Tag: Android

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Nokia unveils three Android powered phones: Nokia X, Nokia X+, and Nokia XL with Microsoft Services

13In an interesting twist on the rumors, Nokia officially unveiled a trio of phones running the Android operating system.

nokia xThe Nokia X and X+ feature four inch screens, while the XL has a 5″ display, all with a WVGA resolution. On board we’ll likely see dual-core Qualcomm processors, 512MB of RAM, and 5MP cameras. While the underlying core is AOSP, they’ll be heavily skinned with Nokia’s Fastlane UI found on their Asha devices. They’ll also heavily feature Nokia and Microsoft services like OneDrive, Skype, Here Maps, and Nokia Mix Radio. 

nokia x fastlane Aimed at entry and developing markets, the Nokia X will be available intermediately, starting at 89€ (around $120US). The X+ will add more internal storage and a MicroSD slot for 99€, and will be available in the second quarter of this year.  The Nokia XL will follow the X+ later in the year at an expected price around 109€.

nokia xl android plants vs zombiesNow these phones will likely not support Google Play, and I suspect the relationship will be more like Amazon and the Kindle. Developers will have to submit their apps to Nokia’s own standalone app store, but they wont have to rebuild apps from scratch so long as they’re compatible with low power Android hardware. It’s a curious thought that if these handsets find any market traction, Nokia’s app store could fill faster than Microsoft’s.

It’s also funny to think that Microsoft+Nokia might be able to succeed in producing popular low cost Android offerings which aren’t painful to use. The Moto G started a broader conversation in high quality phones for developing markets, and Nokia looks ready to continue that conversation. I wonder if there will be any demand for those Nokia services on traditional Android hardware, say Nokia Mix Radio for instance. I’m sure someone at XDA will grab the APK’s for us…

nokia 220 internet enabled phone for 29 euroThe exciting race this year is in low cost offerings. Nokia is taking a gamble by forking their OS, but they now offer several tiers of phones for a variety of different markets. This “X” line up slots in between Lumias and Asha devices.

Also announced was a new 29€ internet enabled phone called the 220 featuring a month of battery life, and a new touchscreen Asha 230 for 45€.

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Sony unveils Waterproof Xperia Z2 Smartphone & Tablet

A pair of exciting announcements from Sony out of Barcelona. Following in the wake of selling off their PC division, Sony is doubling down on their Xperia line up with the Z2 phone and Z2 Tablet, and happily both of these multimedia powerhouses will survive a swim.

Xperia_Z2Xperia Z2 Phone

It’s a power packed combo including all of Sony’s best gear.  A 5.2″ HD screen is powered by a Qualcomm 801 quad-core, 3GB of RAM and a phablet-sized 3200mAh battery.

For Android photogs, Sony is packing a 20.7 megapixel 1/2.3″ sensor with optical image stabilization. That puts it firmly in Nokia Icon territory for light sensitivity and achieving shallower depth of field in photos and videos. It will also be capable of shooting 4K video, making it one of the more formidable combinations of optics and tech in the Android ecosystem.

Xperia Z2 Tablet

Xperia_Z2_Tablet_BlackPushing forward with slates, the Z2 Tablet features a 10.1″ “Full HD” Live Colour LED display, also powered by a Qualcomm 801 quad-core and a 6000mAh battery. Two models will be available, WiFi only and LTE.

Sony pushing gaming and multimedia, hopefully as a tease for future Playstation Now compatibility, are bragging on DUALSHOCK3 wireless controller game play. For work, they’ll have a custom Bluetooth keyboard cover and stand available for purchase.

Both the Z2 Tablet and Phone are waterproof, feature integrated noise reduction when using Sony ear buds, and they’ll also both be eligible for a special entertainment package including six Sony Pictures films, one of which is ‘Captain Philips’, and a 30 day free trial for Music Unlimited.

Both Z2’s will launch globally this March. Full press releases are below.

Continue reading “Sony unveils Waterproof Xperia Z2 Smartphone & Tablet”

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Glance Lock Screen Now in Public Beta: Smart Alerts, Better Battery

Qualcomm snapdragon glance dynamic lock screen screen shotThe next stage of our mobile devices will be contextual notifications and smart alerts. Google Now feeds us info before we search for it, and now Qualcomm wants to improve your at-a-glance experience on you lock screen.

Snapdragon Glance analyzes your behavior, and will attempt to prioritize notifications based on your past actions. It will also rank apps and contacts for quick access to the services you use most and the people you most often communicate with.

Snapdragon Glance also works in tandem with Qualcomm’s Battery Guru to help improve run time.

While this all sounds great, there is a small hitch. To run this new lock screen, you must have a phone using a Qualcomm processor, and it must be running Android 4.3 or higher, so a pretty significant chunk of the Android ecosystem wont be allowed to play. If you do meet those criteria, it’s free on Google Play.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Glance on Google Play

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Review: Nomad ChargeCard & ChargeKey, Wallet or Keychain USB Cable

I carry an original ChargeCard with me everywhere I go. Keep it in my wallet, and I always have a USB cable handy to charge my phone or sync data.

It’s come in handy for those times I’m out with friends at night, and someone’s phone is about to die. People don’t often want to bother with keeping cables in pockets or purses, and there are situations where even having a car charger wont help.

Nomad has refreshed the design of the ChargeCard, and they’re introducing a new, even smaller solution with ChargeKey. Let’s take a look!

My original review of ChargeCard 1.0. 
More info: http://www.hellonomad.com/

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Updated: Lenovo to buy Motorola from Google for $3 Billion!

lenovo-logo-1Well now that the dust has settled a bit, we can actually take a closer look at some of the details of this proposed deal. Though it was kind of funny how many corporate experts came flocking out of various corners of the internet following the freakish suddenness of this announcement.

The Motorola that Lenovo will acquire will be a very different animal than the one that Google purchased for $12.5 Billion. Firstly, there’s no set-top division. That was sold to Arris Group for $2.35 Billion.

We also know that the experimental division of Motorola responsible for the modular Project Ara will be staying with Google. As will most of the patents they acquired in buying Moto. Lenovo will receive all of the Motorola branding and trademarks. Not too shabby as they’ll instantly become the number three Android manufacturer.

Lenovo will also receive a patent licensing deal. The timing on this makes perfect sense when placed next to the deal Samsung and Google hammered out recently. Google is making a tremendous amount of patent material available to the top Android manufacturer, and the number one PC manufacturer (who also happens to be making a play for more of the mobile market). Lenovo and Samsung get more IP weapons, and Google gets a Samsung less focused on altering Android and a new home for Moto for them to keep stave off any perception of impropriety. Lenovo gets a great brand with a lot of history, and like IBM’s Thinkpads, Lenovo is proving itself very capable of reviving old brands. My histrionic speculation below doesn’t feel like it was TOO far off the mark…

So why aren’t I happier about this? Rationally I know this is probably the best possible move for all parties involved. I think I’m somewhat disappointed on Motorola’s behalf. It takes a long time to incorporate a company following a buy out. We were just starting to see the fruits of a newer, leaner, meaner Moto. The Moto X was a terrific handset, and Moto G was the best possible Android answer to the onslaught of low cost Windows Phones like the Lumia 520.

Now little Moto has to move to a new home. I’m very confident Lenovo will be a solid keeper for the beleaguered brand, but I’m bummed seeing anything which might interrupt the little bit of momentum that we’ve started to see.

And while this makes fantastic business sense for Google, both from a revenue standpoint and to maintain good relationships with other manufacturers, it makes me feel like this entire procedure really was a cynical grab for a patent portfolio. The very accusations I defended Google from back in 2012. I don’t like being wrong like that.

More details on the Motorola Blog and Lenovo’s Press Release. My original article below. Continue reading “Updated: Lenovo to buy Motorola from Google for $3 Billion!”

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Google Chrome for Android and iOS now includes data compression

chrome bandwith management reduce data usage

It’s funny how tech moves in cycles.

When data networks were slow, and our mobile smartphones were far less powerful, we usually could count on unlimited data here in the States, even through the 3G revolution. Companies like Opera would release 3rd party browsers to help reduce data use and to speed up web browsing. Especially during the Windows Mobile days, this was tremendously helpful as web browsing could be somewhat painful on smaller screens and under-powered hardware.

Now we have devices which do a remarkable job of replicating the desktop web browsing experience, on screaming fast hardware, with broadband bandwidth over the air. Unfortunately, all of these improvements came with caps and throttling for most consumers. We don’t necessarily need the speed benefits of compression anymore, but saving a few MB’s while browsing would certainly come in handy.

Rolling out today, Chrome will now offer up data compression for Android and iOS. Once you’ve received the update, go into settings, hit Bandwidth Management, and enable “Reduce Data Usage”. Easy peasy. This wont help reduce data on any of your other apps or services, but if you use the browser, it will be able to reduce your data footprint by up to 50%, while improving your “Safe Browsing” security.

Android users will also receive an update to add website shortcuts to their homescreen directly from the browser menu. Not too shabby.

Check the Google Chrome Blog for the full scoop.

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#CES2014: Sony Wows with Xperia Z1 Compact, “Uncompromising” smaller Android Smartphone

sony xperia z1 compact ces tease announcement android smartphoneI don’t often get excited about phone announcements, but Sony has me very interested.

The biggest problem in the Android ecosystem right now is the lack of premium smaller form factor devices. Smaller screens are seen as entry or mid-range phones. It completely gives the market away to the iPhone when “Premium” only means 4.7″ screens and larger.

Sony is looking to change that with the Z1 Compact. A 720p 4.3″ display is powered by the most bleeding edge guts we can currently pack into a phone.

sony xperia z1 compact ces tease announcement android smartphone camera

The Qualcomm 800 processor is a screamer on larger higher resolution phone screens, so it should be even more of a beast here. 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage with a MicroSD card slot will be handy as the camera bolted to the back is a 20MP shooter with optical image stabilization. Even the battery is class standard at 2300mAh, a capacity often found in larger screen phones.

Not only are the guts impressive, the design is attractive as well, with a solid machined aluminum shell. The Z1 Compact also continues in Sony’s recent tradition of making their phones water resistant, helpful insuring your smartphone might actually last the two year contract you signed up for.

Every bit of this phone is a step in the right direction for those wanting a premium high end smartphone in a smaller form factor. Sony released a video tease of the Z1 Compact embedded below.

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#ATTDevSummit: LG Flex coming to AT&T soon-ish…

LG_G_FLEX_04The experiment moves mainstream! The curved screened LG Flex will soon be showing up on AT&T LTE in North America.

Flex features a 6″ 720p AMOLED display which can bend completely flat without damage, and it has the near-magical the ability to heal from minor scrapes and scuffs. Just check this crazy video out.

 

 

The rest of the hardware is similar to the LG G2 including processor and camera performance. No pricing or availability as of yet, but full PR below. Continue reading “#ATTDevSummit: LG Flex coming to AT&T soon-ish…”

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