Android Community |
- BOLT Browser leaves beta, v3.0 now available in Android Market
- TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 update coming soon
- Classic adventure game Leisure Suit Larry going HD for Android
- Qualcomm teases Snapdragon efficiency, 100% bug powered smartphone [Video]
- ViewSonic ViewPad 10e has a 10-inch IPS screen to show off Gingerbread
- Samsung executive confirms Nexus Prime is releasing soon
- Asus EEE Transformer 2 could be coming November 7th
- Premium phone number scams and malware on the rise, says Symantec
- Samsung Transfix budget slider heads to Cricket for $179
- Samsung DROID Charge is just $.01 at Amazon Wireless
- BlueStacks App Player brings your Android apps to Windows
- Photo shot with Galaxy Nexus smartphone spied on Google+
- SlingPlayer Mobile App for Android Tablets launches
- T-Mobile Bobsled VoIP service comes to Android
- AT&T announces 5 new Android phones, including the Atrix 2
- HTC Amaze 4G Review
- HTC Amaze 4G pre-orders start today, ship on October 12th
- Nexus Prime / Ice Cream Sandwich wallpapers leak – get ‘em here!
- Samsung Captivate Glyde headed for AT&T
- Verizon source claims Nexus Prime announcement rescheduled for November 3rd
| BOLT Browser leaves beta, v3.0 now available in Android Market Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:16 AM PDT Today the popular browser for Android called BOLT Browser has finally left the private beta and is ready to be bolted into the wild. Just as the name suggests “Bolt” browser is being touted as one of the fastest around and very speedy. Being improved to version 3.0 and finally available for users in the Android Market you can give it a try right now.
The Webkit-based browser claims that website loading times can be 25% – 50% faster than its competitors and that they offer the fastest web page load times on any Android device. With features such as Social tags and always-on access to Facebook and more this browser is both fast, and social. With flash and HTML compression, tabbed browsing, URL auto-complete, a download manager, web history, cookies, option to save page images to view offline and more.
With tons of options outlined above you can also choose image and video quality for better load times. They even offer pinch-to-zoom and RSS support. The browser has a decent array of options and settings and they claim to have a modern user interface. Personally I feel the entire UI is very outdated and could use some serious polishing, just look at Dolphin. We do have a customizable home screen with the popular “panel” interface for favorites and bookmarks, they didn’t seem to want to be re-arranged for me and I had to delete them all to get what was important at the top, it does come with popular sites pre-loaded like GetJar for Android Apps, ESPN GO, Facebook and a few others so that was a nice touch although nothing we haven’t seen before. So far personally the experience has been a bit “meh” for me. Next up I want to mention speed. They tout this as the fastest browser for Android with the quickest load times, and I either am crazy or they are still working to improve things because I experienced no such speeds. Android Community.com took well over 15 seconds to load, every time, and others took slightly less but depends on flash heavy content of course. Nothing seemed extremely snappy or fluid for me and I’d much rather just use the standard browser — or better yet, Dolphin. With compressed pages and flash the amount of data being used by BOLT will be much lower than other browsers so this is one area where data conscious users will benefit. Obviously BOLT Browser is still in its beta stages and has just been released out of private beta today so we should expect a few bugs or issues to still need working out. For now, personally, I’ll wait until they improve things a bit more. Give BOLT Browser a try and let us know what your results are like in the comment section below. You can get it from the market right now by clicking here.    [via BOLT Browser] )
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| TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 update coming soon Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:15 AM PDT Our friends from TeleNav are all set to launch the new and improved GPS Navigator version 7.1 for Android devices soon. TeleNav has been working hard to bring the most wanted and requested features to the popular navigation tool and this update will do just that. First available for WiMAX devices it will soon follow to other carriers and options as TeleNav comes pre-loaded with many popular smartphones available today. See below for a list of all the newly announced features and more.
TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 will bring many new changes and one of the biggest is the new feature and homescreen called "My Dashboard," for quick and easy access to what on-the-go people need every single day. It will feature real-time traffic overlays with dedicated home or work buttons for easy and quick toggling, as well as give full drive times based on live traffic. TeleNav has also developed three new Android homescreen widgets for the 7.1 update, and drivers now have the option to use fun, custom car icons such as a sports car, hot rod, tank, space ship, motorcycle and more. I think I’ll take the Tank icon please.
We also have local voice search, stay safe and keep your hands on the wheel while using your voice to search over 22 million places and even get user-generated ratings and reviews to quickly decide where to go. You can use voice search to get up-to-date gas prices and even have TeleNav re-route you around a traffic jam, some of these updates sure sound great right? With improved maps and rendering the new version 7.1 should be faster and better than ever. Here is a live demo of the latest from TeleNav. Here is a list of some key features we can expect to see coming shortly from the folks at TeleNav. - Multi Route: Recommends up to three routes to your destination with distance and estimated drive times based on traffic conditions We can expect to see the latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 coming shortly and will launch pre-installed and be offered free on many Android devices, with optional premium features such as lane assist, speed trap, red light camera, speed limit notification and commute reports available for an additional $4.99 per month. For more details and to give TeleNav a run head down to the Android Market and give it a try by clicking here. )
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| Classic adventure game Leisure Suit Larry going HD for Android Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:54 AM PDT It’s been almost 25 years since the original Leisure Suit Larry swaggered onto DOS boxes, but the sleazy game and franchise hold a special place in many geeks’ hearts. Now developer Replay Games is bringing the first title, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, to Android in a glitzy new HD re-release. The game should be ready for an early 2012 debut.
For the uninitiated, Leisure Suit Larry was one of the popular point-and-click story/puzzle games that populated computers in the 80s and early 90s. It plays a lot like King’s Quest, but the interface and play mechanics are where the similarities end. Larry’s adventures take him to fascinating locations and exotic destinations, the female residents of which he tries to woo (usually with little success). The raunchy comedy and innuendo are likely to land the game right into the “Mature” section of the Android Market, not that fans of the series will expect anything less. If Replay can kindle gamers’ excitement with the first LLL game, the next six installments will follow. In all probability the HD re-release will see full voice-acting like the later entries in the series. In addition to Android, Leisure Suit Larry is landing on iOS, Steam, Xbox Live, On-Live and Playstation. Let’s wish the developers luck in sneaking Larry past those Apple App Store censors, shall we? [via Phandroid] )
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| Qualcomm teases Snapdragon efficiency, 100% bug powered smartphone [Video] Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT Yes you read the title right, that says 100% bug powered smartphone and that is exactly what we have. Today Qualcomm has presented us with the “Bug Circus Generator” where they’ve neatly gathered a few speedy Praying Mantis and tossed them on unicycles and a Tarantula on a treadmill and rigged them to generate tiny amounts of electricity. What do you get? A 100% bug powered smartphone thanks to the extremely efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
Qualcomm recently unveiled details about their upcoming S4 mobile processors and how extremely powerful, yet efficient they will be compared to current generation mobile processors and SoC’s. The new Qualcomm S4 is built using a much refined and smaller 28 nm processing fabrication that allows for smaller more efficient chips, that also use less power and output less heat. All of this combines into an extremely great performing mobile chip and we can expect to see Qualcomm S4 chips in our smartphones soon. This video we have for you today is just so awesome I don’t even know where to begin. Unicycles being ran by Praying Mantis and beetles running on ping pong balls all wired to produce electricity. This is actually very clever and extremely amusing if you ask me. I’ve seen a flea or ant circus but this takes things to a whole new level. Each “generator” is fixed to a capacitor that is then wired to what appears to be an HTC Sensation that is being fueled by the circus. Without further ado — I present you with the Qualcomm Bug Circus Generator: I must say that ending is pretty epic — nailed that landing and I’d give her a solid 9.8 score for great form. Surely that canon blast was CGI effects though, no one risks the wrath of the ASPCA these days, even for bugs. Right? For all the details and information on Qualcomm, Snapdragon, or their new S4 mobile processors head over to facebook.com/snapdragon to see and hear more. I must say, the unicycle and praying pantis was by far my favorite of the bunch, that and the death defying shot at the end — Well played Qualcomm. What does everyone think about this, a neat video or do bugs creep you out? )
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| ViewSonic ViewPad 10e has a 10-inch IPS screen to show off Gingerbread Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT In its latest entry into the tablet market, ViewSonic seems to be doing everything right. The ViewPad 10e (an update to the previous model) has a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 IPS display that should please just about everybody, a 1GHz processor, ample expansion jacks including HDMI, MicroSD and a standard MicroUSB port. It’s got a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, and if ViewSonic’s previous Android tablets are anything to go by, the Wi-Fi slate should be priced to move as well.
But wait, why does a Honeycomb tablet need capacitive buttons on the front? Oh, right. The ViewPad 10e is running Gingerbread, much like other non-Google-blessed Android tablets out there. That means you won’t get access to the Android Market or apps like Gmail and YouTube, either. ViewSonic is nice enough to include the Amazon Kindle app, their custom ViewScene 3D user interface and the 1Mobile Apps Store for your software needs. Other specs include a spacious 5400 mAh battery, 4GB of on-board storage, a microphone (not always a given) and Bluetooth 3.0. The tablet will be able to output 720p video, but that might put the single-core processor and 512Mb of memory to the test. ViewSonic is claiming an impressive 200 hours of standby battery life from the 9.1mm device, which should make e-readers happy. No pricing or availability has been announced, but expect it in Europe soon with a possible North American release to follow. )
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| Samsung executive confirms Nexus Prime is releasing soon Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:42 AM PDT Samsung’s United Kingdom sales director Andrew Glass was on hand at the T3 gadget awards to accept the award for Phone of the Year on behalf on the Galaxy S II. While there, he let slip some fascinating information, confirming the Nexus Prime handset (and its much-argued name) and that the device would be “coming sooner than you think.” This lines up nicely with an announcement expected in the next 2-3 weeks.
Glass’ exact words were:
Whether that means the rumored October 27th announcement, the other rumored November 3rd announcement or another date entirely is still up in the air. It does mean that we won’t have to wait long after the initial unveiling to get our hands on the Nexus Prime’s drool-worthy hardware or Ice Cream Sandwich software. Even without any concrete details, it’s a major relief to have some sort of confirmation from a Samsung representative. The Nexus Prime AKA Galaxy Nexus is the next Google developer phone and should be the very first Android Ice Cream Sandwich device. Specification speculation is rampant, but a 4.3-4.65-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED screen is the star in every rundown so far. We’ve hot a pretty good idea of what the device and the software looks like, thanks to a teaser video from Samsung, a leaked video of the front of the device and screenshots from Ice Cream Sandwich. Carrier info is all over the map, with Verizon supposedly already having their hands on the device but an FCC listing showing AT&T and T-Mobile bands. It would seem that it’s all over bar the actual announcement, which was delayed from today to an unspecified future date after the death of Steve Jobs. There is still no official date set for the Samsung Unbox event. )
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| Asus EEE Transformer 2 could be coming November 7th Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:22 AM PDT We know that a successor to the Asus EEE Transformer is in the works, and now there’s some concrete evidence that the new tablet is coming soon. A UK online shop has a listing for the “Asus TF201″, which is probably the model number of the Transformer’s successor – the original’s official designation is TF101. A November 7th release date lines up nicely with previous rumors of a Q3/Q4 debut.
The original Transformer is one of the most popular Android Honeycomb tablets out there, so it’s no surprise that the update is on its way. According to previous leaks and the store listing, the Transformer 2 will feature a Tegra 3 processor (probably the much-anticipated Kal-El), a full gigabyte of RAM and (at least in this listing) 32GB of storage space. Unfortunately no further specifications or a photo is included. The price in the listing is 448 British pounds before taxes, which comes out to about $700 USD. Keep in mind that retail prices for computers and gadgets are often much higher across the pond. No mention is made of software, but if it really is coming so soon, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich both seem possible. The device is keeping its 10.1-inch screen, presumably with the current 1280 x 800 resolution intact. The store listing refers to the tablet as “gold”, but that could be a rather fanciful description of something like the current Transformer’s amber metallic hue. Keep in mind that stores often list products with estimated specifications and release dates, but the listing itself is a strong indicator that the Transformer 2 is coming sooner rather than later. [via Tablettwo] )
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| Premium phone number scams and malware on the rise, says Symantec Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:57 AM PDT
It works like this: users download an app from an untrusted source and manually install it on their Android phone. The phone then covertly calls or texts a premium number that’s been specially created for the app. The premium number then uses established carrier billing methods to charge customers’ phone bills directly, and they’re none the wiser until the billing period is up. For an example of this scheme, check out the malicious QR codes discovered in September. More traditional forms of malware are on the rise, too, including the kinds of junk you cleared off your grandmother’s Pentium III. Familiar schemes like adware and search engine redirects are common, as are straight-up spyware that actively searches for usernames, passwords and banking information. Pay-per-download and pay-per-click apps are common, and are still the kind of thing that savvy users should avoid. In most cases, you’ve still got to manually install apps from non-Android Market sources in order to compromise the security of your phone. As a security company Symantec has a vested interest in keeping people wary, but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Remember, on Android as on all operating systems, never install software from a source you don’t trust. )
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| Samsung Transfix budget slider heads to Cricket for $179 Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:35 AM PDT Cricket’s latest addition to their Android lineup is a budget slider from Samsung. The new Transfix is just $179.99 on the carrier’s pre-paid phone plans, and should be available from both the online Cricket store and retail locations later today. The company announced the new phone via a press release this morning.
The Samsung Transfix might not catch the eye of those looking for the biggest and baddest in the Android world, but for shoppers looking for a prepaid phone that covers the basics and has a full QWERTY keyboard, it should fit the bill nicely. The 3.2-inch screen is matched by a 3.2-megapixel rear camera. Cricket didn’t mention how much on-board storage is included, but the MicroSD card slot tops out at the standard 32GB. Gingerbread 2.3 and access to the Android Market are thankfully included, and the small screen resolution shouldn’t be a problem for the 800MHz processor. Eagle-eyed readers will note a passing similarity to the Samsung DoubleTime announced by AT&T yesterday. While that phone’s QWERTY keyboard flips out from the bottom like a Motorola Backflip, this one has a standard sliding keyboard. Budget-conscious Android fans can pick up a Samsung Transfix on Cricket starting today.   )
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| Samsung DROID Charge is just $.01 at Amazon Wireless Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:06 AM PDT For Android users, the hits just keep coming over at Amazon Wireless. Samsung’s DROID Charge, a top-of the line 4G LTE phone when it was released just five months ago, is now one single, solitary penny at the online retailer. The usual caveats apply: you’ll need to sign up for a new or recurring two-year agreement with Verizon in order to qualify.
While it won’t hold up to the most recent of Verizon’s superphone offerings, the DROID Charge is a downright steal at just north of free. On the Verizon website it’s still a full $199.99 on-contract. Its specs are still pretty high-end, including a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.3mp front-facing camera, all running on a 1GHz Hummingbird processor. Android 2.2 Froyo and only 2GB of onboard memory are a little hard to swallow, but Gingerbread is coming (right, Verizon?) and what more do you want for a penny? And if that’s not enough, Amazon’s offering $15 of credit to spend on its digital offerings, including apps from the Amazon app store, MP3s or Kindle books. As of right now, the DROID Charge is the cheapest 4G phone you can get for Verizon, provided that you buy from Amazon. If HTC is more your style, existing customers can get in on a $50 Thunderbolt. Amazon Wireless continues to deliver some stellar deals on Android phones. Just last week the brand new HTC Rhyme was discounted from $199 to $79, including all those color-matched accessories. If you’re in the market for a new phone (and your current contract is up), you might consider waiting a couple of months to see what kind of deals Amazon cooks up. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 [via MobileBoom] )
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| BlueStacks App Player brings your Android apps to Windows Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:39 AM PDT Have you ever used a particularly great app and thought, wow, I wish I had this on my computer? No? Well, now you can anyway. Kidding aside, the applications for the new BlueStacks App Player are pretty enormous: more than a simple Android emulator, it allows just about any Android app to run full-screen on a Windows computer. Even more compelling, users can sync selected apps between their computer and their phone or tablet.
The uses today aren’t all that obvious. After all, Android is a touch-based environment, whose support for precise mouse and keyboard input is sometimes tenuous. But as touch interfaces find their ways onto more and more full-sized machines, the usefulness of BlueStacks will increase. Consider that with the BlueStacks App Player installed, the touch-enabled all-in-ones from Dell and HP instantly become 20-inch+ Android tablets capable of running Honeycomb apps… all without affecting the flexibility and power of Windows. Think about it: if implemented correctly, an $800 Windows 8 tablet could have access to hundreds of thousands of touch-based apps on day one. Unfortunately, BlueStacks doesn’t have direct access to the Android Market. Instead you download apps from the company’s database or “push” them from your phone or tablet.The service is still in its early stages and does not have paid apps or an OS X version. The company is focusing on games and RSS reader-style apps and marketing its software directly to computer makers, no doubt hoping that a built-in selection of Android apps will help spur consumers as more and more Windows-based tablets hit the market. You can download the early version of BlueStacks for free right now. )
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| Photo shot with Galaxy Nexus smartphone spied on Google+ Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:15 AM PDT You know you are a geek when you peruse Google+ and other photo sites for EXIF data that points out photos shot with smartphones that aren’t yet released. It’s ok though, we get your need to see all the info you can get on unreleased gear. In fact, here is a shot for you that has surfaced that according to the EXIF data was taken with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus camera.
AndroidNext spotted the images taken by Roman Kirillov and Chris Yerga. The screen shot above shows EXIF data for one, and then one of the photos taken is below. It’s interesting that the subject of the photo is a tribute wall of messages left since Steve Jobs has passed. The Galaxy Nexus is a competitor to the iPhone 4S that was launched shortly before Steve passed away. The catch to the photo is that since Google+ resizes the photos to 3MP the real resolution can't be viewed.
The Galaxy Nexus was expected to launch this week and then that was scrapped at the last minute. The latest word is that the phone will surface on November 3. Alongside the unveil of the phone will be the unveil of Ice Cream Sandwich for smartphones. We will have to wait and see if this latest rumor is correct. [via SlashGear] )
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| SlingPlayer Mobile App for Android Tablets launches Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:08 AM PDT If you travel a lot, being able to watch stuff from your home on your mobile device can be a big deal. If you use an Android tablet when you are on the go a new app has launched that will let you keep up with your favorite content when you are on the go. The SlingPlayer app for Android tablets has launched and it will work on any tablet that has version 3.0 or later of the Android OS.
The app allows the extension of the screen in the living room to the mobile device and supports the video quality and larger screen size the Android tablet offers. The app will work when connected to a Slingbox SOLO or PRO-HD. The app allows the user to change channels, control the DVR, and watch the content they want to see from anywhere they can get a web connection. The app isn’t free; it will cost you $29.99 in the US. It is for sale in other countries as well. The SlingPlayer app for Android phone will continue to work in compatibility mode at no costs. That free app would be the way to start and if you like watching on your tablet, the paid app with better quality would be the way to go. )
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| T-Mobile Bobsled VoIP service comes to Android Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:51 AM PDT T-Mobile has a VoIP service that has been in use on Facebook for a bit now. Bobsled has been extended to cover more platforms with the service on the iPhone and more important available on Android now as well. The service is used via a free app that you can download and the app allows calls to me made to Facebook contacts at this point.
The service does support free landline calls to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico via a browser apparently. To make those free browser calls you need to log in through the browser interface. The Android app will allow you to make Bobsled-to-Bobsled calls only. The good news is that with Android and iOS apps most of the people you know are probably callable using bobsled. You can leave voice mails and the voice mails are sent to the contacts Facebook wall. You can record a voice message as well that will be penned to the wall. I wonder if that means everyone can read or hear the message you leave. If you want free calls, this will do the trick. The Android app can be grabbed on the Android Market now. [via SlashGear] )
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| AT&T announces 5 new Android phones, including the Atrix 2 Posted: 10 Oct 2011 10:07 PM PDT AT&T extends its Android offering in a big way today with no less than five new Android phones for the nationwide network. The Motorola Atrix 2, the Samsung Captivate Glide and DoubleTime, the Pantech Pocket and the “AT&T” Avail. Most of the phones don’t have any availability info just yet, but the Atrix 2 will be in stored on Sunday, October 16th for $99.
The Atrix 2 is a modest update to the original Atrix 4G, which debuted early this year. The phone retains the 960 x 540 screen, sold-separately laptop dock, 1GHz processor and “4g” HSPA+ network connection. A big part of the improvement comes from an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording and Android Gingerbread, though oddly, the on-board storage has been cut in half to 8GB. AT&T is trying to position the Atrix 2 as an enterprise phone with new encryption and remote-access features. The Atrix 2 will be available for purchase before the week is out on October 16th for $99 (just like the original) with a new 2-year contract.
Samsung’s QWERTY offerings are the Captivate Glide (which we spotted earlier) and budget-friendly DoubleTime. The former has a 4-inch 800x 480 Super AMOLED screen hiding its slide-out keyboard. Don’t let the messaging fool you, though – the 1GHz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM will pack quite a punch. This one also has an 8 megapixel/1080p camera with a 1.3 megapixel front camera and access to HSPA+ 4G. The DoubleTime is a budget phone, and unlike the Gingerbread-loaded Captivate Glide, this little guy is saddled with Android 2.2 Froyo. The 600MHz phone’s screen is a small 3.2-inches, and the keyboard looks like it flips out Motorola Backflip-style.
Pantech’s latest smartphone, the Pocket, is an interesting one to say the least. It features a 4:3 800 x 600 screen, much wider in the horizontal axis than most android phones, and the screen stretches to four inches. AT&T claims this is for a better typing and browsing experience. Android 2.3 is included, as is “HD” video capture on the 5 megapixel camera. No mention is made of processor, storage or 4G, though we’ll probably be hearing a lot more soon.
Last but not least (“least” going to the DoubleTime up there), THe AT&T Avail is the latest addition to AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid service. OEM phone maker ZTE supplies this little guy with a 3.5-inch screen and a five megapixel camera. Once again, no more specifications or availability info is being made available at this time. Expect more information on the Atrix 2 and the other four new phones as their respective release dates near.      )
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| Posted: 10 Oct 2011 06:28 PM PDT Say hello to the new HTC flagship device over on T-Mobile, the HTC Amaze 4G. This smartphone takes everything we love from the popular myTouch series at T-Mobile and blends it with the fancy design of the HTC Sensation. Combine those together and we have a powerful smartphone that has both the speed, and the looks to impressive most people. With T-Mobiles brand new HSPA+ 42 network speeds and an improved dual-core processor from Qualcomm on board, this surely is one speedy smartphone. Head on down below for all the details, pictures, and hands-on video of the new HTC Amaze 4G from T-Mobile.
Hardware HTC is very well known for their exceptional build quality and hardware and as usual, this is no different. The Amaze 4G seems to even take it up a notch from recently released HTC smartphones because the build quality is truly stellar. This is one solid feeling phone in your hand, it’s actually a bit heavy if you ask me, especially since I’ve also been enjoying the extremely lightweight Galaxy S II for T-Mobile.
HTC Amaze 4G hands-on and unbox video: So, the Amaze 4G, we have a 4.3″ qHD (Quarter High Definition) Super LCD display with a 960 x 540 resolution, 8 megapixel camera around back with dual LED flash and 2 MP front for video chatting, all on a device sized around 5.1 x 2.5 x 0.46 thick weighing in at 6.0 oz. The screen sticks out in a weird manor but more on that below. The back is covered in a soft-touch matte coating on the top and bottom, split and wrapped neatly with an aluminum frame and bezel just as the HTC Sensation before it. All of this is powered by a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, and comes nicely with 16GB of internal storage. Here’s all the info from our hands-on coverage.
One unique thing about the Amaze 4G is HTC’s decided to go with a dedicated camera button, something the Sensation didn’t offer. Not only that but we also have a dedicated hardware camcorder (video) button, they’ve provided both with the Amaze 4G to give us easy access to use the amazing 8 MP camera — a camera T-Mobile claims as “the most advanced camera of any smartphone”. For a tour around the device I’ll start with the left side. We have nothing but the single micro-USB port from HTC. This is a proprietary micro-USB port from HTC, but it also works with all regular micro-USB ports and MHL adapters both. Its not shaped like most micro-USB ports but doesn’t make any difference I’ve seen thus far. Then around to the right we have the volume up/down rocker, and both of the dedicated camera buttons mentioned above.
Then up top as usual we have a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button. The power/wake button here is at a slight angle and pretty far to the right edge, and its a big squishy and I find myself missing and having to hit it twice at times. I’m sure it’ll be fine once I’m used to it. I mentioned above that the display was a little different. The Amaze 4G’s entire aluminum body is in a frame and detaches from the screen and innards of the smartphone, just like the HTC Sensation. Only the change here is the display actually sits above the frame and is not flush. I’m not sure why HTC decided to go this route but you can clearly see what I mean in the images below. Not a con by any means, but just a hardware aspect I wanted to point out.    Around to the front of the Amaze 4G we have the usual light and proximity sensors, the earpiece grill, and then that front facing camera. On the bottom it features the standard four capacitive Android buttons that we all know plenty about so they aren’t worth mentioning.    Flip things over you’ll see that special 8 MP camera that does all the magic, the dual LED flash, speakerphone grill and some noise cancellation pinholes. Here is the soft coated matte rear and aluminum that wraps around the device giving it a very solid and durable feeling while in the hand. As I said before, it is a little heavy but nothing that should concern users.
   Software We have Android 2.3.4 along with HTC Sense UI 3.0 (no 3.5 here) and just as you’d expect things are completely smooth and fluid as always. HTC prides themselves on their exceptional user interface overlay we all know as Sense UI and we have nothing new here. Sense 3.0 has been around for a little while and we should all be plenty familiar with it. The overall experience is butter smooth and everything runs great, no lag or issues here but that’s never really been an issue for HTC Sense UI to begin with (hello blur).
As far as bloatware is concerned, as usual with HTC phones we have HTC Watch, Hub, Music and a few other things, the rest are all T-Mobile’s doing. The list is pretty short so that is nice — we have 411 & more (really guys, ever heard of Google), Lookout, More for Me, T-Mobile My Account, My Device, Polaris Office, T-Mobile Mail & TV, TeleNav Navigator and Zinio Reader. We do have a “tags” app for NFC but it appears to not fully function for me.
As usual we’ve ran a few benchmarks as well as speedtests. We wanted to test performance now we have an upgraded 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, and T-Mobile has enabled their fastest 4G network yet — HSPA+ 42 in select cities and the Amaze 4G is one of the few new devices to take full advantage of the faster network speeds. Initial impressions are highly favorable and T-Mobile seems to keep up with Verizon 4G LTE surprisingly. First up here is our Quadrant results, the HTC Amaze 4G only scores a 2800 give or take. This is higher than most stock NVIDIA Tegra 2 devices running at 1.0 GHz, but sadly is no where near what the Galaxy S II gets in benchmarks, although the Amaze 4G does have a lot more pixels to deal with being qHD vs standard 480 x 800 on the SGSII.
We also tested Vellamo Benchmark as it tests the devices overall performance and how the hardware and software work together as one. Developed in part by Qualcomm, this shows page rendering, browser load times, JavaScript performance and more and is a great way to gauge performance. The Amaze 4G scored higher than any smartphone lately out of the gate, at stock results.
Speedtest T-Mobiles new HSPA+ 42 improvements to their 4G network seem to really be blazing along quite well. I’ve ran multiple tests at home, and in different parts across Las Vegas and I’m getting great performance. I’m getting comparable download speeds, and often times beating that of Verizon 4G LTE and their new DROID Bionic — well done T-Mobile. The Amaze 4G has averaged around 7-9 Mbps download speeds, often peaking around 10 and 11. Upload speeds are a bit worse and rarely went above 1 Mbps for me, that is one area where Verizon 4G LTE still beats T-Mobile.
Here you can see I’ve ran multiple tests a few different days and at different locations and have experienced optimal speeds throughout. I’m loving the faster T-Mobile speeds so far and am very impressed with the stability in general. With 4G LTE from Verizon it often drops to 3G then back to 4G LTE and you have moments where you must wait for the connection to resume video playback or streaming of audio. With T-Mobile I’ve had solid speeds consistently here in Vegas. Camera We must talk a little about the camera especially because T-Mobile insists this is the best camera on any smartphone. So far I’d have to completely agree. It is either one of the best, or right at the top along with the Samsung 8MP camera on the Galaxy S II. The Amaze 4G has one of the best cameras coming in at 8 megapixels. We have excellent low light performance with a wide aperture lens that snaps quickly. Face detection, dual led flash, zero shutter lag, smart shot (takes 5 in a row and you choose the best one), ClearShot HDR when you need high-contrast lighting and more.
Like mentioned above — the Amaze 4G has a dedicated buttons for both pictures or video, just push and hold even if the phone locked and it instantly enters into camera mode for the user to capture that perfect moment on video or with an image. We also have full 1080p video capture and here is a quick demo video showing just how impressive both the Amaze 4G and the Galaxy S II really are with 1080p video recording thanks to our pal Vincent from SlashGear. Amaze 4G vs Galaxy S II: 1080p recording and audio quality While the audio quality is much louder from HTC, the Galaxy S II seems a bit more natural and easy to listen to but both are great with 1080p video capture as seen in the video above. HTC also looks warmer and more natural if you ask me. Now for some images I’ve snapped a few photos with the Amaze 4G and its 8 megapixel camera and here are a few test samples below. (Isn’t my puppy cute?)
     Battery Life Battery life is pretty subpar actually. We have a 1730 mAh battery with the Amaze 4G, when comparing it to the Sensation 4G and its 1520 mAh battery the Amaze 4G seems to actually not last as long. I’ve used both all weekend and my Sensation lasted a few hours longer each day. This could be that powerful 1.5 GHz processor, or maybe the faster networks speeds, either way I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I’d be. Then if we really want to talk battery, I also have the Galaxy S II for T-Mobile here with me and it outclasses the Amaze 4G across the board. Here is both devices after about 9 hours of moderate to light usage, the Galaxy S II was actually used more and had the screen on much more than the Amaze 4G yet battery life was twice as good. I don’t even need to explain, just look at the image below.
The Galaxy S II has the same 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and actually a bigger display yet lasted longer. Even though it has a larger battery at 1850 mAh I still find the HTC results a bit worrying. Although for the average user we did achieve 9 hours of usage and that should last through any users day with a top off at night to get you through til morning. Wrap-Up It’s wrap up time and even though I mentioned the Galaxy S II a few times (hard not to) the Amaze 4G is a pretty stellar offering from T-Mobile and HTC. I only mention the SGSII here because they are both available from T-Mobile starting Wednesday, October 12th so I felt I needed to mention the competition at least a little bit.
Obviously smartphone purchases often come down to user needs and preference, I simply state what I see and give a few awesome photos for everyone to get a second look at the awesome hardware. Many readers already have their mind made up and just like to look. Some might want the exceptional and unrivaled build quality of HTC along with their awesome UI, others may want something thinner and lighter in the upcoming Galaxy S II. Both have awesome screens, powerful dual-core processors and the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so the choice is yours. While I’ve always loved HTC build quality and use a HTC Sensation 4G for my daily phone, the extra weight from the Amaze 4G was a little bit of a concern for me. However, if you want to feel an extremely durable smartphone in your hand that both looks and feels like it’s worth more than a few bucks — the Amaze 4G is for you. HTC doesn’t cut any corners and uses some of the best hardware around and it clearly shows with the Amaze 4G. We’ll chalk this up as another awesome, powerful, and delightfully well rounded smartphone from HTC. You can pre-order the HTC Amaze 4G starting right now for just $259 over at T-Mobile.com and it starts shipping on Wednesday, October 12th.
Now enjoy all the photos in their full sized glory in the full gallery below, then check out the detailed spec sheet at the end thanks to our http://device.ac android device database.                       Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
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| HTC Amaze 4G pre-orders start today, ship on October 12th Posted: 10 Oct 2011 06:03 PM PDT The current big bad for T-Mobile’s lineup is the HTC Amaze 4G, and it’s just days away from a nationwide release. If you’re not the retail type and want ensure your device gets to you as soon as possible, T-Mobile is accepting pre-orders right now. The Amaze 4G is $259.99 with a new 2-year contract, and phones will begin shipping to customers on Wednesday, October 12th. That price is, unfortunately, after a $50 mail-in rebate.
The Amaze 4G has the (current) top-of-the-line 960x 540 4.3-inch display also seen in the Sensation 4G, with an 8 megapixel back camera supported by a full 2 megapixel front-facing shooter. The 1.5GHz dual-core processor will turn heads, as will a full gigabyte of RAM and 16 gigs of on-board storage. NFC, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 1730 mAh battery round out the package, all running on top of Gingerbread and Sense 3.0. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ “4G” network allows theoretical data speeds up to 42Mbps. Before you pull the trigger on a purchase, you might want to check out Android Community’s hands-on inspection. If you’re ready to buy, click the source link for T-Mobile’s pre-order page to get the ball rolling. If not, hold tight – our full review of the HTC Amaze 4G is coming very soon. )
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| Nexus Prime / Ice Cream Sandwich wallpapers leak – get ‘em here! Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:44 PM PDT In the latest in a long, long, long line of Nexus Prime and Ice Cream Sandwich leaks, the default wallpapers for the new phone and operating system have found their way online. Thank the boys at My Droid World forums for putting out an app with the new wallpapers. If you’re not keen on a new app just to display some shiny JPEGs, we’ve extracted them all and posted them in a gallery below – no install necessary.
You can see the rainbow-colored “Chroma” wallpaper is the same one that’s making the rounds underneath Ice Cream Sandwich in the leaked Nexus Prime video. The rest are colorful and varied enough to satisfy just about anybody, though you can spot at least one repeat from older versions of Android (it’s the canyon one). Unfortunately, the images themselves top out at a vertical resolution of 853, so users of some of the latest Android phones will have to deal with some digital stretch marks. We know the wallpapers are small comfort to those aching to get their Nexus Prime on, but they’ll have to suffice for now. The latest entry in the rumor mill has the Samsung/Google announcement pegged for November 3rd, though of course that one’s as nebulous as the rest at the moment. Here’s hoping we get to see 720p versions of these fetching backgrounds – not to mention the hardware they belong to – in the near future. If you’d like a little more Ice Cream Sandwich in your life, be sure to check out the leaked versions of the Android Market, Google Music and Google+.             )
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| Samsung Captivate Glyde headed for AT&T Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:18 PM PDT Here’s a photo chaser for all the high-end hardware rumors that have been breaking lately. The phone you see below is the Samsung Captivate Glyde – not to be confused with the Captivate, or, uh, the Glyde. Sources pin this one as a Q1 2012 release for AT&T. Details are scarce, but from the looks of it, we’ve got a 3.5-4-inch QWERTY slider on our hands. Based on the name alone, this may be an updated AT&T version of the Epic 4G.
The tipster says that the phone has an 8 megapixel camera, and you can easily see a front-facing camera peeking through the glass on the front of the phone. Other than that, we really don’t know anything about the upcoming slider – no processor info, no storage, nothing. From the icons and the general look of the OS we can tell that it’s running Samsung’s Sense UI over what’s probably Gingerbread, but the mismatched wallpaper suggests that this one is indeed a ways off from release. AT&T could use a solid Android slider phone – the only ones being actively marketed are the decidedly low-end Pantech Crossover and Sharp FX Plus. Technically you could add the XPERIA Play, but as anyone who’s ever played a console RPG knows, entering text on a gamepad is no picnic. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more news on the Samsung Captivate Glyde as the rumored release date gets closer. [via Phandroid] )
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| Verizon source claims Nexus Prime announcement rescheduled for November 3rd Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:54 PM PDT For the continually moving target that is the Nexus Prime, there’s at least one possible new release date. A forum member claiming to be a Verizon insider says that the next Android superphone will be announced on November 3rd along with Ice Cream Sandwich. The informant is anonymous, so as always, take the info with a grain of salt.
The source goes on to let out some juicy details about the Motorola Droid RAZR, a phone which we’ve seen and heard very little of compared to the Nexus Prime. He says that both phones are on hand at Verizon and that between the two of them, the Samsung Nexus Prime wins out on the strength of its 720p screen and brand-spankin-new Ice Cream Sandwich software. In the RAZR’s favor it’s “very fast, smooth, and has a great battery life.” According to the informant, the RAZR will be the phone that the DROID BIONIC should have been. Naturally, the informant doesn’t mention the possible FCC sighting of the Nexus Prime with AT&T and T-Mobile radio bands. Android fans (and bloggers) were shocked Friday morning then the much-anticipated Samsung Unbox Event had been moved from CTIA to a time and place unknown. This was even more disappointing so soon after Samsung’s teaser video, which showed us a first glimpse of what is almost certainly the Nexus Prime / Galaxy Nexus. It was later confirmed that the event has been delayed due to the death of Steve Jobs. The rumor mill has been working double shifts to keep up with all the leaks and speculation ever since. A possible reschedule date of October 27th was rumored, but that seems less and less likely as time goes on. )
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Android is taking the world by storm, and unfortunately, that means that scammers and hackers are coming along for the ride. Security firm Symantec 
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