Android Phone Fans |
- Google is creating their own Android experience to showcase their Googly UI [Rumor]
- Leaked Gmail web UI looks almost identical to previous Android leak
- Google Now Launcher 1.0.16 update rolling out now along with Google Camera 2.1.043
- Official: Samsung Galaxy S5 coming to Virgin Mobile May 19th
- LG attempts to distance Isai FL and G3 from one another
- Foursquare reveals more details on Swarm, their new social app launching next week
- So you got the Galaxy S5?
- Mobile Roar Podcast 44: Lets Go to the Mall
- Possible HTC J Butterfly 2 shows its face in freshly leaked image
- Extend your Galaxy S5 battery life with these tips and accessories
- Samsung will not upgrade 3G Galaxy S3 or Galaxy S3 Mini past Jelly Bean
- NFC Dimple stickers hit IndieGoGo — four configurable buttons to do anything you want
- First images of the AMOLED-equipped Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 appear with dimpled backs
- More AOSP references mention HTC-made “Flounder,” and possible first mentions of Android TV
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime pops up in Hong Kong pricing database, rumored specs corroborated
| Google is creating their own Android experience to showcase their Googly UI [Rumor] Posted: 09 May 2014 07:12 PM PDT
With the Android Open Source Project, hardware and software partners from around the world collaboratively work on Android's open source code. This code is then made available for hardware partners to use as they see fit. They can choose to work with Google and use Google Play Services, or they can go their own way like Nokia or Amazon. Going the Google route means you're going to use Google's services, but you're free to use your own services too. OEMs then customize Android to their own liking, promoting their own services and creating their own unique experience – and ultimately reaping all of the benefits while they build customer relationships on top of Google's handiwork. Samsung is probably the worst offender. This is where the problem begins. I won’t even get into the fragmentation of applications and services issue that splits and segregates users around the Android platform because of this methodology. More importantly, Google is devoted to promoting their software experience by leveraging their array of cloud services. Up until now, Android has been Google's platform for doing so. However, it seems we're beginning to see a transition where Google is acting just like other OEMs and creating their own experience on top of Android. This is where those Android Silver rumors come into play I believe. Google needs to demonstrate how beneficial the entire Google Experience can be for users in a big way so that they continue to buy into the ecosystem. Google has to provide a robust enough out of box experience to convince handset makers that customers want the full Google package. The more customers that want to experience Android the Google way equates to more hardware sales – something handset makers can get behind. For Android Silver to succeed, the Google Experience needs to differ greatly from Sense, TouchWiz, and other OEM UIs. As with all rumors this size, it’s good to note that not all of these design implementations are guaranteed to make it into a final public release. At this time, Android Police is reporting that Google is working on breaking search out of it’s shell, having a revamped Recents menu, a new Notification shade, a drastically changed Home Screen launcher experience, and even Widgets could see a major usage change. If these rumors hold true, we could be on the midst of a very defining announcement in the near future. Not only will Google be pushing the full Google Experience, but they could just be using Android Silver to do it. Maybe the first Google Experience device will launch at Google IO in June on a brand new HTC manufactured tablet? In the meantime, let us know what you think about Google’s new direction in the comments. |
| Leaked Gmail web UI looks almost identical to previous Android leak Posted: 09 May 2014 06:55 PM PDT It was back towards the beginning of April we saw the first of Google’s upcoming app redesigns by way of Gmail. Featuring a completely new UX, the update showed a more colorful future for one of Google’s most popular Android apps. Those rumors are now finding new legs to stand on after a new UI for Gmail on the web was leaked, once again, by the folks at Geek. The leaked screenshots show Gmail as it appears on the desktop, albeit still in the testing phases. That being said, we should expect a few changes before it officially rolls out to users on the web, but you can see how closely it mirrors the previous Android leak. Big blue bar along the top, color icons on the right, it’ll take some getting used to… but we think we like it. New features include the ability to pin important emails to the top of your inbox and small “creation bubbles” in the bottom right corner for quick access to unfinished drafts, and more. Hangouts will finally occupy its on section of your desktop, now located in a handy drop down on the upper right/side portion of your screen. Overall it looks great but it’s still uncertain when we will finally see this rolling out to desktop browsers. Let’s hope Google isn’t trying to keep this hidden until Google I/O where we expect to learn more about updates to their Android apps and web-based services. |
| Google Now Launcher 1.0.16 update rolling out now along with Google Camera 2.1.043 Posted: 09 May 2014 06:27 PM PDT An update the Google Now Launcher is currently rolling out now in the Google Play Store. Marked with today’s date (May 9th), the 1.0.16 update sounds like it could be pretty minor given Google didn’t even bother posting a changelog to its Play Store listing. The good news is, according to reports from rooted users, the update doesn’t seem to break the Xposed GEL Settings module (Xgel), so don’t worry about the update killing compatibility. In addition to Google Now Launcher, the Google Camera app also saw a .01 bump in version number to 2.1.043. We’ll go ahead and link both down below should you feel like downloading/updating. Just don’t forget the Google Now Launcher is only available to “stock” Android devices in the Play Store, but is easily sideloaded. Should someone grab the update, feel free to post a 3rd party download link in the comments. Cheers!
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| Official: Samsung Galaxy S5 coming to Virgin Mobile May 19th Posted: 09 May 2014 04:52 PM PDT It wasn’t too long ago it felt like MVNOs like Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile only got last year’s big Android leftovers. Well, the times they are a changin’ and after announcing plans to carry the Samsung Galaxy S5 for use on their network, Virgin Mobile is finally back with an official launch date: May 19th. As a pre-paid carrier operating on Sprint’s network, Virgin still hasn’t revealed pricing but expect it to hit around the $500 mark (the Apple iPhone 5s 64GB is currently on sale for $525). Virgin Mobile’s lowest contract-free plans start out at only $35 a month for unlimited data, texting, and 300 minutes. They also offer $5 off for enrolling in auto-pay. Not a bad deal for Android fans on a budget (providing you have ample Sprint coverage in your area). For more info, hit up the source link below. Thanks, Android_Kitty! |
| LG attempts to distance Isai FL and G3 from one another Posted: 09 May 2014 03:54 PM PDT It was only yesterday Japanese carrier KDDI officially announced the LG Isai FL. Carrying a 5.5-inch QHD display, ever since we first caught glimpse of the Isai a few weeks back we figured we were merely looking at a Japanese branded LG G3. At the time, the LG Isai FL carried many of the same rumored specs as the LG G3, leading us (and many others) to believe the phone may have offer a sneak peek at what LG has in store for the upcoming LG G3 — namely, its incredibly small upper bezel area. Despite last year’s model being practically a mirror image of the G2 (see below image), it appears that may not be the case this year. Last year’s LG Isai compared to the LG G2 In a statement to ZDNet Korea, LG is attempting to distance the 2 phones from each other, claiming that they are completely separate products and that the LG Isai doesn’t offer much of a hint of the LG G3′s design. LG further maintained that the phone was built and designed for the Japanese market, suggesting the LG G3′s design will look more like previous models in North America/South Korea. This could explain why, in previous leaks (like the case leak here), the LG G3 wasn’t carrying the same super slim bezels. We’re not sure how many of you were banking on a nearly bezel-less design like the LG Isai FL, but if last year’s LG G2 is any indication, we should still be expecting some of the slimmest bezels on the market. [via GforGames]
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| Foursquare reveals more details on Swarm, their new social app launching next week Posted: 09 May 2014 01:23 PM PDT When Foursquare announced that they would be introducing a new social network called Swarm, they were a little mum on exactly how the app would work. I mean, we knew it would be similar to Foursquare with check-ins and location-based sharing taking center stage. But what we didn’t know is if Swarm would feature the same perks/achievements/mayorships as Foursquare. As promised, Foursquare is back in another blog post detailing exactly how all (most) of Swarm’s social aspects will work. Like Foursquare, Swarm will offer fun little insights about your life. For instance, it’ll let you know if it’s your 4th time hanging out with Justine this week, or the first time hitting up the gym. For checkins, stickers to express your mood can be attached, with additional stickers that can be unlocked after multiple checkins. Foursquare’s trademark mayorships will also be making the trek on over to Swarm, only they’ll wont be open to everyone. Instead of “battling” it out for mayorships with any-and-all Swarm users, they’ll be restricted to only your specific circle of friends. This helps makes things not only more fun, but adds a more personal touch. The folks at Foursquare also mentioned a new badge system — meant to reward users for searching out and discovering new places — as well as a few other unnamed surprises. Of course, we probably wont learn more until the app launches next week for both Android and iOS. For those wanting to be notified as soon as Swarm becomes available, hit up the official site here to sign up. |
| Posted: 09 May 2014 12:59 PM PDT Have you heard about the Galaxy S5? Perhaps you count yourself among the millions that have picked up the device since it launched last month? Now that the new device smell has worn off and the excitement has died down, we thought it would be appropriate to take a minute to point you toward some of the more useful and informative Galaxy S5 content you might have missed on Phandroid while you were distracted by your shiny new toy. Ooo, shiny things. We like shiny things. Review our reviewFirst and foremost, if you haven't taken the plunge yet, it's worth checking out our full review of the Galaxy S5 — especially helpful if you are on the fence. For a look at the other side, check out the 8 things we hated about the phone. Even if you already own the device, you might pick up on a few tips and tricks scattered throughout. Tips & Tricks
Speaking of tips and tricks, we've got plenty of them. If you just purchased the phone, you need to drop everything and check out our list of the 14 things every new Galaxy S5 owner needs to do when they first power on Samsung's latest marvel. Once you have taken care of that, head over to our extensive look at 50+ tips and tricks for the GS5. There you will find info on shortcuts that allow you to do things like take a screenshot with simple gestures. We also explore special software features like S Voice. Pro tip: you can (and probably should) easily disable it. You will also find a great guide to caring for and getting the most out of your Galaxy S5's battery. Those extra features, though…Some of the Galaxy S5's more talked about features include its fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor. We've got guides for both. Check out our tips page on how to set up the finger scanner and use it for a variety of security-minded functions. For those looking to get the most out of the GS5 as a fitness companion, we'll show you how to use the built-in heart rate monitor and tell you why it's more useful than you might think for keeping your body in top shape. Another highly touted feature is the Galaxy S5's IP67 resistance to dust and water. We really put it to the test during an extended off-grid bicycle tour across the state of Maryland, and it lived up to its name. Our review unit didn't fare so well in the toilet bowl, however, leading to a deeper exploration of what IP67 certification really means. All are must-reads for anyone planning to use the Galaxy S5 in less than ideal conditions. If all else fails, check the forumsIf that doesn't cut it for you, might we suggest taking a visit to the Galaxy S5 section of AndroidForums. Here an enthusiastic group of fellow fans have been discussing, debating, and dissecting the phone since it was merely a rumor whispered between Androids. You will find even more tips and tricks and perhaps answers to some lingering questions. If you can't find the info you are looking for, consider signing up for an account and asking yourself. Chances are high you will get the help you need. So that's about it. How you liking that Galaxy S5? |
| Mobile Roar Podcast 44: Lets Go to the Mall Posted: 09 May 2014 12:54 PM PDT The gang is back together again as Chris returns from his appendectomy. He shares his experience from the first time he was ever put to sleep for a surgery. The guys also talk about Android malware (not “mall-wear”) and why you really don’t need to install an anti-virus app. Other topics from this week include new device leaks from HTC and LG, some fun Sprint news, and much more. You can find links to all the stories we discussed below. Top Stories Quick Hits
Wins/Fails
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This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Possible HTC J Butterfly 2 shows its face in freshly leaked image Posted: 09 May 2014 11:45 AM PDT Last year the HTC J Butterfly was an HTC One minus all the aluminum and for its successor, it looks like we could be seeing the same. Leaked online by @evleaks, the HTC J Butterfly 2 is making a brief appearance, showing off its all-glass face for the camera. Bezel-hounds will no doubt have a field day with this phone, which you’ll notice doesn’t feature the HTC One M8′s aluminum accents to help fool the eye. Also, until we get a shot of the back, still up in the air is whether the phone will feature a nice high-resolution MP shooter, or HTC’s Duo Camera system a la the One M8. Either way, don’t get too worked up over this press leaked shot, there’s very little chance we’ll see this anywhere outside its homeland of Japan. [Twitter] |
| Extend your Galaxy S5 battery life with these tips and accessories Posted: 09 May 2014 11:31 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a powerful device. It makes sense, then, that it is also a power-hungry device — that 5.1-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display and quad-core processor aren't going to run themselves, after all. To account for this and then some, Samsung has included a juicy 2800mAh battery in their latest flagship, even going the extra mile and introducing a new Ultra Power Saving mode to provide some extra life when a charging outlet is nowhere to be found. Even with a fat battery and optimized software, there are still some steps you can take to insure you get the most out of your battery life, from simple tips to accessories like extended batteries. Here's your guide to keeping your Galaxy S5 running no matter what you throw at it. Properly condition and care for your batteryStrip away the software, the hardware, the smartphone itself and you are left with a lonesome 2800mAh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. It makes sense, then, that extending battery life starts with the simple care and maintenance of the actual component itself. Luckily, we have all the tools we need right out of the box. There is a popular debate as to whether or not Li-ion batteries need to be "conditioned" or "primed." The process goes like this:
The idea is that the battery is initially calibrated by allowing it to complete one full power cycle without charging after your smartphone is powered on for the first time. Some even suggest to repeat this cycling process up to three times for a new device. This process is said to reset the battery's memory. The process itself is not a myth. It is proven as a recommended way to condition nickel-based batteries. Remember, though, with the Galaxy S5 — or any smartphone — we are dealing with a Li-ion battery. The usefulness of Li-ion battery memory priming is contested, and some even assert that the process can do more harm than good; Li-ion batteries have a shelf life often measured in cycles, so each complete cycle theoretically brings the power cell closer to its end-of-life. Some scientists and manufacturers, however, do recommend cycling a Li-ion battery up to once a month to calibrate the power cell and help eliminate the buildup of film layers between its anode and cathode. You can see the mixed messages consumers are receiving about the process of conditioning. Our recommendation: allowing your Galaxy S5's battery to cycle when new won't cause any damage to the device — many people let their phone drop to 0 percent without even trying — and repeating the process a few times a year won't greatly reduce the life of your battery any more than normal use. While its positive benefits are debated, it's a simple step you can take to potentially improve the performance of your battery. A better way — the "top off" methodWhile you may or may not choose to complete a full power cycle to prime your battery when new (or if capacity begins to fade), a much better method of care is the "top off" approach. No, this has nothing to do with taking your shirt off, rather it refers to keeping your battery north of 50 percent as much as possible. As we touched on in the debate over battery calibration, a Li-ion battery's life is measured in cycles. Each complete charging cycle wears on the battery and brings it closer to total death. Keeping your Galaxy S5 between 50 and 100 percent helps to reduce this cycling strain. Of course, there is always a caveat. Another popular debate on battery care centers on whether or not leaving a device plugged into its charger after reaching 100 percent will damage the battery. One side points to the fact that most modern devices are smart enough to disengage charging when 100 percent capacity is reached, only reengaging when stored power again drops below maximum. The other side sees even this process as potentially harmful to the longevity of a battery. In reality, occasionally leaving your phone on the charger for extended periods of time is unlikely to cause any serious damage, but we recommend avoiding this when possible. It shouldn't be surprising that beyond this there is a school of thought that, like allowing the charge to drop below 50 percent, believes that frequently reaching 100 percent capacity can also have potentially adverse effects on battery life. Batteries don't like getting hotRemember when we were talking about leaving your Galaxy S5 on the charger? Here is one compelling reason not to. Ever notice how your device feels a bit warmer after a robust charging session? We want to avoid this. Li-ion batteries do not enjoy getting overly hot. Cooler is always better, as excessive heat will cause battery longevity to decrease over time. The hotter the battery, the faster this capacity decreases. Avoid leaving your phone out sitting in the sun, don't keep it baking in the car or on the beach, and keep it stored somewhere else if you are a glassblower or firefighter or anyone else whose occupations take place in overly hot environments. Also be weary of wireless charging. While it is a great convenience and pretty awesome use of technology, as it stands, some wireless chargers can get even hotter than simply leaving your phone plugged into a wall outlet. In a pinch, use the Galaxy S5's power saving modesYou've primed your battery, kept it topped off, and have otherwise treated it with kid gloves. That doesn't mean you can avoid that inevitable situation when battery life drops into the red with no available charging outlet in sight. Here is where the Samsung Galaxy S5's software optimizations come into play. The Galaxy S5 offers two special modes to help get the most out of your battery: Power Saving Mode and the new Ultra Power Saving Mode. Both are designed to cut back on services that cause excessive battery drain, one more extreme than the other. Power Saving Mode will turn off unnecessary connections that tend to drain battery life like WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS; halt wireless syncing activities; and dim your Galaxy S5's display. You lose some functionality but the result is a battery that lasts longer, giving you more time to find a place to charge without missing any important calls or texts. Enable Power Saving Mode by:
You will be presented with several options to choose what features Power Saving Mode disables, including the option to restrict background data, restrict device performance, and switch the display from color to grayscale. If battery life is dwindling close to zero, a more extreme form of power conservation is available. Samsung's claim is a device with only 10 percent battery can last an additional 24 hours in standby when operated under Ultra Power Saving Mode. It is enabled in a similar manner to Power Saving Mode by:
Ultra Power Saving Mode presents the user with a dramatically simplified interface with minimal access to apps and services. It shuts down unnecessary wireless connections in the same manner as Power Saving Mode and switches the display mode to black and white. Purchase an extra extended battery packRemovable batteries have been slowly going the way of the dinosaur, but Samsung remains one of the few manufacturers that continues to see the feature as a must-have. While the argument can be made that non-removable batteries allow for slightly higher capacities crammed into smaller spaces, it hardly trumps the advantage of being able to swap out a dead battery for a freshly charged one or even replace the battery altogether with an extended version packing more milliamp hours. If you simply are looking for an extra battery to pack along in case of an emergency, Samsung currently offers the Galaxy S5 Standard Battery for $29.99. For the price, you more or less double the uptime of your GS5 with a second battery rated at 2800mAh. Samsung also offers the Galaxy S5 Spare Battery Charging System, which includes the 2800mAh standard battery as well as a charging dock to keep it fully juiced up for $49.99. Several third party vendors also currently offer or have announced extended batteries for the Galaxy S5. Mugen offers a 2950mAh Slim Extended Battery that won't add to the thickness of the Galaxy S5 while providing 5 percent longer battery life. At about $45, you will have to be the judge as to whether the extra time is worth a little extra cash out of the pocket. If you are looking for a Galaxy S5 battery on steroids, consider ZeroLemon's TriCell Armor 7500mAh Extended Battery. The power cell is much larger than the standard GS5 battery, and therefore requires you to swap out the standard back plate for an included replacement case. The battery and case make the phone thicker and heavier, but offer over twice the power capacity and a little added protection to boot. Consider charging accessoriesIf multiple batteries do not cut it or if you prefer to keep the stock look of your Galaxy S5 by not cramming in a larger battery and swapping the phone's back plate, you might consider a portable charging accessory instead. These include external power packs that can charge your phone's battery or any number of cases that include a built-in battery pack to provide backup power. For the price, you can't go wrong with Incipio's 6000mAh offGRID battery pack. For $69.99 you get the ability to charge two devices at once with a total of 3.1 amps. We used the offGRID battery pack during an extensive four days of off-the-grid cycle touring to great success. Incipio offers several other options, but you might consider similar offerings from other manufacturers such as Mophie. Samsung also offers their own portable batteries at ratings of 3100mAh for $59.99 and 9000mAh for $99.99. Companies like UNU currently offer Galaxy S5 cases with built-in extended batteries, and more are likely to surface on the market over the next few months. These cases connect directly to your GS5's charging port and provide a steady stream of extra charging power to keep your battery going as long as possible. Get more out of your Galaxy S5These tips, tricks, and accessories will help you get the most out of your Galaxy S5's battery life. That extra battery life will give you ample time to get the most out of the many features offered by Samsung's latest Android phone. Consider checking out our list of 50+ Galaxy S5 tips and tricks for even more ways to take your new smartphone to the next level.
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| Samsung will not upgrade 3G Galaxy S3 or Galaxy S3 Mini past Jelly Bean Posted: 09 May 2014 10:16 AM PDT Some unfortunate news for those of you who might own the 3G-only version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. The South Korean company has announced that the devices will not be receiving KitKat, as their 1GB of RAM isn’t enough to provide a quality user experience with the latest software. Many folks will no doubt be quick to point to Google’s proclamation that KitKat can run just fine on a device with just 512MB of RAM, but Google wasn’t talking about firmware that had tons of carrier and OEM customization sitting on top. As we all know, TouchWiz is one of the heaviest skins out there and all the changes made in the most recent upgrades are likely too much for 1GB of RAM to handle. To be clear, this is only affecting those with the 3G versions of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S3 Mini, as the LTE version came equipped with 2GB of RAM and is still in line for a KitKat upgrade of its own. Those are the breaks of sticking with older hardware. You can either upgrade, or look to the after-market development community to get your phone up to speed with the latest Android has to offer (there’s a pretty big treasure trove of stuff waiting for you at the root section of AndroidForums.com). Let us know if any of you are affected by this in the comments below! [via NFC Dimple stickers hit IndieGoGo — four configurable buttons to do anything you want Posted: 09 May 2014 09:40 AM PDT Here’s a quick independent project that you NFC lovers will want to pay attention to. It’s simply named Dimple, and it’s a sticker that attaches itself to the back your phone. This isn’t your ordinary sticker, though — there’s an NFC chip inside, and it’ll launch an app or activate an action depending on which one you press. Each button is user configurable to give you great flexibility. Whether you want a quick call button, an external flashlight switch, a quick app launcher, or a quick way to toggle settings, Dimple gives you everything you need. Tasker integration means there’s practically no limit to what you can use it for. So how does it work? Simply stick it onto the back of your device wherever the NFC sensor is located, and it’s installed. The free Dimple app will give you all the tools needed to configure each individual button. There is one caveat for one very specific group of unfortunate smartphone owners — that being those who own the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8. The NFC sensor on those phones is located beneath the camera sensor, meaning you’ll have to sacrifice camera functionality for this piece of kit. That likely isn’t worth the trouble for most of you. But everyone else will definitely want to give this thing a serious look. There are two sizes up for grabs on IndieGoGo: There are packages for two and even four different setrs of the standard Dimple if you need more, so be sure to check out your options over at the IndieGoGo page. The project has already raised $35,800 of its $43,000 goal, and with a whole 33 days left on the deadline it doesn’t seem like they’ll have any trouble crossing the finish line. Take a closer look in the video above. |
| First images of the AMOLED-equipped Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 appear with dimpled backs Posted: 09 May 2014 08:09 AM PDT Samsung sure loves them some dimples. It’s featured quite prominently on the Samsung Galaxy S5, and it’s going to be featured on another Samsung device that was just leaked this morning. The Samsung Galaxy S Tab 10.5 has broken cover, with SamMobile giving us a look at what is positioned to be a powerhouse in the tablet space. It looks like your typical Samsung product through and through, and the rumored specs match up with those same expectations. The 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display will feature 2560 x 1440 resolution, and all those pixels will be pushed by Samsung’s Exynos 5420 chipset, which features a set of four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.9GHz, and a set of Cortex-A7 cores at 1.3GHz.
It’ll also have an 8 megapixel rear camera, a 2.1 megapixel front camera, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, WiFi AC, GPS, an IR blaster and LTE connectivity. Expect it to be running Android 4.4 when it comes storming out of the box (predictably with Samsung’s Magazine UI slapped on top). Unfortunately the details we’re really wondering about — availability — have yet to be known. Samsung does still have a ton of NotePro and TabPro tablets to sell, after all, so the need to rush the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 out of the gate likely doesn’t exist. |
| More AOSP references mention HTC-made “Flounder,” and possible first mentions of Android TV Posted: 09 May 2014 06:48 AM PDT We’re shaking in our tube socks as we try and brave the tough wait to Google I/O, but bits and pieces of Google’s plans are slowly beginning to take form. Yesterday we heard of a new device in the Nexus family that may be codenamed “Flounder.” Considering Google has always reserved smaller fish for their tablets we imagine this is the next Nexus Tablet, which rumors suggest will be made by HTC. More evidence of those beliefs have surfaced today, with an AOSP changelog on line 239 referencing “device/htc/flounder/”. It’s long been said that HTC would reprise their role as a Nexus manufacturer this year, and would do so with either a 7-inch or 8-inch option. It would be the first Nexus device by the Taiwanese company since the original Nexus One, which is a bit odd considering HTC was the sole OEM to get this Android train rolling. Funnily enough, this would also be HTC’s first tablet since their first two failed attempts back in 2011. But let’s shift focus to something else very interesting right now — a device codenamed Molly. No, probably not that Molly. More like the species of fish known as Molly. It’s referenced between lines 214 and 237 in the aforementioned changelog document, and mentions updates to set-top box related code, as well as Discretix, a top DRM solution for video platforms. More evidence — down by lines 3664 and 3790 — mentions BeMote, Ethernet functionality, Pano and NVIDIA-related goodness. Could this be the forthcoming Android TV (aka, Google TV done the right way) we’ve all been waiting for? Let’s take a look. BeMote could be related to whatever remote you’ll be using with the device. The changelog makes frequent mentions to a microphone on BeMote, so it’s possible it could be equipped with voice-related features. Pano sounds like it’ll be the name of the new TV-optimized user interface Google will put atop Android. What’s important about the references to ethernet? Ethernet functionality only makes sense on a device like a set-top box. And all the NVIDIA stuff could suggest Google’s reference device for Android TV will run on Tegra. Of course, we’re piecing all of this together as loosely as you would stringed popcorn on a Christmas tree, so it’s possible we’re off the mark on some of it. All of this coming to light makes sense, though, as Google gears up for what should be an exciting Google I/O late next month. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime pops up in Hong Kong pricing database, rumored specs corroborated Posted: 09 May 2014 05:55 AM PDT Need more evidence that Samsung is looking to bring out a more powerful version of their 2014 flagship Samsung Galaxy S5? The device — which we’ve been calling the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime to this point — has popped in a Hong Kong pricing database. It’s listed as the Samsung SM-G906S, which is the same model number that leaked on Samsung’s own site a while back. The listing doesn’t tell us much more than we already knew, but most its specs fall in line with the most recent rumors. Said rumors suggest the device will look and feel pretty much like a Samsung Galaxy S5, except you can expect 3GB of RAM and a 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display. One discrepancy that contradicts with recent rumors is that the device will be coming with a Snapdragon 805 processor instead of the Octa-Core Exynos 5430. That may not mean much, though, as Samsung has never shied away from using different chipsets for different markets in the past. New information gleamed from the listing suggests it’ll launch with Android 4.4.3 KitKat, an Android upgrade that doesn’t even officially exist yet. Everything else is largely the same. It’s listed with a 16 megapixel rear camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, has a microSD card slot that can support up to 128GB of storage, will have LTE radios, and will come with the usual connectivity options of WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, and microUSB. It’s the phone we thought Samsung would be bringing to us in the first place, but alas it will take this second release to bring everyone the goods they were waiting for. The listing has the price set at $5,020 Hong Kong dollars, which comes out to about $650 over here in the states. That sounds about right for a device of this caliber, though we expect Samsung to go with a more traditional number whenever it is slated to launch over here. Many of you expressed discontent with Samsung’s decision to bring this smartphone after the base Galaxy S5′s launch, and that’s understandable. It’s not fun to hear that the device you really wanted is going to come out after your return period is already up, but that’s what’s likely to happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it at this point. We’re still waiting on details in terms of availability windows, though Qualcomm’s late 2014 availability of the rumored Snapdragon 805 processor should give us a hint that it won’t be here until late summer, or fall at the latest. Let us know what you think about the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime, and don’t be shy to share your thoughts with the folks over at AndroidForums.com. [ Price.com.hk via SamMobile] |
Until very recently, Google's Nexus line and Google Play edition devices have been "pure" Android, running mostly code directly out of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). With the launch of Android 4.4 KitKat and the 
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