Android Authority

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• MSI introduces low-price Enjoy 71 tablet
• HTC au Infobar A02 Android smartphone ready to launch in Japan
• Does the world need more mobile OSs?
• Insects’ eyes might be the key to reducing screen glare and reflections
• Samsung and Amazon benefit from tablet sales growth in Q3 Europe
• Android Authority On Air – Episode 48 – Paranoid Android
• Huawei MediaPad 10 Link visits FCC, apparently gets beat up
• Goblins Rush launch trailer features goblins, rushing
• Official Jelly Bean alpha for Sony Xperia T now available
• Leaked internal Verizon docs show new prepaid plan arriving on February 1st

MSI introduces low-price Enjoy 71 tablet Posted: 27 Jan 2013 01:28 AM PST If you're looking for a 7-inch tablet but still can't afford the likes of the $200 Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD, perhaps the new MSI Enjoy 71 might pique your interest. While there is no official release date in the U.S. yet, this tablet is slated to sell for about $172 in Taiwan where it was first introduced. Don't let the low price fool you. Powered by a 1.5-GHz dual-core Amlogic AML8726-MX processor and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the Enjoy 71 still packs enough punch. At 10.5 ounces, it is even lighter than the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD, which weigh 12.2 ounces and 13.9 ounces, respectively. And unlike the plasticky exterior of the latter devices, MSI's offering uses a metallic enclosure that should improve the build quality as well as the feel when holding it in your hands. Handling the graphics department is a Mali-400 GPU. The tablet only allows 8GB worth of files in its internal storage, but it can reach up to 32GB thanks to its microSD card expansion. Other specifications include a 7-inch IPS display that sports a 1024 x 600 resolution, 2.0MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera, mini-HDMI and micro-USB connectivity, and 1GB memory. The battery capacity is 3200mAh and supports charging via the micro-USB. Truth be told, only the somewhat outdated Android operating system seems to be the unsatisfactory feature for a tablet set at this price point. Related Posts Another Low-Priced Android Tablet: MSI Windpad Enjoy 7 spotted at FCC Acer Iconia Tab A110 7-inch tablet unveiled, to come soon with ICS, Tegra 3 and sub-$200 price tag Toshiba AT200 10-Inch Tablet Gets Release Date and Price

HTC au Infobar A02 Android smartphone ready to launch in Japan Posted: 27 Jan 2013 12:27 AM PST   HTC is not doing that great financially, but it still has time to work on devices like the HTC Mini accessory and the HTC au Infobar A02 smartphone. The latter is a new Android handset that will soon be available from Japanese carrier KDDI. The au Infobar A02 features a 4.7-inch 720p display, 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8064 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of memory, 8-megapixel camera, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, HTC ImageSense, microSD support, worldwide phone support (LTE, CDMA2000 and WCDMA,) NFC, 1segTV tuner, 2100mAh battery and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box with a Windows Phone-like iida UI 2.0 interface on top. Moreover, the au Infobar A02 is also waterproof and dustproof, weighs 147g and has a 9.7mm profile. The au Infobar A02 will be available in blue or gray come mid-February, although we don't have pricing details for you at this time. Anyone looking to buy the device and use it outside of Japan? Related Posts Sharp to release a 4.9-inch Android smartphone with Snapdragon S4 Pro and 16MP camera in Japan HTC J ready to fly out of Japan to Taiwan Aquos 102SH Waterproof Android Phone in Japan

Does the world need more mobile OSs? Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:55 PM PST In trying to name off all the operating systems for mobile devices, it feels a bit like Christmas. It seems as though we're naming reindeer rather than platforms. As we consider each of them, and then the mobile OS landscape in its entirety, we're left to wonder if we need all this? More importantly, does this damage or threaten Android in any way? Some old OSs are dying out, and some new ones are scrambling to fill their place. A few of the new crop are interesting and may pose a threat to Android, but that's nothing new. The Players We already have a very tight bunch of operating systems for mobile. There is of course Android and iOS, but there is also Blackberry. Windows is finally taking mobile seriously, and Symbian is still out there. That's five mobile operating systems! We also must wonder if each Android skin is an OS unto itself. There is the Amazon OS, which is technically Android, but severely altered. Do TouchWiz or Sense count as an OS? They have their own spin on Android, and TouchWiz has a lot of functionality that only pertains to Samsung smartphones and tablets. As an entire new batch of OS contenders are readying themselves for entrance into the market, we wonder: who are they, and what do they have going for them? There are a few real players, and a few pretenders. Some we may never see, and some may rise up to challenge Android. Sailfish Sailfish is a very customizable OS that seems to be geared toward helping a manufacturer or vendor build from the ground up. While that sounds a bit scary, as it encourages those who have skins or bloatware for Android to jump ship, there's not much to be concerned about. Sailfish requires someone to dedicate quite a bit of time and resources into building their own OS. It's failing where Android succeeds! Android gives the OS away for free, then has a very respectable ecosystem to boot. Sailfish has a website with some slightly pedantic tech-speak that a normal consumer won't understand, and a vendor with any sense will ignore. Firefox OS Had Mozilla jumped on this six years ago, we may be called "Firefox Authority". Firefox and Chrome are very similar in nature, but while Chrome is a service offered by as larger company, Firefox is Mozilla. You have a company with a dedicated idea and focus, but maybe not the muscle to be a big player in the mobile market. It seems as though Mozilla is missing the point with Firefox OS, but not the mark. Firefox OS promises to allow users "freedom from proprietary mobile platforms", meaning it doesn't matter which OS an app is written for, you'll be able to use it on Firefox OS. Sounds great, right? We, as Android fans, can get our hands on all those cool iOS apps and games we hear so much about! Think again. Firefox is proposing to run web apps, not necessarily mobile apps. Essentially, Firefox OS is a result of the Boot to Gecko project, or B2G. This takes a slightly modified version of Gecko (which runs Firefox) and utilizes it for the mobile landscape. That means it will essentially use the web as the OS. Think of it like a Chromebook for mobile: just about anything you do on this platform happens in Firefox. Interesting, but not a winner. This is too far a reach for the average consumer. It will interest some tech geeks looking for something new to feign interest at, but I can't see this catching on widely. Essentially, it's like using a Chrome browser, and all those Chrome apps, rather than Android. It just plain doesn't appeal to me. Mobile apps make web apps optimal for mobile, so in a way… Firefox OS is a step backwards. It's easier for developers, sure, but consumers will dismiss it. Some mobile apps may be HTML5-friendly, but those require porting. Developers are taxed enough without having to port an app to another platform. Tizen Tizen is a bit of a wild card. It has a ton of muscle behind it in Samsung and Intel, but will be focussed on the Asian market. It has been shown to run Android apps with the help of OpenMobile, so it does what Firefox doesn't in regard to apps and functionality. Out of the box, Tizen could be running Android apps, giving it an immediate ecosystem. This bit of info presents a new wrinkle to the open source discussion. OpenMobile is taking something built for Android, and essentially porting it to another device. It seems wrong, but can you steal something that was free to begin with? Android, being open source, asked for this in a way. If it becomes an issue, look to Google to shut it down very quickly. As a pure OS, Tizen is an Android copycat. It's open source, developer-driven, and Linux-based. It has its own API and SDK, and can be operated across multiple platforms. Tizen is still in its infancy, so it's pretty early to tell if it will be a true contender or not. It has some great HTML5 support, much like Firefox OS, so it could be a true cross-platform operating system. Ubuntu Ubuntu promises an across-the-board feel to all platforms, much like Tizen. The difference is that Ubuntu is established, giving it an important advantage. Many people use and enjoy Ubuntu, and the idea of having the interface and functionality across all their devices may be heaven. Domestically, we've seen this before… in a big way. Ubuntu is essentially trying to accomplish what Windows is, and quite frankly failing at. The problem with Windows isn't the interface, which is nice, it's functionality and support. If Ubuntu can solve the interesting little twists and turns we find in Windows, it has a shot. Ubuntu is also utilizing web apps, much like Firefox. Mobile apps exist because using a web app on a small screen often doesn't work, so using anything but is a tricky proposition. The web page ends up cluttered on a small screen, essentially limiting its functionality. Again, many mobile apps are written in HTML, but it's really up to each developer to port it over. Fragmentation Fragmentation is Android's very own dirty little F-word. We don't particularly like saying it, and we don't like hearing it. It's offensive, but sometimes necessary. If Android is fragmented when simply considering the iterations that are out there, what happens when we factor in all the skins and altered versions of Android? It's a total cluster-fragmentation, that's what. Each version of Android brings this discussion to the surface, and while it's getting better as smartphones get more powerful and can handle all the cool new stuff Android is capable of, it still exists. Android has about a 75% market share of the world OSs, and is fragmented pretty thoroughly. Now consider each new OS to that equation, and the market becomes cluttered. Imagine walking into a mobile carrier store, and seeing the normal 20 or so phones lined up agianst the wall. Right now, we have 3-4 iPhones, 2-3 Windows phones, and 10-12 Android phones. A few dumb phones shoved into the corner to satisfy that market, and maybe a tablet or two. Consider that being 2-3 iPhones, 1-2 Windows phones, 6-8 Android phones, 2-3 Ubuntu phones, 1-2 Tizen devices, maybe a Firefox phone, and 1-2 dumb phones. Not only is that limiting your choices for a great device, it also confuses the landscape. Manufacturers don't need this While Samsung is a clear winner in terms of device sales and popularity, many are struggling in this market. Much has been made of HTC's failures, and LG wasn't a major player until the Nexus 4 came. Nokia has hitched its wagon to Windows, but that's not exclusive or lucrative. Sony is getting serious about mobile, and the variety of new manufacturers with good devices is staggering. If the OS landscape is fragmented and convoluted, it doesn't bode well for manufacturers. A single device being made for different OSs is rare, as they often have to be rebadged or altered slightly to avoid confusion or functionality. With carriers always wanting exclusives being factored in, the manufacturers have a near impossible job of keeping up as it stands today. Throw in the wrench of different OSs, and their workload just grew while profits stagnated or even dipped. Take HTC, which has enough trouble selling devices for Android. HTC makes stellar devices, but it spreads itself too thin. On top of multiple devices per carrier, it has also involved itself in Windows. It would be ideal for HTC to have the ability to take a device like the One S and simply "port" it to different OSs, but that's just not what people want. People want the coolest device available on their carrier, with their OS. Sure, some OSs need different functionality and thus different specs, but not with today's phones. This is about exclusivity, and it hurts manufacturers. The golden age For all of you Android fans out there, you're smack dab in the middle of the golden age. Android is afforded every luxury there is, from an open source platform widely adopted by developers to a line of devices that pace the market. Google even has its own manufacturer now, which really solidifies the future. Android, it seems, is an unstoppable force. We once assumed the same of Apple in the mobile space we occupy, but Android doesn't have the same issues. Android started where Apple was lacking, and built from there. Android is now a leader, where once they were dismissed as a passing interest for Google. We're wise to keep this in mind, as a lesson can be learned when these new OSs come to pass. Will they be able to beat Android at its own game, a game that now defines the industry? The deciding factor If you think of all the new OS contenders entering the ring, you'll notice a lot of similarities. The same tools across all platforms, utilizing web apps and HTML5. A different and "better" API, an open source environment. Scary, right? Sounds so much like Android it's frightening. If we think of these attributes, we wonder what stops them from toppling the mighty green robot. Functionality is great, but to what end? Android and iOS are great not because of their interface or cross platform presence, but because of their ecosystem. If I get a Firefox phone, and want to play my new favorite game Dark Meadow, then what? If developers don't have the time or desire to port their HTML5 apps to a new platform, we're just out of luck. The OpenMobile function on Tizen is promising, but could raise the ire of Google. Do you have anything to worry about? Only if you switch. We waited a long time to get where we are with Android. We went wanting for quite some time to get to this point, and there is no reason to start all over again. Don't like your interface? Root and flash a new ROM. There is no need to switch to an entirely new OS. Android offers more than all of these new contenders could muster collectively, and there is no reason to believe a few pebbles in the road will cause the steamroller to go off track. Related Posts Samsung moves forward with Tizen operating system Tizen OS shown running Android apps on video Ubuntu smartphone to launch without app store, won't support Android apps

Insects’ eyes might be the key to reducing screen glare and reflections Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:54 PM PST What are you looking at? Screen glare is perhaps one of the more annoying aspects of smartphone and tablet screens. This will usually render your phone or tablet unusable — or at least annoyingly reflective — outdoors. Even in an indoors setting, overhead lighting, sunlit windows or other sources of light can cause glare. Some users will compensate for this with increased screen brightness, but this results in faster battery drain. Older devices used to come with non-reflective matte screens. But with today’s touchscreen phones, glossy glass screens are the norm. So how do we solve screen glare aside from keeping indoors most of the time? Glass manufacturers are turning to insects. For one, Asahi Glass Co., a Japanese glass-making company that creates glass for the automotive and electronics industry, is experimenting with a nano-structured coating that’s akin to the so-called “moth’s eye” approach found in nature. In partnership with device-maker Rolith, the companies are using the proprietary “Rolling Mask lithography”  method to create nano-structures on large glass panels in a cost-effective process. The resulting glass reduces reflections from the surface, which results in an exceptionally wide wavelength spectrum, and as a side effect, has a wider viewing angle. It is estimated that traditional glass will reflect about 4% to 8% of light as a cause of the transition between materials within the glass’ layer that come with different refractive indices. Rolling Mask litography will reduce this, thereby making smartphones, tablets and other devices more usable. The process is still being developed through the partnership, so it might take some time before the actual application will surface in consumer-geared industries and products like cars, displays and mobile devices. But it’s a step toward the right direction. Once Asahi, Rolith and perhaps other glass-making firms like Corning, perfect their anti-glare technologies, we would be able to view our smartphone, tablet and notebook computer screens more clearly even in direct sunlight. Image credit: Insect eyes / Shutterstock Related Posts MIT creates glare-free, self cleaning super glass, to be used on smartphone screens in the future Android Phones May Have “Invisible” Glass Screens Soon Nano Nails lets you use fingernails as a stylus

Samsung and Amazon benefit from tablet sales growth in Q3 Europe Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:36 PM PST Sales of Samsung and Amazon tablet devices dominated the European market during the holidays. In their latest interim management statement for the December 2012 quarter, retailer Carphone Warehouse reported a 16% growth that is largely caused by a strong demand for the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. In fact, weekly sales of the devices reached 40,000 at its highest point, up from a measly 5,000 during the same period of the previous year. Exceeding the expectations of market experts, CEO Roger Taylor of the largest independent mobile phone retailer in Europe said that they "have become an authority in the tablet market for the first time ever," without compromising the company's profits by doing so. Other retailers in Europe reported a similar growth in tablet sales. Dixons Retail sold five tablet devices per second during the week before Christmas, with only a third of sales comprised by the Apple iPad. Likewise, retailer Argos indicated a rise in sales of mobile devices during the same period. By bundling tablets with their flagship Galaxy smartphones, Samsung certainly has attracted customers and drawn their attention away from the premium Apple devices. Both Samsung and Amazon also sell their devices at a much cheaper price, an approach that is finally starting to benefit both companies. Related Posts Amazon Appstore launching in Europe soon, Kindle Fire on its way too? Smartphones, tablets driving growth in the DRAM industry Amazon Q2 2012: Kindle Fire best-seller device, net income down 96%

Android Authority On Air – Episode 48 – Paranoid Android Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:07 PM PST We at Android Authority loves us some custom ROMs. Do you know what we like more than custom ROMs? Loves us some new, innovative features on custom ROMs. This week on Android Authority On Air, we had the pleasure of interviewing Aaron Gascoigne, who just happens to be one of the four developers behind the Paranoid Android ROM. So what did Aaron have to say about Paranoid Android? We talked about their new Pie navigation system, why they switched from a CyanogenMod base to an AOSP base, their PA Prefs app and much, much more. These guys are going places. You’ll definitely want to check them out if your device is supported. Besides Paranoid Android, we did the usual, discussing Android devices and the latest and greatest from the Android ecosystem. On the device front, we talked about the LG Optimus G Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 leaked all over the web, and HTC’s M7 and Sense 5.0 didn’t want to feel left out, leaking too. We saw a handful of useful apps get updated this week such as Tasker, Reddit News, and Temple Run 2. Over on the rootin’ and ROMin’ front HTC cracked down on the hands that feed them, the developer community. HTC took down and seized control over HTCRUU.com this week, shocking the Android community. Remember all those rumors about Google and possibly Dish creating a wireless network? Well, at least part of that rumor is true. Google is creating a wireless network. This network will only be available on the Google’s Mountain View Campus. And lastly, the frequency they plan on using ranges from 2524Mhz to 2625MHz. This is the same frequency band that is owned by Clearwire here in the USA. What’s this mean? Who knows? Miss the show? Tune in or watch below: SoundCloud |Stitcher |iTunes | Miro | RSS Related Posts Android Authority On Air – Episode 33 – LG Nexus 4 Android Authority On Air – Episode 47 – Ingress Giveaways, Root Apps, and more. Android Authority On Air – Episode 45 – CES Pre-Show

Huawei MediaPad 10 Link visits FCC, apparently gets beat up Posted: 26 Jan 2013 02:27 PM PST There are several reason why I would never want to be thoroughly inspected by the FCC, but the above photo is chief among them. The Huawei MediaPad 10 Link recently made its way through the FCC, and judging by the photos, they weren’t exactly kind to it. We first checked in with the Huawei MediaPad 10 Link back in November, and we haven’t seen too many details released since then. The Link looks to be the little brother of the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD, with a reported resolution of 1280 x 800, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. While being roughed up by the FCC indicates that the MediaPad 10 Link is headed to the U.S. at some point, we have no idea when that might be. Have you got your eye on any of Huawei’s MediaPad 10 tablets? Do you think they have any chance at breaking into the western market any time soon? Related Posts Huawei MediaPad 10 Link tablet details begin to surface, look to include an HD display Huawei MediaPad Visits FCC, Heading to T-Mobile Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD to be released globally in September

Goblins Rush launch trailer features goblins, rushing Posted: 26 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST Sometimes a game’s title is inscrutable, offering little to no clues about what you’ll find when you launch it. Goblins Rush is not that kind of game, as its launch trailer shows. Close your eyes and point to a game in the Google Play Store, and chances are about 50/50 that you’ll find a game that uses the word ‘defense’ somewhere in its description. Goblins Rush follows this fine tradition, billing itself as a “horizontal defense” game. Your goal? Keep the goblins away from your Manacrystals. As you progress, you will be able to upgrade your abilities to take on smarter, faster goblins. Unlike tower defense games, Goblins Rush is heavy on the action. Don’t believe me? Check out the launch trailer below: Goblins Rush launches on Tuesday, January 29th. Are you planning on picking it up? Let us know in the comments below. Related Posts New trailer for Need For Speed: Most Wanted is here Latest trailer of N.O.V.A 3 released, game to come out this May First trailer for Gameloft’s Real Football 2013 is now out, but is it really a trailer?

Official Jelly Bean alpha for Sony Xperia T now available Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:25 AM PST A few weeks after announcing the upgrade schedule for particular Xperia smartphones, Sony has released an alpha version of their Jelly Bean custom ROM. The move comes after the company received a small number of requests from Android devs so the latter can make early evaluation and testing of the software. Being in alpha stage, this build is obviously for advanced developers only.  Regular  Xperia owners may want to avoid flashing the ROM since many everyday uses are nonfunctional. For instance, any inserted SIM cards are not recognized, radio connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, FM radio) is disabled, and the user interface look and feel is not final. Google apps are absent as well. Other requirements in using the software include testing with an unlocked Sony Xperia T, agreeing to waive the phone warranty when unlocking the boot loader, and acknowledging that Sony holds no responsibility for any damage whatsoever that may happen. To top it all, should you decide to unlock your Xperia T, you will be no longer entitled to obtain the final version of the Jelly Bean upgrade when it releases. If you're nonetheless quite the daredevil, you can proceed to the source link for complete flashing instructions. Related Posts Sony Xperia U's Jelly Bean update to arrive in early December? Android 4.1 Jelly Bean gets previewed on Sony Xperia TL [video] Sony Xperia T benchmark results show Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

Leaked internal Verizon docs show new prepaid plan arriving on February 1st Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:42 AM PST It seems even Verizon is tired of their current prepaid offerings. By most standards, their prepaid plans are pretty expensive and it chases people away to smaller carrier with better rates. Since Verizon is still the largest carrier in the United States, it can be understood how they wouldn’t care about their prepaid business for so long. Some leaked internal documents seem to show that Verizon is ready to change. According to Phone Arena, the documents show the new prepaid services should be launching February 1st. There are two rate plans mentioned in the document, which is also shown above. The first plan will be unlimited talk and text with 500MB of 3G-only data for $60 a month. For an extra $10, you can increase that to 2GB a month. Good job Verizon for still being prude with your data plans. There is also a plan to get grandfathered into the new plan. They get the same data, talk, and text as the new plans, but pay the same rate. So, essentially, the current $80 offering gets changed from 1GB a month to 2GB a month, but you still pay $80. Yes, this is $10 more than the new $70 plan and has the exact same features. So our recommendation is don’t get grandfathered in. While it’s nice that Verizon will be lowering their rates, we feel it won’t do much in the long run. There are both CDMA and GSM carriers that will give you more and let you pay about the same amount or less. So it’s only recommended to check this out if you have a Verizon phone and don’t feel like buying a new one to switch to a new service. Will any Verizon customers be considering this prepaid, 3G only plan? Related Posts AT&T introduces a new $65 prepaid plan; stay away and go with Straight Talk T-Mobile confirms unlimited prepaid 4G plan More Americans decide to go prepaid. Are you one of them?

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Android Phone Fans

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• Android Overload: Verizon sells spectrum to AT&T, T-Mobile all about NFC, Samsung continues to beat Apple and more
• Chrome Beta for Android has full screen browsing very well hidden
• When does a smartphone become a “phablet”? [POLL]

Android Overload: Verizon sells spectrum to AT&T, T-Mobile all about NFC, Samsung continues to beat Apple and more Posted: 26 Jan 2013 06:03 PM PST Android Overload is where we bring you all the stories that didn’t make it to our homepage! There is always something interesting in these lists, so make sure to read through them. Enjoy your weekend, guys. See you next time! iPhone vs. Android: cold weather texting smackdown [Mashable] Verizon sells spectrum to AT&T for $1.9 billion [CNET] T-Mobile wants NFC to be “a reality” in 2013 [Mobile World Live] Smartphone-controlled miniature quad-copter with camera [Gizmodo] Samsung extends lead over Apple, Huawei and ZTE increase influence [Engadget] Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 passes through FCC [Engadget] Jelly Bean alpha build now available for Xperia T custom ROM developers [Sony Mobile] Share your apps across multiple users on Android 4.2 [Reddit]

Chrome Beta for Android has full screen browsing very well hidden Posted: 26 Jan 2013 05:03 PM PST Does the image above look a little weird? That is right, it is Chrome running full screen on an Android device. A curious Nexus 7 user (Smackel from Reddit) accidentally found out we can turn this hidden feature on by pulling some strings and making a few tricks. It ressembles the way Mac computers can turn apps full screen, getting rid of all the icons, bars and extra bells & whistles. Similarly, this full screen mode makes the browser take over the notification bar, giving the user a few more millimeters of navigating power. It is interesting to think that just a few milimiters of screen real estate can make such a huge difference. Browsing suddenly feels much cleaner and more pleasing to the eye. But let’s cut through the chase – how exactly do we do this? First, you need to have an Android 4.0+ device and download Chrome Beta (not Chrome for Android). If you fit the lonely requirement, you can go full speed ahead! Simply follow the next steps: Type “chrome://flags/” in the address bar Enable WebGL Go to the Boids and Buildings Chrome Experiment page Click on the “Launch Experiment” button Click on “Run” You are now on full-screen and can close this page Keep in mind this is not an official feature just yet, so it’s not perfect. Full screen mode will go away after you close Chome Beta, but you pretty much have to kill it. It continues to work if you leave the app running in the background. If Chrome Beta gets closed, though, you have to follow the last 3 steps again. This is more than likely no accident or bug. We are willing to bet Google has been secretly planning to introduce this this as a feature in a future update. The coding must be there. If it is a bug, though, we agree with Smackel that is is about the coolest one we have seen. [via ChromeSpot]

When does a smartphone become a “phablet”? [POLL] Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:19 PM PST We know many of you don’t like the term (phablet), but it is the most commonly used word to address those devices that blur the line between a smartphone and a tablet. We don’t necessarily like it either, but if you can help us come up with a better name, we just might use it! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the point. There seem to be different standards when it comes to categorizing such devices. Screens that we used to see as large are becoming small and gigantic phones are becoming normal. So when does a smartphone exactly become these mystical devices we all stare at when we go to the phone store? Does it depend on the features? Maybe it has more to do with the size? To me, a phone becomes a “phablet” when you are no longer able to use it comfortably with one hand. Of course, this will vary from person to person, as our hands are not the same size. This is just the way I personally tend to see it. In my eyes, anything above a 5-inch screen is a “phablet” or a mini tablet. If you believe it is more about features, then you may believe the Galaxy Note devices are about the only real smartphone/tablet hybrids out there. Said devices take advantage of the S-Pen (stylus) to bring more functionality to the larger display. This takes the device’s screen real estate to the next level and makes up for the lack of extra space in your pockets. I happen to love large displays, even if many times I can’t just one-hand them. I usually don’t, anyways. But what do you guys think? Are you liking these enormous smartphones? Let us know what you think and participate in the poll to let us know when you think a smartphone becomes a “phablet”!

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Google Android News Android Forums

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• HTC brings completely new UI with crazy animations to new “Infobar” phone [VIDEO]
• Galaxy Nexus LTE no longer available through Verizon
• Sony releases experimental Jelly Bean ROM for Xperia T
• Amazon’s Cloud Drive Photos app gets an update with several new features including instant upload
• Gameloft to release a wacky FPS called Blitz Brigade
• HTC Mini introduces concept of a remote control for your smartphone
• More pics of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 surface
• Hyundai to release T7 tablet with serious Samsung influence
• Over 200 million smartphones shipped in Q4 2012, with Samsung shipping 1/3 of all smartphones
• AT&T HTC One X+ Review: The best just got better

HTC brings completely new UI with crazy animations to new “Infobar” phone [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:17 AM PST HTC has teamed up with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa to release the next iteration of the stylish Japanese “Infobar” phone series. The phone runs a completely new UI known as “iida UI 2.0″ (iida stands for “innovation,” “imagination,” “design” and “art”) and it certainly lives up to its name. The iida UI comes with all sorts of fancy animations, eye candy, and intuitive touch based navigation. The beautiful new skin is running atop of Android 4.1 but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the software. In fact, it looks like it could be more related to Windows Phone with a home screen that mimics Windows’ “live tiles” layout. The phone itself sports some pretty great specs including a 1.5GHz quad-core chip from Qualcomm, 1GB of RAM,  a 4.7-inch 720p display, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot, and a capacious 2,100mAh battery. As for radios, the phone will primarily rely on an LTE radio (800/1500), but also has capabilities to access CDMA2000 800/2100 and WCDMA 850/1900/2100 networks, meaning it would be a great global phone. Besides all that you get an 8 megapixel camera with HTC’s Imagesense technology, a 2.1 front facing camera, Beats Audio, and NFC! It’s all packed inside the 9.7mm-thick, 147g-heavy waterproof (IPX5 and IPX7) and dustproof (IP5X) body. Pretty cool! The phone is set to be released in Japan around mid-February. Check out some videos of the device’s new UI and some more photos after the break! Do you guys prefer this to HTC’s Sense UI?   Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video.   Source: KDDI Japan Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Galaxy Nexus LTE no longer available through Verizon Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Well, it had a good run. Unfortunately, Verizon will no longer be carrying the Galaxy Nexus LTE, even on those nice refurbished deals we’ve seen once or twice. It’s a shame to see it go, as it was Big Red’s first (and probably last) Nexus device on their network. And even with its poor battery life and mediocre camera, it was an excellent device. And if you have to be locked into a two year agreement with any device, the Nexus would be the phone you would want. Verizon may not carry it, but it’s bound to stay in the headlines for development and ports for the foreseeable future. source: Droid Life Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Sony releases experimental Jelly Bean ROM for Xperia T Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Still waiting on that Jelly Bean update for your Xperia T? If you’re the adventurous type, Sony has released an alpha build of Jelly Bean for the T for you to play with, flashable via Sony’s own flashing tool for unlocked Xperias. There’s a few issues with this build, though; no WiFi, no Bluetooth, no mobile data, and no Google apps, and you won’t be able to update to the official firmware once it’s released. It’s basically the build for a fancy MP3 player at this point. The UI also hasn’t been updated to reflect the newer versions that will likely be the same as on the Xperia Z. So unless you’re an adventurous developer, you may want to wait for this build to get touched up a bit on XDA before flashing. But if you just can’t wait, hit the source below to get the download link. source: Sony Mobile Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Amazon’s Cloud Drive Photos app gets an update with several new features including instant upload Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:50 AM PST Amazon’s Cloud Drive Photos application got an update on the Play Store last week, bringing a few useful features along with it. The biggest change is the Instant Upload feature. Unfortunately, Amazon’s playing catch up a bit here, as Facebook and Dropbox have already had that built into their applications, but it’s good to see it anyway. There’s also support for taking photos with your camera in the application, although only on devices running Android 4.0 and up.  Aside from that, it’s just basic enhancements, like being able to select multiple photos at once, view how much storage space you have left, get notifications when you’re low on storage, etc. Handy update that’s definitely worth grabbing. Hit the link below to download it. Play Store Download Link Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Gameloft to release a wacky FPS called Blitz Brigade Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:41 AM PST Blitz Brigade is going to be Gameloft’s newest addition to its already massive library of games. Blitz Brigade features team based gameplay, big guns, explosions, and blood. The teaser trailer Gameloft released doesn’t have any actual gameplay footage, but there’s obviously quite a bit of Team Fortress 2 inspiration in this title. Unfortunately, no release date yet, but this is probably that other FPS we saw listed on Gameloft’s 2013 roadmap. Fingers crossed it doesn’t take too much longer to hit the Play Store. Hit the break to watch the trailer. Click here to view the embedded video. Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

HTC Mini introduces concept of a remote control for your smartphone Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:12 AM PST HTC has introduced a new piece of hardware to their ecosystem. The HTC Mini is a remote control aimed at the Chinese market for the HTC Butterfly, the Chinese market variant of the HTC DROID DNA. The device works by pairing it with an HTC Butterfly initially via NFC. Once paired, the devices can communicate wirelessly with the HTC Mini providing several remote functions. The HTC Mini has a pseudo-candybar form factor, with a small monochrome screen on the top half of the device and a numeric keyboard with a couple navigation keys below that. The screen is used to display a variety of notifications and messages that it pulls from the phone. This might be useful if one was in a position to not be able to access their phone but had the HTC Mini available. Perhaps more useful is the ability of the HTC Mini to function as a remote control. Imagine you have downloaded a movie or are streaming a movie to your HTC smartphone. You hook it up to your big screen TV via an HDMI cable and have settled in to your favorite chair across the room to enjoy the movie. If someone comes knocking at the door at that point, instead of having to get up, trudge across the room to pause playback, then answer the door, with the HTC Mini you could just use it as a typical remote control to pause things. It is not clear, but the HTC Mini may be able to function as a remote trigger for the camera on the device, which would be helpful for photographers. The device also has a “find my phone” type feature that will let you trigger a ring from the phone in case you cannot find your HTC Butterfly but you are sure it is close by. There is no word on a release date or what the cost for the HTC Mini will be. We also don’t know whether HTC will make the device available for other markets or capable of pairing with other devices in their fleet. Check out the video below showing how the device works. Click here to view the embedded video. source: SlashGear Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

More pics of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 surface Posted: 26 Jan 2013 07:44 AM PST A couple days ago we reported on some pictures of the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 in use. More pictures of the new device, slated to be officially announced at Mobile World Congress next month, surfaced yesterday. One of the pics shows the device next to the Samsung Galaxy Note II which helps gauge the difference in size. The Galaxy Note 8.0 will give Samsung an S Pen capable device in each of the major size groups – smartphone, 8-inch tablet, and 10-inch tablet. Hit the break for another shot of the Galaxy Note 8.0. source: FrAndroid Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Hyundai to release T7 tablet with serious Samsung influence Posted: 25 Jan 2013 07:34 PM PST Hyundai will be releasing a pretty cheap Android tablet that shows more than a little inspiration from Samsung. It’s got the same Exynos 4412 quad-core chip as the Galaxy S III, as well as a design that would easily be mistaken for the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.0. It also packs 1 GB of RAM, a Mali-400 GPU, and a 1280 x 800 resolution 7-inch screen, all while running on Android 4.0.4. Best of all, it will supposedly be priced under $200. Not bad at all. If Samsung really wants to undercut Google’s Nexus 7, looks like they’re going to have a bit of competition. source: Pocket Now Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Over 200 million smartphones shipped in Q4 2012, with Samsung shipping 1/3 of all smartphones Posted: 25 Jan 2013 07:14 PM PST Get ready for the most obvious statement of the year: smartphones are a big deal. Some of us want a concrete number behind that, though. Now that we’ve got all the major earnings reports for the year out of the way, we’ve got that concrete number. Over 200 million phones were shipped in Q4, and the annual total for smartphones in 2012 was 671 million. That’s a pretty huge number, and shows a 42% growth year-over-year. An interesting statistic out of that is that Samsung shipped 63 million smartphones in the last quarter, which accounts for about 30% of phones in that quarter. 1 out of every 3 phones sold over the holidays was a Samsung device. That’s something to be proud of if you’re Samsung. source: Juniper Research Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

AT&T HTC One X+ Review: The best just got better Posted: 25 Jan 2013 10:53 AM PST Last year when I reviewed the HTC One X, I said it was the best Android phone hands down. Of course that was a day before the unveiling of the Galaxy S III. Still by the time the year came to a close, I still picked it as the phone of the year, and it was the build quality that put it over the top for me. Late last year HTC released the One X+, which is essentially the same phone with a spec bump. It wasn’t meant for current One X owners to run out and buy one, but it was a needed release since Samsung and LG were releasing quad-core devices with LTE in the U.S. The world of smartphones is moving ever so rapidly, which means that flagship phones can’t last one year without some kind of mid-year spec bump. That’s exactly what the One X+ is, so hit the break to find out if HTC did enough to keep the momentum going. Design HTC has been killing it in the design department, and the One X+ is no exception. The design is essentially the same, but the polycarbonate back feels a little more rubberized, and similar to the DROID DNA. The other minor difference is the weight, which I believe is 5 grams heavier than the original. It comes in at 8.9mm thick, which doesn’t make it the thinnest phone in the world, but we aren’t complaining. The AT&T version only comes in carbon black and it lacks the red accents that you will find in the international version. I really liked the One X in white and would have loved to see the this phone in white also, but AT&T probably went with one SKU knowing this was a mid-term phone that probably wouldn’t get a lot of attention. As to the buttons and ports, it’s the same as the One X. At the top of the phone you will find the microphone jack and SIM slot to the left and the power button to the right. The right side has the volume rocker towards the top and the left side has the microUSB port. The only negative for me is that I prefer the microUSB at the bottom, which is how they did it on the DROID DNA. The back also sports the same charging pins that were on the One X. Since it’s a unibody design, the back can’t be opened so therefore the battery can’t be changed. You will also notice that there isn’t a microSD slot, which was also the case on the One X. More on that in a bit. All in all, you won’t find a better quality phone. I don’t know about you, but my phone is in my hands a lot and if I am going to spend my hard earned money on one, I want to feel like I have something substantial when I hold it. The One X+ will give you that and much more. Hardware The most notable improvement is the processor. The AT&T One X had a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, but the One X+ has a 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3. It should be noted that the international version of the One X had a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 so the bump isn’t as notable as the AT&T version. The reason AT&T had the dual-core CPU was because LTE wasn’t compatible with the Tegra 3 at that time. The other notable difference is storage. The original One X for AT&T was 16GB, but the One X+ brings 64GB of internal storage. The one gripe everyone had with the One X was the lack of storage since it didn’t have a microSD slot for expansion. I still think 16GB is plenty for a phone, but I will leave that for another article. Either way 64GB should satisfy everyone out there. Another change is that the One X+ features Gorilla Glass 2 as opposed to Gorilla Glass 1 on the One X. Last but not least, the front facing camera goes from 1.3MP to 1.6MP and the battery goes from 1,800mAh to 2,100mAh. The rest of the specs are the same, which include a 4.7-inch 720p (1280 x 720) Super LCD 2 display at 312 ppi, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens and 1080p video recording, micro USB (MHL out), Beats Audio, Bluetooth , NFC, DLNA, GPS, WiFi, HSPA+, and LTE. Performance As I noted in the hardware section, AT&T users will see a more dramatic increase in performance from the newer quad-core Tegra 3 as opposed to the dual-core CPU that was found on the AT&T One X. International users already had the quad core, but still get a slight boost from the extra 200MHz in speed. I had no complaints when it came to transitions or opening and closing apps. The One X+ flies, but to give you a comparison, lets take a look at the AnTuTu benchmark. As you guys know, I am not a fan of benchmarks, since it’s everyday real world use that I care about. Even so, it’s still a good indicator to see what it shows between two phones and if it’s as dramatic as one would expect. The One X yielded a score of 6,772 last March and the One X+ came in at 16,045. As you can see, that’s a notable increase and trust me you will notice it in everyday use. I was originally concerned with the choice to go with 1GB of RAM as opposed to 2GB, but that went away pretty quickly. The One X+ features the same Super LCD 2 720p display so there’s nothing to say other than it continues to be one of the best displays available on a smartphone. In fact, only the Super LCD 3 1080p display on the DROID DNA could be considered better, which also happens to be an HTC phone. There is zero to complain about when it comes to HTC displays. They are simply the best. HTC continues it’s tradition with Beats Audio, but it seems as though they stepped it up a notch. I think we can all agree that the Beats concept on HTC phones is more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. Even though, it has evolved. It used to only work with Beats headphones and only with the stock music player. It now works with any audio app and the One X+ seems to have added a little more punch. Sure it’s mostly volume, but I am not going to complain that it’s there. Battery If there is one thing that HTC has an issue with it is batteries. The international One X was dismal due to the fact that the NVIDIA Tegra 3 wasn’t efficient. The U.S versions were much better with the Qualcomm Snapdragon. Unfortunately 1,800mAh wasn’t all that big. The One X+ steps up to 2,100mAh, but we are back to the Tegra 3, which isn’t as efficient as the Snapdragon. Why they didn’t go with the Snapdragon S4 Pro like they did with the J Butterfly / DROID DNA is a mystery to me, but it is what it is. I ran my usual video rundown test in which I loop continuous video while the display is turned up to 2/3′s brightness. I also set GPS, WiFi (not connected) and Bluetooth (not connected) on. Last year I wasn’t able to conduct the test while connected to LTE, but this year I was. Last year I got about 7 hours with the One X and this year I got  the same 7 hours with the One X+. Considering I was connected to LTE, it is an improvement and it’s actually much better than the DROID DNA’s 6 hours and 11 minutes (2,020mAh). Unfortunately, it’s still a little behind other flagship phones. Here is a look at what other phones yielded…. Motorola ATRIX HD – 4 hours 45 min (not connected to LTE) LG Nexus 4 – 5 hours (no LTE) Sony Xperia Ion – 6 hours DROID DNA – 6 hours 11 minutes AT&T HTC One X – 7 hours (not connected to LTE) AT&T HTC One X+ – 7 hours Sprint LG Optimus G – 7 hours 30 min DROID Incredible 4G LTE – 7 hours 45 min DROID RAZR M – 8 hours AT&T LG Optimus G – 8 hours Samsung Galaxy Note II – 9 hours 30 min DROID RAZR HD – About 10 hours DROID RAZR MAXX HD – 13 hours 30 min So it’s about average and something that is livable if you don’t travel a lot. Remember, the One X+ is a unibody design so you won’t be able to swap batteries. For everyday usage you should get about 15 to 16 hours with moderate use. For me, it’s not a big deal since I am on WiFi most of the day, and provides even more time, but you will have to look at your lifestyle and base your decision on that. Software The One X+ gets Sense 4+, which is a decent upgrade, but all One X devices will eventually get it as well. Sense 4+ is built around Android 4.1 Jelly Bean so you get Google Now, the new voice search, better notifications, and project butter. There are also slight differences with the look and feel of Sense. The circular carousel that older versions of Sense had is back, but thankfully it’s much more subtle. If you look deep enough you will find more refined fonts and icons as well. Probably my favorite change is the keyboard. I always hated Sense keyboards, but it’s much improved. The big change is the numbers/symbol key now at the bottom left instead of the bottom right, which makes a big difference. You will also find some differences with the camera app as far as some of the settings. Sense 4+ is more about the new features of Android and if you aren’t familiar with Google Now and the newer notifications, you will love it. Click here to find out more about those features. As far as bloatware goes, you will find AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Locker, AT&T Messages, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Ready2Go, Device Help, Live TV, ME Infiltrator, MyAT&T, Nook, and TegraZone. As to HTC apps, you will find Device Help, HTC Media Link HD, Music (Player), Notes, Task Manager, Tasks, Weather, and Voice Recorder, Watch (for renting movies from HTC). All in all Sense isn’t what it used to be. It’s still a major change from the stock Android experience, but it’s not as pronounced and something I can live with. Camera The camera is essentially the same so there isn’t anything to report. It’s still one of the best cameras available on a smartphone. They did bump up the front facing camera from 1.3MP to 1.6MP as well as the sensor, but it’s not as big of a deal since most people don’t utilize it as much. As far as settings and effects goes, there are plenty of them. See our One X and One S review for more information. Below are some pictures for your reference (the last one required flash). Closing Since I picked the One X as the best Android smartphone, the assumption is that the One X+ has to be the new king. Well kind of. If you’re on AT&T, it’s by far the best phone, but I do consider the DROID DNA a better phone. That one happens to be on my carrier of choice (Verizon) and I own it. If I were an AT&T customer, I would be all over the One X+. Now with that said, if you already own the One X, I wouldn’t upgrade at this time. You already have an amazing phone and most likely you will get a chance to buy the M7 in a couple of months.  If you need to buy a phone today and you’re an AT&T customer, this is the one to get. Now if you are more of a casual user, you could opt for the original One X for $99. That is an amazing buy. The One X+ is $199, and if you need the extra storage it’s well worth it when you consider you would also get a quad-core CPU as well.   Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

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