Thursday, February 7, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority

LG teases MWC 2013 presence some more, get ready for “unlimited possibilities” (video)

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:37 AM PST

LG

Even if LG's style of creating buzz before phone releases doesn't involve spilling the beans on everything about the devices (like HTC, Sony or Samsung’s M.O.s), the Koreans definitely know how to get us excited.

After teasing a "new series" with "unexpected distinction" on Facebook less than 24 hours ago, LG has taken to YouTube to post another ambiguous yet very intriguing teaser. The video clip runs for a good thirty seconds, but it's almost impossible to find even the slightest hint of a gadget's name or spec.

What we do know is that later this month Barcelona will be the host of a "breakthrough" from LG. And that we'll be seeing "unlimited possibilities" explored by the Optimus makers. Now good luck in deciphering exactly what that means.

LG's MWC 2013 "trailer video" also throws around a bunch of ambiguous adjectives that are supposed to describe the upcoming phone or phones from the company, with highlights on premium, speedy, stylish and creative. Darn, it's like we know less than we did before this video got uploaded, am I right?

Even if we're starting to doubt ourselves, we're going to stick with our assumptions from yesterday for now. Therefore, we're still expecting LG to refresh last year's Optimus L line. We know, it sounds pretty boring and it doesn’t really fit the exciting fast-paced teaser clip, but it’s the only lead we have at the moment. What do you guys think?

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Nexus 7-like Asus Fonepad coming with aluminum body, release date and pricing also mentioned

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:25 AM PST

Asus-Fonepad-back-ME371MG-2

The Asus Fonepad (model number ME371MG) that was spotted in a few reports so far, could be officially unveiled in the following weeks at MWC 2013, but while we wait, we have more unconfirmed details for you regarding this Intel-powered new budget-friendly tablet.

The Fonepad is rumored to hit stores in the second quarter. Bulgarian site Tablet.bg is pointing out to a May release in the country, with pricing starting at 500-600 Lev for 3G versions, which converts to $346-415. U.S. pricing will surely differ, to keep the Fonepad on par with other budget tablet in the region.

The same source provides an image of the tablet's back, which seems to indicate the device will come with an aluminum body, Intel Inside logo included. Comparatively, the Nexus 7, has a rubber back, so this is certainly an interesting choice for Asus, although it’s yet to be confirmed.

As for specs and features, the ME371MG will reportedly offer you a 7-inch IPS display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, 1GB of RAM 8/16/32 memory with microSD support, 3-megapixel camera, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 3G support (for some models only,) 4270mAh battery and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Anyone looking forward to the Asus Fonepad?

Thanks, Simeon!

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HTC Germany teases something “alive” is coming soon

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:57 AM PST

HTC-Alive-teaser

As we near the expected unveiling date of HTC's upcoming flagship smartphone, the company has released a new teaser that hints that something of a Frankenstein proportion is coming out of HTC's lab. The beast will be "alive soon!", whether we're ready or not.

The teaser picture, as shown above, depicts a heart attached to a circuit board. While we're not 100% sure, HTC is likely referring to the arrival of M7, the phone that was chanted out loud by Peter Chou and co. during an internal event.

Do you think the teaser is talking about something else instead? Is this merely the company's way of saying that it's convinced that the M7 will inject some much-needed life back into the brand? Whatever it is, all will be revealed on February 19 in New York and London. Stay tuned!

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HTC M7 supposedly coming to France on March 8, priced at €650

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:57 AM PST

HTC

Building hype around unreleased phones before making them official has always been HTC's thing, but is it safe to say the Taiwanese have gone a bit too far this time around? We can't even remember when we heard about the M7 for the first time, not to mention the upcoming flagship has been an open book for a while.

And yet rumors and leaks keep bombarding us at a pace that probably makes even Samsung jealous. The latest? A supposed internal doc from Phone House, a French online retailer, listing the M7's release date, main features and pricing.

But that's a huge breakthrough, some of you might say. True, seeing as the handheld's price was until now only estimated. Then again, something's really fishy here.

The M7 was always thought to be nothing more than a provisional pseudonym, but if this leak proves legit it could actually be the official market name of the new HTC phone. Which is doubtful.

Another detail that screams fake is M7's photo next to the spec sheet and pricing. Granted, that is a render of a large rectangular piece of slab with HTC's logo, so it does tick some of the right boxes, but if you look closely you'll see Unwired View's logo pasted on the screen.

HTC-M7

Of course, it's not impossible for the photo to be a sham used simply for illustrative purposes and for the rest of the details to check out, but we're far from convinced that's the case.

It's also not entirely impossible for the M7 to land in France on March 8 for €649.99, as the doc states. The price is in the same ballpark as Sony Xperia Z's and is more or less what we've come to expect from high-enders in Europe. Converted in US currency, it's definitely pricey ($880), but you know how these things go, so you should expect American retailers to charge $650-$700 tops.

As for the March 8 ETA, that could also check out if HTC will in fact intro the new big guy on February 19. But where does that leave the rumor about the possible launch delay? Well, hopefully, at “never gonna happen”.

Finally, when it comes to specs, this new leak serves us with absolutely no shockers. The camera is still listed as equipped with 13 megapixels and not 4 "ultrapixels", but to be honest we already filed that rumor under “u” for unconvincing. The rest is the same old – 4.7-inch Full HD panel, Sense 5 UI, 32 GB of on-board memory, 4G, NFC, Beats Audio.

All things considered, does anyone trust this new “leak”? If so, how does that price sound?

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Galaxy S2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update rolling out in South Korea

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:56 AM PST

Galaxy-S2-Jelly-Bean

Galaxy S2 owners have been waiting for months now for the official Jelly Bean update, with various reports and unofficial firmware leaks hinting that the release was near.

However, 2012 passed by and the 2011 flagship smartphone was not updated to Android 4.1.2. We have recently told you that the international phone version has received its Jelly Bean update, and now it looks like Samsung is starting the Jelly Bean push in South Korean as well.

If you happen to own the SHW-M250L Galaxy S2 version then you should be able to upgrade its OS, as Jelly Bean could be waiting for you. Sam Mobile reminds us that Samsung KIES is the only way of updating the device, so you'll have to hook the device up to your computer and fire up KIES to move to Android 4.1.2, as an over-the-air (OTA) isn’t available.

As for North American Galaxy S2 versions, we still don't have any Jelly Bean details for you at this time.

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New shooter Guns 4 Hire lands on Android, free to play

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:28 AM PST

Guns 4 Hire

From the people who brought us Judge Dredd vs. Zombies comes another terrific game known as Guns 4 Hire. It's a new shooter game where, just like in the real world, millions of bad guys wreak havoc that no one else but the toughest of mercenaries can face them.

Players are given exactly that: a squad of four mercs is required to bring down corrupt governments and crime syndicates. From high explosives to heavy artillery, each soldier possesses special skills. Players control them via squad tactics and single touch control. To help defend them in heated battles are protective vests and head gear while anti-personnel mines, automated gun turrets and air strikes can be deployed when things get out of hand. At the end of explosive missions, weapons and other spoils of war can be looted and used for more conflicts to come.

Developer Rebellion has released the game as free-to-play, although there are in-app purchases available for extra items. Luckily, these are optional and unobtrusive since they can be disabled by adjusting the device settings. Nonetheless, the game can really have you grinding if you don’t spend real money. The game requires devices running on Android 2.3 or later and having 87MB free space.

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Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean heading to Motorola Electrify M. Or is it?

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:56 PM PST

Motorola-Electrify-2-US-Cellular

Earlier in the day, the tech blogosphere was alight with news that the Electrify M – a variant of the Razr M on U.S. Cellular – is getting its serving of Jelly Bean, but this may not turn out to be the case.

While details about the Android 4.1.2 software upgrade for the Electrify M were posted on U.S. Cellular's website, the information has since been removed. If you go the website now, you'll see that Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest available update for the device.

Electrify-M-JB

Clicking on the "What's New Guide" tells a different story though, as it still takes you to a page that lists some of the features of Jelly Bean.

So what's happening here? It's possible that U.S. Cellular jumped the gun early on the update without consulting Moto. Although the update will still be happening, it's likely to come a bit later. Hopefully, it’ll still arrive in the first quarter of 2013.

We'll let you know once we hear more.

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Q4 smartphone numbers are in: Android rockin’ 53.4% of US market share

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:11 PM PST

Android-wil-continue-to-absolutely-dominate

Thanks to comScore’s latest report, which ranks platform market share as well as the top five U.S hardware OEMs, the numbers are in for the final quarter of 2012. Nearly 126 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones between September 1st and December 31st, representing a 5% growth from Q3 2012.

On the platform front, Android is still dominating with a massive 53.4%, growing slightly from last quarter by 0.9%. Apple comes in at second place with 36.6%, growing 2% over the past 3 months. Both BlackBerry and Windows Phone continued to decline between Q3 and Q4 falling a few percentage points each.

Q4 OEM platforms


Besides sheer market share, comScore also monitors mobile phone manufacturers. With almost no change from last quarter, Apple remains on top, producing 36.3% of all mobile phones. Samsung out grew Apple last quarter by gaining a few percentage points in Q4, coming in at 21%, HTC continues to decline, dropping nearly 2 percentage points last quarter. Motorola dropped less than 1% and LG gained less than 1%. Maybe LG would have risen a bit more had the Nexus 4 been easier to find?

Q4 smartphone OEMs
Did you purchase a smartphone from any of these manufacturers in Q4 2012, helping contribute to these numbers? Let us know in the comments.

 

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Ubuntu phone launch set for early October 2013 ‘in two large geographic markets’

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:26 PM PST

ubuntu-phone

Ubuntu is one of the newest operating systems ready to make a play at least for the third place in the mobile business, behind Android and iOS, but regular users will have to wait until October 2013 to get their hands on Ubuntu phone.

Sure, the battle for third spot seems to be a two-horse race between Microsoft and BlackBerry, but there are plenty of new mobile operating systems that will power some devices in the near future, with Ubuntu being a very interesting one.

Announced a few weeks ago, the Ubuntu smartphone will let users enjoy pretty much the same Linux experience across devices, whether they're regular computers or mobile devices capable of running Ubuntu.

In its initial presentation, Canonical mentioned that Ubuntu can be installed on a variety of devices that currently run Android – as long as users are comfortable with such procedures, not that we're advising you to go in that direction – but failed to announce any hardware of its own. Ubuntu phone is not to be confused with the Ubuntu for Android app, with the former being a standalone mobile OS, while the latter is an app that would run on Android devices.

A few weeks after that, we learned that the first Ubuntu phone builds for the Galaxy Nexus – a preferred device to show Ubuntu phone on – will be available in February, but mostly app developers will have access to it.

ubuntu-smartphone-1

According to a new Wall Street Journal report, regular customers will have to wait for early October to get their Ubuntu smartphones. Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth apparently confirmed all of this without mentioning actual release dates or whether the company plans to launch specific hardware with its new mobile OS.

Shuttleworth did say that the "new phone operating system will be available in two large geographic markets in October," without saying whether North America, "absolutely a key market for Ubuntu," will be part of this first launch wave.

The CEO also revealed that Ubuntu phone "has drawn interest from carriers as well, many of which are [unsurprisingly] eager to break up the smartphone market hegemony of Apple and Google." Naturally, no carriers have been mentioned by Shuttleworth, so we're just have to wait for more details to become available.

Will you buy an Ubuntu smartphone (actual hardware) or will you rather have Ubuntu run on your existing Android phone?

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Galaxy S Kit, Galaxy S Mate, Galaxy S Impact and Galaxy S Act could be the names of new Samsung Android devices

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:46 PM PST

samsung

Samsung has registered a variety of new product names for future mobile devices, although it's not clear whether any of them will actually be used in the near future.

Several potential names for Android smartphones – all part of the Galaxy S family – have been already spotted in a Samsung trademark filing in the U.S. including the Galaxy S Kit, Galaxy S Mate, Galaxy S Impact and Galaxy S Act.

We have no idea whether any of these devices is in the making or not, and we haven't seen these particular product names in any of the recent leaks detailing upcoming Samsung Android products.

In addition to these new Galaxy S models, the company is also looking to register the ATIV Zexy trademark in Europe, a name that could be given to a future Windows Phone product.

We'll be back with more details about the Galaxy S product names mentioned above as soon as they are available.

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Apple can’t use lawyers to stop launch of Android-based “iphone” in Brazil

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:49 PM PST

When iPhone discovered a Brazilian electronics firm using “iphone” to brand its line of Android devices, the Cupertino company likely blew as many gaskets at one time as any company can blow. If you don’t remember, IGB Electronica has been using the “iphone” brand in the country since the year 2000, and Apple tried to retain exclusive rights to the brand when it found out. Apple built the brand into a world-renown line of smartphones, but IGB has every right to it considering the iPhone didn’t launch until 2007.

After a series of legal proceedings, Reuters has heard that the Brazilian Institute of Intellectual Property will finalize and confirm its decision to grant IGB Electronica exclusive rights to the name next week. These rights will last through 2018, though we’re not sure what might happen once that time comes. With that, Apple has found itself between a rock and a hard place.

Apple might not care so much if IGB were using the name for something completely unrelated to mobile, but the company has actually been using it to brand its newest line of Android smartphones. The “iphone Neo One” isn’t what we’d call a smash-mouth hit that Apple has to worry about with its 3.7-inch HVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and 2GB of internal storage, but it has to sting knowing that a phone running the operating system by a company you promised to wage thermonuclear war against will don your prestigious brand.

So what is it to do? Well, since Apple can’t bully its way to a favorable decision through the use of lawyers, I suspect IGB will walk into a nice secluded conference room with a big smile on its face as it looks to secure a blank check in settlement talks.

Apple suffered a similar situation over in China where Proview held the rights to the iPad brand, and it cost Apple about $60 million to secure that. Apple probably spends more than that on marketing in one fiscal quarter, so we’re not surprised the technology giant was willing to cough it up.

That said, the terms of that particular agreement will have no bearing on the one it will have to make with IGB, and any dollar amount could exchange hands to make sure Apple seals the deal. IGB’s chairman Eugenio Emilio Staub says his company is open for dialog regarding anything at any time, so at the very least it sounds like Apple won’t be shunned out.

[via Digital Trends, thanks Alexandre!]

The Simpsons: Tapped Out is a city-building game set in iconic Springfield

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST

You might have heard that an official Simpsons game was headed to Android this week, but that game has long been unavailable for download. We’re not sure what happened with initial availability, but all of those issues seem to have been cleared up and EA is now offering it in the Google Play Store. Named The Simpsons: Tapped Out, it’s a city-building game that is set in Springfield and features all your favorite characters and buildings from the show.

Your primary responsibility is none other than Homer Simpson, and it’s up to you to help him find the rest of his family and friends all throughout the city. Tasks you complete will net you doughnuts, natch, and you can use them to help you build things like the Duff Brewery, Apu’s Kwik-E-Mart, Lard Lad Donuts and more.

It won’t cost you a dime to be thrust into the Simpsons universe on your phone or tablet so be sure to download it right away. Nostalgia alone was enough to get me excited, but it turns out the game is pretty damn fun. Give it a shot in the Google Play Store, and try not to be too mean to Ned while you go about your business.

15-Minute Challenge: Gene Effect by Lightstorm3D

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:27 PM PST

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For our latest 15-Minute Challenge, I went digging through the Google Play Store in search of the latest and greatest paid applications and this is what I found: Gene Effect by LightStorm3D. At $3.50, the game is expensive enough to some frugal buyers wary, yet cheap enough to warrant a purchase (if it turns out it’s any good). I spent a good amount of time with the game and for my full 15 minute walkthrough (it’s been edited down to a more palatable 8 minutes), check out my video below.

Story and Visuals

Unlike many a Play Store titles, Gene Effect actually features a pretty in depth, interwoven story to accompany the game. The story helps immerse players in a world where, as the developer puts it, “a simple rescue mission in the not so distant future turns into the discovery of a secret that threatens the existence of mankind.” Sounds epic, right? Gene Effect is further brought to life thanks to dark, moody graphics that make good use of special effects such as lens flares and light bloom (might not work well on all Android handsets). While exploring other planets, environments combine lush plant life with desolate rock landscapes, honestly, it really feels like a real living breathing alien world.

Gameplay

Although described as an action-exploration title, I think the first part of that description might do Gene Effect a little more harm than good. Yes, your tiny ship can carry weapons and yes, you will have an opportunity to blast enemies. But Gene Effect is no fast-paced shooter. Far from it. The real name of the game in Gene Effect is side-scrolling navigation and exploration. Similar to titles like Metroid of yore, you explore unknown planets while gathering resources and powerung up your ship with various upgrades along the way. The game really does have the appeal of bigger budget titles, making the price tag sound more like a very reasonable offer.

Verdict

As you no doubt saw from my video above, Gene Effect wasn’t quite for me. That’s not to say the game isn’t good. I also avoid sports titles like the plague but we all know how much people like Madden. What I can tell you about Gene Effect is that it’s a solid Android title — one of the better ones found in the Google Play Store — and if a great storyline and planetary space exploration sound even remotely interesting to you, then I urge you to give it a download. With 3 difficulty modes, randomly generated items, trophies, rewards, hidden ship upgrades, puzzles and even 25 music tracks that can be played on your favorite Android music player, Gene Effect offers quite the bang for the buck. It gets 2 big thumbs up from me. You can download Gene Effect for $3.50 via the Google Play link below.

[Google Play link: Gene Effect]

BugDroid LEGO idea needs only 200 more supporters to become a reality

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:58 PM PST

Want to help out on making the next big Android-related product a reality? If you don’t remember, we reported about a LEGO Cuusoo idea that featured the BugDroid, or the Android robot, as a possible build that the fine folks at LEGO could bring out. LEGO Cuusoo is a site that allows the community to vote on build ideas that can turn into real products with enough support. The goal is to get 10,000 supporters, and once it hits that milestone LEGO will work to put it into production.

Well, if you take a look at the project today it seems we need just under 200 more people (as of the time of this writing) to put their names down and get this baby rolling. That’s quite a long way to come since we first heard about the project in August 2012, so it would be a shame if we couldn’t get past the finish line at this point.

LEGO Cuusoo is different from Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website where users pledge their own funds to get projects rolling — all you need to give up here is the time it takes to sign up and hit the big, green “Support” button on the right side of the page.

Let’s see if we can’t get a couple hundred more stamps of approval for this exciting project — our desks are just dying for yet another Android ornament. Head here if you want to pitch in a minute or two to help the LEGO-loving Android community get the next big thing in building blocks.

[via Reddit]

Carbon (Twitter) for Android gets a ton of bugs fixed

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:25 PM PST

Carbon for Android, the one that we use to check Twitter, might have a very unique and beautiful user interface, but the launch didn’t sit well with everyone. A mix of crash-producing bugs and a very limited set of customization options had people running back to the hills (or Falcon Pro and other Twitter clients), but developer dots & lines made quick work in providing a much-needed bug fixing upgrade.

A bug that caused the app to crash whenever you entered via a notification or caused by an avatar not being able to load was fixed. Duplicate notifications have also been resolved, so you won’t be bugged about new mentions and direct messages you’ve already checked on. There are a lot more bugs that were addressed, and we’re happy enough to know what, exactly, they were:

- Notification bug that crashed after tapping
- Repeat Notifications
- Notification bug that crashed app when Avatar couldn’t be loaded
- Direct Messages Delete bug wasn’t saving changes
- Long press bug on Messages
- Composition Screen Account Selector bug
- User Profile Bio: tapping on Mentions & Hashtags bug.
- Timeline duplicated tweets on concurrent refreshes
- Compose bug that didn’t allow tweeting at 140 characters

That said, we do get two new additions, including badges to note verified and private accounts, as well as the addition of quick mentions (or autocomplete, if you will). All of this brings us up to version 1.1.5, and can be had in the form of a 7 megabyte download in the Google Play Store. Get to it if any of these bugs have been bothering you in the past few days.

The Sandbox, a cool pixel art world creation game, coming soon to Android [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:48 PM PST

Our friends at Pixowl have announced that The Sandbox, a game that utilizes pixel art graphics to let you shape a world however you want, will soon be coming to Android. This exciting game could be described as “Minecraft, but with even more pixelation,” though it has a ton of interesting elements such as the ability to build organic creatures, build structures based on downloadable blueprints and more. Pixowl suggests the possibilities are nearly limitless, with millions of different things to create and do.

Interestingly enough, the game starts off giving you the basic elements of earth, such as stone, water and soil. You can use that stuff to make mud and sand. Sand could then turn into glass, if you need it. The soil and mud could be used to grow plants and you could eventually generate life. Later on, you can discover metal, find a way to make light and do so much more.

The game has seen huge success over on iOS, generating over 2.1 million download. It’s a hit, and it’s one that we absolutely can’t wait to get on Android. Pixowl didn’t have a price to share with us, but The Sandbox was free on iOS and we don’t expect anything different for the Google Play Store.

The trailer alone should get you excited, so if you have a quick minute be sure to press the play button up above. We’re told to expect a late February release, but it doesn’t sound like Pixowl is ready to promise us anything just yet. Read on for the full game description.

Game Description

Start from scratch with basic building blocks like stone, water and soil. Once you discover mud and sand, you're on your way! Grow plants, raise mountains, generate life and gain access to advanced tools for crafting more and more complex elements. Before long, you'll be able to access non-organic elements like metal and light bulbs, allowing you to populate your universe with creations both natural and technological.

UNLEASH YOUR IMAGINATION

● Millions of possibilities. Infinite landscape designs. Countless different chemical reactions. Nothing is beyond your reach!
● Embrace your inner Pixel Artist to create or recreate amazing masterpieces
● Compose your very own chiptunes melodies within the game
● Bring life to your creations and watch them evolve, eat, reproduce and die

AND NOW, A SLEW OF EXCITING NEW FEATURES:

● Recreate the Jurassic Period with giant dinosaurs and volcanoes! Protect your dinosaurs from extinction or recreate the BIG BANG and make them disappear!
● Utilize our new Blueprints and add awesome real-life wonders to your worlds: the Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, the Pyramids, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Statue of Liberty — even a Pagoda!
● TNT and C4 are now available! Wreak havoc with powerful explosions!
● Deep-sea fish and fireflies come to life before your very eyes!
● Create amazing chain reactions with several sensor types, including liquid, light and temperature!

NEW MISSIONS AND FREE MANA
● New ways to acquire FREE Mana, such as watching videos clips or many more!
● 40 new missions through four exciting campaigns — a whopping 70 game levels in all!

SHARE YOUR CREATIONS WITH THE WORLD
● Create your universe and then share it in The Sandbox's Online Gallery
● Browse the gallery to see other players' creations
● Rate other players' worlds and add elements too

An entire universe in the palm of your hand!

Motorola Electrify M (US Cellular’s RAZR M) getting Android 4.1.2

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:51 PM PST

Motorola has been rolling out Jelly Bean updates for many of its handsets around the globe lately, including the DROID RAZR M/RAZR I. It only makes sense, then, that US Cellular’s Electrify M — a rebranded RAZR M — wasn’t far behind. This should be a standard affair for any Android user by now, but in case you’re not used to getting a big software upgrade there are a few things to keep in mind.

For starters, this might be a staggered roll-out process, meaning some will get it before others. Everyone will eventually receive a notification to download and install it, so don’t fret if you don’t see yours right away. If you didn’t get a notification you can always check for the upgrade in Settings > About Phone, though this method doesn’t always work either.

Some pre-game warmups aren’t a bad idea, either — make sure to charge your phone to at least 50%, and turn that WiFi radio on to ensure a fast download and to save your mobile bandwidth allotment. US Cellular even claims that you won’t be able to get the download unless your WiFi radio is on, so that might be something to check if you can’t get the upgrade to pull down.

Let’s get into all the goodies you’ll be getting once it’s all said and done! The standard assortment of Android 4.1-specific features will be in tow, such as Google Now, Project Butter, improved notifications, face unlock, and more. These features really are as great as everyone says they are so make no delay in grabbing them. Find more info at US Cellular’s site.

Twitter for Android update brings improved Search and Discovery

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST

You tweeters of the world should be happy to know that the official Twitter application for Android has gotten itself a pretty significant upgrade — there’s a lot to get into here, folks. For starters, the Discover tab has been improved to combine all of the activity, including Tweets, Activity, Trends, and follow suggestions, into one nice stream. You’ll also be able to drill further into Activity and Trends if you want to see those specific things in their own lists.

For search, you’ll get a nice, clean look at relevant photos, tweets and accounts in the same stream. This functionality has been available on the desktop site for quite some time, and now that it’s on mobile the two experiences are almost identical. More features include the ability to change the default view for the Connect tab to mentions only, and the ability to click a link within a Tweet without having to specify that action in an extra dialog.

Improved support for Hebrew, Farsi and Arabic have been made for those running Android 4.0 and higher, and your usual helping of miscellaneous bug fixes have been made (including reduced crashes). As usual, all of that is available as a quick, free and easy download in the Google Play Store so get to it and let us know how the updated experience is treating you. PS: all of these changes have been made to the mobile site, as well, if that’s your thing.

[via Twitter]

Dropbox introduces improved sync API for Android developers

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST

While many developers have done a fine job of implementing Dropbox functionality in their Android applications, the folks at Dropbox feel an improved API is necessary to help development along even further. It’s always a wonderful day when APIs are opened up and improved to help developers instead of locked down tight or intentionally made to cripple third-party development (coughTWITTERcough).

The latest API makes it easy to implement Dropbox syncing, allowing apps to work with Dropbox files as if it were a local filesystem. This is similar to how Dropbox is implemented for desktop platforms so with the right coding we could see those feature mirrored in a mobile app sometime soon. Improved support for local caching makes it easier to create offline features, as well. Here’s a full list of what to expect:

  • Dropbox, built in: The Sync API lets  apps work with Dropbox as if it were a local filesystem on the device. It enables developers to incorporate one of Dropbox's most popular features — syncing — into their apps, and also takes care of caching. This makes it easier for developers to  deliver a seamless user experience across different devices and platforms.
  • Write locally, sync globally: Developers can quickly list the contents of a folder, or move, delete and create files and folders locally and see the results immediately. The Sync API handles caching, retrying uploads and downloads, and quickly discovering changes, leaving the developer with a simple view of files and folders.
  • Work offline: Because the Sync API caches locally, apps work great even without an Internet connection, and are synced up when the app comes online.

The new API was said to cut the amount of Dropbox-related code in half for developer Chris Cox’s Squarespace Note, and if that little tidbit alone isn’t enough to get you developers excited then see what it can do for you by giving it a whirl yourself. Head to Dropbox’s developers’ site to get started.

[via Dropbox]

WinAMP for Android gets notification controls

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST

WinAmp, the highly celebrated music player for desktop that finally made its way to Android a few years ago, has gotten itself a pretty neat upgrade in the Google Play Store. The biggest change you’ll find will be inside the notification bar as you’ll be greeted to a new set of controls to manipulate music playback while you’re not inside the app. Controls for pausing, skipping, going back, accessing a playlist or jumping straight into the app are all your fingertips so you won’t have to head to the home-screen or back to the app if you need to do a bit of simple music switching.

Alongside the new notification, you’re also getting a small round of bug fixes. The Google Play Store listing doesn’t go into detail about what bugs have been fixed, but Android Police seems to believe improvements to SHOUTcast support and AAC playback have been made. WinAmp is still running strong despite its dated user interface. Most folks won’t mind, of course, because it’s the same way on PCs — it may look like it belongs in 1998, but it still provides one of the best music listening experiences you can find.

While a full user interface update might not be in the cards very soon, getting a better playback notification is a pretty good indication that the Llama-infused music player won’t be taken out back to the woodshed anytime soon. Find the free download (there’s also a pro version available) in the Google Play Store.

ZTE Blade 3 comes to Virgin UK for £79.99

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:34 AM PST

Virgin Mobile out in the UK has a new option for those needing an affordable smartphone to take them into 2013. It’s ZTE’s Blade 3, and it’s a 4 inch device which runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, has a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, 4GB of internal storage, a 1,600mAh battery and more. You might have noticed by now that it’s not some high-end beast, but considering its £79.99 off-contract price (free if you’re willing to deal with a 24-month £18 tariff as a new customer, or a £13 tariff as an existing one).

Despite ZTE’s efforts to get into the high-end market and create better brand perception for itself, the company still wants to make sure it’s not missing out on the massive sales opportunity that the entry level market has to offer. It’s a smart strategy for the company to stick to its roots as it finds its way through tough sales battles up against Samsung, HTC, Sony et al.

There are loads of other tariff options that can be had, including 12-month offerings starting at £28 per month and a host of others. Head to Virgin’s site to check them all out for yourself and see which is right for you.

This HTC teaser could double as the poster for the next Matrix movie

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST

No, this creepy image isn’t a teaser for the next film from the Wachowski brothers. This heart bleeds for whatever HTC has dreamed up next (hint: the HTC M7). The picture, which features a realistic depiction of the human organ melding into a circuit board, is rife with suggestion.

HTC could be teasing a smartphone that is more “human” than its predecessors, with features that could tie intuitively into the natural flow of life. The company might be getting a bit more sentimental, offering the illustration so as to say, “Our new phones have heart, they have soul.” Whatever it is, the theme matches the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday in a rather macabre way. And the February 14th celebration of love falls only a few days before a scheduled event where it is expected HTC will unveil their 2013 lineup.

The picture reminds us of some of the original Droid ads marketing the phone as an eery extension of the human body. It certainly is a different approach than that of Apple and Samsung, both companies that place a focus on their phones as social status icons in recent advertising. Whatever HTC is teasing though, it will be “alive soon.” Let’s hope it isn’t some sort of Android-powered Frankenstein beast.

[via TalkAndroid]

Samsung trademarks new set of Galaxy names

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:55 AM PST

Whenever a company begins trademarking new device names it’s always interesting to ponder what they could be looking to do. However exciting it may be to get a beeline on a company’s plans, it’s important to remember that these names might not ever be put into use. In fact, it’s not often we see a good amount of names in one of these lists come to fruition as actual products.

Samsung is the latest OEM to have its latest list of ideas come to the forefront, though instead of a leaked roadmap these names are actually trademarked. This might give a little more weight to the possibility that we’ll see one or two of these show up as actual device names, but a trademark alone isn’t enough to go on.

To be specific, we’re looking at the Galaxy S Kit, Galaxy S Mate, Galaxy S Impact, and the Galaxy S Act. A quick round of “guess that phone” might lead me to believe that the Galaxy S Kit could be some mid-range offering, the Galaxy S Mate could be an MID equipped with an S-Pen (or pretty much a Galaxy Note without phone radios), the Galaxy S Impact could be a rugged option, while the Galaxy S Act could be a phone tailored toward those who’s always on the fitness track.

These leaked names tend to be too ugly for retail, but Samsung’s latest set could pass for some legitimately marketable material. That doesn’t change the fact that none of these are guaranteed to come to fruition, but it’s something to think about regardless. What do you think?

[USPTO via PocketNow]

Samsung to start mass production of 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display this month

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST

Samsung is ramping up production on the 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display that is rumored to be the centerpiece of the upcoming Galaxy S4. The display, which will be Samsung’s first Full HD AMOLED, has been in the news since late last year, making a brief appearance at CES. Now reports say it will reach mass production status by the end of this month.

Word from the front lines back in November claimed that hangups in the manufacturing process had forced a delay in producing the screen en masse. With displays reaching Samsung’s smartphone assembly lines in early March, the company will cutting it close to the GS4′s rumored early April availability.

The display in question will sport a pixel density of about 440ppi. In the future, Samsung is exploring options to create comparable pixel densities or higher in a smaller overall size.

[via SammyHub]

More leaked pictures detail Huawei Ascend P2

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:05 AM PST

After a leaked press shot a couple weeks back, it’s time we get a real-world look at Huawei’s upcoming Ascend P2, the followup to last year’s ultra-thin Ascend P1. Aside from promising to reclaim the crown of world’s thinnest smartphone, the P2 will boast a smattering of high-end specs, including a 4.5-inch 1080p IPS display, a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, and 13MP camera.

The new photos give us a look at the phone from all angles, including its rumored  6.45mm profile, which here looks a bit thicker than anticipated. The real judgement will come when we have a chance to handle the device. That will more than likely occur later this month at MWC, where Huawei is expected to round out its line of Android devices.

[QQ Tech via Engadget]
Posted by at 8:54 AM 0 comments

Android Central

Android Central

Samsung and EA make plans to bring more games to Samsung's App store

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:43 PM PST

Samsung Apps

Samsung and Electronic Arts have closed a revenue deal that will bring new games to Samsung's App Store, and put more money in game developer's pockets. The deal starts March 4, and participating developers will get 100-percent (as in all of it) of the profits from sales for the first six months, then Samsung will collect 10-percent for the next six months, and finally the fees return to the industry standard 20-percent the following year. This is a pretty big deal, from a pair of pretty big players in the industry.

The program is also focused towards indie games, and is designed to put those obscure titles on the same plane as well-known games like those in the Angry Birds series. Developers who participate aren't tied up in any sort of exclusivity deal, and are free to publish their games at other markets like Google Play or Amazon. They are also encouraged to bring existing games into the Samsung App market. 

Of course Samsung benefits as well here. Getting people tied into their "ecosystem" instead of Google's or Amazon's is no easy task. Samsung is now the top seller of smart phones in the world, but when everyone has a smart phone it's always good to have a secondary source of revenue. Eventually, smart phone ownership will reach its peak, and Samsung hopes their services will keep people interested in the brand, and keep the money flowing. Having a rich content catalog is one of the best ways to make that happen.

Source: Reuters

Multi-window update rolling out to Canadian Galaxy Note 2s

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:04 PM PST

Android Central

We heard just two days ago that Canadian models of the Galaxy Note 2 would be receiving their multi-window update today, and that seems to be going along as planned. Our own devices have started to pull down the update, all 230MB of it, to be installed and others are finding it arrive on their devices as well. This update will bring the much-anticipated multi-window feature, along with Chinese language support. The multi-window function let's the device run two apps side-by-side on the large screen, increasing the potential for multitasking.

The update arrived on other Note 2 devices -- and even Galaxy S3's -- in Europe and the U.S. late last year, so it's about time Canadian users got their opportunity to try out multi-window as well. Seeing the update on your own device yet? Let other users know in the forums.

More: Galaxy Note 2 Forums

Quick contest: Win one of 20 Carbon (backup) unlock codes

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:53 PM PST

Carbon backup

Carbon (the backup app) is a kick ass way to backup and restore apps and their precious data on your Android phone or tablet. It's simple, looks great, works even better, and doesn't need root or any fancy hocus-pocus to get it to work. We think it's the way Google should have done it. The free version works great, backing up all your data to the device, but the premium version takes things a step further by placing all your data in your Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.net account. Yay the cloud!

There's one thing that could make it better, and that's getting a free Carbon Premium code. Koush hooked us up with 20 of them to give away, and here's your chance. Comment on this post, telling everyone what data you need to back up, and sometime after midnight (Eastern time) we'll pick 20 winners. No muss, no fuss.

If you're not sure because you haven't tried Carbon backup just yet, now is the time. Hit the Google Play link above and see why everyone is loving this one.

comScore: Android market share in US increases slightly in Q4 to 53.4-percent

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST

Android Central

Research firm comScore has just released its quarterly U.S. smartphone market share numbers, and as expected Android is leading the charge. Comparing Q4 2012 numbers to those of Q3, Android saw a 0.9 percentage point increase in share to 53.4-percent of the total smartphone market. Apple held down the second place spot at 36.3-percent, up 2.0 percentage points. BlackBerry and Windows Phone held down third and fourth, both declining in their share of the market.

Breaking down the numbers from a manufacturer perspective, Apple is still in the lead with the aforementioned 36.3-percent, with Samsung in second at 21-percent, which is up 2.3 percentage points. The next three round out to HTC at 10.2-percent, Motorola at 9.1-percent and LG at 7.1-percent. Both HTC and Motorola lost market share in the quarter.

If you haven't yet speculated about which smartphone OEM will come out on top in 2013, be sure to let us know what you're thinking in this week's sidebar poll. You may have a better idea of which to vote for now after seeing these numbers. Stick around after the break to see chart breakdowns of the top spots in both categories.

Source: comScore

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The Valentine's Day contest is getting huge, lets make it even bigger

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:05 PM PST

Valentine's Day contest

A few days back we started up a great contest where you and your Valentine could win a Nexus 4 and a Nexus 7. We're loving the response and all the pictures of the happy couples. It's awesome to see the people who make Android Central what it is, and just how normal we all are. Looking through the contest thread and seeing folks from all walks of life, of every shape and color, united because we all use the same smartphone operating system makes us feel good inside. Really good.

So we're going to turn it up to 11.

Right now we're at 38 pages full of entries. If (and when!) we hit 50 pages, we're going to double the prize. That means two entries will have a chance to win a Nexus 4 and a Nexus 7. In fact, if it can grow to 75 pages, we'll triple things, and give away three Nexus 4s and three Nexus 7s! A reminder of how this one works:

  • To enter this contest, you will need to post in this forum thread. <--------- Use that link right there. Don't use the comments in this post. (Those of you who do shall be mocked mercilessly.)
  • This is our first couples contest. It's going to require a picture of you and your significant other. Guy, gal, four-legged friend. Doesn't matter to us. We wanna see you with someone you care about. Or at least someone you bribed for a picture. (Or if all else fails, show us a pic of you and your beloved phone.)
  • Those who post pictures (again, do it in that forum thread) of you and your significant other get entered to win some great grand prizes: A 32GB Wifi Nexus 7 and a 16GB Nexus 4. Plus we'll throw in a couple of sweet LloydGear T-shirts for each set of winners.
  • Five runners-up will receive Lloyd T-shirts.

The contest ends February 15 at 8 am Eastern time. Be sure to get entered, and let's push this thing as far as we can.

Fitness Month: RunKeeper for Android hits beta 3 with new look and new features

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:41 PM PST

Android Central

Just in time for Mobile Nations Fitness Month, RunKeeper 3.0 beta for Android has landed. RunKeeper is a personal workout app designed to help you keep track of how you exercise, primarily using using GPS on your phone to track the pace and distance of each workout.

There’s a wide array of activities programmed in by default, including walking, running, cycling and even snowboarding and swimming, assuming your device is hardy enough to withstand the elements. Workout plans are also available, and there’s an interface to allow you to set up your own custom workouts if you like. That means you can tweak exactly how much activity you’re doing, and whether you want to rest, warm up or cool down.

read more

Stitcher Radio receives complete UI overhaul

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:30 PM PST

Stitcher Radio

Stitcher Radio isn't a new app by any means, but it's been completely redesigned so extensively it might as well be considered new. It may have "radio" in the app name, but there's much more on offer here than just that. We took a look at Stitcher back in August and thought it was pretty good, and now it's just been thrust back to the top with a complete UI overhaul.

Hang around after the break and see everything the new Stitcher Radio has to offer.

read more

Motorola RAZR HD LTE Jelly Bean upgrade now rolling out

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:44 PM PST

Android Central

Motorola's RAZR HD LTE -- that's the Canadian version of the DROID RAZR HD -- is now receiving its upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the manufacturer has announced.

As Moto's UI is pretty close to vanilla Android these days, most of the improvements in the RAZR HD LTE Jelly Bean upgrade are ones we're already familiar with -- namely Google Now, enhanced speech recognition and improved responsiveness thanks to "project butter." Motorola also notes that camera speed should be improved in the new Android 4.1-based firmware.

If you're rocking a RAZR HD LTE in Canada, be sure to head to Settings > About phone > Software updates to grab the new firmware, then hit the comments and let us know what you think.

Android Central Forums are going to get a lot easier to get around in

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:17 PM PST

Android Central

Hey Folks! James here, your Community Manager here at Mobile Nations. I wanted to give you a quick heads-up on some changes coming to the Android Central Forums.

Late Thursday/early Friday we are going to do some revamping to the organization of the forums. This is something we've done recently on Windows Phone Central, iMore and webOS Nation. The changes were all well received… and now it's Android Central's turn!

The new and improved structure has been vetted by your editorial team, forums team, other key players at Mobile Nations, and most importantly, Lloyd. We're excited about the changes. The new layout will simplify navigating Android Central's massive amount of forums.

One of our goals is to make the forums index as clean and clear as possible, while still providing as many relevant sub-forums for users to dive into. Carrier specific device forums, rooting/ROM forums and the like will still be available for existing devices… and we'll even have a few new areas to explore.

This is just one of the first steps in the continual evolution of Android Central's forums. We are always working to get better for YOU, our readers and active members.

Keep an eye on the forums over the next little while. If you're not active in the forums, I encourage you to pop on over and get involved. We have an amazing community of friendly and knowledgeable members. In a nutshell it's the BEST damn Android community there is!

Dropbox releases Sync API to application developers

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST

Dropbox

I think most of us are familiar with Dropbox. Around these parts we not only use it, but we rely on it every day by keeping some essential files in one easy to share place. Easy being the key -- you can get a file from any device with a web browser, or use one of the dedicated applications found on most desktop or mobile platforms. But Dropbox is more than a place to share files with your friends or coworkers, it's a piece of the cloud that's tied to you, where you can store just about any information for safekeeping. That's where today's news comes into play.

read more

Select ski slope runs now available on Google Maps

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:05 AM PST

Android Central

Google is always adding neat bits of information to its Maps database, and today its adding select ski resorts to that list. Users viewing certain ski slopes around the U.S. and Canada will now see ski runs, gondola routes and more right from the regular Google Maps interface. Different runs and routes show up as soon as you zoom in to a certain point, and show as both blue and green lines labeled with the route name. Gondola routes show as red dashed lines as well.

The list of mapped ski slopes is pretty limited right now unfortunately, with 38 different resorts listed in the post. But just like when Google started to map the insides of buildings, parks and other (relatively) small areas, these features will take some time to populate. We wouldn't expect that list to stay small for very long.

Source: Google Lat Long

Sony 'Xperia SP' poses with Xperia V in leaked pics

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:10 AM PST

Android Central

It wasn't long ago that we got our first look at the Sony C530X, codenamed "HuaShan" and rumored to go to market under the name Xperia SP. A mid-range companion to the Xperia Z, the SP reportedly packs a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 4.5-inch 720p resolution screen.

Today the device has cropped up again, in a set of comparison shots alongside the Xperia V. Now that the V's running Sony's latest Jelly Bean firmware, there's not much to separate the two devices in terms of software. But you can see a clear difference in the size of the device, as well as design cues like the earpiece and power button. The shots were posted over on German site Android Hilfe, and the poster claims it runs Android 4.1.2 and contains removable storage, but no removable battery. In its current form, the device is a said to be a little crash-prone -- not too surprising considering it's likely running non-final software.

Given Sony's track record over the past few years, we're pretty likely to see the Xperia SP unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month. Naturally, we'll be live from the show to bring you complete coverage.

Source: Android Hilfe; via: UnwiredView

HTC teases new phone with bizarre cybernetic heart

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:28 AM PST

Android Central

By now we're all well aware that HTC will have something new -- and most likely Android-based -- to show us at its Feb. 19 press conferences. But we're still unsure as to exactly what that'll be. We've heard rumors of an "M7" handset on the way (including chants from the company's CEO himself), but much of the device remains shrouded in mystery.

HTC's latest promotional teaser only adds to that mystery. Sent out to German press this morning, it shows a human heart pumping life into a circuit board, with the slogan "ALIVE SOON!" It's just vague (and weird) enough to get people talking about what's next from HTC without revealing the company's game plan. Well played, HTC.

If you've got any wild theories about what, if anything this has to do with the upcoming "M7" device, hit the comments and let us know.

Source: BestBoyZ (German)

Lloyd FlexCase for Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 now in stock at ShopAndroid.com

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 07:55 AM PST

Android Central

You've been waiting -- maybe you've even pre-ordered -- and today we're pleased to announce that the Lloyd Flex Case is now in stock for the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 at ShopAndroid.com. Emblazoned with the image of the one and only Lloyd, the flexible TPU cases are available in black, clear, smoke and green color options. 

If you want to show your love for Lloyd while protecting your phone from knocks, scrapes and drops, then hit up the links below. Both flavors are currently selling for $14.95, 25 percent off the standard price!

read more

LG teases new phones ahead of MWC

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 07:34 AM PST

Android Central

Mobile World Congress is just a few weeks away, and if recent rumblings are anything to go by, LG looks set to have some new stuff to show us. And there's more evidence of new LG phones on the way today, as the manufacturer has just posted the teaser image above on its Facebook page. "See what surprise LG has in store for you this time, with an unexpected distinction," the caption reads.

Expectedly, it's rather light on hard details, but we couldn't help noticing the L-shape of the bow in the image. We've already heard rumors of new L-style phones on the horizon, so that might be what LG's hinting at here. Last year's MWC saw the launch of multiple LG phones, including the Optimus L3, L5 and L7 as part of the original L-style series. Whatever LG's got up its sleeve this time around, we'll be live in Barcelona to bring you full coverage.

Source: Facebook

HTC starts 2013 with a slow January

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 07:16 AM PST

Android Central

HTC has announced its unaudited consolidated revenue for Jan. 2013, starting the year off with a 6.4 percent fall in revenue compared to Jan. 2012. In the first month of 2013, the Taiwanese manufacturer brought in NT$15.54bn ($530m), compared to NT$16.615bn ($560m) during the same period a year ago.

The announcement follows the posting of the company's Q4 2012 results, which showed a 41 percent year-on-year fall in sales. HTC is now forecasting a difficult first quarter, with operating margins between 0.5 and 1 percent. The manufacturer will be hoping to reverse its fortunes with the launch of its first major Android phones of the year, expected to be revealed at press conferences in London and New York City on Feb. 19.

More: The downward slid​e at HTC continues

Source: HTC

HTC One SV now available on Vodafone Australia

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:26 AM PST

Android Central

Following launches in the U.S. on Cricket, and the UK on EE, HTC's mid-range, LTE-capable One SV has just landed on Vodafone Australia. Voda's offering the One SV on various 24-month plans, ranging from A$30-100 per month, with data allowances between 200MB and 3GB.

As for the phone itself, you're looking at a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch WVGA (800x480) SuperLCD2 display and a 5MP rear camera. That's powered by HTC Sense 4.1 and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. So the One SV delivers solid hardware, but we're disappointed to see a new phone shipping with the year-old ICS. However the trade-off, we suppose, is getting 4G LTE connectivity on a budget handset.

For more on the HTC One SV, check out Jerry's review of the Cricket version.

Source: Vodafone Australia; via: Ausdroid

Deal of the Day: Musubo RubberBand Case for Galaxy S3

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:14 AM PST

Deal of the Day The Feb. 6 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Musubo RubberBand Case for Samsung Galaxy S3. The ultra-durable soft-touch material absorbs life's daily impacts while complimenting your Galaxy S3 with a stunning, precision fit design. The rubberband design of this case allows a better grip on your device as well access to the screen, ports and camera. Comes in black, chartreuse, magenta, and blue.

The Musubo RubberBand Case is available for just $19.00, 37% off today only. Grab yours while supplies last!

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts

4oD on-demand UK TV app launches for Android

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:18 AM PST

Android Central

Long available on iOS, UK TV network Channel 4 has finally gotten around to releasing its 4oD streaming app on Android. Similar to rival offerings from the BBC and ITV, the 4oD app allows UK-based users to stream from Channel 4's back-catalog of TV content, and view shows aranged by recommendation, TV schedule or category.

Like the 4oD web streaming service, you'll need to create a (free) account before you can get access to shows, and it seems streaming over mobile data is disabled for the time being. (You're also SOL if you're rooted, likely due to piracy fears.) However, the app itself looks pretty well-designed, tying elements of Android's "holo" design language in with C4's own styling. There's also parental controls, allowing you to block 16+ or 18+ content using a PIN lock.

The 4oD app for Android is available now on Google Play for UK Android devices running version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher.

ZTE Blade III launches on Virgin Media in the UK

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:58 AM PST

Android Central

ZTE has announced the launch of a new entry-level handset for the UK market, the Blade III. With a 4-inch WVGA screen, Ice Cream Sandwich and a 1GHz processor, it's not what you'd call a cutting-edge smartphone, but ZTE is hoping some cheap and cheerful pricing will help it shift stock on launch partner Virgin Media.

Virgin's Pay As You Go prices start at a very reasonable £79.99, and the Blade III is also offered for free on contracts starting at just £18 per month (or £13 for Virgin Media cable subscribers). The Blade III first went on sale in Nordic territories late last year, priced considerably higher than the asking price on Virgin Media, so Brits looking for an inexpensive handset may want to give it a look over.

We've got today's press release, along with a full spec sheet, after the break.

read more

Average North American user could consume 6GB of mobile data per month by 2017

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:02 PM PST

Android Central

According to research and predictions by Cisco, the average North American smartphone user could consume 6GB of data per month by 2017. The annual report, which has been released six times now, shows smartphone data usage increasing 13-fold worldwide in the next four years. The average North American user currently consumes 752MB per month as of 2012, and the worldwide average is just 200MB. In just four short years those numbers are expected to hit 6GB and 2GB, respectively. These numbers are even slightly more conservative than previous years and estimates from other entities.

The Asia-Pacific region numbers are just as startling, where Cisco predicts usage will increase from 136MB to 1.75GB and the region will account for as much as 47.1-percent of all data consumed worldwide. The report also explains that in 2012 just 1-percent of connections in the world were 4G, but those connections drove 14-percent of mobile data traffic. By 2017, that is predicted to rise to 10-percent of connections and 45-percent of data traffic.

It's no secret that the introduction of new, faster devices and plentiful LTE connectivity will fuel quick increases in mobile data consumption. The unknown at this point is whether or not network operators will be able to continue to offer these connections at a reasonable cost going forward. Let's hope that they can keep up with the times as our world continues to move towards mobile devices.

Source: FierceWireless

LG Optimus G makes its way to the land down under March 13

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:11 PM PST

LG Optimus G

LG is rolling out its flagship Optimus G to more countries, and that rollout is set to hit Australia on March 13th. The Optimus G has been available here in the states (and a couple other countries) since October, but LG has just recently announced that the device will make its way to other countries in the coming months. Australians hoping to pick up an Optimus G will be stuck with just one carrier, Telstra, and no pricing has been released just yet. Based on what has LG stated before, this device will have LTE on board and should also ship out of the box with Jelly Bean, which is a nice consolation prize considering how late it's arriving.

The launch will come with its own event in Sydney, so we'll likely hear more about specifics at that time. We've still got well over a month before this device will be available.

Via: AusDroid
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