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Jul

[Weekend Poll] Which Is More Important To You In A Phone, Size Or 4G?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in 4G, Devices By Manufacturer, Off-Topic, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Can Google+ Succeed?

From a manufacturer standpoint, 4G (for the purposes of this post I mean LTE and WiMax, not 3G+) is a bit of a nightmare. The immaturity of the technology means that chips are expensive and bulky, and realistically offer benefit to only a small portion of consumers. (Compounding the issue, "4G" has become yet another buzzword that consumers don't understand but think they need anyway... but I digress.)

Consider a diminutive device such as the Samsung Galaxy S II. It's thin and light, but could a 4G chip be integrated without expanding the dimensions in one or more directions?

Jul

[Weekend Poll] Can Google+ Succeed?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Off-Topic, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see How Much Cellular Data Does Your Device Use Per Month?

This week, Google revealed its most serious attempt at social networking yet, Google+. Despite being released just a few days ago, it's easy to see that it's a much more accessible, polished attempt than Google's previous attempts, namely Google Wave and Google Buzz. It brings a familiar interface, but clearly bears the Google mark: clean, minimal, but with some well thought-out improvements. That's to be expected, given that the service is Google's next big push - they closed the beta rather quickly and only a small number of users have been invited thus far, all in the name of using a sort of control group to improve the service before opening the flood gates.

Jun

[Weekend Poll] How Much Cellular Data Does Your Device Use Per Month?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Carriers, Editorials, News, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see How Much Has Owning A Tablet Impacted Your Computer Use?

It seems the explosive growth of smartphone use has had some unintended consequences: U.S. carriers are moving towards tiered data. While some carriers have had "soft" caps for years, we've recently seen a move towards hard caps. "Tiered" plans have long been standard in other parts of the world, but the simple difference is that US carriers charge significantly more across the board - be it basic plans (just minutes), add-on's (such as texting), or data (whether used on a plan or as-you-go).

Jun

[Weekend Poll] Manufacturer UIs: Love 'Em Or Hate 'Em?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, Devices By Manufacturer, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Google Doesn't Allow Rooted Devices To Use Android Movies - What Are Your Thoughts?

Manufacturer user interfaces (UIs) can be a bit of a hot-button topic in the Android world. Some prefer vanilla Android, à la CyanogenMod. Others have no issue with them whatsoever, and even actively seek to restore some of the functionality. (Others still prefer to roll their own, or like the ability to switch at will... but I digress.) Further, your feelings on manufacturer UIs may depend on which manufacturer and which UI we're talking about.

Jun

[Poll] Sprint Users - Which Phone Will Be Your Next Purchase?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Polls, Sprint

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

Between the imminent release of the HTC EVO 3D, the newly announced Photon 4G, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S II, and the pure Google experience of the Samsung Nexus S 4G, we have to ask - which device is next for you? To help you decide, here's a break down of each phone's specs:

HTC EVO 3D

4.3 Inch qHD Super LCD
1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor
1GB RAM
4GB built-in storage
5MP 3D Capable rear camera, 1.3MP front camera
Android 2.3 with Sense 3.0

As the follow up to the super-popular EVO 4G, it not only packs a harder punch under the hood, but also includes some groundbreaking features like Sense 3.0 and the inclusion of both 3D playback and video capture.

Jun

[Weekend Poll] Google Doesn't Allow Rooted Devices To Use Android Movies - What Are Your Thoughts?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, Applications, Development, News, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see What Manufacturer Will Your Next Device Be From?

Two weeks ago, an Android Central tipster noticed that Google had officially stated that they wouldn't allow rooted devices to use Android Movies.

AC's Jerry Hildenbrand makes some very valid points about why that just doesn't quite seem right, if a bit (understandably) bitterly. As an Android lover and power user, I'm more than inclined to agree. But at the same time, we're effectively blaming the messenger; Google has little control over the situation. The entertainment industry as a whole is notoriously sluggish and behind the times, long resisting the move to the web and encumbering digital music and movies with unreasonable restrictions.

May

[Weekend Poll] What Manufacturer Will Your Next Device Be From?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Devices By Manufacturer, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week’s, see I/O 2011 Aftermath & Recap: What Has You Most Excited?

In light of this week's bootloader lockdown bonanza, it makes sense to ask something related. We know that as an Android-centric blog, our readers are likely to be a bit more hack-'n-mod oriented, so we're interested to see: who will manufacture your next device?

The "why" isn't crucial, though you're certainly encouraged to share your reasoning via the comments. Really, we're just interested in seeing how much HTC's new open policy has helped it, and how much Motorola's locked-down style is hurting it.

May

[Weekend Poll] I/O 2011 Aftermath & Recap: What Has You Most Excited?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, Applications, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see How Important Will Customization Be In Determining Your Next Android Purchase?

Google I/O 2011 is all wrapped up, and boy was it eventful. In case you missed them the first go-round, we provided a handy-dandy list (with videos embedded) of the keynotes and Android sessions from both the first and second day. The first keynote, especially, was really quite fascinating and provided a good review of where Android is headed. But at 55 minutes, it's probably a bit much to ask people to watch something quite that long (alternatively, you can read my on-the-fly notes).

May

[Weekend Poll] How Important Will Customization Be In Determining Your Next Android Purchase?

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

It's that time of the week again folks - time to hit the polls. This week's question is one that'll allow you to express what you think an Android handset should let you do in terms of customization, modification, and other various tinkering (think rooting, custom ROMs, kernels, etc). Basically, we want to know how important it is for you, as a consumer, that your next phone be easy to customize. Or if that really isn't important at all.

Let us know in the comments what ROMs, rooted apps, and other goodies only available to the rooted/unlocked users among us that you just can't live without.

Apr

[Weekend Poll] What's Your Next (Or Most Recent) Tablet Purchase, If Any?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Devices By Manufacturer, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the newest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Thinness Vs. Battery Life: FIGHT!

This week we'll be focusing on something a bit less technical than the polls of the past few weeks. The question: if you're planning to purchase a tablet in the near future, what device are you leaning towards right now? (We think) we've covered all the major players below, but if you're going for a decidedly less well-known tablet, feel free to select "Other" and drop us a line in the comments below!

If you've recently purchased a tablet, you're free to chime in with whatever you went with, as well!