Android Phone Fans |
- Moto G now available for pre-order on Amazon – same low $180 price, ships Dec 4th
- LG D830 appears in user agent profile, but what is it?
- Verizon marks down full priced LG G2, HTC One Max, Motorola Droid Ultra by as much as $100
- Get $5-off a Chromecast and $6 Google Play Store credit when purchased through Amazon [DEALS]
- HTC One Developer Edition and unlocked models receiving KitKat starting TODAY
- SMS exploit can remotely reboot Nexus handsets
- Samsung spending big on ads, but returns aren’t quite as expected
- Android devices to see first 64-bit CPUs in 2014
- Motorola Droid Ultra, Droid Mini now available in white
- NVIDIA Shield Black Friday bundle revealed: $50 off and free carrying case (most retailers)
| Moto G now available for pre-order on Amazon – same low $180 price, ships Dec 4th Posted: 29 Nov 2013 04:26 PM PST Should you find yourself with a few Amazon gift cards this holiday, and have been eyeballing the super affordable Motorola Moto G, good news. The device has just popped up on Amazon, where it is currently available for pre-order. A very capable entry-level Android smartphone, $180 will snag you the 8GB model, while the 16GB goes for $200 (same price as direct from Motorola). Moto G quick specs:
The difference is that Amazon’s Moto G wont become officially available until December 4th, a full 2 days later than if purchased directly through Motorola. In any case, if you’re looking to pick up a new Android smartphone for the holidays, start hitting up friends and family for those Amazon gift cards.
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| LG D830 appears in user agent profile, but what is it? Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:49 PM PST A mysterious new device going by the model number “LG D830″ has been discovered in a user agent profile. Details are scarce, but what we do know is the display resolution weighs in at 1920×1080 and it appears LTE is on board. If we compare the D830 to LG’s current lineup, the LG G2 falls under the LG D802 model number, while the LG G Flex falls under DX6xx. That leaves the closest model number being the Nexus 5 which, in the US, is also known as the LG D820, or D821 in the rest of the world. It’s way too early for Nexus 6 rumors, right? Any guesses? |
| Verizon marks down full priced LG G2, HTC One Max, Motorola Droid Ultra by as much as $100 Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:36 PM PST We’re not sure if it’s simply a coincidence that Verizon happened to mark down the full, off-contract prices of a few of their handsets on Black Friday, but take it as you will. Jumping onto Verizon’s site, you’ll notice the LG G2 and HTC One Max can now be purchased for $500 outright, while the Motorola DROID Ultra has been discounted to $450. For those keeping track, that’s about a hundred bucks off. We’re not sure how long this will last, as it doesn’t appear to be apart of any temporary Black Friday sale. Verizon Wireless: HTC One Max | LG G2 | Motorola Droid Ultra |
| Get $5-off a Chromecast and $6 Google Play Store credit when purchased through Amazon [DEALS] Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:51 PM PST You’re probably going to see a lot of Black Friday deals around the net, and while not everyone has the money to purchase $300 tablets for their friends and family, $30 should fit just about anyone’s budget. One such purchase I will be making for everyone on my shopping list is Google’s very own Chromecast. Normally $35, the tiny video streamer has been marked down to $5 on Amazon for Black Friday and still comes with $6 Google Play Store credit promo along with free shipping. Together, that amounts up to some pretty nice savings for a device that wont break the bank. My Chromecast grand total is currently resting at 4 devices since launch (2 for myself, 2 as gifts). How ’bout you?
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| HTC One Developer Edition and unlocked models receiving KitKat starting TODAY Posted: 29 Nov 2013 11:17 AM PST HTC is doing it again. Not one to rest on their laurels, it appears that HTC is still going hard in the paint. updating their flagship smartphone — the HTC One — to the latest version of Google’s mobile OS: Android 4.4 KitKat. Beginning today, those who purchased the HTC One Developer Edition or unlocked models can expect KitKat to hit your devices in time for the holidays, complete with HTC Sense (yes, this is a good thing). It’s pretty crazy when you think about it. It was only last week the Nexus 4 received Android 4.4 KitKat, along with the Google Play edition devices shortly after. As a phone running a “skinned” version of Android, we almost can’t believe HTC has managed such a quick turn around, leaving most other guys (Samsung, Sony, LG) in the dust. Way. To. Go. [HTC] |
| SMS exploit can remotely reboot Nexus handsets Posted: 29 Nov 2013 10:20 AM PST A new security exploit affecting a number of Nexus smartphones has been made public, revealing a fault with the way the devices handle Flash SMS. The vulnerability, discovered by Bogdan Alecu, can force a device to remotely reboot, freeze, and face connectivity issues as a result. Flash SMS is a special class of text message that by default is not stored by the system and triggers no audio alert. These are typically encountered as system alerts. When received on an Android device, such a message takes priority, popping up over any open apps or windows. In the case of the Nexus exploit, if a device such as the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, or Nexus 5 receives a number of these messages in succession without dismissal, the device will behave in erratic ways. The most typical response is a random reboot, but the issues is often compounded by connectivity issues once power is restored to the device. While the exploit creates no immediate concerns in terms of data security and does not allow a would-be hacker to access sensitive info or otherwise take control of a user's handset, it could be used to perform denial-of-service attacks in the same vein as those used to take websites offline. Android devices, by default, offer no easy way for users to send Flash messages, though there are several apps available to do so. Alecu even offers his own in conjunction with a Flash SMS firewall, designed with the express purpose of preventing an attack via this method. The root of the issue most likely stems from the way Nexus devices handle memory storage. The large number of Flash messages required suggests the device becomes overloaded to the point where the messaging app either crashes or the handset becomes unresponsive. Alecu has alerted Google to the issue and a fix was expected in Android 4.3. However, this does not seem to be the case based on his latest tests. Non-Nexus Android devices are unaffected. [via PCWorld] |
| Samsung spending big on ads, but returns aren’t quite as expected Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:04 AM PST Say what you will about their smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, but one thing is for sure: Samsung doesn't skimp when it comes to marketing. Already on record as one of the biggest spenders on advertising, a recent report from Reuters delves deeper into Samsung's strategy. Has Paying big paid off? The short answer is yes, but with a caveat. The $4.3 billion spent on ads and marketing in 2012 is expected to balloon to $14 billion by the end of this year. If anything, it has helped to raise brand awareness around devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4, but huge advertising push hasn't exactly established the brand Samsung is going for. Samsung wasn't coy about wanting to create a more Apple-like aura through marketing. In pushing that message, however, the Korean company seems to have lost sight of the bigger picture. The solution? Spend more, according to brand consultant Moon Ji-hun. With the number of new products introduced in the past year alone, a strong, cohesive advertising push might be the only way to tie it together for consumers. Most recently Samsung has taken heat for the relatively unsuccessful Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The device has been pushed in advertising more heavily in recent weeks than its counterpart smartphones, but has sold far fewer of the watches than it has Galaxy Note 3 handsets. Moon believes Samsung was smart enough to know their watch would not be a mainstream hit and sees the added marketing as a calculated maneuver to establish the brand as a future-thinking force of innovation. |
| Android devices to see first 64-bit CPUs in 2014 Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:04 AM PST Apple was first to offer a mobile device featuring a 64-bit CPU, but speculation says Android makers will soon follow suit. According to a report from Digitimes, chipmakers including Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Broadcom are expected to introduce CPUs with 64-bit architecture that could make their way into smartphones and tablets sometime during the first half of 2014. The chip designs will be based off of ARM blueprints for their Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 silicon, which would closely match the design of Apple's A7 processor. Apple's CPU ranked among the top chipsets in recent benchmarks. 64-bit processing has up until recently remained relegated to the more robust PC systems we normally find on our desktops. But bringing 64-bit chips to mobile devices is only half of the equation. 64-bit native builds of Android would be required to take full advantage of the added benefits of 64-bit processing, and apps and games would need to be updated to match. While Apple launched a version of iOS 7 tailored to the architecture with the release of the iPhone 5S, developers have been slow to bring their wares up to speed. While 64-bit is most definitely in the future plans for Android manufacturers, the change won't come overnight. But in a marketing war that relies on flashy specs to sell smartphone hardware, expect to see the new chips come to devices sooner rather than later.
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| Motorola Droid Ultra, Droid Mini now available in white Posted: 29 Nov 2013 06:45 AM PST Dreaming of a white Christmas? Verizon is making it a possibility in their own with the release of the Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID Mini in white. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the phones are available for the same price as the standard black and red editions of each. The Droid Ultra and Mini are two of the latest devices to grace the popular Android line at Verizon, dropping the RAZR name that was associated with previous models but carrying over many of the same features. This includes durable construction utilizing Kevlar in the back plate. The Droid Ultra features a 5-inch 720p display and Motorola X8 CPU, while the Droid Mini features the same behind a 4.3-inch display. Like the Moto X, the latest Droids feature the ability to interact with the devices hands-free using simple voice commands. The Droid Ultra and Droid Mini are available now for $99.99 and $49.99 on a new two-year contract, respectively. The Droid Ultra MAXX, introduced alongside the Ultra and Mini, did not receive the white color treatment. [via Verizon] |
| NVIDIA Shield Black Friday bundle revealed: $50 off and free carrying case (most retailers) Posted: 28 Nov 2013 09:01 PM PST Well, guys. It’s finally time to reveal the details behind NVIDIA Shield’s Black Friday bundle deal. Teased back on Tuesday, the Android gaming handheld will be seeing a discount of $50 off Black Friday weekend, along with additional bonus goodies depending on the retailer. Here’s what you can expect:
You should also be able to find the Nvidia Shield marked down with the same $50 discount at other retailers (TigerDirect, Fry’s, Newegg) along with the free carrying case and free shipping. Nvidia mentions that the Shield Black Friday deal will run from now until “Cyber Monday”, otherwise known as December 2nd at 11:59pm (ET). Anyone picking the Shield up?
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