Friday, April 20, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Nvidia Readies Updated Tegra 3+ Processor For This Year – Sadly, Still No LTE

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:25 PM PDT

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Some potential HTC One X owners were a bit disappointed back when HTC had to forgo launching the device with the Tegra 3 processor here in the states, instead opting for Qualcomm’s S4 dual-core. The reason behind this was simple. Nvidia’s Tegra 3 didn’t play well with AT&T’s LTE bands — a problem we’ve seen many times before with chipset from last year.

Well, it looks like that little LTE problem might not be changing this year, with Nvidia’s plans for a newer, updated Tegra 3+ processor dubbed “Grey” to begin shipping a little later this year. Michael Rayfield, Nvidia’s general manager of mobile business revealed and confirmed a previous leak today that an updated Tegra 3+ would arrive sometime during late 2012 (as you can see from the slide) but LTE integration wont come with it until early 2013 (possibly sooner).

So, for those hoping to get a hold of a Tegra 3 device on your uber-fast 4G LTE network, it looks like you may have to wait until next year. In the meantime, competition will be heating up with Samsung possibly releasing their Galaxy S 3 with a quad-core Exynos (that could prove compatible with LTE) and Qualcomm’s dual-core S4 already finding itself the chipset of choice for manufacturers looking to release a device in the US that can take advantage of our LTE.

[TechnoBuffalo]

 

HTC One X Drop Test – This One’s Painful To Watch [Video]

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:04 PM PDT

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By now, many of you have had your eye on the HTC One X since it was released in Europe a few weeks ago. For us here in the states, we’re simply waiting until May 6th for the device to arrive on AT&T before we have decide if we’re going to pony up the cash for it. But whenever buying a new device, there’s often one question that sits in the back of everyone’s mind. One that not too many people are brave enough (or have pockets deep enough) to find out the answer to. How well can this device — the HTC One X in this case — survive a drop? It’s almost too painful to even think about.

Well, the boys at HTCPedia were brave/crazy enough to find out the answer to this question by subjecting their HTC One X to a variety of common drop scenarios, first one at hip height, then the more unlikely shoulder height drop, and finally, the worst scenario that could ever befall a device, that 1 in 6 chance a phone actually lands flat on its screen. How well did the HTC One X perform? This one’s hard to watch.

Dropping your brand new device onto cold, hard pavement is a very real possibility that most owners will experience at some point in their handset’s life. What’s funny is even the sound of a device hitting the ground is almost universally identifiable, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who cares about their phones as much as Android fans do. It’s almost like dropping a child.

Did the results in this video surprise you at all? I think there’s very few devices that could survive a flat, face-to-the-ground fall like that. The good news is, screen replacements are becoming cheaper and local repair shops that replace them are becoming more common. It’s not even the cracked screen I’m so worried about, even the slightest blemish anywhere on my device is enough to drive me to drink. Anyone else?

WordPress 2.1 beta adds autosave timer, ability to edit comments, ability to set width for linked images, and more

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:57 PM PDT

WordPress just released a huge beta that brought some very nice changes. For starters, you can now edit comments via mobile. An autosave timer will autosave your post every 60 seconds (thank god), UI improvements, the ability to resize the length of linked images, and more. The beta is available in APK form at this link, or you can scan the QR code over at WordPress’s website in the source link. See the full list of changes below and be sure to visit their site and leave feedback about the new release. [WordPress]

  • Autosave timer while editing posts. Every 60 seconds the post will be autosaved.
  • Edit comments! You can edit comments while on the go now.
  • You can now set the width for linked images.
  • All new WordPress.com reader. Navigating posts is much faster and you can add comments to posts that you are reading. You can also share the post to other Android apps!
  • Small improvements to the UI, most notably that the delete post button has been moved to a less prominent spot to prevent accidental taps on it.
  • Reliability improvements
  • Translation updates

Perhaps HTC hasn’t yet learned what its customer base wants; say they prefer thinness over long battery life

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 02:59 PM PDT

It looks like HTC won’t be hopping on the all-day battery life bandwagon, at least not any time soon. Their vice president of strategy Bjorn Kilburn says that — according to research conducted last year — their users prefer thinness over long battery life.

While they still recognize that battery life is important and work to improve that, they say they prefer using new battery technology in both software and the battery itself. The 8 hours per charge I get on my EVO 3D seems to suggest they are having problems in that area as well, but perhaps HTC Sense 4.0 will be different.

I’m not sure how Motorola did it, but they proved that you can get all-day battery out of a thin phone. Even with its 3,300mAh battery, the RAZR MAXX is still 8.9mm thin, and if you really need anything thinner than that… well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a bulimic.

Even Samsung has promised all day battery in their new flagship phones for 2012, and I’m pretty sure they’ll still keep those products as thin as you could get them. If HTC wants to restore meaning to their “Quietly Brilliant” motto, they’re going to have to learn to innovate like their competitors seem to have no problem doing.

While the new “One” series is great, they can’t expect users who want better battery life to stay with HTC based on looks when other companies offer the best of both worlds, especially when the beautiful Galaxy S series will likely soon match up to the RAZR MAXX’s achievement. What do you guys think, though: size or battery life? Or both? [via The Verge]

Sprint users seem to be clamoring for Galaxy Nexus as pre-sale inventory sells out

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:42 PM PDT

It looks like Sprint users were really eager to guarantee themselves a Galaxy Nexus at launch. Trying to head to Sprint’s pre-order page will only bring up a message informing users that Sprint has sold out of their pre-sale inventory, a proud message to display, I’m sure. The device, due April 22nd, has only been available for pre-order for three days.

Those wondering if they’ll be out of luck on the 22nd shouldn’t put their heads down in disappointment just yet. Many third-party retailers will have stock available, and Sprint corporate stores’ inventory may not be counted in online inventory for pre-sale. There may also be online stock reserved for those who didn’t pre-order.If you’re not feeling confident, give a few stores, Sprint or otherwise, a ring and see what’s going on.

So I guess the point of the story is that the Galaxy Nexus looks poised to do well on the Now Network, and its performance (and that of its predecessor) should guarantee continued support of this line by Sprint.This milestone is especially important for Sprint as the Galaxy Nexus will be the pioneer device for their upcoming 4G LTE network.

Of course, there’s the possibility that Sprint didn’t order as many devices as, say, an EVO launch would call for, though considering that this will be Sprint’s first LTE phone I highly doubt they treated it lightly. Were you able to get in on this opportunity before it evaporated?

[Thanks Zachary!]

Verizon to bring shared family data plans mid-summer

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:43 PM PDT

Verizon today announced that they would be bringing shared family data plans to the Big Red network mid-summer of this year. After mentioning it once in the past, we really didn’t have an idea regarding how long it would take Verizon to bring it to all those who wish to have it. They originally targeted the middle of this year and they’ll definitely be hitting that original estimation with this new timeline.

The news was shared in their Q1 earnings call today. Shared data plans will allow customers to pay one flat rate for a pool of data that members of a family plan will all eat from.

Of course, Verizon wasn’t willing to go into details regarding plan rates, but we imagine they won’t be allowing any unlimited options, and those who are still on unlimited data probably won’t be able to take advantage of the deal unless they’re willing to lose it.

In the grand scheme of things, it should help a lot of families save a lot of money if they find that they aren’t using a ton of combined data each month. We won’t know until it happens, though mid-summer is nearly here. We should know more by the time all the festivals come to town.

LG Spectrum to receive Android 2.3.6 with build VS920ZV5

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Verizon seems set to introduce a new software upgrade for the LG Spectrum. Build VS920ZV5 will step the device up to Android 2.3.6 and there are a lot of changes in this package. A whole host of apps will be updated, including NFL Mobile 4.0, My Verizon, Google Play, Gmail, and the Amazon Kindle app.

Fixes for improved calendar alert timing, force close issues when looking for WiFi networks and more are all being implemented. You can find the full changelog at Verizon’s site. No word on when to expect this update, but we reckon the wait will be quite short.

Soak test begins for Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX build 6.12.181

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:42 AM PDT

The initial soak test for the Motorola Droid RAZR and Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX build 6.12.181 update has begun, according to testers receiving the new software. Initial reports are positive and issues such as random force closes appear to have been fixed. Verizon posted the full changelog for the update yesterday and testing should continue through the end of the week. The update is expected to reach users on a wider scale around Monday.

[via DroidLife]

White LG Optimus 4X HD gets handled in the wild

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:55 AM PDT

Here is a timely leak. Just as the release of the HTC One X and the upcoming announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S III have nearly erased any memory of the LG Optimus 4X HD from our minds, a white variant of the phone has appeared on Chinese site ePrice. We first saw LG’s flagship device at Mobile World Congress and haven’t heard much about it since.

The Android 4.0 handset features specs that put it in direct competition with the likes of the One X and GS3, including a 1.5GHz Tegra 3 processor, 4.7-inch HD display, and Android 4.0. We were initially enamored with the device but have since cooled on it a bit. The hardware is impressive, but LG hasn’t done much to enhance the experience beyond the Optimus 4X’s power. You can check out a few more images and videos at the links below.

[ePrice via UnwiredView]

AT&T adds two 4G markets in Ohio, Akron and Canton welcome LTE (Lafayette, Ind., too)

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:43 AM PDT

AT&T is continuing their big spring/summer LTE push with the addition of two additional markets in Ohio. Akron and Canton are the latest to bathe in the carrier’s LTE radio waves and can now take advantage of the impressive download speeds afforded by the technology. 4G LTE was also activated in Lafayette, Indiana. AT&T will continue to rollout their LTE network into more and more areas throughout Ohio and the United States in the coming months. Head over to the source link below for the press release with all the info.

[Via AT&T]

PlayStation Suite SDK public beta opens

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:24 AM PDT

If the PlayStation Suite is going to catch on as a gaming platform for Android, it starts today. Sure, we’ve had our share of PS1 ports to hold us over on a handful of Sony-branded devices, but with the launch of the PlayStation Suite SDK open beta developers finally have their shot to contribute. Using the SDK devs can create games and applications for any PlayStation-certified Android device while also targeting the PlayStation Vita handheld.

As of today the interested parties can sign up for the beta free of charge and begin crafting and honing their wares for deployment. After the beta period ends a yearly fee of $99 will be required to partake in the program.

[Sony via AndroidCentral]

Spotify previews new Android app, premium users invited to take it for a spin

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:26 AM PDT

Spotify will soon launch an overhauled app experience for Android, bringing a new look and new features to the extremely popular music streaming service. The redesigned app gets full support for Android 4.0 and brings and features new navigation menus, the ability to check out friends’ profiles and playlists, hi-res artist and album images, and a mobile-first related artist view. Oh, and the app should run faster than ever.

Spotify is still looking to add a few more features by launch, including Last FM scrobbling. Unfortunately, mobile streaming is still limited to those willing to to pay for a monthly subscription. Premium user, however, can grab a preview of the new Spotify app for Android and take it for a spin.

Download: Spotify for Android

Dell Streak 7 is the Woot.com deal of the day, grab one for $249

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:15 AM PDT

Woot.com is once again offering us a deal on refurbished Android tablets. Today it’s the Dell Streak 7, which can be all yours for $249.99. What you get is a 16GB model with WiFi and HSPA+ connectivity for T-Mobile’s network running Android 3.2. Woot is also offering a deal on the WiFi-only Streak 7, priced to sell at $199.99. Yes, it’s a tablet from a manufacturer who has all but abandoned Android. Yes, it isn’t likely to receive Android 4.0. But it’s a deal worth checking out for the savvy shopper looking to score an Android tablet on the cheap. Head over to the source links below for all the info.

[via Woot (WiFi/3G, WiFi-only) | Thanks, Killa357]

Lava Xolo X900 available April 23, first Android to ship with Intel inside

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:05 AM PDT

After years of prototype designs and multiple generations of Atom processors the first Android smartphone with an Intel CPU to reach retail availability will be the Lovo Xolo X900. The device, which sports a 1.6GHz single-core CPU based on Intel’s Medfield platform, will be available in India starting April 23rd, confirming the words of CEO Pal Ottelini. Other hardware highlights include 16GB of internal storage, 1GB RAM, NFC, and an 8MP camera taking advantage of a 10-shots-in-one-second burst mode. While Intel’s chip supports Android 4.0, the Xolo X900 will ship with Gingerbread (2.3).

There is so far no word on when the phone might be available in other regions. Those in India can pick it up for the rather affordable price of INR 22,000 (~$425). The Xolo will be joined by the Lenovo K800, the first phone to be announced with an Intel processor inside, sometime in May.

[via The Verge]

Android Overload: Verizon Galaxy Nexus Only $50 On Amazon, Sony Lends Developers Xperia S’s and More

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:08 AM PDT

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In case you haven’t heard, the Android Overload is the place where we dump all of the stories we didn’t feature on our front page from throughout the day. They pile up here and we give you guys a chance to look them over in hopes that you will always find what you’re looking for, even if our day’s coverage didn’t quite cut it for you. As always, if you find an interesting article, be sure to leave us your thoughts. Have a great night.
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