Android and Me |
- Thunderbolt update ready, OTA rolling out soon
- HBO GO now available, stream away!
- HTC to release an NFC-capable device “slightly above” the HTC Sensation
- Motorola dishes on the Droid Bionic delay and Xoom 4G update
- HTC DROID Incredible 2 camera review
| Thunderbolt update ready, OTA rolling out soon Posted: 29 Apr 2011 04:30 PM PDT Though the HTC Thunderbolt is a great device, we know that you may still have some grudges about Verizon’s 4G outage this week. If you need something to improve your mood, you will be happy to know that Verizon is ready to push out a software update for the HTC Thunderbolt. This update was actually leaked through a rom last week, which led us to believe that this was coming soon, but with Verizon posting a pdf file on their website, things are now starting to look good. As you can see, the first improvement is "Enhanced data connectivity when accessing the Verizon 3G network," which could have probably helped many users during the outage, but regardless, it is nice to hear that better days are coming. Aside from the 3G enhancement, the update includes better organization for text messages, and better access to some apps, as well as some other performance improvements. Verizon’s PDF is posted below if you would like to check out the specific details on this update, and stay tuned for your next OTA, which should be here anytime. Don’t forget to share your comments and opinions below, and let us know when you start seeing your updates!
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| HBO GO now available, stream away! Posted: 29 Apr 2011 01:55 PM PDT If you recall, last week we reported that HBO would release HBO GO for Android, iOS, and laptops, and if you have been waiting for this new service, today is your lucky day. HBO GO is now available in the Android Market and the service is free of charge for HBO subscribers (As Sean mentioned, you can’t purchase the service standalone). There are exceptions though, this service needs at least a 3G connection, and it is only available for U.S. customers subscribed to participating T.V. Providers (AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cox, DIRECTV, Suddenlink, Charter, DISH, and Verizon FIOS).
There are some issues (and lack of compatibility) with certain devices, and sadly that includes Honeycomb tablets, but let’s hope that HBO gets working on this, so more people can enjoy HBO on the go. Are you guys excited about HBO GO? If you get a chance to use it, let us know your impressions on it, and check out HBO’s videos below!
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| HTC to release an NFC-capable device “slightly above” the HTC Sensation Posted: 29 Apr 2011 11:38 AM PDT Though still making its first baby steps, NFC (Near Field Communications) has great potential. As we see more phones featuring NFC, the way we deal with daily matters (like transactions) will change as well. Currently, the only Android device with an NFC chip is the Samsung Nexus S, and though we wish many of the phones coming out would sport NFC, that just isn’t the case today, but HTC is coming to the rescue! Bright Side of News has reported that at a recent press event an unnamed HTC Sales Manager stated that HTC is planning to bring an NFC high-end smartphone, which should be positioned "slighly above the recently announced HTC Sensation." This device is expected to be released during the 3rd quarter of 2011, probably not too long after the Sensation hits (you just might have a reason to wait a bit… again). Though this device is supposed to be "slightly above" the HTC Sensation, we are not sure if this only constitutes the addition of the NFC chip or whether there will be other enhancements. We do know that the new HTC phone will have a 4.3 qHD display, similar to the one found in the Sensation. Will it be that much better? Most likely not, unless you consider NFC to be highly important, in which case it might be worth the wait for you. What do you think? Will you go for the Sensation or this NFC-capable device? Is NFC that important to you? Maybe you want another HTC device, like the EVO 3D, so let us know!
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| Motorola dishes on the Droid Bionic delay and Xoom 4G update Posted: 29 Apr 2011 07:51 AM PDT A little over a week ago we caught wind of the possibility that the Droid Bionic may be canceled which quickly gave way to the more palatable rumor that it was merely delayed with an eye to improve some of the specs. Motorola’s line was that based on feedback since CES they were going to be “incorporating several enhancements to make this (the Bionic) an even better consumer experience.” Our friends at Droid Life listened to the Motorola earnings call yesterday afternoon and while Sanjay Jha didn’t reveal any specifics regarding what upgrades the Bionic we handled at CES will see, but he did offer up additional info pertaining to the delay as well as a nod to our favorite upgradeable to 4G Honeycomb tablet. Jha confirmed that the Bionic we will see hit retail sometime this Summer is going to be borrowing from a future handset (Targa?) which has apparently been shelved in favor of putting all of Moto’s eggs in the Bionic basket this Summer. In short it looks like we went from two high profile Verizon device launches from Motorola in Q2/Q3 to one which depending on the device the Bionic has become may be fine with everybody. I don’t think anyone is particularly excited to see their new “best phone ever” outclassed within a matter of months, by the same manufacturer no less. According to Jha the decision to make these spec enhancements to the Bionic came only after it became clear that the ship date was slipping anyway. Obviously this doesn’t quite gel with the story that it is being upgraded based on feedback, but we’ll have to let that go for the moment. What caused the initial delay? Not surprisingly the answer is LTE. Jha admitted that both the Xoom 4G upgrade and the Bionic will be able to march out hand in hand when they can get the software to play nicely with LTE on them both. Whether that means that the Bionic should be expected near the projected May 26th 4G upgrade for the Xoom or if this instead points to the Xoom upgrade seeing a delay into the 3rd quarter is not known. I’m glad to see Motorola doing something with a delayed product rather than just letting it rest on its laurels and launch it as is months late, but I do find it a bit strange that they are having such difficulties integrating LTE considering HTC and Samsung (well almost) have managed to get their offerings out the door already. If you want to see the transcript of the Q&A’s you can hit up the source link below.
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| HTC DROID Incredible 2 camera review Posted: 28 Apr 2011 08:13 PM PDT Most of us here at Android and Me are typically worried about processor speeds, screen sizes, and which versions of Android are loaded up on every new phone that launches. While these features are great points to obsess over, we typically don’t give much thought to the cameras our handsets come with. Yes, we occasionally gripe about manufacturers who still use 3 or 5 megapixel sensors, but that’s usually the extent of our worries. But for the few of you who worry about the small details, we thought we would give you a little insight into the 8 megapixel camera on the new HTC DROID Incredible which just launched on Verizon Wireless. Anyone who’s used one of HTC’s latest phones will probably be familiar with the customized camera application on the DROID Incredible 2. The app gives you the ability to easily adjust the exposure, contract, saturation, and white balance in addition to a half dozen preset filters and effects that can be applied to your pictures and video clips. If you enjoy tinkering with the settings, HTC gives you the ability to adjust the ISO, control the image review duration, and toggle the settings for auto-focus, shutter sound, and facial detection. Like many other Android phones, the HTC DROID Incredible 2 includes a touch-to-focus feature which gives you complete control of the focal point when it comes to taking pictures or shooting video. While other phones allow you to use this feature before you snap a picture or start recording a video, the DROID Incredible 2 takes it one step further by enabling touch-to-focus even while you record video. Gallery            The image sensor on the Incredible 2 does a great job of capturing pictures and video. The default saturation settings are a little too high for our taste, but that can easily be tweaked in the camera’s settings. But rather than tell you about the image quality, we suggest you take a look at some of the pictures we captured earlier today. We also captured a couple videos to let you see the video quality for yourself. The only problem is that the Incredible 2′s default video setting is set to record at 800×480 instead of 1280×720. We’re hoping to have a little extra time to shoot some new clips in HD for you tomorrow.
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