z - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Feb

[Video] Sony Invites Us To Make New Memories With The Xperia Z In Nostalgic New Commercial

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Sony, Videos, Xperia Z, Xperia ZL

There are a few surefire ways to get straight to a consumer's heart, and one of them is nostalgia. People love to be reminded of the good old days, and Sony has done just that, uploading a new Xperia Z spot that will take viewers back to the moon mission, the Berlin wall, roller skating on the beach, and playing video games, all with Sony products.

The ad then continues with a young couple joining in a Holi celebration using the Xperia Z, showing that Sony hasn't abandoned its iconic role in capturing or enhancing your most memorable moments. The video finishes by showing that, after running through plumes of colored powder and revelry, you can simply rinse the phone clean – after all, it's waterproof.

Jul

Z Origins Makes Its Way To Android, Reminds You That RTS Games Existed Before Command And Conquer

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

It seems that mobile gaming is a haven for all the old classics to reappear. Rising even further from the ashes of the past than most other recent arrivals comes Z Origins, a remake of the RTS from the DOS days simply called "Z" by The Bitmap Brothers. It predates notable fan favorite Command and Conquer from Westwood Studios. Though it did come out roughly four years after Dune II (also from Westwood) which served as the archetype for most RTS games to follow, Z departs from traditional RTS gameplay in that collection of resources and structure construction as a requisite for certain units were not part of the game.

Feb

HTC Desire HD, Desire Z, Incredible S Set To Join The Gingerbread Club, But...

Posted by David Ruddock in Desire HD (Ace), Desire Z (Vision), EVO Shift 4G (Speedy), G2 (Vision), Gingerbread 2.3, HTC, Incredible S (Vivo), Merge, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

SlashGear has confirmed with HTC today that the Desire HD, Desire Z, and Incredible S (along with the standard Desire) will be receiving the bump to Gingerbread some time in the second quarter of this year. But, there's a potential caveat: US phones might not be included.

It remains unknown if HTC was also referring to carrier-branded versions of the aforementioned devices in its statement, and if it was, if those devices would be receiving updates at the same time as their unlocked, HTC-branded siblings. Phones in this category include the HTC Thunderbolt and Inspire 4G (both based on the Desire HD), as well as T-Mobile's G2, the EVO Shift 4G, and possibly the HTC Merge (all based on the Desire Z).

Dec

Sprint's EVO Shift 4G Shows Off Its Sexy Keyboard

Posted by David Ruddock in EVO Shift 4G (Speedy), Knight, News, Sprint

Last Updated: January 4th, 2011

Yet another picture of the still unannounced EVO Shift 4G has been uncovered, this time with its stylish slider keyboard fully revealed in what looks to be a press-release quality action shot.

The device is likely Sprint's iteration of Verizon's also unannounced HTC Merge. I've got to say, though, that the Shift 4G looks like it received a far better treatment from HTC's design department. The blue brushed-metal around the keyboard looks great, as do the EVO 4G-style capacitive touch buttons. Verizon's space-age aluminum overtones on the Merge, while streamlined, just don't look as cool as the Shift.

But maybe that's just a matter of taste.

Oct

HTC Desire Z Partial, Temporary Root Accomplished

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Desire Z (Vision), Development, G2 (Vision), News

Seems like the HTC phones are really taking up the lions share of Android news lately, doesn't it? First the G2 was rooted, and shortly after we learned that HTC did its best to prevent perma-rooting. And just this morning, we heard word that the Desire HD and Z are both being delayed. Quite a mouthful, we know - but now that you're up to speed: an enterprising individual by the name of kholk over at XDA-Devs has come up with a root method for the HTC Desire Z.

The method is very similar to the G2 method mentioned above - the process involves dropping a package on your SD Card and executing a few scripts.

Oct

HTC Desire HD & Desire Z Delayed Due To "Google Testing"

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Carriers, Desire HD (Ace), Desire Z (Vision), News

Last Updated: August 13th, 2011

Bad news for our European friends: word from retailers is that the releases of the HTC Desire HD and Desire Z have been delayed until the end of the month. Why? The phones seem to be caught up in Google's testing process:

The relevant bit is in the first paragraph:

Apparently, both units have failed last minute Google TA (Type Approval) testing which is exactly what was said about the original Desire days before release!

Users from all over Europe (and even an Israeli) on XDA-Devs have confirmed the delay, with the revised release dates varying based on location. In every case, though, the dates are in the latter part of the month.

Oct

HTCSense.com Goes Live

Posted by Brad Ganley in Applications, Desire HD (Ace), Desire Z (Vision), News

Last night, @IncredibleDoes threw a shout out on Twitter to let the world know that HTCSense.com was now live.

While the selection of users and phones that can utilize the service right now is very (more like extremely) limited, it is still exciting to see this coming to fruition. There are devices both upcoming and already out that are slated to receive the new Sense, and it is nothing short of mind-blowing how much functionality they've added.

If you want to go and check it out, go for it. If you don't have a Desire Z or Desire HD, you won't get very far because even after you register, the site prompts you to sign in from your phone.

Sep

HTC Sense Will Support Map Pre-Caching In Its Latest Upgrade

Posted by Brad Ganley in Applications, Desire HD (Ace), HTC, News, Videos

Yesterday, Engadget got some hands-on time with the brand new HTC Sense upgrade that will debut on the Desire HD and the Desire Z. It will support all kinds of crazy stuff we've been waiting for like remote wiping, phone location, and backing up to and restoring data from HTCSense.com. Another cool feature is map pre-caching, which means that the phone will have pre-loaded maps on it.

The end result is a much more responsive map experience, allowing you to zoom in and out and pan around with "no waiting". It also means that you don’t need a data connection to get around, a notable foible of the otherwise excellent Google Maps.

Sep

HTC To Update Sense, Also Introduces Remote Wiping And Location Services Via HTCSense.com - But Can Sense Remain Relevant?

Posted by David Ruddock in HTC, News

Along with the announcement of the less patriotic versions of the EVO 4G and G2, HTC informed attendees of their London press event today that the Sense UI overlay would be receiving an update - in addition to new cloud services through HTCSense.com.

What kind of new goodies does the updated Sense have in store? We'll break down what we've got so far: