Abhiroop Basu - 10/19 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Abhiroop Basu is an opinionated tech and digital media blogger. As a doe-eyed twenty-something he started his first blog TechComet to comment on anything tech-related that caught his omniscient eye. Since then he has blogged for Android Police, Make Tech Easier, and This Green Machine. In the real world, Abhiroop Basu is a resident of Singapore and the Editor of The Digit, a subsidiary of The Potato Productions Group.

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Aug

IDC: Apple Is The Largest Smartphone Manufacturer In The World With Samsung Close Behind

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, News

Hot on the heels of the report from the analytics firm Canalys, market research firm IDC has reaffirmed Apple as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Unlike the findings from Canalys, which grouped smartphone OS platforms together irrespective of manufacturer, IDC's study has broken down shipment numbers in Q2 2011 according to device vendors. The findings (courtesy of Engadget) are as follows:

Smartphone shipments in Q2 2011 totalled 106.6 million, an increase of 42.2 million from last year. Out of that pie, Apple's total number of smartphones shipped is 20.34 million putting them in first place with a share of 19.1%.

Aug

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 3G Available For Pre-Order On Amazon UK For £605.34, Launches On August 12th

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Galaxy Tab 8.9, News

Unveiled at CTIA earlier this year, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 was slated for a “summer” launch in the US. However, if the Amazon UK pre-order page is the real deal it looks like our English cousins will be the first to get their hands on this device when it launches on August 12th in the UK (the original “in stock date” was reported as August 11th by Engadget, however this appears to have changed).

The 3G-enabled device can be pre-ordered for £605.34 and according to the Amazon page it will be available in “pure white”. There does not appear to be any indication of how much memory this particular version will have, however the rather exorbitant price suggests that this is likely to be the 32GB version (priced at $569 in the US).

Aug

HTC Details Upcoming Bootloader Unlocking Process For New And Select Existing Devices Via A Web-Based Tool

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, EVO 3D (Shooter), HTC, News, Sensation / Sensation 4G (Pyramid)

Earlier this month HTC released details about their roll-out plans for its bootloader unlock process and the devices that would be supported. Today, in answer to some of the questions posed by HTC’s Facebook fans, HTC released an update on how the bootloader unlocking process will actually work and why HTC’s newest phones are still shipping with a locked bootloader.

As mentioned in their earlier post, HTC is continuing to make every effort to release OTA software updates within the month to enable unlocking of the HTC Sensation followed soon by the HTC Sensation 4G and the HTC EVO 3D.

Aug

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread Update Officially Confirmed, Brings WiFi Calling And NFC Support

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, Echo, Gingerbread 2.3, Kyocera, News, Sprint

Last week we got our hands on the Sprint Playbook which indicated that the Kyocera Echo would be receiving a firmware update to Android 2.3. Accordingly, a page has now gone live on the official Kyocera Echo webpage confirming that an update to Android 2.3.4 is imminent. By the looks of the Echo webpage this update will bring some major features and enhancements to this unique device.

As indicated in the Playbook the update will include Swype 3.0 with "Tap Correction and Horizontal Word Choice List" (i.e. predictive text), an improved "Downloads application", and the eponymous "Echo Mode" which is essentially an app to manage the device's battery.

Jul

Western Digital Launches The WD 2go App Allowing My Book Live Customers Remote Access To Their Data

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Applications, News

There are plenty of network-attached storage ("NAS") solutions available, however if you are a fan of Western Digital, you may be the owner of their My Book Live line of devices (available much cheaper on Amazon). Although reviews indicate that it is a solid product, it lacks a convenient method of remotely accessing the data, especially considering its MioNet solution is "nearly useless." Owners of this NAS will be pleased to hear that WD has launched the WD 2go Android app that helps bridge the remote access gap by providing an alternative method of viewing the content on your NAS.

Jul

[Deal Alert] GSM Sony Ericsson Xperia arc Now Available Off-Contract In The U.S. For $474.99 Or $499.99, Depending On Color (Retail $599.99)

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Deals, News, Xperia Arc (Anzu, X12)

Just a few days ago Sony Ericsson confirmed an early off-contract August launch for the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc. And now, on the eve of August, the official Sony Ericsson Online store launched a page allowing customers to pre-order the Android 2.3 device for $599.99 with an expected shipping date of 2 August. It is also possible to obtain an 18-month extended warranty for an additional $99.99.

Alternatively, for a better deal head over to Newegg.com to pick up this phone at a much lower cost. The Midnight Blue version is $474.99, while the Misty Silver version is slightly higher at $499.99, both down from $549.99.

Jul

Verizon Rolling Out New 4G LTE Markets And Expanding Current Ones On August 18th

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in 4G, News, Verizon Wireless

If you were not in one of the lucky cities to get 4G coverage from Verizon's extensive LTE rollout earlier this month, fear not as more cities are being added to the list as we speak. In fact the rollout and expansion have become so extensive we had to hunt through two pages of Verizon's press-releases to compile the list of new and expanded markets.

The cities that Verizon will be rolling out 4G LTE to on August 18 include the following:

Provo/Orem, Utah
Capital Region, New York
Syracuse New York
Ithaca, New York
Greater Worcester, Massachusetts
Salinas and Monterey, California
Bakersfield, California
Omaha and Council Bluffs, Nebraska
Johnstown and Altoona, Pennsylvania
Ft.

Jul

Acer Iconia Tab A501 With 4G Pre-Order Shows Up On Amazon For $500

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Deals, Iconia Tab A500, News

Over the past few weeks and months the price of the Acer Iconia A500 has been steadily dropping. It is now clear that it was to make way for the 4G version of the tablet from AT&T.

Announced in late March by AT&T for a Q2 release, it looks like they have finally got their act together and are now featuring the device on Amazon.com on pre-order for $499.99.

The unreleased 4G HSPA+ tablet will be running Android Honeycomb and will feature a 1Ghz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor with integrated graphics, 10.1" WXGA display (1280x800), 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, 802.11b/g/n wireless, and a 5MP rear facing camera and 2MP front-facing camera.