Friday 7 September 2012

Android Community

Android Community


HTC One X+ quad-core 1.6 GHz specs leaked on Twitter

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT

Rumors of an HTC smartphone to succeed the popular One X have been floating around for a few weeks now but today we might have seen our first solid details. An XDA Developer that is usually pretty accurate in his leaks has just confirmed — and leaked the specs of the upcoming HTC One X+ smartphone and it sounds powerful.

Just like previous reports and rumors this smartphone will indeed be running on NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor, only it will be the new Tegra 3+ instead. The CPU has been boosted to 1.6 GHz and a 1.7 GHz companion core NVIDIA calls 4-PLUS-1. The full details were revealed in this post on Twitter.

According to the leak, the HTC One X+ has dimensions of 134.36 x 69.9 x 9.3mm and weighs in at 129g. Then just like the original HTC One X the device has a 4.7-inch display, an 1,800 mAh battery, and 32GB of internal storage. The differences here are obviously the processor as well as a few other small changes.

He then goes on to mention Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a new Sense UI 4.5 will be on board too. That will accompany the new Tegra 3+ quad-core processor that has been increased in speed, then we’ll still have 1GB of RAM. I’m hoping they’ve increased the battery life because in this day and age 1,800 mAh just isn’t enough — especially when Motorola’s new flagship is just as thin and comes with a 2,530 mAh battery. Previous rumors point this phone towards T-Mobile for an initial launch but I’m sure we’ll find out more come September 19th at the HTC event in NYC.

[via SlashGear]


Kindle Fire HD tablets will be ad supported – but optional

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 11:03 AM PDT

A lot of talk has appeared over the past 24 hours regarding Amazon‘s new Kindle Fire HD tablets being ad supported or “subsidized” with special offers appearing on the lockscreen and homescreen, but lets clear some of the rumors up. Since we were there live we can agree that yes these were indeed included, but Amazon has confirmed they’ll be optional.

Once you turn off the screen and then wake it you’re greeted with two sliders. One being unlock the device, while the second one unlocks it directly to an ad of some sort. We managed to unlock directly into the Amazon store to purchase The Hunger Games, and once even saw an ad for Intel. While this isn’t a big deal to me, I know many hate the idea of constantly being pestered to buy something.

There was also the occasional ad on the homescreen too while flipping through the carousel of content on your device. Then during the live presentation on stage they showed us some gameplay that upon dying in game you’re greeted with a continue screen, or head to Amazon.com to buy characters. From here you could actually buy action figurines for the characters in-game which is a neat feature for kids — but we have a feeling we’ll be seeing this appear in other places that aren’t so cute.

According to the folks from Engadget this will indeed be optional however. While Amazon can’t confirm exactly how yet, they’ll allow customer to unsubscribe from ads on their tablet — but probably at a price. That means the $199 Fire HD might cost a few extra dollars to get rid of those pesky ads.

Thoughts?


Dark Nebula: Episode 2 announced for Android

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 10:17 AM PDT

If you’re a fan of labyrinth or tilt-to-control games, then the Dark Nebula games are seriously a must-download app. They’ve been available on iOS for more than a few years, and have been downloaded over 6 million times. Back in June the developers launched the first Dark Nebula on Android and I simply loved the game. Today they confirmed Episode 2 is coming soon.

This is more than just your average tilt-to-control labyrinth style game too. They have stunning graphics considering the game is so simple, originality, and innovative gameplay. There is absolutely nothing boring about these games from crossing bridges, avoiding spike strips, falling off or being launched off edges and more. Each level is unique and different and brings equally greater challenges.

You’ll have to deactivate force fields while navigating though mine fields and more. They really make this more than just a labyrinth game. This time around you’ll have 19 different action-packed levels, and 25 new enemies you didn’t see on the first game. The developers, 1337 Game Design, basically explain it as the original only on steroids. The video below is the trailer for iOS, but is what we can expect to arrive on Android.

If you still haven’t tried the original Dark Nebula we suggest you head to the Google Play Store and give it a try today. It will cost you a buck or two but is certainly worth it. Dark Nebula: Episode Two has everything it offers and more, plus has more levels. I loved this game on my old iPod Touch and can’t wait to enjoy it on my Nexus 7 later this fall. The developers expect Episode Two to launch on Android around “Autumn” so between now and the end of December basically.

factory dn2_logoplanet desert


HTC unveils the One SC, SU, and dual-sim ST for China

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT

The folks from HTC have been hard at work designing a few new budget aimed smartphones for their Chinese market because we have three new phones to show you today. While this was supposed to be HTC’s rebound year where they released less phones and focused on quality we’ve still seen quite a bit. Below is three brand new decent looking devices headed to China.

Out of the blue with no announcement or warning HTC China added three brand new “One” series smartphones to their website. Those being the HTC One SC, SU, and the ST. Pretty interesting to say the least — and we’re certainly not fans of the naming scheme. We’re not sure of HTC’s plans to help improve 2012 but this could be a sign of what’s to come.

HTC has an event scheduled for September 19th, and we’ll have all the details when that day comes. We’ve heard rumors of a new 1.7 GHz quad-core One X+ but these new phones we’re seeing today might show a different, more budget aimed approach. Here’s the new phones:

The HTC One SU is the first smartphone to appear (top image) and has a rather odd design. I like the large HTC letters across the back but that’s all the praise I’ll be giving. It rocks a 4.3-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display, a 1 GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, micro-SD, 5 megapixel camera and only Android 4.0 ICS. Pretty mid-range at best.

Then what you see above is the One SU which is essentially the same phone as the one above regarding specs. A single-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB ROM, 1,800 mAh battery and the same low-res 4.3-inch display. Its design is a bit more plain and should probably appeal to more users.

Then the last of the three is the new dual-sim HTC One ST which is the best of the three, while looking like the cheapest if you ask us. Again the ST has the exact same mid-range average specs as the two devices mentioned above only it has a dual-core 1.0 GHz CPU instead of a single-core, then it also offers dual-sim options for those in need. Oh and it has a sweet Candy Apple Red color too.

For now we can’t be certain what HTC is planning for the US markets, but this looks to be what the Chinese marketplace will be getting from the “quietly brilliant” company. You can see more on their Chinese website by clicking here.

HTC-One-ST htc_one_sc1 Su-one

[via PhoneArena]


Amazon confirms ICS is running the Kindle Fire HD

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:55 PM PDT

When Amazon took the stage to announce their slew of new Android tablets today we had a feeling they’d leave out any details regarding the OS, and that is exactly what they did. The new Kindle Fire HD tablets have a slightly improved interface that is super smooth and they’ve confirmed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is under the hood.

So what exactly does this mean? Nothing really aside from the fact that the new tablets run on nearly the latest and greatest from Google, although you’d never know. When Amazon revealed the original Kindle Fire they were mum on the operating system too, although we all knew what was the true power behind the slate.

Today’s showing of the new Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9-inch tablets we saw a slightly improved user interface that was exceptionally smooth and ran without a hitch. Whether you’re watching a movie and pausing it to use their X-Ray feature for IMDB details on your favorite star, or flipping through your album of photos everything was fast and smooth. This is all thanks to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as the underlying OS here.

Obviously you’d never tell by looking at the tablets, and other than the occasional force close we weren’t quite sure although multiple leaks and rumors suggested the bump to ICS. After asking more than a few Amazon reps today in Santa Monica we got the answer we were looking for. They confirmed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was on board. I don’t expect we’ll see Jelly Bean (or any of its features) but we could see next year’s Kindle Fire model get a similar treatment. Maybe we’ll see that Kindle Fire phone we’ve heard rumors about soon, that could run Jelly Bean. So there you have it. Ice Cream Sandwich is here, it’s just getting completely melted by that Fire UI.


Samsung Galaxy S III hits 20 million units sold

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 04:40 PM PDT

We all knew that the Samsung Galaxy S III is an incredibly popular handset, but today the company gave us an idea of just how popular it is. The Galaxy S III has hit the 20 million sales milestone, which is pretty impressive. Even more impressive is the fact that the smartphone surpassed the 20 million mark only 100 days after launch.


To put that in perspective, the Galaxy S III’s predecessor, the S II, had only managed 5 million sales after 85 days on the market, and it took 5 months before sales climbed to 10 million. 10 million sales in 5 months isn’t anything to stick your nose up at either, which makes the Galaxy S III’s astronomical success even more noteworthy. That 20 million figure is, obviously, enough to make the Galaxy S III the most successful smartphone in Samsung‘s history, and the company told CNET that its success has been “record-setting.”

Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Note II at IFA 2012, the follow up to the original Galaxy Note, which was something of a surprise success for Samsung. Anticipation is high for the Galaxy Note II – so high, in fact, that the new phablet might be able to achieve similar success. It probably won’t reach the same sales numbers as the Galaxy S III, but it wouldn’t surprise us one bit to see Galaxy Note II sales soar above those of the original device.

Samsung is continuing to ride the Galaxy S III train as well, recently revealing four brand new color variants for the handset. All of this, and we’re only 100 days out from release. One thing is for sure: we can expect that number to rise quite a bit in the coming weeks and months, so don’t think this will be the last you’ll hear of the Galaxy S III’s success. Are you one of the 20 million people who has purchased a Galaxy S III since it released back in May?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : May 03, 2012
    Release Date : May 29, 2012
    Also Known As : The Next Galaxy, SGSIII
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • 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
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4 Quad
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 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 :


Kindle Fire HD 7 hands-on

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 02:54 PM PDT

As expected, today Amazon unveiled a new line up of Kindle Fire tablets, one of which being the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. This new Kindle Fire is meant to make Amazon an even bigger player in the tablet space than it was before, and with a price tag of $199, that probably isn’t going to be hard to do. The Nexus 7 – Google’s incredibly popular 7-incher – sports the same price tag, so the Kindle Fire HD may just end up giving the Nexus 7 a run for its money.


That’s because not only does it match the Nexus 7′s price, but it offers more storage than the Nexus 7. The Kindle Fire HD 7 comes equipped with 16GB of internal storage, while the $199 Nexus 7 only offers 8GB – if you want 16GB in your Nexus 7, you’ll have to jump up to the $249 model. With the Kindle Fire HD 7, we’ve got a 1.2 GHz dual-core OMAP 4460 processor, which doesn’t quite stack up to the 1.3 GHz quad-core CPU found in the Nexus 7, and 1 GB of RAM.

The laminated IPS LCD display is capable of 1200×800 resolution and includes Amazon’s anti-glare technology, and Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics make scrolling nice and fluid. Amazon is touting this as the first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi, which allows the Kindle Fire HD 7 to hit some pretty fast download speeds. Amazon made of big point of comparing the Kindle Fire HD 7′s Wi-Fi speeds to that of the iPad and Nexus 7, and with that dual setup, it’s no surprise that the Kindle Fire HD 7 came out on top.

The screen looks very nice, and the dual-driver stereo speakers (complete with Dolby Digital Plus) promise that sound quality will be significantly better than we’re used to on most tablets. Amazon is claiming that the battery in the Kindle Fire HD 7 can provide over 11 hours of power, even while watching video or surfing, so if the tablet can hit that mark in reality, it’ll be a big plus. Of course, you also have all of Amazon’s offered content at your fingertips, turning the Kindle Fire HD 7 into quite the multimedia hub.

So there you have it – our first close-up look at the Kindle Fire HD 7. The tablet is available for pre-order now, and it’s releasing next week on September 14. With that $199 price point, it’s going to be hard to resist, and it seems safe to say that we can expect the Kindle Fire HD 7 to be a big hit this holiday season. Stay tuned.

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Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Kindle Fire HD
    Manufactuer : Amazon
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 06, 2012
    Release Date : September 14, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.6 Inch
  • Width : 5.4 Inch
  • Depth : 0.4 Inch
  • Weight : 395 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4460
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Kindle Fire 8.9 HD Hands-on

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 02:16 PM PDT

The folks from Amazon unleashed a surprise on everyone this afternoon when they announced both a regular 7-inch Kindle Fire HD as well as a larger truly HD 8.9-inch slate. Today we’ll be taking a look at both but be focusing on the 8.9-inch model and its amazing 1920 x 1200 full HD resolution. Yes you read that right. What’s even better is the amazingly low price so check it out below.

The all new Kindle Fire HD will come in an 8.9-inch size offering, with both a WiFi and AT&T 4G LTE option for those in need. As we mentioned earlier the specs and pricing are very very competitive but lets run through them again. For now we don’t know what version of Android these slates are running, but are looking for answers.

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch offers an extremely vivid, crisp, and colorful 1920 x 1200 full HD IPS display, a powerful TI OMAP 4470 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16/32GB of storage. Then you get all of that for just $299. Impressive right? They also have a 4G LTE option from AT&T coming as well that will only be $499. Let’s take a look and compare it a little with the 7-inch HD that was also announced today.

The star of the show here is obviously that display so we’ll basically be focusing on that. The tablet however also manages to be extremely thin at just 8.8mm thick. The full dimensions come in at 9.45″ x 6.5″ x 0.35″ and this time around they’ve added a front facing camera. IF you noticed down on bottom they have micro-USB for charging and syncing, as well as micro-HDMI out options for streaming movies and games to your TV.

The display really is impressive. We’ve seen 1920 x 1200 tablets recently from a few others but on 10-inch devices, not 8.9 tablets. This makes the screen extremely vivid, crisp, clear, and makes reading or watching movies a breeze. Then as you can see from my images below the viewing angles are excellent — and they should be. The IPS panel should make sure you can see great from almost any angle.

As far as hardware the device feels extremely durable and well made, but I could almost compare it to the DROID XYBOARD tablet from Motorola. It has a similar rubbery coat on the rear with a bit of gloss thanks to the aluminum that wraps around back for the stereo speakers and branding logos. On botton is the two ports mentioned above, with the volume rocker and power button being nicely placed on the right side. There’s no micro-SD spots for extra storage, but if you need the 32GB version it will only be $349.

Sadly they wouldn’t let us actually play with the 8.9-inch model and get some hands-on video with it, but given the performance of the new 7-inch HD we have a feeling it will be quite excellent too. Again the all new 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD will start at $299 and be available in 16/32GB, WiFi, and 4G LTE options all on November 20th. Pre-order it today!

P1100288-L P1100295-L P1100298-L P1100303-L P1100321-L P1100320-L P1100315-L P1100313-L P1100311-L P1100275-L P1100274-L P1100271-L
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Kindle Fire HD (8.9)
    Manufactuer : Amazon
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 06, 2012
    Release Date : November 20, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 8.9 Inch
  • Resolution : 1920x1200
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 9.45 Inch
  • Width : 6.5 Inch
  • Depth : 0.35 Inch
  • Weight : 567 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4470
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Beach Buggy Blitz released to TegraZone and hands-on

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 02:05 PM PDT

The folks at Vector Unit have done it again with a racing game that’s ready to roll with your NVIDIA Tegra 3 device with advanced graphics and next-level physics galore. You’ll be working with water ripples and live rendered shadows, beach blasting smashes and swift kicks to your retinas as you roll through level after level of fabulous fun. You’ll be able to play this game on your Nexus 7 tablet, your HTC One X smartphone, or any other device you’ve got that runs both Android and an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor under the hood starting immediately if not soon!

Inside you’ve got a game made to bring you through a smashing set of environments that are essentially entirely destructible. You’ll blast through Tiki statues, you’ll push up the lava monsters, and you’ll swoosh through the shacks. This game is tilt-friendly as well as 3rd party Bluetooth controller friendly, as well, so remember to play to your strengths.

Make sure you hit up the shortcuts, take note of the vibrant details, and stick to the track – unless you’re going to be tunneling through the side-roads, of course. All of this is ready to roll today on the TegraZone and the Google Play app store – and we’ve got another treat ready for you in celebration as well: several tablet packages – a giveaway for you! Stay tuned to Android Community later today as we announce our collaboration with NVIDIA and Vector Unit to bring you your very own Tegra 3 device over the next week!

Until then, think about all the fabulous Beach Buggy Blitz you’ll be playing on your next-level tablet you’re about to own. NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor powers the next generation of Android tablets and brings you the gaming fire with the TegraZone – more popping up soon! UPDATE: The game will appear with Vector Unit’s other games in the Google Play app store once it’s ready for action!

Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-49-51 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-46-23 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-46-06 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-45-25 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-45-40 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-47-08 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-45-54 Screenshot_2012-09-05-15-46-51


Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9-inch announced

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 01:48 PM PDT

Today at Amazon‘s Kindle Fire event they had plenty of interesting things for everyone to see. All starting with a brand new 8.9-inch 1920 x 1200 full HD Kindle Fire for just $299. From here on out there will be 3 Kindle Fire versions available so lets take a look at all the details below.

For starters the original Kindle Fire 7-inch model will still be available, only this time around it has been improved a little bit with twice as much RAM, a faster processor (although they didn’t get specific) and we can expect 40% better performance across the board. It will now run users just $159 starting September 14th.

More importantly is the brand new Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Today they announced not one, but two brand new HD Kindle Fire tablets. First off I want to mention the awesome new 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD. This tablet comes with a beautiful and crisp 8.9-inch 1920 x 1200 full HD IPS display, an OMAP 4470 dual-core processor, twice as much RAM as the original, and a 2 megapixel front facing camera.

Amazon wasn’t too specific when it came to battery life, size, or any other specs (like what version of Android they’re running) but so far this thing looks absolutely stunning. The UI is quite nice although certainly nothing like the Android we know and love. There’s tons of new features like X-Ray movies with instant IMDB searching when you pause a show for all the details you’d like and more. They’ve added all sorts of small changes to the UI we’ll get into in a bit. Then both new HD tablets come with Dolby Digital Plus and offers some pretty impressive sound output.

Lastly we have the regular Kindle Fire HD — which will stay at the 7-inch screen size and offers a similar IPS display only 1280 x 800 in resolution, but it still looks great. Both the 7-inch and new 8.9-inch models offer two antenna’s for superior WiFi performance and are the first tablets to support the MIMO WiFi standard.

The all new Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7-inch will come with 16GB of storage (beating out the Nexus 7) and will cost just $199. Amazon took a few shots at Google without really saying it, and we have to admit that is a great price. Then you’ll also have the option of the larger and impressive 8.9-inch Fire with 32GB of storage for only $299. That isn’t all either. The 8.9-inch model also comes with an optional AT&T 4G LTE flavor — the first 4G Fire — and will only run users $499.

The Kindle Fire 7-inch HD is on sale and up for pre-order right now from Amazon and ships September 14th while the 8.9-inch slate will start shipping on November 20th. Sadly there was no mention of a smartphone. Stay tuned for hands-on pictures.

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