roundup - 7/8 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

Samsung Galaxy Tab Review Roundup: Android Tablets Still Have A Ways To Go

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Galaxy Tab, Reviews, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Tablet Reviews, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

The rumor mill has already begun rumbling about a possible successor to the current Galaxy Tab, but the Samsung-built gadget has only just come out today, and the (extremely mixed) early reviews have now been published. Reporters from Engadget, Slash Gear, TechRadar, and Gizmodo have all shared their opinions about the device, so join us below for a quick look at each.

Engadget

Joanna Stern, Engadget's tablet queen, took an in-depth look at Sammy's latest creation, a look which resulted in a final score of 7 out of 10. It wasn't all good, though - she soon discovered that the front-facing camera provided incredibly pixelated results, while its rear cousin was OK with still pictures, but recorded mediocre 720x480 video.

Nov

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Review Roundup: T-Mobile's Best

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in HTC, myTouch 4G (Glacier), News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, T-Mobile

Last Updated: August 1st, 2012

It seems like only a few days ago the nation's fourth largest carrier launched its highly anticipated and well received first HSPA+ device - the G2. Those of us who aren't keyboard fans, however, didn't have to wait long, as yesterday T-Mobile introduced a second Android device to join HSPA+ ranks: the myTouch 4G. According to some of these early reviews, it's not only better than the G2, it may even be the best phone T-Mobile has to offer. Let's count 'em down.

PC Magazine

In the first paragraph of his review, Sascha Segan of PC Magazine stated that although some of the myTouch 4G's features are still a bit rough around the edges, the fact that those features exist earn the phone an Editor's Choice award.

Oct

HTC Desire HD Review Roundup: HTC Does It Again

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Desire HD (Ace), HTC, Phone Reviews, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

It's not HTC's first 4.3-inch monster of a phone, but according to these early reviews, the Desire HD might just be the best. It would be really hard to say no to its sexy aluminum casing, stunning 8MP camera, and next-generation Snapdragon processor, not to mention all the advantages not immediately visible from its spec sheet. Let's take a look at what reviewers have had to say so far:

TechRadar

TechRadar's Gareth Beavis wrote up an exhaustive review of the HTC Desire HD that covered just about everything about the device, from its game-playing capabilities to its four capacitive buttons.

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.

Aug

Move Over EVO - Sprint's 2nd 4G Phone, Samsung Epic 4G, Now Available

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Epic 4G, News, Samsung, Sprint

It's August 31st and like clockwork, the first CDMA Galaxy S counterpart of the T-Mobile Vibrant and AT&T Captivate, the Epic 4G is finally available both online and in stores.

If you've been following our Epic 4G coverage, you would know that:

we were very excited about this phone when our own Ian Douglas reviewed the Epic in detail last week
we were not alone - other reviewers were just as excited
it has already been rooted, before even hitting the general population
you can shave an extra $50 off that hefty $250 price tag that Sprint decided the Epic was worth by ordering through Amazon, as we discussed here.

Aug

App Roundup: Hurricane Season Edition

Posted by T. Carter Ross in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

With the Atlantic hurricane season ratcheting up and several named storms expected to form before the season ends on Nov. 30th, it makes sense for those of us in potential hurricane zones to look for an app that will help keep an eye on developing tropical systems. For example, Hurricane Danielle has dissipated in the North Atlantic, but Earl is expected to hit the East Coast before the end of the week and Fiona is hot on its heels.

Several applications are available through the Android Marketplace with varying degrees of usefulness. All of them rely on public domain information from the U.S.

Aug

App Roundup: 5 Apps That Turn Your Android Phone Into A Portable Document Scanner

Posted by Brian Emery in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Using a camera to “scan” documents to a digital format is nothing new. There are a number of PC applications available that help users turn photographed pages into PDFs or other document formats. Android enthusiasts can now enjoy the same functionality, as higher resolution cameras on mobile devices have finally allowed this application category to reach maturity. This roundup will cover 5 apps you can use to turn your Android device into a portable document scanner.

Keep in mind with all of these applications, lighting conditions and the surface on which a document or book is placed will have an effect on the quality of each “scan.” You will have the best results if you place the documents as flat as possible on a dark, solid color surface in a well lit area.

Aug

Dell Streak Feature Roundup, Hands-On, And Impressions

Posted by John Thompson in Dell, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Streak

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

The Dell Streak may have been available in the UK for over two months now, but it’s taken until now to hit the States. Just in case you forgot, here is a roundup of my thoughts on all the features the phone has to offer if you’re thinking of getting yourself a Streak when it’s released tomorrow.

Hardware

When you first see the Dell Streak on the shelves, you may be confused as to what it’s trying to be. It’s a bloody big smartphone, with a 5” capactive touch screen display, but it’s not quite large enough, in my opinion, to be called a tablet.

Jul

Top Android Apps Every Rooted User Should Know About, Part 1: Apps 1-8

Posted by David Ruddock in App Reviews, Applications, Apps/Games, Best Apps For Rooted Users Series, Development, Reviews, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Ok, I’ve Rooted, So Now What?

Aside from allowing the installation of popular ROMs developed by the Android community, rooting your phone also comes with the benefit of being able to install apps that require root permissions.

Finding such apps can be a hassle, so we’ve done some of the leg work for you and come up with a detailed rundown of our top 8 root-only applications.

Titanium Backup

Cost: FREE (Full Version: $3.99)

The thought of losing all the apps on your Android device likely evokes a slight sinking sensation in your gut.

Fortunately for root users, Titanium Backup provides a 2-click peace of mind solution, should such a tragedy befall you.

Jun

Samsung Galaxy S Launch Event Recap, Photos, And Q&A

Our Samsung Galaxy S Launch Event Report, Photos, And Q&A

Posted by Andrew Gould in AT&T, Captivate, Epic 4G, Fascinate, News, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Vibrant

Last Updated: July 23rd, 2010

Last night, Samsung officially announced their Galaxy S smartphone family at a swank New York City party after several weeks of blurrycam shots, spec sheets and rumors. Spanning all four major US carriers - Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile - the Galaxy S flavors stand to be a surging juggernaut in the HTC dominated Android world.

Incidentally, I was at the event and had the pleasure of doing a live blogging session, followed by some hands-on time with all the phones.