phone - 16/18 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

Sony Ericsson CEO Hints At Rumored Playstation Phone, Leaves Us Begging For More

Posted by Stephen Tenerowicz in News, Sony Ericsson, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

Bert Nordberg, the CEO of Sony Ericsson, told the Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that “there’s a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere” when asked about the PlayStation phone rumors and leaks. Nordberg also said that Sony Ericsson plans to "make a lot of noise" with a new product at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2011. Could this be the famed PlayStation phone? Possibly.

Nordberg also stated in the interview that there are some major challenges in developing a gaming-oriented smartphone. Overall, the toughest part seems to be securing rights from game developers.

Nov

T-Mobile's Galaxy Tab Takes On A Life Of Its Own, Can Now Make And Receive Phone Calls

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Development, Galaxy Tab, News, Samsung, T-Mobile

This article deals with a couple of advanced topics. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the terms, hit up our primers here:

It was only a matter of time, right? Samsung couldn't possibly have expected the US versions of the Galaxy Tab to remain phone-less, especially not after giving its European counterpart the privilege.

Nov

For Audiophiles: Sub-$100 Mobile Headset (Earbuds + Mic) Review Round-Up + Meelectronics Earbuds Giveaway (5x Pairs, $200 Value)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Contests / Giveaways, Other Reviews, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

This article was written by a guest writer, Mikhail Lifshits, better known as ljokerl over at head-fi.org. Mikhail is an audiophile to the bone - a single look at his forum user page will leave you wondering if there is a pair of earbuds Mikhail hasn't owned or tried yet.

Today’s smartphones are quickly absorbing the functions of other portable devices - PDAs, portable GPS units, and standalone MIDs are a thing of the past - and conventional MP3 players may be next on the cutting block.

The audio quality of the latest-gen Android devices nowadays leaves little to be desired in comparison to the majority of mp3 players but the headsets included with most phones are a different story.

Oct

How To: Create A Customized Android Phone 7 Theme - Part 2

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Development, News, Tips & Tutorials

Yesterday, I told you how to use pre-made icons to create a custom Android Phone 7 theme. Today, I'll walk you through how to create your own icons in Adobe Photoshop. I'm going to assume you have at least a basic understanding of Photoshop.

Estimated time required: 15 minutes for the first icon, and 2 minutes for each subsequent icon.

Difficulty: Low if you've used Photoshop before.

What You Need

Adobe Photoshop
The .PSD templates (included in the full ZIP, linked)

Getting Started

Rally The Troops

Before we begin making the icons, you'll need to make a list of what Apps you want to have immediate access to.

Oct

How To: Create A Customized Android Phone 7 Theme - Part 1

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Development, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: November 7th, 2010

About a month ago, XDA-Devs member newone757 created a really great theme based on the one used in Windows Phone 7 - hence the name, Android Phone 7. He was kind enough to post the image files, a template image, and a short how-to, as well. I've taken the personalization a step further and created icons to fit my needs, and now it's your turn.

This theme was made for, and written using, a high resolution device (EVO 4G - 800x480). It hasn't been tested at lower resolutions, although it should work. For lower resolutions, you may want to consider using fewer icons on each screen or manually resizing them in Photoshop once Part 2 is available.

Oct

Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone Is Real, Looks Just Like Renders & Packs Some Solid Hardware

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Gingerbread 2.3, News, Sony Ericsson, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

Last Updated: January 11th, 2011

Remember that Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone we heard about back in August? Turns out it's not only real, but a prototype is out and about in the wild - and Engadget has landed themselves some surprisingly clear and detailed pictures of the device. Better still, it looks pretty close to the renders we saw in August - surprising, given the track record for Android rumors.

Between the PlayStation moniker and the slide-out gamepad, I think it's pretty clear that this beastie will be marketed as a gaming phone. In support of that fact, word has it that the phone will support a custom Sony Marketplace with games specifically designed for the platform - if they can garner enough developer support, that should be a fairly nice selling point.

Oct

T-Mobile LG Optimus T Goes On Sale November 3rd For Just $29.99

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in LG, News, Optimus T

T-Mobile's recently announced LG Optimus T isn't exactly the most specced-out little bugger, despite its Autobot-like name, but according to the carrier's Facebook page, it will have at least one exciting feature: a budget-friendly price point. Indeed, T-Mobile will be selling the device for a seriously considerable $29.99 (on a new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in-rebate, of course) starting November 3rd. A top-of-the-line device this may not be, but there's no denying that at a price more affordable than that of many messaging phones, many customers will view the Optimus T as an impulse purchase. And hey, who wouldn't want more customers to convert to Android and discover all 100,000 of its apps?

Oct

System Info Widget Review + Giveaway Of 20 Copies. Is It The Geekiest Android Widget... Ever?

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in App Reviews, Applications, Contests / Giveaways, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

This contest is now over. We have selected the winners - see if you are one of them towards the bottom of the page.

Ever wondered how much RAM is available on your phone? What about the internal storage space available? Or the precise signal strength? If you answered yes to any of these questions, System Info Widget may be the perfect widget for you and your inner geek.

The Review

What you're looking at above are the four widgets Jason Calhoun, the developer of the System Info Widget, gives you out of the gate. Of course, these can be customized in every which way, from the looks to the basic functions, so keep reading for a more in-depth look.

Oct

T-Mobile G2 Review Roundup: Vanilla Android Is The Way To Go

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in G2 (Vision), HTC, Phone Reviews, Reviews, T-Mobile

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

I've said it before and I'll say it again: stock Android is the way to go. I hate it when manufacturers add custom UIs, bloatware, and unnecessary lag to our beloved Android operating system, so, naturally, I was overjoyed to hear that the T-Mobile G2 would ship with a stock build of Android. Early reviewers seem to agree with this, and overall, they seem to think highly of the device. Let's take a look at some of those reviews that have been posted so far.

CNET

CNET's Bonnie Cha found the G2's design to be "clean and very professional," although she also said that she wouldn't exactly classify it as sexy, despite our own Artem Russakovskii's earlier comments.

Oct

Webkey For Android: Take Full Control Of Your Android Device Using A Web Interface From Your Computer

Posted by Adam Litke in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Everyone knows that smartphones are awesome, but it’s hard to beat using a large screen and full keyboard to control a device. Developers Peter Mora and Zoltan Papp believe they have come up with a compelling compromise: Webkey, for Android. Webkey allows users with a rooted Android device to text or call contacts, view SD card contents, and more - all from a web based interface.

The Interface

Webkey's interface leaves a lot to be desired, as it is more bare and utilitarian than polished and perfected. As the picture above shows, you have access to the following options: