Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Android Community

Android Community

What do YOU want in a “Nexus 4G” device?

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:19 AM PDT

What we’ve come to understand this morning via a report coming from a source speaking with BGR is that we’ve got a new Nexus device on the way by the name of – possibly – Nexus 4G. This device they say is the next in line to be the hero device for Android’s continuously evolving mobile operating system. This particular iteration will be called Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a system which you can explore via our coverage from its revealing swoop back at Google I/O. This device would be the next step in a line that began with the Nexus One, headed off in a couple other directions that included the first tablet iteration of Android, Honeycomb, in the Motorola XOOM, and has most recently landed in two forms as the Nexus S and the Nexus S 4G, both holding Android 2.3 Gingerbread in its purest form. What we’ve found today is that the leak from a couple weeks ago of a rather sparse looking phone from HTC might not be far from the truth – BGR’s supposed source may well have the specs that connects this device to reality.

Before we continue, I must point out that there was another supposed report on the device whose image appears above and below. This report says that the originator of the leak came forward to disprove the whole situation, saying that he or she was not, as previously believed, a Google employee, and that they did indeed fabricate the evidence, so to speak. See that story here.

That’s not to say that the Nexus 4G, as it’s being called will not look something similar to this fabricated image. Not a button in sight and a relatively gigantic screen, sure, why not? Then there’s another phone that could possibly be on the docket, but would be a new turn for Google if it ended up being truthful. This device is part of a slapped-together pre-made advertisement that just says COMING SOON, so it may well also be a concept device just as easily – and it just so happens to have been used to promote the original Optimus. LG Nexus 4G? Does that ring true to you? We’ve also got a report on an LG spec list that includes one gigantic screen indeed!

Now on with the details we reported earlier today coming from BGR. First, this device is said to be, again just MAYBE, called Nexus 4G. This, we’ve gotta say, is almost certainly just a placeholder name. With devices like the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G out already, Google will certainly have to differentiate between the devices with a bit more of a unique set of letters. What would you call it?

Next there’s word that this device will NOT be featuring the NVIDIA Kal-El quad-core processor as previously rumored. Instead we’ll be seeing a TI OMAP 4460 or Qualcomm Krait-based Snapdragon core, this paired with 1GB or RAM should be the “monster” they’re saying the screen size is being called. With word of the hardcore development going on with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Game Pack, we’re banking on the latter.

The display on this newest Nexus device is said to be 720p, meaning more than likely the standard dimensions of 1280 x 720, never before seen on a handset and MUCH improved over any competition this device would see today. Banking on the idea that this device will be somewhere around the also standard largest screen size of 4.3-inches (unless you could the massive 4.5-inch Infuse 4G,) this device would indeed have a rather dense set of pixels going on.

This coupled with an odd 5-megapixel camera on the back made for a strange pair of partners. Why a device that appears to be stepping up in every other aspect would be stepping down from the now-standard 8-megapixels we’ve been seeing in every other high-end handset as of late, we cannot say. On the other hand, the 3.2-megapixel camera on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has proven to be much more impressive than the low number rating would suggest. Have a look at some results in our big review of said device and see the cat!

And what’s the most excellent and most certain bit of this device? Why, the next step in Android, of course. BGR’s source says this system will be numbered 4.0, which would indeed fall in line with the 2.3 Gingerbread and 3.0 Honeycomb for handsets and tablets respectively. That would make this newest handset an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich machine, rolling out with all the features we learned about at Google I/O, again those details are available in full for your hearty consumption if you wish. This device will, as Honeycomb would suggest, feature no physical Android menu buttons and will be combining the most awesome features from Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android 3.1 Honeycomb in a masterpiece of Android super-systems.

So what do you think? Will it be an HTC device? Given what you know about the LG G2x, would you like it to be an LG? The Sensation’s been doing quite well and people are rather excited about it – does such a massively hyped phone leave room for a Nexus device release from HTC this year? And what about those specs? Seem plausible to you?

Let us know and let’s discuss until the day!

)


T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart get Official on June 22nd

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:10 AM PDT

Courtesy of T-Mobiles Twitter account we have just learned that two of their upcoming budget Android smartphones the Samsung Exhibit 4G as well as the Gravity Smart will both be landing on T-Mobile starting June 22nd. We originally mentioned both devices at the first of the month as two budget phones coming in at under $100 on T-Mobile, so for those waiting for it the wait wont be long.

Both of these phones are budget devices that feature some lower to mid-range specs but for the price you can’t complain. T-Mobile looks to be bringing these just after the release of the Sensation 4G that is available starting today. With the Sensation available now and then these two on the 22nd T-Mobile looks to be getting both the top and lower end of users needs covered to start the summer.

The Exhibit 4G runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has a 1 Ghz processor and a 3 MP camera and will be able to access those 4G speeds. Then you have the Gravity Smart that features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.2 FroYo and a 3.2″ display. They both sound like great phones to give to your children that are just getting out of school, or even to that Father that has never had a smartphone but wants one for Fathers Day. Will you be getting your Dad or Grad a new Android phone from T-Mobile?

[via @TMobile]

)


HTC Sensation 4G Available Today from T-Mobile

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 10:52 AM PDT

The HTC Sensation 4G we have been hearing so much about lately is finally available today (June 15th) from T-Mobile in-store and online. You can see our original review here or our additional unboxing and hands-on here. The Sensation 4G is a great device and I’m sure a few of you have been waiting for it.

The Sensation was originally to be for sale on the 15th with it also being available at Walmart starting on June 12th, but Walmart went a little pre-mature and started selling on the 8th. If you were waiting for it to be officially at T-Mobile this is a reminder that today is your lucky day and you should head down now and get some of this dual-core goodness.

If you are like me and have been anxiously waiting for the Sensation to hit the streets, it is available now at Walmart as well as T-Mobile. Head into your nearest T-Mobile store and you can pick it up for $199 (with a $50 dollar MIR) and take it home today, with a new 2-yr contract as usual. Again be sure to check out our reviews posted at the top of this post, and if you purchased this device for yourself already feel free to tell us what you think and share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you haven’t bought one yet you could be one of 10 lucky winners of T-Mobile’s Sensation 4G giveaway for Fathers Day in case you missed that.

)


Huawei GAGA Android Device Revealed via FCC

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Well wouldn’t you know it, our favorite fashion super diva has her own device – or so it would seem. Probably actually having nothing to do with the queen of odd, Huawei has codenamed their new device GAGA with the tag X1 U8180 attached. This device is a handset that’s bound to carry Android, and some version pre-Ice Cream Sandwich by the looks of it. Also worth noting before we get to the specs is the fact that Huawei has trademarked the name HUAWEI GAGA in the United States. Where could this device be headed? Surprisingly it doesn’t appear that the USA is first on the list.

This device is currently listed as supporting 850 / 1900 GSM, and 850 WCDMA bands, this pointing toward carriers outside of the states. Beyond that, this device will indeed be running Android 2.2 Froyo, will feature a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display, have Wi-fi connectedness, GPS, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a 528MHz processor of some sort. This device also has a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back and does have microSD card support.

This device is already sneaking into the spotlight under Portugese carrier Optimus, and will be launching at least in the UK with Orange. Will it hit the USA? We always welcome additional carriers to pave the way to a more competitive market – thusly making handsets more powerful and more excellent much quicker. But wait, what else does this handset look like? Does it look sort of similar to a Nokia friend of ours? Also look at that camera lens and speaker grill – seems rather familiar, wouldn’t you say?

Huawei-X1-Gaga-U8180-Android-FCC-3 Huawei-X1-Gaga-U8180-Android-FCC-2 Huawei-X1-Gaga-U8180-Android-FCC

Huawei! Don’t turn into the next copycat! Come to the USA with some amazing products and make us innovate to the max!

[via UnwiredView]

)


Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Coming this Fall, but with Gingerbread

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 10:15 AM PDT

Our friends at Crunchgear are reporting what sounds like the next Galaxy Tab 7″ that will replace the original Samsung Galaxy Tab. We aren’t sure exactly what to call it, but with the current lineup I’d assume they’ll just call it the Galaxy Tab 7″. From what we are reading this may be good news, or bad but it looks like it will basically be a giant Galaxy S II and that isn’t really a bad thing if you look at the specs.

Apparently Samsung has chosen to go ahead and use Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread on the device over the popular and rising Honeycomb for tablets. They do have the 8.9″ and 10″ Tab’s that both run Honeycomb so maybe they are just covering all the bases, that and they spent tons of time on widgets and mail apps specifically for the Tab and I doubt they want it all going to waste. A lot of people will say the original Tab failed mainly because the OS, but Samsung might not feel the same way.

I think Samsung might have a good plan and will release this with either 2.3.4 Gingerbread and update it to Ice Cream Sandwich, or they will launch it on ICS. The next version of Android will be blending Gingerbread and Honeycomb into one beautiful offspring, so the Galaxy Tab 7 could actually have a bright future. Anyways here are a few specs for you to think over:

* Exynos 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
* 1GB RAM, 2GB ROM
* Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread w/ TouchWiz 4.0
* 16GB of internal memory
* Micro SD slot
* Tab proprietary connector with USB Host capabilities (via adapter)
* 7 inch WSVGA IPS display
* Ability to call, video call and send SMS messages

I did notice the 2GB ROM, this could be a little future-proofing from Samsung so they can fit Ice Cream Sandwich and any sort of Touch Wiz both without issues, they don’t want a HTC Desire issue on their hands. From looking at the rest of those specs it looks to be a nice little device with that IPS display, that powerful dual-core processor that seems to be beating the Tegra 2 as of late and you can even make calls on it. So yes it will be a giant Galaxy S II. When we here more information we will be sure to update you all.

[via CrunchGear]

)


Verizon Extends Free Use of 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot on Mobile Devices Through July 6th

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 10:08 AM PDT

Show of hands – how many of you thought that your use of the internet hotspot you were able to activate on your HTC ThunderBolt, DROID Charge, and LG Revolution was a limited time offer? Indeed this offer was supposed to be finished quite soon, (tomorrow, in fact), but has instead been pushed out until July 6th, 2011. What happens then, you might ask? You’ll have to start paying for that service you hold so dear. The note we’ve been passed by Verizon states that though a $20/GB plan had been in place, either a new offer will be sent or the Mobile Hotspot will be de-activated altogether. Harsh!

As you may already know, your humble narrator has been using the hotspot on the ThunderBolt for some time now, it having gotten him out of more than a couple jams where connections were smashing all alternate means of connecting. Have a look at the HTC ThunderBolt Three-Month Review for all the juicy details. Next let’s have a look at the message from Verizon:

Verizon Wireless has extended the Limited Time promotion for Mobile Hotspot and Mobile Broadband Connect on 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) Smartphones, ThunderBolt by HTC, DROID Charge by Samsung, and Revolution by LG. The following are the Unlimited Hotspot promotion details.

Limited Time promotion available through 7/6/2011 which allows customers unlimited 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot and Mobile Broadband Connect usage until July 6, 2011 with the purchase of a ThunderBolt by HTC, a DROID Charge by Samsung, or a Revolution by LG, with a voice plan and a data package $29.99 or higher.

The $20/GB (Gigabyte) plan will not be available on 4G LTE Smartphones. On July 6, 2011 a software update will remove the Mobile Hotspot offer. A message will be sent to the end user to contact their system administrator to subscribe to Mobile Hotspot.

So keep those hotspots hot! And make sure to note when that update comes through so we know if they’re going to totally de-activate the system or just update to a pay model that’s hereto unknown!

)


Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Running Gingerbread and maybe an Unlocked Bootloader [video]

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 09:01 AM PDT

For all you Sony Ericsson lovers out there it seems SE might be getting closer to an official release of 2.3.3 Gingerbread for the Xperia X10. The Xperia X10 was originally launched on Android 1.6 and the wait for a newer version of Android was a long road if you were waiting for an official release. It took until the end of May of this year for the X10 to get Android 2.1 and 2.3 has been around for a while, but we are now seeing what looks to be an official version running on the Xperia X10.

A new video now being seen over on YouTube is showing the X10 at the Thailand Mobile Expo 2011 running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, being updated 16M colors on the display, and if we are reading the information right possibly even an unlocked bootloader like SE has mentioned they’d be doing soon. We weren’t sure if that policy was for future devices only but it looks like they may be unlocking older phones as well.

There is also talk of not only the X10 getting that tasty Gingerbread but it will also be receiving a new kernel that should speed things up and make it fly like the Xperia Arc. Sony originally announced the X10 would get 2.3 in Q2/Q3 so according to this things look right on track. This is a good sign considering how extremely long it took for them to deliver on Android 2.1 for X10 and other SE users. For now check out the video below and hopefully we here more on that bootloader soon.

[via Phandroid]

)


Google Nexus 4G Details [BREAKING - Next Generation Ice Cream Sandwich Device]

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:55 AM PDT

So you’d like to know what you’re waiting for next, yes? You’d like to get yourself the newest and greatest phone but you’re hesitant on grabbing the Galaxy S II and you just can’t bring yourself to get that Sensation, yes? Lucky you, someone leaked some information to BGR, and now we’re passing that information on to you, about the next NEXUS device. That is, the next device Google will be participating in closely to bring you the next level of Android in its purest vanilla form. This device may be called the Nexus 4G, and it may well be the most powerful and awe-inspiring Android we’ve seen yet. Do read on!

This device, it’s said by BGR’s source, will feature a processor that is NOT the fabled NVIDIA Kal-El quad-core processor, but will be instead some sort of OMAP 4460 or an ultra low-power 28nm Krait-based Snapdragon. The power on this dual-core processor will be something 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz, while the display will be 720p HD and “monster-sized”, whatever that might entail. Furthermore, per what’s been happening on the Honeycomb side of things, this device will no longer be featuring any kind of physical Android menu buttons, instead relying solely on software-based interaction.

You know what that means: Ice Cream Sandwich! BGR’s source confirms that this device will be running Android version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and will be running it on an ultra-thin chassis along the lines of what we expect will be Galaxy S II lines. Inside will be connectedness along 4G LTE pointing toward Verizon or perhaps AT&T. This would be a new direction for Google if they choose AT&T as they’ve favored T-Mobile and Sprint in the past for their Nexus S and Nexus One devices while Verizon has gotten the Motorola DROID and Motorola XOOM, all of them hero devices exemplifying the Android versions they held with vanilla flavoring.

Inside this device will be 1GB of RAM, the ability to capture 1080p video with it’s back-facing camera which will also be 5-megapixels, and a 1-megapixel camera on the front for video chat. This device will of course also be able to play back 1080p video so you can watch Tron and Speed Racer all day long.

This device is said by sources apparently familiar with the matter to be coming out somewhere around Thanksgiving here in the USA. Sound like something you’d like to pick up? Always a rather hearty and solid situation when it comes to Google getting directly involved with an Android!

[via BGR]

)


Mobidia My Data Manager keeps tabs on your data use

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:33 AM PDT

If you are on a data plan with your Android smartphone or tablet that isn’t unlimited, you can spend a huge amount of money on data streaming and not even realize it until the bill comes in. A new app has been announced called the Mobidia My Data Manager. The app allows the mobile subscriber to viewer their data use for the month as a whole and see where they are using the most data.

It will also monitor your data use for the last 30-days in graph form and help you to get a handle on your data use before your bill is hundreds of dollars more than expected. The app is offered free and there is no mention of monthly charges for the service.

This app would also be a good way for a parent to keep an eye on where kids are using the most data and companies could use it to monitor the data use of workers too. The app will work on any Android device with version 2.2 – 2.3.3. Other platforms will be supported later.

)


HTC says Gingerbread will come to Desire after all

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:46 AM PDT

HTC UK posted on its Facebook page yesterday that it wasn't going to bring Gingerbread to the Desire smartphone. Desire owners were not happy in the least and the backlash on the Facebook post was swift and scathing. Apparently HTC had enough of the hoards of pissed off Desire owners and has now reversed that decision.

HTC UK posted on its Facebook page today with the short and sweet notification “Contrary to what we said earlier, we are going to bring Gingerbread to HTC Desire.” As you can imagine lots of Desire owners are feeling much better about their purchase and might actually be considering HTC for future smartphones again.

HTC has offered no indication of exactly how long it will take to bring the update. I also have to wonder how suddenly HTC has figured out how to get Gingerbread onto the Desire when it cited lack of memory before. Do you think perhaps HTC Sense will be shed? Would you rather have your Sense UI or Gingerbread and no Sense? I think this post sums up the entire reversal process pretty well from Facebook use Punit Clare, “had enough backlash??” Yes, they have.

)


Official Android Starbucks app lands

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:27 AM PDT

Back in January, we talked a bit about the mobile payment solution that Starbucks was working on for its locations around the country. At the time, there were third party Android apps that you could use to pay with your mobile phone. We mentioned then that an official app was in the works. That official app has now landed called Starbucks for Android. You can grab the app on the Android market right now in version 1.0 form added this week.

Starbucks still says that the app is the fastest way to pay for your drinks in the store and if you have to get your coffee in the morning and are always late for work speed is good. The app can be loaded with money using a major credit card. Transaction history is still recorded and the app works at any of the company-owned Starbucks stores and in over 1000 Target locations with Starbucks drinks.

The app has some known limitations to be aware of. It only supports US Starbucks Cards. It does not support Starbucks Store Credit Cards or Duetto Cards. It will only work for domestic phones numbers for sure; international numbers may not consistently work. Only one Starbucks card can be loaded at a time, but there are instructions for reloading other cards. The app requires Android 2.1 and higher and is free.

)


Sony Launches new Android Qriocity app

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 04:54 AM PDT

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Sony has been under siege for the last few months by hackers that gained access to the PlayStation Network. That attack took the PlayStaion Network down and the Sony music service Qriocity as well. The Qriocity network is back up now in most places and Sony has announced the launch of a new app for Android users that will get them unlimited music.

The Qriocity app is to version 1.1 right now and it has 30 days of free access to the full 7 million song database. The app is officially called the Music Unlimited app and the free month of access is for new customers only. The app is free but after those 30 days of new user service at no cost, you will need to pay to continue using the app. The basic plan offers personalized channels for different music types and the ability to hear songs from a personal library after synchronizing.

The app supports the premium plan too with all basic features and full access to the entire catalog and premium streaming channels. The app allows the sync of songs to a PC and then access to them from your phone. Other features include the related page for finding new artists. The app should work with most Android phones running Android 2.1 to 2.3.3.

)


UK won’t get Motorola Milestone 3 smartphone

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 04:41 AM PDT

Here in the US we get the Droid line of smartphones, but over in the UK Motorola offered the same phone as the Milestone. Android fans of the Droid in the US and other places will be able to get the Droid 3 smartphone that turned up in the leaked how-to videos earlier this month at some point. If you are a UK fans of the milestone line that was hoping to see the Milestone 3 as it would be called in your neck of the woods bad news has landed.

It seems that the Milestone 3 will not be coming to the UK. Why exactly it’s not going to be offered is unknown and Motorola could always change its mind and toss the handset out anyway. There is no official reason offered for the device not making it across the pond. There is a chance that the Milestone 2 just didn't sell well enough for Motorola to bother with a UK launch for the third version. As Clove points out the HTC Desire Z was also discontinued this week.

It may be that Android fans in the UK just don't like the slider form factor. If you are in the States, we know some of the details on the Droid 3 already so fans in the UK know what they won’t be getting. The Droid 3 is said to pack in a dual-core processor, 4-inch qHD screen, and a 8MP camera with 1080p support. It also has HDMI out and a USB port.

)


HTC Flyer Desktop Dock hits Best Buy pre-order

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 01:57 AM PDT

The official HTC Flyer Desktop Dock has shown up for pre-order at Best Buy, with availability expected in 1-2 weeks. Supporting the 7-inch Flyer in portrait orientation, the dock errs on the simple side when it comes to connectivity.

On the back there’s apparently a single USB connector that will work with either an AC adapter to charge the Flyer, a USB sync cable to hook it up to your PC or Mac, or an MHL HDMI adapter to output the tablet’s display to a TV or projector. Unfortunately you don’t get a native HDMI port, which seems something of a missed opportunity, and there’s no mention of even a 3.5mm audio output for using the dock as a media player station.

In fact, your $49.99 basically gets you a more straightforward way to prop up your Flyer and recharge it, and HTC doesn’t even include a USB cable or AC adapter from the sound of things. The seemingly illuminated button ring on the back is something of a mystery, but we’re guessing it’s a charge indicator.

[via Pocketables]

)


Vizio VIA Tablet priced by Walmart: On sale soon?

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 01:49 AM PDT

Vizio’s 8-inch tablet, the VTAB1008, looks set to land in Walmart sooner rather than later. The Android slate – which we saw Blake Griffin fondling yesterday – hasn’t been spotted itself, but the Walmart price card has been caught on camera by a This is my next tipster.

According to that card, the Vizio will be $349 and have a front-facing camera, GPS, VIA Plus for intercompatibility with the company’s TVs and other products, and access to the Android Market. We recently saw the slate cross through the FCC complete with AT&T 3G support, though there’s no mention of wireless connectivity on this Walmart model.

Vizio announced the “VIA Tablet” back at CES in January, alongside a similarly Android-powered VIA Phone, and promised a summer release. What’s unclear is whether Vizio has added Honeycomb to the tablet in the meantime, or if it will launch running a smartphone version of Android.

)


Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review [Wi-Fi Edition]

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 09:41 PM PDT

Welcome to the ongoing epic story we’ve got unfolding here at Android Community with the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, having reviewed just about every version of the original tab, then seeing this newest series before its software was even connected to its hardware, moving on then to the official announcements and pre-release hands-on of the 8.9 and the 10.1 and yes, the most popular review of the Google I/O Limited Edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the internet. Now we’ve got the official Wi-Fi edition of the 10.1 tab on our desk and it’s time to cross check and review this iteration – yes indeed!

Upon opening the box that this device comes in, you’re presented with the display covered with a sticker that further explains the hardware you should, by all means, know about already because you’ve had a full reading of the Android Community in-depth review. After that you’ve got a wall plug capable of working with any number of world plugs, a USB to Samsung specific plug wire, earbuds, and some instructions manuals. Have a peek at the unboxing and hands-on video first, then head down to the rest of the review for a full blast look at Samsung’s latest and greatest effort in tableting.

Hands-On and Unboxing

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is Samsung’s latest and greatest effort in the line of Android devices it’s so faithfully produced over the past few years, they being the minds behind the most successful Android device line of all time, the Galaxy S, and the most powerful and thin Android device in the world currently, the Galaxy S II. What have they come up with this time? A masterpiece of a tablet whose only drawbacks are in its software and in its inability to expand memory. Has Samsung banked on the cloud a bit too much here? They’ve certainly banked, but perhaps just enough.

This tablet contains 16 GB built-in memory, 1GB DDR2 RAM, and no microSD slot for expanded memory though we DID see the possibility at one point in the ideation process back in early 2011. The display is a 10.1" WXGA 1280×800 pixel resolution TFT LCD with a nicely sized black rim so you’ll easily be able to hold the device without accidentally tapping the screen. You’ve got a 3.5 mm headphone jack a the top, a 3.0-megapixel camera on the back, a 2.0-megapixel camera on the front, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, and Ambient Light sensor.

This device is extremely thin and light, sizing in at 10.09 x 6.81 x 0.34 (256.2 x 172.9 x 8.6 mm) and weighing in at 20.99 oz (595 g). It’s thin enough that you’ll be pleasantly surprised but not in a way that would make you think you’re holding something fragile. It’s got a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor inside and it’s ready and willing to play every and any game you can toss at it with flying colors. We’ll be using this tablet to review every Honeycomb-centric app in the near future so look for it to pop up many times over the next quarter of 2011 – NVIDIA Tegra Zone ahoy!

Software

What this iteration of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 consists of is Android Honeycomb 3.1 with a dash of Samsung TouchWiz. What I mean by that is that it’s not running the full TouchWiz UX 4.0, instead Samsung has decided to get the hardware out there in the open and offer the custom user interface to owners of the device at a later date as an optional upgrade. Let’s have a quick look at what we’re not yet able to access here in a demo we grabbed back earlier this year at CTIA 2011 – this is what TouchWiz UX 4.0 will look like, basically:

Samsung TouchWiz UX for Tablets demo from CTIA 2011

Beyond that, you’ve got Honeycomb in its Android 3.1 form as first introduced on the Motorola XOOM a few weeks ago. For a rundown of what Android 3.1 Honeycomb is all about, check out our review of said system and come back with full knowledge. This device is running what’s almost vanilla Honeycomb 3.1, that being the OS in its purest, unaltered form. What we’ve got here instead is a few elements that are wholly Samsung and, as Samsung and I say we see it, they’re actually (either slightly by a whole heck of a lot) nicer than what Google had originally presented in stock Honeycomb.

For a full guide to Android 3.0 Honeycomb, (as opposed to the 3.1 version you see here on the Galaxy Tab 10.1,) check out our original full guide as posted at the beginning of this tablet wave! Next have a look at some of the specific differences between the user interface presented Honeycomb (be it 3.0 or 3.1) and this Samsung altered version on the Tab 10.1:

Keyboard Differences

Camera Interface Differences

You’ll remember these images from our Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition review as indeed there appear to be no changes in either interface between the limited edition and this standard Wi-fi edition. One thing that HAS changed is the amount and variety of apps you’ll be getting. While they’re basically the same basic set as you got with the Google I/O edition, there’s no Amazon Kindle, no Amazon MP3, no WeatherBug, and a modified Music Hub.

Google I/O Edition vs Wi-fi Edition Apps

Stock Apps Rundown

One of the oddest apps we’ve got here is Samsung Apps. This app, when opened on the Google I/O edition of this device, showed a giant list of utter oddities, bear face icons and random collections of letters for titles. Back in the review of that device I estimated that this was just a temporary oddity, and it turns out that this is the truth – now the Samsung Apps app has only a few items in it, including Angry Birds, apps that can be downloaded and a few options that might lead you to adding your own app here in the future. Still a very small situation going on here, perhaps one day it’ll be stocked with all the greatest apps in the world ready to run on Samsung specific devices. On the other hand, its a bit disheartening to see every single brand attempting to have their own app store when less than 4 should, by all means, do the job fine.

Next there’s Music Hub. This app is one that opens up to a music store run by 7Digital, a place where you can purchase tracks for right around $1.50 apiece and have a relatively wide variety of music to choose from. Is this Google’s temporary music situation while they ramp up a reputable music store of their own? We shall see.

The stock Music app is giving us slightly different results than the one loaded on the Google I/O edition of this tablet in that it’s not immediately apparent where we can activate our Music Beta account connection. That said, updating the app via the Android Market does bring us back our familiar set of lovely covers.

Even you, Lady Gaga with the bone face.

Next, QuickOffice is your portal to organizing Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. Plus there’s a rather convenient Cloud button that connects to everything including Google Docs, Dropbox, box, and mobileme. Look at that gigantic list!

An additional app not present in the Google I/O edition that IS present here is Books, your link to Google’s version of the world of ebooks. Quite sophisticated, entertaining to use, but unlike the best selling ereader in the world, you’ve got no e-ink display here. On the other hand, you’ve got access to books through your Google account which is convenient if you’re already purchasing apps.

Camera

Surprisingly, both the front and back-facing cameras seem to have improved from the time they existed on the Google I/O Limited Edition of this device and this Wi-Fi edition. With a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back and a 2.0-megapixel camera on the front, one wouldn’t expect more than a generally decent ability to collect media on the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but as you’ll see below, a pretty good set of pics can be gotten. As for video, the result is slightly less impressive, but decent nonetheless. MUCH better video and photos than the iPad 2 can produce on all counts, of that you can certainly be sure.

Front-Facing 2-megapixel Photo

Back-Facing 3.2-megapixel Photo

Front-Facing 640 x 480 Video

Back-Facing 720p Video

Back-Facing 3.2-megapixel Photo with Flash

Performance

This device appears by all means to be moving faster than you’d ever really need a device such as this to move, having seemingly no loading time for any operation anywhere save for some larger games which require upwards of a few seconds to boot up. What you’re dealing with here again is a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor for sweet speed and exclusive gameplay allowances through the Tegra Zone portal which you can get a full review of right along back here. What we find here is that the benchmarks we’d gotten for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition were basically identical save for Quadrant Advanced which gave the Limited edition slightly more in total and some rather odd differences in each category.

Limited Edition
CPU: 6332
Memory: 2456
I/O: 1117
2D: 82
3D: 669

Wi-Fi
CPU: 4129
Memory: 2035
I/O: 951
2D: 235
3D: 576

Check out the rest of the results for the Wi-Fi edition here:

Quadrant Advanced

AnTuTu

Linpack

Smartbench 2011

Battery

This device has a monstrous 7000 mAh battery in it, that being one so gigantic it’d do fine in a high-end laptop. You’ll basically never have to power up this tablet – we’ve not needed to charge it at all for the several days we’ve had it out of the box now. Really quite amazing. You’ll be getting AT LEAST 24 hours of heavy action out of this monster, no problem. No worries on the battery front at all.

Wrap-Up

While this device might instantly seem to you to be the greatest Android tablet on the market today, and you might very well be right, there are a few things to consider when thinking about what you’ve got here. First, this is, for now, just a Wi-Fi tablet. Where for example the XOOM already has some rather well-connected 3G action going on, this device remains in the Wi-Fi hole, relying on connections around you to grab some internet. But wait, you’re part of this bigtime mobile revolution with us all, right? Take out your mobile handset and use the internet hotspot. It all seems so very Simple!

This device is indeed the thinnest and the lightest tablet on the market, thinner than the XOOM by a mile, lighter than the Asus Eee Pad Transformer by about half, and looking like it was designed by some smooth operators. But is it too simple? There’s a fairly gigantic cross-section of Android owners who like to modify their devices to fit their own needs, and that very often includes popping in a microSD card and sometimes, though not often, fooling around with the physical guts of the device. With the Galaxy Tab 10.1, neither of these things is really all that possible. Does this make it a device to be looked over by hardcore developers?

I should think not. Especially developers looking to make apps that millions of people are going to be playing or working on during this next season when the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are going to be selling like hotcakes. But WILL this device sell? It really all depends on how well Samsung MARKETS the device. A tablet can be as magnificent as you want, but if you do like Acer and Motorola are doing at Target and Best Buy, your sales are going to be abysmal. You can take that to the bank.

That said, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a lot going for it, and without a doubt this is the closest any OEM has gotten to competing with the iPad yet. Once TouchWiz UX 4.0 comes out, we may feel another surge in sales, but unless, again, Samsung promotes the update as an earth-shattering change for tablets, again, it’ll fail. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the greatest Android tablet yet, and one so simple and powerful at the same time that I’m currently using it as my primary non-handset device for web and email browsing as well as the occasional media in internet radio, movies, and television shows. Well played Samsung, can’t wait for the 8.9.

leaving carriers overpower topdown troopsunder powerbutton powerplug taskmanager dummyunitsstorageport galaxytab_keyboard-540x321 galaxytab_camera samsungapps musichub musicbeta musics-540x337 cloudinquickoffice books quadrant antutu01 antutu02 linpack smartbench compaaar topdown appsdrawer frontfa backfacing backflash )


Whose Phones Do You Love?

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 02:10 PM PDT

We all love Android, in all the different sizes, shapes, and skins it comes in. With the freedom that accompanies Android’s software though, its not impossible to level the playing field when it comes to what’s on the phone. The phone itself though, that’s an Android of a different color! Since it’s open source, anyone can use the software for free, and as a result we have a lot of phone’s to choose from. When it comes time to choose your new phone, that little computer that’s gonna sit in your pocket for the next two years, do you look for the best phone or do you look for your favorite manufacturer?

Most people may not give it much thought, being unbiased, but some have strong feelings one way or the other. I for one am pretty neutral, but the issue is starting to come up more and more as I look at replacing my old phone. Whether its build quality, battery life, or simply a love of the company, I want to hear what it is that make people love one companies’ phones over another.

OEMs fight hard to differentiate their phones day in and day out. Whether its with a recognizable marketing campaign like HTC’s or a UI skin like Motorola’s Motoblur, manufacturers fight for you to buy, not just an Android phone, but THEIR Android phone. I think one of the most important aspects, and undervalued as well, about a phone is the phone itself. Not just “the specs,” but the physical device, how it feels, what it’s made of, the battery life, the camera, etc. This is, in my mind, the biggest stage for customization.

Now there are way too many Android phone makers for me to talk about them all, and if you have one you love please tell me all about it in the comments, but I’m gonna talk quickly about my opinions of three of the biggest. HTC was the first company to make an Android phone, and have been a major player since then. HTC has, in my opinion, some of the prettiest, and best feeling phones I’ve ever seen or held. From the Sensation down to the tiny Aria, they’re soft-touch plastic feels good in the hand and looks downright good. On the other hand this ends up in the phones being a bit thicker and heavier.

On the other end of the spectrum is Samsung, unarguably one of, if not the top Android OEM at the moment. Their phones and tablets like the Galaxy S II, are mind blowingly thin and light, but at the cost of being made of what just feels like cheaper plastic. I’m not familiar with the battery life on many of their phones, but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has an awesome battery life, especially considering I usually go several days before charging it.

Motorola is another big name, specifically the one who brought us the OG Droid. While I’m not a fan of Moto’s locked bootloaders, they make some damn sexy phones. Legends abound of the endurance of the original Droid, and the slide-out keyboards on the Droid line are some of the best around. I also love how Motorola experiments with different form factors like the Atrix’s laptop dock, and even the less successful Flipout. This originality is something that doesn’t seem as high a priority for Samsung and HTC who seem to have the “if it ain’t broke” mentality as of late.

But enough of my thoughts. I want to hear from you AndroidCommunity! Let our your inner fanboy or girl and drop a comment on what you love most about your favorite OEM’s phones.

)


Samsung Mesmerize EE19 Update Today

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 01:16 PM PDT

For those of you with the bright and rounded Samsung Mesmerize on everyone’s favorite star-studded carrier US Wireless, just waiting for ever and ever for a software update, today’s your day. You’ll be granted the lovely Android 2.2 Upgrade EE19 update upon accessing it with Kies Mini. Also mind the errors, because we may very likely be seeing some coming in with this particular upgrade of bits.

What this upgrade will be doing for you is fixing minor bugs, finding yourself with a whole new ability to actually hear phone calls, fixing an issue where the volume buttons were not accurately responding, and yes, if you’ve not gotten it before, an update to Android 2.2 Froyo. Along with this, US Cellular has a few more updates in the chute, some old, some new, all of them Android.

This updates include an Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade for the LG APEX, another Android 2.2 upgrade for the Samsung Acclaim, and a third Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade for the HTC Desire. Grab em all for fun! Also NOTE: this upgrade to EE19 is a minor upgrade after the real deal Android 2.2 Froyo update that happened in March of this year. Head back to a post about that and see if you can spot the differences.

)


Amazon App Store Lures You in with Free Apps, Makes You Stay if You Want to Keep Them

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 01:05 PM PDT

The Amazon Appstore was a pretty bold move. Not only did they walk all over Apple’s trademarked name, they introduced a brand new rival to the Android Market that Google manages. The Amazon Appstore does offer some handy features over the Google Market, including the give away of one free app a day. Turns out it isn’t as free as we thought.

Did you know that if you uninstall the Amazon Appstore apps you downloaded from the store won’t run anymore? Yeah neither did I until yesterday. A developer apparently pointed this out to San Francisco Chronicle yesterday. He noticed that the Amazon Appstore was perpetually running some background services, which he was unable to kill, so he proceeded to uninstall the Appstore, unwittingly losing access to any apps he downloaded from it.

What this means is if you want to keep running those free apps Amazon “gave you,” you have to keep letting them run those background services. Looking over the Amazon Appstore Permissions, you’ll notice that there isn’t much it can’t do. It even counts as a system tool, which is launched when you turn your phone on (that’d be those background services).

We haven’t confirmed what it is exactly the Appstore is doing in the background, but likely possibilities are sending usage data back to Amazon. This also means that Amazon is modifying the APK’s that developers submit to their market, causing them to force close if the Appstore is not installed. We’d assume that this is included in the contract devs sign with Amazon, but its still a little fishy.

Luckily re-downloading the Amazon Appstore isn’t too dificult if you ever uninstall it by accident. What do you think? Android users are no strangers to background data, are you willing to let Amazon camp on your phone for a free app each day?

[via SFGate]

)


Polish Mall Booth Revives 1.2 GHz Galaxy Tab 10.1 Rumor

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Someone out there was obviously pretty convinced that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 was supposed to have a 1.2 GHz processor. Last week we reported that Vodafone was listing the new tablet with a beefed up processor without a name, rather than the 1 GHz Tegra 2 that Samsung’s website, and common knowledge would tell you it had. That turned out to be false, but the rumor has sprung back to life with a sighting of this sign on a Samsung booth in a mall in Poland.

Samsung’s pulled a switcheroo on processors before, upgrading from the Tegra 2 to its own Exynos processor in certain models of its Samsung Galaxy S II. That’s why we reached out to Vodafone when they listed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a 1.2 GHz processor. It wasn’t long though before I received a friendly email confirming that it had been a mistake on Vodafone’s part, and the website has since been corrected.

Today, reports are saying visitors to Samsung booths in Poland have been greeted with a sign telling them that the tab has a 1.2 GHz processor. The report is from the Polish site, tabletowo.pl, who was unable to confirm what processors the demo tablets at the booth were running, but have contacted Samsung’s Polish division and are awaiting response. I for one am skeptical of this being more than another mistake. Neither Samsung’s Polish, or UK site list the 10.1″ version of the tab, so there is always the possibility of a different processor in a European version though.

)


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)