Nate Kimmey - 9/21 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Update: LG Confirms via Twitter. LG Optimus 3D Picture Leaked Ahead Of MWC Reveal

Posted by Nate Kimmey in LG, News, Optimus 3D (p920) / Thrill 4G (p925)

Last Updated: February 14th, 2011

Update:LG has confirmed via its MWC Twitter account that the Optimus 3D will indeed be shown at the Mobile World Congress. They also confirmed the glasses-free 3D display, 3D video capability, and HDMI.

LG's "Into the New Dimension" event is scheduled for February 14, but Phandroid has gotten a hold of an image that is purported to be the LG Optimus 3D. Although a 3D display can't be confirmed by the picture, we can determine that this device is not the LG Optimus 2X or LG Optimus Black. Considering this phone is set to be revealed in two weeks, this certainly seems like a trustworthy tip, and the specs, while awesome, are still believable:

At least a 4" screen
Glasses-free 3D display
Dual core processor (presumably Tegra 2)
Front-facing camera

Even if you aren't the biggest fan of 3D, the Optimus 3D is still an impressive device.

Jan

Xperia Play Prototype Previewed, So Far Only Plays PSX Games

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Games, News, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

Engadget was lucky enough to get its hands on a prototype of Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation Phone (believed to launch as the Xperia Play), and while not everything on the unit they got was finalized (Wi-Fi was completely broken), it does give us a pretty good idea of what to expect when the phone officially launches.

First, we have some of the most important specs:

4.0" 854 x 480 LCD display
Single-core 1 GHz processor (believed to be Qualcomm) with Adreno 205 GPU
512 MB RAM
Android 2.3 with Timescape UI
5 megapixel camera

That single-core processor might seem disappointing with all the excitement surrounding Tegra 2 phones, but the Xperia Play still manages to get high marks in a number of benchmark tests (including a Quadrant score of 1,689).

Jan

Release Dates For Dell Streak 7, G-Slate, And Galaxy S 4G Confirmed; Streak 7 To Cost $299

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Optimus Pad / G-Slate, Streak 7, T-Mobile

Thanks to a leaked slide, some rumored release dates for upcoming T-Mobile 4G devices have been cemented. First up is Dell's Streak 7, which is set to debut on February 2; that will be followed by the Galaxy S 4G on February 23, while the Honeycomb-sporting G-Slate won't be launching until March 23.

Also leaked were two promos for the Streak 7 that nail down an on-contract (presumably) price of $299 - a pretty good deal for two cores and 7 inches of screen real-estate. T-Mobile's 4G lineup isn't lacking for tablets, but a refreshed Galaxy S handset probably isn't going to turn heads when compared to HTC's Thunderbolt or Motorola's Atrix 4G.

Jan

Clearing Out Inventory? Samsung Vibrant Free From T-Mobile With New Contract, Expires Tomorrow

Posted by Nate Kimmey in News, T-Mobile, Vibrant

Want in on the Galaxy S action but not interested in any features like a front-facing camera or HSPA+? T-Mobile has a deal for you! Now until January 26 at 10:00 pm (PT), the Samsung Vibrant is free with a two-year contract, and is only available online. So, if you really can't wait a few more weeks for the Galaxy S 4G, this is probably the time to act.

Source: T-Mobile Twitter

Jan

Google Introduces New Weather Widget On Mobile Site For U.S. Android And iPhone Users

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Apps/Games, News

For anybody who is still using their mobile browser to get weather information, Google has made a neat addition to their mobile site. By searching "weather," you'll see the new widget, and in addition to the same information you'd see regularly, it now has a slider that allows you to see an hour-by-hour forecast of the day. Temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and humidity will change, as will the background of the widget to reflect the time of day.

This isn't anything too different than what you would see in a weather app, but the fact that it's all done within the browser makes a strong case for the future of web apps.

Jan

Best Buy Meeting Reveals Atrix 4G Details: Launching Near February 13, Laptop Dock Priced At $150

Posted by Nate Kimmey in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

Despite the massive hype in the Android community surrounding Motorola's super-charged Atrix 4G, there has been little word on the device's pricing or release date. Fortunately, an internal Best Buy meeting has confirmed some important information. There are some conflicting reports on the phone's release: some say it will be arriving at stores on February 13, while others claim that it will be released on that day. Either way, the device will launch at Best Buy stores before any others, though it's unknown how long that exclusivity will last.

Arguably the most anticipated feature of the Atrix 4G - the laptop dock - has also been given a price: $150.

Jan

Froyo Coming Soon To The LG Ally

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Ally (Aloha), News, Verizon Wireless

Remember LG and Verizon's keyboard-wielding, mid-range Android phone, the Ally? Well, it's about to join the ranks of the over 50% of Android devices that are running Froyo, as Verizon is planning to push out the long-awaited Android 2.2 update soon. A date hasn't been set yet, but it's always good to know that your phone is still being supported, even if it isn't the hottest handset on the market.

Source: Android Central

Jan

Sprint's "Premium Data" Charge To Affect All Smartphones After January 30

Posted by Nate Kimmey in News, Sprint

Although Sprint's data plans are significantly cheaper than their competition, there was still some outcry when Sprint decided to charge a $10 monthly add-on charge to phones with 4G connectivity, even if your area isn't actually covered by their WiMax network. Now, however, all smartphones activated after January 30 will be subject to the same charge.

Sprint's reasoning - that “building, maintaining and expanding wireless data networks isn’t free" - is sound, and you can't argue that they still beat every other carrier when it comes to the price of their data plans. Data plans for the EVO 4G, Epic 4G, and EVO Shift 4G will remained unaffected as they are already subject to the fee.

Jan

SwiftKey Teases A Tablet-Specific Version Of Its Keyboard Software, Promises So Much More

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Applications, News

By now, you've probably heard of SwiftKey, an alternative keyboard that predicts what you are typing based on statistics and personal history. The company is planning on making an ever bigger splash in the world of Android by going the same route as Opera: creating an app specifically for Android tablets.

Still in prototype form, the keyboard includes the same text prediction that has made SwiftKey so popular, but takes advantage of the tablet's larger screen size (in this case, a Galaxy Tab; we'll have to wait and see how it works on upcoming 10" tablets) by splitting the keyboard into two sections, with a keypad, including arrow keys, in between.

Jan

Samsung Vibrant 4G Is Coming To T-Mobile With A Front-Facing Camera, Full 21Mbps HSPA+, And Froyo

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Galaxy S, Galaxy S 4G, News, T-Mobile, Vibrant

Last Updated: January 20th, 2011

Well, if there was any lesson against being an early adopter, let it be this: TmoNews has gotten ahold of some official T-Mobile slides that give details on the Samsung Vibrant 4G, an update to T-Mobile's version of the Galaxy S that will make any current VIbrant owner cringe:

Full HSPA+ connectivity
Front-facing camera with Qik (not Skype) pre-loaded and still no flash on the rear camera
Android 2.2 Froyo

By full HSPA+ connectivity, I mean that the Vibrant 4G is able to reach download speeds of 21 Mbps (2.6 MB/s) and above, while T-Mobile's current 4G phones, the MyTouch 4G and G2, are limited to 14.4 Mbps, or just under 2 MB/s.