new - 14/45 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Aug

[IFA 2012] Huawei Shows Off 4 New Phones, 2 Tablets All Headed For Availability By End Of Year

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Ascend D1 Quad XL, Huawei, MediaPad 10 FHD, News

Huawei's list of announcements for this year's IFA conference is busting at the seams with a whopping four phones and two tablets, all with different screen sizes, specs, and prices, all slated for a 2012 introduction to the German market, with launch in other markets to follow, though we aren't privy to specific dates for other regions.

Phones

Ascend D1 Quad XL

The lovingly named Ascend D1 Quad XL is by all accounts the leader of Huawei's new smartphone pack, packing a 4.5" with an extremely impressive 330ppi density (and unknown resolution), a 1.2GHz K3V2 ARM quad-core processor built by Huawei, a 2600mAh battery, 8MP camera with 1.3MP front shooter, and a microSD slot for an extra boost of internal memory.

Aug

Amazon Announces Best-Selling Kindle Fire 'Sold Out' Ahead Of September 6th Press Conference

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Amazon, Kindle Fire, News

Amazon, in a press release posted this morning, announced that its "#1 best-selling product," the Kindle Fire, is now sold out. The release boasts the Fire's millions of sales, noting that it managed to eat up an impressive 22% of tablet sales in the US, and added to the overall success of Amazon's digital product sales.

What makes this announcement interesting is that Amazon has a press conference scheduled for September 6th, meaning we're likely to see the latest member of the Kindle family unveiled very soon. Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon, didn't comment directly on this possibility, but he did note "Kindle Fire is sold out, but we have an exciting roadmap ahead – we will continue to offer our customers the best hardware, the best prices, the best customer service, the best cross-platform interoperability, and the best content ecosystem."

The possibility of seeing a new Kindle device this September isn't so surprising considering this is around the same time we saw the original Kindle Fire announced, but it's always exciting to see a new product – particularly in such a successful line – make its debut.

Aug

PayPal Updated With UI Overhaul, 'Features That Matter To You Most'

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

PayPal's official Android app received a big update recently, bringing it up to version 4.0.0.1. The update carries a much-needed interface redesign, bringing the web payment solution's mobile client more into line with Android's design language. Using a warm, espresso-and-orange color scheme with a few well-placed textures and conservative gradients, the app's new interface looks infinitely better than its previous iteration.

The update isn't just about looks though – it also carries some functional improvements. While PayPal is a bit vague on just what is new, it assures users that the update brings them "the features that matter to you most," including new functionality surrounding account management as well as sending and requesting money.

Aug

Official Lyft App Now Available For Android, Brings 'On-Demand Ridesharing' To San Francisco (For Now)

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

It's not often that I hear of a startup and think "I would love to have that in my town!," yet that's exactly what I thought when I heard about Lyft. For the unaware, Lyft is a new service in San Francisco that helps people find a ride at around 20% the cost of a taxi. In fact, payment is actually optional (though not paying at all isn't recommended - more on that in a few).

Here's how it works: you need a ride, so you fire up the Lyft app and find a nearby driver. Not a taxi driver - just a regular driver who has been checked, doubled checked, and re-checked for safety and all that other good stuff by Lyft.

Aug

Sprint Continues To Build LTE Network, Lights Up 4G In Four New Cities

Posted by Liam Spradlin in 4G, News, Sprint

The Now Network continues to march forward in its 4G LTE Network Vision build-out, today announcing four markets in which the LTE switch is being flipped. You may remember Sprint's July statement that it would be bringing LTE to four new cities by September 3rd, and it looks like the carrier has already made good on that promise, with one exception – the list has dropped Sherman-Denison, TX in favor of Sedalia MO. Here's the full lineup of newly christened LTE cities:

Baltimore, MD
Gainesville, GA
Manhattan/Junction City, KS
Sedalia, MO

While Sprint is more than a little late to the LTE party and still a bit slow on the pick-up, it's always good to see a fresh batch of areas getting access to the burgeoning network.

Aug

HTC EVO 4G LTE Receives Software Update To Android 4.0.4, Sense 4.1 (Build 2.13.651.1)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in EVO 4G LTE (Jewel), News, Sprint

Owners of Sprint's One X-inspired EVO 4G LTE may be interested to know that they can expect a minor software update to begin rolling out over the air today. The update, which carries software build 2.13.651.1, brings the device up to Android 4.0.4 with Sense 4.1 on top, meaning the menu bar fix the HTC One X got a few weeks ago has arrived, among other things.

The update's other offerings include a fix for random browser closes, a minor Bluetooth fix, an updated version of both Google Wallet and Sprint's Visual Voicemail, and an LTE scanning improvement that should help users better find Sprint's burgeoning 4G network.

Aug

ARCHOS Looks To 'Revolutionize' Android Gaming With The GamePad – A 7" Tablet With Built-In Controls

Posted by Liam Spradlin in ARCHOS, GamePad, News

ARCHOS, in an announcement that ambitiously looks to "revolutionize" Android gaming, has just unveiled the GamePad – a 7-inch, dual-core gaming tablet with built in controls (including buttons, a d-pad, triggers, and analog sticks) that remind us a little bit of Sony's PSP.

The interesting bit about this tablet is that it includes "automatic game recognition and mapping tools" which ARCHOS promises will "ensure control compatibility with every advanced Android game."

Of course, one of the most important things about a mobile device meant to center around gaming is its spec sheet. We aren't privy to the entire list of specs just yet, but here's what we do know: the GamePad will pack a yet unspecified dual-core processor at 1.5GHz with a Mali 400 quad-core GPU.

Aug

ASTRO File Manager Receives Major UI Overhaul For Jelly Bean Users

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

As a long time Android user, ASTRO is one of those apps that has been on nearly every device I own/have owned. I've seen it change and progress over the years, and to this day it remains one of my favorite file managers.

And it just got even better on Jelly Bean devices.

The app received an update today that brings a beautiful new UI to Jelly Bean devices; don't worry, the ASTRO team will be bringing it to "other" devices shortly. The look and feel is very Holo Light, which works quite well for this type of app.

Aug

[New Game] Kairosoft's 'Oh! Edo Towns' No Longer Region Locked, Now Available In The Play Store For All Users

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

Back in July, popular game developer Kairosoft released a new game called Oh! Edo Towns. Much to the surprise of Kairosoft-lovers, however, it was region locked to Japan.

But not anymore. Now, Oh! Edo Towns is available in the Play Store for all users.

Oh! Edo Towns keeps that familiar (and loved) Kairosoft style, but goes back in time to the Japan's Edo days. Build houses, castles, and all other sorts of old-school architecture, and place building side-by-side to create "combos." It's your town - build it how you see fit!

The game is available now in the Play Store for five smackaroos - hit the widget to grab it.