Android Community |
- HTC Rezound hits the FCC again, this time with wireless charging
- LG Revolution Android 2.3 Update on the way
- $35 Aakash tablet gets a hands-on, deemed surprisingly OK
- Google TV apps already showing up in the Android Market
- Samsung beats Apple with 28 million smartphones shipped in Q3
- Google TV 2.0 update coming to Sony next week, Logitech Revue later
- Samsung Italy says Galaxy S II, Note, and Tab will get Ice Cream Sandwich
- LG says no Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Optimus 2X / G2X
- Dolphin Browser responds: Webzines disabled, no breach in user privacy
- Samsung highlights the Galaxy Note’s Wacom digitizer
- HTC EVO Design 4G Review
- Google executive: Siri is Star Wars, Android Voice Actions is Star Trek
- Possible Dolphin Browser security and privacy issues found [Updated]
- Motorola reports smaller losses, expects to close merger this year
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs White Galaxy Note hands-on [Video]
- Samsung Confirms: Galaxy Nexus hitting Europe November 17
- SwiftKey X Keyboard updated with a spooky Halloween theme and bug fixes
- Logitech Revue hitting retail stores claiming 3.1 Honeycomb and Android Market [Update]
| HTC Rezound hits the FCC again, this time with wireless charging Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:45 AM PDT The new HTC Rezound is making its way through the FCC again with a few additional goodies. We first saw it clear the FCC back in September as the HTC Vigor (codename), but today it made a surprise stop for round 2 and it seems to be sporting some wireless charging capabilities.
HTC and Verizon are expected to unveil their next flagship 4G LTE phone, the HTC Rezound (aka Vigor) at the HTC Media event set for November 3rd. The Rezound has been spotted a few times in Verizon’s system rocking a $299 price tag. With the HTC announcement pending and the new sighting at the FCC we have a pretty good feeling we’ll be seeing the Rezound come November 3rd. For those that might have missed it, the HTC Rezound should sport a 4.3″ 1280 x 720p display and a beefy 1.5 GHz dual-core processor — not to mention Verizon 4G LTE. While we don’t get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at launch, we expect it to receive an update hopefully fairly quick. Most likely we’ll know all the details after the media event linked to above, set for November 3rd. Latest leaks suggest November 10th is when the HTC Rezound and its Beats Audio will start bumpin the streets so stay tuned for more details. [via Wireless Goodness] )
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| LG Revolution Android 2.3 Update on the way Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:29 AM PDT We heard a little chatter regarding the 2.3 Gingerbread update for the 4G LTE packing LG Revolution this week and now the official details have been revealed. If you’ve been waiting for some Gingerbread treats you are in luck because Verizon is all set to push the OTA to your Revo and have just released the update documents today.
The changelog is pretty small and actually doesn’t reveal much except for a few bug fixes. We don’t really need a breakdown of what to expect from Gingerbread as we should all be well aware by now. A new download manager, copy/paste improvements, better browser performance and the usual user interface changes that came with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The support documents do specifically mention a few details regarding emails showing in the correct order, attachment size fixes as well as some improvements to the overall HDMI-out experience. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the LG Revolution appears to be around 87.8MB in size and should start hitting devices any time now and be done within a week. As usual feel free to manually check for updates through settings > about phone > check for updates. Device Info
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 [via Verizon Support] )
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| $35 Aakash tablet gets a hands-on, deemed surprisingly OK Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:27 AM PDT The Indian government got some gadget good will when they began subsidizing the incredibly cheap Aakash Android tablet, bringing its student price down to a mere $35. The question on hardware junkies’ minds is, is the experience on such a low-grade device acceptable at all? VentureBeat smuggled one of the tablets out and put together a hands-on, and surprisingly, the Aakash came away with a pretty solid showing.
Naturally the Aakash isn’t going to wow those of us jaded by high-res, high-price Honeycomb tablets. Its Android Froyo operating system and 366 MHz processor are outstripped by the cheapest subsidized smartphones, and a resistive 800 x 400 touchscreen doesn’t hold a candle to more modern devices. But for all that, the tablet includes a couple of surprises along its thick side – full-sized USB ports for a mouse and keyboard. The tablet is designed to teach children to use the web, and in that respect, it could demonstrate the basics of both touchscreen and traditional computer inputs. Unfortunately, there’s no Google apps or Android Market access. The 7-inch Aakash is, if we’re being generous, utilitarian. If we’re being realistic, it’s ugly. But for all that it’s supposed to do, it’s a surprisingly versatile device, and I know that I would have been thrilled to get something like it when I was in grade school. As a mechanism for bringing modern technology into the most remote regions of India, it looks like the Aakash is a solid performer. There’s still no word on sales outside of India, but even if you could order one, the unsubsidized price is closer to $70 USD. [via Engadget] )
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| Google TV apps already showing up in the Android Market Posted: 28 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT That didn’t take long. Just a few hours after Google’s official announcement of Google TV 2.0, apps specifically designed for integrated TVs and set-top boxes have started appearing in the web version of the Android Market. You can use this URL to check them out for yourself. There’s just 28 results when you specifically search “for Google TV”, and not all of them are true Google TV apps. The generic “Google TV” search shows thousands, most of which are just ordinary Android apps matching the search terms.
Among the confirmed Google TV apps are Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Fox News, CNN Money, and Motor Trend. We’re expecting a version of Angry Birds designed specifically for Google TV in approximately 20-30 seconds. Naturally these apps won’t show up on the Market if you search from a phone or tablet, and likewise, Market searches made from Google TV are probably not going to show standard smartphone apps, though it’s possible that some apps could work for both platforms eventually. Google TV apps must be coded using the resources in the expanded Android SDK. Google TV’s Honeycomb update has been officially announced, and Sony set-top boxes and TVs will be the first to get in on the action next week. The Logitech Revue will get the update “shortly” after that, though retail units are already popping up with the new software prominently featured in the packaging. We’ll have more in-depth news as the long-awaited update begins rolling out. )
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| Samsung beats Apple with 28 million smartphones shipped in Q3 Posted: 28 Oct 2011 09:17 AM PDT
Deck the halls, break out the traditional holiday doughnuts and throw another TPS report on the fire, it’s quarterly earnings call season. Samsung certainly has reason to celebrate: in the last three months they’ve shipped 28 million smartphones worldwide, taking the #1 spot away from Apple. Samsung doesn’t use Android exclusively for their smartphone hardware, but needless to say, it plays a big part in their worldwide strategy. Samsung’s sales in the mobile department, including all smartphones and feature phones, rose by almost 40% to 13.05 billion dollars. It’s not all good news: the company’s gross profit was down 13% year over year. Total income, including all of Samsung’s various consumer electronics, semiconductor and business-to-business sales rose by 3% to $37.5 billion, with the mobile division driving the company and posting the only gains. Samsung’s got a busy quarter ahead of them in the mobile space, with both the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note coming to various markets within the next month. The Galaxy S line of smartphones, which has sold over 30 million devices across the original and Galaxy S II models, will see high-definition and LTE updates soon as well. The Galaxy S III is expected sometime next year. Samsung’s bottom line might be affected by Apple’s lawsuits worldwide, which have already resulted in sales bans on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and Australia. )
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| Google TV 2.0 update coming to Sony next week, Logitech Revue later Posted: 28 Oct 2011 08:32 AM PDT Logitech appears more than ready for Google TV’s Honeycomb update, but according to a new blog post from the Google TV team, Sony’s TVs and set-top boxes will be getting it first starting next week. The Logitech Revue will follow “soon thereafter”. The updated post outlines some of the new Google TV features, including Android Market support and an improved user interface.
In an interesting bit of humility, the post admits that the original Google TV software “wasn’t perfect,” and focuses on the simpler homescreen with customizable video and app shortcuts. Search functions have also been refined, allowing for a broad search across live TV, Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO and other video services. It will also recommend content similar to what you’ve already watched, a la Netflix’s recommendation engine. A new customized YouTube app will compliment the upcoming Google TV apps that will spring up on the Android Market. The 3.1 Honeycomb update has been a long time coming, but Google TV users’ wait is almost over. Logitech appears ready to send their Revue set-top boxes to retail stores with the software pre-loaded, and developers are already working on Google TV apps via the expanded Android SDK. Google also mentioned that some much-needed new partner and device announcements would be coming in the next few months. )
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| Samsung Italy says Galaxy S II, Note, and Tab will get Ice Cream Sandwich Posted: 28 Oct 2011 08:08 AM PDT Well that’s encouraging. According to Italian site HD Blog, Samsung’s Italian arm has confirmed that basically all of their high-end models will receive an Android 4.0 update. We are making inquiries to confirm the news. The post says that the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the refreshed Galaxy Tab 7.0 will all be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich.
According to the source, updates will begin rolling out in Q2 2012, at least in Italy. There’s no mention made of other worldwide territories, but you can bet that Samsung is planning similar updates across its varied markets. Basically all of Samsung’s Android phones (with the notable exception of the Galaxy Nexus) use Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UI, which will need to be updated to support Ice Cream Sandwich. That could explain the considerable delay – for contrast, Motorola claims that Ice Cream Sandwich devices will begin rolling out just six weeks after the software becomes available. U.S. Samsung users should take this with a grain of salt. While the news is certainly encouraging, the American wireless market is rife with “value-adding” carrier customizations, and in some cases, wireless providers just aren’t inclined to update devices. There’s also no mention made of older phones like the original Galaxy S or newer, low/mid-range phones like the Galaxy W. For a look at the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note, be sure to check out our hands-on video from Samsung’s London event. Ice Cream Sandwich Hands-on [via TheNextWeb] )
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| LG says no Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Optimus 2X / G2X Posted: 28 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT LG announced today that one of their former flagship phones, the Optimus 2X, will not be receiving an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. LG announced the news on its Indian Facebook page. This stands in stark contrast to other Android manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and Motorola, who have all committed to bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to their current high-end smartphones. In the United States, the Optimus 2X is known as the T-Mobile G2X.
T-Mobile and LG committed to updating the software to Gingerbread back in April, and the update is available via a cumbersome PC tool. G2X users became increasingly irate, and it wasn’t until July, eight months after the release of Gingerbread, that the software made it to the phone via OTA. International versions of the Optimus 2X are STILL running Froyo. It doesn’t help that many of them purchased the G2X for its high-end specs, including oneof the first dual-core mobile processor to hit Android. LG did not give a reason for the refusal, but some of our readers have speculated that 512MB of RAM may be insufficient for Ice Cream Sandwich. This sort of fast-paced obsolescence is an unfortunately common occurrence on Android devices. While community work-arounds like custom ROMs often deliver the latest software to advanced users, most Android enthusiasts are of the opinion that it’s the manufacturer and carrier’s obligation to deliver timely software updates. This isn’t always the case, even with high-profile devices like the Optimus 2X /G2X – just ask ThunderBolt users. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that manufacturers and carriers aren’t required to update their phones, and in at least a few cases have some economically-motivated reasons not to. I’d encourage those who want the latest official software on their Android devices to vote with their dollars, and go with a manufacturer that commits to timely software updates. Device Info
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[via SlashGear] )
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| Dolphin Browser responds: Webzines disabled, no breach in user privacy Posted: 28 Oct 2011 06:44 AM PDT
Dana Zemack of Dolphin’s PR department assured us in an email, “We wanted to let you know that the Dolphin issue has been 100% fixed. It’s also extremely important to note that Dolphin has never tracked user browsing history, and there has been absolutely no breach in user privacy or user security.” In a blog post this morning (which was also posted as a response to the original XDA thread), Dolphin explained that the Webzines feature checks a user’s current site against a list of 300+ RSS-based “Webzines”, custom-formatted versions of popular websites, including Android Community. According to the developer, the information sent was merely a check for availability, and users’ private information was never stored on their server.
The Webzines feature has been disabled in response to the XDA findings, but an upcoming Dolphin update will allow users to opt-in to the service, which will be disabled by default. The developer does not mention whether or not URLs and other browsing data will continue to be sent, regardless of whether or not the site in question has been made into a Webzine. Some security sticklers are likely to be unimpressed, since part of the original issue is that the data was sent in plain text, but the developer is urging users to send in questions or suggestions to their support email, support@dolphin-browser.com. )
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| Samsung highlights the Galaxy Note’s Wacom digitizer Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:56 PM PDT By now you probably know about the Samsung Galaxy Note‘s most distinctive feature, that enormous 5.3-inch, 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED screen. Samsung isn’t playing down the Note’s tablet aspirations, and has included a capacitive stylus – but it’s a little different from the one on the HTC Flyer and other third-party styli we’ve seen before. Namely, it uses Wacom’s digitizer technology, not only for superior accuracy, but for advanced pen input features.
If that’s not enough to make you want the Note, it’s top-end 1.4GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, combined with a an 8 megapixel / 1080p camera should do the trick. Though the Galaxy Note isn’t currently set for a U.S. release, it’s arriving in most European markets now or in the next few weeks. An FCC listing of the Samsung Galaxy Note with AT&T keeps our hopes alive that the device will make its way stateside. For a Samsung superphone showdown of epic proportions, be sure to check out our live video and gallery of the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus at Samsung’s European event earlier today. Device Info
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:50 PM PDT The popular and iconic EVO brand has just added another member to the family this month and that is the new HTC EVO Design 4G. Being the second smallest to carry the title while staying right in the middle with its specifications it should make most users plenty happy. It may not be as large as the big guns like the original EVO but it sure handles its own quite well, not to mention it should only run you a crispy $100 dollar bill. Below we’ll show you a few pictures and our hands-on video and let you decide for yourself if this is the next phone for you.
Now before we get started feel free to look over my hands-on post, then enjoy the goofy hands-on and unboxing video to get you up to speed. HTC EVO Design 4G hands-on Hardware First I wanted to mention the display because it looks great. While it’s only 4.0″ compared to the other popular EVO’s and their 4.3″ displays we do have a qHD here. Higher resolution than the original EVO yet on a smaller screen so it truly looks great. We have a 4.0″ qHD 960 x 540 resolution. The screen does feel a bit thin and tall if you ask me, but shouldn’t be of any concern. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is powered by a 1.2 GHz single-core S2 processor from Qualcomm, all inside a smartphone that's a mere 4.80 x 2.40 x 0.50 inches in size.
As you can see above, around back we have the usual soft touch matte back that many phones have used as of late — then the popular and sturdy aluminum bezel we’ve come to love from HTC. They are king of the crop when it comes to build quality, everything is extremely durable and solid just as we’ve come to expect from HTC. Down to the bottom we have where the back is removable (with a little extra force) bringing us to the removable battery, and included 8GB micro-SD card. Taking the bottom battery cover off is a bit tricky so good luck and be careful.
The design is very simple and elegant with the aluminum around back wrapping up front and covering the entire outer shell. The left side has all the action with the micro-USB port and the volume up/down rocker. Nothing is on the right and as usual up top we have the power and wake button, as well as our 3.5mm headphone jack.    Overall I really like the design and build quality, the phone has a very durable and solid feel and if you’ve ever handled the HTC EVO 3D — it is basically the same thing but smaller in this regard. My only complaint with the actual phone is the camera around back, while 5 megapixels is enough and works great it’s the hump and design that is giving me the problem. The phone doesn’t sit flat on a surface and if you try and touch or swipe between homescreens while its laying on your desk it wobbles and is crooked. The camera hump is just too large and should’ve been a bit smaller. This isn’t a big deal but most phones manage to still sit fairly flat. Looking at the photo below you’ll understand why.
As mentioned above we have Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread as well as the usual HTC Sense UI 3.0 on board. It would have been nice to see Sense 3.5 here but we are equally as happy with 3.0 and the lockscreen ring is still my favorite part — well that and the clock/weather widget of course. HTC Sense UI 3.0 is nothing new so I wont spend much time here although everything is extremely smooth and fluid, as you’d expect with a 1.2 GHz processor powering everything. Bloatware you ask? Other than the usual dressed in Yellow WiMAX apps and Nascar applications we also have FM Radio, Stocks, TeleNav GPS Navigator and a task manager. Everything else is standard with all HTC devices such as HTC Hub and Watch etc. I’m happy to report this is one of those rare phones that didn’t come with any bloatware like most T-Mobile phones we’ve seen lately — We’ll done HTC. Benchmarks We always like to run a benchmark or two just to see how things are running and if everything seems to be playing nicely together. For a 1.2 GHz single-core phone the Quadrant results were about where we expected, just above 1900 and I tried about 5 times to break 2000 with no luck. This is actually a pretty decent score because many dual-core phones in the recent past haven’t scored too much higher than that. We’ve also ran some Vellamo and Speedtest results to see how well that 4G WiMAX is performing.
I wont talk much about benchmarks because those that care about those things usually go for the biggest and best from a mobile device and most likely you’ve already bought the EVO 3D. For those that want a well rounded and powerful smartphone that will last through your 2-year contract, this will be just fine. Vallamo benchmark results were a little depressing but part of that was the poor network performance results. Next up we have speedtests. I might not have the best 4G coverage and WiMAX range but I do live in a larger city (Las Vegas) where I’d expect to have good coverage and a stable quick connection but that just isn’t the case here. Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 3G and even T-Mobiles new 4G seems to completely win outright here. I’ve achieved over 9 Mbps on average with the new T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G but was lucky to break 2 Mbps on either 4G WiMAX or the standard 3G here with the Design 4G. Maybe I’ll get a better connection down on the Vegas strip and will have to give that a try soon.
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The new EVO 3D may trump the Design 4G because of its dual camera and processor status, but the Design 4G holds its own quite well in regards to the rest of the line up available. Pair that with the 4G WiMAX and the awesomely low price I’m sure many will find this device as the perfect fit. The HTC EVO Design 4G is available now and is only $100 with a new 2-year contract. Or if you’re feeling cool go snag it from Amazon Wireless for just $30. Enjoy the rest of the photos in the gallery below and be sure to let me know if you have any device specific questions.                         Device Info
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| Google executive: Siri is Star Wars, Android Voice Actions is Star Trek Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:04 PM PDT Sometimes it’s nice to know that the executives at Google are just as nerdy as we are. At the Hong Kong event where Google and Samsung introduced the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Matias Duarte, product management director for Android, answered some direct questions from the crowd. When asked to compare Siri with Android’s built-in Voice Control features, he responded with an analogy that any self-respecting geek can identify with. Duarte compared Siri with the bumbling protocol droids like C3PO from Star Wars, while Voice Actions are more like the U.S.S. Enterprise’s computer, where voice controls every function.
Here’s Duarte’s complete quote:
I’ve often thought that Apple’s insistence on calling Siri “her” made it out to be more than it is, a series of keywords hooked into various web and app actions. Android’s Voice Actions is actually pretty similar, even if it’s designed to act like a command rather than a conversation – when activating the Navigation app, I’ve often felt the urge to say, “Computer, navigate to movie theater.” The idea of Siri as everyone’s least-favorite golden robot, the essence of form over function (not to mention self-important obsolescence) doesn’t hurt either. Make no mistake, Siri is impressive, it’s just not the revolution that Apple wants you to think it is – Android has been doing the same thing and more for years, if admittedly in a less intuitive way. Whether you prefer saying “Siri, wake me up at five” or “Set alarm for five AM” is really a personal preference… perhaps at least as personal as your answer to Luke versus Kirk. We’ll have a full transcript of Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich Q&A available in the next few days, so keep an eye our for more highly relevant metaphors. Check out our hands-on looks at the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich below: Galaxy Nexus Hands-on Ice Cream Sandwich Hands-on
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| Possible Dolphin Browser security and privacy issues found [Updated] Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:33 PM PDT Dolphin Browser HD is one of the most popular 3rd-party browsers in the Android Market, and with good reason. But an issue with version 6 and the current version 7 have raised the eyebrows of some users over at the ever-inventive XDA-Developers forum. According to forum poster “Fnorder”, the new Webzine feature records every link, search and visited page and sends them to a remote server. If true, the breach of Dolphin users’ privacy is very disturbing indeed. UPDATE: In response to the security and privacy concerns, the makers of Dolphin Browser have disabled the Webzine feature. According to the developer, user browsing data was never saved, and users’ security has not been compromised.
The issue only affects Dolphin Browser HD, not the less resource-intensive Dolphin Browser Mini, which does not use the RSS-based Webzine feature. There’s no mention of logging in the app or its end-user license agreement, though mention is made of “user experience data” being collected. There’s also no way to disable the logging within the app, though a few XDA members note that you can exclude the “en.mywebzines.com” server from your Android hosts file via some root-enabled apps. The accusation is a serious one – theoretically, the company could be recording your phone’s entire web history. After skimming through the EULA, there’s no mention of anything that would stop them from doing so, since it isn’t explicitly outlined. I don’t want to an unwarranted sound an alarm here – there’s no corroboration of Fnorder’s evidence, and neither has their been any indication that any data collected has been used at all. I’ve contacted Dolphin Browser’s developer MoboTap for their input on the matter, but have yet to receive a response from the company. )
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| Motorola reports smaller losses, expects to close merger this year Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:46 PM PDT Motorola has done well out of Android, and vice versa, culminating in Google’s plans to buy the hardware company outright. At their quarterly earnings report, Motorola reported $3.3 billion USD in total revenue, and a $32 million dollar loss – not terrible in a down economy, and better than last quarter’s $52 million. They also extemporized on the Google sale, with enthusiastic plans moving forward.
According to Motorola, the sale of the company to Google should be complete before the end of the year, or early 2012 at the absolute latest. That doesn’t include any sort of integration, and of course, it’s contingent upon stockholders’ approval at the meeting on November 17th. The company was quick to highlight the new Motorola DROID RAZR, releasing on November the 10th on Verizon in the United States and elsewhere in the world as just the RAZR. Motorola is putting a lot of emphasis on MotoACTV, the new fitness sensor-service combination, currently slated for a $249 starting price at an indeterminate date. Motorola still isn’t where they’d like to be – no company in the red is, and celebrating the fact that you’re losing one less cent a share compared with last year doesn’t exactly warrant champagne. But things are looking up, and with the R&D muscle of Google bolstering their efforts next year, not to mention a possible inside line on Android, things could be a lot worse. Now if only they’d get off that non-removable battery kick that seems to be continuing with the DROID 4… )
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| Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs White Galaxy Note hands-on [Video] Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:36 PM PDT Are you guys in for a treat? We have the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Note both right here for a little tale of the tape all on video. Both devices getting their European debut today and Samsung announcing a white version of the Galaxy Note, and that the Nexus will be available starting November 17th. We have the new Ice Cream Sandwich rocking Galaxy Nexus next to the new white Galaxy Note for a full comparison for those that have been dying to see one, check it out and all the photos after the break.
We were live at IFA when the Galaxy Note was officially unveiled and here is our hands-on from that too. Today what we have is even better — the amazingly awesome looking Galaxy Note dressed in white sitting next to its little big brother in the Galaxy Nexus. I say little because it’s smaller yet added bigger because it still happens to be rocking a 4.65″ display and the bigger newer Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. I’m sure you all know plenty about both of these awesome devices so I’ll skip the chit chat and show you our stellar photos and hands-on video.
The white Galaxy note looks incredible, with that sleek bezel and matching white stylus all in a thin 9.65mm chassis. We can’t forget the bright and vivid 5.3″ 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED HD display and 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. I’m always a little worried with the color white on a smartphone, but here its just gorgeous. Who agrees?
Then we have the Galaxy Nexus and its 4.65″ Super AMOLED HD display also rocking a high resolution — only it’s 1280 x 720 but looks equally awesome. We’ve covered this phone more than anything I can remember from the recent past and here is our initial hands-on. Again, a quick rundown of specs we have a 4.65″ display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and also a very thin chassis coming in around 8.4mm on the Galaxy Nexus. Before I go any further check out the video below: Galaxy Nexus vs White Galaxy Note hands-on If that doesn’t make you want either of those devices, or both then I don’t know what will. Obviously with the Note we have Android 2.3 Gingerbread but we’ve been told it will in fact receive Android 4.0 ICS soon. Pair that with native stylus support in 4.0 the Galaxy Note will be one super duper experience when those two things come together. Clearly from the video the stylus support is already excellent thanks to the Wacom digitizer used by Samsung. No time frame was given on the update but Samsung did mention they’ve been working closely with Google, obviously. Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on
Then we already know plenty about the Galaxy Nexus. Samsung just announced availability in Europe starting November 17th, and we are expecting a similar date for the Verizon 4G LTE model. The Samsung Galaxy Note is already for sale in parts of Europe and you can pre-order the Galaxy Nexus on Amazon.uk right now. Enjoy all of the photos in the full sized gallery below!                             Device Info
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| Samsung Confirms: Galaxy Nexus hitting Europe November 17 Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:40 PM PDT Samsung is busy throwing a Galaxy Note world tour today and you can watch the live stream here. While the Samsung Galaxy Note is extremely awesome and unique they’ve also shared a few details that you all might be interested. Samsung has confirmed the new Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich will be available across Europe starting November 17th. Who is ready for some ICS? I know I am.
This has just hit the wires so we are still sifting through the details. We’ve seen the Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order at Amazon.uk for a few days now and the shipping date went from the 17th to the 7th and back. Now that this is official the price has also dropped to a more reasonable £549.99.
This was confirmed watching the live stream linked to above, as well as tweeted by the offical @SAMFirmware account. This is about as official as it gets for now, and users across Europe will be able to get their hands on some tasty Ice Cream Bars soon enough. For all of our coverage of this awesome device feel free to look over our Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich portals, then enjoy the hands-on videos below. Galaxy Nexus hands-on Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on Device Info
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| SwiftKey X Keyboard updated with a spooky Halloween theme and bug fixes Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:23 PM PDT The extremely popular third party keyboard for Android SwiftKey X has received an update today just in time for Halloween. Not only is SwiftKey X very popular and an editors choice on the Android Market, now it can be your favorite too because they’ve added a Halloween theme with pumpkin orange to go right along with the Holiday.
We are no strangers to the awesome 3rd party keyboard and we highly recommend it here at Android Community. If you’d like to see more here is our hands-on coverage from the latest major release of SwiftKey X. To celebrate Halloween they have a brand new orange pumpkin theme included right in this update. Just go into options > themes and give it a try. I personally really enjoy the new theme, makes me feel right at home with the orange over-scroll effect from Android 2.3 Gingerbread. I think I’ll be using this well past Halloween.
That isn’t all either, they’ve also added some improvements for multiple languages and SD card sharing support, as well as enabled fullscreen mode on multiple Honeycomb tablets like the Sony Tablet S. For a full list of changes and bug fixes you can head to support.swiftkey.net and dig through the release notes. Halloween is only a few days away and to help you all get in the spirit is SwiftKey X. Head to the market via the link below and enjoy some orange as well as the best typing experience around. [via Android Market] )
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| Logitech Revue hitting retail stores claiming 3.1 Honeycomb and Android Market [Update] Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT It appears Google might finally be ready with the long delayed Android 3.1 Honeycomb update for the Logitech Revue and other Google TV set-tops. We’ve seen a few Honeycomb leaks lately and after the Revue dropped to $99 many bought it with the hopes to get Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich one day soon. The Logitech Revue is now hitting retail stores again with an updated box. This time right front and center it says Android 3.1 Honeycomb and the Android Market — I guess it’s time I go buy one.
Last month Google started pushing a small OTA update for Google TV that mainly fixed a few bugs and small issues that weren’t a big concern, but that same day @GoogleTV tweeted something big was coming soon. It has been a little over a month since then and hopefully they are finally ready to start pushing Android 3.1 Honeycomb to Google TV, I sure hope so at least. With the latest updates to the Xbox 360 I’m still wondering what it all means for Google TV. Hopefully along with Android 3.1 Honeycomb Google has some more TV and movie partners as well as a slew of new features to make it a more streamlined and wanted experience to boost sales. Apparently the boxes aren’t on the floor for purchase yet so we don’t know if they’ve been updated to 3.1 or if they are just waiting for the update to start rolling out, then they’ll start selling. Either way we should be hearing more very soon so stay tuned and be sure to start checking for updates on your own Logitech Revue. Update: After reaching out to Logitech regarding these newest boxes that have been seen this was what they had to say in response:
If you have an update waiting for you sometime here soon feel free to let us know by throwing us a TIP. [via Engadget] )
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