Monday 2 July 2012

Android Community

Android Community


AT&T Galaxy S III in-store availability date set for July 6th

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 11:13 AM PDT

The entire Samsung Galaxy S III launch wasn’t as smooth as we, or Sammy wanted it to be here in the US. It was nice to see them launch on all carriers around the same time with the same design, but demand was much higher than product at launch. Everyone had to delay or filter their launch and today AT&T has confirmed the Galaxy S III flagship phones in-store availability date.

The AT&T 4G LTE powered Samsung Galaxy S III has been shipping in limited numbers via pre-orders and online sales, but you’ll be able to walk into any AT&T store on Friday July 6th, and walk out a proud new SGSIII owner. AT&T has confirmed the date earlier this afternoon at their official blog.

Get this 4.8-inch 720p HD smartphone rocking Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, an impressive dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, and even the Pebble Blue model all later this week. If you didn’t pre-order or haven’t had much luck finding stock the wait is almost over. Who already has a Galaxy S III? Did you get it from AT&T, or will you be snagging one up on Friday? Check out our Galaxy S III review if you are still on the fence.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III (LTE)
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : AT&T Verizon
    Announced Date : June 04, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : SGH-I535 (Verizon), SGH-I747 (AT&T)
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.77 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 133 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8960 Snapdragon
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
  • CDMA
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Nexus 7 under attack, Nokia claims it infringes on their WiFi patents

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 10:23 AM PDT

Here we go again. It looks like Nokia is set to possibly join the crowds that are going after Google and their Android devices, or at least that is how things appear. Apple has went after the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S III as of late — and we should hear more on that later today. And now we are hearing the brand new Nexus 7 tablet could be next.

According to the folks at The Inquirer ASUS and Google’s brand new Nexus 7 is enjoying the use of a few WiFi patents owned by Nokia, and aren’t licensed. Now Nokia is coming out of the wood works and wants some cash for that tablet, and Jelly Bean. Nokia goes as far as to say the two companies never mentioned the licenses, and never asked for anything — and instead did as they pleased and just used them freely. Hopefully Nokia doesn’t launch a legal battle (Plus against Google wouldn’t be as easy) and instead they’ll most likely ask for some loyalties for each unit sold, just like Microsoft gets from HTC and many other Android OEM’s.

All this patent and lawsuit nonsense is really getting old, but I don’t need to tell you guys that as we can tell by your reactions in our comment section below. Hopefully this will get cleared up shortly, and we’ll report back once we’ve heard more.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Nexus 7
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : June 27, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : Google Nexus 7
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.81 Inch
  • Width : 4.72 Inch
  • Depth : 0.41 Inch
  • Weight : 340 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4325 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 3
    CPU Clock Speed : 1300 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Engadget]


Google Ears Shazam rival ported from Jelly Bean for those on ICS

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 09:48 AM PDT

Many of you might have missed this neat new feature during Google’s IO announcements of Jelly Bean, and in case you did Google’s released their own Shazam or SoundHound like feature called Sound Search — or Google Ears. This music listening and tagging service has been built into Android 4.1 Jelly Bean but thanks to a few devs from XDA can be used on all ICS devices and ROMS.

Yup, just like Shazam or SoundHound Google Ears will listen and analyze a song for you, rather quickly, and then bring up the artist, album and a direct link to the Google Play Store so you can buy it. It seems to work just as quickly as SoundHound, and better than Shazam — so it’s definitely worth a try.

It doesn’t offer any history or previous tags like competing apps, but a direct one click link to the Play Store to buy the song is quite nice. It was pulled and ported for rooted devices but this latest APK will work on stock and rooted phones and tablets. Anyone with ICS or an ICS ROM can enjoy Google Ears today. Go ahead and download the APK below, then check for the widget and add it to the homescreen of your choice.

Google Ears APK: Download

[via Mobilephonefans]


Verizon: HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE arrives July 5 for $149

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 09:30 AM PDT

HTC’s new DROID Incredible 4G LTE smartphone has finally received a confirmed release date. After Verizon and HTC announced it back in May and stated it was “coming within the next few weeks,” it will finally be available to Verizon customers on July 5th for just $149.

We all should know plenty about HTC’s latest DROID by now, but if not this is essentially an HTC One S but for Verizon and with a slightly smaller screen. It does have a few minor differences but for the most part is a pretty nice mid-range phone. The Incredible 4G LTE comes with a 4-inch display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Sense UI 4.0, Beats Audio integration, a rear 8 megapixel shooter followed by a 2 megapixel front camera, and a micro-SD slot.

Today Verizon and HTC have officially confirmed the rumored release date of July 5th, and it will be hitting shelves at $199 with a $50 mail in rebate. Users will end up paying $149 but it’s a shame they are requiring the MIR. It’s a great mid-range offering, and almost like a mini HTC Rezound. We should be getting our hands on it momentarily so stay tuned for more details.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Droid Incredible 4G LTE
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : May 07, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.0 Inch
  • Resolution : 540x960
  • Screen Type : S-LCD qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.80 Inch
  • Width : 2.40 Inch
  • Depth : 0.46 Inch
  • Weight : 132 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1700 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8960 Snapdragon S4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Verizon]


VLC beta version for Android hits Google Play

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 03:43 AM PDT

We told you a week or so back that a beta version of VLC, the cross-platform multimedia player, was coming to Android. That beta version is now officially available for download on the Google Play store. VLC is described as a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player that will play most multimedia files.

VLC points out that this is a beta version intended for power users and hackers, and it is not stable and is slower than the final version will be. This particular version is only for devices running an ARMv7 CPU that will support NEON. Other devices will be supported soon. The developers say that the app will play most local video and audio files as well as network streams just like the desktop version of VLC.

The app supports multi-track audio and subtitles as well as autorotation, aspect ratio adjustments, and gestures are supported for controlling volume. The app also includes a widget for audio control and supports audio headset control, cover art, and complete audio media library. The app has missing features and is an early beta so many things will be changing between now and future beta versions and the final version. The app requires the processor mentioned before and Android 2.1 or higher.


Pantech outs new 5-inch Vega S5 LTE smartphone

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 03:02 AM PDT

Pantech has unveiled a new Android-powered smart phone in Korea called the Vega S5. The smartphone has a five-inch screen and will be released early this month. One of the key features of the smartphone is that it has a 13-megapixel camera on the rear. That five-inch screen is a IPS HD LCD with very slim bezels.

Pantech says the design of the phone is optimized for the average Korean hand measuring a width of 8 cm. The design phone allows the user to hold it with one hand and the thumb of the average hand can touch anywhere on the five-inch screen. The camera has a tracking focus feature enabling continuous shooting of moving targets and zero shutter lag. The phone has the world’s first WTR RF chip designed to reduce power consumption.

Internal battery is a 2100 mAh unit, and the chip uses a QUALCOMM LTE processor. Other features of the smartphone include support for sharing TV content on a larger screen, T-DMB tuner, and support for streaming audio. The phone also uses some sort of Smart Voice voice-recognition system and supports alarms, e-mail, Google Maps, and more. The phone runs Android 4.0 ICS and is available in white or black colors. Pricing is unknown at this time.


Android Community Weekly: July 1st, 2012

Posted: 01 Jul 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Today is July 1st and we can look forward to tons and tons of great news in the world of Android this month. Just like the past week, July will also be all about Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. A lot happened in the Android Community last week but we were pretty busy with a small event I’m sure you all heard plenty about — Google IO 2012. To start off this weekly review of Android news hit our Google IO Portal to get started.

Google IO was an awesome event this year. With tons of new devices, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a weird Nexus Q, and best of all — Google’s Project Glass skydiving right onto the roof of the Moscone West Center in San Francisco. What a ride it was all week, and we are sad that it had to end — I don’t even know where to start.

Jelly Bean!!! Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, showed off some of its awesome new features and improvements, showed us it’s buttery smooth, and then dropped the Nexus 7 Tablet on the world. They go hand in hand however, and both will be available to Android users worldwide in mid July. The Nexus 7 is up for pre-order as we speak starting at $199, and Jelly Bean AOSP will arrive in July too.

I could go on for hours about Google IO, Jelly Bean, and the Nexus 7 but instead just hit all the various links below for your dose of news. This week the DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX also finally officially received Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and I’m sure Jelly Bean is another 6 months away for you guys sadly. Acer dropped their new quad-core Tegra 3 1920 x 1200 True 1080p HD tablet in the Iconia A700 and you can see our review here.

Tons of exciting things happened this week for Android. The Bionic saw a leak of ICS, Google Chrome left beta and is available for all 4.0+ devices, HTC teased us the DROID Incredible 4G LTE will arrive sometime this week and more. In case you missed anything from one of the most epic news weeks for Android be sure and take it all in from the timeline below or check out the Google IO portal linked to above.

Who’s excited for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and what is your favorite new feature? Personally I love Google Now!

Screen Shot 2012-07-01 at 11.09.55 AM Screen Shot 2012-07-01 at 11.25.26 AM acweekly


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