Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

HTC One X launches June 10 at AT&T after customs delay

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 02:24 PM PDT

Yes, the U.S. customs delay kept America from getting their hands on the HTC One X by its original launch date, but now that the mess has been cleaned up we have good news. AT&T has set a new release date of June 10th for the phone that has slowly slipped from our minds thanks to the aforementioned delay and the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III. But that shouldn’t stop you from considering the One X as your next device. Check out our full review as a refresher. The One X earned the highest of praise from us. As originally planned, the phone will be available for $200 on a new two-year contract.

[via TechCrunch]

Galaxy S III to be among Verizon phones with global upgrade option

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 01:51 PM PDT

New reports have emerged that the Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon will feature global roaming capabilities unlocked via a future software update, with the carrier confirming the news. Verizon also confirmed that other devices would receive similar functionality, as has been reported previously. For most devices the unlocked global radios look to come as part of upcoming Android 4.0 upgrades, though this won’t be the case for the GS3 as it will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. When the appropriate update will follow is as much a mystery as the phone’s final release date.

[via The Verge]

Verizon could ship Samsung Galaxy S III by July 9

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 01:14 PM PDT

Verizon announced the Samsung Galaxy S III yesterday and a pre-order to go along with it. Folks interested in the unreleased handset can plop down their cash in advance starting later this week and be among the first to get their hands on the phone on Verizon’s LTE network. When that will actually occur is still a mystery. Sources coming forward have suggested pre-orders will ship by July 6th, while an internal document says July 9th is the date. The timing seems about right and puts the launch of the phone at about a month away, suggesting Big Red won’t be the first to release the phone in the US. T-Mobile previously announced a launch date of June 21st for their HSPA+ version of the phone.

[via DroidLife]

10 Burning Questions with Steve Albright from Neverstill Media

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 12:56 PM PDT

In this Developer Appreciation Month Interview we chat with Steve Albright from Neverstill Media (Phandroid’s parent company). Not only is Steve responsible for the most recent Phandroid News and GameFans Android Apps, but he’s also been the lead developer for Carrier Coverage, Football Pickem, Football Schedule 2012, and ClutchPad.

In the video below, Steve and I sit down to talk about his experiences developing for Android. For those who think the 40+ minute video is tl;dw… skip down to the 10 Burning Questions below.

(Pictured Left: Steve and his relatively new addition to the family: Addy.)

(1) How did you get started with Android Development?

As I said in our long boring video that Rob fast forwards through… I originally started out with an iPhone. I have built a few OS X apps but nothing to brag about. Surprisingly this experience with the Cocoa framework did not lead into iPhone mobile development. I spent a year or two trying to hack every aspect my my iPhones but never built an app.

Since the beginning of the rumors that were floating around the internet I have been following the early news for Android. Well, at the early times Android was not Android and the articles I were following referred to a Linux powered phone. Linux on a phone really caught my interest which gave me the courage to turn my iPhones into nice paper weights. Over time, Android development became a hobby and I developed and released my first application called Clutch Pad. The Android Developer Community is the only reason that I am where I am today!

(2) What phone do you personally use?

I am a phone whore and will always purchase the latest and greatest… even if I have to eat rice for a week. Right now, I am using my Galaxy Nexus on Verizon but now that I think about it.. I should be looking for a new phone that Rob should buy me!

(3) What was your biggest challenge in developing Clutch Pad?

Truly the hardest aspect of developing this app was fighting the SDK. I recommend, especially if you’re going to be writing your first ever Android application or game, make sure it’s an easy project and follow the documented SDK. On your first app you don’t want to try to figure out non public API or to hack something together to get your app to work but rather learn from good code examples to learn the framework the way it’s intended to be used.

(4) What app was the most fun to develop?

Hands down I would have to say the recent Phandroid News app we just released. I personally love Phandroid and the community behind this site. Creating a news app was just awesome and felt like more play than work. I love to hear user feedback and it’s a great feeling when you get positive responses back from a community your largely involved with! Oh, and updates are coming… I managed to get off conference calls ;)

(5) Monetization: in terms of driving revenue, can you tell us about your experience, your strategy, and the overall potential? (We know this is a touchy subject and confidential issue, but we appreciate any details you’re willing to share)

Bottom line: I do not have experience with Ads and users are cheap. I get complaints and refund requests for an app that is .99 cents on the market. You can find .99 cents on the ground. I’m not trying to insult any users or anyone in general but 99% of the time that same user would spend over 5 dollars at McDonalds or a $1.25 on a Pepsi. Most of the time lots of mobile apps are under priced with the amount of effort that goes into them. I personally don’t know the best way to make money off of apps but it seems like if you want to make a living off of your applications, you need to offer constant updates and great support or you won’t be around for long.

(6)What do you want to see in future versions of Android?

As phone hardware continues to get more processing power and ram the obvious future I see is more animations, smoother transitions and more eye candy. From a user standpoint I hope to see Google constantly improving their own apps to show off the latest and greatest UI designs as they do today. From a developer standpoint I hope to see better support libraries for past versions of Android. There is nothing I hate more than to try to make code adjustments to accommodate older versions of Android.

(7) Do you develop for other platforms and how does Android compare to those platforms?

I currently do not develop in any other mobile platforms but I could see Android being more difficult than for example iOS due to the large amount of unique devices we have to support. Although, there are pros and cons to everything and I think it comes down to more of a personal level and what language you like to develop in.

(8) If you could give one tip to fellow Android Developers, what would it be?

Get more involved with the community for early builds. It seems if you build an early on user base they will later support you down the road. Make sure you give good application support as well. Sending email responses back to users goes a long way.

(9) Tell us one thing that most people don’t know about you.

My computer career really began from getting suspended from high-school for a few months and I had nothing better to do then become a 1337 AOL hax0r.

(10) De Niro or Pacino?

This is hard but I have to give it to De Niro because of the movie Taxi Driver. Good shit.

BONUS FOOTAGE:
This is Steve in the CES 2012 Press Lounge, making fun of tech writers and their “device reviews” and “unboxings” by doing an impromptu, off-the-top-of-the-dome review of a Pepsi bottle. Yes… a Pepsi bottle.

Pretty hilarious if you ask me.

And that wraps up our interview… thanks, Steve!

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Google posts system image for Galaxy Nexus LTE IMM76K build

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 12:44 PM PDT

Google has posted the system image of the latest Android 4.0.4 build for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, specifically Verizon’s LTE variant. Build IMM76K is now available for download and should be useful for restoring a device to its factory settings should any problems arise, whether brought about intentionally or unintentionally. Google has branched off the code for CDMA Nexus devices from that which is featured on their official developer support page, but, as promised, will continue to support all Nexus devices via the official channels.

[Google via DroidLife]

Pebble Blue Galaxy S III stock beginning to trickle into European retailers

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 12:32 PM PDT

Samsung promised to correct problems with the Samsung Galaxy Pebble Blue finish in a timely manner to reduce shipping delays and deliver plenty of stock to smartphone-hungry consumers. Most commentators didn’t think Sammy would be able to pull it off as quickly as they were quoting, but lo and behold some European retailers are receiving stock of the Pebble Blue GS3 to bolster their supply alongside the Marble White variant.

The Dutch branch of Carphone Warehouse, The Phone House, is listing the blue GS3 as available on their site. Other retailers reporting initial shipments of the color variant include Coolblue and Castle Telecom. Pre-order customers will be first in line to claim the phones. Stock is expected to trickle in slowly as Samsung continues to address the problem. Those waiting it out may have to give in and buy the white version if they are not the type to practice patience.

[via AndroidCentral]

NVIDIA kicks off E3 with five new Tegra 3 games

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT

NVIDIA is getting things started the right way at E3 with the announcement of five new games tailored to their Tegra 3 4-plus-1 processor platform. The batch includes Dead Trigger from MADFINGER Games, which we first got a taste of late last week. Joining the zombie-fied first person shooter is a port of the Xbox Live Arcade/PlayStation Network title Puddle THD, a music-based action game called Demons Score, 3D side-scroller Bounty Arms, and the action RPG Heroes Call.

All titles will feature exclusive enhancements and graphical flourishes courtesy of NVIDIA’s powerful quad-core Tegra 3 processor. The games will be on display at NVIDIA’s E3 booth, where will will be snagging hands-on and footage alongside our sister site GameFans. Be sure to check back for more info!

[NVIDIA via GameFans]

Latest Verizon MAP list shows Incredible 4G LTE for $149, Galaxy S III makes an appearance

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 11:37 AM PDT

The latest version of Verizon’s minimum advertised price sheet (MAP) sheds a bit of light on the carrier’s pricing strategy for the upcoming HTC Incredible 4G LTE. The Increidble 4G LTE is listed at $149.99, a reasonable cost given the phone’s place in Verizon’s lineup. As noted by DroidLIfe, we might see the phone launch at $199 with a $50 rebate bringing us to the final pricing.

The handset will be the closest thing VZW gets to an HTC One series device, but the timing of its release seems to have been thrown off by the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III, which also makes an appearance on the new MAP listing. Most expected Verizon to release the latest member of the Incredible family earlier this spring, and a head-to-head launch against the GS3 may not work to the best interest of any of the parties involved. At this point the exact availability of the Incredible 4G LTE seems to be up in the air.

[via DroidLife]

Ice Cream Sandwich headed to Verizon’s Droid RAZR on June 12?

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 11:02 AM PDT

A report out of CNET may offer some hope to Motorola DROID RAZR owners on Verizon awaiting the update to Android 4.0 — that is if you didn’t already have your hopes up for the update to arrive sometime this month. According to sources inside Big Red, the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich will commence on or around June 12th. The reason the process has dragged on so long apparently can be attributed to migrating the update from an Android 4.0.3 base to Android 4.0.4. Such updates have been a long time coming for Verizon subscribers, but with the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola XOOM finally reaching the promised land, it would appear the carrier has gotten over the initial hump.

[via CNET | Thanks to those who sent this in!]

Quad-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 caught on video

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 10:17 AM PDT

A few in-the-wild pictures confirmed rumors of a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 redesign with quad-core processing in tow, and now we have video of the thing. Shown off is a piece of hardware that borrows several elements from the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S III that also now features a built in slot for storing the device’s S Pen. Why Samsung left this out of the original design remain a mystery, but perhaps the Galaxy Note 10.1 showed off at MWC was only meant to demonstrate the concept and never intended to represent the production units. Also coming over from the GS3 appears to be the Pebble Blue finish that has been making headlines for problems that caused a delayed release.

[via Engadget]

Google acquires Quickoffice, could help bolster Docs and Drive

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 10:10 AM PDT

Google has reached into its deep pockets once again to acquire the popular cloud-based suite of tools Quickoffice. Given the search giant’s recent launch of Google Drive with Google Docs integration, the move likely seeks to better improve these services, especially in the enterprise realm. Expect Quickoffice technology to fins its way back into Google’s existing suite of mobile apps, taking full advantage of the service’s built-in userbase. You can read a bit more over at Google’s brief announcement post linked below.

[via Google]

Best Buy Mobile offering pre-sales of Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T’s Galaxy S3

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 08:54 AM PDT

Best Buy tends to follow suit wit carriers when it comes to offering pre-sale opportunities, so we figured the Samsung Galaxy S3 would be no different. They’ve announced that users can walk into the store right now and put money down on a brand new Samsung Galaxy S3 for either Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T one they launch. Naturally, T-Mobile was excluded because they aren’t holding a pre-sale period for their version.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is pretty much identical across the board save for each carrier’s respective radios and minor differences in storage and color options. With a 4.8 inch display, a dual-core S4 processor by Qualcomm, an 8 megapixel 1080p camera, a 2 megapixel front facing camera, Android 4.0 with TouchWiz, and more, you’ll want to get your hands on this if Samsung is your thing. [via Best Buy]

Eco-friendly Samsung Exhilarate coming June 10th for $50

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 07:20 AM PDT

AT&T have announced that their eco-friendly Samsung Exhilarate will be racing to store shelves June 10th for just $50. This budget phone was announced back in January of this year, but since then we haven’t heard much about availability. It’s AT&T’s first LTE smartphone to get UL Platinum certification, which means this phone is environmentally sound and is probably the reason it took so long for it to come to market.

Despite being a budget phone, it still houses hardware that should keep any normal smartphone owner happy. It has a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, a 5 megapixel camera that records video in 720p, a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, a 4 inch Super AMOLED display, and a lot more. Read on for full press details.

AT&T to Launch its First LTE Smartphone with Environmentally Conscious Features, the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate

Dallas, Texas, June 05, 2012
Beginning June 10 AT&T will offer a new option for customers looking for sustainable features in a smartphone - the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate™. The Exhilarate will be available in all AT&T channels for $49.99 with a two-year agreement and is the first AT&T 4G LTE smartphone to obtain UL Platinum certification. This phone is also set to be one of the first to go through AT&T’s eco-rating system, which will be unveiled later this summer.

AT&T customers have access to the nation’s largest 4G network, covering more than 260 million people. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. That means AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you’re on a much slower 3G network.

The Exhilarate features a rear casing made from 80 percent recycled (post-consumer waste) material and is packaged with a low-load, energy-efficient charger that alerts customers when the device is fully charged. The device also boasts a 4-inch touchscreen Super AMOLED display, a dual core 1.2 GHz Scorpion processor, voice recognition and access to AT&T U-verse® Live TV****. It also features a 5-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera that let’s you record videos in 720p HD and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.

In addition, the Exhilarate is the first 4G LTE smartphone to receive platinum certification from UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Since 2011, AT&T has joined UL Environment and other sustainability stakeholders in working towards the development of requirements to identify leading mobile phones from an environmental and human health perspective. UL Environment sets minimum requirements for “environmentally preferable” mobile devices by measuring environmentally sensitive materials, energy management, manufacturing and operations, impact to health and environment, product performance, packaging and product stewardship.

AT&T will also offer two custom case options by Incipio. These ECO ® SILICRYLIC® cases are made from a combination of biodegradable and recycled materials. Composed of two parts, an inner silicone rubber made of recycled silicone regrind material, and an outer bio resin plastic shell, ECO SILICRYLIC complements the environmentally conscious features of the smartphone it protects.

“AT&T is committed to developing and supporting products, like the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate, that enable consumers to reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing features or the ability to enjoy a world-class smartphone experience,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility. “We’re working hard every day to empower consumer choice and provide consumers with more options in-store as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability.”

Playstation Suite now Playstation Mobile, HTC honored as first hardware partner

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 07:05 AM PDT

Last night at E3, Sony announced they’d be changing the branding of Playstation suite to encompass everything mobile is about. Playstation Suite is now simply Playstation Mobile. Not the most exciting of news, of course, but they then went on to announce the first hardware partner who would participate in Sony’s program which would allow smartphone users to download exclusive games, including some Playstation 1 Classics.

HTC is the first hardware partner willing to show other OEMs that it doesn’t hurt to play nice in this fierce smartphone battle. No devices have been announced for the service yet, but we hope the wait won’t be long. For more gaming news, don’t forget to check out the newly-launched GameFans.com!

Amazon Wireless offering Verizon Galaxy Nexus for just a penny

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 06:17 AM PDT

Amazon Wireless have announced a new deal for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus. They’re set to offer the device for just a penny, one of the better deals for the device on-contract here in America. This deal will only be for new customers, but those who are upgrading or adding a line will still get a pretty fine break for $50. The discount doesn’t appear to be live yet, but we’re assured that it’ll only be a penny so keep checking. This deal will last for a limited time so now is your best bet to get on the Galaxy Nexus train if you’re down with big red. Check it out at the source link. [Amazon Wireless]
Posted by at 7:43 AM

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