phone - 11/18 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Oct

Ice Cream Sandwich Feature Closer Look - The Dialer And People App: Yep, It's Still A Phone

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

While we use our devices for everything from watching movies to browsing the net and checking social networks, let's not overlook the fact that, at their core, they're still called smartphones. As such, the dialer and contact app -- now called People -- in Ice Cream Sandwich have both received a major overhaul.

The People is, of course, based on the current Contacts app, but it has been totally redesigned to be more intuitive, easier to use, and provide all the information about your contacts in one centralized location. The main screen offers the typical list of contacts, but instead of being tabbed like the current version, it's swipe-able (like most things in ICS).

Oct

[Hunt For The Best Dialer, Part 6] Angel Dialer Offers An Alternative To The Stock Dialer For Those Who Like Simplistic, Pre-Defined Interfaces

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Hunt For The Best Dialer

Joining the vast crowd of dialer replacements in the Android Market, our hunt has brought us to Angel Dialer, an uncomplicated app that effectively replaces the stock Android dialer, but which may have compromised necessary functionality for a no-frills implementation.

At A Glance

While Angel Dialer takes a concerted stance against superfluous features, its simplicity is not always a plus. While its features work, and it provides the same basic functionality we've seen before, it is lacking a few things that would take it up a level, and make it a decent dialer replacement. As it stands, I wouldn't say it's in the running for my day-to-day dialer app, but it does have some positive points.

Sep

[Review] Samsung Epic 4G Touch: Big Power, Big Performance, Bigger Package

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Epic 4G Touch, Reviews, Samsung, Sprint

Here we are: the launch of the first Samsung Galaxy S II to hit a U.S. carrier, dubbed the Epic 4G Touch (E4GT) and landing on Sprint today. It certainly took long enough for the SGSII to hit U.S. shores - it was announced by Samsung in February during MWC, and launched as early as May in some markets. It was a huge success even before launch, with Samsung receiving millions of pre-orders, and for good reason - the SGSII was incredibly well rated, with reviewers universally praising it as one of (usually the) best Android device available. Consequently, for months after its international lanch, it was highly anticipated in the U.S.

Sep

[Weekend Poll] What Is Your Maximum Screen Size For A Phone?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Devices By Manufacturer, Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see What Is Your Ideal Phone Screen Size?

A very simple question this week, and very similar to last week's. Given the trend of larger and larger phone screens (look no further than the ultra-sexy 5.3" Galaxy Note), we already know what your ideal screen size is. But sometimes other aspects of a device may push you to a higher screen size than your ideal. So what's the maximum screen size you'd accept?

Sound off in the poll below (round to the nearest option), and feel free to discuss via the comments.

Sep

[Weekend Poll] What Is Your Ideal Phone Screen Size?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Is Steve Jobs' Resignation The Beginning Of The End For Apple?

Many a discussion has cropped up between AP writers about screen size. David's ideal screen size is about 3.7" - the same as what's on his Nexus One - although he could comfortably go up to 4". Artem, on the other hand, loves his 4.3" EVO and has no qualms with 4.5" screens. Personally, I'm more with David: the EVO already feels just a tad too big (width and height) in my pocket, and is about the limit of what fits comfortably in my hand.

Aug

Sony Ericsson Announces Xperia Arc S At IFA- Brings 3D Panorama, Upped Processor And More

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News, Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson's original Xperia arc was a great phone, winning Best European Camera Phone from EISA, and another award for its sleek design. The arc's next iteration- the Xperia arc S was announced by Sony today in Berlin, and ups the ante over its predecessor by packing in a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a sweep panorama camera function that has the capability of creating 3D panoramas. The phone also comes with access to Sony's Music and Video unlimited services, bringing a lot more entertainment to your device.

Here's a list of known specs for the Xperia arc S:

1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
8.1MP Camera with Exmor R image sensor
2D/3D Sweep panorama
4.2" 854x480 Reality Display
Android 2.3.4
HDMI out

The Xperia arc S may not be a huge innovation by current mobile standards, but it has an impressive processor and promises to make for a nice improvement over the original arc.

Aug

[Mobile Security App Shootout, Part 2] SeekDroid Sooths Your Lost-Device Woes With Clean Interface And Excellent Functionality

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Mobile Security App Shootout

Next in line for our Mobile Security App Shootout is SeekDroid, an app that has no problem standing out in the crowded security app arena thanks to its sleek interface, smooth functionality, and manageable price tag; not to mention the adorable James Bond - style Android on the splash screen.

At a Glance

From the moment I saw the icon for GTMedia’s SeekDroid app, I suspected I had a winner on my hands -- and I haven’t been let down so far. The application itself is centered totally around helping find your lost or stolen device, so it won’t get you out of the woods if your handset is infected with malware.

Aug

The First MIUI Phone, MI-ONE/M1/Millet, Officially Revealed In China - 1.5GHz Dual-Core Scorpion And $313 Price Tag Blow Us Away

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in MI-ONE, News, Xiaomi / MIUI

MIUI, one of Android's most popular custom ROM flavors, has been limited to purely software for existing devices... until today. Made by a Chinese company Xiaomi which has been in charge of MIUI's software development, the MIUI phone was just announced in China (where Xiaomi is based), and I must say - it's no hush puppy and leaves us highly impressed.

First and foremost, the MI-ONE, or Millet, sports a whopping 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8260 Scorpion CPU (from the 3rd generation Snapdragon family).

Dissecting the beefy specs further, we find the Adreno220 GPU, 4GB of ROM and 1GB of RAM, a 4" Sharp screen (854x480 - not qHD), 8MP rear camera, and a juicy 1930mAh battery.

Aug

Geek Overload: Turn Your Computers On Automatically When Your Android Phone Connects To Wi-Fi

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News, Tips & Tutorials

Today's geek recipe is one of those nerdily awesomelicious things you can do with your Android phone that you probably never even thought you could - imagine coming home and having your computer turn on the moment your phone connects to the Wi-Fi network. My computer is on 24/7 in case I need to connect to it remotely, but for those who turn their PCs off in the morning and on after work, this tip could be right on the money.

There are 2 options you could go with - both use the WOL (wake-on-LAN) capabilities most modern computers should have baked in (though you may need to enable them in the BIOS and power management settings of your network card).

Jul

[Deal Alert] GSM Sony Ericsson Xperia arc Now Available Off-Contract In The U.S. For $474.99 Or $499.99, Depending On Color (Retail $599.99)

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Deals, News, Xperia Arc (Anzu, X12)

Just a few days ago Sony Ericsson confirmed an early off-contract August launch for the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc. And now, on the eve of August, the official Sony Ericsson Online store launched a page allowing customers to pre-order the Android 2.3 device for $599.99 with an expected shipping date of 2 August. It is also possible to obtain an 18-month extended warranty for an additional $99.99.

Alternatively, for a better deal head over to Newegg.com to pick up this phone at a much lower cost. The Midnight Blue version is $474.99, while the Misty Silver version is slightly higher at $499.99, both down from $549.99.