Reviews - 12/71 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

Buhbo Tablet Case For Kids Review: Dawwww

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

If you're thinking of getting your little munchkin a Nexus 7, Barnes & Noble Nook HD, 7" Kindle Fire HD, or a similar 7-inch tablet/e-reader for Christmas, then you'll undoubtedly want a way for them to keep it safe. But c'mon - this is your kid we're taking about. They don't want a folio, gel case, or even a nifty Active case for their device. They want something fun. Something unique. Something cute.

They want a case from Buhbo.

"But who is Buhbo?" you may be asking. It's a company that specializes in making cute-ass cases for kids to keep their tablets and/or e-readers in.

Nov

Waking Mars Review: Bring Mars Back To Life One Awesome Alien Creature At A Time

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Games, Reviews

When you pick up your Android device to play a game, you're probably shooting stuff, jumping over stuff, driving stuff, or maybe flicking stuff. Lather, rinse, repeat. Sometimes these gaming tropes can be genuinely entertaining and clever, but it's all rather expected these days. Waking Mars takes a completely different approach. It's equal parts puzzle solving and adventure, with just a little platforming mixed in. It's a little expensive, but does it deliver?

Gameplay

The word of the day here is unique. Waking Mars seems at first like a generic adventure game, but it quickly becomes so much more. You control the least fortunate scientist in the solar system, who finds himself trapped in a series of underground Martian caves after a geologic event swallows up his basecamp.

Nov

HTC One X+ Review: A Mid-Cycle Refresh Makes A Great Phone Even Better

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, News, One X+, Phone Reviews

The HTC One X was (and still is) a fantastic device thanks to its solid hardware, excellent build quality, and stunning display. But it's a little long in the tooth, partially because the newest high-end smartphones have both quad-core CPUs and LTE, and partially because in the smartphone world, anything that's 7 months old is (unfortunately) outdated.

That brings us to the HTC One X+, which is more of a mid-cycle refresh than an all-new model. It keeps the same basic frame and the outstanding display, but packs a more powerful version of NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, and the AT&T variant even comes with LTE.

Nov

SPIGEN Coated Backpack Review: It's Like A Black Hole For Your Back

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

When it comes to gadget bags, I'm like a woman with purses: I have a selection to choose from. Not because I just love buying new bags all the time, but because I'm always on the hunt for something better, though ninety-five percent of the time, I have no idea what that "something" is. So I'm always open to new options.

Thus, when SPIGEN reached out to me to take a look at the newest member of their backpack lineup - the Coated Backpack ($99, SPIGEN, Amazon) - I was all in. Plus, I thought it would be good to see how they improved on the Kalasden series that I reviewed back in May.

Nov

[Update: Winners] Seidio Active Case For The Nexus 7 Quick Review + Giveaway

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Contests / Giveaways, Other Reviews

Last Updated: November 24th, 2012

When I first got my Nexus 7, I ran it naked. Not because I had no other choice, but because I wasn't interested in any of the cases that were available at the time. Then, at the Big Android BBQ, I happened to see the new Active cases from Seidio ($35-45, SeidioOnline). I really liked the Active case for the Galaxy Nexus back when I reviewed it, and Seidio's offering for the Nexus 7 looks equally as protective and comes with a nifty cover/stand. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

After having used the case for the last few weeks, I have to say that I like it.

Nov

Locked and Loaded - The Hunters: Episode One Review

Posted by Matt Demers in App Reviews, Applications, Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Reviews

PC gamers alive in the 1990's will remember the XCOM series of games as bastions of the strategy genre. In each, you took control of a global organization that was tasked with defending the Earth from aliens; you did so in turn-based missions, where you killed enemies, escorted VIPs, and defended objectives.

Now imagine that (with some tweaks, of course) on Android.

The premise of The Hunters: Episode One is relatively simple: you are the leader of a team of mercenaries, and you can take different contracts on a daily basis. Completing these contracts nets you money, which can be spent upgrading your mercs with equipment and armor.

Nov

Lost In The Crowd: Echofon Review

Posted by Matt Demers in App Reviews, Applications, Apps/Games, Reviews

While there seems to be no shortage of Twitter clients on the Google Play store, they all seem to be a mixed bag of different features and reliability. Some will do push, while others are free; some won't do notifications, and some animations are downright sluggish. Sadly, unless you have the time to go through every app to see which one fits the best, you'll likely need to settle for "close enough."

Echofon looks to add one more to the pile with the beta of their popular client. As a user of Echofon on iOS, I can say that they've definitely crafted something good over there, but at the moment their foray into Android seems a bit perplexing.

Nov

DROID DNA Battery Life Impressions: It's Not Nearly As Bad As You Think (With Stats, Methodology)

Posted by David Ruddock in DROID DNA, News, Phone Reviews, Verizon Wireless

Since its announcement, many internet comments (and tech bloggers, frankly) have lambasted the 2020mAh battery inside the DROID DNA as obviously being too small. A 5", 1080p display, quad-core processor, and LTE - with a 2020mAh battery? HTC must be nuts. Well, it turns out, they actually aren't nuts and actually do know how to make a phone that doesn't die after half a day off the charging cable teat. Surprising, I know. And despite what you may be hearing elsewhere (I won't name names), my experience with the DNA's longevity has been quite positive. I got a lot of requests for an in-depth look at battery life on the DNA when I posted my initial impressions, so here's what I came up with.

Nov

Nexus 4 Review Addendum: Lock Screen Widgets, No Benchmark Improvements, And Better Battery Life

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Jelly Bean 4.2, LG, Nexus 4, Reviews

The Nexus 4 retail software update is out! Previously, all Nexus 4 were running pre-release software, which was missing a few things. I reviewed the Nexus 4 as best I could with the beta software, but I wanted to update it once I had a few days to play with the final build.

Now that the final software is out, I've updated my review, and, to save people that have already read it from digging through 6000 words looking for updates, I'm putting all the new info in this article, too. So, if you haven't read the review and want to know all about the Nexus 4, skip this article, and go read the whole, updated thing.

Nov

Pandora For Android Gets An Overhaul To V4.0 - Here's Our Review Of The New App

Posted by David Ruddock in App Reviews, Applications, News

I've been using Pandora for a while now. I honestly don't remember when I started - maybe around early 2008. The web client has been a standby for me, even as the ads have grown more frequent, intrusive, and lengthy. I don't really mind. But since picking up my first Android phone, a Nexus One, back in 2010, I've never been too fond of the official app.

Sure, it works, but the speed, stability, and reliability of streaming have never been particularly good, despite numerous major updates. Tonight, Pandora released Pandora v4.0 for Android. Previously, it was v1.7. So, wait a minute - how do you go from 1.7 to 4.0?