T-mobile has launched a Sidekick 4G sign up page, which will give customers the ability to recieve more information on the new anticipated messaging phone as it becomes available. While there’s not really any info listed on the page it does confirm that the new Sidekick is definetly going to support HSPA+. Stay tuned for more details.
I don’t know about you but I’d love to see the Android software that’s supposed to be used on this phone. I wonder if any of this new deep social network integration is going to be involved. Anybody waiting to get their hands on an Android-powered Sidekick 4G?
David Blaine and Sprint just unveiled the Kyocera Echo, a dual-screened Android Device that sounds rather awesome based on initial details. Sprint just issued a press release providing more information, so let’s dig into some of the meat- just what is the Kyocera Echo all about?
Here is the general concept:
The Kyocera Echo has 2-screens, each screen being 3.5-inches and 800 x 480 pixel resolution
When closed, the Echo appears to be a regular phone
Unhinge/swivel the echo and can see BOTH screens at the SAME TIME
You can either run different applications on each screen (single screen mode) or you can “combine” the screens and run one application on both with an effective 4.7-inch screen size
I can picture a pretty enjoyable experience of watching YouTube on the top screen while browsing videos on the bottom, perhaps pressing a full-screen button to make the video expand across both screens:
I can think of a lot of great uses for the Echo’s dual-screen display, and to be honest, I’m surprised we haven’t seen something similar already. I’ve been suggesting this in articles and podcasts for the better half of two years.
Now I know you’ve probably got two key questions:
Is the processor powerful enough to run two screens at once?
Even if it can, will the battery last more than 27 minutes?
The Kyocera Echo runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor which isn’t dual-core but is pretty darn good, so we’re optimistic it can/will hold up. Kyocera realizes battery life could be a concern, so they’ve packaged in an external battery charger and a secondary battery- very smart move.
Kyocera has optimized several dual-screen experiences that include:
VueQue – YouTube where video is in the top screen and browsing videos is in the bottom
E-Mail Messaging – View/Compose messages in the top and type in the Full QWERTY on the bottom!
Browser: view 2 websites simultaneously
Gallery: picture on top, thumbnails for browsing on bottom
Some other key specs you’ll want to keep in mind:
Android 2.2
5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom
720p HD camcorder
3.5mm headset jack
Wi-Fi with hot-spot feature
Exchange ActiveSynce, POP & IMAP e-mail
Stereo Bluetooth 2.1 (+ EDR)
1GHz Snapdragon processor
1GB internal memory
MicroSD slot with 8GB microSD pre-packaged
1340 mAh spare battery
Wondering if the device is big and bulky? It’s not – only .67 inches thick. The original Droid and iPhone are about half-an-inch thick so it does have a bit extra heft, but that’s to be expected.
My once concern is regarding how the Echo will play with Android apps on the market. Will it have compatability issues? Sprint has already opened a developer program for the device that will include an SDK allowing devs to optimize their apps and games for the dual screen interface, but how about those who haven’t optimized… will there be any complications or problems? Let’s hope not because the Echo is a cool idea.
Kyocera has a mini-site open at EchoByKyocera.com where you can see more details including a video.
But if you’re looking for more info… why not head over to the Kyocera Echo Forum at AndroidForums? Got a great idea for a dual-screen integration? Share it!
Google has been met with the question time and time again: will Honeycomb ever make it to phones? You had to guess that their answer has either always been “no” or “we don’t know” by now – that version of Android is just too fleshed out for phones. That doesn’t mean tastes of Honeycomb won’t affect future phone versions of Android though.
We’ve just gotten word from a trusted source that Google has begun building a new branch of code – being called GRI17 (Gingerbread post-Honeycomb, aka “Ice Cream”) – that aims to bring some of the new elements found in Honeycomb over to phones.
What features they’d be bringing over and to what extent isn’t known yet, but I can’t imagine optional hardware buttons and the new notification system would be left out. I’d also count on hardware acceleration and RenderScript making it in, but all of this is just speculation and guesstimation on my part.
Earlier today, we heard the Google team had just begun thinking about bringing the phone and tablet version of Android closer together, which gives legs to this rumor.
We probably won’t see the fruits of their labor until later in the year – especially considering their aim is to widen the gap between Android versions to make it easier on developers, OEMs, and users alike. All we can do is wait and try to dig for more details for the time being, but one thing’s for sure: Android on phones is only going to get better from here on out, full Honeycomb or not.
Just in case the other two device leaks weren’t enough for you, how about some details about the BlackBerry Torch 2? Well, alright then. The BlackBerry Torch which was released not all that long ago now looks to have a successor already in the works. Realistically, the updated specs look more along the lines of what the first BlackBerry Torch should have been considering many folks took issue with how little of an advancement the original BlackBerry Torch was. Have a look at whats been detailed for the BlackBerry Torch 2:
1.2GHz processor
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Tri-band HSPA 14.4Mbps
3.2-inch VGA 640 x 480 capacitive display
8GB built-in memory
512MB RAM
Bluetooth 2.1
GPS
NFC
5MP camera with flash
Magnetometer
1300 mAh battery
BlackBerry OS 6.1
OpenGL ES
14.6mm thin
So if you’re unhappy with your current Torch maybe the BlackBerry Torch 2 is more fitting for you? These are the specs we have been wanting. Sure, there is no dual core listed there but 1.2GHz is nothing to shake a stick at. While specs and all that are great to look at the real question remains with the OS though. Does OS 6.1 make use of the new specs and hardware? Sticking a 1.2GHz processor in there doesn’t really mean much if the OS is not optimized to make use of it. We’ll find out soon, as noted in the source link Research In Motion is tracking Q3 for the release of the Blackberry Torch 2.
Samsung has released a video from their CES 2011 announcements with Omar Khan (Chief Strategy Officer) talking about Samsung Mobile USA’s plans for the coming year. Among the notable details are a new partner ship with CBS (Survivor, CSI, NCIS, etc) for their Media Hub as well as a direct carrier billing deal with T-Mobile for Media Hub content. As we have been expecting for a while now, the company is releasing a WiFi-only version of their Galaxy Tab as well as 4-inch Galaxy Player. There’s also talk here of the Nexus S and a brief mention of the new Infuse 4G from AT&T.
A couple days ago we showed you some leaked images of what appears to be an Android-powered Asus tablet (as evidenced by the physical buttons on the bottom). Although the photos were pretty high quality, they didn’t leave us with a whole lot of information about the device. Thankfully a new teaser video gives us a little more insight into what ASUS has up their sleeves in terms of their tablet offerings being presented at CES next week.
We still don’t know anything in terms of specs, but we now know the model names of the three devices: EP121, EP102 and EP101. The EP121 is a Windows tablet, but either the EP102 or EP101 (or perhaps both?) could be the Android device. There is also an EP71, which looks to be a small media player of some kind. That’s all we have for you right now, but we will be on hand at CES next week and we’ll be sure to follow this one for you. Continue after the break to catch the teaser vid as well.
Looking to buy a Nexus S from Best Buy? They’ve updated everyone with everything you’ll need to know about the launch to make sure there are no surprises. Here’s a nice and concise list of everything you really need to know:
Timing: Online sales of Nexus S begin at 8 a.m. Eastern time to coincide with the opening of Best Buy stores on the East Coast. As a reminder, all Best Buy stores have adjusted their holiday hours to open at 8 a.m.
Availability: Nexus S is available in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores. Exact inventory will vary by store. Nexus S will be sold out on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of 2 per phones customer.
Demo phones: All Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores will have a Nexus S demo phone on-hand so customers can see and experience the phone.
Pricing: The Nexus S is an unlocked phone and can be purchased without contract for $529. The Nexus S can also be purchased for $199 with a TMobile two-year service agreement and qualifying voice and data plan. Nexus S can also be purchased for $249.99 for add-a-line activations.
Upgrade Checker:A quick and easy service that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade. When the upgrade time is nearing, customers receive a complimentary reminder call, e-mail or text message.
Walk Out Working™: Free in-store smart phone setup by a Best Buy Mobile Phone Specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smart phone.
That third item is especially important: you’ll be paying $50 more for the phone if you’re adding a line opposed to upgrading or opening a new account. You’ll also want to discern that online sales of the Nexus S begin at 8am Eastern, but your local brick and mortar location will be open at 8am no matter what timezone you live in as it’s their standard holiday season opening time. I’m still see-sawing about the decision to buy one personally, but if I do decide to by the time December 16th hits, I’ll be well prepared. [Best Buy via AC]
Some more details have emerged about the upcoming changes to the Android UI that are coming with 2.3 (Gingerbread). A lot of these changes are somewhat technical in nature, but an important one is the fact that Gingerbread is finally bringing true 32 bit imaging support to Android.
If you’re a developer or are just really into the hardcore technical aspects of Android, you may want to hit up this link for some more juicy details.
Gaming on Android devices have grown significantly in the past year and recently we’ve been hearing about a Sony PlayStation phone running the Android OS. According to the guys over at MobileCrunch, they have spoken with a much trusted source and are reporting the following:
Yes, it’s absolutely real.
The screen is “mind-blowing”, on-par (at least by the tipster’s eye) with the iPhone 4′s retina display. The person giving them the rundown on the display indicated that some of Sony’s Bravia technology has trickled in here, with Sony Ericsson considering leveraging the Bravia brand when highlighting the display.
It won’t ship in time for the holidays, with our tipster saying it was “no where near ready”. According to their Sony-Ericsson rep, the company is off-the-record-officially aiming for February. At this point, a launch scheduled around Mobile World Congress is nearly certain.
Sony Ericsson currently has the off-contract price floating somewhere around $500, with that purchase including 5 free games.
It’s unclear whether the “Playstation Phone” is capable of running actual (downloaded) PSP games — I’d wager that it’s not, given what I’ve heard and the amount of emulation work that would be required. We’re likely looking at a new, independent line-up of games built specifically for this platform, which might explain why Sony Ericsson is reportedly planning on pushing this handset with the XPERIA brand rather than the more recognizable Playstation brand. Sony Ericsson is heavily leveraging Sony’s licensing partnerships, though, with names like Tekken being thrown around.
Games will purportedly be priced like mobile games, not like PSP games. In other words, expect sub-$10, not sub-$40.
The tipster confirmed that the “Z-System” name so oft thrown around the rumor mill around is still in play, and that Sony-Ericsson reps used it to describe both the gaming platform and the distribution center. It’s still unclear (even to Sony-Ericsson, it sounds like) whether the game distribution will be done in a standalone application or through the Android Market, but our tipster was told that Google was working closely with Sony Ericsson to try and bring it all into a section of the Android market exclusive to these devices. It’d be highly beneficial for Sony Ericsson to have Google on their side, here, given that the latter has considerably more experience with payment processing (and relationships for things like carrier billing).
If you skimmed the above quoted text and missed it, the source says that Sony Ericsson is pushing for a release around the time of the Mobile World Congress event help in Spain in mid-February but we could possibly wait a little longer.
As with every other word of mouth rumor, we’ll must take this information with a grain of salt and hopefully we’ll hear some facts in the coming months. Anyone looking to pick up a PlayStation phone when it launches?
More rumors have leaked regarding the Sony Ericsson “Playstation Phone” and it’s exciting news that makes this hybrid phone/portable gaming device look more and more promising. First off, the source says that this device is in fact real, and is expected to come to market sometime in February of 2010. Hardware-wise, the screen is supposedly on par if not superior to iPhone 4’s retina display, possibly utilizing technology from Sony’s Bravia line of displays. Which if so, would be a leveraging highlight to boast when marketing the device – especially since it’s a gaming device.
More Samsung Galaxy Tab news! This time, it’s for Android users over in the UK. Popular CDMA carrier Vodafone UK now has pricing and data plan details available on their website.
The Galaxy Tab from Vodafone UK will run you £499. As you probably already know, the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab are as follows:
7” HD touchscreen – see everything in dazzling detail
1GHz processor and 16GB memory – for storing all your documents and photos
High definition video calling – a front-facing 1.3MP camera
Access to Android Market™ – so you can download apps as you need them
Full Flash Player support for your browser – great for watching videos online
Hit the source link below to see full details about the various data and call/text plans from Vodafone for your Galaxy Tab!
accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and ambient light sensors
The rendered picture of the device raises some doubts. But, knowing Samsung’s nack for the high spec’ed devices, rumored specs sound plausible for a Samsung flagship device in Q1 of 2011, which is when the Samsung i9200 would be released.
What do you think? Could the Samsung i9200 quite possibly be the next Galaxy S device? Or are the specs just too good to be true? Let us know in the comments!
LG is stepping up to the Android plate with their new Optimus phone and wants to make sure you know the top 4 reasons to plunker down your cash in their corner. The one that appears most interesting to me is reason #2: ”Flexibility to make calls using broadband internet connections via Wi-Fi hotspots without using your minutes.“
Whoa there, you mean, carriers are going to allow this!? If so, it definitely deserves a thumbs up, as it will not only allow customers to save minutes, but will be a huge help to those who live in areas with poor signal (or just have dead spots in their home). This will also help save bandwidth load on the carrier’s network to allow more throughput for all the high-bandwidth media consumption we are gobbling up on our smartphones.
I must say, I’m happy to see this type of feature being put into Android devices, and hope it becomes the norm. As more people join the crowded smartphone segment, we will need to be more innovative in our ways to share our wireless bandwidth. If there is one thing I’m not looking forward to, it’s tiered-pricing for data usage…
We hope you’ve been saving up for the T-Mobile G2 as the pre-order is set to kick off September 24th for existing T-Mobile customers and will last until October 4th. Customers will be given the opportunity to pre-order the device at select T-Mobile locations or online by going to g2.t-mobile.com and that’s not all.
You can also see above that T-Mobile is confirming the October 6th launch date for the device which should put an end to thoss October 16th rumor that have been swirling about.
Our friends over at TmoNews have been very busy, getting their hands on some very juicy internal T-Mobile documents that give details about the upcoming myTouch HD. While we still don’t know much, we now know that the phone will run Android 2.2, and feature front-facing VGA camera. The document also states that video chat will be welcome over 3g, HSPA+, and of course Wi-Fi. Boo-yah! This is why I love T-Mo.
Additionally, the handset will also have 4GB of internal storage, ship with a 8GB SD card, and have a 5.0 megapixel, auto-focus camera. The document also discusses features such as screen-sharing and mentions the device will have a genius button. Quite impressive. Oh, and last, but not least, according to this document, the phone will feature a 1Ghz Dual Processor. Not really sure what that is, but it sounds like it uses a lot of power. Let’s hope T-Mobile includes additional batteries with this device!
This device is certainly going to be a nice addition to the T-Mobile lineup. Now all we need is a price and a release date. This is still breaking folks, as soon as we have more we will definitely let you know.
What do you think? Is this something you would be interested in?
Details and photos of an upcoming phone from Acer have emerged through the Russian website Habrahabr. The phone, said to be called ‘Liquid Metal’, has a 3.61-inch capacitive touchscreen WVGA display and features a brushed metal casing, hence the name. Regional availability and release dates are TBA but head past the break for a short specs list and photos of the top, bottom, and side.
Today Verizon amped up the hype machine on the upcoming Special Edition Droid R2-D2. This highly anticipated piece of hardware will be available exclusively online on September 30th but for eight lucky and hard working sleuths it will come free. Verizon has launched a viral contest today that will gradually leak “lost schematics” for the phone as fans decipher clues given through Twitter (@DroidLanding). There are eight schematics to be uncovered which are currently inactive links on the Droid R2-D2 website.
Device Gallery
Apps + Widgets
Wallpapers
Exclusive Video
Boot-Up Sequence
R2-D2 Soundboard
Home Screens
Enhancescan App
The first clue has already been given through Twitter, Attack Pattern Alpha. After putting the URL for that page in the C-3P0 tweet translator on the Droid R2-D2 website you will be redirected to the Picasa web gallery of Luka Kurtz, where you will find pictures of Luke and Porkins in their X-Wings. Unfortunately this is as far as the hunt has gone to this point and no lost schematics have been uncovered at this point. What do you guys think of this? Will you be getting involved or sitting this one out? Let us know in the comments.
Popular accessory maker Griffin has pre-announced the PartyDock, its upcoming game and media dock for the iPad and iPhone 4. The dock will include four remotes and turn your device into a small gaming console, or you can hook it up to your TV to turn it into the smallest competitor to the Apple TV, Google TV, and maybe even the Nintendo Wii.
A little more info has come to light regarding what we have been calling the LG enV Touch 2 that we recently learned will sport Android as OS of choice.. It looks like the name that will stick with the device is the enV G, and the internals have potential to stack up to a fairly high-powered handset compared to the original enV Touch and many of LG’s other Android offerings. Aside from the dual touchscreens, a 1GHz Snapdragon on board should adequately speed through tasks on the full-QWERTY device.
In other LG news, the company is apparently at work on a mid-range, all touchscreen handset due around the holiday season for all major carriers. The project is going around under the code name “Thunder,” though considering the Dell device of the same name we are sure it should be seeing at least one (if not multiple depending on carrier) new names. Expect it on Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and MetroPCS.
As of tomorrow August 4th, T-mobile is going to be sending out OTA updates to increase the performance of the myTouch 3g slide. T-mobile very clearly states that this is not Froyo. These updates are going to be focusing on battery performance, Wi-Fi, and improvements to the Genius Button and Faves Gallery. T-Mobile has claimed that all customers should be receiving the updates by August 19th.
Currently, there have been many consumer complaints on the battery life of this particular phone, so it is no surprise that T-mobile is addressing this issue with its upcoming update; the biggest solution being the ability to update contacts to online backup protection. As for you Wi-Fi users, T-Mobile’s update will also include the ability to send MMS over any Wi-Fi connection.
As if things could get any better there will be more voice options available for the Genius Button, the update will now allow users to verbally turn GPS on and off. The greatest aspect of it all is the phones’ ability to announce incoming text messages and phone calls, giving the user a choice to reply/reject and accept/ignore, simply by using their VOICE!!!
T-Mobile is notorious for the Faves Gallery, which allows customers to choose their top friends whom they would like to call or text for free. The Faves icon will be now be displayed near the notifications that pop up while the phone is locked, so that users will know a “Fave” is trying to contact them. The speed of the Faves photos will also be enhanced. Overall the general improvements will include smoother scrolling and better conformability when displaying photos. Ultimately, will the updates exceed consumer expectations…?
If you are anything like me, you’re probably feeling a bit anxious about the Android 2.2 update for the Motorola Droid now promised for next week. Perhaps we should occupy our now-frenzied minds by perusing this list of enhancements and additions that the Froyo FRG01B update holds. What are you looking forward to the most? Flash 10.1? Bluetooth voice dialing? Apps on your SD card? At least Droid owners won’t have to feel too jealous of the EVO crowd for too much longer.
Not too long ago we discussed keeping your Android device safe from malicious attacks; the general advice was that it doesn’t hurt to take a moment to look at what that cool app is requesting access to, before you download it. This week at the Blackhat security conference, a company by the name of Lookout detailed an app on the market that was extremely questionable in nature:
During our research, we found series of wallpaper applications in the Android Market are gathering seemingly unnecessary data. The wallpaper applications that we analyzed transmitted several pieces of sensitive data to a server over an unencrypted network connection. The data included the device’s phone number, subscriber identifier (e.g. IMSI), and the currently entered voicemail number on the phone (see below for technical details). While this sort of data collection from a wallpaper application is certainly suspicious, there’s no evidence of malicious behavior. There have been cases in the past on other mobile platforms where well-intentioned developers are simply over-zealous in their data gathering, without having malicious intent.
To be clear, while a simple wallpaper app needs access to such data is very suspect, as of this posting nothing malicious has been discovered in connection with the apps in question. Still, it’s a reminder of just how easily one can open their device to unauthorized access. While various figures are being used for the total number of app downloads, the smallest number being mentioned is 50,000. There are plenty of security apps to choose from to help keep your data safe, including one from Lookout.
You can read more about Lookout’s report HERE; and while you’re at it, it’s worth reading this post on launcher spam.
We’ve been hearing plenty of rumors surrounding the BlackBerry Storm 3. As with all rumors you kind of have to take them all with a grain of salt until those rumors get confirmed one way or another. Today, Engadget posted up the above image for which they were advised was from a training slide that outlines details of the upcoming device. Well, technically the info is for an Odin refresh, which sort of seems like it means Storm 2.5 vs. Storm 3, but you never know how things things will get branded and labeled this far in advance. All in all, it looks to be a minor refresh but, there is a few notables here and one insanely huge one to point out.
BlackBerry 6
WebKit Browser
512MB Of RAM
5MP Camera With new UI
World Edition
802.11n WiFi
3G Mobile Hotspot (Coming Soon)
Wait, what?!? 3G Mobile Hotspot? Yes, it’s noted as a coming soon feature and from the looks of it, the biggest upgrade to the device aside from the normal items that were already assumed or known about. Also, if you’ll notice at the bottom of the image the month listed for release ends in "—ember". Previous rumors have put the device on Verizon in time for the holidays, so that still looks to be holding strong. What do you all think?
David Blaine and Sprint just unveiled the Kyocera Echo, a dual-screened Android Device that sounds rather awesome based on initial details. Sprint just issued a press release providing more information, so let’s dig into some of the meat- just what is the Kyocera Echo all about?
A little more info has come to light regarding what we have been calling the LG enV Touch 2 that we 
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