Android Phone Fans |
- Nokia Normandy revealed to be a low-cost Android phone
- Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Android console now shipping, but will it succeed at $250?
- Sprint announces Samsung Galaxy S4 with ‘Spark’ 4G LTE compatibility
- Reminder: Dead Zebra’s Android ornaments go back on sale at 11pm Eastern tonight
- Nexus 7 folio case now available in Black and Bright Red for $50
- Google unveils white Nexus 7 for the holidays; buy with a Chromecast to get $35 in Google Play credit
- Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition now available for $650 in the Google Play Store
- LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play edition is official; pure Android tablet for $350
- Nova Launcher 2.3 update arrives with tons of KitKat love (icons, look and feel and more)
- Google announces ten new Chromecast apps, including VEVO, BeyondPod, Revision 3 and more
- Plex adds Chromecast support
- Exclusive: Avia Chromecast app review, cast personal music, photos, videos from Google+, Facebook, Dropbox, local storage, DLNA servers
- Verizon Galaxy Note 3 update fixes a lot of bugs, introduces a lot of new bloatware
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 announced; brings integrated LTE modem to budget phones, early 64-bit support
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3 surpasses 10 million sales
| Nokia Normandy revealed to be a low-cost Android phone Posted: 10 Dec 2013 06:15 PM PST The Nokia/Android relationship hasn’t quite solidified over the years. It was long thought that the Finnish company would look to replace their aging Symbian-driven feature phone business with low-cost Androids, but the company never did that. Their failed attempt at leveraging the Linux-based Meego platform also prompted folks to guess that they’d soon be calling to Android.
But Nokia decided to side with Windows, and stood firmly by that decision. They went as far as saying OEMs using Android for a short-term growth plan was about as good as Finnish boys peeing in their pants to keep warm in the winter. It wasn’t long after that funny statement that the company announced they’d be swallowed up under Microsoft’s big umbrella. Something interesting happened today, though — it was revealed that Nokia actually does have an Android device in the pipeline. What you see above is called the Nokia Normandy, a device that was under our noses for quite some time but slipped by the radar undetected. Twitter leakster @evleaks showed us a pretty clear shot of this thing back in November, but what we didn’t know is that this thing was built to run Android. Before you get too excited, The Verge reports that this version of Android was forked and customized so heavily that we probably wouldn’t recognize it, not unlike the offerings you see on the likes of Amazon’s Kindle Fire line or the Barnes and Noble nook family of devices. The handset was in the works before the Microsoft deal was finalized, so its future is still a bit iffy. There’s no indication what Microsoft will elect to do — will they let Nokia go ahead and release the device, or will they block the OEM from adding to a competitor’s already dominant ecosystem? We’d seriously doubt the former scenario, but crazier things have happened.
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| Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Android console now shipping, but will it succeed at $250? Posted: 10 Dec 2013 05:22 PM PST
Mad Catz is now shipping its newly-released M.O.J.O. Android console . The unit is great as an Android console and comes with some awesome features (learn more about it in our hands-on post), but does its superiority over consoles like OUYA and the GameStick make it worth $250? What is better about the Mad Catz M.O.J.O.?Though expensive, the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. is, in fact, about the best Android console around. My favorite feature is that it supports the full Google Play Store, making your gaming capabilities virtually endless. You can take all your current games and play them on your TV. The ecosystem is not a “walled garden” and any game can be had. The unit also has some great specs:
This comes with all the components you would expect an Android device to have, save for the screen. The microSD slot will ensure you have enough storage space for all your gaming. Bluetooth and USB support also help with that, as well as giving you the ability to use other controllers, keyboards and/or mice. Hell, you can even use the controller to play games with your smartphone on-the-go. A clip to hold your device is sold separately. Is all of that worth $250?The Mad Catz M.O.J.O. is a stunning Android console, but we have a hard time believing it is really worth that much. That is the same price as the Tegra Shield, which has very good specs. The Shield may not have all the ports, but it has a screen and is pretty much a full-featured tablet. To make things much more impressive, $250 is awfully close to the price of a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360. It’s hard to justify buying an Android console for the same price as a full console. Especially with other Android consoles are going for $100 or less.
Is this any better than buying a Nexus 7 and a bluetooth controller? For some people, probably, but I don’t think this console will really take off. There are way too many options at the same price point (and lower) that make for a better set-up to most users. Regardless, those of you who find the device feasible can purchase it right now! It is available straight from Mad Catz’ website. |
| Sprint announces Samsung Galaxy S4 with ‘Spark’ 4G LTE compatibility Posted: 10 Dec 2013 04:32 PM PST
We often make fun of Sprint at the Mobile Roar podcast, but we can’t deny the company is moving in the right direction. Slowly, but surely. The Now Network is expanding it’s 4G LTE reach and is currently also working on improving it with the “Spark” 4G LTE project. Only some devices are compatible with Spark, and now you can add the Galaxy S4 to the list. What is Sprint SparkSpark is Sprint’s initiative to make their 4G LTE network more reliable. This is done by creating a tri-band network that will support the 800MHz, 1.9GHz and 2.5GHz bands. Devices will be actively switching between said frequencies to make a much more reliable connection.
Where is Sprint Spark available?Sprint Spark is said to be coming to 100 of the largest markets in the USA, but so far it is only available in 5 markets:
Samsung Galaxy S4 with Sprint Spark: price and availabilityThe Samsung Galaxy S4 with Sprint Spark will not come as the cheapest high-end smartphone out there. Sprint is pricing this bad boy at $200 after a $50 rebate and a 2-year contract signature. You can also go the off-contract route and get the device for $25 a month with Sprint’s One Up program. The Galaxy S4 continues to be a great phone, but it’s not alone anymore. The LG G2 and the HTC One Max also support Sprint Spark. Which of the 3 would you get?
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| Reminder: Dead Zebra’s Android ornaments go back on sale at 11pm Eastern tonight Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:48 PM PST
Missed out on those Android ornaments we told you about yesterday? Dead Zebra’s initial stock went out quick, but they held a few back for folks to get another chance to hang the adorable mascot up on their Christmas trees this holiday season. Each ornament — available in either red or blue — includes a metallic finish, and glitter (because glitter + Christmas = love, warmth and fuzziness). They’re available individually for $10 a pop. As they were earlier this morning, Dead Zebra is limiting this opportunity to a maximum of two units per customer. They are also offering a “tree pack” that includes 5 red and 5 blue ornaments for $90. Note that if you opt for the tree pack, you can’t order the individual ornaments, or vice versa. You could try, but you might not like the fact that your order will likely be cancelled. That said, if you’ve made your mind up about which route you want to take and you have your wallet ready, be sure to circle back around 11pm Eastern tonight for the second chance to get in on this unique opportunity. US orders are guaranteed by Christmas, but those of you across international waters and borders will have to keep your fingers crossed that your postal service is fast enough to deliver it in time for the festivities. |
| Nexus 7 folio case now available in Black and Bright Red for $50 Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:19 PM PST
Google’s giving folks a lot of different reasons to spend a lot of money today. After not one, but two, Google Play edition devices were added, we saw Google add a white Nexus 7 to the Google Play Store. Now, they’re offering up a brand new accessory for said Nexus 7. You can grab the folio case from Google Play in Black and Bright Red for $50. There’s no need to tell us the case is a bit pricey, but the looks of it in the official renders sure do make it look nice. The case will protect the sides of the device, giving you a bit of raise on the front and rear to protect it from shattering on impact. We’d call it a nice mix between a traditional bumper case and a versatile stand, giving you the ability to prop the tablet up at three different angles to provide optimum viewing angles. Google didn’t mention whether the case would feature a magnetic sensor for automatically waking and locking the device, but I suppose we’ll just have to wait until these are out in the open to find out. Get the black version here, and the bright red one here. |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 12:07 PM PST
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Google is too, because the company has just put up a new color option in the Google Play Store for the 2013 Nexus 7. You can get the thing in white, though note that they’re only offering it in white if you opt for the more expensive 32GB version. It’s a very nice color that has looked great on the Nexus 5 thus far, so it’s not a big surprise Google wanted to do the same for the Nexus 7. It’s also worth noting that Google is holding a special holiday promotion for those who buy a Nexus 7 and a Chromecast together. Do that, and you could get yourself a $35 credit for use with any bit of content in the Google Play Store. That essentially gives you a free Chromecast. What’s not to like? Head over there and place your order as soon as possible, because this deal isn’t guaranteed to last long. [White Nexus 7 32GB Google Play Link | Chromecast G0ogle Play Link] |
| Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition now available for $650 in the Google Play Store Posted: 10 Dec 2013 11:31 AM PST
You didn’t think the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play edition was going to have all the fun, did you? Sony’s phablet is also getting the Google Play love, with the pure Android device now sitting in the Play Store for $649.99 unlocked. It ships in 1-2 business days. Notice that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra drops the “Xperia” name when brought to the play store? This could be to save space, but more likely Sony stripped the Xperia branding from the device due to the software being of the pure Google experience variety. With a 6.4-inch screen, the Z Ultra really pushes the boundaries of the Phablet category. Nearby competitors include the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 and 6-inch HTC One Mega, but the 6.4-inch Ultra puts both to shame in the size department. Thing is… do you really want a phone that big? Some other specs to show on:
Best of all… because this Sony Z Ultra comes as a Developer Edition device, you’re blessed with the most recent branch of Android (Android 4.4 Kit Kat) and are practically guaranteed timely updates as they’re made available. The phone is also contract free and unlocked, allowing you to take it almost anywhere. Here’s the network information:
That’s right, CDMA folks… you once again miss out. UPDATE: The bottom of the page states, “Compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US. Check with your carrier for details about coverage.” For more, visit our Sony Xperia Z Ultra Forums! |
| LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play edition is official; pure Android tablet for $350 Posted: 10 Dec 2013 11:18 AM PST
LG has just announced the G Pad 8.3 Google Play edition, an 8.3-inch tablet that is nearly identical to the LG G Pad 8.3 already circulating the market. The difference between that and this new Google Play edition is that this one will come with completely stock, pure Android, and should be in line to get all of the latest updates (like the newly-pushed Android 4.4.2 KitKat) ahead of pretty much everyone else. The specs might not have changed, but here they are again if you aren’t in the know:
LG’s original advertising campaign for the device noted how they paid special, close attention to the ergonomics. Their goal was to deliver a device that was “just right” for you by striking a key balance between screen real estate and comfort. That brought us the uncommon 8.3-inch screen size you see above. The G Pad 8.3 has been met with fairly warm reception, with most folks happy to have a no nonsense tablet that is well-built and chock full of features. There’s even less nonsense now that LG’s custom user interface won’t be getting in the way of regular Android updates. You can find it for $350 in the Google Play Store right now.
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| Nova Launcher 2.3 update arrives with tons of KitKat love (icons, look and feel and more) Posted: 10 Dec 2013 10:54 AM PST Nova Launcher is one of the premier custom launchers in the Google Play Store. That trend continues today with a big upgrade that you’ll want to get your hands on. Nova Launcher 2.3 brings us a bevy of changes that should make you feel like you’re using the Android 4.4 launcher, including the new KitKat style scroll indicator, folders, fonts and the new app drawer icon. You’ll even be able to get that slick transparent look, so long as you’re on a device that’s running Android 4.4+.  There’s a lot more to be had than the KitKat look and feel, though. Here’s a quick look at today’s lengthy changelog:
I don’t blame you if you had to take a bathroom break between reading all of that. Such a large list should make you happy, though, and lends even more credence to the notion that Nova Launcher has some very capable hands behind it.        
The upgrade should be hitting the Google Play Store in the moments to come, so be on the lookout for its arrival (but you can grab the latest beta version here if you absolutely can’t wait). |
| Google announces ten new Chromecast apps, including VEVO, BeyondPod, Revision 3 and more Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:37 AM PST
We already gave you an in-depth look at Avia, and Plex told us about their new Chromecast support. Now, Google is highlighting 8 more apps that have all gotten Chromecast support starting today. That brings us to ten new apps in all, which Google says should be enough to make sure you and your family can easily share your favorite holiday moments and memories this Christmas season. Here’s the full list after the new additions:
All you’ll need to do is be sure you’re up on the latest versions of your respective app of choice, and you should find a nice new Chromecast button that will allow you to enjoy your content on the big screen. This is just another of many reasons why Time named it their gadget of the year. You can find the full list of currently supported Chromecast apps over at Google’s landing page for the little guy. Be sure to talk all about these apps and more over at AndroidForums.com’s Chromecast section. [Google via ChromeSpot] |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:17 AM PST
Avia isn’t the only app that got a big upgrade to add Chromecast support today. Plex, one of the most popular media servers out there, has been upgraded to add support for Time’s best gadget of 2013, the HDMI media dongle that allows you to beam content from your various device over to your TV for easy viewing on your home entertainment setup. If you aren’t in the know, Plex is a platform that allows you to serve up all of your multimedia to any supported device, including those with Plex apps (here’s the Android version) and most devices with standard DLNA playback features. Users can only “fling” or “cast” video from the start, but Plex has said that photos and music will be along shortly. Plex also threw in this unfortunate tidbit: Chromecast support is only available for PlexPass subscribers right now. The feature will be coming to free users shortly, though, so it shouldn’t be too long before you’re able to enjoy all your media on your HDTV of choice. With Plex being a dominant player in the media streaming world, this is a pretty big deal for Chromecast users. If you were turned off by Google’s attempt to block you from streaming your own content from third-party apps early on, this should help breathe new life into a $35 bundle of joy that is starting to gain a ton of steam heading into 2014. [via Plex] |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST
When Chromecast launched last summer, consumers everywhere immediately wished to display local content from their phones and tablets onto the big screen. Having the ability to cast photos and videos of your choice was in such demand that some developers even found unsupported hacks and methods to get the job done. Ultimately, Google closed the gaps while they ironed out the Chromecast SDK leaving Chromecast fans everywhere yearning for the ability to cast their own personal media with Chromecast. That wait is finally over thanks to Avia, Chromecast’s first personal media player. For those not aware, Videon, the company behind Avia, is no stranger to Google or Android, working with Google and Sony on the first Sony Google TV Blu-Ray player back in 2011. Their relationship with Google do to previous app support for Google TV and Android allowed them this launch opportunity with Chromecast. We go hands on with an exclusive review below.
Avia’s goal is to help users move their personal media between devices from a variety of storage locations. Like previous versions of Avia, you can link the app to cloud storage, local storage, and network servers.
          After you’ve added all of your storage locations, you’re now ready to begin using Avia and Chromecast with your own personal media. If you’ve added music, all music added to your library is indexed, adding album and artist art where needed, making this feature one of the best in class. If you have an extensive library, Avia’s built in search feature allows you to search your music, photos, or videos by entering the media title, movie name, or image name into the search box. If searching isn’t your thing, you can browse content by album name, date, playlist, ratings, by folder name, or get the whole list by selecting all. While playing Music with Avia or on your Chromecast, you can choose to enter DJ mode or Jukebok mode. DJ mode immediately changes the song as soon as a new one is selected while the Jukebox mode is similar to YouTube’s TV Queue, allowing you to add music to a list. With Photos, you have the option to view the individual photo or go into slideshow mode by hitting the play button. You can configure the slideshow options via settings, such as changing the image display duration as well as choosing different types of transitions. While Avia is going to godsend for those wishing to cast locally stored content to Chromecast, Avia does have some limitations for Videos and for some, might not be the final app for tackling Chromecast. When it comes to videos, Avia does an amazing job at playing and casting supported content. You’re going to be limited by the types of codecs supported by your device, your DLNA server, and of course the Chromecast itself. Avia does not do any sort of audio or video transcoding. If you have a plethora of MKV movies, some videos won’t play and others will play, but will be missing audio. Once again, this isn’t a problem with Avia, it’s just unsupported content. With that said, some AVI movies, MPEG files, and mp4′s will play just as intended if their codec is supported. If you’re ripping DVDs and Blu-Rays from your personal collection, be sure to encode them with a supported codec. As for videos taken with your phone, you shouldn’t have any issues at all and it works great. The cloud storage option works quite well for pulling in content from Dropbox and Facebook. At the time of this writing, we were given a pre-production build of the application and Picasa did take a couple seconds to retrieve photos and videos. The team informed us they are aware of a few issues and plan on making improvements prior to launch. Besides the slight delay, photos from Picasa worked quite well. Also, the team does plan on eventually changing the name and icon to reflect Google+ Photos since Google+ Photos has replaced Picasa web. Avia is free to install on the Google Play Store and the Amazon Appstore, but you’ll need to complete an in-app purchase for $2.99 to enable Chromecast functionality. In addition to adding Chromecast support, the paid version enables another perk, Themes support. If you’re on the fence about purchasing this app, it’s worth knowing that in early 2014, Videon plans on raising the price of Avia to $4.99. Previous Avia Pro owners will automatically be upgraded to the new version that supports Chromecast and the updated version will be available to Google TV owners as well.
Having the ability to use Chromecast with the photos and videos recently taken on your phone, competing with Apple TV mirroring, has been one of the most sought after features since Chromecast’s launch last summer. Avia’s ability to accomplish this and more definitely makes it a powerful tool that you’ll want to add to your personal media arsenal. Happy Casting! |
| Verizon Galaxy Note 3 update fixes a lot of bugs, introduces a lot of new bloatware Posted: 10 Dec 2013 06:57 AM PST
It looks like Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is due for a key upgrade soon, bringing many different changes that will both excite and disappoint you. The exciting stuff is in the bug fixes, with Big Red’s big slate bringing us the following suite of changes:
As for the not-so-exciting bit? New bloatware! Users will be treated to a new MyInfoZone widget, a VMware app, an updated version of the Verizon Support & Protection app, and the Verizon Cloud app. None of this should be too difficult to rid yourself of if you’re not down with any of it. We’re not sure when, exactly, this thing is supposed to begin rolling out, but we’ll be trying to find out. [via Verizon] |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2013 06:35 AM PST
When Qualcomm set out to bring us a line of processors for emerging markets — the Snapdragon 200 and 400 series, if you aren’t in the know — they wanted to provide silicon cheap enough for any budget, yet powerful enough for comfort. Cheap chipsets often come with a few caveats, though, with one being they typically don’t have integrated LTE radios. Thankfully, Qualcomm is changing that for their own line. The newly-announced Quaclomm Snapdragon 410 chipset will feature an LTE “World Mode” chipset that supports most major bands and frequencies for LTE networks throughout the world, as well as 3G radios and support for dual-SIM and triple-SIM configurations. This 28nm chip is also one of the first in Qualcomm’s line to feature 64-bit capable hardware, though it seems like that little tidbit is more for future proofing than anything else. The mobile ecosystem isn’t yet ready for 64-bit hardware as most OEMs are still fine with 2GB of RAM. Android also doesn’t have support for 64-bit architecture just yet. It’s also a bit strange to see the first 64-bit support inside a chipset that is meant for budget smartphones. We doubt those particular phones will ever need to take advantage of the possibilities 64-bit enables. It’s nice to know that the necessary bits are there, though, and it has us confident Qualcomm will look to bring these to their high-end chipsets in due time. The Snapdragon 410 also features an Adreno 306 GPU, support for 1080p playback, camera resolutions up to 13 megapixels, and support for Qualcomm’s standard suite of radios for WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and more. The chip is expected to begin sampling in the first half of 2014, and should be ready for consumer products by the second half of that same year. |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 surpasses 10 million sales Posted: 10 Dec 2013 05:55 AM PST
Yet another Samsung device has joined the 10 million sales club. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 reached that feat, joining every other flagship release since the original Samsung Galaxy S launched in 2010. It’s been just about two months since the Note 3 was released, which means the Galaxy Note 3 was only just shy of meeting the pace that the Galaxy S4 achieved. What does this mean? Well, phablets are popular and people want huge phones, apparently. Many folks scoffed at the idea that big phones could be popular. Most people professed they’d get a tablet if they wanted a tablet, so a smaller phone was more desirable. But Samsung brings more to the table than just an increased screen size. The innovative S-Pen features make for an experience you can’t quite find on any other smartphone. Samsung has closed the feature gap a bit by bringing things like multi-view and AirView to the Galaxy S4 and others, but the S-Pen still provides a unique level of productivity that many appreciate. You can find out about all of that and more in our official review, so be sure to read that if you want to see why, exactly, Samsung was able to sell so many of these things in such a short period of time. Be sure to find the full list of Samsung’s 10 million sellers below (right click to enlarge).
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