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Huawei announced the Honor 2 smartphone today, which is due to hit stores in China on November 4 for 1888 yuan (or $302).
The Huawei Honor 2 has a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM (with a 1 GB option available for some reason), 8 GB of local storage, a 2230 mAh battery, and a 1280 x 720 IPS display which works out to an impressive 326 pixels per inch. Gleaning the awkwardly-translated Weibo updates from Huawei, it sounds like they're boasting 72 hours of battery life, which would also be a great selling point if true. The phone measures 10.5 mm thick and has an 8 megapixel camera on the back. The only real downside is that's running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Overall, the Honor 2 a significant step up from the original, even though odds are we won't be seeing it outside of China any time soon. T-Mobile has a Huawei device launching soon, but it's more likely to be an entry-level device.
For those of you that know Chinese, there's a video demo of the Huawei Honor 2 over here, or you can check out an early review here. Those are some pretty solid specs given the price. Anybody in China thinking of picking one up? What are the odds of an international launch eventually?
via: Engadget
And here we have another video of the LG Nexus 4, which might or might not be announced today. Looks like this one comes from Three in Sweden. As it so happens, we've got a Swede on staff (more than one, now that we think about it).
The video talks up the beautiful, thin design of the "Nexus 4 by LG." It mentions the power button on the right-hand side, and the volume and micro SIM on the left. (Nothing we couldn't tell by watching, of course.) "Here is the familiar pure Android interface," it continues. Folders, main menu. Fast web browsers, high-resolution screen.
Also mentioned is the status bar, with "easily accessible settings." And, indeed, there are quick settings, though different than we might have expected.
Update: And the video's been pulled, as we figured it would.
Thanks, Dennis!
Attention old-school gamers: Chrono Trigger has just launched on Google Play, bringing the classic role-playing game to Android. The Dimensional Vortex and Lost Sanctum are two new areas that were included in the Nintendo DS port which have found their way to this iteration as well. Despite most of the graphics and gameplay staying intact from the SNES original, some of the controls have been tweaked for touch interfaces. Language support spreads English, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.
As the title suggests, Chrono Trigger features a lot of time travel, from prehistory to the far future to the the end of time. Even the original contemporary setting that the heroes start in is only Earth-ish and has some of its own unique fantasy flair. Along the way, your party grows to include a robot, a half-man half-frog, a cavewoman, and plenty of other colorful characters.
As with most Square Enix games on mobile, you'll be paying a premium for the privilege of playing their games on mobile devices, but $9.99 isn't quite as bad as what they're charging for some of their other titles. Although I played a bunch of Final Fantasy 3, I never had a chance to dig into Chrono Trigger. This might be my cue, but what about you guys? Did anyone here play the original, but are still tempted to pick up the mobile version? Any DS players able to vouch for the quality of the new content?
The Oct. 29 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Mobi Products Softshell TPU Case for Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Made of highly durable material that feels great when gripped, this sleek looking case features anti-slip properties that give your Galaxy Nexus more grip on all types of surfaces. Plus, this case has a special anti-dust coating, argyle patterns, and cut-outs for all ports and buttons. Color options include smoke, blue, red, purple, pink and clear.
The Mobi Products Softshell TPU Case is available for just $4.00, 80% off today only! Grab yours while supplies last.
Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
Google's "Playground" event may have been called off, but it seems some changes to the Google Play Store may be arriving regardless. We're seeing movie purchase options appearing for some Google Play Movies titles here in the UK, though the selection is extremely limited at the moment. Likewise, Ausdroid reports that Google's started rolling out movie purchases in Australia, where previously only rental options were available.
In the UK, we've spotted titles such as Ill Manors on sale for £7.99. Down under, prices reportedly range from AU$8 for older movies all the way up to AU$25 for more recent offerings.
Considering today was originally going to be a big day for Google Play and Android, we'll be watching throughout the day to see if any other changes quietly drop.
International folks -- seeing anything new on Google Play today? Drop us a line in the comments.
Source: Ausdroid
A reminder that with Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the East coast of the U.S., Google recently made the decision to cancel its "Playground" event, originally scheduled for later today.
A T-Mobile event, also planned for today, has been called off too.
Google's Android event was expected to bring the official announcement of a new Nexus phone, the LG Nexus 4, and new high-res Nexus tablet, the Samsung Nexus 10. Both devices were expected to go live with Android 4.2, which was to be unveiled at the same event. But it looks like we'll have a little longer to wait for these devices -- we'll probably hear more about a rescheduled event in the coming days.
In the meantime, there's plenty of non-Android news today for you multi-platform mobile fans. Our sister site wpcentral.com will be live from Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 launch event in San Francisco later today.
If you're expecting Sandy in the next day or so, stay safe and keep 'em charged. We'll see you on the other side.
Barnes & Noble's Nook brand continues its advance into the UK, with today's news that its Android-based Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets are available to pre-order from the company's Nook.co.uk site.
Announced late September, the 7-inch Nook HD and 9-inch Nook HD+ boast higher resolution displays than competing small form factor tablets. B&N will be hoping that this combined with the tablet's lower price point will tempt consumers away from the Apple, Amazon and Google competition as the holiday shopping season approaches.
The Nook HD boasts a 1440x900 display, and is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The Nook HD+ bumps this up to 1920x1080 ("Full HD"), along with a small CPU speed increase to 1.5GHz. The HD is up for pre-order at a Nexus 7-matching £159, while the HD+ can be yours for £229.
Both Nook HD and HD+ will begin shipping to UK buyers from Nov. 22.
Source: Nook.co.uk (1, 2); via: Business Wire
With the success of the original Galaxy Note, and critical praise for its successor, the Note 2, it seems Samsung may be looking to expand its Note line even further, possibly bringing to market a smaller Note tablet device. That's what's suggested by a new DLNA certification filing, which lists a Samsung "GT-N5110" with digital media server and playback capabilities. So far all "GT-N" series devices have come to market as Galaxy Notes -- the original was GT-N7000, the Note 10.1 is GT-N8000 and the Note 2 followed as GT-N7100 -- so there's little doubt in our mind that the N5110 is most likely another Galaxy Note product.
Conventional wisdom suggests that it could be a 7 8 or 9-inch tablet, filling the gap between the Note 2 and Note 10.1, as SamMobile speculates this morning. However, aside from the name, we know nothing about this device, so we're willing to keep an open mind.
Assuming Samsung is working on a 7-9-inch Galaxy Note tablet, CES in January and Mobile World Congress in February are both strong possibilities for launch venues. MWC in particular might be likely, as that's where we saw the Note 10.1 last year, along with the entire Galaxy Tab 2 range.
Any wild theories about what we might see on such a device? Shout out in the comments.
Source: SamMobile
Some of you may remember the tag line from Alien but now Cambridge University Spaceflight is looking to put it all to the test. Using the STRaND-1 smartphone nanosatellite that runs Android and built by the University of Surrey's Space Centre and SSTL, the STRaND-1 will carry the videos submitted by folks like yourself into outer space all in an effort to test the hypothesis that in space no one can hear you scream.
If you're looking to help out, your mission is simple. Upload a 10 second video to YouTube and submit it to the project website. Once submitted, you can get your friends and family to vote for it to give you a chance of being one of the 10 winning videos included in the mission. Even if you don't enter, you should check out the project link below. On its own, the STRaND-1 smartphone nanosatellite is a pretty cool piece of technology.
Source: Scream In Space! Thanks, Ed!
We've been through this before. This notice has just landed in our inbox:
Hi,
Apologies for the late mail, but due to the expected weather in New York, T-Mobile will be postponing its showcase event (which was scheduled for October 29) to a later date. We will keep you posted on a rescheduled date as soon as we can.
Thanks for your flexibility and patience and apologies for the inconvenience.
The weather is getting nasty out there, and T-Mobile has decided that holding its event in New York City isn't the best choice. Since Google has also decided to postpone its impending Nexus event, we're not going to blame T-Mo for taking the safe route. No reason to risk having extra people traveling in Hurricane Sandy.
Stay safe out there, folks.
Ed. note: Bumping this up because it's important stuff.
OK, boys and girls on the East Cost. Listen up. Hurricane Sandy's on her way, and she's liable to make a mess of things next week. Just how bad depends on who you're reading, but regardless it's time to start getting ready. As we tend to do when storms like this pop up, let's review how our Android phones can help.
And as of this writing, Google's "Playground" event is still on for Monday morning. If that changes, you'll hear it here first. And Google's event is off. Stay safe out there, people.
More: Hurricane Sandy updates from NOAA
Ladies and gentlemen, Microsoft is back.
I wasn't sure we'd ever have reason to write those words again, and Microsoft's not yet all the way back. But it's absolutely taking the right steps. And for the first time since I began worrying about this sort of stuff, Microsoft appears to actually have some direction, some common goal.
I found myself in unfamiliar territory late last week, a couple days before a trip without a couple of reviews hanging over my head. Relative free time. Windows 8 had just gone official, and I hadn't actually gotten around using any of the beta builds over the past few months, and a $39 upgrade is kind of a no-brainer. (That and my daily machine is now a Mac, so I wasn't overly concerned about app compatibility just yet.) So, I popped Windows 8 onto the box it now shares with an Ubuntu install (for those times I feel like torturing Jerry with Linux questions).
First off, I'm loving the move away from the traditional desktop metaphor. It's going to be a big adjustment for us old folks. But our kids are gonna love it. And (for me, anyway), things started to make sense pretty quickly. There are Metro apps (sorry, Microsoft, but that's what they're called, and that's what I'm calling 'em), which run on the cool (if busy) start screen, and there are legacy apps, which run on top of a traditional desktop space. We'll eventually see the latter phased out entirely, I suppose, but that's going to take time. It takes a little work getting used to only having one app on the screen at a time. But maybe that's not a bad thing for casual computing.
For me, though, it shows that for the first time in a very long time, the different departments at Microsoft are working together. Hell, they're probably allowed to talk to each other for the first time. Three screens and the cloud no longer is just bluster coming from Ballmer, ladies and gentlemen.
What does this mean for Google and Android? Not a lot, just yet. It's still early in this rebirth for Microsoft and it's going to take more time for the ball to start rolling down the hill. But it's most certainly in motion, and it's no longer going uphill. Google, obviously, is serious about the mobile space. You wouldn't be reading this otherwise. I think it's still kinda toeing the waters when it comes to Chromebooks, but I also think that'll change over the coming months as well. (I love this new Chromebook commercial. Google's got to do this for Android, too.) And I still think Google's got more in store for the living room space; the Nexus Q was just a teaser.
But consider this: Microsoft is making its products available on current non-Microsoft devices. We're already seeing that with Xbox SmartGlass. Xbox Music is coming to Android as well -- quite possibly sooner rather than later. Microsoft Office is still strongly rumored. I've always believed one of Apple's bigger mistakes was not letting iTunes -- and its purchasing power and gateway drug status -- infect other platforms. Microsoft has never been shy about spreading its reach. After all, it's how we ended up with Bing Android phones for a short time.
Microsoft may be in third place in the mobile space, and that's not all that likely to change anytime soon. There are just too many Android and iOS devices out there. But make no mistake, Microsoft's in a much stronger place than it's ever been.
Cover that ridiculous logo on Verizon's Galaxy Note 2 home button with an equally ridiculous sticker. Get three pieces for $10 U.S. and stick it to the man.
Source: eBay; via +Cory Teague
Jelly Bean for the international versions of the HTC One X has begun pushing out, but the situation is a bit complicated. Rather than being pushed to all phones in a particular region, HTC pushes out updates to certain devices based on their CID (Customer ID) in each region. For example, phones with a CID of htc__612 are sold to carriers in Taiwan, and they started receiving their OTA last night. Alternatively, my unlocked phone with a CID of htc__044 hasn't received it yet, even though it's also sold in Taiwan (among other locales). I told you it was complicated.
What we know now is that the mentioned phones with htc__612 CIDs are receiving the OTA update as we speak, and HTC has informed me that the Jelly Bean update for all phones in Asia and Europe is "rolling out now". An insider told me that my particular model (htc__044) should start seeing the OTA tomorrow (Sunday). Finally, I've yet to hear from anyone in Europe who has received the OTA. I told you it was complicated.
If you've hacked your Tegra3 One X, you understand all of this and know where to look for information about rolling back and getting the OTA. If you haven't hacked your phone, just know that the Jelly Bean OTA is in process. Hopefully we'll all see it soon, as a few early reports say it's extremely fast and makes a great phone even better.
Thanks, Jeff and Ray420!
Okay folks, this is probably the shortest video leak we've ever seen, but it's a leak nonetheless. We've got 5 whole seconds of the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet on video, showing the homescreen and opening the browser. If nothing else, you get a really good look at the front design of the device and the screen.
It seems like there are no more secrets to be leaked at this point, but unfortunately we're gonna have to wait until a later date to see everything unveiled officially.
Source: BriefMobile
Web browsing on the Nexus 7, using Ubuntu and Firefox
I love fiddling with things. Especially electronic things. I admit, I've fooled with ARM builds of Ubuntu on Android devices, or running them in a chroot environment. I read the comments and forums, so I know I'm not the only one. The problem is, that while it's fairly easy to do, if you're not comfortable with terminal commands you just won't be doing it. Canonical, who is using the Nexus 7 as a sort of reference for Ubuntu on ARM touch devices changed that today by releasing a simple one click installer.
Now, anyone who can install Ubuntu on their computer can just as easily install it on their Nexus 7. It's not very practical, and you'll likely flash back to Android after a few hours of playing with it, but it is extremely cool to play with for a few. If you're the type who likes to hack and flash at your Nexus 7, you will want to try this. Read on.
If you're anything like the writers here at Android Central, you're probably losing your mind a little bit waiting for the big Google news to hit on Monday. If you were looking for a bit of a distraction to keep from going off the deep end, we wouldn't blame you. Luckily, our app picks this week should help you out with that. Per usual, we've got a handful of games and a few utility apps that should keep you entertained for the weekend. Take a look after the break and see how we did.
Bad news folks, this has just landed in our inbox:
Hi Phil,We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more.
Stay safe and dry, The Android Team
So, it's off. What does this mean for any launch plans? We don't know. And it looks like Google doesn't yet either. When we know more, you guys will be the first to know. But, the priority is for people to stay safe. If you're affected by Hurricane Sandy, take care of yourselves. There'll be time for phones on the other side.
In a week quite literally filled with LG Nexus 4 leaks, UK retailer Carphone Warehouse accidentally pulled the trigger on their pre-order page for the device. Contained within was plenty of juicy tidbits about Google's next Nexus smartphone, including some hints at pricing. Following this, we then saw leaked internal inventory screens that seemed to back it up further still.
Now, it seems, the very same retailer -- in some locations at least -- has already started to display their in store price advertising for the Nexus 4. It says that the device will be free on new and upgrade contracts from £31 per month, and that for £389.95 you can buy one out right.
What is lacking from this price tag however, is any indication of storage size. But, it's a weekend, so we're not going to get into that debate right now. We'll leave that to you folks in the forums, which is where you should be headed to talk up -- or down -- the LG Nexus 4 to your hearts content.
Source: @ollygosling (Twitter)
More: LG Nexus 4 Forums
Have we mentioned that there's a Nexus 4 coming Monday at Google's "Playground" event in New York? Yeah? Good. Here's one more render from the fine folks at @evleaks. Here we get a better look at the bezel surrounding the crystal reflective back (that's LG's new design feature first seen on the Optimus G, and here it's done in the same style as the original Nexus One live wallpaper).
There's not a whole lot to be gleaned from the screen here, either, save for this one's stock Android instead of an old custom ROM screenshot slapped on top. (That should calm the conspiracy theorists a little, maybe.) And the camera app has changed. Huzzah.
Just a couple days to go, folks.
Source: @evleaks
Despite not having a licence at present, or any firm plans for a 4G LTE network, UK carrier Vodafone has come out fighting with their "4G Promise." Rival carrier, EE, is set to launch the UK's first 4G LTE network within days. Eager not to lose out too much to the new service, Vodafone is offering some pretty impressive deals for customers who upgrade to their 4G network when it eventually arrives.
The meat of the offer is pretty straight forward:
So if you’ve bought an iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy SIII (purchased after October 26th 2012) or Galaxy Note II, simply bring it back to one of our stores. Even if you’re still in contract, we’ll knock off 70% of your remaining contract charges, letting you upgrade your phone early and start a fresh contract.
70% is a huge amount to reduce an outstanding contract fee by, and shows that Vodafone is keen to not only retain their current customers who may think about switching, but attract those who are unable to get EE 4G LTE at the services launch. The deal only applies when taking out a new 4G contract in the future, and for devices bought between September 12 2012 and March 31 2013.
Source: Vodafone
Remember that LG Nexus 4 support page that went live yesterday? Well now the page has been updated with user manuals for the device. We've been calling this device the Nexus 4 for a long time now, and this manual has confirmed that for us. Also something to note here is that there are two different manuals -- one 8GB, one 16GB. Both manuals seem to be the exact same, but that still gives us some information. Based on what we see here, we may be looking at just those two storage capacities for the next Nexus device.
The manuals also confirm the existence of an inductive charging coil, which occupies a pretty big space under the back plate. We picked this out in the FCC documentation all the way back when the first leaks hit, so we saw that one coming. Inductive charging on the device doesn't do much good without the accessories to support it though, so hopefully Google does a better job with these than the Galaxy Nexus docks.
If you're still curious and want to thumb through the manuals, head to the source link below. And remember, we'll see it all straight from Google on Monday morning.
More: LG Nexus 4 Forum
It looks like the Droid RAZR HD and MAXX HD are receiving an extremely small OTA update -- about 6MB -- according to Verizon support documentation. There's just one bullet point to this update, "Updated Google Security Patch has been added.", which is pretty obscure. Rooted users beware, this may be closing up an exploit hole that you used. Better wait and see what the final implications of this update are.
That aside, it's always good to see updates coming out, even the small bug fixes like this.
Source: Verizon Support; PDF; Thanks everyone who sent this in!
More: Verizon Droid Forums
Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below to get started.
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