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- Nexus 4 Dot Live Wallpaper Now Free in the Google Play Store
- Google and Dish Network strike a deal to make their own wireless service
- Best Black Friday 2012 Android smartphone and tablet deals
- Fake Apple apps hit the Google Play Store: iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand and iWork suite
- Nexus 4 eligible for free 50GB Box.com offer
- Google Play 3.10.9 update brings a new installation UI, wishlist items delete button, and more
- Mysterious ZTE Grand X Pro spotted in (ev)leaked image
- Get a $50 Google Play gift card for every Galaxy S3 purchase from RadioShack
- Qualcomm predicts 5 billion smartphones to be sold by 2016, is that even possible?
| Nexus 4 Dot Live Wallpaper Now Free in the Google Play Store Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST
Google Play Store developer Wasabi has released the hallmark dot live wallpaper from the LG Nexus 4 for everyone. So at least your device can look like a Nexus 4. It’s available for free right now in the Google Play Store. What devices are compatible with the Nexus 4 live wallpaper?Any device that can run a live wallpaper should be able to run this one too. The only possible bad part is that there are ads in the settings menu within the app. However, that’s well worth the trouble to check out this awesome live wallpaper. Is anyone going to be giving it a shot? To download, check out the link above or the source link below. Related Posts |
| Google and Dish Network strike a deal to make their own wireless service Posted: 17 Nov 2012 10:30 PM PST Wireless services haven’t always been good to Google. Most devices have Google Wallet blocked. Out of the four major carriers, Sprint is the only one with Google Voice support. Verizon and Sprint Nexus devices had to delay updates from Google for quality assurance. It hasn’t been pretty. Well all that may be coming to an end. Google and Dish Network have struck a deal to create their own wireless service. According to 9 to 5 Google, Dish Network has been looking to do something with the wireless spectrum they purchased a couple of years ago. The details are sparse. However, it has at least been confirmed that it’s actually happening. However, 9 to 5 Google reports that development plans have been underway for some time. A potential release for the wireless service could be as early as 2013. Paired with Google’s Google Fiber project, this will give Google a lot more control over ISP service, TV service, and wireless service. How will Google and Dish Network services be different?For fans of Google, there will be a number of good changes. As mentioned, Google Wallet won’t be blocked anymore. 9 to 5 Google reports that most of the services will be handled by Google Voice. That means the entire service would be data only, with voice and text services being handled by VoIP services. How the services and pricing will work is still among the details that are under wraps. However, considering that it’ll be a data only service, the pricing will likely be much more simple than conventional carrier pricing. It could very well be cheaper as well. So what is everyone’s thoughts on this? Would a nationwide Google and Dish Network service be good competition for the big four in the US? Or will they likely end up like the smaller companies? Let us know what you think. Related Posts |
| Best Black Friday 2012 Android smartphone and tablet deals Posted: 17 Nov 2012 07:08 PM PST We're just a few days away from Black Friday 2012 (November 23) and while we have covered the most important Android offers as mentioned in the leaked Black Friday ads originating from the most important retailers out there, we're going to do a major recap just so you know what stores to visit next week in search for sweeter smartphone and tablet deals. We'll note from the start that not all the hottest Android devices out there are included in this year's Black Friday offer, so you won't be able to buy a discounted Nexus 4, Nexus 10, Galaxy Note 2 or Droid DNA (to name just a few of the most recently launched Android devices,) but there are plenty of deals to take advantage of, including some very cheap Android devices, even if coming from not so well-known brands. We're going to try to order the devices not by store, but by other criteria in what follows, including device model, maker or product category. You can compare prices instantly, from the cheapest offer to the most expensive deal, and we’re going to highlight the ones that stand out from the crowd. In case you want to jump to a specific section of this complete Black Friday 2012 Android guide, here are some useful links: Android Smartphones: Android Tablets: Other Android Deals Android SmartphonesOne of the most important smartphone of the year, the Galaxy S3, is part of various Black Friday offers, some more interesting than others. While the Galaxy Note 2 is not included in those leaked ads, there are plenty of other Samsung smartphones that can be purchased for discounted prices, although you should be ready to ink a new two-year contract to take advantage of the special November 23 price for these devices. Naturally, there are plenty of other smartphone deals, both on-contract and off-contract, which we're going to take a look at in addition to Samsung offers. But since Samsung has grown to be one of the most important Android handset makers, here's what Samsung smartphone deals you can expect this Black Friday: Samsung Galaxy S3
Other Samsung Smartphones
On-Contract SmartphonesAs you can see, there are plenty of Samsung smartphones included in Black Friday 2012 ads, but those aren't the only Android smartphones that you'll be able to buy for less next week. In fact, here's a list of HTC, Motorola and Sony devices you should check out before you make your buying decision:
Off-Contract SmartphonesOn-contract smartphones are not everyone's favorite piece of cakes, but luckily there are plenty of off-contract Black Friday deals to check out. Not including the Samsung prepaid handsets mentioned above, we have a variety of other devices to show you, albeit you may not find the high-end model you'd have hoped for in here:
 TabletsPressured by Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet launched late last year, Google stepped into the tablet business this summer with its first tablet ever, the Nexus 7, which quickly become a best seller device. In what follows we’ll take a look at the Android tablets that will get discounted on Black Friday, although don’t be surprised if you won’t find deals on all the devices you expect to see carrying special prices on November 23. Nexus 7The Nexus 7 is certainly one of the most popular tablets to date, and there are plenty of retailers ready to offer it on Black Friday. However, not everyone is willing to really drop the price on it. Here's what you can expect for the 16GB and 32GB models – the 32GB Nexus 7 3G is not available in any of the leaked offers:
Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HDThe Nexus 7 main Android rivals are Amazon's 2012 Kindle Fire models, the new Kindle Fire and the Kindle Fire HD, which are available from a variety of retailers. While most of them don't offer discounts, they do include gift cards that can be used towards the purchase of other products.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2The following Samsung Galaxy Tab offers will generally net you around $70 and $100 in savings on the 8GB Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 16GB Galaxy Tab 10.1, respectively, no matter where you buy your selected models – all are Wi-Fi versions. However, we would point out a special Office Depot deal that lets you bundle a Laptop and a 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 for $469.98 in the following list.
Other Well-Known TabletsIt's not just Google, Amazon and Samsung that have some of their products included in this year's Black Friday offers. There are plenty of well-known Android tablet makers such as Asus, Acer, Lenovo and Barnes & Noble that you'll find in various electronics stores next Friday. Here's what you can expect:
Very Cheap TabletsIn addition to all the tables mentioned above, some of them which we have thoroughly covered here at Android Authority, there are plenty of unknown Android tablets that are usually available for even less than what the most affordable Google and Amazon tablets cost. And these devices will be even more affordable on Black Friday, with various retailers stocking such models. Here's what you'll find in stores on November 23:
 Other Android DealsWe could have included plenty of accessories that would go well with your Android smarpthone or tablet purchase, but we decided only to list the most important "other" Android-related deals you should consider in this one:
In case you’re looking for accessories to go with your Android device then make sure you check out our full Black Friday 2012 coverage, as we looked at the main leaked Black Friday ads already including flyers from Radio Shack, Staples, Kmart, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Office Max, Sears, Walmart, Office Depot, Shopko and Sprint. And make sure you bookmark this guide, as we’ll update it in the following days to include future, last minute deals! Related Posts |
| Fake Apple apps hit the Google Play Store: iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand and iWork suite Posted: 17 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST In case you were browsing the Google Play Store and found supposedly Apple-made mobile apps inside, apps that would be usually found in its own App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch use, then you should probably stay away from them. They're almost certainly not Apple-made and we wouldn't be surprised to hear they contain malware, or that they have been "released" so the maker could collect some quick cash from trusting app buyers. So again, stay away from them! The list of apps supposedly uploaded by Apple Inc. includes Garage Band, iPhoto, iMovie and the iWork productivity suite (Keynote, Numbers and Pages), as seen in the image above. And if you try to see who Apple Inc. is, you'd be sent to Apple's official website. But that android@apple.com address is not a valid one. In other words, stay away from them! One user that has apparently purchased the iPhoto app, gave it a 1-star review and posted the following message:
In case we were not clear before, it's in your best interest for you not to buy any of these apps. Also, make sure you tell all your friends that have Android devices that they're not the real deal. Finally, we can't help but notice that the fact these apps got listed in the Play Store so easily is Google's fault. No matter how hard the company is trying to fight malicious apps, such as these ones could be, it probably wouldn't hurt the company to set up some filters to make sure nobody can pose as a well known company and have their fake apps listed. Has anyone purchased any of these apps? Why? Related Posts |
| Nexus 4 eligible for free 50GB Box.com offer Posted: 17 Nov 2012 11:41 AM PST About a year ago, Box.com announced that it's offering free 50GB Box Personal accounts to all LG Android devices in the U.S., both tablets and smartphones, running Android 2.1 or higher. According to the official blog post of the company, the 50GB of extra storage will be on offer until December 31, 2012:
So the obvious question is, will the offer work with the brand new Nexus 4, which happens to be made by LG? The answer is yes: xda-developers senior member ap27 reports that he was able to enable the offer on his Nexus 4 unit and upgrade from 25GB to 50GB of storage after downloading the Box app and logging in. Taking advantage of deals that offer users more free storage in the cloud is the only way to go with Nexus devices that lack microSD support in order to “upgrade” the memory. 8GB Nexus 4 users will probably be very happy to hear they'll have even more memory in the cloud to store some of those files that don't necessarily need to be stored on the phone's memory, but do need to be within reach at all times. Are you taking advantage of this Box.com offer? Related Posts |
| Google Play 3.10.9 update brings a new installation UI, wishlist items delete button, and more Posted: 17 Nov 2012 05:57 AM PST
It was only a month ago that Google updated its Play Store app to version 3.9.16, which brought along new features like improved notifications and a wish list function. Now, a new version of the app is reportedly being pushed out to select users. The Google Play 3.10.9 update was first reported by @WinDroidGuy, who was kind enough to post the APK online. What's new on the latest version of Google Play? The most noticeable change is the new installation screen, where after clicking to install and download a new app you won't be taken back to the app’s page and see the progress, but instead to a screen that lists similar apps others have downloaded. When you click the “Keep Shopping” button, only then you’ll be taken back to the app’s page. If you've been abusing the wish list feature from the last update, you may have accumulated too much items on the list – which unfortunately you couldn't delete. We're happy to report that the 3.10.9 update now lets you delete items from your wish list. Other new features include a Translate button, which lets user translates the app descriptions to their local language. You can find more links to sideload the APK by hitting the source below. Related Posts |
| Mysterious ZTE Grand X Pro spotted in (ev)leaked image Posted: 17 Nov 2012 04:18 AM PST Although the sneaky resourceful guys behind the @evleaks Twitter account have spoiled us with a lot of intel on unreleased devices for a while, we don't remember a crazier week than this past one. First, HTC's Droid DNA had its last render image leaked before its release. Then, a Galaxy S3 Mini version for US Cellular, called the Samsung Galaxy Axiom, popped up. The DNA was afterwards spotted again, though this time it was “dressed” for its international launch party. Now, to wrap it all up with a nice bow, the ZTE Grand X Pro has been leaked courtesy of the same Twitter account. This is however a much more mysterious device than all of the others, having nothing but a name and a pic for now. The image, while fairly high-quality, only hints at the using of a very lightly-skinned version of Android. Other than that, it's all in a blur, but we can expect some performance bumps compared with the original Grand X (hence the “Pro”). Then again, we don't really know how will the Grand X IN and X LTE fit in this picture, both phones being revealed a while ago, but not released. Will the "Pro" be a local version of any one of those two? Will those two vanish altogether and make way to this? No frigging clue! As a quick reminder, the original Grand X featured a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 pix res screen, Android 4.0 ICS, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Tegra 2 CPU and 512 MB of RAM. The X LTE in turn is (or was) supposed to come with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, while the IN has a single-core 1.6 GHz Intel Atom chip ticking under the hood. Any bets on Grand X Pro’s specs? Related Posts |
| Get a $50 Google Play gift card for every Galaxy S3 purchase from RadioShack Posted: 17 Nov 2012 03:53 AM PST If the leaked RadioShack's Black Friday sales promotion from a few weeks back has failed to excite you, here's a new one for those who are looking to get the Samsung Galaxy S3. Starting from November 18, or this Sunday, customers who purchase the Galaxy S3 on RadioShack will be given a $50 Google Play credit. For Sprint and Verizon Wireless customers, you can make the purchase online or by going to the nearest RadioShack stores. AT&T customers will have no choice but to brave the cold weather and head to its brick-and-mortar stores, as the promotion won't be offered online. Only the 16GB model of the Galaxy S3 is offered for AT&T's and Sprint's variant, while those on Verizon can choose between the 16GB and 32GB model. Once the phone is in your hands, be sure to redeem the free Google Play gift card within two weeks. For an even sweeter Galaxy S3 deal, you can also head to Amazon Wireless. The last we checked the online retailer is still selling the Sprint variant of the phone for $49.99. Related Posts
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| Qualcomm predicts 5 billion smartphones to be sold by 2016, is that even possible? Posted: 17 Nov 2012 03:33 AM PST Despite TI's (predictable) retreat from the mobile processor market, the industry's future still looks rosy, with Qualcomm, Samsung, NVIDIA and Intel all ready to battle it out for a place in our hearts. But how much further can the mobile market be pushed in a world with seven billion people and six billion subscriptions? A whole lot, according to Qualcomm, who's predicting a whopping 5 billion smartphones to be sold between 2012 and 2016. Not impressed? How about if I were to tell you that only 1 billion smartphones were in use in Q3 2012? Now think about a world where that number would be multiplied five times in only four years. Of course, Qualcomm mentioned nothing about the number of smartphones in use in 2016, but we should still expect the 1 billion from now to double or treble. Qualcomm also thinks that 650 million tablets and laptops will be sold in 2016 alone, and, while we have no idea where they got their numbers, this is a respected company that we don't think would ever pull outlandish figures out of its officials' behinds. What do you guys think? Is it even physically possible for that many smartphones to be sold in such a short time frame? Related Posts |
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