Android Community |
- Asus Eee Pad Slider Review Video Up, Straight Out of Italy
- UK HTC EVO 3D launch pushed back to September
- Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hits Verizon with LTE and official accessories
- Alibaba outs new mobile OS called Aliyun that can run Android apps
- Android is top OS in the US, but Apple is top maker
- Econz Wireless unveils new Timecard GPS app for businesses
- Motorola Droid 3 Review
- Motorola Device Images Leak, Might be the Atrix 2 or Atrix HD
- HTC Status Review
- Keep Watch For the Next Generation Galaxy S
- Android 3.2 Honeycomb Guide
- ASUS Transformer Android 3.2 Update Coming Tomorrow
- Xperia X10 Gingerbread Update Date Clarified by Sony Ericsson
- Galaxy S Skin Flexible AMOLED Screen Concept Revealed
- LG Thrill 4G Hands-On and Unboxing
- Samsung Within Passes FCC with 4G WiMax
| Asus Eee Pad Slider Review Video Up, Straight Out of Italy Posted: 28 Jul 2011 10:52 AM PDT Showing the device sitting inside an official Eee Pad protective casing, sliding it out with ease, YouTube user Boux2003 shows off the brand new Asus Eee Pad Slider, the close relative of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, a device that we’ve had some extensive hands-on and review time with in the past and everyone knows to be one of the top tablets in the market. Our main main in England, mister Chris Davies also had some hands-on time with the Slider as it stood in January of 2011 as well. Now it appears that the device is closer than ever to release as a single review video has popped up.
This newest video shows the current iteration of the tablet to be relatively sleek, certainly small for having a slide-out keyboard, able to slide out with a simple gesture, but requiring two hands to make it happen. You’ll notice as the presenter takes a tour through the device that the same awesome gesture-based features are present in the Slider that were up and running on the Transformer, and that this presenter has a really easy time running through the switches. The keyboard seems compact but efficient to use, neither having too much in the way of keys or having too small a keyboard and making the whole situation awkward. This video very much shows the Eee Pad Slider to be the Transformer with a keyboard, aka a really sweet combination of elements for a top-tier tablet. The Slider is said to be running Android 3.1 out of the box, has an on-screen keyboard for if you’re in a position where sliding out the physical keyboard doesn’t make sense, and is now part of our Device Directory that you can see at the bottom of this post and over in the Asus Eee Pad Slider listing at Device.AndroidCommunty.com. It’s fun for all specs seekers! — Thanks for the tip, lau! Device Info
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| UK HTC EVO 3D launch pushed back to September Posted: 28 Jul 2011 08:19 AM PDT UK sales of the HTC EVO 3D will not begin until September 2011, HTC has confirmed. The GSM model – announced back in late June - was originally expected to go on sale in Europe in July, offering a UMTS/HSPA version of the CDMA handset that launched in the US last month.
HTC UK revealed the delay to our sister site SlashGear. “We can confirm that the HTC EVO 3D will be available to UK customers through Carphone Warehouse from September 2011″ a spokesperson said; the news comes shortly after UK carrier Vodafone revealed it no longer planned to range the EVO 3D due to concerns over device delays. No reason for the delay has been given, though we’re presuming it has to do with the GSM radio in the EVO 3D since the CDMA version is already available now. The smartphone is HTC’s first to use a glasses-free 3D display, with a twin 5-megapixel camera array on the back so that owners can shoot their own photos and video. Device Info
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| Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hits Verizon with LTE and official accessories Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:52 AM PDT Verizon has announced something that I bet some folks out there have been waiting for. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 with LTE inside has now hit the wireless carrier. The Tab 10.1 has the same features we already know with the addition of the LTE modem inside. It has the 10.1-inch screen, a 1GHz dual-core processor, and supports Flash.
You can get the LTE tablet with a new 2-year contract for $529.99 with 16GB of storage or $629.99 with 32GB of storage in white or grey. Verizon also has a slew of official accessories that it is selling as well. The official accessories include a Bluetooth Keyboard with Case for $149.99 coming in August. A multimedia carry dock will sell for $49.99. There is also a USB and SD Memory connection kit for $29.99 and a HDMI adapter for $39.99. A display protector for the tablet will cost you $19.99. You can apparently get most of the accessories right now, the only one noting a later launch is the keyboard with case for August. )
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| Alibaba outs new mobile OS called Aliyun that can run Android apps Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:29 AM PDT A Chinese ecommerce firm called Alibaba has announced a new mobile OS that it is launching. The new OS is called Aliyun. This would be sort of along the lines of Amazon launching its own OS here in the US. The new Aliyun OS will launch at the end of this month and show up on a smartphone called the K-touch W700 phone.
The interesting thing about the Aliyun OS is that it is capable of running Android apps. The new OS comes from the AliCloud division of the company and will use cloud computing for core functions like email, maps, GPS, backups and more. In addition to running Android apps, the OS with will be able to run webapps with HTML 5 or JavaScript. The first smartphone to use the OS will be made by Chinese firm Tianyu and will use NVIDIA chips inside. The device will have a 3.8-inch screen and Tegra 2 power. The process leading to the new OS took three-years according to Alibaba and the firm has 1,200 engineers on the project. [via Penn-Olson] )
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| Android is top OS in the US, but Apple is top maker Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:13 AM PDT Nielsen has released its latest report on the top smartphone makers and OS in the US. The latest report is much like the ones we have seen in the past. According to the Nielsen data for June, Android is the largest OS in the country with 39% share of the market. Apple and iOS are second with 28% of the market.
RIM saw its share decline for the month to 20% of the market. Nielsen also looked at the top smartphone makers to see who was at the top. With the share of iOS users in America so high, it’s clear that Apple is the top smartphone maker with only the iPhone running iOS. HTC, whose top devices run Android, sitting at 14% of the smartphone maker market share, Motorola is at 11%, and Samsung is at 8% of the market. All three of those makers are leaning heavily on Android. HTC’s Windows 7 smartphones account for 6% of that OS market share. Symbian has only 2% of the smartphone market and is tied with WebOS. The total share of the OS market for Windows Mobile and WP7 is 9%. [via Nielsen] )
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| Econz Wireless unveils new Timecard GPS app for businesses Posted: 28 Jul 2011 06:10 AM PDT It’s hard for people that work in fields where workers are not in an office to control when the worker actually starts and stops works. Some employees take advantage of that system and steal time from their employers by starting late and leaving early. A company called Econz Wireless has a new app for Android phones that will stop time theft and help employers cut down on expenses called Timecard GPS.
The app installs on any Android OS device from 1.0 up and tracks time, attendance, and GPS location for mobile workers. The app allows the creation of jobs, tasks, sub-tasks, and cost codes. The app will also track the workers location and the breaks they take. The app will prepare over 20 custom reports and uses Google Maps. The clock in and out feature allows the worker to punch a clock even when they aren't in the office. The app requires the company to have Timecard organization configured before installing the app to the phones. The app costs $12.99 monthly for each device with the clock in and out function. )
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| Posted: 28 Jul 2011 01:31 AM PDT Welcome to the next step in a legendary set of devices by the name of DROID, that is, the shortened version of Android, aka the greatest bit of marketing a business has ever done with the Google mobile OS. DROID is a Verizon-centric term, licensing it from George Lucas himself – does this DROID 3 live up to the name? You bet it does. It’s a dual-core piece of magic with a slide-out keyboard that’s second to none, made in the image of past Droids and topping them all with a smooth combination of hardware and software that’s not to be missed.
Before we begin, let’s hit up the hands-on and unboxing video as we always do, paying special close attention to how smooth the chassis look, the keyboard pops out, and the operating system runs. This is a top-tier device if ever we’ve had the opportunity to hold one, that’s for sure. HardwarePorts include a microUSB and microHDMI along the bottom left side, headphone jack on the top right, power/lock button on the top center, volume up/down in the upper right, single speaker on the front for your ear and another single speaker on the bottom back for all your speakerphone / gaming / and media playing action. The back of this device also plays host to some rather comfortable soft plastic for the palm of your hand as well as a single LED flash next to a HD 1080p capable 8-megapixel camera above and to the right of the Motorola “M.” The Motorola symbol here is sideways, it should be noted, sitting in landscape mode rather than portrait as most phones are prone to do.
Your battery cover comes off in a single set of 10 snaps, that is, your battery cover won’t be coming off accidentally, no way in heck. One the cover you’ll find a cool 1540 mAh battery, a slot for your Verizon 3G SIM card, and a spot for a microSD card (not included) that you can have upgraded from 0 to 32GB. Sliding your keyboard out, you’ll find that you have a full QWERTY with a second set of keys upon pressing ALD, all 10 number keys sitting separately above the letters. The plastic of which the keyboard is made is similar to the soft plastic on the back of the device, with a bit more grip to it to make for a better and more accurate typing experience – if you’re a physical tapper, that is.
The perfectly large 4-inch qHD 960 x 540 pixel resolution display is bright enough to play games in the deep dark night, light enough to see in the daylight, and sharp as a tack to boot. Outside of Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus, you’re not going to find a more perfectly impressive looking display than this. As a bonus – you’ll be running Gingerbread with the special Tube Shutdown activated which means the whole display appears to get sucked up into the center like an old tube television would – impressive to see!
The slider is easy enough to move that you can do it with one hand, yet strong enough to stay together in your pocket all day long. It doesn’t seem as though it’s going to get loose, either, and judging by my Aunt’s several year old original Droid slider, it’s only going to get more rough and tough from here on out, so no worries! The speakers are loud, the speakers are sharp, and the party will be on once you crank up your Spotify account to 11, that’s for sure. Then there’s the Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor – a hefty competitor to be sure. We’ll be talking about that more in the Performance section, of course.      SoftwareInside the device you’re going to find Motorola’s newest look at their custom user interface for Android. You’re running the newest version of Android right out of the box, that being Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, it riding on what Motorola used to call Motoblur, but if you had Motoblur stand next to what we’re seeing here in a lineup, you’d never know they were related. Find out more about the last time we saw some of the old Motoblur in our full review of the Motorola XPRT. That of course is no match for this, in any respect really, the user interface included. This is easily my favorite Motorola custom user interface, a lovely unique unlock mechanism at the start, the ability to change the four icons in your dock without rooting or downloading a desktop replacement app, five rotating screens for all your app shortcut and widget needs, and a really smooth looking set of icons for all your favorites: camera, browser, email, and your app drawer icon included.
Each of your apps are floating above the ground, this evident upon seeing the shadows they leave behind at the bottom of your home screen and each of your app drawer screens. Your icons are set up in grids of 20, each of them on rotation in the same manner as your home screens, the shadows disappearing and re-appearing whenever a screen is switched. You can choose to view this app drawer by All Apps, Recent, Downloaded, or Verizon Wireless specific. There’s also a nice looking shopping bag outline in the upper right of your screen that leads you directly to the official Android Market if you’re thinking you want to add to your many screens of awesome apps at any time.
Right out of the box you’ve got your usual set of Google-added apps like maps, Gmail, and News, plus you’ve got some real awesome oddities like NOVA HD for some first-person shooting action, GoToMeeting for all your professional meeting needs, VZ Navigator for navigating if you’re not into the whole “free” thing that Google offers in your regular Navigator app, and ZumoCast for if you’re interested in streaming media to your phone and accessing the files on your home computer from anywhere.        PerformanceNext it’s time for some awesome numbers. Below you’re going to find an impressive array of benchmark numbers found to be racked up right out of the box with this device. Can you imagine how hard this monster is going to pull its weight when it’s eventually overclocked?
Battery and CameraThe battery on this device will basically last you a day, we’re talking a 1540 mAh battery on a qHD device with a dual-core processor. While we feel that a slightly bigger battery wouldn’t have been completely uncalled for, especially since the also recent Motorola XPRT has over 1800 mAh, this device DOES last a day with medium use. Don’t expect too much more than that. As for the camera, well, the best way to judge such a thing is always to go ahead and film some material, so here we go: an 8-megapixel camera on the back of this device capable of recording video in full 1080p HD, on the front there’s a slightly smaller VGA camera that doesn’t pretend for a second to be made for actually taking photos and video – use this for video chat exclusively. Below are a couple examples of the high-class quality of the back-facing camera:
Camera InterfaceNote here that there’s also a brand new camera interface for you to be using to the fullest. The ability to mute your sound and zoom in and out whilst filming a video is present, geo-tagging is utilized in some amazing ways, and social networking is integrated in a few strange manners as well.    Check out the Droid 3′s camera interface in the demo video below: Wrap-UpWith the power of a Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core processor under the hood and some undeniably well made Motorola slider chassis holding the device together, there’s essentially no drawback here. Sure, it’s not the Droid Bionic, which will be a Motorola device with a dual-core processor AND 4G LTE, but it’s certainly the next best thing. Motorola makes extremely high quality bits of hardware, and this is no exception. Fans of the DROID line of devices made by Motorola will not be disappointed, those upgrading from a feature phone will freak out over how amazing this device is, those moving away from a device with the same size screen with a lower resolution will be joyous over their decision.
In fact, the only decision you’ve got to make here is over two things: if you don’t want the keyboard, we suggest getting the Motorola Droid X2 instead as it’s very similar in specs, is slightly thinner due to the lack of a push-out keyboard, and is running an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz processor, a processor which we do enjoy very much, very much indeed. Second, you’re not running with the bulls quite yet – that is, you’ve got the dual-core processor, but you don’t have 4G LTE data speeds. This combination isn’t out at the moment on any device, but will be very soon (we hope) in the Droid Bionic. At the moment, this is as good as it gets on Verizon! Device Info
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| Motorola Device Images Leak, Might be the Atrix 2 or Atrix HD Posted: 27 Jul 2011 06:27 PM PDT Some new images have leaked of what appears to be the next powerhouse from Motorola headed to AT&T. At first glance it looks like the Motorola Atrix but once you look a bit closer it is in fact different. What we have is a device branded for AT&T and sporting what appears to e a 4.3″ screen (Atrix was 4.0″) and the display seems to have contoured glass sort of like the G2x, it has a bubble look to it you can clearly see in the picture below. Is this a new screen type, could this be a 720p HD Atrix?
You can see it’s running Android 2.3 Gingerbread from the top and it appears to also be running Moto’s latest attempt at a UI or Moto Blur some of you might prefer to call it. The camera has been upgraded to 8MP versus the 5MP on the Atrix and they’ve removed that fingerprint scanner that no one used anyways. From initial photos the device looks very nice, has a front facing camera and a sleek design. At least they aren’t blurrycam photos right?
This is just breaking so we don’t have anything official to go on, some are reporting the screen to be a HD 720p display but with no official details we can’t really speculate too far on that. The bottom bezel is tiny and looks very similar to the HTC Sensation design. The rear cover has the same look and design as the original Atrix so that is where we are getting the Atrix 2. It may not be a huge step up from the original Atrix but Motorola is known for releasing minor upgrades like the Droid X2. If it indeed does have a different processor, possible a OMAP 4 as well as a higher resolution screen then I can see it being worth it, or maybe a super secret quad core CPU. Check out the rest of the photos below in the gallery as well as even more at the source. Interesting device indeed.     [via Unwired View] )
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| Posted: 27 Jul 2011 05:45 PM PDT Welcome to our official Facebook Phone review – at least that’s what they’ll have you believe if you’re in the AT&T store. What I’d bill this phone as is the greatest little keyboard in the West that just so happens to have a Facebook button below it and a display that’s just a little bit too small, but certainly bright and sharp. I come from an environment where I basically skipped over the BlackBerry era and went straight to 4-inch and above displays, so keep that in mind when you take this trip with me down Android way on a device that’s by no means perfect, but shoot if it isn’t pretty looking and nice to hold.
The week this review is released, we’ve also officially launched our Device directory, located at http://device.ac/ – with this directory we’re able to attach statistics from any device on to the bottom of any post. In this case, we’ve got the HTC ChaCha attached to the bottom of this HTC Status review because ChaCha is the first name this device was given. Check out the full specs below! HardwareTaking the hardware aside on its own, this device is one of the most comfortable to hold handsets I’ve ever had the pleasure of checking out. I think you’ll find in the early reviews of the Euro version of this device, that is the HTC ChaCha, many will say the same thing: and boy what a keyboard. This device has what’s called a Chicklet keyboard, meaning the keys are sort of shaped like the tiny gum candy, clicking upon pressing in a lovely and perhaps even cute way. All of the keys white areas are semi-transparent so they can be back-lit.
Then there’s the battery cover. Much in the same way the battery cover comes off of the HTC Flyer with a bit of a push down to unhinge the cover before easily sliding it off, the HTC Status has three panels on the back, only the bottom one meant to be removed. Those who are actually able to get the battery cover off are legendary, as the commenters on the one video on YouTube showing you how to get the cover off will tell you. Essentially we’re gonna go ahead and say: don’t try it. The only things under there are the SIM card and the battery, and more than likely you’ll have no need to get those out any time inside the lifespan of this device.
The display is bright, but small. The resolution is large for how large this TFT display is at 480×320 pixels for a 2.6-inch screen, and certainly you’ll have no complaints about the sharpness, but if you’re used to having room to play games or do any other sorts of advanced activities via apps on your screen, you’ll have a tough time adjusting. On the other hand, if you’re upgrading from a feature phone with an even smaller display, you’ll think this is fantastic.
The front facing camera is just fine for video chat and recording yourself talking if that’s your sort of deal, the back-facing camera is pretty excellent for 5-megapixels. Below in the camera section of this review you’ll get a look at a few pieces of media we’ve collected. Your Facebook button is the piece of this device you’ll be using to work with Facebook, several functions being built in for its use, each of them listed in the special Facebook Button section of this review. Software and PerformanceFor special Facebook-centric items, you’ve got a lovely Friend Stream widget (essentially the same one you’ve been working with on HTC devices for the past few months,) a Facebook widget which essentially amounts to the same thing as Friend Stream except relegated to Facebook, and Facebook Chat, which is basically a list of all your friends on one of your home screens – tapping a friend brings you to a very basic text-only window in which you’ll be able to Facebook Chat with the friend in a very basic way.
Beyond that, you’ve got a basic set of Google apps plus a few AT&T additions and an app screen that has a side-menu that has you deciding on All Apps, Frequent, and Downloads. This same sort of screen appears when you’re looking at your galleries of photos and movies, and the same is true with Music. You’ll be encountering this sort of content on the left, menu on the right sort of situation throughout this device. You’ll either love it or hate it, more likely than not based on what kind of phone you’re used to using. If you’re coming from a device with a much larger screen, you’ll have a tough time adjusting – and I’ll say that again before the review is done. If you’re coming from a feature phone or, god forbid, a landline, you’ll think the screen is giant and glorious.
As for performance on this device, check out these benchmarks. Certainly this phone isn’t the top gun when it comes to power, holding all of its stock in hardware and the unique nature of its display setup in its user interface.
Facebook ButtonThe Facebook button sits below and alone, sitting on the white plastic casing with semi-transparent ink sitting on the “f” so that notifications can shine through with a light that blinks at you like a beacon. A long press always brings you to a screen where you can check in at any number of local locations created in Facebook – or you can create your own. These locations sit on Facebook as a Page where people can then Like, or you can Edit and activate things like a website to tie to the location, categories, etcetera.
A short press from a home screen, your apps drawer, your Android menu, or a number of other places reveals a screen where you can update your status. This is the same status that you’d update from either your Facebook profile page or Friends Stream otherwise. You have the option here to take a photo and attach it or take a photo from your already-photographed gallery. You can also post directly to one friend’s wall from this screen.
A short press inside any one of your basic media apps will allow you to share that piece of media. This covers photos in your gallery, music you’re listening to with your basic Music app, and webpages you might be browsing. Each of these items will be posted to your wall automatically. What’s frustrating at the moment is that, mostly because the device is brand new we suspect, this functionality does not flow over to any 3rd party apps quite yet.
Inside your Facebook app, you’ll notice the same sort of stacking screen arrangement that you’ll remember from your photo gallery. This is HTC’s custom version of Sense made to hopefully make the best use of your relatively small display. In practice though, the better solution would have been to take a cue from the web browser whose URL bar, as per usual, disappears when its not needed. Instead what we’ve got are some rather large buttons and an even smaller screen than we thought we might be dealing with.
Is the Facebook button a revolutionary element on this device? The idea is revolutionary – the fact that HTC and AT&T are supporting a device that is Facebook centric is revolutionary, but the button itself is and should be a one shot – unfortunately the HTC Status isn’t the only device to have added a physical Facebook button to stare us in the face all day long. Facebook Functionality and Hands-OnBattery and CameraFirst, the battery lasts a very, very long time. At the very least a day, if not longer – that being relatively long for your average, everyday smartphone. There’s not a whole lot to power in this device, therefor the power just doesn’t run out at the same rate that it does on other devices. Don’t worry about charging the HTC Status up during the day, instead just rely on overnight charges.
As for photos and videos, trust the examples below, and note that I’d call them Facebook-worthy. They’re not perfect, but for how long a Facebook photo lasts in a person’s mind and how much of a kick you’re going to get out of posting it with the Facebook button, this camera is certainly adequate to say the least.
Wrap-UpThis device is one that feels amazing to use on one hand, but doesn’t have the power and versatility of the rest of the HTC line on the other. There’s a few different people who will very much enjoy this phone, a Facebook addict being one of them. You can just as easily check on your friends and enemies ever 5 minutes on any other smartphone, sure, but with this one, you’ve got the Facebook button! There’s of course other elements that are relatively unique to this phone, one of them being the physical call and hangup buttons below the display, and the whole device feels just about as high quality a build as you’re ever going to see on a smartphone thus far in history, but the Facebook button isn’t quite the game changer I suspect it’s going to be promoted as in stores.
Should you go out and grab this phone? Sure, why not? If you’re a hardcore gamer though, you’ll be immediately sore at the small amount of games you can actually play, keep, or even have working correctly because of the display’s odd setting. If you’re one of those folks who already uses a Samsung Infuse 4G, you’ll feel like you’re looking through a microscope in reverse, but if you’ve only ever used devices not quite classified as smartphones this far into your handheld device life, you’ll feel like you’ve got quite a treat.                              Device Info
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| Keep Watch For the Next Generation Galaxy S Posted: 27 Jul 2011 03:27 PM PDT We have a little surprise for everyone this early evening. We have a super secret box that just arrived with nothing other than “Samsung” plastered across the front. After doing a bit of snooping and finally opening it we were greeted with following sentence. “Keep Watch For The Next Generation Galaxy S” and our man Vincent got super excited to see what was hiding in the box. Have any guesses guys?
A Galaxy S II, a Chromebook, a Galaxy S III… what could it be? If you somehow guessed a telescope you’d be correct. We got a shiny new device that is hopefully just as fast as the previous generation Galaxy S, only this time it came with a tri-pod and no processor.
If this isn’t a tease from Samsung I don’t know what is. We have been hearing reports and rumors for weeks regarding the Galaxy S II finally hitting the U.S. and now they go and do this. We’ve seen leaks suggesting Verizon will get it first and packing 4G LTE. AT&T has it headed to their shelves in the form of a Slider, and even a 4G WiMax powered version recently hit the FCC. Basically what all this means is one of the best, if not the best mobile device is headed to the U.S. and soon. Samsung just had to tease everyone by sending a few telescopes out to remind everyone to “keep watch”. Trust me when I say this, we are watching and waiting patiently but now you better hurry and deliver — Thanks for the telescope though, we love it!       )
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| Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:51 PM PDT So you’ve got yourself a Motorola XOOM Android tablet (with Wi-Fi only) and you’re sitting tight waiting for that update to Android 3.2 Honeycomb, yes? You’ve been first on the docket for every upgrade to Honeycomb (save for the 3.1 update, aka the only other update thus far, which went instead to the Verizon version of the XOOM,) and you’re pumped up to see what Android 3.2 will bring. Well what do you know, we got that update already and it’s time to let you know! Lets have a look at a guide on what you’re going to be dealing with in Android 3.2 Honeycomb, shall we?
Before we begin, take note: this guide isn’t going to be long, mostly because there isn’t just a whole heck of a lot of changes in this update. Only some bug fixes and a few possibly-gigantic upgrades are included, the biggest changes being left for Ice Cream Sandwich, I’m sure. A New Kind of SD Card SupportSD card support is one of those things that tablet users have been waiting for since the dawn of time, that being since they first purchased their tablet, the Motorola XOOM being an excellent example here. The XOOM launched with a tiny tab in the upper right of the device that pulled out to reveal two placeholder cards: one SIM and one microSD. With Android 3.2 comes SD card support, but not in the way you’re used to. Where in the past, with handsets that is, you’ve been able both read and write to microSD cards, in Android 3.2 for tablets, you’ll only be able to read. What this means is that if you’re used to downloading apps and placing them on your microSD card so your build-in storage can remain free and open, you’re outta luck. Unless you’ve got a way to download apps on your PC and save them to the card outside the tablet, you’ll be only able to use the card for storage of media such as movies, photos, and music, again placed on the card with your PC and a card reader of some sort.
App ZoomingVery similar to how the iPad handles apps made only for iPhone or iPod Touch, you’ll now be able to zoom in on your apps that normally wouldn’t get any bigger than their original handset size. This means some addition of pixels. Ever take a photo in Photoshop or Paint or any other photo editor in the world and make it much bigger than the original size? You know what happens? It gets weird, it gets what we in the industry call “pixelated” or “totally messed up.” What’s going to have to happen here instead of this zooming in of apps is a change in the way developers make their apps, specifically in the area of images that aren’t vector based. When you make a vector-based image and have it in your app, no amount of stretching is going to matter because the lines are all based on mathematics instead of pixels which are either off or on.
Everything ElseSee, I told you there wasn’t just a whole heck of a lot to it. Android 3.2 adds some additional bug fixes, as updates such as this always do, as well as some improvements that future tablets (before Ice Cream Sandwich is released of course) will appreciate. One of these improvements is added is build-in support for smaller tablets, that is 7-inch and 8.9-inch tablets mostly, giving developers the tools they need to develop for screen size-specific environments. Next, memory settings have been tweaked to improve how Honeycomb handles widgets on your home screens – those of you with a million widgets can now take comfort in knowing you’ll be rolling much smoother now. And finally a set of improvements that help with speed and stability, as they always say, are included in this update. So now all you’ve got to do is wait for it! Fun! ALSO If you want to get in on our original guides for Honeycomb, just head [here] Device Info
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| ASUS Transformer Android 3.2 Update Coming Tomorrow Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:27 PM PDT It’s finally here, well tomorrow at least. July 28th the update is starting. Today @ASUS tweeted that starting tomorrow the Asus Eee Pad Transformer will begin getting the update to Android 3.2 Honeycomb and it should roll out OTA within a few weeks to all devices. We already knew that this was coming soon but now it will officially be here.
They were nice enough to even include the fancy and cute little image you see above right on twitter. To read the actual tweet click here. Android 3.2 brings many new changes to the Honeycomb platform. With things like zoom or strech to fill screen for older app compatibility to full SD card support and more. This is nothing major but updates are updates right? Last week we gave away a Transformer, and this week we are giving away the Galaxy Tab 10.1 so click those links. If there is anything you want to know about your Asus Transformer tablet check out our FAQ Video Round-up. If I owned a Transformer I’d probably start hitting update on my own around midnight tonight, but that’s just me. Device Info
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Device Connectivity
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| Xperia X10 Gingerbread Update Date Clarified by Sony Ericsson Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:52 PM PDT In a letter to the public, Sony Ericsson Head of Product PR Mattias Holm noted that there had been an update on SonyEricsson.com regarding a Gingerbread update to the Xperia X10. Unfortunately for all parties involved, Holm notes now that the information saying that Xperia X10′s update was available instantly was a bit premature. Instead, Holm notes that the update will take a few more days to roll out. On another note, there’s been a lot of impersonating of Sony Ericsson’s Rikard Skogberg happening in the past few weeks, Holm warning the public to only trust the one true Skogberg.
It seems that on the official Sony Ericsson forums, mister Skogberg had been impersonated on several accounts, feeding false information to the frequenters of said forum in an effort to lead them all astray. Holm asks that all users of the forums refrain from impersonating anyone and to follow all the rules lest he have to whoop somebody and end free dialog in said forum. Furthermore, Holm lets us know that all updates to newer versions of Sony Ericsson run software will come via official means, not in a comments field in a forum. That said, how are you Xperia X10 users holding up? How many of you switched to something like a Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY when the time was right? Anyone waiting for the Xperia NEO or Xperia ARC? We recommend hitting up the ol [Sony Ericsson portal] for all the Xperia information you need – official and leaked, of course. Furthermore, check out our Xperia-laden reviews section for some awesome games on the Xperia PLAY! [via Sony Ericsson] )
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| Galaxy S Skin Flexible AMOLED Screen Concept Revealed Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:26 PM PDT Before we go too far into this experiment in awesomeness, you should know that the following set of images are for a design experiment, a conceptual work made by an industrial designer wishing to explore the possibilities and current impossibilities of the way smartphones and their super amazing super AMOLED displays are able to work. This is of course therefor a Samsung Device, running with the Galaxy name, named here the Galaxy S Skin or just the Galaxy Skin, bending in all directions to give you an experience like none other.
The device you’re about to look at is said (again, in a conceptual universe) to be using a Graphene.SP AMOLED Natural User Interface. It’s essentially the same thickness as a few pieces of paper stacked up, and the entire device is surrounded by a Sensor Bar which somehow allows the device to have all the same communication functions as a normal smartphone would. The phone can be bent, folded, and set to stay in any position, be it set up like a folder, rolled over for a presentation, or flattened for your pocket. You can even roll it around your wrist as a watch. Set it on your desk as a clock, plug in a microSD card to hold your 10,000 apps, or use it as a boom box. The very top and the very bottom of the device are made of a harder material (plastic or metal) in order to have the device sit strong not he desk for activities such as projecting a report on the wall (yes, it’s got a projector as well,) or watching a movie. What’s best about this device? It’s running a whole new version of Android called Android Flexy, made for running around corners and through this device in a manner never conceived before.       [via Yanko Design] )
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| LG Thrill 4G Hands-On and Unboxing Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:55 AM PDT What we’ve got here is a real live glasses-free 3D device, complete with the ability to both capture 3D media through its dual-lens cameras on the back and the ability to play 3D games with its sweet TFT 3D display. In addition, you’re able to output 3D media to your 3D-enabled television with the HDMI-out port on the side of the LG Thrill and it’s got a 6 foot HDMI cord included in the box! What more could you want! Oh you’d like a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4 1GHz processor too? Well you’re in luck, that’s packed in too!
For most of the specs on this device, I’m going to turn your eyes down to the bottom of this post where we’ve got our new Device Directory hooked up to show you all the specs of every Android device (every Android device down the line, that is) in an extremely easy to read format. The device you’re going to see in the box is the LG Optimus 3D, this being the first version of this device to be released in the wild (in a bright red box, no less.) Have a look at our extensive review of the LG Optimus 3D for an idea of what you’re going to be getting in the eventual review of the LG Thrill 4G – they’re VERY similar to say the least.
Now what you’re going to get here is a relatively sleek device (considering the otherwise fat camera on the back, that is,) with a soft plastic with very light patterning battery cover. The single strip of metal on the back is reminiscent of the LG G-Slate, another 3D device, though this time with 3D glasses in the box. The LG Thrill 4G’s batter cover pops off easily to reveal its fat 1540mHz battery, included 8GHz micro SDHC card, and a lovely spot for your AT&T SIM. Inside you’ll find a lovely look at Android as whipped up by LG, this meaning the device is not, in fact, Vanilla, and the whole thing runs on Android 2.2.2 FroYo. There’s a 3D button on the right side of the device that brings up your 3D content app with shortcuts to all your 3D related portals.
Take a look at the device specs below, the images above and below, and the video above to get a better understanding of what we’re dealing with here before we review it over the next few days!           Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
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| Samsung Within Passes FCC with 4G WiMax Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:20 AM PDT For a while everyone was starting to get a little worried as to whether we would be seeing the Samsung Galaxy S II hit the U.S. but this week it has plastered the news. It’s safe to say most carriers will have it here by the end of August or so. Not only will the SGSII come in white but it has now leaked with WiMax on board as well as a version for AT&T and Verizon this week.
We’ve seen a Galaxy S II Slider from AT&T as well as a regular model, then news suggesting Verizon would be first to market with a Galaxy S II, and with 4G LTE. So we have seen more than our fair share about this superphone already this week. Now the Samsung Within has cleared the FCC and will have all the specs we already know and love about the Galaxy S II but will also be packing 4G WiMax radios and we all know what that is for. Sadly the only team missing out on the fun is T-Mobile, but they have the Samsung Hercules so don’t worry all you Magenta subscribers you’ll be taken care of. [via Phandroid] )
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