3 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Grand Theft Auto III Updated To Version 1.3 With Expanded Compatibility, Improved Xperia Play Controls, And More

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Grand Theft Auto III, the car-stealing, open world game that came to Android in celebration of the series beginning ten long years ago, got a nice update today, bumping it to version 1.3. Besides the usual bug fixes, the GTA update expands the game's compatibility to ASUS' Eee Pad Transformer Prime and the Medion Lifetab, while also adding support for Gamestop's wireless game controller, and enhanced controls for other gamepads and Sony's Xperia Play.

If that's not enough, users can now install the game to an SD card, enable haptic feedback, and adjust video display settings for better performance. Here's a full look at the version 1.3 change log.

Nov

HTC One X+ Review: A Mid-Cycle Refresh Makes A Great Phone Even Better

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, News, One X+, Phone Reviews

The HTC One X was (and still is) a fantastic device thanks to its solid hardware, excellent build quality, and stunning display. But it's a little long in the tooth, partially because the newest high-end smartphones have both quad-core CPUs and LTE, and partially because in the smartphone world, anything that's 7 months old is (unfortunately) outdated.

That brings us to the HTC One X+, which is more of a mid-cycle refresh than an all-new model. It keeps the same basic frame and the outstanding display, but packs a more powerful version of NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, and the AT&T variant even comes with LTE.

Sep

Renaissance Blood THD On Sale For Just $0.99 Through September 13th To Celebrate Latest Update

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Games, News

Renaissance Blood THD, a game exclusive to the Tegra 3 platform that we covered at launch back in May, is now on sale in the Play Store for the extremely reasonable price of $0.99.

The sale (which slashes the game's price down from $3.99) is in celebration of RB's latest update, which adds a third stage of gameplay to the existing two.

For those unfamiliar with the game, Renaissance Blood THD is a rail shooter set in the Renaissance just after Leonardo Da Vinci's death, with your goal being to find and assemble a scattered blue print left behind by Da Vinci himself, all while killing off enemies sent your way by Bart, a crazed Renaissance priest who shares your goal to get a hold of Da Vinci's plans.

Aug

Rumor Has It Samsung Set To Announce Galaxy S Camera Alongside Note 2 At IFA, Based On Galaxy S III

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News, Rumors, Samsung

We hear a lot of rumors around here, and it's not always easy to decide which ones to cover. Some we cover just because of how ridiculous they are, but usually we stick to ones we think hold merit. This one, though... well, I just can't decide which category it falls into, but it might be a little of both.

A tipster has told GSMArena that Samsung will announce a Galaxy S III-esque point-and-shoot alongside the Note 2 at IFA next week. Think a Galaxy S III that's just under twice as thick (which, let's be honest, would still be pretty thin for a camera) and packs "a 16MP sensor and 10x zoom, with a pop-out Xenon flash and a curved right side aimed at improving its ergonomics." The chuckle-inducingly bad name will apparently be Samsung Galaxy Camera.

Aug

Jelly Bean (4.1.1) OTA Leaks For T-Mobile's Galaxy SIII (T999)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy S III, Jelly Bean 4.1, Leaks, News, T-Mobile

After catching sight of Jelly Bean for Samsung's Galaxy SIII on video, then seeing a leaked build for the i9300 pop up on XDA, it looks like T-Mobile's variant of Sammy's latest powerhouse has its own leaked Jelly Bean goodness.

Earlier today, XDA user LuffarJoh posted up what seems to be an early (though enticing) OTA file for T-Mobile's Galaxy SIII (aka T999) that will bring your device up to 4.1.1. While it's exciting to get a hold of Jelly Bean for T-Mo's SIII a little it early, the OTA (which carries build JRO03L) is not without its caveats.

Aug

Verizon Galaxy SIII Unlocked Thanks To Leaked Unsecure Bootloader

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Galaxy S III, News, Verizon Wireless

Despite Verizon's best efforts to keep their own variant of the Galaxy SIII locked down, ingenious users haven't been deterred in rooting, flashing custom ROMs, and even bypassing the device's locked bootloader to use custom kernels. The fact remained, however, that VZW's SIII had a locked bootloader which, in general, is a hassle for developers and tweakers hoping to customize the SIII to its fullest potential. It was this fact that made Samsung's promised Developer Edition SIII appealing to many.

Things started to look a little brighter for SIII users on Verizon today though, with the introduction of an unsecure bootloader "leaked by an African-Canadian Sock Monkey," revealed earlier this evening at XDA.

Aug

Documents Reveal That Apple Asked Samsung For Up To $30 Per Phone And $40 Per Tablet For Patent Licenses

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Legal, News, Samsung

As most of our readers are surely aware, the Apple vs Samsung case is still boiling, and over the course of nearly two weeks since the trial's beginning, document after document has revealed juicy details from both sides regarding previously unreleased designs, plans, and even sales figures. While so far we've avoided piecemeal coverage of the case's twists and turns, a new development (reported earlier this evening by The Verge) reveals something particularly interesting.

We've known for some time that Apple attempted to sell Samsung on patent licensing back in 2010, but according to a document released today (and the testimony of Apple Exec Boris Teksler), Apple had proposed specific dollar figures per license – up to $30 per Phone and $40 per tablet, to which (according to Apple's slide deck) "Samsung should respond favorably." According to the proposal, Samsung would be responsible for a base rate of $30 per touchscreen phone (including phones running Android, Windows, Symbian, and Bada) and $40 per tablet (which would decrease to just $30 over two years).

Jul

[Deal Alert] Acer Iconia Tab A700 On Sale For Just $430, Full HD Screen And Tegra 3 In Tow

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Deals, Iconia A700

The Acer Iconia A700 may offer mediocre performance when compared to the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700), but it's also normally $50 cheaper than the TF700 - to those on a budget, that may be a worthy sacrifice. Perhaps doubly so now that it's on sale for just $430 on Amazon (compared to $500 for the TF700) - certainly an impressively low price for a 10" 1920x1200 tablet powered by a Tegra 3 CPU.

A reminder of the specs:

Display: 10.1" 1920x1200 TFT HD display
CPU: 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor
RAM: 1GB DDR2
Storage: 32GB built-in storage, microSD card slot
Cameras: 5MP rear shooter, front-facing camera
Ports: microHDMI, microSD, microUSB
Battery: 9800mAh
OS: Android 4.0.3
Dimensions and weight: 6.9" x 10.2" x 0.4", 1.47lbs.

Jul

[Update: It's Back] Deal Alert: Daily Steals Offering GSM Unlocked Galaxy SIII For Just $599.99

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Galaxy S III

Update 7/7/12: The deal is back, this time at Daily Steals Last Call.

With sales expected to tip over 10 million units next month, and release dates being pushed back (or split) because of "overwhelming demand," Samsung's Galaxy SIII may just be the most sought-after Android device to date. Those still looking to grab the unlocked GSM version of the device are in luck today – DailySteals.com is offering the device for $599.99, a significant discount over the phone's normal retail price.

Just in case you've forgotten the specs that have had so many users drooling, here's a quick look:

4.8" HD Super AMOLED display
Android 4.0.4 (with TouchWiz overlay)
1GB RAM
MicroSD slot (for expandable memory up to 64GB)
8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front shooter
1.4GHz Quad-core processor
2100mAh battery

If you've been waiting for a good deal on an unlocked SIII, we haven't seen a better discount yet.

Jun

TouchType Launches SwiftKey 3 Update (On Sale For $1.99), Introduces SwiftKey Healthcare Tailored For Medical Professionals

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News, Tablets

TouchType Ltd., the creators of what is arguably the best predictive keyboard available for Android, have just announced SwiftKey 3, along with a separate solution made specifically for medical professionals – SwiftKey Healthcare.

SwiftKey 3, which has – as of tonight – finally come out of beta, is on sale in celebration of its launch, available from the Play Store for just $1.99 today. SwiftKey Healthcare, for those wondering, is a new keyboard, pre-loaded with tons of medical terminology and tools to enhance medical note taking in the healthcare industry. We'll take a quick look at both of the keyboards below.