Android Community |
- Motorola HS1101 Android-powered cordless home phone hits the FCC
- Kairsoft’s latest Android game: Cafeteria Nipponica
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablets delayed till late April
- Instagram for Android finally lands in the Google Play Store
- Possible (but unlikely) Nexus Tablet render leaks [UPDATE]
- Gingerbread still leads but Android 4.0 jumps to 2.9% of devices
- Motorola RAZR MAXX coming to Europe and the Middle East
- LG Optimus 3D Max clears the FCC – headed to AT&T
- Motorola’s 4.0 ICS launcher leaked, try it now
- Some Sony Xperia S owners report screen heat, discoloration problems
- Sharp’s Evangelion Android phone is fan service done right
- NOOK Tablet CM9 port gets updated to Android 4.0.4 ICS
- HTC EVO 3D heads to Virgin Mobile as the EVO V 4G
- HTC One X shows NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 is a battery’s best friend
| Motorola HS1101 Android-powered cordless home phone hits the FCC Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:22 AM PDT Bringing Android further into our homes has been discussed a few times in the past. Archos even has a home phone running on our favorite little green robot but today we have something new. A Motorola Android-powered home phone running on what looks to be Android 2.3 Gingerbread that has just passed through the FCC.
I don’t even have a home phone landline, let alone own a handset to even use, but something running Android could make me change my mind – but I doubt it. Either way Motorola appears to at least be working on something based on the reports from Engadget this afternoon. What’s even better is the phone has a nice dock for landscape view, and a front facing camera too.
It’s pretty ugly if you ask me, and looks like it should have been released in mid 2009 based on the design but this could just be an early model. According to the FCC filing Motorola has two models. The HS1101 and MBP2000PU and they both have basically the same specs. That is a 3.2-inch low-resolution 400 x 240 display that probably wont be too great for any media or video consumption, but fine for making calls and looking through contacts. We also have WiFi, and a micro-USB port on board but not much else is known. Would you buy one for your home, or do you not own a home phone in this smartphone era?
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| Kairsoft’s latest Android game: Cafeteria Nipponica Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT
You. Yes, you. Stop your giggling. “Nippon” is a dialect word for “Japan”, and Kairsoft’s latest Android game reflects that. Now that that’s out of the way: noted Android RPG maker Kairsoft has teased its latest game for the platform, Cafeteria Nipponica, and it’s set for release this Thursday. While the company didn’t say much about the game itself, their history and the title should be more than enough to get the gist of it. There’s no mention of whether the game will be released in English right away, but considering their habit of renaming games for the western market, it seems unlikely.
Kairsoft is best known for their Game Dev Story title and similar games, following on the pattern of nearly infinite gameplay with RPG-style elements placed on top of more ordinary situations. Their formula is instantly addictive no matter what them material is – similar games include Pocket League Story, Epic Astro Story and Mega Mall Story. Cafeteria Nipponica is likely to be renamed “Japan Cafe Story” or something similar. Players must recruit characters, build up their skills and pass achievements to continue, all in a classic pixelated visual style. Kairsoft’s games tend to be a little on the expensive side, but they always offer “lite” versions for prospective players to try out. Most fans don’t complain - they’re solid titles that are worth the admission price, and they go on sale frequently to boot. The company usually gets English translations out rather quickly, but if you’re a fluent Japanese speaker, you should be able to get the game in most territories starting on Thursday. [via DroidGamers]
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablets delayed till late April Posted: 03 Apr 2012 09:21 AM PDT Raise your hand if you’re uber excited for the Galaxy Tab 2, in either its 10.1-inch or 7-inch incarnations. Anyone? Well, if you’ve just been dying to get your hands on some warmed-over hardware, you’ll have to wait a little longer: Samsung said that the international release of both tablets has been delayed slightly. They’ll now appear at the end of this month, though specific dates and markets weren’t given. Try to contain your disappointment, Android fans.
Samsung says that both they and Google need the extra time to work on Ice Cream Sandwich for the upcoming tablets… which seems unlikely, since Android 4.0 has been available for nearly five months. What’s more likely is that Samsung’s software engineers need the time to get the latest version of TouchWiz working to their satisfaction. After all, both devices are running on current-generation hardware, and they’ve already released ICS updates for the Galaxy S II. How hard could it be? The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1-inch and 7-inch versions have met with a resounding “meh” from Android enthusiasts. The 10.1-inch version gets a mild design refresh (probably to get Apple off of Samsung’s back) with specifications virtually identical to the year-old Galaxy Tab 10.1 with the addition of a MicroSD card slot. The Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch improves on the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus with up to 32GB of space plus a MicroSD card slot, but its 1024×600 LCD screen is bested by the Galaxy Tab 7.7′s 720p Super AMOLED display. Both tablets have cleared the FCC, with the 10.1 spec’d for AT&T’s HSPA+ network. There’s been no formal announcement of availability for either in the US, but they should show up here eventually. [via SlashGear]
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| Instagram for Android finally lands in the Google Play Store Posted: 03 Apr 2012 08:55 AM PDT The day has finally arrived, shutterbugs: Instagram is up on the Google Play Store and ready for download. The much-anticipated photo and sharing service had been an iOS exclusive since its debut way back in 2010, but the company has been teasing hundreds of millions of Android users with the release for months. The app is free, though you’ll need a free Instagram account to use it, and any Android device running 2.2 or later is welcome at the party.
Instagram is deceptively simple: take a quick snapshot with your camera and the app saves it in a “classic” 1×1 ratio. You can then add some basic filters to make your hipster friends appreciate your borrowed aesthetic sensibilities. Post it up on the Instagram website and you’re an instant star in the fashion/food/contemplative bathroom self portrait community. A plethora of sharing tools lets you post to Facebook or Twitter quickly. The app is the only way to post photos to Instagram; while you can view and share pictures with Instagram’s web tools, you can’t post from anything but a mobile camera. Instagram says that nearly half a million people pre-registered for the Android version of the app, and that’s easy to believe – the service has over 30 million users on iOS alone. Instagram is the poster child for a viral social service, and even though they took their sweet time getting to Android, it looks like the wait was worth it. Company executives’ boast that the Android version is even better than the iOS version seem a little inflated, though – the interface is virtually identical (including superfluous “back” button.
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| Possible (but unlikely) Nexus Tablet render leaks [UPDATE] Posted: 03 Apr 2012 07:39 AM PDT Stop the presses! there’s a JPEG floating around in the same vicinity as the words “Nexus” and “Tablet”! Everybody commence hooting and/or hollering! PocketNow has posted a photo of what’s purported to be the much-anticipated “Nexus Tablet”, rumored for months and expected to come sometime this summer from manufacturer ASUS. The photo shows a generic Ice Cream Sandwich tablet from all angles except the back, with only official ICS anf Google apps displayed on the stock launcher. In addition to the standard buttons and an ASUS/Samsung-style tablet port, there’s a MicroUSB port, standard USB port, SIM card slot and what looks like a full-sized SD card slot.
Let’s be frank, shall we? With an hour of free time and a few press shots from a Galaxy Tab and a smattering of other Android tablets, I could remake this image in Photoshop with pixel-perfect accuracy. That and the lack of a source in PocketNow’s story lead me to be highly suspicious of this render. That doesn’t mean that it’s a fake, it just doesn’t present any compelling evidence that it’s real. There are a few inconsistencies in the image: it uses the odd combination of power and volume buttons on the top (portrait) with a docking port and camera on either side (landscape). Also note that Android Market icon is still present, despite the Google Play Store replacing it a month ago. With all the rumors flying around Google is probably planning something to do with tablets, but we still haven’t seen any rock-solid evidence that the “Nexus Tablet” is on its way, from ASUS or anyone else. If such a device is coming, Google’s I/O conference in June would seem like the likely place to unveil it. A cheap, reliable and most importantly stock Android device would be a compelling entry into the market in the face of the iPad and Kindle Fire, but as far as this tablet goes, there’s still nothing written in stone. UPDATE: Android Community editor Cory Gunther pointed out that the above render bears a striking resemblance to the Toshiba 7.7-inch Tegra 3 tablet we saw at CES. It’s not identical, but it’s close, and the original device was labelled as a prototype. Check out our hands-on coverage here.
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| Gingerbread still leads but Android 4.0 jumps to 2.9% of devices Posted: 03 Apr 2012 07:16 AM PDT The beginning of the month brings paychecks, bills, and new Android distribution statistics from Google. And while April’s stats aren’t dramatically better than March’s, they do show a steady progression for Ice Cream Sandwich. Thanks to a handful of updates on devices like the HTC Vivid and Galaxy S II, the latest version of Android is now running on 2.9% of devices, up from 1.6% last month. That’s about an 80% growth factor – and impressive figure, but still a little disheartening when you think that the open-source software has been available for almost five months.
Gingerbread is still top dog among Android devices, with a whopping 63.7% share. Next is Froyo (now almost two years old) with 23.1%, followed by Eclair (Android 2.1) at 6.0%. Honeycomb is holding steady at 3.3% of all Android devices – it’ll likely be eclipsed by Android 4.0 next month, never to recover. Ice Cream Sandwich’s ability to run on both smartphones and tablets has made Honeycomb even more obsolete than older Android versions; the best it ever managed to do was 3.4%.
That raises and interesting point for those who follow this sort of thing. Honeycomb has been called “a beta for Ice Cream Sandwich”, thanks to its lack of flexibility (at the time) and the basically indisputable superiority of the newer operating system. But its real downfall is that Google never made the source code for Honeycomb available while it had buzz in the tech world – it wasn’t until ICS was released as well that developers (and even some manufacturers) got to play with it. At that point, why would anyone start developing a Honeycomb device or update? The morale of the story: Android does best when it’s distributed freely, and in a timely manner.
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| Motorola RAZR MAXX coming to Europe and the Middle East Posted: 03 Apr 2012 06:43 AM PDT When Motorola and Verizon showed off the DROID RAZR MAXX way back at CES, plenty on international readers wondered, “OK, so when do we get it?” If you happen to be situated somewhere in Europe or the Middle East, the answer is, “May.” Motorola announced that they’ll be bring the extra-long battery life and charming design of the RAZR MAXX to those territories, minus Verizon’s exclusive DROID name and 4G LTE connection. Just like the Motorola RAZR, it’s basically a GSM version of Verizon’s phone that’s unlocked as far as carriers go.
The RAZR MAXX is a phone worth waiting for. It’s essentially identical to the DROID RAZR: same 4.3-inch AMOLED display, same 1.2Ghz processor and 1GB of RAM, same 16GB of integrated memory plus however much you can add via a MicroSD card, and the same (sigh) Moto-flavored version of Android Gingerbread. The only real difference – hardware and software – is that the backplate is enlarged to allow space for an enormous 3300mAh battery, the largest of any current smartphone. Even with this feat, some remarkable engineering keeps the RAZR MAXX at just 8.9mm. For a practical demonstration of the MAXX’s long-lasting battery prowess, check out our three-day business trip torture test. For a more technical and figurative example, check out the Verizon video below: There’s at least one extra feature that the international version of the MAXX will probably get: an unlocked bootloader. Verizon’s draconian policies keep both US versions of the phone locked down tight, but Motorola allows other versions to be unlocked, much to the pleasure of modders and custom ROM developers. The Motorola RAZR is scheduled to get an Ice Cream Sandwich update sometime this quarter, and since the phones run on identical software, that means the MAXX may be running ICS not long after it’s introduced. Device Info
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| LG Optimus 3D Max clears the FCC – headed to AT&T Posted: 02 Apr 2012 04:28 PM PDT LG’s looking to release another glasses-free 3D smartphone and while we’ve heard tons of names and leaks, it will officially be known as the LG Optimus 3D Max. We got our first official look at the new 3D phone at Mobile World Congress (linked to below) and now we are seeing it clear the FCC on its way to AT&T. Sadly it appears to only be rocking 3G and HSPA+ speeds, no 4G LTE here.
With names such as the Optimus 3D 2, the CX2, and 3D Cube we’ve seen our fair share of information about this phone. While it doesn’t have any huge changes over the original Optimus 3D (aka LG Thrill 4G for AT&T) it does look like a pretty solid phone, especially if the 3D feature is of any interest to you. The new 3D Max will be faster, thinner, and lighter than the original. While it had a dual-core processor the new 3D Max comes with a faster 1.2 GHz dual-core chip – although we aren’t sure if that is a Qualcomm or another Texas Instruments OMAP 4. The phone still features a 4.3″ screen with a low 480 x 800 resolution, but it does offer stereoscopic glasses-free 3D video and picture viewing, not to mention LG’s own 3D UI and games tailored to use the 3D effects. According to the FCC filing it will be using AT&T’s 3G and HSPA+ 4G speeds, with no mention of LTE so that wasn’t good news, but things could change before a release date. Are you interested in a 3D phone with dual 5 megapixel cameras? Or still just think it’s a gimmick? [via PocketNow]
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| Motorola’s 4.0 ICS launcher leaked, try it now Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:45 PM PDT Now I know the first thing many of you might be thinking is why would we want this. Most people tend to steer away from Motorola‘s user interface changes previously known as BLUR. Well, with the latest Gingerbread builds on the DROID 4, and some of what we’ve seen from Moto’s 4.0 leaks has been promising and I’m sure some wouldn’t mind giving them a try on their own phone.
What we have here is the home launcher for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich that Motorola will be using with their upcoming 4.0 ICS powered smartphones. It might not be in the final stages but it appears close and seems to work great. We saw a few builds leak last week and the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the DROID RAZR and MAXX could come as soon as this week according to recent rumors.
If you want to see what Motorola has done to change the look of Ice Cream Sandwich and if it’s worth upgrading to, or just wanna give a different look to your phone for a few days this would be a good start. It will only work with Android 4.0 devices, including those running custom ROM’s and you’ll need to be rooted as well. The changes they’ve made over the stock version of Android include 3D transitions, app tray filters, some MOTOBLUR widgets for things like contacts, and a few other changes I’m sure we aren’t seeing. Motorola’s been trying to make their UI skin lightweight and fast, and it appears to be getting closer and closer with this latest version. Use caution when changing something as major as the launcher, as you need it running to do most commands and operations on your phone. We’d highly recommend a Nandroid backup before proceeding. Hit this XDA thread for all the details, then let us know what you think once you try it out. [via Droid-Life]
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| Some Sony Xperia S owners report screen heat, discoloration problems Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:31 PM PDT The display on Sony’s Xperia S is pretty awesome: a 1280×720 IPS display in a 4.3-inch phones makes for one of the highest pixel densities in the smartphone world, with color accuracy to match. But aparently all is not well in Xperia town – many users are reporting an unpleasant shift into the yellow spectrum when the phone gets hot, i.e., under any sort of high data or processing load. Sony told Cnet UK that they’re aware of the problem, and will repair customers’ phones at no extra cost.
According to Sony, the problem arises when the phone reaches a temperature of above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Farenheit). Even so, the company claims that it only affects a small number of units. If your shiny new Xperia S seems a little jaundiced, Sony advises you to contact your local customer service center (which you can probably find by giving Sony themselves a call). It’s got to be said that even the highest-powered smartphones shouldn’t be reaching over a hundred degrees in temperature at any time – the only way we’ve been able to replicate that kind of heat on our own phones is with strenuous WiFi tethering. Even so, temperature has a noted effect on digital screens of all kinds. Check out an expensive car stereo setup after days in a hot car and you’ll likely see the same problem. Xperia S owners in the audience, let us know if you’re experiencing these issues.
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| Sharp’s Evangelion Android phone is fan service done right Posted: 02 Apr 2012 02:58 PM PDT I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical when I read that Sharp and NTT DoCoMo were releasing a modified version of the Japan-only AQUOS SH-06D to coincide with the release of the latest Neon Genesis Evangelion movie. “That’s nice,” thought I, “it’ll probably be a mildly lame tie-in with a themed case and a few ringtones, like the R2-DROID-2.” Yeah, apparently not. Fan site EvaGeek.org got a loot at a preview for the upcoming device, and the level of thought and care that’s gone into it is astounding.
First there’s the case itself. No mere sticker job, the plastic has been molded and painted to resemble a sci-fi phone from the land of giant fighting robot/alien/biomonster things. Note the NERV logo on the back, implying the military organization in the cartoon. Even the Android navigation buttons have been themed to match the aesthetics of Evangelion. A few subtle additions to the sides and top of the phone keep the theme going. But what’s really amazing is the software work. The mocked-up homescreen looks almost exactly like one of the see-through computer consoles used in the series. While the interface looks admittedly busy, it still manages to feature a monochromatic version of all the standard Android Gingerbread functions, plus a dozen or so customized widgets for the date, music, battery percentage and so on. It looks like a nightmare to actually use, but Evangelion fans won’t mind: one of the things that allows sci-fi gadgets to looks so cool is that real people don’t have to use them.
The AQUOS SH-06D is an otherwise typical high-end Android smartphone, with a 4.5-inch 720p display, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor and Android 2.3. There’s still no concrete release date or price for the Evangelion version, but the odds of it getting out of Japan are very slim indeed. Dear HTC/Samsung/Motorola/ASUS: build me a Star Trek-licensed PADD with a functional LCARS interface that looks this good, and you may have all of my monies.    [via Reddit]
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| NOOK Tablet CM9 port gets updated to Android 4.0.4 ICS Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:41 PM PDT The Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet is seeing another update today, although an unofficial one from the lovely developers and hackers of XDA Developers. Earlier in March we reported that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and CyanogenMod 9 had been ported to the NOOK Tablet, and today it’s been updated with bug fixes and the latest version of Android.
Available today is the NOOK Tablet CM9 alpha version 0.02 and as you can see from the naming it is still a very early build. The NOOK Tablet isn’t as friendly to developers as the original NOOK’s were, but they’ve been making some serious progress. The update today brings the NOOK to the latest version of CyanogenMod 9 and along with it is Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.
While most phones and tablets don’t have it yet, the NOOK is getting a port today. Not everything is smooth but for the most part every aspect works. Including WiFi, Bluetooth, games, apps, Google Play Store and more. Obviously you’ll need to be rooted, and have an unlocked bootloader to get this. Doing so will be at your own risk, as usual. For tips, instructions, and all the details head to this XDA thread to get started. Don’t forget to flash the gApps package (Google Apps) if you want all that good stuff, and be sure to try Chrome browser now that it works with the NOOK. [via Liliputing]
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| HTC EVO 3D heads to Virgin Mobile as the EVO V 4G Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:05 PM PDT In a smartphone world starting to get crowded with powerful dual and quad-core processors, 720p HD displays and more it appears that Virgin Mobile is still a little behind the times. New details are confirming that the decent but slightly outdated HTC EVO 3D will be headed to Virgin Mobile soon, possibly this summer as the HTC EVO V 4G.
That name sure takes too long to say, maybe they can call it the HTC EVO V 4G Touch 2 Plum edition. In all seriousness the EVO 3D will be landing on Virgin Mobile and should be offered up in both the standard black, and the Best Buy “Plum” purple color we reported on last year when the phone was originally released. The EVO 3D (EVO V 4G) comes with pretty top-end specs even though it’s starting to show its age. It’s one of the few glasses-free 3D phones that also can take 3D video and pictures with the dual 5 megapixel cameras around back. Under the hood you still have plenty of power with a Qualcomm 1.2 GHz dual-core S3 processor, 1GB of RAM, and plenty of storage. It’s currently on Android 2.3 Gingerbread but should get ICS eventually. The phone has a 4.3″ display with a 960 x 540 qHD (quarter high definition) display that is crisp and looks great, just isn’t HD like some of the newer phones. No word on an official release date, details, or pricing was available but according to PocketNow the phone is coming soon for Virgin Mobile customers. Device Info
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| HTC One X shows NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 is a battery’s best friend Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:40 PM PDT Starting today and all of this week we’re getting our first look at the new HTC One series of smartphones. Starting with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core powered HTC One X, and then the equally impressive One S with the dual-core Qualcomm S4 Krait processor. We’ve reviewed them both here at Android Community and will link to them below, but what we were impressed with (among many things) was the battery life and conservation.
Usage and battery life differs for everyone. Some may use their phone sparingly throughout the day, while others use them constantly and always need a wall socket. What is becoming more apparent is that SoC makers such as NVIDIA and Qualcomm have been working very hard on this aspect, and are looking to curb the bad battery life problem for smartphones. While we’ll be testing both platforms from NVIDIA and Qualcomm this week, for now we have a screenshot or two from the quad-core Tegra 3-powered HTC One X using the power of NVIDIA’s 4-PLUS-1 processor technology. Many were worried that a quad-core would get terrible battery life, but it’s actually the opposite. NVIDIA added a fifth low power core to handle simple tasks like email sync, text messages, and everything else that isn’t processor intensive. Saving the battery for when the four cores really needs it. The screenshot below shows a heavy heavy day of use, and then a very calm day. Both showing exceptional battery results for the circumstances.
While 12 hours as you see to the right isn’t super amazing. Being used heavily for more than an entire 8 hour work day, from morning to night under heavy usage is quite impressive. Then on the left side you see that while not being used, or in a sleep state the NVIDIA Tegra 3′s fifth companion core we mentioned above sucks hardly 15% after 8 hours of limited use. Showing that you don’t have to suffer poor battery life to get great performance. This could technically be called a sleep mode or a limited use state, and NVIDIA’s processor appears to cause very little battery drain in that scenario. Now obviously use patterns will differ from user to user, but from our initial finding with the HTC One series 2012 is looking up to be a year of better battery life. Results like these show that serious power users can still use their device for the entire day without needing a recharge, and people that use their phones casually can easily handle 20-30 hours or longer with some of the best and most powerful smartphones available today. We’ll be doing tons of comparisons of both the HTC One X and its quad-core, and the HTC One S and the Qualcomm dual-core this week so be sure and stay tuned right here at Android Community.     
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