Time for the Android Police Week In Review, and a review-worthy week it is. Be sure to catch our podcast, too. You'll find many of these words there, spoken by us!
Product Reviews
- The Tablet Claw: It's not very good. Alternatively: my first thought upon seeing it.
Carrier 411
- Sprint is giving away ZTE Optiks to people who buy new phones. We'd probably just say no, thank you. They'll also give you a $100 AMEX gift card.
- Verizon is bringing LTE to 34 new markets and expanding in a boatload of others, and I've probably typed this headline in one form or another several dozen times at this point.
- Verizon is amassing spectrum, either in an attempt to monopolize the mobile data market, or to build a giant death ray. We're liking the latter.
Rumor Roundup
- A black Galaxy S III is coming, act excited.
Android at Arms (legal news)
- Apple wanted $30 for each phone Samsung sold, and $40 for every tablet. And they thought that was something Samsung would go for. No, seriously. They did.
- Apple still wants BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
- Google's Motorola just sued Apple. "Oh snap" doesn't even begin to describe it.
Code Google
- Motorola is slashing 20% of its workforce, closing down operations in dozens of countries, and getting out of the low-end handset business to focus on building just a few great phones a year. Clearly, this was just about patents, right guys?
- ZOMG PLAY STORE GIFT CARDS.
- Smart app updates are now live. Sure beats those stupid app updates we had before.
- Walmart and Target and a bunch of other places are uniting to make a mobile payment system. Be afraid, very afraid - of the savings.
The Hotsheet (device news)
- Samsung has announced the Galaxy Note 10.1. I can't help myself, Ron is reviewing it, and he hates it. Like, a lot. Expect a review soon.
- The Photon Q: because at least one person on Sprint wants a keyboard.
- Want to unlock the bootloader on your Motorola phone? Now you can. Fine print: if it's a Photon Q. Because no one's going to take issue with that little caveat, right?
- The RAZR HD is probably going to be announced in a few weeks, still sounds like it's yelling at you.
- You can get a 4G Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 on Verizon. I'm just letting you know, because seriously, don't.
- Xiaomi Phone 2: yes, that's the actual name of the product.
- The Verizon Galaxy S III's bootloader has been unlocked. It was as though millions of whiners cried out at once, and then were suddenly silent.
- Galaxy S III Jelly Bean. Let me say it again, but better - Galaxy S III Jelly Bean download. Chills, am I right?
- The Xperia S will be Android's first "experimental" AOSP phone, I guess that makes it open source-curious.
- Device Updates: HTC Rezound, DROID 4, Galaxy Tab 10.1 (US Wi-Fi), Tab 7.0 Plus, Springboard, Xyboard 8.9/10.1, Transformer Pad 300.
App Update
- Flash for Android is dead. Don't worry, it's going to a better place: away.
- Cameron reviews Pinterest, we make jokes about women's shoes.
- Jetpack Joyride is now on Android, hooray for porting games that are over a year old that most people probably don't care about anymore.
- OnLive was dead, then not dead, now undead?
In Other News
- The Ubi: what is this I don't even.