Android and Me

HTC enters the movie streaming business with HTC Watch
Get your designing on with AutoCAD WS for Android
T-Mobile launches new plans, unlimited everything starting at $60
AT&T announces the LG Thrive and LG Phoenix, available April 17th
HTC Flyer to launch in Europe on May 9th
HTC Sensation officially announced, coming to T-Mobile this summer
An LG Nexus 3? Here’s what we know.
Virgin Mobile’s Samsung Intercept is getting the Froyo treatment tonight

HTC enters the movie streaming business with HTC Watch

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 06:56 PM PDT

Earlier today — at the HTC Sensation launch event – HTC announced HTC Watch, a video streaming service for HTC devices. The technology behind the service seems to be powered by Saffron Digital, a company HTC acquired two months ago. The HTC Sensation on T-Mobile will be the first device to feature the new video-watching service. When it’s available, users will be able to watch movies over WiFi and 3G as well. Also, when using the app users won’t have to wait for the movie to download, it will instead play instantly and buffer the rest of the movie. There are only a few hundred movies available to watch right now, but HTC promises us much more are coming soon. At this point, we don’t know how much HTC will ask for these movies, but hopefully they price them very competitively. Do you guys see yourselves watching movies with this service? Or maybe not?

Bonus: HTC Watch is briefly shown in this video at around 0:27.

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Get your designing on with AutoCAD WS for Android

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 06:14 PM PDT

Autodesk just announced that a version of its popular AutoCAD WS app is coming to Android soon. For those of you not up to date in the design world, AutoCAD WS allows you to “to share your files with anyone and collaborate in real-time. Using your Android phone or tablet, you can work with clients and colleagues using any other Android device or any iOS device or any desktop computer with a browser.” Autodesk didn’t cut any corners for the Android app either, including all the features the iOS counterpart enjoys. Here’s a summary of all the features and a video of Andy getting played with (in a good way):

Online DWG viewer—Access your AutoCAD drawings from anywhere; all you need is a web browser.
Web-based CAD—Edit drawings online using many familiar and intuitive drawing and editing tools.
CAD for Apple iOS and Android devices—Work on AutoCAD drawings directly on your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android device.
No software required—Invite team members to review and edit DWG drawings online.
Collaborate in real time—Conduct online design reviews with participants in multiple locations.
Track and manage changes—Record changes to designs in a timeline for version control and auditing.
Edit Offline—Work with your DWG files offline without a 3G or Wi-Fi connection from your iOS mobile device (Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch)

If you’re interested in AutoCAD WS and have a device with Android 2.1 or above, you can keep an eye out on this page to get a reminder once the app launches.

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Android 2.2 users can finally edit Google Docs on the go

T-Mobile launches new plans, unlimited everything starting at $60

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:49 PM PDT

Earlier today T-Mobile announced two new unlimited everything plans. The first one — the Even More Plus™plan — is $59.99/month for “unlimited” everything without a contract — T-Mobile will throttle your connection if you go over the 2GB data limit. The second one — the Even More™ plan — is $79.99/month for unlimited everything with a two-year contract . It’s always nice to see T-Mobile lowering prices a bit to keep the competition on their toes, I’m sure I’ll miss them once they merge with AT&T.

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AT&T announces the LG Thrive and LG Phoenix, available April 17th

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:07 PM PDT

AT&T just announced two new devices for their ever-growing Android lineup. They’re the LG Thrive (right) and the LG Phoenix (left). Both phones are based on the LG Optimus One, the little popular device we can buy from every carrier that ever existed. The LG Thrive is AT&T’s first prepaid smartphone, it’ll be available for $179.99 without a contract. A $179.99 price tag might seem a little steep for this phone, until you realize that you’re saving a lot of moolah on the long term by going the prepaid route. The second phone, the LG Phoenix, will be available for $49.99 with a new two-year contract. Whether you’re going with a prepaid plan or a contract, both of these phones are very good options if you don’t have a small fortune to spend on a new phone. Here’s a summary of these phones specs:

Android 2.2 Froyo
A 320 x 480 pixels, 3.2 inches screen
A 170 MB ROM, 512 MB RAM
3.2 MP camera
600 MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
FM Radio

As an LG Optimus T owner, I can vouch for both of these phones. They might not be the Atrix 4G but they’re very responsive, pack vanilla Android and get the job done. Accompanying these new phones, AT&T also announced some new prepaid data plans; starting with $25 for 500MB, $15 for 100MB, and $5 for 10MB. What do you guys think about these phones?

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HTC Flyer to launch in Europe on May 9th

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:06 PM PDT

The HTC Sensation may have stolen the spotlight today, but HTC did also reveal that the HTC Flyer will launch across Europe on May 9^th. Pricing for HTC's WiFi enabled 16GB HTC Flyer is still up in the air, but the 3G HTC Flyer with 32GB or internal storage has recently been spotted for £599 on several different sites.

We still don't know when Best Buy and HTC plan on launching the WiFi HTC Flyer here in the U.S. market, but it should be a month or two ahead of when Sprint rolls out the HTC EVO View 4G later this summer.

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Rumor: HTC Flyer heading to T-Mobile

HTC Sensation officially announced, coming to T-Mobile this summer

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 10:33 AM PDT

If you have been following Android news, you have surely been hearing rumors about the HTC Pyramid for months. Today, this device was officially announced by HTC at a special event held in London, and it is actually named the "HTC Sensation." Short after the Sensation’s unveiling, T-Mobile announced that they will be carrying the device in the U.S., personally calling it the HTC Sensation 4G.

HTC Sensation 4G Specifications:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread / New Sense UI (Like the one on the EVO 3D)
4G Capable
1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snaptdragon processor
768 MB of RAM memory
1 GB of internal memory (microSD up to 32 GB)
4.3-inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen / qHD resolution at 960×540
Gorilla Glass
8 MP rear-facing camera (1080p recording) / 1.2 MP front-facing camera
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, along with bluetooth 3.0

The HTC Sensation has a very solid exterior, built with gorilla glass and an aluminum unibody, so this would be a great option for those that are a bit harsher on their devices. Now, on the inside, this gadget is definitely sporting some impressive specs as well, not to mention the newest version of Sense UI, and many of you will surely be planning to make this your next device. If you would like to get your hands on this bad boy, T-Mobile will be releasing it this summer, and though the price is not announced yet, we can expect it to go for at least $199.99, which is what new high-end smartphones typically cost, on a 2-year contract, that is.

HTC has given us two videos on this device, and they are posted below for you to drool on. Also, check out the press release, and let us know what you think about the HTC Sensation 4G!

Gallery

Show Press Release

HTC UNVEILS MULTIMEDIA SUPERPHONE,

THE HTC SENSATION^™ 4G

HTC brings one of its most advanced smartphones ever to the United States, exclusively for T-Mobile customers.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 12, 2011 — HTC Corp., a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Sensation 4G, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC's new HTC Watch^™ video service. Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation 4G features the company's latest customer-focused HTC Sense^™ experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way. The HTC Sensation 4G will be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile USA beginning this summer.

"Consumers have quickly transformed smartphones into consumer lifestyle hubs — pocket-sized entertainment centers that enable people to take their favorite multimedia content with them wherever they go. The new HTC Watch service makes it fun and easy for people to access premium movies and TV shows while on the go," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp. "The HTC Sensation 4G combines this great multimedia experience with the latest HTC Sense experience in a premium device that delivers a powerful and unprecedented smartphone to our customers."

"The HTC Sensation 4G delivers the ultimate in speed and entertainment on America's Largest 4G network," said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile USA. "With a lightning-fast, dual-core processor and 4G speeds, customers will experience the difference when accessing rich media and content on the HTC Sensation 4G's beautiful qHD display. We look forward to adding the HTC Sensation 4G to our industry-leading lineup of 4G smartphones."

Premium Design and Materials

Tapping into HTC's trademark design language, the HTC Sensation 4G's premium look and feel is enhanced by its rounded edges and aluminum unibody construction, and the touch screen surface is protected by a contoured screen that feels more natural as a finger glides across it.The 4.3-inch qHD display delivers high-resolution widescreen viewing and gives the HTC Sensation 4G slender proportions that feel natural in a person's hand. At the heart of the HTC Sensation 4G beats a powerful, 1.2-gigahertz, dual-core, Qualcomm^® Snapdragon^™ processor, which enables gorgeous graphics and all-around fast performance.

HTC Sense

Complementing the HTC Sensation 4G's premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that boasts a host of new features and enhancements, helping people have more fun and get more done. For instance, HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lock screen experience that transforms the lock screen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply waking up the display. In addition, the new active lock screen becomes a customizable gateway, which lets people quickly jump to the most-used features, such as making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else, with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. For instance, the camera can be launched right from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when you're trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

HTC Sense also makes it easy to have fun by enabling people to capture and share special moments. The HTC Sensation 4G's 8-megapixel camera doesn't just shoot gorgeous photos — with the new instant capture feature, it lets people capture the moments they want without worrying about missing or keeping up with the action. The HTC Sensation also shoots full HD video in 1080p resolution, with full stereo sound, at up to 30 frames per second, giving you smooth video that is better than many other phones. With the new Video Trimmer tool, people can crop their clips to the perfect size for easy sharing with friends and family.

HTC Watch

The HTC Sensation 4G is a smartphone that is built from the ground up for a sophisticated, evolved multimedia experience. The 4.3-inch widescreen display means that users can watch movies like they were meant to be seen — in their full cinematic glory, with no cropping or letterboxing. The HTC Sensation 4G is also the first smartphone to feature HTC Watch — an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos and, if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

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An LG Nexus 3? Here’s what we know.

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 08:51 AM PDT

What an emotional week for the Android and Me team. Bringing on new writers and breaking them in, Clark stepping in as the full-time bossman, and Taylor’s farewell post all shoved together. It’s a pretty exciting time here at Android and Me, and rest assured that with Clark at the wheel, there’s going to be some interesting things on the way for the website for sure. As far as the news goes, however, I felt it was appropriate to address Taylor’s final words to everyone. An Nvidia Tegra 3 powered LG Android phone with the Nexus branding to be the next Nexus device. That’s a pretty audacious tip to leave someone with nothing there to give it credence, aside from the fact that it came from Taylor. How crazy is it, though? Let’s take a look!

Clue 1 – The Open Handset Alliance

While everything you will see in this article is purely speculative, there’s a pretty clear line drawn here, I think. When the Open Handset Alliance was formed, four device manufacturers threw their hats in with Google, amongst the 34 companies that were the OHA’s “Founding Fathers”. Those companies were HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and LG. Now, of these four companies, LG is the only company who has not released either a “Nexus” device, or been the first to market with a new version of Android. HTC and Samsung both have Nexus devices, and Motorola has been first to the market with a new version of Android, not once, but twice with the original Droid and the Xoom. Additionally, LG has only recently started making competitive high-end handsets, as anyone who has touched a G2X will confirm.

Now also part of the OHA founding fathers is nVidia, who has not sat idly as Qualcomm soaked up the adulation of Android fans the world over. Their Tegra line provide the dual core capabilities that Android fans crave, and toss in high quality graphics without the high power consumption to boot.

Given all the attention Google has NOT given LG and nVidia, and considering the impressive displays both companies have made recently, it’s not hard to imagine Google giving both companies a shot at their handset.

Clue 2 – nVidia and LG are already partners

If my first attempt to address the possibility wasn’t enough, consider that LG and nVidia are already working together on devices such as the G-Slate tablet for T-Mobile. The success of either the G-Slate or the G2X would ensure that nVidia and LG would be in business in the future, and LG’s internal development team will already have a unique relationship with nVidia’s products. If Google were to call on these two companies for a device, their existing relationship would make the steps from concept to product go much faster.

Clue 3 – nVidia’s roadmap fits the schedule

Everybody knows that nVidia is planning the Tegra 3 processors, expected to be a quad core offering at the high-end of the spec and a dual core at the more power conservative end of the spec. If a Nexus device is announced in December, then it’s likely it would be on the shelves by late January or early February. According to LG’s own roadmap, samples of the Tegra 3 will be available to some companies late this fall, with an expected release for production in late Q4 2011. The Tegra 2 was scheduled for a Fall 2010 release, and the first handset, the Atrix, was available this February. nVidia’s own production schedule matched the time needed to produce and prepare the technology for use.

Based on the information that’s out there, and the schedule of events, I would not at all be surprised if Taylor is spot on with this tip. I think it’s very likely that Google’s next Nexus device, maybe even their next Dev phone, ends up being an LG phone with nVidia’s Tegra 3 chipset. Would you buy an “LG Nexus T3″?

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Virgin Mobile’s Samsung Intercept is getting the Froyo treatment tonight

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 08:05 PM PDT

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for Samsung Intercept owners! Phandroid is reporting that some Samsung Intercept users are being notified to update their phones to Froyo. We’ve known for a few days that the Intercept will get Froyo today, but now is official. Here’s what you’re getting: