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When it comes to speakers, cost can make a huge difference. Cheaper speakers tend to pack lower-grade materials, while more expensive ones tend to pack better. But every now and then, you'll find a true gem; a speaker that performs well above its price range. And luckily for me, the Satechi Swift is such a gem.
With a 1.4GHz single-core CPU, a majorly outdated version of Android, and a $50 price tag, the MyTouch Q is a hard sell to enthusiasts. (In fact, I'd bargain that literally no enthusiasts would buy it.) But as I explained just a few days ago, there's a lot more to the smartphone picture than devices that cost a few hundred dollars and can do everything short of make breakfast. A very large percentage of consumers have no desire to use their phone as a media streaming device or a mobile gaming powerhouse. They instead prefer to buy something simple that won't overwhelm them with gizmos they don't need, and save some cash in the process.
Between the Pantech Marauder, T-Mobile MyTouch Q, and now Acer's Liquid Gallant/Liquid Gallant Duo, it certainly seems like cheap Android devices are the new feature phones.
Xiaomi Phone 2 Announced, Packs Quad-Core S4 CPU, 4.3" 720p Display, MIUI, And A $310 Price Tag
Chinese company Xiaomi (known for their popular ROM MIUI) has just announced a new phone, and this one looks to be every bit as impressive today as the
Chinese company Xiaomi (known for their popular ROM MIUI) has just announced a new phone, and this one looks to be every bit as impressive today as the original was when it was announced a year ago. The specs on the cleverly named Xiaomi Phone 2 stand out even in the world of quad-core superphones, and the company has managed to do so while maintaining a price point of just $310 USD.
Pantech Marauder Review: "Budget" Isn't Such A Bad Place To Be
While everyone loves to gush over flagship phones, the truth of the matter is that for many customers, cheaper phones - be they last-gen's flagships or
While everyone loves to gush over flagship phones, the truth of the matter is that for many customers, cheaper phones - be they last-gen's flagships or this-gen's budget devices - are the route of choice. Traditionally, the former route tended to work out better, especially for enthusiasts; after all, generation-old flagships tend to still outperform and out-feature current-gen budget devices. Plus, high-end devices generally have a ton of developer support and are usually better supported by the manufacturer. But is buying a used flagship still the better option for a budget-conscious consumer? After spending some time with a brand new budget phone from Pantech and Verizon, I'm not so sure.
Googorola, Phase 1: Trim Product Lines And 20% Of Workforce, Focus On Making Just A Few High-End Products
Just three short months ago, China approved Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility, effectively finalizing the deal. Apparently, neither company is looking
Just three short months ago, China approved Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility, effectively finalizing the deal. Apparently, neither company is looking to waste any time, as Motorola's new Google-driven leadership has already revealed the basics of the big turnaround plan. The first step: lay off 20% of its employees (including about 1,330 in the US) and close 94 offices around the globe. Given that Moto's phone unit has only made a profit in 6 months of the last 4 years, that's not so surprising.
[Weekend Poll] On Average, How Many Apps Do You Purchase Per Month?
[note]This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see If Your Device Had Google Wallet Support, Would You Use The Service?[/note] We've
WebMD Releases Android App For Expecting And New Parents: WebMD Baby
Having a baby is a huge task, and anyone who has been there can attest to the fact that there is a ton you have to do ahead of time to prepare - and many
Having a baby is a huge task, and anyone who has been there can attest to the fact that there is a ton you have to do ahead of time to prepare - and many times more to keep up with after. Thankfully, there are many resources to help out, like books and magazines, but something a bit more interactive would certainly help things go even smoother. Enter WebMD's new(ish) Baby app, a comprehensive guide that compiles and organizes the relevant information from WebMD's absolute plethora.
Cyanogen Mod 9.0 Stable Released For 21 Devices And Counting
CyanogenMod is a pretty big deal in the Android modding world, and there's a good reason for that: it's fast, lean, well-featured, and supports a ton of
CyanogenMod is a pretty big deal in the Android modding world, and there's a good reason for that: it's fast, lean, well-featured, and supports a ton of devices that manufacturers have abandoned. When Android 4.0 was released, the CM team made it clear that CM9 (based on ICS) would be a long time in the making, as they were going to focus on doing everything properly and cleaning up the code. And now, as promised yesterday, CM9 stable is rolling out en masse.
[Updated: Here Are The Winners!] Giveaway: Win 1 Of 10 Licenses To Essentials Of Android Application Development LiveLessons
I've written more than a few of these giveaways for products covering just about every aspect of Android development, and written by dozens of authors.
I've written more than a few of these giveaways for products covering just about every aspect of Android development, and written by dozens of authors. But this one... well, this is special, because it's a series of LiveLessons from none other than former Android Police contributor Ian Clifton.
OUYA Android Console Raises $8.6 Million On Kickstarter In Just Under A Month
For the past month or so, you could hardly go to any tech-related corner of the internet without running into something on OUYA (pronounced "OOO-yah"),
For the past month or so, you could hardly go to any tech-related corner of the internet without running into something on OUYA (pronounced "OOO-yah"), an impressive little Android-powered console. With respectable specs (Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 1080p), virtually unlimited hackability, and a price of just $99, it's no surprise that it flew through its $1,000,000 Kickstarter goal in the first 24 hours alone.
Combine 3G/4G And WiFi To Download (And Destroy Your Data Cap) Faster Than Ever
For most people, you can probably pull a 3G/4G connection of a few megs. Alternatively, if you're somewhere with WiFi (such as at home), you can probably
For most people, you can probably pull a 3G/4G connection of a few megs. Alternatively, if you're somewhere with WiFi (such as at home), you can probably pull a few more megs. But the two are mutually exclusive - that is, if you're using one, you can't be using the other. Or rather, they were - because now, thanks to Super Download, you can run both simultaneously.
[Weekend Poll] If Your Device Had Google Wallet Support, Would You Use The Service?
It's no secret that Google Wallet got off to an extremely rough start. The service was announced nearly a year ago to a mild amount of fanfare, then almost
It's no secret that Google Wallet got off to an extremely rough start. The service was announced nearly a year ago to a mild amount of fanfare, then almost immediately started hitting barrier after barrier, fighting for carrier and card support. Just a few days ago, they revealed that the big four (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover) were finally on board, thus bringing the service many steps closer to actually... you know, being usable. There are two major obstacles that remain, though one is simply a matter of the prevalence of technology in devices - something that is quickly being remedied. The other, though, is that carriers are unwilling to play ball. Take a look at the supported devices:
Official Twitpic App Released For Android, Helps You Photograph Your, Like, Totally Interesting Bowl Of Cereal
Though the service's popularity has been waning since competitors sprang up (and Twitter itself jumped in the game), Twitpic remains a major host for images
Though the service's popularity has been waning since competitors sprang up (and Twitter itself jumped in the game), Twitpic remains a major host for images on Twitter. They're not going down without a fight, either, and the company has released its official Android app dedicated to sharing photos on Twitter. With a UI heavily inspired by the Twitter app itself (duh), it allows you to browse through photos hosted by Twitpic on your Twitter timeline, as well as edit and share your photos.
American Red Cross Releases Second App Following First Aid, This Time Dedicated To Hurricanes
Just under two months ago, the American Red Cross released a genuinely impressive app called First Aid. As you'd guess from the name, it's an app dedicated
Just under two months ago, the American Red Cross released a genuinely impressive app called First Aid. As you'd guess from the name, it's an app dedicated to helping you through medical emergencies; what you wouldn't guess from the name is just how good of an app it is.
Gameloft Releases Monster Life: Raise Cute Paper Monsters, Build A Kingdom, Defeat Evil
Gamefactory Gameloft is back with another new game, and this time it's a papercraft game in which you nurture, build, and develop a kingdom of adorable
Glu Mobile Purchases Gamespy, Looks To Beef Up Multiplayer And Social Support
Just about everyone who has played a PC game in the past dozen years has probably heard of (and possibly used) GameSpy. The service, formerly owned by
Just about everyone who has played a PC game in the past dozen years has probably heard of (and possibly used) GameSpy. The service, formerly owned by IGN, has been a major player in the social/multiplayer gaming space, offering matchmaking, stats, profiles, leaderboards, and cloud syncing. And now, freemium game maker Glu Mobile has acquired the service for an unnamed price.
Samsung Starts Production Of New High-Speed Embedded Flash Storage
One complaint many people have had (particularly with Asus tablets) is that the performance of the embedded storage is just plain bad. So I ran some storage
One complaint many people have had (particularly with Asus tablets) is that the performance of the embedded storage is just plain bad. So I ran some storage benchmarks (2 apps, 13 metrics) on 11 different devices and compiled the results. In sum: while adequate, most devices aren't exactly speedy in the storage speed department.
[Weekend Poll] What Is Your Preferred Tablet Screen Size?
[note]This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see In A Perfect World, Who Would Manufacture The Next Nexus Phone?[/note] Back in