Android and Me |
- Will QI chargers be the future of Android?
- French Nexus S commercial hits the web
- Google gets ready to launch new Market, Music, Camera and Gallery apps
- T-Mobile gives 4G action to 10 more cities
- Is the Thunderbolt’s battery issues a sign of things to come?
| Will QI chargers be the future of Android? Posted: 05 Apr 2011 03:37 PM PDT I’ve been fascinated by the idea of “wireless power” for awhile now. Shortly after the G1 was released, I attended a TED talk where Eric Giler walked the Android phone across the stage and demonstrated it charging without being plugged into anything. Fast forward to today, and while the WiTricity guys still aren’t ready, other types of “wireless power” has hit the market, ready to remove the need to use a power cord. As Android handset manufacturers begin to include these technologies into their handsets, will we begin to see the death of the power cord? The Wireless Power Consortium, developers of the Qi Inductive Charging System, have been very busy putting their systems in as many places as possible. Working with Energizer to create low cost charging plates that works with all Qi systems, and partnering with companies like LG, HTC, and now Motorola to get their tech added to the next generation of handsets. If you’ll recall, we recently did a piece on Qi systems found in the LG Optimus 2x. We also know that HTC is planing to release a Qi battery cover for the Thunderbolt, and the leaked shots of the Pyramid have the same copper colored tabs underneath the battery cover. Inductive chargers aren’t new, or even unique, but the interoperability offered by Qi-friendly companies seem to have made it the more popular option. It’s entirely possible that your next Android phone will be Qi enabled. Energizer’s inductive plates support multiple devices, and a single device plate is on the way to handle any kind of user. Right now, no phone comes with everything you need out of the box to enjoy these induction systems, and the costs varies based on manufacturer. The real question here is whether or not the cost and the convenience cancel each other out. After all, unlike Eric Giler’s WiTricity demonstration, the phone must still be set on the plate in order to charge, offering a very similar limitation to the power cord, even if you have multiple plates throughout the house. So, will Qi “Change the game”? Not just yet, in my opinion, maybe if and when it’s offered with the phone.
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| French Nexus S commercial hits the web Posted: 05 Apr 2011 02:51 PM PDT A new commercial featuring the Google Nexus S has been showing up on televisions across France over the past few days and has finally made its way onto the web. In an effort to push their stock Android 2.3 handset onto the France masses, Google's ad highlights a few of the standard features offered by the phone and a several of their own applications (Google Goggles and Google Maps). The 30 second ad is a little bland and honestly gives us a better look at the robotic arms that hold the Nexus S than what the handset is truly capable of. I've always been huge fan of the Nexus One and the Nexus S, but I think Google needs to refine its ad strategy by showing consumers why Android is a better than what the competition has to offer.
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| Google gets ready to launch new Market, Music, Camera and Gallery apps Posted: 05 Apr 2011 09:35 AM PDT Call it controlled leak or honest mistake, but according to TechFrom10, their Samsung Galaxy S phones started receiving a new test version of the Android Market this morning. Aside from a new “Content rating” section for apps, the new Market app is not that much different. However, this new version includes some interesting alpha and beta apps from Google. Among them is the upcoming Music app, which looks a lot like the baby brother of the Honeycomb version. You can download the app here if you’re of the adventurous type. (Update: TechFrom10′s servers seem to be down, luckily I had the app. You can get it here.) The other three beta apps are “Google Gallery 3D New 10.2″, “‘Google – Camera v12″ and “Google Desk Clock 10″. By now everybody and their mothers knows a new version of the Music app is coming soon — probably launched along Google Music at something called Google I/O I hear is happening next month. But the other three apps are really surprising to see in the Android Market. Maybe this has something to do with that rumor we heard a year ago. It looks like Google is getting ready to decouple standard Android apps and components from the OS and start moving them to the Market. Apps like Mail, Gallery, Camera, Browser, Calendar, and Messaging would be available for everybody from the Android Market. Not only apps, but also things like the standard Android keyboard, widgets, and Launcher will be available for people running HTC Sense or TouchWiz. Clearly, Google is trying to fend off this so-called “fragmentation” Android suffers from. By doing this, everyone with an Android phone will always have the latest version of all these apps – without waiting for an OTA update. Furthermore, those people running HTC Sense would be able to make their phone look just like a Nexus S by getting all these apps from the Market. It also allows Google to iterate these apps faster and fix bugs much quicker than it can now. Next step, figure out how to completely update Android from the Market app.
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| T-Mobile gives 4G action to 10 more cities Posted: 05 Apr 2011 08:42 AM PDT While AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile is pending, the “largest 4G network” still seems to be in the works, and yes, is still growing. Today, T-Mobile has announced that their 4G HSPA+ network would come to 10 new cities; Ames, IA; Anderson, IN; Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, and Jackson, MI; Fort Collins-Loveland, CO; Lawrence and Manhattan, KS; Springfield, IL; and Wichita Falls, TX. Just in case that was not enough good news for you, T-Mobile’s 4G network is not only expanding, but also improving. 4G speeds will be doubled in 25 markets by mid-2011, allowing for downloads of up to 42 stunning Mbps, starting with Vegas, New York, and Orlando. Though T-Mobile has always been a bit bullied by the bigger brothers, these are definitely no baby steps, especially right before a possible acquisition. Such speeds would leave Verizon’s “fastest 4G network” quite a bit behind, but of course, theoretical speeds are to be taken with a grain of salt. We will have to wait and see if the network actually meets such expectations, and also, what happens to T-Mobile down the road. In the meanwhile, enjoy your brand new 4G speeds!
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| Is the Thunderbolt’s battery issues a sign of things to come? Posted: 05 Apr 2011 07:59 AM PDT HTC's Thunderbolt is the flagship 4G LTE device for Verizon's speedy new network. Seriously, this network is insanely fast, with download speeds averaging in the 10 to 15 mbps range, and upload speeds coming in between 3 and 5 mbps on average. Though these bandwidth speeds are truly remarkable, especially coming from a mobile smartphone, constant use of the 4G LTE network has resulted in a detrimental impact on battery life for the Thunderbolt. I've been using the Thunderbolt as my daily driver for the past few weeks now, and it was truly a rare sight to see the battery make it beyond the 6 hour mark with moderate-heavy use, requiring me to charge the device 2 or even 3 times per day to make it through a full day of use. Now, I must state that I do live in an area that is fully covered by Verizon's LTE network, and it is a well-known issue that the LTE network does have a negative impact on a device's battery life, but should we really only expect our devices to only last 6 hours between charges? As a personal and business user who depends on having a constant connection to the internet, my answer to that last question is a resounding NO. I (and I assume many/all of you) need my device to make it through the standard 8 hour workday at the bare minimum. No phones should be hitting the market in 2011 unless they can meet the bare minimum battery expectations. Up until the Thunderbolt, I haven't had any problems getting to the 5pm bell. What has me more worried than the abysmal battery life of the Thunderbolt is what this will mean for future LTE devices. Will they all be plagued with the same issues that cripple the Thunderbolt, or will device manufacturers find a way to bring the battery life of their devices back in line with our expectations? Will we in the future be forced to choose between a high end device that can tap the full LTE speeds or one that uses the lesser 3G networks but can last for a full day without needing to be plugged in multiple times per day? Though I honestly don’t believe we will ever need to make that choice, the facts point a bit in that direction. The Thunderbolt launch was delayed by a full month to figure out a fix to the battery life issues, only to launch with the issues fully intact on the LTE network. Moreover, several individuals have pointed out that the Thunderbolt’s battery is just fine when using only the 3G network. All these signs point to LTE being a serious battery-suck, an issue that will require some creative engineering on the part of device manufacturers to remedy. Hopefully it won’t be too long for a fix to present itself. Until then, we’re all left to wonder.
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