Android Phone Fans |
- Channel your Flappy Bird hate with Flatty Bird, now available on Google Play
- Samsung Galaxy S5 “Prime” and “Standard” models seemingly make an appearance in AnTuTu benchmarks
- Can’t find Themer on Google Play? Blame Apple
- HTC: “we took our eye off the ball” in 2013; expect focus on mid-range devices to return
- Report: Nokia X will debut at Mobile World Congress running Android with a Windows Phone twist
- Official: Verizon Nexus 7 available February 13th for $350; Google Play activations welcome
- Latest alleged HTC M8 leak shows closeup of dual-camera and return of the dreaded bezel
- Google imagines phones wrapped in one giant display [PATENT]
- At long last, the Nexus 7 2013 might soon be launching on Verizon
- Flappy Bird’s death has phones going for nearly $100,000 on eBay
- Fresh LG G3 trademark confirms device’s forthcoming launch
| Channel your Flappy Bird hate with Flatty Bird, now available on Google Play Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:59 PM PST I’m sure there are a good number of you rejoicing at the fact that Flappy Birds developer pulled the game from the Google Play Store (and Apple App Store) over the weekend. For some of us, it was the game we loved to hate, and where there were a vast number of copy-cat games gradually began flooding the Google Play Store in an attempt to cash-in on the Flappy Bird phenomenon, we came across one that actually helps you take out your frustrations on that derpy little bird. Titled Flatty Bird, the game borrows from the same graphical elements as Flappy Bird, even going as far as replicating its antagonist. What it doesn’t do, is feature gameplay that’s anything like Flappy Bird (although, challenging none-the-less). Simply tap on the screen to squash the flappy birds as they attempt to fly in-between the pipes. Have to admit, we found it oddly satisfying to exact our revenge on the bird that soared its way into pop stardom. While the game is rated-G, we would have loved to have seen a version with little more gore. Channel your hate and give it a Flatty Bird a download below.
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| Samsung Galaxy S5 “Prime” and “Standard” models seemingly make an appearance in AnTuTu benchmarks Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:28 PM PST Samsung has never been a stranger when it comes to releasing multiple hardware configurations of their flagship devices. Look no further than last year’s Samsung Galaxy S4 in which multiple devices — all carrying the same S4 branding — ended up launching shortly after the flagship released. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, and Galaxy S4 Zoom were examples of this. That being said, it didn’t surprise us to hear that the Samsung Galaxy S5 would also launch in multiple hardware configurations, depending on the region. In case you needed further proof that this will be so, take a look at a pair of alleged Galaxy S5s that recently found themselves benchmarked on AnTuTu: the Samsung SM-G900R4 (US Cellular) and a SM-G900H (Europe). The devices — very similar in model number — reported very different specs in their benchmarks. Reportedly, the US Cellular model will carry a 2K display along with a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and 13MP/2MP cameras. The international model weighs in with a 1080p display, Exynos 5422 octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage — a modest jump in from last year’s model. This helps lend credence to rumors that the S5 will launch with a premium “Prime” model, as well as a regular “Standard” variant. When pitted against each other, it’s the European model that came out on top. This is most likely due to a number of factors, like the Exynos processor not having to work as hard to push as many pixels, as well as Samsung needing further time to “optimize” the software for these benchmarks. Other model numbers to keep an eye out for (and their carriers/regions) include:
We expect to learn much more about the Galaxy S5 when it’s finally unveiled on February 24th, during Samsung’s Unpacked 5 event in Barcelona, Spain. Expectations are definitely running high, and Phandroid will be on-hand for the event bringing you the latest. |
| Can’t find Themer on Google Play? Blame Apple Posted: 10 Feb 2014 02:18 PM PST Well, folks, Apple’s done it again. The evil company out in Cupertino has put their According to a Google+ post made by the CEO of the company, Apple reportedly had issues with the theme “Seven,” which apparently infringed on some of Apple’s iOS icons. It’s true — the theme’s purpose was to make your phone look and feel more like iOS7, and that’s why Themer had no problem taking it out of the app once Google suspended it from the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, getting the app back up hasn’t gone as quickly as they’d hope. A process they initially thought was only going to take a few days could now take a few weeks, with Google not willing to accelerate the process for one of the biggest apps in the Play Store. Themer says they’ve been forced to email random people in hopes to find someone who can at least help shed light on how long the process might take, but they haven’t gotten far without an official developers’ advocate. Themer toyed around with the idea of releasing the APK while waiting for Google, but ultimately decided against it. They cited the uncertainties of circumventing the Google Play Store in a time where direct and immediate upgrades are critical — the app is still in beta, after all. For what it’s worth, those who already had the app downloaded will still get treated to new themes on a regular basis and life will go on as normal, but those new to the party will have to wait until this situation is taken care of.
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| HTC: “we took our eye off the ball” in 2013; expect focus on mid-range devices to return Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:47 PM PST HTC made a bold statement last year when they decided to ditch their mid-range and entry-level focus in order to push one premium smartphone series. That series was the HTC One, alongside its decidedly smaller brother HTC One Mini, and the bigger brother known as the HTC One Max. Aside from those three devices, HTC has only released and advertised a smattering of mid-range options for developing markets. So how has it worked out for them? Well, not at all, actually. An HTC executive has admitted that the company’s decision to move away from offering mid-range devices was a pretty big mistake. “We took our eyes somewhat off the ball,” said HTC CFO Chang Chialin via Bloomberg. It lead to declining revenue overall, and was the cause of HTC experiencing their first ever consecutive non-profitable quarters back in Q3 2013. HTC expects more of the same for the quarter ahead, and they look to be in scramble mode to get back to former glory. Not lost on HTC is the importance in streamlining their portfolio, but the company has realized that they simply aren’t big enough to push just one hot smartphone. Even Samsung has been hesitant to abandon their strategy of filling out all sectors of the smartphone market, with the company offering phones and tablets for any budget.
As it turns out, the world doesn’t care about seeing the man who plays Ironman thrust into wacky situations where ugly little green goblins wash ugly little cars — they want you to sell them a phone that they can buy. While some may dread a possible decision by HTC to return to their “spaghetti to the wall” methods of yesteryear, an increased focus on the mid-range market doesn’t have to be all bad. Samsung has proven that it’s still possible to deliver the goods for folks willing to pay a premium while offering suitable options for those whose wallets are a bit smaller. The key will be in HTC’s marketing effort, and seeing if the company can restore the same confidence people had in their brand back in the earlier parts of this current century. Let’s hope they can begin to right the ship with the launch of the HTC M8 (the codename for the supposed sequel to the HTC One). [via HTC] |
| Report: Nokia X will debut at Mobile World Congress running Android with a Windows Phone twist Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:33 PM PST Whispered about for months now and showcased in a series of leaks, it appears the legend of the Nokia Normandy could be finally made official later this month. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nokia is planning on unveiling their first this awkward Android device — dubbed the Nokia X — during Mobile World Congress in just a few short weeks. We’re still reeling from the fact that this device could be more a simple concept or prototype, keep in mind that the Nokia X is said to be running a heavily forked version of Android for reasons unbeknownst to us. Because of the amount of heavy forking, don’t expect the usual suite of Google apps to accompany this device. Apparently, Nokia has their own plans for the Normandy, making specially designed apps for services like Facebook and Twitter. One the spec front, you can expect the Normandy to storm the beaches of the low-end market with a 4-inch display, dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a 5MP camera. As we’ve mentioned before, Phandroid will once again be in attendance for this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, so be on the lookout for additional coverage should this NX actually see the light of day. [via WinSource] |
| Official: Verizon Nexus 7 available February 13th for $350; Google Play activations welcome Posted: 10 Feb 2014 12:57 PM PST It was only moments ago that we were told Verizon would finally look to launch the Nexus 7 on their beloved 4G LTE network February 13th, and the carrier has now removed all doubt. They’ve officially announced details of the launch, noting that a 32GB Black model will run you just $350. They’ve also said that they’ll be offering the device on a two-year contract for $250, but that offer will only be up for a limited time. What’s more is that folks who bought the 4G LTE version from Google Play will, in fact, be able to activate their version just as easily as someone buying straight from Verizon. It’s been a long time coming — and we’re still not sure what the real reason for the big delay was — but we’re a bit relieved that they’re finally making it happen. Verizon notes that you’ll need to grab the latest available update from Google before you’re granted activation, so be sure to square that away ahead of Thursday’s launch. The Nexus 7 is still a fine device to hang on to, with 2GB of RAM, a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and a full HD display powering the pure Android beast. Verizon’s option will come pre-loaded with Android 4.4 KitKat, though we aren’t sure if their version will be subject to the same immediate upgrades that the Google Play version enjoys. We’ve reached out to get word from Verizon themselves, so stay on the lookout for more details as they come in. Let us know if you still have a Nexus 7 LTE waiting to be activated below. [via Verizon] |
| Latest alleged HTC M8 leak shows closeup of dual-camera and return of the dreaded bezel Posted: 10 Feb 2014 12:53 PM PST While HTC has been keeping quiet on any kind of information on the upcoming HTC One sequel (One Plus, One 2), we’re know we’re getting close to its release. How, you ask? Well, aside from us quickly approaching the original device’s year anniversary, the amount of “leaks” coming up out of the wood work are usually indicative of a device’s impending launch. You may remember last week we got a few glimpses of the front and back of an HTC M8, only to have those “leaks” possibly discounted by the subtweet of an HTC exec. According to him, those may have been little more than shop jobs. Today, another leak of the back of the device is making the rounds, this time looking more legit than the previous showing. Why? Aside from a nice close-up of the dual-camera array the M8 is rumored to come equipped with (you can see the tiny lens inside), you’ll notice the dual-LED flash is a single unit, unlike the previous leak which showed duplicated single LEDs form the original HTC One (nice try, hoaxer). The dual-LED flash also shows 2 different colored LEDs, suggesting HTC could be looking to duplicated the iPhone 5s’ white/amber flash for improved white balancing when flash is necessary. Probably the most unnerving part about this leak were the pictured software buttons. Nothing to do with them, mind you (notice how they rotate according to the phone’s orientation), but because the bezel that once was home to the capacitive buttons is still present, now used for little more than the HTC logo. We don’t know about you guys, but we can’t wait for this device to finally become unveiled and HTC to make this thing official. |
| Google imagines phones wrapped in one giant display [PATENT] Posted: 10 Feb 2014 11:23 AM PST Say what you want about Google, but the Mountain View tech giant is always thinking about innovation in everything they do. This latest patent is proof positive of that, with Google exploring unique ways to use displays as the chassis for a smartphone device. The patent — which Google aptly titled “mobile electronic device wrapped in electronic display” — shows that Google is exploring the possibility of using extended and flexible displays to show wallpapers, information or icons outside the typical scope of a device’s main display. How it worksThink of your phone’s current build — with plastic or metal bezels surrounding the screen, on the sides of the device, and on the back of the device — and how you’d use something like a case or stickers to personalize it. With this idea you’d be able to do it all digitally, giving you the ability to get the exact look you want and even change it up if you get bored with it. The patent also details the “wrapping” of the display around the backside of a device or up to the outer edges that connects the front chassis to the back of the device. We imagine this would appear as some sort of ticker on the side that can feed you minimal information while keeping the rest of the display off, something that AMOLED technology could facilitate. The other examples Google presented were interesting in their own light. One figure from the patent document illustrated using the display to show an extended wallpaper that would give users a way to dynamically customize the look of their device without having to use skins or cases. Another example used the display to show parts of other pages of your home-screen that would normally be hidden, as well as widgets for date, time and weather. There were also examples of information scrolling from one edge of a device to another. All of these different examples can be seen in the figures above and below.    Could this work well?We’re not sure how well all of this would function in practice, but it definitely has our interests piqued in theory. Technology like this stands to be scrutinized by those who are concerned with battery life, of course. A secondary display does have us wondering if this would be more detrimental than helpful to typical mobile experiences. We also have reservations about the design aspect of it — just how “sexy” can a device look with its chassis made up of nothing but displays? How pretty will it be when the device is completely powered down or in sleep mode? Those are questions that can only be answered with a tangible example, so we’ll have to wait and see if anyone has plans of introducing a device like the ones Google described. As with any patent, though, there’s no telling if we’ll ever see this implemented in consumer or prototype form, but we’re glad Google’s staying on the ball when it comes to innovative ideas. |
| At long last, the Nexus 7 2013 might soon be launching on Verizon Posted: 10 Feb 2014 10:35 AM PST We’re not sure what really took them so long, but it seems Verizon is finally getting ready to sell the Nexus 7 2013 on their 4G LTE network. Droid-Life has procured photos of the actual device’s packaging in the wild. We don’t get a look at the device itself, but Verizon made it a point to put their logos on the box — can’t say we didn’t see that one coming. And truth be told, we wouldn’t be surprised if the device itself had logos to advertise loudly and boldly that it can surf on Verizon’s 4G network. We’re not sure what this will eventually mean for versions of the device that were sold directly from the Google Play Store, but we imagine Verizon won’t be stingy about letting you grab a SIM card and a data plan once their version of the device is sitting on store shelves. The latest rumor pegs February 13th (which is on a Thursday, big red’s favorite day for launching devices) as the landing date for this bad boy, so we’ll be sure to circle back and see if that does, in fact, happen. |
| Flappy Bird’s death has phones going for nearly $100,000 on eBay Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:16 AM PST Flappy Bird is dead, in case you haven’t heard. No, no, not the bird itself. At least, we hope that little guy is OK — all this commotion lately can’t be too good for his little heart. We’re talking about the hit game from Vietnamese developer Nguyen Ha Dong that had people going crazy for the past few weeks. Its popularity prompted hundreds of millions of downloads across all available platforms and had Dong raking in over $50,000 a day in ad revenue. So now that the game is gone (whether it was due to legal pressure or a genuine desire for peace and quiet), how can you get it? Well, some desperate folks seem to be willing to pay thousands. And tens of thousands. And maybe even hundreds of thousands. Head to eBay right now and do a search for “Flappy Bird,” and you’ll be treated to tons of listings for devices — mainly iPhones — with the game pre-installed. Some are going for as little as $600, though one auction is sitting at a ridiculous $99,900 bid as of the time of this writing. The auction started at $650, but a few aggressive bidders have been battling it out since early Sunday morning. The craziest part is that — 74 bids and $99,900 later — there are still more than 6 days to go before the auction closes. While we immediately wondered if the high-valued bids were submitted by one-off shill accounts, the latest bid was made by an eBay user with a reputation score of over 700. It was the bidder’s only activity in the past 30 days, though, so we’re still not quite sure what to make of it just yet. For what it’s worth, the next active bidder has a score of 48, and has participated in more than a few different auctions in the past 30 days. And it’s not just a one auction anomaly, either. The next closest auction with active bids is currently sitting at $99,200 after 65 bids. These two auctions have prompted many other sellers to list Flappy Bird-equipped devices with buy-it-now prices ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. One ridiculous listing even has a Samsung Galaxy S4 with the game going for a buy-it-now price of $1,000,000. It’s worth noting that none of these auctions or buy-it-now listings have been completed or sold, so it’s tough to know if demand for devices with the game pre-installed is really this insane. We imagine if people really are crazy enough to buy these phones at these prices, then those who were outbid on the $90,000 auctions would jump at some of the newly-listed buy-it-now offerings as soon as humanly possible. That there haven’t been any sales thus far has us pretty skeptical, but eBay has our attention regardless. So what do we take from all that? There could be some real serious demand for this insanely popular game that is now no longer available, and some insanely rich folks with more money than sense could be looking to get their hands on it any way they possibly can. That, or some people must really love trolling auctions with fake bids more than anything in the world. All of this is even sillier when considering you could likely buy a cheap Android device (Moto G for $100, anyone?) and find a ripped APK to sideload just as easily as you could buy one of these overpriced listings. Now, excuse me while I go put my DROID MAXX and iPad up for sale. |
| Fresh LG G3 trademark confirms device’s forthcoming launch Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:20 AM PST We’d be fools to think LG wouldn’t bring us a follow up to their best smartphone last year. We’d already heard murmurings that the South Korean electronics company was working to launch a sequel to the LG G2 this May, and now we’re beginning to see the first movement on those supposed plans. LG has recently trademarked “G3″ under the “mobile phones” category over at the USPTO, which confirms they’ll be sticking to the simple naming scheme for their biggest flagship series. The trademark itself doesn’t tell us anything about the supposed device, though earlier rumors have given us enough to start dreaming. The device is said to sport a display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, though we’re not yet sure what size that’ll be coming in just yet. We’re also told to expect a 16 megapixel camera sensor, one which likely features optical image stabilization). One interesting swerve is that LG is reportedly going for a home grown processor instead of the usual Qualcomm-built affair. We’re not quite sure what to make of that just yet, but we’ll have to await more information about the supposed silicon before we make any assumptions. LG has been quite busy to start 2014, with the company said to be revealing the LG G Pro 2 anytime between now and Mobile World Congress later this month. They’ve already let loose a few official details about that particular handset, namely that it’ll be coming with a 13 megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video. Said camera will feature new “optical stabilization plus” technology that utilizes both software and hardware to create sharper photos. Unofficially, we’re told the G Pro 2 will have a 6-inch 1080p display with a Snapdragon 800 processor. We imagine LG will want to get through the G Pro 2 launch before focusing too much on anything else, but it’s clear they have a solid plan to launch a solid stable of great devices in the year to come. |
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