Tuesday 2 October 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung Galaxy Camera hits the FCC with AT&T 3G bands

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:27 AM PDT

After zooming in on some FCC documents it looks like Samsung’s Android-powered Galaxy Camera has passed through the FCC with AT&T’s 3G and HSPA+ 4G (not LTE) speeds on board. We first got a glance at the Galaxy Camera back at IFA last month, but now this new filing is giving us a better idea of what Samsung has in mind for the smart camera.

In case you missed it, Samsung announced the Galaxy Camera as a 4.8-inch 1280 x 720p packing smart camera running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and having an impressive 16 megapixel shooter to boot. For a full breakdown of everything you need to know you’ll want to check out our Galaxy Camera hands-on.

When Samsung unveiled the Android snapper back at IFA we were told it would obviously come packing GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi for connectivity, and that they were still in talks with carriers regarding additional options. Now though, the Galaxy Camera has cleared the FCC complete with AT&T’s 3G and 4G HSPA+ radios under the hood. Could we see this device be offered up by AT&T on contract?

We have a feeling AT&T and Samsung might be looking to strike a deal similar to the Kindle tablets, where users will get worldwide AT&T service with the device, but the fact that it runs a pretty standard version of Jelly Bean might pose problems. Users could really suck down the data faster than on a Kindle — so some sort of monthly payments are expected.

While the report doesn’t mention 4G LTE specifically, we could still see LTE in a future filing or press release. After all you’ll be needing the fastest data connection as possible once you start taking full size 16 megapixel photos with the device if you want to upload them to share with the world while on the go. Whether this device sells, or just ends up being a niche product remains to be seen. Would you get the Galaxy Camera on AT&T if you could add it to that family plan for an extra $10 a month?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Camera
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : August 29, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.06 Inch
  • Width : 2.79 Inch
  • Depth : 0.75 Inch
  • Weight : 305 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1650 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4412
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 16.3 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via PhoneArena]


Garnet red Galaxy S III lands at Expansys in UK

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT

Good news if you’ve been having a hard time getting your hands on the garnet red Samsung Galaxy S III and live in the UK: Expansys has just launched the sexy looking handset, and you can pick it up for a pretty decent price. Samsung, of course, has released the Galaxy S III in a number of different colors, but the garnet red variant has only be available through AT&T for the most part. That can make things difficult if you’re with another carrier or don’t particularly care for AT&T’s service.


Now, however, UK customers can get a 16GB garnet red Galaxy S III at Expansys for £429.99. That isn’t a bad price, especially considering that Expansys normally charges £550.00. You’re saving about £120 if you pick up the garnet red Galaxy S III from Expansys, which is pretty substantial.

Of course, if you’ve never been crazy about the garnet red Galaxy S III, Expansys is also selling the more common blue variant for the same price. Expansys says that it has more than 100 of each phone in stock, but Talk Android is quick to point out that those devices might go fast – this is a pretty good deal, after all.

As stated above, Samsung has launched the Galaxy S III in a number of different colors. In addition to blue and garnet red, the Galaxy S III also comes in amber brown, titanium grey, sapphire black, and marble white. Samsung even recently announced a pink version of the Galaxy S III for Korea. Since the Galaxy S III is Samsung’s flagship device, perhaps we can expect more colors to launch in the future? We shall see.

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 :


Woz would love to see iTunes running on his Android phone

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 10:49 AM PDT

For an Android site, we sure have been writing about Steve Wozniak a lot lately. First we got to take a look inside his travel backpack and see all of his gadgets, then we heard him saying that he didn’t agree with the highly publicized Apple-Samsung verdict. Now, thanks to a new Q&A session at Slashdot, we’re finding out a lot more about him in general. Woz answered a bunch of different questions during the Q&A session, but a few of his answers in particular stick out.


Specifically, there’s his answer to a question about whether or not he likes the way his “baby” has grown over the years. Woz has always been a big supporter and member of the open source community, so it isn’t surprise that his answer veered in that direction. “Apple’s real rise from the small market-share Macintosh company to the iProducts of today began with iTunes and the iPod,” he said. “This turned out to be a 2nd huge business which roughly doubled Apple’s ‘size’. If you remember, we ported iTunes to Windows. We now addressed 100% of the world’s market with this integrated system (iPod/iTunes) and it began the era of Apple that we are now in. So why don’t we port iTunes to Android? Did something get closed up? I love Apple products and iTunes and wish it were on my Android products too.”

Apple, of course, doesn’t like the idea of its software running on other phones, so that’s why we don’t get iTunes on Android. It isn’t as if Android users are out of options when it comes to accessing their music libraries on their phone, however. Many Android users would point Woz toward Google Music, which is an excellent service and good alternative to iTunes.

Woz also took the opportunity to discuss Apple’s recent courtroom brawls during the Q&A session, reiterating his stance that Apple shouldn’t be suing other players in the industry as much as it has been. “I wish that instead of all these lawsuits Apple was sitting down and cross-licensing with the other players,” he said. “They have come up some very good features without complicating the UI. Things like a palm swipe to take a screen snapshot. I would like my iPhone to be the best it could, even if someone else did some of the things first. And Apple could license iTunes perhaps, or help the other platforms develop it. The market shares would probably remain the same but we consumers would all win.”

Once again, we have to admit that Woz paints an wonderful scene, but sadly, we’re thinking it isn’t all that realistic to hope that Apple and other tech companies will begin sharing their patents. We can’t really blame those tech companies, since Apple was just awarded $1 billion dollars for others infringing on its patents, but still, it would be nice to see these companies begin to share technology and each make the best products they can. That’s probably won’t ever happen, but it’s still nice to dream. If you have a few minutes to spare, be sure to check out the whole Q&A session with Woz – it makes for a very interesting read!


Motorola RAZR i now available in the UK

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 10:28 AM PDT

Motorola and Intel‘s first smartphone is finally available now for those in the UK. In what is sure to be the first of many Intel powered smartphones from Motorola, the new RAZR i and its 2.0 GHz Intel processor and 4.3-inch edge-to-edge display can be yours from multiple retailers across the UK.

The RAZR i is readily available in the US as the DROID RAZR M, and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core chip instead. For those in the UK however you can get it running Intel’s latest 2.0 GHz mobile processor that we’ve heard so much about. The phone is actually really impressive and the large screen is an illusion given the small nature of the device.

Last week we reported the new Intel phone would be available from Clove on October 1st, which it is, but that isn’t all either. Phones4U and more all have the new RAZR i available on contract, and contract-free unlock models are available for a premium. Phones4U is even offering the first 500 customers a set of Motorola S305 wireless headphones absolutely free.

The RAZR i includes a 4.3-inch edge-to-edge qHD (960×540) resolution display, a 2.0 Ghz Intel processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal storage, an 8 megapixel camera on the rear and runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with Jelly Bean coming soon. You can see plenty of details and our hands-on video below, as well as a full review of the DROID RAZR M twin sister. Who’s buying the RAZR i?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : RAZR i
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 18, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : HD Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.82 Inch
  • Width : 2.39 Inch
  • Depth : 0.32 Inch
  • Weight : 126 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2000 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 : Atom Z2460
    CPU Clock Speed : 2000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    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:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 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 Inquirer]


T-Mobile plans to buyout MetroPCS according to reports

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 09:54 AM PDT

The parent company of T-Mobile USA, Deutsche Telekom, have confirmed that they are indeed looking to buyout and merge MetroPCS with T-Mobile here in the USA. Earlier we heard a few rumors of a possible buyout, but it has now been confirmed that the two companies are engaged in talks regarding a potential acquisition and merger.

According to AllThingsD the rumors of a buyout are actually true, but a statement by DT claimed they’re currently "holding talks" and that there is still “significant issues” that will need to be worked out before any deal can get done.

MetroPCS is a large regional carrier here in the US, mostly for pre-paid and contract-free customers. Given the recent changes to T-Mobiles plans with the failed AT&T merger, LTE rollout next year, and beefing up their networks this is a grab to widen their reach and enhance their offerings here stateside.

The company board has not yet approved the deal, and both groups are set to meet shortly to try and finalize some of the details and “significant issues” that were briefly mentioned above. T-Mobile currently has around 33 million customers and is the 4th largest wireless carrier in the US. Adding MetroPCS and their 9 million prepaid customers would surely grow their numbers. With T-Mobile’s new CEO John Legere ready to get things back on track, this could be the first step. Thoughts?

[via SlashGear]


Samsung strikes Apple with iPhone 5 lawsuit and freed Galaxy Tab 10.1

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 09:13 AM PDT

The patent lawsuits never slow down. Now Samsung is coming at the Apple for their iPhone 5 with suits on eight different patents. Shockingly, none of them involve the use of 4G LTE technology. This report comes hot on the heels of Samsung squeezing its Galaxy Tab 10.1 to the US market in spite of Apple’s attempts to ban the device.

Six of the patents involved in this suit involve utility. The other two are directly related to UMTS 3G standard-essentials. More of less, these are the same suits Samsung filed against the iPhone 4S, because the devices use similar technology in those regards. In Samsung’s new filing they say, "The iPhone 5 has the same accused functionality as the previously accused versions of the iPhone, so the proof of infringement of the patents-in-suit by the iPhone 5 is the same as for other Apple devices already accused of infringement in this litigation."

Apple has plenty of time before they need to respond to the claim. The discovery phase of the investigation closes July 8, 2013. Immediately after that the claim goes into the expert discovery phase, which ends August 30, 2013. Samsung is confident it will finish its investigations by then and shall require no additional time Perhaps we will see some suits regarding 4G LTE technology added by that time.

As I mentioned in the opening, there is good news on the suit front as Slashgear is reporting that the ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 in US has been lifted. People in that territory are free to purchase the tablets as Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern District of California decided the ban is not just. Of course, Samsung has already launched the follow-up the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but they should be able to move some back stock of the original, which will help undo some of the loss.

[via Slashgear]


Samsung Galaxy SIII Display Specs Edge Out iPhone 5

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:34 AM PDT

In the constant “my phone is better than yours” battle, Android, and more specifically Samsung, has come out on top in the Galaxy S III versus iPhone 5 struggle. According to the noted research firm IHS, the Galaxy S III beats the iPhone 5 in terms of screen thinness and color gamut. The differences are relatively negligible, but they are there none the less.

We don’t want to sound negative on the iphone 5 here, as it has made some impressive leaps in screens when compared to the iPhone 4S. In fact, the screen is now just 1.5mm thick, compared to 2.1mm on the 4S. The color gamut is now 72 percent of the NTSC standard, where the 4S was only 50%. These are some impressive improvements, but it still places them behind the Galaxy S III.

In the same stats, the Galaxy S III comes in at a tiny 1.1mm thick. The color gamut on the Samsung Galaxy S III is an impressive 100% of the NTSC standard. In spite of Samsung’s screen coming in thinner, the iPhone 5 is 1mm thinner overall. IHS deduces that the overall difference in size could be due to a thicker battery on the S III.

To put this into perspective, end users should not notice any difference when looking at the screen. We are talking about very tiny measurements that the naked eye should not be able to detect. None the less, knowing where the devices stand on a technical level is always interesting, and it looks like Samsung got the win on this one, even if it is only by a tiny margin.


Oregon Scientific introduces MEEP! tablet designed just for kids

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:44 AM PDT

For parents who have children that constantly want to play with their tablet, MEEP! has a solution that could be perfect. Instead of risking your children messing up your precious device, you can snag a MEEP! tablet for them and let them go nuts. It is available now for $149 from most major retailers such as Amazon, Target, Best Buy and plenty of others.

The MEEP! has a rugged design that is perfect for kids. Kids are not always known for being gentle on their toys and other devices, so a tough tablet is necessary for them. It has a silicon bumper that runs around the whole device, which helps it handle the drops and rigors of being used by a child. It also has a recessed screen, which should help prevent cracks and damage. The screen is also built stronger, so it should resist cracking when dropped.

The device has a tweaked version of Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 installed. Its interface is designed to be easy enough for kids to navigate without help. Parents can control the device from any browser and restrict the content their kids can use, as well as whitelist and blacklist certain content. They can also limit usage time from the cloud-based control center.

The device comes preinstalled with some great, child-friendly content. These include Angry Birds, UNO, Toon Goggles, art and learning apps. There is also a special store where kids can download apps for free and with MEEP! coins, which parents provide them. Parents can also use the remote feature to add apps using Google Play. The device includes 4GB of storage for games, photos or videos taken with the built-in camera, and books.


Android could overtake Apple in tablets with Kindle Fire leading the charge

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:18 AM PDT

It was not long ago that Apple’s lead in the tablet market was so dominate that it seemed insurmountable. In fact, only a year ago, they had a staggering 81% of the tablet market share. Move forward to today, and experts suggest that they only have 52% of the market. That leaves Android-based tablets with 48% of the market, at least according to Pew’s report.

The Kindle Fire is clearly leading the charge when it comes to insane growth for Android-based tablets. Of that claimed 48%, 21% of them are Kindle Fires. This only stands to reason as the Fire just lowered their base model to $159. Amazon also just rolled out their new HD models starting at $199. In terms of pricing, it is hard for consumers to resist.

52% plus 48% equals 100% of the market, which leaves no room for other tablet operating systems. One would assume that Blackberry might at least have a small percentage of the market, but perhaps I am overestimating their popularity. Either way, this is great news for Android and not so great for Apple.

Android owners use their tablets less than iPad owners though. iPad owners tend to use their devices to follow news much more than Android owners, who tend to use their devices more for following the latest happenings on their social networks. Still, if this trend continues, it should not be long before Android is the leader in tablet operating systems.

[via Forbes]


AT&T HTC One X+ and One VX incoming

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:56 AM PDT

AT&T has announced two new HTC Android smartphones headed to its network, the HTC One X+ revealed today, and the HTC One VX. Apparently “coming soon” to the carrier’s LTE service, the One X+ runs Jelly Bean on NVIDIA’s 1.7GHz quadcore Tegra 3, while the smaller One VX has a 1.2GHz dualcore Snapdragon S4 chipset and runs Ice Cream Sandwich.

That’s an odd mixture of platforms, and it’s disappointing that HTC couldn’t bring the One VX up to speed with Android 4.1 like its larger sibling; it also gets the older version of HTC Sense 4, rather than Sense 4+ on the One X+. The One VX has a 4.5-inch 960 x 540 Super LCD 2 display, 8GB of internal storage, and 1GB of RAM, together with NFC, WiFi a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX audio.

There’s also a 5-megapixel camera with f/2.0, 28mm wide-angle lens, a backside-illuminated sensor, LED flash, and HTC’s Image Chip processing. The front-facing camera musters up VGA resolution. Beats Audio is also onboard, with the headphone jack doubling the typical output voltage to 1V, helping drive beefier cans.

As for the AT&T One X+, that’s the same 4.7-inch device as we saw unveiled for Europe earlier today – check out our hands-on here - only with LTE support for AT&T’s 4G network.

No word on specific release dates or pricing at this stage.

HTC One VX Left HTC One VX Right HTC One VX Back HTC One VX Front HTC One VX Angle HTC One X+ ATT Right HTC One X+ ATT Left HTC One X+ ATT Back HTC One X+ ATT Angle HTC One X+ ATT Front HTC One X+ One VX ATT


Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich now installed on over 25% of Android devices

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:51 AM PDT

The Android distribution reports are available and it looks like Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich installs are slowly on the rise. In fact, between the two, they now make up just over 25% of all Android installs. Of course, 23.7 percent of this comes from Ice Cream Sandwich, so Jelly Bean is still taking up a very small percentage of the market at just 1.8%.

The king is still Gingerbread, with an impressive 55.8% of the market. It is down from 57.5% last month, so it seems like more users are moving forward with the new versions of the operating system. The low number of Jelly Bean users is quite surprising, but at least it means that almost three-quarters of all users are on one of the three most recent versions.

There are still some users out there running the old versions. In fact, 12.9% of users are still running Froyo on their devices. Hopefully, we see a continued trend of users moving towards the newer versions of Android.

This data is collected based on Android devices that accessed its Google Play marketplace during a 14-day period ended October 1. Numbers are always interesting, and it is good to see that more devices are updating to the newer versions.


Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G on T-Mobile finally getting Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:25 AM PDT

Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G on T-Mobile can let out a sign of relief, because their phones are finally getting Ice Cream Sandwich, according to T-Mobile. Of course, owners of this device would probably prefer to see Jelly Bean come to their device. Still, it’s hard to complain about a free upgrade for your device.

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is sitting on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. This move will bring them up to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Owners of these devices should be quite happy about the major jump between 2.3.6 and 4.0.4.

The update will roll out gradually starting now and it should be available to everyone sometime tomorrow. Some users are reporting that the update is available for their Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G right now, but your results may vary. Either way, if you do not see the update yet, do not fret, because it will be there soon.

When the update becomes available users can update over the air or manually. If you choose to go the manual route, you will have to use Samsung Kies to do the update. Make sure you are using the latest version of Samsung Kies before you attempt to update your device.

[via Ubergizmo]


Jelly Bean for HTC One X, One S and One XL due from October

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:00 AM PDT

HTC will begin releasing its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for select One Series devices in October, it’s been confirmed. Announced alongside the new HTC One X+, the new software – which will also include HTC Sense 4+ – will begin to roll out to the One X and One S this month.

It will also be pushed out to the HTC One XL, though that might not happen until November or December, HTC told us in a briefing. As well as including Jelly Bean – with Google Now - the new software will include some of the changes debuting in the One X+.

For instance, HTC Watch 2 will be added – now pulling together streaming video services like YouTube and ESPN into the same app – as well as a new Gallery app which collates photo content from Facebook, Dropbox, Flickr, and Picaso. The Camera app will now show how much space for content there is left.

There are also numerous minor tweaks and UI changes to Sense 4+, along with support for Get Started, the online configuration tool which, HTC tells us, is in line for a number of useful cloud enhancements. More on the One X+ here.


HTC One X+ flagship revealed: Hands-on

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:00 AM PDT

Six months is a long time as a flagship, and so HTC‘s top-end device goes in for a fettle and comes out as the HTC One X+, replete with a new processor and bigger battery. Now running NVIDIA’s 1.7GHz Tegra 3 AP37 quadcore – for up to a 67-percent performance boost, HTC claims – and packing a 2,100 mAh battery for up to 6hrs more talktime, the One X+ keeps the aesthetic of its predecessor (which will, in fact, stay on sale alongside it as a more affordable option) but dresses it in a matte black finish with red touches and a new Beats Audio logo.

32GB and 64GB models will be offered – you’ll need to step down to the One X if you want 16GB – and there’s still no microSD slot. The main camera is the same 8-megapixel, f/2.0 affair, but the front-facing camera gets a 1.6-megapixel upgrade and can now access the HTC Image Chip processing for better quality vanity shots. The camera app itself is tweaked, with a new countdown for photos with the front-facer, along with a display of how many stills and how much video you can still shoot; the Gallery app pulls in shots not only from the phone itself but from Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, and Dropbox.

Beats Audio now uses NFC to easily pair with compatible Beats speakers, but if you’re relying on the One X+’s internal speaker to entertain yourself, there’s a new feedback amplifier which constantly monitors and adjusts the audio so that it’s as loud as possible but without distortion. Unfortunately it doesn’t get the headphone jack amp of the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, though the power has been boosted from 0.5V to 1.5V, to drive beefier headphones.

Jelly Bean does Android duty, complete with HTC Sense 4+ with a newly resurrected version of Sense Online. That allows you to create an online account and preconfigure your One X+, including which apps you want, how you want the homescreen to look, and where widgets should be. When you log into the same account on the phone itself, it will automatically configure itself to match.

Sadly there’s no reverse sync – you can’t backup your current phone layout, for instance, only restore it to the original – but HTC tells us the online component is still very much a work-in-progress and in the early stages at that.

HTC Watch 2 comes preloaded, now offering not only content to rent and buy, but shortcuts to YouTube, ESPN, and other video providers. If you have an HTC MediaLink HD, you can use the three-finger up-swipe gesture to flick playback to your TV; if the app supports the MediaLink SDK – and HTC says it’s in talks with several developers to make sure they do add such support – you’ll be able to continue to use the phone for other things, such as checking email, while playback continues on the big screen.

The One X+ is also PlayStation Certified, though Sony’s app won’t be preloaded on the handset. Eventually, though, you’ll be able to play Sony games on the HTC.

Europe and Asia will get a UMTS/HSPA+ One X+ from October, with South Asia following on in November. There’ll be an LTE version for North America, though timing is yet to be confirmed.

htc_one_x-plus_ac_0 htc_one_x-plus_ac_1 htc_one_x-plus_ac_2 htc_one_x-plus_ac_3 htc_one_x-plus_ac_4 htc_one_x-plus_ac_5 htc_one_x-plus_ac_6 htc_one_x-plus_ac_7 htc_one_x-plus_ac_8 htc_one_x-plus_ac_9 htc_one_x-plus_ac_10 htc_one_x-plus_ac_11 htc_one_x-plus_ac_12 htc_one_x-plus_ac_13 htc_one_x-plus_ac_14 htc_one_x-plus_ac_15 htc_one_x-plus_ac_16 htc_one_x-plus_ac_17 htc_one_x-plus_ac_18 htc_one_x-plus_ac_19 HTC One X+ FRONTON-BLACK HTC One X+  BACK2 HTC One X+ BACK HTC One X+ LEFT-Black HTC One X+ Right-Black HTC One X+ SideOn-BLACK HTC One X+ Specifications


Google+ gets a new TV commercial

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:33 PM PDT

Today Google has released their newest commercial on the world. Only this time it isn’t about Google Chrome or the Nexus 7, instead it’s about their somewhat popular (ok not really) social network Google+ and the accompanying app. The new TV spot shows us just how great it really is, we just wish more people used it.

The video you’ll see below is essentially showing off some of the epic features that actually makes Google+ so awesome, and much better than Facebook. Don’t get me started on that one though. From video chat, awesome HD images and more Google+ for Android is quite awesome. Lets take a peek at Google’s new video:

The video shows off the instant photo upload features, video chat and more. You’ll quickly notice the video starts with a Galaxy S III from the back that magically becomes the Galaxy Nexus from the front — maybe a Galaxy Nexus II? Doubtful. We’ll forgive the obvious mistake and just remain hopeful for a Galax Nexus 2.

So we must pose the question. Do you actually use Google+? We know many of the Android diehards all love and use the service, but that’s about it. I do have one family member that uses it on occasion, but that’s only because I do. Google+ is growing quite quickly but still no where near the users of Facebook. Be sure to follow us for all your Android news at +AndroidCommunity


Motorola: Atrix 4G, PHOTON 4G and more will not get Android 4.0 ICS

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:09 PM PDT

Motorola has confirmed some rather sad news this weekend regarding a few of their popular smartphones. Most surprising is the Atrix 4G, being their first dual-core Gingerbread smartphone and all. Motorola just outed the sad news that the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (or Jelly Bean for that matter) will not be coming to multiple smartphones — trashing their earlier promises.

Some of their popular smartphones such as the Motorola Atrix 4G, PHOTON 4G, and ELECTRIFY all will not see an update to the frozen Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android. All three devices are highly powerful NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core handsets that are more than capable — but oh well we suppose.

Last week Motorola revised their update timeline schedule, stating many older devices would not receive the update but they simply had the Atrix 4G and others listed above as “further plans coming soon.” I guess the quick decision to not support them was an easy one because now they’ve changed them to a status of Gingerbread — but they’ll still get maintenance and security updates.

Motorola recently stated any users device from 2012 that doesn’t see Jelly Bean by the end of the year will get a $100 credit towards a new phone — sadly it appears all of these smartphones are from 2011 and don’t apply. Punit Soni, the new software VP at Motorola stated all of this sad news in a forum post. It’s safe to say if you have an Atrix 4G, PHOTON 4G, or ELECTRIFY it’s time you start looking for custom ROMs. Oh wait, the bootloaders are locked too.

We’re all hoping for some major changes now that Google owns Motorola, but so far things are iffy. If we could just get unlocked bootloaders and stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean — I’m sure many would be happy.


Google reportedly buying facial recognition firm Viewdle

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 03:24 PM PDT

Google is apparently close to inking yet another deal to buy up the popular Augmented reality and facial recognition company Viewdle. Google’s been on a roll as of late, but this is a pretty unique acquisition given the possibilities. Viewdle is a Ukrainian company that specializes in AR and facial recognition technology and software that automatically tags faces in photos.

Obviously the first thing that comes to mind here is improved facial recognition for Android, as well as Google+ but lets not forget about Google Glass. The folks from Mountain View have been putting a lot of cash and effort behind their social network site Google+, and this could really broaden the possibilities on all fronts, even though Google+ already has facial recognition in some form. Augmented Reality hasn’t really taken off as much as we’d expected, but the fact that Viewdle specializes in that too also has us thinking Google’s Project Glass.

The deal is close to being final stated sources close to the situation, according to CNET. The deal has been in the works for quite some time, over a year, and should be closing and become final later this week. Viewdle could make tagging friends and family in photos for Google+, Android contacts, and even Picasa extremely easy — if not completely automatic should you choose.

Apparently this deal has been in the works with Motorola, and now that Google owns them too they’ll be seeing this through. So technically all the excitement about this being added into Android and even Project Glass could be premature — it’s interesting to think of the possibilities. With Google’s Glass being such a futuristic product, having true AR and facial recognition would be sweet. We’ll be hearing more soon but sources are claiming the deal is costing Google an upwards of $30-45 million.


Samsung Galaxy Note II goes on sale in the UK

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 02:59 PM PDT

We have good news and bad news today for all those Galaxy Note II fans. The impressive new flagship phablet Galaxy Note II has gone up for sale today — only it’s in the UK. Those folks here in the US still have a month or so of waiting before you can get it on your favorite 4G LTE carrier. Those in the UK get the first crack at the new 5.5-inch smartphone thanks to Three UK.

The quad-core powered smartphone is due to hit other carriers in the UK soon, but for now is available from Three UK exclusively priced from £69 ($111) with a new agreement or around £528 ($852) SIM-free and unlocked. It looks like the phone is also hitting major etailer sites too with Clove, Expansys and more all having it unlocked and for sale.

Those prices detailed and linked to above will get you quite the handset. We’ve got our hands-on it more than a few times and you can see those videos linked to below. You’ll be getting a 5.5-inch smartphone running Samsung’s 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, 8 megapixel camera, and of course Android 4.1 Jelly Bean all keeping things buttery smooth.

All those international versions come with HSPA+ support so they’ll also work stateside on AT&T and T-Mobile, but don’t expect the carriers optimal speeds with that. The Note II will be arriving later this month on 5 major US carriers, with 4G LTE on board so we’d suggest you wait if you’re rocking AT&T. Carriers should be announcing release dates here in the US soon so stay tuned.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note II
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : August 29, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : GT-N7100
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : HD Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.95 Inch
  • Width : 3.17 Inch
  • Depth : 0.37 Inch
  • Weight : 180 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3100 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:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4412
    CPU Clock Speed : 1600 Mhz
    Core : 4
    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
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 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 SlashGear]


FreedomPop’s free data service launches in “beta”

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 02:04 PM PDT

FreedomPop, the wireless data service that promises free 4G access, launched in a “public beta” of sorts today. FreedomPop users can access Clearwire Corporation’s 4G WiMAX networks free of monthly charges and contracts, but there a couple of catches. First, the service isn’t free right off the bat, as you’ll need to buy either a USB router for $49 or a mobile hotspot for $89 from FreedomPop. Once you’ve purchased your peripheral of choice and are prepared to connect to the Internet, you’ll be ready to take advantage of the free 500MB of data per month that FreedomPop has on offer.


500MB isn’t all that much these days, but hey, free is free. There will be ways to expand your free monthly limit however, whether that’s through participating is special offers or referring friends. If you choose to go the latter route, you can get an extra 10MB per month for each friend you refer, and our pals at SlashGear say that referral bonuses are capped at 1GB. Of course, you can just sign up for a plan with FreedomPop if you know you’ll be using more than 500MB per month, and it’s worth noting that FreedomPop will charge $10 per gigabyte in overages if you exceed your 500MB cap on free data.

FreedomPop plans to begin shipping sleeves for iDevices in the next four weeks or so, but unfortunately, there won’t be any sleeves for Android devices available right away. If customers prove to be receptive toward the idea of a sleeve for their iPhone and iPod Touch, however, then FreedomPop will begin offering Android sleeves. Sorry to say it folks, but our fate rests in the hands of Apple customers, at least as far FreedomPop sleeves are concerned.

FreedomPop has a lot in store moving forward. Not only is it launching free 4G service today, which is exciting enough, but it also plans to expand into the realm of 4G LTE at some point in the future. If you live in an area that has service from Clearwater, you might want to consider signing up for FreedomPop soon, as sign ups will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. We’ll be watching FreedomPop in the coming weeks and months, so keep it right here to Android Community for more details.


Verizon LG Intuition Review

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 01:34 PM PDT

Those folks at LG and Verizon have teamed up to release their own phablet onto the market, even if it’s a little late to the party. Known as the LG Optimus Vu, the new Verizon Intuition by LG with 4G LTE is available now and we’re taking a look. With the Galaxy Note II quickly approaching does the Intuition have a place in your pocket? Read on to find out.

Now we aren’t full sure if we’d say fit in your pocket, and that is because this 5-inch smartphone isn’t like most. It rocks a 4:3 aspect ratio so it’s extremely wide compared to the competition available. That massive screen sure looks pretty though.

Hardware
As mentioned above, the Intuition comes complete with a 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio display rocking a 1024 x 768 resolution. So while it’s HD, it still isn’t as high as the 1280 x 800 rocking Galaxy Note, or the 1280 x 720p in the upcoming Note II. Overall the hardware is more along the lines of something we should have seen earlier this year, but since it’s here lets dig in.

The Intuition comes in at 140 x 90 x 8.4 mm so it’s pretty odd shaped to say the least. You won’t be using this with one hand very often, and will opt for two-handed use just to feel comfortable and safe. The back is wrapped in a nice soft-touch matte black back — that almost has a leather feel to it if you ask us — which was rather comfortable. The rounded edges end up quite square on the bottom however, and makes this device extremely uncomfortable to hold for more than a few minutes at a time.

Other hardware specs include some also outdated numbers. The dual-core 1.5 GHz processor under the hood is powerful enough for almost any activity, but is the older Snapdragon S3 processor — not Qualcomm’s new S4 we’ve seen in most devices as of late. You’ll get 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a quality 8 megapixel camera on the rear still. Take a peek at our extended hands-on and unboxing below for a better idea of the device in-hand and more.

While the 4:3 aspect ratio is quite odd, the rest of the hardware is similar when it comes to standard smartphone design. You still get the volume rocker on the right side, but everything else is up top. That includes the power button (with LED ring) microphone, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a sliding door that reveals the micro-USB for charging and syncing. That’s it folks. No HDMI, micro-SD, or slot for the stylus. Yes it comes with a stylus, but it’s on its own and doesn’t fit inside like the Galaxy Note. Here’s a few pics:

P1100552 P1100565 P1100559 P1100560 P1100562 P1100555

Overall we have very mixed feelings on the hardware — in all regards. Clearly the specs under the hood are old and slightly outdated considering they aren’t lowering the price compared to the competition. Then the entire design and sheer size of the smartphone is a mixed bag of feelings too. It feels weird in the hand, is massive next to your head, and is uncomfortable to say the least with one-handed use, and with two due to the sharp corners. LG recently announced the Optimus Vu II and hopefully they address some of these concerns. Aside from the actual design and size, the device feels great, is durable, the screen is crisp and beautiful, and the camera works great.

Software
On the software side of things we came out pretty impressed however. You’ve got Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board, with face unlock in-tact. Then LG’s added their subtle changes to the OS and added a few treats for their stylus and Quick Memo support. You can actually draw your own icons with their stylus should you choose — but I’m no artist so left that alone. As far as pre-installed apps, you have the usual Verizon bloatware along with a few unique and included apps from LG like the Quick Memo mentioned above. Here’s some screenshots of the app tray for an idea:

Quick Memo worked great and the toggle button on top of the device near the power button is a nice touch. Simply tap that and you’ll instantly be drawing on the screen, taking notes, circling comments in an email to save or forward and more. It’s extremely quick, easy, and accessible on the go. Hitting it with one hand might be a task however — especially for left handed users. The Rubberdium pen is easy to hold and fits well in the hand and is slightly thinner than a pencil. Again it doesn’t store in the device so make sure you keep track of that little stylus or you’ll lose it quick.

Other changes include quick settings to change the browser from mobile to desktop mode. They’ve added a slider to open zoom and on-screen navigation functions, and there’s even a aspect ratio fix setting for the odd app that doesn’t scale to their unique size — but most have worked without failure here. Last but not least is NFC support and they’ve included some LG Tag+ tags for quick settings. You can set one in the car and tap it to instantly set the device to business or “work” mode, or use them for a variety of other uses. The LG Intuition comes pre-set with Car, Office, Sleep, and User modes, each of them bringing you a standard setup for their respective environments — as well as custom options should you choose.

Benchmarks and Speedtest

We ran a few quick benchmarks just to see how the 1024 x 768 resolution, 5-inch display, and last generation specs held up to the competition. Even though the device has some older specs under the hood it still performs quite well. Obviously the benchmark results are lower than the Note II and Galaxy S III, but in terms of daily use and sheer multi-tasking — it handled everything with ease.

Then as usual we’ve ran some 4G LTE tests just for good measure. This varies from location to location, and by city so this isn’t fully ever accurate. We did however notice results were slightly better in this particular location than a few Samsung devices in the past. With Verizon 4G LTE it’s safe to say you’ll be blazing through app updates, YouTube videos in HD and more without any problems or notorious loading circles.

Camera and Battery Life
The Verizon Intuition by LG comes equipped with an 8 megapixel camera on the rear with 1080p video capabilities, as well as a 720p front camera for video chat and self portraits. For some reason I prefer the rear camera to be centered like many Samsung devices, so it was a little odd trying to move around with this being on the side, but we can’t dock points because most cameras are positioned that way on smartphones. Here’s a few camera samples with the camera and video capabilities.

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For batter life you’ll be working with a 2,080 mAh battery under the hood — which certainly could be bigger if you ask us — but managed okay. Between the large 5-inch display and the battery draining Verizon 4G LTE we still were decently impressed. With heavy usage however the device quickly died in less than 8 hours, but for the average user it should make it through an entire day on a single charge — but you might want to have a charger handy for those busy drawing and writing on screen daily.

Competition
For now the only real competition for the Intuition (Optimus Vu) is Samsung’s Galaxy Note that arrived much sooner to the market. It offers a larger display, thinner design, and a body that isn’t quite as wide. Add on the fact that it has S-Pen stylus storage, removable battery, and a micro-SD slot for expanded storage makes this LG a hard sale. For those stuck on Verizon the choice is clear, as this is your only choice. When the quad-core 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II hits the streets early next month it will sadly leave the Intuition in the dust. So Verizon users, either get this now or hold off another month and pick up that awesome Note II instead.

Wrap-Up
To wrap things up we’ll have to end with the fact that while this device is decent — it certainly isn’t for everyone. The lack of newer hardware, no micro-SD slot, and an odd shape make it a turn off for many. For those that loved the Galaxy Note but were stuck on Verizon should really enjoy this phone — that’s if you’re not waiting for the Note II.

In the end the hardware still performs great, the software is running ICS and will surely be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and you have a device that’s massive in size yet still fits in most pockets. For those that need a tablet-sized device with 4G LTE and portability this will certainly do for most office goers. This certainly is one of LG’s most impressive smartphones to date, but we’d much rather have the LG Optimus G that is coming soon, or the Galaxy Note II based on initial impressions of both of those new devices. The Verizon Intuition by LG with 4G LTE is available as we speak at your favorite Verizon Wireless location. Enjoy the rest of the photos and let us know what you think of this oddly-shaped smartphone tablet hybrid.

main P1100551 P1100552 P1100553 P1100566 P1100571 P1100563 P1100565 P1100559 P1100560 P1100562 P1100557 P1100558 P1100554 P1100555 P1100556 P1100573 P1100572 P1100575 2012-10-01 12.51.06 Screen Shot 2012-10-01 at 1.00.59 PM Screen Shot 2012-10-01 at 12.59.51 PM 2012-10-01 11.32.55 2012-10-01 11.33.08 2012-10-01 11.33.20 2012-10-01 11.36.09 2012-10-01 11.39.20 2012-10-01 12.19.21 2012-10-01 11.31.45 Screen Shot 2012-10-01 at 1.10.44 PM 2012-10-01 11.32.17 1001121217a 1001121217 1001121216b 1001121217b 1001121218a
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Intuition
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : September 04, 2012
    Release Date : September 06, 2012
    Also Known As : Optimus Vu
Display
  • Screen Size : 5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x768
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.49 Inch
  • Width : 3.56 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 168 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2080 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
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    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:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


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