Android Phone Fans |
- HTC EVO 3D Hands-on [Video]
- Wi-Fi Only Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and New 10.1 Hands-on; Pricing and Configuration Information Revealed [Video Soon]
- Sprint Unveils the HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View
- Official: Samsung Announces Galaxy Tab 8.9
- Angry Birds Rio Free in Amazon Appstore for Today Only
- Watch the Samsung CTIA Event Live at 11:00AM EST
- Who Says Big Ain’t Beautiful? Survey Says 24 percent of Handsets Have Screen 4 Inches or Larger
- Microsoft Continues Indirect Attack on Android, Files Suit Against Barnes & Noble and NOOKcolor
- Sony Ericsson Continues to Freak Us Out with Xperia Play Commercials
- Apple Not Happy with Amazon’s Use of the “App Store” Trademark
- Firefox 4 Now Available as Release Candidate in the Android Market
- HTC EVO 3D, EVO View 4G Spotted at Sprint Site, Specs Revealed Ahead of Official Announcement
- Motorola Droid X2 Pictured In the Wild with 4G LTE Branding [REAL or FAKE?]
- Amazon App Store for Android… LIVE NOW!
- LG Wireless Charging Pad Goes Unplugged
| Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:20 PM PDT So we’ve spent more than enough time with Sprint’s new duo of EVO devices to know that we like them. Although I’m not the biggest fan of 3D myself, the HTC EVO 3D might be the first phone to change my opinion on it. HTC’s using the 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm and I can tell they’re working to optimize the device specifically for high-quality playback of 3D content. 3D-enabled videos from movie studios who shot the footage from the ground up look stunning on the device’s 4.3-inch qHD display, but even video content captured with the device’s dual cameras looks great. I note this because the other couple of 3D-enabled devices out there – the Optimus 3D, the Optimus Tab, and the Sharp Galapagos series of devices – don’t look quite as good. That’s video, though. Photos, on the other hand, aren’t so great. They still look like those weird holographic business cards you tend to get from time to time where shifting it shows you a different image. You have to hold the device completely still in order to get the best possible viewing experience and even then it’s not that great. Switching between 3D and 2D while inside the camera app is easy – HTC has included a hardware switch to toggle it at your convenience. We’re told that 3D content will eventually be extended to certain games and apps but HTC wasn’t able to elaborate on their plans. The EVO 3D has an HDMI port that can output HD video whether it’s 2D or 3D. (3D video is throughput at 720p while 2D content can be shown in 1080p.) Other notable features include its front-facing camera, 4G WiMax radios, Android 2.3 with HTC Sense 2.1 and more. Other than the 3D bits and beefed up specs, it was largely the same device that you’d expect from HTC. There was nothing too unique going on with the software.
One thing I didn’t like about the hardware were the dual cameras – HTC has once again elected to protrude the lenses. This is annoying more-so now than ever before as the protrusion is so profound that I’d think the phone had some form of cancer. Between both cameras are dual LED flashes. The video is above for your convenience. Check it out and see if you like what Sprint’s bringing to the table so far.
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| Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:31 AM PDT
Just as everyone expected, Samsung went ahead and announced new models of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The first an 8.9 inch model with the same great Tegra 2 processor that powers most Android 3.0 tablets, but they’re including HSPA+ (21mbps) radios and will implement an HD resolution display (1280×800). Other specs to round the hardware out are a 2 megapixel webcam, a 5 megapixel back camera with flash capable of HD video recording and more. Samsung’s big thing with this introduction was its thinness and weight. The 8.9 inch version of the Tab is just 470g light and 8.6mm thin, making it not only the lightest tablet in the game, but also the thinnest. (Only its 10.1 inch big brother can compare.) Another big talking point was the software Samsung’s included on top of Android 3.0. They’re calling it TouchWiz 4.0, of course, but it’s not as bad as you might imagine. It’s a user experience more than it is a user interface as they’ve only included own-built applications and widgets that you remove and add as you wish.
Social Hub is also included and while it’s still not the most robust social networking experience that can be had, it’s cool for new users who’d rather have all that stuff in one central location. Honeycomb itself is nearly untouched so users shouldn’t have to worry too much about upgrades. Another cool feature was the “Mini Apps Tray”. Regardless of where you’re at in the OS, swiping your finger up at the bottom of the screen brings up a list of Samsung-made mini apps that can be used without leaving the app you’re in. You can do things like use the phone, send messages, check the weather, write memos and more. The app is easily closable by pressing the X button in the upper right corner. I can see this being a very good utility if Samsung opens it up to developers. Samsung also introduced a new 10.1 inch model that has the same 4G radios inside and the same WXGA display. This one looks a bit different from the version we saw at Mobile World Congress – it’s a lot thinner at 8.6mm and a lot more light at 596g. It doesn’t have the same grippy back of the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, something I actually liked. The design still looks nice, though. The software is identical to that in the aforementioned 8.9 inch Tab. Samsung will be introducing tablet versions of a Books Hub, Music Hub and Movie Hub but they didn’t have the applications available for demo at their booth.
Samsung has already announced pricing and availability, something they don’t often do. There are a couple of different configurations you can get for each model. There is a 16GB version of the 8.9 inch that’ll cost $469.99 while the 32GB version will be $569.99. Samsung only gave a general “early this summer” window for that. The 10.1-inch is unsurprisingly a bit pricier coming in at $499.99 and $599.99 for the 16GB and 32GB versions, respectively. It will be available June 8th. I have to admit: I was a bit skeptical when I heard Samsung would be customizing the device. What they’ve done is pretty lightweight though, and it works well enough for me to tolerate it. I can remove most of the elements if I don’t like them with the only exception being the mini apps tray. (That doesn’t really get in the way, though, and I see myself using that feature quite often.) The original rumors were true, but not really. Samsung never said they wanted to change the Galaxy Tab they’d already introduced, but never said anything about a new version of the 10.1 inch version. It does make me wonder what the point is, though: we all know the original model will evaporate and supply will be “limited” at retail. We’ll have hands-on video up for you guys soon enough.
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| Sprint Unveils the HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:24 AM PDT
Sprint has just formally announced the HTC EVO 3D as we expected them to. All of those leaked specs before remain true with its 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, Android 2.3 with HTC Sense 2.1, an autostereoscopic 3D-enabled display, dual cameras on the back for capturing 3D content and more. The device has a hardware switch that’ll allow you to enable and disable 3D as you please without having to stumble around multiple levels of menus. Sprint also announced the HTC EVO View 4G, their version of the HTC Flyer launched at Mobile World Congress. It looks a bit different from HTC’s original version, of course, but it’s pretty much the same device. It has a 1.5GHz processor (single-core), Android 2.3 with a new version of Sense specifically made for tablets, a 7-inch display, etc. The conference is still going on but I thought I’d let you folks know that the devices are here and we’ll be going after them. Look out for our hands-on video with these devices and more information in a bit. Check below for a full press release below the image in the meantime.
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| Official: Samsung Announces Galaxy Tab 8.9 Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:44 AM PDT
At today’s CTIA press event Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Tab 8.9 along with a second look at the upcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1. As the name suggests, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 features an 89.-inch display at a resolution of 1280×600 with a slim and light profile. It weighs in at just 470g and measure 8.6mm thick. It shares many of the specs with the bigger Galaxy Tab 10.1 including a dual-core 1GHz processor, 3MP rear camera, and 2MP front-facing camera. Perhaps the biggest thing to note is that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is set to be the first Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet to feature a custom user interface, though it won’t ship with what is being called TouchWiz UX out of the box. That will come in a later update. We are live at CTIA and will be bringing our own hands-on impressions of the new line of Galaxy Tabs later on. For now, see the full press release below:
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| Angry Birds Rio Free in Amazon Appstore for Today Only Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:28 AM PDT
In celebration of the launch of their brand-spanking new Appstore, or more likely to entice new customers to sign up, Amazon is offering their Rovio exclusive Angry Birds Rio for free for the remainder of the day. Just head over to the Amazon, sign up for the Appstore, and enjoy your free download! [Thanks, Jimmie!]
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| Watch the Samsung CTIA Event Live at 11:00AM EST Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:59 AM PDT
So you weren’t among those invited to attend Samsung’s CTIA press event? No problem. The whole thing kicks off in a few minutes at 11:00AM EST (though we know these always get going late) and you can watch it right from the comfort of your own home. We expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, but there may be a few more surprises in store. Head on over to Samsung’s site to watch the live stream.
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| Who Says Big Ain’t Beautiful? Survey Says 24 percent of Handsets Have Screen 4 Inches or Larger Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT
You might remember Steve Jobs professing that “no one” would want a phone with a screen sized at 4-inches or higher. Never mind that rumors place the upcoming iPhone 5 at that very screen size, a new survey from NPD took a look at smartphones divided by screen size and found that, in large part thanks to Android, devices with mammoth screens have been gaining in popularity rapidly. Handsets with screens at 4-inches or above now account for 24 percent of all smartphones, according to their data. Phones with screens below 3.4-inches and those with screens in the 3.5 to 3.9-inch range have seen a slight drop off. Read on for the full details.
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| Microsoft Continues Indirect Attack on Android, Files Suit Against Barnes & Noble and NOOKcolor Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:45 AM PDT
Microsoft won’t attack Google directly, but they sure are making a time of going after manufacturing partners, determined to prove elements of the Android OS violate patents owned by the computer software company. Now in their sights are Barnes & Nobles and several manufacturers involved in the making of the NOOKcolor, including Foxconn and Inventec. MS claims elements of the NOOKcolor copy “natural ways of interacting with devices by tabbing through various screens to find information.” That sounds like just about every computing device, but OK. Microsoft claims they attempted to reach a licensing agreement last year with the companies involved, but terms were refused. MS believes they are left with no choice but to sue. You can read all about it at the Microsoft source link below. [Microsoft via AndroidCentral]
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| Sony Ericsson Continues to Freak Us Out with Xperia Play Commercials Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:34 AM PDT We know one thing about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for certain: the company is putting all of their might behind making this thing as big a success as possible. Whether it IS that big success remains to be seen, but here are yet more commercials for the handset featuring the oft-hilarious Kristen Schaal. Yes, she has demon eyes in one and becomes a cross bow-weilding dawrd in another. Freaky, but what more could you ask for?
[via Engadget]
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| Apple Not Happy with Amazon’s Use of the “App Store” Trademark Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:24 AM PDT
Amazon just launched their apps marketplace for Android under the name Appstore, and if you thought Apple was going to let that one fly you are sorely mistaken. If Amazon though condensing the title into one word and eliminating the capital ‘S’ would save them from cries of unfair competition from the Apple camp, they were also sorely mistaken. The iPhone maker and arguable source of the whole apps phenomenon has already filed a complaint in federal court accusing Amazon of trademark infringement and improper use of the “App Store” trademark. Things get a bit trickier, though. While Apple was granted the App Store trademark, Microsoft has challenged the registration and the whole matter is currently set to go before the trademark appeal board. This matter will be central in Amazon’s defense. The court documents cite Apple’s attempt to contact Amazon and seek the abandoning of the App Store name on at least three occasions, but Amazon did not respond to their requests. The online retail giant denied comment on the pending case. [via Bloomberg]
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| Firefox 4 Now Available as Release Candidate in the Android Market Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:12 AM PDT
Over the past year Mozilla has been chugging along, tweaking and perfecting their Firefox browser for mobile devices with a beta release making it to the Android Market in the latter half of 2010. Yesterday it was announced that Firefox 4 for Android had reached Release Candidate status; the new build is now available in the Android Market free for download. The new release brings along quicker scrolling, a more responsive interface, and improvements to the user experience. A blog post at Mozilla provides more details and a video overview of what new things to expect. Hit up the source link below to check it out. Android Market Link: Firefox [via Mozilla]
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| HTC EVO 3D, EVO View 4G Spotted at Sprint Site, Specs Revealed Ahead of Official Announcement Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:46 AM PDT
Waiting for a press event to show off your shiny new mobile device is so last year. That must be why Sprint has updated their site with pre-registration pages for the HTC EVO 3D (here) and HTC View 4G (here) ahead of today’s official announcement. This is our first look at both devices, showing an EVO 3D handset that fits right in with the EVO 4G and HTC EVO Shift and a View tablet that looks like the spitting image of the HTC Flyer, save for the black case instead of white. Also before the official announcement, the enterprising folks at PocketNow have managed to sniff out the specs for both devices. As expected, the EVO 3D will feature a 1.2Ghz dual-core Snapdragon MSM8660 processor, a 4.3-inch autostereoscopic 3D display with a qHD resolution of 960×540, and sport a 5MP rear camera. Actually it’s a dual 5MP rear camera, much like the LG Optimus 3D There is also a 1.3MP front-facing cam. The EVO View 4G features a single-core 1.5GHz CPU, a 7-inch 1024×600 diplay, and the same 5MP/1.3MP camera combo of the EVO 3D.
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| Motorola Droid X2 Pictured In the Wild with 4G LTE Branding [REAL or FAKE?] Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:28 AM PDT
At first glance the above picture might look like any old Motorola Droid X to you, but once your eye catches the “4G LTE” logo next to the Verizon branding on the battery cover, you will know we may be looking at a different beast altogether. A friendly neighborhood tipster forwarded along this supposed in-the-wild look at the upcoming sequel, the Motorola Droid X2 . I say supposed because a closer look at the “4G LTE” lettering had me second guessing whether or not it may have been added to the photo after the fact. For what it’s worth, the “4G” printed on the back of the leaked Motorola Targa — another rumored Droid device — uses a different font, but there is no telling if this would stick across the board. If you look closesly at the bottom right corner of the phone, however, right next to the “Google” logo we see a round cut-out area, something not present on the original Droid X. Our best guess is this is some sort of speaker, but we can’t say for sure. The Droid X2 is said to carry specs not all that different from the original, but we can’t be sure until more information is gleaned. So what do you think? Real or fake? Vote in the poll below. [Thanks, Michael!]
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| Amazon App Store for Android… LIVE NOW! Posted: 22 Mar 2011 05:42 AM PDT We’ve been anticipating this for quite some time and the Amazon App Store for Android is finally LIVE!
We’ll reserve judgement until we have some time to play with it, use it, kick the tires, try and pop the tires, and we’re sure you’ll be doing the same. Let us know what you think about the Amazon App Store for Android below and vote on what you thinks better… this or Android Market!
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| LG Wireless Charging Pad Goes Unplugged Posted: 22 Mar 2011 05:14 AM PDT Remember the “Touchstone” Charger for the Palm Pre? When it was announced it received a ton of praise for being sleek, sexy, and easy – removing the cords that entangled battery charging. Since the WebOS hype has died down we haven’t heard much from the TouchStone since, but LG is resurrecting the concept with their own technology. Introducing the LG Wireless Charging Pad:
I love the idea… the less cords the better. What would be even MORE awesome is if the industry would standardize this technology just as they’ve done with MicroUSB as the current standard. That would open the door for lots of accessories including automotive dashboards with no-cord charging which would excite me to the Nth degree. What types of chargers are on your list of solutions? Press release:
Considering all the patent infringement lawsuits being flung around, I hope LG doesn’t face some sort of litigation from HP considering they acquired all Palm’s patents. I suppose we’ll see!
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