eclair

Dec

Gingerbread Now Running On 50% Of Android Devices, Just In Time For Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Cupcake 1.5, Donut 1.6, Eclair 2.1, Froyo 2.2, Gingerbread 2.3, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Last Updated: February 4th, 2012

Google has released the latest of its monthly Android version distribution charts, and for the first time Android 2.3 Gingerbread is present on over half of all Android devices. A milestone, to be sure.

We also get a look at the end success rate of Honeycomb (a tablet-only version of Android), which achieved a mere 2.5% piece of the Android pie since the first Honeycomb device release back in February. Android 1.5 and 1.6 (Cupcake and Donut) have continued their march toward extinction, commanding only 2.1% of the Android population total. Android 2.2 has remained relatively steady at 35%, but ...

Oct

3 Years Of Android: A Look At Android's Home Screens - From Cupcake To Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Cupcake 1.5, Donut 1.6, Eclair 2.1, Froyo 2.2, Gingerbread 2.3, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Jelly Bean

Oh, Android. How far you've come since the days of the G1. Actually, tomorrow, October 22nd, will mark 3 years to the day that Android has been available on consumer handsets in the United States, and the G1 on T-Mobile was concepción.

With Ice Cream Sandwich finally revealed, Android has gone through its seventh major iteration. How has Android changed? What better way to illustrate Android's evolution than its home screen, the hub of user interaction. Here's a look at the face of Android over the last 3 years.

Android 1.5: Cupcake

Android Version 1.5: Cupcake

Cupcake was step ...

Jul

Google Updates Android Platform Distribution Chart Again - Eclair On The Decline, Gingerbread Continuing To Make Headway

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Android OS, News

As is its wont at this time of the month, Google has updated its Android platform distribution chart, and while there aren't any real shockers to be found, it's still nice to see which versions of Android are most popular.

Let's start from the top of the table: as should be expected, the number of devices running Android 1.5 (Cupcake) and 1.6 (Donut) is steadily dropping, as more and more users upgrade their devices or receive software updates. 2.1 (Éclair) is continuing to loose headway, with 17.5% of Android users running it.

Moving on to more modern versions of ...

May

AT&T Sony Ericsson X10 Android 2.1 Update Is Available Now... Welcome To Two Years Ago

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Eclair 2.1, News, Xperia X10 (es209ra)

In this line of work, I get the chance to write about things that are new and exciting. Other times, however, that's just not the case. There are times when writing about certain subjects just makes me sad... and this is one of those times. Sure, it may be good news in a sense, but the fact that I am sitting here, on May 31, 2011, reporting an update to Android 2.1... well, that's just disappointing. Regardless of that, though, here are the deetz on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android 2.1 update.

First off, unlike most modern-day updates, this ...

Apr

CNN Remembers Not All Of Us Have Tablets, Releases App For Android Phones

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

Almost 2 months ago, CNN pushed out its first news app to the Android Market, though with one quite annoying caveat - it was created specifically for Honeycomb devices, which were quite scarce to say the least (i.e. the XOOM).

As you can imagine, ~~those without Honeycomb tablets~~ pretty much everyone started demanding an app as well and today finally got their wish granted. CNN App for Android Phones (as opposed to CNN App for Android) was just released to the Market, with support for Android 2.1+ and full of features you would expect from a smaller screen port ...

Feb

T-Mobile To Offer Swag To Shafted Cliq XT Users

Posted by Josue Alamo in CLIQ XT (Zeppelin), Deals, News, T-Mobile

With many Cliq XT users threatening to walk after Motorola’s Eclair update fiasco, T-Mobile is feeling quite sympathetic. In an effort to prevent more customers from cancelling and subscribing elsewhere, T-Mobile is now offering Cliq XT users some form of compensation through their Customer Loyalty department. Due to the proposed confidentiality of the memo the exact incentive is unknown. Cliq XT users are encouraged to call and find out what’s the best they can get to remain loyal to the purple T.

Source: TmoNews

...

Feb

Motorola Clarifies Update Situation For CLIQ XT, i1, Flipout, And Charm: There Won't Be One

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in CHARM, CLIQ XT (Zeppelin), Flipout / Twist, i1, Motorola

Well at least you're honest about it, Motorola. The company just updated its Software Upgrades page, and the news isn't good for owners of the CLIQ XT, i1, Flipout, or Charm. We already knew that the first of those four phones will eternally be stuck on Android 1.5, but what may come as a bit of a surprise is that the i1 is now in a similar situation (i.e. forever doomed to Cupcake), while neither the Flipout nor the Charm will ever see an OS version more recent than Eclair.

Of course, that's not to say you can't get ...

Jan

LG Axis Now Available On Alltel - 7 Months Too Late, $90 Too Much (We're Making Progress!)

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Alltel, Axis, LG, News

Man, Alltel really seems to have a knack for releasing devices much later than competing carriers, doesn't it? First it was the HTC Hero, then it was the Motorola Milestone, and now it's the LG Axis - essentially the same phone as the LG Ally, which Verizon launched in May of 2010.

Just like the aforementioned Ally, the Axis features a 3.2-inch WVGA (800x480) display as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera and... wait for it... Android 2.1 (Éclair). One might think that with specs such as these, the device would be free on contract; but alas, the ...

Dec

LG Apex Review: Because LG "Pretty Good" Didn't Have The Same Ring

Posted by Ian G. Clifton in Apex, LG, Phone Reviews, Reviews, US Cellular

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Introduction

One of Android's greatest strengths is the sheer number of devices it is available on. That gives customers the opportunity to choose a desired carrier and handset with the most important features for a them. It's easy to forget that not everyone is willing to spend $200 on a new phone, and people transitioning from a feature phone to their first smartphone are often less likely to be looking at those high-end handsets. Fortunately, there are a lot of relatively inexpensive Android devices available, although many of them are clunky and frustrating to use. With the LG Apex coming ...

Dec

Android Platform Version Stats Updated Again, Froyo Now Dominant

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Android OS, Cupcake 1.5, Donut 1.6, Eclair 2.1, Froyo 2.2, News

If you love devouring Android stats, Google's Android Platform Versions sub-site, which is updated about once a month, just got refreshed with the latest batch of data. Last month, Froyo ate up some 36% of the pie, while Éclair was found to be running on about 41% of devices, with the remaining 23% being taken up by Cupcake and Donut.

As you can see for yourself in the graph above, this month was quite a turn-around - Froyo (at 43.4%) finally stole the throne from Éclair, which was left with 39.6%. As for 1.5 (Cupcake) and 1.6 (Donut), they ...

Nov

Virgin Mobile USA's Cyber Monday Deal: $75 Off Samsung Intercept ($174.99, No Contract)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Deals, Intercept, News, Samsung, Virgin Mobile

The Black Friday is long gone, but another, potentially even bigger event, called Cyber Monday, is now upon us. Cyber Monday is what happens when the Black Friday goes online, and Virgin Mobile USA does not disappoint. The carrier, which uses Sprint's network, is offering its only Android handset, the Samsung Intercept, for a whopping $75 off. The deal is valid for the duration of Cyber Monday, so hurry up if you want this 800MHz Android QWERTY slider for $175, with free shipping. The beauty of Virgin Mobile USA, of course, is its plans starting at $25 a month, ...

Nov

Android 2.1 Update For AT&T's Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Delayed Yet Again

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Eclair 2.1, News, Sony Ericsson, Xperia X10 (es209ra)

Despite the fact that Gingerbread is set to be released in the next few weeks, some of us are still waiting for an update to a version of Android two decimal places behind - Android 2.1, aka Éclair. Such is life for owners of AT&T's Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 who, after jealously watching as Scandinavian X10 owners received the update on Halloween night, are being told that 2.1 has been delayed yet again for their devices. This time, SE is blaming "especially rigorous" testing as the cause of the procrastination, stating that there are "technical requirements that must ...

Nov

Android 2.1 Update For T-Mobile Garminfone Available For Manual Installation; All 10 Owners Ecstatic

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Eclair 2.1, Garmin, Garminfone, News, T-Mobile

Granted, this particular bit of news is only valuable to the (very) small crowd of people who purchased the T-Mobile Garminfone, but it's nice to hear nonetheless. The good news: Garmin has released an update to Android 2.1 (Éclair). The bad: it's a manual update.

The update process isn't complicated per se - but it's definitely more work than an OTA:

1. Download the software update package for your Garminfone which can be found here: http://www.garminasus.com/en_US/support/software/006-B1130-00.update
2. Connect your Garminfone to your computer using the USB cable provided in your box
3. Select "File Transfer" mode when the "USB connected"

...

Nov

Motorola Backflip Finally Officially Hits Android 2.1

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Backflip, Eclair 2.1, Motorola, News

It's hardly the latest and greatest, but it's a hell of a lot better than what users of the AT&T Backflip were stuck on previously - that's right, a manual update to Android 2.1 Éclair for the much ballyhooed device is now up on both AT&T's and Motorola's servers.

It's not an OTA (over the air), and it comes with an installation guide worthy of a novel, just like the Cliq yesterday. Unlike the Cliq upgrade, however, Backflip owners have a choice of an automated online upgrade tool in addition to the manual approach. Hey - we'll take our ...

Nov

Motorola CLIQ 2.1 Éclair Update Now Officially Available, Complete With The Longest Installation Instructions EVER

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in CLIQ / DEXT (Morrison), Eclair 2.1, Motorola, News

Motorola CLIQ owners have been waiting for this day for a very-very-very long time, but, believe it or not, it's finally here. Following the leaked version from 3 weeks ago, the official Éclair for you phones (but not CLIQ XT just yet) is now available from Motorola - not as an OTA, but as a downloadable .zip.

Why Motorola put together the longest update instructions I've ever seen, with more warnings than a prescription drug, is beyond me - it seems to me like the same effect could have been achieved via the existing OTA (over-the-air) update mechanism ...