Liam Spradlin - 83/99 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Besides being an avid Android fan and blogger, Liam is a photographer with a degree in both Anthropology and Sociology. He can usually be found reading through blogs, taking photos, or studying ancient pottery. Liam has been known to leave on international trips at a moment's notice, and can't resist a new challenge.

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Oct

[Deal Alert] Adorama Offering 8GB 1GHz And 16GB 1.5GHz Archos 80 G9 Dual-Core Tablets For $250 Each (That's $50 And $80 Off, Respectively)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Tablets

Adorama, one of the more popular online purveyors of photo equipment (and other electronics), are offering a couple of awesome deals on Archos' 80 G9 tablets, selling the dual-core 1GHz 8GB model, as well as its 1.5GHz, 16GB counterpart for $250 each. Of course, since the 1.5GHz model was delayed, your purchase will essentially count as a pre-order, but $250 for this power-packed tablet is practically a steal, taking a cool $80 off the original price tag.

While they may be relatively inexpensive, both Archos 80 G9 tablets have a lot to offer. Here are some of their specs:

8" 1024x768 display
Android Honeycomb 3.1
ARM dual-core CORTEX A9 OMAP 4 processor (1GHz and 1.5GHz, respectively)
8/16GB internal storage, expandable with microSD slot
512MB RAM
Front facing camera capable of 720p encoding
mini-HDMI port
built-in kickstand

If you've been waiting for a discount on the 8GB variant of the Archos 80 G9, or want to get a great deal on its more powerful counterpart (and don't mind waiting for it to become available), head over to Adorama.

Oct

Corning's New Lotus Glass Promises High-Performance, Durable Displays

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News

Corning, the wizards behind Gorilla Glass, have done it again - earlier this week, the glass giant announced Lotus Glass, a new, durable glass designed specifically for high-performance electronic displays.

For a while now, Corning's Gorilla Glass has been a household name when it comes to mobile electronics, coming to be something of a standard, and synonymous with durability. Corning's announcement of Lotus Glass, however, is about to shake things up, offering a significant step up from the current go-to name in tough glass.

Lotus Glass' main claim to fame is its ability to perform well (and hold up) in display manufacturing, allowing it to play nice with sophisticated displays.

Oct

[Deal Alert] Nexus S Available For $299.99 From Mobile Daily Steals With International Warranty

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Nexus S (Crespo/Soju)

For those unable to wait on the Galaxy Nexus, Samsung's Nexus S can still hold up against the competition in many ways. It may only pack a single-core processor, but it's a Nexus phone, meaning it is still one of Google's flagship Android devices, and will have active development and timely updates for a while yet. If you've been patiently waiting for your shot at a bargain on the Nexus S, now's your chance - Mobile Daily Steals is offering this beauty (unlocked) for just $299.99 with an international warranty, about $60 lower than Amazon's lowest price (without warranty).

For those who may be out of the loop, here are some of the Nexus S's specs:

4" 480x800 Super AMOLED display
1GHz Hummingbird processor
512 RAM
16GB on-board storage
5MP rear camera, and a VGA front-shooter
Stock Android 2.3.5

It may not pack the latest-and-greatest technology under the hood, but as far as unlocked Android phones that pack a nice punch, the Nexus S is a great option, and it can be yours for just $299.99, if you act in the next 22 hours.

Oct

Gameloft Unveils The Adventures Of Tintin HD For Android, Bringing Classic Mystery Action To Your Mobile Device

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

The Adventures of Tintin is certainly one of the most enduring comic book series, making its debut in 1929, and finally finding its way to the silver screen in 2011. Gameloft has expanded Tintin's domain recently, by releasing The Adventures of Tintin into the Android Market, bringing the wunderkind's sleuthing prowess and action-infused storyline to the palm of your hand.

The game looks to be a fun interpretation of the film adventure, tying in the characters we love from the original comics and a familiar storyline that's been adapted for the big screen.

Interestingly, the game has multiple playable characters, from Tintin to Snowy to Captain Haddock, adding a new dimension to the gameplay that helps it stand out from your average movie tie-in games.

Oct

MobileMount - A Crowd-Funded Suction Mount Which Promises To Keep Just About Any Device In Place While On The Go

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News

The main factor that has kept me from buying a windshield mount for my Android phone or tablet is the fact that, for the most part, each device requires its own mount, adding a significant amount of clutter to my window.

Looking to change that, JR Sanchez has begun a project at kickstarter.com surrounding the MobileMount, a suction cup mount that will support just about any mobile device.

The mount consists of two twist-to-lock suction cups, meaning you can mount your phone, tablet, or MP3 player on just about any flat surface. Besides its insane versatility, the MobileMount is interesting because it is completely crowd-funded, thanks to Kickstarter, a website which funds independent projects solely by donation.

Oct

[Deal Alert] Unlocked Samsung Galaxy SII On eBay For $489 (That's About $110 Off)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Galaxy S II

Last month we saw an unlocked version of Samsung's Galaxy SII at Mobile Daily Steals for a cool $100 off its original price. If you were hoping to get an ever so slightly deeper discount on Samsung's hottest smartphone to date (still waiting on the Galaxy Nexus), your chance has arrived. For the next 24 hours, a "limited quantity" of SIIs are available on eBay for just $489.99.

If somehow you've forgotten, or haven't been paying attention, here are some of the SII's specs:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread
4.3" WVGA Super AMOLED Plus Display
8MP rear shooter and 2MP front shooter
1GB RAM
1.2GHz Dual-Core ARM Cortex A9 Processor
Expandable Storage via MicroSD, up to 32GB

The unlocked SII will work on a wide array of networks, making it ideal for an off-contract purchase, or phone to take on trips.

Oct

[Updated: Release Date] Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation Gets A Sweet Launch Trailer - This Time You Will Be The Last Line Of Defense

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

It looks like Gameloft has done it again, cooking up an awesome new game for Android. The makers of such hits as BackStab, and the N.O.V.A. series, released today the first official launch trailer for their new game - Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation.

The Modern Combat series is one of the "most acclaimed FPS games on Android," bringing polished, action-packed, first person gameplay to the palm of your hand. The series aims to immerse the player in a "modern war experience," taking you to detailed, polished environments, and providing you with plenty of challenges, along with enough weapons to get the job done effectively.

Oct

T-Mobile Announces Samsung's Exhibit II 4G - An 'Affordable 4G Smartphone'

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy Exhibit 4G, News, T-Mobile

Tonight, Samsung Mobile and T-Mobile announced the Exhibit II 4G, a new 4G smartphone aimed at the budget-conscious subscriber. The Exhibit II 4G will be the first no-annual-contract 4G smartphone sold at most Walmart stores, and is set for an October 27th release.

The budget smartphone will also come to T-Mobile retail stores November 2nd, offered at the low price of $29.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate with a two-year agreement and qualifying plan. The Exhibit II 4G will also be available for $199.99 off contract.

Here are some of the specs the Exhibit II 4G will be offering this fall:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread
3.7" WVGA TFT display
Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor at 1GHz
3MP rear camera with flash
Wi-Fi connectivity

For subscribers interested in finding a budget Android phone, the Exhibit II 4G is a good option.

Oct

Apple Granted Slide-To-Unlock Patent, Bearing On Android Yet To Be Seen

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Legal, News

Well, it happened - the slide-to-unlock patent Apple has been requesting was granted this morning by the US Patent & Trademark Office, meaning almost any device in America using a sliding unlock mechanism is now infringing on Apple's patent unless otherwise ruled.

While the timing may seem a bit suspicious, Apple originally filed for the patent in 2005. Have a look at this excerpt from the granted patent document:

A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device.

Oct

Sprint Plans To Deploy LTE-Advanced In The First Half of 2013, Has Plans For Voice Over LTE, Says Iyad Tarazi

Posted by Liam Spradlin in 4G, News, Sprint

There's been a lot of buzz over Sprint's LTE plans lately, but the company's vice president of network development and engineering, Iyad Tarazi has just added more fuel to the fire, indicating that Sprint plans to deploy LTE-Advanced in a 10x10 configuration by the first half of 2013, using its 800MHz spectrum, offering download speeds of around 12-15 MB/s.

Meanwhile, Sprint's deployment of LTE on their 1900MHz spectrum is still on track for commercial launch by mid-2012. By the end of 2013, the company plans on having LTE coverage more expansive than their current CDMA network, covering 250-277 million POPs.