TouchWiz - 3/4 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jun

[Review] The LG Revolution: Don't Let The Name Fool You; It's Just Alright

Posted by Brad Ganley in LG, News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Revolution

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

It's been a long time since my opinions on a device have been so torn. On the one hand, the Revolution is a pretty impressive piece of hardware, but on the other, there are some seriously annoying things about it (specifically some software elements - the lock screen makes me want to assault something adorable). All the handset's different aspects ultimately lead to one conclusion: MEH.

I can honestly say that this is the closest to not having an opinion I've ever come in regards to a device. Seriously, I'm EXTREMELY neutral here. More neutral than you, that's for sure. Let's see why:

Specs and Such

4G LTE
1GHz Snapdragon Processor
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
5MP Rear Camera
1.3MP Front Facing Camera
720p HD Video Recording
Mobile Hotspot Capability
Bluetooth 3.0
16GB SD card pre-installed and 16GB of internal memory

Doesn't sound too bad, does it?

Jun

Tired Of Manufacturer UI Overlays? So Is Virgin Mobile

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Android OS, Motorola, News, Virgin Mobile

We've all heard it time and time again: generally speaking, people hate manufacturer skins on Android phones, i.e. Blur, Touchwiz, Sense, etc. I realize that not everyone falls into this category, but I think it's probably safe to say that the bulk of Android users do. It looks like we're not the only ones that are opposed to manufactures gumming up our beloved Android with their custom overlays - Virgin Mobile, a prepaid subsidiary of Sprint, has taken a pro-stock-Android approach to all of its devices. Have a look at what a Virgin spokesperson told PCmag via email:

Virgin Mobile USA aims to make available devices that allow the end user to have the freedom to customize the device to their liking.

May

Samsung Infuse 4G Now On Sale For $199.99 At AT&T, $149.99 On Amazon Wireless

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in 4G, AT&T, Infuse 4G, News, Samsung

As promised, from today the AT&T online store is offering the Samsung Infuse 4G for $199.99 with a 2-year contract. The contract requires you to additionally purchase a minimum data service which starts at $15/month. Alternatively, you can pick up the 4G device for $549.99 sans-contract. Oh and there is also free shipping.

Dubbed the "nation's thinnest 4G smartphone", this 8.99mm Android 2.2 device features a gigantic 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display (it really does look enormous on such a thin profile), a 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor, an 8MP rear camera with 720p video capture, a 1.3MP front camera, and Samsung's proprietary Touchwiz UI.

May

Samsung Galaxy S II Review Roundup: Slim, Speedy, And Smart

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Galaxy S II, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Samsung

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

To say the Galaxy S II has a lot to live up to would be a drastic understatement. Its predecessor, the Galaxy S, was one of the most popular Android phones of its day, though it certainly wasn't without its shortcomings (*cough* TouchWiz *cough*). But with an even better display, a slimmer profile, a better camera, and - gasp - a new version of Samsung's custom UI, the Galaxy S II aims to patch over its antecedent's few flaws in addition to mixing in some new magic. So how does it fare? Pretty well, the great tech-heads of Europe declare.

Apr

One Size Does Not Fit All: Andy Rubin Responds To Recent Cases Of Misinformation And FUD In The Press

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, News

Android In Recent News

Fragmentation has been one of the biggest criticisms of the Android platform. Essentially, Google allows anybody to take the Android code and tweak it suit their own needs. This is how manufacturers like Motorola, HTC, and Samsung are able to create custom layers (MotoBlur, Sense UI, and TouchWiz, respectively) over the vanilla Android interface and how some carriers load up new phones with crapware. Although this is a price to pay for openness and customizability, a recent study indicates that 86% of developers are unhappy with the state of Android fragmentation (24% of them describing it as a "huge problem").

Mar

The Super-Thin Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 And 10.1: As Seen From Outside A Glass Box

Posted by David Ruddock in Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News, Samsung

Yesterday at CTIA, Samsung unveiled its revamped Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the all-new Galaxy Tab 8.9 (check out our live coverage of the event). Unfortunately, that's about all Samsung did with them - neither was ever powered on. Samsung's CTIA exhibit housed the new devices in glass security cases (as you can see below), while early "prototypes" of the 8.9 and 10.1 running Honeycomb with Samsung's TouchWiz 4.0 overlay were available for hands-on time, in order to demonstrate some of the software the company plans to include when the devices are released.

Why no demonstrations of the thinner, lighter, sexier Tabs?

Dec

Samsung Continuum Review: Are Two Screens Really Better Than One?

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Continuum, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Introduction

When Samsung threw their big U.S. Galaxy S kick off party earlier in the summer, it was announced that each of the four major carriers would be selling their very own version of the hardware. But, in a twist of M. Night Shyamalan-ian proportions, they announced a second Galaxy S device for Verizon.

The Samsung Continuum shaves .6 inches off the original Galaxy S' 4" screen, in exchange for the very unique (and surprisingly useful) secondary Ticker display, but is that enough to justify the phone's existence? How does it stack up against the rest of the Big Red's high-end Android line-up, including the Samsung Fascinate, the Continuum's Galaxy S brother?

Dec

[Updated] Froyo For Samsung Epic 4G Now Available To Download [Hands-On] [Instructions]

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Development, Epic 4G, Froyo 2.2, News, Samsung, Sprint

Last Updated: July 2nd, 2011

Update: A Sprint official has just posted on the Samsung Epic forums saying that this is not the final version of Froyo for the Epic. What's more, he gave one commenter an ETA of about three weeks. Ridiculous, isn't it?

Below is a statement from the Epic Product Manager regarding the leaked release (DK28):

Sprint is working on a software package for the Samsung Epic4G that will upgrade it to the Froyo version of Android. Over the weekend, some users were able to access and download a test build (DK28) for the Samsung Epic from some 3^rd party developer sites. Unfortunately, this is not approved software for Sprint production devices and we strongly recommend that users refrain from loading it.

Oct

The Direction Android Smartphones Are Headed, Why It Might Be Bad, And How Google Can Stop It

Posted by David Ruddock in Editorials

We constantly hear about how smartphones are the evolutionary next-step in personal computing. Laptops sat atop this pedestal in the late 1990's, and tablets may soon come to share this title with their smartphone cousins.

But there's a glaring issue with smartphones: the players in the smartphone industry are to smartphones what Taco Bell is to choice of meat in your burrito. There's not a whole lot of wiggle room, and it's an increasingly take it or leave it sort of affair. HTC's new boot restore on the G2 and Desire Z, Motorola's eFuse bootloader protection, and Apple's extensive efforts to thwart jailbreaking on every iPhone software update are all evidence a trend that is decidedly against the spirit of personal computing.

Sep

Launcher Pro v0.7.9.0 Update Introduces Friends Widget, Customizable Homescreen Grid Size, Bug Fixes

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

Today, Launcher Pro, one of the best homescreen replacements for Android, got a nice update, introducing a couple of new features and bug fixes. I replaced the bloated Sense UI on my EVO with Launcher Pro Plus about 2 weeks ago, and ever since then, half of my co-workers did the same, seeing what it can do.

The new update finally introduces a customizable number of icon columns and rows, which is no longer limited to 4 or 5. ADW actually had this feature for a while, so I'm glad LP finally caught up.

Another major addition, though for Plus users only, is the Friends widget.