Android Community |
- Motorola DROID RAZR image revealed from teaser site
- US Mobile carriers agree to end “bill shock” will send out usage notifications
- Motorola Atrix 2 now available, just $49 at Amazon
- Major Firefox update in the works, including native UI and Flash
- Motorola debuts new DROID RAZR teaser video with Kevlar back
- Snes9x EX is the latest emulator fatality in the Android Market
- Lynx receiver brings you Sirius XM by way of Android
- Blizzard’s official BlizzCon app reminds you that you need more Vespene gas
- AT&T’s 4:3 “wide-screen” Pantech Pocket gets a hands-on
- Galaxy S II gets an early Ice Cream Sandwich ROM – or not
- Samsung Electronics moves 30 million Galaxy S and S II smartphones globally
- LG DoublePlay packs QWERTY keyboard and touchscreens
- Android Community Weekly: October 17, 2011
| Motorola DROID RAZR image revealed from teaser site Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:19 AM PDT Whoa, we mentioned the new teaser site that appeared on Motorola.com this morning, but apparently a few little treats were also on the site that we didn’t catch the first time around. What we have is our first full out picture of the new Motorola DROID RAZR, with that Kevlar rear and all. Looks beautiful doesn’t it?
The original teaser video didn’t show us much, but now we have just about all we needed to see. This image that came right from the site itself reveals everything we already have heard and were hoping for. It’s beautifully thin, comes with 4G LTE, and the rear looks awesome with that Kevlar coating. We also see the power and wake button has been moved to the side and check out that new DROID eye, pretty awesome right? In case you missed it here is that teaser video one more time: Motorola will be announcing what we see above, the new Motorola DROID RAZR tomorrow at 9AM PT (12 EST) at the event in NYC. For the information and some actual hands-on pictures and video as soon as the device is officially announced stay tuned right here to Android Community, as we will be there live! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]  )
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| US Mobile carriers agree to end “bill shock” will send out usage notifications Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:59 AM PDT Have you ever received that AT&T bill in the mail only to see a huge balance thanks to an extremely large overage of text messages, or your daughters new Android phone went way over her 2GB data limit? I’m sure we’ve all been here before, especially back in the early days when we had 300 text message plans. Well today things are about to change and carriers will no longer be able to secretly sit back while users incur huge overage fees.
Today, before the US Government steps in and makes something more drastic happen the four major US carriers have all agreed to a few certain guidelines that will require them to send data usage, and more importantly, overage notification warnings. So when your kids go over their text limit or they’ve played and downloaded too many Android games, or you head out of country and start racking up the roaming charges you will now be notified and given a little warning. Instead of coming home to a $20,000 dollar bill when you visited Uncle Chris in London and didn’t know you were getting charged huge roaming and overage fee’s. I saw a story where one lady received a $38k bill for a similar situation. I’d freak out and throw my phone at the T-Mobile rep, but that’s just me. On a more serious note, included in these guidelines are a set of voluntary rules that the carriers have all agreed to. Users will receive notifications and information about their monthly limits BEFORE they reach them – plus, for those traveling abroad, alerts will be sent out showing customers what they'll be paying if they want to continue using the devices overseas – roaming fees and all. All of the above situations will be handled with multiple notification systems whether it be email or SMS message, free to customers, and these regulations come right from the FCC. A few user polls recently unveiled more than 60% of customers supported a government initiative to get rid of this so called “bill shock”, and today this is a step in the right direction. While no immediate timeline was given, we should start seeing these alerts within the next 18 months. If you were planning that cruise with the family next summer you still might want to check with your providers just to be safe. [via SlashGear] )
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| Motorola Atrix 2 now available, just $49 at Amazon Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:12 AM PDT The Motorola Atrix 2 might be one of the faster follow ups we’ve seen in a while, but its still a great smartphone and is available now from AT&T. Press shots gave us our first solid look back in September and the Atrix 2 was officially announced at CTIA. The original was released less than a year ago, and now the new Atrix 2 is available from AT&T and for only $99. Any Atrix owners feeling a little down?
The Atrix 2 features a 4.3″ qHD 960 x 540 resolution display. a Tegra 2 dual-core 1.0 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and that 8 MP camera on the rear (no fingerprint scanner this time around). While Motorola did take out the scanner and lower the internal storage from 16GB to 8GB the $99 price tag is hard to beat. They are also positioning this as an enterprise device and it’s said to have some additional software, features, and security for just that.
We recently spied some hands-on with the Atrix 2 and it looks to be another great successor from Motorola just as the DROID line has been doing thus far, although we would have loved to see 4G LTE. Just like we mentioned above the Atrix 2 is available this week from AT&T and you can get it now by clicking here. The good news, however, is Amazon went a step further and have already lowered the Atrix 2 to an amazingly low price of just $49 with a new 2-year contract. It may not be the best phone hands-down, and the Galaxy Nexus getting announced tomorrow might make you a bit more excited, but for $49 you can’t really go wrong. [via Amazon Wireless] )
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| Major Firefox update in the works, including native UI and Flash Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:05 AM PDT Mozilla brought Firefox to Android less than a year ago, but after nine months in development it’s still lagging behind more experienced browsers on the platform. The developer has announced some big changes fro the mobile version, including a native user interface and Flash integration – again, something that’s available in the stock browser and others already. Interested testers can build themselves an early version of the app, but it’ll be a few months before the rest of us can get our hands on a beta.
As a dedicates Firefox user on the desktop, I was excited when it finally landed on the Android Market in a full version. Unfortunately the odd interface choices and general sluggishnish soon had me running back to Dolphin HD. Even now the app needs a lot of polish to be a worthy successor to its full-sized counterpart, and with Opera Mobile gaining a steady following and Google Chrome likely to land sometime in the near future, Mozilla needs to work fast to stay in the game. The XUL interface may be missing from future versions, but the familiar Gecko rendering engine (as opposed to the more popular WebKit) will remain intact. The change should make for faster boot times and page loading. One of the more frustrating omissions from Firefox Mobile is Flash, an important selling point for Android as a whole and a must-have for even the most basic of browsers. Mozilla has recognized the gap in its featureset and assures users that Flash is coming. If you know what you’re doing you can grab the code for one of the latest branches of Firefox Mobile and try out Flash (but not the new interface) for yourself – some assembly required. )
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| Motorola debuts new DROID RAZR teaser video with Kevlar back Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:38 AM PDT We know you’re probably all hot and bothered about the Google/Samsung event in Hong Kong tomorrow, but Motorola and Verizon would like to remind you that they’ve got their own party a little closer to home earlier in the day. The “Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger” event is thought to be the unveiling for the much-rumored DROID RAZR and possible a next-generation XOOM as well. With its latest teaser site and video, Verizon has pretty much put rumor to rest – it’s all over bar the waiting.
The latest video gives us a lot of the sexy-things-going-fast imagery of the original teaser, plus two quick images that should catch your eye: a shot of a Motorola logo in the style of the original DROID and DROID X on a checkered background, followed by a look at some body armor. Could that be the rumored Kevlar construction we’ve been hearing so much about? If not, it’s a pretty good imitation. There’s also this like gem of a JPEG sitting in the background, and it looks an awful lot like the camera hump on the top of the DROID X with some body armor dressing. The industrial-strength sensibilities should match the leaked specs: a qHD 4.3-inch screen, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a LTE radio for Verizon’s 4G network. Note the “42″ in the video – that’s the answer to the ultimate question of the device’s theoretical max download speed. Join us tomorrow as we cover the Motorola and Verizon event, starting at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. [via Droid-Life] )
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| Snes9x EX is the latest emulator fatality in the Android Market Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:02 AM PDT Another one bites the dust. Popular Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator Snes9x EX is no longer available on the Android Market after Google pulled the listing. Formerly the emulator was one of the better remaining options for nostalgic gamers looking for their 16-bit fix on the go. The app is the latest in a long line of classic console emulators to get the boot. The developer was given no explanation.
Snes9x EX is one of the older SNES emulators, pre-dating Android itself by almost a decade. The Android port of the popular desktop program comes from developer Robert Broglia, who’s still offering a free download on his website for side-loading Android users. Like the desktop version, Snes9x EX was and is a free program, so if you’re itching for some Super Metroid head on over and download it now. Google has been cracking down on emulators in the Market for some time now. The popular series of emulators by developer Yongzh, including GameBoid, GBCoid, Gensoid and SNesoid were all given their walking papers earlier this year after selling thousands of copies. Like Snes9x EX, most of these formerly paid apps are now posted for free with Yongzh’s consent. Moat other emulators don’t last very long, either. It’s important to note that video game emulators themselves aren’t illegal, though in most countries it’s illegal to download actual game ROMs for games that you don’t already own. The decision to allow or deny them to Android users is entirely Google’s. For the time being, side-loading seems to be the only reliable option for Android emulation fans everywhere. [via Pocket Gamer] )
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| Lynx receiver brings you Sirius XM by way of Android Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:33 AM PDT One of the wonderful things about Android is that its open-source nature allows it to be put to all sorts of uses. Already it powers phones, tablets, e-readers, netbooks, at least a couple of actual robots, and we’ve got one unconfirmed report of a toaster. While there’s already a few in-dash car stereos running Android, Sirius XM’s upcoming Lynx receiver should allow you to add some Google-flavored tunes to your car without a major installation. Best Buy let the unannounced satellite radio receiver slip on its website last weekend.
For $249.99, you’ll get a touchscreen receiver running an unspecified version of Android, a battery good for 30 hours of cord-free tunes and a dashboard mounting kit. The Lynx includes a MicroSD slot that all so you to bring your own music along when you get tired of The 40s on 4. Built-in wireless is mentioned but not specified, so I’d guess it’s Bluetooth with A2DP for streaming to an existing audio system. Google apps and the Android Market are a definite no for something with this much modification. Best Buy yanked the product listing before we could take a more in-depth gander, but the mere fact that a page was prepared means we’ll probably be seeing the Lynx on store shelves before Christmas. Details like the specific OEM partner, on-board storage or recording capabilities are sadly unavailable. With all the modding news that constantly comes out of the Android world, I can’t help but wonder what a root method, a little imagination and a lot of free time could do for this satellite radio player. )
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| Blizzard’s official BlizzCon app reminds you that you need more Vespene gas Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:53 AM PDT Bizzard’s official convention for all things Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo is set for this weekend in Anaheim, California, and if you’re planning on hopping in your ’03 Epic Mount to make the trip, you won’t be wanting for directions when you get there. Blizzard is teaming up with Nvidia to provide convention-goers with an official guide app for BlizzCon 2011. The Android app features a full calendar and map of the Anaheim Convention Center.
If you’ve tried out similar apps for the Adobe Max convention or Google’s I/O conference, you know what you can expect here. The app guides you around the various exhibits and merchants you’ll find at the convention, and even offers an integrated alarm to make sure you don’t miss the Tauren cosplay contest. In typical Blizzard fashion, the phone app is skinned to better immerse you in the real-life digital world – check out the parchment theme on the convention hall map. Apps like this can be a godsend at busy conventions, and with more than 30,000 expected attendees, BlizzCon certainly qualifies. It’s great to see Blizzard reaching out to the Android userbase that undoubtedly makes up a significant percentage of its regular customers. If you’re preparing to go to BlizzCcon 2011 (or you just wish that you were), head on over to the Android Market to download the free app. The app is also available on iOS. [via Android Police] )
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| AT&T’s 4:3 “wide-screen” Pantech Pocket gets a hands-on Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:22 AM PDT If you’ve got an Android phone with a screen that’s bigger than 3.2 inches diagonally, it’s almost certain that the ratio of its vertical to horizontal pixels is about 16:9, mimicking a television screen’s shape and distinguishing high-end phones from low-end competitors
Pantech claims that the non-standard screen ratio will make it easier to both read and enter text on the device, especially in portrait mode. The reporter agreed with this assessment, and noted that the extra width, while noticeable, doesn’t make the Pocket a monster to hold in your hand. Switch the phone to landscape mode and the reading advantage largely disappears, and the screen may not be ideally suited for all apps. For example, the Kindle app shows only marginally more words per line, even though it’s been modified so support the resolution. Pantech says they’re working with developers to ensure that the top 100 Android apps work with the phone. The Pocket lines up with Pantech’s current middle-market focus in the United States, though it’s noticeably more powerful than other offerings from the company. A 1GHz single-core processor and 5-megapixel camera might have been top of the line eighteen months ago, but these days it’ll probably mean a price of $100 or less on-contract. AT&T announced the phone last week, but so far release date and pricing information are up in the air. Expect the Pantech Pocket to hit shelves in the next month or so. )
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| Galaxy S II gets an early Ice Cream Sandwich ROM – or not Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Though there’s no Android hardware that’s officially running Ice Cream Sandwich until tomorrow at the very least, one industrious modder has jumped the gun and managed to wrangle the software onto his Samsung Galaxy S II. At least, that’s what it looks like. A video purporting to be Google’s shiny new operating system hit YouTube last week showing off the new interface and apps expected to be seen at the Samsung/Google event in Hong Kong on Wednesday local time.
Now, hold your horses, buckaroos – there’s nothing in the admittedly slick video that proves that this Galaxy S II is actually running Ice Cream Sandwich, and at least one important indicator that it isn’t. Imitation Ice Cream Sandwich launchers/homescreens are already out there, and it’s worth noting that only Google Music and the Android Market, two apps whose ICS versions have already been leaked, are shown on video. The absence of a Settings>About Phone money shot leads me to believe that this is an enthusiastic but ultimately unspectacular fake, as do the popular themed aftermarket notification bar icons. The lack of on-screen navigation buttons is a dead giveaway. See for yourself below (and you might want to turn your speakers down): That isn’t to say that Ice Cream Sandwich won’t make it to existing Android phones. In a few cases like the Nexus S and any high-end phones released this fall it’s almost a certainty, and the Galaxy S II should see some community-driven versions of ICS show up just as soon as Google posts the open-source code, due to its probably similarity to the Galaxy Nexus / Nexus Prime hardware. But for now, we’ll all just have to wait. The uploader, “Eddyx8″, says he’ll be posting a Galaxy S II ROM on XDA-Developers, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. In the meantime, anyone with a hankering for a fresh theme and a few spare hours could look around the Android modding community and come up with a similar experience on just about any late-model phone. Keep an eye on Android Community this Tuesday night as we cover the Samsung/Google Hong Kong event. SlashGear will be covering the Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus unveiling live in China, beginning at 10AM Wednesday local time. That's 10PM EST Tuesday evening in the United States. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 [via Phandroid] )
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| Samsung Electronics moves 30 million Galaxy S and S II smartphones globally Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:47 AM PDT We all know that the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone has been popular in every region that device has been launched in. It may surprise you just how popular the S II has been though. Try this little factoid on for size, the Galaxy S and S II have racked up total combined sales of 30 million units globally. The S II is the flagship smartphone from Samsung and sales continue to grow.
According to Samsung, the previous Galaxy S smartphone moved 20 million units since it launched last June. Clearly, the S II is selling even faster than the predecessor did. In 16 months of availability, the original Galaxy S sold 20 million units. It has taken the S II only a short while to move 10 million units globally. Samsung attributes the success of both smartphones to the Super AMOLED screen, fast APU, and the optimized nature of the smartphone. The S and S II smartphones are among the most popular devices available in many countries. We certainly like the S II around here, you can check out our hands on time with the smartphone right here. )
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| LG DoublePlay packs QWERTY keyboard and touchscreens Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:26 AM PDT I know that there are lots of smartphone users out there that would like to have their cake and eat it too. These folks are looking for a smartphone with a touchscreen and a nice QWERTY physical keyboard for typing. T-Mobile has landed a new LG smartphone called the DoublePlay that is an Android Gingerbread 2.3 smartphone with some nice features for those wanting real buttons.
The smartphone has a 5MP rear camera and should hit T-Mobile USA stores in time for holiday gift giving. Details on this smartphone leaked last week, but the official word from T-Mo brings almost all the details that you want to know. The front main screen is a 3.5-inch unit and the smaller screen between the keyboards is a 2-inch unit. That 5MP rear camera has 720p HD video recording capability. The processor is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon and the software for the phone has been customized to allow the secondary screen to show different elements of the same app or to allow you to run two apps at once. Now you can play Angry Birds while feeding Om Nom with some rope cutting. The smartphone also has WiFi, Bluetooth, and HSPA+ 4G connectivity. Pricing is still unknown as is the official launch, but we should hear more around the National Texting Championship kicking off October 26. [via SlashGear] )
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| Android Community Weekly: October 17, 2011 Posted: 16 Oct 2011 09:31 PM PDT It’s time to wrap up a long week of tech news in this issue of Android Community Weekly! We’ve got more updates on Samsung’s Nexus Prime’s release to how our new Galaxy S II devices fair up to the new iPhone 4S. Though the Nexus Prime was unexpectedly delayed from its launch last Tuesday, expect us reporting live this Wednesday at 10pm ET straight from Hong Kong, China!
We’ve known the Nexus Prime is estimated to have a 4.65″ screen, and now we know why. The extra real estate is for the Android navigation buttons; hopefully, this space is free when browsing the net or even watching a YouTube video in landscape mode. With all the anticipation of its release, we have some new device mockups and even some of the Nexus Prime/Ice Cream Sandwich leaked wallpapers. A Verizon source claims the device will be officially announced November 3rd, yet we all hope we at least see a glimpse of this bad boy during Google/Samsung’s event in China. A photo shot was spied on Google+ Tuesday that left a Nexus Prime signature – so we know it’s out there! Even a Samsung executive confirms its soon release. Finally, Friday we found it in Best Buy’s system as the “Nexus Prime”. The hype seems never-ending for the Nexus Prime, and if the device doesn’t live up to its name then the Samsung Galaxy S III may even take its place. Details leaked a 1.8GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM – are we still talking about a smartphone? Another contender may be the Motorola RAZR; we’ll find out at the Motorola and Verizon event set for October 18th. Within the next few weeks we should see an official version of CyanogenMod 7.1 for the HP TouchPad. I was one of the lucky ones to nab this tab during its global liquidation, so expect some hands-on soon after its release. More development to look forward to is ROU UI; within the video you can see how this new user interface may change the way many of us will use our phones in the future. Finally, be sure to check out of official HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S II [T-Mobile] reviews! Within you’ll see how well T-Mobile’s 4G fairs to Verizon’s 4G LTE. Also reviewed was the HTC Jetstream over on SlashGear; and as Chris Burns states, this slate may be one of the best to date. With a price-tag of $699.99, it bet be! )
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