Android Community

Pantech Breakout Review [Video]
Samsung Galaxy S II global sales at 10 MILLION
HTC Bass aka HTC Runnymede leaks on video
Android Community Weekly: September 24, 2011

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT

Welcome to the most affordably priced 4G LTE device to be released on Verizon yet, a device made by Pantech to not only give customers a choice of a cheaply priced bit of access to the highest speed network in the USA, but a reinforcement of their still tiny Android-based representation here in the United States. We’ve got a review of the Pantech Crossover, the first time we got hold of a Pantech Android smartphone. It’s here though that we see a real fighting representation of the Pantech brand, complete with 4G LTE to download all your favorite apps and browse the web at the fastest speeds around. Then there’s the brand new Pantech interface, completely unique in the Android world.

Hardware

What you’ve got here is a unique vision for a handset, set up with a 4-inch WVGA display and a 1GHz processor, both standard for the higher end of mid-range devices, and a casing that’s both soft plastic and textured with tiny ribs for a rather nice grip on the back. The front has the standard four Android menu buttons that you’d expect here in the USA, but they’re separated with a unique set of plastic bits.

They’re really quite nice when it comes down to it.

The display is certainly not the brightest or the sharpest on earth, but without a doubt this is the quality we’d expect to see for the price we’re paying for this handset and more — $99 after $50 mail-in rebate, that is. You’ve got a volume knob on the left at the top, a microphone button at the bottom (which, when pressed, activates voice command abilities powered by Google). Nothing at the top, nothing at the bottom, and on the right a microUSB port covered with a plastic cap, a power/lock button in the middle [strange place to put it, but works out ok], and a camera button at the bottom [right where it should be].

This device certainly aims at a specific crowd of those people who wish to have all of their functions not only is right at their fingertips on their display, but all around the rim of their phone with physical buttons. If pushed by the employees inside the Verizon stores across the USA, this device will sell like hotcakes to the waves of citizens looking to get into LTE via as simple a means as possible.

Software / Connection Speeds

Inside the device you’ll find a unique look at Android. This is a user interface that’s not stock, it’s not TouchWiz, it’s not HTC Sense, it’s not LG’s UI, it’s uniquely Pantech. Have a look at the hands-on video here to get a better idea of what you’ll be dealing with on the software side:

Then let’s have a look at how fast this device connects. I hit the GO button in a few different speed test apps here to give you a fair look at what the connections actually are, have a look in the gallery and see if this is what you’ve been looking for your whole life:

Camera

On a device as inexpensive as this, it usually doesn’t make a whole lot of sense concentrating on the camera as the camera is generally a piece of junk. Here, on the other hand, the camera has a unique interface, plenty of options, and the quality isn’t half bad! See this photo for your interface, hooked up perfectly with your physical camera button:

Then have a look at a video and a couple photo examples to tantalize your senses:

Wrap-Up

This is a device that has surprised your humble narrator with its quality. Pantech has created what many companies would classify a mid-range phone because of its price into a high-class 4G LTE connected effort, the nicest Pantech has yet released here in the USA. When you’re entering into the LTE world with Verizon, you’ve now got the choice of the DROID Charge from Samsung (with a Super AMOLED Plus display), HTC ThunderBolt (the first LTE Android device on the market in the USA), LG Revolution (your only choice with a BING-powered set of apps), DRIOD BIONIC (Motorola made and the only dual-core LTE device on the market), and the Pantech Breakout.

Pantech does not win in a race for the top specs, but it is certainly the least expensive and does stand out in a lineup as having a unique chassis. Should you just be getting into the smartphone world with this jump, Pantech may well have the easy-to-use device for you. Should you already be in the Android world and are looking to turn over to a higher-powered device than you’ve already got, chances are you’ll go with the BIONIC. Those with a taste for physical buttons will find the Pantech Breakout their favorite flavor of LTE.

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Samsung Galaxy S II global sales at 10 MILLION

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 10:03 AM PDT

It appears that the next generation in the radically popular Galaxy line from Samsung is hitting just as many plateaus as its predecessor, today the Galaxy S II being reported as hitting 10 million in global sales. This is the model GT-I9100, the original version of the device that you’ll remember seeing first in Chris Davies original review of this device. It’s been one of the most tantalizing devices for the USA for some time now as it’s been blocked from release for whatever reason or another, but just a couple weeks ago we’ve seen the drop begin. What will sales be now that the states have versions of the handset as well?

The original Galaxy S II is Samsung’s current flagship device – at 8.49 mm, the thinnest smartphone with a dual-core processor on earth, an undeniably bright and sharp Super AMOLED Plus display, and one of the newest versions of Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, it’s certainly a big contender. You’ll find slightly upgraded versions of TouchWiz on the USA releases of the Galaxy S II, but all that’s of no matter if you’re a developer working with the MASSIVE following this device has on the underground hacker circuit. Your choices are endless there.

The 10 million global channel sales has doubled from five million in just eight weeks. On this note, Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business President JK Shin notes the following:

"Since its launch in late April 2011, the GALAXY S II has seen continued sales success, demonstrating Samsung's industry-leading capabilities in – and commitment to – the smartphone market. In just five months the GALAXY S II has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the GALAXY S II as their device of choice have driven the device's strong market position globally." – Shin

The USA releases of this device, new incarnations each, are popping up here on Android Community in full review posts and hands-on posts, one by one, starting with the Epic 4G Touch and moving next to the AT&T Galaxy S II. Check em out!

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HTC Bass aka HTC Runnymede leaks on video

Posted: 24 Sep 2011 07:48 PM PDT

It’s someone in the UK that gets the credit (or the blame?) here, folks, for a video that shows off the soon to be revealed (or revealed again, if you count the multiple leaks across the internet) HTC Runnymede aka HTC Bass. You should know that this is going to be one of the first HTC devices to work with Dr. Dre’s Beats audio integration, one we expect to come packed with branding galore, a gigantic 4.7-inch display, and a lovely white front and back. Have a look at this video and let us know what you think.

It was all the way back in August that we first saw the HTC Runnymede appear, not two days later seeing what appeared very much to be the HTC Runnymede 2 – a second before there was a first. We saw it again halfway through the month and got a full specs sheet the day after that. It was if we were DRINKING the mede and getting fully drunk on it. Next we saw that the Runnymede was going to be called the HTC Bass and that was basically the last we heard of it.

Now we’ve got a video!

And notice the following – it’s got a vodafone UK carrier name on it, which means it’ll likely come out over the sea before dropping here in the states. Also note that it’s got the big Beats logo on the back which means that Chris Davies description of Beats integration on the Sensation XE will likely be true here as well:

The big change, beyond the CPU, is the audio. Beats Audio has had three main parts to play in the Sensation XE: the bundled headphones, the DSP and the audio profiles. Gone is the janky, throwaway hands-free kit you'd normally find packed in a new cellphone box, replaced by a tangle-free rubberized Beats set in eye-catching red, with an in-line remote – for answering calls as well as controlling media playback – and comfortable earbuds with a selection of three different sized tips. They're a welcome change from what would normally be included, certainly, with plenty of bass and solid mids and trebles.

All that sound pretty alright to you?

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Android Community Weekly: September 24, 2011

Posted: 24 Sep 2011 01:49 PM PDT

Viewing the Android Community Weekly roundup this week will land you in-depth reviews of two amazingly well build devices, more information on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and some Android OS controlled supergadgets. Both American variants of the Samsung Galaxy S II are now in our possession! The Epic 4G Touch was extensively reviewed this past Sunday, with benchmarks even the original Galaxy S II can’t touch (out of the box that is). And just recently, the AT&T Galaxy S II was unboxed by Chris Burns; be sure to ask him any questions regarding the device so they may be answered before the official review! The Epic 4G Touch is already available, but AT&T expects to release their Galaxy S II for under $200 coming October.

Looking for an affordable smartphone capable of Verizon’s incredibly fast 4G speeds? The Pantech Breakout was officially announced on Verizon Wireless for $100 with a two year service contract. Though this device may not give you the same speed and functionality available on their recently released DROID Bionic, it is indeed much cheaper. The HTC Rhyme is also scheduled to debut on Verizon soon; Chris Burns went hands-on with the phone Tuesday. As the name suggests, one would expect the Rhyme to ship with Beats integration, yet this was not the case within our hands-on coverage. The Rhyme will run HTC’s Sense 3.5 UI, which is now said to incorporate a free 5GB of free Dropbox storage.

Google Wallet went live this Monday and is now available for all Nexus S 4G devices. Currently, only Citi and Mastercard users can link to the service. However, Visa, American Express, and Discover will all support Google Wallet in due time. It will surely be supported by the next generation Nexus device, so Google Wallet’s potential may rise from spread popularity. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is now rumored to arrive before the DROID Prime on Verizon’s network with a launch date of November 3rd. Verizon normally launches devices on Thursdays – so this very well may be accurate.

If the tablets released as of late have been slightly too small for your taste, then maybe the Android MegaPad 23″ life-sized tablet may be of interest to you. Within the video demonstration, it’s easy to see how adapting Android to such a large tablet is such a good idea. Two other awesome gadgets previewed this week were the Sphero robotic ball and the TankBot micro-vehicle. Both of these are remotely controlled by your Android device! Who wouldn’t want to control a tiny ball around their house with Android or iOS device?

Even though Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich hasn’t even hit devices yet, Notion Ink has confirmed it will be running on their Adam slate this October. This may very well fall through, as Notion Ink previous history hasn’t complemented their ability to follow through with their customers. Finally, Amazon has just recently started sending out invitations to their press event in NYC come September 28! Could this be the introduction to a long awaited (and affordable) Android tablet? The majority of us hope so!

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Made for Life

Sunday, 25 September 2011