Monday 31 May 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Samsung Galaxy S: Benchmark Galore

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:11 AM PDT

Before we get to the good stuff, I would like to point out the "with Google" branding on the back of the device. In the beginning Google said this branding was just for vanilla Android devices. It seems as though they've changed their tone not only as far as the Google Phone Store is involved but support for handsets with custom UI's. Now to the business at hand, the Galaxy S has been benchmarked using various different tools and it performed extremely well.

We're going to start with Google's V8 benchmark test to kick things off. This test benchmarks a devices JavaScript performance, mainly while web browsing. Keep in mind that these test are being compared to a Nexus One running the same version of Android 2.1 as the Galaxy S. the N1 V8 benchmark score was 63.5 whereas, the Galaxy S posted a 57.5.

The next benchmark test is the Dromaeo benchmarking, this is another test of JavaScript performance. But it differs from Google's V8 because it takes into account the graphics processing also. The Galaxy S had a higher score than the N1 in this area as expected but just slightly. The Galaxy S posted a 15.92 and the N1 put up a 15.5.

The next test was performed with benchmark pi, this tool calculates brute CPU speed. Since both devices are packing a 1 GHZ CPU you would think these numbers would be similar. Well, your wrong, the Nexus One's Snapdragon outperformed the Galaxy S by almost a hundred points. The Galaxy S posted a respectable 2617 and the N1 posted a 3524.

Most of us are familiar with the last two benchmark tests. Linpack scores are next up to the plate. We've seen how 2.2 impacted the Nexus bring it from mid 7's to mid 45's in some cases. The Linpack Score is mostly generated by the performance of the CPU and how it handles some of the interactions with the Dalvik VM in Android. As mentioned earlier the N1 posted scores in the mid 7's while the Galaxy S posted mid 8's.

The biggest win for the Galaxy S came in the form of the Neo Core Benchmark test. This test basically outputs the FPS and is mostly dependant on the devices GPU. I fully expected the Galaxy S to take this one but not this big of a margin. In this test the N1 running 2.2 was put up against the 2.1 Galaxy S. the Nexus on 2.2 performs at almost 29 FPS while the Galaxy S with it now famed "hummingbird" GPU posted a score of almost 56 FPS. That's close to double the performance of a Nexus powered by Froyo. I've never seen a mobile phone post these type of numbers.

In conclusion, the Galaxy S is an awesome device that continues to impress. If you're into mobile gaming, this handset can fulfill even hardcore gamers expectations.

[source mobile O1]
[via frandroid]

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Is The HTC EVO 4G Plagued With Storage Problems?

Posted: 31 May 2010 07:23 AM PDT

Over the past couple of days there have been numerous reports from various sources that says the HTC EVO 4G has a problem with the included 8GB SD card. The problem happens randomly and a reboot is a temporary remedy. For seemingly no reason at all the phone doesn't recognize the card and therefore could stop the handset from functioning like it normally does.

Here are some apps that rely on the SD card and start failing unpredictably:

* The camera app starts complaining that it can't save pictures due to bad permissions, specifically: “Unable to save file to SD card due to insufficient file permissions”.
* TuneWiki, a music app, goes crazy and almost freezes the phone while trying to play the playlist that is loaded into its memory but failing at accessing the card.
* The gallery app sees no pictures.
* The ASTRO app shows a mix of empty and unavailable dirs in a state I'd never seen before.

This isn't an isolated incident either, there have been many different users experiencing the exact same thing. The problem is not likely the card itself, different cards was placed into the device and after a period of time the same results are seen. Most people think this is a software issue that can be fixed with an OTA update.

Odds are Google and Sprint will have this fixed before it is launched on June 4th. This may just be a problem for those lucky people that got their hands on one of the handsets that were passed out at the I/O. whatever the cause is this needs to be taken care of fast before the release day or it could turn into an ugly scene at Sprint stores.

[via androidpolice]

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Motorola XT502 Greco Headed to AT&T?

Posted: 31 May 2010 06:32 AM PDT

There has been many Android devices rumored to be heading to AT&T but so far not many have actually landed on the carrier yet. Here's another device with AT&T compatible bands that could see light on the carrier very soon. The Motorola XT502 aka Greco has been spotted at the Bluetooth SIG with tri-band UMTS (850 / 1900 / 2100 MHz).

It has Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, A-GPS and a touch screen. There is also Bluetooth 2.0, and USB port and a 3.5mm headset jack. The megapixels or version of Android its running is not known yet. If the picture depicts the OS it will not be running MotoBlur and it looks to be a little wider than the 3.1 inch screen Motorola has used on various Android devices. It's likely that this handset will make its way to China before the US, there isn't a release date or price set yet.

[via pocketnow]

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Dell Streak’s Gorilla Glass screen, scratch test

Posted: 31 May 2010 06:19 AM PDT

Watching a scratch test is always a painful experience. This video isn't as bad as some that we have seen in the past were people have used everything from forks, knives and keys but it does get the job done. The screen on the Streak looks to be pretty sturdy and scratch resistant.

Dell has said this is a very durable screen, it has been dubbed "Gorilla Glass" and should be able withstand almost anything you can dish out. I would've loved to see how it can take actual scratches from keys or something else but the pen does a pretty good job. He gets in a few good stabs and shows at the end that there isn't anything left on the screen. It looks pretty new once the display is off at the end, this is just another great feature to what will be one of the hottest android slates when it is finally released.

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Verizon HTC Droid Incredible rooted, instructions will be released soon

Posted: 31 May 2010 05:51 AM PDT

Ahhh, the wonderful world of root where almost anything is possible, the Droid Incredible has recently been rooted. So far the instructions are not out yet but they should become available sometime soon. Hopefully by the end of the day all you Incredible users can root your device and mod away.

Those of you that have been lucky enough to get your hands on an Incredible will probably be able to enjoy the benefits of root sometime today. Due to the shortage in availability a lot of owners doesn't even have their handset yet. It is expected to start shipment this June 22nd.

Currently, there is no custom ROMS for the Incredible but there are various different apps available for rooted users that will enhance your Android experience. We have a great list of a few posted right here. Custom ROM's should follow suit, keep an eye on this thread as it will be updated when the instructions to root are released.

[via XDA]

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A 10-inch Tegra 2-powered Android tablet by MSI

Posted: 31 May 2010 05:37 AM PDT

This little beauty goes by the name, WindPad 110. It is a 10-inch Tegra 2 Android powered tablet manufactured by MSI. It runs Android 2.1 and hopefully it will make it to the market soon. But for various reason devices powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2 processors seem to get delayed for various reason so there might be a bit of a wait for this to be released.

Whenever this does become available it will retail for $399 which isn't a bad price if they can load it down with some great specs. All we know about it now is it has a 10-inch capacitive touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB ports and will have some form of video output. We're keeping our fingers crossed for 1080p capabilities with an HDMI 1.4 port. This is a very stylish and sleek device, we'll update you when more information becomes available. There’s a short video over at Engadget, nothing is really demoed and it’s an early prototype but it worth taking a 60 second once over.

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Huawei Pulse for T-Mobile Hungary Gets Upgraded to Android 2.1

Posted: 30 May 2010 01:13 PM PDT

While the rest of the world sits in anticipation for the official roll-out of Android 2.2, there’s still plenty of handsets out there that aren’t rocking the goodness that is Android 2.1. A real shame, we know, but a truth that we have to accept in this day-and-age. And, perhaps oddly, we are all focused on the superphones out there, or other “high-end” devices. But what about entry-level pieces of hardware? Like the Huawei manufactured T-Mobile Pulse? Well, thanks to T-Mobile Hungary, those owners are about to be very, very happy.

There was a lot of Internet chatter sprouting around from T-Mobile Hungary customers, informing everyone else that the update was ready for download via T-Mobile’s website. And, sure enough, it’s right there, ready for anyone’s downloading and upgrading pleasure. And, indeed, it does bring Android 2.1 to the Pulse. Good news for them indeed.

[via EuroDroid; Thanks, Gary!]

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Samsung Behold II is Getting Android 1.6

Posted: 30 May 2010 01:04 PM PDT

Samsung came under fire the last couple of days because of their Behold II handset, which launched on T-Mobile USA a few months back. When it did launch, it did so with Android 1.5, and as you’re probably more than aware, that put the handset at a big disadvantage as the months rolled by, and Google released applications that could only be utilized with the 1.6 version. And, of course, then came Android 2.x.

Unfortunately for Samsung, they decided to use some questionable advertising strategies. Mainly, they informed customers of the Behold II that they would, in fact, be getting an update to Android 2.0 when it was made available. The video wasn’t as hard to find when the Behold II released, but since then it’s slipped into obscurity. Unfortunately for Samsung though, it seems like those customers didn’t forget. And, due to their impatience, were willing to take legal action against Samsung for not providing the update.

Samsung decided to meet its customers half-way. While they aren’t going to update the Behold II to Android 2.1, they are “willing” to update the handset to Android 1.6. In addition to that, they are also going to throw in the Swype keyboard, to hopefully make customers like them again. Here’s Samsung’s official statement:

Samsung Mobile and T-Mobile USA are planning to update the Behold II to Android 1.6 which provides access to Google Maps Navigation, Google Voice Search capability and quick search box for Android.

The update will also supply additional benefits including Swype, an improved Media Player, updated core Android applications and improved Bluetooth capabilities. However, the Behold II is not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6.

Unfortunately, the most interesting part of that statement is the, “…Behold II is not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6.” We know that isn’t accurate, and it makes us curious as to why Samsung is seemingly refusing to take the time to upgrade to 2.1. It seems to us that they didn’t have any plans at all to upgrade their customer’s firmware version, but in light of the possibility of lawsuits, were forced to make an easy, and quick, decision. We will admit that Android 1.6, especially including the Swype keyboard, is a great update, and will give the Behold II an extra bit of life, we hate the fact that we have Samsung on record, even indirectly through some marketing video, stating that the device would be upgraded to 2.0. A very unfortunate string of events, surely, and we hope those Behold II owners out there are happy with their upcoming Android 1.6 update.

[via SlashGear]

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Motorola Droid 2 & Shadow Appear in Verizon Inventory Systems

Posted: 30 May 2010 01:04 PM PDT

Both the Droid 2 and Shadow from Motorola have managed to ease on through almost every single leg of the mobile phone race. First the FCC, then some Bluetooth SIG certificates, and the Shadow even managed to get some concept artwork rendered. It all boiled over to the Motorola Shadow being shown off in a quick snapshot, after it was found in a gym. And now, before we have an official announcement from Motorola, we’ve got both pieces of hardware showing up in Verizon Wireless inventory. At least, the model numbers, anyway.

The tipsters, which are covert Ninja working as Verizon Wireless employees, managed to snag a picture of not only the Motorola Droid 2’s inventory screen, but also the one responsible for the Motorola Shadow. Now, there’s no other information to go on here, like prices or distribution dates, but we know these are the model numbers for both devices, and sure enough, if they’re appearing in inventory systems, we know they’re coming soon. Are these the two Motorola Droid devices the Wall Street Journal was talking about, about to be launched in July? We certainly hope so.

[via Droid-Life (Droid 2); via Droid-Life (Shadow)]

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