Android 2.3 - 2/6 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jun

Three Sweden Gets Samsung Galaxy Z, A More Affordable, Lighter-Spec'd Galaxy S II

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Galaxy Z, News

Among high-end Android phones, Samsung's Galaxy S II pretty much takes the cake. The combination of powerful specs, thinness, and Android 2.3 give it a very competitive edge. But not everybody needs all of that, which is why Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z on Three Sweden. Basically, the Galaxy Z is the same as the Galaxy S II but with slightly toned down specs. Even so, it still puts many other Android phones to shame:

1 GHz dual-core processor (possibly Tegra 2)
4.2" WVGA Super LCD display
Android 2.3 with TouchWiz 4.0
8 GB internal memory
microSD card slot
5 megapixel camera with LED flash

The phone is currently available for pre-order at the source link below for 3995 SEK, which comes out to around 630 US dollars.

Jun

Well, That Was Fast - HTC Is Testing A Gingerbread Build For The Desire

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Desire (Bravo/BravoC), News

A couple of weeks ago, HTC said that, after months of hard work and failed attempts from its engineers, Gingerbread would not be coming to the Desire. Naturally, this brought on an onslaught of negative feedback from Desire owners, and HTC quickly backpedaled, stating that Gingerbread would be coming to the Desire, albeit a bit stripped down. It appears that this update was easier to put together than originally thought, as the build has now reached the testing phase, according to HTC's official Facebook page.

This means the official OTA should be just around the corner, but as always, we'll keep you posted as more information arises.

Jun

Official Gingerbread Update For Samsung Captivate Leaks Out, Is Now Available To Download

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Captivate, Development, Gingerbread 2.3, News, Samsung

Don't feel like waiting for Samsung and AT&T to get around to officially rolling out a Gingerbread update for the Captivate? Thanks to SamFirmware, you don't have to; you can flash an early build of the update now, provided that you're comfortable with running leaked and likely somewhat buggy firmware.

SamFirmware actually has two such leaks, the first (I897UCKE3) dated May 26th and the second (I897UCKF1) having a build date of June 8th. Though the folks at XDA Developers are still digging through the leaks' contents, we already know that both builds contain AT&T bloatware - as is to be expected from any sort of official software - as well as sideloading capabilities (yay!) and...

Jun

Gingerbread Now Available For HTC EVO Shift 4G As A Manual Update

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in EVO Shift 4G (Speedy), Gingerbread 2.3, HTC, News, Sprint

Looks like EVO Shift 4G owners won't have to wait till tomorrow to get their Gingerbread fix; in spite of what we heard yesterday, it appears that the update is already available.

As a refresher, the update brings Swype and addresses a few media streaming-related bugs in addition to adding all the usual Gingerbread goodies.

To download it to your device, first open the Settings app, then tap "System Updates," and finally go to "HTC Software Update." Alternatively, you could wait for Monday, when Sprint will officially begin the rollout, automatic notifications and all.

Feel free to leave a comment about what it's like to be liberated from the shackles of Froyo at long last!

Jun

Netflix Now Officially Compatible With Gingerbread-Running DROID X

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Applications, Droid X (Shadow), Motorola, News

Gingerbread-using DROID X owners, your handsets are excluded from the elite ranks of Netflix-compatible devices no more; a recent update to the official Netflix application added support for your 2.3-running phones. Unfortunately, the DROID X is the only Gingerbread handset (with the exception of the Nexus phones) currently compatible with the movie rental service - my EVO 4G, which received its official 2.3 update a few weeks ago, still can't access the app. Additionally, those DROID X users still running Froyo are left out of the fun. Bummer.

Nevertheless, if you're rocking an updated DROID X and feel like adding a touch of Netflix to your Gingerbread-infused phone, you can grab the app via the widget below.

Jun

Sony Xperia Play Review: Finally, An Android Phone For Gaming - And Not Much Else

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Phone Reviews, Reviews, Sony Ericsson, Verizon Wireless, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

It's been quite some time since we first heard rumblings of the PlayStation phone. The concept - a high-end Android phone mashed together with familiar PlayStation controls - seemed like one that could revolutionize gaming on Android. In theory, this device could have done just that.

Unfortunately, in a world where dual core devices are becoming more and more the norm, the Xperia Play's single-core Snapdragon processor (as fast as it is) is already incompatible with some high-end games, such as those optimized for Tegra 2 devices. And it's hard to justify purchasing the phone when the rest of the device has taken a backseat to the all-important gamepad.

Jun

[Update: Manual Update June 3rd!] [Update 2: Confirmed!] HTC EVO 4G To Get Official Gingerbread OTA Update On June 6th

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in EVO 4G (Supersonic), Gingerbread 2.3, HTC, News, Sprint

EVO 4G owners, it looks like you won't have to wait long for your Android 2.3 fix, at least according to what looks like a shot of an internal Sprint memo that we were just tipped off to by Mr @5c13nc3 on Twitter (tweet since deleted).

Update: According to the full text of this memo, sent by another anonymous tipster to AndroidCentral, the part that we are missing next to "manually update" actually reads "June 3rd." To force the check, just hit up Settings > System Updates > HTC Software Update, but wait till Friday to do so!

Update 2: Sprint just released the official word that the update will indeed start rolling out on Monday, June 6th, with a manual update available on June 3rd.

May

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Available For Pre-Order On Verizon Beginning May 19th For $199.99, Out May 26th

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Games, News, Verizon Wireless, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

Last Updated: August 1st, 2012

Verizon released a press-release today (see below) confirming the availability of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. The device is set to hit VZW shelves on May 26th for $199 with a two-year agreement, but customers can pre-order the device online beginning May 19th. Voice plans start at $39.99 a month and the compulsory unlimited data plan is $29.99.

This 4" smartphone boasts a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon II processor with Adreno 205 GPU, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a VGA front-facing camera, and mobile hotspot capability. Of course, this Android 2.3 device is also known as the "PlayStation Phone", and it comes pre-loaded with seven game titles, including Madden NFL 11, Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, The Sims 3, Star Battalion, Crash Bandicoot, and the perennial favorite, Tetris.

May

Sprint, Best Buy Now Selling Samsung Nexus S 4G - WiMAX Customers, Get Ready To Experience Stock Gingerbread

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Gingerbread 2.3, News, Nexus S 4G (Crespo4g), Samsung, Sprint

Sprint customers hungry for vanilla Gingerbread can stop holding their breaths now - the Nexus S 4G just went on sale. Sprint will charge you $199.99 for the Samsung-made device, but if you're looking for the best bargain in town, you'll want to visit Best Buy - they're selling it for just $149.99 with a new two-year contract. BB's upgrade price is still $199.99, but at least free shipping is offered by both retailers (ETA: 5/11-5/14 at Best Buy; 2-5 business days at Sprint).

As a reminder, this stock Android machine comes loaded with:

4-inch Super AMOLED Contour display with a WVGA (800x480) resolution
WiMAX connectivity
1GHz Hummingbird processor
512MB of RAM
16GB of internal memory

All in all, the handset isn't exactly a spring chicken in terms of specs, but the software is what really matters - and just like T-Mobile's version of the phone, the NS 4G delivers on that front with stock Android 2.3 and Google Voice integration.

May

Download: Google Talk With Video/Audio Calling For Rooted Android 2.3 Devices (Ported From The Nexus S)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Gingerbread 2.3, News

One of Android 2.3.4's main new features, which was officially released to the Nexus S late last week, was video and audio calling in Google Talk. While having this feature on the Nexus S is great for its owners, Android users of other devices were left behind. If there is one thing Android users don't like to do, it's wait, which is why britoso from xda managed to rip out the app from his Nexus S and modify it to be compatible with most devices running Android 2.3.

Unfortunately, because he had to modify the apk, he needed to sign it with a different key, which means you need root to install this version (you won't be able to install it over the original Google Talk app as an update due to mismatched signatures, which means you need to uninstall the original app first, and that's not possible unless you're rooted - Google Talk is a system app).