Android Community |
- Xperia PLAY only $99 at Amazon [CHEEP!]
- HTC Desire S is Officially Red on Vodafone Exclusively
- DROID X, DROID Pro, DROID2 and Global Gingerbread Update Imminent Says Motorola
- All-New NOOK is an Android E Ink Pearl Machine [BONUS: B-Roll Video]
- T-Mobile Boosts HSPA+ 4G to 42Mbps Tomorrow, We Test Today
- PriceGrabber updates Android app
- HTC ChaCha price revealed for Facebook fans [Update: Dated too!]
- enTourage eDGe store closes down, users told to use Google eBooks in future
- T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G caught in wild: Release imminent?
- Sharp Aquos Android clamshell hits the FCC, one step closer to your pocket
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits European pre-order
- HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa Leak Final Software Builds
- Acer Iconia Tab A500 Now Available at OfficeMax
- LG Optimus 3D Review
- Firefox Adds Beta Channel to Android App with 5.0
- Samsung Galaxy S II Update KE7 Benchmarks
- ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Overclocked to 1.4 GHz
- Samsung Galaxy S II OTA Update KE7 Out Today
| Xperia PLAY only $99 at Amazon [CHEEP!] Posted: 24 May 2011 10:54 AM PDT Oh my goodness Amazon, you are the king of deals. This device, the PlayStation phone, aka the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, is listed at $599.99, but can be yours for a mere $149.99 if you’re upgrading your existing Verizon account, or just $99.99 if you’re signing up for a new 2-year contract. Does that sound like a pretty good and deep and fabulous discount to you? Only thing that’s negative here is that the device is back-ordered, which means you’ll be waiting 8 or 9 days before it’ll be shipped.
We’ve been anxiously waiting for this device for months (and years – perhaps our whole lives!) and now it’s coming to America. As you may well know, the fabled PlayStation phone here was sent out to the entirety of the rest of the world before it came the USA – why, you may ask? We think it’s sort of like the keeping a line outside of a club concept where we want it more now because we couldn’t have it. The more plausible idea is that there was just a slightly longer approval line waiting in the USA that the PLAY had to get through before it could come out fully.
Remember when we got to see the device back at CTIA? Things have certainly changed since then: We’re calling upon our man in Europe at this very moment to give us the full lo-down on the device as he was certainly one of the first people in the entire world to have a real good look at it. Check out his well mannered look and dive into the device and report back with your findings. Also – are you going to be purchasing this device? If so, let us know where you buy it, gotta know which method is best! You can purchase the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY right this moment over on [Amazon] )
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| HTC Desire S is Officially Red on Vodafone Exclusively Posted: 24 May 2011 10:17 AM PDT What a brightly colored experience you’re about to have! The folks at HTC have deemed the color red to be so fantastic that they’ve officially dubbed their Desire S ready to wear it all the time! That’s right, those photos you may have seen a short while ago were real, and Vodafone is the exclusive holder of such a flamingly bright device. Can you dig it? Or is it too massively blastingly fantastically bright for your eyeballs?
You’ll notice by the spelling of the word “colour” that this device will be in Europe first. We’re hoping for more of this wacky color-coding to be taking place here in the states before too long. Got to make sure everyone can feel like they can choose what their phone looks like without adding a case, right? I hate to mention the competitor, but Apple got wise on this when they made their “official smart covers” in multiple colorings. What do you think about that? Thusly there’s a small spattering of color here or there – most notably in the relatively recently released Sidekick 4G on T-Mobile, a phone made quite obviously for the Hipster generation, a group of people who love their colors to be bright. The insides of every Android phone have the ability to be utterly bright – does it make sense that the outside should be bright as well, or should they be like frame for artwork, blank and sparse to show off the POP art inside? What do you think? How many more question marks would you like? Also check out our sister site SlashGear’s review of the Desire S in original stinky blue. )
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| DROID X, DROID Pro, DROID2 and Global Gingerbread Update Imminent Says Motorola Posted: 24 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT Oh you Motorola employees, what you wont say these days. A cool employee over at the Motorola Mobility forums let slip (or was allowed to slip) the fact that an update to Gingerbread was coming soon on essentially ever Droid ever: DROID X, DROID Pro, DROID2 and Global, and that this update will improve Exchange Activesync functionality. This is fabulous news for all Droid folks for more than one reason, obviously, but the Activesync issue being fixed is like some frosting on an already delicious cookie.
This update specifically on the DROID X will be coming by the end of the second quarter if the words in the sources below are correct – we sort of guessed at this yesterday when news came of a “Soak” came for the system in an update that was thusly unnamed. This comes right on top of the release of the DROID X2 which we’ve just reviewed in full. Have a look at that and see what you’ll be seeing! Next the DROID Pro and DROID2 will be receiving the update “before the end of the third quarter” which means probably before the end of the. Along with this comes news that ALL of the Gingerbread builds are completed but that Verizon has to approve them before they’re allowed to go out the gate. Lets get those fingers snapping, let’s go! [via Droid Life] )
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| All-New NOOK is an Android E Ink Pearl Machine [BONUS: B-Roll Video] Posted: 24 May 2011 09:33 AM PDT Well would you look at that, the newest version of the NOOK is also an Android device. The NOOKcolor was and is an Android device, sure, but once you’ve got it hacked it’s quite obvious and beyond the form factor, it’s anyone’s tablet, right? This new NOOK appears to be upgrading their previous model E Ink specific NOOK without color, able to read books galore and costing a mere $139, but what do you know? It’s running Android 2.1 Eclair! This device is available immediately and ships “on or about” June 10.
This device also packs a few more punches such as “two months on a single charge” and ultra-light weight and compact sizing. The screen is fully touch and offers “80 percent less flashing” than any other eReader (less nudity, hooray!) This new device which they’re calling the “All-New NOOK” we expect they’ll eventually just call the NOOK – it’s got a 6-inch screen, runs with Wifi-only, and will continue to claim what Barnes & Noble holds is 25 percent of the digital book market. I must remind you here that it’s only been a little over a year since the original NOOK was released, and only a few months since the NOOKcolor was released. Now they’ve sort of combined the two – SORT OF – by taking the original NOOK, changing its size and allowing the entire screen to be touched light it ought to be touched. This newest edition weighs in at 7.48 ounces (212 grams), and sized at .5 inches high by 5 inches wide by 0.47 inches deep. Thin enough and small enough for you? We can’t wait to see how they’ve made full use of the Android ecosystem and if we’re going to be able to get past the surface asap!               )
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| T-Mobile Boosts HSPA+ 4G to 42Mbps Tomorrow, We Test Today Posted: 24 May 2011 09:04 AM PDT Today T-Mobile announces that their 4G network (aka HSPA+) will be boosted across 55 markets where the service is already available, this boost bringing up the theoretical download peak up to 42Mbps. This should also theoretically affect everyone holding a T-Mobile phone, but we shall see. For those Android users also carrying a notebook, they’ve decided to release a lovely T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 modem in several sassy colors including black, purple, and royal blue. *What you see below is a test we’ve run today to compare to tomorrow’s roll-out.
This new rollout is starting tomorrow, so today we thought it’d be fun to test out the speed of the T-Mobile network from our very own brand new LG Optimus 3D. Why not, right? Only thing to note here is that this device is a developer’s unit and therefor may have a different set of hardware/software at the release. I say to you now and repeat – this is ONLY A TEST FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. Now – up until now we’ve been using SpeedTest.net but we’ve recently found them to be less than reputable. Thusly we’ve begun moving over to Xtremelabs Speedtest – but we’re not entirely turned off quite yet. Time for another test. This is a pre-test to see how T-Mobile is doing right this moment. Have a look:
Now we’ve just got to test tomorrow if the hubbub is all a bub!
BONUS UPDATE: Here’s a Sidekick 4G speed test for you too.
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| PriceGrabber updates Android app Posted: 24 May 2011 07:30 AM PDT
The app also allows the user to read detailed product descriptions and evaluate product offers for new and refurbished items. The coolest new feature is likely to be the integrated sharing. With the new feature, you can send a product to a friend or family member that is shopping for a product. The items can be shared in several ways. The user can email the products, SMS, Facebook, or Twitter the items they want to share. The app also has new discount badges that show when an item is heavily discounted from the MSRP. Another nice feature is that the app allows the user to check inventory levels at local stores that sell something they want. The app will even offer navigation to get the user to the closest store that has the product in stock. [via CNET] )
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| HTC ChaCha price revealed for Facebook fans [Update: Dated too!] Posted: 24 May 2011 06:27 AM PDT HTC’s first Android Facebook phone, the HTC ChaCha, has been priced and (roughly) dated by UK retailer Carphone Warehouse. The smartphone – which has a 2.6-inch touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated Facebook key for instant sharing – is set to go on sale at the beginning of June, with the ChaCha free on £20 ($32) or above agreements.
That’s reasonably affordable, just as HTC initially promised us the ChaCha – and its Salsa all-touch sibling – would be. Announced at MWC 2011 in February, part of the reason is that it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a mere 600MHz processor (paired with 512MB each of RAM and ROM). There’s also Facebook Chat support with a new homescreen widget, along with a 5-megapixel camera and front-facing webcam. The usual WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 round out key specs. Anyone tempted? [via SlashGear] Update: According to retailer Clove the exact ship date is June 6. It will be selling the ChaCha SIM-free and unlocked for £210 ($339) plus VAT. )
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| enTourage eDGe store closes down, users told to use Google eBooks in future Posted: 24 May 2011 05:18 AM PDT If you were one of the folks that bought what turned out to be one of the more “meh” devices to run the Android OS in recent memory, the enTourage eDGe, important news has surfaced. The enTourage eDGe went official in November of 2010. It didn't take long for the tablet to find its way to the mark down bin on Woot at $150 rather than the $399 it launched at. That cut rate blowout at Woot may have lured in some new buyers to the device. If you were one of them, the announcement this week was bad news for you.
As of 5-21, the enTourage eDGe store has closed its virtual doors. That means you can no longer get content directly from the maker of the tablet. However, that doesn’t mean your dual-screen Android tablet/ reader is a paperweight. enTourage is offering some directions on loading the tablet with content from Google eBooks without needing the app installed. enTourage is also sending users to the Amazon Android App Store to satisfy their app needs. The company did take one last dig at Google and said that the Amazon store has access to lots of apps that “Google would never give us access to.” The important bit for this announcement is that as of May 27 any content that buyers have purchased and not downloaded will be lost. enTourage says that the server controlling the registration information and allowing the users of the eDGe to download content from other sources will remain online for the “foreseeable future.” )
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| T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G caught in wild: Release imminent? Posted: 24 May 2011 04:09 AM PDT Although T-Mobile USA has confirmed that the HTC Sensation 4G is headed to its network, it’s yet to confirm exactly when. That release date could be sooner rather than later, however, with the unofficial news that the retail packaging appears to be already complete: TMoNews scored shots of the T-Mobile branded Sensation 4G as well as what looks to be the full retail box.
Judging from the contents of the box below, it looks like the North American bundle will be the same as the European package. That means a USB to microUSB cable, AC adapter and wired hands-free kit but not, we’re guessing, the MHL HDMI adapter. Previous rumors suggested a June 12 release or thereabouts, potentially with a sticker price of $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement. For more on the HTC Sensation, check out our full review.
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| Sharp Aquos Android clamshell hits the FCC, one step closer to your pocket Posted: 24 May 2011 03:37 AM PDT We have already talked about the interesting looking Sharp Aquos Hybrid 007sh smartphone when it went official this month. The Android smartphone is a clamshell device that flips open and closed like the mobile phones of yore. If you have missed the coverage of the 007sh so far, I will recap the highlights of the smartphone for you. The thing that Android purists will want to know right off the bat is that the smartphone runs Android 2.3.
The phone is said to be waterproof so it will survive your next sloppy drunk at the bar with aplomb. That flip form factor looks like something your grandma might use, but underneath it has decent specs. It will pack in a 1GHz snapdragon processor, a 16MP rear camera, and a front camera of unknown res. We assume that front camera to be your typical VGA resolution unit. The touchscreen swivels to make the phone more like your typical smartphone form factor if you prefer. That swiveling screen will make using the high-resolution front camera much easier. The touchscreen is 3.4-inches across making it nicely sized. Now that you are all caught up with the specs, the new detail on the smartphone today is that the device has crossed the FCC. With the device at the FCC for its needed approvals that means it might be heading to a wireless store near you soon. What do you think of this retro form factor? Would you buy this phone? [via Engadget] )
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits European pre-order Posted: 24 May 2011 01:01 AM PDT The 8.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has gone up for pre-order in Germany, confirming a European price tag of €606.50 ($853). Amazon is currently listing the 16GB version of the slate, which uses NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor along with Android 3.0 Honeycomb.
As the direct price conversion above suggests, Europe is looking at paying a whole lot more for the 8.9-inch Tab than its US counterparts. Samsung has previously confirmed that the 16GB version will be $469 in the US. Full specifications are not given, so it’s unclear if this is the WiFi-only version or the promised Galaxy Tab 8.9 3G with integrated WWAN. That might explain a little of the extra mark-up, though it still seems that Europeans are getting a bum deal. [via NetbookNews] )
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| HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa Leak Final Software Builds Posted: 23 May 2011 03:57 PM PDT Remember all the way back to Mobile World Congress when these sassy little monsters were first revealed? It was a fine February morning when the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa Facebook phones were first revealed. We had the briefest of hands-on with both of the devices and not a whole heck of a lot of additional news has come out since the intro. Now we’ve got a couple of final software builds leaking for the world – for you!
Of course what you’re about to see is not an HTC-approved situation, but you’ll have full reign over the rather unique takes on HTC’s Sense user interface overlay. Have a peek at the tiny screen of the ChaCha for a peek at the uniqueness. This set of builds comes from everyone’s favorite source for HTC leaks, 911HTC. Next take a peek at the rest of the HTC news we’ve got as of late, a surprisingly large amount of big-ticket items to be sure. First see the HTC Flyer Wifi Review, see a review of the HTC Sensation via SlashGear, and have a peek at the HTC Holiday, way way before it’s meant to be out. Finally get yourself ready for the HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G, coming up quick! [via 911HTC] )
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| Acer Iconia Tab A500 Now Available at OfficeMax Posted: 23 May 2011 02:21 PM PDT Android tablets are continuing their steady stream into the market, as OfficeMax has started selling Acer’s Iconia Tab A500 Honeycomb device. The wi-fi tablet from the Computer manufacturer is available at OfficeMax’s website for $449.99. Wondering if you should head on over to your local OfficeMax and pick this one up? Check out Christ Burns’ review of it here.
This makes OfficeMax the third major retailer to have the Iconia Tab available, coming in third behind Best Buy and Amazon. Acer’s honeycomb offering is unique in that it has a full sized USB port in addition to micro USB and HDMI-out ports. This is sure to come in handy once 3.1 comes to the Iconia Tab A500 this next month, allowing the tablet to act as a USB host, opening the way for USB storage and peripherals like game controllers. Acer’s Iconia Tab A500 is very similar to offerings by Motorola, ASUS, and Samsung as far as Honeycomb tablets go, all featuring Tegra 2 processors and 10.1″ WXVGA screens. What Acer has over the others, especially with the addition of this new retailler is availability. With the Motorola Xoom costing $150 more than either the Iconia Tab or the Transformer, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 still awaiting a release date, and the ASUS Transformer still proving difficult to find, this could be the tablet for you. )
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| Posted: 23 May 2011 02:04 PM PDT Welcome to the tool with which you will enter into a 3D world you never before imagined possible. Its a fantasy land of graphics that pop right down into the device, allowing you to see games and movies and photos like never before! At least that’s what the pitch is, right? There’s this device and the LG G-Slate out already plus the HTC EVO 3D, all of them joining the 3D bandwagon to see how it fares in the mobile world. We’ve already reviewed the T-Mobile G-Slate back here, and the HTC EVO 3D isn’t quite ready to go yet, now how does the Optimus contender contend? We shall see!
What you’re dealing with here is a dual-core 4.3-inch screen toting handset. This comes right on top of the release of the very similar T-Mobile G2x which also features a dual-core processor and is, of course, also released by LG. Both phones also work on both T-Mobile and AT&T bands, and both have lovely curved-lip glass sides. But are they the same? Sort of – if you completely discount the 3D. But you cannot! This phone is all about the 3D, and it’s inescapably the reason why you should or should not purchase the phone. Is it worth it? Hardware This device runs on a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, has a set of 5-megapixel cameras on the back capable of 1080p@24fps (2D), 720p@30fps (3D) for video, a slightly less impressive VGA camera on the front, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP4430 chipset, Android 2.2 Froyo, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 900/1900/2100, and a WVGA LCD display at 480 x 800 pixels and 4.3-inches. DTS 2.0 channel audio, and of course, glasses-free 3D.
This device definitely feels surprisingly similar to the T-Mobile G2x, and it should, given that they’re being released so close to one another and manufacturing companies such as LG definitely should show that they’re working on an evolution rather than jumping from design to design willy-nilly. That said, this device shows off a magical double-camera on the back along the same cool metal strip we’re really starting to enjoy coming with every LG Android device.
You’ve got another cool feature that puts the final nail in the idea that this phone is banking the heaviest on its special feature: a 3D button that brings you to a special screen containing all your special 3D options and portals. You’ll be able to play games, look at photos in a wild 3D environment, and watch movies.
The 3D Experience The tough piece of the puzzle in reviewing this device is the fact that I’m unable to show you the 3D for what it is. Photography cant capture it, video can’t capture it. The idea here is that you need this Optimus device to actually see the 3D, the only pair of cameras able to see such magnificent glory being the two planted in your head. Your eyes were the first machine the engineers at LG thought of when working with this relatively new 3D technology, them targeting each eye in a fantastic feat of technology magic making it seem as though the images you’re seeing are both floating towards you and falling into the phone’s display. I say this in the video above and I’ll say it here again: you NEED to see this in person before making and judgements or purchasing this phone. While I find the experience to be at least entertaining enough to drop a couple hundred dollars on just to have a bit of 3D history in my drawer and in my pocket, my wife immediately gets the biggest migraine in the world when even glancing at the screen in 3D mode.
Software Your software situation is going to be fairly standard outside of the special 3D applications. You’re running Android 2.2 with a special LG user interface overlay that includes a fun swipe-up lockscreen, a unique way of looking at the homescreens via a red dot amongst white dots situation, and your apps are arranged by 3D, Applications, and Downloaded Applications. This can be annoying as they really should be stacked the opposite way that they are now (3D should be at the bottom, Apps next, then downloads right at the top,) but the separation is definitely an awesome change from the simpler situation going on with standard Android.
The camera interface is super simple to use, only a single 3D button added to your screen so that you’re aware of what you’re photographing, in what mode and with what camera (since you’ll only be using one on the back unless you want 3D content.) You’ve got a 3D gallery for photos and videos that you’ve got access to, plus a few games and movies built-in for your looking and loving pleasure. 3D Gaming It’s an odd world you’re getting into here when you’ve got a screen held up by your 3D arms showing you a 3D environment on a flat device. The idea of 3D gaming has been around for a long long time now – remember that big ugly red thing you put on your head for 360 3D vision? Is it perfected? certainly not. Is it enjoyable? If you’re not prone to migraines, yes it certainly is fun. It’s still a gimmick, and I’ll pretty much refuse to say that it’s anything else until I can see objects stop chopping back and forth as I turn the screen, but once they’ve got my eyes tracked down perfectly, we’ll be seeing this same technology win the war.
If you get the opportunity to try this device out in the store, test out the racing game Asphalt 6. You’ve only to tap to the right or left of the car to steer so you’ll be able to enjoy the 3D environment without concentrating too hard. Once you do this, report back here and let us all know how you enjoyed it.
Camera The interface for the camera, again, is just as simple as it’s always been in stock Android, with the exception of the single 3D button addition. It’s more of a switch, allowing you to film video AND take photos in 3D via the back-facing camera (as you’ve got two of them back there.) You’ll not only be able to record media this way, you’ll see what the results will be through the display as you pan around. It’s a severely surreal experience seeing the world in “3D,” let me tell you that.
Have a look at the video and photo examples below – the 3D photo examples obviously aren’t really going to work from here and the 3D video examples are run through YouTube where they’re converted to YouTube’s method of displaying such stuff. Take it with a grain of salt.
Back-Facing [720p] [3D] Video coming soon! Performance This device is running Android 2.2 Gingerbread with a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor. It flips in and out of most apps without a hitch, running through 3D like a dream. The only places we’ve seen any problems are in the initial load times of 3D games (taking about twice as long as non-3D games) and in touch-screen responsiveness on rare occasions. It’s important again to note that the device we’re working with here is not the final version of the device, instead acting as a tester version for use by developers hoping to work with and develop specifically for the LG Optimus 3D. Again take all these scores with grains of salt:
Battery The Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery is said by LG to be lasting up to 100 hours of standby and up to 4 hours of talk time. Thus far in the real world the battery has been draining an abnormally small amount for how much we’ve been using it. So slow that we’re suspicious! On the other hand, the battery charges for zero in under an hour with the standard USB plug. Amazing and fantastic!
Wrap-Up This is a 3D device. You will decide to purchase or not purchase it depending on the experience you have with the 3D interface, and that’s essentially the long and short of it. The device does have the added bonus of a dual-core 1GHz processor inside, but it sure better have with how impressive the gaming is in the third dimension. The phone’s physical aspects are quite nice, it looking like a standard candybar save for the lovely metal strip across the back of the soft-plastic battery cover. It would seem that LG designed this device before they went on to the slightly more beautiful fully-covered glass front of the G2x – but who knows?
This device as you can see above fares alright in benchmark tests, the photos in 2D are relatively decent given they’re only 5-megapixels when most high-end phones are up to 8 by now, and you’ve got the unique ability to view and collect 3D media. Until HTC releases their HTC EVO 3D, LG has no competition for its T-Mobile G-Slate and LG Optimus 3D. Will you purchase it? Why or why not? If you’ve got more questions about this device or tests you’d like us to run through, please don’t hesitate to ask and/or demand that we do your bidding! That’s what we’re here for!                               )
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| Firefox Adds Beta Channel to Android App with 5.0 Posted: 23 May 2011 01:59 PM PDT Mozilla recently released the beta version of Firefox 5.0, and with it they’ve added the option to install a beta channel of the Android app to the Android Market. The beta channel will be used to debug new features to come at the price of a potentially buggier version of the mobile version of Firefox. This first beta version, now that Firefox 4.0 is officially a stable release on Android, introduces several of the new features also introduced in the 5.0 beta for desktop.
The main features, as advertised in the changelog, are a “Do Not Track Me” mode, a smoother UI experience, and compatibility with the SwiftKey custom keyboard. “Do Not Track Me” is exactly what it sounds like. Enabling this option in the preferences automatically declines to offer location info to any website which would request it. This is a handy feature for the more pre-cautious users out there, especially given the recent scandals with Apple and Google and smartphone tracking (likely an inspiration for this feature). Most of the other major changes were all performance based (but no, Flash is still not supported). I compared both apps on my Galaxy Tab 10.1. While they were both passable, it’s clear that the app is not meant for tablets, actually resulting in lower resolution web pages being displayed. With this in mind, Both versions performed admirably. In a cruel move, I put both channels of Firefox and the native Honeycomb browser head to head by loading the Android Market Website. While the lower resolution means on a tablet, I’d still choose the native browser. Both Firefoxes seemed to load the actual page a bit slower, with only a second or two separating the fastest (Browser) and slowest (Firefox stable). Where firefox did shine through though was animation of the sliding panels that highlight popular apps. While still slower than a desktop experience, firefox didn’t quite choke on the animation the way the native browser did. I don’t have a phone capable of running Firefox on to test it, but I imagine it would only shine all the brighter on a smaller screen as it was obviously designed for. To wrap things up, while some may be scared off by memories of the original “Firefox beta” for Android, when there was no stable option, this beta is performs very similarly, and in many cases better than the stable option. If you’re a fan of the current Firefox Android app, definitely give this one a try. [Link Android Market] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II Update KE7 Benchmarks Posted: 23 May 2011 01:23 PM PDT Lets talk about the raw, unbridled power inside a phone from Samsung. This update comes in the form of Update KE7. I’m speaking of course of the Galaxy S II, a device we’ve got on hand for massive testing of the benchmark variety. What you’re about to see are a few tests done on the Samsung Galaxy S II in its completely NOT overclocked state. You’ll see both Quadrant Advanced and Smartbench 2011 hitting numbers over 4000. You’ll see comparisons with older tests of overclocked and non-overclocked results on this device as well as on a couple other devices. Welcome back to the Thunderdome!
Take a peek here at the improvement in CPU specifically – the previous benchmark was done by us as well back in the thread with the three-way war between the Galaxy S II, Qualcomm MDP, and G2x. You’ll see the overall result improve from 3707 to 4019 and the CPU improve from 8485 to 9342. Again note that this is standard build.
Next let’s have a look at a comparison between the DROID X2 and the Galaxy S II via a benchmarking system by the name of AnTutu, paying attention to the differences here in memory read and write. IO on Droid X2 is only 8.5MB/s which is around a class 8. Galaxy S II is SSD grade with nearly 450MB/s read!
Again let’s look at AnTutu in a stack, this time noting how it blasts past everything else on the list: LG Optimus 2X, Motorola XOOM, and the rest.
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| ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Overclocked to 1.4 GHz Posted: 23 May 2011 01:05 PM PDT Overclocking can be quite the gratifying experience, and overclocking dual-core tablets can make benchmarks cry. With the Motorola Xoom overclocked to 1.5 GHz last week, the rest of its Honeycomb brethren were sure to follow. Now a kernel is all ready for the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer to overclock, courtesy of XDA user netarchy. It isn’t proven to be completely stable yet, but initial reports sound promising.
As with all overclocking, there is a possibility of worsened battery life and some instability. Early adopters seem to be pleased with the results though. There have been some issues reported, among them some unreliable performance out of the left speaker. When people overclock though, they’re usually ok with these little bugs, sacrificing perfect stability for what anyone reading this article really wants to know. When the Transformer’s Tegra 2 cousin, the Motorola Xoom, first reached 1.5 GHz, it was reaching 4500 in Quadrant. Well despite being only 1.4 GHz, one user has reported getting Quadrant scores as high as 4900. Naturally this is unconfirmed, and as always benchmarks are far from the be all end all of real-world performance. If you were feeling slighted that your Transformer wasn’t as unhumanly fast as the Xoom, and want that extra horsepower to squeeze all you can out of Dungeon Defenders (or Angry Birds…) give it a try and while you’re at it post your benchmarks in the comments below. [Once again overclocking can be unstable, and if you aren't sure of any part of the process, or unwilling to sacrifice stability either learn first or don't try. Also, as many a wise man has said "Always back-up first!"] [via XDA] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II OTA Update KE7 Out Today Posted: 23 May 2011 11:43 AM PDT It appears that owners of the lovely and perfectly classic GT-I9100 Galaxy S will be receiving an update to firmware version i9100XWKE7 very soon if not immediately. This update will be coming to your phone OTA aka over the air meaning you’ve really got nothing to do but wait for it whilst drinking a big can of soda pop. This update can also be accessed via Samsung’s desktop-situation Kies application. And what does this update do, you might be asking? A whole HECK of a lot – check out out our benchmarks for details.
This update upgrades your phone to the newest Baseband version and users must have already updated to version KE2 to get to this KE7 update. This firmware update will bring you the following upgrades: • Samsung Apps has been updated
Sounds pretty nice, yes? No more pink spots for you. Head back to our massive Samsung Galaxy S II portal for all your update joys. Furthermore check out our recent war between the Galaxy S II and HTC’s newest effort in the Sensation here: THE WAR IS ON! )
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If you are the sort that likes to shop from your phone or uses the phone to compare prices in retail stores to what you can buy for online, PriceGrabber has updated its Android app. The new app update makes the PriceGrabber shopping engine easier to use. The update brings easier browsing and larger product images among other things.
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