Reviews - 64/69 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Aug

Motorola Droid 2 Review: A Bit Of Makeup But Not A Complete Makeover

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Droid (Sholes), Droid 2, Droid X (Shadow), Froyo 2.2, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: October 22nd, 2011

General Overview

The original Droid was a revolutionary phone, not just because it saved Motorola from certain bankruptcy but also because it revealed the wonders of Android to the masses.

For the first time, an Android device was being marketed in a way that appealed to an average American. Not only that - the Droid was Google’s officially anointed Jesus phone, up until the Nexus One came along, meaning it was the first to get Android 2.0, the first to get Google Navigation, etc.

That sets a pretty high bar for the Droid 2, and if you read our review roundup, you already know that most other bloggers thought that, while it is certainly a worthy successor to the most popular Android phone ever, it doesn’t raise the bar or set a new standard for Droids going forward.

Aug

New In The Android Market: Guns'n'Glory By HandyGames - Time To Go Rob Some Settlers!

Posted by Andrew Huff in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

In what is best described as a roaming tower defense game, Guns'n'Glory, by HandyGames, allows you to play as bad guys who attempt to ambush settlers and steal their gold. Starting off as a lone gunman, the more settlers you kill, the more gold you’ll gain, which in turn will allow you to hire more bandits to help you out in your evil ways.

Available for free on the Android market, Guns'n'Glory offers a unique style of gameplay by melding several genres into one title. On one hand you have a layout similar to a tower defense game and on the other you can move your guys around at any point in time should the need arise, adding an element of action to the mix.

Aug

[Updated] Hands-On Review Of Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G

Posted by Ian Douglas in Epic 4G, News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Samsung, Sprint, Videos

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

When offered to preview Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S offering, the SPH-D700, also known as the Epic 4G, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. While my first personal-use Android device was the Nexus One, I’ve handled my share of Android smartphones, and my history of smartphone use has included several Samsung phones over the years. This being the first Galaxy S device I’ve personally handled, I’m glad to say that Samsung does not disappoint, and I can highly recommend the device to users who need a physical keyboard and can sign up for a contract with Sprint.

Update #1: added a 720P video sample.

Aug

Modder's Monday: Hacking Without Hacking - A Guide to Customizing Your Android Device Without Voiding Your Warranty

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in App Reviews, Applications, Development, Editorials, Reviews, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Modder’s Monday is a weekly column about rooting, hacking, and other forms of modifying Android written by Jaroslav Stekl, a man who spends his days coding, hacking, hiking, and of course, writing for Android Police.

One of the many things that I love about Android, especially after spending several years with an iPhone, is how customizable it is - right out of the box. You can change your keyboard, tweak the status bar to make it work any way you like, change apps’ icons, and even install home replacements that alter how your homescreen works. The best part about all this?

Aug

App Roundup: 5 Apps That Turn Your Android Phone Into A Portable Document Scanner

Posted by Brian Emery in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Using a camera to “scan” documents to a digital format is nothing new. There are a number of PC applications available that help users turn photographed pages into PDFs or other document formats. Android enthusiasts can now enjoy the same functionality, as higher resolution cameras on mobile devices have finally allowed this application category to reach maturity. This roundup will cover 5 apps you can use to turn your Android device into a portable document scanner.

Keep in mind with all of these applications, lighting conditions and the surface on which a document or book is placed will have an effect on the quality of each “scan.” You will have the best results if you place the documents as flat as possible on a dark, solid color surface in a well lit area.

Aug

Samsung Epic 4G Review Roundup: Keeps The 4G Fire Burning

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Epic 4G, News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Sprint

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

After months of leaks, announcements, and the releases of its sister phones, the Epic 4G is here... sort of. While the device won't go on for sale for another two weeks, the big players in tech have managed to snag some early review units. We've filtered through the roundups and come up with the four that we deemed most worthy. Let's take a look:

Engadget

Chris Ziegler (who seems to get all the flagship phones) spent some time with the Epic 4G and came away extremely impressed, despite a having a few minor niggles:

So is it the right phone for the job?

Aug

Droid 2 Review Roundup: More Of The Same (And That’s A Good Thing)

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Droid 2, News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

After the huge success of the original Droid, the Droid 2 was one of the most hotly anticipated (and most leaked) handsets ever. So, we’ve decided to compile some reviews of the device to help you decide if it’s worth upgrading to the Droid’s sequel. A few minor complaints aside, the general consensus is that this is indeed a worthy successor to the most popular Android phone yet.

Engadget

Chris Ziegler was impressed by the Droid 2’s improvements over its predecessor, but still recommends the Droid X or Droid Incredible unless a physical keyboard is a must for you.

There's no question that the Droid 1 was entering its twilight years, especially in the aftermath of the Droid X's release; Motorola and Verizon knew they needed to bring the old model up to spec if they wanted to keep a quality physical QWERTY Android device on the shelves.

Aug

Dell Streak Feature Roundup, Hands-On, And Impressions

Posted by John Thompson in Dell, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Streak

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

The Dell Streak may have been available in the UK for over two months now, but it’s taken until now to hit the States. Just in case you forgot, here is a roundup of my thoughts on all the features the phone has to offer if you’re thinking of getting yourself a Streak when it’s released tomorrow.

Hardware

When you first see the Dell Streak on the shelves, you may be confused as to what it’s trying to be. It’s a bloody big smartphone, with a 5” capactive touch screen display, but it’s not quite large enough, in my opinion, to be called a tablet.

Aug

[App Of The Week] Awesome Drop: Easily Transfer Files To Your Phone From Any Computer

Posted by David Ruddock in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Android is a great mobile operating system. And with Android 2.2, it’s getting even better. One thing Android isn’t very good at, though, is quick and easy wireless file transfers. This week’s App Of The Week solves half of that problem, allowing you to easily transfer files from your computer to your Android phone.

Awesome Drop aims to provide a simple file transfer solution that is lightweight and usable almost anywhere on any computer, without having to use clumsy FTP software or file hosting services. Awesome Drop makes use of HTML5 to allow you to open a browser on your computer, go to a webpage, and simply “drop” files from your computer onto your Android device.

Aug

SysAdmin Series #7: Remote Desktop Access with VNC Clients

Posted by Ian Douglas in App Reviews, Applications, News, Reviews, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

In the final installment of the SysAdmin Series, I’m going to cover some tools to access a remote system’s desktop using VNC (Virtual Network Computing) clients.

I’ll admit that as a sysadmin, I don’t personally have a lot of use for VNC as almost all of the systems I need to access remotely are text-only systems, and I use a simple SSH client for that work. However, I know some sysadmins who rely on VNC clients to do some work on graphical interfaces when being at a terminal isn’t possible.

With VNC, I feel it’s prudent to mention that while these VNC clients make remote desktop access possible, they’re not entirely practical given the current state of Android device screen sizes and resolution.