Friday, June 10, 2011

Android and Me

Android and Me

Virgin Mobile pledges allegiance to Vanilla Android, not UI skins

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:35 PM PDT

Most Android enthusiasts agree Vanilla Android is the way to go, unless you’re an HTC Sense fan. It’s common for users to make the UI one of the most important factors when picking a device, and I know some that wouldn’t even consider purchasing a smartphone with a modified version of Android. Others don’t worry about this at all, since rooting and installing custom ROMs is always an option. But then we’re getting into the whole voiding the warranty deal. Wouldn’t it be nice if phones just came with Vanilla Android? You’ll be glad to hear there’s a carrier out there devoted to bringing the "True Google Experience" to its customers:  Virgin Mobile.

You may recall our surprise at the recently announced Motorola Triumph. It looked like it was going to have pure Android… or at least the images suggested it. Some of us even thought the images with stock Vanilla Android may have been the product of a Photoshop error. Well, it’s no mistake. And it seems Virgin Mobile will try to keep all their Android devices with the “True Google Experience.”

Virgin Mobile USA aims to make available devices that allow the end user to have the freedom to customize the device to their liking. We like to take a consistent approach with our Android portfolio and so we prefer to have the true Android experience loaded on all our Android phones.SpokespersonVirgin Mobile

Very nice to hear, right? Seems almost impossible. Regardless, it’s nice to know that a carrier is interested in keeping Android fans happy. It would be even more interesting to know what the manufacturers think about this.

Those interested in stock Vanilla Android should check out Virgin Mobile. The Motorola Triumph doesn’t sound bad at all. As of now, Virgin Mobile has the LG Optimus V and the Samsung Intercept available. What sounds even better, though, are the prices. Current devices cost $200 without a contract (not bad) and the Triumph will probably cost only a bit more, if not the same. And the monthly plans? They start at $25 with unlimited text, email and data. (No, that is not a typo).

As always, we would like to know what you guys think. So, we created a poll today to see which UI our readers prefer. Please cast your vote and let us know why you made your choice. Is anyone switching to Virgin Mobile for the “Pure Google Experience?”

HTC EVO 3D vs Motorola Photon 4G

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:08 PM PDT

If you’d asked a Sprint customer yesterday which phone they were upgrading to, I’m sure the majority answer would have been the HTC EVO 3D. The EVO 4G has been a dominant force on Sprint since its launch. As successor to the throne, the EVO 3D didn’t appear to have a competitor on Sprint. Now it seems Sprint customers who are due for an upgrade this summer have a really interesting choice ahead of them, considering today’s announcement of the Motorola Photon 4G. At first glance, these two devices seem to be side by side in nearly every way. So, let’s break it down feature by feature and see which one comes out on top!

Processor

Since their launch, NVIDIA Tegra 2 devices have pretty much had the run of the joint with no real competitors. These asynchronous Dual Core devices have been cropping up everywhere, wielding their Tegra Zone game store and improved overall performance as shiny baubles to draw in the mobile gearheads of the world. With the impending release of dual core Snapdragon devices like the EVO 3D, the world wants to know which processor is better. Here’s what we know:

- Both NVIDIA and Qualcomm might have been playing dirty with the performance benchmarks on these devices when compared to the other. Qualcomm’s amazing benchmarks were done on a 1.5 GHZ dual core with no battery optimization while plugged into the wall. And they accuse NVIDIA of using benchmarking software that catered especially to the Tegra 2 when testing. Since we’re looking at a 1.2 GHZ dual core and not a 1.5 GHZ chipset with battery optimizing software onboard, it’s entirely likely that the devices’ performances will actually be much closer together.

-Qualcomm has chosen to use an asynchronous architecture for their dual core systems in an attempt to improve battery life without sacrificing performance. This architecture allows the cores to run at different speeds. So, if one is not in use it can simply slow down to save battery. Unfortunately, Android 2.3 isn’t really optimized to take advantage of this architecture. HTC will need to implement some serious secret sauce or the processor won’t be the superhero we’ve all been looking for.

- Early comparisons of the HTC Sensation to other Tegra 2 devices, like the G2X, shows the G2X as a faster device. However, since the Sensation has an 8260 processor and the Evo 3D has an 8660, this does not necessarily mean the EVO 3D will suffer the same fate.

Video

We’re increasingly connecting our phones to other things to turn them into even more powerful devices. Motorola has pioneered the WebTop system for portable computing on your phone. But, if you aren’t willing to shell out the extra cash for an almost-laptop, you’ll probably use the HDMI-out through either a multimedia dock or a straight cable. If you’re a big fan of playing games on your phone, this video shows how Motorola made this extremely cool and easy.

With the exception to the kickstand, the Evo 3D can do all those things as well (with a non-Tegra Zone game of course). However, where the Evo 3D takes the advantage is with MHL. Rather then have a separate HDMI port, the USB port doubles as an HDMI port–thanks to MHL. This means when you’re playing a game or watching a movie on your phone-powered TV, you’re also charging your phone with a single cable. This is not the case with normal HDMI.

GhostBlur vs. Sense

Both HTC and Motorola seem to think they know better than everyone else when it comes to creating an enjoyable user experience. HTC’s Sense UI update provides an extremely pretty interface with some very nice 3D transitions. And that silly clock is so popular, HTC ported it to Windows so people could use it on their computers. When it comes to comparing the two, Motorola’s GhostBlur UI typically ends up the butt of the joke.

With their new Sprint partnership, however, Motorola saw fit to make some “improvements” to the UI we saw on the Atrix. The Photon will come armed not only with GhostBlur, but also Sprint’s SprintID software (the quick-theming utility Sprint unveiled last year). SprintID will allow users to quickly theme their entire phone and provide apps that are appropriate to the theme.

I see this really as a personal preference. While I would lean more towards the pretty new SenseUI, far be it for me to judge someone who wants to combine the Atrix experience with the so far less-than-successful SprintID–especially since I haven’t experienced it myself yet.

The Camera

This one I do have some pretty strong thoughts on. Even if the EVO 3D took simply stunning 3D pictures, I wouldn’t be able to share them with anyone since there isn’t a single person I know that is even remotely interested in 3D right now. You can record 3D videos and upload them to 3D Youtube, in which case other people would be able to enjoy them. But 3D is just not used widely enough for me to actually want to take a 3D picture over a 2D picture. Unfortunately, when you want to take a 2D picture on the Evo, you only get a 5 Megapixel camera.

The Photon’s 8 Megapixel camera is really enticing by comparison. It’s coupled with Motorola’s modified camera app for Android, which is probably my favorite app to come from the Motoblur experience. This app puts tools like Panorama picture and color effects at your fingertips, and I can only imagine how nice pictures will look on the qHD display.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot these devices have in common. The 4.3″ qHD display, access to Sprint’s 4G network, similar shape and size, 1GB of RAM with plenty of storage options and front-facing cameras. There’s also a fair bit we don’t know about these devices, since neither of them are out yet. Battery life, touch response, whether or not they will ship with unlockable (or unlocked) bootloaders–all still a mystery. And each could shift your choice in this decision. For many, this decision will affect them for the next 2 years, so it’s a significant one to make. With all that we know about these devices, which would you choose?

HTC Thunderbolt MR2 update available for download now

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:03 PM PDT

The OTA is supposedly going to be hitting phones a little later in the month, but if your Thunderbolt is anything like mine (I had 4 reboots so far today) then I’m sure you can’t wait to get your hands on the cure.

The guys at Android Police broke this one and it is coming to you courtesy of Chingy and TeamAndIRC.

As Verizon hasn’t officially outed this update there isn’t a changelog yet, but the improvements experienced by those running it so far include:

  • No random reboots (HUGE!)
  • 3G/LTE Toggle (Settings>Wireless & networks>Mobile networks)
  • Improved signal strength
  • Improved GPS
  • The “3G” logo in the notification bar changed (Not really an improvement, just different).

I performed the update about an hour ago myself and can attest that everything is working fine and I haven’t had any reboots yet anyway. The only downside I’ve noted is that I’m back to the old Android Market.

Before I get to the instructions please be aware that this is not just an OTA style update and so it will wipe all of the data on your phone. Backup anything you don’t want to lose. The update I’m linking to here is not for root users and will brick your phone if you are rooted. There are some ROMs based on this update for root users and if you are interested just hit up the source link for details.

With all of that out of the way if you are a stock user that wants to perform this update it is almost as simple as they come.

  1. Download the stock MR2 RUU file here
  2. Re-name the file to “PG05IMG.zip” (without the quotes)
  3. Move that file to the root directory of your SD card
  4. Turn off your Thunderbolt (Make sure you wait until it is all the way off)
  5. Hold the Volume Down button and Power button at the same time and keep holding them until the bootloader screen pops up (it’s a mostly white screen with the little skate boarding Androids at the bottom)
  6. Be patient on the bootloader screen as it will take about 15-20 seconds for the update process to begin automatically (This isn’t the actual update)
  7. After a couple minutes it will ask you “Do you want to start update?” and you should hit Volume Up for “Yes” (or Volume Down if you’ve chickened out)
  8. You can watch the thrilling process of the update or go do something else for about 5 minutes and when you get back you should see the message “Update Complete” at which point you just need to hit the Power button to reboot your phone and you should now be running your shiny new MR2 update.

If you have any questions before or after the update (or just want to share how awesome your phone is now) let us know in comments.

Rovio to launch Angry Birds cookbook full of egg recipes

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 12:33 PM PDT

Android users have been trying to save the Angry Birds’ eggs from those evil green pigs since October of last year. It’s been no easy task, but it seems those eggs just keep disappearing! Could it be we might switch sides soon and join the evil green piggies?

That just may be the case! Rovio has just announced at Open Mobile Summit in London that an Angry Birds recipe book is on the way. Seems interesting, right? But will it sell? Well, Rovio is selling toys, clothing and other accessories with far less functionality than a cookbook.

Angry Birds has definitely earned its name, and slapping that name on the front of an egg recipe book might bring massive sales. It might also aid parents in teaching their kids how to cook, since this book would surely catch their attention!

As you may expect, said cookbook will contain recipes based on the birds’ offspring, eggs. This recipe book will come in the form of an e-book app as well as a printed version. What do you guys think? Buying one of these?

MOTOBLUR who? Motorola’s Android experience loses its name; help us come up with a new one

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Android phones with MOTOBLUR might be the first with social skills, but they don’t seem to be making a lot of friends. Motorola confirmed yesterday what we’ve been hearing for a while:  the MOTOBLUR name is gone for good.

As you probably already knew, Motorola and Sprint announced a couple of high-end Android devices yesterday. There were talks of 4G speeds, qHD displays and dual-core processors. But the name MOTOBLUR was absent from all press releases. Since the company won’t come out and say the MOTOBLUR name is dead, we’ll go ahead and do it for them. Rest in peace, MOTOBLUR.

This doesn’t mean that Motorola’s customized version of Android is gone, though. It just doesn’t have a name now. The Motorola Photon 4G , for example, will launch with Motorola’s own user interface and experience. We’re calling it GhostBlur until Motorola gives it a new name. You’re welcome to come up with a new name and post it below. If we like it, we’ll change GhostBlur to yours. So, go ahead and unleash your river of creativity upon our comments section.

Video: Why the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 should be yours

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:59 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 will be available in the U.S. June 17 (unless you live in New York City or attended Google I/O), and Samsung wants to show you just how much this Honeycomb tablet will improve your life. This video does not discuss the specs in depth, which is usually the type of videos we like. Although we’d be more satisfied with a more detailed video, it’s probably easier to lure the common consumer with simpler commercials like this one.

Samsung simply shows the major features that differentiate this device from the competition. Want to know why Samsung thinks its product is better? Here’s some of the main features:

Entertainment

Samsung compares a Galaxy Tab user to a book reader, showing that the Tab can bring much more entertaining media (and books as well) than the old-school paperback.

Adobe Flash

Ouch, Apple! Things get interesting when the video compares the Galaxy Tab to an Apple tablet. As most of you know, Apple iPads do not have Adobe Flash support, which highly limits access to web content and, by today’s standards, may be necessary for many.

This is no small thing. Considering the problems Apple and Samsung are currently going through, such a low blow will really upset the guys at Apple’s HQ.

Books, magazines and other literature

Having a tablet can expand content further than ink and paper alone. Take this example, as shown in the video:  When trying to cook something, a tablet can make a recipe book much simpler and more interactive. A tablet provides videos in the recipe e-book, links to sites and/or additional recipes and other functions that exceed the capabilities of paper resources.

HD Display

With a 10.1-inch WXVGA (1200×800), Samsung claims your content will be displayed as crisp and defined as real life. This tablet will be able to play HD videos, images and games without a problem.

Form Factor

With 8.6 mm of thickness, and weighing 565 grams, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is actually one of the only tablets that can rival Android’s nemesis, the iPad 2. This tablet is actually a bit thinner and lighter than the iPad 2 (portability is something that Apple has always prided itself on), making it one of the most portable 10-inch tablets on the market.

Gaming

If you’re a gamer, this tablet has everything you need. The NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor has enough juice to play any current game without a hitch. And let’s not forget that some games are available only for Tegra devices, so your portfolio of available games is larger with this device.

A very important part of gaming is portability. Though this tablet is not small, it is very thin and light; hence, easy to carry. If you’re willing to give up your pocketable gaming console, this tablet will bring along other benefits.

The size of the screen is definitely a plus if you want to lose yourself in the game. The 10-inch screen is also beneficial for those used to playing games on their Android smartphones, since this provides a larger area for on-screen buttons.

Wrap Up

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is one of the most anticipated of the announced Honeycomb devices. Will it hold up to your expectations? Check out the video and tell us if you’re getting one of these bad boys. If you already have one, help out your fellow readers and tell us what you think!

Bad Moto! Motorola Photon 4G has a locked bootloader

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:49 AM PDT

Now yesterday’s excitement has worn off from the Sprint-Motorola press event, it’s time for the bad news. Contrary to what we were told, the Motorola Photon 4G will launch with a locked bootloader. Here’s what Motorola said:

As previously communicated, it is our intention to include the unlockable/relockable bootloader in software releases starting in late 2011, where operator and channel partners will allow it. However, this feature is not included in the software found on PHOTON 4G.Motorola

In other words, you won’t see Motorola release an unlocked Android phone until this Fall. Which is really a shame, since other OEMs are already working around the clock to release unlocked devices in the near future. Add to this that MotoBlur is the least popular flavor of Android and that new phones like the Droid X2 fail to impress us, and we have to wonder if Motorola is losing its touch with the Android community.

Will Motorola unlock the Photon 4G’s bootloader via a software update in the future? Nobody knows. But if a locked bootloader is a deal-breaker for you, I’d recommend taking a wait-and-see approach with the Photon 4G. Or you could just take a look at other unlocked phones from a certain company that starts with an “H”.
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