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May

Will A Samsung Galaxy S4 "Google Edition" Be Unveiled At I/O 2013?

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Galaxy S4, News, Samsung

Among dedicated Android fans, there is a consensus that stock Android is the best experience. That being said, not everyone is smitten with the Nexus hardware. A new option for conflicted users is rumored to be dropping tomorrow at Google I/O. A version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 – dubbed the Google Edition – could be released with the latest version of stock Android on board.

If this is indeed true, it wouldn't be the first time Google has created a new variant of a Samsung product. Back at I/O 2011 Google handed out a special edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 with stock Honeycomb.

Oct

The Playground Is Open Again: What To Expect From Google's Android Event On October 29th

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Android OS, Features, News

After seeing a deluge of rumors, leaks, and hoax after hoax this season, it looks like we're finally starting to wind down. With Google's Android event a mere 8 days away, it's time to clear away the muck and take a look at what we expect to make an appearance just a couple days before Halloween. Let's start with the stuff we're most confident in and work our way down, shall we?

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

We were already fairly confident that the next version of Android would not be 5.0. While Google is inconsistent with its naming and number scheme, The company does tend to at least save full number releases for big changes (2.0 brought a huge face lift, Navigation and the Droid, 3.0 introduced tablets, 4.0 brought tablets and phones together under the biggest UI change yet).

Oct

Multiple Online Retail Listings Out 32GB Nexus 7 – Looks Like It's Happening

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in News, Nexus 7

There have been rumors over the last few weeks that Google and Asus are planning to release a new version of the Nexus 7 with 32GB of storage. We previously saw a screenshot from a Carphone Warehouse inventory computer that included this device. Now we've found not one, not two, but three more online listings for the 32GB Nexus 7. This is looking like a lock, folks.

All three listings have the same part number and two of them have a matching UPC included. None of them have an image, but we all know what a Nexus 7 looks like -- just imagine it with more storage inside.

Jun

Android Head Andy Rubin Not Leaving Google As Rumored, Cites 900,000 Android Activations Each Day

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in News, Rumors

Influential tech personality, and sometimes well-meaning rumormonger Robert Scoble kicked up some controversy earlier today when he reported via Google+ that Google's Andy Rubin was preparing to make an exit. Rubin, Scoble claimed, was planning to leave Google to take charge of a new startup called CloudCar. Andy Rubin has always been in charge of Android, so his departure would have cast an undeniable pallor over the upcoming Google I/O.

Just a few hours after Scoble posted his thoughts on the matter, Andy Rubin came out of the woodwork on Twitter to make it clear he was not leaving Google. Rubin was the founder of Android, which was bought by Google back in 2005.

May

The Ultimate Google I/O 2012 Preview

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Rumors

Last Updated: June 27th, 2012

Google I/O is coming and it's time to get excited! It's like Christmas in June! It will be here in just a few ~~short~~ agonizing weeks - and we need to prepare. There is background information you need to know, rumors you should have in mind, and past announcements and acquisitions that need to be remembered. Google always leaves little news breadcrumbs for those that pay attention, and I pay attention. Fanatically.

This post will be part news recap, part rumor roundup, and part speculation. The last time I did this went pretty well, and now it's time for another look at what the little elves at Google HQ are working on.

May

[Rumor] LG LS970 Headed To Sprint With Quad-Core Snapdragon S4, 2GB Of RAM, And LTE

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in LG, News, Rumors

If you were to come up with your ideal phone, the specs would probably look like those rumored for the mysterious LG LS970 on Sprint. This phone will reportedly have the Qualcomm APQ8064 (Snapdragon S4) at its heart. This is a quad-core 28nm Krait chip with the next-generation Adreno 320 GPU. Since this is an "APQ" chip, that means a separate LTE data modem will be used, currently listed in the leaked profile as the MSM9615.

Also included in the leaked data is a listing for 2GB of RAM, which is twice as much as high-end devices are currently shipping with (and probably more than Android needs).

Feb

Google Teases MWC Attendees With Bowl Of Jellybeans, Coyly Asks, "Oh, Is That Not What You Wanted?"

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, Rumors

Oh, Google. You know just how to get our attention. If you're not planting giant statues on your front lawn, you're giving your guests tasty treats with a wink. At Google's ~~theme park~~ MWC booth, the company has set up bowls of jelly beans that are, according to sources close to the matter, "delicious." What we're really after, though, is details on Google's next OS version of the same name. Could this mean we're going to hear about it?

As far as rumors go, a bowl of candy is pretty low on the list of sources we tend to get our stories from.

Feb

Samsung Won't Be Announcing The Galaxy S III At MWC, Just Like It Never Said It Would

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Samsung

Samsung has confirmed to TechRadar that the Galaxy S III will not be announced at Mobile World Congress. This lines up with what we've heard, and refutes earlier rumors that Samsung would be announcing the device in Barcelona next month. A rumor that Samsung never commented on until now.

What is confirmed is that the Galaxy S III will have its own event, similar to the Galaxy Nexus announcement. Of course, since this didn't come from "sources close to the matter" or "some guy I know who heard from somebody," we should obviously treat this with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Jul

[Rumor] Is The Droid Bionic Launching On August 4th?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Bionic, Droid 3, News

Well, isn't this interesting... it appears that Android Central has gotten a hold of a leaked screen with some pretty promising release dates for some highly anticipated phones, including the Motorola Droid Bionic. Let's push that one of to the side for just a moment though and address the first phone on the list: the Droid 3.

We've basically known everything there is to know about the D3 for a while. This image echoes the previously rumored July 14th release date, so I will be really surprised if we don't see the newest Droid incarnation hit the Big Red sales floor in a week-and-a-half.

Jun

[Rumor] Is The Motorola Atrix 4G Getting Android 2.3.4?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

The Motorola Atrix has been making some serious waves as of late - first, we saw a Gingerbread test build that had an unlockable bootloader, and now the crew over at Android and Me have gotten a hold of some exclusive images showing the Atrix running Android 2.3.4 with the latest version of Gingerblur. Before I continue, have a look:

If these images are to be believed, then the Motorola Atrix is back in the game in a big way. The tipster went on to say that the update drastically improved battery life and GPS functionality, fixed the random reboot issues, and substantially improved the overall experience.