Android and Me |
- AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G gets official price and release date announcement
- Google Earth gets updated and optimized for tablets
- Sony Ericsson officially announces the Xperia mini and Xperia mini Pro
- Install Google Talk with Video Chat on your Android phone right now
- Unlocked HTC Sensation gets launch date and price in the UK
- HTC Wildfire S finds its way to T-Mobile in the form of the HTC Marvel
- Motorola XPRT and Titanium officially announced, headed to Sprint
- Android Market bound to have more apps than the App Store in the next few months
- How to easily install third-party apps, even if your carrier prohibits it
- HTC Sensation 4G gets FCC approval ahead of early June launch
| AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G gets official price and release date announcement Posted: 05 May 2011 02:49 PM PDT As soon as we heard that AT&T and Samsung were holding an event today in New York, speculations started flying around. Since it was linked to a carrier, we could assume that it was most likely a phone announcement, which meant that it could be either the Samsung Infuse 4G or the Samsung Galaxy S II (Though the chances of the Galaxy S II coming so soon are small). Samsung has taken care of the event, and now we have an official price and release date for the Samsung Infuse 4G, which we have been waiting for since last January at CES. The Samsung Infuse 4G be launching on May 15 for the price of $199.99 after a two-year contract. While being the thinnest 4G smartphone (8.99mm) in the U.S. at the moment, the Samsung Infuse 4G also features some good specs. The device will be sporting a 1.2 GHz processor, and will run on Android 2.2 Froyo, which should make the performance a very pleasant one for the average consumer. We know that Samsung always goes above and beyond when it comes to displays, and they have definitely done a great job with this one. The Infuse 4G will be carrying a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, not only making it one of smartphones with the largest displays available, but also providing high quality image and richness in colors. The device looks great, but its stunning screen and incredible thinness most likely will end up meaning that battery life will be an issue. That is something many of us are already used to though, and it is a price that we have to pay if we want certain features. Aside from possible battery life issues, the only problem one could find on this device is the lack of a dual-core processor, but that is also something the average consumer could live perfectly with. Anyone rushing to get this device in the middle of the month? If you need a little incentive, it will also come packed with an exclusive version of Angry Birds. For more details and specs on this device, just check out the press release after the break, and please tell us what you think of this phone. Will you be purchasing it? Show Press Release BIGGEST yet Thinnest, Samsung Infuse™ 4G DEBUTS May 15
Exclusive Angry Birds Version to be Featured on the Nation's Thinnest 4G Smartphone with Largest AT&T Display Key Facts · Exclusive to AT&T customers, the Samsung Infuse 4G will be the nation's thinnest 4G smartphone at 8.99mm at its thinnest. · Delivers the largest display in AT&T's smartphone portfolio with a brilliant 4.5-inch screen featuring next-generation Super AMOLED™ Plus technology. · Powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and the Android™ 2.2 platform, the Samsung Infuse 4G also boasts an 8-megapixel camera, and a $25 credit to download movie content from Samsung Media Hub. · Pre-loaded version of Angry Birds features an exclusive hidden level for Infuse 4G customers. · Samsung Infuse 4G will be available in AT&T company-owned stores and online at www.wireless.att.com on May 15 and will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract and no mail-in rebate. (Minimum $15 data plan required) Customer Benefits The Samsung Infuse 4G will be the thinnest 4G smartphone available in the U.S. and will feature the largest screen — at 4.5 inches — in AT&T's smartphone lineup, and the largest touch screen on any Samsung phone. Powered by a 1.2 GHz application processor and running the Android 2.2 platform, the device delivers a brilliant display using Samsung's next-generation Super AMOLED™ Plus technology which features 50 percent more sub-pixels for better contrast. The display also offers unmatched outdoor viewing quality, even in the brightest sunlight. With the Infuse 4G, Samsung and AT&T are raising the stakes on pre-loaded content that is not available on any other device. In collaboration with Rovio, the Infuse 4G will feature a special edition of Angry Birds pre-loaded on the smartphone. Players can unlock a special "Golden Egg" level of the game, and once the special level is completed, users can register to win Samsung prizes exclusive to Infuse 4G users.** The smartphone also includes an 8-megapixel camera/camcorder with auto-focus and flash that shoots HD video with incredible detail. A front facing camera is perfect for self portraits or video chat. Customers can also watch hit movies and TV shows from preloaded apps like Samsung Media Hub, U-verse Mobile and U-verse Live TV. The first 500,000 Infuse 4G units sold will include a $25 voucher for consumers to get started on downloading content from Media Hub. With Media Hub's progressive downloading feature, users can start watching their content almost immediately as the rest of the file downloads to the Infuse 4G. Plus, all Media Hub content can be shared among five Media Hub-enabled devices on the same account. The Infuse 4G also comes with a 2GB microSD card with preloaded trailers for upcoming summer movies. Compatible with the Infuse 4G and other devices on the Android 2.2 platform or better, AT&T has also launched a new, fun app called JustUs. The app combines both social media and text activity from five favorite contacts into an animated wallpaper, keeping users better connected with those that matter most. Customers can download the app for free in Android Market today. Quotes "The 4.5-inch screen on Infuse 4G is enhanced further with Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus technology. Colors are rich and bright, even while outdoors in sunlight," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "When you juxtapose that with the fact that it's the thinnest 4G smartphone out there today, it's an incredibly compelling choice for our customers." "When you combine the powerful 1.2 GHz application processor with AT&T's advanced 4G network, this device will truly be the fastest smartphone Samsung has ever created with AT&T," said Omar Khan, chief technology officer & chief product officer for Samsung Mobile. "The Infuse 4G is our latest example of Samsung's global leadership in Android platform smartphones. With every Android smartphone that we launch, we're bringing something new and exciting to the market." Smartphone Portfolio AT&T is a pioneer in smartphones and devices and expects to widen its portfolio in 2011. In January, AT&T committed to introducing 20 4G devices and 12 additional Android devices by the end of the year. Samsung Infuse 4G will be one of several new 4G devices that have been offered to AT&T customers in the first half of 2011. Samsung Infuse 4G Accessories To prepare for the arrival of the Samsung Infuse 4G in AT&T stores, the company has prepared a robust lineup of 14 fashionable and functional accessories including multiple case options, a vehicle mount and desk mount. All accessories are available in AT&T company-owned stores and online at www.wireless.att.com. For more details on the lineup visit www.att.com/mobilephones-news. Key Specifications ∙ Android™ 2.2 platform To learn more about the Samsung Infuse™ 4G, visit www.att.com/mobilephones-news, www.att.com/infuse4G or www.samsung.com/mobile.
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| Google Earth gets updated and optimized for tablets Posted: 05 May 2011 01:32 PM PDT Tablets are (and will be) making a major change in the way we work, entertain ourselves, and go throughout our daily life. Though Android 3.0 Honeycomb is made to fit tablets, it simply does not fully serve its purpose if an application is not designed for the honeycomb environment, or the bigger screen. As Android Tablets start becoming more popular, we will start seeing more developers take advantage of Android 3.0′s potential, and as expected, Google is improving its major apps as well. Today, Google has updated Google Earth to fit the Honeycomb tablet environment. Google Earth now has support for textured 3D buildings (as you can see in the image below), as well as simultaneous image and map viewing. The links at the top-right of the screen also allow for a much faster and intuitive interaction with the device, only made possible thanks to the bigger screen of a tablet.
It must be said that the interface does look much nicer and well organized. Have you guys checked out the new tablet optimized Google Earth yet? Let us know how it feels for you.
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| Sony Ericsson officially announces the Xperia mini and Xperia mini Pro Posted: 05 May 2011 10:46 AM PDT Sony Ericsson just announced at an event in London the latest additions to their Xperia line of phones. They are the Xperia mini and the Xperia mini Pro. Like their names indicate the phones are aimed at the low-end of the market, but these are not you average low-end Android phones. Both phones are packing some serious hardware. Powered by a 1Ghz Processor, 3-inch display with Bravia Engine, and 720p HD video-recording capability, these phones are anything but low-end. Plus, Sony Ericsson has added a bunch of extra features brought from Sony’s other departments. Like xLOUD™ Experience for better speaker performance, and Video stabilizer, Smile detection, and Red-eye reduction on the camera app. Here’s a summary of the phones’ other specs:
The two phones are pretty similar, but the Xperia mini Pro adds a physical QWERTY keyboard to the mix for you typing aficionados. The phones will launch with Gingerbread which is always a big plus, and we’re happy to see Sony Ericsson abandon its previous strategy of launching phones with obsolete Android versions. You can expect these phones to land on a carrier near you in Q3 of 2011. Gallery  
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| Install Google Talk with Video Chat on your Android phone right now Posted: 05 May 2011 09:59 AM PDT Do you want to video chat with Google Talk but don’t want to wait for Google, your carrier or your phone’s manufacturer to roll out Android 2.3.4 to your phone? We might have a solution for you. Before proceeding, we need to get a few things out the way. Unfortunately, this will only work for those of you with a rooted Android 2.3+ device. — sorry, rest of the Android community. Secondly, we’re not responsible for any explosion, melting or otherwise destructive situation your phone finds itself in. The process itself is pretty simple and should be fairly trivial for you seasoned Android hackers:
Like every single one of these hacks, things tend to go wrong sometimes. Let us know if this did or didn’t work for you in the comments.
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| Unlocked HTC Sensation gets launch date and price in the UK Posted: 05 May 2011 09:42 AM PDT The HTC Sensation has finally gotten a launch date and price in the UK. Online retailer Unlocked-Mobiles.com is now listing the HTC Sensation for £549.98 ($903) with a launch date of June 27th. The £549.98 price tag is certainly a lot higher than what we'd expect, but it does include Britain's 20% VAT, which brings the real cost of the phone down to a slightly more reasonable $750. The price of the HTC Sensation will be trimmed down significantly once UK service providers start selling the phone bundled with a two year contract. We wouldn't be surprised one bit if Vodafone and T-Mobile UK announce that they will be giving the HTC Sensation away for free with a qualifying 2 year voice and data contract. Now all we want to know is how much T-Mobile will be charging for the HTC Sensation here in the United States. How much would you be willing to pay for HTC's first dual-core phone?
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| HTC Wildfire S finds its way to T-Mobile in the form of the HTC Marvel Posted: 05 May 2011 09:19 AM PDT The little HTC phone that could, the HTC Wildfire S is making its way to T-Mobile as the HTC Marvel. HTC Desire S’ little brother was last seen at MWC, showing us that even low-end phones like these can perform like a champ. The HTC Wildfire S packs the following specifications:
Don’t let the small size and moderate specs fool you, this little bugger feels as snappy as most modern phones. In a world of Motorola Atrix 4Gs and T-Mobile G2xs, buying the HTC Wildfire S might seem like riding around in a scooter when you can drive a Ferrari. But phones like the HTC Wildfire S are not aimed at us Android hardcore fans. They’re meant for those that are most likely upgrading from dumbphones and don’t want a $200-sized hole on their bank account. The HTC Wildfire S is more than enough to fulfill the needs of those people that want the smartphone experience and none of the extra flashy and gimmicky stuff. You know, the kind of people that probably checks Facebook a few times a day, makes a couple of calls and texts a lot, and that’s it. They’re not interested in over-clocking, rooting, modding, or even downloading ASTRO File Manager.
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| Motorola XPRT and Titanium officially announced, headed to Sprint Posted: 05 May 2011 09:11 AM PDT Though we were not too amazed by its release, the Motorola Droid Pro is a good phone for business. Not only is it an enterprise-ready world phone, but it also has a good Blackberry-like keyboard (portrait), which is something many of you may prefer. You may have liked the idea of a non-slide-out physical keyboard, and you should be happy to know that Verizon is not the only one with that option anymore. Motorola and Sprint just announced two devices: the XPRT and the Titanium, and while they look almost the same, they serve completely different purposes. The Motorola XPRT features enterprise security as well as being a worldphone, which should make it a good option for the businessman. If you have been using a Blackberry, we know that getting to learn a whole new OS can be demanding, but the portrait keyboard should make the device feel much more familiar. The XPRT also has a 1GHz processor and a 3.1-inch screen, as well as being loaded with Android 2.2 Froyo.
On the other hand, the Motorola Titanium is meant to be the successor to Motorola i1 (which most of you do not like at all), but this time with Android 2.1. Like its predecessor, the Titanium is an iDEN device, and will be push-to-talk capable, but that isn’t the only similarity this device has to its ancestor. The Motorola Titanium is also a rugged device (explains the name), "Built military-grade tough, Motorola Titanium is certified to Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature." If you are one of those loyal PTT users, this will be the best option for you, at least when it comes to Android devices.
Motorola and Sprint did not announce the price and availability for the Motorola Titanium, but they did give us Motorola XPRT’s official price and release date. The XPRT will go for $129.99 on a two-year contract, and will be available in stores on June 5th, which is just a month from now. Now, we know that these devices are not the best you can find out there, but it is still nice to get more options (Especially for Nextel!), and portrait keyboards just might be your thing. What do you guys say? Liking the form-factor? Excited to see the Droid Pro idea spread to other carriers? Who will be getting in line for one of these? Show Press Release Sprint and Motorola Unveil Two Android Devices for Business: Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium New Android smartphones target professionals with enhanced business-class experiences; Motorola XPRT offers enterprise-grade security and enhanced MOTOBLUR experience on an Android World Phone; and Motorola Titanium pairs best-in-class Nextel Direct Connect with Android OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), May 05, 2011 – To meet the growing demand for mobile devices with industry-leading enterprise features, Sprint (NYSE: S) and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) will launch two new smartphones with enhanced business-ready capabilities, built on the Android™ platform. Motorola XPRT™ is the first Android smartphone from Sprint to deliver enterprise-class security, personal productivity enhancements and international roaming. Motorola Titanium™ leverages Sprint’s industry-leading Push-to-Talk capabilities as the first Nextel Direct Connect® smartphone built on Android 2.1. “We are pleased to extend our portfolio of products directed at business-users with these two powerful and versatile Android devices,” said Paget L. Alves, president – Sprint Business. “Motorola XPRT delivers the security features enterprise customers demand without scrimping on the latest in technology, while Motorola Titanium is a rugged Android smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect’s sub-second Push-to-Talk.” Motorola XPRT will be available on Sunday, June 5, in Sprint Stores, Business Sales, Web sales (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), for $129.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement. Pricing and availability for Motorola Titanium will be announced at a later date. “Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium blend feature-packed consumer experiences with an optimal set of productivity and security tools,” said Jeff Miller, corporate vice president of sales, Motorola Mobility. “We are pleased to partner with Sprint to deliver each of these unique business-ready devices to their continuously growing enterprise customer base.” Packed with Productivity Tools Designed for business users, Motorola XPRT offers a sleek, compact design built on Android 2.2, Froyo. This full-feature world phone is equipped with a pinch-to-zoom capable touchscreen, 3.1-inch HVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard and 1GHz processor with Adobe Flash 10 web browsing. Enterprise managers and workforces across field service, field sales, healthcare, retail, utilities, manufacturing and transportation/distribution industries will benefit from its feature-rich capabilities, enterprise-class security and data encryption. Motorola XPRT delivers business-class security features with 256-bit AES data encryption and controls the IT department will appreciate, including the ability to remotely handle functions like enabling pin or password lock, password recovery and data wipe on both the phone and SD card if lost or stolen. Motorola XPRT comes loaded with MOTOBLUR™ offering personalized content, including email and social media updates, delivered right to the user’s home screen. It enables convenient viewing of news feeds, updates and messages from social media sites from a single screen. Additional key features of Motorola XPRT include: * Android Market™ for access to more than 150,000 applications, widgets and games available for download Motorola XPRT requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans, plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge (pricing excludes surcharges and taxes). Sprint also offers great value with international service add-ons for Motorola XPRT. For just $4.99 per month, the Sprint Worldwide Voice Add on offers discounted rates while traveling in more than 100 countries. For only $2.99 per month, you can make local calls in Canada, call back to the United States and even receive calls in Canada for just $0.20 per minute. That’s a savings of $0.39 per minute over standard roaming charges. While roaming in Canada, Mexico, China, and other destinations data rates start as low as $0.002 per KB (on CDMA networks). To sign up to learn more about Motorola XPRT, please visit www.motorola.com/XPRT. Leading in Push-to-Talk As the successor to the popular Motorola i1 launched by Sprint last year, Motorola Titanium is sleek and attractive, yet durable. It is the first iDEN device to combine Sprint’s best-in-class Nextel Direct Connect and Android 2.1, Éclair, for a feature rich business-class experience. It features a full QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen display. Built military-grade tough, Motorola Titanium is certified to Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature. With more than 17 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in Push-to-Talk, serving the world’s largest Push-to-Talk community with millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national Push-to-Talk network. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for Push-to-Talk worldwide. More U.S. workers communicate in less than a second with Nextel Direct Connect than with any other Push-to-Talk service. Additional key features of Motorola Titanium include: * Support for Nextel Direct Connect Services, including Direct Connect, Group Connect®, International Direct Connect®, DirectSendSM, Group Messaging and NextMail® To learn more about Motorola Titanium, please visit www.motorola.com/titanium.
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| Android Market bound to have more apps than the App Store in the next few months Posted: 05 May 2011 08:33 AM PDT Just yesterday we reported on Android’s stunning growth, well that was yesterday. Today, we have yet another indication that Android is headed towards inevitable world domination. Research firms Distimo and research2guidance, have both released reports predicting that the Android Market will overtake Apple’s App Store in the number of apps, in the next few months. Distimo is reporting that the Android Market will blow past the App Store before the end of July. While research2guidance forecasts that the Market will have 425,000 apps by August, easily beating the App Store. This is mainly due to the Market’s neck-breaking speed at which is getting more apps. In April alone, developers published 28,000 new apps to the Market, whereas Apple only had 11,000 new apps. This of course, will be a significant milestone for Android. Being the platform with the most apps is no easy task, specially when the platform launched roughly a year later than Apple’s. But here we are, about to witness something many considered impossible just a year ago. Nonetheless, there’s still an aspect where Android lags behind iOS, and that is apps’ quality and design. Hopefully, a rising number of apps in the Android Market means we’ll see the quality rise as well.
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| How to easily install third-party apps, even if your carrier prohibits it Posted: 05 May 2011 07:30 AM PDT After the recent crackdown on tethering apps, it’s becoming clearer than ever that we’ll soon have to look outside the Android Market to download some of our favorite apps — perhaps Android needs its own Cydia store. Meanwhile, we’ll have to download some apps directly from the source. That’s very easy and fool-proof to do on Android, just download the .apk and off you go. But some carriers — like AT&T — prohibit their Android users from doing just that. What to do then? The answer is Android Injector. Android Injector is a PC application that allows you to literally drag and drop Android apps onto your phone. But firstly, you need to follow a few simple steps:
It doesn’t get any easier than that. Happy app installing!
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| HTC Sensation 4G gets FCC approval ahead of early June launch Posted: 05 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT With less than a month to go before its T-Mobile launch, the HTC Sensation 4G has been cleared by the FCC to be sold in North America. The HTC Sensation 4G will be the first phone from HTC to be powered by Qualcomm's dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and will feature HTC's new Sense 3.0 user interface. T-Mobile has yet to announce an exact launch date and price for the handset, but we have a suspicion that the phone could hit store shelves as early as June 8th. Since the T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G and the upcoming Sprint HTC EVO 3D are nearly identical (except for the whole 3D thing of course), we're wondering which phone you would prefer? Does a phone with 3D capabilities really appeal to you? Would anyone be willing to jump ship to pick up either of their phones on a different carrier?
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