Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Google+ Hangouts go cross-platform with group video

Posted: 15 May 2013 10:58 AM PDT

Google has confirmed some of the earlier rumors. These rumors were dealing with the unified messaging service that was first tipped as Babel. Coming later in that rumor cycle, we had heard Babel was going to be launching as Hangouts. Well, Hangouts have been officially unveiled and as part of the announcement, Google played off the bit about how their own services have been “fragmented and confused at times.”

20130515_073727-L

With that in mind, Hangouts are being touted as “conversations that last, with people you love.” Notice the focus on conversations. The Google I/O demo showed Hangouts launching with a list of conversations — not contacts. Of course, the contacts are available. In fact, they are easily accessible with a single swipe to the left.

These conversations will be connected and carried across devices. Also, as was rumored, those devices will include Android and iOS along with the web. Plus, Google included group video and it doesn’t cost anything to use. The updated Google+ Hangouts will be available beginning today.

20130515_073957-L 20130515_073751-L 20130515_073744-L

Other features here include notifications that sync across your devices as well as group messaging and typing notifications. All this sounds pretty good and once this over-sized keynote comes to an end we are going to have to dive in and see how well these perform with some real-world testing.

20130515_074034-L

As Hangouts were an often discussed rumor in the time leading up to Google I/O, we suspect more than a few of you will be excited these are actually coming. On that note, make sure to shout in the comments and let us know how well (or poorly) they may be working for you. In the meantime, make sure to stick with our Google I/O coverage.

Google Play for Education takes Android into the classroom

Posted: 15 May 2013 10:39 AM PDT

Google has announced Google Play for Education, which is said to have been “built from the ground up to meet the unique needs of educators.” Basically, this sounds like Google is making an effort to bring more technology into the classrooms. The keynote mentioned that teachers feel there is a gap between what is possible in technology and what is practical.

20130515_072438-L

Of course, that brings us back to the having been built from the ground up comment. The Google Play for Education setup will be broken down based on the needs of the particular teacher and as a result, the particular age and grade level. And all apps will have been recommended by other teachers.

The Google Play for Eduction setup also ties in with the over-the-air app installs. In this case, teachers that are logged in using Google+ will be able to push apps to the devices in the kids hands. Not only will this help to ease the pain of installation, but it should keep the kids focused on the app being installed — as opposed to the many more also available.

20130515_072416-L

Those teachers using this will find a mix of free and paid apps and paid apps will be billed to a central school account. Anyway, Google will be launching the Google Play for Education program in the fall and developer submissions are currently being accepted.

There is also a trial underway with six schools in New Jersey. Google noted those six schools used more than 500 apps in a single day. Considering that is for just a relatively small number of schools, that number will likely be huge when rolled out to any and all schools that want to participate.

Google Chromebook Pixel handed out to every IO attendee

Posted: 15 May 2013 10:30 AM PDT

Google‘s IO keynote today, the one and only one this year, has been packed full of news that we can hardly keep up. In the usual Google fashion we’ve just learned about the first of probably many freebies. Google will be giving each and every developer at Google I/O their very own ChromeBook Pixel.

Screen-Shot-2013-02-27-at-11.49.50-AM-540x422

Google Chrome is about to take center stage here at IO, and we’re expecting plenty of details, but they won’t be merging it with Android any time soon. There is however tons of options in Chrome to sync with Android, and that includes the new cross platform Google Play Games.

However, the Chromebook Pixel is one of Google’s first dedicated hardware devices. It’s nothing new, and has been reviewed in full, but now will be in the hands of thousands of developers. This means that Retina smashing 2560 x 1700 HD resolution 12.85″ touchscreen display can truly come to life and be useful.

For more details on the Pixel check out my thorough ChromeBook Pixel review at SlashGear. This powerful device rocks a 1.8 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 32GB SSD for storage, and now will be in the hands of developers to help improve Chrome. Don’t forget to follow all of the news from IO as it gets unveiled by hitting our Google I/O Portal.

We’re just waiting on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean news, if it’s coming, as well as more hardware. There’s a little over an hour left for Google to shock us, so get ready.

Samsung GALAXY S 4 ‘Google Edition’ is real

Posted: 15 May 2013 10:10 AM PDT

Some last minute rumors surfaced late yesterday afternoon and it looks like they have since been proven accurate. The rumor was dealing with a GALAXY S 4 running vanilla Android, and well, that handset has just been announced. The device is dubbed the Samsung GALAXY S 4 Google Edition and it will be available beginning next month.

Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 10.19.27 AM

Specifically, the Google Edition GALAXY S 4 will be available beginning on June 26th. The handset will sell for $649 and it will be unlocked with support for AT&T and T-Mobile. Those looking to make the purchase will be able to do so by way of the Google Play Store.

The handset will be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which will have it just like the Nexus 4. Perhaps more important here — given this is a vanilla Android installation, those who make the purchase will be able to expect prompt updates, which is something that cannot be said for the carrier branded GALAXY S 4 models.

20130515_065416_6-L

Not to mention, this should be good for those who really like the GALAXY S 4 hardware, but really dislike TouchWiz and the tweaks that are added by Samsung. Seems like Samsung has listened and offered users what they want — even if that group of users may be on the smaller side.

The question remains now; Who is going to be making a purchase? At just shy of $650, this will not come cheap, but it does provide the flexibility of being contract free. Not that we expect anytime to jump from carrier to carrier on a regular basis, but it could be done with this model. That said, make sure to keep up with the latest from Google I/O using our portal.

Google Play Music ‘All Access’ takes on Spotify for a monthly fee

Posted: 15 May 2013 10:05 AM PDT

Live here at Google I/O we have just learned a few details regarding Play Music. We have heard a few reports and rumors over the past few weeks and months, but today it’s official. Google will be taking on Spotify and other music streaming services head on. It’s called Google Play Music All Access, and here’s what we know.

Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 10.01.49 AM

So far we didn’t see any major design changes from Google regarding Play Music, but it does appear to have changed. It’s behind the scenes that will be different. Google Music will give you all the content you want to buy from the Play Store, all your own music, then you can stream anything and everything you’d like. Play Music gets full streaming.

Yesterday we reported that Sony and Universal are both on board as far as full music streaming, and that’s on top of the hundreds of millions of tracks already available from Google Play Music. So what’s new. Streaming. Google Play will be taking on Spotify with full music streaming for $9.99 a month.

20130515_064604-L

Many were hoping that this would be a free option, but even Google doesn’t have the power to do that. Music industry wants and needs their money, you know. However, Google Play will offer quite the array of content and more will be added as soon as possible. The same thumbs up and down options for creating and curating your own channel will be available, just like the competition. We’ll learn full details later in our hands on.

When can you get it? Starting today Google Play Music All Access will be available in the US for $9.99 as well as a free 30-day trial. If you sign up in the next month however, you’ll get a early tester price of $7.99 per month. Check for updates guys as this should be appearing any moment now on your devices. Who’s excited about that price?

Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 10.01.49 AM 20130515_064643-L 20130515_064604-L

Google I/O: Google+ Sign-In update brings cross platform sign-on

Posted: 15 May 2013 09:52 AM PDT

Coming out of Google I/O 2013, we are seeing an update to the Google+ Sign-In API. This update brings one notable improvement which is cross platform single sign-in. This will work in conjunction with the over-the-air app installs and simply adds another level of convenience for the user.

20130515_061259-L

Basically, if you are on a website and are already signed in with Google+ you will be given the option to install the mobile app. Assuming you proceed with the app install, the app will then be installed on your smartphone (or tablet) and when launched, you will automatically be logged in on the app.

This of course, takes the same Google+ account that you are signed in with on the regular website. Even nicer for those with multiple devices, this sign-in process will carry to other devices that are tied to your account. All said and done, this may be just one update, but it is an update that adds a nice layer of convenience.

Otherwise, the 2013 Google I/O keynote continues and it looks like we have plenty more left to cover today. We were given a look at the numbers, which had activations up to 900 million for this year. Without rehashing those numbers, we will just go with what Google called it — an "extraordinary achievement."

Stay tuned for for more coverage through the day and the remaining two days of Google I/O. In the meantime, our continued coverage will be posted throughout the day in our 2013 Google I/O portal.

Play Store gets beta testing and staged rollouts for developers

Posted: 15 May 2013 09:48 AM PDT

Google is on a roll at the moment, although so far we’ve been hearing all about backend services. So far they’ve touched base on the Play Store, Google Maps, location services getting a major overhaul, Google Games and more. And we haven’t even got to the newest Android 4.3 or 5.0 yet. However, they just announced some awesome options for developers.

Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.44.51 AM

As the title states, the Google Play Store and developer console just received some massive improvements. We’ll update with tons of detailed information later, but here’s the important bits. Live beta testing in the Google Play Store, as well as staged rollouts.

This means developers can launch an app on the Play Store, in a limited or open beta, and control everything. No more 3rd party download and installs needed. From here replies and “reviews” on the Store go directly to the developer, and he can reply directly too. Even better, these are beta reviews and won’t be seen by the public. Nice touch Google.

Then from here the developer has full control in the dev console for the actual app launch. He can open the beta for all, stage a limited small rollout, or open the floodgates for everything. This makes developing, testing, and launching Android applications on the Play Store the best app experience on mobile. Hopefully we don’t see a flood of unstable beta apps though. That wouldn’t be ideal.

Stay tuned for more. Coming quick!

Google I/O: Google Play Games coming to every Android

Posted: 15 May 2013 09:32 AM PDT

So it’s finally started. Google I/O is rocking out full steam and we can hardly keep up. We all knew it was coming, especially considering this leaked and appeared in the Play Store, but Google Play Games is real. Live on stage they’ve just confirmed everything we already knew. Cloud game saves, cross platform gaming and more.

20130515_062329-XL

We’ve been waiting for it, and wanting it for a long time, and it’s finally coming. We haven’t got to what version of Android they’ll be announcing yet, but this should work across all Android devices – hopefully. This should roll out in the latest Google Play Store, but we’re still waiting for more details.

So what can you expect from Google Play Games? Well, everything that was revealed this weekend. The list is still growing, but Google’s confirmed some pretty great things for gamers. Cloud game-saves, multiplayer, leaderboards and much much more.

• Cloud Save
• Achievements
• Leader-boards
• Multiplayer
• Cross platform gaming

Then, using the new Google Play services and GCM (Google cloud messaging) you’ll be able to clear a notification, whatever it may be, and it will clear across all devices. Get invited to a game, and you can play with ease, or simply deny the invite. There’s plenty of games coming too. Google’s been working extremely hard with developers and they have an entire suite of games launching TODAY with these features.

So what does this mean, well gaming is about to get really good. This should take on, and blow away Apple’s game center. Now, live on stage Google just confirmed Play Games will be coming to every Android, not just the latest version. An update to the Google Play Services framework will bring this to all versions of Android. Excellent. Stay tuned for more details.

Google I/O 2013: 900 million Android activations and 48 billion app installs

Posted: 15 May 2013 09:27 AM PDT

The 2013 Google I/O keynote has begun and as we often hear in the beginning, they are talking numbers. In this case, Android numbers relating to activations and a bit about Google Play installs and revenue. Looking back, 2011 had 100 million device activations and 2012 brought that number up to 400 million.

20130515_060949-L

From that point it was said the “momentum has been breathtaking since then.” Translating breathtaking momentum into numbers and Google was referring to 40 million activations in October of 2010 and 200 million in November 2011. At present, that yearly number has increased to 900 million and it has been dubbed an “extraordinary achievement.”

Shifting away from the installations and into Google Play. The number here is 48 billion, with a B. That is for app installs, of which there were 2.8 billion during the previous month. Given the app install number is high, one may suspect the developers are doing well as a result.

In regards to this, Google shared that revenue per user is 2.5 times what it was last year. Seems like developers should have a bit easier time trying to decide which platform to work with. Touching on the revenue in dollars and while Google didn’t mention specifics, they did say they have paid more this year (in 4 months) than they did in all of 2012.

Plenty more Google I/O coverage still to come so make sure to keep an eye on the portal. In the meantime, while we are already looking at 900 million activations this year — anyone have a guess as to how big that number will be by the end of the year?

Samsung dominating Android smartphone profits with 95% globally

Posted: 15 May 2013 08:49 AM PDT

A Samsung executive recently released some details in terms of GALAXY S 4 shipments. The news touched on how the company managed to break an internal record and have shipped 4 million GALAXY S 4 units since launch. Shifting away from the GALAXY S 4 and to smartphones in general and it looks like Samsung is currently dominating the global market.

Screen-Shot-2013-04-23-at-3.02.01-PM-540x351

Granted, we have heard similar stories in the past, however an analyst from Strategy Analytics has said Samsung now has 95 percent of the global Android smartphone profits. To give an idea of what that means in terms of dollar amounts, the report has global Android smartphone profits at just above $5 billion for the first quarter of 2013.

Specifically, the report shows profits of $5.3 billion with Samsung having $5.1 billion. That would translate into a 94.7 percent profit share. Following Samsung is LG and ‘others’ with 2.5 and 2.7 percent respectively. From LG and the others category, both account for the remaining $0.2 billion with $0.1 billion each. And just to clarify, these numbers are looking only at Android smartphones.

Further details note the success of Samsung coming as a result of “an efficient supply chain, sleek products and crisp marketing.” Shifting away from Samsung and it was said that LG did deliver a small profit this quarter but that they were held back because they lack the “volume scale needed.”

Looking aside from the $5.3 billion total and the report is showing the Android platform sitting with 43 percent of the smartphone industry operating profits. For those keeping track, those operating profits are said to have reached $12.5 billion for Q1 2013. Finally, for the interesting bit of the report — it was said that Samsung (at least for now) is the “undisputed king of the global Android smartphone industry” and that they are believed to be taking in more revenue and profit (from Android) than Google.

SOURCE: Strategy Analytics

ADAIA and BMW partner for topographic map inspired Android phone

Posted: 15 May 2013 08:12 AM PDT

If you have ever dreamed of having an Android smartphone with a design that has been inspired topographic maps you may be in luck. Such a device will be coming as a result of a partnership between ADAIA and BWM Group Designworks USA. In addition to having a map-like design, the handset will be rugged and for those who like to be in the outdoors.

Adaia BMW Group Designworks USA

The companies have yet to share a full set of hardware specs, however there is still plenty to attract some interest here. For example, the handset is said to have been designed for the outdoorsman. There is a focus on dualism, in which the companies have said the design theme was focused on "Duality and Sophisticated Ruggedness.”

“Dualism is the key characteristic of the design, as the smartphone's customers lead a multi-dimensional lifestyle, active in the outdoors as well as in their professional lives.”

The case itself is described as having elements that were chosen to “express toughness in a modern way.” The handset will have a side-grip surface that was said to be able to protect the phone and also keep it comfortable — even for those with gloves on. The handset will also have chamfered corners, an o-ring layering and a “revealing rubber structure assembly also add to the impression of solidity.”

Some of the device features include satellite functionality for times when no cellular network is available. This includes a satellite-based search and rescue service that can be used to call for emergency assistance. Security features are also present and will provide military-grade security and privacy.

ADAIA and BWM have also said the handset was made from premium materials with a focus on durability, lightness and precision. The device will have a removable battery as well as an SOS button. Finally, touching on the topographic map inspiration, here is was said that “maps tell the story of adventure, add premium with preciseness, and work as a functional grip.”

Google I/O 2013: We’re here live!

Posted: 15 May 2013 07:50 AM PDT

Google I/O 2013 is set to begin today and we are once again on-site to provide coverage. The keynote will take place a bit later this morning and we look forward to seeing what is announced and talked about. They keynote is scheduled for three hours and will run from 9AM PST through 12PM PST.

IMG_20130514_122045

Of course, aside from the super-sized keynote, there will be plenty of additional coverage for the remainder of the day. And on top of that, Google I/O runs through May 17th which means we will likely see some goodies over the next few days.

We arrived on site yesterday afternoon for registration and began to do a bit of looking around. Those curious about Google Glass may want to check out the ‘on-site preview through Glass’ coverage which we posted yesterday afternoon. That included some images as well as a short video taken with Glass. Plus, you can get a brief look at the crowds that were starting to build.

The video you see above was actually recorded yesterday evening, however it once again gives a look at the building crowds. Otherwise, Google had previously released the Google I/O 2013 schedule and in addition to our coverage, those not able to attend can watch a livestream of the keynote. The streaming will be available online and by way of the Google I/O 2013 mobile app.

IMG_20130514_150632

Finally, while we are waiting for the keynote to begin, we can take a look back at some of the predictions for this years event. We are hoping to see some hardware, however we are also expecting some software goodies covering topics such as Game Center, Ingress, Google Now, Babel (Hangouts), Chrome and of course, Android. With that, make sure to bookmark our Google I/O portal for continuing coverage.

Verizon and VMware release Horizon Mobile app to seperate work from home

Posted: 15 May 2013 07:04 AM PDT

We are starting to see a bit more in terms of using an Android handset in the workplace. While the Android adoption may take some time, we are currently seeing apps that will help to keep your work and personal data seperate. The latest in this bunch has arrived by way of VMware. The app is called WMware Horizon Mobile and the app has been announced for Verizon Wireless users.

iIAVnZmVwDQ0-540x36411

Specifically, the WMware Horizon Mobile app will be available for Verizon users provided they are carrying an LG Intuition or Motorola RAZR M smartphone. At present the app is only supported on these two handsets, however there was a mention of additional device support arriving “throughout the year.” More important for now, WMware Horizon Mobile will create what is being referred to as a “virtualized operating system” on your device.

vmw-hrzn-mble-arch-dgrm-800x600

In simpler terms, this app will allow the user to keep their work and personal profiles seperate. Additionally, the work profile will be controlled and managed by your IT department. This IT department managed section will have its own virtualized operating system as well as its own applications and policies. The key here though, security.

“Having a virtual workspace available on smartphones using the VMware Horizon platform gives us an unobtrusive way to more securely offer applications to mobile care givers and maintain control of the data while minimizing worry about potential data breaches,” said Edward Ricks, chief information officer, Beaufort Memorial Hospital. “This dual persona approach gives us full control over our data on personally owned or corporate-owned mobile devices without requiring us to unnecessarily manage the entire device.”

Sticking with the topic of security. The app is said to have “enterprise-grade security for Android” and in addition to simply keeping the work and personal data separate, the app will also encrypt the work side. All that being said, the VMware Horizon Mobile app brings a licensing fee which starts at $125 per user. Those looking to get setup will able to do so through Verizon Wireless as well as with a VWware reseller.

Otherwise, looking at some of the similar solutions and we have the recently updated BlackBerry Secure Work Space and Samsung KNOX. Both of these items have support for Android handsets and they are similar to the VMware offering in that they keep the work and personal data seperate with the work place data being encrypted.

SOURCE: MarketWire

HTC Backup app arrives for AT&T HTC One users

Posted: 15 May 2013 06:30 AM PDT

AT&T may have launched the HTC One without the HTC Backup app, however in a bit of good news for any users that may have been waiting — the app is now available by way of the Google Play Store. The app is called HTC Backup for HTC One and it does just what the name implies, it backs up the data on your AT&T branded One. In fact, the HTC Backup app has brought support for more than 150 settings.

htcone_androidcommunity_review10-540x298

To begin with, the backing up is done by way of Dropbox. As a result of using Dropbox, there are some small quirks with the app itself. For example, the HTC Backup app doesn’t backup images, videos, music or documents. The reasoning here is that HTC has said Dropbox “already does a good job” with those items. Instead the HTC Backup app supports items such as your home screen including your app shortcuts and widget layouts.

Other items that are backed up using the app include your BlinkFeed categories, mail accounts and passwords, Evernote account and password for HTC Notes sync, personal dictionary, alarms, bookmarks, wallpaper, WiFi networks and much more. The app will even backup your Sense TV remote and viewing preferences.

unnamed

HTC has equipped the Backup app with the option to do manual or automatic backups. Those going the automatic route can expect the app to perform one backup per day. That backup will always be done when connected to a WiFi network. Backing up is possible on a cellular connection, however that will have to be done manually.

For those worried about the security of your data in the cloud. The app uses Dropbox to save those backups and the data is further protected using an HTC Account (with username and password) or a Facebook account. Those worried about having your images backed up, Dropbox has a Camera Upload feature that will backup images and videos in real-time. This can be turned on when setting up HTC Backup, or at a later time by diving into the settings.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

Game developer Butterscotch Shenanigans sees 95% piracy rate on Android

Posted: 15 May 2013 05:20 AM PDT

Everyone knows the piracy happens in the software world. Smartphones are certainly no exception, particularly on the Android platform where you don’t have to buy from an official application store. One Android game developer has recently offered up some details that highlight the struggles game developers face with app piracy.

Dungeon-1136x640-580x326

Developers Butterscotch Shenanigans, who developed the games Towelfight 2 and Quadropus Rampage, recently admitted that they had seen over 34,000 pirated copies of their first game on the Android operating system. By comparison, the number of pirated versions of their game on the iOS platform numbered only a little over 2400.

According to the developers, 95% of users who played their game on Android used an unofficial pirated copy. The game the developers are talking about is Towelfight 2 and it released at the same time for Android and iPhone users and $.99 on each platform. While 95% of Android players pirated the game, only 5% on the iPhone pirated.

Obviously, you can’t assume that every developer faces the same sort of massive piracy problems as Butterscotch Shenanigans. However, you can bet now a number of developers are facing the same challenge. Butterscotch will be switching to a freemium model moving forward with free to download games supported by ads and presumably in game purchases.

The developers say that it’s freemium title will be beatable solely by meeting goals in the game and by paying for access. Interestingly, the developers will also reduce the price for gamers who made progress in the free version of the game to begin with.

SOURCE: SlashGear

Panasonic unveils Eluga P-03E 4.7-inch smartphone

Posted: 15 May 2013 05:05 AM PDT

Panasonic has announced a new Android-powered smartphone called the ELUGA P-03. The smartphone features a 4.7-inch full HD resolution display. The native resolution of that panel is 1920 x 1080. Panasonic is positioning the new smartphone as a high-end device and it’s 10.9 mm thick.

Screen-Shot-2013-05-15-at-09.39.52

Under the hood, the new smartphone features a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. It features 32 GB of internal storage and has a whopping 13.4-megapixel rear camera. The front camera has a resolution of 1.3-megapixels. The phone weighs in at about 146 g.

Power comes from the 2600 mAh internal battery. One of the interesting features of the new smartphone is called Touch Assist, which is said to be along the lines of the Air Gestures feature on the Galaxy S 4. Touch Assist is able to detect swipes and touches before the user actually touches the screen.

The proximity feature can detect movements from up to 15 mm away and Panasonic intends the feature to help prevent users from accidentally selecting menu options or applications. This feature provides a description of the software and asks the user to confirm if they want to open the app when the finger hovers over the application.

Another interesting aspect of the Touch Assist is that hovering over image will show an enlarged preview. Hovering over a web browser will also enlarge a specific section of the screen without having to use a pinch gesture to zoom. The smartphone is currently only available via the Japanese Panasonic website. It’s unclear if the device will come to any other countries at this time.

SOURCE: TheNextWeb

Samsung sets internal record with 4 million Galaxy S 4 smartphones shipped

Posted: 15 May 2013 04:53 AM PDT

I think we all knew that Samsung was going to have a huge hit on its hands with the Galaxy S 4 smartphone. The device is destined to be one of the most popular smartphones 2013 and one of the biggest sellers in the entire smartphone industry. Samsung has now reportedly set an internal record for Galaxy S 4 shipments.

Screen-Shot-2013-04-23-at-3.00.32-PM-540x314

According to an unnamed company executive, by the end of April Samsung had already shipped 4 million S 4 smartphones to wireless carriers around the world. That is an internal record for Samsung. For comparison, it took Samsung 21 days to ship 3 million Galaxy S III smartphones to carriers globally.

It also took Samsung 55 days to ship 3 million Galaxy S II smartphones. Clearly, carriers expect huge demand for Samsung’s newest offering. Demand for the device is still growing with the unnamed executive saying that as of Friday the company had sold more than 6 million of the smartphones.

The executive also predicted that by the end of the month Samsung could ship as many as 10 million S 4 smartphones. You do need to be aware of one little factoid with these numbers from Samsung, these are sales to wireless carriers not to end users. With Samsung’s track record with its Galaxy S line of smartphones, there is little doubt that the vast majority of these devices will find their way into consumer hands.

If you’re wondering how early demand for the S 4 stacks up against demand for the iPhone 5 when it launched, Apple still has the edge. Apple sold 5 million iPhone 5 smartphones the first week the device was available. However, demand for the iPhone 5 has now cooled as people realized that it was an incremental update at best.

SOURCE: SlashGear via UnwiredView

Google Subscription services for YouTube and Music: is the deal struck?

Posted: 14 May 2013 10:10 PM PDT

While it’s not clear when Google Music and YouTube will be offering up per-month subscription costs for content above-and-beyond the fold, it appears that sources speaking freely on the matter have made it clear: Google media is on the brink of a big change. Google I/O 2013 spreads across this week starting tomorrow morning, there the first (and only) major keynote showing developers and the public alike what the company will be bringing the market in the near future. Could the YouTube Channel subscription service be ready for an initial announcement – or is it a Google Music streaming service that’s ready for action?

google_music

In Android Community’s early tour of the event center, it didn’t seem immediately evident that Google would be making any major announcement in the way of YouTube or Google Play at all. Could it be that the company is bringing a blast without the fanfare? Or might the big G just be that good at hiding their big media push?

Sources speaking with the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have suggested that Google Music will be bringing streaming music to the mix, in this case without a free tier. Also suggested to the WSJ is that Google is attempting to get an audio-only license for YouTube – this could have major implications for the future of the system, especially in the way of it being a video-only brand.

Meanwhile The Verge reports sources are speaking with them regarding specific deals made with brands for content for this supposed Google Music subscription music service: Universal and Sony having signed on very, very recently. It’s important to note that the YouTube streaming service had been tipped earlier this year as well, while deals with music labels for Google Music streaming have been tipped more than once over the past few months.

Could it be time for Google to let it be known what they’ve been brewing in the way of streaming and/or subscription services tomorrow morning? At the moment, it’s already seeming rather amazing that the company has squished two 2-hour keynotes of years’ past into one 2.45-hour keynote: could it be that there’s not a lot else to speak about?

Have a peek at our Google I/O tag portal to continue to follow the action and join us right away in the morning tomorrow for the main keynote for the full story. We’ll be ready at 9AM PST tomorrow, May 15th, to bring the whole show to you, quick as a whip!

HP Slatebook x2 delivers Tegra 4 and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Posted: 14 May 2013 09:55 PM PDT

The folks from ASUS might have revolutionized the way we use and enjoy tablets, mainly Android tablets, but today HP is the first to offer it with NVIDIA‘s brand new and impressive quad-core Tegra 4 mobile processor. Just like the popular Transformer series, the HP Slatebook x2 will be an Android tablet that docks into a keyboard for that full laptop experience.

Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 9.42.22 PM

Not only does the Slatebook x2 offer that full laptop-like experience, but just like ASUS it doubles as additional battery for the slate. HP’s Slate 7 isn’t extremely popular, but this new Slatebook might better suite your tastes. Why, because it offers top-tier specs across the board all for a fairly decent price.

The HP Slatebook x2 comes with a 10.1-inch display and keyboard dock, but it’s what’s under the hood that matters. Being one of the first devices announced (and to market) with the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. That isn’t all either. You’ll be enjoying Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean as well. Well done HP! How much you ask? All of this will be just $479. So not as cheap as some recent Transformers, but then again we do get the Tegra 4.

That 10-inch screen rocks a 1920 x 1200 resolution IPS display, you’ll enjoy 16GB of internal storage and micro-SD to add as much as you need. Then being a laptop-like device that keyboard dock supports USB 2.0, full size SD card, HDMI-out, and more. We don’t have exact details on the additional battery inside the keyboard, or battery life estimates, but we’ll be finding out more details soon.

The HP Slatebook x2 will be the first detachable Android device to market with NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 4 mobile processor, and will support all those Tegra-optimized games. Again it will be priced around $479, and should hit the market around August. Sounds like a pretty quality Android “laptop”. What do you guys think?

Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 9.42.22 PM Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 9.42.10 PM HP Slatebook x2 - Back HP Slatebook x2 - Detached HP Slatebook x2 - Front HP Slatebook x2 - Left side

Google updates the Play Store and adds ‘app data sync’

Posted: 14 May 2013 09:06 PM PDT

With Google I/O officially kicking off tomorrow, Google released a few surprises a bit early this evening. A brand new Google Play Store has just started rolling out that brings a few much needed changes to the latest redesign, as well as tons of other features in the Google Play Services framework. Read on for the full details and download links.

Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 9.02.46 PM

Google just redesigned the Play Store last month, but today we’re getting a few new changes already. The improved 6 button layout has been revamped and looks a little better, with some UI tweaks to the buttons. The colors have been spruced up a bit, as well as other changes. The new Play Store is listed as version 4.1.6 vs 4.0.27 before, but there’s lots of little changes.

The menu text is a little more consistent, the install/uninstall buttons have been changed, and they increased the space between them too. Many complained about that, so that’s nice. Now you won’t accidentally hit uninstall when you mean to hit update. Oh and don’t worry if you do, if you head into your Google account sync options, there’s now an option for app data sync. Yes, this means Google will sync and save all your application data to the cloud.

We’ll be leaning more about this tomorrow, but most likely this means app settings, and of course game saves. Probably between devices too. Google’s rumored “Play Games” will use this to backup game data to the cloud. Yes! Then the Play Store has other various UI changes. The wishlists have been improved, the “redeem giftcard” popup is different, and the settings page went back to white. I preferred the black settings menu more myself.

There is tons of other various minor changes, but you’ll see them yourself once the app updates tonight or tomorrow morning, or just get the download link below. Then in settings under Google Sync it will also now sync People details, whatever that means. We’ll update with all the details live tomorrow. So stay tuned!

Download: Play Store 4.1.6

SOURCE: Android Police

Android Authority

Android Authority


We’re live from Google I/O 2013

Posted: 15 May 2013 02:43 AM PDT

google i/o 2013

Android Authority is attending Google I/O 2013, the most important Google event of the year. Stay tuned for the livestream, full keynote coverage, and for more good stuff over the next few days.

Google I/O, the developer conference where new and exciting stuff is showcased every year, is about to kick off in San Francisco, and Android Authority is there to keep you on the pulse.

Our editor Nate Swanner and our video reviewer Joshua Vergara are at I/O to keep an eye on all things Android. The new Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai warned us not to expect too much in terms of new hardware and operating systems, but, somehow we feel that Google will find a way to surprise us this year.

We've heard talk of a bunch of exciting things that may come this year at Google I/O including a very intriguing Google smartwatch. Babel/Hangouts is almost confirmed, and Android 4.3 seems a distinct possibility. Then there's the talk about a refreshed Nexus 7 and perhaps a new white Nexus 4. And that’s just the stuff that leaked, hopefully there are more goodies where that came from.

Today's three-hour long keynote promises to be filled to the brim with exciting stuff. Nate and Josh will be there, and we'll be hosting the livestream on our site.

The guys filled their schedule over the next days with lots of interviews with developers and Googlers, so make sure to tune it to Android Authority for your Google I/O 2013 coverage.

Now, who's excited?

    


Larry Page reveals the truth about his lost voice

Posted: 15 May 2013 01:58 AM PDT

google ceo larry page

Larry Page talked for the first time about the medical problems that caused him to let Sergey Brin do most of the public talking for Google lately. Fortunately, it seems that there isn’t much to worry about.

You may remember that there has been quite a bit of speculation around the Google CEO’s voice problems, which caused him to miss Google I/O last year. At the time, Page told investors in a letter that there was “nothing seriously wrong”, and Eric Schmidt stated that Page would continue to run the company as before.

Now, after a year in which Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt have done most of the public speaking for Google, Larry Page decided to take to Google+ and explain his problems, reassuring everyone about his health. In short, it all started with a cold fourteen years ago, after which Page never fully recovered his voice back. The founder of Google was diagnosed with left vocal cord paralysis, without an actual cause being found.

While that didn’t affect him much, after another cold last summer, Larry Page’s doctors found that his second vocal cord was also affected, again with no particular cause found.

Page says that things are going better now, and that he can manage both at work and at home, but giving long speeches is more difficult for him and those listening.

Nothing to worry about

Still, there are no serious worries, as Page says himself, and there are even good things that come with the situation.

Vocal cord nerve issues can also affect your breathing, so my ability to exercise at peak aerobic capacity is somewhat reduced. That said, my friends still think I have way more stamina than them when we go kitesurfing! And Sergey says I'm probably a better CEO because I choose my words more carefully. So surprisingly, overall I am feeling very lucky.
Larry Page

In order to help others with the same problem, Larry Page announced the funding of a research program on the rare condition.

It’s good to know that the situation is under control and that Larry Page will be able to perform his duties as usual, even if he won’t be the one talking about what Google has come up with at events such as Google I/O.

The developer conference is starting today and we’ll be covering extensively for you.

    


HP announces the HP SlateBook x2, a competitor to the Transformer series

Posted: 15 May 2013 01:35 AM PDT

hero-slatebook-x2_tcm_245_1410169

HP has just announced its newest tablet in its recent Android foray, the HP SlateBook x2. The SlateBook joins the Slate 7 in HP’s Android tablet ranks, however, the Slatebook isn't quite the budget device the Slate 7 is.

The SlateBook x2 is an obvious competitor to the ASUS Transformer series, with its detachable keyboard, and is similar to HP’s other Windows 8 "hybrids".

The HP SlateBook x2 has a 10.1-inch Full HD IPS display, 64GB of storage, microSD slot and is running Android 4.2.2. Couple those great specs with a fire breathing quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 chip, and this looks to be a tablet set to break some benchmark records.

original

All this comes at a great starting price of $479.99, however, it isn't clear whether the price includes the keyboard dock. Speaking of the keyboard dock, it contains a full keyboard and trackpad, options for expansion through an SD card slot and USB port, as well as an additional battery to add more battery life to the tablet.

The HP SlateBook x2 comes in two colors, snow white and smoke silver, and the tablet should begin shipping in August. It also comes with stereo sound DTS Sound+ Solution speakers to pump out your favorite tunes, movies and games.

The SlateBook x2 has some very nice specs at a decent price and is sure to interest some people. You can check out the HP promo below.

Would you be interested in buying the SlateBook x2? Or is the Transformer Pad Infinity more your style? Let us know in the comments.

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 15, 2013 — HP today announced the HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2, two detachable PCs that offer the full functionality of a notebook with a removable screen that also is a sleek tablet.

Powered by the Android and Microsoft® Windows® 8 operating systems (OS), respectively, these versatile two-in-one devices combine power and portability, giving customers the flexibility to create, consume and share content in more places.

HP's unmatched portfolio of next-generation PCs is designed to enable users to connect with their information on devices that easily adapt to their needs. By releasing the magnetic hinge, users can move elegantly between the two form factors—tablet and notebook PC—all in one device.

  • The HP SlateBook x2 is the first Android detachable device with the NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, providing users more realistic gaming, fast web browsing and smooth high-definition (HD) video playback.1
  • The HP Split x2, powered by Microsoft Windows 8, features a 13.3-inch diagonal display and powerful processor and is ideal for work or play.

“Customers want to access and share content anywhere, anytime, on any internet connected device—and they expect those connections to be seamless," said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer PCs, HP. "The HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2 are next-generation devices and the latest examples of our continued commitment to evolving the computing experience by providing the flexibility necessary for customers to be productive at home, at the office or on the go.

The HP SlateBook x2 and Split x2 join the award-winning HP ENVY x2 as part of HP's detachable PC portfolio. The HP SlateBook x2 also joins the HP Slate7 as part of HP's push to offer access to the Google experience, and to provide access through multiple operating systems.

HP SlateBook x2

The HP SlateBook x2 enables users to shift effortlessly from entertainment to work by combining tablet portability with notebook productivity in a sleek, lightweight device that uses the popular Android operating system. With an advanced magnetic hinge design and dual battery system—one battery in the base and one in the tablet—users can easily switch from notebook to tablet and back, even while on the go.

Ensuring users don't trade functionality for portability, the HP SlateBook x2 features Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2  and delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play.2

The SlateBook x2 features an NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, enabling users to access the TegraZone app and experience Tegra 4-optimized games. The 10.1-inch HD touchscreen display delivers crisp lines, sharp images and precision color while reducing glare. The SlateBook x2 also includes 64 MB of storage and DTS Sound+ Solution for accessing and enjoying photos, music and videos.

HP's exclusive native printing capability allows users to print directly from most applications.

HP Split x2

The HP Split x2 is a versatile, two-in-one detachable PC that combines power and portability with the Windows 8 operating system and powerful 3rd generation Intel® Core™  processor family. Consumers can now enjoy a high-performance ultraportable notebook suited for virtually any intensive task, and that doubles as a 13-inch tablet to give unparalleled entertainment capability for playing games, videos and more.

Whether being used as a high-performance notebook or a tablet, the vibrant 13.3-inch diagonal HD touchscreen display makes it easier to view and share content, play games with friends and family, or enjoy high-quality music with HP Connected Music3 and Beats Audio™, which provides the best-sounding, richest audio experience on a PC.

An optional hard disk in the base expands storage capacity while dual batteries allow users to stay ultramobile.

The HP Split x2 offers an eye-catching design with a soft-touch coating that provides a comfortable hold and shows fewer fingerprints. The HP Split x2 also offers exclusive HP innovations such as a 2-megapixel HP TrueVision Full HD1 webcam and the HP ClickPad for precise multifinger and gesture navigation.

HP complements its new PCs with a suite of exclusive solutions and services that provide an array of simple and easy-to-access support tools and resources to help customers take full advantage of all the features that HP has to offer. Customers can add to the standard product limited warranty with HP Care Pack services to protect new HP products, and enhance the overall experience with accidental damage protection that helps consumers breathe easier when accidental drops, spills and surges occur.

For the HP SlateBook x2, customers can purchase the HP Care Pack with Accidental Damage Protection,4 which helps them avoid out-of-pocket repair or replacement costs and provides door-to-door service to consumers' homes so they are back up and running in no time. For the HP Split x2, customers can buy the HP Care Pack with Accidental Damage Protection4 bundled with Lojack,5 which allows customers to take immediate action to prevent data access if the PC is stolen.

Pricing and availability

The HP SlateBook x2 and HP Split x2 are expected to be available in the United States in August with starting prices of $479.99 and $799.99, respectively.6

Additional information about the HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2 is available at www.hp.com/x2 and The Next Bench.

    


Galaxy S4 becomes fastest-selling Samsung smartphone ever after hitting 5M unit sales mark in two weeks

Posted: 15 May 2013 01:32 AM PDT

galaxy s4 vs iphone 5 s4 sensors aa
Do you want to know how well Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4, is currently selling? It is selling exceptionally well. It’s selling so well, in fact, that according to an unnamed Samsung executive who recently spoke with the English-language Chosunilbo of Korea, the Galaxy S4 is on track to hit the 10 million unit sales point by the end of this month. This is big news, and it makes the Galaxy S4 Samsung’s fastest-selling smartphone ever.

The Samsung exec, who remained unnamed throughout the Chosunilbo report, reportedly said that in less than five days after the official launch of the Galaxy S4 last month, they had already shipped out four million units to telecom operators all over the world. And not only that, but that at the current rate of unit shipments and sales, Samsung is set to sell 10 million units of the Galaxy S4 by the end of May, beating its own record for unit sales with previous handsets such as the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3.

As of this time’s writing, Samsung is already well over the 6 million unit sales mark. And with new shipments that are sure to arrive later this month, it just might hit its 10 million sales target on time indeed. Samsung is also expected to launch a modified version of the Galaxy S4 at this year’s Google I/O developer conference, this time running a “pure” or stock version of Android, a la Galaxy Nexus.

From the looks of it, Samsung is getting closer and closer to dethroning Apple and becoming the new king of smartphone unit sales and shipments. If it does so before the year 2013 ends, we wouldn’t be surprised at all. If Apple isn’t careful, the question will on longer be if, but when.

Do you think Apple can still fend Samsung off in this situation? Share your thoughts below by posting a comment.

    


Google Play Store updated with new button design and other UI tweaks

Posted: 15 May 2013 01:23 AM PDT

new-google-play-store-4.1.6A new version of Google Play is starting to role out across the Internet. It tweaks some minor aspects of the store’s layout and design. The biggest change is a new design for the Apps, Games, Book etc buttons. Google released a major redesign of its Play Store last month and the latest update refines some of the visual aspects of the app.

At the top of the Store there are buttons for Apps, Games, Music and so on and the redesigned store used a fairly unattractive grey box look for these buttons. The new store uses lots of color with some fading towards the end of the button. These make the different sections look more inviting and the design is a better fit overall.

Google has also tweaked the way wishlists work on phones. On a tablet when items are added to the wishlist (which is now listed as ‘My wishlist’ rather than ‘My Wishlist’) they appear using a card index style, however on phones it was a visual list. With the new Play Store update the wishlist items on phones are now displayed using the card style previously used only on tablets.

There are also a few minor, but welcome, changes in functionality. When a update to an app is considered large, the Play Store will now warn you about downloading it when you are using a  mobile data connection. Also ”Update All” now works for apps with new permissions. When updating these you will be asked to approve each new set of permissions.

As with previous updates to the Play Store it can take a few days for it to reach everyone, so if you don’t get it today just wait a bit, it will surely arrive!

    


Google’s music streaming service reported to launch at Google I/O

Posted: 14 May 2013 11:57 PM PDT

Google Play Music
Earlier this year, it was reported that Google was readying its very own music streaming service to take on the likes of Spotify and Internet radio service Pandora. A later report added just a bit more info, but we still haven’t really been able to get official confirmation from Google on the subject. Fortunately, it looks like we will soon, as a new report on The Verge has it that the big G plans to launch a new music streaming service tomorrow, at this year’s Google I/O developer’s conference.

The Verge‘s report is based on information coming from music industry sources, who also say that Google has already secured separate music licensing deals with both Sony and Universal Music. The licensing deals reportedly apply for both Google Play and YouTube, which are slated to let users sign up for separate music subscription services. What this means is that Google actually plans on launching multiple music subscription services, and not just for Google Play, but for YouTube, the popular online video streaming site, as well.

It’s worth noting that as of this time’s writing, Google has already signed music licensing deals with the three biggest music labels in the world, which are Sony, Universal Music, and Warner Music. The keys are now in place, basically, and all that’s left is for Google to turn the ignition and get the whole thing started. It’s like a party that’s just waiting to happen now. And as the report from The Verge — as well as a number of other sources including Bloomberg and the WSJ — now states, that party will happen tomorrow at Google I/O.

There’s one important bit of information missing from all of today’s reports on the upcoming Google music streaming service, and that is information on pricing. But we’re sure that if Google does officially announce it at Google I/O, then we will get the info soon enough. And we’ll be sure to let you know about it right away. For now, keep following our Google I/O coverage for more.

    


Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition to be unveiled at I/O – rumor

Posted: 14 May 2013 11:25 PM PDT

galaxy s4 vs iphone 5 s4 ui 2 aa

Google and Samsung are said to launch a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that runs pure Android (AOSP) at the Google I/O keynote today.

Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai told us we shouldn't expect much new hardware at Google I/O, perhaps in an effort to downplay rampant speculation, but that doesn't mean that we won't see anything exciting today. In fact, if a report from Geek.com's Russell Holly proves accurate, the I/O keynote could bring something that many have longed clamored for – a pure Android version of (probably) the best-selling Android device of 2013, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The report is based on "sources on hand at Google I/O", and, given Holly's usual aversion for baseless rumors, we tend to believe it.

The so-called Galaxy S4 Google Edition is said to be identical in terms of hardware to the regular TouchWiz-running version, with the difference residing in the software. Samsung and Google have collaborated to create an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for the Galaxy S4, which will also be unveiled at the keynote today.

The Galaxy S4 Google Edition will go on sale in June and “will be available on T-Mobile bands”, at least for starters, the report goes on. The sources didn't specify if the device will sell through Samsung or through the Play Store.

Why is this important, you may ask? Plenty of people prefer stock Android to TouchWiz (or any other OEM overlay, for the matter). TouchWiz is often criticized for being overloaded with features and for a somehow heavy-handed user interface. Users who like the Galaxy S4 hardware, but dislike the UI, currently have no option but to wait for a CyanogenMod release for the device.

If the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition turns out to be more than a rumor, the device could become appealing to even more users. Moreover, its potential success could open the way for more similar endeavors, possibly from other manufacturers. The fact that a device of this caliber gets an AOSP project is significant in itself, and a testimony for the growing preference for stock Android.

In the end, Android is all about options, and having the possibility to choose between AOSP or TouchWiz can only be beneficial for Galaxy S4 customers.

How important is having stock Android for you? Are you tempted by the Galaxy S4 Google Edition?

Stay tuned for our full Google I/O coverage throughout the day!

    


Is Google Glass going to give birth to a new billion-dollar industry?

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:59 PM PDT

google glass feature
As we mentioned in a previous report, Google Glass is now well on its way to changing your world. And it will arrive sooner or later, whether you are ready for it or not. But just how big of an impact will it have on the world of technology, and the wearable tech industry in general?

A 2012 report from UK-based IMS Research, cited in a recent story on Bloomberg, posits that strong demand for wearable technology will propel the likes of Google towards becoming part of a new $6 billion USD industry, one that will cater to those who have an affinity for stuff like Google Glass and other kinds of wearable technology. The IMS Research report gives the wearable tech industry only three years to grow from where it is now to hit the $6 billion USD mark in 2016.

Is the above industry forecast gospel truth? Of course not. But are things likely to turn out that way? Absolutely. With the way that Google operates, it won’t be surprising if Glass does take off in a huge way once it finally becomes available, despite it facing many issues concerning privacy and the use of wearable tech in public. Currently, the wearable tech space is dominated by manufacturers of products used in the healthcare, fitness, and medical areas, but communications and personal computing could soon prove to be the next frontier.

What the people want

Google is no stranger to releasing products that many people want. Although it does dabble in failed product launches and discontinued offerings occasionally, for the most part, it is still quite successful at starting new ventures. Perhaps the best example of this is Android, which it launched about half a decade ago to try and control the direction of the mobile computing market. Now Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world.

Google Glass could similarly do the same thing to the wearable tech industry. Right now, there really isn’t one single offering that caters to the needs of the people — that is, the masses — that can be classified as wearable tech. Google Glass could fit the bill, and it could even give Google something like a first mover advantage if — and this is a huge if — it just works.

If Google does end up making Glass work very well, then third-party app developers will have a perfect platform to ride on in the next wave of high-tech industry success. In fact, they’re on it already. Just as with smartphones, apps will drive further Google Glass adoption. And this is where most of the money in tomorrow’s huge wearable tech industry is expected to be made.

What if things go wrong?

If things go wrong for Google Glass, it will most certainly have something to do with user controls and privacy. The tech behind it may not perfect, but then again, so was the tech behind the iPhone and iTunes before they took over their respective industries.

Google Glass could mark the beginning of something that is far greater than anything that you have ever imagined. It could birth a new $6 billion USD industry, or a $600 billion USD industry. It’s a win mainly for Google, but if the individual right to privacy isn’t taken away completely by the time Google Glass launches for the average joe, then it’s also a win for consumers. There will be more apps, with more choices, for more devices.

    


Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 Review

Posted: 14 May 2013 06:16 PM PDT

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-in-hand

When you have a job that doesn’t put you or your devices through very much physical wear and tear, it’s easy to pick a phone. Which one has the features you want at a price you’re comfortable with? Boom, there you go.

But what if you need a phone that can withstand the rigors of a particularly demanding job? Suddenly, your choices are limited. While you can just get a strong case, there are phones build with this very issue in mind, which is why today we’re taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2.

In a hurry? Check out our video review or jump to the conclusion at the end of the article.

Specs

  • 4-inch WVGA display (480 x 800, 233 ppi)
  • 1GHz Cortex-A9 CPU
  • Mali-400MP GPU
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 4 GB internal storage (expandable via microSD)
  • 5 MP rear-facing camera
  • 0.3 MP front-facing camera
  • 1,700 mAh battery

Build Quality & Design

There is a term that carpenters and mechanics use all the time: “Good, fast, cheap: pick two.” There is something similar when it comes to smartphones: “Rugged or good looking: pick one.” The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 obviously opted for the former. It might be tough, but it certainly isn’t very good looking.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-back

If you’re looking for a tough phone though, the Galaxy Xcover 2 should be right up your alley. While you probably wouldn’t want to use it as a hammer or to prop up your table, you can definitely throw a lot at it without worry too much about whether or not it will break. The battery panel is held on much more securely than many phones. It’s also IP67 certified, with flaps covering the USB and headphone jacks to resist damage from either sand or liquid.

Display

When you’re looking at a smartphone build to be as rugged as possible, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. Usually those sacrifices come from the performance and display departments, and in this regard, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 is no different.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-display

The screen size of 4.0 inches is somewhat of a blessing in disguise, because with its 480 x 800 WVGA resolution, the Galaxy Xcover 2′s pixel density comes in at around 233 ppi. This isn’t exactly great, but it’s far better than it would be if the Xcover 2 shipped with a 4.5- or even 5.0-inch screen.

One interesting difference between this phone and many other Samsung phones is that it uses an LCD display instead of the Super AMOLED displays normally preferred by Samsung. This leads to an ever-so-slightly sharper-looking display than we would see in a Super AMOLED panel at the same resolution, and less color saturation. Whether this is a plus or a minus is very much up to you, but it’s an interesting difference.

Performance

Now right off the bat, with a phone like the Galaxy Xcover 2 you’d certainly be expecting a beast when it comes to performance, because you’re not going to get one. If you’re looking for low-to-midrange performance, though, you should be perfectly happy.

To figured out where the Xcover 2 stands performance-wise, we hit it with our usual suite of tests. To begin, we looked to AnTuTu. As always we ran AnTuTu benchmark a total of 10 times and averaged the result of each test. Out final result was an average score of 6,602.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-epic-citadel

Next, we looked to Epic citadel. Now, because it is so reliant on the display resolution, this isn’t the most scientifically accurate benchmark, but it’s still fun to run. Our first run in high quality mode gave us an average framerate of 35.4 frames per second. The second run, in high performance mode, performed marginally better, turning out 37.2 frames per second.

When it comes to real-world performance, the Galaxy Xcover 2 didn’t blow us away with its speed, but it didn’t feel laggy either. Launching and switching between apps was fairly quick and the few modest games we tried ran well.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean which, as usual, is heavily covered up by Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. Aside from the newer Galaxy S4, if you’ve seen TouchWiz on one recent phone, you’ve seen it on all of them, so you should have a fairly good idea what to expect.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-with-box

Looking at the bundled software, most of it is what you’d expect to see. Without carrier-added bloatware, our review unit was fairly bare-bones. The usual Google apps and Samsungs S-suite of apps both made their expected appearances, and a few apps we’re used to seeing on Samsung phones like My Files and Flipboard were present. Cardio Trainer, a health-focused app, provided the only major surprise.

Camera

The Galaxy Xcover 2 has a 5 megapixel camera in the rear and a 0.3 megapixel up front. Video capture is present, but only 720p.

The rear camera, despite the fairly low megapixel count, manages to take decent photos provided you set them up properly. Low light situations are problematic and you’ll more often than not be left with dark, blurry images, but the visual noise present in many smartphone cameras doesn’t seem to be as apparent here.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-from-camera

The rear camera in generally seems to be very sensitive to light, actually: too little and the encounter the problems mentioned about, too much and you’ll find yourself with washed out, overblown images. Despite this, if you take your time to properly set up a shot, the camera is capable of taking some fairly decent shots.

The 720p video capture feels like an afterthought. Because of the camera’s sensor, colors are fairly well represented, but footage looks very jerky. This is a problem with most smartphone cameras, but image stabilization would have helped here.

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 ships with a 1,700 mAh battery. Now, it’s fairly easy to look at a battery that size and assume that you’ll need to charge your phone several times a day, but keep in mind that with the relatively modest specs and low resolution, the battery isn’t going to be flying through its charge like it would in a high-end device.

Here’s my own experience. On a day of testing, benchmarking and shooting, I ended up getting just around 12 hours before I decided to plug in. Bear in mind, the battery wasn’t fully drained, but I was seeing warnings to plug it.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-battery

With that in mind, it’s likely that the phone will do better in everyday use. There is one important thing to note, however. While I was connected to WiFi, there was no SIM inserted, so obviously I wasn’t making calls, which would have let to increased battery drain.

Luckily, the battery in the Xcover 2 is removable and replaceable, so if you want to look for an extended battery or simply carry a charged spare with you, this is an option.

Video

Conclusion

In the end, it’s a trade-off. If you’re willing to trade ruggedness and a less worrying about your phone’s well-being for lower specs and a bulkier build, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 is worth keeping in mind. That said, there are other similar phones like the Kyocera Torque and Samsung’s own Rugby Pro as options to consider.

samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-with-box samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-right samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-left samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-in-hand samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-from-camera samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-epic-citadel samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-display samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-battery samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-back

What do you think? Do you have suggestions for rugged smartphones or would you prefer a phone of your choice and a heavy-duty case? Let us know in the comments!

    


Google IO 2013 starts tomorrow: what to expect

Posted: 14 May 2013 02:19 PM PDT

Google IO 2013

It’s the moment that us Google addicts have been (im)patiently waiting for, Google I/O 2013 starts tomorrow! From Google Glass to Google TV, and everything in-between, there’s a lot going down at I/O this year.

The big question is what all can we expect from Google I/O 2013. In a recent interview with Wired, Sundar Pichai said this year’s event will be more focused on the developers and the user experience. That means that it is probably a safe bet that we won’t see a Nexus 5 or even Key Lime Pie.

Based on all the clues that have been dropped leading up to I/O, here’s a guide to what you can expect:

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

The wait for Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie has been nearly torturous, and it isn’t over yet. Android 4.3 has already shown up in our own server logs, and it is looking more likely that we aren’t done with Jelly Bean just yet.

As for what will be new with the next iteration of Jelly Bean? While we don’t know what all will be changed with Android 4.3, we have heard rumors that we will see support for Bluetooth Low Energy and OpenGL for Embedded Systems 3.0 graphics.

With OpenGL, Android will be able to take gaming and graphics-intense apps to a whole new level. That leads into the next major expectation for Google I/O.

google-play-games-leak-2

Google Play Games

Just this weekend, a leaked Google Play Services update revealed that Android will soon be receiving a new "Games" feature that includes achievements, game matchmaking, cloud save syncing, in-game chat, leaderboards and more.

With several of the Google I/O sessions talking about games, this new GP Games feature will clearly be an important focal point at I/O. All we know for sure is that the service looks to be targeted at Android, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the new gaming features are cross-platform — making their way into Chrome, Chrome OS and maybe even Google Glass.

Google Glass

Google Glass is slowly pushing its way closer to a commercial release, with a possibility of release as early as late this year.

That means that we will certainly see Google Glass play some kind of role at Google I/O, and we might even see a few special apps mentioned and demo’d. There probably won’t be too many major surprises here, though.

google-babel-chat-service

Hangouts (AKA Google Babel)

Without a doubt, Google Babel has been one of the most talked about Google services in the last few months. The cross-platform messenger is now rumored to be called Google Hangouts and has even been spotted in leaked images.

You can pretty much guarantee that Google will make this service official at I/O.

Hardware Refreshes and Updates

It just wouldn’t be Google I/O if there were no new hardware announcements. We probably won’t see the return of the Nexus Q, the introduction of the Nexus 5 or anything truly crazy, but it is a pretty safe bet that we will at the very least see a Nexus 7 update.

As for what the tablet’s specs will be? It’s hard to say for sure, though KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims it is coming with a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1920 x 1200 resolution 7-inch display and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Take those specs with a grain of salt.

Outside of the Nexus 7 refresh, things get a bit fuzzier. We’ve heard rumors about the X Phone debuting at I/O, but that is seeming less likely by the minute. The good news is that we might instead see a Motorola Smart Watch, though nothing is written in stone.

It is also possible that we could see a refreshed Nexus 4. After all, a white variant has already been spotted more than once and then there have even been rumors that an LTE-capable version is in the works.

Google TV

We haven’t heard much about Google TV as of late, except for the recent release of the Asus Cube. You might think that means that Google TV won’t be a focus at Google I/O. The good news is that back in March, Google TV Developers told us through G+ that we should "stay tuned for #GoogleTV news at I/O", so that means some kind of GTV news is heading our way at I/O.

Here’s to hoping that the Google TV offers new functionality that works with Google’s upcoming Google Play Games initiative.

Other Wild Cards

We have now covered the biggest hitters at I/O, but don’t be surprised if there are a bunch of other smaller changes and announcements, such as a new Google Maps update with an improved UI and a new Gmail update. An announcement about a Google Play music subscription service wouldn’t be too crazy either.

On the Chrome OS side of things, there has been some indication that new apps that further push the limits of Chrome OS (online and off) will make their way to I/O.

Last but not least: For fans of Ingress can expect a huge Ingress event taking place at I/O this year.

Bottom-line, Google I/O 2013 might not see tons of new hardware, or even the latest and greatest Key Lime Pie, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be an epic event. In fact for gamers, it is shaping up to be one of the most exciting I/O events yet.

Regardless of what Google throws our way, Android Authority will be there ready to go with first-class live coverage as the event unfolds!

    


The best Music Players for Android

Posted: 14 May 2013 02:18 PM PDT

Music-Player-ForArticle

Google’s own Play Music app is one of the best music players on Android. There are a lot of great things about it — the app is free, offers seamless integration with your Google account, and has a variety of features to increase your audio experience. It’s an all-around great music player, but there are more options on the Google Play Store then simply Play Music. In fact, there are other music players on the Play Store that claim to offer an even better audio experience.

If you’re looking for a great alternative to Google’s Play Music, here are some of the best music player apps for Android.

FusionMusicPlayer

Fusion Player

The first on our list is Fusion Music Player. You’ll notice some similarities to Google’s Play Music app, but it does do a good job at establishing an organized interface with the coveted holo theme. If you don’t like the design of the interface there are three alternative skins you can use: Twilight Sky, Dark Night, and Deep Sea.

You can also stream current popular music on the top charts or SHOUTcast radio. Both are free streaming options, so you won’t have to shell out a dime for this particular app. It’s especially awesome if you don’t have a lot of music on your local storage, though, streaming quality is nowhere near the quality of Pandora or Spotify. In fact, it’s a bit choppy.

Regardless, the focus of Fusion Player isn’t just streaming music, so it’s still a well-built app that does what it sets out to do well. Some of the gesture control options are really cool, such as shake to play or pause your music among other gesture control options.

If you’re interested in the app, you can grab it from the Play Store here.

n7player

n7player

The n7player attempts to break away from the traditional music players while still offering the same functionality. This particular app comes with a beautiful modernized design, and is loaded with a ton of features, such as an equalizer and tons of customization options. Unlike a lot of other music players, you can download album art too.

n7player is a very well-built music player, and as they always say, you get what you pay for. Case in point, once the trial version of n7player expires you’ll have to shell out $3.49 for the full version of the app. All in all, it’s a great music player for those who don’t mind the lack of a holo design.

PlayerPro

PlayerPro Music Player

Much like the Fusion Player, PlayerPro is a very simplistic music player. It has a decent Gingerbread-like interface, but there are thankfully some other very nice skins available on the Google Play Store for free, which makes the PlayerPro a whole lot better.

PlayerPro really shines when it comes to organization though. You can access your albums, songs, genres, and playlists using the tabs at the top of the app; it’s very compact and easy to access. PlayerPro has a few features too, such as a lock screen widget and a few customization options (i.e. choosing between grid or list layouts).

This is another “you get what you pay for” app, and unlike n7player, there’s no trial version. PlayerPro costs $3.99, and you can get it from the Google Play Store here.

Poweramp

Poweramp

Poweramp is a favorite, and easily one of the most powerful music players on Android. You can mess around with equalizers, sound effects, and much more. It has a beautiful interface, and if things get confusing there’s a hint guide that will tell you what everything does.

Poweramp has a lot of customization, including the ability to change the theme of the music player. Additionally, the app has a lock screen widget, downloadable album art, headset customization, etc. There’s literally an endless amount of features to customize the app to your liking.

Being one of the most powerful music players on Android, this will cost you a few dollars. There is a trial version that you’ll be able to take for a spin though. After that expires, you’ll have to shell out $3.99 to get access to Poweramp again.

If you’re interested in a unique music player, you can purchase Poweramp from the Google Play Store here.

Sensor

Sensor

The last music player on our list is Sensor, which is arguably the most unique on this list. Sensor comes with everything you’d find in the other apps on the list, such as the standard music player, an equalizer, etc. The most unique part of the music player is being able to control the music you’re playing device’s sensors.

In example, you can set Sensor to pocket mode, put your phone in your pocket, and if you want to skip a track, simply give your a pocket a smack and it’ll skip to the next track. There are other sensor options as well. There’s one when you can wave your hand across the screen or even punch your table to switch tracks.

It’s really cool how the app is able to take advantage of your device’s sensors like that. Not only does it have cool features like that, but it looks really nice too.

You’d think an app like this would cost a chunk of change, but it’s actually free. If you’re interested, you can grab it from the Google Play Store now.

Article_MusicPlayerLeaderboard

Music Player wrap-up

If you take a gander at our leaderboard, you’ll be able to see how these apps stack up against each other. While all of these music players are really cool and have something unique about them, there’s no bias on our part here, as the leaderboard is based on download numbers and the ratings on the Play Store.

There are at least hundreds of music player apps available on the Google Play Store, which means some really good ones weren’t able to make it to the list. If you think there’s one we should have mentioned, be sure to leave us a comment to let us know what your favorite is!

    


BlackBerry Messenger for Android coming this summer

Posted: 14 May 2013 12:48 PM PDT

blackberry logo 246-You/Flickr

BlackBerry Messenger for Android is finally in the works, the company has announced, with the release date set for this summer.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has announced the surprising news (especially since the company said at one point that BBM would remain exclusive to its own devices) during the BlackBerry Live event keynote today. The press release says that BBM is coming to Android and iOS this summer, for free, subject to approval from the respective app stores. BlackBerry Messenger will be available for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher.

BBM is very popular among BlackBerry users, and it was only normal for BlackBerry to finally bring it to users of the most important mobile platform of the moment. The move is opening the service to a much wider range of possible users (current users will be able to add contacts from Android and iOS the moment the app becomes available).

What will BBM offer?

BlackBerry Messenger will be offering instant messaging with the popular “delivered” and “read” statuses, multi-person chats, as well as BBM Groups, allowing up to 30 people to be added to a group for group chatting. Also available will be sharing of images and voice notes.

Android users won’t get BBM Channels, a feature announced today that lets users share content in BlackBerry Messenger, or voice and video chat, but the company promises that the Android version will get them “later this year”. Contacts will be added using a variety of methods, including PIN, email, SMS, or QR code scan, but Android users will also be able to connect using NFC.

With more than 60 million active users, out of which 51 million use it for an average of an hour and a half every day, BBM should at least bring an additional mean of communication to Android. We’ll see whether users of Android actually need the app is released.

On the other hand, the arrival of BBM on other platforms could accelerate the move away from BlackBerry – users that were reluctant to switch to Android before might be more inclined to ditch their BlackBerries now that they can keep using BBM on the new platform.

Do you plan on using BlackBerry Messenger when the Android version comes out?

BBM for iOS and Android to Launch This Summer

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – May 14, 2013) – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY)(TSX: BB) today announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), available to iOS® and Android™ users this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, all subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. BBM sets the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, engaging experience that includes delivered and read statuses, and personalized profiles and avatars. Upon release, BBM customers would be able to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms.

In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

BBM is loved by customers for its “D” and “R” statuses, which show up in chats to let people know with certainty that their message has been delivered and read. It provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.

BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.

Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple® App Store(SM) and Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.

    


WebM VP9 video codec is almost complete, on its way to YouTube in near future

Posted: 14 May 2013 10:40 AM PDT


youtube-webm

The future of online video compression technology is almost here. The Google-sponsored WebM Project has now announced it is putting the finishing touches on its upcoming VP9 video codec, with plans to finish defining it by June 17. After that date, Google will not only start pushing out the technology to the Chrome browser, but also intends to utilize it on YouTube.

So what exactly is WebM? Right now, WebM technology utilizes the VP8 codec and is Google’s royalty-free alternative to the dominant web video codec, H.264.

Of course, technology doesn’t stand still for long. In January, the H.265 standard arrived, bringing with it the ability to essentially cut a DVD-quality video down from a 700MB file size to as little as 350MB. With VP9, Google is hoping to bring a similar performance boost to its WebM technology.

So why does this matter to you? In short, it makes watching all those cuddly kitten videos all the more efficient.

This is especially important for those of us with slower mobile connections, such as 3G. It can also be important for countries where "high-speed Internet" isn’t exactly all that speedy. For those with faster connections, the technology can also open the door to higher resolution support down the road.

A royalty-free video compression tech with similar efficiency to H.265 sounds great, right? There’s just one potential problem, Nokia.

The Nokia Factor

Back in March, MPEG LA agreed to give Google a license on patents that are essential to VP8, and potentially to VP9 as well. In total, 11 parties signed the deal, out of the original 12 involved. Who didn’t sign? Nokia.

Since then, Nokia has come forward and said that they hold 64 patents and 22 pending patents that could pertain to VP8. They have also made it clear they aren’t interested in committing to a royalty-free or fair licensing agreement. This means that any one who intends to use VP8 or VP9 might have to face a lawsuit from Nokia in the future. This could be certainly be enough to hinder WebM’s adoption going forward.

What do you think of VP8 and VP9, how do you feel it compares to Advanced Video Coding (H.264) and High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265)?

    


Gartner: Android continues its reign as king of the smartphone market, now controls 75%

Posted: 14 May 2013 09:40 AM PDT

Android

Technology research firm Gartner has released its report on world smartphone sales for the first quarter of 2013. The report puts both Android and Samsung as leaders in their respective markets, with Android accounting for 74.4% of all smartphone units sold and Samsung controlling 30.8% of the smartphone market.

Android has continued its stratospheric rise to prominence, with its market share increasing 17.5% year on year. Every other major smartphone operating system suffered losses, except for Microsoft's Windows Phone, although the improvement from 1.9% to 2.9% probably isn't the result Redmond was hoping for.

 gartner-smartphone-sales-report-q1-2013-2

Google's nearest competitor, Apple's iOS dropped from 22.5% to 18.2%, continuing its slow decline. Blackberry's (formerly known as Research In Motion) marketshare was cut in half and Samsung's ill-fated Bada OS and Nokia's decaying Symbian, both continued their trip to the operating system graveyard, as they couldn't even muster a single percent each.

Smartphone sales increased from 147 million units sold in Q1 2012 to 210 million, however, interestingly all smartphone markets declined, with the exception of the Asia/Pacific region, which grew 6.4% year on year. Total handset sales reached 426 million in Q1 2013, an 0.7% increase compared with the same period last year.

Samsung continued its growth, albeit not as record-breaking as we have grown accustomed to, with it now controlling 30.8% of the market. Apple came in second with 18.2% of the market and LG, on the back of its successes with the Nexus 4, Optimus G and Optimus G Pro, rounded out the top 3.

gartner-smartphone-sales-report-q1-2013-1

Chinese manufacturers ZTE and Huawei completed the top 5, with device makers Nokia, HTC, Lenovo, Sony and Co. making up the "others" section. Gartner also claims that budding operating systems Tizen, Firefox OS and Ubuntu will not affect the smartphone market in any great manner.

Both Android and Samsung are at the top of their respective food chains right now and it doesn't look like this will change anytime soon. Samsung has recently released its flagship smartphone in the Galaxy S4 and Android will be bolstered by the introduction of the S4 as well as the launch of the HTC One, meaning it would not come as a surprise if Google and Samsung can muster up even bigger numbers in the upcoming quarters.

Do you think Android can grow even larger than it is now? Will new operating systems affect the market?

    


Buying guide: Best Android phones – USA, May 2013

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:53 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs htc one standings aa

Much has happened in the world of Android over the last few months, with major announcements from Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG. Also, many smartphone manufacturers have released phones across multiple carriers, which can make a buying choice difficult.

But is there one Android phone you should buy? No, but there are many handsets out there, covering a wide variety of needs. Need a good camera? There's an Android phone for that. Need a budget phone? There's an Android phone for that.

Join us in taking a look at the latest and greatest Android smartphones available this month across all US carriers.

The AA smartphone buying guide brings you the best pre-paid and contract phones, both high-end and budget, available in May 2013 in the United States.

Best phones on contract: high-end

HTC One

This year, HTC is trying to redeem itself with the One, a beautiful aluminum-clad smartphone that leads the market in screen and camera technologies. HTC made good decisions with the One, focusing on marketing the camera and speakers as the main selling points.

The One was very well received, with many people stating that they were going to go with the One over the S4 due to the aluminum build compared to Samsung's plastic. HTC have also released the phone with three of the four main carriers in the US, which is more than can be said of its recent flagships.

HTC has improved Sense greatly with the new version, cleaning up the interface and adding new features such as BlinkFeed, which is a Flipboard-style homescreen replacement that connects to your social media accounts and favorite news sources. There is also a range of camera features to go along with the improved camera, such as the new Zoe.

Talking of the camera, a very nice thing about the one is the "ultrapixel" sensor, which lets the phone take brilliant vivid photos with great exposure even in low-light photos, by capturing more light per pixel. However the low amount of 4 megapixels can be concerning, as photos sometimes come out fuzzy and lacking in detail due to the small size.

HTC One review

HTC One availability and pricing

  • AT&T – available for $199 on a new plan
  • Sprint – available for $99 on a new plan
  • T-Mobile – available for $99 down payment, $20 per month off contract

Samsung Galaxy S4

With the new Galaxy S4, Samsung plans on repeating last year's success on an even larger scale by updating the specs and throwing in a multitude of handy software features. Last month, Samsung announced the S4 in style at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, building up iPhone-like hype and staging an ambitious Broadway event to unveil the new phone.

The Galaxy S4 is filled with new software features, but many have labeled them as gimmicky. These include things such as Eye Scroll, Air View, which allows you to hover a finger over the device for previews, and a nifty health app. They can be useful and make the experience of the S4 more enjoyable, although probably no one will call them necessary.

Many have criticized the plastic construction of Samsung phones such as the Galaxy S4. While plastic certainly has its flaws, it still holds up well and ultimately doesn't spoil the experience provided by the extra software features on this phone. On the other hand, plastic allows the cover to be taken off revealing the replaceable battery, which is widely regarded as an important smartphone feature.

We found the Galaxy S4 to be one of the best performers in many categories with its blazing fast quad core processor, beautiful display and a worthy 13-megapixel camera.

Samsung Galaxy S4 review

Samsung Galaxy S4 availability and pricing

  • Verizon – available for $199 on a new plan starting May 23
  • AT&T – available for $199 on a new plan
  • Sprint – available for $249 on a new plan, $149 if you move from another carrier
  • T-Mobile – available for $149 down payment, $20 per month off contract
  • U.S. Cellular – available for $199 on a new plan

HTC Droid DNA

The Droid DNA is the latest member of Verizon's army of droids. This handset was the first to introduce full HD displays to the US market. Sporting a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor and an eight megapixel camera, this phone is no slouch and could certainly still be considered a good high-end choice.

With Verizon skipping the HTC One, this phone is definitely the best HTC phone available on Verizon today. If you appreciate a decent build quality and Sense 4.1, then this is the Verizon phone for you.

HTC Droid DNA review

 

HTC Droid DNA availability and pricing

  •  Verizon – available for $199 on a new plan

LG Optimus G Pro

LG is making its way back into the smartphone game slowly and steadily. Last year, the high end Optimus G made its way onto several carriers but ultimately did not sell well. This time, LG is hoping that it can change the game with its latest phablet. The phone is packed with premium specs that you would expect to see from a high end smartphone in 2013 such as the fabulous 1080p display that many manufacturers are including on their devices.

LG's custom Android UI is perhaps not the most attractive looking UI, but still a functional and easy to use layover with several customisation options. However this handset does lack the useful stylus found on the Galaxy Note II. If you're looking for a phablet with a stylus, then waiting for the Galaxy Note 3 would probably be your best choice. Nonetheless, the Optimus G Pro remains a strong contender and is amongst the best smartphones out right now.

LG Optimus G Pro review

LG Optimus G Pro availability and pricing

  • AT&T – Available for $199 on a new plan

Best phones on contract: budget

Samsung Galaxy S3

Last year, the Galaxy S3 became a hit before it even hit shelves, with Samsung reporting 9 million pre-orders worldwide. The handset went on to outsell the iPhone in many countries and eventually became the hottest Android smartphone of 2012.

This phone may not be the latest and greatest anymore, however, it is still a very strong contender. You get a whole host of features, 2 GB of RAM, and a still fast dual-core processor at a cost of just $99 on most carriers, which is a steal considering it will most likely be supported by Samsung for at least another year.

Samsung Galaxy S3 review

Samsung Galaxy S3 availability and pricing

  • Verizon – available for $99 on a new plan
  • AT&T – available for $99 on a new plan
  • Sprint – available for $99 on a new plan, free if you move in from another carrier
  • T-Mobile – available for $69 down payment, $20 per month off contract
  • U.S. Cellular – available for $99 on a new plan

Pantech Discover

This midrange device was first unveiled at CES 2013 and it had little impact compared to devices such as Sony's Xperia Z, which was also revealed in Vegas and took home the Best in Show title. We were thoroughly impressed by the Discover in ourreview and gave Pantech credit for the phone's beautiful 4.7-inch 720p display, smooth interface, and decent camera, all for a small price on contract.

Pantech even got the build right, creating something easy and comfortable to hold while keeping it thin and light. The downside however, is that it is running Android 4.0, which is more than a year and a half old. Still, if you're in the market for a decent midrange phone at a low price, then the Pantech Discover may be the perfect smartphone for you.

Pantech Discover review

Pantech Discover availability and pricing

  • AT&T – available for $49 on a new plan

Best phones off contract (SIM-free)

Google Nexus 4

Google's Nexus line has always been a favorite amongst Android fans and developers, because of the stock Android interface, which is cleaner and smoother than many manufacturer UIs. It also has the benefit of receiving software updates directly from Google, ahead of the rest of the Android phones and tablets on the market.

Last year, LG was selected to produce the next Nexus for Google and they did a great job, combining excellent hardware (4.7-inch 720p display, quad-core processor, 8MP camera etc.) with Google's own software (Stock Android 4.2). This phone was immediately one of the most desired on the planet and that was especially clear from launch, with the Nexus 4 selling out in an hour. It is, however, back in stock and available from the Google Play Store unlocked and SIM free at an unbelievably cheap price.

Google Nexus 4 review

Google Nexus 4 availability and pricing

  • Google Play – available for $299 unlocked
  • T-Mobile – available $20 down payment, $17 per month off contract

Sony Xperia ZL

The Sony Xperia ZL is the smaller brother to the beautiful Xperia Z. It keeps the same 1080p 5-inch screen, quad-core processor and 13 megapixel camera, but just in a smaller, more convenient package, which enables easier one handed use. The handset is running Sony's custom UI, which has some extra software features added on, but still generally retains a simple and functional look.

However, we have noted that the display lacks vibrancy and wide viewing angles, which could potentially be a problem for some users. But if you overlook the display, the Xperia ZL is still a solid unlocked choice – even at the high price.

Sony Xperia ZL review

Sony Xperia ZL availability and pricing

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

After the success of the Galaxy S3, Samsung moved onwards to create a second device for those people who liked the S3 but wanted it in a smaller package. They compressed the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3 into the 4-inch Galaxy S3 mini, keeping all the bells and whistles that its larger brother has, while making it friendlier for people who prefer smaller devices.

The screen is not the only thing compressed though. The specs are also a step down but not disastrously. This phone has a dual core processor, 540p resolution and 5-megapixel camera. These specs are not bad enough to completely distract you from the experience of the phone, but some people may not be satisfied. All in all, this is still a fluid and enjoyable device, which will whet the appetites of those who want a smaller screen.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini review

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini availability and pricing

  • Best Buy – available for $349 unlocked

Wrap up

Spring is always an exciting time for Android shoppers, because of the amount of devices released during this time. Samsung, HTC and LG all have solid entries into the high end space and are all worth taking a look at if you're looking for a premium Android handset.

With the rumored Motorola X Phone and Galaxy Note 3 on the horizon, it is already clear that this year will be a great one for both Android lovers and general consumers, with so many choices and variations available on the market.

    


Apple hoping to add Samsung Galaxy S4 to its spring 2014 patent trial

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:31 AM PDT

Apple

Legal battles over patent infringement happen all the time, but most of these cases don’t hold a candle to the complexity of the Samsung and Apple patent wars. Not only are the Sammy/Apple battles fought fiercely (and globally), there are also passionate fans on both sides, rooting for their favorite player.

As Apple and Samsung gear up for their latest battle in California (planned for Spring 2014), Apple is looking to add yet another device to their list of 22 Samsung devices that allegedly infringe on Apple patents. So what’s the latest device to gain entry to Apple’s infringing device club? You guessed it, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Samsung recently released its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S4, which began shipping in late April 2013. Based on Apple's analysis of the Galaxy S4, Apple has concluded that it is an infringing device and accordingly intends to move for leave to add the Galaxy S4 as an infringing product.

Judge Koh already feels that Samsung and Apple need to cut down the amount of devices involved in the case, but Apple is determined to see the Galaxy S4 added to the list. Apple has even offered to drop one of its other 22 Samsung devices and replace it with Samsung’s latest handset.

Meanwhile, Samsung is preparing a counterclaim of its own, currently with 22 Apple devices that are said to violate Samsung’s own patents, including devices such as the Macbook Air, the iPad, Apple TV and many others.

In short, the drama continues with both sides preparing all the ammunition possible to fight it out to the bloody end. The big question is: when is enough, enough? Devices like the Optimus G Pro look (somewhat shamelessly) like Samsung devices, but no lawsuit is brought up over the design.

Of course Apple and Samsung’s battles go way beyond the Korean electronic giant. For Apple, the real target is Google and its Android OS, Samsung just makes for an easier target due to its large share of the Android market.

What do you think of Samsung and Apple’s patent war, has it gone too far yet?

    


What does Intel need to do to succeed in the mobile space?

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:20 AM PDT

Intel logo

Intel's a company which we all know. There's a good chance that your old PC or laptop is running an Intel chip, but the same probably can't be said for your smartphone or tablet. Many say that the company simply missed the boat with mobile computing, and it's certainly true that the company is languishing quite far behind.

Intel commanded about a 6% share of the mobile market back in 2011, and only held about 7% come the end of 2012. The company isn't even worth as much as Qualcomm any more, all due to a poor showing in the mobile market.

But with a change of management at the very top, what can Intel do to turn its fortunes around?

Intel Atom vs ARM Cortex

There's no doubt that ARM has managed to pretty much corner the mobile market and is the main obstacle for Intel. Virtually all of the big processor names in the mobile world are using ARM Cortex designs or architecture licenses in their SoCs, including Qualcomm, Samsung, Nvidia, and the list goes on. Intel, on the other hand, has been battling away in its own in a corner of the market, picking up support in the occasional piece of hardware. But the Atom line-up of processors have failed to make their mark, especially when it comes to smartphones.

Android phones

All of the top of the line phones above use Krait CPU cores, developed from Qualcomm’s ARM architecture license.

One reason for this is Intel’s business model. The company operates as a design and manufacturing business, churning out its own chips to put in products. ARM, on the other hand, operates as a licensing business, leasing out its technology to other design and manufacturing companies. This allows chip manufacturers to target the tech specifically at smartphones or tablets, whilst Intel is left trying to single-handedly sell chips in the desktop, laptop, smartphone, and tablet markets.

In fact, virtually every chip design company licenses out its technology. Graphics giants AMD and Nvidia both license their reference designs out to other manufactures who then can pick components, add coolers, etc to improve the design, or make them slightly cheaper for a budget orientated price range. Intel even does this with AMD for it’s x86 desktop processors, so why not apply the same logic to the mobile space?

There's a lot to be said for specialisation, and you can't help but feel that Intel may have bitten off a little more than it can chew. Perhaps Intel would be better severed by adopting a business model more inline with that of ARM, where other manufacturers can take its designs and adapt them to their needs.

Price Point vs Performance

I'm not going to delve into technical specifics here, but it's sufficient to say that there are many different architectural design decisions which can be made when it comes to processors, each with their own performance and cost limitations. A rather long running argument centers around reduced instruction set computing (RISC) verses complex instruction set computing (CISC), which, simply put, is a trade-off between cheaper, low-power, small transistor count processors verses more traditional computer processors.

This initial design decision gave ARM a huge advantage when it came to price, power consumption, and heat output when designing chips for small mobile devices like smartphones. Intel, instead, has been working on bringing power consumption down with smaller die sizes and production advances like tri-gate transistors.

Intel Silvermont Core Optimization

Intel’s next line-up of processors promises lower power consumption and higher performance, which is great. But what about the price?

Whilst the aforementioned technology will help Intel compete on performance, heat, and power requirements, it also needs to be priced competitively, which has traditionally been a stumbling block for Intel. Yields will need to be high to keep the price down, but the 22 nm tri-gate Silvermont microarchitecture will be Intel's best chance so far at competing in the mobile space, at least as far as architecture goes.

Having said that, Intel does appear to have taken the important of price onboard, what with the $200 Android laptops confirmed to be heading our way at some point this year. Whether or not these products can compete with slightly cheaper priced tablets remains to be seen, but at least we know that Intel’s chips are designed for typically priced products.

    


Kindle Fire user? $5 in Amazon Coins await you

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:12 AM PDT

Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire users have a little reason to be happy, as Amazon announced in a press release (which you can check out below) that it is giving away 500 Amazon Coins to every user.

That’s a $5 value, which can be used to get apps or make in-app purchases, but you have to be a U.S. resident in order to qualify for the promo, according to the Terms on the Amazon website.

You don’t have to do anything to get the credit, as it will be deposited directly into your account, but you must know that the offer is limited to 500 Amazon Coins per user. So, if you get the credit now, you won’t get 500 more if you buy another Kindle Fire.

The same document says that the promotion lasts until December 31st, and that it’s available both for current users of the Kindle Fire and new ones. The 500 Amazon Coins expire one year after they’re awarded and of course, you can only use them in Amazon’s Appstore.

The offer, which should cost Amazon quite a bit, is a way for the company to promote its virtual currency, the Amazon Coins, announced earlier this year. It comes right after another Kindle Fire promotion, which offered the device at a reduced price for Mother’s Day.

Amazon has announced that the promotion will not affect developers in any way; they will be getting their standard 70% revenue share and don’t need to make any modifications.

U.S. Kindle Fire users, have you already received your free Amazon Coins?

Amazon Coins Now Available for Kindle Fire Customers

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May. 13, 2013– —(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that customers can now use Amazon Coins to purchase apps, games and in-app items in the Amazon Appstore and on Kindle Fire. To celebrate the launch, existing and new Kindle Fire customers in the U.S. have had 500 free Coins—a $5 value—deposited into their Amazon accounts today. For customers, Amazon Coins is an easy way to purchase apps and in-app items on Kindle Fire, and for developers it's another opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increased monetization. With discounts of up to 10% for purchasing Coins in bulk, it's also an opportunity for customers to save money on their app and game purchases. Customers can purchase Coins by visiting amazon.com/coins.

"Today we are giving Kindle Fire owners $5 worth of Coins to spend on new apps and games, or to purchase in-app items, such as recipes in iCookbook, song collections in SongPop or mighty falcon bundles in Angry Birds Star Wars. And with discounts of up to 10% when you buy Coins, this is a great way for customers to save money when they buy apps, games and in-app items," said Mike George, Vice President of Apps and Games at Amazon. "We will continue to add more ways to earn and spend Coins on a wider range of content and activities—today is Day One for Coins."

Amazon Appstore developers will earn their standard 70% revenue share when customers make purchases using Amazon Coins. No Coins-specific changes are required for developers with apps and games currently in the Amazon Appstore. Developers not yet in the Amazon Appstore should submit their app today through the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal (https://developer.amazon.com/welcome.html).

Amazon Coins is the latest offering in an array of services that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end ecosystem for building, monetizing and marketing their apps and games. These capabilities include:

The ability for app developers to use Amazon Web Services' (AWS) technology platform for their infrastructure needs. Building blocks such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon DynamoDB allow developers to focus on what differentiates their app rather than the undifferentiated heavy lifting of infrastructure.

App submission for distribution to nearly 200 countries globally enables developers to reach millions more Amazon customers worldwide.

In-App Purchasing on Kindle Fire, Mac, PC and web-based games. This enables developers to sell virtual items in their apps and games while allowing their end users to simply use their Amazon accounts to make the purchase.

GameCircle, which includes capabilities like Achievements, Leaderboards, Friends and Whispersync for syncing games across devices, and leads to better engagement with games.

Game Connect, which lets developers list their virtual goods for sale on Amazon, increasing discoverability of their games and making the purchase of virtual goods as easy and convenient as possible for customers, leading to increased monetization for developers.

    


White Nexus 4 spotted at Qualcomm’s “The Mobile Show” booth [gallery]

Posted: 14 May 2013 08:02 AM PDT

white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-header-1

The unofficial white Nexus 4 was seen and photographed in the wild in a more official capacity shortly after a previous set of images of the device hit the web.

While yesterday's photos came from a person that managed to buy it from some website, today's pictures – better quality ones that is (check the gallery below) – come from a Dubai-based mobile show where the white Nexus 4 has been apparently spotted at Qualcomm's booth.

The mobile show in question can only be The Mobile Show that takes place in Dubai during May 14-15, 2013, and where Qualcomm is actually one of the sponsors. Before you ask, “The Mobile Show” is actually the show’s name.

User Ahmed Haji had this to say about the handset on The Verge's forum:

Hello .. I’m in dubai for a mobile show and I saw a white Nexus 4 on Quallcomm [sic] booth, and it looks amazing .. The white area around the back glass have some metallic touch and looks great .. Here’s some pictures I took for the device .. These photos taken by my smartphone, I can drop by a DSLR and take better photos tomorrow ..

The white Nexus 4 appeared in various rumors before, and it looks like the product is getting more and more real.

Obviously, we don't have an official announcement from Google at this time – not that we expect one with a day to go until Google I/O 2013 kicks off – but we're certainly waiting for some clarification on this particular Nexus 4 version.

Yesterday, we speculated that we may be looking at a special edition white Nexus 4 that could be offered by Google to I/O attendees. But we also wondered whether the white Nexus 4 may have some special powers including LTE support and 32GB of storage – a rumor floating around does say that a slightly refreshed Nexus 4 would be unveiled at this year's I/O edition.

Add to that the fact that the white Nexus 4 has now been seen at a Qualcomm booth – and you must know Qualcomm knows a thing or two about LTE – and that rumor seems to be making more and more sense. However, Haji did not mention any details about the internal components of this white Nexus 4.

white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-7 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-6 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-5 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-4 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-3 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-2 white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-1

We'll be back with more details about this white Nexus 4 model once we have them. In the mean time, make sure you follow Android Authority which will be reporting live from Google I/O 2013 in the following days!

white-nexus-4-qualcomm-dubai-fcc-id-1

[Update] Upon closer inspection, we noticed that the FCC ID for this white Nexus 4 model is ZNFE960, which happens to be the ID of the current Nexus 4 model (see image above).

    


Some Galaxy S4′s experiencing headphone distortion issues – is yours affected?

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:59 AM PDT

samsung-galaxy-s4-adapt-sound

If you've been having problems listening to music through headphones on your Galaxy S4 then you're not alone. A lot of other users have been complaining on Reddit and XDA about a strange audio clipping issue occurring on their handsets.

The problem seems to be affecting users with Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 powered handsets who are plugging in low-impedance (sub 16 ohm) headphones into the smartphone's 3mm jack. The issue manifests as an irritating buzzing or crackling sound if the volume is turned up past a certain point, but the exact cause has been a little harder to diagnose.

Due to the hardware dependency of this issue — people have been testing the handset with any number of different headphones — I think that it's unlikely to be caused by software. The output level could be controlled by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), but that doesn’t really explain why different headphones would produce different results. Combine this with the fact that not every handset is experiencing the same problem, then it seems rather unlikely that this is a software issue.

XDA member Jensign has conducted a few tests to attempt to find the cause of the problem, but the results produce more questions than it answered. As my first thought, I would have put money on power supply clipping caused by a larger than expected current drain from low impedance headphones — remember that old science equation I=V/R?

But according to the results produced by Jensign, the problem only occurs at specific frequencies and only for specific volumes. The tests showed noticeable distortion at around 1kHz but nothing for above 10kHz, and he didn't experience any clipping at maximum volume, which is particularly odd.

Galaxy S4 distortion testsSource: jensign

As a bit of an audio buff myself, I'm pretty puzzled by this. Unless there has been some mistake with the tests, the only conclusion that I can draw is that some of the audio chips used in Qualcomm's SOC are defective, resulting in bizarre distortion characteristics caused by some internal circuit resonance frequency.

Having said that, without knowing exactly how the circuit works, no-one is entirely sure. Perhaps there is a software or firmware issue with certain regions and handsets which may be fixable with a patch. In the meantime, if you're experiencing this problem yourself, I suggest taking your handset back under warranty.

So far, customers are having mixed responses with Samsung — some have only managed to have their handsets taken in for software updates, but that hasn’t solved the issue. Others customers have simply been refused assistance, with stores claiming that their headphones are simply “incompatible” with the Galaxy S4.

We're still waiting on an official statement from Samsung to see what, if anything, it plans to do about this problem.

Have you experienced any issues with your Galaxy S4 audio? Let us know in the comments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
    


DIY Google Glass: 3D-printed pair now possible thanks to free design blueprints

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:43 AM PDT

Glass
Google Glass is on its way to change your world, whether you like it or not. For all those who are actually looking forward to its arrival instead of trying to wish it away somehow, we have some very interesting news. A guy in China named Sunny Gao has managed to design his very own version of the highly-awaited wearable gadget from Google, and the best part is that he’s giving away the design for the glasses for free.

Gao attended a recent hackathon out in Shanghai and cooked up a complete DIY design of Google Glass, then went ahead and made an actual print in order to wear it in real life. From what we’ve seen, it does look very similar to the real thing. So it’s safe to say that at least for right now, it’s the closest thing to Glass that you’ll ever get (if you aren’t among those who have been given the chance to get Google Glass early, that is..

There is one major catch, though. It contains none of the real thing’s high-tech technological wizardry. In other words, it’s pretty much just another pair of glasses. Of course, the design alone makes it more than just an ordinary pair, however there’s no denying the fact that, well, it does not compute at all.

If you wish to start your very own 3D-printed Google Glass project, you’ll need the design blueprints. Fortunately those are conveniently located on the Internet, where they’ve been made available free of charge as a SketchUp file. To get started, simply download the following file and proceed from there: Google Glass.skp

To learn more about DIY Google Glass and the man behind it, go ahead and check out the source link below.

    


Didn’t make it to Google I/O? Googlers will answer your questions on G+

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:23 AM PDT

Android Google IO 2013 Credit: Hugo Barra

With Google I/O, the biggest Android event of the year, about to begin, Google announced that those who didn't make it to the conference can still get their questions answered via Google Plus.

Google I/O is the most important event for the Android community, the time when the overseers of the green robot we all love so much reveal their plans for the next year. In 2012, Google I/O was a blast – the popular Nexus 7 was introduced, we got a new version of Android, and Sergey Brin showed off Glass in the most spectacular way possible.

It's no wonder that so many Android enthusiasts are excited to attend I/O, and this year was no exception – the tickets for the event sold out in minutes, causing widespread frustration among those who didn't manage to grab their ticket.

Google is however eager to let more people participate to I/O, even if it's only virtually. If you have a question or a request about I/O, submit it via Google Plus using the hashtag #request and #io13. A small team of Googlers will be at Moscone West in San Francisco taking pictures, talking to developers, and answering your requests and questions.

The program was announced by Google community manager Melissa Daniels.

Melissa Daniels - Google+ - Just because you missed your chance to get tickets t 26 000246

There you have it – if you're curious about I/O and the sessions, or you just have a burning question about Android, just fire up Google Plus and ask away. Don't forget the hashtags.

Stay tuned for our Google I/O coverage! We'd have a few questions for Googlers – let's  see, the next version of Android, the new Nexus 7, the X Phone, the Google smartwatch…. What would you ask Google?

    


Looking back: How the Google Nexus 7 changed the tablet landscape

Posted: 14 May 2013 07:12 AM PDT

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-14

With Google I/O 2013 starting tomorrow, we have a lot to look forward to! We still aren’t exactly sure of what Google has in store for us, but among a slew of rumors and possibilities running rampant is speculation about a second edition of the Asus-made Nexus 7. If true, the new Nexus 7 will feature specifications that keep up with the times, while once again boasting a very reasonable price tag, which is really exciting.

Of course, the reason for this excitement is because of the great reception the Nexus 7 – the first Android tablet under the Nexus series – got when it was announced at the same event last year, becoming one of the best-selling Android tablets available since then. While not matching the sales numbers of the iPad, the Nexus 7 still managed to have a profound effect on the tablet market.

The Nexus 7 arrived at a time when Android tablet manufacturers were struggling to make an impact in a highly-competitive market, and showed other OEMs how it should have been done. Google wasn't taking on the iPad with the Nexus 7, but did attempt to do so more directly with the Nexus 10 that was released by the end of 2012.

Before the Nexus 7, the most popular 7-inch Android tablets were the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and the Amazon Kindle Fire, and the latter was, in part, the motivation behind Google jumping into the tablet gameSuddenly, wanting to buy an Android tablet with more than decent specifications didn’t require you to fork over $500+, and while not without its flaws, the Nexus 7 became the go-to tablet for a lot of consumers.

With the possible arrival of the next Nexus 7 this week, we take a look at some of the reasons why the first-generation model managed to shake up the tablet landscape.

Specifications vs Cost

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-1

The rumors surrounding the release of the Nexus 7 last year meant that we knew almost exactly what to expect by the time the tablet was released. But unlike with other device leaks, the pre-launch confirmation of the Nexus 7specifications didn’t do anything to  quell the excitement. Things got even better during the launch, with the announcement of the $199 and $249 price tags for a device with high-end specifications.

At the time, falling in the same price range was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, which featured a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage for $249. Packing a 7-inch IPS display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 1.2Ghz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and 1GB RAM, the price of the Nexus 7 was surprisingly low, and is obviously one of the many reasons the tablet was popular. Granted, compromises were made including the lack of a rear camera and microSD slot and the limited 8GB internal storage (the effectively 5.5GB space available to the user wasn’t nearly enough). But the last issue was corrected later that year, with the 8GB version being dropped, and the price of the 16GB version falling to $199. A 32GB version was also introduced.

With the arrival of the Nexus 7, you could now get your hands on an almost high-end tablet at a comparatively low price. The device completely shook up the tablet market, as far as the question of specifications vs  cost was concerned.

The latest software

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-12

The biggest advantage with any Nexus device is the fact that you’ll always be the first to receive any software updates, with a gap sometimes as big as six months before non-Nexus smartphones and tablets catch up, and that is, of course, if OEM “support” isn’t discontinued. Of course, this (as well as the previous point) is true for all Nexus devices. But while Nexus smartphones were already around for a while, the Nexus 7 was the first tablet to provide this edge.

The Nexus 7 was launched with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on board, and also introduced Google Now. All subsequent minor and major (up to Android 4.2) updates were available immediately after they were announced. With that in mind, if the latest iteration of Android is announced this week, the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10 will be one of the first tablets to receive it (keeping in mind that the rumored new Nexus 7 will release with the latest version).

Android tablet (and smartphone) manufacturers have had a difficult time with timely updates for their devices, and with the Nexus 7, users could finally get their hands on a tablet that would always feature the latest Android software.

    


NVIDIA SHIELD release date set for June, available for pre-order now for $349

Posted: 14 May 2013 06:51 AM PDT

  nvidia-shield-press-images-3

In a blog post, NVIDIA on Tuesday announced that pre-orders for SHIELD – previously known as Project SHIELD – is available for pre-order, with shipping set for June.

We can’t say we’re totally surprised to see the announcement considering that only a few days ago the first AnTuTu benchmarks for the console have been sighted, not to mention that NVIDIA always said the product will be commercially available at some point in the second quarter of the year.

The device, unveiled at CES 2013, is a Tegra 4-based Android-running gaming console that features both a screen and a controller and offers access to three game stores including NVIDIA TegraZone, Google Play and Steam. SHIELD costs $349 and will be available from various retailers including Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center and Canada Computers.

The company will take pre-orders from the general public on its website – at shield.nvidia.com – starting with May 20, while those of you that have registered to receive mode information about the product will be able to pre-order starting today.

nvidia-shield-press-images-2

In case you need a reminder of SHIELD's specs, here's what the product will have to offer:

  • Tegra 4 – The world's fastest mobile processor delivers rich graphics and unbeatable performance thanks to 72 GPU cores, four CPU cores and 2GB of RAM
  • Console-grade controller – Precise control thanks to dual analog joysticks, a full-sized D-Pad, left and right analog triggers, full-sized bumpers and A/B/X/Y buttons
  • Multi-touch display – 5-inch, 720p retinal multi-touch display for high-fidelity visuals
  • Integrated speakers – Custom, bass reflex, tuned port audio system – we think this is SHIELD's sleeper feature
  • Wi-Fi – 802.11n 2X2 MIMO game-speed Wi-Fi for game streaming
  • Pure Android – Latest Android Jelly Bean operating system from Google, for access to Android games and apps
  • There's more – We put into SHIELD everything we would want in a premium mobile gaming device: 16 GB memory, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, a mini-HDMI output, micro-USB 2.0, a microSD storage slot, a 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack. See the full spec sheet, here.

nvidia-shield-press-images-1

Furthermore, here are our videos from NVIDIA's CES 2013 Project SHIELD event:

Are you buying SHIELD or are you interested in other Android-based gaming consoles?

    


CyanogenMod breaches the 5 million user mark

Posted: 14 May 2013 05:05 AM PDT

CyanogenMod

CyanogenMod, one of Android community's favourite custom ROMs, has come a long way since the day of its inception, from starting as a one-man mod mission to now having collected over 5 million users. As a CyanogenMod 10.1 user myself, I'd like to offer my congratulations to the entire team on this momentous achievement.

According to the official CyanogenMod statistics page, the ROM now has 5,078,265 total installs, correct at the time of writing, 1,884,054 of which are official installs and a further 3,194,211 unofficial (user compiled) ones.

If you were to include all of the ROMs based on CyanogenMod as well the number would probably have breached 5 million a while ago, but unfortunately we don't have the exact figures for that.

We can break these numbers down even further. Rather unremarkably, the Nightly versions of CyanogenMod 10 (Jelly Bean) are the most popular. Perhaps a little more surprisingly, Nightly builds of the older CyanogenMod 7 are the second most popular, followed by the finalised 7.2.0 Gingerbread based ROM.

To put CyanogenMod's popularity into perspective, we’ll remind you that MIUI reached over 10 million users a little while ago, but MIUI has the added advantage of coming pre-installed on a handset, the Xiaomi MI2, which added 1.3 million users in just 4 minutes of pre-orders. So whilst CyanogenMod isn't the biggest custom ROM around, it still has an impressive install base considering that it relies solely on community support.

Anyway, congratulations CyanogenMod, next stop 10 million!