Android Community |
- Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Phone with Android
- Samsung Galaxy S II Extreme Unboxing Video Roundup
- LG G2x Root and ClockworkMod already, and the easy way
- Samsung Galaxy S II: Extreme Unboxing! [Video]
- HTC Thunderbolt outsells iPhone 4 last month at Verizon
- GingerBreak (root for Gingerbread) app
- Droid Charge Release Date Official, Scavenger Hunt, Media Hub Credit Included
- Reminder: We’ve Got a XOOM Contest Going On!
- Official launch date for LG Optimus 3D unveiled
- Euro Apple iOS ecosystem is twice the size of Android
- HTC Droid Incredible 2 unboxed at Wirefly
- June 8 HTC Sensation 4G launch on T-Mobile tipped by advert
- Verizon ThunderBolt inductive battery cover breaks cover
- UK launch for Samsung Galaxy S II pulled forward to April 27 [Updated]
- ASUS Eee Pad Transformer due in North America April 26 2011
- Qualcomm Q2 Sales Results Show $3.9 Billion in Revenue
- Motorola Droid X Quadrant gets huge boost from OTA Gingerbread 2.3
- Samsung Droid Charge accessories and promo cards appear
- LG G2x Kickstand case accessory looks pretty nifty
- LG G2x having LCD screen bleeding issues? Quality Control?
| Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Phone with Android Posted: 21 Apr 2011 11:05 AM PDT Sony today has quietly, and without much of any press, or Walkman lovers of any sort knowing, have announced the Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Phone. Oh and did I mention that it runs Android. Although it is sadly only Android 2.1 Eclair. I can see this phone being perfect for some people, but having last generation hardware, and software I just don’t understand why, but for those Walkman lovers you can get it soon.
If you look closely at this W8 phone, it looks like a slightly redesigned Xperia X8, and the more we look at it and notice the hard keys on front, the volume rockers on the side. It is the same device. Just redesigned a small bit and has some walkman love built into it. Looks to also have a custom Walkman UI. You can see more on this device and its specs and all the other Walkman information on both the Sony Ericsson W8 product page, as well as over at the Xperia Blog. Interesting device to just randomly show up on the Sony Ericsson product page, but we’ll take it. Will you be buying one? Or are you waiting for the Xperia Play? [via Sony Ericsson] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II Extreme Unboxing Video Roundup Posted: 21 Apr 2011 10:48 AM PDT SO you’ve got to be wild and crazy to be an unboxer- a professional unboxer will go to ANY length to get that fabulous unboxing video, and this is absolUTELY the best way to prove that. We’ve got a whole sack full of top-tier sites unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S II whilst doing insanely extreme sports of all sorts. From a rally car to a high drop to a rollercoaster, all of it wild and crazy. The idea here is that everyone understands that the Galaxy S II is EXTREME!
What we’ve got here is everyone from a series of six sites thought worthy enough to do some set of oddities to get the unboxing video of our greatest dreams. Our hero is Chris Davies, as you’ll see in the last video, who is rolling out in a sweet ol’ rally car as he lists off the details of the phone like a PRO. This is the ultimate test of a publisher, in my opinion, and I’d love for you to prove me wrong. Good luck! Oh my goodness what a rush! I don’t think I could stand up to such pressure. Maybe if they had me doing it while dodging trains or going down a hill on some skateboard snowboards or something – nah! I’ll stay here at the desk. )
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| LG G2x Root and ClockworkMod already, and the easy way Posted: 21 Apr 2011 10:38 AM PDT It looks like things are already moving along just fine, just as we expected they would on the LG G2x. It doesn’t have locked bootloaders, or any of those other issues all the Motorola and HTC phones have as of late. After day one we are already rooted, and running clockworkmod both on the G2x, next up is CyanogenMod.
This is sort of news, but was also pretty expected from the XDA and android hacking community. They are usually pretty fast. They already have CyanogenMod like 90% done for this device, so all the rest is only a matter of time. First I will start with rooting your G2x. It is extremely easy and took me ohhh, about 35 seconds or so. Using the extremely popular SuperOneClick root method it was done in a matter of seconds. Here is the G2x specific root thread over at XDA. Then once you have done that ClockworkMod is not quite as easy yet, but I’m sure it will be soon. ClockworkMod is already up and working on the G2x also, that means custom ROM’s are just days or hours away from starting to come out. Not to mention there are some already for the Optimus 2x, but I’d be careful as they might not be compatible at first. The guide for CWM is a little more involved because it requires NvFlash. This isn’t to hard for those that have used it in the past, it’s similar to adb, but different. Check out the links and guides below. ClockWorkMod for G2x   [via XDA G2x Forum] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II: Extreme Unboxing! [Video] Posted: 21 Apr 2011 10:26 AM PDT The things we here at Android Community will do to get our hands on the latest gadgets! Samsung invited me to crank the traditional unboxing process up to 11 last week, taking to a 300bhp Subaru Impreza rally car to talk about the company’s new flagship Galaxy S II Android smartphone in the most unusual of situations.
So, last week I ended up at the Phil Price Rally School in mid-Wales, strapped into a four-point harness and clutching a boxed-up Galaxy S II. “Speak loud” they warned me, “else we won’t hear you over the engine” – I’m going to pretend that that’s the only reason I look so frantic in the final clip, desperately trying to make myself heard while covering a two or three miles of rally track in under two minutes. In the end, I lost all the accessories – and most of the packaging – over my shoulder during the very first turn, but managed to just about keep a grip on the Galaxy S II itself. Whether anything I actually managed to scream at the camera is intelligible is, well, open to debate. If you’re interested in picking up the Samsung Galaxy S II, it’ll go on sale from April 27. If you’d like to see a somewhat less dramatic hands-on with the smartphone, check out our coverage from last month! )
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| HTC Thunderbolt outsells iPhone 4 last month at Verizon Posted: 21 Apr 2011 09:43 AM PDT This is a little interesting, but at the same time I’m not all that surprised. The iPhone 4 is old news, It is old and doesn’t even have 4G I mean common right. Well, according to the research firm ITG The HTC Thunderbolt outsold the iPhone 4 on Verizon last month. That is only on Verizon. Some might be waiting for that white iPhone, or the 5, but I think most likely it is that beautiful 4.3″ screen and that little feature called “4G LTE” that is doing the selling.
It is exciting to see Android phones that continue to sell well, anything HTC most likely will as they have some amazing hardware. This story originally comes from the NYP, where they quote ITG Research Firm a few times.
I can’t help but wonder if a large part of this is that small screen the iPhone is still using. Many people want something bigger, better, faster, and newer. The HTC Thunderbolt delivers every one of those things, some multiple times. I know from my work alone there has been many people that have sold their iPhone for a EVO, or the Thunderbolt as they see others with a larger screen and want one also. Either way this is good news for Android, Verizon, and the Thunderbolt. [via New York Post] )
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| GingerBreak (root for Gingerbread) app Posted: 21 Apr 2011 09:25 AM PDT OK guys, this is fresh off the press and pretty new. Although the exploit has been extensively tested to be fully working, this app hasn’t yet. We got word about this being finally released (thanks @simms22) this morning and we just have to share it with everyone. This is an easy app for rooting Gingerbread, comes to us from no other than the XDA Forums. Check out below for more info.
I think I’ll mention this now rather than later. As always use caution when doing any modifications, rooting, flashes or anything of that sort with your android phone. What you do is your own fault. So be careful and always read/learn before you try.
He goes on to mention that it was able to root his stock Galaxy S JVB 2.3.3 with no problem, so that sounds good. The developer of this app over at xda named Chainfire also mentioned that it will run the exploit, remount /system read/write, install su binaries and SuperUser.apk all for you. This is still very new and a basic release, there is not any instructions other than a little “if it doesn’t work, try this” so far. So this is for the serious, the bold, and the daring. Or those that drink Dos Equis. I’ll head you right over to the action, you can get the APK and read what the others have been doing all over at xda, this is a basic system for rooting gingerbread and the Android Exploid Crew mention on their blog that it very well may work for FroYo and Honeycomb also, but that is not for sure so you probably should wait before trying that. [via XDA Forums] )
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| Droid Charge Release Date Official, Scavenger Hunt, Media Hub Credit Included Posted: 21 Apr 2011 09:21 AM PDT Today we’ve been sent official word that Samsung Mobile and Verizon Wireless will be releasing the Droid Charge on April 28th. This is that fabulously impressive phone that’s also Samsung’s first LTE capable device – 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, a back-facing 8 megapixel camera, and a 1 GHz single-core processor under the hood. AND you get some credit. AND there’s a scavenger hunt!
The credit you’ll be receiving “for a limited time” is a $25 ticket good for Samsung’s baked-in Media Hub where you’ll be able to rent or purchase all sorts of media directly from your phone. That’s like two movies worth! You’ll be downloading this media on Verizon’s ultra-fast 4G LTE network which we’ve been nothing but impressed with (having been using it for a few weeks now on the HTC ThunderBolt.) Droid Charge also has built-in mobile hotspot capability and access to the Android Marketplace. ALSO BONUS there’s going to be a Droid Charge Scavenger Hunt! What in the world? Apparently anyone 18 years or older can participate in this hunt taking place in 16 different major US cities, all sorts of additional info coming out of the twitter Droid Landing: @droidlanding. Love it! So weird! Take a peek at a couple of Charge pics here and get pumped up for the phone!           )
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| Reminder: We’ve Got a XOOM Contest Going On! Posted: 21 Apr 2011 08:06 AM PDT Get your clickers out and start rummaging around in your Facebooks and get ready for a sweet chance at winning a FREE Motorola XOOM tablet – Wifi only so you don’t have to worry about any kind of monthly cost. That’s right, Motorola’s NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor toting Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet for your ultra excellent power gaming and business and entertainment needs! All you’ve got to do to enter is follow the simple directions here!
The following is the limited set of rules. These are essentially all you have to do or might be expected to do – for the full rules you’ve gotta head back to the original post for this contest. Go forth and win! To win one of these fabulous tablets, you must:
Contest begins April 11, 2PM PST, and ends May 1, 2PM PST. A winner will be announced every Monday @ 5PM PST here in the main news feed and at our official Facebook page. WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their XOOM and have it posted on the front page of AndroidCommunity.com! *Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration. )
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| Official launch date for LG Optimus 3D unveiled Posted: 21 Apr 2011 06:22 AM PDT The smartphone world is growing in a huge way. Every time we turn around there are hoards of new smartphones ready to hit the market and the majority of them are Android phones. There are also a few new smartphones that are bringing some cool features to the market with things like support for 3D connects and 4G network access. So far, 3D has failed to make a big dent in the home with TVs and computers, but a smartphone with 3D might be more appealing to the user thanks to mobile gaming capability.
One of the cool new smartphones that we have seen and talked about a bit is the LG Optimus 3D. The last time we talked about the smartphone was in late march when we reported that the device had hit the FCC for the approvals it needed to come the US. When a device lands at the FCC, the next step is usually the announcing of a launch date. Fans wanting for the Optimus 3D will be glad to hear that the launch date has finally surfaced. The Optimus 3D will be on store shelves on June 6 barring any unforeseen issues. We have already talked about the features of the device, but I will run them down here. The smartphone is able to record video in 3D and show that video in 3D on the screen with no glasses. It has a big 4.3-inch multi-touch display. The rear camera is a 5MP until and it records in 720p. Internal storage is 8GB and the phone runs Android 2.2. It also has WiFi, 3G connectivity, a 3.5mm headphone port and HDMI output. The phone will sell for £379 + VAT. [via Clove] )
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| Euro Apple iOS ecosystem is twice the size of Android Posted: 21 Apr 2011 05:11 AM PDT When it comes to iOS versus Android, the fans on each side of the battle can get very animated. There have been reports that surfaced over the last few months have shown that in the smartphone world Android is ahead of the iPhone. What most of those smartphone only reports don't consider is the overall market size of iOS and Android when the OS’ are used on things like tablets in addition to smartphones. Earlier this week we talked about the iOS ecosystem being larger with the iPad and iPhone than the Android ecosystem.
ComScore has now released its latest report for Europe that has found the same thing as that US report from this week. In Europe, the iOS ecosystem is about twice the size of the Android ecosystem when you consider smartphones, tablets, and other devices. The study was based on data that covered the UK, Spain, France, and Italy and covered owners of media tablets and included demographics and characteristics of the users. The results of the study were very impressive. The total number of consumers using iOS devices in Europe was over twice as large as those using Android. The number included iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches and the total install base was 28.9 million across the five markets. The total install base of Android users was 13.4 million. That iOS number is broken down further with 16.1 million of the users on the iPhone. The survey also found that in countries that participated 20.6% of smartphone owners used the iPhone and 27.2% of tablet owners use the iPad. [via comScore] )
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| HTC Droid Incredible 2 unboxed at Wirefly Posted: 21 Apr 2011 03:08 AM PDT One thing that all geeks have in common is that we are always dying to learn more details information on coming gadgets. This is the reason we sit in front of our computer starting at someone we don't know unboxing the random gadget as soon as we can. We do our fare share of unboxing videos around there so we know exactly why you watch. The gang over at Wirefly has tossed up an unboxing video of a new smartphone from HTC that hasn't been officially announced just yet.
The new smartphone is called the HTC Droid incredible 2. Not only did Wirefly unbox the smartphone, but they also offered up a video overview of what the phone has to offer. The Incredible 2 is the follow up to the original Incredible for the Verizon wireless network. The phone has a camera and dual LED flash on the back. The new Incredible 2 has a larger and wider screen. The original had a 3.7-inch screen and the new device has a 4-inch screen. The rear camera is 8MP and records 720p video. An 8GB microSD card is included This is a global phone so you can travel and use different countries. It can be unlocked at Verizon to use international service via a SIM card. The device connects to the 3G EVDO network that is widespread around the country. The Incredible 2 comes with an international power adapter, charging cable, and a bunch of tips that will let you charge the smartphone wherever you end up. At one point you catch a glimpse of the boot screen and the screen says it has a Qualcomm MSM8655 processor at 1GHz, WVGA resolution screen, Android OS, and a few other tidbits. Click here to view the embedded video. )
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| June 8 HTC Sensation 4G launch on T-Mobile tipped by advert Posted: 21 Apr 2011 02:07 AM PDT The HTC Sensation release date may have been prematurely released by a Google AdWords result and – perhaps a little more tenuously – a screenshot of the HTC Sense 3.0 widgets the company itself has used. TmoNews spotted that the top ad result suggested ”HTC Sensation 4G – On 6/8 – Complete w/ HTC Watch & HTC Sense” which certainly implies a June 8 2011 release.
Meanwhile, the T-Mobile Sensation 4G press shot shows the HTC weather widget for June 8 too. On its own that probably wouldn’t be enough to tip it, but HTC wouldn’t be the first manufacturer to theme a press shot to go along with a launch date.
The Sensation 4G has a 4.3-inch qHD display, WiFi b/g/n, 8-megapixel main camera and 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. More on the HTC Sensation in our hands-on with the European version from earlier this month. )
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| Verizon ThunderBolt inductive battery cover breaks cover Posted: 21 Apr 2011 01:48 AM PDT One of the biggest issues we saw with the Verizon ThunderBolt was the impact LTE could have on battery life: turn on the mobile hotspot functionality, for instance, and you could expect your smartphone to be drained within just a few hours. Verizon’s new ThunderBolt Inductive Battery Cover isn’t going to add any extra mAh to the handset, but it should make topping it up a little easier.
The replacement battery cover popped up on Verizon’s site recently, priced at $39.99. The “buy now” button doesn’t actually do anything at present – just take you back to the homescreen – but we’re guessing that will change in the near future. Technical details are scant, so it’s not entirely clear which method of inductive charging HTC and Verizon have picked. [via GottaBeMobile] )
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| UK launch for Samsung Galaxy S II pulled forward to April 27 [Updated] Posted: 21 Apr 2011 01:37 AM PDT Last we heard, the Samsung Galaxy S II would be arriving on UK shores come May 1. Looks like retailer Phones4u managed to get the Samsung ships to speed up a little, as the company has just announced that it will have a scant three day exclusivity on the Galaxy S II from April 27.
The handset will be priced from free on new, £35 per month agreements, or alternatively offered as a pre-pay device for £499. Your money gets you a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Super AMOLED Plus WVGA display, twin cameras – 8-megapixels on the back and 2-megapixels up front – and the usual bevy of WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. We gave the Galaxy S II a good going-over in our hands-on back in March, so head over there to see all the juicy details. Given the smartphone follows the wildly-successful Galaxy S, we – and Samsung – have high expectations for it. Update: Carphone Warehouse has begun accepting preregistrations for the same price, but no word on release dates. )
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| ASUS Eee Pad Transformer due in North America April 26 2011 Posted: 21 Apr 2011 01:14 AM PDT One of the most anticipated Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets of the moment has finally had its North American launch detailed. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer will land in the US and Canada on April 26, priced from $399 for the 16GB slate-only model.
The 32GB version will be $499, while the keyboard dock will be a further $149. The latter has an integrated battery that, together with the Eee Pad’s own battery, is good for up to 16hrs of continuous use. Otherwise there’s the usual blend of Tegra 2, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, twin cameras and HDMI connectivity. The Eee Pad Transformer does distinguish itself with a brilliant IPS display, with excellent viewing angles. [via SlashGear] )
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| Qualcomm Q2 Sales Results Show $3.9 Billion in Revenue Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:07 PM PDT So you’ve heard that Qualcomm was putting our their Q2 Sales Results today, yes? Wait, no? You didn’t know about that? Noone did, silly! It’s here though, and you’re gonna love it! Qualcomm, the makers of a lot of your smartphone chips, have reported a record second-quarter revenue this late winter / early spring, and they wanna tell you all about it. They’ve also resolved a couple of licensing disputes (Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. and some additional unnamed suit) adding $401 million to their second-quarter results to account for revenue related to earlier quarters.
And wouldn’t you like to know the whole story? They’ve also got a whopping 28% share increase compared to last year at this time, revenue leaped 46% to $3.88 billion from last year, and Qualcomm reported a profit of $999 million, aka 59 cents per share, up from $774 million, aka 46 cents a share reported last year at this time. It’s all so exciting! Everything is happening so fast! Also note that Qualcomm’s operating income is $1.07 billion, this down 3% from the first quarter of this year, but up 38% compared to this same quarter last year. Behold and be held by the lovely statistics and numbers below. Please feel free to read the entire report and report back with all your findings in the comments below. Meanwhile, if you’re completely lost, head to the big fat Qualcomm portal for all the information you could possible want or need on the chip company. Enjoy!            )
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| Motorola Droid X Quadrant gets huge boost from OTA Gingerbread 2.3 Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT Back a few weeks ago there was talk going around about the Droid X getting Android 2.3 soon, and then it got leaked. Soon after that you get people that want to test and run benchmarks and see just how big of a difference the version of Android can make. Now we have a little more confirmation on quadrant results.
Back near the end of March we had a few benchmarks for quadrant going up because of the Android 2.3 Gingerbread leak for the Droid X. We covered that and you can read about that here. Today is just more of a confirmation that the stock OTA official Android 2.3 Gingerbread update that is currently rolling out does indeed almost double your score. Leaks sometimes aren’t finished versions, or have been tweaked so you never know exactly what you will be getting, or if it will be different when final builds drop. Usually they are pretty similar though. What we have here is a Quadrant score that is even higher than the leaked builds were getting. 1900 stock on the Droid X with 2.3. That looks pretty good to me, if you have not got that Gingerbread update for your Droid X, start hitting that update button. [via PocketNow] )
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| Samsung Droid Charge accessories and promo cards appear Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:08 PM PDT We still don’t have a lot to go on regarding the Samsung Droid Charge, here is some information about the source code for the Charge being released already. This phone has not been officially announced other than being called “unnamed” at CES2011. Hopefully we will hear more soon, and accessories and promo cards can only be a good thing.
We can’t say that this means the device is coming soon, because we saw this for the Thunderbolt and it still took months and months to arrive. It is good to see some movement and what not that is for sure. This looks to be a great device with its 4.3″ AMOLED Plus display. Earlier it was reported as being called the Stealth V, here is some pictures and hands-on from CES2011. This phone is sure to please. It is basically the bigger brother to the Galaxy S, featuring the same 1 Ghz processor but that upgraded amazing 4.3″ AMOLED Plus display. Oh and you can’t forget the Verizon 4G LTE. That is a biggie! [via Android Community Forums] )
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| LG G2x Kickstand case accessory looks pretty nifty Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:58 PM PDT It looks like the G2x will start to get more and more accessories over the next few days now that it has been officially released. You can see our full review of the G2x here. Today we have a nice kickstand case for you all that just bought the G2x.
It is made by LG, it says Google on the Aluminum strip just like the Optimux 2x, or G2x does. From the pictures and from what I have heard it works great, and has the same amazing build quality as the G2x and it feels very well made. It will fit both devices as they are the same design. Now you can feel cool like the HTC EVO and its kickstand does. It is available now from Expansys, and make sure you order from the USA store if you are in the states. For a direct link to the product I have that also, it is here. We at AndroidCommunity have one that is currently on the way and we will make sure to review it and let you know our thoughts on it, the build quality, and how well it holds the phone up once we get it. Thanks! [via Expansys] )
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| LG G2x having LCD screen bleeding issues? Quality Control? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:45 PM PDT Today marks the day, the amazing T-Mobile LG G2x was released along with the G-slate and Sidekick 4G and there is already reports coming in that there might be a few hardware issues that need to be worked out. Or some quality control. We have our very own review unit of the G2x and it was awesome. Nothing but great things to say about it, but we got another one and it had a serious issue. Backlight bleeding.
What you see above is the MyTouch4G on the left, and the G2x on the right. Both with a black screen. See the issue, the light is bleeding severely on the G2x. This is the worst case I’ve seen so I don’t think it is a big issue, but worth noting. A few users over at XDA have also reported the same thing, but none seem to be as bad as this. I understand it is a LCD, and they have these issues, just like my $1000 Samsung TV in my living room, but when no other smartphone I’ve ever used looks this way. I would consider that an issue. I also want to mention this isn’t very noticeable on Android 2.2, but it will be on the black notification bar of Android 2.3 as well as every game, or video with black bars or dark area’s. There is a pretty big debate going on over at XDA about the fact that people with this should just “deal with it” and I see there point because it is how LCD’s are designed. I just think this is to the point where it is more than just a little bit. I’ve used the Droid, the Nexus One, Vibrant, G2, MyTouch4G, Droid X, and the EVO and more, and none of them had anything NEAR as bad as the photo above. So either it is just a LCD issue and we should all get over it, or do you think this should not happen when it doesn’t on any other phone is your choice to make. Let us know in the comments below. )
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