Android Community |
- Gmail Update for Android Brings Custom Notifications and Priority Sync Options
- HTC Finally Released More Kernel Source Codes, EVO 4G, 3D, Sensation and More
- Samsung Galaxy S II Attain for AT&T in the FCC?
- HTC EVO 3D and Sensation May See Bootloader Unlock Today but not from HTC
- Google Search Experience Optimized for Tablets
- Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Release Date Set for August 23rd
- Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb
- Sony Ericsson Announces Qriocity Video Service for Xperia Devices
- GooApple 3G Handset Melds Android OS with iPhone 4 Perfectly [Video]
- Samsung Galaxy R Officially Announced
- Google Music Beta gives each current user invites to share
- Motorola Photon 4G Review
- Powermat to launch wireless charging system along with myTouch 4G Slide for T-Mobile
- Samsung Galaxy S II White confirmed for September 1 UK debut
- Dell Streak 10 Pro Android tablet launches in China
- Marvel Digital shows off new TBT-10C Mercury Pad Tablet
- Toshiba Thrive update will cure sleepy tablet next week
- T-Mobile Will Offer In-Store Gingerbread Update For myTouch 4G on August 5th
- Lenovo Ideapad K1 Tablet Hands-on and Unboxing
- Motorola Droid Bionic Not Coming Until September According to Motorola CEO
| Gmail Update for Android Brings Custom Notifications and Priority Sync Options Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:27 AM PDT Leading the way with the latest update to Gmail for Android has to be the custom notifications and priority sync options. They’ve basically improved how we get notified for those like me that get tons of emails daily, and also are helping our battery life at the same time — Thanks Google! What they’ve done is brought a decent list of a few much requested features in this latest and most beautiful update.
First off I’m excited about priority sync options. You can now choose to only automatically sync priority mail which will save battery life and help for business users or people who receive a large number of emails. You can also choose what tablet or devices get automatically synced and what ones don’t, this is great for those that have multiple devices but don’t need their home use tablet going off all day. For labels you can now choose specific notification options for each label. Work can have a certain ringtone and only notify you on the first email instead of all of them, bank emails can be changed to their own loud and alerting sound. Many different options so you are notified how you want for any situation. Google also added a remember to “show pictures” for senders. Countless bug fixes and performance increases were also included but nothing specific, the update should have hit late last night or this morning for most users or head to the market via the link below. [via Android Market] )
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| HTC Finally Released More Kernel Source Codes, EVO 4G, 3D, Sensation and More Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:11 AM PDT The huge Facebook campaign going after HTC has continued to pay off as of late, not only are we getting unlocked bootloaders come August or September, but a few weeks ago they released the source code to many popular devices. It appears they now have released even more today and they are some of their most popular phones.
While having the source code is not extremely important for the developer community and custom rom/kernel builders it makes the entire process much easier and speeds progress and development along with said devices. HTC just released the kernel source codes for not only the highly popular EVO 4G (after waiting forever) but also the new EVO 3D, Sensation 4G and even the Facebook HTC Status. They didn’t forget about both Incredibles either. This is great news for developers and we should be seeing some progress on all these devices now the community has access to this information. This also comes with great timing as we might be getting unlocked bootloaders for the Sensation and EVO 3D today thanks to the amazing developers we have in the android world. For all the downloads and kernel codes you need they are all available here. [via HTC Developer Center] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II Attain for AT&T in the FCC? Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:55 AM PDT We have been seeing a lot of different reports the last week or so regarding the Samsung Galaxy S II, obviously everyone here in the U.S. is excited about it launching so hopefully Samsung gets it here fast. They even teased us with a telescope to keep our eyes out for the superphone. First we saw the Samsung Within hit the FCC, and now it seems AT&T’s version has done the same.
Early reports are claiming AT&T will receive two versions of the highly sought after phone, one being a full QWERTY slider, and the other should be similar to the original Galaxy S II with more rounded edges but that last one is still unconfirmed. We have an extensive review over at SlashGear, and more details regarding its benchmark performance right here. Samsung now has a news sign up page and we are even hearing reports of a white Galaxy S II. Things are finally heating up here in the U.S. regarding this phone and with good reason, now all I need is a Verizon version with 4G LTE and I will most likely cave to temptation and buy it immediately. [via Phandroid] )
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| HTC EVO 3D and Sensation May See Bootloader Unlock Today but not from HTC Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:39 AM PDT We have seen a lot of tweets and praying for unlocked bootloaders for the popular new HTC EVO 3D and Sensation 4G, latest report from HTC states an update will be available in August or September. Thanks to the amazing developer community of Android we might just get a unofficial unlock today from the teams at Unrevoked and AlphaRevX.
First we saw some progress where they might have gained root access and later AlphaRevX released a video showing S-OFF for the Sensation 4G. Now all we need is for them to release an easy way for everyone to do the same, and it’s highly likely that will be today.
Today @Unrevoked tweeted the above image to get everyone excited. They have something “revolutionary” to announce later today. They have teamed up and have been working hard on the EVO 3D and Sensation so most likely that is what we will see. We also heard reports they are joining forces to be one big amazing development team. I’m hoping for both announcements later today and will be monitoring twitter. We should be hearing more soon. Device Info
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[via Twitter] )
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| Google Search Experience Optimized for Tablets Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:33 AM PDT Today Google’s Mobile Division have announced improvements made to their Android and iOS tablet-specific experience for search on the web. As part of their efforts to continue to evolve the way Google’s search engine and overall Google experience functions, they’ve simplified the layout of search results and increased the size of page contents like test, buttons and other touch targets to make it easier and more enjoyable to use Google specifically on your Android or iOS tablet. These changes are specific to the tablet experience, making one again a specific effort to make each platform as strong as the next on the part of Google for their main web presence.
Search buttons located below the search box now provide access to specific types of results like everyone’s favorite: Images, the always forgotten Videos, Places so you know where you wanna go, Shopping so you know where you’re about to shop, and more. One tap of the regular blue search button opens basic results, one tap of a search button under the search box narrows results to your wanted category. Specifically in the Images category, once again everyone’s favorite place to go, continuous scroll has been added and/or optimized depending on if your tablet was able to make it work before, image previews have been enlarged, and all image thumbnails you should be seeing loading quicker now with the upgrade. This improved search experience will be rolling out over the coming days across 36 languages on both Android 3.1+ tablets and the iPad. You can, of course, test to see if the improvements are applied in your area by heading to http://www.google.com/ – if the changes are there, come back and tell us what you think! If the changes haven’t arrive for you yet, come back and tell us all about it! [via GoogleMobile] )
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| Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Release Date Set for August 23rd Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:18 AM PDT Original reports for the new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet launch date was just “this summer” but now we have an official release date and you can expect to see more of the tablet come August 23rd. Lenovo officially announced the news over at Lenovo.com today. The ThinkPad will be running Android 3.1 Honeycomb but also be paired nicely with tons of laptop posing accessories.
Lenovo was nice enough to let us check out this tablet already and here is our sneak peek hands-on video. Make sure you check that out as we have plenty of pictures with the laptop accessories as well as the dock. The ThinkPad will come with the same amazing 10″ IPS display as the IdeaPad K1 tablet, so users can expect great viewing angles and bright colors. We’ve already unboxed the K1 tablet and you can see more on that here. They have nicely bundled over 25 popular applications with their new tablet line so users are getting some great and useful pre-installed apps out of the box as well as that great build quality we have seen from Lenovo Laptops over the years. With Netflix included you can watch movies anywhere. For even more photos here is the leaked press shots. We should hopefully be getting this awesome tablet in for a full review for all our readers so we will keep you posted as the release date inches closer. Device Info
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[via Lenovo] )
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| Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:12 AM PDT Let me tell you about what Motorola has going on with their two latest devices, the DROID 3 and the PHOTON 4G. More specifically let me tell you in text what’s going on with the PHOTON 4G because I’ve already recorded a video of what’s going on with the camera on the DROID 3 [full review available here on Android Community] and you can see that below for yourself. Both cameras on these mobile devices are essentially the same, slight details moved around between the two but the same new elements in place. On the Photon 4G, which you can see a full review of early this morning both on Android Community and SlashGear, there are three pieces of new functionality, two of which are utterly awesome, that make its camera unique.
The first of three new features is a mute button – right there on the screen for when you’re recording film and you want to stop your sound recording for as long as you like. Ever been at an event like a rocket launching and the sound is so deafening that your microphone would never be able to pick up anything distinguishable anyway? Tap that mute button and you’re good to go. Next is the lamp. Just as easy as it is to tap the mute button, you can tap the lamp button and your two LED lights on the back of your device will be lit up as long as you like. This means that the lights on the back of your device that are normally reserved for flashing during a photo (or lamping if you’ve got a lamp app outside the camera) will now be able to be used as a flashlight inside your recording of a video. Finally, there’s a manual digital zoom. This isn’t especially helpful as zooming in this way only serves to pull your same sized screen off the viewer and not technically zooming at all, and that’s completely lame save for you WANTING to do such a strange thing, but it SEEMS cool anyway. And that’s just the beginning! Check out how these elements work aside the new photo gallery on the DROID 3 in this demo video: Then check out this example video recording from the DROID 3: Then check out this example video from the PHOTON 4G: Pretty awesome! )
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| Sony Ericsson Announces Qriocity Video Service for Xperia Devices Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:40 AM PDT Today the good folks at Sony Ericsson have let the world know that a brand new video service for Xperia phones will be launching starting on August 1st, 2011. This service will allow users to either buy or rent movies and television shows, this service complimenting the mobile brand’s recently announced cloud based digital music service “Music Unlimited.” The video service Qriocity will initially be pushed to Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro in nine markets with localization of content and movies – that means if you’re in Germany, you probably won’t get the movie Purple Rain. Or maybe you love Prince over there too, I don’t know.
The nine markets of which Sony Ericsson speaks for the initial launch are the following: UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Japan*, Canada and the United States. *Japan being the only market to have the service becoming available at the end of August instead of the start. This video service will be made available to a series of 2011 Sony Ericsson devices in the Xperia line, those being the mini and the mini pro first, the Xperia arc, Xperia neo, Xperia PLAY, Xperia pro, and Xperia acro through a software upgrade later this year. Furthermore, the service will be available instantly on Xperia active and Xperia ray when they launch as well. This service will be what Sony Ericsson notes as an intuitive and user friendly way to both buy and rent TV shows and movies from a whole batch of their partners in the project. NBC, Universal International Television Distribution, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution amongst other local studies will be joining in soon. Latest releases from each of these studios will be available as well as an extensive back catalog for classic pictures. Access the app as soon as it launches at http://www.qriocity.com/ and let us know how you like it. That said – are you the sort of person who rents or purchases video on a regular basis for your mobile device? Let us know! )
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| GooApple 3G Handset Melds Android OS with iPhone 4 Perfectly [Video] Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:34 AM PDT Oh China, you so crazy. You’ve got infinite knockoffs of excellent devices, and most of the time, that is most of the time as in 99.999% of the time your knockoffs are terrible. But once in a great while there’s a diamond in the rough. Here it is, how convenient! The folks at brand-name GooApple have created an iPhone 4 knockoff so real, you’ll flip your lid. And what’s this, it’s running iOS 4 as well? Actually no, not at all. Inside you’ll find all the Android you can handle, in a perfectly simulated iOS environment. Experience the Apple device with Android in it and Android printed on the back with an Apple inside him. It’s the knockoff of everyone’s dreams!
The device you’re about to see in the video below is called GooApple 3G, and it’s rolling out looking like a twin sister of the current model iPhone 4. This device runs with a 3.5-inch capacitive display, 3D connectivity along WCDMA, has Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, runs on some sort of Qualcomm CPU (more than likely 600 Mhz,) and is exactly the same thickness as the iPhone 4 at 9.3mm. The frame that surrounds this masterpiece is stainless steel and the glass that sits on either side of the device is glossy aluminosilicate – hardcore! This device has stereo speakers, has the ability to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot, works with USB and Bluetooth tethering, and is running Android 2.2 FroYo! Sadly, this device only supports full-sized SIM cards and more than likely will just HATE your American cellular bands. On the plus side, you’re probably not going to have to mess with activating the device or anything like that, so feel free to use it as an iPod Touch, if you know what I mean. The cost of this device is right around 1700 yuan (about $262) if you know where to buy it. It’s nowhere near my birthday this time of year, but if you were thinking of getting me a Secret Summer Santa gift, you not know what I want. Weird! Would you consider purchasing such a device just for the fun of it? Clearly it’s meant to both fool the foolish and make the lovers of both Android and iOS happy on the other hand – if you’re one of those sorts of people, how enticing does this look? Should you end up getting one somehow or another, be wary – the Apple Police are many and they are hyper intelligent in their means of grabbing you in the night, and this knockoff is pretty blatant. Mind your hiding!          [via MicGadget] )
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| Samsung Galaxy R Officially Announced Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:57 AM PDT It’s time to get funky in the next Galaxy. We’ve got word directly from Samsung that this device, a device we’ve spoken about once with a few specifications without an official confirmation of its launch, then a lovely leaked intro video as played from the device itself. Now the full release is live! This device is the smaller brother of the Samsung Galaxy S II and it shows! Without a doubt inspired greatly by the original design (be it the Galaxy S II, the Infuse 4G, or perhaps even the Galaxy R itself,) Samsung has been thinking pretty hard about putting out a collection of devices that looks very similar but has better specs in certain places that make them all unique.
What this device features that’s different from the Galaxy S II is its processor and display. Instead of the magically delicious Samsung Exynos 4210 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, you’ll be getting the utterly mystical NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor. Which one shall win the benchmark race? Bets will be placed tonight! Then the other big difference between this R device and the Galaxy S II is the display. Instead of the brightest in the world Super AMOLED Plus, you’ll be running with a WWVGA Super Clear LCD. Of course there are some other differences like the camera on the back of the device is no longer 8-megapixels, instead switching to 5, and we’re not sure, but it does appear that this device MIGHT not be running the newest version of TouchWiz. The thing is, this device might not even reach the USA, as it is foretold, Samsung only listing a few locations thus far including Europe (apparently the whole or Europe, as they’re not specific,” in July, then globally including South East & West Asia, Middle East Asia, and China. Finally, as a final note, at the end here, the Galaxy R isn’t quite as thin as the Galaxy S II. With the Galaxy S II being the thinnest smartphone on the market at 8.49 mm, the Galaxy R barely misses it at a fat 9.55 mm. Also up for comparison is the Infuse 4G which looks like it came from the same mother and thickening up at 9 mm flat. Full specs on this Galaxy R device later today via Device.AC! )
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| Google Music Beta gives each current user invites to share Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:08 AM PDT Back in May, we talked about the Google Music Beta service that was set to launch. The launch of the cloud service was open to invitation only and if you didn’t get an invitation, you may have been bummed. The good news is that if you know someone on the service already they will have invites they can hand out. You had better ask fast though since each of the users only gets a pair.
Google has announced that it is giving every current Google Music Beta account holder a pair of invites that they can share with anyone they want. That is assuming anyone they want to share with is in the US. If you missed the service before, it’s not a Spotify style offering or anything. It will give you access to your personally owned music library from anywhere you might be. The music will stream from the cloud to your computer and there is an Android app that will allow you to stream to your mobile as well. I really like that mobile streaming part. I would expect support for other smartphone operating systems to come once the service leaves beta. You can play tracks by artist, album, and genre using the service or just shuffle all the tracks. )
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:02 AM PDT The Motorola / NVIDIA tag team continues to bust down doors and open up the options for strange new journeys on Android devices – desktop mode, docks galore, and the kickstand that turns your diamond-shaped Photon 4G into the world’s most excellent desk clock. We’ve got the actual handset here, plus the HD dock, plus the car dock, all of them the standard editions you’ll be purchasing in the store very soon from Motorola. If there were a predecessor to this device, it’s the first dual-core device from Motorola, that being the ATRIX 4G that came out earlier this year with very similar dock accessories and very similar functionality. While it may seem like one’s first inclination to compare this device to the ATRIX, we’re already on a whole new landscape with more dual-cores on the market than we know what to do with. The ATRIX still sells off the shelf, especially with it’s new cheaper price [$99 at AT&T today] and upgrade to Gingerbread – will the Photon add up?
This review is full of videos filmed just for this post. The first one is your humble narrator tearing open the FedEx box and getting another fabulous hands-on with the handset (we had some hands-on time back in NYC at the first announcing of this device as well.) We also get the Vehicle Dock and HD dock in the box, but we get an unboxing and first hands-on with those further down in the review. For now: get to ripping! HardwareThis device is like the jamming together (in a graceful manner) of several different devices we’ve seen before, taking most of the great elements from the ATRIX (for the size and the dual-core processor as well as the dock connectivity), the HTC Sensation / LG G2x for the odd and awesome curved glass front, ThunderBolt for the kickstand, and DROID 3 for the battery cover soft plastic material and new-wave Motoblur-like user interface and apps, including the awesome new camera app. This device fits easily in the adult human hand, the soft plastic back is a vast improvement over the flat plastic we saw in the old versions of the XPRT and this device, that being the ATRIX and the DROID Pro, and well-placed logos and specs galore all around the device. It’s not just the PHOTON, to be sure, but we’ve certainly entered an age in smartphones where its fairly average seeing at least two brands and more than likely four different words or symbols printed or intended in the backs and fronts.
The dedicated physical camera button and volume button on the right side of the device are a nice chrome ribbed metal, giving your finger a place to rest when you need to pump up the music or click a few photos with your magnificent new camera software included in this new-age Motorola UI. The top of the device has both your headphone jack and smooth-metal power button while the bottom has two ports: one microHDMI, the other microUSB, both of them set precisely so that you’ll be able to plug in well to all the different docks Motorola’s making available to you with this release. In the front of the device you’ve got ambient light and proximity sensors aside your VGA webcam and tiny notification light. Quite a few devices coming out over the past few months without such a notification light has been a bit frustrating, this light here is a blessing.
The 8-megapixel camera in the back of the device is set aside two LED flash bulbs, these set slightly up from the rest of the back in a bit of a bump – well set, but with this and all the other devices that’ve come out over the past few months, we’d love to see a device with the whole camera setup flush with the rest of the back. The kickstand is thin, a far cry from the ultra-giant kickstand of the HTC ThunderBolt, this more than likely because when the stand is this thin, it’s much more difficult to stand the device up in portrait mode – this is discouraged because once your kickstand is out, the device is forced to stay in landscape mode because of another function that makes your Widget Clock screen appear (as an option.) Being a notorious fan of the ThunderBolt, I know that portrait mode for a device helped up by a kickstand can be really helpful, especially since when the kickstand is out, the bottom of the device (aka the place where the power port / microUSB is,) is placed against the surface of whatever you’ve placed your device atop.
The TFT touchscreen display is massively sharp at 960×540 pixels inside 4.3-inches and is covered by everyone’s favorite: Gorilla Glass. As I’ve mentioned before and you shouldn’t be surprised if I mention again, this display continues the awesome trend of handsets having curved Gorilla Glass on the front, curved around all the edges with the entirety of the display being set just the SMALLEST amount lower than the plastic that surrounds it. Very delicately made, very nice.
Software and PerformanceBeyond your normal set of lovely Google-placed apps like Gmail, Google Search, and Latitude, you’ll be rocking with Files (to take a look at every one of your files in a very PC-like collection of folders,) a special Motorola Phone Portal that will help you move media files, contacts, settings, and more back and forth from your desktop computer to your phone, and Rich Location – a rather excellent app I’m surprised isn’t more popular as is very quickly seeks out our GPS location and shows you a screen with items like Coffee, Yelp Restaurants, Local Events, ATMS, and Local Coupons – each of these with a number that shows how many businesses have joined the party that you can be instantly directed to via maps. Simple and fun!
Next you’ve got Task Manager that’ll both act as another place for you to see all of your apps and easily uninstall them or add them to an auto-end list. Tasks, on the other hand, works to remind you of events you’ve got to know about by pushing notifications to you outside the app. Well played. Finally, Webtop Connector allows you to access webpages you’ve been visiting inside Webtop Mode as well as activate web-based Webtop Sessions from a list. Very simple connection to your Webtop alter-ego. We’ll be doing a demo of this fabled Webtop Mode later in this review.
For now, we’ve gotta take a peek at some hard numbers. It’s time for benchmarks, and we’ve got the whole big time line of them. Behold the newest super phone running the ultra-fabulous NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor in all its numbered glory:
Vehicle Dock in Action
The vehicle dock appears at first to just be a clamp to hold your Photon up in the dash of your car or truck, but what it does is connect you straight down to a power charge via microUSB and your cigarette lighter as well as right back up into an audio jack for your car stereo many modern car stereos have basic headphone jacks for your plug, otherwise you could always get one of those cassette tapes that have the same wire hanging out the side for your awesome retro connections. Have a look at how your Photon will function in this situation: HD Dock [and Desktop Mode] in Action
What you’ll see next is the HD Dock we’ve got here working with the Photon 4G in several different ways. You’ll find that your options are many, that you’ll be able to use your device as a basic desktop able to run Android apps on the big screen, and that the Photon 4G is your most excellent conduit for playing music, viewing your photos, and watching full HD 1080p videos via HDMI. An entertainment and productivity powerhouse indeed. Camera and BatteryYour battery is rated at around 6 hours for watching video and 10 hours doing basic functions like email. We’ve found this device to last just about a day, not quite, with medium usage. Most users aiming to take this device to its fullest potential will find that they’re going to want to plug it in to a power source more than once a day. Average users will want to plug this device in each night at least, with the possibility of plugging it in to your car charger being more than likely a pretty good idea as well.
Then I’ve got nothing but nice things to say about the camera. You’ve got many modes to work in and the photos are fully awesome. You’ll only be able to go up to 720p resolution for recording with the camcorder, but you’ll find that you like the results. The best part of the camera experience, incidentally, isn’t in the camera at all, but in the gallery after the photos are taken. For more information on what you’re looking at with the camera and how it’ll lead you to an awesome GPS-tastic experience all day long, check out my review of the Motorola DROID 3 from just about 24 hours before this post was posted. Slightly different camera interface here, same fantastic gallery action. Now for some example media so you know what you’re dealing with here:
Wrap-UpWhat you’ve got here is a solid piece of hardware in the handset tied to some well thought out docks with software and functionality that make this the most full dual-core package on the market today. NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor is running the show here, so you know you’re in for the slickest and smoothest ride on the market – meanwhile Motorola’s newest iteration of their custom user interface isn’t something we’re going to get rid of if we choose to root the device later on, if we can, in fact, we’re impressed! Motorola’s here created their greatest vision to date, complete with one of the most excellent camera / gallery combos on a handset today plus a set of nice new icons for your basic apps across the board to boot.
While it has, in reality, been difficult to find any drawbacks to using this device, there are a couple of functionality bits I’d like to bring up, and I’m sure the vast majority of our readers would agree. One example is the kickstand. When I kick out the kickstand, I’m unable to go into portrait mode. Instead of limiting the device to landscape mode when previous devices with kickstands have allowed both landscape and portrait mode I think is a mistake – more options are always better. I do, on the other hand, like that popping the kickstand out opens options for the type of homescreen you’d like to be working with – though again I’d like some of the options I get in the HD Dock mode to be here too – like gallery for if I’m setting the phone down to show the family some photos of my trip to NYC on business.
Next there’s the inability to delete some apps as well as the inability to run anything other than this newest version of Motorola’s user interface over Android. While I realize this option is available once you’ve got the device rooted, rooting still isn’t recognized as a normal or pleasing thing to see by carriers – in fact they’ll tell you to buzz off if you’ve got any problems after having done so if they find that you’ve done so. Because I think this device has such fantastic potential I ask again here: Motorola, lead the way, find a way to work with carriers and keep the ability to turn off your lovely (and yes I do love it) new user interface and delete apps of all sorts.
Otherwise, Motorola, well done. This device pushes the ATRIX directly out of the way and makes itself your new king of dual-cores. On the other hand, the DROID 3 gets major points for being carried by Verizon instead, plus the keyboard is slick and the DROID lineage is strong. The Photon ultimately wins for build quality, it taking the opportunity to deliver a unique Gorilla Glass screen, lovely soft back, and giant mass of options with its docks and Desktop Mode. Run, don’t walk, ladies and gentlemen.                                        Device Info
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| Powermat to launch wireless charging system along with myTouch 4G Slide for T-Mobile Posted: 29 Jul 2011 05:28 AM PDT When it comes to charging wires really suck. I think we can all agree that it’s much more convenient after a long day to just flop your smartphone onto a charge plate and walk off than having to dig around for your cable and plug your phone it. Powermat has been offering systems for a long time now that allow you to put a new case or battery door in some instances on your smartphone and then charge your phone using a mat and no wires.
If you have plans to get the cool new T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide smartphone when it lands you may be glad to hear that Powermat has plans to offer its wireless charging system specifically for the new smartphone as soon as the device launches. The Powermat system of the myTouch 4G Slide will not be a case, but a new battery door that looks and feels like the original battery cover. The downside to having a battery door system like this is that they don't work with a case installed. I would like to see a version of this charge system for the phone that is integrated somehow into a case for those like me that tend to drop their smartphone at some point. Pricing on the system for the myTouch Slide 4G isn’t announced. The phone is up for pre-order now for under $100. [via Reuters] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II White confirmed for September 1 UK debut Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:29 AM PDT Samsung UK has confirmed the the white variant of the Galaxy S II will launch on September 1. First tipped by a UK retailer earlier this week, the Samsung Galaxy S II white will have the same hardware and software as the existing black model, but clad it all in a fresh, pale casing.
Whether that’s something which appeals to buyers remains to be seen, but with Samsung announcing that 5m GSII units have been sold worldwide in the smartphone’s first 85 days of availability, differentiating yourself from the rest of the crowd is perhaps more of an issue. By the time the white model arrives, the Galaxy S II will at least have gone on sale in the US; that’s expected to take place in August. Samsung says the GSII white will be available through the major UK networks, as well as via retailers as a SIM-free, unlocked device. No word on pricing at this stage, though we’d imagine it will come in at the same figure as the existing black version. )
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| Dell Streak 10 Pro Android tablet launches in China Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:19 AM PDT Dell has been spitting out some Android offerings for a while now and yesterday we spied a picture of one of its coming Streak 10 Android tablet. Today the tablet has gone official with a launch in China. The new tablet is called the Dell Streak 10 Pro, it is geared towards the pro looking for a tablet that will work for their home, and business lives.
The tablet is about an inch thick and has all the features we expect an Android tablet to bring. It boasts WiFi, Bluetooth, and has an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor inside. The tablet also has a memory expansion slot and can be had with up to 16GB of onboard storage. Dell claims that the tablet has up to 12 hours of battery life. The screen of the tablet is 10.1-inches and the operating system is Android 3.1. The resolution of the screen is 1280 x 800 and it has Gorilla Glass over the top. The front camera is a 2MP unit and the rear camera is 5MP. The tablet has 1GB of RAM, stereo sound, and supports up to 10 fingers on the screen at once. The tablet sells for RMB 2,999 in China, which works out to about $461 in the US. )
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| Marvel Digital shows off new TBT-10C Mercury Pad Tablet Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:16 AM PDT There is a big market for tablets running the Android OS that are cheap. Many people want a new tablet, but they want that tablet in a small and very low price device. The new Mercury Pad tablet from Marvel Digital certainly fills that bill. The new tablet sells for $259 and has decent hardware for the money. I think this would make a nice enough entry-level tablet for people looking to step into the Android or tablet world for the first time.
The tablet has a 7-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. The processor inside the machine is a Samsung S5PV201 ARM Cortex A8 unit at 1GHz. The tablet has 512MB of RAM and comes in versions with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of storage. The screen uses capacitive multitouch and the camera has a 0.3MP front camera and a 2MP rear camera. The Mercury Pad also has a SD card slot that will hold cards with up to 32GB of storage. The tablet also has a 1080p HD video output and a USB port. Other features include integrated WiFi, an external 3G USB modem, G-sensor, and a 2250mAh battery. The operating system is Android 2.3 and the tablet supports all sorts of video and audio formats. )
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| Toshiba Thrive update will cure sleepy tablet next week Posted: 29 Jul 2011 12:37 AM PDT Toshiba is readying a new firmware update for the Thrive tablet, that will address the sleep issues some owners have reported. According to the company, “a software update to resolve this issue will be available early next week and can be accessed from the Service Station utility app found on the Thrive at that time.”
No explanation for the cause of the issue has been given. Some users have found that their Thrive tablet refuses to resume from standby when the power button is pressed, and requires a reset in order to get it working once more; others have had to pull the battery completely in order to get the slate functional. The new firmware will also “enhance the multimedia playback capabilities of the device” though the exact nature of that change has not been specified. More on the Toshiba Thrive in the full Android Community review. Device Info
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| T-Mobile Will Offer In-Store Gingerbread Update For myTouch 4G on August 5th Posted: 28 Jul 2011 03:15 PM PDT In case you have missed it or are not paying much attention the upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread for the T-Mobile myTouch 4G is now available and rolling out. The update started on the 20th and should be hitting handsets all week long. T-Mobile is now going to offer in-store updates for those worried about doing it themselves starting August 5th.
We recently reported that T-Mobile would in fact start offering operating system upgrades for select Android phones in-store via MicroSD cards, while this isn’t how updates usually happen it is nice to see T-Mobile and HTC offering users the choice to have an employee perform the update for you. For more details you can head over to the myTouch 4G support page, as it now mentions these updates. From what we understand you can go into any official T-Mobile store and they will replace your SD with one that has your update pre-loaded and will perform the update right in the store for you, this is great for those not so technically advanced users. If you’ve still not received the update after August 5th or just didn’t dare take the update, head down to a T-Mobile store and they’ll take care of it. Device Info
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[via Android Police] )
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| Lenovo Ideapad K1 Tablet Hands-on and Unboxing Posted: 28 Jul 2011 02:37 PM PDT We have seen more than a few leaks for the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Tablet but today I actually have the device here to get the good times rolling. Lenovo officially released it back on July 19th and we were able to get some hands-on real quick, but today is our official hands-on and full unboxing with video and all the photos you need. It is also for sale right now if you want to run and get one.
Lets get started shall we. This is Lenovo’s first Android Tablet and it comes in with some pretty great specs but similar to current offerings. Android 3.1 Honeycomb (should update to 3.2 soon) a 1 Ghz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB internal storage (16 and 64GB available). It packs a 5 MP camera on the rear and an upgraded 2 MP camera on front for video chat, stereo speakers that get plenty loud all wrapped up in a 10.1″ 1280×800 resolution display. The panel is IPS so the colors are gorgeous and vibrant on screen.
The rear of the device has a second layer that gives it an incredibly soft and comfortable feel in the hand, no hard or rough aluminum instead it feels more like the seats in my truck — comfortable. It’s a soft rubbery texture that really makes it easy to hold and you don’t feel cold metal corners. It is grippy and you wont be dropping this device on accident. Around the bottom you have the 30 pin dock connector as well as charging and sync port, they give you separate cables for that, but sadly we didn’t get a HDMI cable. The bottom also features the 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro HDMI-out. The build quality is good and it has a nice solid feel overall.
Moving along to the sides nothing is on the right and the left of the device packs the rest of the goodies. On the left side you have the Micro SD slot (that I can’t seem to open) a reset pinhole, the screen rotation lock switch, volume up/down, microphone, as well as the power and wake button. Like mentioned above the build quality is very good and the device is sturdy but the power button was a little off and wasn’t the easiest to press for me.
I will be fully checking this device out over the next few days and will be posting a full review so I can’t share all the details just yet, but I will say the pre-installed app list is huge but in a good way. Top market games, expensive apps like documents to go and even Netflix. I’ll save the full list for my official review. Feel free to click and see all the photos in the gallery below in full size, as well as the hands-on and unbox video.                 Device Info
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| Motorola Droid Bionic Not Coming Until September According to Motorola CEO Posted: 28 Jul 2011 02:28 PM PDT We have seen countless leaks and faked information regarding the Droid Bionic but it appears we finally have some solid information, but sadly it’s bad news. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha in an earnings call today confirmed the sad news that the Droid Bionic will not be released on August 4th like previous leaks suggested.
More and more news lately has suggested an August 4th launch and we even have a landing page by Verizon showing the Bionic coming this summer. Technically September is still summer and now it seems the device will be launching sometime early September, possibly the 1st. The original August 4th leak was quickly followed by a flyer from Best Buy trying to add to the hype of this new phone but apparently none of them know anything more than the rest of us, and that is nothing. Today thanks to Sanjay, we now know that the Motorola Droid Bionic will not be launching on the 4th, or the 7th of August and instead we will be seeing it sometime early September. I have a feeling it will leak a few more times between now and then so keep your eyes out. [via Droid-Life] )
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