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- Android friend HTC passes Nokia and RIM in Market Cap
- HTC Pyramid Photos, Rumors, and Facts [Roundup]
- HTC EVO View 4G Back to Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- T-Mobile G2x finally gets release date and pricing
- T-Mobile confirms Sidekick 4G release date
- Nexus S Smartphone aims at AT&T?
- Gartner report claims Android will own 49% of Smartphone Market by end of 2012
- Samsung Galaxy S II will launch in April
- SparkFun IOIO for Android makes Arduino-style hacks simple
- Google’s Andy Rubin denies Android lock-down
- Samsung Gem on U.S. Cellular Hands-On and Unboxing
- HTC Concept Phone called the New Eden
- Beautiful Widgets for Tablets beta available again [Download]
- Androids got Talent! Round 2 of the Dancing Android
- Motorola Droid X2 with Tegra 2 and high-res qHD Display confirmed again
- Samsung Galaxy Tab WIFI only finally for sale starting April 10th
- Enzo’s Pinball for Android, tactile feedback and all
- Sony Xperia PLAY Boot Animation [Fancy Download]
| Android friend HTC passes Nokia and RIM in Market Cap Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT HTC devices like the Nexus One, EVO, and more like the Flyer have helped them fly past and exceed not only Nokia, but also RIMs market cap. This is good news for our devoted Android handset maker. Our source mentions they have grown over 30 times their value over the last 5 years to a whopping $33.88 billion. That is compared to Nokia’s $32.85 bn, and RIM’s slowly lowering $28.5 bn.
Something tells me a very large part of that comes from HTC jumping on the Android train that is now in full throttle. HTC has been in a frenzy releasing every top level phone they could. Starting with the lovely G1 years ago, that started it all for their rise to the top. It’s exciting really, and now we have new entrants like LG that look to tap into that same potential if they can. We can’t forget how the Droid basically saved Motorola from there RAZR days. I’m still not sure what RIM has, or plans to do but their somewhat “smartphones” have been on the down as of late. Nokia’s recent partner with Windows for the Windows Phone 7 project could turn out really well for them. This is still a very new platform and things are uncertain. We will be here as it all unfolds, but for now it looks like things will only get better for HTC as they release things like the upcoming HTC Sensation, the EVO 3D. So keep your eyes out, I know we are. [via SlashGear] )
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| HTC Pyramid Photos, Rumors, and Facts [Roundup] Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:36 AM PDT It appears the basically everyone in the Android world has their eyes set on one HTC phone or another these past few weeks, and at the forfront of our forward-looking eyes is the HTC Pyramid. Before we continue, let’s take a note of the most recent word on this superphone of the future: it appears that it’ll be called the HTC Sensation. This is a fabulous name if I do say so myself, and we all approve.
Unlike most phones that make people’s heads turn into wormholes, this phone hasn’t been around the rumor bins for an extremely long time. We first heard of the HTC Pyramid back on the 3rd of February (this year) when it was first said to have a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and QHD display – and on T-Mobile no less! Next, we wagered a guess that the Pyramid’s European counterpart would come in the form of the HTC Desire 2. That idea was quickly trounced with a leak of an inventory list which showed the two phones as separate devices. Then the really awesome leaks started to pour in come March 15th. First there was word that this phone would come loaded with Android 3.0 Honeycomb – this post containing the first possible photographs of the device we’ve seen, then another gigantically exciting leak straight outta Techblog – what a lovely swooping chasis! Next we expected to see some more info on this mystery phone at CTIA 2011, but not even a whisper was heard. Then on the 22nd of March there was word once again that this device would be working with a QHD display – 960 x 540 pixels large, to be exact. Then the big one – still not perfect list of specifications, but a big fat collection of a few beutiful photographs from XDA Developers Forums. What do you think? Any of this seem to be sticking to you? We’re pumped! And if we had to guess, we’d bet on April 12, 2011 being the official announce date. )
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| HTC EVO View 4G Back to Android 2.3 Gingerbread Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:59 AM PDT We’ve been sent a message by HTC asking us to update our notes here about the HTC EVO View 4G. Apparently when we reported yesterday that Sprint’s HTC EVO View 4G was to ship with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, they’d jumped the gun on their website, which is where the whole world looks for solid info. Now consider this: what does Gingerbread mean for the world of Android phones? HTC EVO View 4G will certainly be upgraded to Android 3.0 Honeycomb soon after it’s released, but does this mean the Gingerbread wave is finally upon us?
What I speak of is of course a combination of the fact that Google doesn’t release its source code all at once, instead choosing a hero device with which they can wow the world, then moving on to the lowly peasants who all get it at the same time. You’re aware of the Nexus S, I’m sure, but did you know that there was another candidate in the Xperia PLAY? Have a look at a story by the name of Playstation phone confirmed as former Gingerbread hero phone and consider this: with so few phones on the market this moment with Gingerbread and now both the Nexus S and Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY out there, does the HTC EVO View 4G with Gingerbread, again, show itself as a sign of the Gingpocalypse? )
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| T-Mobile G2x finally gets release date and pricing Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:37 AM PDT T-Mobile USA has confirmed an April 20 release for the LG G2x, the carriers’ version of the LG Optimus 2X. Priced at $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, the G2x will require a new, two-year agreement (and likely a mandatory data plan).
Your money gets you a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone preloaded, and an 8-megapixel camera on the back. There’s also HDMI connectivity and a sizable 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen. The G2x arrives in-store on the same day as the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, in fact, but unlike the messaging-centric phone will also be available from April 15 online via the carrier’s online store. More details in our hands-on with the smartphone. )
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| T-Mobile confirms Sidekick 4G release date Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:11 AM PDT T-Mobile USA has confirmed that the Sidekick 4G will arrive on its network come April 20. The news comes as little surprise, however, since RadioShack already announced the launch date back at the end of last month.
Still, we won’t argue with official confirmation, and we know plenty of would-be Sidekick buyers who will likely feel the same way. The original series of devices built up a strong following, though it remains to be seen how many of them will follow the reskinned Android UI and familiar aesthetic over to the new-generation platform. Pricing for the messaging-centric handset will be from $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement including an unlimited data plan. For more on the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G check out our full hands-on. )
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| Nexus S Smartphone aims at AT&T? Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:46 AM PDT We have talked quite a bit about the Nexus S 4G smartphone that will be landing on Sprint this month. The smartphone will sell for $199.99 and packs in a 4-inch AMOLED screen, 1GHz processor, and 16GB of storage. It also runs Android 2.3 and uses NFC tech.
If you aren't on the Sprint network, you may have been hoping that Samsung would bring the Nexus S to other carriers. Apparently, that is happening with the spotting of a new page on the Samsung support site that shows a Nexus S in AT&T flavor. The smartphone will reportedly operate on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands that AT&T uses. The phone has the model number GT-I9020A. There is no word on pricing or launch details at this point. I would expect it to be the traditional $199 price with a new contract. [via Android Central] )
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| Gartner report claims Android will own 49% of Smartphone Market by end of 2012 Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:33 AM PDT Gartner is one of the largest research firms out there and it is always working on some sort of numbers for us to peruse. The latest report from the company has noted that Android is growing in a massive way. According to the firm by the end of 2012, Android will hold 49% of the smartphone market.
The report also notes that in 2011 468 million smartphones are expected to ship globally, an increase of 57.7% from 2010. Gartner also notes that sales of open OS devices will account for 26% of all mobile handset sales in 2011. By 2015, open handset sales will pass 1 billion and be 47% of the entire mobile market. The interesting bit of info in the numbers is how fast Android is growing and how fast other OS’ are losing market. Android has gone from 22.7% in 2010 to an expected 49.2% by 2012. At the same time, Symbian has gone from 37.6% in 2010 to an expected 5.2% in 2012. )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II will launch in April Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:05 AM PDT We have been talking for a while now about the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone. We heard not too long ago that the smartphone was getting a faster processor clock speed with a speed bump to 1.2GHz. There were also rumors floating around at the same time that the phone would be delayed until May or June.
Samsung has confirmed via a Tweet that the Galaxy S II will launch in April as was originally planned. That is good news for the fans of the device that are planning to buy one. Other than the 1.2GHz speed, the specs are the same. The smartphone will run the Tegra 2 processor in some areas. In other areas, it will use the Exynos dual-core Cortex A9. Both the Tegra and Samsung chips will run at the same speed. We still don’t know what region will get what processor; I would prefer the Tegra version myself. [via Twitter] Thanks Carl! )
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| SparkFun IOIO for Android makes Arduino-style hacks simple Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:54 AM PDT If you’re familiar with the Arduino then SparkFun’s new IOIO for Android should get you really excited. A straightforward way to get I/O from an Android 1.5+ device’s USB connection, the IOIO board uses a simple Java API to hook into your app and then allows you to link external sensors, inputs and other controls with your own software and the capabilities of the Android device itself.
Among the connectivity choices are Digital Input/Output, PWM, Analog Input, I2C, SPI and UARTcontrol. SparkFun have tested it with the T-Mobile G1, Google Nexus One and Nexus S, and Motorola’s Droid X (along with an unspecified tablet) but it should play nicely with other Android devices too. The firmware is all open-source and no modifications are necessary to the handset itself, so you shouldn’t impact your warranty. It’s available for pre-order now, priced at $49.95. [via Twitter] )
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| Google’s Andy Rubin denies Android lock-down Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:14 AM PDT Android lead Andy Rubin has challenged rumors that Google is locking down the OS, taking to the official Android Developers blog to deny that there has been “a change in strategy” in how it deals with OEMs, modifications, or hardware. “Our approach remains unchanged: there are no lock-downs or restrictions against customizing UIs” Rubin insists. “There are not, and never have been, any efforts to standardize the platform on any single chipset architecture.”
Talk of a more stringent approach to Android modification broke last week, with insiders claiming Google had begun to prioritize vendors who would agree not to modify the OS or its UI. The so-called “anti-fragmentation clauses,” Rubin says, have however been in place since Android 1.0, and the only demands Google makes is that manufacturers hold to certain core specifications if they want to use Google’s own apps. As for Honeycomb and the release of the Android 3.0 source code, Rubin says that “the Android team is still hard at work to bring all the new Honeycomb features to phones” and that “as soon as this work is completed, we'll publish the code.” )
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| Samsung Gem on U.S. Cellular Hands-On and Unboxing Posted: 06 Apr 2011 02:36 PM PDT We’ve been talking about this phone for months and months and yes, months, I kid you not. The Samsung Gem has news spanning back to August 4, 2010 and it’s got regular updates all the way up to the present where it’s available on U.S. Cellular for basically free ($29.99 after $80 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract.) At one point we saw it on Bluegrass, another time we had it coming out with Verizon, once it even cost $200! Crazy time! Now we’ve got it in our hands and it is truly, yes truly, a little gem.
First Impressions This phone looks utterly unique. It features a large diamond-shaped home button on the front, an upside-down triangle for an ear-level speaker, and another diamond on the back to cover up the camera hole. The front also features several more physical buttons including call, hang up, menu, and back, and there’s everyone’s favorite on the right side – a physical camera button! It’s all plastic chassis, a tiny 3.2-inch screen above. Rounded on the top and bottom, flat along the sides and top, and a nice maroon/red battery cover back “with Google.”
This is going to be a hot contender for those looking to get into Android without a lot of initial cost and an ever-so-slightly unique looking handset. We’ve got a hunch that it’ll be lasting long with the 1500 mAh battery, it weighs essentially nothing, and the last time we were looking at a U.S. Cellular phone, the data did not drop once, not even in the deep woods of Northern Minnesota.
So we’ve got high hopes. [Video coming soon!] Take a peek at the unboxing video, have a glance at the gallery of close-up images below, and hold on to your hats in anticipation of a full review, soon!                               )
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| HTC Concept Phone called the New Eden Posted: 06 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT Today I have a little treat for you all to cap off the day. This is a beautiful and extremely well designed concept phone from an XDA member by the name of Jason Wang. He is not one of the very well known concept designers but I have a feeling after everyone starts to see this latest creation he will be. This is about as clean and elegant as a phone could come.
From Jason himself he says this concept aims to enhance existing HTC design elements to create a device with beautiful design and a hallmark smartphone function. With a two piece aluminum casing, and current generation parts this design is feasible. Instead of some Glossy black phone with no bezels that anyone can think up. He wanted something nicer, smarter, and more elegant. This definitely hits his mark. Obviously this is just a concept phone, we probably will never see it but possible something close. It features a 4.0″ AMOLED Display, 1.2 Ghz OMAP 4 CPU, 16GB Storage with 1GB RAM, removable 1,700 mah battery. All sounds nice and like what is already out. He’s just made it better. He has tons of information and pictures for everyone to check out. I’ll post them and link to see all the photos below for your viewing pleasure. What do you all think? Do you like the design, or want an aluminum phone? I think it looks great.     [via XDA Forums] )
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| Beautiful Widgets for Tablets beta available again [Download] Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:20 PM PDT The wonderful developers from LevelUp Studio that are famous for making one of androids most popular app downloads of all times, Beautiful Widgets has just released another download for the BETA. They have designed a Beautiful Widgets for Tablets version that runs really nice on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and looks great.
The latest 3.0 Honeycomb beta ended today, and they have just posted another link to download the latest beta version on their twitter page @Levelupstudio. It looks great, works very well on honeycomb and even has moon phases. How cool is that. You can change the layout, as well as time and date format and many other adjustments. I think beautiful widgets is the best clock/weather/widget pack hands down for android. The latest beta is in its final stages and very limited. The beta download will only be active for 5 days but they are still working on final testing and bugs so feel free to download and enjoy it. Download: [via @LevelUpstudio Twitter] )
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| Androids got Talent! Round 2 of the Dancing Android Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT He’s back guys, this time in Malaysia. We have spotted another video of the Dancing with the Stars beating Android Mascot that has some serious moves. Earlier we showed you a video of this dancing android robot. He is back again, so for all your viewing pleasure we have the video for you.
I must admit, the first video was much better. He has more room to dance, better songs to get into his groove (and he does). This time it is a little shorter and weaker but still entertaining nonetheless. Do you think you have what it takes to be on dancing with the stars, err i mean the Sony Dancing Android? It might be hard to show that type of skill with a heavy and hot suit. Without further talk, here is the video for your viewing pleasure.
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| Motorola Droid X2 with Tegra 2 and high-res qHD Display confirmed again Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:49 PM PDT Motorola has the popular Droid lineup that keeps getting better and better. With phones like the Droid, Droid2, the X, and now the Bionic on its way. They are all good phones but other than the Atrix Motorola hasn’t shed much light on future phones and specs. Usually benchmarks don’t give tons of information but we’ve recently found a story about a Droid X running some benchmark software that showed some unusual specs. A dual-core Tegra 2 and a high-res qHD display instead of the usual 854×480. Interesting news.
Our friends over at pocketnow have shared a little bit of details of what sounds like the upcoming Droid X2. Earlier in the year we mentioned it very well might ship with the specs mentioned above, you can read about that here, then later confirmed the Droid X2 with Tegra 2 . So what do these benchmarks tell us? Nothing new really, except that this phone is real and is coming. My guess would be pretty soon, maybe summer. Either way this is good news for you Motorola, or Verizon users as more options, especially ones with dual-cores is always a good thing. The biggest issue for me would be that locked bootloader it is like 99% most likely to ship with. That is the biggest con in my book. For now hang tight and we will update you as more news about the Droid X2 comes in. [via PocketNow] )
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab WIFI only finally for sale starting April 10th Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:32 PM PDT What do we have here, it looks as if Samsung has finally decided to sell the Wifi only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Yea that 7″ slate that was released a long time ago that we never got a wifi version of, yup that is the one. A little late IMO, but better than never I guess. Samsung has just officially announced it will be up for sale starting April 10th (in 4 days) at multiple outlets and online sites.
According to Samsung, it will be available starting April 10th at stores like Circuit City, Tiger Direct, and CompUSA. As well as others like Fry’s, with Best Buy and others likely to follow. It is the same 7″ Android 2.2 powered slate we all should know already, with that bright and crisp display. The low price of $349 will get you the 32GB Wifi-Only model. This is a little late, but it is most likely to clear stock to get ready for the new Android 3.0 Honeycomb tabs they have coming next. It will be interesting to see if any of the Wifi models have 3G inside and they sell them to get rid of stock, but that is pushing it. If they do have cell radios inside, I bet those guys at XDA will get them working. In case you’ve forgot about this device check out our very own sister site SlashGear’s hands-on review . For those that have always wanted this, will you buy it, or the Wifi only Xoom? Or will you wait for Samsungs new Tabs? Tell us below. )
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| Enzo’s Pinball for Android, tactile feedback and all Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:06 PM PDT Enzo’s Pinball is a brand new game for Android. Brought to us by Haptify this pinball game is unlike any of the others I’ve tried. I used to love pinball back in the day and nothing on android comes close. The bumpers don’t feel realistic, and it just isn’t quite like the good times, old school pinball machines in the arcades. Haptify has changed all that with Enzo’s Pinball.
Available in the Android Market right now for $1.49 this game features full tactile response and feedback. When the ball hits walls, pumpers, or the arms you get a very realistic vibration, full tactile feedback. This is the first pinball game to feature anything like this and they have done an extremely good job. I hope more games and apps start to do the same. Not only does this game have amazingly great gameplay, the graphics and visuals are top notch also, and we can’t forget the lifelike physics. My favorite feature is accelerometer support so I can “tilt” the table like the old school pinball games all had. Features: * 3 Tables to choose from currently: Clockwork, Steam-powered and DJ I can’t wait to see what else Haptify has to offer in the future, as they plan to build games and apps all with haptic feedback being a large part of the game. This one hits the mark that is for sure. A must buy for any pinball fan or purist as it feels as real as it did back in the old neighborhood arcade. [via DroidGamers] )
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| Sony Xperia PLAY Boot Animation [Fancy Download] Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:24 AM PDT The Sony Xperia Play is a great little device in case you didn’t know. If you want to see it in action check out our Xperia Play Review by Chris Davies. Today we have a little treat for you guys. The Xperia Play is not for sale in the US yet, but for those that are anxiously waiting for it, you can now put the Plays boot animation on your phone. That should hold you over until it arrives for everyone.
The boot animation is something many people have fun with and enjoy changing on their android phones. It is an easy way to make it seem completely different. Instead of talking about it, I’ll just get right down to the goods. Below is full instructions, as well as the download for the bootanimation.zip of the Xperia Play. I threw it on my MT4G for a minute and it sure looks neat. As always be careful when changing or modding things. I always like to do a nandroid backup just to be safe.
Instructions: 1. download the bootanimation.zip file by clicking here 2. get root explorer. if you don’t have root explorer spend the few bucks in the marketplace and get it. 3. place the bootanimation file you just downloaded in the root of your sd card 4. open root explorer 5. locate the file you just moved to the sd card and long click it, then select “move” 6. navigate to this folder: /data/local/ 7. click “paste” at the bottom of screen and overwrite exisiting file. 8. that is all, reboot and enjoy your new Xperia Play boot animation as an alternative, or if you don’t want to buy Root Explorer and are familiar with adb you can also just push the animation to the same /data/local adb push bootanimation.zip /data/local And you are done, Enjoy! )
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