Android | Stuff-Review

Samsung Galaxy S III will come before June, no MWC announcement

February 1, 2012 at 1:23 pm

Samsung has just released a statement confirming that the successor of the popular Galaxy S II Android smartphone will be unveiled at a dedicated event during the first half of 2012 and not at Mobile World Congress 2012 (MWC) in Bacerlona this month.

The Galaxy S II has been incredibly successful, having outsold every other Android smartphone out there. The device was announced at last year’s MWC in February 2011, but only shipped in June to European and Asian customers and in September in the US.

We would say that it only makes sense for Samsung not to cannibalize the sales of its existing line with the announcement of a successor this early in the year and before any potential shipping date. The Galaxy S III will also be big news, based on popularity of the SGS II, so we would think that Samsung doesn’t want any other manufacturer stealing its thunder. MWC will see the announcement of a cornucopia of new smartphones and tablets, including a rumored high-resolution 10-inch tablet from Samsung.
continue reading

Samsung Galaxy S Advance is a curvy 4-inch 1GHz dual-core Android smartphone

News

January 31, 2012 at 11:48 am

While a potential successor to the incredibly popular Samsung Galaxy S II, i.e. the Galaxy S III, is monopolizing our interest, the company just announced a new and reasonably well-specced mid-range phone. The Samsung Galaxy S Advance is a 4-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED screened device. It’s powered by a very capable 1GHz Exynos 4210 dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a 5-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front cameras. It has HSPA 14.4Mbps connectivity and comes running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface slapped on top and a full selection of Samsung apps.
continue reading

B&N Nook Tablet can now be rooted easily with an SD card

News

January 30, 2012 at 4:39 pm

The Barnes & Noble Nook Color was one of the most easily rooted devices, and practically un-brickable, because it was possible to boot from a microSD card. Its successor, the B&N Nook Tablet, is now following in the same footsteps. The endeavoring forum users over at XDA Developers have just developed a method of rooting the Nook Tablet using an SD card.

Requirements include a microSD card larger than 2GB, preferably and a Windows or Mac computer. As with the Nook Color methods, the process involves flashing an image to the SD card. You then insert the freshly created SD card into your Nook Tablet and reboot. The SD card image handles the rooting process automatically and also gives you the full Android Market and Google apps to boot.
continue reading

Samsung Galaxy Note on AT&T release date and price confirmed

News

January 30, 2012 at 1:38 pm

Samsung’s generally successful attempt to blur the line between a smartphone and a tablet just got a US price and release date. We already knew that the 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Nexus was coming to AT&T, but the announcement at CES was scarce of any pricing and availability details.
continue reading

All black ‘inverted’ Google Apps for Android 4.0 make you cool, can save you battery

News

January 29, 2012 at 9:43 am

Feeling like black is your thing? A themer, going by the name travp624, has posted all black versions of a number of stock Google applications. The inverted apps have a requirement that you should be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and have been tested on version 4.0.3 and up. The available inverted apps are: Google+, Gmail, Email, Market Google Talk, Contacts, Calendar, Google Voice, Google Music and MMS. They will sure look cool on an all-black device like the Galaxy Nexus.
continue reading

LG CX2 ‘Optimus 3D 2’ 4.3-inch 3D Android smartphone leaked in press renders

News

January 24, 2012 at 3:32 pm

Though we admit we are not completely sold on 3D phones, we’re always interested to see what the next generation will bring. Last year was dominated by two 3D phones the HTC EVO 3D and the LG Optimus 3D. Following the leaked LG X3 quad-core monster-phone, the latest leaked handset for LG’s 2012 lineup is a new 3D smartphone codenamed CX2 or as we’ll be calling it, the Optimus 3D 2.

Similar to the original Optimus 3D it will have a stereoscopic glasses-free 4.3-inch display, however instead of only relying on 3D content, this new LG 3D Android smartphone will be able to do a 2D to 3D conversion on the fly. The device is rumored to be running on a new TI OMAP 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It will has dual 5-megapixel rear cameras capable of shooting in 3D and a 1.3-megapixels front camera.
continue reading

PSA: Yes the Droid Razr Maxx is still confirmed for January 26th and $299 on Verizon

News

January 24, 2012 at 1:04 pm

We first saw the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx during this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The updated version of the skinny Droid Rarz has a bumped up the battery of 3,300mAh battery from 1,780mAh, while staying just 8.9mm thick from the original’s 7.1mm.

You can check out our initial coverage here and here. To recap, it’s a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD (960 x 540) screened device with a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front cameras. It has some rugged credentials, bearing to a Kevlar back and splashproof coating.
continue reading

Galaxy Nexus case review: OtterBox Defender series case

Reviews

January 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm

If you’ve read our Galaxy Nexus review (and you should definitely read it here if you haven’t) then you know that using the smartphone without a case is an accident waiting to happen. In fact, my first Galaxy Nexus had suffered a deadly drop. Hence comes the dilemma, enjoy the beautiful and thin lines of your pricey and very fragile new smartphone by carrying it naked, risking its demise at any point, or sacrifice some of the thinness for the peace of mind a case brings.

Well if you are thinking of going with the latter then you might want to read on. OtterBox makes cases, and the company is known for some of the most solidly built cases you will find. We’ll be looking at the most rugged of the pair of OttorBox cases for the Galaxy Nexus, the Defender Series case. In fact this the most rugged case for the Galaxy Nexus that I know of, but correct me if I’m wrong.

For many this case will be overkill, and if size is a big issue then you might want to look elsewhere, because ruggedness comes at a cost. This is the case for the very active or very clumsy. If you are into sports, if your work puts high demands on you or if you want the ultimate protection for your smartphone, read on.
continue reading

Google Sky Map set free, joining the open source family

News

January 22, 2012 at 2:28 pm

Google Sky Map was released in May 2009 for Android phones and it has served us well since then, ramping up 20 million users. The app was created by some of Google’s employees during their “20-percent time“, which has birthed many of Google’s best projects. Well, the search giant has decided to donate Sky Map to the community, making the project open source.

Now that the project has been set free, Carnegie Mellon University has partnered with Google and will see to the development of Sky Map as part of student projects, Googlers will remain as advisers.
continue reading

How to: easily backup, unlock, root, unroot and re-lock a Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Guides

January 21, 2012 at 12:41 pm

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus (read our full review here) is one of the easiest devices to root. That’s because it’s a Google Nexus device and was made that way. Nevertheless, if you’d rather not get into firing commands towards you shiny new smartphone, there is an app that will do everything for you.

The ‘Wugfresh Galaxy Nexus Root Toolkit’ Windows-only application provides one-click unlock and root for both the GSM/HSPA+ and LTE flavors of the Galaxy Nexus. If you don’t have the Android SDK or the Galaxy Nexus driver installed it will install it for you. If you decide that root is not for you then the application offers one-click unroot and re-lock to restore it back to 100 percent stock.
continue reading

Motorola getting tougher with Defy+ JCB Edition 3.7-inch Android handset

News

January 18, 2012 at 5:43 pm

We really liked the Motorola Defy+ when we reviewed it because it offers some degree of ruggedization without being ugly or unwieldy. It’s also good value for money, with around £240 ($370) (contract free) buying you an Android handset with a 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass LCD 854×480 (265ppi) display, 1GHz single-core TI OMAP3620 SoC, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of built-in storage and a 5-megapixel rear camera.

Motorola hot on the heals of the success of the Defy+ has introduced the Defy+ JCB Edition. Those unfamiliar with JCB, it’s a construction equipment and heavy machinery manufacturer. Compared to the standard Defy+, the JCB edition wraps the device with a visco-elastic protective sleeve for a stronger exterior, which should handle drops and pressure better. Apparently the skin automatically stiffens on impact and remains flexible in normal use. The special edition also includes a number of apps targeted to builders, engineers and DIY enthusiasts. The apps include a theodolite, spirit level, torch and decibel meter.
continue reading

CyanogenMod 9 Music app available as standalone application, Android 4.0 still needed

News

January 17, 2012 at 5:53 am

CyanogenMod’s popularity lies in the fact that the ROM brings to Android a level of customization never seen before. The CyanogenMod team already let us know that they will be releasing individual parts of their upcoming Android Ice Cream Sandwich based CyanogenMod 9 ROM. First the CM9 launcher titled Trebuchet was made available as an APK file, and today you can download the CyanogenMod 9 Music app as a standalone application.

The Music app is extremely customizable; using a theme engine, designers can change every UI element in the app. If you’d rather have the familiar Android Ice Cream Sandwich look, you can download the ‘Google Music’ theme which is based on the latest version of the Google Music app. Within the application you can share what you are listening via social, set songs as ring tones, delete tracks and search. There is a drag-and-drop queue and playlist, a custom lockscreen, and shake and flip actions — you can pause your music by flipping the device face down, and you can customize the shake action to skip tracks for example. The app also comes with a number of custom widgets.
continue reading

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy Note could be heading to Verizon and Sprint as the Galaxy Journal

News

January 16, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Take this with a grain of salt: an LA industry analyst is claiming that Samsung’s oversized smartphone will be heading to Verizon and Sprint, probably under the name Galaxy Journal. The 5.3-inch stylus-friendly Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet finally made it to North American shores last week with a big appearance at CES. The device is now confirmed to be released soon on AT&T, though no information was given on availability on other carriers.

The Galaxy Note is currently GSM only, so an initial AT&T release makes sense, but a CDMA/LTE version could be in the works so that the device can be launched on both Verizon and Sprint. Despite being the largest smartphone to date, Samsung had shipped over one million Galaxy Note units last year.

The Galaxy Note has 5.3-inch Super AMOLED 720p HD screen with a dual-core 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos processor powered by a decently sized 2,500mAh battery. The device does indeed challenge anyone’s perception of a phone, it is a really big device weighing 178g (6.3 oz). To convert people to believers, Samsung has included a Wacom-designed pressure sensitive S Pen stylus, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front and other nice features like GLONASS support.
continue reading

Fujitsu planning to enter the US smartphone market with ‘special’ devices

News

January 16, 2012 at 8:02 am

It was about time for major Japanese phone manufacturers to start looking outside their home market. As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, except from Sony, all other Japanese giants have been absent from the world market for some time. In the past, the big stumbling block was software — it was very hard for Japanese companies to design and market handsets specifically for overseas markets, as their existing line of phones catered to the idiosyncrasies of their local market. With the advent of Android however, there was no longer any excuse, as they could finally focus on hardware, something they can do very well, and simply use stock Android on top.

Thing is, Japanese companies are now being more or less forced to expand. While in the past Japan had been a very closed market, other international players are now coming in dynamically and eroding the hold that local companies had. The iPhone specifically has been killing on sales with the Samsung Galaxy S II trailing far behind.
continue reading