Android Community |
- HTC Sensation Review via SlashGear
- Motorola Droid X Gingerbread Update Hinted via Project Invite
- Amazon Tablets Priced for Winter Holiday Season 2011
- Motorola Droid X2 Review
- HTC Flyer WiFi Review
- AppTap Ads advertising network for apps launches
- Verizon Chomp can now search apps across V Cast Apps, Android Market, and more
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 accessories for Europe get priced, some available now
- ASUS previews new tablet ahead of Computex debut
- HTC Holiday for AT&T leaks: dual-core 1.2GHz 4.5-inch qHD superphone?
- Android Community Weekly : May 21, 2011
- Apple Retail Changes Create Community Space
| HTC Sensation Review via SlashGear Posted: 23 May 2011 11:02 AM PDT Our good man in England mister Chris Davies has HTC’s new kingly phone in hand and he’s put it through ALL the punches for you and I. For Davies, and for us, this sort of marks the point at which it’s no longer a battle between Android and Apple, but a civil war between the Androids. Truly the HTC Sensation’s biggest opponent is the Galaxy S II, a phone which we know to be groundbreaking as well in many ways. Have a look below to see how SlashGear sees the situation, how the Sensation adds up, and how it’ll look when it comes on over to us in Pyramid form.
Hardware The HTC Sensation measures in at 4.96 x 2.57 x 0.44 inches and 5.22oz is what it weighs. You’ll find that the unibody metal chassis combined with the soft-touch plastic inserts make for a rather comfortable phone to hold, and nice to rub up against your beard if you’ve got one. So smooth! The back is creak-free, the entirety of the battery cover coming off at once, the battery, SIM card, and microSD card popping in and out without an issue like they truly should.
Flaws in this whole situation include the fact that while the Galaxy S II pairs its 1.2GHz dual-core with 1GB of RAM, the HTC Sensation uses just 768MB. Samsung’s device has 16GB of memory packed in, while HTC makes due with just 1GB. There’s an 8GB microSD card in there, but you can add a bunch more memory to the GSII the same way if you want. Davies notes the truth: “here's just no way that even a fast microSDHC card can be as quick as NANDFlash connected directly to the logic board, and that leaves the Sensation at a speed disadvantage.”
Another rather important note to make here is that by relying on external storage the HTC Sensation has bypassed the EXT4 filesystem, one of the primary reasons the Galaxy S II has fantastic speed performance. EXT4 support arrived with Android 2.3 Gingerbread but HTC’s microSD still uses FAT and there’s no way a journaled filesystem can work on 1GB of internal memory. You’ll be rolling out on 900/AWS/2100 HSPA/WCDMA support – the Sensation 4G for T-Mobile USA will have HSPA+ – along with quadband GSM/EDGE, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. The microUSB port sits on the lower left edge under the gigantic volume rocker – and this is one of those fancy microUSBs that with the correct MHL adapter is able to output to HDMI. You’ll find this same situation going on in the Samsung Infuse 4G – unfortunately, unlike the Infuse, the Sensation neither comes bundled with an adapter nor has one for sale officially quite yet.
Finally your partridge in a pear tree list includes a GPS, gyroscope, G-sensor, digital compass, proximity and ambient light, SRS virtual surround-sound, and a couple of cameras including an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash on the back and a VGA fixed-focus camera on the front for video calls. Then so we can call it odd, this device comes with FM radio able to use a bundled wired hands-free kit as an antenna.
Software and Performance This device has both Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and the latest version of HTC Sense, version 3.0. You’ll remember the helpful lock screen from our very very recent review of the HTC Flyer tablet. The homescreen here is viewable in portrait mode only unlike the Flyer that allows both portrait and landscape, and the 3D animations surrounding such things as the Weather widget are fun and impressive.
App selections are again similar to what you’re going to be finding on the HTC Flyer, with right around 50 apps in the pure HTC mode – this version being the Vodafone version you’ll be finding a total of 55 (Vodafone apps for reals!) You’re able to use Watch to purchase or rent TV shows or videos, work with HTC’s Dock Mode, play Teeter with that fancy metal ball, chat with Qik, and all the rest! For a better look at a couple of these apps definitely check out our look at the HTC Flyer WiFi version review we did earlier today.
Next have an awesome look at a video of the HTC Sensation vs the Samsung Galaxy S II courtesy again of Davies and his dueling English hands: Then it’s benchmark time! Have a peek: Smartbench 2011: Sensation scored 2340 against the GSII's 3878
Camera Without a doubt, Davies has taken this review of the camera to a whole new level. The text from this review is included here:
Phone and Battery No issues have been found by us thus far with sound quality whilst calling, while on the other hand speakerphone performance gets a bit distorted at top volume. As far as the battery goes, HTC quotes up to 495 minutes talktime or up to 400 hours standby from the 1,520 mAh battery – thus far we’ve only seen the Galaxy S II perform better, with medium to high usage only taking a quarter charge after a full days use. Well played thus far, HTC.
Wrap-Up Even though it sort of always seems this way, it really appears that this is the advent of the superphone – phones running Android are definitely coming into their own, “stepping out from underneath the shadow of the iPhone” as Davies says, HTC’s Sensation proving that the company also isn’t going to take any guff from Samsung deciding it’s the true king with the Galaxy S II. Gingerbread sits on this device like they’re family, Ice Cream coming soon makes for a real force to be reckoned with in the smartphone world. If you weren’t looking over your back yet, Apple, now’s the time.
Davies notes that while it’s been difficult to choose between Android phones before, never has there been a battle like the one going on now between the HTC Sensation and the Samsung Galaxy S II. The choice is yours, but I and we warn you, it’s going to be rough! The Sensation’s qHD display works best for web browsing and ebook reading while the Galaxy S II takes the cake for multimedia with it’s Super AMOLED Plus. Then there’s insides such as more RAM for Samsung, but the HTC device “never felt a loss aside from the benchmarking apps themselves.” Final word on the user interface war is that HTC Sense feels much more complete and polished than Samsung’s TouchWiz interface as they stand today. Have a look at extra battle points here.
The HTC Sensation is a consumer’s dream phone. It feels fabulous in the hand, looks lovely sitting on the desk, and has an all-round solid construction outside and in. This device is “free” if you’re purchasing it in its first form in Europe via Vodafone with £30 ($48) tariffs with a two-year agreement. The device doesn’t yet come in a SIM-free version yet, this version coming out it seems at the end of June from what we’ve heard, the device then costing £498 ($800) including VAT. How much it’ll cost when it gets to T-Mobile is still unknown but we expect it to follow the $199.99 with two-year contract trend we’ve been seeing of late. Is it worth it? Do you have any other questions? Ask away!                    [via SlashGear] )
|
| Motorola Droid X Gingerbread Update Hinted via Project Invite Posted: 23 May 2011 09:41 AM PDT It’s good to know that even though the DROID X2 is being sent out now, that the original Droid X wont be abandoned. By no means! A message has been sent out to developers and users of this cool classic Droid at Motorola’s Mobility forums asking owners of the unit to participate in a project of little detail. This project requires you to go through an enrollment survey and sign a non-disclosure paper so that you don’t spill the beans to the world before they do. What could it possible be? Perhaps they’ll update their software to X2 proportions?
And what would that mean? Two Droid Xs out there, one with a single core, the other with a dual-core, both of them with the same bits and pieces. No way, such a thing could never occur! And what are we dealing with for this DROID X2 of which we speak? Let’s have a look at our brand new full review courtesy of Cory! He’s taken to time to roll with the punches here and put the device through all the tests you requested – stay on top of him though and make him keep working with every question you’ve got, don’t want him to get too comfortable!
Here’s the message being sent out to the underground:
More than likely we’re about to see a Gingerbread update to the Droid X here. We’ve got word that it’s approved and ready to shoot out the gates, thusly it would follow. Or maybe it’s a brand new pony! We can’t wait to see what it is! Presents for everybody! [via Motorola Droid X Forums] )
|
| Amazon Tablets Priced for Winter Holiday Season 2011 Posted: 23 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT The leaks keep on leaking and the publishers keep on publishing when it comes to tablet news, and this Amazon situation is no special case! What we’ve spoken about last were a couple of code names for Amazon’s supposed dueling-tablets, both the Coyote and the Hollywood tablet appearing to be legit names for their future 7-inch and 10-inch tablets respectively. Amazon is also supposedly adding some most-excellent processors in these bad boys: the Coyote getting NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core chipset and the Hollywood getting the yet-unnamed codename “Kal-El” quad-core powerhouse also from NVIDIA.
Now we’ve got prices, too! The smaller of the two tablets will supposedly cost $349 while the 10-inch tablet will come in at $449 – this information coming from PC Mag. If this report is true, they’ll essentially be underpricing every tablet from the Motorola XOOM to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 all the way back to the ACER Iconia Tab A500. Of course the Eee Pad Transformer still would be winning out by $50, but that’d be having less than half the power that this new Kal-El processor toting Amazon tablet would have. According to the same sources that’ve provided the prices, Amazon’s tablets will be out in time for the winter holidays of 2011. These tablets, they say, will be opting for regular LCD displays instead of the dual-mode e-paper/color panels like Qualcomm’s mirasol they’d originally been said to be shooting for. This adds to the tiny collection of oddities when it comes to this device, another point being that Samsung has been tipped as Amazon’s OEM partner. Seems a bit strange given their own imminent release of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9, but considering the fact that Samsung does provide chips for Apple, a vast and all-encompassing hug of the tablet industry probably isn’t out of Samsung‘s jurisdiction. [via SlashGear] )
|
| Posted: 23 May 2011 08:41 AM PDT We have had a few days with a couple new Android devices lately, they were both sporting 4.3″ qHD Displays and boy do they look good. Today we have a few more details and pictures as well as our review of the Motorola Droid X2. We have had our paws on it all weekend and I must say I am impressed so far, from the nice and simple touches to the UI Overlay, all the way down to the hardware (even though its identical to the first Droid X). We have put Verizon’s first dual-core beast through a test run and it is time to share our thoughts.
To start this off right I’ll go ahead and get right to the unboxing video, watch the clip below or check out our hands-on and unboxing story. The video hits most of the key points of the new device and explains a little about what has and hasn’t changed. Hardware I’ve had the chance to enjoy Verizon’s first dual-core phone the past few days and I must say it sure has been nice. The hardware isn’t exactly something we need to go into extreme detail about since it is basically identical to the first Droid X in almost every way. Like mentioned in the unboxing the only physical difference I found was the dedicated camera key is now gone. I’d expect it to be missing on the first version and added to the second, not the other way around. I guess Verizon and Motorola have their reasons, but for now we don’t know what those are other than they did in fact remove the dedicated camera button this time around. As many have come to enjoy the build quality of Motorola, as well as the first X I can say that the X2 passes the test, build quality seems top notch as usual. My only issue is the lack of 4G LTE. Pictures for your viewing pleasure are straight ahead.
The Droid X2 is sporting a new qHD display that is 4.3″ and is the same size as the first, but the qHD bumps it up to 540×960 in the resolution department and it makes for a very great viewing experience both gaming, and browsing the web. Thanks to Motorola, and Nvidia this device hasn’t changed one bit. Yet comes with an upgraded high-resolution display and double the processing power. The dual-core Tegra 2 CPU keeps things churning along as smooth as butter.
The camera remains the same just as everything else does and it features the same 8MP lens with dual-led flash. The increase in CPU speed now allows for that 8 MP sensor to shoot in full 1080 HD rather than just 720p for video recording. That bump in CPU speed also helps the device do full 1080p video output via the HDMI out shown above. They didn’t feel the need to add a front facing camera (or didn’t have room) so for those that need the FFC you’ll have to wait for something else. Maybe the Droid Charge 4G, it has 4G LTE on board and a front facing camera but a single-core CPU and lower resolution screen. What is more important that CPU power, or 4G and a front facing camera. Everyone has different needs and Verizon has them all covered so far.
Oh I told a small lie above. There is actually two differences you can see right away, one being the camera button missing like we mentioned and the other is that fancy “Droid X2″ marking in red in the photo, and that is it. Everything else is the same, or did I say that already. Overall I do really like the hardware and it feels great in the hand. The new qHD display really makes things look great and extremely crisp. We have seen this new qHD display before and we talked about it more in our Motorola Atrix Review. From what we knew and expected this device all around to be, it will be a clear winner for Verizon. I guess my only complaint on the hardware since we all know the hardware already, would have to be the actual hard keys seem a little squeaky and that is about the only bad thing I have to say. That and the 4G LTE missing of course.
Software This is a Motorola device so it has what we would call a user interface overlay included. Motorola is no longer calling this “MotoBlur” but it does seem a little familiar. It isn’t HTC Sense or anything but they do add a bit of changes to the overall look and feel of Android. Sadly the X2 launched with Android 2.2 but we are hearing it should be upgraded to Gingerbread any time now. The original X update to Gingerbread has been approved already, as well as leaked a few times so it should be getting close. I’d expect them to roll it out for both devices around the same time.
Being a Verizon device it has the pleasure of launching with the usual applications from Big Red. Things like Blockbuster, VCAST Apps, VCAST Videos, Lets Golf 2, Slacker Radio, and last but not least is NFL Mobile. The NFL app has been exclusive to Verizon and is something I wish other carriers had access to, it is a great application and I wish I could get it for T-Mobile or AT&T. The Droid X2 also shipped with Skype although the lack of a front camera makes that a different story. The usual bloatware is something we are starting to get used to, for those that don’t like it I’m sure a click or two root method will be able to help with that soon. What else do we have for you today–Benchmarks! Just because its a dual-core we had to at least run a few and see how it fairs against the rest of the pack. For a little comparison the G2x running the same CPU scores nearly the same results in Quadrant and that is around 2600-2700 or so stock, but they are both on FroYo. The 2.3 leak for the Droid X showed a large boost in benchmarks results. So it is fair to say the Droid X2 will probably see a decent increase in performance with that update as well, not to mention once some XDA developers get ahold of and start overclocking the X2 you’ll probably start seeing results double. Just like the G2x at 1.5 Ghz scoring 4600 in quadrant.
For some comparison shots of the X2 and the original Droid X you can check out Vince from our sister site SlashGear’s hands-on of the X2, he had the original laying around and did some comparing. If you notice below you’ll see the sunspider benchmark results were cut almost in half, lower is better. Thanks dual-core!
Camera Like we mentioned above the camera doesn’t have any changes. It features the same 8 MP dual flash camera as the original. The increase to video recording is because the powerful CPU, not a change in the camera or lens. It does take some great photos with that 8 MP camera although many seemed a little grainy in my opinion, just as the original Droid X did. So I don’t think they’ve changed much with the camera either. I took a few inside photos with medium lighting available to test out the camera, as well as a close-up. Macro mode works well.
Battery The battery is the exact same model, and size as the original Droid X and that is 1540 mAh. The original Droid X had about average battery life compared to most android phones and gets a decent full day or about 8-10 hours of average use. Keeping everything the same it makes sense the battery is the exact model as before. Although some might be worried having a higher resolution display, and mainly having double the processing power in that dual-core CPU if things will be sucking down that battery faster. From my use so far the battery life seems great and may last longer than before. Technology has improved a lot and both the display and CPU have power saving features and efficiency improvements the first may not, so battery life should not be a concern for any of you possible buyers.
Wrap-Up To wrap things up a bit I just want to mention one more time this device does not feature 4G LTE. That is about the only thing it is missing compared to a few others on the market, but I guess you cant have it all. You got the dual-core CPU and the high-res screen so things are looking and running right. This device is still a beast and by no means is slacking in any way. It has plenty to impress your friends with. Get some of those Tegra optimized games called THD like Backbreaker THD, or Guerrilla Bob THD and show them how amazing graphics can look with a dual-core. We reviewed Guerrilla Bob and you can see that here. Or get the exciting new Bang Bang Racing THD and mirror it over the HDMI out right to your big screen in the living room, that should impress your friends and family. So should you buy the Droid X2 or wait for something else, that is part of the reason your reading over this right? Of course it will be priced at $199 with the signing of a new 2-year contract like usual. For the price it is an extremely powerful device. I mean my parents laptop probably is weaker than this thing. The dual-core Tegra 2 is definitely here to stay and will only get bigger and better as more OEM’s launch phones with it. It has brought gaming on Android to an entire new level and we all can get in on that, if that is your thing. Calling on Verizon has never been an issue, and reception is just about everywhere. So next time your in the middle of no-where with a flat tire you could be playing some THD games or Angry Birds Rio while waiting for AAA to rescue you. For now this is the most powerful device that Verizon has to offer so I’d be very happy to own one. Unless you are holding out for the Galaxy S II, or want the Super AMOLED in the Droid Charge the Droid X2 is a great choice.
                   ALSO NOTE: as with all device reviews, this is not nearly the end of our hands-on coverage of this handset. If you've got any questions that have not yet been answered, please, by all means, ask them. If I can, I'll certainly answer anything you might be wondering about. )
|
| Posted: 23 May 2011 08:05 AM PDT A lovely white plastic and silver metal chassis, a smooth 7-inch 1024 x 700 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen capable of working with special Scribe pen surrounded by a generous black border, cameras on both front and back, HTC’s newest version of Sense UI, a 1.5 GHz single-core processor, capable of accepting microSD card, working with Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA streaming, Wifi 802.11 b.g.n, micro-USB (of the 12-pin micro-USB 2.0 variety,) and GPS. This is the HTC Flyer tablet as carried by Best Buy in the USA, containing 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, and a partridge in a pear tree. See our full review and get your hands on the giant handset – or one tiny tablet, whichever you prefer, of course!
Wait a second, giant handset? Isn’t this a tablet? Sure, it’s a tablet, but what you’re going to feel when you’ve got your hands on this device is that it’s a size that’s between a tablet and a smartphone. It’s perfect for doing work and playing games – not made for every day use. It’s not a giant tablet made with power in mind, it’s not a tiny smartphone with all activities in mind. This is a device who’s speciality is whatever you aim to use it for. It’s not a Jack of all Trades and is therefor going to access your wants in a magically excellent way. It fits in my pocket, you can work with the compatible Scribe pen for taking notes, and it’s a gorgeous device. The following review describes a device that you absolutely will not regret purchasing, but one you should consider long and hard whether you actually want or not.
Hardware This device is 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.52 inches (195.4 x 122 x 13.2 mm) and weighs in at 420 grams (14.82oz). It’s certainly not the lightest or thinnest device in the library of devices that are being released or have been released thus far, but it holds its own. It doesn’t look or feel like it’s got any weight or size because of requirement alone. HTC is skilled in their execution of industrial design, and this is an excellent little vehicle for hip customers for certain.
You can pop a headphone jack in the top, you can plug the special USB in the bottom to power or transfer data, you can watch a movie and listen in with the speakers blasting out the back, and the 1.5GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 processor wont leave the average user wanting for speed and guts. If you’re an HTC sort of person, that is if you enjoy your EVO, your ThunderBolt, any number of HTC devices that have been released in the past year that all look and feel relatively similar, you’ll be at home here.
This is a modified version of HTC’s popular model handset, made larger and modified to work just as naturally in both portrait and landscape mode. When you turn the device on, you’ll notice that the HTC logo is at portrait-top of the device. When you’d like to film a video of yourself or video chat from the front of the device, you’ll find that holding it in landscape mode is best as it’s located at landscape top and center. You’ll find that taking photos and video with this device is not awkward as it is with larger tablets – in fact it’s downright enjoyable and you’ll catch yourself reaching for the Flyer just to record your daily activities, just to try it out.
The black non-display border on the front is wide enough that you’ll not accidentally press your thumb and fingers to the screen when you’re holding it in any number of holding positions. The entire front is covered by everyone’s favorite super-tough Gorilla Glass. The back panel, (the piece with the camera lens,) pops off easily (once you realize where to press) to reveal the location where you can add your very own micro-SD card. Of course we entered the 32GB card packed with media for testing in there at first, and it’s really working fine as a box of chocolates to be sure.
Scribe Pen The Best Buy version of this tablet does not come standard with the Scribe Pen. Instead you’ve got to purchase it separately for $79, and yes, I recommend doing so as soon as you purchase the tablet. Without the pen you’ll find yourself getting annoyed that that amazing little green button sitting to the right of the rest of the standard light-up Android buttons is useless. Should you get the pen, this button pops up a whole toolset that works with the pen for drawing, circling, writing, and more on the screen for fun and for productivity.
The pen itself is slightly larger than a crayon or a golf pencil, having two buttons along the side and being powered by a single AAAA battery, a single Energizer coming with the pen. The pen tip is one that depresses when pushed against a surface, the activated surface working excellent and quite responsively when touched with the pen. This device uses N-Trig's active digitizer technology that slides perfectly along the Flyers glass face – it’s as nice a pen for a digital interface yours truly has seen.
On the other hand, the difference between when you’re able to use the pen and when you’ve got to use your finger to press a button is confusing. If you use the pen’s ability to circle anything on any screen, you’ve got to use your finger next to save the screenshot you’ve just taken. I found myself constantly baffled at whether I should be using finger or pen at any given time and became frustrated more than once, eventually putting the pen aside when using the device for web browsing and email checking.
Software HTC Sense has a few new features, the most prominent of which is the lockscreen that allows you to move icons to a wheel that’ll bring you directly to the icon’s app. Other than that, it’s the Sense you know and love. There are 8 homescreens, each of them connected to the next in a real carousel, turning in a lovely display if you’ve got the device in landscape mode. Each of these screens is active with a widget provided by HTC – small Weather, People + Google Search, Watch (movies you can download via HTC’s Video store – a feature you can use even if you don’t want to watch full videos by selecting your video of choice and watching a full trailer – fun!), My Shelf (containing books from Kobo, run by Adobe), big Weather, Mail, and Friend Stream.
Another lovely addition in this newest version of Sense is the dock containing Notes, Reader, and Watch. You’re able to change these out if you want, but more than likely you’ll be wanting to keep at least Notes as it’s the place you’ll be able to use your pen to write to your heart’s content. There’s Sense’s painting pallet button there too, linking you to “Personalize,” HTC’s list of items including display items like Scene, Skin, Wallpaper, and Lock Screen, add items to home features like widgets, apps, shortcuts, and folders, and personalized sounds for notifications and alarms.
In your apps folder you’ll find 52 icons. Most of them are apps, a few are shortcuts to setting sand the like, and less than 10 are specifically added by HTC. There’s the regular Google suspects such as Calendar, Google Search, and Internet Browser, then some apps specifically situated for this device. Whether or not some these apps were decided upon by HTC or Google is up for debate, others are pretty obvious : Amazon MP3, Facebook, HTC Hub, HTC Likes, Kid Mode, Notes, PDF Viewer, Polaris Office, Press Reader, SoundHound, Twitter, and Teeter.
The fact that Teeter is the only “game” app in the whole device should let you know whether or not HTC meant for this device to be a gamer-centric experience. Teeter is a game where your device appears to hold a steel ball which you’ve got to tip left and right, forward and back to get through mazes successfully. Should you be purchasing this device for business, I’d recommend you stick with this game only.
HTC Notes Which app do I think people who’ve also got the Scribe Pen will be using the most? Notes. You can open up a note, write or draw, take a photo and add it in, record video or audio, add it in, save it for later. This is the media collector app on a conveniently sized device that should have existed for years now. This is what computers are for in the traveling business person world. It’s not perfect, but it sure is nice. The only reason I would not recommend this device to my aunt, (looking for a device to help her when looking for new houses to purchase,) is that she’d have to get used to this app in order to make it worth the money. Too difficult for her I think.
On the other hand yet again, this system works in collaboration with Evernote, an app which everyone in the world knows to be a superior system that’ll keep you organized everywhere from every single device you’ve got. The green elephant has your back, and now you’ve got a way to collect everything on one device even easier than you’ve been able in the past. HTC, this was a good, nay, awesome decision.
HTC Reader This Reader app working with Kobo for book purchases and Adobe for its engine is well put together and works just fine. I wont go too far into the specifics because there really aren’t that many. Reading apps for e-books should be simple, and this one certainly is. What it’s good for here on the HTC Flyer is working with the pen. With the pen you’ll be able to not only take notes, circle words, and generally write all over the book, you’ll be able to keep those notes in the book as long as you like.
Furthermore, HTC Reader automatically slots in a bookmark for you when you’re done reading for the day. How convenient! Zoodles This is not an app that’s on the Flyer only, but it’s certainly another fantastic choice to be loaded out of the box. HTC knows good and well that this device isn’t going into the hands of many teenagers. Instead it’ll go into the paws of an age group that’s got a good chance at having some connection to some little monsters, very probably their own kids. Zoodles is an app that opens up and offers these kids a variety of activities, videos, and fun options in a way that makes them feel like they’re really using the tablet, an activity that I know from having my own little nieces and nephews nearby my tablets to be an enjoyable experience indeed.
Zoodles appears to be quite at home here on the HTC Flyer and will definitely be a selling point in the store when the clerks are showing off the tablet to parents. Should they realize they can get the same app on other devices? Sure, but it looks so nice here!
Camera Let’s talk about the camera here, letting for the most part the actual photos and video do the talking. The cameras on the front and back of this device certainly do not appear to be attempting to help you win any photo contests, but they’re OK for how they’re rated. The 1.3-megapixel camera on the front is as dreary as every other camera at that resolution and should be use strictly for video chat. The 5-megapixel camera on the back takes decent photos for your notes or Facebook, but it’s not the great superstar size-8 we’ve been seeing as a standard placement on recent handsets. Also there’s no flash.
Performance This device is running Android 2.3.3 at launch here with HTC Sense version 2.1 for Tablet. You’ll see below some benchmarks testing various bits of the tablet, each of them showing that if you’re purchasing this device to try to beat all the other race cars, you’re in for a surprise.
The numbers should show you that you’re right in the fine range for daily activities, on the other hand, just so long as you’re not thinking of playing high-powered games and playing HD video all day long. Unless you want to watch Speed Racer, which has worked just fine for us thus far.
Battery This battery appears very much to be one bad mother. We’ve been using it for several days now off and on, heavy occasionally but lightly for the most part, and it’s still going strong out of the box. Inside, you’ll be happy to know, there’s a 4,000 mAh non-user-replaceable battery. HTC reckons that this setup ought to see up to four hours of video playback or between 820 and 1470 hours of standby.
This battery will last you AT LEAST a full day with heavy use. That’s all ya’v gatta knah. Wrap-Up Let’s talk about prices here. In the USA you’ll be picking this lovely lady up at Best Buy for $499.99. You’ll have to purchase the Scribe Pen separately for $79.99 – harsh! In the UK this device is going to run you £599.99 for the 32GB 3G version, while the 16GB WiFi-only model comes in at £479.99 (that’s the one we’ve got here.) The 3G version hasn’t yet revealed its head for pricing, but we’re guessing an extra $100 woudn’t be too far out of line for when it’s released on Sprint as the HTC EVO View.
Is it worth that kind of bank? What are you deciding on? Are you deciding between this device and another Android tablet? Your only other choice for this size tablet is the Galaxy Tab original, and that one really isn’t getting such great feedback in its Wifi-only form. What else is this device competing with? There’s no other tablet out there worth its salt with a pen to go with it – but how about a similar size? The Galaxy Tab 8.9, if it’s anywhere near as awesome as its 10.1-inch counterpart, will blast forth from this earth like an alien spaceship into orbit. It’s lighter, thinner, and will be running Honeycomb at launch with a dual-core 1Ghz target=”_blank”>processor. Supposing it’s also got as good a camera and runs as nicely as its partner, no other tablet has much of a chance.
On the other hand, here’s HTC with their magnificent HTC Sense and a lovely Scribe pen. Is it enough to convince us that it’s the tablet to have this season for everyone? No, not for everyone, but again, if you’ve got the specific desire to take notes on your tablet with the pen, this is certainly the best contender thus far. It’s definitely pretty, it’s certainly nice in its size and chassis, and the software is totally solid.                                       BONUS check out a video of the Euro version via Chris Davies of SlashGear: Also don’t forget to check out competing tablets reviews in the following:
|
| AppTap Ads advertising network for apps launches Posted: 23 May 2011 07:38 AM PDT
"We launched AppTap Ads to help app developers struggling to rise above the noise of the cluttered app stores," said Matt Callaway, CEO of AppTap. "AppTap's mission is to help apps get discovered. Our app discovery platform helps consumers and web publishers find relevant apps; and now, with AppTap Ads, we're leveraging the reach of our app discovery platform to help app developers get their apps noticed." The apps are advertised on several large Android websites, but it seems that most of the network is iOS related right now. AppTap will also be powering app discovery on Sprint for Android users. AppTap Ads gives developers an easy to use ad buying and campaign reporting tool that allows the purchase and tracking of targeted ads across the internet. As a consumer, I am not a huge fan of ads, but I can see the value of something like this for developers trying to get their app into mainstream use. )
|
| Verizon Chomp can now search apps across V Cast Apps, Android Market, and more Posted: 23 May 2011 07:24 AM PDT If you are a Verizon Wireless customer with an Android device that likes to download new apps, Verizon is offering a special version of Chomp. Chomp is an app that will allow you to search for their apps based on things like genre and more. You could run a search for a specific type of app, like a barcode scanner for instance, and find all the apps you want. Verizon is offering a special version of Chomp that will search across three places at one time.
The three places that Chomp searches include V Cast Apps, the Verizon Wireless mobile storefront, and the Android Market. It’s important to note that only the version downloaded from V Cast Apps allows the searching function across all three sources. Chomp lets the user find an app based on what the app does and offers price information across the storefronts and more. “Cross-store search is a huge milestone both for Chomp and the broad landscape of apps,” said Ben Keighran, chief executive officer and co-founder of Chomp. “Not only does this help minimize the app discovery problem, it also adds a valuable layer to the app search experience, providing app seekers with options that will expose the best apps for the lowest cost.” The Chomp app is available free to Verizon users right now. )
|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 accessories for Europe get priced, some available now Posted: 23 May 2011 03:52 AM PDT One of the things that people didn't like that well about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 when we did our review of the Limited Edition Google I/O version was that the machine lacked any connectivity. It turns out that the connectivity and accessories for the tablet will use the Samsung docking port on the tablet just as the iPad accessories do. A bunch of the accessories for the tablet have now surfaced on the German Samsung page and have been priced as well with some available now.
The accessories include a hard case with cutouts for the camera with part number EFC 1B1N selling for 69,90 €. Another case made from leather and lacking the camera cutouts is set for a July launch at a lower price of 29,90 €. The BKC-1B1D at 149,90 € is pegged as the case that has a keyboard inside. Other accessories listed include headphones and an HDMI adapter supporting full 1080p at 29,90 €. Rounding out the accessories are a USB adapter for the same 29,90 €, a docking station with HDMI audio output for 34,90 €, and a keyboard dock for 79,90 €. The keyboard dock has an acoustic amplifier as well that needs no outlet or batteries to operate. The only accessories with a later launch date are the HDMI adapter, USB adapter, and the case with no cutouts all set for July. The other gear you can pick up now. [via Tabtech] )
|
| ASUS previews new tablet ahead of Computex debut Posted: 23 May 2011 01:19 AM PDT ASUS has previewed its upcoming tablet, headed for a debut at Computex 2011 later this month. The unnamed slate is so far unconfirmed to be running Android, but given the success of the Eee Pad Transformer it seems likely that it will have Honeycomb on board.
Hardware specifications are unclear at present, but at least one camera is confirmed along with speakers. The aesthetics also look to have been given more consideration than on the Transformer, with more curves and different material finishes; in fact, the slate bears the ASUSdesign badging of the company’s design studio. If ASUS can deliver the same balance of functionality and competitive pricing with the new model, they could carve themselves quite the niche in among the tablet market. We’ll have to wait and see exactly what the new slate delivers to know for sure, though.    [via SlashGear] )
|
| HTC Holiday for AT&T leaks: dual-core 1.2GHz 4.5-inch qHD superphone? Posted: 23 May 2011 12:42 AM PDT Details of a new HTC uberphone for AT&T, the HTC Holiday, have emerged, looking to take on the Samsung Infuse 4G with a 4.5-inch touchscreen. According to the info discovered by 911sniper, the HTC Holiday has a 4.5-inch qHD 960 x 540 resolution display and the same 1.2GHz Snapdragon MSM8660 dual-core processor as in the HTC Sensation.
There’s also 1GB of RAM, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and twin cameras: 8-megapixels on the back, and 1.3-megapixels up front for video calling. The Holiday will apparently run Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, though we’re assuming it’ll have lashings of HTC Sense on top too. Meanwhile, Pocketnow dug up an image purportedly of the handset, suggesting that it will look – face on, at least – much like the HTC Desire HD, with a simple monoblock design with a row of touch-sensitive buttons under the display. Whether it might have AT&T HSPA+ or even LTE remains to be seen. [via Engadget] )
|
| Android Community Weekly : May 21, 2011 Posted: 22 May 2011 03:50 PM PDT Welcome to the very first edition of Android Community Weekly! It’s here that we’ll be providing you with a week-by-week look at all the Android news from every perspective you could possibly want to see it from. We appreciate those of you who participated in our Xoom Giveaway, and urge you to stay tuned in for any future promotions! Meanwhile get attuned to the week’s must-know stories and get yourself on the knowledge train and take it all the way to Expertville! Tuesday, T-Mobile announced that Wi-Fi calling will now be completely free for their Android smartphone lineup and will not count against their minutes allotted for the month. VillianROM was also released, the first custom ROM available for the Galaxy S II. Hopefully the first of many. More developmental updates include a leaked test version of Gingerbread for the HTC Thunderbolt, and CyanogenMod 7′s official support on the Samsung Captivate. Definitely check out our review of the Motorola XOOM after its official update to 3.1. Some of the software updates include the ability to now resize widgets on the homescreen, multi-tasking improvements, and USB enhancements. The benchmark improvements were very noticable as well. And if tablets are your “thing”, another nice hands-on clip of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 was found buried over at YouTube. Chris Davies performed yet another hands-on/unboxing of the HTC Sensation this past Friday, and if you haven’t seen it already, he demonstrates the new stylish HTC Sense lockscreen! Chris Burns posts his own unboxing of an early developers version of the LG Optimus 3D that is actually intended for engineers. Within the clip of his unboxing, it is easy to see all the 3D specific apps included as he opens the application drawer. SwiftKey 2 beta was also released and reviewed this week. “Precise” and “Rapid” typing styles were introduced into the software which really helps customize it to the user. And finally, don’t forget to check out our Android App of the Week – Bang Bang Racing THD! )
|
| Apple Retail Changes Create Community Space Posted: 22 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT Before I begin explaining what’s going on here, lemme say that Apple is without a doubt Google’s biggest competitor for the mobile OS world as we know it. Thusly it’s important that we know what’s going on at Apple stores specifically because the space that Apple creates for their whole product set is something that Android just does not have at this juncture. What’s going on at the Apple store now is a few changes as far as how they work with and provide a nice environment for consumers who walk onto the floor.
First, there’s a bit of a quote from a fellow over at MacTalk.com.au by the name of Jack112006 on the new Apple Retail store setup, going into detail on how it appears to a consumer to enter in:
As you may well know if you’ve ever gone into an Apple store, (judging by the amount of Apple computers yours truly sees at any given Android event, I’m sure the majority of the community HAS been,) it’s not always immediately possible to get help from a worker, assistance on a product you need some questions answered on. This new system aims to alleviate that problem. There’s also another bit regarding security in the stores – that being an ultra-thin tape cable that connects to the iPad dock connector to both charge and sound the alarm should anyone tug just a bit too hard. In addition to this, many/all home buttons on these display models are non-functional, rendering the tablets only able to show and work with the pre-set interactive demo software. Finally, there’s a lovely note that’s being circulated having been passed to Apple store employees about how to work now and what’s been done to improve the stores:
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment