Android Community

ASUS redesigns Transformer Prime, touts 1920×1200 display and new chassis
Huawei Announces the Ascend P1 S, world’s thinnest phone, runs ICS
CES 2012: We’re here in Viva Las Vegas!
Toshiba Excite X10 Hands-On
Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10 and S2 smartphone debut
Lenovo K91 puts ICS on a Smart TV
Samsung inTouch Android-powered Skype TV adapter revealed
Navigate through CES with Google Maps
Samsung Galaxy Note posters confirm AT&T release

ASUS redesigns Transformer Prime, touts 1920×1200 display and new chassis

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:30 AM PST

Well folks, this is both good and bad news. It appears ASUS has just announced a brand new beautiful model of the ASUS Transformer Prime only this time around the specs have been improved in a few key areas. The new model, being called the TF700T, will be touting the same IPS display only instead of 1280×800 they’ve boosted the resolution to 1920×1200 and made a few other small changes as well.

According to the official press release from ASUS they’ve not only changed the display, but we also have an upgraded front facing camera. It’s been boosted to a much better 2.0 MP lens for video chat vs the 1.3 in the original Prime. Then here comes some good news — GPS and Wifi! ASUS has redesigned the entire rear casing and have improved the GPS and WiFi signal range and quality. Something that has seen a large amount of criticisms since release.

For the most part the new and improved ASUS Transformer Prime is the same in all other aspects. Same awesome 1.4 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor under the hood, 1GB of RAM, and awesome rear camera so users shouldn’t be concerned with losing anything. Although if you just picked up the original you are probably thinking of returning it right about now — and I don’t blame you.

ASUS has confirmed that this will NOT replace the original (just released) Transformer Prime, instead it will be an upscale higher model for those wanting the better display — although I’m sure many current owners will want the fixes to WiFi, GPS, and everything else the radial spun aluminum design didn’t seem to help. Availability hasn’t yet been released by ASUS other than Q2 of this year, but pricing will get a small bump and they expect to hit market at $599 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64 flavor. Keyboard dock is the same and current models will all work together seamlessly. One important note is this will be shipped running on the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Who’s taking their Prime back to wait for the new and improved TF700T?

Huawei Announces the Ascend P1 S, world’s thinnest phone, runs ICS

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 08:09 AM PST

Huawei has just announced their new Android smartphone to battle the likes of the DROID RAZR or the new Fujitsu Arrows ES smartphone. They are bringing the worlds thinnest smartphone to market and it will be called the Ascend P1 S. Huawei has managed to fit a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and some other impressive specs into a super thin and lightweight 6.68mm thin chassis.

The new Ascend P1 S will be unveiled here at CES and we’ll be sure to run around and find it to snap a few photos and compare it to our fat Galaxy Nexus we all use. Like mentioned above, Huawei’s new device has some equally impressive specs to go along with the title of “world’s thinnest phone”. Rocking a 4.3″ qHD AMOLED display at 960 x 540 resolution, adual-core TI OMAP 4460 Cortext-A9 CPU at 1.5 GHz and SGX 540 graphics. Not only that but we have 1GB of RAM, and an 1800 mAh battery.

Huaewei has equipped us with an 8 megapixel camera around back and 1.3 front for video chat. 720p HD video capture. The battery cover and rear has a PPVD coat that should evenly distribute heat for those that have ever felt the heat from their smartphones. You get all of that incuding Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich all in a 6.68mm thin frame — impressive.

Pricing wasn’t announced but the device will be available in metallic black, ceramic white, cherry-blossom pink in Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Australia, Middle East and China from anytime around Q2 2012.

[via SlashGear]

CES 2012: We’re here in Viva Las Vegas!

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:56 AM PST

It’s that time of the year again folks. That time is CES, a week-long journey with an overload of electronics, and a lack of sleep. For those that aren’t too familiar this is the largest event around, the Consumer Electronics Show 2012! For everyone waiting to see the next great Tegra 3 quad-core powered tablet and everything else CES has to offer don’t worry, our entire team is here live to capture it all.

Before I mention a few thoughts on what we might see this week, I’ll start by listing where you can see any and all coverage at it comes in. For starters don’t forget to bookmark our Android Community CES coverage link — the CES 2012 Portal. Next, our sister site SlashGear is rocking out with us too (Hangover style), and all their coverage will also be available at the SlashGear CES 2012 Portal.

What will we see this year? Well that is anyone’s guess although we do have a few ideas and information that we can’t yet reveal. What we do know is this will be the year of the Android tablet assault. If you thought there was too many last year, be prepared to see a whole lot more. Obviously there will be things like that 150″ LED TV last year, refrigerators with LED screens playing Netflix on the front, and all those other crazy futuristic things. When we aren’t enjoying the toys we’ll update you with anything and all things Android.

From the various tips and leaks we already have a pretty great idea of a few big items we can plan on seeing. Read our What to Expect from CES 2012 post to find out more. From NVIDIA quad-core tablets (and superphones) to an abundance of sub $200 dollar Android tablets — hopefully mostly running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

For those waiting to get the Samsung Galaxy Note here in the US, most likely AT&T will be announcing that this week, as well as Verizon finally taking the lid off of their Motorola DROID 4. Sony Ericsson has been dropping hints all week about their upcoming flagship device for Android too so stay tuned for that.

I’m also excited to see more about Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Gamecommand for Android and more. For now we’ll leave you with those few teasers and suggest you check back soon, and often for more information and plenty of pictures.

One more time, follow our Android Community CES 2012 Portal for the latest and greatest from Android and CES.

Toshiba Excite X10 Hands-On

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 08:45 PM PST

This is undoubtedly Toshiba’s best tablet to date, and has a great thin form factor. There was no lag while operating the device on the showroom floor, but there weren’t many strenuous programs preloaded on it to give it a true test. It comes in at .3 inches thin with an aluminum backing, and is running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) – it will be updated to Android 4.0 after release.

We saw earlier that the Excite X10 had a generous 10.1″ 1280×800 display, 1GB RAM, and ran over a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor. There is both a 5MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front facing video cam. As you can see, it runs perfectly smooth in the demo, so the final model will likely be even better.

It will launch at $529.99 for the 16GB, and a definite release date is not yet determined. Until now, Toshiba’s tablets haven’t been quite eye-friendly. But if this new style continues and they drop the price a little bit, they could have a great selling product.

Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10 and S2 smartphone debut

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST

Lenovo has launched a new Android slate and handset duo, the Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10 tablet and S2 smartphone, running Android Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread respectively, at CES today. The S2 10 is the more interesting of the two, pairing Android 4.0 with Lenovo’s own Mondrian UI on a dual-core Snapdragon 8960 processor.

The whole slate measures a slender 1/3-inch thick, and tips the scales at 1.1-pounds. Paired with an ASUS-style detachable keyboard dock, you get up to 20hrs battery life – or so Lenovo claims – and there’s access to both the Android Market and Lenovo’s own App Store.

As for the Lenovo S2, that hides Android 2.3 under the Mondrian UI, and has an 8-megapixel camera – with panoramic photo feature – along with a front-facing camera. Lenovo is pushing the smartphone’s security features, however, an encrypted kernel that the company reckons will mean your data and network traffic is more secure from phishing and malware.

Both tablet and smartphone will go on sale in China immediately, though Lenovo warns it may take a little longer to bring them to North America, Europe and elsewhere. No word on pricing at this stage.

Lenovo K91 puts ICS on a Smart TV

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST

Lenovo has unveiled a new, Android-powered smart TV at CES today, the K91, running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and delivering tech specs we’d more expect to find on a smartphone. The K91 smart TV has a dual-core Snapdragon 8060 processor and a 5-megapixel camera in the bezel, above a 55-inch 3D-capable 240Hz HD IPS LCD display.

Lenovo has reworked the ICS interface, into what the company calls “Sandwich”: the UI has three major sections, for regular TV programs, Video on Demand (VoD) and internet apps. Streaming media will be offered in HD with surround sound and 3D graphics where available, and there’s access to the Android Market and Lenovo’s own download store.

In addition to a regular remote there’s voice control and dictation support, and Lenovo has even used Android 4.0′s face unlock feature with the parental security settings. Those who have the K91 and one of Lenovo’s other recent devices – such as the IdeaTab S2 10 tablet - will be able to stream content between the two, as well as between their PC, smartphone and from cloud storage online.

No word on pricing at this stage, but China will get the Lenovo K91 smart TV first while the company plans to bring it to other territories in due course.

Samsung inTouch Android-powered Skype TV adapter revealed

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST

An Android-powered webcam designed to hook up to your HDTV isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence, but it’s CES week and Samsung is looking to stand out with the new inTouch. Running 2.3 Gingerbread in a webcam designed to hook up via HDMI to your TV and via WiFi to your home network, the inTouch allows you to hold 720p HD Skype video calls as well as watch YouTube videos from your lounge.

There’s also support for web browsing, photo and video playback and – if you plug your digital camera or a memory stick into the USB port on the back – you can view footage recorded elsewhere too. The camera itself can be used for taking 3-megapixel stills.

Samsung includes a QWERTY remote control for navigating your contacts list, searching for YouTube videos or browsing the web, and there are integrated microphones and speakers. The Samsung inTouch will drop in March, priced at $199.99.

Navigate through CES with Google Maps

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 03:44 PM PST

We were just messing around with Google Maps here at CES, and realized the entire CES complex is mapped in – booth to booth! For those of you that are going to be here at the show, there isn’t a better way to navigate your way around. Sure, you could pick up a map – but then you’d have to find a place to pick it up. Let’s just stick to Google Maps.

Earlier in November, we noticed Google Maps made indoor malls and airports available for navigation – and this is precisely what they’ve done at the CES event. Hopefully, they continue to elaborate their maps to include all indoor places – and here in Vegas we’ve been fortunate enough to have it wherever we go.

The Venetian malls and ballrooms are all mapped out as well, so if you plan on heading over to any events there – Google can still guide your way. And remember, stick with us through CES 2012 for more tips and updates!

Samsung Galaxy Note posters confirm AT&T release

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 02:38 PM PST

Though the Galaxy Note has already seen shelves overseas, the US has been ready for it since its initial launch. It seems that time is coming near, because over at CES we’ve spotted an AT&T branded Galaxy Note poster! It was laying on its side behind a counter, but we’ve managed to get a sneak shot of it while passing by.

Many wonder if the Galaxy Note will even have a market here in the US, but I’m here to tell you it will. The Note is no doubt going to be popular during its initial launch, but I foresee other manufacturers following suit with the massive screen size. I’ve got more than a few friends with larger than average fingers that are too hesitant to convert over to touchscreen devices with smaller screens.

From the image, notice that the Note has four softkeys instead of the international version’s single center button. This, so far, is the only noticeable difference thus far. As for chances of it shipping with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), we’re still left in the dark.