Android Phone Fans |
- Cyber Monday: HTC One V only $50 on Virgin Mobile with no contract [DEALS]
- Google says 2nd batch of Nexus 4′s shipping this week
- Contract Killer Zombies 2 coming later this week [VIDEO]
- Samsung GT-I9400 pops up in NenaMark benchmark, but is it really the Galaxy S4?
- Stock scammers likely behind news of bogus ICOA acquisition by Google
- The USPTO needs to refine their patent system. But how? [OPINION]
- Samsung bends and twists devices to their limit in hardware stress test
- LG prepping Optimus G2 with 5-inch display for May launch?
- Apple wants to add six more significant Samsung devices to patent trial
- Last chance: Win a SONOS Play:3 and Bridge [CONTEST]!
- Get the Amazon Kindle fire for $130 today only [DEAL]
- 11 new cities and counties get Sprint 4G LTE
- LG: LTE chip in the Nexus 4 was never meant to work
- Samsung sells 5 million Galaxy Note 2 units
- Dreams dashed of European HTC Deluxe?
| Cyber Monday: HTC One V only $50 on Virgin Mobile with no contract [DEALS] Posted: 26 Nov 2012 06:45 PM PST It may not be the most powerful of Android handsets, but that’s not to say it isn’t fully capable. The HTC One V was the little brother in HTC’s One line and if you hurry, it can be picked up on the cheap from Virgin Mobile for $50 measly dollars (that’s $100 off!). Part of their Cyber Monday sale that ends any minute now, Virgin Mobile operates on Sprint’s nationwide (rapidly improving) 3G network, and offers plans for as little as $35 a month for 300 minutes with unlimited text and data. Of course, if Sprint’s coverage is lacking in your city, you may want to pass. But for those looking for an Android stocking stuffer for the kids, this might be your go-to device. This is barely $15 more than that $35 Huawei Android smartphone Black Friday shoppers went crazy over last Thursday — and a much better investment. Oh, and if the One V isn’t your style (I’m thinking of picking one up for my mum), the rest of Virgin Mobile’s lineup can also be found discounted. Hit the link below.
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| Google says 2nd batch of Nexus 4′s shipping this week Posted: 26 Nov 2012 05:56 PM PST The emails are pouring out of Google HQ. After a shaky initial start, it seems Google is finally ready to ship the 2nd round of Nexus 4′s to customer’s doorsteps this week. The email being sent to a lucky few’s inboxes today reads: This has got to be great news for those hoping to receive the device in time for the holiday season. For those still waiting, with 4 more weeks to go, there’s still a good chance you could also receive your before Christmas if you hang in there. Has anyone not received the above email and are still waiting? Anyone absolutely sick of waiting and picking up something else? We recently reviewed the Nexus 4 just a few short days ago and you can check it out here.
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| Contract Killer Zombies 2 coming later this week [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Nov 2012 02:51 PM PST Glu Mobile has just announced that Contract Killer Zombies 2 will be headed to the Google Play Store later this week. The sequel to the original (which, in turn, was originally a spin-off) will bring a lot of great new changes and features, including things like a survival mode, rankings tracking with leaderboards, multiple types of missions and more. You assume the role of heroine Evelyn this time around, and you move her around from the third person perspective in an open world that’s yours for exploring. At your disposal are a number of weapons and combat skills to take on the many different zombified enemies who will be throwing themselves at you to find their next feast of brains with a side of blood. In typical Glu Mobile fashion the game will feature what looks to be some pretty great graphics (well, for mobile standards anyway) so this will be one that many will want to check out. It’ll be free to download, but expect in-app purchases to entice you to use real currency to help you get the weapons and upgrades you need to help fight off the zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately there’s no concrete date set just yet, but we’re told that “this week” is a definite goal so keep an eye out for it on the Google Play Store. In the meantime, be sure to watch a quick trailer above and check out the first game in this awesome new series to get an idea of what you’re in store for.
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| Samsung GT-I9400 pops up in NenaMark benchmark, but is it really the Galaxy S4? Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:57 PM PST It’s that time of the year, guys. Now that the Nexus 4 has passed (and fizzled?), we look towards the approaching new year. Tech blogs are already abuzz of the next, next generation of smartphones, the most noteworthy of those being Samsung’s next flagship, the Galaxy S4. If Samsung follows their yearly launch schedule — and we have no reason to believe they wont — the device could be a mere 6 months away (give or take). That means any minute now we can expect the leaks to start trickling in and today, we may have the first by way of a benchmark popping up on NenaMark’s website. Known only as the GT-I9400, the device’s model number as revealed in the benchmark hints that it could the follow up to the Samsung Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300). Of course, one look at the reported specs from the device and its low-end 800×480 resolution display and 1.2GHz Mali-400 GPU (found on the current quad-core Exynos) leads us to believe that this could also be nothing more than the rumored Samsung Galaxy Grand (Baffin), the phone version of Samsung’s 5-inch Galaxy Player which passed through the FCC a few days ago. While we’re still a ways off from the actual launch of the device, these specs could be nothing more than (extremely) early test hardware. It’s possible Samsung is simply using lower-end hardware to test out a new version of their TouchWiz software running on Android 4.2? That or someone is pulling our leg here. No way to be sure, but in the meantime, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more deets. [NenaMark]
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| Stock scammers likely behind news of bogus ICOA acquisition by Google Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:49 AM PST Question: how do you turn a profit on nearly valueless stock? Answer: invent a bogus $400 million acquisition deal. That seems to be the only explanation behind a press release that reached PRWeb and subsequently ComputerWorld (as an automated post) earlier this morning claiming that Google had bought out public WiFi provide ICOA Corp.. The news was denied outright by ICOA’s CFO Erwin Vahlsing and CEO George Strouthopoulos. Google shot down any remaining notions that a deal was being worked on behind closed doors. The likely scam paid off for a short time, turning stock valued at 0.0001 cents into a 0.0005 cent commodity after the news broke. The gain in value might have been small but could have easily brought in a decent chunk of change for dishonest investors. The counterfeit statement has since been pulled from ComputerWorld (though the original release is still up as of writing) and trading of ICOA stock has been frozen. The scam was believable for a number of reasons, not the least of which being Google’s penchant for acquiring other tech startups. This particular purchase could have had big implications, as it would signify that Google was at least mulling over the idea of entering the public WiFi provider space. It is looking like this won’t be the case, however. Statements released by ICOA clarify that the company has had no talks with “any potential acquirers.” Much about the press release seemed dubious at best. It was short and contained no statements from either party involved, and nary a piece of corroborating news from ICOA or Google was to be found. Moreover, a look at ICOA’s recent activity shows a business that Google would have little reason to desire. According to TechCrunch, ICOA has been the subject of an ongoing restructuring, which has brought about the cancellation of 23 percent of the company’s issued shares. A lack of funding resulted in the ICOA backing out of an acquisition deal of their own, which would have netted Tango Software. Sounds like reason enough for some perturbed stockholders to take the money and run by all means necessary.
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| The USPTO needs to refine their patent system. But how? [OPINION] Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:14 AM PST If you think the United States Patent and Trademark Office is anything short of a complete mess in regards to tech patents, than you’re sorely mistaken. If you think everyone besides your favorite OEM is the culprit behind eroding tech innovation, than you should take off your fanboy hat. But I think the vast majority of tech enthusiasts can agree that the patent war movement – where thousands of very general protective patents are submitted, awarded, and litigated upon – is suffocating innovation.
I’m no government policy expert, but I think it’s fair to say that something needs to change. Half of the patents being approved are nothing short of embarrassing. But identifying and diagnosing the problem are much different than finding and prescribing a remedy. That’s the hard part. Any regular Joe can create a petition on Change.org, but the petition by Mike Winmill in regards to Apple and the USPTO caught my eye when it came across my news desk. Is the patent war topic finally hitting more mainstream consumer irritation, or has it simply become the focal point of tech fanboys beating the drum of their master? Let’s be honest, Phandroids, Apple isn’t the only company whose patents catch our eye (and again, can we blame them?). In some regards, it’s hard to blame the manufacturers themselves. The tech landscape is incredibly competitive and to get ahead, you do what works. They’re investing hundreds of million in R&D so to spend some of those millions on patent protection seems reasonable. On the legal side, if your job is to protect intellectual property than you apply for anything and everything you could possibly be awarded: that’s what a good business person would do. So the sheer volume of patents coming in creates quite the labor for the USPTO whose job is to govern and make fair the competitive landscape. And based on the results, it doesn’t seem as if they’re doing a very good job. I admit, I feel guilty pointing a finger when I’m:
My only input comes from seeing some of the many approved patents and immediately thinking to myself, “How can someone patent that? That’s ridiculous! Stupid [insert company here]. Stupid USPTO.” I think that’s the same flow every tech fan finds themselves going through lately. So let’s put the obvious aside:
But what specific measures, restrictions, laws, or systems would you put in place to directly improve the fairness of the US patent system while balancing the rights to protect intellectual property and still promote innovation and competition? This is your chance to sound off… make it count! As suggested by Kevin Krause… a related video worth watching (series link):
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| Samsung bends and twists devices to their limit in hardware stress test Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:03 AM PST While we occasionally decide to make our handsets the subject of an impromptu drop test, the majority of wear and tear our devices receive is the result of countless little interaction adding up. Overtime, we give our phones quite the beating. With the average wireless contract lasting two years, users demand phones that will do the same. Enter Samsung’s multi-stage stress test. The above video gives us a peek inside Samsung’s labs as we see several of their smartphone models put through the wringer, sometimes literally. The phones are bent, twisted, sat on by a fake butt wearing a pair of jeans, rained on, squirted, and otherwise pummeled into submission to insure a lasting build quality and strong materials. Think of it like pressing the fast-forward button on the lifespan of your smartphone, all the key scratches, the short drops, the button presses summed up. Yes the video is in Korean, but you’ll get the idea just by watching.
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| LG prepping Optimus G2 with 5-inch display for May launch? Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:18 AM PST If LG hopes to become a serious contender as an Android smartphone maker, there is no time to waste in the wake of their recently released Optimus G. Out only a few months, and perhaps overshadowed by the Nexus 4 (which is largely based on the flagship phone from LG), a sequel is already in the works, according to Korean rag MK Business News, and it could launch as early as next May. The phone is dubbed the LG Optimus G2 — a no-brainer — and if reported specs pan out it should continue to push the boundaries of what a top-tier Android device offers. LG appears ready to introduce the phone with a 1080p display measuring in at five inches, a spec that looks like it will become the new standard in the wake of HTC’s Droid DNA and rumors of a similar hardware setup for the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Optimus G2 should continue to excel when it comes to processing power. A 2.0GHz chipset is rumored for the handset, though the specifics are a mystery at this point. The original Optimus G, which is currently available for Sprint and AT&T in the US, hasn’t been a runaway success in terms of sales, but the phone has earned high marks from pundits around the tech world. For that reason it stands as a real achievement for LG, a company that has had some recent struggles to keep pace with local Korean competitor Samsung and other makers of Android smartphones. As of early this year, LG had stated a new vision that would focus on quality device experiences versus an abundance of releases, and the Optimus G demonstrates how honing in on what matters to users can breed promising results. Hopefully the Optimus G2 can continue the trend. [via TechCrunch]
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| Apple wants to add six more significant Samsung devices to patent trial Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST Much can be said about Apple in these ongoing patent wars between itself and the likes of Samsung and HTC, but one thing that’s 100% undeniable is that the bitten fruit company has been ruthless. Apple is going after anything and everything it can from any company that poses to a considerable threat to its profit margins, and the trend will continue starting this week. It’s been reported that Apple has filed to have six more Samsung devices added to its case against the South Korean company. The Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi, and the Samsung Rugby Pro have all been targeted in Apple’s latest move to shut Samsung down wherever and however it can. You might want to note that the filing has been made with Judge Lucy Koh, the same controversial Judge who ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages for patent infringement. Appeals processes are still ongoing for those particular proceedings, but it will be interesting to see if that result will serve as the basis for another Apple victory here. These patent lawsuits are bad from the outside looking in, but Samsung’s bottom line might be unaffected in the grand scheme of things. Appeals can draw a decision out for a period long enough that enforcement of a ruling typically doesn’t take effect until a device has run its course in retail. Such is the case with the Samsung Galaxy S2 line that Apple went after so aggressively — the focus is already on the Galaxy S3, and rumors have it that the Galaxy S4 is getting ready to take center stage soon. Likewise, the trial for these new devices are said to begin in March 2014 should Judge Koh grant Apple its wishes, and nothing significant would happen until 2015 at the earliest. There is still some strategic importance for Apple to pursue these lawsuits, though. For starters, a successful case (where Apple wins the decision and ultimately beats appeals) would give the Cupertino company legal precedents for future lawsuits, making it easier for them to enforce injunctions on devices in the long run. It also helps accelerate a possible settlement or cross-licensing agreement between itself and Samsung should either side give in (though we don’t see that happening for quite some time). But for now, the beat goes on and this battle will continue to get more interesting each and every day. [via Electronista]
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| Last chance: Win a SONOS Play:3 and Bridge [CONTEST]! Posted: 26 Nov 2012 09:46 AM PST Right now, if you’ve already entered our SONOS Holiday Contest, you’ve got better than a 1% chance of winning a Play:3 and SONOS Bridge. With some people in food comas and others chasing the hottest holiday deals, many must have missed our awesome contest. You still have until tonight at 11:59pm Eastern to enter the contest and all you have to do is leave a (specific) comment on this post. Even if you don’t win, you should definitely check out the SONOS store, read my full SONOS review, and consider it as a purchase for yourself or as a gift. I use my SONOS day (and in fact am listening to SONOS while I type this). “Get on with it Rob, I don’t need to buy it because I’m going to WIN!” I hear you, I hear you. Just head on over to our contest post, follow the entry instructions, and cross your fingers. You can also pray if you’d like, but I’d suggest praying to the music Gods as they look most favorably upon SONOS.
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| Get the Amazon Kindle fire for $130 today only [DEAL] Posted: 26 Nov 2012 08:24 AM PST Black Friday is over, but that doesn’t mean the deals have stopped flowing. It’s Cyber Monday, and Amazon has posted a great deal for those who need to stock up on a Kindle Fire or two. Using the coupon code “FIREDEAL” you can take an extra $30 off the normal price of $160, making it a $130 that’ll make for a great entertainment device for you or a great gift idea to give to others. This deal will only be available until the end of the day, so be sure to act fast. The Amazon Kindle Fire was originally launched in 2011, but Amazon launched a refresh this past summer and delivered an even better experience for an even better price. You still get the same 7-inch form factor — in fact, the device hasn’t changed much in looks at all compared to its predecessor — but better internals and components have been utilized to help shore up what was already a nice experience. Of course, it’s imperative to remember that this isn’t your typical Android experience. Amazon has heavily customized the OS with an interface of its own. The interface is designed to deliver Amazon content in the fastest and easiest way possible. Kindle Books, Amazon Instant Video access, cloud music, the Amazon Appstore and more all take center stage for entertainment. The lack of the Google Play Store is a bummer, but the Amazon Appstore grows by the day and casual users should have no problem finding some great games to play and apps to use should they want the Kindle Fire for anything more than Amazon’s own services. Be sure to head to Amazon’s website if you’re sold.
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| 11 new cities and counties get Sprint 4G LTE Posted: 26 Nov 2012 08:02 AM PST We’ve been hearing an awful lot about Sprint adding target cities to its list for 4G LTE launches by the end of this year and for early next year, but very little actual launches have taken place. Welp, we can finally silence that noise as Sprint has finally started to launch 4G LTE for more cities. Today’s launches aren’t “sexy” cities, per se, but we’re never mad at progress of any sort. As many as 11 different cities and counties will be getting treatment today, and a lot of it is concentrated on the east coast (particularly in Indiana and Virginia). Folks in Anderson, Ind.; Clarke County, Va.; Jefferson County, W.Va.; Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.; Hagerstown, Md.; Martinsburg, W.Va; Harrisonburg, Va.; Muncie, Ind.; Peabody, Mass.; Salina, Kan.; Shenandoah County, Va.; South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.; Winchester, Va. It’ll be important for Sprint to get the ball moving a little faster as we head into 2013 as Verizon and AT&T have outpaced the Now Network in terms of LTE launches. Whatever the reason may be for its pace they Sprint still feels like it can cover most of its customers with 4G LTE by the end of next year. That goal will certainly need to be taken seriously as we doubt Sprint will want to suffer the same mistake it did in 2010 when it launched an onslaught of WiMax phones with very little coverage to show for it. You can thank Clearwire and its empty coffers for that debacle. On the contrary, Sprint’s LTE rollout is said to be funded in full with its own cash and assets so we should have no worries heading into 2013. For now, though, we’re just happy that a few more of you will be able to turn your phones, tablets and hotspot devices on to see a nice 4G LTE icon greeting you in the notification bar starting today. Read on for full press details.
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| LG: LTE chip in the Nexus 4 was never meant to work Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:38 AM PST An LG spokesperson is attempting to lend some clarity to the case of the mystery LTE chip that was found inside the Nexus 4 during an iFixit teardown. As we initially speculated, the leftover hardware was included as a carryover from the LG Optimus G, namely its Snapdragon chipset. Here’s the explanation from the horse’s mouth:
What this doesn’t explain, however, is how Nexus 4 users in Canada have indeed managed to access certain LTE networks using little more than a few simple software tweaks. But we’re over the idea that this might be some grandiose conspiracy on the part of Google and LG. It seems likely that the limited LTE connectivity some users have unlocked is more a fluke of the hardware than a secret feature. The fact remains that the LG-produced Nexus 4 lacks the necessary signal amplifiers and filters to provide access to a broad range of LTE bands, leaving virtually no hope for most. In other words, move along. Not much to see here.
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| Samsung sells 5 million Galaxy Note 2 units Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:14 AM PST iMany questioned whether or not Samsung could generate more interest in the new “phablet” category they’ve helped establish. Two major things would appear to be obstacles — the device’s outrageous size could be off-putting to many, and people are bound to be put off by the idea of using a stylus despite the Galaxy Note 2 being a perfectly usable device without it. Well, I think Samsung can check those two things off in the “mission accomplished” column as the company has reached a sales milestone it’s sure to be quite proud of. Over 5 million units of the device have been sold, and while the gaudy numbers of the Galaxy S line make that seem paltry in comparison it’s still impressive. The line no doubt has help from leveraging the Galaxy name Samsung has worked hard to establish over the years, and perhaps the S Pen’s unique productivity features help its case a lot more than if it were just another accessory shoved into the bottom of the phone. At one point a stylus may have been seen as a crutch for a crippled experience (ala the old Windows Mobile phones) but now it’s more of a welcome enhancement than anything. Whatever the case may be, Samsung’s broken new ground in the smartphone space and has put together a product that at least 5 million people aren’t ashamed of carrying around, and if it can reach its goal of 7 million units by the end of this year we’re sure there’ll be nothing but smiles in its South Korean headquarters. Do you have your Galaxy Note 2 yet?
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| Dreams dashed of European HTC Deluxe? Posted: 26 Nov 2012 06:53 AM PST With variants already available in Japan and the United States, the assumption has been that the HTC Deluxe, which we saw in pictures last week, will head to Europe as part of the 5-incher’s tour of the globe. Not so fast. According to a rep manning the company’s German Facebook profile, the Deluxe will not be available in Europe. Color us confused. Let’s preface the whole thing by saying that it is not uncommon to hear misinformation about an unreleased device delivered via a company’s social channels, especially when that news is coming from a regional outpost. The intern responsible for handling the Facebook page of HTC Germany could very well not have a clue and simply be referencing devices currently announced for European launch. This is all to say, it would be extremely disappointing news to not see what amounts to HTC’s best device in recent years not making it to Europe. Of course, tastes vary by region and perhaps HTC doesn’t think such a large device could succeed across Europe. This was partially the case when Samsung released the Galaxy S3 Mini in that market, citing that folks from that part of the world preferred a smaller handset. We should certainly be learning more in the coming weeks about the release of the HTC Deluxe. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our review of its Verizon-branded counterpart, the Droid DNA, a quick read should tell you why Europe will be missing out if the phone does not find its way there. [via GSMArena]
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But how can we change the patent system? We’ll always have huge corporations with tens of millions to spend on legal fees and patent submissions. The USPTO will always have a mile high stack of dozen page long patent applications to process, so complicated you would need an Adderall prescription to even understand the claims. And then of course there is the already long-running list of approved patents for which combing through would be a nightmare.
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