Ron Amadeo - 6/19 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Ron Amadeo

Ron loves everything related to technology, design, and Google. He always wants to talk about "the big picture" and what's next for Android, and he's not afraid to get knee-deep in an APK for some details. Expect a good eye for detail, lots of research, and some lamenting about how something isn't designed well enough.

Nov

[APK Teardown] Coming To A Play Store Near You: App Reviews Will Require A G+ Profile, Pre-Order Support, And More

Posted by Ron Amadeo in APK Teardown, Features, News

Google has been on an update roll lately, with Voice, YouTube, Google+, Calendar, and Music all getting updates in the last week. I've been dutifully doing teardowns on all of them, but there's been no hidden goodies, and thus, no articles. There was a Play Store update this weekend, however, and that does have some interesting, new stuff in it, so we're back!

Google+ App Reviews

Android is quickly becoming the Google+ OS.

App reviews in the Play Store will soon require a Google+ account, and future reviews will be posted showing your full Google+ name and picture. The string file always seems to be the most enlightening, so we'll start with that first.

Nov

Nexus 4 Review Addendum: Lock Screen Widgets, No Benchmark Improvements, And Better Battery Life

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Jelly Bean 4.2, LG, Nexus 4, Reviews

The Nexus 4 retail software update is out! Previously, all Nexus 4 were running pre-release software, which was missing a few things. I reviewed the Nexus 4 as best I could with the beta software, but I wanted to update it once I had a few days to play with the final build.

Now that the final software is out, I've updated my review, and, to save people that have already read it from digging through 6000 words looking for updates, I'm putting all the new info in this article, too. So, if you haven't read the review and want to know all about the Nexus 4, skip this article, and go read the whole, updated thing.

Nov

Hands on With The HTC DROID DNA: So Many Pixels!

Posted by Ron Amadeo in DROID DNA, HTC, News

Greetings from New York! I’m here at HTC’s event checking out the DROID DNA.

The DNA’s claim to fame (besides the ridiculous name) is that it has, literally, the best display ever made for a phone. This thing is packing a 1920x1080 resolution on a five inch screen. That's pixel density of 440ppi! The display is a SuperLCD 3 panel, which makes it a generation better than the previous Best Screen Ever, the HTC One X display.

So how does it look in person? Simply amazing. You don't see pixels anymore, just a smooth, perfect image. Color reproduction is accurate and beautiful, and it has an 80 degree viewing angle.

Nov

Android 4.2 Protip: Double Tap On The App Picker To Skip The Always/Just Once Button

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Jelly Bean 4.2, News

The Jelly Bean app picker saga continues! This time, there's an awesome new shortcut for those of us that are annoyed with the new-style picker that debuted in Jelly Bean 4.1. If you're drawing a blank, allow me to refresh your memory:

Gratuitous Backstory

The app picker is the thing that pops up when more than one app can handle an action. The left picture is what it used to look like in ICS, the right picture is what it changed to in Jelly Bean. The look of it isn't what we're concerned about, though, it's the function. The ICS version would go to your app of choice with 1 tap; the new Jelly Bean version requires 2, one for the app, and one for "Always" or "Just Once." This annoyed those of us who use it as an "open with" window, so that we can easily use different apps for different situation.

Nov

[Updated] Google Nexus 4 Review: The Beautifully-Crafted, Premium Flagship Phone That Android Deserves

Posted by Ron Amadeo in LG, Nexus 4, Reviews

Last Updated: November 16th, 2012

The most important phone of the year has arrived. We not only get a new version of Android, but a new approach to hardware design, too. This isn't just any new piece of hardware; this is (hopefully) the start of a revolution in design and materials for Android phones. This Nexus 4 hardware is so good, so well-built, and made with such attention to detail, that it is the new high bar for any hardware - not just Android hardware. The standard cheap plastic slabs aren't going to cut it anymore after this.

Besides the killer hardware, it's also the first phone with Android 4.2, which isn't hugely different from 4.1; in fact, it's still known as "Jelly Bean." There are a few new goodies, most notably lock screen widgets, an overhauled camera app, and a beautifully designed clock app that no doubt indicates the future design direction of Android.

Nov

[APK Teardown] Google Maps Is Getting Real-Time Traffic Rerouting, And Google Voice Search Learns How To Hold A Conversation

Posted by Ron Amadeo in APK Teardown, News

After having successfully survived a thunder-snowicane and completed a black-ops mission into a post-apocalyptic New York City to pick up a Nexus 4, APK Teardown HQ is back up and running. We've accumulated a bit of a backlog, so today's entry is a 2 for 1 deal: Google Maps 6.14 and Google Search 2.1.

Google Maps

Maps is getting real-time traffic rerouting!

Now, you might be saying "But Maps already takes traffic into account, look at this blog post!" but let's take a look at what that blog post really says:

You don’t have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps.

Nov

Initial Impressions Of The Nexus 4 - Raising The Bar For Design, Materials, And Build Quality

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Jelly Bean 4.2, LG, Nexus 4

Last Updated: November 14th, 2012

Finally. Since Hurricane Sandy flooded out New York and canceled Google's press event, we've been trying everything we can think of to get a review unit. Late yesterday we got an email back from an awesome Googler (thanks!), and I immediately flew out the door to go rescue a Nexus 4 from New York. We got one! Mission accomplished!

I have a million things to work on now: a full review, a bunch of GTKAs, and teardowns of everything. First, though I figured I'd quickly show off the new Nexus:

For starters, the build quality and materials are amazing. As soon as you pick it up you know you're holding something that is built with more love and thought than a Galaxy Nexus or GSIII.

Oct

Samsung Galaxy Note II Review - Samsung Finally Finds Their Killer App

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Galaxy Note II, Reviews, Samsung

Last Updated: October 29th, 2012

I panned the Note 10.1 in my review. It was subtitled "An Embarrassing, Lazy, Arrogant Money Grab" and, for my conclusion, I took a picture of it in a trashcan. I did not like it. It had erratic performance, a squishy, creaky back, and a bunch of gimmicky features that didn't work. Now, I've got a Note II!

I'm happy to report the Note II is not as crappy as its bigger brother. It's much more solidly built in comparison, really fast, and god help me, some of the TouchWiz features are actually good. They greatly improved the split screen app feature of the Note 10.1, and I think Samsung has finally found their huge, differentiating software feature that they've been searching for.

Oct

[Exclusive] Android 4.2 Alpha Teardown, Part 3: The New Work-In-Progress Gallery And More Multiple User Stuff

Posted by Ron Amadeo in APK Teardown, Exclusives, News

Last Updated: December 28th, 2012

We're back with yet another edition of our Android 4.2 teardown! We previously showed you the new Gmail, the Quick Settings prototype, and all sorts of security features. Today we're looking at some seriously fun stuff, including a sneak peek at the new Gallery design.

Pending some kind of breakthrough, we'll probably end this series at an even trilogy. There isn't much more to cover after this. And remember, this is a Teardown, not a list of confirmed 4.2 features. None of this is guaranteed to ship in 4.2 and I'm certainly not claiming it will.

The New Gallery

Update: HOLD EVERYTHING.

Oct

Play Store Wishlists Are Rolling Out Right Now!

Posted by Ron Amadeo in News

The teardowns never lie! You know how we've been telling you the Play Store is getting a Wishlist feature? It's rolling out now on a per-account basis. You don't have to download anything, everything is already built into 3.9.16. Wishlists are basically a bookmark feature, which lets you save a list of apps.

We've got pictures!

Once your account gets enabled, go to any app page on the Play Store, and you'll see the new Wishlist icon in the top right. A quick tap and that item is saved to your Wishlist.

"My Wishlist" is an item in the Play Store menu, just like "My Apps." Tapping on it will take you to a vertical list where you can see all your bookmarked apps.