wireless - 2/8 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

[Updated] WSJ Reports Google And Dish Network Have Had Talks Discussing Possible Wireless Service

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Carriers, News

If you thought Google Fiber sounded like a game changer, you may want to keep an eye on this story. According to the Wall Street Journal, which has a history of having well-placed sources, Google has held talks with Dish Network discussing the possibility of partnering on a wireless carrier to compete with AT&T, Verizon, and all the rest. At first, it sounds like a pipe dream. The kind we've been hoping for since the G1. Thing is, this time, it has a shot of not being complete bupkis.

Before we get into why this might be true, though, let's take a look at why it might be false: for starters, according to WSJ's own sources, the talks are not very advanced and "could amount to nothing." Keep in mind companies talk to each other all the time without releasing products.

Nov

AT&T Promises LTE Coverage For 300 Million Americans By The End Of 2014 After $8bn Investment

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in AT&T, News

Sure, Verizon's running those ads that tells you how obvious it is their network is best, but AT&T wants you to know it's not sleeping on the job. Today, the carrier announced that it plans to have LTE coverage for 300 million people by the end of 2014. For those counting, that leaves only about 10 million out in the entire country.

The plan comes as part of a $14bn investment into wireless and wireline services—$8bn of which is going to wireless—that is expected to be carried out over the next three years. The new 2014 estimate will add an extra 50 million LTE customers on top of the already expected 250 million people covered by the end of 2013.

Oct

Deal Alert: Motorola RAZR HD Drops To $129 On Amazon For New Customers; RAZR MAXX HD to $179

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Deals, RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD, Verizon Wireless

Just a week ago, I discovered that despite some flaws, the Motorola DROID RAZR HD is a great phone. With a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, a 4.7" 720p SAMOLED display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), and a 2530mAh battery, it packed solid performance and good battery life into a slim package.

Now, there's another reason to love it: Amazon has dropped the price down to just $130 for new customers ($150 for upgrades), compared to Verizon's $200. And the RAZR MAXX HD (with its 3300mAh battery and even longer name)? Just $180 ($200 for upgrades).

Oct

Motorola Droid RAZR HD And RAZR MAXX HD Go Live At Amazon, Verizon Wireless For $199.99, $299.99 On Contract

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News, RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD, Verizon Wireless

Right on schedule, Motorola's Droid RAZR HD (which has already been rooted thanks to Dan Rosenberg) and RAZR MAXX HD have arrived to market. Both devices are now live on Verizon's site along with Amazon Wireless.

As expected, the RAZR HD is available in either white or black for $199.99 on contract from Amazon or Verizon, while the RAZR MAXX HD goes for $299.99.

Sep

Wi-Fi Alliance Launches Miracast Certification Program – Samsung Galaxy SIII And LG Optimus G Among Devices Already Certified

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Galaxy S III, News, Optimus G

Wi-Fi Alliance, the go-to association for certification of wireless LAN technologies, today announced the launch of its Miracast certification program.

For those unaware, Miracast is a new wireless display technology that allows users to "transmit" or stream video or other media content from one device to another quickly, easily, and wirelessly using Wi-Fi Direct. The technology essentially offers a mirrored display experience with low latency and responsiveness that's just what you'd hope for.

A major benefit of Miracast is that it is expected to become a standard used across a wide range of products from an even wider range of manufacturers.

Aug

[Update: It's Back] Verizon Offering $40 Bill Credit For New 4G Phones Activations From Amazon Wireless And Wirefly

Posted by Liam Spradlin in 4G, Deals, News, Verizon Wireless

Update 8/29/12: The deal is back (Amazon Wireless, Wirefly), though only until August 30th (tomorrow). Remember, you'll need to activate a new line of service and subscribe to the Share Everything plan to get the $40 bill credit.

Original article from May 2012 follows.

Verizon, looking to sweeten the deal for anyone ready to grab a new 4G smartphone, has begun a promotion that offers customers a $40 bill credit when buying a new 4G LTE smartphone from either Amazon Wireless or Wirefly.com.

The promotion, which is open to new or upgrading customers, began at 12am today and will last until May 24th.

Aug

Pantech Marauder Review: "Budget" Isn't Such A Bad Place To Be

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Marauder, Phone Reviews, Verizon Wireless

While everyone loves to gush over flagship phones, the truth of the matter is that for many customers, cheaper phones - be they last-gen's flagships or this-gen's budget devices - are the route of choice. Traditionally, the former route tended to work out better, especially for enthusiasts; after all, generation-old flagships tend to still outperform and out-feature current-gen budget devices. Plus, high-end devices generally have a ton of developer support and are usually better supported by the manufacturer. But is buying a used flagship still the better option for a budget-conscious consumer? After spending some time with a brand new budget phone from Pantech and Verizon, I'm not so sure.

Aug

Splashtop 2 HD Arrives In The Play Store, Is Free For A Limited Time

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Splashtop is one of the leading pieces of remote desktop software, not to mention app of choice for NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang when he wants to play Skyrim on his tablet. Now, Splashtop 2 HD has hit the Play Store, bringing pinch-to-zoom support, a new interface, and a very attractive price tag of free, for the time being.

As of right now, the app is free on the Play Store, however Splashtop says that this deal will only be available "for a limited time." Now, according the Play Store rules, a developer cannot convert a free app into a paid app, so it's unclear just how this will work once the developer ends the free period.

Jul

[Updated: Here Are The Winners!] Book Giveaway: Take Your Apps To The Next Level With Android Wireless Application Development Volume 2

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Contests / Giveaways, Development

Last Updated: July 29th, 2012

It seems like most books on developing for Android are geared towards beginners and those who are accustomed to developing for other platforms or using other languages, while fewer help you put that extra layer of polish and shine on your app. With hundreds of thousands of apps already on the market for you to compete with, that's exactly what you need: something to kick your app up a notch or two.

This contest is now over. Here are our winners, selected at random:

Cassi
Grant Shearer
Corneliu
Brandon White
Aditya
Kiran
eugene downing
Luke
Misty Fowler
Wam31

Congratulations, guys - all of you will be contacted for your information in the near future!

Jul

Droid NAS Turns Your Android Device Into A Wireless Storage Device For Your Mac Or Other Android Devices

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

There are few things that are more of a drag, in the mobile device world, than having to find where you left your micro USB cord to plug in your device just to copy a couple of files over to your computer. Most of the time wireless services like Dropbox help alleviate this need. For the times that those aren't enough, Droid NAS can turn your device into wireless storage. Provided you use a Mac or another Android device to access it. Once connected, your Android phone or tablet will show up as a Bonjour device.