Android Phone Fans |
- Samsung calls Android’s VP of engineering to the stand [APPLE VS SAMSUNG 2014]
- Oppo Find 7a first look and unboxing [Video]
- T-Mobile CEO receives shiny new gold-plated HTC One M8, shows it off to the world
- Amazon smartphone with a 3D display launching this September [RUMOR]
- Coachella is being live streamed on YouTube, watch Weekend 1 on your Chromecast [VIDEO]
- Sprint LG G3 shows up in UA profile sporting Snapdragon 800, 3GB RAM, 2K display
- Phandroid Recap: Types of Android Users, WTF Samsung, and Android TV [April 6-12]
- Alleged photo samples from the OnePlus One leak, and they look great
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition: so, ummmm… where is it?
- 9 things to do when you first get your Android phone [Android 101]
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Developer Edition is coming to Verizon soon
- Mobile Roar Podcast 40: Project Ara & Android TV
- You can now buy the T-Mobile HTC One M8
- Samsung Gear Fit teardown is an x-ray of Samsung’s smallest smartwatch yet
- Leaked HTC sales documents try to convince salespersons that the One M8 is better than the Galaxy S5
| Samsung calls Android’s VP of engineering to the stand [APPLE VS SAMSUNG 2014] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:21 PM PDT
After 5 days into the “the next big patent lawsuit,” Apple is finally resting their case, seeking $2.19 billion in damages from Samsung over their alleged patent infringement. With that out of the way, it was Samsung’s turn to call upon witnesses, in which Hiroshi Lockheimer — Google’s VP of engineering for Android — made it up on the stand to talk, what else, but Android. Lockheimer, who joined up with Google back in 2006, says he was “blown away” by what Andy Rubin showed him of an early Android build. Samsung was using Lockheimer testimony to drive the point home to jurors that it was Google who was responsible for many of the infringed software patents Apple was alleging in the case — not Samsung. Lockheimer went on to explain to the jury how this wacky Android thing works (now that they’ve already been briefed on iOS). They learned that it was Google who developed the software, after which it was the OEMs job to install on their hardware (and make occasional UI tweaks). Samsung maintains that Apple’s quarrel — which involves “stock” Android devices like the Galaxy Nexus — is technically with Google. Once again, not Samsung.
Then it came time to talk about Android’s search function, a key patent Apple claims was infringed in multiple Samsung devices. Samsung attempted to downplay its usefulness by using Lockheimer’s testimony that only about 2% of people who used the search function in Android ever actually clicked on an application. 98% of the time, users clicked on web search results. Of course, Apple had a problem with Lockheimer’s statistic, noting that data came from more later versions of Android and not the versions found in the alleged infringed devices. The trial is set to end later this month, with a few more key Google witnesses also taking the stand, though none as nearly as high ranking as Lockheimer (just a few lowly software engineers, UX researchers, and Google lawyers). I think it’s safe to say we’re all a little fed up with Apple’s litigation at this point, but we’ll bring you more from the trial when/if there’s anything worth bringing to your attention. | ||||
| Oppo Find 7a first look and unboxing [Video] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 05:07 PM PDT
The time has come Oppo fans, the successor to the Find 5 has finally arrived. Meet the Oppo Find 7a, the non premium edition of the Find 7. Because Oppo is known for their wonderful device packaging and quality devices for that matter, we’ve included an unboxing video for you below.
The Find 7 comes in two variants, a premium edition and a standard edition. Here are the specs below:
The Find 7a feels great, looks great, and I can’t wait to put it to the daily grind over the next few days. Check back later in about a week and we’ll have the full review on the Oppo Find 7a. And, just to keep your interests peaked, the Find 7 rocks an always listening microphone, just like the Moto X and the upcoming OnePlus One. However, it doesn’t look like Oppo did anything unique with the hotword.
Are you interested in the Oppo Find 7? Let us know in the comments below. | ||||
| T-Mobile CEO receives shiny new gold-plated HTC One M8, shows it off to the world Posted: 11 Apr 2014 04:28 PM PDT
While the rest of us “peasants” enjoy our brand new anodized aluminum HTC One M8 smartphones, others are apparently enjoying their 24ct gold-plated versions. In a tweet by Mr. Un-carrier himself, T-Mobile CEO John Legere revealed a sparkly new gift he received direct from HTC: the gold plated HTC One M8. Wow… For those unaware, the HTC One M8 just became available at T-Mobile today, though only available in the standard gun metal/black config. The gold plated HTC One M8 was originally headed for UAE, but appears one may have fallen out of the truck on the way there. A smart move by HTC, especially considering the release of another high-profile device this morning. It was in October of last year that HTC unveiled their 18ct gold-played HTC One (M7). Built in collaboration with the folks at Goldgenie, the real gold HTC One phone was given out to MOBO award winners and was valued at around $4,424 US dollars. While Legere could certainly send the phone back (or re-gift it), something tells us he’ll be putting forth some sort of effort into making this his daily driver. So shiny. [Twitter] | ||||
| Amazon smartphone with a 3D display launching this September [RUMOR] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 02:59 PM PDT
The long rumored “Amazon smartphone” has been whispered for longer than we care to remember. But according to the Wall Street Journal, it appears Amazon is finally ready to make this smartphone thing happen, with a release scheduled for this summer. Sources say Amazon has already begun showing off the phone to developers, and is planning to announce the phone in late June, with a release in September. How will this phone differ from the plethora of Androids already on the market? How ’bout not 1, or 2, or 3 cameras — but 4 of them. Okay, so they’ll be largely used for retina-tracking. What for? Because the Amazon phone will feature 3D-like holograms that seemingly jump off the display. It sounds crazy, and hella gimmicky, but with Amazon’s new in-house Game Studios at the ready, they might be able to pull this thing off. Looks like Nintendo’s got some competition in the 3D mobile games space. [WSJ] | ||||
| Coachella is being live streamed on YouTube, watch Weekend 1 on your Chromecast [VIDEO] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 02:11 PM PDT
Upset you couldn’t (or didn’t want to) make the trek out to Indio, CA for this year’s Coachella music festival? YouTube has a little surprise for you. As goes the tradition, the entire event will be live streamed on the Coachella YouTube channel — no sunblock required. Weekend — which features live performances from artists like Group Love, AFI, Chromeo, Zedd, and more — officially kicks off in t-minus 1 hour and 20 minutes. The best part is if you start a Hangout with your friends, you’ll have the opportunity to chat it up with your favorite bands, who will be dropping from time to time. You can learn more about show times, as well as the artist meet-and-greets by visiting the Coachella YouTube channel linked just after the video below. Cheers! | ||||
| Sprint LG G3 shows up in UA profile sporting Snapdragon 800, 3GB RAM, 2K display Posted: 11 Apr 2014 01:14 PM PDT
Still shrouded in mystery, with every passing day we’re hoping LG will finally make official the oft rumored LG G3. As far as possible carriers the phone will eventually be available on, we had little doubt the G3 would be making its way on over to Sprint (LG and Sprint have a good history together). Today, a new leak may be finally confirming those suspicions. A device going by the model number LG LS990 (the previous Sprint G2 was LS980) showed up in a user agent profile. According to what was reported, this phone lines up perfectly with what we’ve been hearing about the LG G3. The only part that seems a little off is the fact that it was still using a Snapdragon 800 processor, the exact same SoC from the G2. Here’s the spec list: Sprint LG G3 (LG LS990)
Yesterday, we got a sneak peek at the new UI LG might be going with for their 2K monster. And while a Snapdragon 800 processor may sound a bit disappointing, we’d be willing to bet this is only an early prototype model used for testing. Even if not, would that really be a deal breaker for any of you? With a 5.5-inch display, it seems LG is creeping ever to slightly into phablet territory. With our sights already set on the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and the Sony Xperia Z2 for this year, it’d be nice to have one more option to mull over. Which phone are you waiting for? | ||||
| Phandroid Recap: Types of Android Users, WTF Samsung, and Android TV [April 6-12] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 12:27 PM PDT
Another crazy week is in the books. A lot of great news and original content went up on the site this week. Google’s next attempt at the living room leaked, Samsung’s new flagship phone launched, we told you about some great tips for your new phone, and we had a lot of fun with some other featured stories. In order to make sure you don't miss any of this stuff we have the Phandroid Recap. Below you will find all the big stories and featured articles from the last week. Don't miss a single thing! The 5 Types of Android Users
After browsing Android Forums “post your home screen” threads we noticed that most Android users fall in the same five categories. Everyone is either a Stock Jock, Themer, Minimalist, Hot Chick, or Ugly Duckling. Each one of these users sets up their home screens in a very specific way. You may not fit perfectly into just one of these, but you will be in at least one. We also gave each one of these unique Android users a favorite beverage and item from McDonald’s. If you haven’t read “The 5 Types of Android Users” yet go check it out and tell us which one you are! Android TV
Google TV didn’t do so great. You know it. We know it. Google knows it. So what’s next? Their next attempt at the living room will be called “Android TV,” and thanks to a leak earlier this week we know a little about it. If you think of Google TV as a Swiss army knife, Android TV is like the corkscrew attachment. Google TV was trying to do so many different things that it didn’t do any single thing great. Android TV is more like a Roku. It just focuses on streaming media apps and search. be sure to check out the article to see more screenshots. The 7 most WTF Galaxy devices ever made
Samsung has made some weird stuff in the past. Like, really weird. With the launch of the Galaxy S5 this week we decided to take a look back at some of the weirdest devices Samsung has launched. A few devices from the list include the Galaxy Mega, Galaxy Gear, and Galaxy Beam. We have to applaud Samsung for not being afraid to try so many terrible ideas. Which Samsung device won the award of “Most WTF?” You’ll have to read the article to find out! 6 high-priced Android apps worth the money
Let's be honest, when it comes to buying apps we can all be a bit stingy with our cash. Most of us have no problem shelling out $200 for the latest Samsung device, but dropping a couple of bucks on some app seems so much more difficult. It's a very strange situation. We think there are plenty of apps out there that are worthy of your hard-earned cash. Here are 5 "high" priced apps and 1 cheapy for your consideration. Check them out and throw the devs a few bucks if you can. Project Ara MDK shows how the devices will work
Project Ara has been a popular topic on the site, but a lot of that has been because of how cool the concept videos and renders look. We haven’t seen a ton in terms of real life use and how this crazy idea will actually work. This week, however, Google released the Module Developer Kit for developers. Along with this they released some guidelines to show how devices will look. Project Ara devices will come in small, medium, and large sizes. Once you decide what size board you want you can start adding modules. To find out more check out the full article. Rest of the BestHere are some other articles and featured stories you should check out!
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| Alleged photo samples from the OnePlus One leak, and they look great Posted: 11 Apr 2014 12:20 PM PDT
There’s little doubt that the Sony-crafted camera inside the OnePlus One will be up to the task of taking some beautiful photos. We can’t say that for sure without seeing some samples from the device, but someone may have been able to leak a few early samples for us to gawk at. The 13 megapixel camera was apparently responsible for the photo samples you see above and below. There’s no way to tell if these are legit, but if they are then users certainly don’t have anything to sneeze at when it comes to its prowess. OnePlus says Never Settle was just as important for the camera as every other corner of this device. It contains a 6-lens setup with f/2.0 aperture for great lowlight performance and sharpness. Whatever it has, though, we’ll be more than pleased with its performance if shots turn out like the ones that you see here. April 23rd is the day that we learn all there is to know about the arrival of this exciting device.     [MyDrivers via PhoneArena] | ||||
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition: so, ummmm… where is it? Posted: 11 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT
We’re hoping that it may have just slipped Samsung’s mind, but we have to admit we were a little disappointed to find out that, despite a worldwide launch early this morning, there still hasn’t been any mention of a Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition. Worse yet, the fact no one seems to have noticed (or cared), could be a sign of its demand and the real reason we haven’t/possibly wont see one this year. It was last year, we saw Samsung kick off the whole Google Play edition trend, debuting the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition at Google I/O running a near-stock Android build. Up until that point, it had never been done before and it was kind of a super big deal. Earlier today, we told you about the Samsung Galaxy S5 Developer Edition for Verizon Wireless, which seemed like a good time, if any, to at least mention a GPe version would soon be on the way. But still nothing from Samsung’s camp. It’s all rather puzzling, given strong competition from HTC who — along with the announcement of the HTC One M8 — wasted no time in mentioning a Google Play edition was also in the works (and is currently available on Google Play).
Perhaps Samsung’s gotten cocky, perhaps they want to keep the focus of the GS5 on TouchWiz, or maybe they’re simply waiting for Google to finish up work on Android 4.4.3, said to address a plethora of bugs introduced in Android 4.4.2. One thing is for certain — we know we’d love to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition, if or when it ever comes out. How about you? P.S. Don’t even get us started the 32GB or “Electric Blue” Samsung Galaxy S5, two versions of the phone that don’t seem to be available for any carrier in the US at the moment. Talk about a major bummer… | ||||
| 9 things to do when you first get your Android phone [Android 101] Posted: 11 Apr 2014 10:17 AM PDT
Whether you're new to this whole Android thing or whether this is your third or fourth device running Google's mobile OS, there are certain steps you can take immediately to get the most our of your new smartphone. From syncing your Google account to finding the perfect apps and games, the below list aims to get you up and running as quickly as possible so you can start enjoying your Android phone. Note: Many of the below items require making adjustments under the Settings menu. Quickly access Settings by swiping down from the top of the screen, revealing the notifications shade, and tapping the gear icon. Set up your Google account
Your Google account is the heartbeat of your Android device, and syncing the two is central to accessing services like Google Play, Gmail, Google Now, and more. You most likely will have taken care of this during initial setup of your device, but in case you skipped this step you can add your Google account (and a number of others) via the Settings menu. Simply navigate to Settings > Add Account (located under the Accounts heading) then click Google from the list of options. If you do not have a Google account you can create one at this time by tapping New when prompted. Otherwise, tap Existing and enter the credentials of the Google account you wish to sync with your Android phone. Once you have signed into your account you will be asked to choose which items to sync with your phone. At a bare minimum we recommend checking the boxes next to Contacts, Calendar, and Gmail, which will keep your address book, Google calendars, and email synced across devices using the same Google account. Add your contacts
The quickest way to add contacts to your phone is by syncing with your Google account. Contacts stored in Gmail will automatically populate your device's address book. If you need to add a bulk address book, a single contact or edit an existing entry, do so using the People application. If you do not have your address book synced to your Google account but wish to add contacts in bulk, do so by importing a vCard (.vcf) file. You can create a vCard file using applications like Outlook or (for Mac users) Apple's Contacts app. This card can then be transferred to your phone's SD card storage (this will not be available for all Android phones). Alternatively, if transferring a SIM from an old device, your address book might be stored on the card. In the People app, tap the Menu button (three vertical dots), then tap Import/export and choose either Import from storage or Import from SIM card. To add a single contact, tap the Add contact button (represented by a cartoon head and shoulders with a '+' on top). Fill in information for the contact's name, phone number, email, address, and other info then tap Save. If transitioning from an iPhone, there may be a few more steps. See our guide for transferring contacts from iPhone to Android for full instructions. Create a passcode
If you want to keep the data on your phone safe from prying eyes, avoid butt-dials, and maintain peace of mind that sensitive information is safe in case your phone is lost or stolen, it's always a good idea to create a passcode for your Android device. Users have a few options here: a 4-digit PIN, an unlock pattern, a password, or Face Unlock. You can edit passcode settings by navigating to Settings > Security under the Personal subheading. From the Security menu, tap Screen lock to access lockscreen passcode settings. From the next screen, choose the passcode method you wish to use. The two recommended methods are Pattern and PIN, as they tend to be easily remembered, quickly entered, and reliable. Face Unlock is a fun way to access your device, but it can be a bit clumsy. Tap the passcode method of your choice and follow the instructions on the next screen to create a new unlock PIN, pattern, or password. Customize your homescreen
You Android device's numerous homescreens can be customized with applications, widgets, and folders, personalizing the look and feel of the operating system while making it easy to access the services you use most. To arrange items on a homescreen (or move them to a different homescreen), simply long-press the icon or widget and drag it to its new location. Drag icons on top of each other to create folders, a great way to organize apps and services. Removing a homescreen item is easy. Simple long-press the icon or widget and dragging it toward the top of the screen. Drop the item on Remove to delete it from the homescreen. To add an item to your homescreen, open the Applications menu and long-press the app shortcut you wish to add. Drag it our of the app drawer and on to the desire homescreen. The same can be done for widgets. Certain widgets are resizable. After long-pressing the widget, release it. Resizing handles will now be highlighted. Drag the edges of the widget to bring it to its new desired size. Change your background
To change the background of your Android phone, simply long-press a blank area of your homescreen. The Choose wallpaper from dialog will appear. Choose a new wallpaper from your Gallery or from Google's collection of standard wallpapers. Animated wallpapers are available from the Live Wallpapers gallery. When you have settled on the perfect background, tap Set wallpaper. Alternatively, you can change your background by navigating to Settings > Display > Wallpaper. You will be presented with the same options as listed above. Personalize sounds and ringtones
To edit device sound settings, navigate to Settings > Sound under the Device subheading. From the Sound menu you can adjust volume levels for ringtones, notifications, and other system sounds as well as edit vibration settings and more. Choose a ringtone by tapping Phone ringtone. You can choose from the default options presented by Google or from your personal audio library stored on the device's internal memory. Likewise, you can choose a notification sound by tapping Default notification. From the Sound menu you can also choose other system sound and vibration settings, such as haptic feedback, screen lock sound, and dial pad touch tones. Enable Google Now
Google Now is a newer addition to Android, but it has already become one of the operating system’s biggest assets. If you have an Android device and don't have the predictive information service and personal voice assistant activated, you are missing out. You can enable Google Now through the Google Search app. Note that you will need to have your Google account synced to your device before doing so. Open the Google Search app by tapping the search bar at the top of any homescreen. Tap the Menu (three vertical dots) button in the lower righthand corner (the keyboard may initially obscure this portion of the screen — close it), then tap Settings. Toggle Google Now to the On position. Google Now's cards offer a variety of information gathered from your Google account, including shipment tracking notifications, sports scores, calendar events, local attractions, and much more. Google Now will also respond to voice input, answering search queries (try asking "How old is the President of the United States?") with the help of Google's Knowledge Graph and speaking the results back to you. Just tap the microphone icon to initiate voice input. Get apps and games
That shiny new Android phone might as well be a dumbphone without the apps and games that go along with it. When you quickly grow tired of your phone's pre-installed software, visit Google Play to find more. You can access Google Play via the Play Store app. You can browse apps and games by category, get recommendations and suggestions from Google's Play Store curators, and view the top paid and free apps. While there is no perfect answer to the question of which apps to get first, the Home tab is a good place to start to find the newest and most popular items from Google's applications catalog. The Play Store app is also when you will manage the applications already installed on your device and update previously purchased and downloaded software. Tap the Menu button then My apps to manage apps and games. A note on cloud storage…While not absolutely necessary, setting up cloud storage for your device will provide some extra space to store files and enable backups of your photos and other important information. It will also make it possible to access your data across devices synced to the same cloud services. Google Drive is easy enough to set up if you already have a Google account. You will want to make sure Google Drive sync is checked under the account options located by navigating to Settings > Google under the Accounts subheading. To get full use of the service, you may need to download the Drive app from the Play Store. Other recommended options include Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. *** The above is merely scratching the surface of what your Android phone can do, but we won't spoil all of the fun of exploring your shiny new toy. Discovered any tips or tricks for other new Android users? Share them in the comments below!
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| Samsung Galaxy S5 Developer Edition is coming to Verizon soon Posted: 11 Apr 2014 09:55 AM PDT While Verizon will never be interested in making it brain-dead easy for you to take one of their phones and unlock its bootlaoder, they are willing to sell you one off-contract and let you run wild with it. It seems they always get the developer edition treatment for any major smartphone, and that’s no less true with today’s launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
While the landing page for the developer edition Samsung Galaxy S5 doesn’t give any details on price or release date, we can guesstimate our way to an answer. History suggests pricing is either in-line or just a bit more than the off-contract price of the regular versions of the phone, and the release date isn’t often much longer than a few weeks to a month out. Take that for what you will. Nothing is going to differ between the two versions, otherwise — it’s a Galaxy S5, except more willing to have its encryption lifted to allow you to do whatever you want with the device. Head here for more info and stay on the lookout for news about its arrival in the days or weeks to come. [via Samsung] | ||||
| Mobile Roar Podcast 40: Project Ara & Android TV Posted: 11 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT Project Ara was a cool concept, but we were skeptical of it becoming a real thing. This week Google showed us that this is much more than just a concept. We’re very excited. Also, Android TV got leaked and it looks like the idea of Google TV is dead. We also talk about the 5 types of Android users, Samsung’s craziest devices, Wins and Fails of the Week, and our App Picks. Thanks for listening! Big News 5 Types of Android Users Quick Hits
Wins/Fails
App Picks
Follow Us
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||
| You can now buy the T-Mobile HTC One M8 Posted: 11 Apr 2014 09:06 AM PDT
T-Mobile was the odd carrier out when the HTC One M8 hit wide-spread in-store availability yesterday (following a brief couple of weeks of Verizon exclusivity), but that is no longer the case. You can now buy the T-Mobile HTC One M8 both online and in-store, giving you another compelling option on a day where a certain other high-profile launch is taking place. The HTC One M8 can hold its own against any device when it comes to specs, build quality and features. We covered much of it in our review, which should give you a good idea of whether or not this device is worth your hard-earned money ($0 down on a $636 price tag for 24 consecutive payments of $26.50). It’ll cost you practically nothing to walk away with an HTC One M8 from T-Mobile today, even if you are coming from a different carrier (what, with their promise to pay your ETF fees, and all). Be sure to check it out here if you’re interested. | ||||
| Samsung Gear Fit teardown is an x-ray of Samsung’s smallest smartwatch yet Posted: 11 Apr 2014 07:46 AM PDT
If you haven’t been drowned by the tidal wave of teardowns as of late and you are planning to buy the newly-launched Samsung Gear Fit, you might be interested in the result of iFixIt’s latest tinkering. The Gear Fit was stripped down to its core, giving us a look at how Samsung was able to pack all of that computing goodness inside a small strip. The good news is that battery replacement should be as easy as one, two, three for those who aren’t afraid enough to do that themselves. The display can also be replaced with a bit of careful work. Unfortunately that’s as far as the device goes. There’s little modularity to be had, with components being soldered to the motherboard. This is typical of any device this small, though, so we can’t say that comes as a surprise.
All of that came together to make a score of about 6/10 on the repairability scale, with 10 being easiest to fix up. Be sure to check the full teardown at the source, and find the Gear 2 teardown here if you want to see how it stacks up to its big brother. [via iFixIt] | ||||
| Leaked HTC sales documents try to convince salespersons that the One M8 is better than the Galaxy S5 Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:48 AM PDT Holyfield and Tyson. Ali and Frazier. Hopefully Pacquiao and Mayweather if the two stop dancing around the issue. And now, HTC M8 vs the Samsung Galaxy S5. These two heavyweights of the smartphone world have launched pretty much at the exact same time. It’s practically the first time we’ve seen an actual head-to-head launch of two major flagships.
With this unique situation comes the need for each company to exalt their smartphone as the second coming, going as far as calling out the competition in a direct fashion the likes of which we don’t often see. HTC has seemingly thrown the first known punch, with leaked documents from the company attempting to sway salespersons on why the One M8 is better than the Samsung Galaxy S5. Here’s a quick rundown of their five reasons:
While we haven’t had enough time with either device to say HTC is right or wrong on these, they do make compelling arguments. Of course, HTC can’t force anyone but their own employees to push the HTC One M8 over the Galaxy S5, so whether or not this document will help move more units will depend on factors such as personal opinion, sales incentives and more. It’ll be an interesting race to say the least. Be sure to read the full sales document below.
[via HTCSource] |
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