now, because the GooPhone i5 is anything but another cheap Shanzhai knock-off. In fact, the design makes our good friend Andi Sykes call this bad boy a "masterpiece". The feel is identical to that of the iPhone 5, the build quality looks flawless at a first sight, while the weight reaches a mere 108 grams (4 grams less than Cupertino's flagship). Of course, it's not all about the looks. In fact, one of the things that are often more disturbing at Chinese clones than cheap build quality is clunky software. But that's not the case at all here, because GooPhone apparently manages to come up with "the ultimate Android/iOS mash-up". That's definitely not a good thing if you're a hardcore Android fan that aches at seeing his precious tainted, but if you can appreciate iOS 6's ease of use and sleekness you'll love this fellow. There's even a lost twin of Siri's that has apparently grown up in a Chinese household. Moving on to the display, performance and cameras, we'll find a number of things off with GooPhone's i5, which considerably bring down the device's overall value. Then again, this is a Chinese clone after all, so if you're looking for perfection you'll have to knock on other doors. We however are in a good mood and we'd rather focus on the good things. Like the fact that the i5 is unlikely to cripple sales of genuine Android devices and will instead grab the attention of Apple fanboys looking to save some dough while still feeling good about themselves. Ah, the little joys of life! Related Posts Take that, Apple! The iPhone 5 has an Android-based clone even before its launch The patent battles just got more ridiculous – Goophone looking to sue Apple in China Another iPhone 5 Android-based clone emerges, is even closer to the original

Facebook surpasses Google Maps as the most popular mobile app in the U.S. Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:16 AM PST Facebook has really been stepping up its mobile game lately by adding more and more features geared specifically to mobile users. This is undoubtedly in response to the pressure from Wall Street after going public last year. It seems the hard work has finally paid off, as Facebook has overtaken Google Maps, becoming the top mobile app in the United States. According to ComScore, Facebook's numbers have shot well above Google Maps'. To be fair, this most likely has a lot to do with Apple removing Google Maps from iOS 6. However, as we have seen, Google's new iOS app is becoming incredibly popular due to the huge Apple Maps flop. Nevertheless, Facebook's engineers still deserve some credit, as their efforts are certainly commendable. ComScore provides additional app statistics and show that five out of the top six mobile apps are produced by Google. This leads us to believe that Google will probably make a comeback in the coming months. However, ComScore provided another interesting piece of information: how much time users actually spend using apps. Ultimately, users have always spent more time using Facebook's app as opposed to using Google Maps. Facebook accounts for 23% of time spent on mobile apps while Google accounts for 10% with all of its apps combined. The fact that this didn't happen sooner is absolutely astonishing. It is incredibly difficult to find a person who isn't on Facebook nowadays (while not impossible). Why has such an enormously popular service failed to be the number one app for so long? The answer was simply that the interface and features offered by the official app left a lot to be desired. No longer is this the case, as users have apparently decided that Facebook's latest additions are worth getting the app. We will have to wait and see if Facebook's new features are enough to keep them ahead of the competition. Related Posts Google Street View coming soon to mobile web version of Google Maps Will Google release a standalone Maps app for iOS6? Apple Maps vs Google Maps: #iLost Motorola (Google) ad pokes fun at the iPhone 5 and the iOS 6 Maps issues

Temple Run 2 is out now on Google Play Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:44 AM PST Whoa, look what Imangi Studios has decided to roll out to the Play Store. The sequel to one of Android's hottest games is now available to download, install, and play hours on end. We're talking about Temple Run 2! Temple Run 2 was released last week on iOS, while the Android version was promised to come not long after. Well, we're pleased to let you know that it's here now, still in its freemium outfit, but with a lot of tweaks and changes in the gameplay and graphics departments. Here's the official changelog: Beautiful new graphics Gorgeous new organic environments New obstacles More power-ups More achievements Special powers for each character Bigger monkey!!! What the above has failed to mention is that Guy Dangerous now looks a lot like George Clooney. Other available characters to play include Scarlett Fox, Barry Bones, and Karma Lee. Can't wait to dive in? We suggest you hit the Google Play link below to remotely install Temple Run 2 to your device, as the game doesn't seem to show up yet in search results. Excited? Let us know in the comments below. Related Posts Temple Run gets a sequel on iOS, Android version to come out next week Temple Run is now a free download on Google Play Imangi and Disney collaborate on Temple Run: Brave, out now on Google Play

Finger Army 1942 is a fun whack-a-mole Android game Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:41 PM PST Want to relive those heady whack-a-mole days at the arcade? Developer Tin Planet hears your plea as it unleashes the Finger Army 1942 on Google Play. Gone are the plastic moles, mallet, and the need to waste those precious quarters. The premise of the Finger Army 1942 is as simple as its spiritual predecessor. You'll be fighting an army of fingers with – you've guessed it – your finger(s). You have to whack 'em as fast as you can, as they will eventually fight back. Just make sure to avoid the medics and finger soldiers that are waving white flags. As you make your way through the levels, you'll encounter different types of enemy fingers, such as the helmet-wearing soldiers that need more than a single whacking. The game will also speed up considerably, leaving you to trust your reflex alone to hammer them down. That being said, it never gets too crazy difficult. The Finger Army 1942 costs less than a buck to download from Google Play. Hit the link below if you have the itch for some finger tapping fun. Related Posts Android OS Being Developed For Army US Army announces Software Marketplace for iOS, will arrive for Android shortly U.S. Army to Use Secure Android Devices Soon

Chinese handset makers say quad core phones will drop to sub $100 this year Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:12 PM PST Remember when LG announced the Optimus 4X HD, the “world’s first” quad core smartphone? That was back in February 2012 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Over the next few months we saw several other quad core devices get unveiled, namely HTC’s One X, Samsung’s Galaxy S3, the second generation Note, and so on and so forth. Those phones are all considered “high end”, meaning they cost over 500 EUR. According to a report on DigiTimes, next month, during the Chinese New Year, we’re going to see a ton of quad core phones that cost less than $250 hit the market. The piece goes on to say that by the end of this year, several Chinese handset makers are predicting that quad core phones will cost less than $100. What kind of chips will be powering these budget quad core devices? A majority of them will be using MediaTek’s MT6589. That chip in particular uses four ARM Cortex A7 cores. We’ve already seen a few benchmarks, courtesy of Engadget, and it looks like MediaTek’s quad core solution is barely faster than a dual core Snapdragon S4. Is that such a bad thing though? People will see the word “quad core” on the box and think they’re getting something high end, but in reality they’ll be buying a device that’s about as fast as some of the best phones from the past 12 months. The American HTC One X for example, that had a dual core S4. Will these kind of devices ever land on American shores? We’ll just be blunt and say no. The American market depends on subsidies to work. In other words, most people really think that their $199 iPhone 5 is really just $199 when it’s actually more than triple the cost. There’s no room for “budget” phones. That being said, maybe these devices will hit Europe? The prepaid market is strong there. Related Posts Qualcomm announces two new quad core Snapdragons for the Chinese market Huawei Ascend G520: The $225 quad core smartphone that’ll never land in America Nvidia Kai platform to usher in low-cost quad core smartphones this year

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Android and Me

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Siri was almost a Verizon Android exclusive Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:53 PM PST Of all the features to be introduced alongside new versions of iOS, the iPhone and iPad in the last several years, Siri is easily the most ambitious. Siri is the future of how Apple sees its customers interacting with Apple devices — their official stake in the voice-enabled virtual assistant... Visit our site to read the full article.

Google touches on the future of Motorola, Nexus 4 shortages Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:52 PM PST Revenue and profits weren’t the only thing discussed during Google’s Q4 earnings call. Google executives touched on everything from the success of their core services and the evolution of search, to the future of Motorola hardware, to the high prioritization of sorting out the Nexus... Visit our site to read the full article.

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Android Phone Fans

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• Pebble watch begins shipping to early backers, Android app coming Jan 24th
• NASA’s newly published images of the sun make for the perfect Android wallpaper
• Australians to get a ride on the Nexus 4 train Feb. 1st with retailer Harvey Norman
• Hands-on: SF Launcher Alpha by Alamo Apps [VIDEO]
• Samsung said to be stepping into the 440ppi realm with Samsung Galaxy S4
• Good Guy Samsung extends free Galaxy S3 and Note 2 Flip Covers promo
• GroupMe 4.0 brings complete redesign, tablet UI
• LG VS870 heads to FCC in Verizon flavor, could be an Escape with wireless charging
• HTC M7 said to be getting revealed a week ahead of Mobile World Congress
• Facebook takes “most used app” crown from Google Maps in 2012, 2013′s story sure to be different
• Pink Droid RAZR M headed to Verizon in time for Valentine’s Day
• Samsung reshaping pixels to create ultra-dense HD displays
• Before Apple, Verizon planned to launch Siri as Droid line’s killer feature
• Nexus 4 once again available from T-Mobile
• T-Mobile teases LTE, plans to cover 200 million subscribers by end of year

Pebble watch begins shipping to early backers, Android app coming Jan 24th Posted: 23 Jan 2013 06:24 PM PST I’ve been wanting to get into the whole “connected watch” scene for quite awhile now but haven’t been able to pull the trigger yet on any specific product. The Pebble watch has been one such prospect, fully funded and Kickstarted by a whopping $10,266,845 many moons ago. After what seemed like forever, Pebble has finally begun shipping out their first round of Bluetooth connected watches to early backers. More than 500 units will be arriving on doorsteps, with even more expected to ship “soon.” Apparently Pebble’s factories in China are pumping out a thousand units a day, but when we can expect Pebble in stores is anyone’s guess. As for the Android app that will give users the ability to program watch faces, widgets, and added features, that will officially arrive in the Play Store come January 24th (iOS version still pending approval). Any Phandroid readers been clamoring for a Pebble watch, or do alternatives like I’M Watch have your eye? Anyone feel that connected watches are useless? [Pebble on Kickstarter]

NASA’s newly published images of the sun make for the perfect Android wallpaper Posted: 23 Jan 2013 05:13 PM PST The boys at NASA have published some images of the sun that are both breathtaking, and awe inspiring. The images show our sun through a variety of filters used by the Solar Dynamics Observatory to study our yellow sun (as opposed to Superman’s red sun) and its surface behavior. One of the images actually combines all of these filters to form a single picture of the sun, making for a beautiful collage of colors from something we see every day — just never like this. This collage of solar images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows how observations of the sun in different wavelengths helps highlight different aspects of the sun’s surface and atmosphere. (The collage also includes images from other SDO instruments that display magnetic and Doppler information.) Why are we telling you guys about this? Well, the high-resolution image (linked below) makes for one wicked cool wallpaper on your Android device. Links to the post from NASA, as well as the image, have been provided below. Science, am I right? [NASA | High-Res Sun Collage Image | via Gizmodo]

Australians to get a ride on the Nexus 4 train Feb. 1st with retailer Harvey Norman Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:58 PM PST Just yesterday, we were wondering when we might be able to buy more Nexus 4 units in places like North America and Europe. While Google’s CEO Larry Page had little more to offer than the promise that the Nexus 4 supply issues is the team’s top priority, LG was busy brewing up an announcement that the device would become available starting February 1st… except this time, it’ll be in Australia. The company has agreed to sell the device in Australia through retailer Harvey Norman, and while the list price will be about AUS$100 more than what you can get it for in the Google Play Store we have a feeling that the Play Store’s limited availability will have folks shelling out the extra dough to own one. This will be sour news for many to swallow as folks are still without word on a restocking in the Google Play Store in various countries. Word on the street is that Google didn’t put in enough orders to meet initial demand, so if that’s the case then that definitely explains why stock at the likes of T-Mobile and Harvey Norman seem to be more plentiful. We’re not exactly sure how plentiful it’ll be for the latter just yet, but if there are enough units to guarantee a February 1st launch then that must be where a lot of LG’s production time is going. This entire episode has been one big, confusing headache for everyone involved. You would think Google would get first dibs on LG’s production time, but from the outside looking in it sounds like Google has to wait in line just like everyone else. Perhaps it’s yet another lesson to be learned for the Mountain View giant, but 2013 is well underway and people aren’t patient enough for lessons anymore. These sorts of blunders might have been cute and flown under the bridge for Google’s first crack at this when they introduced the Nexus One, but I would liken this sort of regression to a cancer that just won’t die — after a while, you just get tired of it coming back and the optimistic attitude and smiles become more difficult to fake each time it does. That said, we’re still happy for our friends over in the land down under. All Harvey Norman stores will have the device for use with any carrier for $496 outright, while those who want the phone subsidized on a contract will need to pick up a plan with Optus. Read on for full press details. LG Delivers Sought After Nexus 4 Handset to Australian Retail Stores Exclusive LG and Harvey Norman partnership announced SYDNEY, January 24, 2013 – LG Electronics (LG) has announced that the widely anticipated Nexus 4 will be exclusively available through Harvey Norman stores on Optus mobile plans from February 1. A design collaboration between LG and Google, the LG Nexus 4 was officially launched on Google Play in November 2012, and quickly proved to be a hit after selling out within 20 minutes. Global demand for the smartphone continues to grow, and offering the handset in Australian stores now will give sales another boost. The Nexus 4 brings together LG's advanced hardware design, including Qualcomm's cutting-edge Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor, for speed and power.  Featuring 2GB of RAM and the latest version of Android® (Jelly Bean), the Nexus 4 is the snappiest Nexus smartphone to date. "The Nexus 4 is a great example of how LG's state of the art hardware is innovating in the smartphone market with Google choosing to be its latest hardware partner," said Lambro Skropidis, General Marketing Manager at LG Australia. "The response in Australia has been overwhelmingly positive on Google Play already, and we know our Harvey Norman partnership will create even greater demand." Stock will be available for an outright purchase of $496 in all Harvey Norman stores and on an Optus plan in selected stores. Pricing will be dependent on the customer's choice of Optus plan; details of the suggested plans and pricing can be found in store and online atwww.harveynorman.com.au. Customers can pre-order now for stock available on the 1st February.

Hands-on: SF Launcher Alpha by Alamo Apps [VIDEO] Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:29 PM PST Probably the best part about Android is its sheer variety of homescreen replacements (or launchers) available in the Google Play Store. Of course, sifting through all of them provides a challenge in itself and most of the time, most are simply rehashes of the stock AOSP browser with a few added features. Every now and then, a developer attempts to change things up by coming up with a launcher that’s truly unique, changing the behavior and look of the traditional launchers we’ve grown accustomed to. One such launcher is SF Launcher by Alamo Apps and it offers a fun new take on a traditional launcher setup. Still very much in its infant stages, the homescreen replacement looks to mimic the UI and stylings of the Google Now app found on Jelly Bean devices. The first thing you’ll notice upon downloading is a big, colorful header with the time and date similar to the one found on Google Now, only minus the search bar (we really need an option for a search bar). Currently, the header can be customized to show a cartoonish landscape of either San Francisco (that’s where the SF in SF Launcher comes from), London, or a generic mountainous region. Below the header are 2 sections: a spot for widgets (that can be scrolled horizontally), and the other to place your favorite app icons. Swipe to the right, and you’ll find all your applications neatly tucked away in alphabetic order. Give ‘em a long press and you can send them over to your favorites section. Swipe to the left and you’ll find a few settings for tweaking your homescreen to your liking. This can be done a variety of ways. There are settings to change the theme between light and dark, and even have it change automatically according to the time of day. Pretty snazzy if white backgrounds give your battery anxiety. Other settings include the ability to change the size of the icons, columns, as well as display their names and adjust font size. That’s pretty much all there is to SF Launcher. Clean. Simple. Minimal. Oh, and don’t forget — still very alpha. Sure, this wont be for everyone (what app ever is?), but with regular updates coming almost daily, this might be one launcher you want to keep an eye on. You can download SF Launcher Alpha for free in the Play Store. [SF Launcher on Google Play]

Samsung said to be stepping into the 440ppi realm with Samsung Galaxy S4 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:04 PM PST When Apple first unveiled its high resolution “Retina” display for the iPhone series, many marveled — at the time, no other smartphone could boast a display nearly as sharp. That was multiple years ago, though, and as we all know things tend to change very fast in the tech world. A changing of the guard, if you will, has already happened in many different areas. Android is now the world’s top mobile smartphone OS, Samsung has become the world’s biggest mobile OEM, and I might finally be able to get my mom to upgrade from a dumbphone this year. Welp, it looks like things are going to get even more interesting starting in 2013. DigiTimes is reporting that Samsung Display is working on a new sub-pixel arrangement for its smaller AMOLED panels, and that the new display would be featured quite prominently in the Samsung Galaxy S4. We’re expecting nothing short of a 1080p display, of course, and in order to maintain a pixel density of 440ppi or higher Samsung is said to be using a hexagonal and diamond-shaped layouts as opposed to the more traditional side-by-side layout. Samsung is currently trailing Apple in terms of sheer ppi, with each company’s respective flagship devices — the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 — sporting 306ppi and 326ppi, respectively. Samsung’s feat is still a tad more impressive considering the 4.7 inch display size of the Galaxy S3 compared to the iPhone 5′s 4 inch display. The HTC DROID DNA and several other 5-inch, 1080p smartphones have already bested those figures, though, with pixel densities of 440+ ppi. Some were worried Samsung wouldn’t be able to bring that sort of sharpness to its AMOLED-based panels in time for the next iteration of the Galaxy S, but should these rumors hold up it looks like that won’t be an issue. Unfortunately we’re still left wondering when, exactly, we might see the next big thing unveiled. Samsung is almost sure to be headed to Mobile World Congress, but recent murmurings suggest we won’t be seeing the Galaxy S4. Instead, their showing is rumored to feature the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 as the star of the show, and a couple of other neat surprises might be awaiting us behind several red velvet curtains. We’ll be in Barcelona to take it all in so be sure to keep it parked here.

Good Guy Samsung extends free Galaxy S3 and Note 2 Flip Covers promo Posted: 23 Jan 2013 02:51 PM PST A few weeks ago, we told you guys about a Samsung promotion of sorts taking place on the manufacturer’s US Facebook page. They promo had customers with either the Samsung Galaxy S3 or Samsung Galaxy Note 2 register their devices with Samsung in exchange for a special care package. Inside, Samsung packed a free Flip Cover (a $40 value) in the color of your choice, as well as a handful of TecTiles to place about the home, office, or car. The promotion didn’t last long, and many were left high and dry once word spread throughout the internets. For those of you that did go through the trouble of registering, but weren’t quick enough to nab your free goodies, you might want to check your email inbox (or spam box). Looks like Good Guy Samsung is honoring their promotion yet again with a 2nd wave of care packages being sent out to already registered users. While we’re not sure if registering now will do you any good, it certainly can’t hurt, can it? For those that nabbed the deal the first time around, you should check your mail as we’ve been getting numerous reports of the first round of Flip Cover and TecTiles already landing on doorsteps. Thanks, Zanderman!

GroupMe 4.0 brings complete redesign, tablet UI Posted: 23 Jan 2013 02:26 PM PST GroupMe fans should stand up, do a little dance and make a little noise because you’ll be getting down tonight with a brand new update. As cheesy as that opening line was, this update is far from that — this is version 4.0, and it brings a completely fresh redesign to create the most elegant and beautiful looking version of GroupMe yet. Chats are given a much more prominent position in the app as they are right front and center as soon as you open it. Chats will now feature bigger photos, you can share locations with a small built-in map feature, a left drawer gives you quick and easy access to all your chats, bigger avatars will represent your group chats in the right drawer and you can now tap avatars to send direct messages. You can also expect faster performance and a way to share access to your group chats with a simple URL. Oh, and you tablet folks can finally ditch the stretched out phone UI as the app now has a user interface made specifically for bigger displays. All of it is mega exciting and makes me wish I had friends who weren’t content with the simple joys that text and MMS messaging used to bring. For those of you with enough of a social life to make this app worthwhile, you can find your free download in the Google Play Store here. [via GroupMe]

LG VS870 heads to FCC in Verizon flavor, could be an Escape with wireless charging Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:56 PM PST Verizon and LG might be looking to rekindle old flames of yesteryear with a possible mid-range handset headed to the carrier in 2013. The LG VS870 has hit the FCC clothed in a cloak of big, red armor… well, not literally, but you get the idea. The vS870 could be a new variant of the LG P870, or the LG Escape. We’re not sure if Verizon would look to rebrand it as they are always so keen to do, but the phone itself shouldn’t be much different in flesh. Assuming this is similar to the Escape, we could be looking at a 4.3 inch qHD smartphone with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM, a 5 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, a 1.3 megapixel front camera, NFC, 4G LTE and more. It wouldn’t be the massive anchor Verizon would need to hold its smartphone lineup down in 2013, but for those looking for decent 4G smartphones for affordable prices it could be a very nice addition. A stop at the Wireless Power Consortium also indicates this device might come with some Qi wireless charging capabilities. Verizon has been a huge proponent of wireless charging from the beginning so it wouldn’t surprise us to see the carrier stuff the components necessary for that to happen inside this package. Of course, such an early stop at the FCC doesn’t guarantee we’re close to seeing a release — some phones have gotten this far and haven’t even seen the light of day — so we’ll be left wondering if Verizon really has its heart set on bringing this out or if the LG Escape has already sailed on from the isle of relevance. [via Engadget]

HTC M7 said to be getting revealed a week ahead of Mobile World Congress Posted: 23 Jan 2013 12:55 PM PST We’re just over a month away from Mobile World Congress where we expect some very big announcements to be made. One of the bigger stories to follow has been HTC’s M7. We’re almost 100% certain the device exists and that it is supposed to be announced next month, but a new wrench thrown into the rumor mill suggests we’ll be hearing official word about it sooner than we expected. The event will supposedly take place February 19th, a full week and some change ahead of the goings-on in Barcelona, and folks believe HTC could take to London to do its bidding. Considering how CES went it’s not a long shot to suggest HTC will take this route. Many big companies skipped CES in terms of big mobile announcements, a trend that is increasingly sweeping the wireless industry. Everyone wants their own stage and their own time to ensure no one else can steal their thunder. The HTC M7 is a big deal for the company during times where it’s seeing its lowest profit margins in years. With profits slowly slipping away HTC has to do everything it can to roar back into the spotlight, and we don’t blame the Taiwanese OEM if it doesn’t want to share with anyone else. Either way, no one has received any save the dates or invitations so until HTC starts rolling those out we won’t know what to expect from its February schedule. [Twitter via PocketNow]

Facebook takes “most used app” crown from Google Maps in 2012, 2013′s story sure to be different Posted: 23 Jan 2013 12:06 PM PST The folks at ComScore did some number crunching to find out which mobile apps were the most popular throughout 2012. The results only include data from iOS and Android, but considering these two combined have a vast majority of the world’s mobile market share we’d say the sample size is good enough. Believe it or not, Google Maps was the most used application for a vast majority of the year, commanding a significant lead over Facebook until June 2012 when the race became neck and neck. The trend might have continued all the way throughout the year, but guess what happened at the tail end of the calendar? Yep, Apple Maps, and the temporary death of Google Maps. Without Apple’s play, Google Maps might have come out with the top spot for 2012, but the lack of Google Maps on iOS caused a huge dip. Let’s not take anything away from Facebook — it closed the year out with a very nice climb of its own, but we’d like to think that has something to do with new smartphone owners being added to the pool following the smartphone-heavy holiday season. Google’s still sitting quite nicely, though, as spots 2-6 belong to its own applications, including Google Play, Youtube, Gmail, Google Search and the aforementioned Maps. With its own Maps app back on iOS we imagine Google will be able to contend with Facebook in the 2013 race, though with Apple Maps taking a large chunk of its thunder it’s going to be a tight one. What does all this mean? Nothing at all, really. Facebook and Google Maps provide two very different services, so the battle really isn’t between the two. If anything, this just goes to show how big of an influence Apple’s decisions have on the general landscape of mobile. Check the chart below for the full list of 2012′s top 10 apps.

Pink Droid RAZR M headed to Verizon in time for Valentine’s Day Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:53 AM PST If you’re looking to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit, Verizon has a special version of the Motorola Droid RAZR M for you. Announced for release tomorrow, January 24th, the RAZR with an edge-to-edge display will be available in a new pink color scheme. Pricing remains constant with previous versions of the phone, as does the handset’s hardware. For $99 you get dual-core processing, 4G LTE, and reliable battery life. I’ll take that over a box of chocolates and some flowers any day of the week. [via Verizon]

Samsung reshaping pixels to create ultra-dense HD displays Posted: 23 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST When it comes to hi-res displays, using traditional methods it is nearly impossible to squeeze more than 440 pixels per inch into a typically-zied smartphone screen. Samsung’s upcoming Full HD Super AMOLED display — said to be the centerpiece of the Galaxy S4 — just about reaches the limit. That screen measures 4.99 inches, but Samsung is looking into ways to bring a similar pixel density to smaller screen sizes. How do they plan on accomplishing this? By reinventing the pixel. Current screen technology uses square pixels, and only so many can be crammed into a display before the rules of geometry take over. But those same rules of geometry are being used to reshape the pixel in a way that will allow for more on smaller screens, perhaps at a clip even greater than 440 ppi. According to a report from DigiTimes, Samsung is experiminting with hexagonal and diamond-shaped pixels as a replacement for square pixels. But will the additional pixels be more than chum for the advertising department? It is said that the human eye maxes out at around 300 pixels, hence the Retina display moniker Apple has attached to its 326 ppi iPhone display. But in a smartphone race based on gigahertz, megapixels, and screen resolution, Samsung will do what it has to do get a leg up on the competition, even if the end result makes no technical difference to our eyes. [via TechCrunch]

Before Apple, Verizon planned to launch Siri as Droid line’s killer feature Posted: 23 Jan 2013 07:35 AM PST In some alternate universe, Verizon’s hallmark Droid line launched in 2009 with its own voice-activated personal assistant, courtesy of then little-known startup Siri. Droids began listening to their owners, then talking back, eventually developing sentience and leading to a war between humans and machines. OK, so none of that actually happened, but it could have. At least the part about Siri on the Droid. You see, the story goes that Verizon signed a deal with Siri to include their voice assistant software on their flagship line of Android devices. It was going to be marketed as a killer feature, and commercials were even produced to showcase the app’s capabilities. Then Apple entered the picture, bought Siri, and the rest is history. But perhaps it’s better that way. Had Siri been available for Android devices, Google may have never been pushed to develop a similar service of their own to bake into Android. What we today know as Google Now might not even exist. The entire smartphone landscape would look utterly different. That’s just the sort of cultural power Siri, or more so Apple, holds. Siri itself would also likely be drastically different. Most would be surprised to find out that older standalone versions of Siri were actually more capable than the iteration that first launched on the iPhone 4S. If you thought the ability to book a table through Siri was new, just look back to the original iOS app, which had the functionality included. The ability to speak naturally and intuitively to our devices is a trend that will only continue to develop. In fact, if CES was any indication that sort of fluid interaction will extend beyond smartphones to the living room and beyond. Voice-activated TVs and other appliances are already here. Maybe that machine war isn’t so far off, after all. [via The Verge]

Nexus 4 once again available from T-Mobile Posted: 23 Jan 2013 06:49 AM PST If waiting for Google to restock their Play Store offerings has driven you to consider inning a two-year contract with T-Mobile, now is your chance to grab a Nexus 4. The notoriously hard to come by phone is once again available online from the carrier for $199 after a $50 rebate. Customers also have the option to purchase the phone contract-free, but minus TMo’s subsidy can expect to pay a lot more than they would for the device direct from Google. Getting the device direct from Google, though, is the hard part. T-Mobile has also started stocking the phone at retail stores across the country. Larger outlets should already have stock (if it hasn’t run out yet) while smaller branches should be starting to see units trickle in. Google and LG have both expressed resolve in getting a handle on the stock issues plaguing the phone. LG is committed to churning out Nexus 4 handsets in order to meet high demand. [via AndroidCommunity]

T-Mobile teases LTE, plans to cover 200 million subscribers by end of year Posted: 23 Jan 2013 06:01 AM PST T-Mobile will be the last of the four major US carrier to deploy LTE, but they plan to bring their game face in 2013. On a post to their Facebook account, the wireless provider teased its upcoming 4G deployment, asking customers if they are “ready to go faster.” TMo plans to cover 200 million customers with LTE airwaves by the end of the year. We’d call that a good start for the carrier. Plans to upgrade their network were more or less halted as the company awaited the finalization of an AT&T buyout that never came to fruition, which put T-Mobile back a step. Customers have been getting along just fine with HSPA+ 42, a network technology delivering comparable speeds to LTE in most areas. Look for more big developments in LTE this year, including the beginnings of a transition to pure 4G service. Voice-over-LTE is the next step in weaning users off of 3G. [via Facebook | Thanks, Chuck]

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